What games are you currently playing?

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

I really have to wonder why Sony is so fucked up when it comes to letting you access the content you paid for.

I have three games on PSN I could play on my PS Vita if Sony would let me just download them directly to Vita but they are not available to download from the Vita.

I can download them to PC via MediaGo, but there's no way to move them from MediaGo to the Vita Content manager, only from PC to PS3 or Vita. This makes no fucking sense, the content manager exists for this very purpose and Sony made no effort for it to be able to access files from MediaGo and actively blocks copying content from the MediaGo to the Content Manager.

So the only real way to transfer these game over is to download them to the PS3 (which downloads things at the speed of suck and I don't have a PS3) and then transfer from the PS3 to the Vita.

And all of this frustration could be avoided if they just let you download all the PSOne Classics and PSP games to the Vita. Why games like Metal Gear Solid, Legacy of Kain and Castlevania Chronicles are still not downloadable to Vita a year after release is beyond me.

[Icemage]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

I really have to wonder why Sony is so fucked up when it comes to letting you access the content you paid for.

My guess is that Sony has some poor wage-slaves locked in a box somewhere slowly playing through every PS1 game on PSN to make sure the game works on Vita. Possibly the PS1 emulator on Vita isn't like-for-like identical to the PS3 and/or PSP versions, so they're playing it safe, unlocking games as they go. They've been fairly good so far about keeping the officially approved PS1 Classics updated, so that's probably it. For the handful of games that just won't transfer at all, even with a PS3, I'm betting someone found a showstopper bug and flagged it as unplayable on the Vita.

---

Switched gears and bought Binary Domain. This game is... really, really good. It's not a Game of the Year contender, by any stretch, but there are so many good ideas all packed into one place, mostly well implemented.

It's a third person sci-fi near-future game where someone has been secretly creating robots that not only look human, but aren't even aware that they're not human (which the game calls "Hollow Children"). Your team is a Rust Crew, tasked with finding out who's behind the Hollow Children, and why.

In gameplay, it's a third person action cover-based squad shooter, similar in some respects to Mass Effect. On each mission you can choose up to two additional team members, who you can build Trust with by conversations and doing well in combat (again, kinda sorta like what Mass Effect does, but you can earn or lost Trust in combat as well by either doing impressive things like multikills, or accidentally shooting your teammates). You fight lots and lots of interesting and varied robots, all of whom have different AI and attack profiles, and different defensive options and weak points. There's also a few really great boss battles.

The Trust level changes how your AI team members react to your commands. In combat, you have no direct control over your team. They go and do whatever they want, and they're generally pretty smart about it, except sometimes they'll run right past your line of fire, so you have to learn how to stop shooting if a team member runs past you.

What's really great is that there's a fairly well-implemented voice command system that doesn't suck like ME3's. It requires quite a bit of calibration to get it to work properly, but it's pretty great if you can get it working. You can use it in combat to issue directives to your team mates, and also use it to speak responses to team member interactions. This adds a sort of neat level of extra immersion that almost but not quite gets it right. The writing in the game is pretty weak, sadly, but you can see the potential just lying tantalizingly out of reach.

In one boss battle, you have to fire a heavy mounted gun that requires ammo, but the boss is chasing you the entire time. Loading the weapon yourself is nearly impossible by yourself, but you can shout for your ally and he'll load the weapon for you while you're running around avoiding the boss.

Also worth noting that voice commands are optional; you can just pull up the menu with L2 in real time and issue commands that way, but it's way less fun.

You can upgrade your team by adding bionic nanomachines. Each team member, including your main character Dan, has a puzzle-grid 3x2 space to install bionics into, and each bionic piece has a certain size and shape. Early ones tend to be big (L-shape, or 2x1), while later ones you find and purchase tend to be small 1x1 and more powerful. This lets you customize the offensive and defensive abilities of your team.

In addition, you can spend money to upgrade each character's primary weapon, altering the damage, range, rate of fire, maximum clip size, etc. to improve their offensive output in a more direct, linear fashion.

There's some really well-built set pieces, some interesting timed combat puzzles, the aforementioned amazing boss battles, some user controlled RPG-lite elements... there's a ton to like here.

Also, fought this boss last night on Hard, and he kicked me in the teeth for 2 hours before I figured him out.

Too awesome for words. How can anyone not like a boss fight with what is basically a huge Transformer?


Icemage

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

My guess is that Sony has some poor wage-slaves locked in a box somewhere slowly playing through every PS1 game on PSN to make sure the game works on Vita. Possibly the PS1 emulator on Vita isn't like-for-like identical to the PS3 and/or PSP versions, so they're playing it safe, unlocking games as they go. They've been fairly good so far about keeping the officially approved PS1 Classics updated, so that's probably it. For the handful of games that just won't transfer at all, even with a PS3, I'm betting someone found a showstopper bug and flagged it as unplayable on the Vita.

Seeing as it took six months for PSOne classics to even be a thing and only having one update for them since then, I don't know if I can agree. Yes, they add them to the Vita as new ones are released (though Persona 2: Eternal Punishment was a huge bungle that took two weeks to fix), but that games like Metal Gear Solid isn't available or given any priority and the PSP version of MGS Peacewalker took a full year to get there boggles the mind - especially when those two could have been promoted alongside the HD collection for Vita.

PSOne Classics really had two big updates and that's it so far. Looking over the compatibility list on NeoGAF, MGS and Castlevania Chronicles can be loaded and Blood Omen doesn't seem to be capable of transfer at all. Oh well, at least I can likely talk a friend into letting me come over and logging in to his PS3 to do a USB transfer from the PC to the PS3 and then from the PS3 to the Vita and then i can back up these games to my PC again via the Vita content manager. Its ridiculous that it has to be that way, though.

[Icemage]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Finished with Binary Domain. Moving on to Bioshock Unlimited (PS3).

Also finished my last trophy in PS Vita version of Jetpack Joyride (good lord that took forever even with x2 coin bonus). Vita is now loaded up with Atelier Totori and Machinarium. Running out of space on my 32GB card. WTF Sony?


Icemage

[Firewind]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Seeing as it took six months for PSOne classics to even be a thing and only having one update for them since then, I don't know if I can agree. Yes, they add them to the Vita as new ones are released (though Persona 2: Eternal Punishment was a huge bungle that took two weeks to fix), but that games like Metal Gear Solid isn't available or given any priority and the PSP version of MGS Peacewalker took a full year to get there boggles the mind - especially when those two could have been promoted alongside the HD collection for Vita.

PSOne Classics really had two big updates and that's it so far. Looking over the compatibility list on NeoGAF, MGS and Castlevania Chronicles can be loaded and Blood Omen doesn't seem to be capable of transfer at all. Oh well, at least I can likely talk a friend into letting me come over and logging in to his PS3 to do a USB transfer from the PC to the PS3 and then from the PS3 to the Vita and then i can back up these games to my PC again via the Vita content manager. Its ridiculous that it has to be that way, though.

I'm going to shamelessly steal and paraphrase an Armando quote for this context:

Nobody at Sony has heard of Occam's Razor.

[Armando]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

I'm going to shamelessly steal and paraphrase an Armando quote for this context:

Technically, this is called snowcloning. /tangent

[Firewind]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Technically, this is called snowcloning. /tangent

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

I'm going to shamelessly steal and paraphrase an Armando quote for this context:

Nobody at Sony has heard of Occam's Razor.

Meh. I've heard of his electric toothbrush.

[Malacite]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Almost finished Xenoblade (I think). Finally getting tier VI gems and holy crap they're awesome. I kinda wish the 7th character had some nicer armor though (and could wear the amazingly pretty Stellar set)

[Malacite]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Finished Xenoblade.

Pretty awesome RPG overall. I'm a little annoyed that there's no post-game though. Yeah, they put in New Game Plus but... no. HELL no. Not even with the allmighty BS weapon you get for it (which I'd hoped to use post-game but oh well).


Also can't help but think, damn SE for being such dicks about the Xenogears license - Xenoblade could have very well been Episode 1 in the series. Oh well. Looking forward to the Wii U game now.

[Icemage]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Bioshock Infinite is pretty awesome.

Just bought de Blob 2 on PSN for $3.75 (say what?!), so that might see some play soon too. This was a game I was mildly interested in and was almost willing to pay full price for at launch, particularly since I own Move controllers, so this is sort of a hilarious steal.


Icemage

[Malacite]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

So, I'm curious... was the Monado an allusion to the Zohar or am I just looking too far into it?

[Melody]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Finished Xenoblade.

Pretty awesome RPG overall. I'm a little annoyed that there's no post-game though. Yeah, they put in New Game Plus but... no. HELL no. Not even with the allmighty BS weapon you get for it (which I'd hoped to use post-game but oh well).

Also can't help but think, damn SE for being such dicks about the Xenogears license - Xenoblade could have very well been Episode 1 in the series. Oh well. Looking forward to the Wii U game now.

Well, I'm currently playing Minecraft, waiting for the TU9 update. Hoping I don't have to reset my map, rumor has it that unexplored area on your map will be updated with the TU9 update, so I went and made a new map with a good surface diamond seed, but I'm going to leave the X and Y coordinates be in hopes of I may get more spoils when they update the level. I also gave Malacite Darksiders 1 and 2 today, I got them off steam with the humble bundle for Red Faction. I wasn't going to let the games sit there. So I gave them as a gift.

[Malacite]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Again, thanks ^_^

I'm currently *trying* to play Alpha Protocol, which I got cheap used and... well not really liking it so much lol ><

[Icemage]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Still working my way through Bioshock Infinite (PS3). Still a fantastic game halfway through.

Finished Nun Attack on PS Vita. This game is a weird case study in what happens when you take a game that was originally created with microtransactions, and remove the microtransactions. The end result is a poorly balanced experience. It's a really easy but chaotic touch/drag-fest on the screen, culminating in a final boss battle that turns the tables and forces you to use all the powers that previously required microtransactions, but now only cost in-game money, which you have a metric ton of by that point in the game. Even at the price of $3, I can't really recommend it to anyone.

Also got my physical copy of DJ Max Teknika Tune for PSV in the mail this week. It's a surprisingly good, if challenging rhythm game. Pentavision did a remarkable job in translating the arcade experience to a handheld, and it has one of the few actually good uses of the PSV back touch sensor I've seen. Some notes require you to tap and/or tap-and-hold the back touch screen, sometimes while doing other things on the front touch screen. Large 60ish song setlist, from what I can tell, too, but it's mostly bemani-style eletropop with a handful of licensed k-pop songs. Not that I hate k-pop or electronica, but it's not for everyone.

This is a pretty good video of someone playing through a relatively easy song with some back-touch notes:

...and here's some wtf high level play...

Icemage