[slab_happy]

I think I might just be in a gaming-for-fun mood 

Shocking! In that case, I wish you good luck in finding something fun and relaxing!

[slab_happy]

Well, so far I've fucking loved Disco Elysium, enjoyed and been annoyed by Kentucky Route Zero in equal measure

I have to agree with this. I loved Disco Elysium, but I just recently had to give up on Kentucky Route Zero. Just too pretentious for it's own good. I realised I only liked the art and occasional musical interludes. I had no idea what was going on, what the stakes were, why I was supposed to care about these characters. It has no sense of humour. Everything was so po-faced. Decisions didn't seem to have any influence on the story. There isn't really any gameplay to speak of. There were good moments and vignettes but overall not worth it. Played three acts and the intermission bits. No more!

Yeah, I liked the art and atmosphere and many of the story elements, but the whole thing played like that section which is set in an art exhibition: you walk into a scene, wander round it, look at the things, get required to pick lots of options which don't alter anything in any discernible way, and eventually you find the exit from that section and move on to the next one.

And it ALL plays like that. It never felt like making different choices would make the experience of the game different in any way.

[JamieG]

Well, so far I've fucking loved Disco Elysium, enjoyed and been annoyed by Kentucky Route Zero in equal measure

I have to agree with this. I loved Disco Elysium, but I just recently had to give up on Kentucky Route Zero. Just too pretentious for it's own good. I realised I only liked the art and occasional musical interludes. I had no idea what was going on, what the stakes were, why I was supposed to care about these characters. It has no sense of humour. Everything was so po-faced. Decisions didn't seem to have any influence on the story. There isn't really any gameplay to speak of. There were good moments and vignettes but overall not worth it. Played three acts and the intermission bits. No more!

Yeah, I liked the art and atmosphere and many of the story elements, but the whole thing played like that section which is set in an art exhibition: you walk into a scene, wander round it, look at the things, get required to pick lots of options which don't alter anything in any discernible way, and eventually you find the exit from that section and move on to the next one.

And it ALL plays like that. It never felt like making different choices would make the experience of the game different in any way.

Definitely. You are very much just an observer in the world. I have no issue with this per se and do joy a walking simulator from time to time (I enjoyed Firewatch and What Remains of Edith Finch) but Kentucky Route Zero was either too clever for it's own good or it was all lost on a philistine like me. :-) Shame I really wanted to enjoy it, because I like the setting, music, art etc.

[slab_happy]

Talking of walking simulators -- guessing you've already played The Stanley Parable?

[JamieG]

Talking of walking simulators -- guessing you've already played The Stanley Parable?

I haven't actually. Although I've heard it is very good. Have you played it? And did you enjoy it?

[slab_happy]

Played it multiple times (though I'm fairly sure I've not found all the possible endings yet), cackled like a loon, had all sorts of fun thoughts about railroading in games and player choice. It takes the impulse to try to break the game, and makes the game out of that. Lots of fun.

[JamieG]

Played it multiple times (though I'm fairly sure I've not found all the possible endings yet), cackled like a loon, had all sorts of fun thoughts about railroading in games and player choice. It takes the impulse to try to break the game, and makes the game out of that. Lots of fun.

Sounds good. I've added it my wishlist for the switch. Now to wait for a sale. :-)

[slab_happy]

Currently digging into Atom RPG. I am now addicted to mystery drugs and digging through village garbage heaps in the dark because the withdrawal is preventing me from sleeping. Also I am incompetent and broke a fork while failing to make a shiv.

It's all about the escapism.

[Will Hunt]

Sounds good. I've added it my wishlist for the switch. Now to wait for a sale. :-)

I don't have anything to play on the Switch at the moment as I stubbornly refuse to buy anything on my wishlist before it's on sale. It's going to be a long wait till May...

I would love to play Metroid Dread but £50 for a 2D game seems very steep. Similarly I reckon it's been long enough since I played Prime that I could really enjoy the remaster, but am I going to pay £35 to play a 20-year old game that I've played multiple times before...?

[JamieG]

Will have you played Hollow Knight? Generally regarded as one of the best Metroid style games for many years and an absolute steal for just over a £10. One of the best games I've played on switch although it is very tricky at points!

[Will Hunt]

Will have you played Hollow Knight? Generally regarded as one of the best Metroid style games for many years and an absolute steal for just over a £10. One of the best games I've played on switch although it is very tricky at points!

Ok you've swayed me. A friend recommended this and I was waiting for a sale on principle, but I think a tenner is permissible for an impulse buy.

By the way, if you like that, have you played Death's Door? Brilliant!

[JamieG]

Agreed, Death's Door is very good too.

Hope you enjoy Hollow Knight. Most people seem to really enjoy it, but like any game it doesn't seem to work for some. I loved not just the gameplay but the art, music, atmosphere etc too.

[Fiend]

Currently digging into Atom RPG. I am now addicted to mystery drugs and digging through village garbage heaps in the dark because the withdrawal is preventing me from sleeping. Also I am incompetent and broke a fork while failing to make a shiv.

It's all about the escapism.

Are you surely that's actually escapism?? 

I have been playing the 3 Dark Souls 2 DLCs, two of which are as great as any large maps in the series. I have now got to the point where there are 6 possible paths forward, all of which are straight into soddingly brutal boss combats.

Therefore I have downloaded the Wo Long Fallen Dynasty demo, and bought A Plague Tale 2 Requiem at a decent sale price...

[slab_happy]

Are you surely that's actually escapism?? 

Well, it's at least a different brand of shit from the stuff I'm dealing with the rest of the time.

In real life, after all, I am dependent on prescribed drugs and listening to podcasts in the dark because the current tedious medical problems are keeping me from sleeping. Also I am incompetent and broke a mug while failing to put boxes on a shelf.

... wait, I may not have thought this through fully.

At least in Atom I finally managed to make the damn shiv, though. Also I stabbed a giant mutant insect and that was cool.

[Fiend]

... wait, I may not have thought this through fully.

well played.

Good luck fending off giant mutant insects with a broken mug

[crzylgs]

Anyone else in the Diablo 4 pre-order gang? The closed beta is this weekend, am sure it'll be a cluster fuck but you get a cute wolf pet if you get to lvl 20 in the beta which should be very easy.

A long time ago I all but promised I'd never pre-order another game - due to developers rushing out buggy, unfinished lumps of turd masquerading as a finished product.

However, for the £30-40 I spent on Diablo 3... which has had zero DLC but years and years of replayability value. Paying £60 for the basic (not so many bonus cosmetics but nothing else changes at all) version seems like a no-brainer. Also, it being a Blizzard game released on Battle Net launcher, there wont be any discounts or sales availbale for a long time.

[slab_happy]

Just saw that Atom's 40% off on Steam until the 23rd, which brings it down to £6.59, in case anyone would like to join me in the sordid turn-based CRPG action:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/552620/ATOM_RPG_Postapocalyptic_indie_game/

[warmonke]

Agreed, Death's Door is very good too.

Hope you enjoy Hollow Knight. Most people seem to really enjoy it, but like any game it doesn't seem to work for some. I loved not just the gameplay but the art, music, atmosphere etc too.

Also loved Hollow Knight, looking forward to the new one coming out! Has anyone played Rain World? Similar exploration-based indie game with cool world-building and art style, can be pretty unforgiving but would definitely recommend for any masochistic gamers out there

[Fiend]

Anyone else in the Diablo 4 pre-order gang?

Nope, not even for a cute wolf pet! Would rather wait for the final. I did enjoy D3 tho. But these days I never pre-order and never buy on release (ahem unless it's a Fromsoft game ahem). Even if a Blizzard sale is a long time coming I can wait for it. I would probably get D4 at some point.

[Jono.r23]

Currently playing the pc version of Returnal. A hard game due to the rogue-style & starting afresh when dead..but an amazing intense experience especially due to the implementation of spatial audio..use headphones..incredible. (I’m studying a masters degree in game audio so am very much about the sound!)

[slab_happy]

Just saw that Atom's 40% off on Steam until the 23rd, which brings it down to £6.59, in case anyone would like to join me in the sordid turn-based CRPG action:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/552620/ATOM_RPG_Postapocalyptic_indie_game/

Advisory, though: you have to spec for combat, even on Easy mode, or you will just end up in a situation where almost any fight will kill you.

[slab_happy]

Just saw that Atom's 40% off on Steam until the 23rd, which brings it down to £6.59, in case anyone would like to join me in the sordid turn-based CRPG action:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/552620/ATOM_RPG_Postapocalyptic_indie_game/

Advisory, though: you have to spec for combat, even on Easy mode, or you will just end up in a situation where almost any fight will kill you.

Though there is an in-game way to respec, which I've just taken advantage of, but it's (in game) costly. Starting with very high Dex would have made life much easier.

[slab_happy]

Also Disco Elysium is at 75% off until the 23rd, making it £8.74:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/632470/Disco_Elysium__The_Final_Cut/

Seriously, everyone should play this game. It's hilarious and bleak and existential, post-Soviet noir meets New Weird.

[slab_happy]

Just saw that Atom's 40% off on Steam until the 23rd, which brings it down to £6.59, in case anyone would like to join me in the sordid turn-based CRPG action:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/552620/ATOM_RPG_Postapocalyptic_indie_game/

Advisory, though: you have to spec for combat, even on Easy mode, or you will just end up in a situation where almost any fight will kill you.

Though there is an in-game way to respec, which I've just taken advantage of, but it's (in game) costly. Starting with very high Dex would have made life much easier.

Also, I suspect with hindsight that the game may be easier if you don't accidentally skip the tutorial (me, watching YouTube videos while near the end of the game: "There was a tutorial???").

But flinging myself in at the deep end, flailing incompetently, and randomly clicking buttons to see what they do may be my natural play style anyway.

[JamieG]

Finished inscryption last night. Thought it was absolutely brilliant. If you like card/deck-building type games, rouge style gameplay and a LOT of weirdness, I can’t recommend it enough.

Presentation/art is really fantastic. It’s very creative, creepy and weird. Mechanics are really good fun with lots of nice twists.

Only minor letdown is a slight lull in the middle but otherwise it’s excellent. Don’t want to say too much and spoil anything. Best to go in as blind as possible.