What game are you wasting time on?

[flyingjohn]

In my quest to play anything ace combat like i have played most ps1 arcade flight combat games.
Only two games stand out.

Wing over 2:
-It is a glorified tutorial.You basically play as a rookie pilot that has to do jobs (like delivery,landing a big fucking commercial airliner was my favorite) to make money to pay for your training sessions.
They are pretty much strict when it comes to points,bank a lil bit too much to the left and you will get the "WHAT ARE YOU DOING" multiple times.
There are some combat missions,but it just feels like throwing in a open world with some targets,not real missions.
If you really like flying planes,it might be a worthwhile game.The controls are great and the training exercises are i guess fun when you finally master them.
But,it is very short(hour and a half) and nothing like ace combat.

-Sidewinder 2
It is a ace combat 2 ripoff with small innovations.You literally have the same color pallet as one of the mission in ace combat 2.
Planes are unlocked gradually,which sucks.What sucks even more is the mandatory landing/refueling missions. They are terrible and you can cheese them by crashing into the runway which will make the game think you landed safely.
There are multiple weapons,except not.You get only a small amount of a secondary missiles for very specific story purposes.For everything else,it is the generic air to everything missile.
The story missions are quite shorter then ace combat 2 .You do get the ravine/bomber stuff but you also get some interesting stuff.
You can use missiles to put out fires,have to immediately takeoff during a surprise attack and some other unique stuff.This is the stuff that kept me playing.
Difficulty wise,it is quite easy,even on hard. There is also no ace enemy pilots.No bosses as well.
Control is practically identical to ace combat 2,just with a lil bit quicker turning.
All in all,a worse version of ace combat 2 with some interesting mission ideas.

I really should replay colony wars.

 

[Achiman]

I'm playing Grindstone which I regret starting because I feel compelled to finish games unless they are overly offensive to me or turn to shit. The game itself is a 'match 3' I guess? You play a viking/barbarian dude who's trying to take his family on holiday by climbing a mountain killing creeps for the titular grindstones. You get a sword which can do shit like cut through a line of creeps or whirlwind 8 squares around you, a shield to block damage etc, and either potions for utility or arrows. There is boss fights each section on the mountain and mobs that will chase you around the tiles, the longer you take the more aggro the creeps get leading to certain death if you are too shit.
There is apparently around 175 levels of the main game and some of the mechanics can get annoying af so be warned.
Definitely a game you can pick up and play for 10 mins or so and then get on with your life.

I'm also replaying Bloodborne because I only finished it once and never did the DLC. Game is heaps better on a massive TV and really hasn't aged, or if it has, it's aged like a fine wine. Still seems to be heaps of people playing. The music/choir in the unseen village is so good, forgot how atmospheric that section was.

 

[BruceVC]

I am about to start on NWN1 EE, I played it once before years ago and Im excited about my return to the Forgotten Realms

I am using a few Mods but I dont think I need many to make the game more enjoyable ?

 

[Krivol]

NWN1 {...} more enjoyable ?

Skip main campaign. Still - good luck with having fun with single-player NWN1.

 

[Hag]

Finished Fatum Betula, all endings. And what a disappointment. I wasn't expecting something in particular but this ending hunting game was boring and uninspired. Some of them tricky to get or even completely unfair (randomized shit, file edition) that made me think it was all created with meta-gaming in mind, which always sucks. Writing is correct for most NPCs but gets quite terrible sometimes, and any of the philosophical implication of this world stuck in limbo is either discarded or trashed. Was it supposed to be deep ? Or clever ? it's neither, only random thoughts placed here and there, would be ok if it was not oh so pretentious. It also breaks the fourth wall a few times for no good reason which I find infuriating.

And it is a goddam shame because there are some good ideas, most places have a great atmosphere with quality audio, nightmare is downright weird and I like the distorted and spaced out NPCs. A solid 3/5 for that, and 0/5 for the writing.

 

[MurkrLurkr]

Heya! I haven't written anything substantial for over a year in this thread... So prepare for a torrent of words which will be lost in time, like cum stains on beige pants. I'm typing while waiting in line to be tested on COVID, head is splitting apart and I gotta feeling I'm gonna cough my lungs out. I haven't taken the shot, nor do I plan to, which doesn't mean that I'm an anti-vaxxer or that I deny benefits of modern medicine, but that I'm just ANTI... I don't want to play "their" game, cus there's a lot of other games left for me to enjoy..
Last night I finally finished my Radiant Historia run on my Android phone via DS emulator. For those of you who don't know I'm doomed to roll giant fecal bead up the mountain of life, which keeps rolling back, working as a religious teacher (Orthodox catechist if you want to be precise) in elementary school and special šule for children with mental disabilities... Yeah, it's as bad as it sounds.. Imagine a freshly graduated student (I just wasn't fresh enough, more sweaty and tired, because when I eventually finished my studies I was in my 30s) from the Faculty of Orthodox Theology who is coming to his first day of work to teach trinitarian hypostatic relations to some children, just to be greeted with a thrown shit in his face by cute autistic girl.. That expression of being taken aback and confused, standing in the doorway slightly disgusted, but full of compassion and appreciation for our fallen nature remains plastered on my face till this day. Anyway, to cut the story short, I have to take long bus rides to my workplace and that's the main reason that I'm forced to rely on my Android phone for sweet gaming moments...

I started playing this JRPG on September 2020. and I'm not blaming my lack of investment in the story or gameplay (which is pretty engaging) because it took me so long to finish it, on the contrary, I think that not giving up is a testament for the game's quality. I would often take breaks, even for a couple of months, but the game was always easy to pick up because of its narrative structure. Concept of the game is based on two parallel versions of history and its heroes ability to change the outcome of crucial events by traveling through alternate timelines, in order to resolve the conflict between two warring nations and save the future of world faced with impending destruction. Original, if you never played or read anything ever, but the way this common trope is tackled is something that can be praised. It took me 80 hours of in-game time and I haven't 100% it, because there is too much little details hidden in the nodules of cloth of two different histories that I'm not gonna bother... The only thing I'm sorry about is that I couldn't find the quest where one of the companions, buxom spear wielding Raynie, confesses her love to our hero, not because that was one of the essential sidequests which allows us to view the additional ending scenes, but because I was pretty invested in her cleavage character arc and wanted the nice closure...

Since this is my first real JRPG, I can freely say that my experience with it is pretty satisfactory, so I'm gonna dedicate my limbo time to exploring more of the Japoo cuisine.. Better than rolling my eyes out of the sockets playing Beamdog's Android Icewind Dale...
I already downloaded the rom of another DS title, this time not so well known or regarded, Avalon Code, which caught my attention because of the interesting mechanic and the plot that, again as in Radiant Historia, revolves around the magic book. To record something in it's pages (it can be anything from a living organism to weapon) the player must perform a "Code Scan". Code is something like a DNA of scanned objects and it's represented by puzzle pieces of different shapes and sizes that fit into the object's grid. Creating different combinations of Codes, by adding and removing them, can have a major effect on the object, changing its properties etc. For instance I removed stone code from stone goblin and added to it ill code from sick girlfriend, making it easier to kill.. later I added that stone code to warm loaf of bread, turning it to stone bread, but for what purpose I'm yet to find... But I think it's stupid fun. The only downside for now (I'm only couple hours in) is that the one half of a split DS screen is reserved for the book and the interface controls on DraStic emulator are in the way of properly interacting with it. In emulator options I can go fullscreen on the book, but sometimes I still have to awkwardly rotate my phone in order to press the correct button. The book is full of content with hundreds of pages, and I already foresee some irritation creeping in...

I just want to list a couple more "games", because I don't know when I'm going to type next time, judging by the previous post not before 2023., that I "played" during the previous Quarantinecene period.. The reason why I put words games and played under quotation marks is that some of you stubborn Codexians refuse to accept some genres as ril gaems, particularly the ones without standard gameplay... Like my favorites in previous years ..... wait for it ..... Visual novels. But I won't, because this post is already to long, and I don't want to waste anymore of your precious little time, that could be spent wasting on some games...

 

[MurkrLurkr]

Whats a good RPG or tactical game to play on an Android phone?
Probably a port of some PC game, and it has to be turn based or slow, I can't play fast games on a touch screen.

Exiled Kingdoms, open world action RPG, with decent story in a generic fantasy setting, but faster paced and grindy... Don't play on standard, cus you can't save in dungeons which can be really massive. But if you're hardcöre, knock yourself out...

 

[groundhog]

gods:land of infinity

I'd certainly give her 5.7kg of MY LOAD ay lads

Seems the enhanced version is even better according to mobygames.


But not at this price

And nope... link to GamersGate is dead. Go figure. Isozone gas it but god I hate that site. Is special edition worth it over the standard edition. Not for fucking $2,400. Hell no.

igg-games has this game ( special edition)
choose MegaUp.net link
You need to click on download button a few times but it will work eventually.

From a youtube video a guy posted a link to mediafire for the original.

HERE

I should test it on pinky my oldest laptop. Never know what shit is but replies were positive mostly.

If anyone tries this before i get to it tell us if it works.

I couldn't find any manual + extras pdfs to DL but I did find
Viewable Manual Yumpu!
Game website

amazon has this for $20? What?
Does that work?

i rather hate igg games as its a dirty trackingware spamware site. It is digging in the pirate toilet.

Here's a downloadable pdf of the manual for anyone interested (it's from my CD copy of the Special Edition):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1arm6jg4j80q6go/gods_manual_english_01.pdf?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1arm6jg4j80q6go/gods_manual_english_01.pdf?dl=0
(Let me know if you have any problems downloading this)

According to the game website the SE differences are as follows:

GODS LoI SE has finally been completed. Many players have been curious about the changes between the original version and the special edition. We spent quite a time in attempt to add as many new features as possible. The outcome was a game dressed in a completely new, more attractive fashion boosted with various bonus stuff. We bet you wouldn't tell it's the same game by the look at some of the new screenshots!

• Starring Kyla Cole as a Lead Heroine
• Powered by the Latest Build (All Patches Included)
• Polished Graphics with More Detailed Environment
• Brand New Main Menu and Graphic User Interface
• Smoother Animation
• Expanded Alchemy
• Brand New Game Soundtrack and Gods OST CD
• Boosted Sound Effects
• Bonus Weapons and Armours
• Gods Kyla Cole 2007 Calendar

I played the game several years ago and my memories are generally favourable (I enjoyed it enough to spend 26 hours completing it).

 

[YldrE]

In my quest to play anything Ace Combat

Since I went through the same phase there is one game that often goes unnoticed titled The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces.

It's a fully standalone game made by the Ace Combat team so it's the real deal, not a clone or a homage, and there's a lot of personality in this low-tech approach to a series known for its crazy sci-fi behemoths.

It's one of the Wii games that can be played with zero gimmick: for either the Wii or the Dolphin emulator, disconnect all Wiimotes and the game will default to the regular controller.

The movie it's based on is pretty nice too, like a better version of the AC04 story, with stunning aerial fights.

 

[Gamezor]

Still playing Stranger of Sword City Revisited--still enjoy but was a little overlevelled. I think that issue is going to take care of itself soon as I seem to be running into tougher monsters again.

Playing It Takes Two with my wife based on some recommendation I saw on here. It's fun, but we only play in short stretches because the game is a little bit difficult for her. It's not super hard but it's way harder than I expected for a coop game targeted towards husbands and wives. She's never played a third person game with camera controls with analog stick, but she's doing a great job picking it up.

Oh yeah--also playing recent gauntlet reimagning with a friend of mine. Not amazing but solid fun with a friend to play through campaign. Would probably be more fun the more people you had to play with. Starts too easy but then decent level of challenge. Very easy to pick up.

 

[ferratilis]

Having a blast with God of War (2018). It's a semi open-world game without any kind of Ubisoft style bullshit, the combat is satisfying, there's enough challenge to make it interesting, there are many secrets to find, it runs like a dream, and most importantly - it provides a great sense of adventure. I'm not a big fan of the narrow FOV, but it's something you get used to. I expect this to become one of my favorites. I wanted to buy Hitman 3 on Steam, but since IOI took a curly shit all over it, I got this instead. No regrets.

 

[Jonathan "Zee Nekomimi]

In my quest to play anything ace combat like i have played most ps1 arcade flight combat games.
Only two games stand out.

Wing over 2:
-It is a glorified tutorial.You basically play as a rookie pilot that has to do jobs (like delivery,landing a big fucking commercial airliner was my favorite) to make money to pay for your training sessions.
They are pretty much strict when it comes to points,bank a lil bit too much to the left and you will get the "WHAT ARE YOU DOING" multiple times.
There are some combat missions,but it just feels like throwing in a open world with some targets,not real missions.
If you really like flying planes,it might be a worthwhile game.The controls are great and the training exercises are i guess fun when you finally master them.
But,it is very short(hour and a half) and nothing like ace combat.

-Sidewinder 2
It is a ace combat 2 ripoff with small innovations.You literally have the same color pallet as one of the mission in ace combat 2.
Planes are unlocked gradually,which sucks.What sucks even more is the mandatory landing/refueling missions. They are terrible and you can cheese them by crashing into the runway which will make the game think you landed safely.
There are multiple weapons,except not.You get only a small amount of a secondary missiles for very specific story purposes.For everything else,it is the generic air to everything missile.
The story missions are quite shorter then ace combat 2 .You do get the ravine/bomber stuff but you also get some interesting stuff.
You can use missiles to put out fires,have to immediately takeoff during a surprise attack and some other unique stuff.This is the stuff that kept me playing.
Difficulty wise,it is quite easy,even on hard. There is also no ace enemy pilots.No bosses as well.
Control is practically identical to ace combat 2,just with a lil bit quicker turning.
All in all,a worse version of ace combat 2 with some interesting mission ideas.

I really should replay colony wars.

Did u try project wingman?

 

[flyingjohn]

In my quest to play anything ace combat like i have played most ps1 arcade flight combat games.
Only two games stand out.

Wing over 2:
-It is a glorified tutorial.You basically play as a rookie pilot that has to do jobs (like delivery,landing a big fucking commercial airliner was my favorite) to make money to pay for your training sessions.
They are pretty much strict when it comes to points,bank a lil bit too much to the left and you will get the "WHAT ARE YOU DOING" multiple times.
There are some combat missions,but it just feels like throwing in a open world with some targets,not real missions.
If you really like flying planes,it might be a worthwhile game.The controls are great and the training exercises are i guess fun when you finally master them.
But,it is very short(hour and a half) and nothing like ace combat.

-Sidewinder 2
It is a ace combat 2 ripoff with small innovations.You literally have the same color pallet as one of the mission in ace combat 2.
Planes are unlocked gradually,which sucks.What sucks even more is the mandatory landing/refueling missions. They are terrible and you can cheese them by crashing into the runway which will make the game think you landed safely.
There are multiple weapons,except not.You get only a small amount of a secondary missiles for very specific story purposes.For everything else,it is the generic air to everything missile.
The story missions are quite shorter then ace combat 2 .You do get the ravine/bomber stuff but you also get some interesting stuff.
You can use missiles to put out fires,have to immediately takeoff during a surprise attack and some other unique stuff.This is the stuff that kept me playing.
Difficulty wise,it is quite easy,even on hard. There is also no ace enemy pilots.No bosses as well.
Control is practically identical to ace combat 2,just with a lil bit quicker turning.
All in all,a worse version of ace combat 2 with some interesting mission ideas.

I really should replay colony wars.

Did u try project wingman?

Tried,finished,archived and still listening to ost on youtube:

 

[flyingjohn]

Spent the better half of the day going through mtg microprose mods.How fun.So here is the rundown for anybody wanting to play:
-Microprose released a mtg rpg/card game called magic the gathering or shandalar or duels of planeswaleker,depending on your location.It got a patch or two and is still popular.
One of the only card games with "rpg" exploration.
-People modded the thing.
If you want the original experience with updated artwork you will go here and get the 2010 version:
https://www.slightlymagic.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=2349&start=480
-Some guys created Manalink. A mod that added various new cards,modes and multiplayer which doesn't work anymore.
My custom fully updated version:
https://mega.nz/file/5DRAVT7T#exz6A5lmSrfokuak05ENmzP9TIVqCtdbjTj3kYzwwSo
-Some guy added a lot of new cards but was bullied out by a crazy Balkan person forcing the modder to delete everything.
This is the last standalone version + manalink available.Not the latest since that version never got archived.
https://mega.nz/file/pExlHA7b#MqLvpfIVZZa2LXLMPvHNp-5hwea83CA4uh5FVJ3eONc
There are two versions available.The only differences are that there are some bugfixes not documented in one of them.
So play one and if there is a bug,switch to another.

So basically there are three versions:
-Original with updated art
-Manalink standalone that has no story mode and is only focused on new cards and duelign formats
-Korath updated game in terms of ai/cards with older manalink.

It ain't pretty in terms of compatibility.If you are running windows 10 you need to scour the forums since there is a problem with the text fix.
Even windows 7 users need to change stuff(read the included readme in the 2010 iso).

 

[The Decline]

About half-way through Baldur's Gate 2 with my usual braindead build: everyone uses ranged weapons with enchanted projectiles, and summons are used as tanks.

I'm really digging the way my party spontaneously forms a sort of Napoleonic line and it got me interested in a similar game with guns and rifles. Is there any roughly similar game featuring blackpower weapons?

Pillars of Eternity?

 

[Catacombs]

I started God of War this afternoon. Great graphics and fun combat. I loved the original series, so I'm curious to see where the story goes.

 

[Ivan]

Some good stuff recently:

The Forgotten City

Spoiler

An excellent adventure game reminiscent of Planescape: Torment and Age of Decadence. What I came away most impressed with is how deliberate everything is, that is to say there's very littel fat or anything that seems superfluous. The small cast of characters each serve their purpose, each contribute to a quest, the loot you find as well is entirely unique and provides you clues to piece together the relationships between the characters. There is one combat section that stands out b/c other than that you're tasked with solving the time loop you find yourself in. Loved the voice acting, the writing, the way discovering items unlocked new dialogues.

Death's Door

Spoiler

A damn fine adventure game that echoes Zelda and the modern indie takes (e.g. Hyeprlight Drifter). There's a solid mix of puzzles, combat, and exposition, all executed with fantastic pacing. It's a not a lengthy game, I took my sweet time and finished at around 7 hours. The boss fights were engaging and the combat encounters were tough when they wanted to be. The game has a beautifully detailed art style, a macabre sense of humor, and a wonderful soundtrack.

The post-credits gameplay consists of a scavenger hunt that I dabbled with but quickly resorted to the internet for a guide. Unlike the Metroid Prime games (those also feature end-game scavenger hunts), I didn't see any clues or sense of where to go/what to do here. I solved the first one alone, but I did NOT want to ruin my experience by searching for proverbial needles in haystacks. There was one requirement that made me just say NOPE and I just watched the "secret" ending on Youtube. Don't bother, the base game experience is fantastic and the resolution is fine.

TDLR: in the words of Agent Cooper, damn fine game, damn fine


Blasphemous Replay DLC3

Spoiler

Excellent new boss fights with the same quality of spectacle you'd expect. I didn't know they added a new finale so that was also rad to experience. I did feel more bugs this time around, particularly during the few times locks you into rooms to clear a wave of enemies. There's a ghost-like enemy that phases in and out that CONSISTENTLY bugs out and can't be targeted, forcing a restart. It seems to me like it may be a bit buggier AFTER the DLCs (another weird one where I had almost zero momentum after jumping). Also, having played the game a few more times, I still enjoy the game but feel like a sequel could be much more polished and enjoyable: fewer bullshit platforming sections, more convenient fast travel, less fiddling with menus to equip/unquip items, realtime ability switching (a la MegaMan)

 

[mediocrepoet]

I've been replaying Pillars of Eternity so that I can *finally* experience White March 1 & 2 and then go to Deadfire after shelving them for years. I'm pleasantly surprised. Although I still find the game's mechanics somewhat offputting in various ways I won't repeat here, I had forgotten about the solid quest design which has been nice to rediscover.

I'm also spending time playing Star Wars The Old Republic to try and complete at least the original class storylines. And I'm not entirely sure why. I think it's just an indication that I have some manner of OCD.

 

[curds]

Exodus from the Earth

FPS's of this era have such a distinctly ugly aesthetic.

 

[Puukko]

Is this Invisible War's long lost brother?

 

[JDR13]

Weird that it was released in 2008, and I've never heard of it until now. Doesn't look like I missed much though.

 

[Krivol]

Give it a few more hours. At least get out of the tutorial phase and explore the world a bit before giving up.

Thanks for the tip, bro!

After about 60 hours I found Horizon Zero Dawn to be a very decent open-world arpg. I almost did the main quest (2 quests to go AFAIK) and just scratched DLC but what I can say about this game:

- It's my second favorite post-apocalyptic aRPG after New Vegas. Funny, that main writer for those games is the same guy.
- It's probably (I haven't played them all, so I may be wrong) the best AAA open-world in Ubisoft style - much better than Odyssey (why I compare it to Ubisoft games? Well, the pattern is similar - towers to reveal the map, hunting to improve your sacks, similar activities, like attacking enemy camps etc).
- Story is amazing - well, not PST level, but I was actually quite hooked and interested in this - I usually skip reading and listening to boring records found everywhere on the map, but in this game, it was nicely done.
- Map is not too big - I hate present open-world games, maps are huge, but there is nothing to do on them (or a lot of the same, repetitive activities). Here map is big enough to feel the world, but not overstretched. Even if activities got boring after a while, it's usually close to the end of the game.
- Characters are likeable - when I saw screens and trailers for this game, I thought - oh my, another Peggy-sue girl-power show. But honestly, Aloy is quite likable and well-written. Plenty of other chars is memorable.
- Fights are great - you should scan your enemies, find their weak spots, and use a weapon(s) that will help you the most. Also, you can use traps and other gadgets (like heavy weapons from enemies - good touch!). Also, the game is not a breeze on harder difficulty levels.
- Controls on PC are very good - I thought that I would play this game on a pad, but quickly decided that keyboard+mouse is the way to go (99% of your activities during fights is shooting bow/sling, so it's much more convenient)
- Focus is a good explanation for Aloy's 'special senses'.

There are a few cons:
- UI is shit - I mean weapon wheel is stupid (you can change weapons on it during the fight so why did they decide to give you just 4 weapons to be attached to the wheel? Especially when often in fights it's nice to have more guns to play), inventory was made by some masochist, buying/selling interface is a disaster (like when you want to buy 200 items to craft something, you have to press 'F' and wait... for a while), scrolling with Z X buttons to find your healing pot made me sick.
- Close Combat - well, all you can do is soft attack, hard attack and that's almost all. And you can't do anything with your spear to make it better (well, you can, but it's still impossible to build your character around melee weapon).
- You can find all types of enemies after 30% of the game - not joking. It would be better if the main quest had more unique robots to kill.

 

[Caim]

- Characters are likeable - when I saw screens and trailers for this game, I thought - oh my, another Peggy-sue girl-power show. But honestly, Aloy is quite likable and well-written.

Don't worry, they're gonna fix Aloy in the sequel to make her less likable and human-looking.

 

[toro]

Give it a few more hours. At least get out of the tutorial phase and explore the world a bit before giving up.

Thanks for the tip, bro!

After about 60 hours I found Horizon Zero Dawn to be a very decent open-world arpg. I almost did the main quest (2 quests to go AFAIK) and just scratched DLC but what I can say about this game:

- It's my second favorite post-apocalyptic aRPG after New Vegas. Funny, that main writer for those games is the same guy.
- It's probably (I haven't played them all, so I may be wrong) the best AAA open-world in Ubisoft style - much better than Odyssey (why I compare it to Ubisoft games? Well, the pattern is similar - towers to reveal the map, hunting to improve your sacks, similar activities, like attacking enemy camps etc).
- Story is amazing - well, not PST level, but I was actually quite hooked and interested in this - I usually skip reading and listening to boring records found everywhere on the map, but in this game, it was nicely done.
- Map is not too big - I hate present open-world games, maps are huge, but there is nothing to do on them (or a lot of the same, repetitive activities). Here map is big enough to feel the world, but not overstretched. Even if activities got boring after a while, it's usually close to the end of the game.
- Characters are likeable - when I saw screens and trailers for this game, I thought - oh my, another Peggy-sue girl-power show. But honestly, Aloy is quite likable and well-written. Plenty of other chars is memorable.
- Fights are great - you should scan your enemies, find their weak spots, and use a weapon(s) that will help you the most. Also, you can use traps and other gadgets (like heavy weapons from enemies - good touch!). Also, the game is not a breeze on harder difficulty levels.
- Controls on PC are very good - I thought that I would play this game on a pad, but quickly decided that keyboard+mouse is the way to go (99% of your activities during fights is shooting bow/sling, so it's much more convenient)
- Focus is a good explanation for Aloy's 'special senses'.

There are a few cons:
- UI is shit - I mean weapon wheel is stupid (you can change weapons on it during the fight so why did they decide to give you just 4 weapons to be attached to the wheel? Especially when often in fights it's nice to have more guns to play), inventory was made by some masochist, buying/selling interface is a disaster (like when you want to buy 200 items to craft something, you have to press 'F' and wait... for a while), scrolling with Z X buttons to find your healing pot made me sick.
- Close Combat - well, all you can do is soft attack, hard attack and that's almost all. And you can't do anything with your spear to make it better (well, you can, but it's still impossible to build your character around melee weapon).
- You can find all types of enemies after 30% of the game - not joking. It would be better if the main quest had more unique robots to kill.

you are correct about everything except ...

Spoiler

the ending is retarded cause they needed a hook for a sequel. in retrospective it lowers the entire experience. that's why they mentioned HZD2 will have a solid ending.

 

[Catacombs]

Story is amazing - well, not PST level, but I was actually quite hooked and interested in this - I usually skip reading and listening to boring records found everywhere on the map, but in this game, it was nicely done.

I'm glad you stuck with it and ended up enjoying it. I'm also happy you found the records. As you saw, they elevate the story significantly. When I played, I cared more about the lead up to the end of the world than the present day.