henke on 10/8/2017 at 10:35
Renowned Explorers: International SocietyInline Image:
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/859478426280859508/6708535B2FB945FD0FE7E661DC56B50A0D9B031D/?interpolation=lanczos-none&output-format=jpeg&output-quality=95&fit=inside|1024:819&composite-to%3D%2A%2C%2A%7C1024%3A819&background-color=black(Check out that 4x3 aspect ratio! I played this on my old computer while visiting my parents.)
This is the kinda thing I suspected I might end up getting really into, so I've been kinda dreading even starting it up. I'm somewhat relieved and disappointed to find that after my first hour with it, having completed the tutorial and my first expedition, it's not really floating my boat. A lot of the exploration-structure it similar to FTL, but I am not enjoying the complex Friendly/Devious/Aggressive-encounter-system.
FATE: Probably uninstall. Might give it one more go.
OvergrowthInline Image:
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/859478641898674424/42DF047937D9B4A0608C6A7748CD1D38073B8656/?interpolation=lanczos-none&output-format=jpeg&output-quality=95&fit=inside|1024:576&composite-to%3D%2A%2C%2A%7C1024%3A576&background-color=blackYup, this thing that's been in development since forever. I knew I was in trouble already in the final stage of the tutorial, when you're tasked with knocking down your opponent 5 times. Well, I did it eventually, but in the meantime my opponent had easily knocked me down 20 times. Things didn't get easier once I started up the "Lugaru" campaign. The second level had me facing 2 opponents at once and I had to replay it a good 5-6 times before I managed to take them both down, and even then it felt like it was thanks to luck and perseverance, rather than any martial-arts skill on my behalf. On one hand I do like the physics-based combat, but on the other it's plain to see this is the kinda thing you're gonna have to invest
a lot of time into if you're gonna have any chance of mastering and beating it.
FATE: I don't think I have it in me to carry on with this. Uninstall.
Next week: POLLEN, Perfect Angle VR
henke on 16/8/2017 at 17:01
Perfect Angle VRInline Image:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/90297811/Games/PerfectAngle_Trumpet.JPGI have a game on my iPad called Blueprint3D. In it you spin around a 3D scene consisting of a bunch of random lines until you find the right angle where they all line up to form a recognizable shape, like a fire hydrant or the Eiffel Tower. Perfect Angle VR is also kinda like that, with the only exception being that the random shapes you spin around until you find an object look fucking nothing like the object they turn into.
FATE: Uninstall.
P O L L E NInline Image:
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/859479248156261064/54650D852C8C24D061D072E55D37E35D360D7B3D/?interpolation=lanczos-none&output-format=jpeg&output-quality=95&fit=inside|1024:576&composite-to%3D%2A%2C%2A%7C1024%3A576&background-color=blackSome spooky shit's happened in space and it's up to you to find out what! Are you a bad enough dude to walk around an empty spacestation and pick up objects and look at them and also listen to audiologs and stuff? This is playable both in VR and monitor-o-vision, it originally came out in April last year, but had touch-support implemented later. The touch-support is an odd mix of using the controller as a laserpointer to point at things you want to interact with, but also being able to grip things with it, like it was a hand. You have disembodied Oculus Touch controllers for hands. It's weird and a bit janky, but it works. I'm an hour in and so far there's been mostly walking(ok, teleporting) and listening to audiologs, as well as some very light puzzling. Too early to say much about the story yet.
FATE: I'm gonna keep playing this.
Next week: House of the Dying Sun
I'm cutting down to one game per week now. Summer vacation is over, and it's starting to look like my remaining backlog is mostly bigger titles as well.
Mr.Duck on 16/8/2017 at 19:14
Not a bad method, henkster. <3
As for myself, I'm doing a deal with myself that is pushing me to dig into my gaming catalog, old and new: if I want to buy a new game, I must finish five games in a row first. Harsh? Maybe, but I do have hundreds of unfinished games, and certainly more than a few are probably not worth my time, buuut...I know for a fact that many are, so I want to give'em a fair chance.
One thing I am also trying to do is start plowing more deeply into the older/previous-gen backlog of games, so I'm trying to play at least one or two older games alongside anything newer. Just recently I finished via PC emulator the GBA game, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, which was a great little Metroidvania title (years before I finished Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, also in emu), but mainly I wanted to finish it because recently I purchased it's DS sequel, Dawn of Sorrow.
A whippin' fun time had by all!
henke on 16/8/2017 at 19:45
I have plenty more unplayed games, but most of them is stuff I know I'll never get into, so they've gone straight in my "Discarded" Steam folder. The pile I've been working through here are the ones that I've been meaning to get around to, but have for too long sat unplayed and unloved in my library. I think these deserve a fair shake, though I'm not expecting to end up liking most of them enough to stick with to the end. Biggest surprise so far has been Technobabylon, which I've ended up playing a bunch more in the past few weeks. Pretty sure I'll finishing that one.
Just played another hour of Pollen and recorded some video.
[video=youtube;pEL8GHn4oZ4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEL8GHn4oZ4[/video]
I'm really starting to get into it. The opening is a tad hectic and doesn't set up the story very well, but once the game gets going you get plenty of time to soak up what's been happening at the station, and I gotta say the second puzzle the game throws at you is a bit of a headscratcher, took me the better part of an hour to find a solution for it.
Tomi on 17/8/2017 at 00:02
I've been backlog reducin' like
crazy lately! It's been bothering me quite a bit that I've got so many unplayed games in my Steam library, so this has been quite a fun experiment, and I've discovered some really good games as well. :) The one hour limit sounds too short to me, so I've skipped that rule for now. I'll start with the first three games that I played at the end of July...
1) OutlandInline Image:
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/868486534713675363/E56B97B83A396519516C9E5A363556F1A62BD485/?interpolation=lanczos-none&output-format=jpeg&output-quality=95&fit=inside|1024:575&composite-to%3D%2A%2C%2A%7C1024%3A575&background-color=blackBasically, Outland is like the arty-farty cousin of Guacamelee, a side-scrolling platformer without the humour and the chicken. Your character can switch between two elements, Light and Dark, and you have to use that ability to your advantage as you solve acrobatic kind of puzzles. You learn all sorts of combat moves too, but unfortunately I didn't find the combat very fun - the enemies are boring and predictable and sometimes they're just frustrating rather than challenging. I can't decide whether the game looks pretty or ugly. I kinda dig the arty-farty style, but some of the visual effects just don't seem to fit in.
FATE:
Completed! :D (took about 10 hours) I nearly gave up after the first hour or so, but the game got more interesting when I learned new abilities and moves. There's not much replay value so that's it for Outland.
2) Just Hero Inline Image:
http://www.cubed3.com/media/2016/December/justhero1.jpgI got this as a freebie when I bought some game on GreenManGaming, and I thought that I'd give it a go. It looks like a cheap Mario rip-off, but it could still be fun, right? And since the game is on Steam, surely it has to meet some standards and can't be that bad? How wrong I was. Just Hero isn't fun at all. In fact, it's possibly the worst game that I've ever played in my life. Seriously, how did this game ever get released? I played lots and lots of platformers back in the early 90's, and every single one of them was better than this pile of poo in just about every way. The controls in Just Hero are clumsy and awful and the collision detection doesn't work properly, so you keep dying for no reason. The level design is absolutely terrible, it makes me think that the maker of this game hasn't put any thought in this game at all. I wish I could say something positive about Just Hero, but I really can't. Well, it was so bad that I just had to keep playing it... and the game only lasted like 15-20 minutes, so I accidentally completed it. :erg:
FATE:
Destroy.3) Teleglitch: Die More EditionInline Image:
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/868486534713779764/05AD39752386CA878B250B52F8E9BB9D2E8CA8FE/?interpolation=lanczos-none&output-format=jpeg&output-quality=95&fit=inside|1024:575&composite-to%3D%2A%2C%2A%7C1024%3A575&background-color=blackTeleglitch is ugly but at least it has style. It's a rogue-like arcade shooter, and can be addictive as hell. Again, this game needs some patience - I didn't really find it that fun at first, when my first few attempts ended miserably and rather quickly, but once I learned the gameplay basics (you have to learn pretty much everything by yourself) and managed to get through a few levels, I was hooked. You can combine items to make new weapons and stuff! The survival aspect makes the game really tense at times... You never know what's around the next corner, and that can be unnerving when you're low on health and/or ammo. Sometimes I found Teleglitch a bit too unforgiving; it can be frustrating to see your well-equipped guy get killed in seconds by some mini-boss, but you learn from your mistakes and try not to repeat them next time...
FATE:
Keep! I moved onto other new games already, but I definitely intend to return to the world of Teleglitch later. :)
Pyrian on 17/8/2017 at 00:30
Quote Posted by Tomi
And since the game is on Steam, surely it has to meet some standards and can't be that bad?
...Haven't been keeping up with the Steam news, have you? XD
henke on 17/8/2017 at 04:20
Yay, welcome to the backlog reduction party, Tomi! :)
I played a bit of Outland on the XBox 360. It's pretty good, yeah. Teleglitch is great tho. Initially I kept dying on level 3 where baddies with guns get introduced, but I eventually overcame that. Still, despite having played it for 15 hours, the furthest I've gotten is level 8(out of 10).
WingedKagouti on 17/8/2017 at 12:23
Quote Posted by Tomi
FATE:
Keep! I moved onto other new games already, but I definitely intend to return to the world of Teleglitch later. :)
Teleglitch is definitely an interesting game, while I liked what I played of it I'm not sure I'll go back to it.
Tomi on 21/8/2017 at 19:00
My backlog has been reduced by another three games!
4) BastionInline Image:
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/868485785010486495/8F155265F218C0905429347FF950B66165285F09/?interpolation=lanczos-none&output-format=jpeg&output-quality=95&fit=inside|1024:576&composite-to%3D%2A%2C%2A%7C1024%3A576&background-color=blackBastion was pretty fun and felt like quite a unique experience. I suppose that it can be filed under "isometric action RPG". You travel through fancy looking places and find all sorts of useful stuff on your way, you level up and get new abilities and weapons, gain access to new places, and repeat all that until you complete the game. There's also some sort of a story that I didn't care much about - even the narrator with the cool voice didn't manage to make the story interesting enough for me. The poorly balanced difficulty became a real problem towards the end. You can make the game more challenging by activating "altars" that give your enemies some sort of a boost, but most of those boosts only made the enemies more annoying rather than challenging. My favourite part of the game were the four "challenge arenas" that were fun and pretty hard to beat with all the ten altars activated.
FATE:
Completed! Twice, in fact! Yeah, after beating the game once I rushed through the "New Game Plus" mode to see the other ending. I don't think it was worth another play through even if it didn't take very long, but while doing so, Bastion became one of the few games where I've gotten 100% of the Steam achievements. :o No more replay value here --> uninstall.
5) EldritchInline Image:
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/868486534717652691/D53AA1A3B2A0128947F8A90DA41CA203CB747DB5/?interpolation=lanczos-none&output-format=jpeg&output-quality=95&fit=inside|1024:576&composite-to%3D%2A%2C%2A%7C1024%3A576&background-color=blackI had pretty high hopes for Eldritch, but so far I'm afraid that it has failed to deliver. It's a Cthulhu-themed FPS where the emphasis seems to be on exploration, with simple but fun Minecraft-style blocky graphics. Sounds like something that I should really enjoy, but I have a feeling that I don't really know how I'm supposed to play this game. I'm about three hours in right now and I've completed the first two worlds. The first one was dead easy, and while I enjoyed the exploration, I soon figured out that there's not much to find. The second world was a bit harder, but it was still pretty similar. I've tried to explore the maps as thoroughly as possible, hoping to find something interesting, because that's how I usually play games, but maybe I should just concentrate on the main objective? You can play stealthy too and sneak past the strange creatures, and there are some different magic powers too, but so far just killing everyone/everything has worked just fine, which is starting to feel a bit boring. I managed to get killed in the third area and noticed that all my possessions were gone. Perhaps this is a survival game? I don't know! :p
FATE: I'm gonna stick with Eldritch for one more world to see if it gets any better. I hope it does, I want to like this game.
6) A Story About My UncleInline Image:
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/868486767906549630/F39DB2F333569EC455E5112EC6E705843302D48C/?interpolation=lanczos-none&output-format=jpeg&output-quality=95&fit=inside|1024:576&composite-to%3D%2A%2C%2A%7C1024%3A576&background-color=blackI think I've got ASAMU (A Story About My Uncle) as a part of some bundle. I had absolutely no idea what to expect when I fired up the game for the first time. It turns out that ASAMU is like Mirror's Edge in a fairytale land, with a rather naïve but cute story. A kid goes to visit his uncle, doesn't find him but discovers a hi-tech rocket suit and a gateway into another world instead. The nosy kid enters a world where everyone's nice and friendly, where it's impossible to die, and where towns fly up high in the skies in between floating rocks and giant zeppelins. There are no monsters to beat or anything, ASAMU is all about environmental "puzzles" - you just got to figure out how to the next checkpoint, by jumping from one platform to another. If you fall, you'll just instantly return to the previous checkpoint, which is usually close enough. With your special boots you can make gigantic leaps and there's no such thing as falling damage. You also have this special glove that shoots a magic beam that pulls you closer to your target. The glove has three charges, so you can (and will have to) make long jump-combos in the air, and it recharges every time you land on your feet again. The jumpy-bouncy-puzzles are actually pretty fun, so despite of the naïve story I quite enjoyed the game! Some of the locations in the game look really nice and charming and I thought they were really well designed, which was all quite impressive for an indie game like this. ASAMU is fairly short, maybe 3-4 hours on your first play through, and that's just about the perfect length for it, because all the jumping and bouncing starts to feel a bit repetitive after a while.
FATE:
Completed! I thought about doing the time challenges for some levels, but as much as I liked ASAMU, I think I'll just move on to the next game. :)