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or >OBSERVER_ as I think it's actually called Observer is a Rutger Hauer-em'up, it's by the Layers of Fear people and it's fairly similar. Layers of Fear was an exercise in being locked in until you turned around where the level would have changed behind your back. Observer does do that, but nowhere near as much, it's not simply a Layers of Fear with the paintbrush replaced by the microchip There's a bit more game to Observer, which is a bit of a mixed blessing. You play as Dan, an Observer, which as far as I understand it means he's a detective who can go inside people's E-brains and see their last memories. He goes to see his son in a poor district, trying to find out why he needs help and what he's doing in the slums. When he gets there he finds a headless body and can't be sure whose it it, he was attacked by someone or something and that's what most of the game is about. To get on to the trail of the killer you have to examine the crime scene, superficially that's a bit like Batman, but unless something is locked away really it's mostly a token effort, and you're just their to deep dive and experience the trippy nightmare that is their decomposing memory. Observer isn't an especially scary game, it can be at points, but I found Layers of Fear scarier and that was more cool and clever than scary. But the cyber nightmares are an excuse to leave the more grounded reality, they can be cool, they're where the game is even if I prefer the world outside of them. They are home to the worst part of Observer; fail states. There's points where you're being hunted, there's not loads of these moments but they're the worst part. There's also some puzzles in the game, these can be a bit fiddly. It's not so much that they're testing your brain, more that you've tried everything and can see everything I think one of its biggest problems is that it kind of buries the main story. There's 3 things going on, Dan's son, a serial killer, and an evil corporation. I get why it's paced the way it is, it's to have a middle act that doesn't feel drawn out, but it means the middle feels more important than the rest of it. There's a lot of themes running in the background, again probably too many, but it mostly handles them well Overall I quite liked it, or bits of it. I liked the tone and the setting at least. I was pining for it to end well before it wrapped up though, it's probably a little too long but I do think it's more of a pacing issue than anything else

So. Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force. Brought to you by the geniuses behind the Mega/HyperDimension Neptunia series, it's a medieval JRPG for the ages. Ok. It's not. It's a bit of a pervy game wrapped in a lovely little Dark Ages anime art style. @Sly Reflex was asking me about it last night, and the only answer I really had was that it's inoffensive. Which I then immediately clarified by saying the GAMEPLAY is inoffensive. The story itself just seems to be an excuse to get questionably aged female characters into questionable states of undress. One character in particular, Harley (who thankfully, looks of age), has a particular comfort with herself, so gets herself into situations like this... Anyway, I've just discovered this game is a remake of a 2013 PS3 game. It uses a modified version of the Neptunia battle system, so it's a turn-based JRPG. You have a circular battle arena and your characters make their moves, then the enemy makes theirs (obviously depending on speed levels). When it's your turn, each character gets an area they can cover, where they have to get close enough to an enemy to make an attack. Or far enough away if you're defending/healing. It's easy enough to get to grips with, and as you progress they introduce more and more twists on the formula. You level up as per RPG rules, then also gain a kind of ability points that allows you to increase your attack, defence, movement and attack range, as well as the amount of physical attacks you can do in a combo. It's a nice idea and lets you personalise each fighter to your play style. The story involves finding swords - known as Furies - and using them to release the Goddess. Well, in my story that's what's happening. You can also release this other dude - he's a bad guy - or there's a third option. I'm not sure if you can release both or what. I assume so. A few other systems are in place, but that's the main gist of the important stuff. After about 10 hours of gameplay I'm around level 10-12 and have 4 characters in my party - Fang (the main character), Tiara, Harley and Galdo. All 4 have three hits in their combo, I've unlocked a few extra moves for all of them, and they all have a Fairy giving them benefits/bonuses. It's good. Not great. But there's enough there - besides the perviness - that's keeping me playing, so i'll carry on at some point this weekend.

Yup, 90s for me as Hip Hop went fucking full throttle at this point. Best decade for music for me.

Honestly I'm probably more likely to get regret over the amount of hours I've put into games I really enjoyed. Just cause of the 100s of hours that I wont get back. ?

Yeah, if I don't want to play something then I don't. Never pushed my way through something I wasn't up for. Even games I didn't like too much I guess I'm kinda glad I did so then I know what I don't like for sure and can use that going forward.

There have been a few games I've given up on. Fallout 3, for example, I tapped out just when I was about to control a giant robot (I'm told I was ridiculously close to the finale) and to be honest, I have never gone back to Fallout. So maybe that counts? But none really come to mind as being a 'waste of time'. Over the years, I've dipped my toe into many series I don't really care about, nor actively follow since EG PokéMon, Street Fighter, Uncharted etc but those one off experiences sated my curiosity, which I wouldn't really class as a negative.

Game has pissed me off now. Tried Jenova 3 or 4 different times and each and every time it has wiped me out with one singal Ultima spell. Why? Because I'm not casting MBarrier or Reflect, or have Final Attack materia. Why? Because I didn't pick the fucking materia up earlier in the game. I've had to reload and fly to literally every town on the map until I found the shop that sold Barrier materia (Rocket Town. I picked up a Time materia for good measure too), and now I'm in the forests around Mideel grinding AP until I get Reflect, making my "You don't need to grind in FFVII" statement earlier moot through my own idiocy. Luckily I have Cloud's Apocalypse weapon with triple growth on it so it shouldn't take too long. Hopefully.

I used Scan and they were very good.

If it helps, I put the machine I roughly have specced out into chillblast and it comes in at about £1000, which means you're paying roughly £250 for someone to build it (although I did add a different cpu cooler instead of the stock one). Not a bad amount to save the hassle of doing it yourself.

Yeah that's the dilemma. Doing the research and dealing with issues or let them do the horse work. Cheers. I'll check em out and weight it up ??