WHAT PLAY YOU!? Version 3.0

[Keith Houchen]

Opens with a scene from a Japanese schoolgirl’s toilet. Nice. 

[Cousin Jim Bob]

Alan Wake 2 is reviewing incredibly well. Looks like another great 2023 game to add to the list. 

[gmoney]

The Robocop game is out next week I think, and I'm hearing rumblings that it's pretty good!

[Tommy!]

1 hour ago, Keith Houchen said:

scene from a Japanese schoolgirl’s toilet 

Billy Joels Ill fated first draft?

Edited October 26, 2023 by Tommy!

[textonly]

While everyone gets on with Spider-Man 2, this week I've been working through Spider-Man: Miles Morales for the first time (via Steam Deck) and it's beautiful stuff. I finished it last night and it made me cry. I remember people complaining that it was a bit short when it came out (although maybe that was to do with the price?), but it was perfect for what I want from games at the moment. Zelda: TotK and Baldur's Gate 3 are both brilliant, but I've had to put them both down halfway through because it all just feels too much. This was just what I needed. God of War is next on my list of games I finally get to play thanks to the Steam Deck. Looking forward to it.

[Jesse]

2 hours ago, gmoney said:

The Robocop game is out next week I think, and I'm hearing rumblings that it's pretty good!

Watched the Remap (ex-Waypoint) crew play a little bit of it and it looks cracking.

In other news, I had a dream last night that I was playing Spider-Man 2 and started checking PS5 prices when I woke up. Soon put that to bed though, bloody hell they're not cheap! I'll wait for PC.

[The King Of Swing]

2 hours ago, Keith Houchen said:

Opens with a scene from a Japanese schoolgirl’s toilet. Nice. 

Though you was talking about Yakuza, for a second. 

[Loki]

Really looking forward to Alan Wake 2, I was working for Remedy nearly 10 years ago and they started an aborted version of it then.  They put a lot of pressure on themselves to get it right, I reckon they'll have nailed it.

[Merzbow]

I really need to give the original another go, I think I unfairly compared it to Deadly Premonition seeing as they were both heavily inspired by the same David Lynch joint and Swery's game just had more of that small town quirkiness that I enjoyed.

Control was excellent though, somehow managing that crazy power fantasy gameplay with such a sophisticated setting and story in the perfect way. You could read it's many influences maybe a little too easily but it never felt like it was ripping anything off, we need more JG Ballard in gaming anyway.

[Loki]

I worked on their previous game Quantum Break which imo was just as good as Control, but got caught up in a load of backlash against Microsoft at the time as it was basically an XboxOne launch title.  

I was over in Helsinki for the finalling process and there was a small team looking at an early Alan Wake 2 even then I think.  Met Sam Lake who's really nice.  

Imo Alan Wake is one of the best videogames ever made - in my Top 5 of all time, and one of the best sounding games as well.  So innovative and such great storytelling.

[DavidB6937]

I absolutely loved Alan Wake when it came out. I'm glad it seems to be getting a lot more recognition now and the second one looks absolutely phenomenal from what I've seen so far. I can't wait to play it.

[Merzbow]

29 minutes ago, Loki said:

I worked on their previous game Quantum Break which imo was just as good as Control, but got caught up in a load of backlash against Microsoft at the time as it was basically an XboxOne launch title. 

Yeah the only reason I've never played it was that it's an exclusive and I haven't had an Xbox since the 360 but I see it's on PC now? I totally missed that and will grab it in the next steam sale.

[Bus Surfer]

EA UFC 5

Absolutely no idea what they've been working on for the last 3 years as it seems no different to the last game. Career mode is basically a carbon copy of the last instalment as is the create a fighter system. No new fighters have been added at all and it plays virtually identical (Mike Goldberg) outside of a slightly tweaked submission system. 

I haven't played the last game for a few years so I'm not completely jaded yet. Happy I bought the disc version so I can flog it when I inevitably get bored. 

2 tomatos out of 5.

[Merzbow]

The Pride FC game is still the peak of MMA gaming, managed to be super accessible yet deep as hell. I tried one of the er newer UFC games and it was impenetrable and sluggish as fuck.

[Dr. Alan Grant]

Finished Spider-Man 2 and I loved it from start to finish. Fantastic story, the combat is as fluid as ever and swinging around the city never got old for me. My only criticism is the face model for Peter Parker. The original was so much better. The new one just looks bland and too young. I wish they had an option to choose. Anyway, my Game Of The Year.