Experimenting with posting on Sunday instead to see if it boosts engagement.
Playing both Risk of Rain 2 and Vampire Survivors at the moment. It’s funny, I never really liked roguelikes/lites but recently they have become my favourite genre since I’m not really interested in story games anymore.
I figured it was time to check out some of the more hyped-up games out there, so I’ve been playing Hades, Hollow Knight, and a bit of Slay the Spire. I’m not sure if I’m at the point where I’m ready to no-life any of them, but for the most part, they all live up to their hype. And the nice part is that they all have sequels available, so if I stick with them and finish/get my fill of them, there is more to come.
I also played Duck Detective: The Secret Salami and it was a really nice short, relatively easy detective game that I recommend if you want a little break from whatever you’re currently playing.
I’m on a roguelike buzz again.
Played a bit of Rangedrifter. It’s maybe got the best atmosphere of any roguelike I’ve ever played, but it’s pretty early in development so not enough content to be satisfying yet.
Now I’m onto Lost Flame which is kind of like a roguelike demake of Dark Souls… the combat is amazing and I can’t stop playing even though it’s kicking my arse. So far I’ve had the most success with dex/spear builds but I’m starting to get into scroll and potion shenanigans and it’s kind of blowing my mind trying to comprehend the possibilities!
The Settlers II
https://www.gog.com/de/game/the_settlers_2_gold_edition
released in 1998 btw. it really is a good old game
I finished all the DLC for Dishonored. I could use a lot more, so I’m sad.
I played a couple of hours of Witcher 2. It is fine, but I feel I’m on rails all the time. I miss Skyrim.
Every time I hear anyone talk about Dishonored I want to go back and replay it again. It is seriously such a fantastic game.
I finally got around to playing No Man’s Sky. So far so good, but I worry I’ve already experienced much of the game play in the first 5hrs and now I’m in for 5 more of the same. Subnatica 2 kind of felt that way for me.
I’m a big No Man’s Sky shill, and yeah, the game can be repetitive and shallow, but it can offer some sense of fun casual progression that can last longer if you set big goals (like making tons of money to hunt for the perfect freighter or something).
And it’s the beauty of it. It doesn’t expect much of you, doesn’t want you sink hundreds of hours into a single mechanic or aspect for whatever reason. Instead, you just have a bunch of fun little things to do, some interconnected, but mostly like toys, just some novelties to engage with to whatever degree you’re willing to. If you like building and have the patience and the imagination, you’re going on a spree or massive project that starts with finding the perfect spot (which is easier said than done because there’s plenty to choose from) and likely doesn’t end because there’s always something else to add or brush up. Same for Corvettes (new starship class, think like Starfield ship building).
And now there’s even more stuff to do with space bases, player-ownable space stations, asteroid bases.
I think it’s the perfect “play pretend” game where you imagine yourself as someone living out in a world where space travel is trivial and mundane, just a means to an end, and you choose one or multiple ends, like piracy or fighting piracy or mining or bulk trading, etc., going in for as much as you’d like. Again, like playing with toys as a child and imagining things.
I’m being astronomically un-patient this week. Well, apart from using the “launch week 15% sale” loophole again to adhere to my endeavours to not pay full price for games.
Ever since playing Withering Rooms earlier this year and becoming completely enamored with it, I’ve had the sequel (Withering Realms) as my most anticipated game. So even though I tried to hold off, I simply couldn’t resist getting my hands on it when it entered Early Access.
Now, this is mostly an excuse for me to promote Withering Rooms again. It’s great, you should play it. I’m having a good time with the sequel, but it is definitely in need of more time in the oven. I trust this developer with my life, though, and have every conviction the game will get there come full release.
Most of the things that were great in the first game are here too: the setting, world building, lore, story, characters, art & design, atmosphere, vibes, puzzles, MUSIC (all composed by the solo dev!), build variety… There’s the bones for something great here.
There’s just a lot of polish still required. Some features are missing. Others are undercooked, almost placeholder-y. Combat balance is way off. Many encounters need tweaking. I’ve run into some performance hiccups and bugs. I’m still having a good time, because I love this world and developer so much, but for most sane people I would recommend waiting until full release. This is not a fake “early access” soft launch, this is an actual “open beta” type of early access. Only get in now if you want to participate in giving feedback on the Discord.
What I do recommend, however, is playing Withering Rooms. The first game is in an amazing state, feature complete and wonderful and brimming with character, charm, creativity and atmosphere. And it’s cheap!
I got the Tomb Raider Definitive Survivor Trilogy on GOG. I played some of the games when they were available on Stadia, but I don’t remember much so I’ll play them again. Heroic Launcher makes it very easy to play them on Linux.
Valheim. Not really patient, because the release date was last week, but early access was already five years ago.
I played early access 5yr ago, it was pretty amazing even then. Has it changed enough to get back in and check it out?
The earlier biomes are not that different, though there are some new enemies and a couple of new npcs. Most of the new content is in the biomes that didn’t exist yet when early access came out.
