Community MetaSteam | July 2019 - Racing Towards Empty Wallets

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Ge0force

Excluding exclusives
Jan 12, 2019
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It took me a while to "get it".

The whole point of the game is looting ridiculous weapons* and, to do so, you're supposed to beat each mission in almost every difficulty level.

*and boy are they ridiculous. Stuff like an assault rifle that shoots really quickly but the bullets stay mostly still during the first 3 seconds and then instantly go from 0 to infinity.

Basically (and to simplify things), on any difficulty setting the actual difficulty curve progresses exponentially whereas the loot you get improves linearly.
This means that you won't be able to just beat the game on NORMAL... At some point you won't be able to advance further but you'll be strong enough to restart the first few missions on HARD. This will allow you to farm better weapons (as the drops' level ceiling increases) and progress further.

As far as gameplay loops go this one is a bit unusual, I'll give you that!

But I do recommend playing the entirety of the game with somebody else!

Edit: with that said, I completed EDF 2017, played EDF Insect Armageddon (and hated it) and I still have to finish EDF 4.1 (the progression was too slow and I lost interest after a while)... so I'm not sure I'm going to buy EDF5 right away.
I don't doubt it's a good game. It's just that loot games aren't for me. I didn't enjoy other loot games as well (Destiny, Diablo 3 etc) because I don't care about playing the same levels over and over again, only to get the same weapon I already have with improved stats.

I rather prefer rogue-likes like Enter the Gungeon, because the levels are always different and you actually unlock unique wapens and stuff in that game.
 

Exzyleph

Dark Eroge Lord
Oct 9, 2018
878
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None of them are. In fact, I doubt there's most than 10 games in my top 50 are tagged as indie or free-to-play, both tags that appear a lot in my recommendations if I don't filter them.

The thing is, the algorithm is doing what is supposed to do and I can't blame them for thinking that I'm a fan of fucking Woodle Tree Adventures and the likes since my playtime is almost double than average. I think that the solution in this case is maybe playing the games I buy? I never thought it would come to this.
But does it matter what Steam recommends to you, if you don't play the games you buy? :thinking-face:
 

NarohDethan

There was a fish in the percolator!
Apr 6, 2019
9,148
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Started Resident Evil 2 yesterday. It’s pretty good so far. Could top Sekiro as my GotY but need to play more to find out.

Have to play a few games that released this year but 2019 seems like a good year for quality games so far.

Also played some Dragon Quest Builders 2 on my Switch and that is a game I would like to play on my PC with a FOV -slider
RE2 is the best game I've played in a while, enjoy!
 

sprinkles

Junior Member
Dec 8, 2018
625
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Tried Timespinner via PC game pass. It's really good.
I played it right after finishing Touhou Luna Nights and dropped it after an hour or so because it just wasn't as fast and furious and fun as Luna Nights. I have to get back to it some day, it is not a bad game in any way.
 

Futaleufu

Laughing Chojin
Mar 14, 2019
702
1,143
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Pet peeve of mine in music / rhythm games - they're all (or, almost all) score based, so why do they ALL feel the need to have fail states as well? Is there a single person that enjoys their song suddenly stopping because they flubbed one too many wubbs? If you suck your score already reflects that so... just why? It also makes some games incredibly tedious (looking at you, Thumper) when you can nail the first 2/3 of a track and then faceplant the last 1/3 over and over but it's a rhythm game so obviously there's no checkpoints....

Bleh. Kind of reminding me why I stopped playing them so much a few years ago as I'm getting into them again. At least Beat Saber has the option to disable that in the free play mode.
Thats because they decided to just copy DDR, which was an arcade game so it made sense back then to drop the song after too many fails. They never had the intention to think about design improvements on the genre.
 

Knurek

OG old coot
Oct 16, 2018
2,525
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Thats because they decided to just copy DDR, which was an arcade game so it made sense back then to drop the song after too many fails. They never had the intention to think about design improvements on the genre.
Most of other bemani titles (which are also made with arcades in mind) don't have fail states.
(I mean, you can fail a song and continue on your credit - the only thing you lose out on is the extra stage)
 

NarohDethan

There was a fish in the percolator!
Apr 6, 2019
9,148
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Most of other bemani titles (which are also made with arcades in mind) don't have fail states.
(I mean, you can fail a song and continue on your credit - the only thing you lose out on is the extra stage)
IIRC that depended on the arcade configuration no? I remember being both kicked out of the song and recieve a game over, and the game letting you finish but no next stage.
 

Derrick01

MetaMember
Oct 6, 2018
1,214
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I finished a plague tale. It was a neat little game punching well above its weight class but the end of the game really soured me with how many gaming sins they committed. In the last 3 chapters alone I went through a dream sequence where all you do is press forward, experienced an insanely long forced stealth section where all your gear is taken away, and fought a boss fight that doesn't belong (the rats eat everyone they touch instantly but not this guy because it's a video game and we HAVE to use the rule of 3).

It was also a lot shorter than I expected as I saw people saying it was 15+ hours but I finished in 10. The puzzles were extremely easy and I didn't get stuck at all so maybe that's why it was shorter for me. Again it was an ok game but it felt like they sort of ran out of ideas near the end.
 

NarohDethan

There was a fish in the percolator!
Apr 6, 2019
9,148
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I finished a plague tale. It was a neat little game punching well above its weight class but the end of the game really soured me with how many gaming sins they committed. In the last 3 chapters alone I went through a dream sequence where all you do is press forward, experienced an insanely long forced stealth section where all your gear is taken away, and fought a boss fight that doesn't belong (the rats eat everyone they touch instantly but not this guy because it's a video game and we HAVE to use the rule of 3).

It was also a lot shorter than I expected as I saw people saying it was 15+ hours but I finished in 10. The puzzles were extremely easy and I didn't get stuck at all so maybe that's why it was shorter for me. Again it was an ok game but it felt like they sort of ran out of ideas near the end.
Totally agree. I'm baffled watching so many people calling it GOTY.
 
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Line

meh
Dec 21, 2018
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Timespinner is pretty cool, it feels a lot like a lost SNES game... the atmosphere is just right from this era.
Doesn't seem to be too much SotN for me though, it's more of a DS-like Castlevania, the orb system is almost ripped off from the glyphs of Order of Ecclesia, and it makes combat surprisingly good and varied, it's quite satisfying to switch around your weapon sets to hit weaknesses (it's a hell of a lot more important than current Metroidvanias).
Weird Chrono Trigger vibes from the story too, I just regret that it has almost no puzzles involving the timelines, it's pretty linear; even the levels are quite flat and just spread horizontally. But a great soundtrack, it becomes very Super Metroid-y at some point.
It's just a tad weaker to explore than it could be, not unlike Axiom Verge.

The quest design and the NPC interactions are WAY, WAY better than its competitors though. After Bloodstained (which is definitely a stronger game all around); it's cool to have more dialogue and lore rather than another random ring and "KILL THOSE MONSTERS DEAD"!


Also, I can see why some gamers would have a meltdown playing it, fantasy black people with different countries, multiple LGBTQ characters, hell even polyamory, and nazi bad guys?
Yeah, that would do it for some.
 

Knurek

OG old coot
Oct 16, 2018
2,525
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IIRC that depended on the arcade configuration no? I remember being both kicked out of the song and recieve a game over, and the game letting you finish but no next stage.
Might be. Or it's something they introduced (as default) in the later iterations.
 
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Amzin

No one beats me 17 times in a row!
Dec 5, 2018
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Thats because they decided to just copy DDR, which was an arcade game so it made sense back then to drop the song after too many fails. They never had the intention to think about design improvements on the genre.
Most of other bemani titles (which are also made with arcades in mind) don't have fail states.
(I mean, you can fail a song and continue on your credit - the only thing you lose out on is the extra stage)
Maybe, it is as simple as coasting on one of the first break outs of the past, it just seems really weird. It might even be artificially enforcing a niche status because rhythm games are hard for a lot of people, and the idea of constantly failing sure isn't appealing. I legitimately want to know a positive side of the failstates but I can't find one :p

It's doubly frustrating because a lot of games that have frustrating mechanics or fights you can fudge it either with a bug or cheat engine or what have you, but that's extremely difficult / impossible in rhythm games and aside from just making your "health" not deplete would go against the very concept of the game.
 
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Echoes

"My destiny is to continue fighting"
Oct 31, 2018
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Timespinner is pretty cool, it feels a lot like a lost SNES game... the atmosphere is just right from this era.
Doesn't seem to be too much SotN for me though, it's more of a DS-like Castlevania, the orb system is almost ripped off from the glyphs of Order of Ecclesia, and it makes combat surprisingly good and varied, it's quite satisfying to switch around your weapon sets to hit weaknesses (it's a hell of a lot more important than current Metroidvanias).
Weird Chrono Trigger vibes from the story too, I just regret that it has almost no puzzles involving the timelines, it's pretty linear; even the levels are quite flat and just spread horizontally. But a great soundtrack, it becomes very Super Metroid-y at some point.
It's just a tad weaker to explore than it could be, not unlike Axiom Verge.

The quest design and the NPC interactions are WAY, WAY better than its competitors though. After Bloodstained (which is definitely a stronger game all around); it's cool to have more dialogue and lore rather than another random ring and "KILL THOSE MONSTERS DEAD"!


Also, I can see why some gamers would have a meltdown playing it, fantasy black people with different countries, multiple LGBTQ characters, hell even polyamory, and nazi bad guys?
Yeah, that would do it for some.
You fight nazis? It's going down the next time its' on sale :D
 
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Firewithin

MetaMember
Dec 19, 2018
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im trying to get The Messenger through gamepass PC and it keeps telling me to sign up even though i have ultimate and am signed in correctly.

why does it keep asking to sign up?
 

Li Kao

It’s a strange world. Let’s keep it that way.
Jan 28, 2019
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Mmh, tempted to try God Eater 1... but not sure where. The game is old, maybe it would benefit to be on an handheld screen like the vita instead of a monitor. Any advice?
 
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Tizoc

Retired, but still Enabling
Oct 11, 2018
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Bioshock Infinite has really odd pacing, though I may be using that word incorrectly to describe what I'm about to say.
The start of the game is fine; Booker arrives in Columbia during a fair, gets found out as a possible threat to Columbia and starts butchering the cops and militia that get in his way.
He finds out where Elizabeth is kept and sets out to Monument Island. He frees her, learns of her giant bird protector, but in turn Monument Island is destroyed and the two find themselves on an air island modled after beaches.
Booker gets found out while there and continues to kill through Comstock's henchmen. We find out that the beach island is connected to, or is part of a fairground island with ice creams shops, parlours, etc.

From here Booker finds out he can reach the aerodome to get an airship off Columbia, problem is, the gondola that would take them to the aerodome requires him to first turn on a switch that is power by an electric Vigor.
This is where the pacing comes off; you will spend the next hour or 30 mins. depending on difficulty, going through a building that tells of the various wars that Comstock and Columbia were involved in just to get said electric vigor, which turns out to be held by a former general that Booker fought with, Slate.
Booker fights his way through Slate's soldiers and finally gets the electric vigor from him.

Why the heck did I go through all that just to get this one particular vigor? Non of the prior or later vigors become necessary for game progression and yet this one vigor is given focus? The dang thing deals low damage and only becomes effective once upgraded in order to stun lock enemies and cause their heads to explode when you shotgun one of them.

Anyways, Booker and Elizabeth manage to charge up the switch that summons the gondola and eventually board the air ship. During the cutscene, Elizabeth knocks out Booker and escapes from him.
When next Booker wakes up, Daisy and her Vox Populi have taken over his airship and task him with finding a weaponsmith to help her cause. Booker is dropped at the airship docks which happen to be part of Fink Manufacturing, meaning the docks are part of a larger air island where various devices and products used by Columbians are made in.
Booker is found out, shoots up some more enemies then...finds Elizabeth. She just gets dropped off at the air docks by some workers who think she's a stray or stowaway.
Was there going to be a section or chapter where Booker has to try and look for her but was dropped?
Fink Manufacturing is also a very odd location; its center area works as a hub to go to specific areas and battle enemies in.
Was this location made during early development to function as a hub from which Booker would go and clear specific missions? This is the one hub area in the game.

It also brings up something odd; the hub area writes the names of its linked areas in large fancy letters on doors that lead to them


Uhhhhh why; why would you write the door to your poor district this fancifly for?
This is why I wrote that this section felt like it was among the early developed parts of the game that got reworked. I should note that going to any of the other areas will have the game load that area. Thankfully on PC it's only a few seconds load time.

Progressing we get to one of the game's most controversial themes, namely Daisy's rebellion going into full swing.
I'm getting ahead of myself here, and should go into more detail first: Booker and Elizabeth use tears to 'jump' to another reality based on what the duo needs; the weaponsmith being alive and the weaponsmith's tools not being confiscated by the police.
Before I continue I should mention something I just now realized; The weaponsmith's workshop is smack in the middle of Fink hub area and is near to a police station. Why the heck is his workshop so conveniently close to every necessary area you need to go through to get Daisy's task done?
The progression and overall mission here is conflicting with the predefined purpose of the areas in this hub area, as they shouldn't be so close together.

Another thing this section of the game brings up is that the Shantytown is the player finally seeing the dark underbelly of Columbia by seeing the poor and downtrodden, whom Fink has taken under his wing for his own desires.

This makes one wonder just how big and how many air islands does Columbia consist of? If there was a map of Columbia shown earlier in the game, I must've missed it, but a map detailing the structure of the islands would've really helped, something like this (from McGee's Alice 1)


Anyway Daisy goes full on kill mode with her Vox Populi, Elizabeth ends her and the two finally recover the airship and try to leave Columbia, but once again the Songbird stops them and the two conveniently manage to find themselves in Emporia, being the living area/island of the top elite and rich of Columbia which is being sieged by the Vox and with everyone trying to evacuate.
Emporia also happens to be close to Comstock's residence.
I stopped at this part of the game and looking back at it, the team tried to tie stuff together as much as possible but the electric vigor and Fink hub section are really odd game design decisions.
The game really comes off as going through the motions.

Timespinner is pretty cool, it feels a lot like a lost SNES game... the atmosphere is just right from this era.
Doesn't seem to be too much SotN for me though, it's more of a DS-like Castlevania, the orb system is almost ripped off from the glyphs of Order of Ecclesia, and it makes combat surprisingly good and varied, it's quite satisfying to switch around your weapon sets to hit weaknesses (it's a hell of a lot more important than current Metroidvanias).
Weird Chrono Trigger vibes from the story too, I just regret that it has almost no puzzles involving the timelines, it's pretty linear; even the levels are quite flat and just spread horizontally. But a great soundtrack, it becomes very Super Metroid-y at some point.
It's just a tad weaker to explore than it could be, not unlike Axiom Verge.

The quest design and the NPC interactions are WAY, WAY better than its competitors though. After Bloodstained (which is definitely a stronger game all around); it's cool to have more dialogue and lore rather than another random ring and "KILL THOSE MONSTERS DEAD"!


Also, I can see why some gamers would have a meltdown playing it, fantasy black people with different countries, multiple LGBTQ characters, hell even polyamory, and nazi bad guys?
Yeah, that would do it for some.
Dang I need to get timespinner.
 

Mivey

MetaMember
Sep 20, 2018
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Mmh, tempted to try God Eater 1... but not sure where. The game is old, maybe it would benefit to be on an handheld screen like the vita instead of a monitor. Any advice?
I found it pretty boring, and quit halfway through. Neither the story, nor the gameplay were super appealing, and the game mostly consisted in repeating the same or similar mission in like 5 maps that you visit over and over.
Not my idea of a good time.

Might wanna ask zkylon though, somehow even beat that thing
 
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fantomena

MetaMember
Dec 17, 2018
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I had to use a trainer to get though Bio Infinite. The combat got so boring after a while.
 

Amzin

No one beats me 17 times in a row!
Dec 5, 2018
1,001
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Timespinner is great, I wrote about it last year sometime. It's one of the better Metroidvania's on Steam right now. I actually think it's a much more polished game than Bloodstained (I've ranted about BS a few times now) but it is very light on the RPG side of things if that's what you like out of those games.
 

beep boop

MetaMember
Dec 6, 2018
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Tried about half a dozen games on Game Pass so far but none of them managed to really grab me. Even The Messenger, which I thought I'd like. I think I'm in some kind of gaming slump or something right now. I want to play something really fresh and original but everything I try feels like something I've played already. Think I might need to go out of my comfort zone in terms of genres.
 

Li Kao

It’s a strange world. Let’s keep it that way.
Jan 28, 2019
7,871
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Hmm, discovered that my right 360 analog drifts sometimes. And a quick glance tends to confirm that it doesn't totally go back at the center when it happens. Cool, now to excavate another pad...
What software do I need to run a DS3 ? Steam seems to recognize it but it doesn't seem to work.
 

Knurek

OG old coot
Oct 16, 2018
2,525
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Tried about half a dozen games on Game Pass so far but none of them managed to really grab me. Even The Messenger, which I thought I'd like. I think I'm in some kind of gaming slump or something right now. I want to play something really fresh and original but everything I try feels like something I've played already. Think I might need to go out of my comfort zone in terms of genres.
 
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BlueOdin

Dec 3, 2018
995
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Just imagine RE3 Remake :sweaty-blob:
Never played that. Does it have good leveldesign? Probably the mainline Resident Evil game I hear nothing about. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, spinoffs I often see something written about. 3 only now with talk about a potential remake. I think I only heard that a Tyrant chasing you is a pretty big part of it.
 

Li Kao

It’s a strange world. Let’s keep it that way.
Jan 28, 2019
7,871
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60 euros for a DS4, fuck my life. I can't possibly budget this shit. I mean, it's nearly what I would need to buy a Switch in four terms.
...Which I can't buy either.
I'm beginning to see a pattern here :fearful-face:
 

Arulan

Lizardman
Dec 7, 2018
563
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Hmm, discovered that my right 360 analog drifts sometimes. And a quick glance tends to confirm that it doesn't totally go back at the center when it happens. Cool, now to excavate another pad...
What software do I need to run a DS3 ? Steam seems to recognize it but it doesn't seem to work.
The DualShock 3 should work fine through Steam. I used it a couple of years ago. You might have to enable PlayStation controller support (Go into Big Picture mode > Controller Settings). And maybe try applying a controller layout (Steam Input) once you're in-game if it's still not responding.
 
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Li Kao

It’s a strange world. Let’s keep it that way.
Jan 28, 2019
7,871
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The DualShock 3 should work fine through Steam. I used it a couple of years ago. You might have to enable PlayStation controller support (Go into Big Picture mode > Controller Settings). And maybe try applying a controller layout (Steam Input) once you're in-game if it's still not responding.
Nope, four blinking leds. I really don't want to have to install SCP or any deprecated software.
 

Nabs

Hyper˗Toxic Pro˗Consumer
Oct 23, 2018
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If anyone is playing Timespinner via Gamepass, use Shift + Win + Enter to go into fullscreen.
 
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BernardoOne

MetaMember
Oct 19, 2018
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60 euros for a DS4, fuck my life. I can't possibly budget this shit. I mean, it's nearly what I would need to buy a Switch in four terms.
...Which I can't buy either.
I'm beginning to see a pattern here :fearful-face:
for what it's worth, chinese clones can be really robust these days. I've recently bought a 20€ one. Some kinks compared to the original but nothing too bad. Gyro and touchpad work great and most importantly it's still recognized by every DS4 supported game as a DS4 controller, as well as by the Steam Controller API.
Dunno about battery life yet as I usually play wired though. But for 1/3rd off the price i really have no complaints so far.
 
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Snakethesniper

Time Traveler
Jan 11, 2019
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For people who played Kiwami 2, is there any substory that blocks the cabaret? I've finished the game but can't enter it
 

Li Kao

It’s a strange world. Let’s keep it that way.
Jan 28, 2019
7,871
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DS3 now working, I had to install PSNow which in turn installs the official drivers.
Now I don’t know if it’s due to the age of the pad but the analog are super ‘lighweight’, tried some Dead Cell and if I’m not consciously handling them ‘kindly’ the character finish his movement in the opposite direction. I’m super confident in real case use, totally convinced :blobxorcism:

Are these Chinese clones easy to find, is there a particular brand BernardoOne ? Because as much as I’m wary of clones, 20 euros is really solid. And I always play plugged too.
 
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derExperte

MetaMember
Dec 9, 2018
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Don't expect great regional prices for Monster Boy:

FDG Entertainment [developer] 12 Jul @ 2:14pm
@berserkgonnahate: the price will be quite similar across countries based on current exchange rates.
FDG Entertainment [developer] 12 Jul @ 3:34pm
Thanks everyone! @berserkgonnahate: regional prices but close to the USD/EUR price based on exchange rates.
---

Because BI is a shit game with shit writing and shit mechanics that if it werent called Bioshock it would have been bashed by everyone.
Or the other way around, if it weren't Bioshock there wouldn't haven been this imo completely hyberbolic backlash.
 
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SRossi

regretten? rien!
Dec 9, 2018
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Or the other way around, if it weren't Bioshock there wouldn't haven been this imo completely hyberbolic backlash.
yeah. I liked BI when I played it; it was fun. At least better than 2 (without DLC).
Never played that. Does it have good leveldesign? Probably the mainline Resident Evil game I hear nothing about. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, spinoffs I often see something written about. 3 only now with talk about a potential remake. I think I only heard that a Tyrant chasing you is a pretty big part of it.
that may be because 3 is the real spinoff here. Code Veronica is the real 3rd game and, yeah, RE3 is fun an all (and yes, the tyrant chases you all the game trough but you can kill him and get good rewards for it) but i felt it was a spinoff when it was dropped into stores unceremonially back then and also when I played it shortly after. what i felt was true because it got confirmed years(?) later. 1 and 2 just where a big hit and they wanted something else for the ps1 until CV was ready. And I will get mad if 3 gets a remake before CV (which I loved, great game). I would be good with a remaster for 3 and a remake for CV. 3 doesn't deserve a remake.
 
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