I got Cult of the Lamb in the steam sale. Now playing it couch coop with my wife. It's been a lot of fun so far. Less frustrating than Don't Starve Together.
Don't Starve Together is local split screen. Cult of the Lamb is local coop without split screen. The dungeons are divided in rooms and split screen isn't necessary. It just zooms out enough that you're both on screen. Except in camp. There you need to stay somewhat together or you go off screen.
Finally started the Forza Horizon 5 DLC. First up, Rally Adventure. The DLC adds a new, small, but densely filled map (at least more densely than the base game). The new races also get a new game mode, a proper Rally mode (as you’d expect from the name). It’s just you alone on the track, trying to make it to the finish as fast as possible, while an NPC reads pacenotes to you.
As someone who doesn’t play normal rally racing games or watches real life ones, it’s fine. The game also asks you if you want to disable the visual racing line, which I did. That makes it a lot harder, since you can’t just immediately tell when you’re supposed to break, but with the rewind or just trying the race over and over again, it’s manageable. I also constantly switch cars, so I don’t get a consistent feel on how a specific car handles.
Then I also started playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I wanted to get to this before all the GOTY-talk at the end of the year. I’m in Act 1, dunno how early, because I’m just running around, exploring everything, ignoring the main quest as much as possible. As you do in RPGs.
The game plays well, it’s pretty responsive, and hitting those parries feels good. The story is intriguing so far, but I haven’t seen a lot of it. Performance has also been fine for me, but I do have a pretty powerful PC.
A few annoying things are, every time you pick up an item on the ground a character has to comment on it, and there are not a lot of different voice lines, so that gets kinda annoying. Then certain parts of the game, like the cutscenes, are filled with pretty ugly post-processing effects. You can disable that stuff for normal gameplay, but then a cutscene plays that has just super heavy depth of field, chromatic aberration, weird artifacts around character outlines (that might be tied to the DOF), it’s weird. These are pretty minor complaints.
Also, in a fight it’s like Super Mario RPG, where you can hit specific keys at the correct time to deal extra damage or for the dodge/parry to avoid any damage. Hitting the offensive buttons is not much of a problem, but the game does some stylish camera angles and shakes a bit, which can make it difficult to time button presses for the defensive moves. There are options to disable these, but the camera shake option doesn’t seem to affect combat, and if you disable the camera movement option the battles look so much duller, with just a terrible, static angle. I think I just have to get used to it. It also doesn’t affect every enemy, some are definitely worse than others.
Still, I’m having fun, just gotta play more of the game.
Right now? I’m thinking of maybe doing another playthrough of Silent Hill 2’s remake. I want to try and finally beat Resident Evil 2 though, and I want to get another playthrough of Alan Wake II in as well. If I have extra time I want to try one of the Amnesia games as well
Not sure if you’re already familiar with other games in the genre, but look into anything among the modern 'Roguelike’s. While there are skill elements, they’re sure to mix in enough luck-based mechanics that you usually feel like you could have won with better luck.
Besides Balatro, the other mega-popular recent games along this line are Slay the Spire and Vampire Survirors. If you haven’t already played those, definitely check them out.
For deeper cuts, I don’t know. I’ll just add this would also be a good thread to crosspost to !videogamesuggestions
You already have an insanely good library. You could probably play for the rest of the year on those games alone. In addition to what you have here, I’d recommend:
Alien Hominid
Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance
Burnout series
Def Jam: Fight for NY
Destroy All Humans 1 & 2
Devil May Cry
Godfather, The
GTA Vice City Stories & Liberty City Stories (NOT ON PC)
GUN
Hitman: Blood Money
Jak & Daxter series
Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Marvel vs Capcom 2
Need For Speed Underground & Hot Pursuit series
Onimusha: Warlords
Psychonauts
Ratchet & Clank Series
Rayman 2
Resident Evil 4
Red Dead Revolver
Sly Cooper 1 & 3 (1 & 3 are probably my favs)
Shadow of the Colossus
Silent Hill 2 & 3
Simpsons Hit & Run
SoulCalibur II
Spider-Man 2 (phenomenal free roam)
Star Wars Battlefront I & II
Super Monkey Ball Deluxe
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
Twisted Metal: Black
FWIW, the original PS2 versions of the GTA games that are also on PC are actually better because they removed content as licenses expired. Unless you have the downgraded PC versions - in which case, godspeed.
Even then, I usually stick with PS2 as PC doesn’t have support for the analog face buttons that the PS2 had. I don’t know if you can emulate that on Steam Deck, but if you play PS2 GTA San Andreas with an OEM controller, pressing the button harder actually does make you go faster. It’s magic, and I find it hard to play without now. 😅
I look forward to seeing how the Deck holds up with some of these titles! I’ll admit, I’ve been thinking about getting it to use as a portable PS2 myself.
I look forward to seeing how the Deck holds up with some of these titles! I’ll admit, I’ve been thinking about getting it to use as a portable PS2 myself.
There’s no issue with PS2 games! I raise the resolution up to 3x native (I think? Whichever one is 1080, anyway), and also apply HD texture packs. There’s not one issue I’ve come across on a PS2 game so far. And setting RetroDECK up to play them is a breeze!
Do it!
I’ve already got Spider-Man 2 on there (others also recommended it), but reading through your list, these all look wonderful! I didn’t actually know the ‘Stories’ games on PS2 for GTA didn’t end up on PC, thanks for that tip!
If you can emulate PSP games with ease, check out GTA Chinatown Wars. I just wanted to see how the game played one evening, and I ended up beating it in a couple days.
It has a drug dealing mechanic, and you have to crash cop cars to lose stars. Extremely unique and fun GTA.
I haven’t read into RetroDECK, is it an emulator frontend?
It depends on whether piracy is in the mix. If it is, that opens up assorted unofficially translated games. Super Robot Wars: Original Generations, for instance, if you are into strategy mecha games.
Metal Saga might appeal if you are into sandbox RPGs and a lover of tanks. Also, dogs with rocket launchers on their back.
Aotenjo: infinite hands is essentially balatro but with mahjong. There’s many more hand types and ways to specialize your Wall (deck). I highly recommend it
Luck be a Landlord is like a slot machine version of Balatro.
You select randomly generated symbols to add to your slot machine in order to get more money with each spin in order to have enough to pay the increasing “rent” at the end of each level.
I'm currently playing The Forever Winter... and it is BRUTALLY difficult. Gorgeous game and worldbuilding though. It's in Alpha so things are very much in flux but I just can't seem to put this dystopian nightmare down.
Ooh I remember hearing about that game last year. I was intrigued by the appeal of the premise of like, playing a bit part character in the universe so to speak. The idea of the “real conflict” happening between massively powerful factions and creatures in the background while you scuttle in their shadow felt very interesting.
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