What You're Playing Now 2

[Beastbot]

Now on the PC I'm playing Monkey Island 2: Special Edition, another of those old LucasArts adventure games that now has updated visuals and voice acting. Like the first Monkey Island-- i.e., funny and with some tough puzzles, though I'm doing better without help so far than on the first Monkey Island-- but with a bit more open of a world, which I like.

[Beastbot]

I briefly played a simple-but-fun little platformer game with a wild west (and then, bizarrely, outer space) theme on the PC, Gunman Clive. Only took me about 2 hours to beat it with all 3 characters, but a nice cheap little game.

Back on the PS3 now, and playing nail'd-- a pretty ridiculously "eXtreme" motorcross racing game. It's all about speed, insane jumps, inclines, and landings-- not about realism (your ATV can ride up a 70-degree mountain side no problem, and you can fall hundreds of feet without your rider getting even injured, so long as you land on the track). Lotta fun.

[Transypoo]

I (finally) finished Ni No Kuni, did every quest, even the really annoying one, and beat the colosseum. In the precess of which I had to level up most of my party to 99! So, there was a lot of grinding at the end there, but at least the final boss was easy this time round.

Been playing a game, if you can call it that, called Proteus. Which is for the most part a walking on an island wile on acid simulator. It's got a cool 3D 8-bit look and the main gimmick is that each object plays a part of the soundtrack so the music changes depending on where you are and what time of the simulated day it is.

[Transypoo]

Playing Okami HD on the PS3, previously I only played the Wii version, still getting use to the controls but this game look amazing, it's totally still in my top 3. Actually, now that attacking is a button and not a waggle, I understand how the Sun disc weapon is supposed to work. It was almost impossible before, and I once got stuck in a training area for hours trying to get a combo going (as it won't let you leave until you can prove that you learned the new technique), now I assume it'll be no problem!

[Beastbot]

Now on the PS3 I'm playing the "PS1 Classic" Chrono Cross, the follow-up to Chrono Trigger. It's a pretty unique battle system so far-- also, leveling up means less in this game than in most RPGs, it's more about strategy than anything else. Story seems a little nonsensical so far-- it doesn't hook you almost off-the-bat like Chrono Trigger did, for me-- but I'll see how it goes.

[Matrix3]

Just finishing Bat Man: Arkham Knight. Sad to see the series end but it was fun.

[Beastbot]

On the PS3 I'm currently playing de Blob 2, which is an interesting light platformer where you're a blob of sentient paint that can assume any of the major colors and you literally paint an entire white/gray/black town with some color, "freeing" the civilians and whatnot (the grayscale villain Blanco is basically the leader of a totalitarian government that you're fighting against). Pretty interesting concept, and I love how what color you currently are influences the music. The one thing I hate is that everything's timed, though, when there's no reason for it to be. I mean, the times aren't that strict (I'm playing it on easy anyways), but still... considering how many hidden collectibles there are, it just adds a bit of sense of urgency that really doesn't have any place in this game.

[Beastbot]

On the PS3 I'm now playing a downloadable indie title, Fez. It's a rather intriguing 2-D platformer puzzler where you can switch the perspective, making it a weird mesh of 2D and 3D-- and whatever perspective you're looking at the stage from, that's how things actually work. (For example, from one angle there's sections of pillars of different lengths, with only small sections of ladders on each-- but from a certain perspective, the pillars "overlap" each other and the ladders line up, allowing you to climb up the pillar.) It's pretty mind-bending sometimes, but in a fun way. Apparently there's a cube-based language I need to eventually learn, though-- don't know if I'll have the patience for that, GameFAQs may become an oft-referred-to cheat sheet for that section of the game.

[Transypoo]

Escher-esque games seem fairly popular these days with Monument Valley and Echocrome and that game, I suppose.

I'm back to Soul Caliber V, but I borrowed Ico and Shadow of the Colossus from my cousin, so I'll probably start that soon. I am figuring out SC, a lot of fighter terms are suddenly making sense to me now. (Like what a charge character is)

[Transypoo]

Okay, I finished Ico! Man that's a great game. The story is simple, but great. I like that there's a clear distinction between combat and puzzle, but the combat always takes you by surprise. My one complaint would be the camera. Usually it's fine. But there are moments where you can't tell if something is a wall or a door because the camera is directly perpendicular to it. And sometimes you go flying off platforms because the camera moved and it changed the control scheme on you. Like you're on a platform and you'r pushing Left to go left, and the camera moves to a new position to keep up with you and suddenly you're running off the edge (he'll catch it, but still) because now with the new angle you should have been pouching up/left. Like that. Visually, yes it's been HDed from its PS1 roots, but it's really beautiful.

[Transypoo]

Playing Shadow of the Colossus. So far my only complaint is that this game is not very good at explaining its own mechanics. I had to look up what to do on the first enemy. After that I took out two more with little problem. I like this idea that the enemy IS the dungeon. All Boss Fights: The Game!

[Beastbot]

Finished the short indie game Rain last night, featuring some light puzzle/stealth gameplay. You're a transparent ghost of a person that can only see yourself in the rain, and ghost monsters are roaming around that you have to avoid. There's a couple of wrenches thrown into the works (stepping into mud puddles makes your legs visible to monsters and you have to find a deep puddle to wash yourself off of said mud), but the game is mostly for the experience and story, which is pretty unique and interesting even if it doesn't really pick up until the last third of the game or so. (That said, I would've liked a bit more concrete explanation of just exactly what the Unknown was by the end of the game.)

I just started to play Transformers: Devastation on the PS3 tonight. After I get a little better idea of how the game's set up, I'll post it in the appropriate thread.

[Transypoo]

Oh, yeah, I've seen Rain around it looked interesting.

I watched a play through of just the first mission of Devistation. It looks AMAZING.

[Transypoo]

Finished Shadows of the Colossus. Ironically the only other time I had to look up what to do was with the last boss. Jeez that guy. The story was very interesting. After finishing I looked at the trophies and apparently there were collectables, and equipment and upgrades. The heck?! I did pick up one lizard but I couldn't figure out why only that one, I guess I killed it? It's a trophy to kill them all. And gather fruit. There was fruit?! I swear I'm usually pretty good at finding stuff and exploring. I might not find everything, but I find stuff. This time I didn't even know I could collect things! Still great game.

Also my cousin payed my in games (as he use to be a game reviewer and has hundreds of free games) he gave me Bioshock, Mass Effect 2 (never played 1, but he tells me that it's fine. It's one of his favorite games.), Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and "Transformers" Y'know, the Armada game. It's for the PS2 so I'm not sure if it'll work on my PS3 as it's the newer version, but even if it doesn't it's good for the collection.

Edit: Oooh, the equipment is in new game+ and you get collectable finders there too. Okay, that's why.

[Beastbot]

Naw, no PS2 games will work in the PS3. You'd have to buy a "PS1 or PS2 classic" off of the online store, those are the only exceptions, and I don't think the Armada game was made into that.