General gaming discussion

Penn · 01-08-2025 12:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689163#Comment_123689163

A few Games have popped back up usually in the corner of some Sports Direct or similar. They barely even sell games, more peripherals and toys/Funkos/general game-related memorabilia.

johnny_ultimate · 01-08-2025 12:27PM

Worth visiting a Sports Direct Game concession if you want to be actively depressed.

Zero-Cool · 01-08-2025 01:00PM

Picked up The Precinct in the current psn sale for 22.50, it's a goddamn delight! Didn't think I'd be so locked in on my first shift giving parking tickets, stopping a mugging, illegal goods sale and epic car chase that ended in this crazy tackle through a concrete barrier 😂

https://youtube.com/shorts/sBhYxnx2uOM?si=7mDUwcmFlZkGJ-Mi

RobbingBandit · 01-08-2025 01:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123688912#Comment_123688912

Was in the one in Newry last week it's like a charity shop poorly stacked toys everywhere the prices are on the back of the boxes for games absolutely mental prices for most games.

Jordan 199 · 01-08-2025 01:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689192#Comment_123689192

Something I might do this weekend. Goes into Sports Direct Game looking for a game. Comes out with a hoodie and tracky bottoms.

Penn · 01-08-2025 01:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689468#Comment_123689468

Better than going in for a hoodie and tracky bottoms and only coming out with a game and a Funko Pop. They may cover your privates but they won't keep you warm.

Jordan 199 · 01-08-2025 01:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689499#Comment_123689499

🤣

Funkopops ar a scourge.

Yeah Right · 01-08-2025 02:39PM

Never played the switch 1, so thinking of picking one up now that the 2 is out. I know ninty are infamous for literally never reducing their prices on anything , just wondering if there's any bargains out there at the moment? Are shops selling off old stock or is adverts/donedeal the way to go?

Any pitfalls I should be wary of or is there anything in particular I should be looking out for as a positive etc…..OLED?

RedXIV · 01-08-2025 11:44PM

Interesting one here based on the controversy of the adult games. GOG are promoting the following → https://items.gog.com/freedomtobuy/index.html which is a bunch of "ahem" adult games for free for the next 2 days.

This is based on the idea of a protest that these games could be all made unavailable if payment processors get their way so they are giving them away and encouraging folks to publicise their protest.

Potential-Monke · 02-08-2025 08:36AM

I shall download them. To help the cause.

johnny_ultimate · 03-08-2025 03:43PM

M2 showing once again how a retro compilation should be done:

https://youtu.be/b2mBaTEjmVE?si=g79oD6IADHoX_J7e

Retr0gamer · 03-08-2025 05:00PM

I'm really looking forward to Salamander 3. The Haunted Castle remake was spectacular, especially considering it was based on the absolute worst Castlevania game.

OptimusTractor · 04-08-2025 09:30AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123689307#Comment_123689307

I loved the fact that the opening couple of missions are essentially rookie beat cop work & then bam! turns out your the best chopper pilot in the force.

Zero-Cool · 04-08-2025 11:18AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123695750#Comment_123695750

Ha yeah, it's realistic enough to be engaging with the foot patrol stuff but glad it ditches that and remembers to be fun when needed.

The only thing is the city is a bit too mental with crime. How am i supposed to issue 8 parking violations in a soft y when there's a burglary, car jacking, assault, etc every 2 minutes 😂

J. Marston · 04-08-2025 05:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123690966#Comment_123690966

He really said that.

Jordan 199 · 05-08-2025 11:58AM

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johnny_ultimate · 05-08-2025 12:54PM

Been indulging in some MTG Final Fantasy (mainly through the intro decks) and it’s been fun returning to the game after probably 20-25 years away. Though also a reminder that there’s not a hope in hell I’d ever get into standard Magic, as it seems like an absolute brain / wallet melt.

It has prompted me to finally get back into FF7 Rebirth after a few months away. I think it’s a notably better game than its predecessor (though a real victim of Ubisoftification), but it’s been a while since certain design decisions have left me so baffled. Specifically the speed of some of the animations. One sequence had Barrett pushing mine carts slowly with a hand behind his back, almost taunting the player for wanting to go faster - even for a man with a machine gun arm its preposterous. A key navigation mechanic in the second main region involves chocobos climbing up walls very slowly. I genuinely don’t understand how the developers played through these sections and said ‘yeah that plays well’ when they’re so obviously tedious as hell! Especially since aspects like combat are so spectacular and snappy.

Penn · 05-08-2025 04:35PM

Just finished 'And Roger', a short interactive novel type of game. Takes little over an hour, and is only 4quid on Steam (think it's on Switch as well).

I'd recommend going into it blind. It's certainly interesting, and worth the experience if you have that bit of expendable time/money. Not the most amazing thing ever, but it's interesting and compelling enough.

Not always a fun experience playing it on Steamdeck, though it is manageable. It's a point & click type of game so relies purely on mouse, which meant the touchpad/screen on Steamdeck. Again, manageable, just not the easiest way to play.

Retr0gamer · 05-08-2025 11:47PM

Played some Ninja Gaiden Ragebound and it's genuinely fantastic. They absolutely nailed the speed, attacking and movement and make it feel old school Ninja Gaiden while giving it some new more modern twists. There's just a wonderful flow to the game and I'd say it could be a speed running classic. It just plays amazingly well and looks stunning. Anyone worried about difficulty, it's way easier than the old ninja Gaiden games and much easier than the team's Blasphemous games. I might even go as far as to say it might be a bit too easy.

Shinobi has a tough act to follow with how good this game turned out.

And now for another bad PC port warning:

The game is a stuttery mess on PC if you don't play on 1080p. I'm 1440p the game lags, stutters and does this weird thing where the game speed will change constantly and it feels awful. I have to play in a window because of how bad it is on my ultra wide because of this.

Necro · 06-08-2025 02:42AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123698252#Comment_123698252

Tbf with FF that's been going on for years with the tedious tasks. That frog mini game right slap bang in the middle of FF9 took the absolute and utter piss altogether. Complete with the most irritating backing track and slow animations (in a timed segment of all bloody places) for the weights when you manage to get past the monster… absolutely and utterly infuriating.

The chocobo bits are annoying but optional, at least! There's a few stupidly slow bits with Barrett though, you're right. The carts and also having to shoot all the bits and pieces of rocks are the first two bits that spring to mind.

Jordan 199 · 06-08-2025 11:24AM

Mafia: The Old Country is coming out this Friday. Will any of you be getting it?

Retr0gamer · 06-08-2025 11:47AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123700645#Comment_123700645

After 3 you'd be a fool not to wait for reviews.

Jordan 199 · 06-08-2025 11:53AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123700735#Comment_123700735

You do have a point.

Exclamation Marc · 06-08-2025 03:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123700645#Comment_123700645

I am generally loathe to validate how good a game is based on its length but at apparently 10-13 hours to complete (13 being if you want to collect everything), €50 is quite steep and screams "wait for a sale" for me.

Cordell · 06-08-2025 04:08PM

It's similar length as Doom The Dark Ages so if those 10 hours are 10 hours of good gameplay and not bloated with fetch quests as they did with Mafia 3 then 50 it's the right price.

Potential-Monke · 06-08-2025 04:10PM

I'm ok with shorter games these days. But they'd want to be a fantastic 10 hours at that price. But it is 2K so greed is the game.

one armed dwarf · 06-08-2025 04:48PM

Has there been a discussion on here before about how BDS have recommended boycotting gamepass?

I'm reminded of it reading the details of how the IDF are using Azure to store and analyse phone calls in the occupied territories, and consulting it to justify murders that have already occurred.

https://bdsmovement.net/news/boycott-microsofts-xbox

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/06/microsoft-israeli-military-palestinian-phone-calls-cloud?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

johnny_ultimate · 06-08-2025 08:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123701781#Comment_123701781

It has come up briefly before alright.

I for one can’t really bring myself to support Microsoft in any way at the moment, and have cancelled any subscriptions going their direction. Between their complicity in the genocide and their increasingly appalling approach to their games workforce, they really are proving a truly malevolent force. Another of the consequences of industry consolidation.

one armed dwarf · 07-08-2025 10:50AM

I hope it gets covered a bit in some gaming podcasts. I get that it's a difficult subject to broach for hobbyist content creators, particularly with how long the history of the conflict really goes back. But it's worth considering the ways in which our own consumption habits can benefit a tech giant who's own impacts can spread outside just gaming and productivity software

https://bsky.app/profile/austinwalker.bsky.social/post/3lvr4m454vs22

I'm still on windows myself, finding that a hard thing to jump from tbh but am interested in seeing how viable Linux gets as a main gaming platform, I wonder how Street Fighter 6 runs on it, seems good on steam deck at least

Sorry, I've just seen now it came up in gaming news, so probably that's where I could have posted this

johnny_ultimate · 07-08-2025 11:28AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123703396#Comment_123703396

BDS campaigners are pretty realistic about what is feasible, and they usually don't ask people to get rid of existing hardware, software etc… - just to try to avoid any future purchases or ongoing revenue, wherever possible (they're also realistic that not everyone in a position will be able to completely remove Microsoft from their work / personal lives). Hence why areas like gaming are picked for targeted boycotts. It can be a bummer when acquisitions are involved: it was a killer to have to avoid THPS 3+4, even though I'm a big fan of the original games and Microsoft traditionally had no stake in the series until this release.

I am keen to switch from Windows to Linux too down the line, though I think unfortunately Windows is still the de facto option for gaming. Linux has come on leaps and bounds, largely thanks to Steam OS, but we're at least a few years away from it being a close match to Windows compatibility for desktop use. Getting there, though.

That said, it's pretty easy to remove a lot of Microsoft products, at least on personal devices (work devices are sadly a different story). Office 365 has many superior and usually free alternatives available. I switched from Outlook to Thunderbird as an email client recently and that's been a welcome change.

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