What has everyone been playing this week? 2

[QualityChimp]

CFW is the way to go

What does that do? Allow you to play emulators?

[replicashooter]

What does that do? Allow you to play emulators?

Yup but the main draw is how it opens up the virtual PSP aspect and allows you to punt over your old ISO rips as Sony, for some reason, doesn't have loads of games on PSN plus you get loads of other tweaks and usability addons that make a difference to the graphics side.

Apparently Henkaku Enso will be coming to the latest firmware as well.

[JazzFunk]

Got around the finishing Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition by the end of last week (including the DLC content on-disc).

Despite caning it on both 360 and PS3 yonks back, I coincidentally rebought the PS3 Gold edition from Pontefract Cashies on Saturday for 99p. It would've been rude not to, the full version of the most playable, underrated Resi. Damn, bought so many 99p games on Sat...

Anyway.

It's procrastination. I've been sitting here forty minutes putting off playing (what I believe to be) the last section of Bioshock Infinite. I get stressed before final boss battles, I always expect a massive difficulty spike out of nowhere, a protracted, multi-segment nightmare I might fail twenty or fifty times, a bit of game that would've lasted five minutes normally but retries push it into the two/three hour mark. I hope that doesn't happen, I've quite enjoyed this game and want to part on a good note.

[JazzFunk]

I was right. It just got totally un-fun. Even when grudgingly switched down to easy.

Bah.

[JazzFunk]

Aaaaaaaaah. Just did it. The 'bang shields around the core' method. Stress over.

But it's not quite over yet, and I'm at a bit that just made me grin.

EDIT: Fully done now, what a lush ending, what a beautiful-looking game. Also chuffed to know I actually completed on Medium when I thought I'd scaled it down to Easy, must not have saved the preferences.

[Dogg Thang]

I have been going between Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 and Thimbleweed Park on Switch. I'm loving both.

[Paddy]

Continuing on with more SFV:AE. I surprised myself by finishing medium survival with Sakura last night. Thought I'd get screwed in the last couple of matches but I was able to keep on top of the opponents and beat them fairly painlessly. Not much FM gained though as the roster except one are all at Lv.25 or higher now. I'm still going to strive for unlocking DLC characters through FM earned in-game though (its how I've obtained the 14 available so far and I'm not going to stop. Big time sink though).

Otherwise I've returned to Dragon Quest Heroes. I'm still enjoying using the different characters and I like the British/European localisation of the game but I'm hoping the end is in sight soon. It feels like its getting a little drawn out by now but I'll see how it goes.

[Neon Ignition]

A week of dabbling as per the MHW First Play thread. Mafia III is still chugging slowly along, the overlong and repetitive becoming a grind but I'm so far in I want to finish it eventually.

The other game getting tried out again is Battlefield 1 which has finished its DLC output since I last played. I think I came down harder originally because it was yet another DICE disappointment and in a sense it remains so. I find the gunplay is easier than in BF4 and it evokes the WWI setting well but the DLC maps continue the same design mindset as the standard maps whereby the heavy emphasis is on close quarters gun play. The game is better thought of as a spin-off rather than as a sequel as bar that immediate on foot control and the visuals it remains a firm step backwards for the franchise when held up against the fourth game. Almost everything else about BF4 was better even though BF1 is fine in of itself for the most part, it's just hard to play it and not have your mind tempted to just boot up the previous game.

Whereas COD has benefitted from taking a step back into the past, I think BF didn't need that redirection as its modern day set up had so much more yet to do but has now become less bombastic and emergent. I'll give it another night or two but I think a switch to COD WWII for the war era antics is more likely making life a decision on whether to consider slaying monsters too.

[Brad]

Skyrim still :

Hey dragon born, you need to kill that evil dragon.
Ok! I'm. On it

All hail the dragon born.

Hey dragon born, another evil dragon in has enslaved my people.

Say no more.

Yay, dragon born does it again.

Hey dragon born, why not lure someone here, tie them to this post and then kill them?
OK! I'll do it!

Hey dragon born, let's go and eat some dead human flesh together.
Sure!

Odd game.

[Dogg Thang]

Some of the missions really need a clearer out point. Like there was the eating people one and I couldn't find an option just to say I'm out once I knew what they were doing. So I killed the person who asked me to do it, as was the only rational option left to me. After that, a bunch of people talked to me as if I was at some eating party with them, which I wasn't because it never happened because I had killed that person.

A simple "Nah, I'm good but you guys go knock yourself out" option would have been much better.

[dataDave]

I never liked being forced into becoming a werewolf, especially when role-playing as a priest. The buffs are massively imbalanced, too.

There's a Companion's questline mod for all that though, thankfully.

[Dogg Thang]

Yeah that werewolf quest is one I haven’t yet advanced but can’t say I just don’t want to be one.

[prinnysquad]

Trio on the go:

Recore. Find the map and entire layout of areas a right chew on. It wants to have the classic gaming dynamic of ‘introduce an area - taunt player with inaccessible sections - make them realise that they have to come back later when new skills are acquired’, but its a source of frustration rather than inspiration. Back in the day, I loved Soul Reaver for this. But the world of Recore is so tedious, it’s more of a chore than anything else. It’s a shame, because I like the gunplay and daft companions. I just can’t be faffed with the hassle most of the time.

Shadow Tactics. I adore this. But it is so, so tough and unforgiving. I love the setting, the premise, the art style, the characters, the controls. I love the satisfaction of a perfectly-executed infiltration or assassination. I love the difficulty. But, lord, is it tough. Saves needed every moment, and some of the challenges seem impossible. Still, I’ve really enjoyed this, but progress is so painstakingly slow that I’m only dipping in and out.

The Witcher III. I’ve barely started this, but absolutely love it so far. The world is gorgeous, and I love the ambiguity of the side missions. The crafting and ability points stuff is all a bit overwhelming, and the combat seems fiddly (I don’t seem to be able to remember to use parry), but I’m loving the richness of the setting so far.

[Atticus]

What Remains of Edith Finch
I finally took a punt on this and I'm so glad I did. The world the game takes place in is mega. Detail and atmosphere in every nook and cranny. I love soaking it all in, and learning about the family, their stories told in wonderfully creative ways. But I'm trying so hard not to burn through it in one sitting as it feels so special.

[hudson]

Nothing but Monster Hunter World since its release. Rare behaviour from me that. It must be good.