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What I'm Playing/Update


On 01/15/2014 at 04:13 PM by TheMart22

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With the release of the new consoles, and my non-readiness to go next gen, I’m taking the opportunity the clear out some of that crusty ol’ backlog.

Knights of the Old Republic 2 (PC)

KOTOR2

I first purchased this back in the original XBOX days but didn’t fall in love with it. I think I was so worn out with the countless hours I spent with the first in the series that I simply reached my KOTOR limit. Nevertheless, another Steam sale and a couple of clicks later and there it is ready to play on my computer for me and my newfound enthusiasm. In fairness, I had to install a few mods (thank you Steam community) to get it running correctly on my system but besides the initial hassle, it works great. I’m currently about 9 hours in and haven’t reached where I got to first time around yet, but I’m really enjoying my time. For me the gameplay, while not bad by any means, is not the reason I play KOTOR or even Dragon Age games. It’s all about the characters and story. I’m having so much fun making the different Light/Dark choices the game presents you with that I may, just may, see this playthrough through to the finish. As I am generally a good natured sort of chap, I’m playing as a Light side Jedi but I can’t help but feel that the Dark side may open more interesting options. Anyway, as I doubt I’ll ever find the time to come back and play a Dark side playthrough, I’ll take satisfaction in knowing that I’m helping, rather than hindering, the universe.

Guacamelee (Vita)

As I mentioned in the comments of goaztecs’ recent blog, I’m about half way through Guacamelee after getting it on sale a few weeks back for the Vita. Games like Guacamelee and Spelunky really are great on the Vita as they’re ideal for quick gaming sessions. I have a number of games on the Vita I mean to get to but Guacamelee keeps pulling me back.

Guacamelee

The character designs are great!

The gameplay in Guacamelee is really smooth and tight with what I find to be a surprisingly interesting combat system. As you progress, new moves learned complement your known moves very well to make you feel as though both your character is getting stronger and that you are getting better. Besides the gameplay, the humour of the game is a real draw. I know it’s almost expected in indie titles but Guacamelee has some really funny and clever references to other franchises and pop culture. There’s one very funny Mario reference pretty early on that really surprised me and made me laugh.

Gran Turismo 6 (PS3)

I’m only about 8 hours in so not much to say here yet except that I think GT6 is an improvement over GT5 (which I also liked). The game is absolutely gorgeous and runs great with no noticeable lags and whatnot. This may be the last PS3 game I get before making the leap to PS4 later this year so I’m glad there is tonnes to do and Polyphony Digital seem to want to support it for a while. If I remember correctly, they were still supporting GT5 several years after release so there should continue to be plenty to do for the foreseeable future.

New Year’s Resolution.... of sorts

So a few months back, I posted about me feeling somewhat overwhelmed with my backlog and trying to decide what to play. (1st world problems yeah yeah yeah). But fear not folks, there is a new Shane Moriarty in town and that old me has been shown the cold shoulder. Following our lovely Pixlbit communities advice, I’ve decided to not get worked up about decision making and just play what I feel like. Lack of thought is the key. Except for FFX on the Vita in March, I don’t think I’m gonna buy another game any time soon so I’m just gonna work away at what I have. Phew for that.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope everyone is having a nice start to 2014! Later.


 

Comments

Casey Curran Staff Writer

01/15/2014 at 04:32 PM

Kotor 2 is a brilliant game. I'd recommend patching it with the Restoration mod if its not too late, theres a lot of loose plot threads without it.

TheMart22

01/15/2014 at 04:36 PM

Yeah i'm pretty sure the restoration mod was what the Steam community advised I install. I'm not actually sure it would have worked without it. Good game indeed.

Super Step Contributing Writer

01/15/2014 at 06:25 PM

I'm jealous of everyone who owns Guacamelee. It looks like exactly my type of thing. 

TheMart22

01/15/2014 at 08:02 PM

I think it's on the PC too (and cheap!)

Super Step Contributing Writer

01/15/2014 at 08:10 PM

I know it's only $15, but that's too much for me right now (yeah, I know; look, I'm in grad school, I don't eat much as it is), so I'm waiting for it to go on sale. I only see the Gold edition on Steam. If that's what's driving the price up, I might gladly play the normal version for a bit of a price cut. 

TheMart22

01/15/2014 at 09:40 PM

haha don't worry, i'm no pusher man Tongue Out I think i've seen it on Steam sale for like $5 at times so you're smart to wait. To be honest, I think every PC game I've bought the last few year was on some sort of a sale. I may no longer be in college but i'm not exactly swimming in money either so I totally understand...

daftman

01/15/2014 at 08:25 PM

I want to get Guacamelee on the Vita. Seems like the perfect sort of game for the system, but I'm gonna wait for another sail. Or, better yet, maybe Sony will put it on PS+ and thanks to that service, I have plenty of games to play in the meantime.

TheMart22

01/15/2014 at 09:50 PM

Yeah that's the thing with PS+ now, it's always a temptation to just wait for games and there is a certain fear that any game you buy will go "free" next month haha. If I remember correctly, I think I paid $3.75 on PSN for Guacamelee (although I could be getting that mixed up with Spelunky which I bought shortly before). Speaking of plus, I downloaded Sonic All Stars for the Vita which is free this month. Only played a few races but seems fun even if I sucked bad. I've downloaded games on the PS3 from it but i've made great use of the Vita with it: Gravity Rush, Uncharted, Sine Mora, Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, Hotline Miami, Wipeout 2048 - all free. Crazy!

daftman

01/15/2014 at 10:34 PM

Sine Mora was free?? Crap, I must have missed it Frown I've discovered that not everything goes into the "New Arrivals" tab, apparently. That's the one I've always checked but recently I looked through the others and found that Sonic racing game and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD both free for the Vita in other tabs. Glad I didn't miss those at least.

Matt Snee Staff Writer

01/15/2014 at 08:29 PM

KOTOR 2 is my favorite game of all time.  I love it so much.  I've played it backwards and forwards, and unlocked everything I could.  I haven't played through the restoration mod yet, but I'm planning to. 

TheMart22

01/15/2014 at 09:51 PM

The mod works a treat anyway so be happy for that. I'm really enjoying it so far. The dialogue is great especially. I can see why you're so high on it.

Justin Matkowski Staff Alumnus

01/15/2014 at 09:50 PM

On Christmas day me and my girlfriend went to her aunt's, and we got into a gaming conversation with my lady's dad, her uncle, and her cousin. We were pitched the question of "favorite game of all time", and her cousin responded with KOTOR 2 without much hesitation. That conversation put it back on my radar as a title I really need to play!

TheMart22

01/15/2014 at 09:54 PM

Wow, I was a huge fan of the original but didn't realise the sequel had such fanfare. It certainly is a lot of fun and as i've mentioned, it works great with the restoration mod. Another for you to add to the backlog haha

Justin Matkowski Staff Alumnus

01/15/2014 at 10:27 PM

It never ends haha! It has become a bottom-less abyss for me to stare into while slipping slowly into madness! 

goaztecs

01/16/2014 at 11:10 AM

Nice list of games in the rotation. At some point I will jump back into the original KOTOR and maybe finish it. Good luck on the New Year's Goals! Hopefully in December we have a bunch of blogs about people kicking ass on their 2014 goals

TheMart22

01/16/2014 at 11:28 AM

I adore the original KOTOR. One of my most memorable gaming experiences. Thanks for the positive wishes

C.S.3590SquadLeader

01/16/2014 at 11:17 AM

I've read lots of good things about Guacamelee, yet another reason I should try and save my spare cash more often.

TheMart22

01/16/2014 at 11:32 AM

It's was too tempting not to get when under $5. I'm glad I succumbed.

transmet2033

01/16/2014 at 11:44 AM

Yep, you can't treat your backlog as a chore.  What is they point of playing the games if you aren't having any fun?  This is one of the reasons that I am glad that I routinely clean out my backlog.  

TheMart22

01/16/2014 at 12:01 PM

Easier said than done for me but I completely agree. I'm just going to keep my game buying in check for now and play what I feel like. It's not like I don't want to play the games in my backlog or anything, I just want to play them all now Laughing

NSonic79

01/23/2014 at 01:16 PM

Here's to 2014. Hope you can put a dent into your backlog if you feel up to the challenge.

TheMart22

01/24/2014 at 10:04 AM

Thanks! I wish the same to you

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