The Backlog Check-in Vol. 211: 1/15/22: Rainbow Six Extraction Edition

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Phaseknox
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The Backlog Check-in Vol. 211: 1/15/22: Rainbow Six Extraction Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

Played: Alwa’s Awakening, Far Cry 6, Stranded Sails: Explorers of the Cursed Islands

Finished: Far Cry 6

Playing: Alwa’s Awakening, Stranded Sails: Explorers of the Cursed Islands

Added: Alwa’s Awakening, Astalon: Tears of the Earth, Baldur’s Gate/Baldur’s Gate II Enhanced Edition, Celeste, Macrotis: A Mother’s Journey, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, Shalnor Legends: Sacred Lands, Untitled Goose Game

After finishing Far Cry 6 I wanted to take a break from bigger games, and play some shorter indies. I started with Alwa’s Awakening which is a 2D side scrolling Metroidvania with 8-bit pixel art graphics and chiptunes. It looks and plays like an authentic NES game. It’s cute and charming with action, platforming, and puzzle solving. However, it plays a little slow with floaty jumping which is somewhat problematic when fast and precise movement is needed which is quite often. So it’s been a little more challenging than I would like for that reason. I’m having fun with it for now, but if the difficulty becomes too much for me then I’ll stop playing.

I also started playing a cartoonish isometric view survival sim adventure game called Stranded Sails: Explorers of the Cursed Islands, and I’ve been enjoying it so far. The ship that you were on gets caught in a storm, and crashes on a deserted island. It’s up to you to find the other passengers, build shelter and do a little farming as well. It’s primarily about exploring, and gathering resources. It’s a leisurely paced game with fairly basic gameplay mechanics, and I’ve been enjoying it for that reason since after playing Far Cry 6 I’m in the mood for something a little more chill.

Games releasing this week
Blackwind
Blade Assault
The Company Man
Dimension Tripper Neptune: Top Nep
Expeditions: Rome
Gravity Chase
Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S
Jack ‘n’ Hat
Nobody Saves the World
Rainbow Six Extraction
RPGolf Legends
Windjammers 2
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isthatallyougot
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 211: 1/15/22: Rainbow Six Extraction Edition

Post by isthatallyougot »

Phaseknox wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 1:00 am After finishing Far Cry 6 I wanted to take a break from bigger games, and play some shorter indies. I started with Alwa’s Awakening which is a 2D side scrolling Metroidvania with 8-bit pixel art graphics and chiptunes. It looks and plays like an authentic NES game. It’s cute and charming with action, platforming, and puzzle solving. However, it plays a little slow with floaty jumping which is somewhat problematic when fast and precise movement is needed which is quite often. So it’s been a little more challenging than I would like for that reason. I’m having fun with it for now, but if the difficulty becomes too much for me then I’ll stop playing.

I also started playing a cartoonish isometric view survival sim adventure game called Stranded Sails: Explorers of the Cursed Islands, and I’ve been enjoying it so far. The ship that you were on gets caught in a storm, and crashes on a deserted island. It’s up to you to find the other passengers, build shelter and do a little farming as well. It’s primarily about exploring, and gathering resources. It’s a leisurely paced game with fairly basic gameplay mechanics, and I’ve been enjoying it for that reason since after playing Far Cry 6 I’m in the mood for something a little more chill.
Both of those are already on my Steam wishlist. (I have way too many games on that list, lol.) Hope they're worth finishing.

Things opened up in RDR2, and I'm absolutely loving it, as I expected. Man, what a beautifully realized world! I could play this game as a nature/cowboy simulator without any of the main narrative, and it'd be phenomenal to me.
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Dragon kick your a$$ into the Milky Way!
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Phaseknox
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 211: 1/15/22: Rainbow Six Extraction Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

isthatallyougot wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 11:22 amBoth of those are already on my Steam wishlist. (I have way too many games on that list, lol.) Hope they're worth finishing.
I have way too many games, over 600 for PS4 alone. That’s why I don’t really have an interest in PS5, because I probably won’t even play half of my PS4 games as it is. Anyway, I’ll keep posting impressions of Alwa’s Awakening and Stranded Sails as I play them. I hope that they’re worth finishing as well, but if they’re not it’s not like I don’t have any other games to play. :P
isthatallyougot wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 11:22 amThings opened up in RDR2, and I'm absolutely loving it, as I expected. Man, what a beautifully realized world! I could play this game as a nature/cowboy simulator without any of the main narrative, and it'd be phenomenal to me.
:lol:

I’m glad that you’re enjoying it. I did too for the most part, but the overly realistic nature of it didn’t lend itself to be quite as fun from a gameplay perspective as other similar games within the genre IMO.
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crimson_tide
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 211: 1/15/22: Rainbow Six Extraction Edition

Post by crimson_tide »

:shock: ... We did it...We rolled credits on Lego Marvel Superheroes 2...and they had the audacity, the sheer termerity to threaten me with an ending indicating there would be ANOTHER one. I am going to sue Lego for mental anguish...maybe it should be a class action suit including all the other parents and older sibling afflicted with these...games :( ... Oh, who am I kidding, she's going to make me play through Lego DC Supervillains next, she loves these things. I will hate post about that experience too :P
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Phaseknox
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 211: 1/15/22: Rainbow Six Extraction Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

Phaseknox wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 11:56 amI’ll keep posting impressions of Alwa’s Awakening and Stranded Sails as I play them.
I stopped playing both. :P Neither are bad, but they were failing to really keep me interested and invested at this time.

Alwa’s Awakening is basically one fairly challenging platforming, puzzle, trap room after another. I was enjoying getting through them for a while as they’re creatively crafted, but they kept getting harder and I wanted to do a little more than just navigate challenging platforming areas.

I was enjoying Stranded Sails a little more since it’s somewhat of an adventure game, but it focuses a lot on resource gathering, building, farming and cooking. It’s stamina based, and everything that you do in it including walking and running consumes stamina. When you run out of stamina you collapse, and are brought back to your camp which is often far from where you were out exploring. The only way to regain stamina is to eat, and sleep. You can bring food with you to eat when you’re exploring, but the early food that you can make doesn’t refill much of your stamina. You can only sleep at your camp. I can see the game being fun if you’re in the mood for its repetitive gameplay loop, slow progression and sim elements, but I wasn’t right now since I have other games that I think that I will enjoy playing more at this time.

Speaking of which, I started playing an isometric view action adventure game called Alchemist Adventure and I’ve been somewhat enjoying it so far. The production values for it are pretty good for a low budget indie game as it has decent 3D graphics, and some voice acting. It plays pretty good, too. I’m not too fond of the big focus on the somewhat overly complicated and hard to understand potion creating aspect of it that’s thrown at you immediately, but the core game seems like it’s going to be a solid adventure so I’m willing to stick with it and learn it.
crimson_tide wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 2:29 pm :shock: ... We did it...We rolled credits on Lego Marvel Superheroes 2...and they had the audacity, the sheer termerity to threaten me with an ending indicating there would be ANOTHER one. I am going to sue Lego for mental anguish...maybe it should be a class action suit including all the other parents and older sibling afflicted with these...games :(
:lol:
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argyle
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 211: 1/15/22: Rainbow Six Extraction Edition

Post by argyle »

Games added: Nothing

Last week: Finished nothing, played mainly Like A Dragon, with a little Bejeweled and The Gunk.

This week: LAD

So The Gunk is a poor man's Luigi's Mansion. Same basic vacuum-y gameplay but much, much more basic. It's kinda pretty? But otherwise, eh. Just makes me want to play Luigi's Mansion. :P Thanks GamePass for once again saving me money! ;)

Tam and I have had head colds this week (NOT the 'rona) so we've both felt like crap. That, combined with typical start-of-the-year madness at work is why I haven't posted my top 10 (probably gonna be top 5) of last year, Phase. I haven't forgotten. ;)

BTW, for anyone who's interested, Limited Run Games put up a preorder for a physical copy of Castlevania Requium, which includes Rondo of Blood and a little game called Symphony of the Night. I think I kinda like that last one...preorder runs until Feb. 27, FYI.

https://limitedrungames.com/collections ... equiem-ps4
"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed
if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I
became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the
desire to be very grown up.” ― C.S. Lewis

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Phaseknox
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 211: 1/15/22: Rainbow Six Extraction Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

argyle wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 10:36 pmTam and I have had head colds this week (NOT the 'rona) so we've both felt like crap. That, combined with typical start-of-the-year madness at work is why I haven't posted my top 10 (probably gonna be top 5) of last year, Phase. I haven't forgotten. ;)
I’m sorry that you two haven’t been feeling well. :( I look forward to your top games of 2021 list when you post it.
argyle wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 10:36 pmBTW, for anyone who's interested, Limited Run Games put up a preorder for a physical copy of Castlevania Requium, which includes Rondo of Blood and a little game called Symphony of the Night. I think I kinda like that last one...preorder runs until Feb. 27, FYI.
I would buy it if I didn’t already own it digitally, which reminds me that I still need to play it along with Castlevania Advance Collection.
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jfissel
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 211: 1/15/22: Rainbow Six Extraction Edition

Post by jfissel »

Finished: Maneater Truth Quest DLC

Now Playing: Final Fantasy VII Remake

Added to Backlog: Nothing

Current Backlog: 39 games

Maneater DLC is complete! A fun addition to the main game for sure. Happy to give those devs some money after getting the PS5 main game for free last year.

I guess I should jump back into FF7 Remake, lol...haven't played it in months. Not sure what I'll start on PS5 unless it's a PS+ game as I've completed everything else.
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Phaseknox
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 211: 1/15/22: Rainbow Six Extraction Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

I’ve played more Alchemist Adventure, and I’m enjoying it more now that I’m understanding its potion creation/mechanics better. The potions are a somewhat complicated system that isn’t very well explained, I’ve been learning through trial-and-error.

Potions are basically the character’s magic, and there’s four different elemental properties to create them with including air, electricity, fire and water. You need to use the right elemental potion to destroy certain barriers blocking areas, against enemies that can only take damage from certain elements and to solve puzzles. There are presets to use that can get the job done in a lot of instances, but you can also create your own by mixing different ingredients that you collect in the world. The menus are confusing, and the game doesn’t do a good job of explaining how to do things so I’ve been learning through experimentation. I have a better handle on things now, but I’m still learning.

While potions are one of your main attacks against enemies, you also have a sword. So you have a melee attack, and ranged attacks since potion attacks are like casting spells and not actually throwing potions. I like the potion system, but it should have been more simplified and streamlined since it’s more complicated than is necessary.

The core game itself is an isometric view open-ish world action adventure with RPG elements. You gain experience points to unlock skills and upgrades, and you use collected ingredients to craft gear, upgrade your sword and gear and as currency to buy things from a vendor. In order to craft gear you need the schematics for them that you find by exploring, or purchasing from a vendor. The vendor doesn’t sell everything, so you have to explore the environments to find some stuff if you want it.

I said that the world is open-ish because it has somewhat open areas and they’re all interconnected, but it’s not a big sprawling open world like open world games offer. Unfortunately, the environments are somewhat empty and lifeless as they lack lively activity. There’s creature enemies every so often, but that’s about it. I’m assuming that it has something to do with the story since it’s told through flashbacks that your character remembers along the way. She starts with amnesia, but remembers some of her past at key points in the game.

The game in general seems like a PS2/GameCube/Xbox era game in design, look and gameplay. There’s very little handholding, it’s basically a retro style action adventure game and that’s part of its appeal IMO. I like the explorative nature of it, its slow progression system, its clever puzzles and even its bosses. As an action adventure game fan I’ve been enjoying it quite a bit since it reminds me of the ones from the past that we don’t get that much of anymore.
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canedaddy
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 211: 1/15/22: Rainbow Six Extraction Edition

Post by canedaddy »

Played recently: Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark

Finished: Fell Seal

Added to backlog: nothing

Current backlog: 21 (17 PS4, 4 Switch)


I finished up Fell Seal. I'd say it's the best FF Tactics ripoff in a long time. Check it out if you're a fan. Not sure what I'll play next, but...

I could use some advice from any of you who have experience with XBOX. I noticed the Series X is readily available now and it fits in the budget of my fantasy football winnings. :) Should I do it?

The obvious plus is I've never played a single Xbox exclusive in my life and I believe all of them are playable on this machine. Not to mention games coming in the future like Starfield and Elder Scrolls VI.

The obvious minus is I'm not sure there are enough exclusives to make it worthwhile. Besides the obvious Halo/Gears, you have what... Fables? Blue Dragon?

Help a brother out. :P
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