The Backlog Check-in Vol. 214: 2/5/22: Birthday Edition

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Phaseknox
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The Backlog Check-in Vol. 214: 2/5/22: Birthday Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

Played: Dying Light 2: Stay Human, SteamWorld Dig 2

Finished: Nothing

Playing: Dying Light 2: Stay Human

Added: Dying Light 2: Stay Human

I haven’t played too much Dying Light 2 yet, but I’m impressed with what I’ve played of it so far. It starts out slow to ease you into its gameplay mechanics which I like. It plays really good for a first person game, it’s smooth and responsive. Combat, traversal and platforming all feel good. Menus and inventory are well designed, and easy to understand. The skill tree is one of the best that I’ve seen in a game like this with almost everything being something that I want to unlock.

I’ve been enjoying the story so far, and I admit that I like the main character more than I was expecting to. His voice/voice acting is good IMO, so I don’t mind playing as a male protagonist since he seems fitting for the role.

The graphics are impressive looking with a lot of detail to everything, and good lighting. Unfortunately, they’re somewhat low res. They don’t quite have the same clean, clear and crisp look to them that Far Cry 6 has. But the game runs at a steady 30fps.

The game so far delivers where it matters most: fun factor, and I look forward to playing it more.

I turned 52 today.

Games releasing this week
Ammo Pigs: Cocked and Loaded
Backbone
Breakout: Recharged
CrossfireX
Edge of Eternity
Egglia: Rebirth
From Heaven to Earth
KungFu Kickball
Lost Ark
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD
OlliOlli World
PowerSlave Exhumed
Rise of the Third Power
Sifu
Skautfold: Shrouded in Sanity
Spirit Roots
Unbound: Worlds Apart
Zorya: The Celestial Sisters
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isthatallyougot
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 214: 2/5/22: Birthday Edition

Post by isthatallyougot »

I'm about 40 hours into RDR2 and I'm absolutely loving it. I've still only done a small amount of the story, but just wandering around cowboy-ing is so fun. I finally unlocked fishing last night, lol. I also had a cool jump-scare experience when I entered the remote cabin of the writer in the mountains to find a grizzly in my face. (I hope I'm not spoilering anyone. I think everyone that wanted to play it besides me has done so, right?) That was unexpectedly intense. Such an immersive game, and one that I have no desire to rush. Suits my rhythms just fine pardner. :P I still have some complaints about some design choices, but in the grand scheme of things, they don't matter too much.

Also still playing Tesla vs Lovecraft and trying to knock out a level or two on the hardest difficulty. Some of those levels are really challenging, but I keep plugging away because it's such a good time.

I'm also still playing the Longing, but what I'm doing right now requires some waiting, so there isn't much to do for a bit. I won't explain in the rare chance that any of you ever play it.
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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. 214: 2/5/22: Birthday Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

I played more Dying Light 2, and while I’ve been enjoying it for the most part there are two glaring issues with it. The first is that it’s low res and blurry looking. It looks like what I would expect the Switch version of it to look like, not the PS4 version. Recently coming off of Far Cry 6 which looked great on the PS4 makes it even more noticeable. I know that the PS4 is capable of better than this, so I don’t know why it visually looks as bad as it does.

The second even bigger issue that I’m having is that the audio for conversations sometimes doesn’t work. I’ll initiate a conversation with someone, and there’s just silence. I turned on subtitles so that I could at least read the conversations if I couldn’t hear them, but they just flash on the screen and then disappear. This is a major issue as it has been happening often. I have to exit the game during these sequences, and restart it hoping that they work the next time since the conversations are story and quest related.

The game in general feels more like Dead Island than Dying Light to me due to its bugs, Eurojank and overall feel/vibe. Considering how long that they’ve been working on it, I was expecting a more polished product at release. This appears to be another Cyberpunk 2077 situation where the PC version got all of the love while the console versions (especially last gen) got the short end of the stick.
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jfissel
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Location: Ohio

Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 214: 2/5/22: Birthday Edition

Post by jfissel »

isthatallyougot wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 2:00 pm I'm about 40 hours into RDR2 and I'm absolutely loving it. I've still only done a small amount of the story, but just wandering around cowboy-ing is so fun. I finally unlocked fishing last night, lol. I also had a cool jump-scare experience when I entered the remote cabin of the writer in the mountains to find a grizzly in my face. (I hope I'm not spoilering anyone. I think everyone that wanted to play it besides me has done so, right?) That was unexpectedly intense. Such an immersive game, and one that I have no desire to rush. Suits my rhythms just fine pardner. :P I still have some complaints about some design choices, but in the grand scheme of things, they don't matter too much.
I remember that cabin, lol.
Phaseknox wrote: Sat Feb 05, 2022 3:16 am I turned 52 today.
Happy Birthday!


Finished: Nothing

Now Playing: Final Fantasy VII Remake, Dysmantle

Added to Backlog: Nothing

Current Backlog: 40 games

Playing a lot of Dysmantle as I have about 1.5 weeks to complete it before Horizon. It's certainly a different game than what I normally play, but I've explored a lot of the map and it's kept my engagement despite a lot of swinging a bat/axe/etc into everything in the world a few times until it shatters into resources and fighting the same enemies countless times.
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crimson_tide
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 214: 2/5/22: Birthday Edition

Post by crimson_tide »

Sup? Happy Birthday, Phase!!! Sorry I have been absent fam, life and then my back going out (slipped disc, FUN :| ) has kept me from wanting to do much of anything. No idea when I will be lifting again yet, bummer. Anyway...

Played: Steamworld Dig 2 (playing in an alternating fashion with Earthbound when it feels like being too Earthbound), Earthbound (I can now tell that somebody who didn't really consider video games their craft made this game. The inventory, dungeon layouts, that stupid photographer...I get where all my gripes with it are coming from but I will get through it) and DBZ Kakarot :D (I LOVE THIS GAME)

Beat (but not done with): DBZ Kakarot (there's a lot of post game stuff and the DLC to tackle and I might as well platinum this sucker because I am so close and still having a great time after 60 hours).

Bought: Nothing.

So. With DBZ Kakarot now in the can, I will be doing my GOTY post probably this week. I am glad I put it off until I beat this and P5 Strikers. I expected Strikers to be a real contender but Kakarot just tickled me in all the right ways. I had a wonderful time and look forward to going into detail in my thread. I actually have a tough bracket this year. i didn't play a lot but what I did really resonated with me, should be fun :) !
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isthatallyougot
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 214: 2/5/22: Birthday Edition

Post by isthatallyougot »

crimson_tide wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 10:00 am Earthbound (I can now tell that somebody who didn't really consider video games their craft made this game. The inventory, dungeon layouts, that stupid photographer...I get where all my gripes with it are coming from but I will get through it)
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:P

And yeah, happy belated birthday phase. I didn't mean to disregard it, but as I've aged birthdays have lost their importance and meaning, lol. (except for my kid and nieces and nephews.)
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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. 214: 2/5/22: Birthday Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

jfissel wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:01 amHappy Birthday!
crimson_tide wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 10:00 amHappy Birthday, Phase!!!
isthatallyougot wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 11:56 amhappy belated birthday phase.
Thanks. :D
jfissel wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:01 amPlaying a lot of Dysmantle as I have about 1.5 weeks to complete it before Horizon.
That’s the same amount of time that I have to complete Dying Light 2 before Horizon Forbidden West comes out. My brother bought it for me for my birthday.
crimson_tide wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 10:00 amSorry I have been absent fam, life and then my back going out (slipped disc, FUN :| ) has kept me from wanting to do much of anything.
Ouch... sorry. :(
crimson_tide wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 10:00 amPlayed: Steamworld Dig 2
How are you liking it? I was enjoying it, and only stopped playing it because I got Dying Light 2.
crimson_tide wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 10:00 amWith DBZ Kakarot now in the can, I will be doing my GOTY post probably this week.
Finally. :P
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jfissel
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 214: 2/5/22: Birthday Edition

Post by jfissel »

Phaseknox wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 1:24 pm
jfissel wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:01 amPlaying a lot of Dysmantle as I have about 1.5 weeks to complete it before Horizon.
That’s the same amount of time that I have to complete Dying Light 2 before Horizon Forbidden West comes out. My brother bought it for me for my birthday.
Awesome! Let's get to it!
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argyle
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 214: 2/5/22: Birthday Edition

Post by argyle »

Games added: RDR2, Journey to the Savage Planet

Last week: Mainly JttSP, with an unhealthy amount of Bejeweled 3 for reasons that baffle even me

This week: Ditto

So izzy got me interested in giving RDR2 another go - I think it's one of those that now that I know what it is and what it's not I'll appreciate it more. That said, I'll probably be dabbling with it off & on for the time being. I had been wanting to play Savage Planet since it released, and when I saw it on sale for $12 last week I decided that's what I was in the mood for. Man, is that an awesome game! It's basically Metroid Prime with a really good sense of humor & better controls. I'm around 2/3's through it now, so I expect to have it wrapped up pretty soon. I'll give more thoughts on it then, but it's definitely a winner.

I had decided to skip Dying Light 2 for the time being - then Target started a b2g1 sale on Sunday and actually had first-party Nintendo games included. I ended up grabbing DL2, the latest Pokemon, and a preorder. In my first order. :oops: Then I got Pokemon Snap 2, the Pokemon Diamond remake, and the Zelda: Skyward Sword remake. Those should all be here later this week...thinking the new Pokemon will be my next game.

Happy b-day Phase!

Sorry to hear about your back crim. :(
"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. 214: 2/5/22: Birthday Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

argyle wrote: Tue Feb 08, 2022 2:26 amI had decided to skip Dying Light 2 for the time being - then Target started a b2g1 sale on Sunday and actually had first-party Nintendo games included. I ended up grabbing DL2, the latest Pokemon, and a preorder.
I’m curious to hear what you think about Dying Light 2 when you play it, because I know that your experience with it will be better than mine since you’ll be playing the Xbox Series X version.

The PS4 version looks like a PS3 game, and that’s not an exaggeration. I decided to check out the original Dying Light to compare the two, and it looks way better. The graphics are clean, crisp and sharp with a lot of detail, there’s impressive dust/fog/smoke effects and realistic lighting. I remember being impressed with its graphics back when I first played it, and they still look really good now. Dying Light 2 looks blurry and flat by comparison lacking high res graphics, and visual effects. I don’t know why it looks inferior to the first game. It’s a shame that it doesn’t look better, because the game itself is a lot of fun. I think that it’s even better than the first game, but I’ve been enjoying the first game again. My main complaint with it when I originally played it was that it was too hard, but they added a story mode to it which is essentially easy but based on what I’ve played of it so far it’s what I consider normal. It’s still challenging, but more reasonable.

I’m going to stick with it for now since I keep having the audio bug in Dying Light 2 where the voiced conversations don’t play. Techland is apparently aware of the bug, and are fixing it. I figure that by the time that I finish Horizon Forbidden West a lot of the current issues with Dying Light 2 will be resolved, and I’ll play it again then.
argyle wrote: Tue Feb 08, 2022 2:26 amHappy b-day Phase!
Thanks. :)
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