The Backlog Check-in Vol. 249: 10/8/22: NHL 23/PGA Tour 2K23 Edition

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Phaseknox
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The Backlog Check-in Vol. 249: 10/8/22: NHL 23/PGA Tour 2K23 Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

Played: Asterigos: Curse of the Stars, Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Finished: Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Playing: Asterigos: Curse of the Stars

Added: Asterigos: Curse of the Stars, Blacksad: Under the Skin, Conan Exiles, The Escapists 2, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, LEGO DC Super-Villains, Need For Speed Payback, Need For Speed Heat, The Survivalists

I’ve been playing Asterigos: Curse of the Stars, and as expected I’m really enjoying it. It doesn’t make the best first impression as it begins rather abruptly kind of just throwing you right into things without much exposition, and the look and feel of it comes across like a somewhat low budget linear third person action game. But the beginning is basically a tutorial, and once you reach the city the game really begins. It becomes an adventure RPG with NPCs, quests and open areas/environments to explore. The graphics are more impressive looking than the beginning forest area as well.

It’s structured a lot like a Soulslike game with many of the same design elements and interconnected open-ended type of level layouts that those games offer, but it’s less methodical and more of a fast paced action/hack-and-slash game in terms of combat and traversal. It has RPG elements such as leveling, unlocking abilities, skills, perks and upgrades which there are a lot of. Other than for perhaps the look of the main character and maybe the combat, it’s not really like Immortals Fenyx Rising which I’ve heard people think that it looks like. It’s more of a mix of Darksiders, Dark Souls and Venetica.

I’m liking just about everything about the game. It has an interesting story, a likable main character, good graphics, solid gameplay, fun combat and well designed levels. I’ve been playing it on its normal difficulty, and it has been just right in terms of challenge for me. It presents a challenge where you definitely can’t just button mash your way to victory especially against the bosses that I’ve fought so far, but it has been reasonable and not frustratingly difficult like I usually find Soulslike games to be.

I’m actually more impressed with it than I was expecting to be, because I thought that it was going to be a more linear and straightforward action adventure game than it is. But I’ve spent several hours already in the first slum area on the outskirts of the main city, and it’s a somewhat small area on the map. So if you go to all of the locations shown on the map, then it’s going to be a much bigger game than I had anticipated.

Games releasing this week
Asterix and Obelix XXXL: The Lamb From Hibernia
Astlibra Revision
Atari Mania
Bloodwash
The Case of the Golden Idol
Castle of Secrets
Coral Island
Cultic
The Darkest Tales
Dragon Ball: The Breakers
The Eternal Cylinder
Eville
Fresh Start Cleaning Simulator
Fueled Up
Gedonia
Go All Out
Goal! The Club Manager
Insect Worlds
Kamiwaza: Way of the Thief
The Last Oricru
LEGO Bricktales
Lost Eidolons
Mage and Monsters
NHL 23
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway
No More Heroes III
One More Gate: A Wakfu Legend
Paradise Marsh
Patch Quest
PC Building Simulator 2
PGA Tour 2K23
Pilotwings 64
Pitstop in Purgetory
Saint Kotar
Scorn
Settlement Survival
Shafted
Shattered Heaven
Space Roguelike Adventure
Spooky’s Jump Scare Mansion: HD Renovation
Stardeus
Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova
Sunday Gold
Super People
Timemelters
Trifox
Undecember
Unusual Findings
Warpips
Winter Games 2023
The Witch’s House MV
WW2: Bunker Simulator
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argyle
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 249: 10/8/22: NHL 23/PGA Tour 2K23 Edition

Post by argyle »

Games added: ...nothing!

Last week: Finished A Plague Tale: Innocence, played Dreamlight Valley.

This week: Not sure

Have any of you guys played A Plague Tale? Because...wow. Just, wow. That game is absolutely amazing. I had been curious about it for a while, and the hype I've been hearing over the upcoming sequel (week-after-next I believe) had renewed my interest. I was also looking for something "Halloween-y" to play, so I figured I'd give it a go. And I'm *really* glad I did. I had no idea it would be as good as it is. On paper I suppose it's similar to The Last of Us, but it definitely has its own vibe and is by no means a rip-off of that. I was afraid at first that it was going be a stealth game, or worse, "escort mission: the game" - but it's neither of those, really. I mean, there IS stealth, no doubt, but it plays out more like environmental puzzles than what you typically think of when you think stealth game (watching NPCs routes & avoiding them, mainly). You are avoiding people (the Inquisition) and rats - separately at first, then the game combines them. It does an EXCELLLENT job at introducing tools and obstacles to you slowly, giving you enough time to get used to them before throwing something else or just a harder combination at you.

I don't want to say much about the story, because it is fantastic. Anything I'd say I feel would take away from the experience. Just know that you really get invested in these characters, and they all feel very fleshed-out and not cliched. If I had any complaints about the game, it would mainly be one segment in the final chapter that's just broken. It's definitely not enough to hurt the game or keep me from recommending it, but just remember "the cart" and know that you & most everyone else on the internet has gotten stuck there. ;)

I say it like that because if you guys haven't played this game - do it. I think everyone here would love it. It's only about a 12-15 hour game, so not a huge commitment, and once it grabs you it's very hard to put it down (which is why I started & finished it this week!).
"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. 249: 10/8/22: NHL 23/PGA Tour 2K23 Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

argyle wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 10:17 amHave any of you guys played A Plague Tale? Because...wow. Just, wow. That game is absolutely amazing. I had been curious about it for a while, and the hype I've been hearing over the upcoming sequel (week-after-next I believe) had renewed my interest.
It’s been in my backlog for a while now, I’ve just been waiting to be in the right mood to play it. I’m extremely disappointed that the sequel isn’t coming to PS4, but it is to Switch. That SUCKS!!!! I’m also still upset that Gotham Knights was canceled for PS4 as well, because I was really looking forward to it. Of course this just gives me more games to look forward to when I get a PS5, but that still won’t be for years from now.
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crimson_tide
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Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 5:07 pm

Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 249: 10/8/22: NHL 23/PGA Tour 2K23 Edition

Post by crimson_tide »

First, hooray for dad making it through surgery! Second...I would play Plague Tale but rats. Crippling fear (yet somehow I live in NYC...). How bad is it with the rats? I saw a swarm in a video review and noped out. It was free at some point, PS plus maybe, that's why I watched the review and have the game in my library.

Played: Ys 9...I think that's it this week

Beat: Nothing

Bought: nothing

This week: hoping to wrap up Ys 9

So. Ys 9 is the best PS2 action rp...wait, Guardians of the Galaxy exists...2nd best PS2 action rpg I played this year. About 20 hours deep in chapter...6 I think? The story is...ummm...I like the characters and setting. The Monstrums are basically superheroes who share their powers which was a great idea. You can just be your favorite and still do all the things for traversal and adventuring. The characters are all interesting anime tropes which is cool. They all are fairly independent aside from the curse. The prison town setting is bleak and lacks color and the people react to seeing the colorful cast of Monstrums favorably. There's one part of the story (which is thankfully mad basic) I just am not getting but it's not a big deal. Also, this is a perfect game to just do a couple quests or a dungeon and go about your business. It's an extremely solid game with a soundtrack that goes too hard for no good reason. The more I play it, the more I dig it :D !
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argyle
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 249: 10/8/22: NHL 23/PGA Tour 2K23 Edition

Post by argyle »

crimson_tide wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 11:55 am First, hooray for dad making it through surgery! Second...I would play Plague Tale but rats. Crippling fear (yet somehow I live in NYC...). How bad is it with the rats? I saw a swarm in a video review and noped out. It was free at some point, PS plus maybe, that's why I watched the review and have the game in my library.
Yeahhh, it's basically Musophobia: The Game. :? The rats are kinda the point, so they are everywhere.

BTW, I looked that word up - musophobia. Learned something new today! :D
"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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jfissel
Posts: 719
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2018 3:18 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 249: 10/8/22: NHL 23/PGA Tour 2K23 Edition

Post by jfissel »

Finished: Nothing

Now Playing: Stray, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy

Added to Backlog: Nothing

Current Backlog: 43 games

Nothing new to report.
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canedaddy
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Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2018 1:36 pm

Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 249: 10/8/22: NHL 23/PGA Tour 2K23 Edition

Post by canedaddy »

Thanks for the word, Phase and argyle. Adding Asterigos and Plague Tale to the wish list.


Played recently: Yakuza 6

Finished: nothing

Added to backlog: nothing

Current backlog: 25 (24 PS4, 1 Vita)


I'm guessing I'm near the end of Yakuza 6, but I won't finish it this week. Visiting friends up in jfissel country. (Yes, I will be wearing my Ravens shirt after last night. :D )
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Phaseknox
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Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 249: 10/8/22: NHL 23/PGA Tour 2K23 Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

canedaddy wrote: Mon Oct 10, 2022 9:35 amThanks for the word, Phase and argyle. Adding Asterigos and Plague Tale to the wish list.
I think that you’re going to like Asterigos, it’s one of the better third person action adventure RPGs that I’ve played in a while. I’ve pretty much been addicted to it since starting it. Its world is well designed, varied and enjoyable to explore, and its combat is fun. It might end up being my GOTY if it continues to be as good as it has been.
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isthatallyougot
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Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:52 am

Re: The Backlog Check-in Vol. 249: 10/8/22: NHL 23/PGA Tour 2K23 Edition

Post by isthatallyougot »

Not playing anything - just staring at walls. :P

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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. 249: 10/8/22: NHL 23/PGA Tour 2K23 Edition

Post by Phaseknox »

isthatallyougot wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 11:45 amNot playing anything
Why not?
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