What game are you wasting time on?

[Ovplain]

Still playing Dark Souls 2, but I also just picked up Demon's Souls for 5€ on PSN.<3 And played for a couple hours to get a little taste. Thrashed that Tower Knight's ass like a motherfucker!

 

[Nomad_Blizz]

Currently playing a bullet hell game called REVOLVER360 RE:ACTOR. I don't usually play games like this, but dammit if it isn't fun. Really gets your heart racing at times. It's currently on sale for $2.50.

 

[Sceptic]

Welp finished the Half-Life 2 episodes.

I don't particularly feel like writing a detailed critique, so let me just list some "what the HELL were they thinking" moments:
- the back-and-forth escort mission at the end of ep 1
- the tower turret defense early in ep 2
- tag-you're-it with striders at the end of ep 2 (no seriously, who designs this shit?)
- Alyx, candidate for most annoying NPC ever

I thought the episodes might at least try to improve HL2's biggest problem (namely that it's an FPS made by people who don't want to make one), but somehow they made it even worse. The back-and-forth escorts and that antlion defense make it clear these people have no idea what makes an FPS fun, and the first half of ep 1, as well as the tag with striders (and the earlier driving in ep 2), all make it clear they hate FPSs anyway. I almost wrote "it'd have been a better game if they ditched the FPS elements completely") but I don't even think this is true, especially in light of the end of ep 2, which tries to convince you you should be running around killing the striders as they spawn, when it is in fact MUCH easier (not to mention a LOT less tedious) to ignore the car entirely, camp the base and just kill them as they get there. Even when they swarm 3 at a time, it's far less irritating (even including the annoying-as-hell alarm) to just stand there and deal with them one at a time, especially since you otherwise have to drive all over the map to pick the balls since scripts keep blowing up the dispensers.

The ending cutscene (yes it's a cutscene, I don't care what you think) is so contrived it's hilarious. On the bright side the "cliffhanger" will never be resolved, which also means the rather large number of plot holes and contrivances will remain open forever. All in all the game is really pretty terrible. Sorry fanboys, but I have no idea how liking this is any different from liking Oblivion. Well OK, HL2 wins I guess since it at least looks so pretty. Though they managed to even fuck this up with the episodes, which get progressively more mundane, going from the intricately and lovingly put together architecture of the city to the Citadel to generic mines/caves/whatever.

Now that I'm done, I think the HL game I like the most is Opposing Force, which is ironic considering it wasn't made by Valve. Say what you will about everything Gearbox made afterwards, but at least with OF they knew how to make an FPS that actually played like a good FPS, not some reject from another genre. As for a game actually made by Valve, I'd have to pick Portal 2 over anything that is related to HL2. Past the incredibly stupid memes, at least that game had a saving grace with the coop, which is great fun and manages to actually be funny in the DLC.

 

[octavius]

I reached Chapter X of Realms of the Haunting, entered Raquia and found the Ring that Rasquiel wants. But when I enter the outer gates of his Tower, the gates close behind me and I'm beset by a lion which looks more like a mechanical watchdog. I can't kill it. I assume I have to give him a haunch of meat that is marked on the map, but both the outer and inner gates are closed, so this is Game Over for me. It reminds me of why I dislike Adventure games.
Also, from that I've read the last part of the game is tedious, with big mazes.
I enjoyed exploring the mansion and most of the areas under it, but it started being a chore to explore caves already in Chapter VIII or therabouts.

Incidentally I did a search for the game on Vgd.no which is the largest general purpose forum in Norway, with its own Games sub-forum, and I was surprised how many listed the game as their favourite. I didn't get one single hit for the somewhat similar, but IMO far superior Legacy: Realm of Terror, though. But then adult Norwegian gamers are nearly all of the (S)NES generation and think Zelda is the best thing that ever happened.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

I played through Realms of the Haunting...sometime after its release. Most likely 10-15 years ago.

I barely remember anything of it except the starting area, a few snippets of mazes (go figure) and cutscenes that tried to convey a story...but failed.

Personally, I think it's overrated.

 

[deuxhero]

The driving sections suck.

While I agree with the rest (and the airboat level is pretty bad, especially when you aren't armed for most of it), I think the buggy level is one of the better parts because it actually had interesting level design, your weapon actually felt like it had some power and the physics actually did something.

Not something I'll reinstall and play through half the game to play, but better than HL2's crap shooting.

 

[Baron Dupek]

I played through Realms of the Haunting...

Personally, I think it's overrated.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

dragon's dogma
a terrible game under every aspect, but somehow its overall value manages to be higher than the sum of all the parts. it still sucks, but i can't stop.

xcom + long war
the only real way to enjoy it. the last lw patch toned its difficulty down a lot, still it's excruciatingly long, even with all the option for a shorter experience turned on.

civ5 + a shitload of mods
it still sucks, but i need a fix before going back to civ4 and its awesome mods which now i know better than the back of my hand.

warframe
of course i can't stop.

 

[flyingjohn]

dragon's dogma
a terrible game under every aspect, but somehow its overall value manages to be higher than the sum of all the parts. it still sucks, but i can't stop.

xcom + long war
the only real way to enjoy it. the last lw patch toned its difficulty down a lot, still it's excruciatingly long, even with all the option for a shorter experience turned on.

civ5 + a shitload of mods
it still sucks, but i need a fix before going back to civ4 and its awesome mods which now i know better than the back of my hand.

warframe
of course i can't stop.

Have you maybe tried the superpower mod for civ v ?
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=529951
It mostly focuses on speeding the game up and adding more units with 2upt intead of 1upt(the game also features legendary units like nautilus,modders gonna mod)
Even though civ v sucks,the mod at least gives you some nice combat options.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

"speeding" a civ? dude, seriously? marathon or gtfo.

 

[DaveO]

I'm currently going thru Blade of Darkness. I don't know if I'll complete the game, but I'm doing ok as the dwarf and I am currently at the Oasis of Nejub.

I've also played thru and completed Rune a long time ago, which has some similarities to this game.

 

[I'm Big Into Anal]

underrail

all day erry day

 

[Grim Monk]

I reached Chapter X of Realms of the Haunting, entered Raquia and found the Ring that Rasquiel wants. But when I enter the outer gates of his Tower, the gates close behind me and I'm beset by a lion which looks more like a mechanical watchdog. I can't kill it. I assume I have to give him a haunch of meat that is marked on the map, but both the outer and inner gates are closed, so this is Game Over for me. It reminds me of why I dislike Adventure games.
Also, from that I've read the last part of the game is tedious, with big mazes.
I enjoyed exploring the mansion and most of the areas under it, but it started being a chore to explore caves already in Chapter VIII or therabouts.

Google found this:
http://www.nicouzouf.com/en/?id=realmsofthehaunting

You could try and see if it works.

 

[octavius]

Thanks, but I have earlier saves. I just can't be assed to load them and complete the game. From what I've read I've already played the best part of the game, and it started to get rather boring. So this unsolvable situation was a good excuse for me to quit the game.

 

[Daemongar]

Thanks, but I have earlier saves. I just can't be assed to load them and complete the game. From what I've read I've already played the best part of the game, and it started to get rather boring. So this unsolvable situation was a good excuse for me to quit the game.

You should finish it. I really like Realms of the Haunting, and it's worth finishing just for the resolution and the part where Rebecca get's nude.

 

[octavius]

You should finish it. I really like Realms of the Haunting, and it's worth finishing just for the resolution and the part where Rebecca get's nude.

Yeah, right.

 

[laclongquan]

Temporarily abandon Knights of the Old Republic 2 for a return to UFO Afterlight. Since KOTOR2 is piss easy in term of combat, this time I have Afterlight difficulty turn to max. So far each battle has me lose 15-25% at 1st try, sometime 80% of my team, so it's nicely difficult. I reload of course, but that's okay since the game is designed with lots of reload in mind.

 

[tindrli]

At work Convoy and sea of stars,
at home Tharsis, Bedlam, Armageddon empires

 

[Unkillable Cat]

at home Tharsis

This game actually interests me, but the description "thin gameplay" combined with the price tag is putting me off. How would you rate it?

 

[Humppaleka]

Almost done with Fantasy Wars human campaign. Game is bloody awesome, feels like a puzzle to figure out how to spare all your troops and still win the mission.

 

[Daemongar]

You should finish it. I really like Realms of the Haunting, and it's worth finishing just for the resolution and the part where Rebecca get's nude.

Yeah, right.

All kidding aside, I really like that game. It's worth finishing. You are almost there! The mazes can get a little tiresome, but overall its not bad... also

Spoiler

almost any melee fight (like your dog) can be won by jumping on something. A table, hedge or whatever. Might work for that, but I never found myself in your position.

 

[tindrli]

at home Tharsis

This game actually interests me, but the description "thin gameplay" combined with the price tag is putting me off. How would you rate it?

its quick, basically click and see what you get with those dices. just watch some lets play and you will get a picture. if you ask me, its unfinished and unworthy. to kill 20 mins ok if you dont mind dice randomness but no more

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Thanks for the honest reply.

 

[Ovplain]

Got a bit burnt out on the Souls games. Booted up Baldur's Gate 2:S Something a little less stressful.

EDIT: Isn't QUITE as 'less stressful' as I thought. That fucking horrible pathfinding, MY GOD! It's infuriating!

 

[octavius]

Quake Mission Pack 1: Scourge of Armagon

First level was good enough, with nice level design.
The Scorpitron was an unpleasant new aquaintance.