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Started by Keef Monkey, 11 June, 2011, 09:35:35 AM

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Keef Monkey

Quote from: shaolin_monkey on 23 March, 2020, 08:57:02 AM
I've not explored the multiplayer, which is where it sounds like the action is, as I just can't make a solid crewmate commitment of a couple of hours a time to get into stuff.  This is where the game falls down for me - it doesn't suit my busy lifestyle - I can't just dip in and out of it.

Exactly my feelings about it, when it first came out me and my brother (who lives in another country) swapped out our weekly Skype calls for Sea of Thieves sessions and we had a really good time. Not necessarily because there was loads for us to do in it (it was pretty sparse when it launched) but just the opposite probably, it was just a nice chill place for us to hang out and catch up, and we loved driving the boat about together. As more content came in and it started to take on more structure it became something we'd probably have to put more time into than that hour a week (or every 2-3 weeks depending how busy we both are) so we moved onto other things.

It's a shame, because I think there's a great game in there and I always get a bit of a pang of sadness when I think about games that I'll just never be able to give the time for them to fulfill their potential!

Professor Bear

Quote from: shaolin_monkey on 23 March, 2020, 08:57:02 AM
On the other hand, I'm on my second playthrough of Horizon Zero Dawn (which I always thought was an odd title until the last few hours of the game).  I'm not doing it on hard mode or anything, I just found that I missed the gameworld, and Aloy the rather awesome huntress.

When I popped the platinum trophy for this, I was so bummed out because I had nothing else to do in the game world, and while I don't normally buy DLC on principle - even for games I really like - I had no complaints about The Frozen North.
The closest I've come to this kind of game world was Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, which is deliberately kneecapped by the developers in order to trick you into buying XP multipliers and this has a knock-on effect on almost the entire game, but if you're determined to keep at it, the game's version of the Golden Age of Greece is an amazing virtual creation and I've spent hours just wandering about, occasionally taking on radiantly-generated quests just to pretend that I'm not using the game as a time sink.  The combat/danger-free Discovery Tour option that lets you take guided tours around points of interest is practically a public service.

shaolin_monkey

Are there any ROBOT DINOSAURS?

Professor Bear

You get to ride around on a unicorn and visit the island of Lesbos, both figuratively and literally.

JamesC

The RPG style level system completely ruined AC Odyssey for me.
You could hit a baddie in the face with a spear and it wouldn't even hurt them if they were a few levels higher than you. Absolute bollocks.

I, Cosh

Quote from: shaolin_monkey on 23 March, 2020, 08:57:02 AM
On the other hand, I'm on my second playthrough of Horizon Zero Dawn (which I always thought was an odd title until the last few hours of the game).  I'm not doing it on hard mode or anything, I just found that I missed the gameworld, and Aloy the rather awesome huntress. I think in this modern era of gaming this is my favourite game so far.  It just ticks so many boxes for me - massive open world with so many nooks and crannies to explore, fantastic story, interesting characters, incredible graphics and sound.
One of a multitude of games that I got about 2/3 of the way through, got sidetracked by something else and never went back to because I was too far in. Really enjoyed the whole vibe of it though and will need to give it another try when I have some time on my hands...

Surprised how much I enjoyed the Tomb Raiding parts of Jedi: Fallen Order. The combat was pretty easy but swinging a big double-ender around never really gets boring. A few tweaks and the inevitable sequel could be a classic.

I'm usually far too tight to buy brand new games when I know I can get them for a tenner in a year's time but I got sucked in by the Doom Eternal hype (plus we might all be dead.) Loved the last one but struggling slightly to get into this one, although I've only done the first mission so far. Maybe I shouldn't have gone straight for Ultra-Violence this time?
We never really die.

Professor Bear

Quote from: JamesC on 24 March, 2020, 08:41:50 AM
The RPG style level system completely ruined AC Odyssey for me.
You could hit a baddie in the face with a spear and it wouldn't even hurt them if they were a few levels higher than you. Absolute bollocks.

As mentioned above, the publishers insisted on putting this in the game in order to get you to buy XP multipliers from the in-game store using real money so that you can unlock "head damage x10" or whatever from the perks tree.  A lot of high-profile games now have such bugs built into them in order to change the gaming model from a one-off purchase to something you have to continually throw money at.

There's a video somewhere of a gaming executive explaining to investors how they engineer social pressure in their multiplayer games by including "cosmetics" - or different skins, costumes or guns for characters - so that kids will feel pressured into buying something that makes them stand apart from all the other online players, and he seemed quite proud of the fact that they'd turned the term "default" into an online gaming insult aimed at anyone who didn't buy cosmetic items from a publisher and only played using default customisation options.
TLDR: Videogame companies are deliberately engineering bullying and dysmorphia in children.

JamesC

Ugh. How depressing.
Still it makes me feel better about spending money on old Megadrive and NES games.

NapalmKev

Quote from: I, Cosh on 24 March, 2020, 10:10:13 AM
Doom Eternal. Loved the last one but struggling slightly to get into this one, although I've only done the first mission so far. Maybe I shouldn't have gone straight for Ultra-Violence this time?

Stunning game and Ultra-Violence is the lowest setting I'll play on. Currently stuck on Chapter 9 where things have gone mental and even with the full arsenal of weaponry and a host of upgrades I've acquired I'm left as a puddle on the floor. It's a hard game and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Pros: Beautiful graphics, fast and fluid gameplay, It's Doom.

Cons: None that I can think of.

Cheers
"Where once you fought to stop the trap from closing...Now you lay the bait!"

Keef Monkey

Just finished Doom Eternal and I know others have said they like it but despite loving the first game and going into this pretty excited I thought it was absolutely dreadful. Really bummed me out how much I wasn't feeling it, given how great and focused the last game was. Doom 2016 was such a pure simple thrill of a game, I really didn't think you could go wrong iterating on that.

This has none of that focus though and just feels really bloated and messy, they've expanded it out in ways it didn't need, added in layers and layers of complexity that weren't needed, thrown in some truly awful platforming, and the level design in the latter half and the later new enemy additions are so detrimental to the flow of the combat that it feels almost like self-sabotage.

I can't imagine anyone seeing an Arch Vile or a Marauder spawn in during a fight and thinking 'oh great, this is what will make this fight more fun!'. A fellow dev once nailed what was great about 2016 when he called each room a combat puzzle needing solved, and the areas and spawns really felt like puzzle challenges that you had to figure out strategies for, and felt smart and satisfied when you cracked them. Here the crafting of encounters doesn't appear to have extended beyond just putting you in an overly cramped space that's fiddly to get around, and throwing every enemy you've met up to that point into the mix to see what happens. I never felt like I'd solved a puzzle or beaten a tough fight, I always just felt like I'd persevered until the fight stopped. It's endurance more than anything.

It also felt truly eternal, like a never-ending slog that overstayed its welcome by several hours.

I know I'm mad for soldiering through it when I wasn't having a good time, but there were moments (almost entirely in the first half) where it clicked like the first game and felt great so I kept thinking it might turn a corner, plus I kept thinking I was near the end so if I just pushed on for another hour then I could draw a line under it (this went on for another hour, and another, and another etc.)

Obviously just my opinion, I'm glad others are enjoying it, I just wish I had!

GrudgeJohnDeed

Quote from: Keef Monkey on 01 April, 2020, 05:35:32 PM
A fellow dev once nailed what was great about 2016 when he called each room a combat puzzle needing solved, and the areas and spawns really felt like puzzle challenges that you had to figure out strategies for, and felt smart and satisfied when you cracked them.

Id themselves talk about the gameplay in this way too, it's spot on isn't it. Sorry to hear it was so disappointing, that sucks :( .

I finished my playthrough a couple of days ago, it's not perfect but I am firmly in the 'loved it' camp. I agree with some of the criticisms like there's a little bloat that could be trimmed down for sure, and the marauder is annoying at least half the time he shows up, nothing that spoilt the game for me but certainly imperfections. I should be able to change weapons whilst glory killing, to set up the next move!

I found they upped the puzzle/strategy element to the combat rather than reduced it though. I really had to think on my feet to get through fights, using the weapons and abilities against the enemies that were weak to them, in whatever order they were available to me during a hectic fight.

It's harder for a lot of people as a result I think, certainly for me. If you don't engage with that puzzle completely some of the harder fights will give you plenty of trouble, you could muddle through a lot more in Doom 2016. It's exhilarating because of that though, and if need be there are lots of ways to make the game easier from the difficulty setting to cheats you can activate. I didn't play on ultra violence, and that's usually my go-to with Doom from playing so much of the series through my life. Not that it means much coming to a totally different game but still, symbolically I stepped down in difficulty :D

The graphics and music are some of the best I've ever seen, the game is nuts in that regard and also a total love letter to doom fans, with tons of easter eggs and unlockables. I just generally noticed more nods to the originals too, From more faithful looking weapons, to returning monsters and music from the originals quite often baked into the soundtrack somewhere (there was plenty of that in Doom 2016 too, I just seemed to notice it more here). I also moved the gun to the middle of the screen in the settings, anything to make it feel more Doom-y!

There's been more lore written than I perhaps need, but it's vastly optional, you can just romp through the game ignoring most of the whys and hows, just like all the other Dooms. I did enjoy what story was shown though, and there were some intriguing lines later on which should make for an interesting sequel!

I also played through Yakuza 0, that was a really fun game, prequel to Yak 1. It's like taking a little holiday to Japan, except you have to stay in Roppongi the entire time and you see a few millennia-worth of Japanese street violence in one visit. Oh and it's the 80s. So it's pretty sleazy, with you being in the criminal underworld in the red light district of a hyper-violent boom-time Japan. Especially if you do the side missions, you'll really see some slimy shit.

The combat's great, the main story was mostly great soapy fun, much recommended if weird Japanese stuff is your cup of tea!

Keef Monkey

I'm glad some people are enjoying it and that it's doing well, I would like to see another DOOM even if this one hasn't really clicked for me.

I spotted those Yakuza games have appeared on Game Pass, never played one so going to get round to one soon hopefully!

repoman

Been playing and reviewing a bunch of stuff.


Terminator: Resistance - decent FPS with some nice upgrade elements.  Not enough fan service though.  I wanted the game dripping in T1/T2 references but there weren't many.

Jedi Academy - bareboned port of the 2003 PC game.  Still holds up though and has great combat.  More streamlined than Fallen Order but lacks the sophistication and lovely visuals of that game.

Freedom Finger - don't let the terrible cover art fool you.  This is amazing.  It's a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up with cartoony graphics and a brilliant soundtrack.  Plays like R-Type but without all the tedious memorisation.  Really likeable.

Hyper Parasite - decent twin-stick shooter with rogue elements.  Good concept.  You play as basically The Thing and have to infect people up and up the ladder until you get to the President.  Sort of.  It's just a bit too difficult and random for me to love it.

Robots, Toilets and Unicorns - fairly average shoot 'em up with lots of modern meme-culture references.

Keef Monkey

I buckled and bought that Terminator game, not booted it up yet! Good to hear that it's reasonably enjoyable.

Finished a couple of games yesterday, first being the Resident Evil 3 remake. People don't seem to hold this in as high regard as some of the series, I know RE1 and RE2 are pretty iconic for most (and me too) but RE3 has always had a real strong place in my heart probably because of when and where I played it and the memories it brings back! Lots of student flat nostalgia of playing through with my flatmate while she yelled STAAAAARS whenever the Nemesis appeared. Great times. This is another brilliant remake job, looks gorgeous, feels great to play and while it's shorter and more linear than most RE games I was totally fine with that as banging your head against obtuse puzzles and getting horribly lost and backtracking constantly are the elements of Resident Evil that I tend to gloss over when I think of my fondness for it. Loved this.

Also finished Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic and given Star Wars is one of my most beloved things and Mass Effect is my favourite game franchise ever it's a bit mad I've only just got round to it. It's great, and feels very much like a proto-Mass Effect in the Star Wars universe so hard not to love it wholeheartedly. What does bring it down several notches for me though is the combat - I have never and will never see the appeal of that particular PC RPG style of combat and I hated it here too.

I just don't find it thrilling or tactically satisfying, it's just a case of having the correct level and gear and enough items to get through something and clicking on a target and hoping they die before you do. It's something I had to persevere with through the Dragon Age games too because I loved everything else about them, and like the DA games I managed to grin and bear it until about the last half hour where I decided to knock it down to Easy so I could just mash through the fights to get them done. I know that combat has its fans but for me it's at best (when you're high level enough) incredibly dull and at worst (when you're not) a frustrating crapshoot, and in either case it's more of a hurdle in the way of progression and story than something I actually want to do.

A shame, because the story and characters were ace so I loved everything else about it and on the very rare occasions where I have to bump down the difficulty on a game mid-playthrough I always walk away resenting them a bit! Still a great Star Wars game in every other way, and I'd love to play something like this where the combat was more Mass Effect than Dragon Age, because with ME they figured out how to make RPG combat actually visceral and exciting. Maybe KOTR2 addressed some of that, I'll need to play it soon and find out.

radiator

Quote from: Keef Monkey on 01 April, 2020, 05:35:32 PM
Just finished Doom Eternal and I know others have said they like it but despite loving the first game and going into this pretty excited I thought it was absolutely dreadful. Really bummed me out how much I wasn't feeling it, given how great and focused the last game was. Doom 2016 was such a pure simple thrill of a game, I really didn't think you could go wrong iterating on that.

This has none of that focus though and just feels really bloated and messy, they've expanded it out in ways it didn't need, added in layers and layers of complexity that weren't needed, thrown in some truly awful platforming, and the level design in the latter half and the later new enemy additions are so detrimental to the flow of the combat that it feels almost like self-sabotage.

I can't imagine anyone seeing an Arch Vile or a Marauder spawn in during a fight and thinking 'oh great, this is what will make this fight more fun!'. A fellow dev once nailed what was great about 2016 when he called each room a combat puzzle needing solved, and the areas and spawns really felt like puzzle challenges that you had to figure out strategies for, and felt smart and satisfied when you cracked them. Here the crafting of encounters doesn't appear to have extended beyond just putting you in an overly cramped space that's fiddly to get around, and throwing every enemy you've met up to that point into the mix to see what happens. I never felt like I'd solved a puzzle or beaten a tough fight, I always just felt like I'd persevered until the fight stopped. It's endurance more than anything.

It also felt truly eternal, like a never-ending slog that overstayed its welcome by several hours.

I know I'm mad for soldiering through it when I wasn't having a good time, but there were moments (almost entirely in the first half) where it clicked like the first game and felt great so I kept thinking it might turn a corner, plus I kept thinking I was near the end so if I just pushed on for another hour then I could draw a line under it (this went on for another hour, and another, and another etc.)

Obviously just my opinion, I'm glad others are enjoying it, I just wish I had!

Haven't played it yet - waiting for the eventual Switch port - but tbh this is what I've been fearing from everything I've seen and heard about Eternal since it came out. It looks very bloated with all the added mechanics and lore/story stuff that seems so at odds with the first game - where the story never distracted from the gameplay and the game as a whole had this nice meta-commentary on how the player character didn't care about the story and just wanted to break stuff (which I thought was delightful as someone who thinks videogames are a terrible medium for traditional linear storytelling and generally couldn't care less about videogame narrative).