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Thackeraye said:
Shadow of the Tomb Raider downloaded as part of PS Plus. Love a modern TM game, so going to play this for a bit...
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Lord Diaper Baby said:
Have you played either the 2013 reboot or Rise of the Tomb Raider?

I played SOTR when it came out and, while overall I liked it, I found it disappointing progression for the series.

I often compare it to the Batman Arkham trilogy (setting aside Origins). I found the best was City, followed by Asylum, then Knight. Knight took everything that was great about City and overstuffed it and then added some bad ideas (the car).

I found the same w/ the TR reboots. I most enjoyed Rise, then 2013, then Shadow. Rise took the mechanics and style of the '13 reboot, which was great, and built upon it very well. While in the '13 there weren't really side missions (although there were tombs and collectibles), Rise added side missions that weren't just chasing XP but were genuinely fun and added well to the overall story. Shadow did all that too, but made it overwhelming. There is just so much to do. TOO MUCH to do. I feel like they could've just focused on the story more and worried less about all the bloat. I will say Rise did very well - stealth options were greatly expanded (I mean, covering one's self in mud and popping from a wall....hell, yes; funny enough that's also something Arkham Knight did really well, upgrade stealth play) and swimming (that was fun).

Keep in mind, I still think it's a really good game (just like I still think Arkham Knight is a really good game).
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Thackeraye said:
Got halfway through 2013 on the PS3, and completed Rise last year. Enjoyed both. I’m not a completist gamer, so I’m not that fussed about getting all the collectables and the like. It’s the right level of stealth for me - I like to pick a few baddies off from the margins then dive into an all out attack.
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I'm playing the 2013 remake right now for the first time. It was $3 on Xbox Marketplace so I couldn't pass up that deal. I had played Shadow and Rise when they were on GamePass last year. I was going to play the 2013 TR but it left GamePass before I could.

I really like the remake. I think Rise was my favorite. Good story, not super difficult. Shadow was a little less good, IMO. The areas were a little bland and some of the logic to solve the tombs was really difficult. I would spend 15 minutes trying to figure out one thing only get frustrated that it wasn't clear and I had to look up how to do it.

Related, Mini Rant: I know it's a video game but I hate when you go into a tomb or a place that is supposedly undiscovered only to find candles or a torch on the wall.... who's lighting that?

I played maybe an hour of Arkham Knight last year but gave it up because I needed to clear space on my HD. It's still on GamePass and I considered getting back into again. Is it worth it if I'm a fan of the TR remakes?

DownIsTheNewUp said:
Edith Finch was brief and imperfect but also imaginative, memorable and poetic. Oh and stylish too.
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Really great little game. I wish there was more to the game since you can beat the whole thing in about an hour and a half.
 
gouis said:
Agree with this. It's fun and spooky in the right ways, but I found the combat to eventually be a chore (they ramp up the difficulty in the DLC and it just becomes too cumbersome). It also performed like absolute shit on my PS4.
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Yeah, it runs pretty poorly on my XB1 too. Not a big fan of the difficulty spikes either (Tried an expedition in the jukebox and noped out immediately). Pretty good other than that though!
 
wokeupnew said:
I'm playing the 2013 remake right now for the first time. It was $3 on Xbox Marketplace so I couldn't pass up that deal. I had played Shadow and Rise when they were on GamePass last year. I was going to play the 2013 TR but it left GamePass before I could.

I really like the remake. I think Rise was my favorite. Good story, not super difficult. Shadow was a little less good, IMO. The areas were a little bland and some of the logic to solve the tombs was really difficult. I would spend 15 minutes trying to figure out one thing only get frustrated that it wasn't clear and I had to look up how to do it.

Related, Mini Rant: I know it's a video game but I hate when you go into a tomb or a place that is supposedly undiscovered only to find candles or a torch on the wall.... who's lighting that?

I played maybe an hour of Arkham Knight last year but gave it up because I needed to clear space on my HD. It's still on GamePass and I considered getting back into again. Is it worth it if I'm a fan of the TR remakes?



Really great little game. I wish there was more to the game since you can beat the whole thing in about an hour and a half.
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And, all these complicated mechanical doodads still magically work!

The game is saying I'm around 25% complete. Enjoying it so far, but like you Rise might be the better game. I quite like how you basically start this with the same skill set you ended Rise with, so there is a bit less grinding to do. Had to YouTube a couple of tombs, but I'm getting there.
 
My Xbox crashed last night and when it booted back up, I had lost the previous 7 or so hours of gameplay on AC: Valhalla, including a couple of boss fights, a castle raid that was a huge grind, and like 30 skill level points. BRB tossing my console in the trash.
 
wokeupnew said:
I played maybe an hour of Arkham Knight last year but gave it up because I needed to clear space on my HD. It's still on GamePass and I considered getting back into again. Is it worth it if I'm a fan of the TR remakes?
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Are you asking if Arkham Knight is worth it if you're a fan of the Tomb Raider remakes? They're both great games, but very different games.

Have you played Arkham Asylum or City? I'd start there if you've never played an Arkham game. City is the best but Asylum is still wonderful and worth playing first for the continuing story.

If I misunderstood your question and you've played those games and just want to know if AK is worth it, then, yes....it's a great game (w/ some missteps but still great)
 
Lord Diaper Baby said:
Are you asking if Arkham Knight is worth it if you're a fan of the Tomb Raider remakes? They're both great games, but very different games.

Have you played Arkham Asylum or City? I'd start there if you've never played an Arkham game. City is the best but Asylum is still wonderful and worth playing first for the continuing story.

If I misunderstood your question and you've played those games and just want to know if AK is worth it, then, yes....it's a great game (w/ some missteps but still great)
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Are you asking if Arkham Knight is worth it if you're a fan of the Tomb Raider remakes?

yes. I played it for like a half hour last year, I don't recall much about it. Just wondering if it's similar to TR games since I see is suggested as similar in that first person action-adventure genre.
 
wokeupnew said:
Are you asking if Arkham Knight is worth it if you're a fan of the Tomb Raider remakes?

yes. I played it for like a half hour last year, I don't recall much about it. Just wondering if it's similar to TR games since I see is suggested as similar in that first person action-adventure genre.
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Not super alike. Both are third person but the Batman gameplay is much much different. Can’t compare the fighting. Overall I think the Arkham series is better but it’s one of the greatest series in the last couple decades. The fighting is very much in the flavor of Prince of Persia Sands of Time before it or Shadows of Mordor after it (chaining together attacks, fast paced). The stealth is more fun in Batman too than TR. But really do yourself a solid and start at the beginning.
 
dhodo said:
Just finished Nier: Automata and really enjoyed it for the most part. Really interesting way to present a story.
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Brilliant game. I might even say an imperfect masterpiece. The 2nd "act" is not quite as fun because the character's move set becomes more limited-- but the ways in which that ties back into the story just reinforces how bold the story is and how dedicated Platinum was to exploring the relationship between gameplay and story and the ways that is unique to the medium.

If you dug that game, consider checking out 13 Sentinels (which I mentioned above). Rivals only Nier in the ambition of it's story.



And for the record I find myself REALLY enjoying the RTS / Tower defense sections.... though I may bump the difficulty up a notch and I'm breezing through them.

@wokeupnew Yeah, Edith was definitely short which is why it took me years to get around to. Was waiting for it to be on sale (snagged it during BF sale). That said, it's brief nature was actually very welcome in the moment because I had just beat Red Dead Redemption 2, and I just wanted a pallet cleanser.
 
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I haven't played Cyberpunk for a few weeks.

I got through Act 1 and kinda got tired of it. I may get on and play some tonight.
 
LeeVing said:
I haven't played Cyberpunk for a few weeks.

I got through Act 1 and kinda got tired of it. I may get on and play some tonight.
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I haven't played it for a while either, but for the same reason I never beat Breath of the Wild. I get completion anxiety. I REALLY enjoy the game, the world, everything, so much so that the idea of finishing the game gives me great anxiety. I start playing other games to distract me from ending it, then I just stop playing altogether... If I never play it again, it's never really over.
 
Max Sterling said:
I haven't played it for a while either, but for the same reason I never beat Breath of the Wild. I get completion anxiety. I REALLY enjoy the game, the world, everything, so much so that the idea of finishing the game gives me great anxiety. I start playing other games to distract me from ending it, then I just stop playing altogether... If I never play it again, it's never really over.
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I thought I was the only one who hadn't finished BOTW yet. My Wii U is still plugged in just because I think I'm going to go back to it and wrap things, only I never do...

Maybe as my palate cleanser after The Last of Us Part II.
 
lonestarlahr said:
I thought I was the only one who hadn't finished BOTW yet. My Wii U is still plugged in just because I think I'm going to go back to it and wrap things, only I never do...

Maybe as my palate cleanser after The Last of Us Part II.
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I need to give BOTW another shot, I played for a bit but never really got into it
 
Max Sterling said:
I haven't played it for a while either, but for the same reason I never beat Breath of the Wild. I get completion anxiety. I REALLY enjoy the game, the world, everything, so much so that the idea of finishing the game gives me great anxiety. I start playing other games to distract me from ending it, then I just stop playing altogether... If I never play it again, it's never really over.
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That's wild, I've heard of completionists but never anti-completionists!

I played a ton of BotW. It was one of those games I just had the urge to play for a long time, despite where I was in the main story. Ended up completing everything excepf for maybe 7 shrines. If it makes you feel any better, after you beat the final boss, you just go right back to your last save, and can keep exploring at your leisure!

Really hope we get BotW 2 this year.
 
ayayrawn said:
That's wild, I've heard of completionists but never anti-completionists!

I played a ton of BotW. It was one of those games I just had the urge to play for a long time, despite where I was in the main story. Ended up completing everything excepf for maybe 7 shrines. If it makes you feel any better, after you beat the final boss, you just go right back to your last save, and can keep exploring at your leisure!

Really hope we get BotW 2 this year.
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I have well over 300 hours in Skyrim, I've restarted it 7 or 8 times, I've never gotten to the end of the main story line.
 
Max Sterling said:
I haven't played it for a while either, but for the same reason I never beat Breath of the Wild. I get completion anxiety. I REALLY enjoy the game, the world, everything, so much so that the idea of finishing the game gives me great anxiety. I start playing other games to distract me from ending it, then I just stop playing altogether... If I never play it again, it's never really over.
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ayayrawn said:
That's wild, I've heard of completionists but never anti-completionists!

I played a ton of BotW. It was one of those games I just had the urge to play for a long time, despite where I was in the main story. Ended up completing everything excepf for maybe 7 shrines. If it makes you feel any better, after you beat the final boss, you just go right back to your last save, and can keep exploring at your leisure!

Really hope we get BotW 2 this year.
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I totally feel this.

I used to NEVER beat games when I was younger. I just stopped playing them or didn't ever care to keep going if I got to a harder part. Now that I'm older I make an effort to try and beat games if I realistically can. As long as it isn't a chore and I do enjoy the game, I tend to finish it. I also try and complete everything I possibly can before getting to a point of no return or the last quest/mission of a game. Collect all the items or visit all the regions, any open challenges, etc.

But it does suck to finally beat something and get to the end because you're faced with that existential dilemma of it just being over. Like, you put 100+ hours into a game, where you thoroughly enjoyed the time spent playing it and all of a sudden it's over. I've beat a lot of games this year that way.
 
wokeupnew said:
But it does suck to finally beat something and get to the end because you're faced with that existential dilemma of it just being over. Like, you put 100+ hours into a game, where you thoroughly enjoyed the time spent playing it and all of a sudden it's over. I've beat a lot of games this year that way.
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This is also why I have yet to watch the final episode of some of my favorite shows...as long as I don't watch it, the series isn't over!
 
the one instance for me of having not finished a game is mario and rabbids. i stopped at like world 4-5 or 4-6, so i'm close to the very end, but i had to stop at the time because spending an hour or more at a single map was distracting me from my school work. I REALLLY want to go back to finish it, but i'm afraid im going to struggle a lot bc i've forgotten what my preferences and strats for the game were so it'd take me a while to relearn to play the game
 
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