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

Began playing Metal Max Xeno. I'm only an hour in but this feels like a pedestrian rpg experience so far. It has that AA-budget feel. The audio design might be the best part, as all the other aspects of the game feel thoroughly average.

I'm enjoying myself more than other rpgs I've played in this budget range. Destiny Connect, The Caligula Effect, The Longest Five Mintues, etc.

Downloaded Yu-Gi-Oh: Master Duel on my PS5 for free. Since it didn't cost any money, I thought why not give it a shot as it's been a while since I last played Yu-Gi-Oh. But man, playing it for a little while just reminds me how much I suck at card games. lol Quite a lot of strategy involving your deck-building is involved... which is something I sorely lack the patience for.

@Maxenmus Saaaame. My team building patience stops at Pokémon and SMT. Card games have always struggled to click with me for the same reasons you describe.

I’m switching from xcom, dbd, And apex, though apex and xcom are sides. I’m planning on playing cult of the lamb, but we will see if ai get it or not.

Still playing SMT Strange Journey: Redux (got through about maybe 50% of the game over the past week), and while mapping out the place, there's a little map on the bottom section of the 3DS where you can see the areas you've explored. So it got me thinking that the game would've probably been much shorter if I'm not such a completionist that I have to uncover every spot of the map that's still hidden in fog of war (even though I already knew from consulting online maps that there's literally nothing valuable in the direction I'm heading).

And the funny thing is, even if I do expose every single nook and cranny of the map... THERE'S NO REWARD FOR IT because they've removed the "Records" feature from the original Strange Journey! lol There was literally an achievement system in the original DS version of Strange Journey that gave you a sense of accomplishment for doing OCD things like exploring every inch of the map, but they removed it. I mean, I get it; achievements can bug me sometimes, especially if I'm not competent enough to earn those achievements in the first place and it makes me feel like I'm left out. But still, when it's simple things that only takes time, not skill, to complete, I just feel like removing the Record feature was a mistake.

I think that's one thing I didn't like about the Switch - no achievement system. It's one other reason I didn't bother to beat the secret boss in SMT V on normal difficulty and why I feel reluctant to replay it again to unlock 100% compendium when I could easily reload a save and witness all three endings. There's literally no "Good job" for me when I do those things, so why bother? The secret DLC boss' companion literally says the same thing, the same compliment regardless of whether if you beat the boss on normal difficulty or easy.

Take another game on another platform for example: The Quarry on the PS5. I like the game for what it is, but even I will admit that it can feel tedious to get all the endings see all the possible scenes/dialogues. And yet, even though it's much more tedious to see every ending in The Quarry than it was in SMT V, I'd much rather do so in the former because there were achievements patting my back for going the extra mile. The achievements are there forever in your Playstation profile for all visitors to see. "Wow, that guy is nuts for playing that mediocre game so many times to get those crappy endings."

A more minor gripe I have with SJR is the demon interaction. It's an unfair comparison since the original DS version was an older game, but compared to SMT IV, I feel like the things the demons say when you summon them feel more repetitive and generic.

I might have also overhyped the story a little bit. Don't get me wrong, I still love the setting and overall plot. I love the horror survival vibe, and how it still feels unique in comparison with all other SMT games )even Nocturne which was also bleak and horror-ish in its own way). But still, the plot does drag a little bit. You're basically going from dungeon to dungeon fighting gym leaders- I mean demon bosses to further the plot, which can feel contrived sometimes. That being said, it's not a major complaint, and if anyone was to do a plot like this, SJ certainly did a better job at it than SMT V, which also contained a similar plot of going from boss fight to boss fight. At least the direction of SJ's plot has a purpose to it. I've got a feeling that the Schwarzwelt tour is all just a scheme by the demons to showcase the worst of humanity, which is why you're tugged along by the noose from one dungeon to another. SMT V, on the other hand, feels like it's lacking in narrative direction and thematic meaning.

Anyway, great game so far in spite of minor complaints. It's almost as good as SMT IV, which is more consistent in its gameplay/narrative quality.

After beating Castlevania 1 I am mapping my way for Castlevania 2 Simon's Quest. I want to beat it in under 8 days to get the best ending.

And I am also farming in Diablo 2 Resurrected with my Berserk Barbarian and Fist of the Heavens Paladin.

I'm so deep in replaying Mega-lo-mania for the Sega Megadrive, I can't believe this tired old RTS has me so hooked even 25 years after trying and failing to get the hang of it as a kid.

Stray (Steam) - Just cleared the sewer & arrived at the second village. I mean, the clues were there early on, but it has become a lot more horror tinged as it has gone on.

Just started playing Bowser's Fury for the first time, and it is absolutely stellar. The sandbox world is immensely fun to explore. I will likely 100% this one.

@StarPoint looking a little shy there buddy.

@Snatcher Yep, this is how I celebrate the release of Shy Guy in Strikers

Youtubers Life 2 PS4.
I have finished 3 main quests to get NT codes.
Still working on Ziggy quest as I have to take 5 photos on specific random people with hashtag that being a trend on that day and upload the photos to InstaLife.
Also, I have built relationship with Robin until heart level 6, tried to flirt him and I kissed him. 😘
I have a plan to have same gender marriage in Youtubers Life 2.

@JustMonika hey off topic but can I get a link Tom your twitter. My twitter got locked out and I found my old twitter account, sorry I did not where to contact you elsewheee

Been playing some FFVIII

Still working my way through SMT Strange Journey Redux. Something terrible happened earlier; I took my 3DS to the kitchen while playing the game, getting my refill, and then my finger accidentally slid the cartridge out of the 3DS... Sigh.

Thank god my last save wasn't that far away, but it's still about 30 mins wasted. I had a bunch of good demon fusions too.

Just picked up Earth defence force world brothers on sale, bit of mindless entertainment to go along side my grind through my RPG back log (currently working through tales of vesperia, incredible game)
Earth defence force brings back some serious childhood nostalgia!

Gonna try to play at least one new game every week, instead of focusing on a couple of games for weeks or months at a time.

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Criminal Girls: Invite Only (PS Vita)

I've actually played this one for a bit before, but my 20+ hour playthrough this week, which got me though more than 2/3rds of the game, was definitely more illuminating. It's a bit hard to discuss this game in polite company on account of certain gameplay elements, but I'll do my best.

One of a spate of several fanservice-heavy games that released exclusively on the PS Vita in the mid 2010's, Criminal Girls sees you playing as an unnamed main character who is tasked with rehabilitating a group of young female delinquents by leading them through a series of Trials across Hell. Overcoming these Trials will apparently make them spiritually fit to be reborn on Earth.

Functionally, the game is a dungeon-crawler, and the "Trials" are set across four themed, multi-level dungeons. CG does a pretty good job of integrating narrative elements and gimmicks in the dungeons, however, making each one feel distinct from the other. A particular highlight was a winter-themed dungeon where illusion magic is used to isolate and spread distrust among your party.

The battle system is simplistic, but also possessed of a certain tactical aspect because of this. Whenever a battle starts, your party of four girls (at one time, although once you gain your full party of seven girls, you'll be able to freely swap them out with the three that remain in reserve) will suggest attacks and skills to use in battle against the enemy, although you'll only be able to use one skill or attack at a time. So, in any given turn, you'll have to weigh the pros and cons of attacking versus using healing abilities or using support skills that strengthen your party or weaken the enemy. While it can be tempting to go for a powerful attack or offensive skill any time one becomes available, your party will quickly start dying if you don't read the patterns of your enemies and protect yourself when they're gearing up for powerful attacks, or don't keep their HP topped up.

The pool of skills they have available to them at the start of the game is miniscule, but you'll unlock new skills, attacks, and whatnot via the "Motivation" mini-game, which is pretty much the sole reason this game is controversial to begin with. I referred to this as a "fanservice game," but the fanservice/sexualization element is actually almost non-existent outside of this minigame. Unfortunately, engagement with the minigame is pretty much required to complete the game proper, so you can't really ignore it, either. In these "Motivation" mini-games (these were actually called "Punishments" in the Japanese version, but the localizers apparently decided this borderline creepy euphemism was the way to go), your character will engage the girls in sadomasochistic rituals that involve whips, hot wax, electricity, etc. That's the theming, anyway. In reality, you'll be tasked with tapping weird little symbols on the screen (and, frustratingly, the back touchpad) while the camera pans over increasingly suggestive Live2D art of the girls in various stages of disrobement. Although even this art is difficult to appreciate, as the localized release apparently required a thick pink fog to cover the background art as you completed these minigames. It's definitely suggestive, but, at least in terms of the games lewd appeal, you have to wonder at what point the censorship becomes too much. Would a pornographic film still be exciting if the action was almost entirely covered up by a thick fog?

It is worth mentioning that if you've hacked your Vita, it's fairly easy to apply a patch that removes the censorship from the localized release.

Even with the heavy censorship, though, the game's insinuation of sexualized punishments being inflicted on very young looking girls will still scare a lot of people off. It's actually a little annoying, since, once you learn more about the personalities and histories of the girls, you'll see that at least a couple of them are struggling to deal with the emotional fallout of objectification and sexual abuse when they were still alive. And this is in a game where you're whipping them in order to teach them new skills. It'd be like making a game where you kick dogs, but then the game tries to make you care about a dog's history of abuse by previous owners. Pick a lane, seriously! While the mechanic is well-integrated into the game itself, it feels very out of place with the larger thrust of the narrative.

All that aside, it manages to be a surprisingly addictive little dungeon crawler, and despite the super low-budget it was clearly working with, the game's vibrant color palette and sharp character portraits manage to make it look quite fetching on the Vita's stunning OLED screen.

It's the sort of game only profound weirdos would be able to straight-facedly recommend to others, but, at the same time, I can't ignore its aesthetic and gameplay merits. The difficulty curve is smooth. Despite the heavy emphasis on back-tracking through previous dungeons for side-quests, the process is actually a breeze thanks to a variety of QoL considerations. The simplistic combat manages to maintain a certain level of balanced tactical depth to it that makes boss fights engaging. And the characters aren't terribly shallow.

Just started playing Monster Boy and the Crused Kingdom after finishing Three Hopes.

Yeah here's a link

Still loving Sunbreak, just broken free form the MR-Cap and am pushing towards next milestone of MR10!

Finally crafted some better gear and weapons, and also enjoying the multi-player hunting side of things