Cheerful Ghost: An Awesome Community For Gamers

DF Retro Analyzes Each of the Rage 2 Console Ports

Travis and I have both been playing Rage 2 and loving it. It's a fun shooter and as such want to drop every news bit or interesting review I've seen of it here. DF Retro has an all new video comparing each of the console versions of the game so if you've been thinking of picking it up on PS4 or XBox One this video should help you decide.

The Best Ghostbusters Film Sequel In Video Game Form Is Getting A Remaster in 2019

We never got a Ghostbusters 3 but back in 2009 the original cast got together to lend their voice talent to Ghostbusters: The Video Game that some consider to be the best follow up to the original films to date. I skipped playing the full game on the PS3 instead opting to play the demo, which was incredibly fun. In the game the Ghostbusters refer to you as the new guy and you act as a silent character as the Ghostbusters antics and story envelop you. It's exciting that this game is getting a HD remaster and coming to Nintendo Switch! As a huge Ghostbusters fan it's always been something I've been interested in playing and now I'll be able to.

... Read All

There's a New Death Stranding Trailer and... It's Still Weird

Death Stranding, the weird-ass game from Kojima that had many people scratching their heads a few years ago at E3, has a new trailer and I gotta say... I'm still scratching my head.

Not in a bad way. At least now there's something more concrete. This game looks absolutely stunning and the cast is phenomenal. Norman Reedus, Mads Mikkelsen, Lea Seydoux, Margaret Qualley, Guillermo de Toro, Troy Baker... I'd watch that movie. Instead, we get to play it.

Kojima tweeted some info about it to further clarify:

People have built "Walls" and become accustomed to living in isolation.

"DEATH STRANDING" is a completely new type of action game, where the player's goal is to... Read All

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 58: The Duo Two’o: Rage 2 & Super Mario Maker 2 Details

In this episode, we talk about what we've played and watched over the last month, the new decision from the WHO to recognize Gaming Disorder as an illness, the new details Nintendo dropped about Super Mario Maker 2, and Jon and Travis share their first thoughts on Rage 2.

If you think you may be affected by Gaming Disorder, please see the WHO's description: https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en#/http%3a%2f%2fid.who.int%2ficd%2fentity%2f1448597234

If you need help finding treatment, please see the SAMHSA National Helpline: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

And if you feel like you are a danger to yourself, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline: ... Read All

MST3K: The Mole People

Occasionally the official Mystery Science Theater 3000 YouTube drops a new film to watch for free and the recent one, The Mole People is something you should see if you haven't yet. The Mole People was season eight which was deep into the Mike as MST host years and was the first season to see Bill Corbett as the new voice of Crow. I'm a huge MST3K fan and enjoy taking these moment to initiate new folk into the incredible wonder of the show. If the old 4x3 movie riffing isn't your thing, there are two new seasons of MST3K on Netflix and the latest, The Gauntlet is well worth watching.

Five Hours of Pure Rage (My Rage 2 First Thoughts)

Yesterday iD Software launched Rage 2 which has been one of my most anticipated games coming out this year. I solidly boarded the hype train devouring all the trailers and early reviews and I can honestly say that it wasn't for naught, Rage 2 is a whole lot of fun.

A few details about me. I don't play a ton of shooter games anymore. Besides the occasional Fortnite and dabbling with the latest free to play battle arena for a few minutes, I play single player shooters every couple of years. Wanted to get that out of the way because my thoughts aren't from the point of view of a FPS connoisseur, if that's a thing.

The Day Santa Delivered Rage 2

Travis and I both pre-ordered... Read All

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 05/16/2019 at 05:42am

Right now, none of the extra DLC seems to matter in Rage 2. I got the pre-order DLC which is a settler pistol, armor and a truck skin. I have the truck skin but no truck to use it with so I can't yet comment if that's cool. The pre-order DLC comes with a exclusive "Cult of the Death God" mission where you get the pistol and armor except I haven't played it yet. Could be cool, not sure yet. The digital deluxe DLC was some cheat codes which I haven't used and not sure I will along with the BFG 9000. This gun comes with 3 bullets and each other bullet costs $1k and you can't find any more in game anywhere. Seems like an odd choice and I haven't used the gun yet but it seems ultra overpowered so I haven't used it. The other cool bit of the digital deluxe is the first DLC pack included and since that's not out yet I can't comment.

I'm early still but so far, the pre-order DLC and digital deluxe stuff seem like a wash. I have high hopes for the Cult of the Death God mission but the pistol and armor don't seem like a hard requirement to play the game.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 05/16/2019 at 05:44am

I don't mind paying a bit more to iD as I really liked the original Rage game but I'm not sure any of the DLC to this point has been super critical. That said, when I experience that stuff more i'll come back and let you know how it goes.

Travis Admin wrote on 05/17/2019 at 03:10am

I'm also about five hours in and my experience has been mixed. This is not the fault of the game, though. Some games give me motion sickness and this is one of them, unfortunately. I can usually eliminate it with some settings changes but I haven't gotten there yet with Rage 2. So I'm not playing nearly as much as I want to. I've read that bright colors can cause stronger symptoms and that may be at play here because there is a TON of fuchsia. I love the look of it but maybe my eyes/stomach/head/etc do not.

But more to the point:

I love the campy plot, it feels like a throwback to late 90s/early 2000s FPS sensibilities in terms of plot and I love that. But it's much prettier than those games. The id engine always shines and it's definitely great here. The cheesy as hell intro kinda says "hey this isn't a serious shooter, have fun and turn off your brain" and I respect that.

Jon you're spot on with it feeling more like Rage than any other game. You can feel influences from elsewhere, and the powers you unlock even give me a Mass Effect vibe, but this has its own identity. If you liked the shooting mechanics from Doom or any other recent id game you'll feel right at home, but you can't play it the same way. To really get the best out of this game you have to play it tactically-- and it helps that the tactics involve some pretty badass powers and a lot of pew pew.

It's just pure fun.

It's not perfect though. Driving was my least favorite part about the first game, and that holds true for the sequel. It's a little dull. I had hoped that they would learn a few things from Borderlands (and I'm not even really a fan of driving in Borderlands).

Sometimes the various upgrade paths are vague until you understand it. I recommend reading guides like the one Jon posted. You aren't really going to spoil much plot because the plot is fairly thin (to the game's credit, honestly).

From what I have read, it seems like the average gamer will probably get 25-30 hours out of this and that feels perfect. They could have tightened it up and made it feel a little more active by shrinking the map a bit so travel time wasn't as much of a factor but that's a minor complaint.

Overall I'm looking forward to seeing what the next 20-25 hours have to offer.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 05/17/2019 at 03:48am

Rage 2 community goals are up. Seems like if we all get a certain number of kills on a theme we get a skin. Cool idea.

https://bethesda.net/en/article/2WoZ1SERuSMriqtaEzLxHV/rage-2-may-wasteland-challenges

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/19/2019 at 12:50am

New patch out: https://steamcommunity.com/games/548570/announcements/detail/1609388832806702098

"Bandit Camps are now replayable! Open your map and select any previously cleared bandit camp to replay them as much as you'd like -- and get rewarded. "

Cool.

"Wasteland Wizard now only travels to 3 different locations instead of 15."

Cool but I haven't found him at all yet. Not that I'm looking, I'm not. The cheats sound interesting and I have some but I haven't tried them.

Travis Admin wrote on 06/19/2019 at 03:06am

I've stumbled upon the Wasteland Wizard a couple times but decided to ignore him because I never felt the need to cheat actually.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 06/19/2019 at 04:14pm

Yeah. I've found that after you get quite a few powers, level up your abilities and have a decent FPS count the game isn't too hard. Then again I'm on normal so I've never felt the need to cheat. But I did do a quest earlier than I should have and needed the BFG but .... I prob won't do that next time

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/16/2019 at 04:07pm

https://twitter.com/rage/status/1151159830868037632

Flashlight? Awesome.

Travis Admin wrote on 07/17/2019 at 01:55am

FLASHLIGHT. Oh my god that's amazing news.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/30/2019 at 04:11am

https://bethesda.net/en/article/4RaQB7ylQPgNXNycKtOGGE/rage-2-update-2-and-new-roadmap

Wish I had more time to play it, but Rage 2 keeps truckin' along with some great content.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/30/2019 at 02:15pm

Yeah I’ve found that the service style they’re doing isn’t working for me because I’m just waiting for that big expansion. And even then I may not be interested by then.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/30/2019 at 02:32pm

Right. I’m not sure I have time to head back right now. I might make some time over the holidays.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

The Steam Link App Is Finally on All Your iOS Devices!

In a spate of great video game news today Valve and Apple worked out their differences such that Steam Link has now come to your iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. It works just like the Android app except Valve has simply allowed you to stream your steam games to your iOS devices due to Apples policy of not allowing other competing stores on it's hardware. All that said, I tried it out on my iPhone and Apple TV and Steam Link works flawlessly.

You can pair a MFI controller with Steam Link on your Apple device, Steam controller in bluetooth mode or use touch if you prefer. I was surprised to find touch isn't too bad and many games already have somewhat serviceable controller... Read All

Travis Admin wrote on 05/17/2019 at 03:11am

Oh snap, I totally missed this announcement. That's one fewer box connected to the TV!

Travis Admin wrote on 05/17/2019 at 03:21am

I just played shovel knight on my phone and I’m not feeling as kind as you with regard to touch controls but I’m amazed at the performance. They really have tweaked the hell out of their streaming performance.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 05/17/2019 at 03:46am

Ok so the touch controls aren't good. That said they kinda work which is WAY better than I thought in that they would be entirely horrible. They aren't great, maybe border on bad but not a dumpster fire horrible. Which is totally what I love about Valve. They give you choices and options even if they aren't great to let you choose what you want to do. If people want to play Civ 6 stream to their phone over touch and find it awesome, go ahead. I really appreciate that because other companies wouldn't let you even try. Valve does.

Travis Admin wrote on 05/17/2019 at 12:21pm

Ok that’s entirely fair yeah. I agree with your more detailed take on it. The fact that I could make it through half a level in Shovel Knight is noteworthy even if it did make me want to throw my phone. 😂

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 05/17/2019 at 03:27pm

Hahahaha, right.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

Nintendo Stomps Out All The Details of Super Mario Maker 2!

In the Super Mario Maker 2 Nintendo Direct today we got all the details of what's to come in the new Super Mario Maker 2! For the first time, Super Mario Maker will feature four player online multiplayer you can play competitively or co-cop with friends! It's also featuring a 100 level single player game where each time you complete a level you unlock some coins so you can rebuild the the Mushroom Kingdom Castle. Super Mario Maker on 3DS featured a single player set of levels that I really enjoyed, so it's nice that Mario Maker 2 is getting a single player mode that adds a bit more. I thought the Mario Maker 3DS stages were quite inventive and hopefully Nintendo pulls... Read All

Cheerful Ghost Radio Episode 57: Super Mario Bros. 3 and The Wizard

Travis gives this an astounding "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

Travis gives this a "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

Much like the Power Glove, this episode is so bad. Hopefully you'll think it's "bad" like the 90s slang, not like... actually bad. Come join us as we discuss one of the greatest games of all time, Super Mario Bros. 3, and the legacy it has left, including visual media like The Wizard and Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3!

Civilization VI: Gathering Storm Review

Azurephile gives this an astounding "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

Azurephile gives this a "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale

This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.

Review

Recommended

New mechanics like power and climate change

New victory

New civs and leaders

Civ 6 is such an amazing game and a new expansion, Gathering Storm, was released a while ago. I’ve been too busy playing it, which is why I am now just getting to write about it. Civ 6 was the cure I needed, but didn’t think I wanted. I had gotten bored of video games and wasn’t sure what to do. I was hesitating to buy GS, because I didn’t really feel like playing a strategy game like Civ 6 and I was intimidated by the game. However, I am absolutely glad that I bought GS. Since then, I can’t stop playing Civ 6.

The theme of GS is climate change and global warming. Cities... Read All

jdodson Admin wrote on 05/13/2019 at 02:34am

Awesome review, thanks Greg!

> Civ 6 is (in my opinion) one of the best games in recent years and this expansion adds more to it, making it more playable.

That's great to hear as Civ VI is one of the top games I want to buy on the Switch. I've heard the port is really good and playing it in handheld mode is surprisingly intuitive.

> This pretty much make all achievements possible for me. I also learned how to use the command console. You need to edit a config file to enable it, but then you can hit a key to activate it. One of the commands you can use is “reveal all” which will show you everything on the map.

Cool. It's fun to play games this way and I'm glad developers still add these modes in.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 05/13/2019 at 06:59pm

I believe I read that hot seat mode is not in the Switch version. Still it's a damn good game. If you enjoyed Civ Rev you'll probably enjoy Civ 6. I may get into older Civ games as I can't seem to get enough now lol.

Azurephile Super Member Post Author wrote on 05/14/2019 at 02:50am

Jon, I added a note at the end w/ some good links. I also strongly recommend watching the video I embedded in this post as it covers some things I left out, like the new scenarios (which I haven't played *yet*).

My love for this game has grown since GS came out and I want more. I found a Civ anthology collection on Steam I may buy during the summer sale.

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.