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Dufniall

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Posts posted by Dufniall

  1. Posted

    11 hours ago, S.C.G said:

    Out of all the games which would seemingly be relatively easy to update for, this one stood out.

    At the time when it was released, it looked like a solid sequel, but it felt like it could do with more areas, or past areas and creatures from the previous game.

    This looks to be something like that? Some parts of the new areas remind me of the first game a bit, and who knows, maybe there will be more updates in the future?

    Definitely great to see Nintendo releasing some more free updates for certain games, in any case, rather than another title with a season pass.

    The area which features a smaller scale vehicle, with Pokémon which appear larger, is also an interesting spin on the formula.

    Joe from serebii seems to suggest that (some of the) DLC was supposed to be in the base game, as fragments of it were already present in the first trailer but not in the game when it came out:

    If so it might mean they kind of had to get it out of the door, but it's great they are offering the extra content for free so nothing to complain about there.

    • Thanks 1

  2. Posted

    I haven't been very consequent lately, so time to pick up this thread! I played quite some games on and off, but haven't finished many. Still, got some stuff to talk about. First:

    Rocksmith+ beta (PC)

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    After the Ubisoft E3 show, I asked for access to the Rocksmith+ beta program, and a couple of weeks I got an email that I could try it out. So installed it and gave it a try. Very short introduction, the Rocksmith series is a rhythm game where you use a real guitar or bass guitar. It's more of an education tool than a game, although the previous title (Rocksmith 2014) had more game elements than the new Rocksmith+.

    Being a beta the song list was not that extensive, but I'm guessing that will be fixed in the long run. It looks a lot less like a game than Rocksmith 2014, with more focus on tutorials, and less on fluff like arcade games (which is bad cause I liked the fluff). Overall presentation is pretty good though and looks modern. There are some good new functions like a guitar tab view, the ability to not only use the Ubisoft cable, but use an app or your own audio interface as well.

    A bunch of niggles were encountered, like my cable freaking out on occasion while tuning, and an empty menu where I could only get out by hard quitting. There was a support/feedback forum but that was only people shouting complaints, and none of the devs responding so pretty useless.

    The big difference with Rockstar 2014 is the payment model. Where the first one was a one time purchase plus DLC songs, Rocksmith+ will have a monthly/yearly subscription fee. I can see why they are going for a subscription service. First of all, no hassle with buying separate songs. Also it will probably mean they have more budget for educational videos and the likes. But I think the most obvious reason was that via an exploit, it was pretty easy to add all DLC to Rocksmith 2014 for "free", so I'm guessing they missed a lot of DLC purchases that way.

    The suggested prices are pretty steep (I think I saw something like €14,99 a month), for what is in it now I don't think it will justify the price and I'll stick to Rocksmith 2014.

    Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 Remastered (Nintendo Switch)

    Tony-Hawks-Pro-Skater-1-2.jpg

    So here I am, doing everything I can, Holding on to what I am, Pretending I'm a superman!

    What a game this is! I've always loved the Tony series, and this remaster is hitting all the right notes. It feels like I'm playing the old games so job well done on the physics, and they put in a couple of skills from the later games (like wall plants and spine transfers) to give you a bit more options to extend your combos.

    From the intro movie to returning to classic levels such as School II and Venice, accompanied with a great soundtrack, it all just feels right. The Switch version runs pretty adequate at 30FPS and looks good enough. I'm glad I waited for this and not went for the PC version as it's a great game to pick up and play a couple of runs in handheld.

    New are the different challenges, an extensive build-a-park mode and new skaters of course, as well as more custom options for your custom skater. But the biggest fun is still going through all the levels with the different skaters. It baffles me how true they stayed to the old games with the objectives etc, I'm curious how newer players will experience it as it feels pretty old-school. Can also imagine it being pretty hard for newcomers, but my muscle memory did serve me well. Roll on THPS3+4 Remastered please!

    Castlevania: Bloodlines (Castlevania Collection, Nintendo Switch)

     

    Another title done from the Castlevania Collection, this time it's Bloodlines. While @Jonnas started out as John with the whip (as can be read a few pages back), I felt more like playing as Eric and use the spear for a change of pace. It is definitely one of the better 2D Castlevanias that I've played, although it still has the classic niggles (such as knockback after being hit, often resulting in me falling in a pit). Needless to say I used the save state option aplenty...

    Level design is good, quite varied as you visit multiple locations in Europe. One thing that I noted though was the sheer lack of recovery items. Either I didn't find any (bar during the final boss fight) or they are just not there. I'm guessing it's probably the first. Playing as Eric feels good, he has quite a range with the spear and a funky pole-vaulting high jump. Some quirky bosses and enemies keep it interesting.

    Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle - Donkey Kong Adventure DLC (Nintendo Switch)

     

    After the announcement of Mario+Rabbids 2 during E3, I knew this was the time to finally play the Donkey Kong DLC. The playable cast here is Rabbid Peach, Rabbid Cranky and Donkey Kong, so your team is the same during the whole adventure. Donkey Kong is a beast, great range and a very cool moveset as he can pick up and throw enemies/friends, lure foes in with his bongos and groundpound them, and has a multi-hitting boomerang. Cranky is a bit more straightforward with a shotgun and a grenade, and Rabbid Peach plays the same as in the main game.

    The battles are great, with a couple of fun twists that are not in the main game. The game still looks gorgeous as ever and the humour and cutscenes are there as well. The only minus would be the abundance of block sliding puzzles, not my favourite and they are found aplenty. Mostly to find collectibles though, so you can bypass most if you don't like them.

    All in all it's a great bit of DLC, I think it's even on discount now (and is pretty often) so if you liked the main game don't sit on this, as it's an amazing continuation of the game and well worth the +/- €10 it is while on sale.

    League Of Legends: Wild Rift (mobile)

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    So, time to shatter all my accumulated scene points in one go. :grin: But I have been playing League Of Legends: Wild Rift quite a bit on my phone. It is the mobile adaptation of the PC version of LoL, and as such has had some changes to the main game. Items work a bit different, matches are a dash shorter (about 15 minutes on average while on PC it's more towards 20-25) and obviously touch controls.

    But I can't believe how well it plays. It doesn't feel like a compromise at all. The touch controls have been implemented pretty intuitive, and the game runs smooth and looks good on the mobile screen. It does help if you know how the game works, but I think for newcomers this is a lot more friendly to step into than the PC game due to the easier use of items, and the lack of runes et cetera you need to pay attention to in the PC game.

    It does have the obvious niggles that every online game has (people AFK or not playing cooperative), but luckily typing on mobile is more difficult than on keyboard so there is a lot less flaming and harassment than on PC. :grin: All in all a fun game to play in a lost 15 minutes or during a boring meeting. :grin:

    Resident Evil 6 - Jake and Sherry's campaign (PC)

     

    Finally I finished Resident Evil 6 a while ago. I've talked a couple of times about it already so I won't go into it again. Time for Resi 7!

    • Thanks 3

  3. Posted

    I'm in the mood to do another round of Video Game Club, just to play something retro or left wing and because I've kind of stopped posting longer posts in the gaming threads and the Gaming Diary. So getting together with you guys might get my writing mojo back!

    Anyone here who wants to come up with a theme and 5 or so games to vote on? So we can get this baby back on the road.

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 3

  5. Posted

    Some battle royale games on the Switch are:

    • Fortnite
    • Spellbreak
    • Realm Royale
    • Apex Legends

    Then you also have titles that are a bit of a twist on the battle royale such as Tetris 99 and Pac-Man 99 (both included in the Nintendo Online service), and Worms Rumble.

    And on other platforms (PC, XBox, Playstation) you have titles like:

    • PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG)
    • Call of Duty: Blackout
    • Call of Duty: Warzone

    ...just to name a few. And a lot of smaller titles.

    • Like 1

  7. Posted · Edited by Vileplume2000

    14 hours ago, Sheikah said:

    I don't know, I just can't quite see this having anywhere near the uptake of the Switch. It doesn't have exclusive games and I get the impression that people generally prefer to play full fat AAA games on their PC monitor or TV using their main system. And it's really expensive.

    They mentioned in one of the interviews with IGN that they are going to share the specs and the OS as free license for other manufacturers. So everyone who wants to can make their own Steam Deck, and that will probably increase interest and decrease pricing. And the obvious reason is a new product that sells games for them. Same way as Microsoft tries to create new markets every now and then, first with the Surface leading to detachable and the Surface Neo that should lead to dual touch screen devices. Not that they want to shift hardware but create more platforms and form factors to sell software for.

    11 hours ago, Cube said:

    But so far, Valve hasn't expressed any plans on making the Steam Deck available to the mass market.

    Same comment as above goes for this. It's more of a showcase, same as with the VR. Show how to make a VR platform, hope other brands pick up, sell more VR software. Again Microsoft did it as well with their Mixed Reality. And the reservation system is a great system, creates plenty of buzz while keeping scalpers out.

    11 hours ago, Cube said:

    You also need to buy the dock and an extra controller if you want to swap between the handheld and a screen. If you don't care about that, then it's more comparable to the cheaper Switch Lite.

    You don't need an official dock, any USB-C dock will do. And every controller will work so it's quite cheap to go full screen.

    Anyway, still on the fence about getting one. I don't need one but I do want one. The one thing that holds me back for playing more pc games is that I would have to sit upstairs and the misses is downstairs, so that's not really a fun way to spend evenings. That's why I play my Switch 90% handheld, we can both sit on the couch and do our own things.

    But, my PC is upstairs so I would be much cheaper off investing in a good controller for the smartphone and just stream all my games from my upstairs PC. I don't see me using it out of the house. So for now I'll just hold, let's see if I can stay strong haha.

    • Like 1

  8. Posted

    Going to paste in the specs just for convenience:

    eRCDCbBUzZepHsgvzAJHOUFb.jpg?f=user_larg

    It looks to be an impressive piece of kit, and I'm glad they chose to go for a 1280x800 resolution and not force a higher resolution on the 7 inch, probably would have been bad for the battery time. It's on the heavy side, about double the weight of a Switch so train up those muscles :grin:

    12 hours ago, Dcubed said:

    Ahh… THERE’S the Switch Pro!

    Glad to know I wasn’t the only one who thought that :laughing:

    I’ll probably get this.  It’s crazy cheap!  Can’t believe that it’s less than £50 more than an OLED Switch, for a handheld system that’s roughly half as powerful as an Xbox Series S!! :o 

    Take into account that the base model only has 64GB eMMC memory. Plenty of PC games already go over the 64GB, plus eMMC is slow compared to the other options (256-512GB NVMe SSD). So I wouldn't even consider the base model. There is quite a price gap to the middle one though, and the most expensive option also comes with a non-glare screen.

    12 hours ago, Ganepark32 said:

    Nice to see Valve announcing the Switch Pro for Nintendo :laughing:

    It looks like a Game Gear, so ugly as sin) but with it supposedly having a chip that's modelled on the PS5 then at that price its an absolute bargain. Or at least I think so. Its essentially a portable PC that you can take your entire Steam library with you then plug in to a monitor and when you get home and continue playing there. Don't know how the track pads will work as they were supposedly awful on the Steam controller.

    Nice that they've thought about scalpers with the caveat that you need to have bought something prior to June 2021 on Steam to be in with a chance to reserve a unit. Should help a bit but this will still be another piece of hardware thats hard to get hold of.

    Very tempted to put in a reservation if I can as that entry price is too good not to miss out on. Don't have a gaming PC and this is a great way to do it and be able to play your PC games from the couch. Hmmm, doubt I'd be able to nab one anyway but something I'll keep me eye on. The savings on PC games would be a nice upside as I've not bought many PC games so plenty of discounts still to be had by me that most will have already taken advantage of.

    Also immediately thought about the Game Gear :grin: I have the Steam controller, and while the track pads are a clever invention, I find it really tricky to work with them. I can see the right one here working though as a more accurate option for FPS games instead of the stick, but it'll never be a mouse.

    The thing does look crammed though. Buttons pretty close to the edge, and the sticks are very close to the buttons as well. Wonder if it's ergonomic, combined with the weight. Rear buttons are great though!

    I'm curious if this will be a hit. There have been Windows-based handhelds before, but I don't think they ever took off. Valve and Steam are well-known so that may help, but I wonder if PC gamers are interested in a handheld, and running games on a lower resolution. And if you're going to stream a game to it from your PC, a phone+controller is the cheaper option.

    I think would it have been Microsoft or Sony releasing it, there would have been more leverage behind it. I can imagine a handheld XBox with GamePass would be the dream. But Microsoft is focussing on streaming so you wouldn't need these specs. And Sony, well, games like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Death Stranding are already on Steam so basically this is already an unofficial Sony handheld. :grin:

    • Like 1

  9. Posted

    Oh, didn't know there was a Monster Hunter animated series on the way! The kid is annoying, but the rest looks entertaining enough.

    I finished Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness this week, and the last episode was the weakest. Without spoiling anything, it was a bit of an anticlimax.

  13. Posted

    Bump! The Switch version of this has been out for a couple of weeks now, and I'm absolutely loving it. Despite the cut in graphics and framerate, it runs pretty well and stable on the Switch, and since I play mostly handheld it hasn't bothered me yet. If it ever makes it to PC on Steam I might double dip, but for now this version is more than capable.

    I've 100% THPS1 and 2, and have full stats on one character. So I'm guessing now it's time to play some different characters and try to get all of the achievements and unlock the hidden characters. Control-wise the game plays almost exactly like THPS4 (for as far as I can remember), with stuff like reverts, wall plants and spine transfers included but not the get off your board stuff that was in later games. It immediately felt familiar which helped getting through it quite fast. I wonder how it feels for new players though.

    Love going back to the classic levels, especially those in THPS2. School II, Warehouse, it's a blast. Add to that the soundtrack (which could have been a bit more extensive imho) and the vibe is definitely there.

    Anyway, this is a remaster/remake done well. Plenty of content, a bunch of QoL and new content, but the feel of the old games is definitely there.

    • Like 1

  14. Posted

    The new Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness series is up. Watched 3 out of the 4 episodes yesterday, and it is pretty enjoyable. It takes place around 2 years after Resident Evil 4, and follows Leon and Claire. It looks to be a pretty standalone story, although there are some callbacks to the events in Raccoon City and Resident Evil 4. Don't expect a deep story, just 2 hours of popcorn fun.

    Also watched The Serpent, a series about a jewel smuggler who took advantage of, drugged and murdered travellers in the East in the 70s. Pretty dark, it makes you uneasy knowing these kind of people exist. The story does jump around in time a lot so you have to keep a bit of attention to follow the timeline, but it was definitely worth watching. Only comment is that the Dutch guy in the series is played by an English actor with a bad accent, might as well just casted a Dutchie for it.

    • Like 1

  15. Posted

    Curious to see how many units they can ship in October. One shop in the Netherlands only took pre-orders in their physical shops because of the small amount of units expected, and they were gone within a day. Other shops also sold out in a day. There's one shop still taking pre-orders but they require full payment in advance. So I think I'll just see down the line if I can get it somewhere in stock, even if that's more towards the end of the year.

  19. Posted · Edited by Vileplume2000

    4 minutes ago, Julius said:

    Yeah I changed it, bugged me once you pointed it out too. Mainly took it out to save the two sets of brackets (with the date) :p

    Haha, thanks for changing it. It was more a tongue in cheek comment about how silly the name is, doesn't sound like they want to market this as a big upgrade.

    Also noticed this in the FAQ: The Joy-Con controllers included with Nintendo Switch (OLED model) are the same as the controllers currently available.

    So no fixes there I guess?

    Love the white setup though. Goes well with Metroid Dread's EMMI.

    • Thanks 1

  21. Posted

    Pretty cool video for the game's soundtrack. I love how the musicians with the traditional instruments went the extra mile and are dressed in traditional clothing as well.

    I need to dive back into this game as I have a pretty decent bow armour now and need to master it more. But Tony Hawk is eating up all my current time and I haven't had much game time this week or the upcoming weekend.

    • Like 3

  23. Posted

    TPM doesn't have anything to do with the processor, it's either an integrated chip on the mainboard (hardware TPM) or firmware based (firmware TPM). 

    It's something you mostly see in business line laptops, which is used for an added layer of security. I can't imagine Windows will keep it as a system requirement, unless they really want to to hardcore on the security (and leave a lot of current consumer grade systems out).

  24. Posted

    1 hour ago, RedShell said:

    So this happened during the latest event quest:

    It’s only low rank, but man, that was super satisfying! :D 

    What hammer is that? It's got some pretty useful melodies! Might swap out my Sinister Strum for it, that one has health recovery, attack and defense up and sonic barrier.

    Also, what is that move you pull off in the beginning, looks like you are riding the monster and then jumping off? Were you wyvern riding before the clip starts or is there some flashy riding move I don't know about?

  25. Posted

    They've already explained what the amiibo does. Samus gives a health container and can be scanned once a day to replenish health. EMMI gives a missile container and can be scanned once a day to replenish ammo.

    • Like 1
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