Yeah, this is the rare game where I was still learning new strategies well after my initial playthrough, and I love it. Design-wise, the gameplay is up there in my Hall of Fame.

IIRC, the strategy I discovered the second run-through that helped a ton was to have the Ping + stun attack available in “real time”, then…

Finished Uncharted 4, which ended satisfyingly. It’s not Last of Us (but frankly, what is?), but it’s still a better, more emotionally satisfying adventure story than most big-budget blockbuster movies. I did get tired of climbing by the end, but have enough of an appetite to try Lost Legacy sometime. I can’t think of…

I’m torn between getting on Switch (where it’s portable) or PSVR (ooh, pretty VR immersion effects!)

I think it’s definitely easier than Super Meat Boy. SMB existed purely for the platforming (and therefore the challenge)— Celeste has a story and themes relating to the characters and, interestingly, the gameplay itself that it wants you to see. It gives you whatever tools you want to in order to tailor that challenge…

I don’t think the main story arc of Celeste is that hard. It actually has a shockingly good story and thematic elements wrapped up in it, that it wants most people to see. I mean, it’s tough in that you’ll die a lot, but each ‘room’ takes maybe 30 seconds max to do a perfect run-through, so you’re never ‘stuck’ for…

This has been on my list, but the Elder Scrolls comparison worries me.. I don’t like the weak, vague stories of those games.  Is there an in-depth story in addition to just.. stuff to do?

It’s the indies where the Switch has shined for me. Having Into the Breach available on the go, alone, has justified the purchase, even outside the other excellent (but released last year) games.

Wow, this list. This is good list.

I was totally prepared, upon reading the title, to wax on about various PSVR games or perhaps Obra Dinn, since that would be the niche where I’ve been spending the most time that would probably be overlooked. And yet it wasn’t, and now I have nothing to say!

I will add one thing to the…

That’s a fascinating description, and now I need to play this.  I recall being intrigued when it came out, but the reception was so ‘meh’ that it fell down in the infinitely expanding list of ‘to do’ that makes up the modern game backlog.

They really should put ratings and helpful info in the games to help people acclimate. There are games that everyone should be able to play fine, where you’re not moving around. There are games with slight movement, and then there are games with full, rapid movement where it can feel like a rollercoaster (see: Wipeout)…

Agreed on Transistor. Didn’t really like Bastion a ton, but I platinummed Transistor and still wished there were more. The combat is slick and endlessly deep, the style is off the charts, and it’s pretty well paced and the perfect length.

As for backlogs, I’ve finally come to realize that sales are a trap, and I save…

Also re: Beat Saber, moving up through the difficulties has kept me from getting *too* bored of the songs, but apparently the DLC will be coming fast and furious soon.  Makes me wish Harmonix hadn’t worn out its welcome when it was peaking, however, because this game with licensed content could possibly be one of my…

Totally agreed on Beat Saber!! Even my non-gamer girlfriend is high on it.. the satisfaction of being a slick ninja plus the satisfaction of being one with the music combined is a really satisfying feeling. Though I need to take a short break while my biceps, shoulders, and elbows recover.. we’ve made it almost to…

For the most part, it’s just a major immersion booster. I like to say that, basically, it adds 1.5-2 points on a 10-point scale to whatever the original game is.

That said, due to the motion controls, there are definitely experiences you can’t recreate in normal gaming. The satisfaction (not to mention exercise) of…

Coming in late, but I wanted to chime in and say that your experience was basically my experience. I hesitated for ages before stepping through that dark door, and it took me forever and a day to get past the guest house. The good news is, it all gets easier. As you get familiar, and more powerful, it becomes less of…

I imagine those are the guys who you had to pay very special attention to their shoes and socks in the sleeping chapter?

Ah well, not everything is for everyone. Not sure you can get the effect by watching Youtube though, since it doesn’t use stereoscopic vision. So instead of your brain feeling like it’s inside a fully 3D simulation, it just looks like someone looking around at a standard 2D game.

As always, you channel my thoughts about games better than I ever could!

I agree about Obra Dinn.. I loved the puzzle aspect, and that the game basically took its hands off and let you explore and figure things out without the constant hint-hint-hints that modern games use to make sure everyone can figure out the…

Curious — is it motion sickness? Because a lot of VR games have this ‘teleport’ mechanism (some more optional than others) where you’re not really moving, so it shouldn’t trigger motion sickness.

I mean, if you get bad motion sickness you probably still wouldn’t find it reasonable to invest in the hardware, but just…

Finished Deltarune episode 1, and it’s very Undertale-y. The combat system has been fleshed out, the characters are fun, the world is whimsical, but there are some dark undercurrents and mysteries afoot. Really looking forward to the rest, and honestly I hope he starts charging because this is really high quality for…