What game are you playing?

[wankerness]

I've been playing a lot of the DLC for the game that need not be mentioned in every thread, but the experience has been fraught with stick drift, which is really annoying. I ended up tearing my two PS5 controllers apart, cleaning the stick pots as well as I could, and reassembling them, which seems to have worked for now, but I'm still saddened that this is a common issue for this generation. None of my pre-PS4 or pre-Xbone controllers ever had this issue. And I managed to avoid it on the switch somehow. But every xbone or PS5 controller that I use develops some drift.

I went through PS4 controllers like crazy (had THREE of them develop inaccuracies with the left stick), but so far the PS5 controller that came with the system has been fine besides the X button occasionally sticking due to dirt. I have two others - one I installed modded back buttons on so I've been using it as little as possible to preserve it, so that one's fine, and then the third one I got is still also fine but has seen several hundred fewer hours of use so far and the buttons don't feel as good as the old one.

I like how the PS5 controller that has replaceable sticks costs a truly outrageous amount (I saw an advertised "incredible, biggest sale ever!" on it yesterday for $175) purely so Sony can not lose so much money on people not having to replace the whole goddam controller every year or so. If they have it for $150 on prime day I might buy it since I think we're going to be stuck with PS5 pro for at least another couple years before they become defunct.

On Switch, I got two pro controllers and both developed stick drift on the left stick. I've basically just stopped playing the switch cause I got sick of replacing that shit, and my girlfriend isn't bothered by it so whatever. Coincidentally the older of the two also completely stopped working on battery power, it was weird, it went from 8 hours+ of battery life one day to "will not even light up unless it's plugged in" the next. It's like the battery disconnected inside of it!

I have never had a problem with the "joycons" but that's partly cause I've almost never used them cause I can't deal with the switch in handheld mode (my hands cramp up almost instantly).

 

[TedEH]

I like how the PS5 controller that has replaceable sticks costs a truly outrageous amount (I saw an advertised "incredible, biggest sale ever!" on it yesterday for $175) purely so Sony can not lose so much money on people not having to replace the whole goddam controller every year or so. If they have it for $150 on prime day I might buy it since I think we're going to be stuck with PS5 pro for at least another couple years before they become defunct.

If the ones I have end up failing completely, that doesn't sound like the worst way to go except for the price tag, even with a slight discount I can get from Sony. (They're usually $250 CAD, but I get a whole $200 instead. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Better than nothing, but that's still a lot for a controller.) Funny enough - when I go look at the prices, the replacement sticks are out of stock.

I wonder if my luck with the Switch is just that I haven't used them as much. I read somewhere that the Alps stick modules used by all the big names are only rated for something like the equivalent of a year's worth of moderate gaming. I've definitely put hundred and hundreds of hours on my PS5 controller, but the switch is half Joycon, have pro controller, and I really only spend time on there for Nintendo exclusives, which are a pretty small fraction of my time spent playing any games.

I managed once to Frankenstein two Xbone controllers together to get one good working one with no drift, and it stayed pretty good for about a year.

Mostly unrelated - anyone here particularly excited for Concord? 'Cause I may or may not have some beta codes I can give away.

 

[wankerness]

If the ones I have end up failing completely, that doesn't sound like the worst way to go except for the price tag, even with a slight discount I can get from Sony. (They're usually $250 CAD, but I get a whole $200 instead. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Better than nothing, but that's still a lot for a controller.) Funny enough - when I go look at the prices, the replacement sticks are out of stock.

The customer reviews and reddit threads I just looked at are like 90% people screeching about the whole thing being a scam cause sony sells it for 200 under the pretense of replaceable sticks and then doesn't sell the sticks so you have to buy them for 50 from a chinese bootlegger and blahblah. It does seem comical. I guess it's probably more cost-efficient to just buy a new controller every time the previous dies. Which sucks when every controller adds more and more stupid gimmicks that jack the cost up so now they're what, 70 dollars each??

The main appeal of that thing, if the replacement sticks seem to be no help, is that it has back buttons. But 200 bucks? Ew. I'd probably rather get a generic one that just lacks the fancy vibration and annoying trigger resistance of the official PS5 controller cause I don't really like those features anyway. There was some creative use of the triggers in FF7 Rebirth and that was the first time I ever really viewed them as anything other than a device to annoy the shit out of you by making it harder to mash fire in games with bow and arrows. After the situp game in FF7 Rebirth, I now view them as an actual gamer torture device. I just had to turn the feature off entirely at some points in games (though the aforementioned torturous section of FF7 rebirth it was actually impossible to turn it off entirely and win cause it involved making you press the R2 button halfway down, which is very difficult to do without it also resisting you at the same time).

 

[TedEH]

I feel like if I was going to go out of my to pay a premium for a controller, I'd want to try out something with hall effect sticks, or something that's more likely to last in the first place. Although I've also heard that hall effect isn't necessarily always "better" either.

 

[wankerness]

I'm finally playing resident evil village - I started it about a year ago but quit before I even got to the first castle. Last night I started and finished the first castle. It's pretty good but after having played the RE4 remake the combat feels clunky. The first person thing is more immersive in a way, but you also feel way less in control of your actions. It works really well for the claustrophobic stuff like being in a pitch black dungeon with creepy vampire things slowly walking towards you, though.

I don't know much about this game besides everyone being mad that they used the BIG LADY in the first dungeon and apparently she's the best character. Also I guess some later area is PT influenced and is legitimately terrifying. I'm not looking forward to that.

After this talk about stick drift and PS5 controllers, my controller must have overheard, cause now I definitely slow walk forward very frequently when not touching the controller. Well, guess I'm buying another!

 

[TedEH]

After this talk about stick drift and PS5 controllers, my controller must have overheard, cause now I definitely slow walk forward very frequently when not touching the controller. Well, guess I'm buying another!

If you're basically gonna junk the old controller anyway - it could be worth pulling it apart and trying to clean the pots. It's not too hard to do, if you're careful. Bit of compressed air, bit of alcohol or deoxit or something, get it right in the little sensor boxes, work it in, clean it up, you get the idea. Worst case it's just not any better or worse than before. (Well, actual worst case is you break an otherwise good controller, but you know.)

 

[wankerness]

If you're basically gonna junk the old controller anyway - it could be worth pulling it apart and trying to clean the pots. It's not too hard to do, if you're careful. Bit of compressed air, bit of alcohol or deoxit or something, get it right in the little sensor boxes, work it in, clean it up, you get the idea. Worst case it's just not any better or worse than before. (Well, actual worst case is you break an otherwise good controller, but you know.)

I used to have a student intern at work that was happy to do that with PS4 controllers (I'd give him like 10 bucks a controller for it). It definitely helped a bit, but none of them were 100% good again. I've taken apart one ps5 controller and put it back together for the one I modded and it's probably worth 50 bucks to me to not do it.

I think it's funny that PS5 controllers, at least on amazon, are massively different in price depending on color. 60 bucks for white, 70 for black, or 80 for purple!

 

[MFB]

Now that I've finished the Elden Ring DLC, I'm having my usual bout of 'post FS game depression' where I just look thru my library hoping something stands out, but I know none of them will. There's something about the way a FS world exists, that it makes other games feel boring even if they're more filled with characters/color/etc; it's tough to articulate, but there's a reason so many single players have aped their style.

Realistically, they're just about the only games I've played since 2020, when I first got Sekiro, and then my ass kicked and moved to Bloodborne; I did BB completely, then I think Sekiro, couldnt beat it so I did DS1 instead, back to Sekiro and DID beat it, tried DS2 and hated it. Replayed both BB/Sekiro, then Elden Ring on launch, a new character because I biffed it hard with my original, then DS3 for the first time, and then ANOTHER character in ER for the DLC. I did multiplayer just between them, but I can count on one hand the number of NEW single player games I did in between those; Spider-Man/MM, GOW:R, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Jedi Fallen Order, and I think that's it's? Oh, Ghost of Tsushima too.

I'm gonna try and play Nioh 1 again, I wasn't entirely new to the Soulsborne when I first tried, but I'm definitely more seasoned now. Hopefully I'll make it past the second boss this time, but who knows, not getting my hopes up.

 

[Werecow]

I'm trying Ghost of Tsushima for the first time. Sadly, a bit disappointed in it so far. I'd kept seeing other Sony games communities on Steam being invaded by people asking for it, like it was some sort of masterpiece, but it seems like a 95% busy work game? Every time i get to a main quest location, it's over in about 2 minutes after having yet another almost identical fight as everywhere else, then it's back to riding around a quite sparse feeling map, filling out collectables sites.

The combat is ok, but yet again my view is tainted by loving Sekiro.

I've turned it into a purely stealth assassination game for now, where i reload if i'm discovered at locations, and that's keeping it interesting enough for me to keep playing.

 

[wankerness]

I'm trying Ghost of Tsushima for the first time. Sadly, a bit disappointed in it so far. I'd kept seeing other Sony games communities on Steam being invaded by people asking for it, like it was some sort of masterpiece, but it seems like a 95% busy work game? Every time i get to a main quest location, it's over in about 2 minutes after having yet another almost identical fight as everywhere else, then it's back to riding around a quite sparse feeling map, filling out collectables sites.

The combat is ok, but yet again my view is tainted by loving Sekiro.

I've turned it into a purely stealth assassination game for now, where i reload if i'm discovered at locations, and that's keeping it interesting enough for me to keep playing.

I really liked Ghost of Tsushima, but I was coming at it from playing a bunch of Assassin's Creed games. It's like the ideal version of those. The combat's much better, the map is much smaller and less filled with annoying garbage minigames like rock stacking, etc. But, if you're coming at it from Sekiro, I bet it feels empty and huge and like it wastes way too much of your time with pointless bullshit like following foxes around or writing haikus for cosmetic rewards or whatever.

I remember the combat being fun, but also being very "rock paper scissors" once you unlock the four stances. It's like, oh, there's a big fat guy, time to switch to that counter stance and just mash attack till he dies, oh there's a shield guy? switch to that counter stance and mindlessly mash!

You unlock more stealth options as the game goes on as well as more stances and I think the combat is pretty good overall, but I bet it will feel really easy and boring if you're used to Sekiro. However, I do remember the boss fights and the fights against the straw hat guys being way, way more difficult. I just don't remember how they played at all. They may be Sekiro-ish, just much easier. Again, I haven't played it since it was brand new, I might not be so impressed if I replayed it now.

Now that I've finished the Elden Ring DLC, I'm having my usual bout of 'post FS game depression' where I just look thru my library hoping something stands out, but I know none of them will. There's something about the way a FS world exists, that it makes other games feel boring even if they're more filled with characters/color/etc; it's tough to articulate, but there's a reason so many single players have aped their style.

Realistically, they're just about the only games I've played since 2020, when I first got Sekiro, and then my ass kicked and moved to Bloodborne; I did BB completely, then I think Sekiro, couldnt beat it so I did DS1 instead, back to Sekiro and DID beat it, tried DS2 and hated it. Replayed both BB/Sekiro, then Elden Ring on launch, a new character because I biffed it hard with my original, then DS3 for the first time, and then ANOTHER character in ER for the DLC. I did multiplayer just between them, but I can count on one hand the number of NEW single player games I did in between those; Spider-Man/MM, GOW:R, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Jedi Fallen Order, and I think that's it's? Oh, Ghost of Tsushima too.

I'm gonna try and play Nioh 1 again, I wasn't entirely new to the Soulsborne when I first tried, but I'm definitely more seasoned now. Hopefully I'll make it past the second boss this time, but who knows, not getting my hopes up.

Yes, Fromsoft games do the same to me cause everything else just loves to waste your time with dialogue and boredom instead of pure gameplay.

Nioh absolutely, positively does not come close to Fromsoft in the world design area. It is level-based - you just choose them off the overworld and run them. This is great for gear farming and stuff cause you can just repeat missions as much as you want after beating them, unlike Fromsoft games where when you kill the boss it's gone till NG+. But, it results in most of the levels feeling like a bunch of linear hallways. It does have the advantage of not having much in the way of chatty NPCs or parts where the game takes control away from you or any of that AAA bullshit, it's pretty pure gameplay.

The combat is way, WAY better than any Fromsoft game (except arguably Sekiro, which is doing a very different thing) and is some of the most detailed I've ever seen in a non-fighting game. Every weapon type has its own skill tree that you can customize movesets for, and then there's Ninjutsu abilities and spells and guardian spirits that all have their own skill trees and ways to spec for them. It's really overwhelming at first.

On top of that, it has a ton of gearing stuff that is initially overwhelming. The first playthrough you can pretty much treat it as a diablo sort of game where occasionally good stuff drops and you're switching gear out constantly. On NG+ you start to be able to go for legendary weapon sets and stuff and you level much slower so gear becomes much less transient. And then you start doing things like using "soul matching" at the blacksmith to level up gear that you like along with yourself. It's very expensive but if you can get into that kind of thing, the game has by far the best NG+ modes of any soulslike. Every difficulty level adds entirely new weapon tiers and set bonuses that unlock new playstyles, and it's awesome. I think it was four cycles into NG before I stopped having fun due to everything 1-shotting you. I've never gone that far into any Fromsoft game.

That game is absolutely punishing and my first experience with it is basically the same as that Nioh 2 Dunkey video. Which is hilarious, and incredibly accurate for a first-time player. All my lowest points happened early in the game - first I died a ton to the first boss (the guy with the huge wrecking ball that's in the pirate ship), and that is considered the EASIEST boss, so I was just like "jesus christ." You have like 3 heals at that point, and the guy can wind up and nail you with an attack that takes off 80% of your health in the blink of an eye. Next roadblock was hino-enma the vampire woman, who I think is the SECOND boss, I guess she's where a ton of people quit. Her I died to a lot, then learned to equip the anti-paralytic needles and also take off 2/3 of her health cheesily by hitting her with the guardian spirit attack spell and then using "living weapon" to take down her last 50% or so. Then the worst is the level with umi-bozu, which is this like, dock level where there are holes in the ground everywhere that you die instantly if you fall in, and the boss is just infuriatingly difficult if you don't have a fire ability, and you also can get screwed if you don't fully explore the level and light all the braziers. I think I died like 40 times on that level (only a few of those to the boss, mostly to falling through goddam holes in the floor) and almost quit again and permanently. From there it starts improving quickly.

The game ironically becomes MUCH easier as you go on. Once you've unlocked the "Sloth" spell, instantly basically the entire rest of the base game becomes trivialized cause you can apply it to bosses and they move at like 50% speed until it wears off, and then you can just cast it again. On higher NG cycles your skill and abilities and gear have all increased so sloth becoming less effective is fine. I also got some armor set that was heavy and reduced damage, and figured out a cheesy playstyle (mostly using a spear in midstance and spamming heavy attack) which was incredibly low risk and effective with a good spear.

Nioh 2 is a better game in every single respect and is easily my favorite soulslike. But Nioh 1 is great. Just good luck getting past the initial hump without rage quitting. The other huge difficulty spike to be aware of is if you got the "complete" edition - the DLC in Nioh 1 is tuned for a player that has already finished NG+2 so if you go in right at the end of NG you will get ANNIHILATED. Nioh 2 does not have this problem.

Nioh 2 also has a heavily nerfed version of Sloth so it kind of forces you to properly learn to play to beat bosses, as opposed to Nioh 1 where you can pretty much win any fight easily via sloth as long as you do enough damage and have enough casts of it to get through to the end. And Nioh 1 also has a way to spec/play revolving around "living weapon," which is like the "rage mode" in other games where it charges up slowly over time and then when you cast it you do way more damage and are practically invincible for the duration. I never did THAT. Nioh 2's equivalent is nowhere near as much of an instant win button.

I would recommend you just skip Nioh 1 and go straight to 2. It's mostly a prequel, but some of the last levels tie into Nioh 1 a bit. But, you're not playing these games for the story anyway!