You don't have to get to the end of a line to get resistance, it's about halfway there---you're thinking of null. Anyways I feel like we're dragging the thread off topic by continuing on; PM me if you want to keep talking about DDS.

Yeah, but resistances can be cancelled without much work by just learning whatever magic they're weak against---and why wouldn't you in a battle system as volatile as press turn? As far as stat growth it just comes down to a phys or magic build, and phys ends up being garbage by endgame anyways.

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga

If I hadn't played Nocturne, I probably would have liked this more. I think it has a less interesting loop and I don't think its focus on character work and storytelling pays off. It's still pretty simple as far as storytelling goes, and excusing stat growth, in combat the characters are all essentially the same. Back to the loop, being able to get any ability with any character really trivializes the whole thing and being able to respec your abilities whenever you want out of combat makes it even easier. So basic fights are fine because you try to make your abilities as broad as possible and sometimes mess up experimenting against new enemies, but bosses are a joke. If you lose once, you take note of defensive and attack options and then optimize your party for that one fight and smoke them.

Like it's still good, and the presentation is excellent, but I wasn't at all invested in its story or how it played.

We ♥ Katamari

Good, insofar as it's more Katamari, and the original game is one of the best ever made. The concept isn't really improved as much as it is imposed and elaborated upon in minor ways. Some stages, like the underwater one and the raceway are really great. Others can be a mixed bag; I like the cow/bear one for how mean it is, but I didn't like stages like the cranes, the fireflies, the 50 objects run---even the snowman head doesn't end up as interesting or as fun as it should be. The storytelling is a little disappointing and the soundtrack is good, but not anywhere near the level of the first game. It feels a bit like leftovers at times which is a shame, but rolling stuff up is still fun and some of the curveballs really work.

I think it's a pretty good game.

There's a very precise design philosophy behind it, and a lot of attention given to the world in ways that haven't been too far surpassed since (in terms of clarity, not scope). It's a very finely tuned game, that, at the time, was really mindblowing on a technical level. I still respect it for being a shooter that doesn't feel the need to be a roller coaster. Much of the action is encountered on your own terms, and that player-in-control approach to pacing is really nice. I think particularly of Ravenholm, Highway 17 and the Sand Pits, which can be encountered as quickly or as slowly as you'd like.

Still, I think the first Half Life is a more interesting game. More groundbreaking for its time, more elastic and demanding of its player. And as far as HL2 being appreciated by players today... maybe? It depends almost entirely on how many post-HL2 shooters they've played, because so much of that game's design has become FPS cliche at this point. I think overall most people will find something to enjoy in it; it does a lot of things, most of them really well.

Lufia II

I was impressed with the dialogue, It's really snappy and even if the characters are pretty simple, they're distinct and endearing. The dungeons are great too, full of intuitive and fun puzzles without being large enough to get lost in. On the other hand the battle system is slow and really basic, and though it's not a long JRPG by any measure, I think it runs out of ideas pretty quick. Overall it's pretty good! I get its cult status, and it's one of the more thoughtfully made SNES RPGs.

Butterfly Soup

Probably the best coming-of-age romantic-comedy VN about queer Asian-American girls who like baseball. The writing is charming, the characters are nicely defined and change in believable ways, it's well-paced, and it feels pretty authentic. Even if the dialogue and circumstances get a bit silly at times, I think that's more of a symptom of the genre it's operating in. Anyways, it was refreshing to play something this unique and specific.

Youtube Video

I spent a lot of time playing CS 1.6

I tend to go for precision and controlling pace. I love ranged weapons, not just for dealing with opponents, but maintaining position and shaping the match in a way that suits me. In shooters, I'll generally play with some kind of sniper rifle while constantly changing position, but I haven't played any shooters in a while. In Street Fighter I play Dhalsim, in Melee I play Marth---I just like having my own space and playing off of how range can be used to manipulate other players.

I really like playing with people who have a more aggro style though, because it leads to my playstyle being prioritized less over my teammates, which if anything makes my playstyle even stronger.

I'd like to play competitive games more, but I just have too many singleplayer games to play and don't really have the network or enthusiasm to play with other people most of the time.