What Are You Playing Now?

[Philip Overby]

Similar to the What Are You Reading Now? thread, this is a thread just to post and talk about what you're playing at the moment. (Not sure if this thread already exists. If it does, I can merge it later). Can be computer games, console, handheld, tabletop, card, whatever.

For me, I'm currently playing multiple things. I finally got a PS3 so I'm trying it out at the moment.

1. Dragon's Crown: I got the Japanese version, so I have some trouble figuring out some things, but my wife has been playing it with me some, so that helps. So far I really like it. It's like a more in-depth, beat 'em up.

2. Final Fantasy V: One of the few FF games I've never beaten (including 3 and 8), I downloaded it a while back for my PSP, so I'm trying it out again on my PS3.

3. Trapt: One of the PS2 sequels to one of my favorite series ever, Deception, this game is all about trapping people and slinging them all over the place. As soon as I saw it on PSN I was like, "I have to get this."

 

[Svrtnsse]

At the moment I'm mainly playing Hearthstone. It's a collectible card game with relatively short matches, meaning it can be played in small bite-sized chunks.
I'm also playing correspondence Go online, but that almost doesn't count.

 

[Steerpike]

1. Elder Scrolls Online

2. Divinity: Original Sin (a fun, old-school isometric fantasy game); and

3. Tomb Raider (2013 version, which is a blast).

 

[Svrtnsse]

3. Tomb Raider (2013 version, which is a blast).

I just finished this a few weeks ago. Great fun.

 

[Springer]

I am playing Skyrim

 

[Writeking]

Seiken Densetsu 3 (fan translated version)

Final Fantasy 6

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue

 

[Smith]

3. Tomb Raider (2013 version, which is a blast).

This, borrowed from a friend. I love the style, but it appears to give me motion sickness, and I can't hit anything. I suck at it.

 

[Gryphos]

I've gotten hooked on Mount & Blade, a medieval open-world RPG with strategy elements. And it is pretty damn cool. It has a very good combat system involving directional attacks and blocks and mounted combat.

I'm also chugging along with Empire: Total War, a turn-based strategy with real-time battles in which you control troops of soldiers on a map. The Total War series in general is really good, the last one I played being the original Rome: Total War.

I also occasionally play some Dark Souls 2. While in many respects it isn't quite as good as the original Dark Souls, it is still pretty damn good and did make a fair few mechanical improvements such as a proper dual-wielding system.

I have over 600 hours in Civilization V and that number ain't gonna stop increasing any time soon. Civ V is part of the classic 4X strategy series in which you control one of a shitload of civilisations. At launch the game was good, but somewhat lacking, but with the Brave New World expansion pack, which added mechanics like tourism and trade routes, among others, the game is now an amazing piece of strategy game.

 

[Svrtnsse]

I just recently started playing Ingress.
It's an augmented reality game (I think that's the term) where you visit various real world locations to find portals. You get information about nearby portals via an app on your phone. The app plots the portals on a map as well as give you various information, like what faction they belong to and how strong they are.
The object of the game is to gain control of the portals and link them up with other portals your faction controls. Cooperating with other players is supported and encouraged by the game's mechanics.

 

[monyo]

Lichdom: Battlemage. Haven't actually played much yet, just got a copy last week before my computer fan failed. But it's a heavily mage-themed FPS, apparently built by mage fans for mage fans. Which was the selling point that got me to shell out money for it; I'm one of those. The full release hasn't come out yet but it's available on Steam Early Access, or at least it was a week ago. Quite excited about playing it when I have more time, and might be something for fantasy and mage/wizard/magic enthusiasts. PC only, unfortunately. GameSpot review.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

So you did get Dragon's Crown. Should I be jealous then? I was half tempted to get it for a friend who has a PS3 just to play it, but we both have kids now so there isn't much time for gaming nights.

I got my wife to play beat-em-ups like Final Fight and Golden Axe in the past. Is this one of those wife-friendly games? (Assume I won't play as the sorceress.) I doubt I'll get a PS3 over one game, but I'm still curious.

 

[Gryphos]

For the longest while I've been a huge fan of the game Guns of Icarus Online. It's an incredibly unique indie-developed multiplayer experience by which teams of airships face off against each other, each ship being manned by four players. There are three roles to choose from: pilot (who flies the ship), gunner (who shoots the guns), and engineer (who repairs and maintains the ship). Though, any person can fly the ship or shoot a gun or repair the hull, it's just that an engineer is better at repairing than the others, etc.

As to the ships, there are 7 templates to choose from, each with set hard points for light and heavy guns, the captain (usually the pilot) being able to decide which guns they're gonna bring. The ships each also handle differently and have different strengths, with some being fast and nimble, but made of tissue paper, and others being veritable tanks that move at a snail's pace.

The reason I love the game so much is, as I said earlier, the uniqueness of it. You truly won't find any other multiplayer experience like it. I personally love being a pilot, and there really aren't many feelings better than when you pull off an insane 3-dimensional manoeuvre, narrowly escaping from the enemy or bringing your guns to bear.

 

[Aidan of the tavern]

Well today I completed Assassin's Creed 3 (I'm usually 2 years or so behind the latest games).

At the moment I'm also replaying The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion again, with a wood elf pilgrim specialising in blunt. Taking a break from that at the moment though. Also taking a break from Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare, second playthrough. Next I'll be starting Dead Space 2 for the first time.

 

[Jesse Booth]

I am playing Skyrim

Alright Skyrim! I've gone through three copies of it so far. The Xbox keeps tearing them up after a year or so.

Although I still play Skyrim occasionally, most of my time is spent on Dark Souls. No game has ever pissed me off half as bad as Dark Souls does every single time I play it. Worst part is, it isn't the big-ass bosses that kill me. It's the ****ing weak-ass enemies ganging up on me in groups of three or four, not giving me time to block or dodge their attacks! Dark Souls doesn't just kill you constantly, it humiliates you at the same time.

 

[Philip Overby]

So you did get Dragon's Crown. Should I be jealous then? I was half tempted to get it for a friend who has a PS3 just to play it, but we both have kids now so there isn't much time for gaming nights.

I got my wife to play beat-em-ups like Final Fight and Golden Axe in the past. Is this one of those wife-friendly games? (Assume I won't play as the sorceress.) I doubt I'll get a PS3 over one game, but I'm still curious.

My wife just kind of laughed at the over the top character designs. It's one of those games she reluctantly plays with me, but once she plays it, kind of gets into it. It has pretty much the same mechanics as Golden Axe, but it probably reminds me most of the D&D arcade games. My wife is cool with any fighting game that allows random button mashing. She actually likes RPGs now and again, like PoPoLoCrois and Jeanne D'arc. Mostly tactical RPGs I noticed.

I really like Dragon Crown so far, but since it's the Japanese version, I do have difficulty figuring out the intricacies of the RPG elements. When I can just kill things, it's all good.

 

[Chessie]

Oh, I'm totally still playing Skyrim with New Vegas on the side.

 

[Aidan of the tavern]

Oh, I'm totally still playing Skyrim with New Vegas on the side.

Fallouts 3 and New Vegas are two of my favourite ever games. Such immersive worldbuilding.

 

[Philip Overby]

I started replaying Skyrim not long ago, but quickly lost interest again. Not sure why. I guess since with my first playthrough I did so much stuff, it's hard for me to get more out of it. It's still one of my favorite games of this generation, but I need to give it a lot of space before playing it again I think. One thing I usually do is do mostly the main storyline in my first run, then in subsequent runs try to do side quests and such. However, I was so amped playing it the first go round, I kept doing everything.

 

[Chessie]

Roleplaying helps extend Skyrim's life, I think. Along with mods. So if you're able to play on the pc there Phil, I suggest looking into some mods that add more immersion. Also maybe running a character with a challenging build. I've been thinking of running a bard for a while, let's see if I actually get to that someday.

 

[Gryphos]

I used to play Skyrim, and to be fair I did have a certain degree of fun with it. But I wouldn't really want to play it again. I think the best way to sum it up is, it's a game as wide as an ocean, but as deep as a puddle.