OT: Video Games/Computers/Gadgets/Gizmos

[ReasonablySober]

One thing I lament about gaming currently is how freaking esoteric everything is, making it hard to pick things back up after having put them down for a while. I've wanted to go back to FF7R2 for weeks now since getting back from Italy, and I keep bouncing off it because there's 700 systems I don't remember and I'm in the middle of the game when you're expected to have them all down.

Trying to spend more time with it today/this weekend to bring my literal memory and muscle memory back, but this is why Path of Exile (extremely, extremely esoteric but I've played it so long and so much that I don't lose the feeling), Cities Skylines (just build a city 4head), and cozy games like Stardew Valley are so appealing often. I guess this is all to say that, as time has become harder to come by for me to just sitdown for hours on end for weeks on end, the ability to pick up and play has become more valued.

I know I'm gonna have to jump back into Elden Ring at some point before the DLC arrives at the end of June, so I fired it up tonight to see where I was at since the last time I played.

I've got six saves making up 717 hours. My average level is 149, and 150 is considered endgame/NG+.

I think I'm gonna have to start completely over on a 7th save. I jumped into what I think must be my latest save, and I'm honestly pretty lost.

[MikeIsGood]

After mentioning it off-hand, Stardew got its claws back in me and I started a new farm. So that's where I'm at.

Have my eyes on Animal Well, though. Classic Metroidvania (read: no Soulsborne elements), gorgeous visuals, big puzzle solving emphasis, and incredible reviews.

[Siefer]

One thing I lament about gaming currently is how freaking esoteric everything is, making it hard to pick things back up after having put them down for a while. I've wanted to go back to FF7R2 for weeks now since getting back from Italy, and I keep bouncing off it because there's 700 systems I don't remember and I'm in the middle of the game when you're expected to have them all down.

Trying to spend more time with it today/this weekend to bring my literal memory and muscle memory back, but this is why Path of Exile (extremely, extremely esoteric but I've played it so long and so much that I don't lose the feeling), Cities Skylines (just build a city 4head), and cozy games like Stardew Valley are so appealing often. I guess this is all to say that, as time has become harder to come by for me to just sitdown for hours on end for weeks on end, the ability to pick up and play has become more valued.

I know I'm gonna have to jump back into Elden Ring at some point before the DLC arrives at the end of June, so I fired it up tonight to see where I was at since the last time I played.

I've got six saves making up 717 hours. My average level is 149, and 150 is considered endgame/NG+.

I think I'm gonna have to start completely over on a 7th save. I jumped into what I think must be my latest save, and I'm honestly pretty lost.

This is a big part of why I tend not to go back for DLCs with most games. They're not long enough to justify the effort to get reacquainted with the gameplay, and that compounds the issues I have with shoe-horning side stories into the middle of a game I already saw credits on (looking at you FF16). I tend to be much more open to DLCs that are actually small sequels like Xenoblade 3 and Tales of Arise.

[Ron Swanson]

Yeah, I'll co-sign the idea that it's hard as **** with most games these days after taking an extended time off from playing them. Battle systems, button combos, etc. have become too overly complex for my old-ass brain to care enough anymore, to the point where I just end up going back to the nostalgic games of my childhood or even college years for simplicity and familiarity. My favorite gaming experiences so far this year have been Super Mario RPG remastered, and replaying Fallout 4 and the Telltale Walking Dead games lol.

[machu46]

One thing I lament about gaming currently is how freaking esoteric everything is, making it hard to pick things back up after having put them down for a while. I've wanted to go back to FF7R2 for weeks now since getting back from Italy, and I keep bouncing off it because there's 700 systems I don't remember and I'm in the middle of the game when you're expected to have them all down.

Trying to spend more time with it today/this weekend to bring my literal memory and muscle memory back, but this is why Path of Exile (extremely, extremely esoteric but I've played it so long and so much that I don't lose the feeling), Cities Skylines (just build a city 4head), and cozy games like Stardew Valley are so appealing often. I guess this is all to say that, as time has become harder to come by for me to just sitdown for hours on end for weeks on end, the ability to pick up and play has become more valued.

I know I'm gonna have to jump back into Elden Ring at some point before the DLC arrives at the end of June, so I fired it up tonight to see where I was at since the last time I played.

I've got six saves making up 717 hours. My average level is 149, and 150 is considered endgame/NG+.

I think I'm gonna have to start completely over on a 7th save. I jumped into what I think must be my latest save, and I'm honestly pretty lost.

This is a big part of why I tend not to go back for DLCs with most games. They're not long enough to justify the effort to get reacquainted with the gameplay, and that compounds the issues I have with shoe-horning side stories into the middle of a game I already saw credits on (looking at you FF16). I tend to be much more open to DLCs that are actually small sequels like Xenoblade 3 and Tales of Arise.

The one I really struggled to return to because of the gameplay is Hitman. I can return to games like Spiderman, Elden Ring, Sifu, etc. because the button mapping all kinda feels natural to me for those types of games. Hitman you can play one level for an hour and messing up one press of the button could be the difference between you killing your target unnoticed vs. starting a chain reaction that you can't get out of. I feel like I at least have to do the tutorial again if I want to return to finish that game to remember the controls (the plot meanwhile is fairly simple and each mission has a small brief/cut scene that kinda ties it all together).

[ReasonablySober]

Watch on YouTube

Anxious to play this game set in Feudal Japan, a period not yet explored in any other media recently.

[crkone]

Watch on YouTube

Anxious to play this game set in Feudal Japan, a period not yet explored in any other media recently.

Darn I thought it would be the 1939-1945 European/Asian Pacific/Northern Africa era that games have never acknowledged.

[DanoMac]

I'm obsessed with Ghost of Tsushima. Great game. Can't believe I didn't play this earlier.

[machu46]

I'm obsessed with Ghost of Tsushima. Great game. Can't believe I didn't play this earlier.

It's not the best graphics I've ever seen but it's maybe the most beautiful game I've ever seen if that makes sense.

[Matches Malone]

Read on Twitter

[Ryan5UW]

I've sworn off pre-ordering or buying games at release, but damn I'm tempted to do it with College Football. No way they can screw it up so bad it's unplayable........can they?

[ReasonablySober]

Because I wait for games to come to Game Pass or go on deep discount, I always feel like I'm Jim Gaffigan with the movie Heat.

That being said, Dave the Diver is legitimately incredible. So accessible yet so deep. It continues to astound how little studios publish masterpieces like this and charge $20 and just kick the everloving **** out of AAA games that go for $70 and continue to MTX to death.

I haven't played it but I've heard nothing but fantastic things. Did you end up getting it on PC? It feels like it would be a good game to play on the Switch if it runs well enough.

I have it on PS5 but it would be a fantastic Switch game. Very casual, difficulty is not punishing, minigames aren't fast-twitch intensive so you're not missing things with lower framerates.

Read on Twitter

I can't wait to check this out.

[MikeIsGood]

It sounds like this D4 update that was "fixing the game" is basically just recreating it as D3 - including a rift system that they just renamed but functions the exact same way (exact). Which is all kind of hilarious.

But I mean, that is probably an improvement to where D4's end game was at. So there's that.

[GoldenAntlers]

It sounds like this D4 update that was "fixing the game" is basically just recreating it as D3 - including a rift system that they just renamed but functions the exact same way (exact). Which is all kind of hilarious.

But I mean, that is probably an improvement to where D4's end game was at. So there's that.

I still throw on the original soundtrack.

[ReasonablySober]

It sounds like this D4 update that was "fixing the game" is basically just recreating it as D3 - including a rift system that they just renamed but functions the exact same way (exact). Which is all kind of hilarious.

But I mean, that is probably an improvement to where D4's end game was at. So there's that.

Ha, that sounds great. I loved D3.

[MikeIsGood]

It sounds like this D4 update that was "fixing the game" is basically just recreating it as D3 - including a rift system that they just renamed but functions the exact same way (exact). Which is all kind of hilarious.

But I mean, that is probably an improvement to where D4's end game was at. So there's that.

Ha, that sounds great. I loved D3.

Then you may want to check it out! I think it's funny that they set out to not just recreate D3 - wanted to get back to some D2 roots - and it seems like they're like "****, we **** up, let's just recreate D3."

I played D3 quite a lot (maybe 400 hours?), so not a straight-up complaint. Just disappointed that they ended up moving backwards, it seems.

[GoldenAntlers]

It sounds like this D4 update that was "fixing the game" is basically just recreating it as D3 - including a rift system that they just renamed but functions the exact same way (exact). Which is all kind of hilarious.

But I mean, that is probably an improvement to where D4's end game was at. So there's that.

Ha, that sounds great. I loved D3.

Then you may want to check it out! I think it's funny that they set out to not just recreate D3 - wanted to get back to some D2 roots - and it seems like they're like "****, we **** up, let's just recreate D3."

I played D3 quite a lot (maybe 400 hours?), so not a straight-up complaint. Just disappointed that they ended up moving backwards, it seems.

Diablo MMO would be lit.

[KidA24]

It sounds like this D4 update that was "fixing the game" is basically just recreating it as D3 - including a rift system that they just renamed but functions the exact same way (exact). Which is all kind of hilarious.

But I mean, that is probably an improvement to where D4's end game was at. So there's that.

The worst part of playing is the constant notifications about monetized ****.

You can't turn them off, you have to go into the store and clear them.

The notifications are exactly the same as something crazy important you might be missing.

It just makes me sad that the Blizzard I grew up with is so **** dead

[ReasonablySober]

It sounds like this D4 update that was "fixing the game" is basically just recreating it as D3 - including a rift system that they just renamed but functions the exact same way (exact). Which is all kind of hilarious.

But I mean, that is probably an improvement to where D4's end game was at. So there's that.

The worst part of playing is the constant notifications about monetized ****.

You can't turn them off, you have to go into the store and clear them.

The notifications are exactly the same as something crazy important you might be missing.

It just makes me sad that the Blizzard I grew up with is so **** dead

I started a new character. Played for about 15 minutes. Went back to Elden Ring. I'm in the middle of Milicent's questline for the 3rd or 4th time.

[VooDoo7]

Haven't gamed in a few year, but damn. That may have to change.

https://youtu.be/W1QDaXkufCo?si=twPdfJIzlh_c84yU