You’re not kidding. I think my death count on Demon is the highest for me in any FromSoft game.

I didn’t hate DE and really liked most of True Colors, but the first game really was lightning in a bottle. They haven’t come close to it.

The series is definitely in trouble. Who knows, maybe SQEX will shuffle it off to a different studio again.

It took a good chunk of time for 13 Sentinels to hook me, but it eventually did and it’s continued to grow on me after finishing it. Delightful soundtrack, too.

Among games with a fixed narrative, Persona 5 Royal is still the longest game I’ve ever played.

Got burned out on Owlcat games. Really enjoyed Pathfinder: Kingmaker but thought it was almost there in some areas, and kept hearing people say Wrath of the Righteous was better. Got through maybe half of the latter and can’t say I agree as of yet. But I’m having to put it down for now, thinking I jumped back in to a CRPG too soon. The encounter density is just too much for me, and I might have to put the crusade management on auto next time I pick it up.

Grabbed Final Fantasy XVI instead. It’s a nice change of pace, really enjoying it so far.

[email protected]. I love the concept, although I’m wondering if it’s run its course with all of the low-hanging fruit being picked already.

Well…that’s better than the 20+ I needed for Crusader Kings 2.

Jumped into Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous a couple weeks ago. Was a bit concerned at first because I enjoyed Kingmaker and kept hearing this one was better, but I was not feeling it. Then the end of the first chapter hit and the hook set in deep. I’m not far in, but the scope of this story is already really impressive. I feel like this is the kind of thing that’s too ambitious for me to ever have a chance at playing in tabletop (not without a really experienced DM and group, anyway), so it’s cool that this story can be experienced in this way.

Terra Invicta has been on my wishlist for a while now but I’ve been holding off because a) I sometimes avoid early access and b) the learning curve sounds brutal. Sounds like it’d be right up my alley if I got into it, though.

Surviving Mars is delightfully chill. Amazing soundtrack, too.

And it’s not just that. Half-Life also spawned Counter-Strike, one of the foundational pieces of e-sports (if not also the modding scene in general today). Not to mention being a precursor to today’s digital distribution model in the industry.

The only one I have that hasn’t been mentioned yet is Suikoden II. Gorgeous sprite art, and it’s also just a solid game. Ironically, it’s getting a remaster very soon which is sure to clean up its biggest weakness (the English localization), though we don’t know how the rest of it will shake out.

I consider the fifth gen to be a lost generation for sprite-based games, this is one of those on the console that make the case for an interesting “what could have been” scenario (Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Valkyrie Profile also being sprite-based standouts).

Definitely one of my essentials. I think the gameplay is bit meh, but it’s still the best story in the genre.

Nice to see a shout-out for DOS2. I liked that it leaned into its sex scenes when called for. Too many M-rated games are still afraid to go there with it. I also feel like it’s a bit more earned when it takes a while to develop, or as is often the case, the setting is so oppressive that it puts romance firmly in the background. Mass Effect 3 was great about this.

It’s definitely one of those that can take a little while to click with the player. I had the advantage of being deeply interested in the setting. It made me miss living in Oregon so, so much. Aside from that, I really came to like the characters by the end of the original game and Before the Storm.

I’ve continued to enjoy the series–yes, even the newest one–aside from LiS 2, which felt like misery porn after a while. That said, all of the games excel at getting the quiet moments right, and it’s worth taking a moment to pause when the game offers the chance.

“The original NES hardware literally only had around 55 colors that were pre-programmed in and no other color was allowed,” Wozniak explained. “We broke this rule by adding 5 colors to help with a few things the NES palette lacked⁠—namely, darker and desaturated colors. But we justified that decision by treating it as compensation for the fact that everyone is playing these games on much brighter, higher fidelity screens than the CRTs of the past.”

This is a great example of how some retro-style projects get it and some don’t. The successful projects are the one that have the feel of the games you used to play in the context of today’s gaming, not the ones that do a historically accurate, 1:1 conversion. There’s an art to it.

I’d be very surprised if Tactics is getting a full remake; this is likely more of a case of “remake/remaster” tending to be interchangeable terms in video game media and casual gaming discussion.

I’d expect to see something like the Tactics Ogre Reborn treatment. Final Fantasy Tactics desperately needs an orchestrated soundtrack like that project’s.

Great to hear! I struggled a bit with the first two Sky games but the Crossbell games completely blew me away. Azure’s one of my all-time favorites.

By the way, if you haven’t seen it, there is a major scene for Randy (along with Wazy and Rixia) if you select him for the final bonding event in Azure. Easy to miss stuff, should be findable on YouTube, etc.

Thanks for bringing this up. I drift in and out of Rimworld every now and then and I just realized I never did pick up this DLC.

How’d you like Crossbell?