What games are you playing now?

[Phoenix]

Been playing a little bit of F1 24 since release on tuesday. Reached Tier 50 earlier today, so I guess I can do other stuff for the next 52 days.

 

[sesselpupser]

After Far: Changing Tides (finally managed to memorise the name, after finishing it) I went back to R4 briefly to finish another team/manufacturer combination, RTS/Assoluto. I have so much still left to do; I've got 80/80 with MMM and DRT but I'm just under 40 with RTS and PRC, I've finished one manufacturer with each but am at 5 or 7/20 with the other three, so that's what, 36-ish GPs, about an hour per GP? At this point the sunk cost fallacy and a desire to finally complete it after 25 years are what keep me going.

So after that I picked up PowerWash Simulator, expecting to wash the van then go to sleep, but I ended up falling asleep washing a playground. Much more fun than Viscera Cleanup Detail!

 

[FerrariF1GT]

• Paper Mario Thousand Year Door

Just a few short months after overpaying for playing this on the GameCube, I’m back at it with the newly-released Switch remake. I don’t have any nostalgic attachment to the original version despite being in the hunt for a copy for years, so I rather appreciated the chance to experience both side-to-side.

Besides the obvious visual upgrade (which really pop out on the Switch OLED I played on, I might add), there have been slight quality of life adjustments that make the overall experience better. Switching Mario’s partner for a puzzle or before a fight with a button press is much more seamless than pausing, going to the party menu, then unpausing for one. There’s also a dedicated fast travel room to any unlocked area, which eases (but not totally alleviates) backtracking.

The only real downgrade is that the remake is 30 FPS compared to the original 60, which makes the combat a bit slower, but it’s something I adjusted to quickly. Really, great work has been done to make the gameplay otherwise like-for-like.

In short TTYD is the definitive Mario role-playing game (and in some ways surpassing his platformers), one I strongly recommend to anyone who likes Mario and/or RPGs or neither alongside the N64 Paper Mario game, made even better and more readily available. The difficulty is overall on the easy side and the story isn’t complex, but sometimes that’s what I want and the game stands out among other RPGs because of those qualities (in a good way). I’m glad Nintendo gave this a proper second chance instead of simply dropping it into a hypothetical GameCube online service app, and if the next Paper Mario game builds upon it instead of whatever it’s been doing for the past 15 years I’ll be a happy camper. screams into the void for Wind Waker and Twilight Princess ports despite owning both for both GameCube and Wii U

 

[Joey D]

My wife and I have been playing Brotato to see who can get further using certain characters. I think this is the first game we've played where she's much better than I am and it's not even close. I'm looking forward to the upcoming DLC that will add couch co-op.

 

[Spacegoat]

Back into Streets of Rage 4 after demanding kindly suggesting to @Niku Driver HC that he needs to download it immediately when it becomes available on PS+. Mostly just mucking around with Survival mode, managed to set a new record for myself on my second attempt. Want to go thru the story mode again as well on a harder difficultly this time.

It honestly might a top five game all time game for me. Its up there at the very least.

 

[JohnBM01]

I installed and played Dr. Robotnik's Ring Racers recently. This game is the sequel to the very popular "Sonic Robo Blast 2 Kart." "Dr Robotnik's Ring Racers" is a more strategic kart racer than SRB2Kart. The tutorial will unnerve you a bit, but go through it to learn the nuances of this new game. Unlike SRB2Kart, "Dr. Robotnik's Ring Racers" features AI racers you can race against. It is also a much deeper game with many more tracks and features and unlockables. I rather like this game from what I've played so far.

 

[TypeRDC5]

Command and conquer: Remastered collection.

I've played a lot of retro games since I got my steam deck but none has reminded me of my days as a kid like this remaster does.
The little quality of life improvements make it great to play today.

 

[MXH]

Gave DIRT 5 another shot on the PS5. It performed like a dog turd on the original PS4 and while the PS5 did rectify those shortcomings, the game is sadly just a such a bore. After barely 30% through the career mode I gave up. The physics are serviceable at best, the circuits are underwhelming and the general presentation and art direction of the game is questionable. Not a fan. Also, for the love of all that is good, chill and tone down the weather as well the day and night cycles in the game during races, not to mention the epilepsy inducing track side fireworks, sea of confetti and whatnot.

Played through DiRT 2, 3 as well Showdown last year and this game comes nowhere near either of them.

Anyway, I'm back on Mudrunner and enjoying some desolate Russian sceneries.

 

[sesselpupser]

I've been alternating between R4 and PowerWash Sim, the former during my commute (as it turns out I can just about squeeze a GP into the train ride) and the latter at home. Playing the two back to back has me questioning if I'll ever play a first person shooter again - spoiler alert: I definitely will - because I'm enjoying the almost meditative, "turn your brain off and let the compulsion take over" qualities of each.

 

[MrGranTurismo]

Just started a new save for F1 Championship Edition on PS3 again. Signed for MF1 as second driver and things are going well. Probably my favorite F1 game, the whole mid 2000s James Allen era vibe of the game makes me feel at home.

 

[inCloud]

Starfield completed(main quest run only). I like core mechanics, but everything else is mediocre.

 

[Chris30]

Here's the games I've played this week.

Sackboy: A Huge Adventure
Jak and Dexter 3
Ratchet and Clank 3: Up your Arsenal
Family Feud (2020)
Hasbro Family Fun pack- Trivial Pursuit

 

[sirjim73]

Here's the games I've played this week.

Sackboy: A Huge Adventure
Jak and Dexter 3
Ratchet and Clank 3: Up your Arsenal
Family Feud (2020)
Hasbro Family Fun pack- Trivial Pursuit

You can never have enough Daxter, and you can never have enough Clank 👍

 

[SPhilli911]

Other than playing Starfield for the first time and really enjoying that I am also having a blast with PSVR2 which I just picked up, specifically Horizon: Call of the Mountain.

While VR definitely takes some time to adjust to so you can play longer without feeling some motion sickness, short 15-30 minute intervals has been fine. But man, VR might be seen as a bit of a gimmick for the price, but I love the experience. Seeing the world of Horizon in VR is pretty spectacular.

 

[Pearl Jam]

Other than playing Starfield for the first time and really enjoying that I am also having a blast with PSVR2 which I just picked up, specifically Horizon: Call of the Mountain.

While VR definitely takes some time to adjust to so you can play longer without feeling some motion sickness, short 15-30 minute intervals has been fine. But man, VR might be seen as a bit of a gimmick for the price, but I love the experience. Seeing the world of Horizon in VR is pretty spectacular.

I was like that at first when I first started using VR but little by little, and stopping immediately at the first feeling of nausea I can now fly with it in Microsoft Flight Sim for hours on end and feel absolutely fine, VR is a game changer for certain titles and I never fly in 2D anymore, just can’t go back 👍

 

[Fezzik]

Glad that I didn’t listen to people on Reddit telling me Sea Of Thieves would be no fun playing solo. I’m having a whale of a time slooping around by myself - delivering cargo, killing skeleton crews, a bit of fishing. The only thing I can’t do is PvP, it’s an automatic sinking whenever some other ship attacks.

Hasn’t taken too long to earn enough gold for my own ship. You can call me Captain Fezzik now.

Very happy that Microsoft included this in their initial PS5 releases.

 

[TheCracker]

Glad that I didn’t listen to people on Reddit telling me Sea Of Thieves would be no fun playing solo. I’m having a whale of a time slooping around by myself - delivering cargo, killing skeleton crews, a bit of fishing. The only thing I can’t do is PvP, it’s an automatic sinking whenever some other ship attacks.

I'm trying to stretch out the main story line in Cyberpunk right now, having done all the side stuff, but i really need to see it through before i loose interest/forget how to play it.

I have nothing lined up to replace it but did like the look of Sea Of Thieves. I also thought i'd be just playing half a game by attempting it solo, so i was reluctant to buy it, but if you say it's pretty good just soloing, i might just jump in. I noticed its reduced on the store at the moment.

 

[Fezzik]

I'm trying to stretch out the main story line in Cyberpunk right now, having done all the side stuff, but i really need to see it through before i loose interest/forget how to play it.

I have nothing lined up to replace it but did like the look of Sea Of Thieves. I also thought i'd be just playing half a game by attempting it solo, so i was reluctant to buy it, but if you say it's pretty good just soloing, i might just jump in. I noticed its reduced on the store at the moment.

If you have any kind of Gamepass access I'd try it out with that first. My experience is likely not the same as many, I don't do much multiplayer/squad gaming in general, I'm much happier playing on my own. There is really quite lot of PvP content in this that I'm ignoring.

 

[Brett]

Too many...

• Diablo IV
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Pokemon Legends Arceus
• Pokemon Violet
• Mario Kart

 

[Omnis]

Anyone else heard of Unicorn Overlord? I only found out about it a few days ago and bought it instantly. It’s exactly the kind of game I’ve been waiting for and so much more.

I played another obscure Japanese game a looooong time ago and couldn’t make sense of anything except that it had a really cool battle system. You would go out onto the map with squads of characters, arranged in a 3 x 3 square, and the battles would resolve based on how you tactically arranged their position and assigned skills that would have area of effect or positional modifications. Always thought this was a cool mechanic for a strategy RPG, but never saw it implemented in any other game.

I’ve loved similar strategy, RPG‘s, like Final Fantasy tactics and triangle strategy, both coincidentally produced by square enix. Triangle strategies is one of my favorite games of the past 10 years and if it weren’t for Baldur’s gate 3, it would’ve been my game of the year for sure.

Unicorn overlord seemingly takes the style and high fantasy, setting of triangle strategy, incorporates the tactical/positional battle preparation and automates the battles themselves while overlaying everything on a RTS like battle map that’s triggered from otherwise explorable top down/isometric adventure RPG world map.

It’s really like a mix of all the best parts of the genre, and the more I’m reading about it the more I’m learning about how long it was in the making, taking over 10 years to develop and running out of money along the way lol.

The dialogue is kind of campy and weebish at times, like they used the same actors from triangle strategy who do the same nerdy translation from what probably is overly dramatic fantasy/medieval Japanese dialogue. I think they learned from TS by having a fast forward toggle and they made QOL changes to get through a lot of the cutscenes that could otherwise be a slog.

I’m super enjoying the game so far though. Love the concept. There are supposed to be something like 60 classes and all kinds of crazy mechanics that I haven’t encountered yet. I would definitely recommend picking it up and trying it out if you’re a fan of the genre.

 

[mr_tsukuba]

GT PSP and Gran Turismo Sport

 

[Def-Infinity]

Still playing Storm Connections... It's mostly to fight against one other player who isn't always available, so I practice without going online.



I also now have Wobbledogs in my collection as a cooldown game.

My friends think my breeding methods are unethical, but I beg to differ.

 

[trar]

Would it be cheating if I said I was currently playing Gran Turismo 7?

(I'm also playing through Burnout Paradise Remastered so I suppose not.)

 

[m355y]

During a Covid-enforced few days at home I've played quite a bit of Forza Motorsport and have started to really come round to it even if I'm still sitting on the 'GT7 is better' side of the fence. I've enjoyed playing Halo: Master Chief Collection too, having picked it up cheap in the sale. I'm not one for FPS games mostly because, embarrassingly really, they give me motion sickness. So I CAN'T really get into them because of that. But I've played around with the settings etc and can now play this for twenty minutes without puking, which is reminding me what I've been missing out on because the missions are so much fun and I love the atmosphere and pacing of it, it's just taken me 25 years or so to reach this point.

Back at work now so will probably pick it up again some time next year.

 

[SPhilli911]

During a Covid-enforced few days at home I've played quite a bit of Forza Motorsport and have started to really come round to it even if I'm still sitting on the 'GT7 is better' side of the fence. I've enjoyed playing Halo: Master Chief Collection too, having picked it up cheap in the sale. I'm not one for FPS games mostly because, embarrassingly really, they give me motion sickness. So I CAN'T really get into them because of that. But I've played around with the settings etc and can now play this for twenty minutes without puking, which is reminding me what I've been missing out on because the missions are so much fun and I love the atmosphere and pacing of it, it's just taken me 25 years or so to reach this point.

Back at work now so will probably pick it up again some time next year.

Halo is a pretty fast paced FPS sometimes, too, so I imagine it's a bit difficult if you feel motion sickness but the early games are some of the greats and well worth experiencing. I'd love to play those all again soon. Rumors of a re-re-master of the original Halo have been good to hear.

 

[TypeRDC5]

During a Covid-enforced few days at home I've played quite a bit of Forza Motorsport and have started to really come round to it even if I'm still sitting on the 'GT7 is better' side of the fence. I've enjoyed playing Halo: Master Chief Collection too, having picked it up cheap in the sale. I'm not one for FPS games mostly because, embarrassingly really, they give me motion sickness. So I CAN'T really get into them because of that. But I've played around with the settings etc and can now play this for twenty minutes without puking, which is reminding me what I've been missing out on because the missions are so much fun and I love the atmosphere and pacing of it, it's just taken me 25 years or so to reach this point.

Back at work now so will probably pick it up again some time next year.

The Master Chief collection is currently on sale so thinking of picking it up.

Heard it runs pretty good on the Steam Deck, im just worried about the controls as the deck doesnt seem suited to FPS games all that much.

 

[Nacho Libre]

I'm playing the game of PC parts browsing/shopping... again.

 

[NomadicCactus]

Hi everyone, first post here (although I was a regular around 15 years ago!), this is a fun thread and I've enjoyed having a look through. Having recently started console gaming again for the first time since 2019, I picked up a PS5 and boy is there a lot of catching up to do!

I've been hooked on The Division 2 over the past couple of weeks. I remember thoroughly enjoying the first game and jumping into this one has reminded me why. The cover system, combat and choice of weapons - paired with fun mission design (both co-op and solo) and a well-balanced difficulty curve - make this super addictive from the off. It's also on PS Plus (along with the first game), although physical copies are super cheap now anyway.

I remember being blown away by the snowy recreation of NYC in the original, and they've done even better with the much brighter and (somewhat) more colorful Washington D.C. It still looks incredible - and actually even better with HDR switched off - and there's ample things to do even just running around solo like I have been. I haven't even reached the endgame yet, I'm a few levels away, but I've heard it becomes a completely different experience so I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. I think this will be an easy 'go-to' for quite a while. Furthermore, the NYC DLC is now discounted for PS Plus members (75% off) until late June, so I'll be diving into that too.

And now, GT7. Yes, I know. I'm only 2+ years late. I'd actually been holding off purchasing this for a while, with the price still feeling a little steep for me (even for used copies), but my patience paid off as I picked up a new (physical) copy for £37 in the recent sale. Somehow, it's ended up overdelivering for me, in my first few days' playing. Perhaps because it's new, or perhaps the nostalgia factor - I last played GT6 many, many years ago - but it's very much won me over already. I am seriously impressed with how it feels with the PS5 controller, the physics seem to have come on leaps and bounds, and there's still all the oddities and charms I always loved with GT.

Within the last couple of months I've also been catching up on some Naughty Dog titles. Courtesy of PS Plus again, I enjoyed playing through Uncharted: The Lost Legacy again (having originally played on PS4 when it first released), and then I switched to the remastered collection to start playing in order. Uncharted 1 was a tough gig on Brutal difficulty - it still looks good but really has not aged well in terms of gameplay. Character movement is awkward and clunky, the platforming even more so (be prepared to fall to your death over and over), and you'll spend most of your time fighting off waves and waves of seemingly invincible opponents. Don't even get me started on the jet ski...I'm now halfway through Uncharted 2, my personal favorite. It's incredible how much of a leap they made after just 12-16 months.

I also tackled The Last of Us Part 2, snatching the remastered version in a PS Store sale which, luckily for me, was not long after finishing the 2-hour free trial. This felt really long, particuarly towards the end, but wow. What an experience. There's not much to say that hasn't already been said, and I know the story is controversial, but the technical feats achieved here are mindblowing. Visually it's stunning, of course, but the gameplay, AI, mechanics, etc...it really is a step above the rest. And the sound - play with headphones!

I've also tried a bit of No Return, the rogue-like mode featured in the remastered version, and it seems fun but I think fatigue has set in for me at the moment (as well as being a bit rubbish at it).

I'll finish off with Burnout Paradise Remastered, because I saw this mentioned in another recent post. So much nostalgia, I love loading it up for a quick 30-40 minute blast around the city. It's also lovely to see online still pretty popular, on PS5 at least. Flying around at the 'secret' airport brings back great memories.

 

[Spacegoat]

New update for Wildfrost was released, so a bit of that. Started a new run Demon Souls as well. Will probably end up being the exact same strength build as my original save but it's just something to do on and off for when I'm not sure what else to play. Also forgot just how damn pretty that game is. Best looking PS5 game I've experienced so far.

 

[Thematic]

Voxelibre (get from minetest dot net).