What You've Been Playing This Week

[prinnysquad]

Thanks, Prinny. It was mostly an uplifting experience, although I got one well-deserved hoof in the emotional nads. When I booted up the save for Prince of Persia: Warrior Within I remembered my Mum had been stuck at a boss and asked me for help to beat it, and for one selfish reason or another I'd never got round to it. Soon thereafter her eyesight failed. Needless to say, the boss was still unbeaten. Moral of the story: if your old girl asks for help with beating a boss, find the time.

Isn’t it strange how these things can just hit you out of the blue? And how we react to such moments in time that are captured? It’s not the same, but I remember when my grandad died, he’d been reading a book I’d bought him for his last birthday. He was about halfway through. As we cleared his house, I thought I’d take that book home with me and read it myself. It’s sat untouched for two years. Everytime I look at it and see the bookmark sticking out from a particular page, I can’t face moving it, or even reading it through around it. It almost feels like I’ll be disturbing a little monument to him.

[Atticus]

I loved the original Dead Rising. It was one of several early 360 games that felt like an immediate quantum leap over what had been possible on the previous gen. But for whatever reason I've never felt a pull to play any of the others. I've always felt that so much of the appeal of the original was the then-incredible numbers of on-screen zombies and number of interactive elements, and without that wow factor I wouldn't be that interested.

I enjoyed the original Dead Rising (once I got my head around how to approach it ... though I always hated the respawning convicts in the Humvee ). I bounced off 2 and 4 but 3 was fantastic. Can't even put my finger on what it is about it but I loved every second.

[fuse]

Finished Live A Live, which I loved. The remake element of it is brilliant too and I am really, really hoping that Square-Enix take the same approach with some more titles from that era.

Played through Coffee Talk, which is a fairly straightforward, but quite charming VN-type affair. The only remotely game-y bits are making drinks, and there's no real deviance in the story even if you screw that up. Structure and theme are very similar to VA-11 Hall-A (that name, man) but with booze swapped out in favour of hot drinks. Not for everyone, but I liked it.

Now onto Death's Door. First impressions very good, doesn't seem as openly hostile towards the player as Titan Souls was...

[Colin]

Had a full run through on Death Smiles, jeez it's still an absolutely awesome looking game. Then I thought I'd have a pop at Death Smiles II as I'd never actually played it before. Now, I'd seen some disparaging comments about it on here but nothing really prepared me for how much of a step down in quality it was, it's like an Aliexpress knock off of the original.

I'm ashamed to admit this, but since I'm in covid lockdown I gave the pressure washer 'game' another go and probably played more of it than I'd like to admit. It's possibly one of the most irritating things I've ever played, yet for some reason I kept starting another job. Thankfully by the point I reached the big yellow boot I came to my senses and deleted it from my downloads.

[Atticus]

I put Mario Galaxy on the other day and I've done 30 or so stars so far. Must say for all the flak the 3D All-Stars package seems to get, Galaxy is phenomenal on it ... plays great with the Pro Controller and looks gorgeous. And the sheer class of the game is timeless. Everything it hits you with delivers joy. Forgot how great the soundtrack was too.

Then I thought I'd have a pop at Death Smiles II as I'd never actually played it before. Now, I'd seen some disparaging comments about it on here but nothing really prepared me for how much of a step down in quality it was, it's like an Aliexpress knock off of the original.

Deathsmiles II doesn't have the visual appeal of the original but it plays like a dream (IIX is up there with the very best imho)

[Neon Ignition]

I'm a little way into Dying Light 2. I'm actually quite enjoying the platforming in the game and traversing the world that's been built but the combat is quite weak and the further I get into the more of it there is so I'm wary this will wear thin fast.

I'm no on Chapter 10 of 13 in Ghost Giant too so likely will finish that this weekend

[Dogg Thang]

I was playing Spider-Man on my Steam Deck and I love it. But it turns out that going straight into the DLC stuff is a bit too much Spider-Man so I'm giving it a rest for a bit.

So I picked up Alan Wake for next to nothing on Steam. Just finished the first episode and, so far, I really like it. Kind of a mix between Silent Hill and Twin Peaks and that's something that works for me. The atmosphere is lovely without being so scary or oppressive that I can't play it. It has that sort of SH2 melancholy rather than out and out scary, if you know what I mean. Really enjoying it.

[QualityChimp]

Been away for a week, so apart from dipping into the Miyoo Mini to play a few arcade games (Mystic Warriors is ace!), I've not played much.
Whilst away, I tried picking up on Zelda's Awakening (Switch), but I'm in that dungeon with the yellow and blue bumper tiles that's a bit of a chore to play. I was wooed away to help with a jigsaw and I honestly have no regrets.
Might follow a guide to get through it as I feel I'm near the end.

At the weekend, the lounge telly was free, so I picked up on Titanfall (XBOne), which really has been a really thrill ride of a game.
Just did a couple of sections where my robot was lobbing me like a baseball to inaccessible sections of the map and it was really cinematic. I can't remember who recommended it on here, but it's been a really brilliant and inventive shooter.

[Cepp]

Finished the main story in Skyrim. Was getting a bit bored with all of the sidequests so killed Alduin.

Now I've beat it, I kind of want to get back to them but too many other games to play.

Maybe I'll do the Dark Brotherhood questline...

[QualityChimp]

Finished the main story in Skyrim.

I want to play some more Skyrim, but it's been way too hot to play VR the last few months!

[Atticus]

Not sure the game warrants a new first play thread (it already has two) but The Last of Us remake on PS5 is a beaut. Looks and plays gorgeous and feels so good to be right back in it. Yes, it's not cheap for a third release of a 10 year old game but when they're this good it doesn't matter. Quality lasts and the latest tech makes it sing.

[nonny]

Playing TinyKin on game pass and it's just bloody lovely. Can't put it down...

[Finsbury Girl]

Picked up Dragon's Crown cheap and been playing that for a couple of days ; it's not bad so far playing an amazon I'm sure there is a depth of gameplay that I'm missing though. Wouldn't want to have spent more on it than I did.

[Cassius_Smoke]

Picked up Dragon's Crown cheap and been playing that for a couple of days ; it's not bad so far playing an amazon I'm sure there is a depth of gameplay that I'm missing though. Wouldn't want to have spent more on it than I did.

Yeah I saw it on sale. It definitely has the looks. I'm tempted by it.

[MarioMark]

Turtles Cowabunga Collection PS5. It’s chuffin’ mint!

I’ve finally finished the OG NES game thanks to the rewind feature. I don’t feel guilty using it because it’s almost impossible to finish without and it’s always been on my bucket list to finally finish.

Hyperstone Heist is better than Turtles in Time. There, I said it.