The Official "What Are You Playing?" Thread (Post Screens)

[-GD-X★ 7,952]

@Twinblade finished chapter 4. another twisted ride. man, this game is horror perfection. fun puzzles too.

[Twinblade★ 4,061]

Just now, -GD-X said:

@Twinblade finished chapter 4. another twisted ride. man, this game is horror perfection. fun puzzles too.

 

That chapter was really fucked up  

[-GD-X★ 7,952]

10 minutes ago, Twinblade said:

 

That chapter was really fucked up  

it was amazing! so far, i have 0 issues with this game: it's gorgeous, has incredible tension/atmosphere, solid writing/acting, is twisted AF, with its trademark dark humor. i feel like it's a culmination of everything i have liked from their previous games.

[Twinblade★ 4,061]

2 minutes ago, -GD-X said:

it was amazing! so far, i have 0 issues with this game: it's gorgeous, has incredible tension/atmosphere, solid writing/acting, is twisted AF, with its trademark dark humor. i feel like it's a culmination of everything i have liked from their previous games.

 

You still have quite a bit of game left too. I think its the dev's longest one.

[-GD-X★ 7,952]

Just now, Twinblade said:

 

You still have quite a bit of game left too. I think its the dev's longest one.

i just checked. 3 more chapters

[-GD-X★ 7,952]

@Twinblade i finished chapter 5. man, these levels get more and more imaginative. i did the wax figure hell. fucking awesome! possessing the dead broad with the chainsaw was a trip!

[FIREPOWER 823]

Been playing Stellar Blade and the big Star Citizen update.

 

The new update is a game-changer and adds a shit ton of features. Makes SC feel way more like a game now instead of a tech demo. I love the new space walk animations and awesome cloud tech. 

 

 

[madmaltese★ 2,701]

Little deeper HB2 thoughts, ignore cause may be ranting probably.

 

Think I've played about 3-4 hours of Hellblade 2. It's hard to put words on it but the simplest way I can say it is that if this game didn't look the way it does I honestly think it would be like a 4/10 type game. 

It is the definition of 100% style over substance but even that is an understatement because it lacks so much from what even made the first Hellblade a cool experience imo. 

I am honestly a huge cinematic narrative driven SP game fan but this is not even that because the narrative and drive early on is barebones and there is so little character depth now outside of the the whole psychosis thing which is way better explored in the first game. All the personal demons angle is much much better done in the first game. 

Gameplay wise the worst part isn't how little there actually is, it's that when there is gameplay it is actually worse then when I'm just pressing UP on the stick. Horrible puzzles, corridor gaming and combat which looks visually spectacular but has such a cookie cutter template for every single enemy that the production values can't carry it for me. There is really really good transition from cutscene to gameplay but that is because the gameplay is so minimal. A couple times you get teased with possible new mechanics in combat but it never happens, no matter what 'cutscene' is happening between you fight each enemy the start of the battle is always identically set; it takes away any and all tension. Oh just killed this enemy and now 1 or 2 have jumped on my back in a cutscene....well I don't need to worry, the game will play itself until it returns to the single combat template.; Senua on the left, enemy on the right squared off and read to do the most basic swing swing dodge pattern again.

The voices in this one are now just purely annoying. Think the overally helpful voices from some sony games but now they integrate that into the voices in senua's head. They constantly say obvious shit, they constantly repeat, they talk over the few other characters (I know, that's the point). Basically all I'm saying is they have none of the effect they do in the first game. 

 

But yes, the game looks insane, easily best graphically game ever. The audio design is still great, production values through the roof. It has some visually spectacular moments and cool enemy designs but I so far think it is a significantly worse game than the original. Worse narrative, less interesting main character (not as much development as first), voices less unique, design has not only not expanded but actually retracted in some ways and the pacing is horrible compared to the first.

 

Anyways, I'll finish it in my next session I think and apparently the last hour is the best. Hope so. 

 

 

[Twinblade★ 4,061]

21 minutes ago, madmaltese said:

Little deeper HB2 thoughts, ignore cause may be ranting probably.

 

Think I've played about 3-4 hours of Hellblade 2. It's hard to put words on it but the simplest way I can say it is that if this game didn't look the way it does I honestly think it would be like a 4/10 type game. 

It is the definition of 100% style over substance but even that is an understatement because it lacks so much from what even made the first Hellblade a cool experience imo. 

I am honestly a huge cinematic narrative driven SP game fan but this is not even that because the narrative and drive early on is barebones and there is so little character depth now outside of the the whole psychosis thing which is way better explored in the first game. All the personal demons angle is much much better done in the first game. 

Gameplay wise the worst part isn't how little there actually is, it's that when there is gameplay it is actually worse then when I'm just pressing UP on the stick. Horrible puzzles, corridor gaming and combat which looks visually spectacular but has such a cookie cutter template for every single enemy that the production values can't carry it for me. There is really really good transition from cutscene to gameplay but that is because the gameplay is so minimal. A couple times you get teased with possible new mechanics in combat but it never happens, no matter what 'cutscene' is happening between you fight each enemy the start of the battle is always identically set; it takes away any and all tension. Oh just killed this enemy and now 1 or 2 have jumped on my back in a cutscene....well I don't need to worry, the game will play itself until it returns to the single combat template.; Senua on the left, enemy on the right squared off and read to do the most basic swing swing dodge pattern again.

The voices in this one are now just purely annoying. Think the overally helpful voices from some sony games but now they integrate that into the voices in senua's head. They constantly say obvious shit, they constantly repeat, they talk over the few other characters (I know, that's the point). Basically all I'm saying is they have none of the effect they do in the first game. 

 

But yes, the game looks insane, easily best graphically game ever. The audio design is still great, production values through the roof. It has some visually spectacular moments and cool enemy designs but I so far think it is a significantly worse game than the original. Worse narrative, less interesting main character (not as much development as first), voices less unique, design has not only not expanded but actually retracted in some ways and the pacing is horrible compared to the first.

 

Anyways, I'll finish it in my next session I think and apparently the last hour is the best. Hope so. 

 

 

 

You know whats funny? I literally just read this post while browsing SW on my phone in one hand and holding down the UP button on my controller in the other to get through one of those tedious and barely interactive segments

[-GD-X★ 7,952]

Just now, Twinblade said:

 

You know whats funny? I literally just read this post while browsing SW on my phone in one hand and holding down the UP button on my controller in the other to get through one of those tedious and barely interactive segments

lmfao!

[madmaltese★ 2,701]

1 hour ago, Twinblade said:

 

You know whats funny? I literally just read this post while browsing SW on my phone in one hand and holding down the UP button on my controller in the other to get through one of those tedious and barely interactive segments

 That's too good. Worst part is that is still better than some of the other segments of the game. 

 

How far in are you now?

[Twinblade★ 4,061]

1 minute ago, madmaltese said:

 That's too good. Worst part is that is still better than some of the other segments of the game. 

 

How far in are you now?

 
 

Spoiler

Just ‘defeated’ the first giant inginn

 

[JonDnD 2,812]

I like hb2 much better than hb1 so far. The fight where you fought like 7 people in a row , with the fire...parrying the axes. It was cool.

 

The game is a lot more unnerving so far than the first. It has less of the awful puzzles , at least from what I've played so far. For what it is , it's a better experience. I've only played a little bit but I doubt my mind will change much.

 

Graphics also amazing 

[madmaltese★ 2,701]

6 minutes ago, JonDnD said:

I like hb2 much better than hb1 so far. The fight where you fought like 7 people in a row , with the fire...parrying the axes. It was cool.

 

The game is a lot more unnerving so far than the first. It has less of the awful puzzles , at least from what I've played so far. For what it is , it's a better experience. I've only played a little bit but I doubt my mind will change much.

 

Graphics also amazing 

Not arguing or anything but actually want to talk about the game.

 

What part is unnerving because I'm finding the complete opposite? The 7 people in a row part you talk about looks cool but the archiac gameplay is just so stiff throughout the whole process. Nothing ever has me on edge or as you say is unnerving because the formula is identical everytime I've had control on any form of combat. Cutscene or transition until that singular enemy is squaring off in the identical position as every other enemy? So while it looks cool when for a second you seem surrounded or you have enemies rush you or jump on your back or jump scare you, none of it matters game wise because it always reverts to that formula. Destroys any form of tension and uneasiness, can literally put your controller down till it gets to that position.

 

When you say better experience, other than the game looks incredible, what is making this better than the first (if you take graphics out of the equation)? Because the first has you delving down Senua's psyche and incorporates that with the combat and gameplay elements. It's an actual experience and character journey. This is nothing like that, all that is already established. Outside of 'wow this looks amazing, look at the graphics' there is practically no experience here imo. 

[Remij 4,819]

12 minutes ago, JonDnD said:

I like hb2 much better than hb1 so far. The fight where you fought like 7 people in a row , with the fire...parrying the axes. It was cool.

 

The game is a lot more unnerving so far than the first. It has less of the awful puzzles , at least from what I've played so far. For what it is , it's a better experience. I've only played a little bit but I doubt my mind will change much.

 

Graphics also amazing 

I really like the game.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that they didn't take this opportunity to change the game up more from the first one and give it more gameplay and better combat.. but it's clear they didn't have any of that in mind and they just made it as straight forward as HB1 was.  That's not to say that these types of experiences don't have their place... it's a nice change of pace... but still, I wanted more for this franchise.

 

But yea, the visuals are just insane.  There's a few moments where I was extremely impressed beyond even what I expected.  Some more screens:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JonDnD 2,812]

I wasn't expecting an action game. Like I said I'm early in but it's about what I expected from hb. The first game was frustrating at times. So far this hasn't been.

 

I think the combat is satisfying .and yes , them graphics 

[-GD-X★ 7,952]

I wonder where I’ll fall with this. I definitely look forward to seeing my series X pushed to the max.

 

However, after playing a string of some of the best horror adventure games (thanks to @Twinblade), I wonder if I’ll be on edge with this. I’m probably going to have to wait until next weekend to give this a go. My GF practically lives with me now, so game time at home is practically non-existent. 

[Twinblade★ 4,061]

16 minutes ago, -GD-X said:

I wonder where I’ll fall with this. I definitely look forward to seeing my series X pushed to the max.

 

However, after playing a string of some of the best horror adventure games (thanks to @Twinblade), I wonder if I’ll be on edge with this. I’m probably going to have to wait until next weekend to give this a go. My GF practically lives with me now, so game time at home is practically non-existent. 

 

The game does have some atmosphere (maybe because of the visuals & sound design). But its not remotely scary or even intense for that matter.

 

edit: there's one section that could have been intense but the design ruins it because its one of those segments where you literally beat it by just pushing forward on the thumbstick so there's no real tension or horror.

[madmaltese★ 2,701]

There horror games yous have been playing, are they only on steam?

[-GD-X★ 7,952]

Just now, madmaltese said:

There horror games yous have been playing, are they only on steam?

Oh yeah! The newest one is the best one. But Cat Lady is an epic start. It’s cool seeing the growth with their games.