[:plant:] The GFF Game Club [Now Playing: Max Payne] Now with less spoiler tags

I should already be in

For posterity, I'll replay ICO, it's been a long time since I last went through it.

And yes, strangely enough, the US version is a CD, while the European and Japanese releases were on DVD.

Also, the original PAL/JPN release was lovely:



Jam it back in, in the dark.

Considering it's an 8 hour game, you have no excuse not to finish it amidst Torchlight, DJ Hero and TEKKEN 6.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

We've discussed a lot of how we'll go about this, and a single thread was selected over an entire subforum, in an attempt to focus the discussion, instead of splitting attention. The opening post will most likely be updated with links to where discussion for each titles "starts" for easy reference for people reading up later.

Personally, I'm beginning to feel there should have been one thread for club discussion and people joining in, and a separate thread for game discussion to avoid clutter (this can still be done with a simple thread renaming, luckily), but new people joining in will likely lessen once everyone interested have joined and the first deadline is reached.


I'm also not in favor of setting checkpoints or requirements. We've all seen how badly most GFF members fare with schedules (GFF journal, Secret Santa, CD swap, etc), so we've set a single date by which we will begin discussion. It's up to everyone to decide how they'll play or if indeed they'll have time, putting less pressure (I feel) on the player, and making the experience more about them playing and enjoying the game, as opposed to keeping an eye on strict rules and requirements on process. If the final date comes and you haven't finished the game, you can discuss what you experience till then, and, if you plan on finishing, avoiding the discussion altogether since spoiler tags won't be used.

But the main thing is everyone play at their own pace.
For instance, I haven't even started my replay yet, I've been continuing Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. But then, I already know how quickly I can play through the game, even when taking my time, so it's easier.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Spoiler:

Mate, you really shouldn't play it, if it's frustrating you so much. Seeing frustration in the things you do, and not finding enjoyment.. well, anywhere, it really can't win you over like this.


Personally (and this is no longer aimed at Shin), I never had a problem with the combat, and never quite understood why people felt complaining about it was useful criticism. It's simple yes, but nowhere was it frustrating. And if indeed it gets frustrating to someone, you can drag Yorda over to an idol gate and end the battle right there.

I only noticed this on later playthroughs as I fought the fights as they came. You just timed your strikes and kept close to Yorda. You had plenty of time to save her if she ever got caught and the sense of panic as you are trying to save her from a shadow pool is there for a reason if she ever does get carried to one.

The baiting shadows baited you away from Yorda precisely so they could grab her and stop you from saving her. It's a bit silly to get mad at the game for showing slightly cleverer AI in such simple battles. The most frustraing enemies were the little spiders that climbed walls, as they were hard to reach before they climbed too high up.

There are like two times when you need to leave Yorda's side and go to another room, and if you don't dawdle around, she won't get attacked while you are away. The whole point is to protect her as the whole castle is out to get her and she's not only a friend but a means of escape. I never understood how people could complain the game eventually punishing you if you leave her alone and unprotected for far too long, but this is because I didn't feel she was a burden and was constantly neglecting her.

Camera angles were a problem at the windmill in one jump, everywhere else it was always in the right spot, so I dunno if my playstyle is so radically different from other people's or if the game actually requires such a different approach or what.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Spoiler:

Regarding losing Yorda in another room, I was going by one of the main complaints I've heard from people who didn't enjoy it. Often it was mentioned they HATED the way you'd go off somewhere and later you'd hear a yelp from another room and soon everything was grey and white as you game overed.


Looking at your experiences, it's like reading something I'd write when I was gritting my teeth through Uncharted 1. Everything about the game just kept infuriating me. The shooting was decent on its own, but when there was so much of it, and dying made you repeat the entire 10 minute battle, it quickly became extremely unenjoyable. The platforming was brief and felt unpleasant because of the disconnect with the animation and the environment, the static camera angles and the flimsy analogue stick making most of the shimmying and jumping from ledge to ledge really frustrating and forcing constant restarts.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I just finished Bayonetta, so I'll likely start my playthrough over the weekend.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

dawww, my first save couch and the kids fell asleep again :3


I'd forgotten you could zoom during the cutscenes. In a way I hate that. In games like this and MGS2, because you could zoom, you were always zooming, as opposed to leaving the cutscenes as is.

Anyway, the only thing so far that bothers me (that I didn't noticed before) is how Ico has no turning animation. If you're standing still and move in another direction, he just clips towards without ever turning. He does have one when you change direction while running, though.
Otherwise the animation, and visuals in general, are still splendid.

FELIPE NO

I finished it last night~

How ya doing, buddy?

I started a new Mass Effect playthrough as well, but then continued ICO the next evening and finished it in one go. I suppose it helped since I knew how far away I was, so it kept me going.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

The shadow eventually pops out. As soon as they shove Yorda in, they jump in themselves and while it takes some time, they'll eventually pop out again.

I also entirely disagree that opportunities to run to the idol statues are rare. There were about 4-5 battles where I had to fight off shadows, and a few more where I chose to fight them for more dramatic flair, but usually it was just a case of making it to the statues.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

And the lightsabre will the be there on a later playthrough in the JPN/PAL versions.

Truthfully, I never picked up the mace (or the sabre). The only extra I've done is the watermelon ending, which wasn't available since I was playing a fresh memory card with no clear file.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

If you play a second playthrough on the PAL/NTSC, you get english subtitles for Yorda's speech, a number of fancy graphical filters and a second player can control Yorda around and even carry stuff. If only she'd been able to swing a sword, you could have played through the game as her while dragging Ico along.



Anyway, as well as those, on the second playthrough, when you read the beach, there will be a patch of watermelons by the cliff edge.

When you pick up and carry one of the large watermelons all the way to where Yorda is lying, you get a bonus ending.

YouTube Video

Most amazing jew boots

(there's no platforming in Beyond Good & Evil, although I get your point)

I was speaking idiomatically.

I've been planning on replaying both back to back for a while now, so I'm open to the suggestion~

We'll be sure to discuss it when we do.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Well the original idea was to dig up older games people might have missed or have but need that extra kick to go ahead and finish/play them. New releases usually have their own threads for discussing anyway.

FELIPE NO

I don't think Army of Two's problem is stigma but more that it's such a bad game, slightly livened up by splitscreen co-op. You're still playing co-op of a fairly bad game, with more of the fun coming from interaction between the two of you, and not so much with the game. I imagine co-op over online with that game is a pretty empty experience.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I'll repeat it here, it's ok to discuss your votes I guess? But everyone needs to PM their votes to OP or we can't count them.

Most amazing jew boots

Oh come on. You can up the contrast a bit and imagine you're playing a muscular reggae dude. Like a 3D Ganja Farmer only without the music.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

PMS at OP, folks. did you see what i did there, i better screenshot and journal this

How ya doing, buddy?

Ence has more than enough STIGGGGMAAAAAAAA on him already.

Most amazing jew boots

Hot damn I'm going to replay the hell out of you.


Also philia I'm fairly sure the video had the guy using arcade sticks (or a cabinet in this one).

YouTube Video

Could of course be another video entirely!

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Colonel Skills

Maybe if I watch some vids about it I'll pick up on what I was doing wrong, I don't know.

Speedrunners use tricks like super jump, but still:
http://speeddemosarchive.com/demo.pl?MaxPayne_NYM_2922

How ya doing, buddy?