u/MisterJay90

I am primarily a consumer of horror content, and it takes some prime cut to push me into watching a 2+ hour film outside the genre. Films like Law Abiding Citizen, Garden State, Team America, Tropic Thunder, John Wick or anything Tarantino makes. It's always guaranteed to be a fun time, so I'm up for it.

This movie had me smiling, laughing out loud, and most of all, white-knuckle worried from the moment the plot began to thicken. I went in mostly blind but of course, I knew about Rocky, and I was terrified throughout that something terrible was indefinitely going to happen to one or both of the main characters, and that my wife and I would be scarred for life. There's no end to the tension, the beauty and irregularity of it all. Both Rocky's performer/VA and Gosling made this movie a delight.

Sometimes, live action is allowed to be a Pixar movie too. Thank you, to everyone in involved for such a wonderful film, that I will undoubtedly remember for years to come. A beautiful work.

1. The further I get into this game (my wife and I are playing 90's couch style: if you die or complete the level, it's the other's turn), the more maddening it becomes knowing that this game fell into the abyss (pun intended) and never found the light. The story of the game's production cycle, publisher issues and the entire team being dropped two weeks after release is heart-wrenching. If you see this, and you are enjoying or enjoyed the game as much as we are, be sure to tell EVERYONE you know who plays on Gamepass to give it a run. It deserves a bigger cult following, and developers need to know that people are looking for 3D bullet-hell games like this. The DOOM series since 2016 has been great and all, but this is something special. It's as if DOOM and Metroid Prime had a bastard child, painted in shades of SCORN, Expedition 33 and so many others, stylistically speaking. I will repeat this and hope others feel the same. Nerd out to everyone about this game while it's still on Gamepass, and encourage PC gamers with promises of bullet hell and a wonderful story with double jumps and dashing and a one way shield; fans of 2077 may even hop on board for that alone.

2. The music is INCREDIBLE. The environments are INCREDIBLE. The story is INCREDIBLE. It is monstrous in its scope and even the main menu music prepares you for the adventure of a lifetime (or at least 9,000+ days). I've yet to be disappointed when entering a certain reactor-centered part of the game and that intense score kicks in. It is a tragedy that this game is not trending near the top.

3. Fair warning, this might bother some people; it also detracts from my glorification of this game as a monument to the genre, but it felt painfully hamfisted to include this dialogue option in the game for seemingly no reason: "I'm a They, not a She." As a warden, this would make perfect sense; as a "ghost", this would make perfect sense as well. Genderless avatars used to remotely explore the Abyss, and as a ghost it's fair to say the same applies in its own way, BUT: I do not think it's a stretch to say that none of the Burton-esque, White Nevron style creatures in this game, up to and including AYLIN, care about your self-assigned gender. You're a tool to most (at best), and the "Did you just assume my gender?" bit felt so, so out of place for a game so heavy with tragic lore and otherworldly elements. That being said, shout-out to the non-binary/g.n-c homies out there, but there's a time and place. Why not just remind us all that you're vegan at the beginning of every level? It's obvious sUpEr ImPoRtAnt to the main character that we know this. If it were stated more as an insecurity or a rhetorical question, such as "I don't know that I have a gender here..." or anything that would connect it to the ken doll Wardens or "their" ghost form. It's a nitpick if there ever were one, but we all know how this went over with the new Dragon Age game. 😬

4. The level select mechanic is one of the best ideas they could've included, and it works as intended. We are absolutely getting 100% on this game. When you can jump right back and fix those mistakes and grab lost treasures, it motivates you to do so without it feeling like a drag. In fact, it just gives you more practice when fighting larger hoards and bosses and flying through platforming sections. Honing your skills while working up to the 100% mark? It's genius.

5. Between possessing Goliaths and Sprouted eyeballs to rip and tear your way through fights effortlessly, or launching your astral form out of a giant eyeball to dash through a ghostly pink gate and land on an ice shelf you summoned yourself, while rotating through weapons to destroy enemies properly creates one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I've ever had. In the same way that I praise Hollow Knight and Silksong, Ori and other M.V. genre games over the originals, I will do the same with Luna Abyss. It is truly a work of art, and as some have said, feels free of studio intervention. You can feel the love that went into this game. It seaps from every pixel and every pore.

6. I love this game. We have not finished it, and I can't wait to see what's in store (please no spoilers), but I'm still sitting at an 8.5/10, maybe even a 9 if the inanimate objects were more interactive/destructible. It's odd to destroy the eye of virtue with your lance and some scout shots before sapping their health or turning them into a phalanx bomb, but shooting a wooden box or case results in a yellow/red splotch on the exterior. I'm sure this is a case of funding and time, but I'd have loved a bit more realism within environmental interaction.

7. I think the game has so much potential for a bombastic sequel, and the same level select component being reworked to go back and use your newfound abilities to reach previously unreachable areas to collect codex entries, upgrades and drift crystals could be huge. It could even do without the level select option (keep the collections stat count per area). With enough planning, it could almost play as an open world in the metroidvania sense. Ideas: Start off as a prisoner and warden, perhaps a new character. The character finds themselves in a similar position to Fawkes, but escapes the grasp of AYLIN's watchful eyes and the prison's control, causing you to be pursued not just by fallen wardens and other creatures but the "crew" of Luna's prison as well, the All-Father included. I'll leave it at that, as I haven't finished the game and could be jumping the gun here.

FINAL: I can't yet give the game a full review, I just ask that this small cult following the game has found reaches out to their closest gaming buds and demands they give it a try. Let's say it's a call to arms, or hands, or controllers, but this game deserves the love and admiration the devs put into it, and I believe that we as fans can talk this game up to the degree it deserves. I don't think it even has 1,000 reviews on Steam. Let's blow this thing up, because it's one of the most uniquely enrapturing gaming experiences I've ever had the pleasure of sharing with someone else. It took my wife 10 minutes of watching me play before she jumped on the couch and demanded she get to take out some rawheads and Absaloms.

Wherever you post, post about Luna Abyss. Let's bump up those numbers. Shill like your life depends on it. It's deserved, in my opinion.

Get up, Scout.

I understand that some games just slip through the cracks, but my wife and I have literally been playing 90's style, taking turns every time we die, and it is one of the most interesting and fun games I've played in so long.

Does anyone have any suggestions for spiritual successors or games like Luna Abyss that I could try out after we finish?

8.5/10 game. Genuinely. Sad to see there won't be another.

u/ChiralParticle (Higgs) always seems to be the most helpful and most in depth source on things in-game, and almost always goes out of their way to help struggling players without snark or judgement.

He is part of the reason this Sub feels like home for me when I'm playing these games. There's such a strong community, and even in disagreement, it's just friendly banter.

If only other fanbases could be this civil. Thanks for all you do, Higgs. This is a perfectly cultivated environment for a game such as this.

Keep On Keeping on. 👍

The only spoiler in this is a name, so keep was here about a month back, talking about how I was going to play Death Stranding on LLL and Death Stranding 2 on TTW as a way to distract myself from the hell that is Suboxone withdrawal.

I've yet to begin my second playthroughs, but I am on day 23, cold turkey from 24mg/6mg of Suboxone daily. For those who know, that's basically a kamikaze's way of quitting. A few nurses said they're surprised I'm alive, and a few doctors tell me I'm out of my mind. That's where the important part comes in.

My fiancé is due with our first child Christmas day. If it's a girl, her name will be Louise (Lou). That's why I'm doing this. For myself, for her, and our baby (we don't know the gender for sure yet.)

I'm glad I didn't attempt my second playthroughs while going through this because I know I'd have lost my mind trying to trudge through it. They're a work of art and I don't want to sully my love for the games with biochemical misfires, rage quitting and frustration.

That being said, I may or may not be playing a game +DLC that takes place in 2077 that had a direct crossover with Death Stranding.

As soon as I finish this game, the journey shall begin. I would bank on sometime in the next couple of weeks.

I used to post here all the time. My fellow porters and all the support and tips and tricks, the "V chips" and Jackie's engram... The ghost monorail and the mountain basin. The memories were memorialized here, often.

I can't wait to get back to it, and I hope I can get a temporary pass on "OP never delivers", as detoxing from this medication has been worse than anything I've experienced. It took a week before acute withdrawal symptoms even started fully, and now it appears I'm slowly leveling out. I'm nowhere near the end, but far more in control. I could have a week or a couple weeks left to go, but there's no turning back.

It's sold to addicts as a lifeline, and it is, but most practitioners do not set a taper timeline and they unfortunately, truly are there just to get you on a less dangerous, partial opioid. Anyone you know who may be struggling with addiction who is considering Suboxone or methodone, warn them not to even start without an exit strategy. Tapering can take years but I don't have that kind of time, and neither do most others. Don't take the shot, don't take the tabs, don't take the film, unless you know when you'll be off it before you start. It can be a lifelong trap. I wish I could say it's a necessary evil but it feels more evil than necessary.

It's lonely out there, fellow porters, but I'll be joining you soon. Until then, careful around the cosplayers den and the collector's hideout. It's a doozy, and keep on building those zip lines, and of course...

keep on keeping on. 👍

I'm not the type to say this, but it's in the rules, so: 🚨 TRIGGER WARNING 🚨

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I have been on Suboxone (Buprenorpine/Naloxone) tablets for going on three years now; so much for a path to sobriety, right? I have been preacribed three tabs daily for longer than I haven't, but I can get by on two tablets a day without issue. I am a rapid metabolizer of opioids, so take this into account moving forward.

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I'm seeking help and recommendations for my fiancee. She has been by my side for just as long, as we met once I was off the streets and off the blues.

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I will explain my usual withdrawal symptoms, as I presume that in many ways, they will be the same coming off Suboxone, though I have been told repeatedly that the withdrawals last must longer:

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It starts with the slow onset of body aches and general anxiety as it exists my system. Lethargy and sleepnessless soon follow. That is typically the first day or two.

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By the end of day 2-3, I am usually between cold and hot every 5 minutes, chills, and begin exhibiting a strange mixture of coughing, sneezing and gagging as the withdrawals worsen.

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I do not sleep for the first week at least. I may catch a few minutes to an hour max here and there, but by day 3 I am in full blown restless legs, restless arms, flopping like a fish all night as I angrily try to will myself to sleep.

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With street opioids and pharmaceutical opioids, It peaks by day 4 and the "fever" seems to break by day 6-7, and I start actually sleeping a couple hours at a time. I have not come off Suboxone, so I don't know if the same will apply.

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I am still on anxiety meds (clonazepam), but that's a battle for the future. I won't be going full clean cold turkey; that is a recipe for failure.

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I am both incredibly isolating, and simultaneously needy beyond reason during withdrawal. My partner tends to feed on my energy, so I fear this part may present major problems.

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So far, our plan is for me to live in the bedroom during the day, and "sleep" on the couch at night, as I sweat so much you wouldn't believe it.

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Constant diarrhea through the first week, and not typically paired with much vomiting or nausea, as it's not typically something I experience.

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I want to find some advice for my fiancee. Advice, products to help ease the symptoms, how to handle my worse moments without it escalating, how to handle my withdrawals from her own perspective without feeling rejected or ignored... Anything and everything you can think of, please share it here.

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I'm also looking for advice and help of my own getting through this, so advice in that regard is also welcome.

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I need to do this. I am a step-father to a wonderful kiddo and we have our first together on the way by winter, hence the urgency.

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THANK YOU in advance to anyone that contributes. You have no idea how important this sort of stuff can be before the nightmare begins.

I'm on my second playthrough, doing a light ninja build, but I can't stand the idea of 3 INT the whole game and I don't have the DLC.

Can anyone give me some ideas on how to make a mid ninja build work?

I mostly use a neuro-tox knife, a katana and a shotgun for tight spots. I focused on reflexes in the prologue and already have 15 reflexes so, where from here?

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EDIT: I am currently working with the base game only, and am not in a position to purchase the Phantom Liberty DLC, though I plan to in the future.

With that knowledge in hand, thank you for any and all preem recs that fit the bill, chooms.

I'm currently playing my second playthrough; this time, my fiancé has joined the fray, on another TV... on Xbox One 😨. May God have mercy on her soul.

Now, I have posted here before about the issues I've had with the Gamepass version on my Series X. I even uninstalled, deleted my old save (😓) and reinstalled, and it cut about half the glitches, but they still abound. Now, I am done complaining entirely.

I can admit that too much hype kept me away from this game for a long time (my first playthrough being a couple weeks back), but I had NO idea what day one players were met with before the overhaul.

I have to hand it to my gal. She is soldiering through, but I wouldn't blame her if she just up and quits one day because that old skill tree, the common to legendary vs 1-5 tier components... And NO DASH OR AIR DASH? OOF.

That being said, I would love to hear any tips, advice, secrets or anything really, that those who have played 1.61 might have for my fiancé, other than get a newer console, lol.

She's working toward an netrunner build but the more I watch, the more I'm seeing her just going in with a bullet between her teeth and an assault rifle in hand. Idk if I should keep encouraging her to follow the guide to build to netrunner, or if I should just tell her to wing it like I did the first time around.

Meanwhile, I'm on 2.31 and working on a ninja/ghost runner build. It'll be a mid build because I don't like not being able to hack anything or force open a single door in the game, but I'm having a blast getting used to throwing knives.

Any preem advice for my fiancé? All ideas welcome.

Thanks in advance, chooms.

I did tons of posting on this sub while I was playing Death Stranding. I played the first game when the Director's Cut came to XBOX Gamepass, and I was so absolutely consumed by the first game that I immediately bought a used PS5 and a physical copy of the Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. Those present at the time may remember me treating this sub like my personal companion to the series.

Now, this part gets a bit more personal. My fiancé and I have a little one of our own on the way. Believe it or not, should it be a girl, Louise has already been decided. My fiancé is fully on board.

I'm in recovery, going on 3 years (IYKYK), and while I'm proud of myself for what I've conquered, I'm on what is referred to as MAT (Medically Assisted Treatment) which presents its own set of challenges, in the near future, no less.

My goal is to be off all medications (3 in total) by the time our little BB arrives. It's going to be a living Hell, and could stretch on for a month or more, depending on a few varying factors.

My goal is to conquer both Death Stranding games on LLL and TTW at 100% as I sit through the worst of it. I hope to see some of you there.

I'm planning to begin the process in a few months after a short medical tapering period.

It likely goes without saying by this point that these games have had a drastic effect on my life, and I look forward to experiencing them again, knowing all I know.

A huge thank you to Kojima Productions, for reasons likely obvious by now, and another huge thank you to the "bigger" users on this sub who make this place feel like a community.

Cross your fingers, say a prayer, leave a cairn or an Emu headstone for me if you would. It's all for those I'm most connected to.

I, like many in this sub I'm sure, have been a fan of Sonny since the FFTL days, and followed him from the Myspace twipz stuff, through the Gypsyhook days and never stopped listening.

I remember the joy that filled my head and my heart when Bangarang dropped out of nowhere. I woke up that day, got ready for work (which allowed me to listen to music) and had the newest album from my favorite artist to listen to for the next year, lol.

I had massive anticipation for Recess, and just as much anticipation as bits and pieces of The Quest For Fire started to drop.

This is the first time since Bangarang that a Skrillex album took me completely by surprise and I couldn't be happier. So much Four-To-The-Floor at 140 BPM as he has drifted more toward deep house and classic house, while still maintaining his experimental and genre-bending identity as the one and only.

This man has been successfully delivering Dopamine Nukes for decades.

Thank you, Sonny.

Really guys?

The game has a phenomenal concept, and I'm the last person to have an issue with fan service but dear Lord lmfao.

Put yourself in my shoes...

Gamepass 2026: ***watch trailer for Motorslice***

WOW, The gameplay looks fun and there's obvious influence from Megaman Legends in the art style. Love the PS1 aesthetic. Let's give it a try...

Boy... This game sure... "Likes" it's protagonist.

Why is this Orbie a self-insert for thirsty anime pfp?

Oh no... A Star wars sand reference.

Oh NO. THE BOOTS ARE OFF... I DONT EVEN WANT TO MOVE TO THE NEXT DIALOGUE SHOT.

ITS EXACTLY AS I THOUGHT.

DEGENERATES.

Fun game though. Feels a bit more like it's still in development but it's got amazing potential, especially if they make a sequel. You could build a franchise on this. 6.9/10

I don't think I'll ever leave this sub. I find myself so happy for every post experiencing the series for the first time, meanwhile I'm playing a certain cyber future fps GTA fallout combo game That takes place around 50 years from now. You know the one. It is absolutely wild what people will accept as a "Good game". There is no end to the bugs and glitches and graphical errors that occur even when it's in performance mode as not to overload my console. I recognize that you're only going to get the best specs on PC, but man AAA games truly are trash, and I miss death stranding so much that I might end up going back to it before I even finish this game.

One thing Kojima did perfectly that no other game has ever captured, is the weight of reality in MoCap. In games that use MoCAP typically high impact actions like throwing a chair through a window has absolutely zero weight to it and seems like it's moving in both slow-mo and normal speed at the same time but without any of the oomph. There was not a single moment in either death stranding game that did not feel entirely real in the weight of delivery of attacks and movements. I cannot wait to see what Kojima productions does next because today's games just aren't cutting it.

Keep On Keeping on, fellow porters.

I don't know what I'm going to do now that I've finished the duology. I played the first game front to back, and the day I finished, I bought a used PS5 cheap and price matched Death Stranding 2 for cheaper than usual as well.

Now that I've finished this masterpiece, there is a massive black hole at the center of my gaming world. I tried a few other titles, just to see what might keep my interest after such an amazing experience, and I just found myself disappointed by the UIs, the menus, the skill trees, the voice acting, and stories of just about everything I've tried. I even went back to an old bug oriented Metroidvania to bask in nostalgia and even that felt Hollow, pun fully intended.

What am I to do, fellow porters?

Keep on Keeping on, forever.