@LobsterJohnson Yes, we’re still working our way through Bioshock, I’m attempting to keep it going even though Kratos is gone. This week’s section is from Arcadia to Hephaestus, or however much you can get done in the meantime!
@ralphdibny Fort Frolic was a good one, definitely an interesting level plus there’s different ways it can go. I managed to finish this week’s section but by the way, there’s a wee bit after Hephaestus that takes maybe about 10 minutes so might as well do that too.
I got a big fright earlier in Bioshock. It looked like there was a gigantic Big Daddy, significantly taller than my character. That was scary for a moment, until I realised that my character was just crouching.
I know it was a while back but I'll have to chime in @Th3solution and say I quite like Bioshock 2 as well.
The gameplay improvements are nice and like Mooky I quite like the more character driven story myself as well (I'd naturally still say the first is the best of the bunch mind you. I did quite like Infinite when I played it way back when too)
I even thought the morality based endings were MUCH better done then the first's VERY generic outcomes personally The "good" ending was really quite sweet and even brought a little tear to my eye in fact
Quite a few people seem to like the DLC of Minerva's Den for it as well (Though I've never tried it myself)
Well done on beating Bloodstained too by the way and glad to hear you enjoyed your time with it. How did you find the final boss? I'll admit I did my break my self imposed rule for him and used some of the food and potions I had left.
And uhh... I feel a bit embarrassed now having heard your reaction to my thoughts on NieR... I'm sorry sol!
Previously known as Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy
.
.
.
"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life. Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of"
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Ha, ha! No problem on the NieR discordance. Don’t be embarrassed; We can’t all be in sync all the time. 😄. I was just bringing it up as an example of another time when I was genuinely affected by a game’s narrative whereas others were not. BioShock has a similar legacy of being a deep and ponderous philosophical jaunt for some, while others find it a bit pretentious. What did you think of the story in Infinite, specifically?
As for the Bloodstained final boss, I thought the first phase was pretty good against Dominique and she was fun to fight, then the Bael phase was a little ho-hum, it was an interesting change to negate the invert use which was so effective against a lot of bosses, but otherwise it was slightly anticlimactic. I still burned through a lot of food and potions. I have no shame. 😂
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
I haven't played Infinite since it released in... 2013 (Or was it 2012?) @Th3solution
I do remember the main beats of the story fairly well though and honestly I really quite liked it at the time. As you previously mentioned I did find the ending of drowning Booker to stop all the timelines was quite moving and I did enjoy the Comstock=Booker revelation too & Elizabeth being Booker's daughter.
I'd say Infinite has probably the best ending of the three Bioshock games though taken as a whole I enjoyed the first game more overall still I'd say.
I didn't however like the burial at sea DLC for Infinite.
Admittedly I didn't personally play it and looked it up on youtube instead about two years ago but there was something about it trying to tie itself to the events of the first Bioshock that really rubbed me the wrong way. I did think that was a bit more on the pretentious side of things...
... Perhaps I'd become a bit grumpy by then lol
And as for Bloodstained and the last boss you do you Sol! You're just doing what the game lets you. No shame in that!
Is there any particular reason of why you think you enjoyed Bloodstained so much more compared to other games in the 'vania style genre you've tried?
...Is there any particular reason of why you think you enjoyed Bloodstained so much more compared to other games in the 'vania style genre you've tried?
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy It’s a good question, and one that I’ve pondered myself. My enjoyment has made me curious enough to at least consider playing other well-rated games in the genre, which is something I would not have thought possible. Games like Hollow Knight, Axiom Verge, and Iconoclasts are at least a long shot consideration to try now that I’ve had a couple good ‘vania experiences (Dead Cells being the other this year). Perhaps the best course would be to revisit some of the games in the genre that had previously turned me off to it (Guacamelee, Castlevania SoTN) and see if they are more enjoyable for me now. The thought of doing that gives me a sense of dread though. So that emotional response is probably telling.
————
Which leads me to ask myself why I did enjoy Bloodstained so much despite clearly being beat down by previous attempts at these style of games?
First, I think the community engagement was helpful. The ability to read and share thoughts, experiences, and helpful hints really served me well; as well as the overall feeling of community, connection to a group, and emotional support to get through it. Peer pressure is a powerful influence! 😅
Secondly, I think I liked the aesthetic. I’m not as enamored with retro 2D graphics as a lot of other hardcore gamers are, and a pretty game can carry me a long way toward sticking with it. Bloodstained, although 2D, has really nice visuals and plays quite smoothly. It doesn’t look retro.
Third, I think the variety of shard powers and the feeling of constantly having new abilities to try out was helpful in keeping me captivated. Honestly, there was really too much in the way of abilities, but I didn’t get overwhelmed by them because I just experimented with new shards at my own pace and had my favorites that I stuck with.
And fourth (and perhaps most significantly), I didn’t shy away from using good ol’ google to look up videos, walkthroughs, hints, and strategies. My main gripe with ‘vania style games is the convoluted and confusing nature of the map layout and the “read the developers mind” aspect of finding the next place to progress and open up the map. I never would have reached the good ending without help. It’s just so ridiculously complex to get where you need to go. So I felt no remorse to use some guides (along with advice from this forum) and that made my experience much less stressful, and therefore more enjoyable. For example, when I played Guacamelee a couple years ago, I was lost as to where to go next within the first few hours and I felt like I was just wasting time wandering back over the same screens over and over looking for an exit. It was not fun at all. In the case of Bloodstained, at the first feeling of being lost I looked up online where to go next so as to keep things moving along. It’s a tactic I first grew accustomed to when I played Bloodborne where I just swallowed my pride to look up videos of boss fights and tips quickly after losing a couple times and I’ve continued to employ that strategy of not torturing myself trying to “figure it out” on my own. Life is too short for that! 😄
————
Regardless, I’m taking a break from the 2D Metroidvanias for a while and we’ll see if this creates a new interest moving forward.
(Sorry for the long-winded answer! 😂)
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Just got to Olympus heights in bioshock, think I'm Gona call it a day as I believe I'm at the checkpoint and it's such a hot day that I need to go and put my head in the freezer
No need to apologise @Th3solution for a well thought out and detailed answer!
Didn't know Dead Cells was a metroidvania... I thought that was more of a rogue-like platformer from the sounds of things. But seeing as there's plenty of games with bits and pieces from other genres thrown in as well I can't say I'm surprised either!
Both Hollow Knight and Iconoclasts are well polished and well made games.
I haven't played Axiom Verge... Kyle has I believe and Kratos had not long been through it before he went.
I don't know anything about Guacamelee or Castlevania SoTN either unfortunately as Hollow Knight, Bloodstained & Iconoclasts are the only 'vania's i've played!
For you personally though Sol I'd say Iconoclasts might be the better of the two for you to try?
With the very heavy focus (At least for a platformer) on story & narrative with some interesting (Well I thought they were at least) theological themes and some intriguing characters to boot (Agent Black was a highlight for me personally).
The boss fights were all well done and dedpite there was a good 20 or so (I think) they were all fairly unique in how to deal with them.
Usually I'm not terribly fond of the style but the pixel art is quite nice and I found the soundtrack was quite varied too. The fact it was made by 1 person is also quite impressive.
There's also not that much running back and forth (There is some of course but it's nowhere near as much as most 'vania's!) it's more likely to be up your alley.
Hollow Knight is very good too of course but it definitely is more akin to your typical 'Vania.
I do love the piano based soundtrack & the dank, oppressive atmosphere of Hallownest is a highlight too (And feels very Souls-like). The combat whilst simpler then Bloodstained did have a bit more satisfying feedback for your attacks I thought.
It's a fair bit harder though and doesn't have difficulty toggles like Icono or Bloodstained.
Though Hollow Knight does have a charm system to mix and match through. Not quite like the shards of Bloodstained of course but there is a nice 30-40 selection of varying bonus abilities, altered attacks or buffs you can equip and change.
Maybe down the line we can get one of those on the docket for the Game club? Though I'd be happy to play either one alongside just yourself as well.
As for the actual reply to my question to you about Bloodstained... I can see why you might've liked it more then the other's you've played.
As I said myself I enjoyed the game much more playing it through Gameclub then when I was playing it by myself earlier in the year. Plus I was much more experimental with the shards then I was before as well which I think was the biggest deal for me and my enjoyment of it in particular
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Hollow Knight or Iconoclasts would be great for Game Club just because of their nature but I think it would probably be a few games down the line, we just played a Metroidvania after all!
@JohnnyShoulder@nessisonett@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Yeah I might give Iconoclasts a whirl; I do have the game in my library due to PS Plus. I agree that it might be good for several months down the road though since we just did a Metroidvania.
I also recently bought Doom 2016 and Resident Evil 2 on the cheap with the fantastic sale. A total of $25 for both games. Both were bandied around as probably future games; no pressure to include them though, I have been meaning to play them anyways, so I’ll do it on my own if need be. I’m keeping my eye out for DMC 5 for a cheap price. I’m less interested in it but I’m intrigued enough to participate if I find it for $20 or less.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
It’s the weekend so that means we’re onto the next section of Bioshock! If you’re not at Olympus Heights yet, don’t worry but if you’re there already then you can get going again. By all accounts, we’re in the final stretch so I reckon we should aim to finish the game in the next couple of weeks. I’ll check where everyone is next weekend but we should be in for a smooth path through to the credits!
I beat the game today! My feelings are pretty mixed to be honest. The gameplay’s serviceable but hasn’t aged particularly well imo, other games have done it better since and that’s ok. The final boss is pretty silly as well, but I won’t get into that just now for the people still playing. The story just isn’t my kinda thing, I’d heard so much talk of how complex and iconic it is, with all these philosophical themes but it’s as simple as they get. It’s literally a Far Cry game. If they’d released it as Far Cry 6 then nobody would bat an eyelid. It’s not all negative though, I did mostly enjoy the general gameplay loop and the survival elements, especially on hard difficulty. Big Daddies were great, a proper challenge each chapter that were completely optional. I’m not going to bother playing the second one, I’ve played Infinite and hated it so clearly this series just isn’t for me. At least I gave it a go!
@nessisonett It’s too bad you didn’t get along with the series, but good job keeping with it to the end. I think the setting of Rapture is particularly brilliant, even if the gameplay is pedestrian and the narrative and thematic elements are subject to personal taste. It’s perfectly fine to not like the game; at least you can say you tried it, since it’s oft described as one of the greatest games of the recent generation.
@Th3solution Rapture was a great setting in theory, to be honest. I loved the stylings of the time period and looking out the windows never got old. It’s just a sign of the time it came out that the environments felt a bit samey after a while. If it was a game from this gen then I think they could have done more with the concept but that’s hardly the fault of the game.
Forums
Topic: Push Square Game Club Spooktacular: Resident Evil 4
Posts 41 to 60 of 1,911
Please login or sign up to reply to this topic