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[Mesoian]

Hey.

Hey Hey.

If you haven't played Frog Fractions, stop what you're doing right now and play Frog Fractions.

http://twinbeardstudios.com/frog-fractions

Don't ask questions. JUST DO IT.

[The Hag]

Finished Papo&Yo. I thought it was brilliant. Putting it on my favorites of 2012 list retroactively. My only criticism is that I wish the puzzles had been more challenging. But the way it used the gameplay to convey the story was devastatingly effective.

[Mesoian]

Originally Posted by The Hag

Finished Papo&Yo. I thought it was brilliant. Putting it on my favorites of 2012 list retroactively. My only criticism is that I wish the puzzles had been more challenging. But the way it used the gameplay to convey the story was devastatingly effective.

The end of the game glitched out on me, so a lot of the magic the last 10 minutes has was lost on me.

That game needed a lot of tightening up in the end. Everytime I was starting to get into it, some graphical glitch would pop up and ruin the whole thing. I feel like if you want to make an artistic video game, those random glitches that other games get away with cannot happen.

It's the same problem with horror games. Take this for example. This game had me pooping my pants in terror until it got to the point where you actually have to fight guys. The ragdoll found in the source engine sucks all the fear out of the moment and replaces it with laughter as enemies get stuck on objects in the environment and just glitch out forever. It's all about immersing the player into this situation world, and if that world is decaying around you, you lose that immersion.

[The Hag]

Originally Posted by Mesoian

The end of the game glitched out on me, so a lot of the magic the last 10 minutes has was lost on me. ....

I feel like if you want to make an artistic video game, those random glitches that other games get away with cannot happen...

It's all about immersing the player into this situation world, and if that world is decaying around you, you lose that immersion.

I totally agree and it's a shame that happened to you. After I finished the game I looked at a couple of reviews and they also complained about glitches. I had no problem at all so I wonder if there was a patch at some point. The only thing I noticed was Monster clipping a bit. I also found it irritating that some of the little "cut scenes" after you interact with the environment left the camera at an awkward angle. But other than that I had no technical complaints. Journey was a superior game technically, but I found Papo&Yo more powerful emotionally. And that's saying something because I was pretty moved by Journey. When Monster transformed for the first time I was absolutely terrified. I suspect that one reason the puzzles were simple is that failing felt so horrific. I nearly quit during the one tricky puzzle with the three moving platforms because I couldn't stand when Monster caught me several times. I also nearly quit near the end

SPOILER: (highlight to read)

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when you had to feed the dolls of the little girl to Monster until you figured out where to position the pipe.

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D:

Now I need to play something mindless and dumb.

[Mesoian]

Originally Posted by The Hag

Now I need to play something mindless and dumb.

FROG FRACTIONS!

[Michi]

Started episode 2 of Walking Dead last night. Then I accidentally read spoilers today while looking something up online. UGH.

After finishing all the Homestead missions in Assassin's Creed 3, I gotta say that I was way more interested in the story of the little town Connor creates on his homestead than the actual main story. The game overall is so buggy, obviously rushed, and just lacking any charm from the earlier games. But I'm impressed with the Homestead! I wish there was more for me to do now. Haha. I think I'll do some more optional stuff on the side and then call it quits with that game for a while.

Originally Posted by TheAnarCHris

Yeah the downgrad to Tara Reid as Harley kinda sucked.

Originally Posted by The Hag

Oh man, that was Tara Reid?

It's Tara Strong, not Reid. Tara Reid is the actress from American Pie; Tara Strong is a voice actress who has been in everything from The Powerpuff Girls to The Fairly Oddparents to Teen Titans. I really didn't mind her replacing the original actress from the animated series & Arkham Asylum, because it feels like that actress forgot how to act between the series and the game. If you compare her dialogue from the game and the cartoon, she's nowhere near as good. Oh well. I thought Tara Strong did pretty well filling her shoes!

[TheAnarCHris]

Originally Posted by Michi

It's Tara Strong, not Reid. Tara Reid is the actress from American Pie; Tara Strong is a voice actress who has been in everything from The Powerpuff Girls to The Fairly Oddparents to Teen Titans. I really didn't mind her replacing the original actress from the animated series & Arkham Asylum, because it feels like that actress forgot how to act between the series and the game. If you compare her dialogue from the game and the cartoon, she's nowhere near as good. Oh well. I thought Tara Strong did pretty well filling her shoes!

To be fair, there's been a decade gaps since Harley's OG VA has done the character in a professional setting, where as both Hamill and Conroy were the Bat and Joker. Twilight Sparkle is a fine pony and all, but the Joker's sidekick she is not.

Found out there's offline w/ bots type of stuff in Anarchy Reigns, and it's a ton of fun. Cleared chapter 2 of the capmpaign mode. Game is growing on me, despite my refusal to main anyone who isn't name Bayonetta.

[Michi]

I played about an hour, maybe two, of Final Fantasy XIII-2 last night. I remember really liking the demo, but it starts out kinda slow. It's really just more FF13 but with a few extra features. But since I secretly really enjoyed FF13 by the end of it, I'm pretty happy! I just wish I hadn't started playing so late last night, so I didn't really get a lot of time with it.

Gonna get back to Walking Dead tonight too, I hope!

Originally Posted by TheAnarCHris

To be fair, there's been a decade gaps since Harley's OG VA has done the character in a professional setting

Not quite. After you said that I looked it up! She's been in Harley in quite a few other animated Batman shows over the years, like The New Batman Adventures and Gotham Girls. Oh well.

[Zweihander]

Playing the heck out of Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition. Currently lost in Blighttown. Been here (and keep respawnsing at that bonfire on the wide bridge) for over two hours. I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

[Quantum9]

So yeah, brother in law bought me Skyrim.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

[The Hag]

Originally Posted by Zweihander

Playing the heck out of Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition. Currently lost in Blighttown. Been here (and keep respawnsing at that bonfire on the wide bridge) for over two hours. I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

Man, I'm so sorry. That place is the worst. It totally skeevs me out when those ghouls chew on your head. The first time I went through it I thought I would never get out. When I made it to the next bonfire I nearly wept with relief. Tip:

SPOILER: (highlight to read)

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bows and crossbows work great on mosquitos.

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[Zweihander]

Originally Posted by The Hag

Man, I'm so sorry. That place is the worst. It totally skeevs me out when those ghouls chew on your head. The first time I went through it I thought I would never get out. When I made it to the next bonfire I nearly wept with relief. Tip:

SPOILER: (highlight to read)

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bows and crossbows work great on mosquitos.

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And here I know people who complain about subdivisions being "confusing" or "maze-like." Next time they piss and moan about subdivisions, I'll tell them, "SO LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT BLIGHTTOWN." I really hate FROM sometimes. Yeah, I'm jimmy-rustled. If I can just get out of this hell-hole, I will never, EVER complain about Sen's Fortress or Anor Londo. I can 1-shot everything in this damn place, but it's the ENDLESS MAZE OF DEAD-ENDS that's screwing me hard.

[The Hag]

Originally Posted by Zweihander

If I can just get out of this hell-hole, I will never, EVER complain about Sen's Fortress or Anor Londo.

Upper Blighttown is my LEAST favorite area of the game. Like I said earlier, I always start with the master key so that I can skip it. Occasionally I'll go in if I want the Eagle Shield or if I'm feeling particularly masochistic. The lower Blighttown swamp isn't bad though. My second least favorite is Tomb of Giants. Take a light or you'll regret it.

Originally Posted by Zweihander

I can 1-shot everything in this damn place, but it's the ENDLESS MAZE OF DEAD-ENDS that's screwing me hard.

I have racked up more deaths by falling than anything else. Gravity is your enemy in Dark Souls.

Co-oped through Anor Londo with The Saint tonight. Also playing Darksiders which is both ridiculous and fun. After Bastion and Papo&Yo I wanted something that required no emotional investment.

[Zweihander]

Originally Posted by The Hag

Upper Blighttown is my LEAST favorite area of the game. Like I said earlier, I always start with the master key so that I can skip it. Occasionally I'll go in if I want the Eagle Shield or if I'm feeling particularly masochistic. The lower Blighttown swamp isn't bad though. My second least favorite is Tomb of Giants. Take a light or you'll regret it.



I have racked up more deaths by falling than anything else. Gravity is your enemy in Dark Souls.

Co-oped through Anor Londo with The Saint tonight. Also playing Darksiders which is both ridiculous and fun. After Bastion and Papo&Yo I wanted something that required no emotional investment.

Finally got out of Blighttown. Turns out it was really simple. Felt like an idiot afterward. Now I'm at Sen's Fortress, and all I can say is

SPOILER: (highlight to read)

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fuck Sen's Fortress.

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But at least it's fun in that "Indiana Jones" sort of way.

EDIT: Blighttown left such a bad taste in my mouth, I wrote a song about it. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEO8jHoTpk8

[Michi]

My friend brought over some games tonight, so I tried out Vanquish and DoDonPachi Resurrection. I kinda want both of them now, at least to play more. I am not a shmup person and have basically no experience with them, but I enjoyed the three bosses I cleared in DoDonPachi! I didn't realize it was only a couple more stages, or else I would have kept playing. Haha.

Also I got Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning so it was nice knowing you guys!

Originally Posted by Quantum9

So yeah, brother in law bought me Skyrim.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

YAY SKYRIM someday I will get the latest DLC and get the rest of the achievements. Eventually.