WHAT VIDEOGAMES ARE YOU PLAYING RIGHT NOW?

I found Tales of the Abyss really weird! I went into it having heard all sorts of awful things about Tales games, but what really struck me was how...average and generally non-sucky it was. The story was fairly generic but it was executed pretty well - especially since for a large part of the game I couldn't tell who was on whose side and I really like that type of thing - couldn't really fault the battle system, the music was solid and I even liked one or two of the characters.

I still want to punch Luke in the dick, though.

I am keenly looking forward to Mario Kart 8 and the new Megaman game feat. Super Smash Bros. Until then I am keeping busy playing Super Mario 3D World, and every other Super Mario game in my collection as my son obsesses over everything Mario (he even has a little Mario doll he takes EVERYWHERE). I even made him a short level in SMBX and he played it 8 TIMES IN A ROW.

author=Yellow Magic
I found Tales of the Abyss really weird! I went into it having heard all sorts of awful things about Tales games, but what really struck me was how...average and generally non-sucky it was. The story was fairly generic but it was executed pretty well - especially since for a large part of the game I couldn't tell who was on whose side and I really like that type of thing - couldn't really fault the battle system, the music was solid and I even liked one or two of the characters.

I still want to punch Luke in the dick, though.

Luke was actually a terrible main character, because he went from being ACTUALLY INSUFFERABLY RUDE to insufferably whiny. Like okay yes you're having an existential crisis CAN YOU PLEASE HANDLE IT WITH MORE GRACE, THANK YOU. tear u r 2 good for this scrub

And I think the main thing that bugged me about the execution is how, after a certain point in the game, you were essentially running errands between cities and talking to NPCs and flying around and talking to NPCs and going back into dungeons you had already cleared and talking to NPCs (never forgive never forget). There were about 3-4 places where the game should have ended before the actual ending of the game, which is just, like… ugh. I never really felt like anything was at stake and thus couldn't get invested in the conflict, you know? Like places where characters should have kicked, places where the world should have been fixed, places where the big bad shoulda been scratched -- it stopped feeling real and engaging after a while.

PLOTS NEED TO BE TIGHT FOLKS. If some character's side plot is derailing the main plot (NATALIAAAAAAAAAA), leave it for a side quest.

If anything, Abyss is a great example of how NOT to write a story. It starts out pretty focused, but really quickly falls off shit cliff and flies around everywhere, and that is, just… a REALLY good way to have your player say "fuck it" and decide to ditch your game for a few months/years. I had the same problem in Xenoblade! The plot was tighter than Solid Snake's asscheeks right up until you hit the part with the High Entia, at which point it went PTTTTHHHBBBTT and lost me for a few months. I came back, ploughed through the parts that were making me "auughh", hit the Fallen Arm and WOAH WOW plot went right back on track. I coulda done without all the poorly executed fantasy racism and fantasy politics, y'know?

tl;dr when writing plots for your games, for the love of god keep it focused. There is no shame in writing fanfics of your own game to fill in the side character's plot gaps.

author=emmych
And I think the main thing that bugged me about the execution is how, after a certain point in the game, you were essentially running errands between cities and talking to NPCs and flying around and talking to NPCs and going back into dungeons you had already cleared and talking to NPCs (never forgive never forget). There were about 3-4 places where the game should have ended before the actual ending of the game, which is just, like… ugh. I never really felt like anything was at stake and thus couldn't get invested in the conflict, you know? Like places where characters should have kicked, places where the world should have been fixed, places where the big bad shoulda been scratched -- it stopped feeling real and engaging after a while.

PLOTS NEED TO BE TIGHT FOLKS. If some character's side plot is derailing the main plot (NATALIAAAAAAAAAA), leave it for a side quest.

I guess one could argue that having to revisit towns developed a sense of familiarity, increasing immersion in the game - I certainly felt that way after a while, myself. As for revisiting dungeons....yeah, I can't think of any reason besides the developers getting lazy or budget running low.

Probably could have done without that last arc as well.

author=Feldschlacht IV
Really? I thought talking bad about the Tales games was passé bullshit.

Is it? I have gamer friends who are pretty, uh, vocal about them, but they could be the minority. Idk.

Dark souls ii

I wasn't really feeling this game before, i mean it was alright and i was fairly happy just to get more Souls experience, but i just got through Iron Keep and fell in love with that place. It had everything i could wish for from a Souls-area. Oppressing atmosphere, evil traps, dangerous lesser foes and a great boss(not the final boss of the area).

Realised that despite playing Devil Survivor 2, like, a gajillion times, I never actually took the 'True Ending' path - so I've put P2: Eternal Punishment on hold and am back to DS2.

So... I mistakenly bought Game Tycoon 1.5 off Steam, thinking it was Game Dev Tycoon (big freakin difference in the name there :/ ) and dear god no. No no no no no!

This game... ugh, where to start? It was terrible. Worst $3 I ever spent (and that's counting the chips that chemically burned out my throat that one time). This game is why I wouldn't mind Steam refunds being a thing. (If there is such a thing and I'm somehow too stupid to realise it, please do let me know. I really would prefer to have spent that money on anything other than this game.)

It's slow. The character is slow as fuck to move around. Like, horribly slow. I mean, slower than XP walking speed, slow (that's pretty fucking slow right there).

And the game is unintuitive to the max. "Go to the Game Office." Where is the game office? There is nothing by that name, with that title, anywhere. It's probably in the office area but damn me if I don't have to wait on my slow-ass character to amble across the screen in order to check out each of the places there just to find the one place I need to go next. Thanks tutorial.

"Check the employment check board to the right." Uh... there's only a guy over there... oh, wait, you meant the board on the wall that looks like a piece of the background to the LEFT.

"There should be <insert mechanical sounds here> table <more mechanical sounds> there!" Um what? A table... but there's only one and it doesn't have anything on it that's triggering the next piece of text. Also, please can remove sounds so I can hear your stupid voice to carry on with the tutorial. Turning down sounds turns down the voice too. Joy.

I couldn't move on from there because I could not find the fucking table the guy was talking about over and over and over again. I checked everywhere. I didn't even get to publish my first game...in the fucking tutorial.

What the actual fuck. Delete delete delete and consign to the endless void.

Team Fortress 2

Lots and lots of Team Fortress 2. Aaaagh :x

Smilwwithstyle, while i still haven't finished Dark Souls 2, i wouldn't say it lags behind. I actually like the "trilogy" as every title feels completely different while essentially being very similar. DeS feels like this fairytale gone wrong, DS1's world feels dark and hopeless and DS2 feels like the world of DS1 after hundreds of years of growth and prosperity, except something went wrong again.

I just saw what happened to king vendrick, and i must say it was the most touching moment along with sif in the whole series
(spoilers)

Also DS2 felt suprisingly difficult for me, although it was because i chose wrong paths in the beginning.

Hearthstone.