What are you playing?

[Raging Justice]

So I have a couple of options for the Together Retro this month, and am still deciding what to pick to play. Here are some other games that I'm playing right now though

Astalon: Tears of Earth



This game just got released. It's is an NES style, Metroid, or "metroidvania" game, where you alternate being playing three characters who have different strengths and weaknesses. I guess you could say it is a bit of a roguelike too. I don't really have much experience with roguelikes, but when you die in this game you start back at the beginning of the game. However, you don't actually lose anything, and there are short cuts that can easily get you back to any part of the game, so I don't know if this is a true rogue-like. The story involves one of the three main characters having a pact with some demon. So when you die, the demon resurrects your characters and also offers you various upgrades to make you stronger, and some that just make the game itself a bit easier. I'm enjoying it so far. One thing confuses me though, the game refers to itself as chapter 2. I'm not aware of any other Astalon games

Smelter



So if Mega Man X and Actraiser had a baby, it'd apparently look like this game. I have never actually played an Actraiser game. There are RTS elements here and from I hear, that is the Actraiser influence. The RTS stuff is fine, but the real reason I'm playing is for the Mega Man X style, sidescrolling, levels, which are really well done. It kind of feels like you're playing as Zero with lots of melee, but I think there is a Mega Man X style blaster you get at some point. The game really does a good job of looking and feeling like an MMX game, and I like the music too. This youtube video has a little sampling of the various tracks in the game

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELwNhcsf0v8

Biomutant



Opinions on this one are all over the place. I've seen bad reviews, I've seen so so reviews, and I've seen reviews claiming that it's a fantastic game. I'm not far into it, but looking at the various upgrades available I think the combat will be fun. It feels like a hodge podge of many other action game elements. A little Batman Arkham, a little third person shooting, a little character action, etc. Supposedly, the game is about letting you fight however you want. Other than that, it seems like a standard open world game, but one with odd looking, anthrpomorphic animals. I'm always down for trying something indie or something different, so I'm going to stick with it. It has some bugs and technical issues though, but a patch is supposed to be coming out soon. It seems the devs are very much listening to player feedback and trying to incorporate as much of it as possible

Mighty Goose



So this game is basically Metal Slug, but with anthropomorphic animals. I played through level 1 and had a blast. Like I said, It's basically Metal Slug, but for run n gun newbs like me, it doesn't seem quite as insanely hard as Metal Slug, which is nice. I've tried getting into awesome games like Blazing Chrome and Huntdown, but they always kick my ass. This game seems accessible.

I have these games on the backburner, I've started them, but am no longer actively playing them. I'll get back to them at some point:

Bladed Fury
The Darkside Detective
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
Blizzard Arcade Collection
Way of the Passive Fist
Subnautica
Timespinner
Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl - I'm not sure if I actually like this game, so it's possible I won't return to it

I'm also waiting for my Switch copy of the Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World limited edition. I went with the Switch version since it has the original Monster Boy IV on the cartridge (no download required). I have no idea how long it'll be before Strictly Limited Games sends it to me

[PretentiousHipster]

Replaying Harvester and I'm noticing details I haven't seen on my initial playthrough of it. It's actually one of the smartest games I've played and simply calling it a gorefest is doing the game a disservice. I've noticed this for example

Realized that the sex in the game can be a deconstruction of how it is in the McCarthy era. The sex the parents have involved the wife torturing the husband with scalpels and barb wire. It could be seen as it doing the opposite of the patriarchal views of the 50s, and how "scary" and "taboo" sex was considered in that era

[prfsnl_gmr]

@ Raging Justice

Play Smelter. I am most curious about that one.

[Raging Justice]

I seem to have a knack for noticing things in games that no one else does. I noticed an upgrade while playing Astalon called Death Wish. It's at level 2 even though I have no recollection of purchasing it. It increases the currency you get from killing monsters by 10%, but inflicts a penalty of an extra 10% damage you take from those same monsters. So I started a new game on file 2 so I could start the game over. My main game is on file 1. Sure enough, as soon as I was given the opportunity to get upgrades I saw Death Wish at level 2 once again.

Intrigued by this, I looked around online at some let's plays and twitch streams. None of them seemed to have this bug, but 90% of let's players or streamers don't play games on PS4 for some reason that I'll never understand. It took awhile, but eventually I FINALLY found one guy on Twitch playing the PS4 version and there it was as soon as he got his first opportunity to upgrade, Death Wish was at level 2. Course, he didn't even notice this. Like I said, I notice things that other gamers don't.

So it seems the PS4 version, for whatever reason, automatically puts this upgrade at level 2 when you start a game. This means that I'm basically playing a harder version of the game as all enemy damage against me is 10% higher than people playing the game on Switch, PC, or Xbox One. I'm basically playing on hard mode

Just a funny thing I picked up on. Most of you probably didn't even read through all that

On a related note, I also noticed a bugged trophy on the PS4 version of Kaze and the Wild Masks that literally no one on the internet seems to know about. Basically, it's a trophy for getting a certain number of one of the game's collectibles that can sometimes pop early. This tends to happen when you also get the trophy for doing a certain number of the game's time trials. Both trophies will pop at the same time. Given that you can't get this particular collectible when doing a time trial, and that it pops before you have even acquired the required amount, it ends up making your trophy list look hacked. I've noticed that this happened to several people on psnprofiles and they seem oblivious to it. It also happens to Ray Narvaez Jr in his Xbox One let's play that is on his youtube channel. Happens right at 1:32:14. Of course, he's oblivious. I guess people never really look at the achievements/trophies they've acquired on a game.

Maybe my true calling in life was to work for game companies looking for bugs or glitches

[prfsnl_gmr]

I seem to have a knack for noticing things in games that no one else does. I noticed an upgrade while playing Astalon called Death Wish. It's at level 2 even though I have no recollection of purchasing it. It increases the currency you get from killing monsters by 10%, but inflicts a penalty of an extra 10% damage you take from those same monsters. So I started a new game on file 2 so I could start the game over. My main game is on file 1. Sure enough, as soon as I was given the opportunity to get upgrades I saw Death Wish at level 2 once again.

Intrigued by this, I looked around online at some let's plays and twitch streams. None of them seemed to have this bug, but 90% of let's players or streamers don't play games on PS4 for some reason that I'll never understand. It took awhile, but eventually I FINALLY found one guy on Twitch playing the PS4 version and there it was as soon as he got his first opportunity to upgrade, Death Wish was at level 2. Course, he didn't even notice this. Like I said, I notice things that other gamers don't.

So it seems the PS4 version, for whatever reason, automatically puts this upgrade at level 2 when you start a game. This means that I'm basically playing a harder version of the game as all enemy damage against me is 10% higher than people playing the game on Switch, PC, or Xbox One. I'm basically playing on hard mode

Just a funny thing I picked up on. Most of you probably didn't even read through all that

On a related note, I also noticed a bugged trophy on the PS4 version of Kaze and the Wild Masks that literally no one on the internet seems to know about. Basically, it's a trophy for getting a certain number of one of the game's collectibles that can sometimes pop early. This tends to happen when you also get the trophy for doing a certain number of the game's time trials. Both trophies will pop at the same time. Given that you can't get this particular collectible when doing a time trial, and that it pops before you have even acquired the required amount, it ends up making your trophy list look hacked. I've noticed that this happened to several people on psnprofiles and they seem oblivious to it. It also happens to Ray Narvaez Jr in his Xbox One let's play that is on his youtube channel. Happens right at 1:32:14. Of course, he's oblivious. I guess people never really look at the achievements/trophies they've acquired on a game.

Maybe my true calling in life was to work for game companies looking for bugs or glitches

I read all of this. It’s cool when you find something like that, and I think there are opportunities in indie games to find those sorts of things. I’m playing the Alwa games right now, and they’re apparently full of “bugs” that really allow you to break the game, I’m playing them years after release, but still discovered a few on my own. Even though I wasn’t the first to discover them, it’s still cool to find them. It’s part of what makes this hobby so intriguing.

[Raging Justice]

I seem to have a knack for noticing things in games that no one else does. I noticed an upgrade while playing Astalon called Death Wish. It's at level 2 even though I have no recollection of purchasing it. It increases the currency you get from killing monsters by 10%, but inflicts a penalty of an extra 10% damage you take from those same monsters. So I started a new game on file 2 so I could start the game over. My main game is on file 1. Sure enough, as soon as I was given the opportunity to get upgrades I saw Death Wish at level 2 once again.

Intrigued by this, I looked around online at some let's plays and twitch streams. None of them seemed to have this bug, but 90% of let's players or streamers don't play games on PS4 for some reason that I'll never understand. It took awhile, but eventually I FINALLY found one guy on Twitch playing the PS4 version and there it was as soon as he got his first opportunity to upgrade, Death Wish was at level 2. Course, he didn't even notice this. Like I said, I notice things that other gamers don't.

So it seems the PS4 version, for whatever reason, automatically puts this upgrade at level 2 when you start a game. This means that I'm basically playing a harder version of the game as all enemy damage against me is 10% higher than people playing the game on Switch, PC, or Xbox One. I'm basically playing on hard mode

Just a funny thing I picked up on. Most of you probably didn't even read through all that

On a related note, I also noticed a bugged trophy on the PS4 version of Kaze and the Wild Masks that literally no one on the internet seems to know about. Basically, it's a trophy for getting a certain number of one of the game's collectibles that can sometimes pop early. This tends to happen when you also get the trophy for doing a certain number of the game's time trials. Both trophies will pop at the same time. Given that you can't get this particular collectible when doing a time trial, and that it pops before you have even acquired the required amount, it ends up making your trophy list look hacked. I've noticed that this happened to several people on psnprofiles and they seem oblivious to it. It also happens to Ray Narvaez Jr in his Xbox One let's play that is on his youtube channel. Happens right at 1:32:14. Of course, he's oblivious. I guess people never really look at the achievements/trophies they've acquired on a game.

Maybe my true calling in life was to work for game companies looking for bugs or glitches

I read all of this. It’s cool when you find something like that, and I think there are opportunities in indie games to find those sorts of things. I’m playing the Alwa games right now, and they’re apparently full of “bugs” that really allow you to break the game, I’m playing them years after release, but still discovered a few on my own. Even though I wasn’t the first to discover them, it’s still cool to find them. It’s part of what makes this hobby so intriguing.

It is fun and interesting finding things like that. I tend to really take my time when I play games, so I think that's why I find these things. Maybe you're the same way.

Alwa's Awakening is a game I've been aware of for a while. One day I think I might try it

[Ack]

Replaying Harvester and I'm noticing details I haven't seen on my initial playthrough of it. It's actually one of the smartest games I've played and simply calling it a gorefest is doing the game a disservice. I've noticed this for example

Realized that the sex in the game can be a deconstruction of how it is in the McCarthy era. The sex the parents have involved the wife torturing the husband with scalpels and barb wire. It could be seen as it doing the opposite of the patriarchal views of the 50s, and how "scary" and "taboo" sex was considered in that era

Oh man, in depth interpretations of Harvester. This is exactly what I love forums for. That game is so messed up, it's interesting to see people really examine it.

[PretentiousHipster]

Replaying Harvester and I'm noticing details I haven't seen on my initial playthrough of it. It's actually one of the smartest games I've played and simply calling it a gorefest is doing the game a disservice. I've noticed this for example

Realized that the sex in the game can be a deconstruction of how it is in the McCarthy era. The sex the parents have involved the wife torturing the husband with scalpels and barb wire. It could be seen as it doing the opposite of the patriarchal views of the 50s, and how "scary" and "taboo" sex was considered in that era

Oh man, in depth interpretations of Harvester. This is exactly what I love forums for. That game is so messed up, it's interesting to see people really examine it.

Yea it's a video that I'm currently (re)making. A lot of it seems to be up for interpretation too which is always fun, but it provides that balance of unsubtle satire if people prefer that. The game goes for all out surrealism instead of satire later on though which could turn some off.

[PretentiousHipster]

Started Ys 2 last night and once again I am having such a blast playing it. Is the rest of the series this awesome?

[BoneSnapDeez]

No but it is mostly good.

Ys is like Zelda, where those initial 8-bit entries remain among the best in the series.