The Video Game Thread

[Sean150]

As for games I’m playing.

You can handle most games yes.

Some games with Wi-Fi may have some odd issues like Guilty Gear. I was able to run Red Dead, Cyberpunk, Doom, Wolfenstein, Nioh 2 (Sacrifice a lot of graphics but play sooo great!!!) and Monster Hunter. Next going to test some Total War games on it.

Those are some of the demanding games I can run on it, also I have Elden Ring but have not tested it yet. I will warn though those games need some messing around and also had to turn off some low noise fan features to make them work, plus for my deck once it gets around 30% battery on those AAA games it gets laggy but if constantly plugged it, it is amazing truly.

Also it is fun you can play with a mouse and keyboard and plug to a monitor, I have travel ones so it is really fun. Valve is planning on making already a stronger Steam Deck so I look forward to that. As of now though it can handle a lot of games, just look into the specs and also look into Proton websites which all the games run off of, basically it is Linux and the games can run better I believe, you can attach a separate SD card to run windows, I did that to play Sims 4 off of my EA account. I look forward to the future of newer ones though to handle some Paradox games better like Cities Skylines or EU4, but some complex games like Civ and Project Zomboid work amazing on it!

But for indie games it is the best. Hades runs great, Persona all of them are soooo fun on deck feels like the Vita days, want to get some emulators working there as well on the Windows SD card, it is very moddable which makes it fun IMO! There is a whole section on Steam called great on deck, I can go on forever about it !

Thanks for the detailed post. It sounds like it’s what I’m looking for. I have consoles to cover the high requirement games so I’m not too worried about playing those on a Steam Deck.

 

[Katoosie]

Can you play pretty much any PC game on the steam deck? I’m looking at buying one to play some of the indie and AA games that don’t get ported to console.

Pretty much any game, yes.

Elden Ring runs just fine locked at 30 with high settings, for example.

Guardians of the galaxy on the other hand has memory leaks and is unplayable when it has one.

Really depends on the game. But for the most part, yeah - anything goes as long as the control scheme works or as long as some community member made one.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Pretty much any game, yes.

Elden Ring runs just fine locked at 30 with high settings, for example.

Guardians of the galaxy on the other hand has memory leaks and is unplayable when it has one.

Really depends on the game. But for the most part, yeah - anything goes as long as the control scheme works or as long as some community member made one.

I have Elden ring and I think it looks amazing and even though it’s a recent FS game I feel like the controllers feel very clunky.

 

[Katoosie]

I have Elden ring and I think it looks amazing and even though it’s a recent FS game I feel like the controllers feel very clunky.

Clunky in what way?

I don't think I ever had any issues with that. Crashes and freezes on multiple computers - yes, but nothing to do with controls.

What's wrong?

 

[Black_In_Mind]

Nothing new on my end of the gaming sphere. Burnout from stress has kind of killed my desire to game although I definitely need some kind of distraction as I navigate this month where finances are tighter than usual due to vehicle maintenance and work getting on my nerves.

I took the first step by making my retro setup a breeze to remove from it's spot by putting it on wheels and only requiring the removal of 2 cables to pull the whole thing out. This will make integrating my original Xbox into the setup whenever I get around to fixing it a lot easier.

The only hiccups I ran into were my main Saturn controller only half working (I've got a bunch so not the end of the world) and my Dreamcast not getting past the boot screen with a disc inside until I started it without a disc and set the time/date. Weird, but the Dreamcast hasn't displayed the issue again since doing that as seen below.

Aside from that, after seeing more Shadow gameplay I'm holding off purchasing Sonic X Shadow Generations until I know whether or not I can build a PC before the release. October is still a ways away so if I can cobble together money to build a new gaming PC I'll get it on Steam but if I can't I'll go with the Switch version and get the PC version down the road when it goes on sale.

 

[Frosteeman]

I started Horizon: Zero Dawn again (I never finished my first playthrough, but I was in the Frozen Wilds and it had been literally years since I last played, so there was no way I was going to get back into the groove well enough to survive.) Picked it back up mostly for the vibes. I'm realizing that exploration-based games with mysterious plots are probably my favorite genre (Horizon, Jedi Fallen Order, Spider-Man, Arkham Asylum/City, etc.). Even games without the strong plot appeal to me (Mad Max, even SnowRunner to a degree). Maybe I'll look into the recent Assassin's Creed games (only really played ACII), God of War (not sure how mysterious the plot is, but it seems to fit the vibe), and the sequels to my favorites will most definitely be on the wish list when I finally upgrade to a PS5.

 

[Frosteeman]

I've been chasing a certain kind of racing game feel for a long time, and it was starting to seem like it didn't quite exist in the current generations. The thing that seemed to get the closest was the Forza Horizon series, and I've been curious about them for awhile. But I'm a PlayStation guy, my computer wasn't able to run the FH4 port at the time, and I wasn't about to buy an Xbox for one game.

Well, as luck would have it, my old computer died, the one I built as a replacement can run FH4, and it's 80% off in the Steam Summer Sale. So I bought Forza Horizon 4 and so far it's everything I thought it would be. A racing game hasn't made me this happy in a very long time, and I was even getting emotional during the opening sequence where you go through the 4 seasons on the way to the festival.

Unfortunately, I have purchased the game 6 months before it's delisted and 2 months before they end seasonal content. So I guess I'll be focusing on Horizon Life stuff first and foremost. If my rig can handle FH5, I might be getting that sooner rather than later. The Crew Motorfest seems to be trying to copy the FH formula, so I'll probably check that out when I eventually upgrade to a PS5.

 

[Black_In_Mind]

Light gun games have been picking up steam around here. Right now it's just me, House of the Dead, and the Sega Virtua Gun I imported from Japan but on Monday the Satiator ODE I ordered will arrive and give me access to the rest of the light gun compatible games in the Sega Saturn's Library and more.

One of my more anticipated light gun related purchases coming is a Guncon 1 compatible Logic3 Predator 2 light gun for the PS1/Saturn. It has more bells and whistles than the Virtua Gun including a footswitch for reloading and a SuperScope for better aiming.

 

[Black_In_Mind]

Awkward cellphone picture time of me trying out my newly delivered Predator 2 light gun and Satiator ODE playing Virtua Cop.

In other news, I have a PS3 again.

 

[Funky Ghost]

A good friend gifted me Baldurs Gate 3 with the expansions so I've been reacquainting myself to tactical turn based play. I've been doing a lot of Fallout 4 and Fallout New Vegas. Even started doing a Let's Play/Guide for both. Interesting experience. I'm just talking to myself, but it's enough. My Water cooling on my cpu gave up the ghost so recording is on hold. I can stream and browse the interwebs with CPU temps right at 40c (not ideal but within my cpu's tolerance) Any OBS recording pushes the temps to over 100c very quickly. No bueno.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Finally played through RDR2. The hype was real, and it is easily one of the best stories I’ve experienced in any media. Great production and mechanics, too. Just about the only thing I didn’t like about the game was the movement speed when inside of buildings being seemingly locked to “slower than molasses.” Otherwise, 10/10.

Trying to start RDR now, but I’ve been quite busy with work and life in general.

 

[Black_In_Mind]

I started playing ModNation Racers again last night and I was a bit surprised at how much muscle memory I retained even though it has to have been close to 8 years since my last playthrough. It felt like I was only away for a few months.

I had a pretty good run up until The Marina which ate me for lunch (no surprise as it was the hardest track to learn back then too) with the trifecta of sharp turns, no barriers to keep you from falling off the track, and an unforgiving CPU. I was surprised I didn't start having these issues sooner because from Miner's Rift onward CPU racers (especially the Elite Mods) have a bad case of rubberbanding that I remember frustrated me to no end when all it took was a cheap shot to force me down to 3rd if I was lucky.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

I started playing ModNation Racers again last night and I was a bit surprised at how much muscle memory I retained even though it has to have been close to 8 years since my last playthrough. It felt like I was only away for a few months.

I had a pretty good run up until The Marina which ate me for lunch (no surprise as it was the hardest track to learn back then too) with the trifecta of sharp turns, no barriers to keep you from falling off the track, and an unforgiving CPU. I was surprised I didn't start having these issues sooner because from Miner's Rift onward CPU racers (especially the Elite Mods) have a bad case of rubberbanding that I remember frustrated me to no end when all it took was a cheap shot to force me down to 3rd if I was lucky.

Hadn’t heard of that one, but I know my muscle memory for Mario Kart 64 comes back like it was yesterday even after years between plays have passed. The “cheating” the CPUs do to stay competitive at 150cc was always ridiculous, but it has kept the game challenging and enjoyable after many years.

 

[fig]

Finally played through RDR2.

That one surprised me how good it was. My youngest daughter sent me RDR2 (Red Dead Redemption 2) and Dying Light 2. Popped in RDR2 first because a game set in the old west didn't really interest me, so I figured I'd play it first to get it out of the way. Her and her son (my grandson) kept going on and on about it.

Hella better than I thought it would be. Haven't fired up Dying Light 2 yet, but looking forward to it. Loved the first one.

 

[Frosteeman]

I'm back on my SnowRunner stuff

The gameplay for Forza Horizon 4 got a little stale after awhile so I went back to my trucks. I'm currently working through the Year 2 DLC. I finished up the Don region and moved on to Maine (I know this probably doesn't mean anything to anyone here). Forza Horizon 5 came up for sale and I had some birthday money, so I bought that and gave it a try. But, since the gameplay is pretty much the same as FH4, it started getting stale once the novelty of the new setting wore off. So back to the mud and snow I go.

I also just found out yesterday that I'm just shy of 500 hours in the game (accumulated over about 3 or 4 years). Which is even wilder when you consider that I'm not 100% completing all of the maps (I don't do the timed "contest" missions or any co-op stuff), and I'm roughly 2/3 of the way through what's currently available and there are at least 2 more regions to be added in the Year 4 DLC. I don't think it would be very difficult to put another 500 into it. It's not exactly cheap, but it's shaping up to be a crazy value for money game.

 

[BGroovy]

I'm back on my SnowRunner stuff

The gameplay for Forza Horizon 4 got a little stale after awhile so I went back to my trucks. I'm currently working through the Year 2 DLC. I finished up the Don region and moved on to Maine (I know this probably doesn't mean anything to anyone here). Forza Horizon 5 came up for sale and I had some birthday money, so I bought that and gave it a try. But, since the gameplay is pretty much the same as FH4, it started getting stale once the novelty of the new setting wore off. So back to the mud and snow I go.

I also just found out yesterday that I'm just shy of 500 hours in the game (accumulated over about 3 or 4 years). Which is even wilder when you consider that I'm not 100% completing all of the maps (I don't do the timed "contest" missions or any co-op stuff), and I'm roughly 2/3 of the way through what's currently available and there are at least 2 more regions to be added in the Year 4 DLC. I don't think it would be very difficult to put another 500 into it. It's not exactly cheap, but it's shaping up to be a crazy value for money game.

Haven’t played in years or gone as deep as you, but I love that game. I was playing it on PS4 and then sold that system and only have a Steam deck. Haven’t bought it again to play it but I should.

Was deep in Diablo but put it down when I had 9 shows in two weeks (only 2 were my gigs). Gonna dive back in when the DLC launches in October

 

[Frosteeman]

Haven’t played in years or gone as deep as you, but I love that game. I was playing it on PS4 and then sold that system and only have a Steam deck. Haven’t bought it again to play it but I should.

Was deep in Diablo but put it down when I had 9 shows in two weeks (only 2 were my gigs). Gonna dive back in when the DLC launches in October

I started all the way back with Spintires and MudRunner on PC. SnowRunner was a pandemic purchase on PS4 and it's easily one of my favorite games of all time. (The fact that I work in the heavy truck industry may or may not play a part in that.) I'll sing its praises all day, but I have a hard time recommending it because it's such a niche thing.

 

[Frosteeman]

Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition

BG&E was one of my favorite games of the PS2 era. It wasn't a big seller so it was hard to find even back then. It has quite the cult following and I've been wishing for a way to play it again. Ubisoft answered my wishes by releasing the 20th Anniversary Edition last year. It's not perfect, but the core gameplay is there, which is what matters. Great blend of sci-fi action-adventure, espionage, and stealth. Still keeping my fingers crossed that the sequel that was announced in 2008 will still happen and it won't be crap.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

My partner really wanted to play the new Indiana Jones game so we purchased an Xbox Series X as a family present for Christmas. Great game! She hadn’t even seen the movies, but I’m a fan of the original trilogy. The game feels like a movie and hits all the touch points that make Indiana Jones what it is.

We also just played Hogwarts Legacy. Another IP my partner knows little about (hasn’t read the books or seen the movies), but she also loved that game. As someone who was a big fan of the books in my youth (the movies much less so), I also really enjoyed exploring the world.

Between the two games we’ve gotten close to 100hrs of play time, so money well spent, IMO. We just started Witcher 3 which I’m enjoying but she isn’t taking too. We may switch over to Jedi Survivor and see if she enjoys that more since she likes the original trilogy of movies.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Oh, and we’re both excited for the Switch 2. We’ve been enjoying Mario Party Jamboree and consider it the best one of this generation’s console. She enjoyed Take Two as a couch co-op, but the story really bugged me (I come from a divorced family, so no doubt that played a part).