Sabbath - Kinda Bloody Sabbath!

[KindaSabbath]

Title is fitting. I haven't yet and probably never will do anything particularly special. To be honest, I just want a little place on this website to post progress, rant and rage at games that are giving me a good old pasting. 

 

Here is my introduction to this website for anyone who's interested: 

Since joining this website and getting into hunting trophies/hunting completion, I seem to have found my flow thanks to a community event: The Ultra Rare Clean Up. So far I've really enjoyed playing games that push me to improve as a gamer. It makes sense, as in general I am a person who needs goals and enjoys challenging myself in new ways often. Without goals and without having things I'm working to improve on, I just get bored.

 

I would like to use this space to write about what I'm playing. To document my battle with my growing back log and maybe even share thoughts on other things, such as books I'm reading, music I'm listening to and just whatever is on my mind that I'd like to share with others who are interested. Or does this have to be strictly gaming in this section? If so, no drama as the focus will mainly be on games either way!

 

Let's kick things off with my current backlog:

 

Currently Playing:

Titanfall 2 - 19%

 

Priority List for the Ultra Rare Clean Up:

 

Hyper Light Drifter 

 

Nex Machina

 

Completed Games:

 

 

 

Other titles I own AKA The Hitlist:

 

 

 



 

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by KindaSabbath

[DrBloodmoney]

as I understand it, there ain't nothing underwhelming about Vanquish... or Thumper for that matter ?

 

Can't speak to every game on your hit-list - but Limbo, Inside and Nex Machina are all excellent, as are all those Wolfenstein games, so you got some great times ahead of you there ☺️

 

Good luck, and enjoy!

Edited August 10, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[KindaSabbath]

Thanks for dropping in @DrBloodmoney

My list ain't much, but I'm working on it! Very much looking forward to Nex Machina, Limbo and Inside. I'll be saving Limbo for tier 2 of the UR event, if I make it that far ?... Are Limbo and Inside directly connected? Would it matter if I played Inside first?

[DrBloodmoney]

6 minutes ago, KindaSabbath said:

Thanks for dropping in @DrBloodmoney

My list ain't much, but I'm working on it! Very much looking forward to Nex Machina, Limbo and Inside. I'll be saving Limbo for tier 2 of the UR event, if I make it that far ... Are Limbo and Inside directly connected? Would it matter if I played Inside first?

nah - there’s a bit of thematic similarity, and one kind of oblique Limbo reference in Inside as I recall, but nothing material connecting them in terms of narrative, so I reckon you’d be fine going for either first.

[Baker]

You have some really good games in your backlog! Especially Nex Machina, Furi and Hyper Light Drifter. Three of the best indie games out there.

 

I personally found Inside a highly overrated game and didn’t like it all. I hope you find it more enjoyable.

 

Good luck with the checklist! I expect to see Trials Fusion in there in the future. ?

[FreshFromThaDeli]

A belated welcome to the madhouse..ahem..forums ?

 

You have some amazing games lined up there! Will be exciting to see how you get on with them along with your current games in due course.

 

Good luck.

[KindaSabbath]

44 minutes ago, Baker said:

Good luck with the checklist! I expect to see Trials Fusion in there in the future.

 

Hey bud! It's funny y'know, because there have been times with Rising so far (sure there's many more to come) where I've felt like I'm punching well above my weight. Fusion is much harder from what I've been told. The funny part is that; it all just makes me want to play Fusion even more ?

 

In all seriousness, I do want to do the other two Trials games and will probably save them for the next tiers in the UR event. Would you recommend Fusion or  Blood Dragon first? (I know Fusion is a much better game but I'm thinking save the best for last here?)

 

I also saw your story with Ys Origin. Congratulations on that one dude! I'm very happy for you! Sounds like it was a bit of a nightmare with the constant crashing.

 

@DrBloodmoney Thanks mate, I will jump into Inside after Rising as a little chill time before the next tough one.

 

@FreshFromThaDeli Thank you for the welcome! I am also excited, to get my ass handed to me multiple times whilst playing through these amazing games!

Edited August 10, 2021 by KindaSabbath

[Baker]

4 minutes ago, KindaSabbath said:

In all seriousness, I do want to do the other two Trials games and will probably save them for the next tiers in the UR event. Would you recommend Fusion or  Blood Dragon first? (I know Fusion is a much better game but I'm thinking save the best for last here?)

Don’t even play Trials of the Blood Dragon. It’s one the worst games I ever played. It’s nothing like Rising or Fusion. Do yourself a favor and forget that game even exists.

[KindaSabbath]

8 minutes ago, Baker said:

Don’t even play Trials of the Blood Dragon. It’s one the worst games I ever played. It’s nothing like Rising or Fusion. Do yourself a favor and forget that game even exists.

 

Not even worth it for completing the series, well the available games on the PlayStation? I mean, fairplay and I'll take your word for it, but I was unsure if it would be as bad as I've heard.

 

Is it the off bike sections that make it shit? Or is it the whole game including the riding?

[Baker]

7 minutes ago, KindaSabbath said:

 

Not even worth it for completing the series, well the available games on the PlayStation? I mean, fairplay and I'll take your word for it, but I was unsure if it would be as bad as I've heard.

 

Is it the off bike sections that make it shit? Or is it the whole game including the riding?

It’s every mechanic that’s not bike riding. Unfortunately almost every track has some gimmick with the worst controls ever made. Platforming, Slingshots, Remote RC, and my ‘favorite’: The Jetpack. The bike riding itself is also a lot worse than Rising and Fusion. Really, forget about this game.

[KindaSabbath]

4 minutes ago, Baker said:

It’s every mechanic that’s not bike riding. Unfortunately almost every track has some gimmick with the worst controls ever made. Platforming, Slingshots, Remote RC, and my ‘favorite’: The Jetpack. The bike riding itself is also a lot worse than Rising and Fusion. Really, forget about this game.

 

OK then dude, yeah that's put me off for sure. I don't mind a game kicking the shit out of me and making me have to put in some serious effort down to pure difficulty, but bad controls? Nah, I'm good... Glad to of found that out before picking it up.

[Arcesius]

Nice to see you start your own checklist! You really have a nice advantage.. your account is relatively young, and so you'll really have the chance to document your gaming from the beginning  

 

You really are making good progress on Rising! And can definitely look forward to Fusion. It's not generally "harder", I mean most of the requirements are more lenient (you don't need all Gold Medals, like you do in Rising, for example), but there are 3-4 challenges that will definitely feel above anything you must do in Rising... It's still gonna be tons of fun, I'm sure! It's also the better game ? Also, there are at least three tracks in that game that are harder than any track in Rising. They shouldn't be too much of a problem for you though, having already learned the game. 

 

I have also been waiting for Trials of the Blood Dragon to go on sale... but @Baker keeps telling me how shit it is, and he is, unfortunately, not the only one ? So I'll probably skip it as well. 

 

 

As for your Backlog. Limbo is very short but fun, Inside can be fun if you like the kind of puzzles you'll find there, and of course Furi, Nex Machina and Hyper Light Drifter are without a doubt some of the best Indie games on PS. You have a fantastic time ahead of you!  

 

Good luck, and most importantly, have fun! 

Edited August 11, 2021 by Arcesius

[Miles]

12 hours ago, KindaSabbath said:

 

Not even worth it for completing the series, well the available games on the PlayStation? I mean, fairplay and I'll take your word for it, but I was unsure if it would be as bad as I've heard.

 

Is it the off bike sections that make it shit? Or is it the whole game including the riding?

 

It's worth playing for series completion imo. Sure it's bad but there are some joys in completing it, honestly the worst part about the game was voice acting for me, so turn off the sound and you're good. 

[KindaSabbath]

2 hours ago, Arcesius said:

Nice to see you start your own checklist! You really have a nice advantage.. your account is relatively young, and so you'll really have the chance to document your gaming from the beginning  

 

Thanks man! Yeah that's a good point, I may drop my thoughts in here on the handful of games that I've completed so far and be sure to keep that up going forward.

 

2 hours ago, Arcesius said:

You really are making good progress on Rising! And can definitely look forward to Fusion. It's not generally "harder", I mean most of the requirements are more lenient (you don't need all Gold Medals, like you do in Rising, for example), but there are 3-4 challenges that will definitely feel above anything you must do in Rising... It's still gonna be tons of fun, I'm sure! It's also the better game  Also, there are at least three tracks in that game that are harder than any track in Rising. They shouldn't be too much of a problem for you though, having already learned the game. 

 

Awesome. Yeah I'm super excited to get Fusion, all I ever hear is positive things about it. In regards to it having a few things considered more difficult than Rising, yeah that makes me slightly nervous but in a good way. Like I said to you before, every time I feel like I'm getting good at Rising, the game puts me back in my place ?... It happened again with Hill Climb the skill game. That took me a lot of practice. Everytime I overcome these walls in difficulty, I come out a little better than before so I'll just keep going!

 

2 hours ago, Arcesius said:

As for your Backlog. Limbo is very short but fun, Inside can be fun if you like the kind of puzzles you'll find there, and of course Furi, Nex Machina and Hyper Light Drifter are without a doubt some of the best Indie games on PS. You have a fantastic time ahead of you!  

 

Good luck, and most importantly, have fun! 

 

Limbo looks awesome. I'm less sold on Inside but I bought the double pack on sale. Hopefully Inside will be a nice surprise but with both games being so short, it's a low risk commitment going for the completions. Excited to see for myself. As for the other games, shit they just look straight up rad. Looking forward to using your guide for Nex. Already read through it and it's very well written! Thanks in advance for that one!

 

25 minutes ago, Miles said:

 

It's worth playing for series completion imo. Sure it's bad but there are some joys in completing it, honestly the worst part about the game was voice acting for me, so turn off the sound and you're good. 

 

Would you say the controls are awful? That really puts me off. I would totally turn off sound and be blasting my music through Spotify anyway, that's how I've been playing Rising and I've been having a lot of fun! 

Edited August 11, 2021 by KindaSabbath

[Miles]

Just now, KindaSabbath said:

Would you say the controls are awful? That really puts me off. I would totally turn off sound and be blasting my music through Spotify anyway, that's how I've been playing Rising and I've been having a lot of fun! 

 

Haven't played the game in a while, but iirc the controls weren't the problems at all, some of the rope swinging mechanics didn't feel consistent to me. 

 

Give it a shot so you can have a laugh at the storyline ? and it was a short game, if you manage to do Rising you should be able to blast through this. 

 

Also I vouch for all the indies mentioned above, all great games. Inside was better than LIMBO imo (didn't feel like that 5 deaths trophy fit the genre) , hope you enjoy both! 

[KindaSabbath]

 

 Platinum #7  - Trials Rising!!!

 

There were times when I genuinely didn't know if this was on the cards for me or not. I went into this game wanting something tough. On the back of Vanquish - I was feelin'  myself a little too much. There were individual tasks in this game that took me longer to practice and execute than my entire playthrough of Vanquish from start to finish ?. I think I underestimated this one to begin with.

 

Having never played a Trials game before, the learning curve was pretty steep and some things literally seemed impossible even 50+ hours into the game. I'd say around the 

50 hr mark is where the majority of the frustration was (enjoyable frustration, I'll add) - you see, I had a pretty good idea of where I needed to put my bike and what buttons I needed to press... but my fingers just wouldn't pull it off. Well, not consistently by any means. I guess this is where you either get good or go home in these games, because things only got tougher. Below is what I personally found ths most frustrating thing in the whole game:

The thing is when you watch it back it looks so easy! Let's never speak of how much practice it actually took me! When I faulted at the end, it looks like I went from being pretty competent to erm... Dog shit.

 

The game asks quite a lot of you to Platinum. You have to get platinum medals, diamond medals, zero fault an extreme track, complete a bunch of extreme contracts, gold medal the entire game - including the bastard skill games like Hill Climb above. Fuck the skill games ?... You also have to beat a Ninja track. You can't just mash buttons and hope it happens, you have to learn the ins and outs of how to control your bike and I loved every second of it! 

 

I understand that for veterans of the series, this is not a difficult platinum. I'm purely speaking about the difficulty from a complete beginners point of view. It's just a case of practice, practice, practice until it clicks. When it does, everything changes! I went from wondering when I was going to hit the next wall of difficulty, to wanting the next tracks to be harder. I started to figure things out for myself and really started to find my own flow throughout the games later levels. Honestly, it felt incredible!!

 

Overall - I adore this game. I think the trophy list is very skill dependent and I think that's my favourite kind of list. When a game has such tight controls, as this one does, and the gameplay is so sick - I want it to ask me to borderline master it to get all of the trophies. I'm not completely done with it yet as I've still got one more DLC left to tackle before I can tick it off for the UR event. I think even after I'm done with it, I'll be keeping it installed and working my way through some of the Ninja Belts and I look forward to beating my old times as I improve.

 

Shout out to @Arcesius and @Baker for giving me tips and encouraging me to keep going when I hit a few rough spots early on. Also giving me the ability to watch and study their replays, that was super handy! 

 

The last trophy I had to get to acquire the  - Two is Better Than one (No it fucking isn't ?) 

I did this solo holding two controllers at the same time and it was a ball ache. But it's doable solo atleast. Was dreading this trophy!!

 

Summary: 

Enjoyment: 10/10

Difficulty: 9/10 (for beginners, unless you're just a savage beast at video games, which I very much am not!)

 

Edit: After reading this back, it's definitely my proudest Platinum to date! Can you tell? ?

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by KindaSabbath

[det_gittes]

Congratulations on the Trials Rising platinum, definitely one to feel good about, 10x more so if this is your entry title into the franchise! Sorry that in the end I didn't contribute to your tips thread but to be honest I don't have much to say about Trials Rising and I wouldn't know what the best progression path is. However, once you start Trials Fusion, I will happily follow your progress, read updates and who knows, maybe even offer some advice  If you want another ghost time to play against, you can also send me an invite, I find it much more enjoyable personally if there is always somebody in front of me to keep me motivated.

 

Btw, too bad you didn't call out for help with the tandem bike, it really only takes 15 minutes or so to get it done with another player

[Arcesius]

51 minutes ago, KindaSabbath said:

 

 Platinum #7  - Trials Rising!!!

 

 

Hell yeah! Congrats man, well deserved!!  

 

You know, when I got around to playing Fusion, I went into the game without knowing what to expect... And somehow, once I was done, I noticed that I had just played one of my new favorite games... And while writing my review, I tried to understand what it was that made that game so satisfying, so.. good.... 

 

And reading your fantastic review just now, one filled with ecstasy and energy, I can tell that you experienced something very similar to what I did  

 

Really well done, this is one tough game, that's for sure! 

 

(Coincidentally enough.. I also found the Hill Climb minigame to be the most frustrating thing about this 100% ?) 

 

Onto the DLC, and get ready for Fusion!   

[KindaSabbath]

1 hour ago, det_gittes said:

Congratulations on the Trials Rising platinum, definitely one to feel good about, 10x more so if this is your entry title into the franchise! Sorry that in the end I didn't contribute to your tips thread but to be honest I don't have much to say about Trials Rising and I wouldn't know what the best progression path is. 

 

Thanks dude! No worries at all in regards to my thread. I reached out to Arcesius and Baker directly as both of them seem to be in the forums of most the games I've looked into, giving out tips and speaking of their experiences so I was hoping they wouldn't mind.

 

1 hour ago, det_gittes said:

However, once you start Trials Fusion, I will happily follow your progress, read updates and who knows, maybe even offer some advice  If you want another ghost time to play against, you can also send me an invite, I find it much more enjoyable personally if there is always somebody in front of me to keep me motivated.

 

Appreciate that bud. I will shoot you an add on PSN. It definitely helps and gives a sense of urgency when grinding out the medals! 

 

Once I've finished up Rising, I'll likely knock out a couple chill games like Inside and Crash Team Racing before jumping into something hard like Fusion. Although I cannot wait for more Trials so that's subject to change ?

 

I really appreciate that a few veterans of the franchise including yourself are cool enough to offer support and advice to a newer player like me! 

 

Oh and yeah, that tandem trophy... I didn't want to trouble anyone and rope them into helping me out with it. Took a bit longer than 15 minutes for me as a result though lol!

[KindaSabbath]

1 hour ago, Arcesius said:

Hell yeah! Congrats man, well deserved!!  

 

You know, when I got around to playing Fusion, I went into the game without knowing what to expect... And somehow, once I was done, I noticed that I had just played one of my new favorite games... And while writing my review, I tried to understand what it was that made that game so satisfying, so.. good.... 

 

And reading your fantastic review just now, one filled with ecstasy and energy, I can tell that you experienced something very similar to what I did  

 

Thanks man!

 

Yeah, I wasn't sure what to expect when going in either. I have also come out of it knowing that this is one of my favourite games! To be honest I don't think I've had an experience quite like this with a game before. I mean, it pushed me at times to my limit. Only for me to find out a few hours later - that wasn't even close to my limit! The core mechanics of this game are just so good and the moment to moment gameplay is so satisfying that you just can't help yourself when it comes to pushing it a little bit more to see what you can do!

 

You may be able to tell that writing isn't my strength and is something I've always struggled with, so I'm glad it made some sort of sense!

 

2 hours ago, Arcesius said:

(Coincidentally enough.. I also found the Hill Climb minigame to be the most frustrating thing about this 100% ) 

 

Onto the DLC, and get ready for Fusion!   

 

Yeah I think I read in your review that Hill Climb was the most annoying for your completion. Which would make me feel somewhat better but irrc you mentioned it took you an hour or so.... Oh, I wish it only took me an hour ?... I literally Platinumed Vanquish quicker than I beat Hill Climb.

 

Pumped for the DLC and super pumped to get my ass kicked some more in Fusion!!! ?

[KindaSabbath]

Update:

I have one trophy left in Rising! Just need to gold the last two extreme tracks: About to erupt and Frozen Leviathan.

 

The increase in difficulty of the DLC extremes from Crash and Sunburn has completely caught me off guard! I hit a couple walls in the base game with CP 1 on Inferno V - I just had to learn a new technique that hadn't been required before. Then Hill Climb - I just didn't have enough hours in the game at the time but ended up a much better player for it. Afterwards though, I literally breezed through everything else. Until now.

 

Storm Chaser was difficult but I had that done in just over an hour.

 

Savanna Safari, I got gold first try which was a nice surprise.

 

About to erupt has completely kicked my ass. I'm close to gold but that last CP often kills my runs. There's also a very tricky box that I struggle with at CP 4, I think.

 

After struggling with About to erupt for a few hours, I was going to give Frozen Leviathan a spin before calling it a night. I had a quick watch of the replays from @det_gittes @Arcesius @Baker and decided to just call it a night ? - It looks fucking insane!

 

When I woke up this morning, I realised that I literally have a callus on my thumb from B-hopping! 

 

Everytime I think I'm getting good at this game - it slaps me back down ?

 

I've really enjoyed this DLC so far. I could of gotten through it much quicker but ended up getting distracted going for platinums on many random tracks that didn't require it. Again, breezing through and getting platinum medals baited me into thinking I was good. These last two tracks are going to be damn tough

 

 

Edited August 17, 2021 by KindaSabbath

[Arcesius]

27 minutes ago, KindaSabbath said:

After struggling with About to erupt for a few hours, I was going to give Frozen Leviathan a spin before calling it a night. I had a quick watch of the replays from @det_gittes @Arcesius @Baker and decided to just call it a night  - It looks fucking insane!

 

When I woke up this morning, I realised that I literally have a callus on my thumb from B-hopping! 

 

? I feel with you... Damn, that track... It was definitely among the hardest tracks in the game for me as well. You know, when you watch a run, it seems to be full of crazy jumps and whatnot, but in my case, the most trouble I had with Frozen Leviathan was the jump right after CP 7... it looks so simple, yet it was so incredibly difficult to nail the jump and make the gap! I remember my frustration because it didn't look like anything that should give you trouble, but it still did ?

 

But hey, you've already come so far... you got this!  100% incoming! 

Edited August 17, 2021 by Arcesius

[det_gittes]

52 minutes ago, KindaSabbath said:

About to erupt has completely kicked my ass. I'm close to gold but that last CP often kills my runs. There's also a very tricky box that I struggle with at CP 4, I think.

 

After struggling with About to erupt for a few hours, I was going to give Frozen Leviathan a spin before calling it a night. I had a quick watch of the replays from @det_gittes @Arcesius @Baker and decided to just call it a night  - It looks fucking insane!

 

I don't remember struggling to pass any track but just looked up About to erupt (forgot the track completely) and Frozen Leviathan and they were definitely among the few where Gold first try was not a given. I'm guessing my passes are atrocious as I didn't bother to replay them (for the most part at least)  

 

Btw, I don't remember you mentioning it, how did you find the ninja track(s)? Any new techniques that you needed to learn?

[Destructor-8]

On 13/08/2021 at 7:22 PM, KindaSabbath said:

 

 Platinum #7  - Trials Rising!!!

 

Nice checklist! I see some great games lined up. Congrats on getting this done! It's a tough & very impressive one. I hope to eventually do it after Trials Fusion so that will help going into it. You will really enjoy Trials Fusion, it's one of the best games I've ever played so I'm sure you will like it a lot. The checklist is great for sharing an experience on these games.

[KindaSabbath]

7 hours ago, Arcesius said:

? I feel with you... Damn, that track... It was definitely among the hardest tracks in the game for me as well. You know, when you watch a run, it seems to be full of crazy jumps and whatnot, but in my case, the most trouble I had with Frozen Leviathan was the jump right after CP 7... it looks so simple, yet it was so incredibly difficult to nail the jump and make the gap! I remember my frustration because it didn't look like anything that should give you trouble, but it still did 

 

Leviathan is on another level compared to the base game tracks! Fuck. Check. Point. 7. Whoever designed that CP is cruel ?. That CP in particular has given me so much trouble, too.

 

7 hours ago, det_gittes said:

I don't remember struggling to pass any track but just looked up About to erupt (forgot the track completely) and Frozen Leviathan and they were definitely among the few where Gold first try was not a given. I'm guessing my passes are atrocious as I didn't bother to replay them (for the most part at least)

 

Nah dude, pretty much all of your runs are incredibly clean. You ride really well and having your replays, amongst the others has been really helpful!

 

7 hours ago, det_gittes said:

Btw, I don't remember you mentioning it, how did you find the ninja track(s)? Any new techniques that you needed to learn?

 

So far I've only done White Belt. It was tough but I only needed two attempts. I plan to go back to it and to clean up the run, as-well-as working through some of the other belts. 

 

I think at that point I was somewhat comfortable with most of the techniques, or atleast the ones required for White Belt. I took on Inferno V and Warehouse HD as my first extreme tracks the moment I unlocked them. I hadn't even beat all the in game hard tracks at the time. So I probably wasn't ready - which resulted in a very steep learning curve!

 

7 hours ago, Arcesius said:

But hey, you've already come so far... you got this!  100% incoming! 

 

Why thank you, kind sir! You're absolutely right, too! 100% has just been achieved!

 

About To Erupt Gold:

 

Frozen Leviathan Gold:

 

 

6 hours ago, Destructor-8 said:

Nice checklist! I see some great games lined up. Congrats on getting this done! It's a tough & very impressive one. I hope to eventually do it after Trials Fusion so that will help going into it. You will really enjoy Trials Fusion, it's one of the best games I've ever played so I'm sure you will like it a lot. The checklist is great for sharing an experience on these games.

 

Thanks man! Yeah Fusion looks awesome. I think it's quite a bit harder than Rising, so Rising for you should be a breeze by the time you get around to it! 

 

There are some incredible checklists here. I'm definitely happy that I've started my own too, so that I can share my experiences and get involved/interact with other gamers. Everyone is super friendly in this forum so really enjoying my time here!

 

Do you have a checklist? It would be cool to follow your journey with Trials. You also have some insane completions mate, props!

Edited August 17, 2021 by KindaSabbath