June 2025 General Game Discussion Thread

[Zed Clampet]

Sometimes I dont need it, but for the most part I find I tend to get drawn in more when theres a story to follow more closely. I'm not a big fan of lore finding type stuff, in Elden Ring I basically ignored the story but the gameplay is fun.


Fair enough, it would bother me if it was a long time, but if its only 5 or even 10 minutes I dont even think about it. Lucky me I guess



I remember save points in Final Fantasy 7, is this a problem with JRPGs or something? Not many other RPGs that come to my mind havent had manual saves.

Probably a JRPG thing. I played RPGs all during the 80s and 90s and don't remember saving being an issue.

 

[Zloth]

I remember save points in Final Fantasy 7, is this a problem with JRPGs or something? Not many other RPGs that come to my mind havent had manual saves.

I think it was more of a console thing. PCs didn't have to worry about it, with our cavernous hard drives. PS1's flash cards had just 128KB of space on them, and people expected to put multiple saves on it. PS2 had 8MB. I didn't play much else besides JRPGs, tough - I had a PC to play the other kinds.

 

[neogunhero]

Splitgate 2 is growing on me. It's actually pretty fun once you start to get good at using portals to your advantage. It's very good at being just fine enough to keep me playing for a few rounds every night. I even played a few matches of the battle royale mode, which was pretty fine as well. This game is quite the enigma: it brings some fresh new ideas to the table but the overall experience is nothing amazing. I mainly appreciate it for being quick and easy to play, I can get a few rounds in 30 minutes and leave feeling satisfied.

I also tried FBC Firebreak on Game Pass, it's got some really neat ideas but the matchmaking seems to be a bit broken right now. I can't find a full lobby, only one other person. And when I make my own lobby, no one ever joins. I've played the first map twice now, and I do like the mission variety and graphics, but it's just a big buggy now. Needs a few patches and it would be a fun game.

Then I played Rematch, and man is this game awesome. The most basic explanation is Rocket League mixed with NBA 2K but it's soccer. You have a lot of control over the ball, but it makes passing/scoring fairly easy. The game is not easy at all though, there are kids who are already sweaty at the game, it just came out!! Kept me hooked for an entire hour which is more than usual these days.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Splitgate 2 is growing on me. It's actually pretty fun once you start to get good at using portals to your advantage. It's very good at being just fine enough to keep me playing for a few rounds every night. I even played a few matches of the battle royale mode, which was pretty fine as well. This game is quite the enigma: it brings some fresh new ideas to the table but the overall experience is nothing amazing. I mainly appreciate it for being quick and easy to play, I can get a few rounds in 30 minutes and leave feeling satisfied.

I also tried FBC Firebreak on Game Pass, it's got some really neat ideas but the matchmaking seems to be a bit broken right now. I can't find a full lobby, only one other person. And when I make my own lobby, no one ever joins. I've played the first map twice now, and I do like the mission variety and graphics, but it's just a big buggy now. Needs a few patches and it would be a fun game.

Then I played Rematch, and man is this game awesome. The most basic explanation is Rocket League mixed with NBA 2K but it's soccer. You have a lot of control over the ball, but it makes passing/scoring fairly easy. The game is not easy at all though, there are kids who are already sweaty at the game, it just came out!! Kept me hooked for an entire hour which is more than usual these days.

Seems like I read there was something weird about Firebreak's matchmaking/crossplay. Is there a "quick play" option? That usually gets you in matches the fastest.

I want to try Rematch. I haven't played Rocket League in years, probably since it moved to Epic.

 

[Johnway]

Not much to report on my front. Still playing battle brigade and we're 7.5 hrs in and playing the last 2 chapters. We've technically completed all of Mina's story to become a brigade member and now looking to finish off thrash's story. Hopefully will be done by mid next week.

 

[neogunhero]

Seems like I read there was something weird about Firebreak's matchmaking/crossplay. Is there a "quick play" option? That usually gets you in matches the fastest.

I want to try Rematch. I haven't played Rocket League in years, probably since it moved to Epic.

Yes, AFAIK quick play is the only way to matchmake with someone currently. It's bugged out, I've seen lots of people complain about it already. Quick play lets me match with one other person, but the lobbies are for 3 players, not sure why I can't ever find a third. It kind of sucks because I like the play the maps in order (not sure if there is a continuous story or not), and want people to join me, but no one ever does due to this bug. Hopefully it'll get fixed soon.

Rematch is great but I'm not good at it at all. I spend most of the match sprinting around, trying to slide tackle a ball away from the opponents feet, just for them to rainbow kick it up and over me. It's dang fun though, the controls are so smooth, the graphics are pleasant and performance is flawless. There is a very nice little story in the prologue too that gets you hyped up to play.

 

[DXCHASE]

Have played very little due to all the moving im doing in-between working. My PC will be up and running at the new place by the end of the weekend... i think. Tomorrow is the big move day though. Multiple TV's, couches, Arcades, Tables, and my sons bed because i said screw it and just bought a new mattress and frame for my wife and I and had it delivered to the other place.

The only thing ive really touched between work and moving has been Tainted Grail. Its still a good game. Ive grown tiresome of some parts of the game but its still good enough where ill finish it. 3/4ths way through the 2nd area (im going for 100% clear) so i still got a ways to go before i do finish.

 

[BeardyHat]

Kingdom Come 2 is just awesome. I've been playing it as I have time to do so and it's just been absolutely wonderful so far.

That said, it made me realize my "new" laptop has a Bluetooth issue. I noticed when I was playing the other day, my Gamepad only registers every other button input and my Bluetooth headphones are constantly a little scratchy or cutting out. Initially I thought it was the way I was sitting (laptop on the coffee table, me sitting in front of it with the gamepad below, in my lap), but after mucking about today with KCD2 on my Deck and then on my main gaming computer, the input lag isn't there.

So I used my Bluetooth gamepad on my main desktop this evening when I had time and lo and behold, no issues, so it's not the gamepad or just Bluetooth in general either. I just updated the Bluetooth driver (and had updated my firmware on my controller last night) on my laptop and I'm hoping it resolves the issue, but I haven't had the motivation to test it yet. It was 100* here today and my house is incredibly warm, so I decided to sit in my office, in the basement, which has got to be 10-15* cooler. Feels like I have AC down here. Anyway, my laptop is upstairs and I'm too lazy to move it.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Yes, AFAIK quick play is the only way to matchmake with someone currently. It's bugged out, I've seen lots of people complain about it already. Quick play lets me match with one other person, but the lobbies are for 3 players, not sure why I can't ever find a third. It kind of sucks because I like the play the maps in order (not sure if there is a continuous story or not), and want people to join me, but no one ever does due to this bug. Hopefully it'll get fixed soon.

Rematch is great but I'm not good at it at all. I spend most of the match sprinting around, trying to slide tackle a ball away from the opponents feet, just for them to rainbow kick it up and over me. It's dang fun though, the controls are so smooth, the graphics are pleasant and performance is flawless. There is a very nice little story in the prologue too that gets you hyped up to play.

I used to play a game that really struggled to match people and wait times took forever, so they kept loosening up the requirements for matching. Initially, the regions they were willing to match people from were very restrictive; then they also had tight skill level restrictions. The result was that we--even with a full team--stood around for 30 minutes to an hour while they looked for another team for us to play against.

 

[BeardyHat]

I used to play a game that really struggled to match people and wait times took forever, so they kept loosening up the requirements for matching. Initially, the regions they were willing to match people from were very restrictive; then they also had tight skill level restrictions. The result was that we--even with a full team--stood around for 30 minutes to an hour while they looked for another team for us to play against.

Gotta say, I miss servers.

Yeah, we still had issues where servers would fill up and it would only ever be like 3 of them that anyone played on, so maybe you had to wait for a spot, but it felt like servers also had communities and you didn't have to play with Chuds or wait on a silly matchmaking system.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Gotta say, I miss servers.

Yeah, we still had issues where servers would fill up and it would only ever be like 3 of them that anyone played on, so maybe you had to wait for a spot, but it felt like servers also had communities and you didn't have to play with Chuds or wait on a silly matchmaking system.

That would be nice, relaxed system. I'm not sure all the super hardcore wieners could stand playing without a restrictive matchmaking system and player ranking and such. Seems even on PvE games people are taking things too seriously.

 

[BeardyHat]

That would be nice, relaxed system. I'm not sure all the super hardcore wieners could stand playing without a restrictive matchmaking system and player ranking and such. Seems even on PvE games people are taking things too seriously.

I agree and it's weird. Even in my other hobbies, people get super sweaty about things and I'm just not sure where this zeitgeist is coming from.

 

[Pifanjr]

My kid was using the PC which has my Minecraft Liminal Industries save, so I picked out a new game and played a run of Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles, a dice deck-building game.

It's pretty good. It was fairly easy, but then this was the very first run. It does the same thing as Slay the Spire where you unlock harder difficulties and other classes when you beat a run.

I'm not too fond of that strategy, but it was a free game and I should be able to get a couple more hours of fun out of it while I try out every class and some of the different builds you can do.

 

[Johnway]

Another game completed. Battle Chef brigade sorted. Will work on my next indie game on my list. Comments on battlechef brigade on the usual topic board.

 

[BeardyHat]

This is stupid, but I'm agonizing over what gaming device to bring with me on my trip next week. We'll only be gone 5 days and realistically, I'll only have time for games in the evening after we put the kids to bed--which isn't different from normal, I suppose--but I'm so enjoying Kingdom Come 2, I really want to bring something to play it on in case I have the chance.

I'm debating, laptop or Steam Deck? Laptop is heavier (and I'll already be bringing the one for the kids, so they have some entertainment) and realistically, I'd rather have the Steam Deck, but playing KCD2 on Deck just doesn't do it justice.

I think I'm having some fear of FOMO. Pre-FOMO? What would you call it? Either way, it's dumb. But close as I can figure, my brain is focusing on this stupid thing so I don't have anxiety about the flight.

At any rate, right now, I think I'm leaning toward laptop, just because it's more versatile and we can use it for more than just games.

 

[BeardyHat]

Been having an issue with Kingdom Come 2, but only on my laptop and only with Bluetooth controllers. I tried two different Bluetooth controllers, had the same issue with both; basically, there's a very frustrating input delay. Though, not like a delay, but more like it's missing every other input, so I'm often having to hit buttons twice, it's super obnoxious.

I tested the same controllers out on my main PC, no issue. I tested a wired controller on my main PC, as well as my laptop, no issue. Updated my controller firmware, issue persists. Updated my Bluetooth drivers, issue persists. Finally decided I'd maybe just use my Steam controller, since it's wireless at least, but has a dongle.

But then I thought, maybe I'll disable Steam Input, as it can cause issues sometimes. Well, I disabled it and the missed inputs are totally gone, go figure.

However, now I'm debating if I want to just futz with the Steam Controller some more, given I love how the Deck's input methods work. Though, if I have a real keyboard and mouse, maybe there's not much reason to?

 

[Zloth]

You know that feeling you get when you overcome a hard boss? Talos 2 does that a lot. Only, instead of feeling skillful, you feel really smart.

It's interesting how they did the levels in 2. There are 8 numbered puzzles with big signposts telling you which way to go to get to the next one. There are also 2 "delta" puzzles that just have a triangle instead of a number. There's probably a path to it, but there won't be signposts for it, just a "?" on your navigation compass. To get through a level, you need to complete 8 puzzles so, if one of the normal puzzles really stumps you, you can do a delta puzzle instead.

With Talos 1, you need to do all the normal puzzles. Period. If you get seriously stuck on one, you look up the answer or quit playing completely.

This is stupid, but I'm agonizing over what gaming device to bring with me on my trip next week.

NONE! You're going on a trip. Bring a book or two and a deck of cards. You'll need a book for the airport regardless. Do they even let people into airports without a book? Seems like some of my relatives have managed it, but I would never try it myself.

Note: dead-tree editions of books work great no matter what the electric outlets look like at your destination.

 

[Johnway]

So the next twitch drop for Path of exile has dropped, a cosmetic for charges. Which is a cosmetic i didn't have. Will be making use of that the next time i play POE (won't be this league though).

So instead of POE i'm playing Dex the updated edition no less. My current thoughts, this has potential to be a very very good 2d Deus Ex but there are some concerns that (dare i say) hurts the experience. But i'll play more and see what its like before passing judgement. I'm currently playing in Classic difficulty, so maybe there is a more updated /balanced changes.

 

[BeardyHat]

NONE! You're going on a trip. Bring a book or two and a deck of cards. You'll need a book for the airport regardless. Do they even let people into airports without a book? Seems like some of my relatives have managed it, but I would never try it myself.

Note: dead-tree editions of books work great no matter what the electric outlets look like at your destination.

I've been on an absolute tear since I discovered Libby a couple of months ago (Checkout books from your local library in Kindle format), just finished With the Old Breed last nigh and just checked out The Guns of August last night as well. I've read four books in the last month and half, so you'd better believe I'll have a book with me. That said, I'll read a paperback if I have to, but eBooks all the way for me!

That said, it's impossible to read in the airport and on the plane for me. My two little kids will be demanding my attention constantly during both, but at least with a gaming device of some sort I can distract them a little bit. Plus we'll have time in our evenings when the kids are in bed and we have a few hours to ourselves, so I'll want something to play for sure.

But this is also why I'm still feeling inclined to bring my Deck; I don't know if I'll even have energy to play anything in the evening, so it would be nice to take something light that I won't feel too bad about carrying if I end-up not using it at all. This will be a relatively chill trip overall, not like sightseeing and constant running around like when my wife and I went to London last year, so I'm sure I'll be having plenty of downtime.

 

[neogunhero]

Played a lot this past weekend. My wife was out of town all day Saturday so I got a lot of gaming in. Had a nice rotation going: Splitgate 2, Rematch, FBC Firebreak, DayZ, a bit of s&box. I would play a little of one game, hop to the next, and kept doing that all day. It was actually quite nice, got a lot of variety in (kind of, all except one is an FPS).

Splitgate 2 is still so weird to me. I found the perfect way to describe it: it’s like a fake game an actor would play on a TV show. It’s so generic, so basic, so uninspired, yet in a way that’s why I like it. It really does harken back to a “golden era” of FPSs. The creator wearing that ugly hat said a lot of BS on stage but he did one thing right, it’s that Splitgate 2 really does make me feel like I’m playing Xbox 360 again. There’s so much better ways to spend you time, so many better games to play instead, but it keeps me coming back for some strange reason. The shop is the most expensive skin shop I’ve ever seen in a game but you don’t have to buy anything to have fun. The guns are basic and boring but that limited arsenal makes you focus on skill a bit more. The portals will never be used to their full potential (watch the gameplay trailers and tell me players will be pulling moves like that, they simply won’t) but it’s interesting enough to keep things fresh. The battle royal mode does nothing new for the genre but it’s quick and fast enough to be fun. It’s all of these things but it’s not at the same time.

DayZ is still fun after nearly 400 hours across 12 years. Still doing the same stuff over and over but it’s my comfort game. I can play this game forever and still enjoy my time with it.

Rematch is still hard as hell. I was good the first day it came out but now the sweats have had some practice and keep kicking my ass each match, yet somehow it’s still a ton of fun. I suck the most in almost every match, but I don’t let that sour my mood. I try hard and still suck, yet at the end of it all it’s still a ton of fun to play.

Had a bit more luck finding people in FBC but I think I just need to wait it out a bit for some more patches, it’s a bit buggy.

S&box had a lot of people on for a Saturday (maybe 100 people total), and got into some funny situations in the DarkRP-like game mode. I took the role of a pizza maker and sold pizzas at my friends movie theater for $100 each. People got outraged at the cost, so later I was ambushed by about 3 gangsters who stole 3 pizzas and killed me. Good times.

 

[Johnway]

more Dex, i'm still stumbling around trying to get to grips with the mechanics of the game and the various design quirks. no joke, the start is pretty difficult as you don't have any of your special abilities or skills to survive against multiple targets.

But after you get the nanoweave and some skills i'm starting to enjoy the game a lot more. The augmentations allow me to survive or go to areas i wouldn't normally reach. how about a gas filter to move through poisonous areas or the ability to jump higher etc. The problem is that some of these augs seem to be compulsory rather then optional which is annoying.

At the moment rather then investing in damage, i'm investing in the soft skills like lock picking, charisma and the basic AR hack to stun targets. Would like to take the melee skills, but disappointing atm.

 

[Frindis]

DayZ is still fun after nearly 400 hours across 12 years. Still doing the same stuff over and over but it’s my comfort game. I can play this game forever and still enjoy my time with it.

Still remember one of the first times I played the game. I had gotten my hands on a Mosin with a scope and decided to visit Berezino. I climbed on top of the crane that is not far from the main street and lay there, waiting for someone to cross the fields.

A group of three people were running through the field next to the crane and I decided to shoot at them. I downed one of them with a headshot and I wounded another one. Then I realized the major hailstorm that was about to rain down on me. I had no cover, no escape, so I had basically put myself in the worst situation possible. Obviously it didn't end well for me and a valuable lesson learned about being a tad more wise about positioning and when to shoot.

 

[Pifanjr]

My wife was playing Rimworld yesterday when a cargo pod crashed near her colony containing 81 human skulls... It really makes you wonder who those were meant to go to.

Apparently they serve no function in the game if you have none of the DLCs installed and normally can't even be obtained if you don't have the Ideology DLC.

 

[Zed Clampet]

Rematch is still hard as hell. I was good the first day it came out but now the sweats have had some practice and keep kicking my ass each match, yet somehow it’s still a ton of fun. I suck the most in almost every match, but I don’t let that sour my mood. I try hard and still suck, yet at the end of it all it’s still a ton of fun to play.

I like it when games like this have good practice options so I don't have to learn everything during live matches. I used to practice quite a bit in Rocket League even though the bots weren't really good enough to provide adequate competition. I still got to practice dribbling and shooting that way.

***

I'm having a mental breakdown looking at the leaked Sega game sales figures. For one thing, there are three Sonic games, two of which are terrible, that have outsold Total War Warhammer 3. Equally disturbing is that Sega is selling the absolutely awful Team Sonic Racing for $10 less in the Nintendo Switch store than on Steam.

Nevertheless, the only takeaway for this is that Nintendo Switch owners are undiscerning and will buy anything. Or maybe it's that the parents of children who have the Switch think, 'Hey, Sonic is for kids! Let's buy that!'

 

[neogunhero]

I like it when games like this have good practice options so I don't have to learn everything during live matches. I used to practice quite a bit in Rocket League even though the bots weren't really good enough to provide adequate competition. I still got to practice dribbling and shooting that way.

I was doing pretty poorly as goalkeeper during a couple matches so I went and did the workshop training, and it was extremely helpful. It goes through the basics, then gives about 2-3 training challenges to test your skills at. They have workshops for everything from passing, goalkeeper, striking, it's all super helpful.

I'm having a mental breakdown looking at the leaked Sega game sales figures.

The Yakuza games sold more or less how I expected, it's kind of a cult-classic type of series.