The Backlog Check-in Vol. 228: 5/14/22: Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Edition

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Phaseknox
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The Backlog Check-in Vol. 228: 5/14/22: Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

Played: Alice: Madness Returns, Shenmue II

Finished: Nothing

Playing: Alice: Madness Returns

Added: Nothing

I stopped playing Shenmue II because it’s slow paced, and a lot of walking and talking. It’s basically an interactive story with some Virtua Fighter style combat sequences, and QTEs sprinkled sparingly throughout. I could see enjoying it when I’m more in the mood for a methodically paced story driven game, but that isn’t now.

I started playing Alice: Madness Returns because I was in the mood for an action platformer. I’ve played it a few times in the past and enjoyed it, but never finished it for some reason. Despite being an older game, it still holds up really well in terms of graphics and gameplay. It’s not the type of game that we get a lot of anymore which is a shame. I plan on finishing it this time.



Games releasing this week
Behind Closed Doors: A Developer’s Tale
Cotton Fantasy
Deadcraft
Dolmen
Endzone: A World Apart
Eternal Threads
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Golf Gang
Little Witch in the Woods
Old World
Snow Bros. Special
They Always Run
Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong
V Rising
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isthatallyougot
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 228: 5/14/22: Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Edition

Post by isthatallyougot »

Phaseknox wrote: Sat May 14, 2022 4:58 pm I started playing Alice: Madness Returns because I was in the mood for an action platformer. I’ve played it a few times in the past and enjoyed it, but never finished it for some reason. Despite being an older game, it still holds up really well in terms of graphics and gameplay. It’s not the type of game that we get a lot of anymore which is a shame. I plan on finishing it this time.
I played Alice : MR back on PS3. I thought the presentation was really nice. It had that surreal art and atmosphere that I really enjoy, understandably given the source material - which I *love*. And the mechanics were decent if not always inspired. But graphics/presentation aside, it was mostly one-note in terms of how things felt. The game lasted longer than its ideas warranted imho. I enjoyed it for what it was, but it was an average 3/5, all things considered for me. American McGee's Alice was also enjoyable if not outstanding. Again, great presentation, but in that one there were some clunky controls at times. Both of them are worth playing in terms of spectacle though.

I'm still addicted to Unreal World. I'll play that forever or until my structural integrity is...reorganized. :P

I'm also loving going back to Dead Space. Such an incredible game that holds up easily for me. I still can't believe how great it looks considering how old it is.
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Dragon kick your a$$ into the Milky Way!
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jfissel
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 228: 5/14/22: Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Edition

Post by jfissel »

Finished: Nothing

Now Playing: Final Fantasy VII Remake, Gran Turismo 7, Unpacking PS5

Added to Backlog: Unpacking PS5

Current Backlog: 41 games

Bought Unpacking and started it since it's pretty straightforward and probably not too long or anything. I think I'm already in the 4th year (aka stage). Also nearly "done" with GT7 - I'm on the last menu!
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Phaseknox
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 228: 5/14/22: Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

isthatallyougot wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 1:29 pmI played Alice : MR back on PS3. I thought the presentation was really nice. It had that surreal art and atmosphere that I really enjoy, understandably given the source material - which I *love*. And the mechanics were decent if not always inspired. But graphics/presentation aside, it was mostly one-note in terms of how things felt. The game lasted longer than its ideas warranted imho. I enjoyed it for what it was, but it was an average 3/5, all things considered for me.
I somewhat agree. I’ve played a good bit of it now and I kind of remember why I didn’t stick with it until the end before, because it’s basically nonstop combat and platforming through long linear levels. There’s almost never a break from the action and platforming, it’s pretty much constant.

It’s definitely a visual treat with great art design, but just fighting enemies and platforming continuously through lengthy linear levels is a bit redundant from a gameplay standpoint. It looks good, plays good and the levels are well designed, but it’s kind of one-note like you said.
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canedaddy
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 228: 5/14/22: Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Edition

Post by canedaddy »

jfissel wrote: Sun May 15, 2022 3:45 pm Bought Unpacking and started it since it's pretty straightforward and probably not too long or anything. I think I'm already in the 4th year (aka stage). Also nearly "done" with GT7 - I'm on the last menu!
Now that's what I'm talking about.

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Played recently: Elden Ring

Finished: nothing

Added to backlog: nothing

Current backlog: 20 (19 PS4, 1 Vita)


Level 80 in Elden Ring at 100 hours or so... and it doesn't seem as if I'm anywhere near the end. :lol: I'm still having a great time. Took down a few tough bosses this week and found new areas to explore.
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Phaseknox
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 228: 5/14/22: Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

I made it to chapter 5 in Alice: Madness Returns, so I’m nearing the end. Chapter 4 was really good, the best so far IMO. Chapter 1 was good too, but chapters 2 and 3 weren’t very good as their settings weren’t all that appealing and they were almost nothing but frustrating platforming challenges throughout. They’re the chapters that pretty much made me stop playing the game before.

Unlike chapters 2 and 3 which were almost entirely platforming challenges, chapter 4 was a mix of on foot traversal, combat and short platforming segments. It felt like a more traditional action game level instead of just a series of platforming challenges, and it was better for it.
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jfissel
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 228: 5/14/22: Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Edition

Post by jfissel »

GT7 menu campaign is complete! I have a few other things to do (super license left...not sure I can obtain that one though, we'll see).

I also finished the Unpacking story and still have a few trophies to clean up from various years. It's a game that some of you may enjoy. Definitely tells a story with just the levels, items, and a few words after level completion.
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Phaseknox
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 228: 5/14/22: Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

jfissel wrote: Thu May 19, 2022 9:03 amI also finished the Unpacking story and still have a few trophies to clean up from various years. It's a game that some of you may enjoy. Definitely tells a story with just the levels, items, and a few words after level completion.
I think that argyle really liked that game, remember him? :P It looks interesting, I’ll get it when it’s on sale.
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isthatallyougot
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 228: 5/14/22: Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Edition

Post by isthatallyougot »

I've noticed that I've been playing games that are mostly either heavy/serious and/or scary lately, and so I felt like lightening the mood, so I fired up SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated. It's an easy, breezy 3D collectathon platformer from the PS2 era that has been remastered in terms of visuals and extra content. It's definitely formulaic, but the tone is a nice change of pace and I'm enjoying it. We'll see if it wears out its welcome, but I'm sure I'll finish it, whether or not I bother doing all the collecting available.

And I'm getting closed to finished with Dead Space. Such a great reminder of how much I love that series. I hope the remake lives up to the legacy.

And I'm still playing Unreal World, of course. I've almost got a really nice and big cabin constructed on the edge of a lake that is really keeping me well-fed. I traded for a net (that is wearing out) from another village, and I've built a raft so I can place it out in the deep waters of the lake to catch some bigger fish. I've also got some traps set that have been catching a variety of birds. So most of my hunting has been passive with the occasional lakeside rod and reel effort. But that passive food sourcing has really allowed me to build a lot and hopefully get prepared for the brutal winters that inevitably come. I've moved away from my cultural region, (I'm an "Islander" for this character.) and settled within a different culture that has more to offer in the ways of bartering. I'm still living an isolated life, but have a variety of villages relatively close by which is nice. Of course, all my efforts and planning can - and often are - undone in an instant by a foolish decision of my own or some random violent encounter. You keep living until you die - just like real life. :P
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Phaseknox
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 228: 5/14/22: Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

isthatallyougot wrote: Thu May 19, 2022 12:09 pmI'm still playing Unreal World, of course. I've almost got a really nice and big cabin constructed on the edge of a lake that is really keeping me well-fed. I traded for a net (that is wearing out) from another village, and I've built a raft so I can place it out in the deep waters of the lake to catch some bigger fish. I've also got some traps set that have been catching a variety of birds. So most of my hunting has been passive with the occasional lakeside rod and reel effort. But that passive food sourcing has really allowed me to build a lot and hopefully get prepared for the brutal winters that inevitably come. I've moved away from my cultural region, (I'm an "Islander" for this character.) and settled within a different culture that has more to offer in the ways of bartering. I'm still living an isolated life, but have a variety of villages relatively close by which is nice. Of course, all my efforts and planning can - and often are - undone in an instant by a foolish decision of my own or some random violent encounter. You keep living until you die - just like real life. :P
This seems like something that I might enjoy if it was in third person with at least PS3/Xbox 360 quality graphics, but its current presentation looks much too dated leaving too much to the imagination which would probably prevent me from being able to really get into it.
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