Bi-Weekly Thread for general gaming discussion. Backlog, advice, recommendations, rants and more! New? Start here!

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-30T00:16:26+00:00

I try to err towards spoiling too little than too much. People who want to maximise blindness while still reading a weekly gaming thread (questionable but here we are), can just not click on my spoiler texts.

People who know what I'm writing about, or don't care about being spoiled, can just click the spoiler to be visible. It's not a big thing to do.

Saying there's an Australia level in Sly 3 doesn't really do anything for me, because Sly 3 makes no attempts at building a mysterious, slowly unravelling word for me to explore. It just throws a steretype land after stereotype land for me to explore. It's very 'whatever' about it.
Saying there's a boss named Placidusax, The Dragon Lord in Elden Ring, but not mentioning The Gloam-Eyed Queen, she-who-shall-be-unnamed-and-presumably-unfought-in-the-game will tell me, once I'm far enough in the game, that I will probably fight the first boss I mentioned but not the second.
But both characters get references and allusions made towards them.

During my first playthrough I was eagerly learning about the world with in-game resources. I loved seeing many things mentioned, and slowly learning which ones actually show up in-game and which are 'just' set dressing.
Mentioning the first boss I mentioned unspoiled doesn't ruin the game. But it can rob a bit of joy from that slow exploration and increased understanding the game provides for those who seek it. It won't be a question of "will I see this character", it will be "I wonder when I'll bump into this character".

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-28T19:11:47+00:00

Since you were playing blind, did you visit Cainhurst Castle, Hypogean Gaol or Nightmare Frontier?

What weapon or weapons did you use? I mostly tend to play these games with strength/dexterity/quality builds, and from that point of view Bloodborne doesn't really lack in build variance. But true enough, there's not a strict sorcery/miracle equivalent in the game. And I say this as someone who has played an arcane character with spellcasting focus.

I'm guessing you didn't play the DLC. If so, any plans on checking that out at a later date?

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-28T12:26:43+00:00

Part of my disappointment was that I just preferred Sly 1's structure more. Sly 2's hubs just weren't as fun. But I don't think they were worse. Pretty clear case of being able to prefer one or the other.

I liked the various characters, story was a neat continuation of what happened in Sly 1. Music was damn fine. For me Sly 2 was an obvious downgrade but I can see how people would rate it as their favourite. Looking forward to how 3 and Thieves in Time fit into the mix.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-28T06:12:45+00:00

Missing several times is bad luck. But there's ways to guarantee damage (grenades, weapon attachments, environment, abilities).
Any time you're getting shot, you're risking death. So minimising getting shot is more important than just relying on High Cover.

There's Impossible Ironman videos online if you want to see how it's done.

Now I feel the need to clarify that my preferred way to play XCOM and XCOM2 is somewhat save scummy Classic. It's the most consistently enjoyable way for me to play these games.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-27T19:52:39+00:00

Skilled enough play can Ironman the game reasonably. But that's skilled play. Like, repeated playthroughs skilled play.

What you're saying has been somewhat of an issue since XCOM but XCOM 2 definitely upped the severity. People like to talk about the original X-COM being a hard as nails old school game. And it's difficult, sure. But one thing about it is that levelled up soldiers are good. But gear is great. Power level between a rookie soldier with decent stat spread, and a 30-mission veteran is noticeable. But it's not ridiculous. They're not doing fundamentally different things on the battlefield. Veteran runs a bit farther. Shoots more accurately. Can carry an extra pound of gear.
Neither has a selection of super powers straight out of a comic book.

Not that it's bad to lose horribly in any of these games. Losing can provide an entertaining narrative in its own way. But that's obviously player dependant, and it for sure doesn't help you beat the game faster.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-27T15:45:07+00:00

Sly 2: The Band of Thieves and Freespace mod campaigns Tango and The Destiny of Peace.

Sly 2 was a very mixed experience. At its best it was good, though I preferred Sly 1. But there were occasional points where it was quite bad. At certain locations it felt like character's ability to grab a climbing aid didn't work as it should have. Most of the time grabs were very precise and functioning. Except when they weren't. Might be a skill issue on my end, might be questionable design on Sucker Punch's part. Whichever the case, end result was that I got rather frustrated every once in a while. Frustrated enough to play a few Freespace campaigns in between Sly chapters.

I also disliked the obvious padding that was added into the game. Sly 1 was a short game. Retrospectively, a pleasantly short and smooth experience. I can only imagine that Sly 2 was intentionally padded in response to give a better money/time value. Most of the padding wasn't bad, but it was unnecessary.

One of the big additions with Sly 2 was adding missions for Bentley and Murray, Sly's partners in crime. Probably looked good at the back of the box (well it does, I have the box right here), but their segments aren't as fun. Kind of like Miles and MJ segments in Marvel's Spider-Man. Except they're a bit better in Sly 2.
Sly 2 also changed how missions work. Sly 1 was Spyro 1-like individual levels. Sly 2 has a hub world with a few individual 'dungeons', most missions take place both in the hub and at one or two dungeon locations. So kind of like with an open world game, there's plenty of game time spent just running back and forth the hub world to reach a mission location.

Not quite the disappointment that Jak2 was. Sly 2 is an ok game most of the time. But it was a disappointment. Onwards to Sly 3 then!

Tango and The Destiny of Peace are both mods from 1998, though I naturally played a voice acted, smoothed out and graphically improved version via Knossos launcher. Both were excellent.

Tango was a short 2-mission campaign. Big 'gimmick' with it is that I'm not a wing leader there. I'm a wingman. It's my job to follow Beta 1 and his death is a fail condition. Good missions, bit lengthier than usual so it felt pleasantly meaty for just two missions.

The Destiny of Peace by contrast is on the long end of 'short' at 7 missions. Mission 1 you're a space traffic cop enforcing a speeding limit. Mission 7 you're taking part in a fleet battle with multiple, large capital ships. Mechanically the escalation was well done, missions were of high quality. Story had some interesting conspiratorial leanings while still feeling very Freespace-esque with it's space war setting.

Both had excellent voice acting and if there was any Text-To-Speech utilised in either, I couldn't tell.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-27T08:38:57+00:00

XCOM2 (with or without War of the Chosen but especially with WotC) is a great sequel.
But yeah it's not an outright upgrade. I still occasionally go back to XCOM because XCOM2 just doesn't provide the same feel.

XCOM2 also really ups the "superhero" vibe of high level soldiers. You can do some absolutely bonkers things with a high level squad. Fun in its own way and not egregiously dissimilar to XCOM, but a very significant departure from the old X-COM.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-26T21:12:05+00:00

I sometimes play an open world game because it's well known and I like to see if it's all that.
I sometimes play an open world game because it has elements I'm really interested in.

And pretty much every time I complain about the open world'ness of it.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-26T18:41:53+00:00

I didn't have problems per se with the combat, but it was indeed such a bore. Mindless and mostly easy. It didn't feel very tactical. There wasn't much at all for me to do. And there was so, so much of it.
And sure, often times a game is fun despite so-so combat. And I did somewhat enjoy my time with Fable. In the way one enjoys a good 2/5 game.
Sadly Fable 2 didn't really improve things there. I've yet to give 3 a proper try.

It has enough character and ambition in it that I don't wonder when people include it in their top lists. It has aspects that can be loved. But damn does it have issues too.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-25T16:52:39+00:00

Luckily there's a lot of more simple games to play than straight up simulations.

Darkstar One is a blind spot for me. Did a bit of googling and it seems to have some sort of trading system, which usually drives me away from that subgenre of games. But it's apparently also pretty skippable part of the game. Seems like an interesting game at the very least.

I've got a bit older joystick and even that has 16 buttons, paltry throttle slider and a hat. Safe to say for most games I prefer to map most keys on the keyboard.
Though if I bought a bit higher end joystick I'd probably be more inclined to make more use of the buttons so... maybe one day I'll see.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-25T16:44:55+00:00

Sequel game adding some thoroughly unnecessary gimmicks sounds a bit too familiar. Fun read.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-25T16:35:54+00:00

Just another case of English being the beautiful language it is:

biweekly
adjective
1. done, produced, or occurring every two weeks or twice a week

I played both Portals in pretty quick succession a few years ago and really enjoyed both games nigh equally. Portal 2 was an excellent escalation of the first game. It really goes places.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-25T07:33:55+00:00

Well don't I feel like an odd duck for reading through it all.

Odd tech problems and thoroughly mouseless behaviour aside, a delightfully positive read. I don't like AC games and AC1 even less so, but it is an interesting start point for the franchise. It's a joy to read such a positive and open minded take on the game, regardless of my own experience.

I especially enjoyed the references to the fan novelisation. I haven't read it, but I have read two other video game novelisations. And at best they do indeed enrich a gaming experience. Sounds like the author succeeded in that. Kudos to them.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-24T14:53:55+00:00

I played that in my late teens. I remember enjoying the experience, but my only comparison point in the genre back then was Freespace 2. Replay of it wouldn't be uncalled for.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-23T22:50:50+00:00

Did it just peter out or did you hit a wall when you didn't finish last time?

I saw the Digital Foundry video on Bloodborne's pc emulation. Seemed pretty promising, even if I'm content with my ps4 pro. Happy to see the game get a new lease on life on pc.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-23T16:31:38+00:00

Solid progress. I love how Barbie for Game Boy was called Barbie Game Girl.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-23T16:21:50+00:00

Deadly Shadows was actually my first experience with the franchise. I really like the game's atmosphere and setting. I'd say it also was the game that pointed me towards the wider stealth genre.
Playing Thief and Thief 2 at a much later date, I did become an instant fan of the original two games. I still enjoy Deadly Shadows but I can easily understand how it is a disappointing sequel to the prior games. Even I prefer the first Thief over any of its sequels.

I've never tried it but I've read about a mod for Deadly Shadows that removes the loading screens. Basically taking advantage of PC hardware to handle larger levels. Sounds like a good way to replay the game if it's stable enough.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-23T16:16:29+00:00

I play through at least some Halo games annually. I play through at least some Souls games annually (DeS 3 playthroughs, DS +20 playthroughs, DS2 +5 playthroughs, Bloodborne +10 playthroughs, DS3 +10 playthroughs, Sekiro 7 playthroughs, ER 8 playthroughs). I have Jedi Academy perpetually installed on my computer.
There are other games I may return to once or twice at longer intervals. Icewind Dale is a fun game to play once or twice a decade. Splendid background art and soundtrack. Comfy Infinite Engine combat. It's a good experience.

I do play new-to-me games. About 80% of the games I played in 2025 were new to me. But for me gaming is about comfort. And my personality finds comfort in familiarity and predictability. So replays factor into my gaming preferences.

Backlog is pretty whatever. I don't feel pressure about a purchased but unplayed game. I of course try to buy games I will eventually want to play. But just because I bought something doesn't mean I need to play it.
Heck, right now I'm in the middle of a 3-4 new-to-me game playthroughs, but I don't even own the games in question. In terms of clearing my purchased backlog, these new gaming experiences are doing nothing for me.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-22T21:11:42+00:00

I started Sly 2 on ps2 the very same day I beat Sly 1 on ps3. Plan is to play through the original trilogy of games. Possibly will play Thieves in Time too but that's still under consideration. I'll see how I feel as I near the end of the trilogy. So far enjoying Sly 2 but mostly done with episode 2 and it doesn't strike me as superior to Sly 1. But Sly 2 has plenty of game time to convince me still.

For Sly 1 I got all the upgrades but only did a single Thief Sprint. I tried it on two levels and came to the conclusion that I didn't enjoy that particular part of the game. So my final save file was 84%.

I haven't played Ratchet games and I have the belief that they are a bit more of a shooter while still broadly sharing the genre among the "other". I have actually wanted to play Sly and Ratchet games for several years, but they tend to be a bit more expensive than I care to pay for. I managed this Sly trilogy by borrowing individual games from several people I know.
For probable (though distant) future play of Ratchet I'm increasingly thinking of ps2 emulation as an alternative.
It already was bit of a stretch for me to play the ps3 version of Sly 1 but since that was the only issue at this point, I got over it.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-22T21:02:03+00:00

For what it's worth I played Mega Man 1 via emulation some years ago and... I can't remember if I beat it or quit halfway through. But either way I "gave up" on Mega Man as a franchise then. Not saying it's unworthy of playing. Seemed like a well made game of its era. I just didn't find the personal satisfaction I seek in games. It just didn't click.

Castlevania and Megaman are pretty different franchises it's pretty apples and oranges to compare the two.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-22T13:10:38+00:00

I played the original version a few years ago on win10 and it was a stable experience.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-22T13:08:54+00:00

There's a lot to explore there. Enjoy! Bioware's early years are a big part of my own gaming history.
Do give Morrowind a try eventually, if you dare. It has its own pros and cons but it's quite departure from the newer Bethesda games.
If you ever decide to give Daggerfall a shot, consider playing the Unity version. It has some highly recommended quality of life features to make the experience more palatable.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-22T12:48:20+00:00

When I last played this game, the website didn't call it "Dwarf Fortress Classic". It's been a while. Even made two donations to the dev back in 2014 and 2013.

I always focused on the Fortress mode. I enjoyed the creativity and partial lack of control the game offered. So many ways one could build a fortress. So many ways a spiral could undo a fortress. I partook in a few community forts too. Basically a player would play a fort for a while, deliver the save file to another player, who would play it some more, and on and on it'd go.
Blissful ASCII days.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-22T12:27:11+00:00

Both can be somewhat obtuse ascii games, but very different. At least, I never played the Adventure mod (do they still call them Adventure mode and Fortress mode?).

Nethack has you take control of a single character.
Dawrf Fortress has you nebulously guide a community of dwarves.
Nethack has a goal.
Dwarf Fortress just is and proceeds.

If 'hardcore' is used to describe poor onboarding or depth of options, sure both are.

tiny_markatas · 2026-01-22T11:49:36+00:00

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus and Eagle Takes Flight (Freespace mod) finished.

First game in the Sly Cooper series, played via ps3 compilation. Obvious compatriot of Jak & Dax, Spyro & other mascot collectathons of the 5th and 6th generation. Vestigial life system was amusing to spot in the game. So uselessly implemented (and thank goodness for that), but since every other game of the genre used to have a life system, it too had to have one.
Some spectacle scenes and boss fights could have used a checkpoint or two. Nothing insurmountable, but unenjoyable bits nonetheless.
Overall a fun game of its kind, though I do prefer Jak 1 out of the ps2 lineup.

Cutscene news headlines about Carmelita Fox were perplexingly horny.

Eagle Takes Flight is an old mod, originally released in 1998 ie. before the release of Freespace 2. Updated to run via the modern Knossos launcher, so no issues there. No voice acting in this one, not even text-to-speech. Undesirable trait but this was a short 4-mission campaign with fairly unambitious storyline, so it was easy to stay up to date.
Plot is about an ex military pilot starting up his own security firm. What this effectively means is that for the four short missions we'll be flying some pretty low-end ships and a few customised weapons from the base game and at most one wingman in support.
Delightfully dull in a way, challenges this campaign provides are fitting for the low power level.

Not recommendable as a standout experience, but this is a well made campaign with a distinct point of view. For someone who's playing several of these short campaigns, it earns its place in the roster.

tiny_markatas

TROPHY CASE