Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I tried playing ME:Legendary and....yeah, it looks better, but it did very little to improve the archaic gameplay of the 1st game. I still remember the plot, it being my favorite series of all times, so trying to play through it again was just a chore. If you're new to it, it's a great idea to play the best sci-fi rpg ever.
If you played it before, it's only a little less janky than when you played it the first time.

 A Town Called Malus wrote:

 creeping-deth87 wrote:
Currently playing through Mass Effect Legendary Edition now. The remaster of the first game is actually really damn good. The frame rate is pretty smooth on my Ps4 and the facelift for the most part is excellent. There's some great quality of life improvements too.

Can you go into a bit more detail about what has changed beyond the graphical overhaul? I'm still weighing up whether I think it is worth buying.

The big changes are the graphics, UI/menu layouts and the fact you can shoot straight from the start, a la ME2 and 3. There's an optional overhaul to levelling that gives you half the overall levels but twice the skill points per level, so it's much of a muchness but the actual progression skills ect are the same with a few minor tweaks.

Having finished my playthrough of ME1, I will say between the nicer shooting and graphical improvements it's the first time I've not found the game at least a slightly hellish slog. In the past I've just blitzed through the critical path for the sake of having a save to import, but this time I could tolerate it enough to actually bother with enough side content to have got the Completionist trophy if not a full 100%.

I'm onto ME2 now, my favourite in the trilogy and possibly in general, and where ME1 was elevated from 'meh' to actually genuinely enjoyable for me, the remaster of 2 is just the same familiar game but much prettier and smoother, even on a base PS4. 3 I assume will be much the same.


If graphics matter to you, if you never got the various DLC, or you always struggled with ME1's jank, I'd say it's absolutely worth it (and for new players, I'm very jealous this is their first experience of the trilogy!), but the gameplay is largely unchanged outside of the areas mentioned. For my money it's a better remaster than a lot of the recent attempts (looking at you, Return to Arkham) and definitely worthwhile.

Okay, thanks! Pretty much what I thought.

Was hoping that they'd change it up a bit more. Had fingers crossed they'd add the Reputation mechanic from ME3 into the first and second game as the paragon/renegade system locking out conversation choices in those two was quite annoying (especially 2 where if you didn't consistently pick one or the other you might not have the chance to pick later conversation choices).

 Nerak wrote:
Subnautica: below zero recently came out of early access. I havn’t quite made up my mind about it yet. It’s certainly a great game. Is it as good as subnautica? No, not at all. That said the feeling of diving under the water for the first time (again) and taking in all the flora and fauna is breathtaking. It seems to be much smaller then subnautica. Which is fine. View this more as an expansion then subnautica 2. The new cold mechanic is welcome. In cold areas a meter goes down until you find as heat source. Swimming under the water makes your heat meter go up which... sort of makes sense? I mean I know water remains at 4C a few meters under the surface but if your close to hypothermia... we’ll whatever. One huge difference is that the main character talks! I found that a bit shocking honestly. It makes sense from the stories perspective. I felt like the blank slate character of subnautica worked really well though. Final thought for now is that it’s a great game. Smaller then the original and with some changes. But diving under the sea and exploring the depths of an alien planet is as magical as ever.

There is a pretty good interview with one of the Devs on Escapist Magazine (and their youtube channel). They talk about how this game started as an expansion and then slowly became a sequel as they decided to focus more on story rather than just creating a new biome for players to explore. I'm excited to play it, but I've got some other games in backlog I want to finish first. How long did the playthrough take for you?

I'm playing Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Both games in the series are just fantastic, beautifully animated platformers. Love their take on boss fights in particular.

Finally beat Gear of War tactics. What a chore that became. Just playing the same mission on the same map over and over. Really makes you appreciate XCom. The final boss wasn’t difficult but took hours to beat. What they did best was the boss fights.

 KamikazeCanuck wrote:
Finally beat Gear of War tactics. What a chore that became. Just playing the same mission on the same map over and over. Really makes you appreciate XCom. The final boss wasn’t difficult but took hours to beat. What they did best was the boss fights.

I told you man. I saw the ending before I got too close to the end myself so I stopped trying to beat it because I mostly knew what happened. Gears tactics really should've learned to tone down padding the game with too many side missions. It's legit a good game to a very good game if it just cut off the fat. Ofc it might not have justified the 60 USD price tag in that case. I'd still prefer that.

I've honestly not been gaming much except for a little bit of barotrauma and then painting my dark eldar incubi models. The reason why is my computer fan is filled to the brim with dust and ive been going to bed late and watching youtube videos instead.

Btw we should friend up on steam or something. Maybe I can show you how to beat xcom 2 on some of the tougher difficulties and get some tough achievements.

 Paradigm wrote:

 A Town Called Malus wrote:

 creeping-deth87 wrote:
Currently playing through Mass Effect Legendary Edition now. The remaster of the first game is actually really damn good. The frame rate is pretty smooth on my Ps4 and the facelift for the most part is excellent. There's some great quality of life improvements too.

Can you go into a bit more detail about what has changed beyond the graphical overhaul? I'm still weighing up whether I think it is worth buying.

The big changes are the graphics, UI/menu layouts and the fact you can shoot straight from the start, a la ME2 and 3. There's an optional overhaul to levelling that gives you half the overall levels but twice the skill points per level, so it's much of a muchness but the actual progression skills ect are the same with a few minor tweaks.

Having finished my playthrough of ME1, I will say between the nicer shooting and graphical improvements it's the first time I've not found the game at least a slightly hellish slog. In the past I've just blitzed through the critical path for the sake of having a save to import, but this time I could tolerate it enough to actually bother with enough side content to have got the Completionist trophy if not a full 100%.

I'm onto ME2 now, my favourite in the trilogy and possibly in general, and where ME1 was elevated from 'meh' to actually genuinely enjoyable for me, the remaster of 2 is just the same familiar game but much prettier and smoother, even on a base PS4. 3 I assume will be much the same.
If graphics matter to you, if you never got the various DLC, or you always struggled with ME1's jank, I'd say it's absolutely worth it (and for new players, I'm very jealous this is their first experience of the trilogy!), but the gameplay is largely unchanged outside of the areas mentioned. For my money it's a better remaster than a lot of the recent attempts (looking at you, Return to Arkham) and definitely worthwhile.

Thanks for the review, really useful to know

I take it is the game base PS4 only? Do we know if they are planning a PS5 upgrade if played on that console?

Been splitting my time between finally going to the center of the galaxy in No Mans Sky, and finally finishing the Parkitect campaign, and playing God of War (PS4) with my wife.

No Man's Sky is still nice and relaxing. Parkitect varies between a fun creative endeavor and administrative hell as you try to manage loans and proper path/employee placement. God of War is pure catharsis, I killed a dragon last night and now my son has lightning arrows.



Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Pacific wrote:


Thanks for the review, really useful to know

I take it is the game base PS4 only? Do we know if they are planning a PS5 upgrade if played on that console?

As of right now, they have no plans to make a native PS5/Xbox Series X version. However, I believe the game is "optimized for PS5/Series X" so it can make use of the consoles upscaling and frame rate buffs and things. They said they purposefully didn't develop it for next-gen consoles because of the game engine they were using or something.

RimWorld. When you send your elite characters out on a mission, the Storyteller will always send enemies to attack your home base...

On PC - finished my Imrik Vortex campaign - enjoyed that - Got Khemri on side and for almost all the campaign Zatlan. Trying out the ME version - very different! Killed nearby Dwarfs and Eshin but even though have a port can't trade with the rest of my Elvish kin...hmm - oh well seems to going alright but Grimgor is growing.

ON PS4 - mainly Skaven in Mordheim and just started and enjoying Days Gone.

Been playing Tyranny, enjoying the atmosphere and overall look & feel of it, it feels good to for once not having to be the savior of the world type.

Muddling my way through The Amazing Cultivation Simulator. Feel like I'm figuring out the whole xianxia Cultivation laws that are the focus of the game. Through an event, unlock a new law called Primordial Unity Shaping. Note that it has some oddly low stat requirements. Ascend a character using that law.

Wait... what the heck is this "breathing" and "reshaping" stuff?



I'm confused again...

Thanks Balmong7

Just playing Spelunky at the moment. Boy is it difficult and utterly ruthless in the way it kills you off, but very addictive. There are tons of secrets to keep coming back to as well, I've managed to get to the final boss once but then died - must try again!

Been playing Predator: Hunting Grounds, casually.

Its a pretty fun game with a good team and someone skilled playing as the Predator. Alot of tense moments running around completing objectives against NPCs while the Predator stalks you.

Eumerin wrote:
Muddling my way through The Amazing Cultivation Simulator. Feel like I'm figuring out the whole xianxia Cultivation laws that are the focus of the game. Through an event, unlock a new law called Primordial Unity Shaping. Note that it has some oddly low stat requirements. Ascend a character using that law.

Wait... what the heck is this "breathing" and "reshaping" stuff?



I'm confused again...

Ooh, there's a game for Xianxia? Neat.

Check out "Forge of Destiny" on RoyalRoad, maybe, if you want to get a better handle on the genre.

From what I can tell, it's basically a sort of analogue D&D style class-and-level system. Instead of XP earned through action and conflict, 'powering up' happens through repetition and practice, and is sort of solidified and kept from falling back through meditation and focusing on the form and movement of chi/qi/ki/ba/whatever energy.

Anvildude wrote:

Eumerin wrote:
Muddling my way through The Amazing Cultivation Simulator. Feel like I'm figuring out the whole xianxia Cultivation laws that are the focus of the game. Through an event, unlock a new law called Primordial Unity Shaping. Note that it has some oddly low stat requirements. Ascend a character using that law.

Wait... what the heck is this "breathing" and "reshaping" stuff?



I'm confused again...

Ooh, there's a game for Xianxia? Neat.

Check out "Forge of Destiny" on RoyalRoad, maybe, if you want to get a better handle on the genre.

From what I can tell, it's basically a sort of analogue D&D style class-and-level system. Instead of XP earned through action and conflict, 'powering up' happens through repetition and practice, and is sort of solidified and kept from falling back through meditation and focusing on the form and movement of chi/qi/ki/ba/whatever energy.

I generally see "The Amazing Cultivation Simulator" described as "Rimworld-style xianxia sect management". At the start of the game, you control a handful of disciples (three is the default) who have fled the destruction of their old sect. You're tasked with managing the build-up of a new sect, ascending characters, and (if you choose) playing through a plot that involves figuring out who attacked your old sect, and why. Combat is never a requirement for advancing your characters (advancement happens via sitting and meditating), and is generally used either to defend yourself, or to get good loot (including the carved up parts of monsters).

The graphics are simple (to the point where they're likely a turn-off for some). But there is a surprising amount of depth in the systems involved. And, of course, most of the latter is left up to the player to discover, aside from some basic hints such as which side of a room feng shui dictates the door should be placed on.

My confusion above basically came from - after sort of figuring out the way that the five basic schools of advancement worked - suddenly learning a school that works in a *completely* different fashion. The starter five are the usual "contemplation and meditation leads to advancement" sort of affairs, but this new one is all about literally remolding your body using the essences you absorb from the world around you. And that's not just a fluffy way of having you do more or less the same thing with characters in that school that you'd been doing with characters in the other school. The mechanics are completely different. This was the first of the non-starter schools that I've ever unlocked, and there's a total of sixteen schools (I think) in the game. At the moment, I've no idea how many more of them are utterly different from the others.

 A Town Called Malus wrote:
Okay, thanks! Pretty much what I thought.

They also got rid of the penalty for using a weapon you are not trained in meaning you can still play some classes and use the only good weapon in the game, Assault rifle.
Sniper rifles also no longer sway anymore.
ME2 and 3 however integrated DLC weapons into the main game.

Back to mordhau.
Still waiting for patchie...

 Nerak wrote:
Subnautica: below zero recently came out of early access. I havn’t quite made up my mind about it yet. It’s certainly a great game. Is it as good as subnautica? No, not at all. That said the feeling of diving under the water for the first time (again) and taking in all the flora and fauna is breathtaking. It seems to be much smaller then subnautica. Which is fine. View this more as an expansion then subnautica 2. The new cold mechanic is welcome. In cold areas a meter goes down until you find as heat source. Swimming under the water makes your heat meter go up which... sort of makes sense? I mean I know water remains at 4C a few meters under the surface but if your close to hypothermia... we’ll whatever. One huge difference is that the main character talks! I found that a bit shocking honestly. It makes sense from the stories perspective. I felt like the blank slate character of subnautica worked really well though. Final thought for now is that it’s a great game. Smaller then the original and with some changes. But diving under the sea and exploring the depths of an alien planet is as magical as ever.

IT is smaller, that is why the cyclops isnt in the game.
However, I am a little frusterated with it, not much, but a little. IT makes sense it gives you almost everything right away. But some things are not given right away(For example a thermal plant)
The cool thing is if you have a PS5, the voices come through the controller.

 Trondheim wrote:
Been playing Tyranny, enjoying the atmosphere and overall look & feel of it, it feels good to for once not having to be the savior of the world type.

Likewise! It’s not a long game, but it does dark fantasy pretty well. Assuming you’ve completed the first “part” already,

I was hoping that Neverwinter Nights would be in the Steam sale, but I guess not. In that case, should I play Divinity: Original Sin, Pillars of Eternity or Torment: Tides of Numenera? Never got around to any of them so far.

 nels1031 wrote:
Been playing Predator: Hunting Grounds, casually.

Its a pretty fun game with a good team and someone skilled playing as the Predator. Alot of tense moments running around completing objectives against NPCs while the Predator stalks you.

Ah has this improved at all with patching now?

Also is it the case that everyone is still playing as Dutch, which was the case when that DLC came out?

Looking for something to play as a 4-player asymmetric as an alternative to Dead by Daylight and have this on the shortlist at the moment.

Just spent way too much time playing RimWorld today instead of something more constructive. Should've begun the 1st draft of my next Angaran Chronicles novel instead.

 Bilge Rat wrote:
I was hoping that Neverwinter Nights would be in the Steam sale, but I guess not. In that case, should I play Divinity: Original Sin, Pillars of Eternity or Torment: Tides of Numenera? Never got around to any of them so far.

Original Sin is a pretty solid game that has a sizeable campaign, and (assuming you mean the first one and not the second) doesn’t take up much file space. It’s even more fun if you can get coop going.

Can’t speak for Tides or Pillars, but I’ve heard mixed reception on Tides.

There’s also Tyranny if you’re looking for a CRPG, but it’s a bit short and less number-crunchy than the others. Would recommend checking a review for this one if you’re interested.

 SkavenLord wrote:

 Trondheim wrote:
Been playing Tyranny, enjoying the atmosphere and overall look & feel of it, it feels good to for once not having to be the savior of the world type.

Likewise! It’s not a long game, but it does dark fantasy pretty well. Assuming you’ve completed the first “part” already,

Spoiler:

Have you picked a side yet? Went for the Disfavored myself.

I also enjoyed the distinct lack of the various fantasy creatures, well besides the two we got. Witch could also have been dropped.
Yes I did actually



Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Bilge Rat wrote:
I was hoping that Neverwinter Nights would be in the Steam sale, but I guess not. In that case, should I play Divinity: Original Sin, Pillars of Eternity or Torment: Tides of Numenera? Never got around to any of them so far.

Pillars Of Eternity, both 1 and 2 are solid games with a lot of great content, storytelling, and adventure. The combat is rather decent and nice characters I thought at least. Torment is also a good choice

 Pacific wrote:

 nels1031 wrote:
Been playing Predator: Hunting Grounds, casually.

Its a pretty fun game with a good team and someone skilled playing as the Predator. Alot of tense moments running around completing objectives against NPCs while the Predator stalks you.

Ah has this improved at all with patching now?

Also is it the case that everyone is still playing as Dutch, which was the case when that DLC came out?

Looking for something to play as a 4-player asymmetric as an alternative to Dead by Daylight and have this on the shortlist at the moment.

Not sure about any issues with patching, tbh. I thought it just came out according to Steams release date.

It runs pretty well on my system, and my partner in crime hasn’t had any issues either.

There are a few Dutchs still running around, but it never felt excessive. Had a 1987 and a 2025 Dutch in the same map once.

Played all of ME3 till i got a headache.
I beat it and still love the game, I ended with it just under 7500 war assets and got the synthesis ending where everyone got along.
But Mass effect was always about the characters, which means in honestly, The Citadel DLC is a great end to the game, a chance to reconnect with these characters for one last time, do some stupid gak with them and party.
Y'know, its weird sometimes to get so attached to chracters in games, at some points, they even feel real.

Going to write a thing about Subnautica: below zero once I’ve finished it with final thoughts and such. Currently about 20h in.

Valheim. I log in every now and then to mess around in my base and do a little adventure. Just stumbled upon the final boss lair. I play solo but for this I’m going to call in the einhjär. Which is to say call in my friends for a big showdown against the final boss. The plan is to get 10 people togheter for the fight. Quite hyped! I have a lot of things to do though. Need to prepare stuff for the big raid. Like a big boat, comfortable beds for everyone and foods. Then we hunt the goblin king!

I decided to play Pillars of Eternity (thanks for the suggestions). It is pretty good so far, feeling very similar to Baldur's Gate but obviously far superior in terms of graphics and the like. I am still feeling pretty overwhelmed despite the familiar gameplay so am easing into it slowly. I have only played as far as the first town and am stuck on the bell puzzle because I am too lazy to read things.