caramort

@Johnny44

I agree with you completely. It maybe has more to do with website traffic, but what would I know!

Aren't some of the listed 'goodies' a bit irrelevant?

-Collector's edition box.
-Certificate of authenticity.
-'Thank you' letter.

I guess the art book will be nice.

I went and got Astral Ascent based on the great reviews it received and after an hour of gameplay it's already in the "will-finish-someday" group of games in my backlog. While it is a very solid and fun roguelike, I couldn't get past the overall tone and art style of the game. Maybe I'm a bit old-fashioned, but the character designs, dialogues and voice acting made me feel like I was in the middle of a teenage party (not that there is anything wrong with that, but not for me). Just bear that in mind if you are an older player like me.

Good article. I would say that some games are beneficial in moderation. And now, I'll proceed to rant like the old man I am.

Back in the SNES days (the first console I owned), I used to try a new game every few months. I remember imagining what those little worlds were like, reading the manuals carefully, playing the game's music on the options menu and exploring every nook and cranny. Ironically, I would delve much deeper into those simpler games than into today's blockbusters. Heck, I even learned English and made friends thanks to video games. So they were beneficial to me.

Today, though, I think I'm not alone if I say I'm more addicted to buying games rather than playing them. It's all about quantity now. And don't get me started on competitive games and their communities. I don't really know what benefit I got from playing thousands of hours of League of Legends.

All in all, I agree with the article, and I've defended the virtues of video games in many occasions. But I'd remark that your approach is what makes or breaks the experience. Sorry if my opinion was a bit all over the place.

Cheers!

I have been playing Death's Door. Wonderful game!

To each their own, I guess...

@Axecon

I understand. The amount of information you are bombarded with just as you start the game can be overwhelming. Rise is the third MH game I've owned and is supposedly a more user-friendly experience, but it still tough to get into.

As someone who has also struggled, here's my advice: get an easy weapon (sword and shield, for example) and take the first missions. Don't worry about anything else. After you kill the first monster (a raptor-like creature), go to the blacksmith and you'll see you can craft new armor based on the materials obtained from the monster.

The moment I got my first upgraded item, the game somehow "clicked" for me. The rest I'm learning little by little. Still a long way to go, though. It also helps if you watch a couple of videos to get some motivation, like a weapon tierlist or a some basic guide.

As everyone else says, the game is worth getting into. Good luck!

@nkarafo
I have only played Tetris Effect on Switch prior to this update. The performance for me was good, but not great. It is perfectly playable, but there were instances where you could feel the performance wasn't as perfect as in Tetris 99, which feels more precise overall, especially at high speeds. I am happy they are trying to fix it and will be curious to see if it is better now.

I actually played this game on Steam. I think it's great, but not for everyone. Here's what I can tell you about it, for those who want to know.

As some of you have mentioned, you have to wait for 400 days to complete the game. Until then, you can pass time walking (very slowly) around a huge underground maze. It's important to note that there is no map. I enjoyed drawing it myself, though it was hard work.

You will inevitably find obstacles that have to be checked back later. Maybe there's a drop of water that is slowly filling up a pond, and you are advised to come back at a later point (maybe in two weeks).

The running time is very long indeed --400 "real" days! However, there are many things you can do to pass time, and to make it pass more quickly. You can decorate your room with some items, read entire novels (such as Moby Dick) in game, draw and hang pictures, walk a seemingly endless corridor... As someone else pointed out, the time keeps running even when you are not playing the game.

I for one think it's a beautiful game, but it's for sure the slowest-paced game I played. And I'd also like to see how the mouse and keyboard controls (which to me alleviated the overall slowness) were implemented on Switch.

Reminds me of Devil Daggers on Steam.

As @StefanN pointed out, it seems the crossbow lacks impact.

@Bydlak I don't know if my reply will still be useful, but anyway:

The first difference you'll notice is the perspective. This is a side-scroller and in Enter the Gungeon you get a top-down view. Both are roguelites and your objective will be clearing each floor and its boss before proceeding to the next level.

I'd say the combat in Enter the Gungeon is superior. You can take cover by flipping tables or hiding behind walls, using some sort of flash grenade to make enemy bullets disappear, and dodge-roll to avoid projectiles. What Neon Abyss brings to the table is a number of familiars that can assist you in different ways. They are not too different from the ones you could find on Binding of Isaac (they can orbit around you blocking bullets, shoot projectiles, etc). They have their own health and will level up if they kill enough enemies, and it's fun when you have many of them around you.

All in all, while this is a solid game, I found Enter the Gungeon much more satisfying gameplay-wise.

I hope this helps!

@COVIDberry
I played both games on PC some time ago, though not extensively.

Aside from the obvious difference in visual style, I'd say Don't Starve has more to do with collecting ingredients and crafting, settling in a camp and improving it... while in The Long Dark you have to be constantly on the move and collect resources to stay alive.

The Long Dark has a more fleshed out story (though you can just play any of the stages separately), while Don't Starve gave me a more rogue-like vibe, so to speak.

Don't Starve was for me a bit more forgiving. In The Long Dark, you have to keep an eye on not just your hunger, but also your thirst, body temperature and injuries. It's hard to keep all those in check, especially in the beginning.

Both are good games in my opinion. I hope this helps!

Guys, do you really think this game looks good?