What Are You Currently Playing? 6.65: Neighbor of the Beast

[gunswordfist]

I played a few hours of Shantae: Risky's Revenge early this morning. I am starting to really get into this game.

[Foggle]

Played the Nier Automata demo. My body was not fucking ready for Platinum Yoko Taro. Holy shit it was awesome. If this is the first level of the game, I can't even imagine what the rest is going to be like. Third-person bullet hell hack 'n slash, side-scrolling platforming, top-down shooting, huge boss fights, and a Star Fox-style flight segment - all in under 45 minutes...

[Mustang]

Final Fantasy 15
While I wouldn't call it my favorite Final Fantasy (that's between 4 and 8) it's definitely a fun one. I've yet to delve into the story. Hell, I'm only at the part where I first started fishing, and even then I doubled back to the town beforehand and just did my first night time hunt. The combat is certainly no Devil May Cry, and from what I'm seeing you can go in swinging till your heart's content, but I like the warp-strikes. If anything, Ascension can be a bit daunting (no problem for me) because there are so many options and it turns into "where do I start". Can't speak much about the 4 characters yet. The Regalia on the other hand, that's sum luxury car. Turned mine white.

Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike
Pretty much done with Street Fighter 5. I just hate how Capcom are handling it which is unfortunate because at it's core it's so fun. It reminds me of SF3. I'm trying to remain patient for the characters but my patience ran out (especially if they won't release them all in one go). I might come back to it if there's a character for me, but I'm gonna put that on the back burner. Which brings me to USF4. Also gonna put this on the back burner for a while. This game is dead (might still have a small scene on X360). Anyway, I've never tried Makoto before so I'm gonna give her a try. I find her to be the scariest character in USF4, and she's considered top tier in 3rd Strike so, yeah.

Yugioh - Legacy of the Duelist
This one is more of a guilty pleasure. Believe it or not, but Yugioh was what got me into message boards and anime (with a bit of help from Rurouni Kenshin and DBZ). Anyway, if Konami did this game the same way they the Tag Force series I think it would've been better, not to mention a longer story considering you're going through all the generations of Yugioh. I do like that the banlist is up-to-date, but you can also play with no restrictions. I only play campaign. The meta is too wild for me to attempt online and I haven't kept up with the cards since 2006... I'm trying to play this Synchron deck, but man there are way too many combos to remember. I've always been used to First turn kill decks, but almost every deck seems like it can kill on first turn so I'm fine with the campaign lol.

[Foggle]

I'm finally playing Doom 4 and it's so good! Not a fan of their in-house games like Fallout 4 (please deliver us from evil again, Obsidian), but Bethesda's been on a real winning streak with their publishing choices these days - they haven't put out a bad game since Dishonored in my book.

[Mustang]

Street Fighter 5
Ok I lied. This is definitely the same trend I had with USF4(SSF4AE2012 at the time). I can't even go a full week without SF5. I blame Karin lol. When it comes to finding a suitable replacement for Dudley/Cody no one in the cast really compares (in my personality nor theirs). When it comes to looks (we've been down this road far too many times) Karin stands out above everyone else and then when I actually tried playing her she's just pure fun. That aside, I tried going to Guilty Gear Xrd and I do love watching it and I love the idea of having all that freedom, but for me, deep down it's just not Street Fighter (that realization when you come to an agreement with yourself that you're a Capcom shill). The joy of shimmying and crush countering is bliss. Then there's the brain excuse as well. I lack the brains to deal with all the mechanics that ASW's games like to give you. Simplify it and give me Roman Cancels and I'm good. Not saying I'm giving up on GG (almost sounds like it), just saying it's no SF (that's good though).

BUT DAMMIT I WILL HAVE AND PLAY TEKKEN 7 OVER STREET FIGHTER 5 (unless Capcom adds a character that I actually like)

[Foggle]

I'm playing Resident Evil 7 and this game is a revelation. Capcom finally figured out what made the old games good. It's fun, cheesy, scary, and full of interlocking rooms, tense firefights against enemies reminiscent of RE4's Regenerators, and ridiculous boss fights.

Spoiler

There is a part where you sword fight the redneck cannibal guy with chainsaws and he says "groovy." This makes it GOAT material in my book.

[close]

[Nel_Annette]

Welp, that's a purchase for me then.

[Foggle]

I beat the game in two sessions of 5-6 hours each. It was actually a struggle to go to bed at 3am after the first one. That should tell you something about its quality.

Overall, I'd say it's my third favorite Resident Evil game; this is actually extremely high praise, as I consider REmake and RE4 to be literally perfect. The first hour is a little slow and perhaps not "gamey" enough (though it does have its moments), but everything after that ranges from great to fantastic. It's an excellent blend of classic RE with elements of more modern horror games like Dead Space and Outlast, developed by many of the staff who worked on Haunting Ground. The story is surprisingly engaging and funny, smartly ignoring the convoluted post-RE4 canon while establishing multiple plot threads to be used in future installments. It also manages to be damn scary at times, with many intense moments and some well-placed jump scares. I give it a very enthusiastic recommendation. (And pick up The Evil Within while you're at it... I know you still haven't!)

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

So, I've always been a bit stingy with money, but I had been saving up for a PS4 for a while. I planned to pick one up this summer, but then said fuck it and just bought one today, since I had already had enough money stashed aside for it since Christmas.

Now to just be stingy until I decide to actually fork in some cash to play some actual games on it.

[Foggle]

That's great! Games I'd recommend for you:

The Evil Within - This is basically a direct sequel to Resident Evil 4. It's got some problems/aspects you might not appreciate and it can be fairly clunky at times but I was blown away by it and still stand by my opinion that it's a fantastic game.

Transformers Devastation - It's Metal Gear Rising with Transformers.

Bloodborne - It's not quite a character action game, but it's a lot faster and deeper than most action RPGs. You might want to have a guide handy if you want to find some of the more interesting weapons, but it's a masterpiece of game, narrative, and atmosphere design IMO. The DLC pack is also essential, featuring two insanely good boss fights and one of the game's most interesting locations.

Resident Evil 7 - It's basically classic RE with modern controls and production values. I know you've always been interested in the original games but don't particularly enjoy tank controls, and this is probably Capcom's first truly great game since Dragon's Dogma, so I highly recommend it if you're ever in the mood for a horror title. Speaking of which...

Resident Evil Origins Collection - Includes REmake with a simpler (non-tank) control scheme. You gotta' get it.

Ratchet & Clank - One of the most fun games on any system and an excellent introductory entry into the series. I suggest playing on Hard difficulty, which I think is almost perfectly balanced, as Medium might be a little too easy for you.

Doom - Just an all-around excellent single-player FPS. Shit multiplayer, though.

Wolfenstein: The New Order - Though the gameplay mechanics and loop are not quite as satisfying as those of the new Doom, the Half-Life 2-inspired campaign packs a lot of variety and a great story into its relatively lengthy run time. The Old Blood is also worth checking out, but it's a lot weaker than the main game, and a lot of people I know don't seem to enjoy it much, so use caution.

Yakuza 0 - The absolute best jumping-on point for the long-running series. It's not a particularly challenging game, but the fights are fun anyway, and everything else about it is just sublime.

Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition - Turbo Mode really makes a difference. I could never go back after playing it in DMC3, and I can't go back after playing it in 4 either.

Nier Automata - It's not out yet, but you know I gotta' pimp this one. Check out the free demo on the PS Store!

And here are some other great games that I'm not sure would appeal to you personally, but I'll go ahead and recommend anyway:

Overwatch - If you're looking for a team/class-based multiplayer FPS, this is probably the best one I've ever played. The PS4 community is a bit shit, though, with lots of little kids who have no idea what they're doing and cheaters who use third-party peripherals to play with keyboard/mouse.

Saints Row 4 Re-Elected - One of last gen's hidden gems, the PS4 port is pretty bad but the gameplay and writing are absolutely excellent. Just a bundle of fun, even for people who don't normally enjoy GTA-style open-world games (even my girlfriend loves it!), and it's even better in co-op.

Valkyria Chronicles Remastered - One of the PS3's best exclusives remastered on the PS4 to make the watercolor-painted graphics even more beautiful. Easily my favorite SRPG of all time.

Hitman: The Complete First Season - The first Hitman game to truly be intuitive, this is one of the greatest stealth titles in existence. Be forewarned that it does feature online DRM (requiring you to log on once per play session to acquire gear unlocks), even on console. However, it's absolutely worth playing regardless, because these unlocks aren't really necessary to get tens of hours of enjoyment out of it.

[Rynnec]

I'll second Bloodborne, Transformers, DOOM, and DMC and add:

Strider - Fantastic revival of a classic series that combines fast-paced 2D action with Metroidvania-style gameplay

Odin Sphere- Reworks the combat system of the original into something far more fast-paced, satisfying and character-action based.

God Eater Resurrection and Rage Burst- Not sure how interested you are in Monster Hunter-style games, but GE is more action-oriiented, if a little repetitive.

Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator - the quintessential anime fighter. Has an excellent tutorial mode that goes the extra mile into letting even casual players learn the games deeper mechanics.

Nioh - I shouldn't even need to explain by now.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

You guys really think that you need to recommend a DMC remastered edition to me? As if that isn't one of the first things that I would get.

Foggle: I actually never said that I had a problem with tank controls. That was Spark. I've been wanting to play the old-school RE games for a while now. I'm holding off on RE7 for that reason, so that I can experience some of the classics first. Most of the other games that you listed have been on my radar for a while. I'm most interested in getting into the Yakuza series, but I'd like to start from scratch. I hear that the first game is rough and hasn't aged the best but is worth experiencing for the story (minus the notoriously bad English dub), but everything from 2 onwards is excellent (at least as far as the main series goes). What are your thoughts on it?

Rynnec: I've actually already played Strider a couple of years ago on the XBOX360, which I still have. But yes, it is a great game, and it's due for a replay by me one of these days. And I love what I've played of GGXR with my brother. I'll eventually be getting that as well as SFV so that I can play them on,ime with my older brother (he mainly plays Street Fighter, but he does dabble in GG and KOFXIV as well). I'd definitely like to give those other games that you listed a try.

[Rynnec]

I'd stay away from SFV unless you're a hardcore/pro player honestly. The game virtually has nothing in the way of content and has a shit ton of update issues. Not to mention you have to shell out money for a season pass.

I would recommend Mortal Kombat XL, however.

[Foggle]

You guys really think that you need to recommend a DMC remastered edition to me? As if that isn't one of the first things that I would get.

I figured it was already on your radar, that's why I put it near the bottom.

Foggle: I actually never Saudi had a problem with tank controls. That was Spark. I've been wanting to play the old-school RE games for a while now. I'm holding off on RE7 for that reason, so that I can experience some of the classics first.

Oh, okay! I actually recommend playing REmake with the tank controls, then, as that's the way it was intended and it honestly feels better to me that way (maybe out of habit?). Even though they come bundled together, I wouldn't bother with RE0 until you've at least played RE2 and 3 (and maybe Code Veronica), since it's extremely tedious and not particularly good IMO.

I'm most interested in getting into the Yakuza series, but I'd like to start from scratch. I hear that the first game is rough and hasn't aged the best but is worth experiencing for the story (minus the notoriously bad English dub), but everything from 2 onwards is excellent (at least as far as the main series goes. What are your thoughts on it?

Yakuza Kiwami (a remake of the original game) is releasing in English sometime this summer, so you won't have to bother with the clunky, dubbed PS2 version. Yakuza 0 is actually the best one to start with, as Kiwami features new story content following up certain plot threads from 0, meaning it pulls double duty as a sequel AND remake somehow. Yakuza 0 isn't one of those prequels that spoils later games, and I believe it's intended by Sega to be the first one played by newcomers at this point, so go ahead and pick it up!

Unfortunately, Yakuza 2 is extremely expensive to get a hold of these days, but I have a feeling Sega will release it as a PS2 Classic on PS4 after Kiwami comes out here. Then you'll just need a PS3 to catch up on parts 3-5. Really, if you end up enjoying Yakuza 0 and Ratchet & Clank, I'd highly recommend picking up a cheap PS3 eventually just to play the rest of those (main) series. There's so many good games between them that they alone could make the purchase worthwhile.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I'd stay away from SFV unless you're a hardcore/pro player honestly. The game virtually has nothing in the way of content and has a shit ton of update issues. Not to mention you have to shell out money for a season pass.

I've actually played quite a bit of SFV with my brother already back when I was home in New Jersey. The game's single-player content is pitiful, but the multiplayer was incredibly fun, especially when playing it offline and not having to deal with any lag. That said I have heard troubling things about the updates nerfing a lot of characters and making the game less fun to play. I may have to take that into consideration since I haven't touched the game since last summer.

I would recommend Mortal Kombat XL, however.

I already tried this one too. The thing about MK is that, while I've always appreciated its story-mode and huge wealth of content, I simply can't get into its combat system. It has always been like that since the old-school classics. I suppose you could say that I have the exact opposite problem with this series than what I have with Street Fighter. In this case, I like just about everything in the main games except the actual fighting. I mean, yes it's technical and skill-based and is designed to appeal to both casuals as well as the tournament crowd, but the way that movement and general mechanics work in these games just comes off feeling a bit too clunky to me.