Today's Cloud Monday is part 1 with a new game. I'm starting these next two parts with Grip on PS4.
I was somewhat familiar with what to expect from the game as i had played Rollcage in the past and the PlayStation Plus Premium page had a trailer and screenshots showing off the game. what did surprise me was how much racing i was able to do in under an hour. the game does have a tutorial, but it's done in a race. it's somewhat unique in that when it has something new to teach, it slows down time long enough for the player to read it and the racing restarts enabling you to try it out straight away, usually the game gives you what you need too.
As for the streaming issues, only once did it get in the way. there was some macroblocking, there were instances of screen tearing where white/grey was shown for a frame or two and it was this that caused the only issue as it happened at a bad time. Grip is a game which is very fast, so macroblocking isn't that much of an issue as the square disappear quickly or are motion blurred. but when grey/white tears appear for a frame or two it can not only be distracting but potentially hide something coming up. this wasn't a constant issue, but it wasn't a one off either. we'll see what happens in part 2 next week.
Even tho i've been playing video games since the early 1990's, i've never played GoldenEye 007. As i say in the video, my sister had a Nintendo 64 but we never had the game. I didn't even know anyone who had the game. so when it came out on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack i was eager to try it.
i went in knowing full well that games from this time haven't always aged well but still, i was shocked at how bad the controls were. they haven't been updated for the Nintendo Switch release, they've merely been mapped to controls that already exist. but it's fun to watch the video and see how i gradually adapt to the controls.
In this video, i don't finish the second level. even tho it's over an hour long, i try 4 times to beat the second level and fail. and it's mostly because of my own mistakes. but gameplay wise i kinda had fun. it was somewhat nostalgic but it was perhaps even nicer to know that i have finally played the game.
i don't know if it's one i'll come back to and finish. maybe if they update it or maybe if i get the N64 controller for Switch i might. It would be nice to try the online multiplayer, but that's only for friends rather than randoms online which i had hoped it would be.
Welcome to Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday! Sit back and either watch me play through, with no commentary, the cup or leave it running in the background as BGM!
I play and earn all the achievements from The Pixel Sitri Cup! (1/15 4PM - 1/22 4PM (PST)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and a docked Nintendo Switch.
I feel like i did well this week even tho i don't feel like i played well. the gimmick this week was that there was a place on the board that would change what ever piece was on it. so if you put a red on it, it would change that piece, cycling through all the other colors. The aim was to make a cross shape for a big score and big damage, too.
I got all the achievements quickly this week, it's one of my fastest videos. But i never managed to defeat the boss. It also felt like a low scoring week, too. so the sense of accomplishment isn't as high as i'd hope even tho, by looking at the time, it appears i did well.
let me know in the comments how this week's Cup was for you.
In today's Cloud Monday, I'm playing the PS3 version of Dark Void. it's a game i've played before on Xbox 360, so it was a nice nostalgic return to the game.
As for the streaming experience, i felt that controlling the game was fine. i didn't notice any input lag. but i do recommend changing the analogue stick sensitivity in the menu. once i did, i found that moving the camera became much more pleasant.
The video being streamed tho had some occasional issues. the game itself has it's own issues, so screen tearing, pop-in, and weird shadows/lighting isn't what i'm talking about, but something you will see. the biggest issue with the video being streamed to my PS4 was macroblocking. this is where colors and shapes get blocky. this only got in the way of gameplay once, but a few occasions it was plenty noticeable but i could play with it happening.
Because of this, i'll try playing the game another day at a different time to see if we get a better streaming experience or if it's a regular thing.
Today's video is part 1, of playing Pyre on PlayStation 4
With Eat Them! finished, i wasn't sure what to play next. my backlog is huge so i could pick anything. but i wasn't feeling any of the games i was thinking about. then i came across Pyre and felt like it was what i wanted to play.
Going in i knew some things about the game. when it came out it was a huge release. many of the podcasts i was listening to had a lot to say about the game as, at the time, reviews and feelings for it where typically either hot or cold.
It was universally accepted that the music is amazing, and so far i would agree. the one thing that did surprise me were the interactions with your team. It felt somewhat like a Persona game, where interactions with other characters can have positive outcomes.
The story is also really quite interesting. i don't know what the over arching storyline of the game is, nor do i know how it ends ... assuming it does. I'm already curious where it will go so there will be a part 2. it's too early to say if it'll be a game i finish, but i feel like there'll be another 2 or 3 parts at least.
Welcome to Puzzle & Dragons Tuesday! Sit back and either watch me play through, with no commentary, the cup or leave it running in the background as BGM!
I play and earn all the achievements from the New Year Cup 2! (1/8 4PM - 1/15 4PM (PST)) in Puzzle & Dragons: Nintendo Switch Edition whilst using a GamePad and a docked Nintendo Switch.
This event can be best described as a mixed bag for me. i got first, second, third, and fourth! i think i tried too hard. i knew what the rules were, but i think i used them too much on other colors, not just on the ones which gave you bonuses. this meant i was wasting time. i also felt like i didn't get a lot of combo luck sometimes.
As you'll see, i was up against some very high level players. typically, a high level player doesn't use a controller like i do. but in this video i actually go up against some high level controller players too. we kept exchanging positions throughout this video.
let me know in the comments how this week's Cup was for you.
This fifth video in the new Mobile Friday: Apple Arcade series is on Fantasian. This is an exclusive game on Apple Arcade from Mistwalker and Arzest.
This game is perhaps one of the most famous games on Apple Arcade. it's an exclusive game from Mistwalker, a Japanese studio, and features staff who have worked on Final Fantasy games. It's also the game i've seen the most about so going in, i knew roughly what to expect.
It does make a great first impression, it looks impressive on my phone's screen and right from the start the game's user interface keeps the main character in clear sight and doesn't feel cluttered, even in the menus. there's a good use of art through to help make menus clear.
Controlling it though, it really is a tale of two halves. as usual, i started the game using touch screen controls. there is no onscreen analogue, you have to leave pins for the character to follow. there are on screen prompts and to the top and bottom are pictures showing who's in your party and the attacking order. at best, i'd say this works fine with touch controls. But, the biggest issue was with the Dynamic Island as it covers, probably, 95% of an arrow that's needed to open the menu. you can open the menu, but the Dynamic Island will react. thankfully, it just vibrates.
Switching to a controller was where this game came into it's own. controlling the character via the left analogue stick felt natural and at the bottom of the screen it said what other buttons do. i didn't feel any lag using the bluetooth Xbox One X Controller, if anything things felt faster as i was no longer having to drop a pin for the character to follow.
There was one major sticking point for me that bugged me throughout the game and that was the speech bubbles. they looked out of place. they didn't feel like they were from the same world. they often covered up parts of characters, too. This game uses the camera and UI to highlight the characters and make the world feel big an open. but when the speech bubbles appear that's largely ruined. thankfully it has a great story with multiple threads already mentioned. it is a little stereotypical in places, but this game does ride the line of being a stereotype of a PS1 era JRPG.
The most frustrating place this happens is the game's save system. you can only save the game at specific large crystals in the game. there does seem to be a auto save system but i've not tried that out. the save system as it is seems like an unnecessary relic of the past that doesn't help the game be a mobile game that's easy to pick up and play. Also at these crystals you can use a specific item to heal your whole party in one go, health and MP. you can use potions to heal during the game, but this feels a little dated.
I did have fun, but i'm also a little familiar with the JRPGs of it's heritage. i do wonder if these nods, or embraces, to the past do more harm than good. for now, for the first hour, it's an awkward first impression but good enough to keep going for a little longer. But it maybe one i only play on TV.
