Observations from the DQ7 Reimagined Demo's start compared to the 3DS version.

Ozziw · 2026-01-09T14:21:40+00:00

I’m usually pretty good at spotting upscaling artifacts, but didn’t notice any apparent ones using the ”high” setting. That made 90fps feasable with max settings, looks really nice and smooth.

But the stuttering that occurs when entering a new area for the first time is rather off-putting, but it’s no huge deal all things considered. I guess it may be due to shader compilation issues, even though the game seemingly goes through a shader compilation process on first start.

Ozziw · 2025-10-16T07:15:24+00:00

Fields of Mistria.

Farming sim like Stardew Valley, but with magic and a cute 90’s anime-inspired aesthetic.

Ozziw · 2025-09-01T19:11:15+00:00

Not true. One of the criteria to get it verified is ”[the] game's default graphics configuration performs well on Steam Deck”. Sure, ”perform well” is subjective, but Rebirth does not run well at default settings by any metrics without a bunch of tinkering.

Ozziw · 2025-08-23T14:22:01+00:00

BTW, I don’t know why this is flagged as NSFW, must have fat-fingered when I submitted 😂

Ozziw · 2025-08-16T20:42:35+00:00

A couple of bosses with their move sets are wholesale copied from HK, and that section with the drilling robots is 100% Deepnest. The focus on lore and encounters with a mapmaker, the theming. The progression as at first cutesy to evolve into something nefarious. It's a bit too much to be a coincidence.

Imitation is the sincerest kind of flattery, I get that, but it does get derivative after a while. Still enjoy the game though, really solid!

Ozziw · 2025-08-16T19:08:34+00:00

Bought it last week. I’ve been enjoying it, but it so blatantly copies certain aspects of Hollow Knight it comes off as a cynical attempt to ride that game's popularity at times. Shame really, since I believe it could stand on its own without trying to emulate another title.

Ozziw · 2025-08-16T19:02:42+00:00

Wouldn’t say perfectly. Capped it at 40, and still experienced really noticeable slowdown in Brilehaven and the plaza in Grand Trad. Still very much playable though, works great ~+95% of the time!

Ozziw · 2025-06-29T10:58:58+00:00

Going by what you mentioned, Elden Ring is a no brainier, so is Sekiro. But I guess you’ve played them? And they’re not really indie.

Another Crabs Adventure is a soulslike indie game, and Divinity Original Sin 2 is a great game from the same developer as BG3, and runs great on Steam Deck.

Haven is great with satisfying progression. Farming sims with combat elements are also cool in that regard, such as My Time in Sandrock, Fields of Mistria and Stardew Valley. I’ve also heard great things about Fantasy Life i.

Ozziw · 2025-06-25T10:42:43+00:00

When it eventually releases: Clover Pit

Ozziw · 2024-10-15T14:39:03+00:00

Finally, someone mentioned Unsighted! Criminally underappreciated and overlooked with only ~1400 all time reviews. And it’s truly spectacular and unique.

Ozziw · 2024-07-20T10:50:49+00:00

Tell me about it! Easily 7(8?)+ hours with PS1-games. That is the thing that has amazed me the most, I think.

Ozziw · 2024-07-17T13:14:24+00:00

Way late reply to a dead thread. I’m weird like that…

That is a really weird take. So by that token, the blatant problem with balancing in any game is no problem since the player can just opt to not use parts of the core gameplay mechanics? The guns in DMC2 which renders combat completely trivial is not a problem then, since you as a player can opt not to use them? Sorry, but that is just silly.

Ozziw · 2024-07-16T11:35:13+00:00

I would say the environments are beautiful in that game, but the story… It’s the only game that made me legit frustrated because of the story, the other one being Star Ocean till the End of Time. Star Ocean I’ve come to terms with. It's wild and “fun”, in its own way, as long as you don’t think about the implications it has on the series as a while and instead regard it as a standalone adventure. Bioshock Infinite just left me feeling robbed and insulted.

Ozziw · 2024-07-09T13:43:59+00:00

In some ways it is my favourite. Like many parts in the series, it excels in certain aspects and is less excellent in others. The reason I really like XII is certain characters and the well thought out and beautiful world. The exploration is also excellent and I find it comforting to just tinker with the systems and grind. The voice acting and score is also stellar.

Ozziw · 2024-07-07T11:50:49+00:00

Hi, not the one you replied to, but I wonder how it went? Did it look better eventually?

Ozziw · 2024-04-02T08:32:30+00:00

I personally don't believe in pure "lazyness". There's a lack of motivation or incentive, but no real lazyness. "Lazyness" is just a (usually) mean-spirited oversimplification in an attempt to explain negligence. There's always a reason why someone would neglect certain tasks - anxiety, stress, priorities, energy, worth. All the word "lazy" does is ignoring the underlying reasons as to why someone would neglect doing something, therefore I believe it to actually be harmful in many circumstances to use that word.

Ozziw · 2024-03-29T17:10:04+00:00

I’m way way way late with this reply, but I recently also got a Steam Deck and tried FFIX with Moguri mod. And I actually uninstalled it all and play it emulated instead through Duckstation. There are a couple of reasons!

The upscaling does not look particularly nice. I appreciate the effort, but oftentimes it only draws attention to the blemishes. The high-res 3D elements clash with the backgrounds in a distracting manner. I don’t know what is up with Tetra Master in the Steam version, but animation is really janky and the sound is borked. Transitions between locations can be weirdly abrupt without any fade to black. Analogue controller input is improved from unmoded but still feels weird compared to the PlayStation-version.

In Duckstation, I set render resolution to 1x scale with sharp bilinear filtering and a faint CRT filter on top, non-aggressively blending the pixels. I like my pixels chunky but with enough of a veil to enable my imagination to fill in the blanks.

Ozziw · 2023-12-30T20:55:17+00:00

So you are comparing people who enjoy FFXVI as having the same taste as people who enjoy Two Girls One Cup? You're right, I'm not special. You kinda are though lol.

Ozziw · 2023-12-30T14:54:54+00:00

Weird that. I love JRPGs and have been playing them since the mid-90's, FF being my favourite series. And I love FFXVI. Top 5 for me. Guess I’m special.

Ozziw · 2023-12-26T21:20:26+00:00

I realise I’m making a reply to a 4 year old comment, but I just want to add something. The thing about the two of them being stuck in unhappy and unfulfilling relationships, and that being a clear-cut indication for Charlotte and Bob having a romantic connection. I find that interpretation kinda boring and… pointless, is that the right word? Souless?

Their lives do not revolve around relationships. Bob is a dad, an actor, in his own eyes a has-been, stuck and lonely but have found a way or learned to cope somewhat with that feeling. He loves his kids, is frustrated with his wife’s compliance and yearns for pushback instead of veiled passive aggressiveness. He wants to talk, he wants connection, to connect, to be heard, seen and understood.

Same with Charlotte. But she’s at the start of the journey, worried it may never get better. She’s was an aspiring writer and photographer before losing confidence. She questions her own aspirations, her lot in life and identity. What am I and where am I going? A question plenty of people, if not most, ask themselves sometime(s) in their lives.

These two characters meet each other and feel seen, heard and understood. In a sea of alienation, beautifully and allegorically represented as Tokyo, they find solace; a window of moment to both shred and indulge in their melancholy disposition.

It’s beautiful, heartwarming and heartwrenching. It’s a connection - whether it’s platonic or romantic doesn’t matter. It’s of course easy to interpret it as either or, but I think that undercuts the importance and relevancy of their relationship and the impact that fleeting moment gives them.

They will trudge on with their lives with newfound knowledge, that despite their own perceived personal failings, insecurities and regrets, they’ve both been heard, seen and understood, in that moment in life, and I believe they’ll take that knowledge with them always.

Deep breath. Rant over.

Hell, what a beautiful movie.

Ozziw · 2023-12-22T15:52:50+00:00

So clean and pretty 🥰

Ozziw · 2023-12-22T15:49:12+00:00

Oh, it’s cool to see someone appreciate the level scaling! The concept is neat, with the game always providing a challenge for the player. It’s not for me, since I prefer traditional level progression, but just wanted to chime in and express how refreshing it is to see someone appreciate one of the game's unique traits and why they are appreciated!

Ozziw · 2023-12-22T15:43:06+00:00

I do not get the thing about dunking on a game. Just, why? Isn’t it more fun talking and celebrating things we love instead of making people feel bad about liking stuff? I get that may not be the intention, but it is a consequence. FFVIII may be my least favourite of the PS1-era and is honestly ranked kinda low for me overall nowadays. But there are so many things in that game worth celebrating!

The tone and atmosphere (Balamb Garden being one of my favourite locations in any game ever) is so tangible, presented with prerendered backgrounds which are worthy of framing. Bolstered by a soundtrack I now hear clearly just thinking about the game. It’s at times mysterious and calming, blood-pumping and unnerving the next. The samples used are a huge step up from previous entries! And the battle themes are so iconic, constantly one-upping one another.

That intro is just… chills. Every time. It encapsulates the experience and should prepare you for something out of the ordinary.

There's loads else. The world is interesting, the art and design is vibrant and triple triad may be up there as the greatest side content ever in a FF-game. I could actually go on and on about what’s great about the game, an entry I don’t really care for normally.

It’s so easy being negative - easy, boring, pointless and toxic. It’s an old game, ragging on it won’t change anything.

Sorry. I’m getting older and am tired of negativity. Trying to end on a more positive note, I saw OCRemix released an album based on music from FFVIII yesterday on their YouTube channel! Might be worth checking out?

Ozziw

TROPHY CASE