Patient Gamers

Tried out The First Descendant for the first time since launch. Since then I've upgraded my PC and no longer have the insane performance issues I had back then. Truthfully I reinstalled for the Nier stuff, but when I found out that it only comes as a $70 bundle I immediately uninstalled. There's no reason a company should sell a few skins for a price like that even if the game is free to play. What baffles me even more is the idea that there are genuine players out there who aren't rich who've actually purchased the pack. Especially given the fact that there are so many other ways out there to see 2B. Actually insanity to me.

Haven't had time to play much else this week.

Been really enjoying Titan Quest 2, Grim Dawn and Albion Online

Been playing a bit of Hollow Knight again. The world is so incredibly vast and beautiful. Got to the distant village and found one of the dreamers, Herrah.

Finally got into Deathloop, it is not super long, but pretty cool concept with enough storytelling to not overwhelm but satisfying enough.

Just got to the Lower Ward on my planscape: torment replay. The soundtrack is great, found a couple different paths to take by dying I didn't even think about when I played it last time. Updated my journal.

Devil May Cry 3 (2005)

About six months ago decided to start Devil May Cry V on my Steam Deck after keeping it in my backlog for a year. After watching the intro cutscene, I decided that I definitely have to play all the previous games before it.

I have been playing the first trilogy (HD collection) a few hours every week or two (full-time jobs suck) since then. I think I am mid-day through the third game - just beat the nude lady.

AzerothCore has the files and guide for creating a private World of Warcraft server (2nd expansion) so been playing that with my wife. There's some nice quality of life modifications you can do so you can focus on the fun stuff (Instant flight paths, all professions on 1 character, faster skill ups, etc.)
My wife will only play Horde but I enabled cross faction groups and guilds so I've been able to play through Alliance zones for the first time while still being able to group up and share resources.

I started playing Stray on the weekend and it's beautiful. First time playing it. Excellent gameplay and story so far.

Derail Valley Simulator, and Vintage Story

They Are Billions

This game is awesome, really bring us back to the RTS era but now with pause. I wonder if the dev is working on anything else, couldn't find any news on their next project.

Still in the Warframe mines, though now that I've reached the standings I wished with the new syndicates and have the frames I had been missing on, I'm feeling its grip letting go of me slowly. Though there is going to be a major update later this year, so who knows.

With the latest Momodora finished (good game, I still liked Reverie better), I've started Virgo Versus The Zodiac. Cute looking turn-based RPG starring a protagonist filled with bloodlust and with a merciless combat system. If you miss the timed hits, you will die, even to the most common enemies. I've cleared up the first Zodiac realm/introduction to the game and am now trying around an optional grinding area before heading into Taurus.

Final Fantasy 2.

Finally got a taste of what It Takes Two was like, I understand why it was Game of the Year !

I just started playing the original Star Fox. Having a lot more fun with it than I thought I would.

Dead Space 3 multiplayer

Still working my way through Crosscode.

im not sure if this counts because its still in early access, but this game is one of those that is perpetually in early access without plans to legit release (like project zombiid, etc).

i picked up Turing Complete and have been learning(painfully slowly) how to make cpu's : D

Traded in my Series S and scooped up some discs/carts (also a couple of GOG sales). Socom 3 (PS2), Quake 2 (GOG), Nano Assault (EX & original, 2DSXL), Nano Stray 1&2 (2DSXL), and Dead Cells (GOG)... I still don't know where the line between patient and retro is.

I finished Ninja Gaiden Black on Normal. All in all it wasn't as hard as I had feared. Having access to save states definitely did make it a much more tolerable experience though as some of the checkpoint placements are diabolical. I didn't really abuse it in any way, but just being able to for example instantly retry a boss instead of having to reset the console and do a runback just avoids a huge time waster that adds nothing to the difficulty.

Overall the game was absolutely brilliant - though not perfect. A couple of the bosses were outright bad, the ghost fish are not fun gameplay designs and Chapter 9 is atrocious. Whoever thought it was a good idea for the game to suddenly become Call of Duty and force you to take on tanks, helicopters and a radio tower full of bazookas armed with only a longbow and using horrific controller first person aiming hopefully got fired.

But even having said all that, when the game is good it's damn good. The combat is just perfectly satisfying, the weapons at your disposal are very well balanced and all have their uses and the ultra aggressive AI demands your full attention constantly. This game has no trash mobs; slip up once and any encounter can kill you. There is something singularly thrilling about that. It's also fast, proactive and positioning-based - there are tons of almost instant grabs that you can only avoid by correct positioning and use of your nimble movement. Posting up in front of an enemy while holding Block and hoping to dodge roll when you see the animation like you would in a Souls game won't work here.

Overall a fantastic experience and well worth playing. If I can beat it on Normal then anyone can - don't be afraid to check it out. Especially with Ninja Gaiden 4 on the horizon. Hell, I'm even considering jumping back in for a go at Hard at some point.

I haven’t played it yet, but I’ve loaded it up on my steam deck and got too the title screen… Far Cry 2 with redux mod

I really loved far cry 3, so I hoped this will be a good time. But some stuff going on with my daughter and I didn’t have time for this.

Grounded 2 released into early access recently so that sounded like a perfect time to play through Grounded 1. Can report, this game slaps. For people who like narrative open world survival games (like subnahtica and abiotic factor) this game is probably the best among them in my opinion. The writing is probably a very love it or hate it thing though, since the entire game is riding on 90's nostalgia there.

Started Diablo 1 last week, picked Sorcerer. It was a tough but a fun ride until the very end when I discovered… that I bricked my character! Apparently you can’t be a mage and focus on magic exclusively since there are monsters in the very late-game (Blood Knights) who are fully resistant to anything you cast, and my points in non-magic talents were so low I could only equip starter weapons! Decided to re-roll a rogue (actually an amazon idk why they called her rogue). It's been a blast, almost too easy for the first 5-6 dungeon floors. But from there difficulty picked up, and stayed on consistently challenging level till the very end. Killed Diablo himself by stashing full belt of greater mana potions and simply shooting him in point blank range while drinking potions under mana shield (book luckily bought from Adria in the very last moments). The game is great fun, atmosphere is extraordinary and music is god-tier (or should I say, diablo-tier).