Last game you played?

[P]

I've been playing Dragon Quest XI S lately and having a blast. It's as much of a classic RPG as ever! You play as the hero meeting the king and setting out to save the world from evil! I've already met a thief in the castle dungeon, fought a huge a dragon (or more like was chased by it), learned to forge my own weapons, participated in a horse race for knights, and was joined by a cleric, a jester and a very small mage.

It has a classic class system and each character gets skills and spells that matches their class using a nice skill point system without unecessary experimenting.

I'm very pleased to see that NPC interaction hasn't really changed at all since the earlier games in the series. NPCs usually only have one thing to say and repeat that if you talk to them multiple times. This may change between day and night (although mostly not in this game) and (more often) after events  happens. There are quite a few cut scenes (fully voiced in the S version) that makes the story proceed, but still most of the story details simply comes from speaking to NPCs, just like how about all DQ games and earlier FF games works.

Something that has changed though is the battle view. I can't see the first-person perspective anywhere. There are two camera modes, one where the character to give orders to is able to "move freely" (although just cosmetic as it has no practical influence on the battle system) and one with fixed camera. Both modes feels very Final Fantasy though. This is not a big problem, but I think it's a bit of a pity that this part of its classic RPG roots finally had to go. At least 2D mode still has the traditional view though.

Another thing that has changed and which is worse, is the world map. There is no real world map, instead there are quite large areas that limits the player by a number of exits which connects to other large areas, dungeons or towns. These large areas is the closest thing to a world map, and it seems like it's scaled down or else the distance between towns would be very short, but they are much more limiting than real world maps are. I prefer real world maps that limits the player's movement in a more clever way. Instead they just block off the paths to areas you are not supposed to go to yet, usually a guard requiring a travel passport or something, and after you have saved some town or something and advanced the story you got the passport and can proceed. This makes it feel much more linear than earlier games. At least there are no hand holding though, just an NPC (marked by a special icon) that cleverly hints the player where to go to next in case the player haven't played for a while and needs a refresher. It never feels like a repeating tutorial or hand-holding fairy.

The other poorly done thing is encounters. Random encounters is gone (which I don't miss too much though) but instead you see monsters roaming around the map and get in battle with them if you touch them. Would be fine by me if it wasn't for the fact that monsters are almost blind! If you get close enough for them to see you they might chase you but they are too slow to catch you and chances are they run instead (in which case they are quite fast) if you are strong enough. This means that you are never forced to battle if you don't want to. 2D mode is more like a totally different game since random encounters are back.

A third thing that I dislike is the difficulty which is just waaay to low (even if we ignore the fact that you almost never have to fight). Now I created my hero using a password from DQ1 where I'd beaten the game which means I started out at level 9 in DQ11 and the beginning was very easy. But I've played for a while now so this shouldn't matter anymore and the game is still lacking any kind of challenge. I hope it gets better later in the game.
There are new "Shibari Play" (Draconian Quests in English) options that raises difficulty, but I don't think they seem to be very fun except maybe the one where NPCs are lying, stronger monsters or the one that makes party members suddenly remember awkward moments in battle. Things like disabling shopping seems just like the wrong way to raise difficulty in an RPG. I'm not going to touch any Shibari Play options on my first play-through though.

Despite these disappointments, I think that overall the game feels like a worthy game of the Dragon Quest main series, and I'm happy that the series haven't lost its charm at all!

I got the Gorgeous version (which is really just the standard cartridge but with a special slide case, label and comes with an expansion pass code for the DLC) so I got the voice drama and those DLC trinkets that are free in the English version (Champion's Pack).


While the series continues to be orthodox, the modern English translations continues to be controversial (from what I've heard, I'm not playing it in English). The hero is now a "luminary" which is a term they previously used for a jester prestige class (supterstar). It's a freaking hero (yuusha) you idiots! Like in every previous DQ game (and parody) in history!

[MWK]

[Jedi Master Baiter]

I tried my hand at Mercenaries Mode on Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (PS1 version). After many failed attempts with Nicholai, I decided to quit. I don't have time for this shit.

I also noticed they spam hunters a lot. I mean, I didn't particularly have fun with 4th Survivor, but at least the enemies were more varied there: zombies, dogs, spiders, more zombies, more dogs, more spiders, lickers, more zombies, Tyrant, crawling zombies, more lickers, plant zombies, you get the point.

Not: hunters, more hunters, hey, look, more hunters!

[Protoman]

I've been playing a lot of games recently, and it's been ups and downs.

Holy Umbrella(SFC) - Awesome
Gimmick - Very good, got to stage 4
True Lies(SFC) - So-so, it's really hard to aim, generally I need to strafe all the time to hit anything
Hammerin' Harry(FC) - Good, but frustrating(just like most Gen-san games, except the SFC one)
Zettai Zetsumei Toshi 1-3(PS2 and PSP, aka the Disaster Report games) Good, Great and Pretty good respectively. Now I want to play number 4 and Kyoei Toshi, but I don't have a PS4 ;(
Undercover AD2025 Kei(Dreamcast) - Awful controls but has some decent underlying ideas. Needs savescumming to make progress however.
Samurai Kid(GBC) - Very good!
Ganbare Goemon!(FC) - Finally figured out how the game works! Made it to stage 4

[Jedi Master Baiter]

I attempted the "A" rank in Resident Evil 3 Nemesis (PS1). I was pleasantly surprised (just 10 more seconds and I would've missed it!).

[TDownit_Strider]

I've recently been taking a second go at Devil May Cry 1 after initially not knowing what to do in the first room(sounds dumb, but the game doesn't make it obvious that red orbs OPEN A HECKING DOOR). It's been pretty fun-controls and leveling system aren't as good as God of War in my opinion, but I like the music, look, and atmosphere better. After I finish the series, I'mma move on to Bayonetta, see how that is.

[Jedi Master Baiter]

A couple days ago I finally finished Stinkoman 20X6!

Due to Flash's end of support in January 2021, I finally decided to start playing the Flash games that were on my back burner, starting with Rokko-Chan.

Next, I'll play Abobo's Big Adventure.

Edit: Finished both!

[MegaSilverX1]

Since the series is turning 35 this year, I decided to try and play all the mainline Dragon Quest games this year (except for DQX due to the language barrier). Currently playing the SNES version of Dragon Quest III thanks to a fan translation.

• Dragon Warrior I (Super Game Boy)
• Dragon Warrior II (Super Game Boy)
• Dragon Quest III (SNES)
• Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (DS)
• Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (DS)
• Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation (DS)
• Dragon Warrior VII (PS1)
• Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (3DS)
• Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (DS)
• A spin-off game. Not sure which one yet.
• Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age- Definitive Edition (PS4)

Besides Dragon Quest though, I've been replaying a bit of Battle Kid: Fortress of Peril. Haven't played that game in like 10 years and other than a few rooms and a certain boss, the game actually isn't that terribly hard. Certainly made the Mega Man games a breeze to play after beating the game all those years ago.

[Sentientprism]

Metal storm after hearing about it from SSFF, its so good

[StripeFruit]

Earthbound for 3DS! First time playing it, having a blast so far.

[ID415]

Odin Sphere for the PS2, great game in my opinion.

[Preki]

Super Variable Geo for Super Famicom, or as MaarioS/VegaVegas described it: "fighting waifus". And as I expected, I sucked at it just like at any other VS fighting games. I'm looking for a scan of the manual for this one, by the way, so I can look up moves for each character.

[jimcom]

I'm playing the Assassin's Creed Odyssey at this moment. I think it is the best game from the Assassin series. Excellent graphic and a very interesting story!

[Preki]

Pepsiman for the PS1. Yep, this strange curiosity that's not that great of a game and it's more an interactive advertisement. I doubt if I would touch this one if it weren't for the strange, if not straight-up ludicrous premise that doesn't make much sense. But with the protagonist like that, Mike Butters playing a painfully stereotypical American redneck in the cutscenes and that catchy, ear-worm theme song played throughout the whole game, Pepsiman provides that funny, what-the-fucky experience even if the game is fundamentally flawed. With its difficulty spikes, this game could be an arcade title as well. Just think for a second - an arcade Pepsiman game where you win actual Pepsi cans for beating a level, that would be cool! Pepsi for T.V.-Game!

[UglyJoe]

Pepsiman provides that funny, what-the-fucky experience even if the game is fundamentally flawed.

Perfect summary

I have no regrets burning it to a CD-R to play it during college, but I would never want to try and get through the whole game.