Looking forward to Doom: The Dark Ages. Free on release day on Xbox game pass. Xbox is killing it with the quality of their included games lately....take note Sony!
Starting to see the fruits of Microsoft studio purchases. Outside of Kingdom Come Deliverance, I haven't purchased a game this year as I have such a backlog on Game Pass that I'm just into Expedition 33 and Doom coming out this week and I still want to try Atomfall and Avowed. I even bought Kingdom Come on PS5 because it was collecting dust due to all the fantastic titles on Game Pass going back to last fall. If it wasn't for Sony exclusives, I would have zero use for my PS5.
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Got through Act I of Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 and man. . .what a fantastic story / sound track thus far. Really has me invested in the outcome. Highly recommend.
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The combination of turn based combat and quick time events is surprisingly addictive as I was kind of lukewarm on the game based on previews. I'm not sure I would have bought this game so I'm really glad it popped up on Game Pass.
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I got the platinum for Stellar Blade on PS5 Pro. Absolutely loved it - found the comabt to be very satisfying. Adored the music as well. I'd highly recommend it.
Second best part of playing it was my wife's reactions - she would be sitting beside me on the couch, looking up from her books, and shaking her head at some of the camera angles and costumes, haha.
I'm not going to play it because they nerfed the boobies or some dumb #### I read on the internet.
It is kind of funny watching those idiots piss into the wind, as if gaming companies give a #### about missing out on money from them while raking in more from a wider audience.
Starting to see the fruits of Microsoft studio purchases. Outside of Kingdom Come Deliverance, I haven't purchased a game this year as I have such a backlog on Game Pass that I'm just into Expedition 33 and Doom coming out this week and I still want to try Atomfall and Avowed. I even bought Kingdom Come on PS5 because it was collecting dust due to all the fantastic titles on Game Pass going back to last fall. If it wasn't for Sony exclusives, I would have zero use for my PS5.
I will die on the hill that GP is the greatest deal in video game history, especially when combined with console sharing. Nothing comes close. My backlog goes back by at least a few years. Ridiculous (and amazing) just how many amazing options you have everytime you boot up the console.
Every once in a while a day 1 release comes on GP, and Doom Dark Age is that game. I am away on vacation right and purposely booked off 2 extra days upon coming back under the guise of jet lag recovery, but really it's for Doom time. I am also thankful that for some strange reason, my wife absolutely LOVES the 2016 Doom and Doom Eternal. She's obsessed with it more than I am. Something about the music and action get us both riled up and it makes for great bonding time . She's already warned me not play a second of it without her. Looking forward to playing it on our recent new TV purchase.
Last edited by Huntingwhale; 05-16-2025 at 09:13 AM.
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I hope Clair Obscur does well. It's the type of game I want more of. I'm not that far into it (still Act 1) and I really like the world they're creating, just as I like that they've basically explained nothing about it whatsoever. Cool concept with some prequel potential, I would imagine.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
Started Act 1 just now. Pretty cool game so far. The story is definitely unique. I love games that pull you in like this. Going back and forth between Ex33 and Doom. Pure heaven!
Last edited by Huntingwhale; 05-20-2025 at 05:39 PM.
It's also 35% off right now on Steam, so under 30 bucks. Not sure if that's the lowest it's been.
__________________ "The great promise of the Internet was that more information would automatically yield better decisions. The great disappointment is that more information actually yields more possibilities to confirm what you already believed anyway." - Brian Eno
What a game. I have to really think about downsides to it, and I don't come up with them easily. Amazing story. Insane OST.
Not many downsides but the game should have mini-maps as there's as you get lost in new areas and sometimes end up going around in circles. Also the parry system is way too difficult as I can master perfect dodges on almost all the enemies but I may be able to pull off 2/10 parries as you kind of have to be late which is counterintuitive when you've mastered dodging. Combat is super fun and I enjoy the picto customization.
Not many downsides but the game should have mini-maps as there's as you get lost in new areas and sometimes end up going around in circles. Also the parry system is way too difficult as I can master perfect dodges on almost all the enemies but I may be able to pull off 2/10 parries as you kind of have to be late which is counterintuitive when you've mastered dodging. Combat is super fun and I enjoy the picto customization.
I missed the mini-map a bit at the start, but quickly got used to not having it and just mentally mapping it, like the 'old days', it felt. The lack of a map made me want to explore, to make sure that I stuck my nose into every nook and cranny I could. Kept me looking at the world/area, instead of the mini-map. The only place I got turned around badly was the one intended for that...the Ancient Sanctuary. The rest of the time, I kind of liked not having my mini-map.
The dodge/parry thing was one of the things I was thinking about, complaint-wise. It feels too tightly tuned. But then, I use keyboard/mouse, not a controller. Maybe it's better with a controller. I can dodge quite reliably with my keyboard, though it does feel like a few of the keystrokes don't register and I take a hit. Parrying gets really hard, especially when things start to attack faster. You can't seem to just 'mash' the key and have it work. It takes an intentional keystroke to work. But by then, you are 2-3 attacks deep. I'd usually start out trying to parry until I got hit, then switch to dodging the rest since only a parry of all hits gets a counter attack.
Spoiler for my 'main' complaint
Spoiler!
The start of Act 3. It's plainly obvious that your mission is to 'end the game', so Act 3 is basically a free-map explore. Which is what I did. I wanted to make sure that I did everything I could possibly find to do before ending the main story. So by the time I got around to doing the main story, my party was ~lvl 95. I pretty much walked right through the last area/last fight with very little challenge. I've since looked it up, and it's recommended to get to Act 3, do the relationship quests, then finish the main story, THEN go explore, if you want to keep the challenge level approximate. You can do this, since after you beat the last boss, when you continue, the game acknowledges you've beat him (and the choice you made) and you start from the last save point. You can warp out and do whatever you want to do.
There is a LOT of fun stuff to do in Act 3, though. I particularly liked the Flying Manor.
Last edited by WhiteTiger; 05-21-2025 at 09:27 AM.
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Yeah the min-map and parry timing are just nitpicks. Even though I get lost at times, the levels are usually constructed in a manner that you will end up at one end eventually. For strong enemies I simply avoid parrying when I know I can dodge and not take damage. It means you miss out on some great parry damage but also take a lot less damage.
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. She's already warned me not play a second of it without her. Looking forward to playing it on our recent new TV purchase.
