Have mentioned in a the Rogue thread a few times, but I'm still playing ring of pain in EA.

It's shaping up well. And I just beat one of the variations and now I can do a little item selection at the start, so life is going to be easier for a bit.

Just started 12 minutes.

Started Hades on gamepass. My my, I like this.

Tried the demo for that Tales Of Arise. Aye, pretty slick and shiny action jrpg affair. Sure a few folk on here would really like it. Combat is pretty decent.

Last one I tried was on the PSP maybe? Aye, probably are all the same but it was all very slick and 4K shiny and whatnot. Might be of some importance to the nerds in the room.

Yossarian wrote:

I want to start that, but, I'm not done with the Ascent yet. I suspect that I may be the only person on the forum who completes it, but I'm enjoying it despite the simplistic gameplay and dodgy writing.

Having tried both I'd swap your effort and focus. Hades is so far above it.

Yeah, I enjoyed what I've played, but I want something else in there. I've said before this would be a great engine to reboot Fallout with.

Yossarian wrote:

I want to start that, but, I'm not done with the Ascent yet. I suspect that I may be the only person on the forum who completes it, but I'm enjoying it despite the simplistic gameplay and dodgy writing.

I've completed it. But I kind of had to.

Tales of Arise is meant to be much budgetier than previous Tales of games. It could still end up being much of a muchness in terms of plot and that but they've at least put some money and time into this one, as opposed to previous games, which were entertaining but kinda churned out on a limited budget. Need to try the demo.

I've played for 70 mins or so. I think I'll alternate it with The Witness as my TV game. I've done some research and it seems like it was far too brutal for most players in its original form and pretty much everyone agrees that the patched in Explore mode (day one PS4) is the way to play. I'm keen so far, but it feels like the sort of thing that'll reveal its charms over a few hours rather than one or two. I tend to prefer immediate rewards but I have a suspicion this will be worth it.

hahahaha Brilliant.

Below.  I'm obsessed with this.  I wish it controlled a little better than it does if I'm honest (an accurate description of the movement/combat would be 'fine'), but it's a rare example of a game where I'm willing to overlook its shortcomings and focus on the whole.  I haven't been this taken with a slow burn since Outer Wilds.

I don't think I'm there yet. I've had some dark(er) levels but I'm guessing I should brace myself for a different kettle of fish.

Yeah, I was in the mood for something punishing so it worked at the time, but during these DARKNESS LEVELS I constantly circle back to - I started to regret the decision, while also finding the game badly designed.

Explore is certainly the right way to go.

This really is depressingly crap now. I just prepared for 45 minutes only to get annihilated before I even found my corpse. You don't even get time to fumble around in the clunky menus or check the map because you get attacked so quickly (including beasties that follow you between screens, what fun) and the potion drink animation takes an absolute age. I'm not even holding the torch, so this is without the tentacles.

You did warn me, in fairness. Now I'm questioning whether I can be bothered. Never seen a game plummet from an [8] to a [5] so quickly, it's an atrocious segment.