Trials Rising’s 4th track was bugged and I couldn’t progress any further
Insurgency Sandstorm dipped into ~30 FPS when there was lots of action going on (before the last patch it stayed in the 60+ fps range)
Blackout didn’t run too well, and I didn’t like the gameplay. I guess I only like CoD these days when the gameplay matches the game mode (small and fast), which is why I prefer Ironsight (since you don’t have to pay the yearly $60 tax + another $45-60 for content updates)
But at least the Forza Horizon 4 demo ran well. I didn’t play it much though, because there’s no progression save and I know I’m going to play it anyway when the full game is released.
Not getting that cube was one of the many mistakes of my playthrough.
I have the strong impression the castle is just the layout of a work-in-progress: delving empty rooms after empty rooms, I encountered only two puzzles over the three floors. Chests are filled with tons of gold which have virtually zero use. The last floor was even devoid of foes. Most switches are huge departure from the fun nature of the game, triggering booby traps or unleashing monsters onto you — tricks easily bypassed by saving and reloading every switch I hit.
At least, it meant I could breeze through it. I was a bit aimless untill I looked up and found I should use the figurines I had collected to play some light games on the King’s coffin. Job done. Now Let’s try to use the keys I assembled during the last half of the game! Oh, they don’t seem to be needed anymore. Oh well, let’s use that elixir I cooked… Wait. No cure in inventory. Now that I think about it, I don’t remember ever seeing the cure I distilled in it.
Well, that’s one huge oversight on my part, worth an epic “doh!”.
So, as I have no idea where to look for it, I decide to take on Scotia anyway.
Ultimate sight:
Let’s call that the bad ending!
Nevertheless, I really liked the game. The puzzle were mostly easy enough for a fool like me to get around them, and the atmosphere and esthetics were wonderful.
The game was very accessible, and could be played mostly from the keyboard (numeric pad to move around with a very modern movement layout, F1-F2-F3 to fight).
Excepting for the crazy combat frenzy in the tower’s top level and in the town, and the obviously unfinished last dungeon, it was a very absorbing game. I just wished I could have seen a congratulation screen! DOH DOH DOH!
Well, if I manage to beat a certain tyrant boss that’s proving too difficult for my underleveled hero, lots of Dragon Quest XI. I also plan to play as much CrossCode as I can muster, because the game is awesome.
I bought it before Stardock sued the original creators. On the one hand, if I didn’t already own it, I probably wouldn’t have bought it. But on the other hand, oh my god, I’m playing a new Star Control game! Do you know how long I have dreamed of this?
Back in the day, I used to walk into Babbages every time I was at any mall in America, and ask them when Star Control 3 would come out. For years I did this. And then one day, it was out! True, the game was a bit of a disappointment in the end, but for several glorious days I was living the dream! A new Star Control game!
That sounds like a risky proposition, like tasting two different coffees one right after the other!
I intend to finally properly jump into Krondor, now that I’ve done the whole lot of reading about the lore (I read that the local Gandalf is a Pug, best setting ever!!).
Also some more door kicking with fellow @Chappers, I am hoping.
A few hours in, having played a little past quarter to three last night… Krondor is amazing. The interface, for one, is out of this world. It’s a bit slow in its response time, but one of the most intuitive I can think of. The fightings, even that early in the game, have been both engaging in some of the tough fights (I pulled a move I’m not likely to forget any time soon in one of those trapped battles!), and relaxing in others with a very reliable auto-battle. Even better: there are quite a few flags for various things you do, and other parties react to what you have done, as simple as acknowledging you visiting some place. This is incredibly immersive, and something I much prefer to the more modern “wide array of options with little acknowledgement” of modern games.
Speaking of the atmosphere, oh my, that atmosphere. The writing is a joy to read. Besides events, there are a lot descriptions. The characters, even side ones occasionnally met, have all been memorable.
I had a bit of an issue navigating the 3D world at first — it is probably the part of the game that aged the most, with the terrible props — but now I am getting very comfortable with it. There is no in-game map per se, but simply making a rough sketch of where the places of interests are seems to be enough: you can navigate then the in-game world thanks to quite an extended field of view. Speaking of navigation, adding a “follow route” option is utterly brilliant: fast travel, without the lame fade to black of fast travel!
I’ll shut up before talking about all the part of the game I find smart. Again, what an amazing game, and it blows my mind it was released as early as 1993.
Those are everywhere! I have solved three so far, and feel incredibly clever (even though I go through and write the letters on paper).
In my limited gaming time, I’m dabbling with Star Traders: Frontiers. It’s a remarkable thing, and gives the sense that I’m barely scratching the surface of its incredibly deep collection of interlocking systems. I’m enjoying it, but wish I had more time for it.
I’m also still playing some PBEM Field of Glory 2, trying to defend Greece against that filthy Macedonian interloper.
This weekend, the plan is to play lots of Dragon Quest XI and CrossCode. I might also play a bit of Middle Earth: Shadow of War (just reinstalled) and maybe something else like Pillars of Eternity 2 or Absolver.
Betrayal at Krondor surprised me with its openness. I wasn’t expecting at all the whole world to be accessible right away!
Nonetheless, sorry, Betrayal at Krondor, sorry, Depth of Extinction…
it’s CROSSCODE time.
I’m totally into Subnautica right now. It is just a great game. I somehow managed to not know anything about it until playing it. I love the way it scares me at times - I wouldn’t go into the caves for quite awhile. I also freaked out when I saw things down deep that shouldn’t have been there.
I also love my base, and I save every night near my bed.
