What are you playing, stupid?

[max_cady]

So I've started playing Valkyria Revolution... I'm about 10 hr in. The critics were a tiny tad harsh on it, methinks. Well I do concede that the game was focus-grouped to death. It's clear that they wanted to go for a Dinasty Warrior-type action RPG but somewhere during production they decided to add quasi-turned based mechanics inspired by the original Valkyria Chronicles.
The original game was basically an  ubber-updated version of Shining Force's gameplay (IMO), you had to take it slow, choices matter and you have to assess the situation. VR, on the other hand, doesn't seem like it needed that much restraint. It's basically the Resident Evil 6 dillema of wanting to do something new but keep a lot of the old elements from the previous game in.


At first, it's kinda weird that you have to wait your turn (but so do the bad guys), but after a few missions you get the gist of it. It's clear that the dev team cared a lot about story and presentation. You do watch a lot of cutscenes, but I don't think they are long as some critics make it out so seem. They aren't longer than say... the original VK, just showing all at once, instead of watching all the cutscenes, one by one, until you get to the actual mission. The main character just has this permament "everyone owes me money" look on his face. But the rest of the cast is pretty ubpeat and cheery considering that war, conspiracy and betrayal are the main themes.

[pirovash88]

I finished up Mass Effect Andromeda a few weeks ago and am now going through Batman the telltale series.

I started up Star Ocean for PS4, but dropped it, got a little boring.

[Shun-Di]

So I've started playing Valkyria Revolution... I'm about 10 hr in. The critics were a tiny tad harsh on it, methinks. Well I do concede that the game was focus-grouped to death. It's clear that they wanted to go for a Dinasty Warrior-type action RPG but somewhere during production they decided to add quasi-turned based mechanics inspired by the original Valkyria Chronicles.
The original game was basically an  ubber-updated version of Shining Force's gameplay (IMO), you had to take it slow, choices matter and you have to assess the situation. VR, on the other hand, doesn't seem like it needed that much restraint. It's basically the Resident Evil 6 dillema of wanting to do something new but keep a lot of the old elements from the previous game in.


At first, it's kinda weird that you have to wait your turn (but so do the bad guys), but after a few missions you get the gist of it. It's clear that the dev team cared a lot about story and presentation. You do watch a lot of cutscenes, but I don't think they are long as some critics make it out so seem. They aren't longer than say... the original VK, just showing all at once, instead of watching all the cutscenes, one by one, until you get to the actual mission. The main character just has this permament "everyone owes me money" look on his face. But the rest of the cast is pretty ubpeat and cheery considering that war, conspiracy and betrayal are the main themes.

Kind of reminds me of a cross between this series and Final Fantasy 12.

Also I love strategy games like Shining Force.  If Sega isn't going to make another classic style Valkyria, then do it for Shining Force.  :D

[Tad]

Firewatch

Am I missing something here? I don't quite understand all the praise this game has got as it felt very light on story and content. Sure, it looked pretty and started by hitting the right notes for a big absorbing story, but it just seems to fizzle out at the end to a really generic explanation. Sure, it's still decent, but nothing more then that I'd say.

[Shun-Di]

Firewatch

Am I missing something here? I don't quite understand all the praise this game has got as it felt very light on story and content. Sure, it looked pretty and started by hitting the right notes for a big absorbing story, but it just seems to fizzle out at the end to a really generic explanation. Sure, it's still decent, but nothing more then that I'd say.

You know what's really good though?  The Firemen for Super Famicom.  Other than that, maybe Backdraft for Sega CD?  :p

[max_cady]

Clocking at a good 55 hrs, I've come to Valkyria Revolution's end. Not giving anything away, just that the ending was a bit of a tear jerker. I'm not going to bash critics or anything, I just think VR is probably one of SEGA's most underrated and misunderstood games this year. Like I mentioned before, it had the Resident Evil 6 problem. It's clear that SEGA wanted to use some elements from Valkyria Chronicles in a much more action RPG oriented fashion, but focus groups and early demo reactions mentioned that game was much too different from it's cousin, so to speak. Hence this strange hybrid that takes a while to get used to but perfectly playable. And pretty fun once you. Use of magic, in the form of weaponized ragnite makes pistols and rocket launchers almost useless, but they still serve a purpose in combat. Characters are clichéd, true but varied enough that I care  not to have them die on me.

[pirovash88]

My VR copy arrived yesterday. Is it really over 50 hrs long? Holy shit.

[Volteccer Pulseman]

PULSEMAN!  I love how you can travel using currents of electricity to get around platforms, very original style of gameplay. Even bouncing off walls is fun!  I like how you can charge up attacks too.  The level select gives it a Mega Man vibe.  Only downfall is that there isn't much variety of levels but it makes up for quantity with quality.  The game is short but sweet.  Music is very energetic and electric sounding straight out of Pokemon in some places (it is made by the same people after all), but totally fits the Genesis/Mega Drive.  Digitized voices are on par with if not better than even Comix Zone, full lines of dialogue too.  Visuals are stunning but loud.  Colors can be harmful to your eyes if you stare at the game for too long, especially if you are sensitive to seizure inducing flashing.  Other than that, it's gorgeous.


ASTAL is easy as a platformer, but beautiful and very detailed.  It's a Saturn game that is easier on the eyes too when compared to Pulseman, it's also not as fast paced.  I know it seems weird to compare the two back to back but this is how I experienced both.   ASTAL being on a disc based console has anime-esque fmv cutscenes with chibi style characters with loads of personality and charm.  Music is pretty ambient too, very 90s.   Like a lot of Sega's games in the 90s, it's weird, but cool. 


I don't have any current gen systems so playing newer titles difficult at the moment.  Meanwhile I've been hunting down older titles that I missed over the years for consoles I already own and I'm finding a lot of good ones. 

[pirovash88]

Hey Velteccer, welcome to the forum dude!

I've been wrapping up Assassins Creed Syndicate. I purchased a copy of Yakuza Kiwami, so i'm dying to finish Syndicate so i can get started.

I've also been playing some Saturn games as well. I received Puyo Puyo Sun from Japan today, so i will give that a shot this weekend.

[pirovash88]

I finished up Assassins Creed Syndicate, so now onto Yakuza Kiwami.

I'm really enjoying it right now, aside from the archaic save feature.

[max_cady]

So after I was done with Valkyria Revolution, I took a short break with Puyo Puyo Tetris. Much like Gun Gal: Double Peace, this is one of those nice short break games. I finished the story mode in three days. It was short, fun, non-sensical and crazy. The last time I touched a Puyo Pop game it was Puyo Pop Fever all the way back in the Dreamcast. When they released that japanese version with full english audio and text. The plot is as cutesy and weird as it gets: basically the girl heroes of Puyo Puyo discover that giant Tetris blocks are falling from the sky and they meet up with weird characters from a spaceship called the SS Tetra, lead by Captain Tee, the new Tetris King and Ess, a bossy girl who thinks the spaceship's robot is her Papa. And them trying to figure out how to spot the Puyos and the Tetris blocks from destroying both of their worlds. Kooky, short, fun, sometimes hard as nails to defeat some boss characters. Even after multiple tries.

[pirovash88]

Wrapped up Kiwami last night. Put over 19 hrs into it.

So now I'm not sure which game to start on.. I have Vakyria Revolution, but damn I keep playing long ass games..

[max_cady]

Holy crap, I've been playing Final Fantasy XV for nearly 40hrs and I feel like there's so much more. Thankfully this game is not Final Fantasy XIII. This is not a follow a straight line for 50hr, quite the opposite, actually. It actually feels closer to Final Fantasy XII in terms of open world. Because the game world here is gigantic and you can virtually do any side mission or explore as much as you damn well please until you feel like resuming the story missions. With four characters driving around, it feels like a massive almost neverending road trip that this world has tons and tons of Final Fantasy-esque elements, it actually feels weirdly mundane, realworld-ish and still feel like a fantasy world at the same time. One big gripe I have with it is that the backstory and some of the plot was shown only in the direct-to-video movie and the anime series. Those provide context because the game kinda starts off in the middle of it.

[CrazyT]

Been playing a lot of switch with zelda mario and xenoblade.

[max_cady]

Replayed Valkyria Chronicles, this time, with full japanese audio.
Also played One Piece: Unlimited World Red on PS4. Kinda fun adventure game, short, a little repetitive, but fun.


So I'm now with Dragon Quest Heroes II. While the first game was basically a series of Tower Defense-esque missions, this game mixes things a little bit. Feels more like an action RPG with free roaming enviroments, even though it features a similar hub area. It has a somewhat more complex plot, about uncovering a conspiracy versus the "all the monsters turned bad". The characters from the previous Dragon Quest games show up. The reason for them showing up is considerably more contrived, they show up, give a vague explanation that's quickly overlooked / brushed aside and then join the party because. Missions are more specific ergo might need party members or perform certain actions. Battles are frenetic as always.