AstralSoul | 502 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 (edited) Replaying Mario Galaxy, going for 100% for the first time Edited January 12 by AstralSoul 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumez | 2,983 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 People who think random encounters don't have a place in video games need to play Etrian Odyssey and tell me how that game could even work without them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webhead123 | 687 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 I was scrolling through my unplayed category on Steam last night and decided it was finally time to boot up Blasphemous and give it a go. It's a slow start and I'm only about 30 minutes in but I can see the potential for when I've got a few upgrades unlocked and this game finally starts opening up. I'm wondering if the "super-duper, mopey, gothic gorefest" aesthetic will get old after a while but at the moment, I'm still fine with it. Not that I'm some kind of prude or anything but I usually find those kinds of themes are more interesting when they're injected with a sense of bombast or levity (take Doom, Blood or Mortal Kombat for example). Thus far, Blasphemous seems to be playing that theme straight as a razor, which I can respect artistically but it does run the risk of becoming emotionally numbing to the player. Other than that, seems promising so far in terms of game play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed Rothchild | 9,563 Editorials Team · Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 Waiting for @Webhead123 to realize Blasphemous is a Souls game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefaultGen | 5,423 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 8 hours ago, Sumez said: People who think random encounters don't have a place in video games need to play Etrian Odyssey and tell me how that game could even work without them I mean Adam Sandler movies wouldn't work without Adam Sandler, but they still do exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webhead123 | 687 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 (edited) 2 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said: Waiting for @Webhead123 to realize Blasphemous is a Souls game You know, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop. The initial vibe the game gives off is very much that Souls aesthetic, even down to some systems like parrying, rechargeable health potions, etc. Granted, I'm only in the opening area but so far I was surprised that I've not been beaten over the head with Souls-like difficulty yet. There was that opening boss fight, which seemed to be made to look impressive and intimidating but was kind of laughable. The first few enemy types have been similarly simple to dispatch. So yeah, I was (and I guess still am) expecting to be annoyed by difficulty at any moment...but that moment hasn't yet come. We shall see. We shall see. As for the Souls-like "mopey gothic" thing...that's honestly one of the elements that has limited the appeal of the proper souls series for me. Again, I love horror, gothic architecture, blood 'n guts, mythical monsters and all that stuff...but I don't think it's too much to ask that such games mix it up with a little "fun" from time to time. The game doesn't have to be that emo, Marilyn Manson fanatic with a pentagram pendant and black nail polish you knew from high school 100% of the time. Edited January 12 by Webhead123 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumez | 2,983 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 2 hours ago, DefaultGen said: I mean Adam Sandler movies wouldn't work without Adam Sandler, but they still do exist. I'm quite certain all of them would be better without him. Though not much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webhead123 | 687 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 (edited) 1 hour ago, Sumez said: I'm quite certain all of them would be better without him. Though not much. Uncut Gems really took me by surprise and 90% of that movie owes itself to Sandler. Not his usual fare...and that's a good thing. Edited January 12 by Webhead123 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed Rothchild | 9,563 Editorials Team · Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 1 hour ago, Sumez said: I'm quite certain all of them would be better without him. Though not much. Punch Drunk Love was made for him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sumez | 2,983 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Both of those are actually good movies though, and neither were made by him. I'm pretty sure DefaultGen was foolishly trying to argue against random encounters and not for them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed Rothchild | 9,563 Editorials Team · Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 16 minutes ago, Sumez said: Both of those are actually good movies though, and neither were made by him. I'm pretty sure DefaultGen was foolishly trying to argue against random encounters and not for them A good movie that works because Sandler's manchild is perfect for the stunted Barry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avatar! | 1,823 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 On 1/12/2024 at 1:44 PM, Webhead123 said: You know, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop. The initial vibe the game gives off is very much that Souls aesthetic, even down to some systems like parrying, rechargeable health potions, etc. Granted, I'm only in the opening area but so far I was surprised that I've not been beaten over the head with Souls-like difficulty yet. There was that opening boss fight, which seemed to be made to look impressive and intimidating but was kind of laughable. The first few enemy types have been similarly simple to dispatch. So yeah, I was (and I guess still am) expecting to be annoyed by difficulty at any moment...but that moment hasn't yet come. We shall see. We shall see. As for the Souls-like "mopey gothic" thing...that's honestly one of the elements that has limited the appeal of the proper souls series for me. Again, I love horror, gothic architecture, blood 'n guts, mythical monsters and all that stuff...but I don't think it's too much to ask that such games mix it up with a little "fun" from time to time. The game doesn't have to be that emo, Marilyn Manson fanatic with a pentagram pendant and black nail polish you knew from high school 100% of the time. I really enjoyed Blasphemous! About the only thing I actually did not like is the "secret" ending they added. The game originally had two endings, and the "good" of the two endings I thought was perfect. The new "secret" or whatever ending I thought ruined much of the mystery and lore of the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avatar! | 1,823 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 On 1/11/2024 at 8:48 PM, CT said: Slay the Spire How are you liking it? I made it to the heart with all four characters. Afterwards is when the game really starts. Many people have claimed it's brilliant, I disagree. First few hours, getting to the heart and unlocking new cards is very cool and fun. Afterwards, to actually complete the game, I realize it's really depending on the RNG. I hate games that depend on the RNG. I was wondering if perhaps it's just me, but nope. Even people that loved the game said you basically have to be a "god" by the time you get to the heart and it may take you a hundred tries before you beat it. Fuck that. It quickly went from a favorite to a "this is boring repetitive shite" quickly. Sadly, I do not recommend it, but again, just my opinion (after spending many hours on it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed Rothchild | 9,563 Editorials Team · Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 That's quite the pendulum swing. I beat the heart on about my 7th time reaching it. 10/10. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avatar! | 1,823 Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 This guy is a "card enthusiast", created his own game, and spent over 300 hours on Slay the Spire. He calls the game "good", but not something it's hyped up to be. I agree. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed Rothchild | 9,563 Editorials Team · Posted January 13 Author Share Posted January 13 ...and yet he spent 300 hours on it. Good Lord To each their own. I did a debate thread for it long ago and it sunk without a trace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT | 98 Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 7 hours ago, avatar! said: How are you liking it? I made it to the heart with all four characters. Afterwards is when the game really starts. Many people have claimed it's brilliant, I disagree. First few hours, getting to the heart and unlocking new cards is very cool and fun. Afterwards, to actually complete the game, I realize it's really depending on the RNG. I hate games that depend on the RNG. I was wondering if perhaps it's just me, but nope. Even people that loved the game said you basically have to be a "god" by the time you get to the heart and it may take you a hundred tries before you beat it. Fuck that. It quickly went from a favorite to a "this is boring repetitive shite" quickly. Sadly, I do not recommend it, but again, just my opinion (after spending many hours on it). I feel similar for sure! Definitely RNG dependent to get to the heart and to eventually beat it. The heart seems brutal, I've only made it there once. I did beat Act 3 with 3 out of the 4 characters and I hear the ending is the same when you beat the heart but I will do more research. Such a rush when you get a good run but yeah not sure if I can/will beat the heart. Definitely fun up until this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT | 98 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 I think Slay the Spire could have been a bit better with a few changes. They def. need a few more enemy types, Act 1 is a bit of a slog now after going through it a few times. Imagine a huge giant, or an evil version of your self, or a merlin type character etc. More creative battles requiring more thinking. You see it a few times, but I think this was a missed opportunity. For example: A battle where you can use no relics (even for just a few turns) A battle where you can only pick to choose a few relics to use. A battle where you have to exhaust a card each turn. A battle that if you lose you get sent back down the spire a bit (or alternatively sent up the spire a bit) A battle where you gamble. Win and you upgrade a few cards, otherwise you lose those cards. A battle where curse cards transform into something good for a few turns. A battle where you start with 20-25 energy total, thats it. A battle where you can't use power cards for a few turns. A battle where blocked damage gets reflected back to the enemy and vice versa. Attack combos of 5 or more cards deal the cumulative damage again. A battle where potions are infinite. Obviously any idea should be playtested, but they could have added some elements so that Act 1 and sometimes Act 2 feel more unique. The one devil enemy that gains strength when you play an attack card is creative, and they should have leaned into those ideas more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT | 98 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 In re: Slay the Spire. I love a good challenge. Gonna try to beat the heart, stay tuned. Not a lot of progress so far, but I'll keep trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed Rothchild | 9,563 Editorials Team · Posted January 16 Author Share Posted January 16 My best luck was shivs with The Silent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloves | 11,812 Administrator · Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 3 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said: My best luck was shivs with The Silent The Silent is my favourite character to use; poison or shiv build, so fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed Rothchild | 9,563 Editorials Team · Posted January 16 Author Share Posted January 16 Just now, Gloves said: The Silent is my favourite character to use; poison or shiv build, so fun. I had a poison run where I died and the poison stack was like 250+ on the heart and just needed to live for one more turn. I was pissed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NostalgicMachine | 245 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Friday the 13th (NES) for an upcoming Good, Bad, Buggy for The Gaming Manual! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avatar! | 1,823 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 3 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said: I had a poison run where I died and the poison stack was like 250+ on the heart and just needed to live for one more turn. I was pissed That summarizes why I dislike the game... well "dislike" is perhaps too strong a word. Why I no longer play the game at any rate. Going into the 4th act you need luck, no amount of skill will make up for a poor hand. I remember once fighting the heart I got all blocks when I need to attack, and of course when I needed block I had nothing. It was a completely ridiculous draw, but that's RNG for you. There are so many better games to play that do not rely on RNG, or even those that do rely on some RNG (Darkest Dungeon), are done much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kguillemette | 1,547 Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 Pokemon XD for GC Full disclaimer I have never played a traditional pokemon game before. This is a fun little romp so far. The story is easy to follow and feels like your typical over the top "save the world" jrpg while staying very lighthearted and cute, much like the cartoon. The story moves like a typical fetch quest, but without modern conveniences like reminders, so it's easy to forget what you were supposed to be doing after a couple days. It's not blowing me away, but it's good kid bonding since my daughter is coaching me on what moves are worth doing and keeping. She's the pokemon expert, not me! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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