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They delisted The Void? Bummer. Afaik all of Ice Pick Lodge's stuff is up on gog, at least. As far as my personal Halloween marathon goes, I'm thinking Oxenfree, The Void, Knock-Knock, Pony Island, Tulpa, Rusty Lake Hotel, and Fran Bow. And Pathologic if I just want to leave horror and enter crushing ennui.
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Oct 25, 2016 04:44
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Pathologic, Pathologic HD, and Knock Knock are still up for some reason. Publisher issue I guess? Apparently IPL said they'll have them back up soon but I can't find where, just Steam discussions saying so.
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Oct 25, 2016 05:31
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Ice Pick owns the rights to Knock Knock and Pathologic.
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Oct 25, 2016 05:35
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Too Shy Guy posted:I'd like to, but I'm sticking to games that are available on Steam. If and when I move away from Steam as the main platform for my reviews, the first thing I'm going to do is a series on de-listed games since I have quite a few of them. I was actually going to include The Void this year but I didn't notice until a few weeks ago that it was also de-listed. Wait Scratches isn't on Steam? I'm pretty sure I bought it on there. E: 
Sakurazuka fucked around with this message at 05:44 on Oct 25, 2016 |
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Oct 25, 2016 05:41
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I have Scratches: Director's Cut on Steam, yeah
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Oct 25, 2016 05:42
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Yes, I can play it on Steam through Steam Sharing. However, it's been de-listed so no one can buy it anymore. That also means its store page is gone, so I can't post a proper review to Steam or get any real visibility on it. Same with The Void, Clive Barker's Jericho, Stubbs the Zombie, and a few dozen other games. If you bought them at the time you have them forever, but once they're de-listed they're gone for everyone else.
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Oct 25, 2016 05:48
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GOTY All Years Air Control was delisted a while back.
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Oct 25, 2016 05:54
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Ah, didn't realise it had been delisted, that sucks.
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Oct 25, 2016 06:05
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Safari Disco Lion posted:Pathologic, Pathologic HD, and Knock Knock are still up for some reason. Publisher issue I guess? Apparently IPL said they'll have them back up soon but I can't find where, just Steam discussions saying so.
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Oct 25, 2016 06:55
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I think Scratches was delisted some time ago. I also recall someone already writing a review in the Steam thread for Scratches since that's why I bought in the first place. In other news, the Nippon Ichi cute horror game Yomawari is coming out later today. There actually is a discount for it if you buy the special bundle with the artbook and the soundtrack, since it'll cost slightly less than buying only the game. EDIT: I already preordered the game, so I might post some impressions later today. Blattdorf fucked around with this message at 11:06 on Oct 25, 2016 |
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Oct 25, 2016 10:23
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From what I found, the publishing contract for Scratches expired and wasn't renewed, resulting in the game being de-listed. The publishers were aware of it but have yet to put the game back up. For what it's worth, the developers folded in 2009.
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Oct 25, 2016 14:04
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Blattdorf posted:I think Scratches was delisted some time ago. I also recall someone already writing a review in the Steam thread for Scratches since that's why I bought in the first place. Please do, this looks rad.  1. DISTRAINT 2. Shadowgate 3. Miasmata 4. SOMA 5. Haunt the House: Terrortown 6. Oxenfree 7. Vlad the Impaler 8. Condemned: Criminal Origins 9. The Last Door: Season 2 10. Shadowgrounds 11. The Last NightMary 12. Kholat 13. Fran Bow 14. TRAUMA 15. Alan Wake 16. Dark Fall 1: The Journal 17. Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart 18. Gabriel Knight - Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition 19. Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion 20. The Swapper 21. Monstrum 22. Serena 23. Cry of Fear 24. Black Mirror II 25. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl    S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is one of those special games that punches way above its weight class. It seeks to be an open-world, open-ended FPS/RPG with fluid relations between characters, emergent behavior in the wilds, and a compelling story and setting underpinning the whole thing. Those are lofty goals for any game, much less one from unproven developers back in 2007. What's shocking, then, is just how much it gets right even by modern standards. In the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., the Chernobyl disaster spiraled outward to create the Zone, a harsh land ruled by mutated creatures, spatial anomalies, and mercenaries seeking to capitalize on the chaos. You play one such S.T.A.L.K.E.R. sans memories, sent back into the Zone to kill a mysterious figure close to the epicenter of it all. Along the way you'll forge alliances with other wanderers, discover threats far worse than mutated wildlife, and maybe come face to face with the source of the disaster itself. I wouldn't bank on that last one without some serious effort, though. Instead of discreet levels, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is made up of maps that connect to form one contiguous world. Starting near the border of the Zone, you'll journey through radioactive swamps, underground bunkers, ghost towns, and more as you complete jobs for the other inhabitants. Sometimes that'll mean finding a stash of bizarre artifacts, and other times it'll mean gunning down a band of killers in their hideout. There's plenty to do in the Zone even without a specific mission, as you can loot corpses, hunt hidden stashes, and locate artifacts by navigating the treacherous anomalies that can crush, shock, or maim you with little warning. All of this is accomplished from a first-person perspective, but don't expect the run-and-gun action of... anything, really. The combat in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is very much its own thing, a perpetually harrowing affair of dancing around cover, emptying magazines to only land one shot, and pumping dozens of bullets into charging beasts. Weapons in the Zone are inaccurate, difficult to use, and seemingly do no damage until you land a headshot that kills in an instant. I imagine it's more like real-world firefights than anyone would admit, but that doesn't necessarily make it fun to be eaten alive by wild dogs who dodged or shrugged off a dozen rounds. You'll want to avoid combat as much as possible, at least at first, and luckily there's a robust and effective stealth system to make use of. This system tracks your light level, posture, noises made, and even gives you bolts you can toss to cause distractions (or trigger anomalies). There's a pretty big emphasis on stats across the board, really. Your character has resistances to all kinds of injury as well as a radiation level to monitor, your inventory has weight and conditions to consider, and every single NPC in the game has a reputation rating with you. There aren't always systems that address these stats directly, but they do represent significant depth to the simulation. Attention to detail extends to the environments, and it is here that you'll find S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s greatest strength. For a nearly ten-year-old game, the Zone looks amazing, with crumbling buildings and thick underbrush and rolling clouds blotting out the sun. There's a palpable sense of decay and instability wherever you go, and it only grows more intense as you approach the heart of the Zone. Every dark corner can hide a creature that wants your blood or an anomaly that can rend you in an instant, demanding caution and tense attention even in the daylight hours. And don't get me started on the underground bunkers... some of the most effective horror encounters I've experienced in gaming have come in the subterranean halls of the Zone. I've spent a lot of time extolling the virtues of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. because they are many, but not without a price. It is an ambitious indie game after all, and that means all sorts of potential glitches and instability whenever you load in. Sometimes the AI breaks down, sometimes items vanish from the ground, and sometimes the thing will just crash when you least expect it. Beyond that there are definitely balance issues with the weapons and combat, exacerbated by missions with no real difficulty curve to them that might send you into a hostile mercenary camp before you find anything more formidable than a sawed-off. The rough translated text might actually be the worst offender, hiding key information and names behind English one step above Google Translate in some cases. The Zone is a harsh and unforgiving place, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. exemplifies it right down to the code. It's going to take you a long time and multiple tries to acclimate to its unique style, and turning to modding isn't a bad idea if the base game is just too daunting or janky. But once you come to grips with the combat and start learning the many ways to die in the Zone, you're in for one hell of a ride. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. does immersion and atmosphere better than almost any FPS, presenting you with a rich, frightening, living world that will fight you every step of the way. Too Shy Guy fucked around with this message at 18:51 on Oct 25, 2016 |
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Oct 25, 2016 18:24
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. the game is based on Stalker. the movie which is based on the excellent novel Roadside Picnic.
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Oct 25, 2016 18:36
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I first time I played stalker I ambushed some bandits, ducked around a corner, and waited 30 seconds for someone to foolishly rush towards me so I could blast them in the open. Well, they didn't and I got impatient, duck walked out from cover, and too late realized the guy had double backed so that he would flank me when I stepped out. I knew then this was the game for me. Also the first bloodsucker encounter is one of the more effective moments of horror in a video game. NPCs talk about bloodsuckers like they're this legendary predator you don't want to be caught alone with. Then the first one you probably run into is in the basement of the first "dungeon" near a room with some hostile enemies. So you're duking it out with some dudes with guns then "GRUOGORHGOGROGH" as you're getting your rear end whooped by this lightning fast thing that's only visible as it's punching you. I think in the same level you encounter your first controller and you think "what does this midget have on meeeeeEEEEEEE!" mind literally explodes.
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Oct 25, 2016 19:01
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STALKER is really one of the most unique and interesting games I've ever played. It's rough as hell but man it does so many things right and scratches itches you didn't know you had. It's one of those games that everybody who likes video games should try.
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Oct 25, 2016 19:40
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Improbable Lobster posted:S.T.A.L.K.E.R. the game is based on Stalker. the movie which is based on the excellent novel Roadside Picnic. Also the movie may be harder to finish than the game, but an interesting watch anyway.
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Oct 25, 2016 19:42
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It's not horror, but absolutely read Roadside Picnic. It's fantastic.
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Oct 25, 2016 19:46
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You're doing good work, Too Shy Guy.
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Oct 25, 2016 19:51
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Double post. They're doing a decent horror games sale on PSN at the moment.
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Oct 25, 2016 19:53
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catlord posted:It's not horror, but absolutely read Roadside Picnic. It's fantastic. Wasn't it super badly translated ? e: I've got it confused with metro2033 I think
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Oct 25, 2016 20:02
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unpacked robinhood posted:Wasn't it super badly translated ? There was a pretty bad translation floating around online but the published edition is much better
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Oct 25, 2016 20:13
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unpacked robinhood posted:Wasn't it super badly translated ? As far as I know, in earlier editions the only real issue is that in the opening chapter they accidentally translated "13 years" as "30 years." That's the one I have, but this version seems to have fixed that. Edit: Yeah, in the errata section they note that.
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Oct 25, 2016 20:29
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was a fantastic game. For an overly used, lazy and cliche comparison; it is Dark Souls, the Russian Radiated FPS. related:  Edit: Agreed \/ Professor of Cats fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Oct 25, 2016 |
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Oct 25, 2016 21:34
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Dark Souls is just Berserk/STALKER fanfiction.
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Oct 25, 2016 21:34
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Metro 2033 was an excellent book and a pretty dang disappointing game 
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Oct 25, 2016 21:41
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Danaru posted:Metro 2033 was an excellent book and a pretty dang disappointing game It's a good game though? What didn't you like about it?
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Oct 25, 2016 21:46
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Yeah it was ok Except that dumbass library spore thing I cheated past
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Oct 25, 2016 22:00
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God S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is so loving good. I need o go back and replay it. There are actually three games in the series. The first is Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl, and everyone should play it, but is already described. Next is Stalker: Clear Sky which is a prequel that sort of shows what happened at Chernobyl that made the zone as big as it is. There are factions that the player can choose to side with, each with their own agenda that will react to whatever you do around them. It's clunky, and not as amazing as Shadow of Chernobyl, but it still has lots of good moments and expands on the human part of the zone in interesting ways. The final game is Stalker: Call of Pripyat that takes place throughout the irradiated city of Pripyat, which is the coolest place around Chernobyl in real life, and Shadow of Chernobyl doesn't go there at all. The game takes place after the events of Shadow of Chernboyl. The AI that was improved in Clear Sky is improved on here, and the anomalies have gone from random little things you find throughout the zone in the first game to drastically altering the terrain such that the artifacts are surrounded by incredibly warped landscape that are a joy to explore. New mutants like the Burer (a psychic dwarf that will wreck your poo poo) make exploring a building in the dark night so much more tense. GSC Game Worlds started on STALKER 2, but unfortunately that was cancelled in 2012. There's a free to play online FPS called Survarium that's set in a similar world but from what I've heard, it's not that great. Nothing else I've played really scratches the same itch.
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Oct 25, 2016 22:08
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Captain Yossarian posted:It's a good game though? What didn't you like about it? I remember absolutely hating the gunplay, which I guess was supposed to push you towards using the fancy money-bullets. It pushed me more towards just not playing the game anymore though. Admittedly I didn't give it the fairest of chances.
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Oct 25, 2016 22:10
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Captain Yossarian posted:It's a good game though? What didn't you like about it? I wanted another S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and got a very good corridor shooter. That's both my praise and condemnation of the Metro games.
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Oct 25, 2016 22:11
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BluJay posted:God S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is so loving good. I need o go back and replay it. There are actually three games in the series. The first is Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl, and everyone should play it, but is already described. There's a mod called Call of Chernobyl, that combines the maps from all S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games. It doesn't have much of a story, but it's a really great freeplay mod, especially if you add mods that add/improve guns, like Arsenal Overhaul.
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Oct 25, 2016 22:13
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One more - I absolutely LOVED the oppressive environments of STALKER. The whole "blowout" concept was probably one of my favorite environmental dangers that have come out of a game. That and the rest of the world really rewarded exploration as each part of the map seemed to contain it's own little story. I really wish there was more, honestly. The story was fun but for me, it was all about that environment you survived in. So drat good. (sorry, I had to gush a bit more about STALKER)
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Oct 25, 2016 22:22
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Captain Yossarian posted:It's a good game though? What didn't you like about it? It sounds like the rerelease fixed my issues but I remember the mutants being super boring. Like on the surface you have these weird dog mole men who looked goofy as gently caress and lazily swiped at you so slowly you could circle strafe them easily.
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Oct 25, 2016 22:28
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If anyone's interested in seeing me squirm like an idiot horror-baby, here's the vids of me playing Anatomy (You should play it instead of watching me wince through it, though.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS83ySNGMLQ
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Oct 25, 2016 23:29
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Just picked up Daylight and Poltergeist today on PS4. Sony has a pretty good Halloween sale going. Xbox does too but I don't have the extra $15 to buy the bundled Evil Within or I'd give it a second chance.
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Oct 26, 2016 03:50
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VoidBurger posted:If anyone's interested in seeing me squirm like an idiot horror-baby, here's the vids of me playing Anatomy (You should play it instead of watching me wince through it, though.) I pretty much had the same response to the final bedroom tape recording. The best part is that you can hear it faintly from the bottom floor while it loops the entire time! Also it looks like you found a different ending to the one I had; how many are there in this tiny game?
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Oct 26, 2016 08:08
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I wanted to say something about Yomawari, but the game crashes after launch for everyone without Win 10 and a plugged-in Xbox 360 controller.
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Oct 26, 2016 11:21
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Too Shy Guy posted:You'll want to avoid combat as much as possible, at least at first, and luckily there's a robust and effective stealth system to make use of. This system tracks your light level, posture, noises made, and even gives you bolts you can toss to cause distractions (or trigger anomalies). I love the Stalker series, but isn't the stealth system entirely busted? Also, I'm not sure the thing about using bolts as a distraction is real, though I never really tried it.
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Oct 26, 2016 14:25
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Just sprint at dudes with your trusty double barrel shotgun and plug all your bullet holes with bread and sausage, bam STALKER stealth.
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Oct 26, 2016 14:36
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Spudd posted:Just sprint at dudes with your trusty double barrel shotgun and plug all your bullet holes with bread and sausage, bam STALKER stealth. I can attest that this works in every single videogame.
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Oct 26, 2016 15:19
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