Topic: What Game(s) are You Currently Playing?

Started up Eastward thanks to it being the current NSO Game Trial, made my way through both the Prologue and Chapter 1 and, despite not really really being too interested in Eastward prior to this free trial, I've had a great time so far surprisingly enough. I'm always a sucker for 2D Zelda-likes given how much I've enjoyed titles like Link to the Past and Link's Awakening and Eastward is an exceptionally cosy take on that style of game, while also having juuuust enough eerieness to satisfy the macabre side of my tastes. Couple all that with some nice characters, fun puzzles and utterly gorgeous pixel art and it's been a pretty good time in the 2 hours or so that I've played it. Can't wait to hop back on tomorrow!

Just finished Chapter 2.

I am not OK.

I am essentially only playing Psychonauts 2 on PlayStation 5 currently. I beat Lies of P a while back, and I wanted something more laid back, and I have been itching to continue Rasputin's adventure for quite a long time. It has been a thrill so far, and I may be jumping back in this weekend.

SUPER MARIO RPG REMAKE BABY! YEAH!

I don't have many things to say about it, its awesome so far in ways that should surprise no one because its a very faithful remake. Though I think maybe the one or two songs that sound more electronic or like trying to sound like the SNES soundtrack isn't working? I only bring this up because the rest of it is completely unsurprisingly amazing to modernize an all time great video game soundtrack, that the one or two relatively minor issues I have with it so far do stand out because of the otherwise incredibly high quality.

Also I assume its not the basic attacks people have had issues with in the remake doing timed attacks....sorry, ACTION COMMANDS, because those are effortless to pull off thus far, either I'm too used to Mario RPGs in general or its basically the same timing.

@kkslider5552000 For me the timing felt very weird compared to modern paper Mario timing. Never played the original mario rpg. The 'correct' timing is precisely when all my instincts say that is definitely bad timing.

Just about done with ghost trick. I also just started prince of persia the lost crown last night. Today, I started Robocop Rogue City on xbox.

@kkslider5552000 Nice! I was originally planning on grabbing SMRPG for my birthday, as it released a couple weeks after, before TTYD HD getting announced back in September completely derailed my plans (in the best way possible might I add). I'm still probably going to pick it up though and I'm glad to see you enjoying it so far!

Also, whilst I'm here, I may as well ask: do you think it would be better to play the original before or after the remake? I might have the means to play both versions in the coming months and am curious which one would be the best one to start with as someone who's never played either version. I'm currently leaning towards playing the remake first and then experiencing the original but I'd also be completely OK with making my way through the original in order to see how the remake adapted it.

I haven't gotten too far into it yet, but I can't imagine there's a definitive answer to this if you're planning on playing both regardless.

...Maybe the original first since this has at least a couple of QOL-ish things that would potentially make it a little bit quicker to get through a 2nd time? But its not like Wind Waker HD where it would dramatically improve the pacing (nor does it really need to) or anything. Otherwise I have no answer.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus - I just booted this one up for the first time this morning after owning it since Christmas 2022. I'm still very early in the game - ~3 hours in - but I can already tell there's something special about it. I like the setting of past Sinnoh Hisui, the change of pace from the core Pokemon gameplay loop (no gym badges here), and the different battle and catch mechanics compared to most main series Pokemon games. I started with my first ever starter Pokemon in any game, Cyndaquil. I just completed my first field research mission and am about to rank up in the Galaxy Expedition Team.

This is the first Pokemon game I've played that truly has an open world feel. We got this to an extent with the Wild Area in Sword/Shield, but that was only certain areas of Galar. I haven't played Scarlet/Violet yet and can't comment on those. The only complaint so far is regarding the visuals, though 1. I about expect this with Pokemon games anymore, and 2. they aren't killing my enjoyment at all.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 (Switch) - Still occasionally plugging away at this one as my side game. I finished the third island (Skelkatraz) a couple sessions ago and am now back on the Isle of Awakening, AKA the player's sandbox island. I can move on to the next island now, but I'd like to spend a bit more time building and refining a few things on the Isle of Awakening and knocking out the Explorer Islands/unlocking the infinite materials from completing them while I'm at it. This is a relaxing game that's good for winding down.

Busy gaming the past week. On PC playing X-COM: Terror from the Deep led me to playing XCOM Enemy Within. I had one of the newer XCOMs on my Steam account, so I decided to give it a try and enjoying it so far. Not as difficult as the classic one, Terror from the Deep, mostly because of tutorials, whereas the classic one had me reading the manual GOG included. It's making me consider playing Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle again too.

Also, Disney Speedstorm, on both Switch and PC, finally unlocked my favorite Frozen character, Anna. Cross-progression, so I've been going back and fourth between my PC and Switch. Also did some Asphalt 9 races, and been playing Red Faction II on PC. Haven't played Red Faction II's campaign since playing it on GameCube.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

And I highly, highly recommend every single person here play this game. I can now say with confidence, this is the best 2D metroidvania game I've ever played. Yes, it's better than Metroid Dread, Metoid Fusion, Super Metroid- any 2D Metroid to date (and I do NOT say that lightly or to discredit Metroid, as I hold those games in the utmost regard). It's better than the Ori games. Heck it's better than any game I've played since Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4 and Baldur's Gate 3, and dare I say better than all 3 of them.

There's a demo out now. No reason to not download it and give it a try. And if you don't wanna spend the $50, subscribe to Ubisoft's subscription service on PC for one month for $15, beat the game and don't renew.

Whatever it takes, play this game.

Still making my way through Super Mario 3D World, but I also started Palworld on my Series X. Palworld is an interesting game to say. To me it reminds me of Pokémon meets Minecraft or some other builder game. It's alot of fun although you can tell it's a beta on the Series X however if you play the Steam version, it's alot more polished. Still you can't go wrong with Palworld, on Xbox especially if you have Gamepass which it's available on. If you like Pokémon games or crafty building type games you will enjoy Palworld.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Not sure if this is screaming in joy or typing AA for Ace Attorney repeatedly. Enjoy! I'll catch up eventually lol. Still need to play Trials and Tribulations in the original trilogy first.

@Tyranexx A bit of both really XD

Last night I played Super Mario 3D World in online co-op with @Sunsy. It was a good way to wrap up my birthday, and we had fun. We've finished worlds 1, 2, and 3. Can't wait to play more... here's a screenshot of us finishing a level!

@MarioLover92 It really was a fun time! Glad we got through three worlds too. Though, I kept picking you up when I went to run or throw a fireball, I forgot I could do that, lol.

Just finished Case 2 of Apollo Justice (if you'd like to see my thoughts on the first one, they're in the general Ace Attorney thread) and I gotta say: that was a really fun time! Definitely much lower stakes than a lot of other cases in the series (hell; the case preceeding it had higher stakes if I'm honest XD) but it was overall a very lovely little story about the ripple effects one single moment can have on a selection of people (WOCKY KITAKI YOU ARE SO ICONIC TO ME).

also it's the case that introduces Klavier Gavin so it's automatically perfect XD

@Sunsy Lol, that happens to me as well, picking someone up by accident! Would love to play more with you, perhaps we could play until we finish the last main world.

@MarioLover92 Meanwhile, I thought Super Mario World when in that fence level. I forgot I couldn't climb on them like the first Super Mario World castle, lol.

Definitely, though I never beat the game, so those levels will be new. I think the furthest I got was on the Wii U one, I think it was the beach world. I'm trying to remember off the top of my head where I was.