What Are You Playing? (Winter, 2014-15)

[Yoshi]

Angry Birds: Transformers (iOS) - As discussed elsewhere, this is one of the best F2P games of the year. It's nothing like the original Angry Birds games and is really a touch action game, though it comes together much better than that sounds.

Plants vs. Zombies 2 (iOS) - I got back into this a couple weeks back and have finished three of the locales thus far. This one really pushes the IAPs more than AB:T, which is annoying, especially when I wold have paid $5 to just have the whole game and all the plants from the start.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (PC) - The latest free expansion added even more achievements, so I'm trying to knock them out to stay perfect. Unfortunately, most of them revolve around Garden Ops, which is basically Horde mode and one of my less favorite modes.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PC) - I'm still only about an hour into this, thanks to football today, but I am really impressed so far by the scenery and music as they set an eery yet beautiful mood for a good old fashion mystery. I hope the promise of good narrative without any hand holding is delivered throughout.

I would also like to get back to Demon's Souls while on vacation, ahead of Bloodborne.

[Timber]

The Walking Dead Season 1 & 2 (x1) - Finished Season 1 and 400 Days. This is easily Telltale's best effort I've played. The actual gameplay was manageable but the story and choices were fantastic. The end of episode 4 was so good I stayed up an extra hour and a half to finish out the game at like 4 am. Just finished episode 1 of Season 2 and I'm interested to see what happens and how I run into the people I saved in 400 days.

CoD: Advanced Warfare (x1) - Still playing Multiplayer with my friends at least 3 nights a week. Just started the campaign on veteran two days ago and I think I'm around the halfway mark. It's decent but nothing special, about what I expect from the campaign in any of these.

NBA 2K15 (x1) - Bought it on BF for $30 to play online with friends. Started the my player career mode and it's pretty fun. You start as an undrafted free agent and have to try to get a year long contract by playing well on a 10 day contract for one of several teams that show interest in you depending on your size and position. After a 2nd 10 day contract the Nuggets signed me for the rest of the season and I'm basically splitting time at center after 10 or so games. This is the first sim b-ball game I've played since 2K1 on the Dreamcast and I'm really enjoying it. I just have to stay away from their shitty little microtransactions to speed things up.

Solforge (pc) - I'm always playing this. I launch it from the desktop so I don't see the hours played next to the game in client. Best CCG ever!

[gameoverDude]

Ninja Commando (Neo-Geo): Almost had a Joe 1CC this time. Had to use a C attack or two against the China dragon boss- his spread flame pattern is a bitch to dodge. Giving up two blocks of your lifebar and taking 50 HP away from a boss while cancelling one of his nastier attacks is a good tradeoff, esp. if the boss can take 1/2 or more of your life with one hit.

This one doesn't have as much Engrish as other Neo games, but there are a few hilariously misquotable Japanese voice samples like the ones for Joe's Tornado Attack (LOL, sounds like he says "Have some more chicken!" but I'm sure that's "Hyakki moshuu ken") and Ryu's Bursting King's attack (sounds like "I can't use a stick".).

[arjue]

Dragon Age: Inquisition: This is the first game I've played that has truly felt next gen, mostly because of the sheer size of it. I really hope more people give it a go, it's great, and it completely dwarfs any other singleplayer RPG I've ever played. 40+ hours in, and i've done maybe 1/3rd of the main quest and i don't think i've even unlocked all of the areas yet.

Jet Pack Joyride: Oldy but a goody. A perfect game for your phone, i just wish it saved my previous progress.

[Chux]

Destiny: Still.
Dragon Age Origins: I need to play more of this, but I'm enjoying it.
Persona Q: I stopped playing this for no good reason, my 3DS has been plugged in on sleep mode but I think it has been a casualty to "Too Many Games". I really really enjoy it though.

[MechDeus]

Destiny - I'm up to like level 16 or something. It's grown on me a bit more. I just pretend Dinklage was high as fuck when he recorded the voice and it makes everything better.

Shadow of Mordor - Not bad. Definitely suffers from the level flatness that plagued AssCreed III and the art design just looks generic as fuck. The evolving generals thing is pretty cool but all the trappings are just so half-assed that it's not really hooking me. They also dumbed down some stuff way too much, like the way that climbing buildings is literally just hold up + A.

Resogun - Wasn't paying attention to the release so this was a nice surprise for my Vita. Is there a mini-map I'm not seeing to know where humans are and when they're running around? It's a pretty cool Defender but I'm definitely missing the map after playing AquaKitty.

Super Mario Land - I've always really enjoyed the altered art in this game compared to the other Marios, and was really disappointed when SML2 came out even though the graphics are technically superior. I wish we could get a real direct sequel to this game.

[Diff-chan]

Destiny - I'm up to like level 16 or something. It's grown on me a bit more. I just pretend Dinklage was high as fuck when he recorded the voice and it makes everything better.

I've mentioned this before but Peter Dinklage is an accomplished professional actor. He delivers the lines the way he is directed to deliver them. For some reason Bungie paid this guy a shitload of money to record his lines like he just woke up from a mid afternoon nap.

[MechDeus]

Oh I'm not blaming him and I know there's a ton on the director, but listening to him say stuff like, "What's that?" in the most distracted and flat way possible just doesn't seem to fit any particular vision of what could be happening in a scene. It's more fun to pretend the robot thing has no idea what's going on and is just trying to lead you on some crazy journey while he makes up all the explanations he's giving as you go along.

[YellerDog]

Funny thing: I know somebody working on a thing Dinklage is a voice in, and he's a HUGE pain in the ass, apparently.

[Yoshi]

Demon's Souls (PS3) - At Pineapple's ushering, I've officially added this to my list and have really not played anything else since. I've re-downed Phalanx, the Adjudicator, Armored Spider, and Tower Knight thus far, as I started over from scratch. I can't recall exactly how far I was way back when, but I know I had done Flame Lurker at least. However, this time I'm able to do everything much more strategically and less frustratingly, thanks to the amazing amount of information out there now. I'm primarily using bows but forgot to refill my arrows before Tower Knight, so I went melee on him.