What Are You Playing?

The first time I played the game I didn't understand and mostly ignored World Tendency and it probably made certain segments, particularly later in world 1 (which you want to play most of later or last =), much harder.

You're lucky you got to ignore it. In the original PS3 release, the servers would hold holiday events where they would switch the World Tendency of all the levels to one of the extremes for a week depending on what was being celebrated. For instance, Halloween would be pure black, while Christmas would be pure white. The first time I played through Demon's Souls fell on the week of Valentine's Day. For that, Atlus let the players vote on what tendency was more fitting for it, and when the results came up roughly even, they decided to have the first half of the week be pure white and the second half be pure black. Let me tell you: Pure Black Valley of Defilement is not fun. Not when you have to cross a vast poison marsh that takes away all your mobility and have to pass by an island that's now populated by four black phantom versions of those giant beak-masked fuckers. :magni:

If you guys have any great Metroidvanias to recommend, please do mention them.

You could check out Axiom Verge. It pretty much plays out like massive love letter to Metroid. Don't know of any other good Metroidvanias that are out right now. I do have one called Momodora in my backlog, but I haven't played it yet. There are a couple of intriguing ones on the pipeline though. There's Metroid Dread of course. Salt and Sanctuary is getting a sequel in the form of Salt and Sacrifice, which looks pretty cool. But what really has my eye is The Last Faith.

Anyway, I've been playing Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster on my Switch. I already gave my initial impressions of it, including my opinion on some of the updates. It's not nearly as hard as I remember it being, but I suppose that's because I'm more familiar with its mechanics. I know what skills are useful and which are not, and I make damn sure I've got a good mix of buffs and debuffs spread among my demons at all times. Though it doesn't help that I early on managed to make a healer whose mana replenishes as I walk, which means I never have to worry about dying or conserving on my magic ever! Though I have a feeling I might have unintentionally overleveled myself; I've leveled to my early 60s and fused a Beidou Xingjun, which I remember turning into my Uber Pixie in the Fifth Kalpa of the Labyrinth of Amala the first time I played this game eons ago, and I haven't even started the fourth one yet!
 
You could check out Axiom Verge. It pretty much plays out like massive love letter to Metroid. Don't know of any other good Metroidvanias that are out right now. I do have one called Momodora in my backlog, but I haven't played it yet. There are a couple of intriguing ones on the pipeline though. There's Metroid Dread of course. Salt and Sanctuary is getting a sequel in the form of Salt and Sacrifice, which looks pretty cool. But what really has my eye is The Last Faith.
Thanks for the recommendations.

The Last Faith looks nice! Indeed a Bloodborne/Castlevania combo. Art style resembles Blasphemous (which I'm totally fine with). Looks like this game will scratch that Bloodborne itch I've been having for the longest time now, assuming it comes out any time soon. No release date yet it seems.

Speaking of upcoming without release dates, if you're interested, there's also Crowsworn, another Metroidvania. It's inspired by Bloodborne, Hollow Knight, and Devil May Cry, according to the devs. It's looking good so far.
 
Thanks for the recommendations.

The Last Faith looks nice! Indeed a Bloodborne/Castlevania combo. Art style resembles Blasphemous (which I'm totally fine with). Looks like this game will scratch that Bloodborne itch I've been having for the longest time now, assuming it comes out any time soon. No release date yet it seems.

Speaking of upcoming without release dates, if you're interested, there's also Crowsworn, another Metroidvania. It's inspired by Bloodborne, Hollow Knight, and Devil May Cry, according to the devs. It's looking good so far.
Speaking of axiom verge they just announced that the sequel is out today on switch and ps4.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
PLAY BLOODBORNE! GOTD! PS EXCLUSIVE! IT'S BETTER THAN WHATEVER YOU'RE PLAYING!
This is what Aazealh must feel like when I insist on him watching The Wire (it's been about a decade now, I think?) Thing is, I have played Bloodborne. Got just past Father Asshole. It just didn't hook me at all.

Thanks for the recommendations.

A few more good ones that I didn't see mentioned: Bloodstained, Carrion, Dead Cells (more of a looping/rogue-like with Metroid-inspired map design, but very good combat design), and Timespinner.
 
I turned on my PS3 after 5-6 years and reset my password cos I'd forgotten it. My friend gave me 3 games to play - Mass Effect 2, Red Dead Redemption, and The Last of Us. I started playing Mass Effect 2 cos it's sci-fi and easier for me to get into after a gap in gaming.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
I turned on my PS3 after 5-6 years and reset my password cos I'd forgotten it. My friend gave me 3 games to play - Mass Effect 2, Red Dead Redemption, and The Last of Us. I started playing Mass Effect 2 cos it's sci-fi and easier for me to get into after a gap in gaming.
ME2 is great! Just curious -- did you play ME1?
 
ME2 is great! Just curious -- did you play ME1?

Ohh not yet! Should I play ME1 first to get a broader sense of the game, and is there story that trickles over into ME2 that I would miss out on if I played ME2 first? I've only clocked in about 2 hours into ME2 so far.

I know very little about ME and the other 2 games. I know they exist, and what the main characters look like/ wear (cos I'd see folks cosplay at conventions/ see posters/ etc.). I know of The Last of Us because it's being adapted into a movie :farnese:- that's how little I know about the game haha!
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Ohh not yet! Should I play ME1 first to get a broader sense of the game, and is there story that trickles over into ME2 that I would miss out on if I played ME2 first? I've only clocked in about 2 hours into ME2 so far.

I know very little about ME and the other 2 games. I know they exist, and what the main characters look like/ wear (cos I'd see folks cosplay at conventions/ see posters/ etc.). I know of The Last of Us because it's being adapted into a movie :farnese:- that's how little I know about the game haha!
Yes, absolutely play 1 before 2, if you're able to. Otherwise it's the equivalent of jumping in to the second movie in a trilogy. Also, 1 has the best story stuff in the whole series. It's just a bit tedious because the action will feel a bit dated at this point.
 
Yes, absolutely play 1 before 2, if you're able to. Otherwise it's the equivalent of jumping in to the second movie in a trilogy. Also, 1 has the best story stuff in the whole series. It's just a bit tedious because the action will feel a bit dated at this point.
Not to mention the ton of story-wise carryovers from ME1. Plus you get to know the galaxy's craziest honorary uncle.
 
Tried playing sekiro, got stuck at the burning bull. Its been some weeks and i haven't touched the game again since
Understandable (he's very annoying), but don't give up! If it helps, you could try using firecrackers as your prosthetic in this fight. Those always work well against animals/beasts, raising their posture meter up a lot. Another thing that helped when I fought the bull was to be aggressive and in its face. Running away or trying to avoid it almost never ends well.
Hope you get back to it since the game gets really good once you reach Ashina Castle. Good luck!
 
Yes, absolutely play 1 before 2, if you're able to. Otherwise it's the equivalent of jumping in to the second movie in a trilogy. Also, 1 has the best story stuff in the whole series. It's just a bit tedious because the action will feel a bit dated at this point.
Sounds good, thanks for the recommendation ! I'll look for a digital copy of the game tonight so I can start playing it tonight.
 

NightCrawler

Aeons gone, vast, mad and deathless
Ohh not yet! Should I play ME1 first to get a broader sense of the game, and is there story that trickles over into ME2 that I would miss out on if I played ME2 first? I've only clocked in about 2 hours into ME2 so far.
You don't have to play ME1. Just watch some youtube playthrough for the story. The game is a huge chore with dreadful gameplay, and you'll definitely notice it coming from ME2.

Tried playing sekiro, got stuck at the burning bull. Its been some weeks and i haven't touched the game again since
I'm gonna try it after only playing DS1 and 2 (I much preferred 2 to 1, don't shoot me). I suck at parrying, so I'm expecting to give up on it quite quickly.
 
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Tried playing sekiro, got stuck at the burning bull. Its been some weeks and i haven't touched the game again since

That fight sucks and it would appear even FromSoftware thought so, considering they nerfed the bull in patches. Anyway, I find there are two general strategies in dealing with him, one risky and fast, and the other slow but relatively safer. For the former, you act like a matador, putting some distance between you and the bull so you can bait it into charging at you (as in doing the attack where it briefly lowers its head before bucking it forward), and deflecting the attack. That stuns it for a few seconds, which will let you get some hits in. Repeat until you fill up its posture bar, then deathblow it death! The other option is to constantly run behind it and attack its sides or ass and whittle its health down. Firecrackers are good for this strategy since they cause animals to panic, though keep in mind that enemies will only do this once every 20-30 seconds.

I'm gonna try it after only playing DS1 and 2 (I much preferred 2 to 1, don't shoot me). I suck at parrying, so I'm expecting to give up on it quite quickly.

Deflecting in Sekiro works much more differently than parrying did in Demon's/Dark Souls. It's the same action as blocking for one, so even if your timing is off, it means you're still likely going to block the attack and take no damage to your health (though your posture will likely take a hit). Second, you can deflect practically everything in Sekiro. Normal-sized swords, swords bigger than you, fists the size of your head, even bullets, you can block and deflect all of them. Attacks you can't are literally spelled out for you (in kanji!), so there's no guesswork like there is in Souls. Furthermore, the deflect windows are much more generous in Sekiro and enemy attacks are more readable, even if there are a lot more of them to deal with. Overall, deflecting in Sekiro is leagues easier to pull off consistently than parrying is in Souls.

It's still not an easy game of course. It does have a considerably higher learning curve than FromSoftware's previous titles and it can be pretty damn unforgiving, which makes it seem unfair. But it will feel easier than them when/if it starts clicking for you.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Demon's Souls - Still going strong into NG3, really maxing out this character.

Returnal - Interesting atmosphere and fun so far, though I'm not a big fan of shooters or Rogue-likes, so we'll see. Oh yeah, the save mechanic, or lack thereof, is definitely a turn off from "getting stuck" on only this game.

So I’ve been obsessed with Hollow Knight recently.

It's probably my favorite of the modern examples of the genre. Just love the style and there's a lot to do. Didn't care as much for the DLC/update though, so I'm unsure about the sequel.

I specifically want to address what you just mentioned: the feel of the game. Now you may not agree with me on this, but for all its virtues, I think this remake is missing the “magic” of the original. Now I enjoyed the remake a lot (enough that I’m already in NG+4), but as I kept playing it, I couldn’t help but feel something “missing”. It didn’t replicate the experience I had back in 2009.
Anyway that’s my take on Demon’s Souls (2020). What do you think?

I have a more forgiving outlook on it because most of the changes are cosmetic, and probably for the sake of visual fidelity (they didn't want to make Maneater look so good only to hide it), though it did change the feel (even the sepia toned load screens and opening cinematic made a big difference in how you perceive the game's atmosphere). My main concern was how would rolling and combat feel, etc. And it felt a little off frankly, but not enough I can't enjoy it as basically the latest, cutting edge Souls experience with its own wrinkles. That's basically more how I see it, not so much the definitive version of Demon's Souls, but just the latest iteration of the Souls genre we've been getting essentially re-released to us in further refinements since DeS came out. It might be the latest, greatest Souls game without even being the best version of Demon's Souls, which is still up there with BB and DS1 vying for being best of bunch.

You're lucky you got to ignore it. In the original PS3 release, the servers would hold holiday events where they would switch the World Tendency of all the levels to one of the extremes for a week depending on what was being celebrated.

Yeah, I'm glad I don't have to play offline, though by the time I played Demon's Souls the server was done I think. I don't get matched with anyone in the remake anymore anyway.

Let me tell you: Pure Black Valley of Defilement is not fun. Not when you have to cross a vast poison marsh that takes away all your mobility and have to pass by an island that's now populated by four black phantom versions of those giant beak-masked fuckers. :magni:

I just went through there tonight to collect the pure black ceramic coin plus kill the phantom and primeval demon to bump it back into the white for my next NG+ cycle (going for the Penetrator armor). Fucking horrible. In Pure Black I basically go full caster because it's just not worth the risk that with melee your timing is off or you won't stagger some random enemy that hits through your attack. I did use the Dragon Bone Smasher on lady Vinland though.

You don't have to play ME1. Just watch some youtube playthrough for the story. The game is a huge chore with dreadful gameplay, and you'll definitely notice it coming from ME2.

My own unpopular opinion: ME2 sucks and is a dumbed down action game with a bunch disposable characters that goes nowhere. ME1 rules, awkwardness and all.

I'm gonna try it after only playing DS1 and 2 (I much preferred 2 to 1, don't shoot me). I suck at parrying, so I'm expecting to give up on it quite quickly.
Iiiiii think I understand now.

To be fair, your Bloodborne takes whining about the framerate or thinking you have the measure of the game after essentially playing the tutorial boss are way worse. At least Nighty and I have informed bad opinions like my ME2 slander. =)
 
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My own unpopular opinion: ME2 sucks and is a dumbed down action game with a bunch disposable characters that goes nowhere. ME1 rules, awkwardness and all.
ME2 vs 1 seems to be at its root a pacing problem. Where as ME1 is a old school bioware RPG (think it shares half of the engine with Dragon Age 1) where you can shoot stuff, the EA brand sequels 2 (and 3) has more of a shooting game pace.(Unless you are mining for stuff, in that case it's a web based game grind... not my favourite part in ME2).

So yeh, its a wonder how they made it somehow work as continuity when 1 and 2 are different gameplay styles altogether.

I should get to play New Vegas again and do a Legion run. This reminded me of my RPG itch.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
ME2 vs 1 seems to be at its root a pacing problem. Where as ME1 is a old school bioware RPG (think it shares half of the engine with Dragon Age 1) where you can shoot stuff, the EA brand sequels 2 (and 3) has more of a shooting game pace.(Unless you are mining for stuff, in that case it's a web based game grind... not my favourite part in ME2).

I don't think so. ME1's gameplay is fine, and they were already going for a more action feel than pure RPG with it. They just wanted to perfect that action feel in the sequels, which they did successfully. So that was an evolution, but it's not like they're drastically different. The big change was inventory management, which was completely removed. I always thought that was too bad and they should have met halfway.

Anyway, where ME2 and 3 drop the ball is on the story. ME1 has some slow moments, but it's got great world-building and a rock solid storyline with one of the best endings to a game I've ever seen. The sequels are much weaker on that side of things, which eventually led to a big disappointment from the fans. Those games are, after all, RPGs. This is why ME1 is far superior to its sequels. The slicker battles don't make up for the botched story.
 
I don't think so. ME1's gameplay is fine, and they were already going for a more action feel than pure RPG with it. They just wanted to perfect that action feel in the sequels, which they did successfully. So that was an evolution, but it's not like they're drastically different. The big change was inventory management, which was completely removed. I always thought that was too bad and they should have met halfway.

Anyway, where ME2 and 3 drop the ball is on the story. ME1 has some slow moments, but it's got great world-building and a rock solid storyline with one of the best endings to a game I've ever seen. The sequels are much weaker on that side of things, which eventually led to a big disappointment from the fans. Those games are, after all, RPGs. This is why ME1 is far superior to its sequels. The slicker battles don't make up for the botched story.


Hm, yeah. You are right, you can only do so much action with that kind of engine... or exploration (The Mako's right front wheel again!)

But oh boy do I miss the big stupid jellyfish moments in the sequels.
 
I'm gonna try it after only playing DS1 and 2 (I much preferred 2 to 1, don't shoot me).
My own unpopular opinion: ME2 sucks and is a dumbed down action game with a bunch disposable characters that goes nowhere.
:isidro: I'm speechless...I mean, to each his own but...what? :isidro:
It's probably my favorite of the modern examples of the genre. Just love the style and there's a lot to do. Didn't care as much for the DLC/update though, so I'm unsure about the sequel.
The DLC was included in the free edition I got on PS+. It's pretty good, but in typical Soulsborne fashion, it's fucking hard. The first DLC is Grimm Troupe, which adds a travelling troupe to the main hub that give you a new quest. The final boss of that quest was nuts.
The second DLC has you travel to Godhome (those devs really got creative with their naming, didn't they?). It has a quest of its own as well as an arena where you can re-fight any of the bosses in multiple difficulties. It also has a boss rush mode that I've yet to be able to completely finish (I beat 3 of the 4 gauntlets so far).
Honestly I'm surprised a game like that has taken so much of my time. It's been over a 100 hours and I'm still not done.
I have a more forgiving outlook on it because most of the changes are cosmetic, and probably for the sake of visual fidelity (they didn't want to make Maneater look so good only to hide it), though it did change the feel (even the sepia toned load screens and opening cinematic made a big difference in how you perceive the game's atmosphere). My main concern was how would rolling and combat feel, etc. And it felt a little off frankly, but not enough I can't enjoy it as basically the latest, cutting edge Souls experience with its own wrinkles. That's basically more how I see it, not so much the definitive version of Demon's Souls, but just the latest iteration of the Souls genre we've been getting essentially re-released to us in further refinements since DeS came out. It might be the latest, greatest Souls game without even being the best version of Demon's Souls, which is still up there with BB and DS1 vying for being best of bunch.
Fair enough. We're in agreement here then, overall: that it's not the definitive DeS edition after all. For all its greatness though, I still wouldn't put it on the same level as Bloodborne. Like you said, FromSoft evolved over the years and it shows.
 
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Just finished off Sekiro again for the 'I don't know how manyth' time. Good god, I love this game so much. It makes most other action games difficult to play because they're just not nearly as satisfying.

Also, been working on my Persona 3 replay. Probably around 75% done the game, so only another 780 million hours left. Putting this on temporary hiatus.

Decided to start the Uncharted series. Needed a different type of action game that doesn't make me immediately want to play Sekiro. Seems cool so far!

And feel like replaying Chrono Trigger, so that's a thing too now.
 
With everyone discussing mass effect I feel the need to give my opinion too.
I played mass effect 1 twice. That is a testament to how much I enjoyed it. It’s rare for me to play any lengthily rpg twice unless I thoroughly enjoyed it because they can be a time cruncher.

I believe that I got about 75% done with mass effect 2 and I could not finish it. I do not like the way that they handled the suicide mission. If I remember correctly I believe that I trapped myself at a recent save where I could not progress without triggering the suicide mission. I apparently had not completed all the prerequisites to succeed in the suicide mission and I was not about to load a save with multiple hours of gameplay lost so I said to hell with it.

Others have mentioned the story being worse than mass effect 1 which I agree. But I would even argue that the gameplay in mass effect one is somewhat superior to two. I can’t quite explain it. Maybe it’s just more my pace? I unironically enjoyed driving the Mako around too.

It seems like mass effect 3 had a good stride to it but I never attempted to play it.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Others have mentioned the story being worse than mass effect 1 which I agree. But I would even argue that the gameplay in mass effect one is somewhat superior to two. I can’t quite explain it. Maybe it’s just more my pace? I unironically enjoyed driving the Mako around too.
Same. While I haven't revisited ME1 since I first played it back in 2009 or so, I remember it feeling clunky, but also creating really memorable combat experiences, where I really thought out my actual approach to the building I was planning to raid. Where was I going to park the Mako before engaging with the external guards. Stuff that I had not, until that point in games, ever really had to grapple with. Giving you the freedom to explore a planet before each mission meant that each little mission was more than just an arena shooter. And then yes, your Mako will flip out over an invisible crater and then turtle itself on the barren planet for a few seconds, and it breaks that exploratory immersion it was building. But still...! It's a great game. Warts and all.

ME2 by comparison is extremely polished, but more limited in scope. In details like the sound and feel of firing even the basic pistol from the start of the game, you can immediately tell that they sweated the details in turning the combat into something that felt more like a finely tuned machine. People often talk about how well the dynamics are between teammates during combat, and it was indeed improved, but I felt like I was already doing a lot of that in ME1. Despite those improvements, the problem that all the polish can't erase is that they don't give you anything very interesting to DO with all of those missions.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
ME2 vs 1 seems to be at its root a pacing problem. Where as ME1 is a old school bioware RPG (think it shares half of the engine with Dragon Age 1) where you can shoot stuff, the EA brand sequels 2 (and 3) has more of a shooting game pace.
:isidro: I'm speechless...I mean, to each his own but...what? :isidro:

Inquisitor hit on it above, but basically the original created a sense of an inhabitable, interactive world much larger than the sum of the game's parts, which were also fun if a bit clumsy by today's standards, with a story that hooked me to the point I practically played it straight through in an all-nighter. I know ME2 is regarded as the transcendent all-time game of the series, but while it improved the gunplay, it basically became like levels you teleported to with shooter missions and your ship was the central hub where you interacted with the eclectic characters you collected throughout. That's basically an action/adventure shooter with RPG elements. Worst of all, the game had no plot continuity and was like a complete diversion or side story that just ends up back where ME1 ended to setup the actual conclusion of that story in ME3, minus crucial development that could have made that conclusion most effective. It's otherwise personality driven with the recruitable characters, which people obviously liked, but I was expecting a lot more than that, and most people were probably just staring at Miranda's ass. So yeah, objectively, maybe it's the most polished or best playing game in the series, but it was a huge disappoint to me coming off Mass Effect.

The DLC was included in the free edition I got on PS+. It's pretty good, but in typical Soulsborne fashion, it's fucking hard. The first DLC is Grimm Troupe, which adds a travelling troupe to the main hub that give you a new quest. The final boss of that quest was nuts.

That's the one, and you had to fight the boss multiple times with extra phases added or some shit. That was obnoxious, and the whole thing also felt tonally off from the otherwise lonely, desolate vibe of the game.

Fair enough. We're in agreement here then, overall: that it's not the definitive DeS edition after all. For all its greatness though, I still wouldn't put it on the same level as Bloodborne. Like you said, FromSoft evolved over the years and it shows.

Bloodborne is the best, but I give Demon's Souls a lot of credit for being first and not just as some rudimentary precursor, but for how complete it already was with the formula, including unique elements they've never replicated. Like I said, it doesn't feel so different from DS3. To me the big three are Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne, and they're pretty even in quality and influence, BB being the pinnacle. DS2 is the dark sheep and DS3 is a greatest hits album. Sekiro is also distinct like those three, and I'm curious if Elden Ring will be as well or basically just Dark Souls 4 by any other name.

Others have mentioned the story being worse than mass effect 1 which I agree. But I would even argue that the gameplay in mass effect one is somewhat superior to two. I can’t quite explain it. Maybe it’s just more my pace? I unironically enjoyed driving the Mako around too.

Agreed, all that contributed to an atmosphere and immersion that was lost in the sequels. Walter nailed most of it in detail, but I also didn't feel like any of the ballyhooed character stuff in ME2 really mattered other than the characters acting cool, whereas what can happen with Wrex in ME1, and did my first time playing, or choosing which character to save or not was actually meaningful. By comparison, the suicide mission in ME2 was basically just a gimmick playing on those ideas, but by design it also meant they were all basically disposable to begin with.

It seems like mass effect 3 had a good stride to it but I never attempted to play it.

ME3 was kind of a middle ground, except its plot didn't get a total pass because I guess ME2 wasn't expected to deliver on anything, whereas the onus was on ME3 to be everything to fans of both the first two games and cement its status as a transcendent RPG experience. Whoops. They shouldn't have released all that apologia DLC that just muddled things further.
 
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