Hotline Miami is FUN AS FUCK! I was struggling with it a bit by like the third or fourth chapter, when I realized I was basically just being too much of a pussy. You CAN run up on multiple dudes who have guns with just a knife and fuck them up, turns out. I love how fast paced and frantic it becomes, but also the way you can strategize and plan. Looking forward to seeing what the 800 masks do. I only have a few so far and it's a cool feature. The wolf-mask is probably my favorite just because starting with a knife goes a long way for me. I've already purchased the sequel but haven't played it at all.

Gameplay for anyone who isn't familiar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n_BinoS1Ug

A bangin' ass soundtrack is worth mentioning, as well.

HELLYEAH glad you like it. here's my favorite video of that game.

LOL, that was beautiful, and a great example of how the game plays out, honestly. All the planning in the world doesn't seem to be as useful as adaptability and quick-twitch reflexes. I was approaching it WAY too cautiously before. edit: I honestly didn't know you could hold the twin uzis like that. I need to play with the controls more. I just learned last night how to take someone as a human shield but I did it by mistake.

Had you mentioned it already PhiloFrog? I've gotta go back and re-read that conversation. I'm very addicted to this game right now. Can't wait to go home and slaughter my way through more Chapters. It works VERY well set to a heavy metal soundtrack, I might add.

i might've when it first came out but i was really, really, into that game for awhile and i like it when others get into it. there's a modern ripoff called Ruiner that's perfectly fine, but doesn't scratch the same itch. it's 20 bucks now but if it drops to less than 10 i'll for sure pick it up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gectqN2aLTM

Booo! Hissss! Modern graphics, fuck off! It definitely doesn't look anywhere near as charming.

I love Hotline Miami. The trick so far seems to be knowing exactly when to make the switch from silent weapons to using chokepoints/bullets. It took me a minute to find that balance. I like how the automatic weapons are fairly insane and hard to control. I'm just completely smitten with this game. It seems to be quite a bit longer than I expected as well. Last night I stopped at the beginning of "Part Three".

This is my kind of game. Ultra-responsive controls, over the top nature, fast paced action that also rewards a bit of planning and a lot of adaptability. It's ridiculously fun and addicting. Did you ever play Part 2?

Hotline Miami completely kicks ass. By the way, the duel-wielding uzi guy is in the more story driven sequel, where you play as different characters with unique abilities over the course of the game.

I recommended Nuclear Throne in my last post, and although the games aren't really similar beyond being tough, top-down 2D shooters, I suggest you make it a priority to check it out while you're on a 2D game kick. Like Hotline Miami, it gets your adrenaline going, and dying usually results in the "one more try" response. It also has a huge focus on feel; the weapons are satisfying and the controls are tight.

I will absolutely check that out. Going to do a little YT-digging on it right now.

edit: Vaguely related (but not really) -- Any of you guys play Hyper Light Drifter? I'm constantly drawn back to it because it's such a beautiful game and I love the way the main character looks but uh...I just fucking suck. Horribly. Pretty much any room they put me in where there are a high number of VARIED mobs, I get destroyed. I can handle a large number of samey guys but when they start mixing ranged attacks, close attacks, fast, slow. I just fall to pieces.

Am I just bad? I understand you can use your dodge 3 times before it has to cool/reset. I know the game is "open world" but I seem to hit a room where I get decimated no matter which way I choose.

I'll admit I wasn't entirely sold on Nuclear Throne until I played it myself, the videos didn't seem much to get excited about. But I wasn't sold on Spelunky from the videos either, and boy was I wrong there. Both games with a depth that isn't portrayed very well experienced second hand.

I haven't played Hyper Light Drifter but it's a high priority.

Maybe I'm just easily excitable but it looks super fun to me. Will price it out when I get home but I get paid tomorrow so....

Thanks for mentioning it twice!

HLD is an incredibly challenging, obtuse, and intetionally obscure video game that pushes the boundaries of minimalism to even crazier edges than the Souls series. It feature a complete lack of any understandable language (for the most part), an unforgiving precision in combat, and a sprawling Zelda style map. It's punishing and rewarding and absolutely jaw dropping. The soundtrack is fantastic, the subtleties of story are compelling (it's an odd cancer story from the creator) and in spite of being incredibly minimal, i actually found it touching. 8.5/10 highly recommended.

I'm way into all that I just can't stay alive long enough to progress through the minimalist beauty. It is GORGEOUS. And I mean, stunning.

edit: I'm going to look into some tips/tricks around the ol' internet. I want to fall into this game like a familiar lover's arms. But it usually just makes me want to throw a controller after a few minutes. That "one more try" reaction that was mentioned above is NOT present for me.

edit2: Little more context -- I hit a room in the dungeon I was exploring where the door slams shut behind me, and I'm left to face seriously like...10 dudes? Not a huge amount but there are guys with guns in the back, and then dash-attack dudes coming at me directly. I just always flub it and die. A lot of these "tips and tricks" videos are all advising to take your time and strategize but they lock me in a small room with a shit-ton of dudes....maybe I just wasn't supposed to be in that area yet?

Watching someone else play for a few made it all click. I was relying to heavily on the dash, or trying to. Also not using my gun enough.

I'm sorry for the spam.

Nuclear Throne is AWESOME! I'm still figuring out which character suits my style best. I've done the best with Crystal but I really enjoy Plant and Eyes. The snare is a really sick special ability. Looking forward to spending more time with this over the weekend. And I cannot fucking WAIT to couch co-op it with a buddy.

Oddly enough a delivery guy last night caught the pause screen of Hyper Light Drifter and we got into a conversation about modern old-school games. He recommended Into the Gungeon. It's really silly in a way I don't enjoy as much as Nuclear Throne but it also hinted at quite a bit of depth. Starting me off with a literal peashooter isn't a great way to hook me though hahah. The little "plop" it makes when you shoot is hella cutesy.

Oh and Hyper Light Drifter owns my whole soul. I'm officially in love. Got my dash upgrade, finally understanding how to pace my combat. I think I'm about to run in with my first boss but I got distracted last night with some new shit obviously!

Oh my God.

I had to quit that game.

It became so hard so fast and I got so angry that I will never touch that game again.

I finally went back to Dark Souls 2 for the first time in a couple of years. After dealing with DS1's frame rate issues on the Xbone, DS2 looks and runs like an absolute dream.

Its pretty freaking nuts. The first dungeon took me several tries to clear the boss. The next, a "proper" dungeon, looked infinitely more challenging. I still dig NT a bit more because I'm attached to the characters and its a hair less cute.

HLD is everything. I fucking wrecked that big frog monster.

Bought and installed Dishonored 2 last night. Haven't had a chance to play it yet. Hopefully not as bad a mistake as Witcher III. I watched a guy executing guards and I couldn't help myself. The animations looked so satisfying.

The fluff in Dishonored's bellybutton is of higher quality than The Witcher 3, so I don't think you're at risk of repeating that error.

The first semi-autonomous choice I made was to throw a snoring guard out of a window to his death on the jagged rocks below. It was pretty satisfying. I'm horrible at stealth but the combat is fun so it works out.

I completed Dishonored once. I think I need to replay it. A fine piece of gaming, that! I like its style. I also like more about sneaking than aggressive attacking. I also do that in Skyrim, which I have completed but still go for it every now and then.

Downloaded the hack and added roms to my snes mini today. Feels like life has just begun, haha.

I...think Hyper Light Drifter might be the best game ever made? I'm only about a 1/3 through it still, actually I'm jammed up in the Eastern dungeon, and I still can't stop thinking about it. Like even when I'm not actively thinking about it I feel like there's some passive part of my brain mulling it over in the background. The artwork, the immersion you feel, the accomplished feeling when you take out a room particularly thick with mobs. I've got a few upgrades at this point (chain dash, dash attack [the one that beheads], bombs) and sometimes I feel like a complete god. Sometimes I get humbled. Mostly I just can't ever wait to get back into that world.

I want more, and I'm not even done yet.

God dammit. I can only play one game at a time!!!

Hahah I'm sorry man, have you really not played it? I made that post with sort of a "last to know" tone. I just assumed everyone else who cares about the game has probably already beat it multiple times. It's a work of art. It's transcendent. It makes every other game I'm playing feel like just that, a "game".

If you haven't watched the 7~ minute Vice documentary about the small team who developed the game, highly recommended. Every moment, every nuance, was hand-crafted. It's a masterpiece, straight up and down.

The Witcher 3 is the greatest game of all time

I went through a dry spell with video games for a couple years, but apparently now I'm back with a vengeance.

This thread isn't helping anything.

For the life in me, I can't see what other people see in The Witcher 3. I played it for about 30 hours and it was merely okay. Some of the questlines were interesting story wise, the production values were through the roof, but that's about it. The combat was mediocre, the moment by moment gameplay wasn't that great. I didn't find that aspect engaging enough for me to continue.

Glad you like Nuclear Throne, Jonpo! How's it treating you? I've been playing it again the past couple days and it's showing me no mercy. I've never beat it before, and I'm determined to get to the throne for the first time. I got too used to using Crystal, but the shield encourages a bad habit of not dodging enemy fire, so I've been using Fish. Melting is certainly not my favourite character, but it's really fun for something different, complete chaos. Can't imagine getting through the whole game as him though.

It's definitely a good game... but I wouldn't find that it'd stand up to a lot of the better indie-ish games of late.

Hm. I think it must resonate harder with me then. I haven't touched anything that comapres. The last time I felt this connected with a single player game was FF7 and I was a teenager. HLD has a combination of emotional depth, challenge, and that "I'm a bad ass" feeling. God damn. Just took out the North dungeon.

Melting is my favorite! That corpse explosion is so clutch. Especially with his throne butt mutation. If you level him up a few times and get his throne butt plus rhino skin its a new ballgame. I'm tragic though. 3-2 is my best so far. Its a blast I just need practice. I struggle with pacing when I'm on a good run.

It depends entirely on how much you enjoy the story. If you're hoping for an engaging open world with interesting combat and RPG mechanics, look elsewhere.

Personally, I got sick of playing essentially the same "talk to dude, ride to location, detective vision and kill the monster(s)/dude(s)" quest over and over and over, and dialogue "choices" that mostly amount to being "Give me more information." I made it to the end, but I can't say I really enjoyed it.

Playing ELEX reminds me how utterly lacking The Witcher 3 was in almost every way except production values. Quest design, character progression, itemization, choice & consequence and freedom is just amazing here, definitely the best aRPG I've played since New Vegas. Just like NV, the entire world is open to you within the first 10 minutes of the game, and you can go literally anywhere if you've got the cajones for it.

In The Witcher 3 you have cutscenes + Batman vision/combat and that's it. It's a good interactive movie and walking simulator though.

Witcher 3 was boring af. I quit after about 25 minutes. I'm not up on the lore and I don't really care about the storyline. I was mistakenly looking for a fun video game to pull me into a world.

Foulchrist: I take it back man, I'll have to see what my best run is. Maybe 3-3? I made it to 3-2 last night pretty easily but never saw "Big Dog". I've beat him once, and then died immediately after to a god damn evil chest. I only have Fish - Plant unlocked, if that helps any. I'm a big fan of the game, especially in quick little bursts. A few tries, ahh fuck it! It's great. Especially to unwind after something more "serious".

I still maintain that Melting with an early Rhino Skin and/or Throne Butt mutation is my favorite character by far. I've never been very good at dodge rolling so that doesn't help me at all. Crystal is easier but just doesn't feel as exciting? Plant is a lot of fun, especially with his speed. Snare is a neat special ability but I tend to find things a bit too hectic for it to help me much. What about you man? I know you've made it way farther than me. I was watching a guy play on YT "ster2". He loops like it's a joke. It's crazy.

7-1, or 7-2, I can't remember, is my furthest. So very close to the end. It'd be a very short game if it was easy! I don't normally get that far though (ice level boss is a bastard) and I think the couple of times I did, I had lucked out with some decent weapons. Triple machine gun is a game changer.

Big Dog becomes surprisingly easy once you've learned his attacks, it's managing to clear the wide open area of normal enemies before engaging him that even still gets me sometimes. Damn those chests! I watched a talk with one of the devs where he mentioned that in earlier versions, they were more frequent and it just led to players cautiously opening fire on every chest they came across. This obviously detracted from their effectiveness, so the solution; make them really rare. First time one got me I went nuts.

A mutation I used to generally ignore but now pick almost every chance is Corpse Wrists, which weaponizes enemy corpses by making them go flying all over the place. Sometimes you take out a couple of weaker enemies and the chain reaction clears the whole room. I'd imagine it'd be a very good pick for a Melting playthrough.

Oh shit I never considered the combination of Corpse Wrists with his corpse exploding ability. That PLUS his throne butt would be stuuuupid. Great call, I'm going to have to try that.

I actually found Big Dog to be a breeze, I think I've only seen him once and killed him once. I mostly struggle with pacing where I get all this momentum build up and lose my caution. I can't wait to try a few more runs tonight.

Did you ever try Into the Gungeon at all? Similar but completely different. I fell for it a little last night playing as the Hunter character. Just the simple act of making her twirl her revolver while it reloads is enough to hook me. It's the little details.

Nope, it's on the to do list along with with Hyper Light Drifter and Binding of Isaac. Which I'll probably only get around to once I've beat Axiom Verge.

*heart eyes emoji*

You've got some good stuff ahead. I obviously can't say enough good things about HLD. Never touched anything like it.

Did you end up joining a faction?

I joined the Clerics and have worked my way far enough to where the game isn't as bleak anymore. I don't have to run from everyone and can actually win fights. I'm at about 24 hours of gameplay (I played a shit ton this past weekend). There are people claiming they beat this game in 20 hours? That sounds like total bullshit to me.

So I played ELEX for about 10 hours and while I do enjoy it, I still think The Witcher 3 is a way better game overall for me and one of the best RPGs in recent years. I've beaten TW3 two times already + all the DLC content, and I don't see myself coming back to ELEX to do the same.

There are many different kinds of RPGs and they don't all need to be modeled after the classics with massive branching choice dialogue options or whatever the fuck. I clearly am a massive fan of those and have played nearly all of them on the market; but there are other archetypes out there that are just as good for their own reasons. I still think Chrono Trigger is one of the best RPGs ever made and if you were to compare the game design to its contemporary peers in the western market, people would probably make the case that it pales in comparison but I think that's super foolish, and I feel the same exact way about modern titles.

It sounds like you have a complaint about the amount of dialogue in Elex. If that's what you're saying, I do agree with that. I am usually skimming what the NPC has to say and do find it tedious to acquire quests at times. Especially, when entering a new city. It does seem like a necessity, but I have trouble maintaining interest in what the characters are saying.