I thought the Luma Pools boss was the hardest in the game when I went there early on. Definitely put that area off until you get more abilities.
Boss fights have killed plenty of games for me. At least these allow you to back out and try another pathway.
But this is the good thing about Game Pass if I get stuck at least don’t feel like I wasted 30 bucks.
I tried out several games over the weekend - first, played Lake, and I found it moderately amusing. I tried the demo out a while back and thought about buying it but I’m glad I didn’t, this is a much better bite-size Game Pass playthrough, can’t really see myself going through it again. It’s charming in that kind of Gone Home and Firewatch way; very low stakes, very low drama, and not a ton of real gameplay there. But I got to deliver some mail and help out a few folks while I sorted out my mid-life crisis, so I got that going for me.
Then I tried Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator and that surely was something. It leans way more into the ‘organ simulator’ than the ‘space warlord’ part - you wouldn’t know there’s anything going on in space and you certainly don’t lead any armies to victory over any opponents. But you will buy and sell organs on the black market, filling requests from various parties, making lots of moneys, getting up to your elbows in viscera. I guess. It’s a kind of low-poly, indie sort of game, but it’s fun. Quirky, but good for a few hours.
Then I tried The Pedestrian and I don’t know if I just don’t care for the game or was just in the wrong mood but it just didn’t click for me. I played through a few levels and it seems both too simple and too complicated at the same time - stick figure jogging through various mazes can be fun, but I wasn’t feeling it. And I normally like puzzles. I’ll probably come back to it someday.
And last I tried out The Gunk. I’m having fun with it, it’s another lightweight game where you’re ostensibly ‘cleaning’, by sucking up all this titular gunk, while exploring an alien planet and upgrading your gear. Straightforward, and another that’s perfect for Game Pass. I’ll probably forget it not long after I’ve played it.
If you haven’t played Exo One, check it out. It’s been there over a month by now so it may be old news, but it’s gorgeous (especially on the Series X), chill, and you can finish it in under 10 hours.
Oh Lord, I’d better get on this. Not much time left to vote. About 10 days. I did play Lake briefly, and I know enough to know it won’t be on my list. I played a lot of Unpacking, but I feel like I need to play more before deciding. I played a lot of Halo Infinite, and though I have a lot more to go, I already know it will be on my list because the core gameplay loop is exquisite. I really wish I had someone to play “It Takes Two” with. Maybe I can see if my brother in Portland has some free time. I know he has Game Pass. I need to make more progress in Omno and Artful Escape and Forgotten City. I actually really love what I’ve played of Exo One so far. It really is like Microsoft Flight Simulator but on an alien world. I love that feeling.
That’s where I fell off, god damn that spider. I finished the first game, only bad boss in that one was the chase sequence 😬
To me it’s like Flight SImulator where the engine keeps failing! It alternates between “thank god, I’m flying” and “oh shit, not again!”
Yeah, picking up energy where available is really helpful to help with continuing to fly.
Heck, I’m still working my way through the Master Chief collection. (tho I did take a Halloween detour for OG Buffy on the 360 to finally finish that).
I fired up Halo Infinite to give it a shot, but after about two levels I realized I had missed some important stuff having not played 4 & 5. I hadn’t played Reach or even finished 2 either, so it has been good going back through the remastered versions.
Halo CE
Halo 2
Halo Reach
Halo 3
Halo 3: ODST
All complete now. Started Halo 4.
FAR: Changing Tides (the sequel to FAR: Lone Sails) will be launching on Game Pass at release, on March 1. I really liked the first game and the second looks interesting.
Nice to see someone enjoying all the Halo games. They have brought me a lot of joy over the years.
My hat’s off to folks who go back and play through the Halo games, I can’t do it. I’ve installed it a couple times and thought hey, might be cool to see how they hold up to memory! But actually committing feels more like work than enjoyment, and I don’t want to have to force myself through a half dozen games so … in my memories they stay.
Matt_W
4423
My son and I played F:LS together handing the controller back and forth like old days. It was a really great experience. Awesome that the sequel will be on GP4PC
It has been pretty fun. One of the reasons I didn’t hop on the ones I hadn’t played originally was that the enemies seemed repetitive, but I’m not really feeling that this time through, despite mostly playing them back to back to back.
The music is still great, the levels and firefights are interesting and challenging, they add more vehicles and air combat and I just like the characters/voice acting.
It also feels like there will be some new enemies in 4/5…
I spent the last week obsessively working on the (I think) penultimate boss fight in my current favorite Game Pass game, Archvale… BEHOLD, ThE BaNiShEd ExEcUTioNeR!
I’m playing on Hard difficulty with a ranged character… it’s the same bullet-hell chaos you see in the video, but (unlike this amateur) I could only get hit about three times by any “bullet” or I was dead. It only took two hits from his sword tornado to do me in. I had a lot of health potions but precious little chance to use them. Also, my Doomerang +5 hits for way less damage than you see here so it was a long battle of attrition and timing and luck.
I listened to hours and hours of podcasts just throwing myself at this crazy fight over and over again hundreds of times until last night when I finally beat him. I couldn’t believe it. And, yeah, I did thrust my fists into the air in epic triumph and then stand up to take a self-satisfied victory lap around the playroom. I fucking earned it!
Is Gamepass (PC) telling anybody else that you own The Outer Wilds when you have never bought it?
Did you watch Xbox’s E3 presentation in 2018? If you did, you should already own Outer Wilds.
Hmmm, but that’s on Xbox. I’m looking at the PC version in Game Pass (PC) and it’s not showing me that I own it. Just that I have it installed and can play it. I have the option to buy it.
I don’t remember but I don’t think I’ve ever watched one so…
For me, it says “You own this” under “INSTALL”.
Kolbex
4429
It’s just being supportive.
