Video Games...Discuss Them

[Morris Schæffer]

Ugh. I just pre-ordered Resident Evil 6 Anthology for next day delivery. I told myself I would stop buying games until I finish the ones I'm already playing. My reasoning was I didn't pay full price because I had 40 Amazon points. Does that make it better?

If you have the money, might as well buy the games you were always planning to get. Now you can still decide what to play next. ;)

[Dukefrukem]

Another video I made for my blog write up of Black Mesa.

Z3pTXPpa3Oc
K-pJp1fF_l8
KAfVELMHeKc

[Dukefrukem]

Ugh- I knew I should have waited.

Game Informer (88/100): "That metamorphosis into insane action is front and center in Resident Evil 6, and bringing a buddy along for the chaos is great fun. The game's minor flaws don't hold back the decadent experience from being an unhinged, flaming rollercoaster ride."

Eurogamer (60/100): "This game is blind to imagination and focus. Capcom's uncertainty about the series' identity post-Mikami (and post-Uncharted) is hardcoded into its structure: four campaigns offering different, flawed expressions of that potential. And the inevitable price for this wavering is a lack of coherence."

Edge (60/100): "In always trying to offer something more, Resident Evil 6 fails to refine what it has already given you. And whatever else you might say about the game, it achieves something that its predecessor never did: it steps out of Resident Evil 4's shadow and becomes its own game. Sadly, it's a game that redefines the series as a loose collection of action scenarios with a shared theme of mild sci-fi horror."

Gamespot (45/100): "The Bad: Loads of bad, overlong quick-time events -Excruciating overemphasis on mediocre set piece events -Ruins the pace by constantly ripping control from you - Poorly executed scripted events lead to unavoidable deaths."

Destructoid (30/100): "It's not enough to say that Resident Evil 6 is poor as a Resident Evil game. That alone implies there could be a quality experience if fans can get past their preconceptions and feelings of betrayal. No, Resident Evil 6 is poor by the standards of any game, not just the high ones set by its own legacy."

[megladon8]

Duke did you play that one from earlier in the year, "Operation Raccoon City"?

I know it was pretty much universally panned, I just remember you being a HUGE "RE" fan so I figured you would have checked it out anyways.

I actually think "RE6" looks kind of neat.

[Dukefrukem]

Duke did you play that one from earlier in the year, "Operation Raccoon City"?

I know it was pretty much universally panned, I just remember you being a HUGE "RE" fan so I figured you would have checked it out anyways.

I actually think "RE6" looks kind of neat.

I didn't. I kinda wish I did, it's the only RE I've never played. The reviews were pretty bad. If anyone else has played it here please post your thoughts.

[Lucky]

Couldn't get into Fallout 3. Made it to Megaton and killed an hour and half roaming around in there, but I felt like I got nowhere. Now I'm supposed to find some radio station and the first time I tried to get out there I got swarmed by some hellish fire-breathing ants. Not finding much to love about the game, but I'll give it another shot down the road. One thing the game has is atmosphere, I can't deny that.

Assassin's Creed II, however, sucked me right in once I got to Florence. This is sandbox done right. So much fun to move around, the physics system for this series is an unparalleled thrill. I've played its predecessor, but I'm still amazed at how fluid the movement is and how well the system works. I haven't gotten a chance to dive into the more advanced aspects of the combat system, but if they improved over the original this should be a blast. The setting is right up my alley and already an improvement.

Also have to say I love being years behind on video games. Got both of the above games for $20 total the other day.

[Morris Schæffer]

I was never really bothered by Resi's switch to more action-oriented territory, but I have to admit some of those quotes sound harsh. Still, I enjoyed part 5 loads and expect to have a blast with this one as well.

@Lucky: great game, wonderful setting, nothing breaks the illusion. This is Italy a few hundred years ago. I particularly liked its more sinister aspects, tracking down the glyphs. Can't really describe it, but there's something subtly unsettling about the game. Athough I enjoy the books of Dan Brown.

[Morris Schæffer]

V7aDIDZKnH4

Forza Horizon looks special! Release: October 23rd.

[D_Davis]

Resident Evil 6: QTE

When are game developers going to learn that button prompts flashing on the screen and stick waggling are never, ever, ever, fun?

Don't tell me when to press a button. Let me figure it out as part of the game.

[Dukefrukem]

Resident Evil 6: QTE

When are game developers going to learn that button prompts flashing on the screen and stick waggling are never, ever, ever, fun?

Don't tell me when to press a button. Let me figure it out as part of the game.

Playing this now too and it's the first thing I noticed.

[Dukefrukem]

I've only played through Chapter 1 as Leon, but I already know RE6 is by far the worst non-Survivor Resident Evil game made to date. The level of suck is shocking.

[D_Davis]

Great episode of the Giant Bombcast this week. Lot's of RE6 talk, lots of talk about old games and systems.

[Dukefrukem]

If anyone is interested, I have two blog entries up retracing the steps through Black Mesa. I'm planning on doing a write up for each chapter. I love this franchise.

Part 1 - Inbound & Anomalous Materials (http://dukefrukem.blogspot.com/2012/10/black-mesa-review-part-1.html) / Part 2 - Unforeseen Consequences (http://dukefrukem.blogspot.com/2012/10/black-mesa-review-part-2-unforeseen.html)

[Dukefrukem]

I'm also writing a review for Resident Evil 6. It's very angry.

[megladon8]

The story in "Max Payne 3" continues to be phenomenal.

The gameplay is honestly fairly standard 3rd person shooting with the addition of the slow-down mechanic, which is mostly useful because the target reticle is so freaking small that I spend half the time trying to locate it on the screen.

I'm playing on a 52" TV, and I find myself squinting to locate it, as well as locating enemies sometimes.

I can't imagine playing this on a smaller TV.

[KK2.0]

I'm also writing a review for Resident Evil 6. It's very angry.

some friends of mine are actually enjoying playing it coop, since i'm mostly anti-social i guess it confirms that the game isn't for me. I'll wait for Dead Space 3, which also has coop but at least playing solo in it doesn't seem like a broken experience, the many previews i've watched showed promise.

[SirNewt]

Not sure how popular Nitronic Rush was with folks on the boards here but some of the previous Team Nitronic guys started hosting this site today with a countdown clock.

http://survivethedistance.com/

[Stay Puft]

Nitronic Rush was totally rad. I'm in for whatever they're cooking up next, thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[Scar]

I'm also writing a review for Resident Evil 6. It's very angry.

How is it compared to RE5 and RE4?

[megladon8]

FMDRTq_klnE

[megladon8]

"NBA JAM: On Fire Edition" is freaking awesome, but hot damn it can be difficult.

The gameplay and strategy involved is surprisingly deep.

Love all the goofy unlocks, like playing as the Republicans or the Democrats (or Santa and his Elves!).

Really addictive game. These are the kinds of sports games I like.

[Morris Schæffer]

"NBA JAM: On Fire Edition" is freaking awesome, but hot damn it can be difficult.

The gameplay and strategy involved is surprisingly deep.

Love all the goofy unlocks, like playing as the Republicans or the Democrats (or Santa and his Elves!).

Really addictive game. These are the kinds of sports games I like.

I've got good memories of this series in the arcades. Unlike some other lacklustre ports, such as Crazi Taxi or those horrendously pixelized Capcom brawlers such as streetfighter III, this one looks the biz. An HD update made from the ground up. More arcade classics should get such treatment so that they are preserved for years to come. I'm thinking Mortal Kombat trilogy HD, Hydro Thunder HD (please!!!), etc...

[Morris Schæffer]

Just a reminder, but "Dishonored" Will be out in a few days. Reviews are excellent. For those frustrated with the non-release of Half-Life 3, know that Dishonored's Art Direction is by none other than Bulgarian Viktor Antonov, the man who created City 17.

[Dukefrukem]

some friends of mine are actually enjoying playing it coop, since i'm mostly anti-social i guess it confirms that the game isn't for me. I'll wait for Dead Space 3, which also has coop but at least playing solo in it doesn't seem like a broken experience, the many previews i've watched showed promise.

Thing is, RE5 was heavily co-op based as well. It's not just a co-op experience. It's the setup of the levels. It's


How is it compared to RE5 and RE4?

For a RE games: RE4 > RE5 > RE6

[Dukefrukem]

Just a reminder, but "Dishonored" Will be out in a few days. Reviews are excellent. For those frustrated with the non-release of Half-Life 3, know that Dishonored's Art Direction is by none other than Bulgarian Viktor Antonov, the man who created City 17.

Yup. I still need to crawl out of the hole of my $90 purchase of RE6 before I can consider buying this day 1.

[Ezee E]

I don't think I've ever seen as much hatred pointed towards a game since some of the initial Wii games. Resident Evil 6... how they have fallen...

[Morris Schæffer]

Yup. I still need to crawl out of the hole of my $90 purchase of RE6 before I can consider buying this day 1.

Now, don't take it out on me if the game turns out to have air vents! Deal?

In other news, completed Ico HD. Pretty good, awe-inspiring castles, very nice puzzles. Controls weren't very precise (though good enough) and the game is at its weakest when it succumbs to convention (such as the final, but thankfully, only boss battle). I liked it, but predict...

I'll like Shadow of the Colossus HD even more. So on to that now!

[Dukefrukem]

I don't think I've ever seen as much hatred pointed towards a game since some of the initial Wii games. Resident Evil 6... how they have fallen...

Yup. The hate comes from the long time RE fan base. If you're a relatively new gamer, and the first RE game you played was RE5, then RE6 would be a fanatic upgrade. And I enjoyed playing RE5 a lot! RE6 is a completely different design, frustrating shooting mechanics and pathetic QTEs.

[Dukefrukem]

Now, don't take it out on me if the game turns out to have air vents! Deal?


No deal.

:lol:

[Morris Schæffer]

Grr. :)

Shadow of the Colossus is pretty awesome, but it's kinda frustrating. I've grabbed a colossus' hair and I get that it's attempting to shake me loose, but when I'm holding on to a grabbable surface, it feels kinda lame to see my grip released every so often. Maybe there's a mechanic that prevents me from falling when the titular "foe" goes crazy.

[Scar]

Grr. :)

Shadow of the Colossus is pretty awesome, but it's kinda frustrating. I've grabbed a colossus' hair and I get that it's attempting to shake me loose, but when I'm holding on to a grabbable surface, it feels kinda lame to see my grip released every so often. Maybe there's a mechanic that prevents me from falling when the titular "foe" goes crazy.

That's one of the challenges in the game. Just how strong do you think that little fucker is? :lol:

[Morris Schæffer]

That's one of the challenges in the game. Just how strong do you think that little fucker is? :lol:

:)

I guess I've always believed that a challenge in videogame form meant learning and then applying a skill, but it feels arbitrary here. I guess it's not too big of a deal to climb back on again. Although that would depend on how large those "little fuckers" are going to become.

[megladon8]

Wow, I really knew nothing about "Dishonored", and I'm really, really interested in checking it out now.

I don't know why I had it in my head that it was basically an "Assassin's Creed" rip-off - a third person platforming actioner. I had no idea that it was first person until I watched the IGN video review.

Really intrigued. I'll definitely check it out when my "to play" pile comes down a bit.

Still having a heck of a lot of fun with "Max Payne 3". I'm about 2/3 through on the hard difficulty setting, and am trying to collect everything I can. I've gotten nearly all of the golden guns and clues so far.

You could cut the atmosphere in this game with a knife.

[Morris Schæffer]

You could cut the atmosphere in this game with a knife.

This was one of the concerns of most people. Good to know the switch to Rockstar and a new location hasn't compromised the atmosphere.

[Ezee E]

Next Walking Dead episode is out on Wednesday.

[KK2.0]

:)

I guess I've always believed that a challenge in videogame form meant learning and then applying a skill, but it feels arbitrary here. I guess it's not too big of a deal to climb back on again. Although that would depend on how large those "little fuckers" are going to become.

you'll learn eventually how to improve your climbing, i'm tempted to explain but discovering things by yourself is a lot more enjoyable since, like ICO, Shadow of the Colossus is a sort of puzzle game as well.

[Morris Schæffer]

Okay, KK. :)

[Morris Schæffer]

you'll learn eventually how to improve your climbing, i'm tempted to explain but discovering things by yourself is a lot more enjoyable since, like ICO, Shadow of the Colossus is a sort of puzzle game as well.

Just fucking tell me man before I go ballistic. :frustrated:

[Morris Schæffer]

This game feels fucking craptastic right now. When you've shown me which surfaces I can grab onto and which button to press and hold so as not to fall (R1), it seems reasonable to expect to be able to hold on. Worse still, when I fall off and, on the way down, come across some hair, I cannot re-attach.
I'm tempted to say that right now I get the feeling the designers didn't find a fair and reasonable way to provide a challenge. Because really, without the falling off portion, offing some colossi would likely have been far too easy.

[Dukefrukem]

More gameplay from Duke;

fT4bLwk7bSo
kdNbG8a2uas

[Morris Schæffer]

Holy crap, made it. Killed the second colossus. That being said, if you asked me what I did different this time, I really can't say for sure, but I have a theory. I managed to make it to a protruding platform early on (this was never a real challenge), and from there made a huge jump towards to the rear end of the beast, still clinging to its hair by its side. So by jumping towards a specific point, the duration I was clinging to its hair was cut drastically short, hereby allowing me to reach the back without getting thrown off.

Blood pressure decreasing now...

[Morris Schæffer]

More gameplay from Duke;

fT4bLwk7bSo
kdNbG8a2uas

You are not playing on Hard. I thought you were hardcore man. What a letdown. :lol:

[Dukefrukem]

You are not playing on Hard. I thought you were hardcore man. What a letdown. :lol:

The videos are specifically for my blog. i'm writing about each level and linking to the time code.

[Morris Schæffer]

The videos are specifically for my blog. i'm writing about each level and linking to the time code.

Got a link for your blog?

[Dukefrukem]

Got a link for your blog?

But of course.

http://dukefrukem.blogspot.com/

And here's the Link to the first Black Mesa Write Up (http://dukefrukem.blogspot.com/2012/10/black-mesa-review-part-1.html)..

[D_Davis]

Beat Dark Souls again last night. Now I'm going to play RE4 on the PS3. Haven't played it since the GC version, so I'm looking forward to it.

[SirNewt]

Beat Dark Souls again last night. Now I'm going to play RE4 on the PS3. Haven't played it since the GC version, so I'm looking forward to it.

I keep meaning to play Demon Souls. I felt kind of like if I played that I wouldn't really need to try Dark Souls. But if you're playing through it again that kind of indicates otherwise.

[D_Davis]

I like both Souls games almost equally. A slight edge to Dark.

[Dukefrukem]

Latest Gameplay from Duke. Added a new entry (http://dukefrukem.blogspot.com/2012/10/black-mesa-review-part-3-office-complex.html) today too. Not sure if anyone is reading them but figure I'd post.

uQYH-nEDNfc

[megladon8]

The dude who plays Max Payne is just phenomenal. While the voice acting is stellar across the board, he just nails the part and adds so much to the game.

His delvery of Payne's self-loathing, noir-infused Chandlerisms is top notch.

Lines like "There's nothing like a view of extreme poverty to make a coke-fuelled cocktail party really swing" have so much more oomph with his snarky, sarcastic tone.

It's great stuff. Worth playing for his performance alone.

[D_Davis]

Dishonored looks so bad ass. I'll definitely be picking it up next week.

[Morris Schæffer]

3 down, 13 to go! Epic stuff and killer Klown was right. I'm sort of getting the hang of it. Quite literally.:)

[Dukefrukem]

news for Meg: David Fincher Produces Halo Launch Trailer

[megladon8]

news for Meg: David Fincher Produces Halo Launch Trailer


Yeah I can't wait to see what he does. Should be epic.

This'll be my first midnight release since "Halo 3".

[Ezee E]

Well, produces. That means he looked at storyboards essentially and nodded.

[megladon8]

Here's another one of my favorite tracks from the "Max Payne 3" soundtrack...

hJUVaCby7hs

[Morris Schæffer]

Sounds great Meg. I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this game when I play it.

[EyesWideOpen]

The music is really the only thing about Max Payne 3 that grabbed me. It wasn't a bad game but nothing stood out. I thought the voiceover and Max's character in general was really tedious and uninteresting.

[megladon8]

You're weird.

[EyesWideOpen]

You're weird.


To be fair I feel that way about most Rockstar games. The exception being Bully and Red Dead Redemption both games I love.

[megladon8]

To be fair I feel that way about most Rockstar games. The exception being Bully and Red Dead Redemption both games I love.


Yeah, "RDR" is some kinda masterpiece.

Haven't played "Bully". Is it worth playing on the 360?

[EyesWideOpen]

Yeah, "RDR" is some kinda masterpiece.

Haven't played "Bully". Is it worth playing on the 360?

The 360 version is the only version I've played. I've heard people complain about technical issues but I didn't notice any of it. It was one of the first 360 games I 100% and got all the achievements.

[Dukefrukem]

The new Walking Dead Chapter is so damn good.

[Ezee E]

The new Walking Dead Chapter is so damn good.
I was going to say the opposite. At least, I'm about half way through, and it's been the most boring of them all to me. But seems like things are just about to get very interesting.

[Morris Schæffer]

you'll learn eventually how to improve your climbing, i'm tempted to explain but discovering things by yourself is a lot more enjoyable since, like ICO, Shadow of the Colossus is a sort of puzzle game as well.

I'm slaying colossi left and right now. They're falling like trees. :lol:

[Ezee E]

Finished episode IV of Walking Dead.

It's a mixed bag for me.

Never before have I played a game that has more emotional/agonizing decisions in a game. It's remarkable for that feat. This episode even lets you dwell on these decisions, rather then having to do it in a fight or flight type of way. With that, I'll continue to purchase this particular season right on the first day.

It's just a bit too easy. Gaming wise, it's just a bit too easy to actually play. Puzzles solve themselves, and everything is laid out for you. It's been that way before, but when it comes to this episode, which features not too much action, it feels a little boring. Also, the characters that pop in this episode are also a little too convenient for my taste. Lastly, the logic of certain events is impossible. I'd love to see a girl run around and jump from building to building with a car battery in her backpack...

Controls were always a bit clunky, but now it's actually beginning to show. Hopefully Telltale works on this.

[EyesWideOpen]

Finished Borderlands 2 at level 35. Fantastic game. Now onto Walking Dead Episode 4!

[megladon8]

I really just don't get the appeal of "Vanquish". I tried the demo back when it was first released and was unimpressed, but all it got was rave reviews from both critics and players, so when I saw it for $9.99 I figured I'd give it a fair shake.

I'm about 2/3 through and bored as hell. Where a game like "Crysis 2" understands pacing, this one doesn't even have the most basic sense of it. Everything's loud, huge and crazy from moment 1, so it all just turns into a giant blur of ugly design choices and terrible cut scenes.

Speaking of, why is it that in Japanese game philosophy, they leave the mundane run-and-gun stuff to the player, and then switch to a cinematic to show all the potentially coolest action? Aside from the boost mechanic, it's a completely standard 3rd person shooter with a terribly buggy cover mechanic, but the cinematics show really fun looking stuff that could have absolutely been playable. Why couldn't I fly that space ship into the giant robot? Why did I just have to sit by and watch that train fly helplessly through city streets while enemies fired on?

I suppose I am being too hard on this game particularly with how much I enjoyed "Binary Domain", another example of the frustratingly out of date, player-distancing game design employed by a lot of Japanese developers. But "Binary Domain" had a lot more personality, an actual story of some sorts, and I much preferred its visual design.

"Vanquish" is Michael-Bay-movie boring. It starts at 10 and has nowhere to go from there.

[EyesWideOpen]

Finished episode IV of Walking Dead.

It's a mixed bag for me.

Never before have I played a game that has more emotional/agonizing decisions in a game. It's remarkable for that feat. This episode even lets you dwell on these decisions, rather then having to do it in a fight or flight type of way. With that, I'll continue to purchase this particular season right on the first day.

It's just a bit too easy. Gaming wise, it's just a bit too easy to actually play. Puzzles solve themselves, and everything is laid out for you. It's been that way before, but when it comes to this episode, which features not too much action, it feels a little boring. Also, the characters that pop in this episode are also a little too convenient for my taste. Lastly, the logic of certain events is impossible. I'd love to see a girl run around and jump from building to building with a car battery in her backpack...

Controls were always a bit clunky, but now it's actually beginning to show. Hopefully Telltale works on this.

Just finished it and I loved it. Not really sure what you mean by not much action. There's more action/shooting in this chapter then in any of the previous ones. For me this game is about decisions and storytelling. They give you just enough "game" to play to get you through to the decisions. The fact that the actual gameplay is "easy" is definitely intentional. I felt that there was some of the most emotional choices in this chapter then in the previous one's not to mention the worst possible thing that could happen happens to you.

[EyesWideOpen]

I really just don't get the appeal of "Vanquish". I tried the demo back when it was first released and was unimpressed, but all it got was rave reviews from both critics and players, so when I saw it for $9.99 I figured I'd give it a fair shake.



I rented Vanquish probably a year ago so I don't remember specifics but I thought it was a fun little game. It was only like three hours long so it didn't give me time to get bored with it. If I would have paid $60 for it I definitely would have been disappointed.

[Dukefrukem]

Wicked cute

Zcdd5wUwubE

[megladon8]

I'm incredibly intrigued by "Dishonored" and the (supposed - according to reviews) ability to complete the entire game without killing anyone.

I imagine that must be, not killing anyone aside from your targets. Since the entire point of the game and the missions is assassinations, no?

I didn't realize that this was a whole "genre" of games - open-ended mission design.

Other than "Deus Ex", are there really any other games in this genre?

[Stay Puft]

I imagine that must be, not killing anyone aside from your targets. Since the entire point of the game and the missions is assassinations, no?

No, it's everyone. You don't have to kill your targets. You can make them "disappear" in other ways, supposedly.


I didn't realize that this was a whole "genre" of games - open-ended mission design.

Other than "Deus Ex", are there really any other games in this genre?

Unfortunately, not really. This approach goes back to stuff like Ultima Underworld, which led to games like System Shock and Thief. Dishonored probably has the most in common with Thief as far as the principles go (on Thief's hardest difficulty setting, you're actually not allowed to kill anyone, and it's game over if you do). Dishonored and Deus Ex have the same co-designer, Harvey Smith, who also worked on the third installment of the Thief series. You'll notice it's usually the same group of people (Smith, Warren Spector, Doug Church, Ken Levine, etc.) who are responsible for all these games, as they all come from the same school of game design (birthed in companies like Looking Glass, etc.).

[Morris Schæffer]

Vanquish was great. Lean, mean, efficient. Just great gameplay, astonishingly furious. Loved the control. Memorable boss battles. It felt like a videogame from a time when there was no clutter, no attempts to add grit, approach realism. Just crazy, relentlessly robo action.

[Morris Schæffer]

Wicked cute

Zcdd5wUwubE

That's awesome!! I wonder if Michael Shanks is the actor from Stargate SG-1.

[Sycophant]

I never sat down to really figure out how to play Vanquish, and never got around to starting the easy mode run I need, but like most Mikami games, it feels incredible just to move and attack. Movement and action feels great and looks great. I never really cracked into the game to figure it out, but I liked what I played a hell of a lot.

[Dukefrukem]

Black Mesa Part 4 (http://dukefrukem.blogspot.com/2012/10/black-mesa-review-part-4-weve-got.html) went up yesterday.

[megladon8]

I never sat down to really figure out how to play Vanquish, and never got around to starting the easy mode run I need, but like most Mikami games, it feels incredible just to move and attack. Movement and action feels great and looks great. I never really cracked into the game to figure it out, but I liked what I played a hell of a lot.


I think for the most part Japanese game design is just not for me. So many regular mainstays of their games are uninteresting to me, the largest of which is the disconnect between player and game, story and gameplay.

I was surprised by how Western feeling "Dark Souls" was.

[D_Davis]

Huh - Dark Souls felt purely old school Japanese to me. I can't think of a single thing that felt Western at all, except for maybe some of the art direction. It's pretty much the antithesis of Western design; it's difficult, ambiguous, has a cumbersome control scheme that takes time to master, it's mired in archaic niche systems, it's unforgiving, and expects the player to learn on his own. It feels like the player is being challenged by the designer - one of the reasons why I like shmups and Treasure games so much.

To me, Western games feel more like they are trying to present an experience to you, something that is far more approachable by many more people. I think of Halo and Call of Duty in comparison.

[Watashi]

Vanquish is amazing. Probably one of the 10 best games I played last decade.

[D_Davis]

Vanquish is amazing. Probably one of the 10 best games I played last decade.

I need to give it a real go - I only played my copy for a few minutes before being drawn back to DS. Really neat looking game though.

[megladon8]

Huh - Dark Souls felt purely old school Japanese to me. I can't think of a single thing that felt Western at all, except for maybe some of the art direction. It's pretty much the antithesis of Western design; it's difficult, ambiguous, has a cumbersome control scheme that takes time to master, it's mired in archaic niche systems, it's unforgiving, and expects the player to learn on his own. It feels like the player is being challenged by the designer - one of the reasons why I like shmups and Treasure games so much.

To me, Western games feel more like they are trying to present an experience to you, something that is far more approachable by many more people. I think of Halo and Call of Duty in comparison.


I disagree. Yes it feels very much old school, but I found the skill trees and gameplay much more western infused.

In fact, I felt the art design was the only part that was distinctly Japanese, the exact opposite of what you thought/felt.

Odd.

One of my favorite aspects of the game was how very atypical of Japanese game philosophy it was. No half hour cutscenes, no angst or melodrama, very little posing and "do this because it looks cool". It was all about the gameplay, which is what seems to get overlooked a lot in Japanese game design lately.

[D_Davis]

It's atypical of a certain type of very modern (post FFVII) Japanese game design, but is very typical of many Japanese-designed games, especially those made at one time by Capcom, Konami, Treasure, and Nintendo.

It's also very, very Japanese because it is made by one of the most Japanese of all Japanese companies - From Software. They pretty much defined this style of RPG with the Kings Field games, pre FFVII back on the PS1.

I think you're focusing on too small a sample - the kind of Japanese games (modern SqaureEnix J-RPGs, and Metal Gear) that contain many cut scenes and and teen angst/melodrama. It makes sense given that these are typically the kind of games that get published and are popular in the west.

It took the Souls games to remind me of why I used to liked Japanese games so much back in the day. It and games like Ico, Gungrave, etc. It's far to niche to be a western title.

I'm not sure what you mean by skill trees, though - there are no skill trees in Dark Souls, at least not in the common definition of the term that is applied to games like WoW and Diablo.

I see what you're saying about the gameplay and lack of cut scenes though - two things that I greatly appreciate. It's a pure game, something that I used to look for in Japanese-designed games, something that used to exist in abundance before Square changed everything with FFVII, and Konami made Metal Gear into a cut-scene heavy cinematic experience.

[D_Davis]

I don't know what to buy tonight - Dishonored or XCOM.

[Dukefrukem]

Can't really go wrong. But if it were me I'd pick Dishonored. (I'm currently waiting for the price to fall below $60 on PC). It was created by Deus Ex designer Ricardo Bare and Half-Life 2 designer Viktor Antonov. That should be all you need to make your decision. ;)

[D_Davis]

That's what I'm leaning towards.

[number8]

Are you fucking serious.

http://i.imgur.com/cQ85G.jpg

[D_Davis]

January of the following year is the date that most systems automatically default to when the due date for the previous year is unknown. Basically, what that is saying is that it's probably coming out sometime in 2013.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up as a launch game for the PS4, and I'm betting it'll be Team Ico's last game.

[Idioteque Stalker]

New XCOM is so fun.

[Dukefrukem]

Yeh Last Guardian hasn't ever had a release date.

[megladon8]

I may have to at least partially retract my dislike for "Vanquish" now that some of the game's sense of humor is starting to show. I can't deny that I LOL'd when I walked into a room of enemy robots dancing to techno music blasting out of a boombox (which then transformed into another murderous robot).

I also only just discovered that while behind cover, there's a button you can press to light a cigarette and toss it to distract the enemies. I really wish I had known about that earlier.

Still far from great, but I'm starting to get its charm a bit more.

[D_Davis]

Dishonored is pretty good so far. I've cranked up the difficulty and turned off most of the UI - definitely makes the game better. I can't stand games that are high on exploration, but then have arrows on the screen pointing you towards your destination. What's the point? So glad that I can turn off all the markers, button prompts, and stuff. It's also quite hard on the hard difficulty, so I'm enjoying the challenge.

The city is just gorgeous. Some of the best art design I've seen.

[bac0n]

Dishonored sounds like a great game to carry me through the cold winter months. I'll probably scoop it up around christmastime.

[Morris Schæffer]

J7TI8k9jdxM

[Dukefrukem]

That's a pretty great trailer... and I hate Halo.

[number8]

I dunno... The fact that it went CG with the fight scene kinda defeats the purpose of doing a live-action trailer. I prefer Blomkamp's trailers.

[megladon8]

I dunno... The fact that it went CG with the fight scene kinda defeats the purpose of doing a live-action trailer. I prefer Blomkamp's trailers.


I don't see how they could have done it fully live action.

And it looked like Master Chief was by and large a guy in a suit. The Prometheans were CGI, but again, I don't think they could have done that with guys in costumes.

That was pretty neat.

Can't freaking wait. Midnight release! Whoo!

[number8]

That's kinda my point. The whole shootout looks like it's entirely CG. The Spartan, the aliens, the explosions, the background, everything. It's animation.

Blomkamp's Halo 3 trailers combined live-action with CG seamlessly, which is why they merited the live-action shoot. It was really cool to see all the stuff that you usually see in a video game being performed, with real-world physics.

If all the cool stuff you're gonna do is gonna be animated, might as well do the whole thing. The whole live-action setup looks jarring compared to the money shots.

[Winston*]

Finished Mass Effect 3. It was okay. Much preferred the second one where it was more about character interactions and world building. This one was too focussed on the cliched militaristic us vs. the aliens plot to the detriment of what made me like the previous one so much. The ending was fine, though unremarkable.

[Scar]

Finished Mass Effect 3. It was okay. Much preferred the second one where it was more about character interactions and world building. This one was too focussed on the cliched militaristic us vs. the aliens plot to the detriment of what made me like the previous one so much. The ending was fine, though unremarkable.

Works for me.

Going to restart XCOM this mornng. Need to rethink how I distribute my resources. I was kicking ass for awhile, then had my entire squad wiped out two missions in a row. Need the lasers sooner me thinks.

[megladon8]

Works for me.

Going to restart XCOM this mornng. Need to rethink how I distribute my resources. I was kicking ass for awhile, then had my entire squad wiped out two missions in a row. Need the lasers sooner me thinks.


Are you a big fan of strategy games, Scar?

I haven't been really sucked in by one since the first "StarCraft", but this one looks like it might do it for me.

A lot of reviews I read say it's deceptively deep, one of those "easy to play, takes a long time to master" experiences.

[Scar]

Are you a big fan of strategy games, Scar?

I haven't been really sucked in by one since the first "StarCraft", but this one looks like it might do it for me.

A lot of reviews I read say it's deceptively deep, one of those "easy to play, takes a long time to master" experiences.

I really enjoy turn based strategy games over 'Real Time' strategy games. I do appreciate the tactics involved in this game. I think I started getting cocky, and then got my ass handed to me.

[megladon8]

I really enjoy turn based strategy games over 'Real Time' strategy games. I do appreciate the tactics involved in this game. I think I started getting cocky, and then got my ass handed to me.


If you have a DS (or an emulator :)) you should check out the "Advance Wars" games.

Awesome turn based strategy.

Also check out "Might & Magic: Clash of Kings". I think it's available on the PSN. Really cool turn-based strategy concept built on a "Columns" style of gameplay. Great multiplayer, too.

[Idioteque Stalker]

I really enjoy turn based strategy games over 'Real Time' strategy games. I do appreciate the tactics involved in this game. I think I started getting cocky, and then got my ass handed to me.

Which missions? I had a really hard time with the first alien attack. I'm pretty far in the game now, and I almost never lose high-ranking soldiers, but last night I lost a corporal and about flipped. Normal difficulty is surprisingly challenging.

This is easily the best strategy game I've played on a console. After I beat it I'm going to restart in classic mode.

[Sven]

I wanna play Assassin's Creed Threeeeeeeee.

[Scar]

Which missions? I had a really hard time with the first alien attack. I'm pretty far in the game now, and I almost never lose high-ranking soldiers, but last night I lost a corporal and about flipped. Normal difficulty is surprisingly challenging.

This is easily the best strategy game I've played on a console. After I beat it I'm going to restart in classic mode.

I got raped on the first alien attack and lost everyone. And then lost everyone on the next mission. I restarted this morning, and am only a few missions in. Relying much more on Overwatch.

[D_Davis]

Not sure what it is about Dishonered, but I'm not loving it. It's expertly made, has amazing graphics, controls well, and is challenging; in all, it's a complete package. But I don't love it. I'm finding that I'm having to force myself to play it, and each time I put the controller down its harder to pick up.

[megladon8]

Not sure what it is about Dishonered, but I'm not loving it. It's expertly made, has amazing graphics, controls well, and is challenging; in all, it's a complete package. But I don't love it. I'm finding that I'm having to force myself to play it, and each time I put the controller down its harder to pick up.


Welcome to my feelings on "Assassin's Creed II".

Except for the "controls well" part.

[D_Davis]

Welcome to my feelings on "Assassin's Creed II".

Except for the "controls well" part.

I feel the same way about the AC games. Just can't get into them.

[EyesWideOpen]

I LOVED AC1. I enjoyed ACII. By the time I was like two hours into AC:Brotherhood I was bored out of my mind. I still have zero interest in going back to it.

[Morris Schæffer]

Reached the final colossus. Dayum this guy is really really big! You know, the horse has been a minor annoyance so far, but never did I foresee his demise.

edit:Or not.

[Morris Schæffer]

Great finale. Not sure what it all means, but that's refreshing in a medium that is usually on the nose. All the time inbetween slaying colossi wasn't all that great. As such, it's really just a matter of reaching the next beast as quickly as possible, because that's when the game becomes awesome. And sure enough, once I got the hang of it, I've come to the conclusion the game is anything but frustrating. In fact, I may even call it easy although some endurance came in handy. This may just sport one of the great game soundtracks.

Spec Ops: The Line is next for me. It'll be interesting to place my thoughts next to those of Meg.

[Dukefrukem]

I reinstalled GTAIV. Got to 33% over the weekend. I've never actually beat it.

[megladon8]

GiantBomb is the only site I've seen so far to put up a review of the new BFG edition of "Doom 3", and it sounds like id really missed the mark with this one.

Most baffling is that they changed the game's flashlight mechanic - in the original release, you could have either a flashlight or your gun up, not both. So you had to rely on your flashlight to get your bearings, then navigate and shoot in the dark. It was one of the game's biggest sources of tension.

Now you can just toggle your flashlight on and off whenever.

[Spun Lepton]

I'm enjoying Dishonored, personally. Noting quite as satisfying as dropping on your victim and plunging a knife into them.

[Morris Schæffer]

I don't think I could not enjoy a game such as Spec Ops: The Line. So far, no traces of the incredibly daring story Meg spoke of, but I got a feeling it'll head into Apocalypse Now territory, the man I'm looking for, John Konrad, has probably gone rogue, murdered and raped the local population. Now that I think about it, "Konrad" might be a dead giveaway.

Game is fun, action-packed, albeit unsurprising. I like the idea of a Dubai destroyed by an apocalyptic sandstorm and it is particularly cool that sand can be used as an environmental hazard. Controls are sturdy, but entirely unoriginal. I'm definitely reminded of Gears of War although this is probably not a real negative.

Graphics are colorful, atmospheric, but could have used some more detail, some crisper textures. It looks like upscaled 576p.

As a general rule, I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere, but I'll tolerate it here.

Looking forward where it goes next.

[megladon8]

It has some huge twists along the way. Just keep playing :)

[Dukefrukem]

GiantBomb is the only site I've seen so far to put up a review of the new BFG edition of "Doom 3", and it sounds like id really missed the mark with this one.

Most baffling is that they changed the game's flashlight mechanic - in the original release, you could have either a flashlight or your gun up, not both. So you had to rely on your flashlight to get your bearings, then navigate and shoot in the dark. It was one of the game's biggest sources of tension.

Now you can just toggle your flashlight on and off whenever.

Didn't I say this months ago? ;)

It's insulting they want $30 for this on steam.

[megladon8]

Didn't I say this months ago? ;)

It's insulting they want $30 for this on steam.


It's disappointing 'cause I was a big fan of "Doom 3" - at the time it was one of the scariest games I'd ever played.


Just watched the IGN unboxing of the "Halo 4" 360 console and it's pretty slick. If I had the money I'd probably get it, transfer everything from my 360's HD to it, and then re-gift or sell my old console.

Alas I don't have $400 at the moment.

But damn, 2 weeks away. My uncle and I are going to pick it up at midnight together. Cant freakin' wait!

[Dukefrukem]

I have to admit, when Doom 3 came out, I could not play it alone/in the dark.

[megladon8]

I have to admit, when Doom 3 came out, I could not play it alone/in the dark.


Yeah it was really effective.

I didn't realize until they starting talking about it on GB that it was one of the first FPS games to have scripted enemy entrances. Instead of you walking into a room and it being full of enemies, you'd have scenes where an enemy would tear through a wall, or emerge from under a floor grate, or some such thing.

Flaws aside (and there are plenty) it was a good little game. Far superior to the more recent "Rage" IMO.

[Morris Schæffer]

Would love to experience Doom 3 with the Oculus Rift VR glasses. Back in 2004 was the last time I upgraded my PC for videogames. Doom 3, Far Cry and Half-Life 2 were a holy trinity. Great freakin times.

[KK2.0]

I'm more curious about the Oculus Rift than the PS4/xbox720/wii-u so far.

[Dukefrukem]

Capcom reacts to fan reaction on RE6 suckage.


Capcom is pleased to announce that, in response to player feedback, a free title update for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Resident Evil 6 will be made available in mid-December 2012.
This update includes the following additions and improvements:


Gamers will be able to adjust the camera to give a greater field of view as best suits their play style. Screenshots illustrating the new camera and co-op features can be found on Capcom's press site. The camera screenshot pairs show the minimum and maximum range of the new camera setting. Please note that this feature is still in development and may change without further notice before the title update is released.
Subtitle options have been improved so that English language audio can be combined with subtitles in an alternative language.
As recently announced, Ada Wong's campaign will be unlocked from the start and have an optional player-controlled co-op partner added. It was previously necessary to complete all three other campaigns in order to unlock Ada's story.
'No Hope' difficulty level will be added above the existing levels, for players who want an extreme challenge.
Capcom values user feedback on Resident Evil 6 and ResidentEvil.net and is working continuously to improve the experience for players.


Fail.

[Ezee E]

Kill the franchise or make 7 amazing.

[D_Davis]

How about they just make a good goddamn Resident Evil game? Like a real RE game, not some half-assed cover-based, wannabe shooter with bombing missions and vehicle parts.

[Ezee E]

How about they just make a good goddamn Resident Evil game? Like a real RE game, not some half-assed cover-based, wannabe shooter with bombing missions and vehicle parts.
They should really strip it down, and put it in the hands of a civilian trying to get out of Raccoon City. No weapons training, no plants that cure, just survival mode.

[number8]

Really, the biggest issue with RE games these days is that they're way more concerned with telling the "mythology" of the series than they are making a ZOMBIE game. Remember that the series is about ZOMBIES?

[D_Davis]

They should really strip it down, and put it in the hands of a civilian trying to get out of Raccoon City. No weapons training, no plants that cure, just survival mode.


Really, the biggest issue with RE games these days is that they're way more concerned with telling the "mythology" of the series than they are making a ZOMBIE game. Remember that the series is about ZOMBIES?

I agree with both of these.

A game with group dynamics trying to escape from Raccoon City would be pretty sweet. Although, isn't that kind of what Walking Dead is now? Can't wait to play that.

[Sven]

The movies got better the further they strayed from zombie horror.

[Ezee E]

I agree with both of these.

A game with group dynamics trying to escape from Raccoon City would be pretty sweet. Although, isn't that kind of what Walking Dead is now? Can't wait to play that.
Which is why it's the best storybased game I've played in years.

[Morris Schæffer]

ZombiU, really interested in the reviews for that. I doubt it'll be a triple AAA title, but it certainly looks like a survival game.

[megladon8]

ZombiU, really interested in the reviews for that. I doubt it'll be a triple AAA title, but it certainly looks like a survival game.


Played any more "Spec Ops"?

I'm anxious to hear what you think of the huge change in tone about 1/2 way through.

[Dukefrukem]

http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/rockstar/gtav/art/Untitled-4.jpg

[Winston*]

Breaking Bad reference?

No interest in a new Grand Theft Auto. Found the last one boring.

[number8]

Heh heh. Bug'r us. Heh.

[Sycophant]

ZombiU, really interested in the reviews for that. I doubt it'll be a triple AAA title, but it certainly looks like a survival game.

Isn't AAA title a term to refer mostly to production values and marketing budget? I'm confused as to what this means.

[Morris Schæffer]

Played any more "Spec Ops"?

I'm anxious to hear what you think of the huge change in tone about 1/2 way through.

Yeah I sure did. And I'm definitely enjoying it loads. I would suspect I'm near the end. I'm supposed to head to a radio tower to stop a transmission from being broadcast. In any case, I'm not 100% certain I'm at the 1/2 point. That said, I've got some trouble pinpointing whether we are talking about the same thing concerning said tone. Are you referring to the hero being forced to make some tough decisions that his compagnons don't exactly appreciate? Or perhaps to the anti-American tone? The use of white posphorous against innocent civilians?

There's no doubt this game's somewhat edgy, daring in its storytelling. I should say, however, that I never perceived it as being patriotic, gung-ho even in its initial stages. The protagonists speak like human beings rather than being walking cliches. Moreover, it became clear early on there was something not quite right in this version of Dubai. I guess what I'm saying - and doing far too an elaborate job of it - that it all felt and feels rather gradual to me. I never had a moment halfway where My jaw dropped.

[Morris Schæffer]

Isn't AAA title a term to refer mostly to production values and marketing budget? I'm confused as to what this means.

I always understood it was basically a landmark title, a game that advances its respective genre and the medium of videogames in general.

[Sycophant]

I always understood it was basically a landmark title, a game that advances its respective genre and the medium of videogames in general.

Pretty sure it's more of a marketing designation, similar to "summer blockbuster." For what it's worth, Wiktionary defines it as:

(video games) A quality video game expected to sell well, typically with a higher budget than budget software.
Basically a summer blockbuster.

WARNING: OPINION FORTHCOMING

Most games qualified as AAA games don't advance much of anything beyond polygon-display technology and the amount of money you can spend on a game.

[Morris Schæffer]

You could be right, but there seem to be opinions who combine the two, top quality and big budget, and add a third factor, a potentially massive seller.

[megladon8]

I'm having trouble finding info on the most recent XBox Live update. Some stuff changed, and one thing I'm particularly curious about is on the "My Games" page. Every game now has a little controller symbol on it, some are only half controllers, some have a little arrow on them.

I feel out of the loop. Does everyone else know what these symbols mean?

[Sycophant]

It can probably be boiled down to "if this doesn't sell 75% of its initial run during its midnight release, the studio that made it will be bankrupt."

[megladon8]

I always took AAA as being the video game version of a "tentpole" or "blockbuster" movie - not necessarily the "best", but has the biggest budget behind it and is expected to sell the most.

[Morris Schæffer]

So meg, my Spec Ops thoughts. What say you? :)

[Dukefrukem]

Pretty sure it's more of a marketing designation, similar to "summer blockbuster." For what it's worth, Wiktionary defines it as:

Basically a summer blockbuster.

WARNING: OPINION FORTHCOMING

Most games qualified as AAA games don't advance much of anything beyond polygon-display technology and the amount of money you can spend on a game.

Hmmm. There's definitely two sides to that- you have your ACs, your CoDs, your Halos that definitely fall into that description. But then you have the other side, new IPs, your Dishonoreds, the first AC, Heavy Rain, Bioshock.... your Watch Dogs...

I think there's a mix each year, but I do think the majority of AAA titles are franchised.

[D_Davis]

Isn't AAA title a term to refer mostly to production values and marketing budget? I'm confused as to what this means.

That's what it's supposed to mean, at least that's what it means on the dev side of things.

[Sycophant]

I suppose the term might have its own life now in the hands of consumers. I've always thought it was weird that players began to unironically use a term once found solely in interviews with major publishers' marketing execs and industry profit analysts.

[D_Davis]

I suppose the term might have its own life now in the hands of consumers. I've always thought it was weird that players began to unironically use a term once found solely in interviews with major publishers' marketing execs and industry profit analysts.

That is correct.

[megladon8]

Yeah I sure did. And I'm definitely enjoying it loads. I would suspect I'm near the end. I'm supposed to head to a radio tower to stop a transmission from being broadcast. In any case, I'm not 100% certain I'm at the 1/2 point. That said, I've got some trouble pinpointing whether we are talking about the same thing concerning said tone. Are you referring to the hero being forced to make some tough decisions that his compagnons don't exactly appreciate? Or perhaps to the anti-American tone? The use of white posphorous against innocent civilians?

The white phosphorous.

That was a huge turning point in the game.

And no, the radio tower is not the end of the game, you're a little past the halfway point.



There's no doubt this game's somewhat edgy, daring in its storytelling. I should say, however, that I never perceived it as being patriotic, gung-ho even in its initial stages. The protagonists speak like human beings rather than being walking cliches. Moreover, it became clear early on there was something not quite right in this version of Dubai. I guess what I'm saying - and doing far too an elaborate job of it - that it all felt and feels rather gradual to me. I never had a moment halfway where My jaw dropped.

My jaw dropped at the point I mentioned above, but wait til the end.

There are also multiple endings, one of which actually itself has multiple outcomes.

You're wrong about Konrad, that's all I'll say :)

[Watashi]

Probably going to buy this (http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-Ezio-Trilogy-Playstation-3/dp/B009GZX49Y/ref=sr_1_10?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1351297910&sr=1-10&keywords=assassins+creed+3) when it comes out since I really want to play part 3. I don't need to play the first one, right?

[Watashi]

Is the new XCOM anything like Final Fantasy Tactics/Valkyria Chronicles? Those are the only turned-based strategy games I played (I never got into the Civ franchise... too complex).

[Winston*]

Playing Jade Empire on Steam. Finding the combat in this a lot more fun than in Mass Effect 3. You can turn into a giant frog!

[Scar]

Is the new XCOM anything like Final Fantasy Tactics/Valkyria Chronicles? Those are the only turned-based strategy games I played (I never got into the Civ franchise... too complex).

It seems similar to Valkyria Chronicles. You move, they move.

Hell, I'd play it now, but after a few gin and tonics, I'd be overly aggressive and lose all my best officers.

[D_Davis]

Playing Jade Empire on Steam. Finding the combat in this a lot more fun than in Mass Effect 3. You can turn into a giant frog!

I don't know why Jade Empire is so disliked. I think it's the best Bioware game since BG2.

[Winston*]

I don't know why Jade Empire is so disliked. I think it's the best Bioware game since BG2.

I didn't know it was so disliked. Why? Doesn't seem a million miles away from Dragon Age or Mass Effect.

[D_Davis]

I didn't know it was so disliked. Why? Doesn't seem a million miles away from Dragon Age or Mass Effect.

I remember gamers talking mad yang on it when it came out. At the time, I liked it way more than KOTOR - mainly because the setting/subject jived with me.

[Winston*]

I think I would have liked it if I played it when it came out but I tried playing KOTOR for the first time a few months ago and found the battle system way too stilted and dated to be enjoyable.

[Sycophant]

The point is that you should all play Frog Fractions (http://twinbeardstudios.com/frog-fractions) (for free!).

[Dukefrukem]

I just beat GTAIV finally. Only 63% complete the game though. :-/

[Morris Schæffer]

The white phosphorous.

That was a huge turning point in the game.

Well, I definitely gathered that it was an awful weapon, but you seem to give that moment a lot more impact than I did. Care to elaborate some more? I sometimes tend to lose track of who does what to who in games so maybe I'm missing something specific. :)

[megladon8]

Well, I definitely gathered that it was an awful weapon, but you seem to give that moment a lot more impact than I did. Care to elaborate some more? I sometimes tend to lose track of who does what to who in games so maybe I'm missing something specific. :)


They went there under the impression that it was an enemy stronghold and bombed the hell out of it.

When they went down to ground level they found that it was actually the rescue operation (the good guys) and all of the civilians they had rounded up to evacuate. They killed everyone they were there to save and help.

It completely changed the dynamic in your squad, their attitudes towards their mission and the events they were part of and seeing.

And again, you need to play right to the end to get the full effect of everything.

[Morris Schæffer]

Ok Meg. I'll be back after I complete it.

Edit: actually, I want to weigh in. During that first attack with PA, I was under the impression the attack was orchestrated by the rogue forces in place led by what I assumed was John Konrad. And I thought the attack was somewhat shocking because it was a cowardly and unwarranted act of warfare against civilian numbers. However, now it seems I got all that wrong and the attack with PA was in fact in support of Walker (Me!) and his two compagnons.

Also, I guess the way you describe it makes it sound like a pretty dumb move, but perhaps the attack was based on incomplete/incorrect intel. i forgot whether the dialogue made a point of this.

[megladon8]

Ok Meg. I'll be back after I complete it.

Edit: actually, I want to weigh in. During that first attack with PA, I was under the impression the attack was orchestrated by the rogue forces in place led by what I assumed was John Konrad. And I thought the attack was somewhat shocking because it was a cowardly and unwarranted act of warfare against civilian numbers. However, now it seems I got all that wrong and the attack with PA was in fact in support of Walker (Me!) and his two compagnons.

Also, I guess the way you describe it makes it sound like a pretty dumb move, but perhaps the attack was based on incomplete/incorrect intel. i forgot whether the dialogue made a point of this.


Yes it was based on incorrect intel.

You also seem to be getting two events in the game mixed up. Are you playing half asleep? :lol:

[Acapelli]

The point is that you should all play Frog Fractions (http://twinbeardstudios.com/frog-fractions) (for free!).
this was fun

[megladon8]

"Max Payne 3" continues to enthrall me. Just beat the game on Hard, and I am now doing a run through of a select few levels on Easy so that I can finish finding the rest of the golden guns and the clues.

After that I may try a playthrough on Old School, which sounds insane - realistic damage (aka 1-2 shot kills) and no Last Man Standing. It may very well be impossible.


Anyone else been watching "Forward Unto Dawn" (the Halo live-action series)?

It's pretty great stuff. While it's certainly not particularly "deep" by any means (to be expected of something geared towards gamers, as sad as that is), the acting and pacing are surprisingly good.

The characters introduced through the first three episodes are interesting, with Lasky providing a good flawed-hero archetype.

Also, huge props to the creators for actually PACING the thing. When all 5 episodes are out I believe it will play as a really nice little movie. Each episode is 20 minutes, and there's no real action until the end of the third episode.

They also use the Covenant sparingly and effectively. Episode 4 was very tense, with a Covenant Elite hunting down the main characters in a scene that was quite obviously conceived as a horror film set-up.

Then the appearance of Master Chief (which, again, they held off on until the second half of episode 4) was suitably epic.

It's really good stuff. Perhaps only really "special" if you're a Halo fan, but still, a respectable work that was clearly made with some passion behind it.

[Spun Lepton]

Picked up a used copy of Batman: Arkham City. Good gravy this game is fun!

[megladon8]

Picked up a used copy of Batman: Arkham City. Good gravy this game is fun!


Totally!

Combat feels great, eh?

Love incorporating the gadgets.

[Spun Lepton]

Totally!

Combat feels great, eh?

Love incorporating the gadgets.

I'm still getting my ass beat on occasion. I'm also still button-mashing a lot and learning how the timing works.

[Morris Schæffer]

Picked up a used copy of Batman: Arkham City. Good gravy this game is fun!

I've to play it, but own it. It's taken a backseat to other games, but perhaps it shouldn't have. I expect it'll blow me away.

[Morris Schæffer]

I'm still getting my ass beat on occasion. I'm also still button-mashing a lot and learning how the timing works.

With the first game, The combat really clicked towards the end. I remember a sort of circular room through which would burst some really big baddies along with the usual assortment of henchmen. Took me about 10 attempts to complete that, and every single one was fierce, challenging and exhausting, but never frustrating (although it came close). The last one was nuts. I had a sliver of health left, possibly 1/15 of the entire energy bar, and about 7 baddies left. Suddenly, incredulously, I was jumping to and fro, from foe to foe, dishing out punishment left and right without getting hit, stringing together combos with staggering precision and perfect timing. It was like being one of the kids in Chronicle who discovers that he can fly. The whole thing lasted maybe 25 seconds. I was in the moment, marveling at my own talents, but unable to savour it for it just took me completely by surprise. I knew that enjoyment would equate with potential lack of concentration which I couldn't afford. I screamed when the last baddie was down. A primal scream of elation, of euphoria, echoeing through the house. That happened once before, when I beat Final boss Metroid Prime in the original Gamecube game.

[Ezee E]

Purchased the Uncharted 3 PS3 bundle. Can't wait.

[Dukefrukem]

Purchased the Uncharted 3 PS3 bundle. Can't wait.

I may replace those next....I love the character Drake.

[megladon8]

"Max Payne 3" on Old School is surprisingly...not too difficult.

I think it may be that I've just gotten really damn good at the game after three consecutive playthroughs.

If anyone wants a game to help them with their aiming in console shooters, play "Max Payne 3" with free aim on. It's fantastic.

[Dukefrukem]

If the power stays on, it's gonna be a great video game night.

[Dukefrukem]

4wIZp_E2CxQ

[megladon8]

Why do gamers bash Infinity Ward/Treyarch for continuing to use the same engine for "CoD" games, then praise Valve for continuing to use the Source engine?

The "CoD" games are far from ugly.

[D_Davis]

Why do gamers bash Infinity Ward/Treyarch for continuing to use the same engine for "CoD" games, then praise Valve for continuing to use the Source engine?

The "CoD" games are far from ugly.

I've never heard either of these before.

The one thing I have heard about Source from various sources is that while it is getting old, Valve did a very good job of making it modular so that it can periodically and easily updated.

[Dukefrukem]

Neither have I.

[megladon8]

You haven't heard people complaining about the "Call of Duty" franchise continuing to use the same engine? Really?

It's been like, one of the most talked about aspects of "Black Ops II" (http://www.gamelitist.com/2012/05/black-ops-2-to-use-the-same-engine-as-call-of-duty-2/) since its announcement. Treyarch has had to come to its defense (http://www.vg247.com/2012/10/10/treyarch-defends-call-of-duty-black-ops-2-engine/) because players are complaining about it so much. (http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/669290-call-of-duty-black-ops-ii/62702091)

[EyesWideOpen]

I've never heard complaints about that either. The only thing I hear (as someone who doesn't pay any attention or care about the Call of Duty franchise) is the games are too iterative of each other in gameplay but not specifically the engine.

[megladon8]

Perhaps it's just a part of that oh-so-typical gamer trait of "what I play is the best, what you play sucks". People who play "Battlefield" have to, by default, hate "CoD", and people who play "CoD" have to hate "Halo", and so on and so forth.

But obviously it's stirred up enough controversy that Treyarch felt they had to say something.

[Morris Schæffer]

Perhaps it's just a part of that oh-so-typical gamer trait of "what I play is the best, what you play sucks". People who play "Battlefield" have to, by default, hate "CoD", and people who play "CoD" have to hate "Halo", and so on and so forth.

But obviously it's stirred up enough controversy that Treyarch felt they had to say something.

You can drop "perhaps." It's exactly that. That being said, maybe CoD's engine is attracting vitriol because nowadays there's a new game each year and that seems to give people the idea that this shit is getting old when in fact, as you say, the action still looks pretty spectacular. Source engine games seem to be a lot less prevalent and, frankly, how could anyone hate Portal 2?

[D_Davis]

I can't think of place I'd rather avoid more than the COD forums on Gamefaqs. Oh wait yes I can....COD on XBox live without mute. :)

[D_Davis]

I still love the first Modern Warfare. The rest, not so much.

[Dukefrukem]

You haven't heard people complaining about the "Call of Duty" franchise continuing to use the same engine? Really?

It's been like, one of the most talked about aspects of "Black Ops II" (http://www.gamelitist.com/2012/05/black-ops-2-to-use-the-same-engine-as-call-of-duty-2/) since its announcement. Treyarch has had to come to its defense (http://www.vg247.com/2012/10/10/treyarch-defends-call-of-duty-black-ops-2-engine/) because players are complaining about it so much. (http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/669290-call-of-duty-black-ops-ii/62702091)

I don't frequent any of those sites, especially GameFAQs, which is probably why I haven't heard this before.

[Dukefrukem]

I still love the first Modern Warfare. The rest, not so much.

This. And even the first Modern Warfare was wicked spammy.

[megladon8]

I still love the first Modern Warfare. The rest, not so much.


Yeah it's still great. I also really liked "Modern Warfare 2", and "World at War".

"Black Ops" pissed me off, and I still haven't played "Modern Warfare 3".

[Sven]

I may replace those next....I love the character Drake.

It's hard for me to like a character so cavalier about murdering people. Room after room of cracking wise and shooting guys in the head for the sake of treasure. Dude's psychotic.

[Dukefrukem]

It's hard for me to like a character so cavalier about murdering people. Room after room of cracking wise and shooting guys in the head for the sake of treasure. Dude's psychotic.

That's the only thing I dislike about the game. It's easily ignoreable.

[Winston*]

http://i.imgur.com/g41kX.png

[Watashi]

It's hard for me to like a character so cavalier about murdering people. Room after room of cracking wise and shooting guys in the head for the sake of treasure. Dude's psychotic.
I don't see how this differs from... every video game ever made. Even stealth-like games usually end up with you killing everyone in the room before you can move on.

[Sven]

Yes, Wats. Every game is exactly like Uncharted.

[Watashi]

Yes, Wats. Every game is exactly like Uncharted.
Name me an action-adventure game where killing bad guys to advance to the next stage is not a requirement.

It's not like Drake is mowing down unarmed innocent civilians. I don't understand the criticism especially when it's a common element of the action genre (do people make the same criticisms when Indiana Jones does it?).

[Watashi]

Also, what makes him so cavalier about it? Because he cracks jokes? I'm pretty sure he's killing people because they are shooting at him first.

[Winston*]

(do people make the same criticisms when Indiana Jones does it?).

Sure. Him nonchalantly shooting the dude with the sword in Raiders for example definitely makes him a psychopath.

[Sven]

Batman: Arkham City, just to name one.

Also, yes, people criticize Indy for doing it.

Also, the bad guys don't always shoot first, but that's beside the point anyway. I realize the point of games is to overcome a virtual antagonist, and in fantasy (Ratchet and Clank), military (Call of Duties, etc), or unapologetic settings (GTA, where of course you are a bad guy), this complaint rarely applies. But Drake is specifically constructed to attract as a hero, because he looks like Nathan Fillion and tells funny jokes. And it's disturbing when the story is not so much a life-and-death scenario as much as it is the product of Drake's vanity and childish wonder. BOOM! Brains of a guy just like you but less charming.

With Uncharted, it got to the point where I wasn't thinking "Great! Look at this cool big chamber with unexplored corners and sparkling treasures untold!" but rather "Great, another big chamber where I'm going to have to execute dozens of people".

[Dukefrukem]

John Mcclane cracks jokes.

In in all seriousness, It's a legitimate complain about the Drake character. Indiana Jones for example kills, but because it's Nazi's its OK?

[Watashi]

Batman: Arkham City, just to name one.

That's a bit different since the character is known for his non-killing methods. In the video game you are still moving room to room beating up bad guys. The difference is that these are just unconscious and not dead. I don't think there is a difference within the purpose of the game.


Also, the bad guys don't always shoot first, but that's beside the point anyway. I realize the point of games is to overcome a virtual antagonist, and in fantasy (Ratchet and Clank), military (Call of Duties, etc), or unapologetic settings (GTA, where of course you are a bad guy), this complaint rarely applies. But Drake is specifically constructed to attract as a hero, because he looks like Nathan Fillion and tells funny jokes. And it's disturbing when the story is not so much a life-and-death scenario as much as it is the product of Drake's vanity and childish wonder. BOOM! Brains of a guy just like you but less charming.

Well, he's a treasure hunter, but do the games really make it out that he's doing this because he just wants to be rich? I don't see how him being awed and wondered by uncovered ancient cities is a bad thing. Terrorists want to use these artifacts for evil; Drake doesn't. Hence, Drake will kill people to get there first.

Also, I strongly disagree if you think the GTA games make the random killing okay since you're a "bad guy".

[Watashi]

Sure. Him nonchalantly shooting the dude with the sword in Raiders for example definitely makes him a psychopath.
If he battled the guy with his sword, would it have been okay?

[D_Davis]

Name me an action-adventure game where killing bad guys to advance to the next stage is not a requirement.

It's not like Drake is mowing down unarmed innocent civilians. I don't understand the criticism especially when it's a common element of the action genre (do people make the same criticisms when Indiana Jones does it?).

It's not so much that other games do or don't do it, it's the way in which they present the character of Drake. Because the game's developers and fans so ardently promote and praise the narrative and character, with Drake being heralded as a fantastic everyman and not a super soldier, there is a huge disconnect between the way the game's story wants to represent Drake and the way in which you the player actually have to play Drake. It's a big enough problem that I dislike the games. If you rely so strongly on narrative and character, you can't have problems like this.

[Winston*]

If he battled the guy with his sword, would it have been okay?

It's more about how that moment embodies Indie's attitude towards killing than the specifics.

[Irish]

Name me an action-adventure game where killing bad guys to advance to the next stage is not a requirement.

There were some levels in the original Medal of Honor that required trickery and stealth to progress (although granted that wasn't the whole game).


It's not like Drake is mowing down unarmed innocent civilians. I don't understand the criticism especially when it's a common element of the action genre (do people make the same criticisms when Indiana Jones does it?).

Jones is probably not your best example. You can get away with things in a game that you couldn't in a movie, and as the adventurer hero, Jones is rarely shown killing someone outright (it's more likely that his opponents might die indirectly as the result of his actions, or in an attempt to stop him, not because he takes direct action to kill them.)

Your overall point is well taken, but I think Davis is accurate in basically saying that it's all in the presentation.

[Winston*]

It's not so much that other games do or don't do it, it's the way in which they present the character of Drake. Because the game's developers are fans so ardently promote and praise the narrative and character, with Drake being heralded as a fantastic everyman and not a super soldier, there is a huge disconnect between the way they game's story wants to represent Drake and the way in which you the player actually have to play Drake. It's a big enough problem that I dislike the games. If you rely so strongly on narrative and character, you can't have problems like this.

The latest Grand Theft Auto had a similar problem from what I played of it. Has this narrative that you're supposed to be dramatically involved in, when the missions make you one of history's most prolific murderers.

EDIT: Actually all of Rockstar's games have this problem.

[Sven]

I don't think there is a difference within the purpose of the game.

I agree that the purpose of games is to triumph over opponents.


Also, I strongly disagree if you think the GTA games make the random killing okay since you're a "bad guy".

In GTA, you are a bad guy doing bad things. In Uncharted, you are a good guy doing bad things. I'm not excusing the former, but my point is that it doesn't make sense to complain about the bad things in GTA because it's expected. I was marketed a charming treasure hunting romp and the bulk of play time was spent headshot killing in the name of adventure seeking. Wouldn't be so bad if the hero wasn't supposed to be oh, so dashing.

[Irish]

EDIT: Actually all of Rockstar's games have this problem.

I'm pretty much convinced at this point that Rockstar Games are a Skinner Box for sociopaths.

[D_Davis]

The latest Grand Theft Auto had a similar problem from what I played of it. Has this narrative that you're supposed to be dramatically involved in, when the missions make you one of history's most prolific murderers.


Exactly.

[megladon8]

Aaaand you guys lost me.

Completely agree with the statement about "GTA IV", but Rockstar Games, on the whole, are a pretty solid studio.

"Red Dead Redemption" is bloody brilliant. And "Max Payne 3" has the same issue as "GTA IV", but tackles it in a different manner that (I thought) worked - Payne hates himself, hates what he does, and even addresses in the game that he's good for nothing but killing.

Not really explaining it right 'cause I'm half in the bag, but it's different from the "let's root for the sociopathic charmer!" formula of the "Uncharted" games, and the hypocritical "let's sympathize with a mass murderer" feel of "GTA IV".

Honestly, though, can't we all agree with "Vice City" nailed the balance of satire and unapologetic violence perfectly?

[Watashi]

It's not so much that other games do or don't do it, it's the way in which they present the character of Drake. Because the game's developers and fans so ardently promote and praise the narrative and character, with Drake being heralded as a fantastic everyman and not a super soldier, there is a huge disconnect between the way the game's story wants to represent Drake and the way in which you the player actually have to play Drake. It's a big enough problem that I dislike the games. If you rely so strongly on narrative and character, you can't have problems like this.

See, I disagree with this. Drake is a superhero. Like something like Batman or Iron Man, the dude is pretty much invincible and the massive set-pieces provide proof that no object, setting, or foe can stop this guy. I don't see how he is an "everyman". Cracking jokes is a staple of an action hero. He's more James Bond without the fancy gadgets.

[Winston*]

Dishonoured just arrived. Looking forward to mercilessly killing some dudes.

[D_Davis]

See, I disagree with this. Drake is a superhero. Like something like Batman or Iron Man, the dude is pretty much invincible and the massive set-pieces provide proof that no object, setting, or foe can stop this guy. I don't see how he is an "everyman". Cracking jokes is a staple of an action hero. He's more James Bond without the fancy gadgets.

That's now how the narrative nor the character design portrays him, though. There is a massive disconnect between who the developers want him to be and who he actually is in the game.

[Morris Schæffer]

Love all the call of duty games. To varying degrees naturally, but they're all supremely thrilling to me.

edit: Back to Spec Ops after a few days of gaming inaction.

[Dukefrukem]

I reached 75% complete in GTAIV last night- The only things left to finish are the the races and finding all the pigeons, which I doubt I will be doing.

Started GTAIV Lost and the Damned- fun change from the regular GTA. Like the bike aspect.

[D_Davis]

Dishonoured just arrived. Looking forward to mercilessly killing some dudes.

I hit the point of diminishing returns on this by the second mission. Doubt I'll return to it. Great art and style, but I found the game very dull. I need to trade it in for XCOM.

[Dukefrukem]

Some sweet gold box deals today.

Fifa 13 $39.99 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=xs_gb_A2P8XIICIS20V7?ie=UT F8&docId=1000846771&pf_rd_p=441937901&pf_rd_s=right-1&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_i=20&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0MG65RW1SD4X2H2PSA17)

Sleeping Dogs $34.99 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0077LRPSA?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER)

[Ezee E]

Bah. Too bad I have FIFA for XBox.

[Acapelli]

seems to me that the nature of any mature-rated action game will have you killing hundreds, if not thousands of people. even teen-rated games are like this.

are you saying it's ok what batman does in the arkham games is ok because he just maims them instead of outright murdering them?

[Morris Schæffer]

Dishonoured just arrived. Looking forward to mercilessly killing some dudes.

I missed the discussion prior to your post, but now that I read it....:lol:

[D_Davis]

seems to me that the nature of any mature-rated action game will have you killing hundreds, if not thousands of people. even teen-rated games are like this.

are you saying it's ok what batman does in the arkham games is ok because he just maims them instead of outright murdering them?

Not at all. Go back and read my original post on the subject. It's all about narrative context and the way in which the developers want to present the character - it is the complete disconnect between the two actualities of that and of how the game actually plays that I find so problematic. It becomes a character and narrative flaw, and when a game so heavily relies on these two things it is a major problem.

[Morris Schæffer]

GTA V will arrive spring 2013!

http://m.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/45951/grand-theft-auto-v-is-coming-spring-2013.html

[Morris Schæffer]

They went there under the impression that it was an enemy stronghold and bombed the hell out of it.

When they went down to ground level they found that it was actually the rescue operation (the good guys) and all of the civilians they had rounded up to evacuate. They killed everyone they were there to save and help.

It completely changed the dynamic in your squad, their attitudes towards their mission and the events they were part of and seeing.

And again, you need to play right to the end to get the full effect of everything.

Um, ok. That was unexpected. Basically, Martin Walker, initially sane, slowly lost his mind, murdered innocent civilians in the process, all the while laying the blame at the feet of an imagined villain John Konrad, who was in fact, the good guy, but never made it out of Dubai alive.

Right? Didn't they go into Dubai because of a transmission they picked up? Wasn't there radio contact with Konrad and didn't Walker's compagnons overhear this? Did Walker have any compagnons at all or did he just pretend to be a 3 squad team? Fuck, I'm sure I'll replay it somewhere down the line.

[megladon8]

Morris:

Yes, that's right, Konrad was dead the whole time and Walker used him to place the blame for all the bad stuff he and his team had done since he got there.

And yes, there was that initial transmission from Konrad saying that the mission had failed big time, but the "transmissions" Walker was getting from Konrad throughout the game were all in his head.

Did you not watch the ending cinematic? It explains all this.


Also, with regards to the ending choice, did you...

...kill Konrad or kill yourself? They lead to two different endings. And if you choose to kill Konrad, you are rescued by American troops, and you can either go peacefully, or try to kill them all as you continue to blame your own actions on America instead of your choices.

It's a pretty neat little political commentary on US military going into these areas with this imagined "we are the heroes!" attitude, but in actuality all they do is make things a million times worse than they ever would have been.

[Morris Schæffer]

Morris:

Yes, that's right, Konrad was dead the whole time and Walker used him to place the blame for all the bad stuff he and his team had done since he got there.

And yes, there was that initial transmission from Konrad saying that the mission had failed big time, but the "transmissions" Walker was getting from Konrad throughout the game were all in his head.

Did you not watch the ending cinematic? It explains all this.


Also, with regards to the ending choice, did you...

...kill Konrad or kill yourself? They lead to two different endings. And if you choose to kill Konrad, you are rescued by American troops, and you can either go peacefully, or try to kill them all as you continue to blame your own actions on America instead of your choices.

It's a pretty neat little political commentary on US military going into these areas with this imagined "we are the heroes!" attitude, but in actuality all they do is make things a million times worse than they ever would have been.

My sound level was low and my girfriend was "singing" so I was distracted. :) I killed Konrad and went peacefully.

[Winston*]

I hit the point of diminishing returns on this by the second mission. Doubt I'll return to it. Great art and style, but I found the game very dull. I need to trade it in for XCOM.

Seems more my sort of game than yours so we'll see. Really enjoyed what I've played of it

[number8]

I don't see how this differs from... every video game ever made. Even stealth-like games usually end up with you killing everyone in the room before you can move on.

I think the reason why people always make fun of this is because in the quicktime/cutscenes, Drake acts like it's a big deal for him to take one life, and it's never acknowledged that he's murdered like hundreds of people. He's continually portrayed as an innocent, goofy fun-loving adventurer.

Usually in other games, when you murder tons of people, your status is that of a killer or a soldier, so the subject is not really skirted around.

Lara Croft used to receive the same criticism.

[Dukefrukem]

I think the reason why people always make fun of this is because in the quicktime/cutscenes, Drake acts like it's a big deal for him to take one life, and it's never acknowledged that he's murdered like hundreds of people. He's continually portrayed as an innocent, goofy fun-loving adventurer.

Usually in other games, when you murder tons of people, your status is that of a killer or a soldier, so the subject is not really skirted around.

Lara Croft used to receive the same criticism.

In the first few Lara games, she fought animals and mythical figures though.

[D_Davis]

Yeah - that's why the first TR is still the best. Relatively speaking, she kills very few people (one guy in the 3rd level, one guy in the Colosseum, and a few guys in the last level). She wasn't a psychopath.

[Winston*]

I wish they'd hired someone to stylize up the dialogue in Dishonoured. It's a bit flat.

[Morris Schæffer]

Hey Meg, according to wikipedia:


Writer of the game Walt Williams has stated that the game is open to interpretation. His personal belief is that the helicopter crash in the sandstorm actually killed Captain Walker, and that the rest of the game is his Purgatory

I was certainly puzzled when the helicopter crash repeated itself at the end and Walker acknowledging this. Perhaps this is an indication that he is alive and merely reliving events back home, recovering in an infirmery.

It is quite rare for a videogame to have a meta moment, let alone a third person shooter, but I was taken aback when the game taunted me to, and I'm paraphrasing here, "leave well alone or kill them all. It's only a game. It doesn't matter."

[Morris Schæffer]

Anyhow, on to Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. I had to freshen up on the last game's ending. I was aghast to re-discover the finale reveals a striking resemblance to Ridley Scott's Prometheus. :lol:

In any case, set dialogue for Italian! Forza Ezio!!

[Dukefrukem]

I can't stand perfect scores in reviews.

Assassin's Creed 3

The Escapist (100/100): "Assassin's Creed 3 lets you jump into an intriguing point in history, and it succeeds on nearly every level with nimble combat, fun diversions and the chance to captain your own ship. Connor might not be an altogether likeable hero, but the New World he's fighting to protect is one you won't forget."

Game Informer (95/100): "An overwhelming experience in its own right, Assassin's Creed 3 is the crown jewel on an already excellent series, and it sets the mind reeling about the potential for where the story goes from here."

IGN (85/100): "Not everything about the game gels together convincingly and the missions' unnecessary prescriptiveness sometimes undermines the sense of freedom that the rest of the game works so hard to create. But it achieves so much that you can't help but respect it; no other open-world game has ever given us a setting that's as impressive to observe or as full of things to do as this."

GameSpot (85/100): "Other games stimulate emotion with manipulative music and teary monologues; Assassin's Creed 3 rouses your mind and your heart by giving you a glimpse into its characters' souls and letting you judge them on their own merits."

Destructoid (75/100): "Cohesion (or lack thereof) is the main issue with Assassin's Creed 3. There are dozens of secondary elements which make up the content of the game, but they offer little in terms of reward and rarely contribute anything to the Assassin/Templar conflict. While the game is often quite fun, beautiful to look at and empowering to the player, it doesn't offer much challenge beyond the endurance necessary to complete all of the single-player campaign elements."

[bac0n]

Ya know, I would be totally stoked to play Assassin's Creed 3, but for the fact that I have no interest whatsoever in playing the part of an assassin.

[Dukefrukem]

AWESOME. Looks like they borrowed a bit from Amnesia.

2GPf3MdVOKI

[Dukefrukem]

Halo 4 reviews for 13 year olds are out

Destructoid (100/100): "343 Industries have done a remarkable job at continuing the Halo legacy. They've gone all out, creating a fantastic sequel that brought forth a major focus on storytelling while upping the visual and audio direction to a level that will be tough for anyone to rival with these few remaining years of the current console generation."

IGN (98/100): "Halo has been rebuilt. It has been redefined. And it has been reinvigorated. The Xbox's original king has returned to his rightful place on the throne."

Game Informer (93/100): "343 Industries introduces an episodic cooperative experience with enormous potential to change the way post-release content is delivered in games. Spartan Ops brings a new cinematic episode every week, along with five connected missions. The large battles and objectives available in these missions are ideal for a group of friends, and at a little over an hour per episode, it's perfect for a weekly gaming meet-up."

Gamespot (90/100): "Halo 4 is every bit the massive shooter package that its predecessors were, and it holds the series' standard high. The thrilling and emotional return of Master Chief and Cortana is the highlight, and the campaign breaks new ground in narrative quality for the franchise. The top-notch competitive multiplayer picks up where Halo: Reach left off, infusing the action with some mainstream elements while still remaining undeniably unique. Spartan Ops may stay a mere sideshow or prove its worth in the weeks to come."

Eurogamer (80/100): "At the end of Halo 4's campaign, after the credits have rolled, 343 Industries posts a short message thanking fans for trusting the company with their beloved universe and asking us to remember that this is just a first step. It's a telling memo that reveals a certain nervousness about the task at hand: a plea that we understand the weight of responsibility these creators have felt in adopting Master Chief."

[D_Davis]

Gonna have to wait a week to play it, but it'll be the first thing I do when I get back into town. Looks amazing. I'm betting it's the best Halo yet.

[megladon8]

Yep, pretty much as expected - it rocks.

Monday night can't come soon enough.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Mario is the most prolific psychopath in gaming history. You're encouraged to go out of your way to crush one Goomba after the other in the hopes of a pathetic jump boost, you swing-attack enemies with your raccoon tail, you hurl fireballs at turtles that burn them until they literally fall out of the world. Worst of all, you're awarded points for this mass slaughter.

How many games involve his gluttonous homicidal impulses? How many games of his make you feel good about the violence you inflict?

[number8]

In the first few Lara games, she fought animals and mythical figures though.


Yeah - that's why the first TR is still the best. Relatively speaking, she kills very few people (one guy in the 3rd level, one guy in the Colosseum, and a few guys in the last level). She wasn't a psychopath.

Right. At first. After the first 2 games, though, it stopped just being tombs.

I played TR: Legend, and that game has mucho bodycount. In one of the early levels, you go to an office party and have to assault rifle your way out through dozens of yakuza henchmen.

[Ezee E]

Received my PS3. First thing I did was play Journey.

No deaths in that game.

And, quite impressive of a game. Wow.

Is it different at all on future plays? I kinda hope so.

[Ivan Drago]

Mario is the most prolific psychopath in gaming history. You're encouraged to go out of your way to crush one Goomba after the other in the hopes of a pathetic jump boost, you swing-attack enemies with your raccoon tail, you hurl fireballs at turtles that burn them until they literally fall out of the world. Worst of all, you're awarded points for this mass slaughter.

Not to mention this: http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6069536/koopas-hell

[Sycophant]

It probably doesn't require a serious answer as it's surely tongue in cheek, but the answer is that it all comes down to the presentation. There's no element of conflict between what you do in the game, how that's presented, and the game's story.

[Winston*]

Dishonoured is awesome.

[megladon8]

AWESOME. Looks like they borrowed a bit from Amnesia.

2GPf3MdVOKI



Sorry I missed this 'til now, but yeah, that looks awesome.

There are two things I really wish:

a) that games like this and the "Amnesia" titles would come to consoles

b) that more horror games took cues from these titles, and were truly horror games, rather than "shooter with demons/zombies/ghosts/whatever"

Horror is a hugely under-tapped genre in gaming with so, SO much potential. A great horror game could be more frightening than any horror film could ever be.

Another great horror game was "Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth" - one of my favorite titles from the original X-Box.

[Sven]

Enraptured with Assassin's Creed 3. So many fun new elements. Running through the trees, pouncing on deer, steering ships, a more concrete sense of geography, better free run mechanics, an interesting relationship between narrative and gameplay functions, fantastic sound effects...

[Wryan]

So is anyone talking about or looking at Planetside 2? I just discovered this game today from a thread on reddit that wasn't even about the game.

Basically, it's a free-to-play massively multiplayer online first-person shooter battle game. There are three warring factions to choose from, many classes and weapons and rpg-like upgrades to choose from and build a character, etc., although every time you die, you can select something else (in your faction) to play as if you want upon respawning. The game world (planet) is composed of a few continents that form very, very large maps with many controllable nodes. So it becomes a territorial struggle; zones that your faction controls generate resources for you with which to upgrade and advance. The world is persistent, so you can log off and then on again hours later, and it will be the same battle, just progressed further and possibly with areas having changed sides.

You can choose to do what you want, essentially. You can group up to attack or defend. You can fly solo missions that support or transport or attack. You can dedicate your entire experience to becoming hyperfamiliar with one particular area and defending it/trying to claim it, building a reputation for being the thorn in the side of any enemies who wants to visit the spot.

There are infantry, vehicles, aircraft, etc. with the usual ta-das with this kind of thing.

Posting a nifty trailer if only because it apes the great zooming traveling shot in The Avengers, but does it well:

41QFL4QB3NE

It blows my mind that something this exhaustively complex and persistent and likely to result in epic territorial battles--not to mention freaking beautiful--is free to play. You can purchase things (with RL money) if you want very slight edges to certain upgrades or whatever, but it doesn't seem to be excessive or unbalanced.

I've been watching gameplay videos for hours. It fires my imagination and looks incredibly fun. I can imagine a lot of small, isolated interpersonal engagements playing out, as well as huge, well-choreographed battles helped by voicechat and such, with commanders issuing orders and guiding movements.

Here's an intro vid from E3:

goNh81Duz90&

[Morris Schæffer]

Wryan, that's an astounding trailer man! The way it captures an epic battle from seemingly all angles, without sacrificing coherence is breathtaking.

Edit: is this game officially out? How would one acquire it? Huge download?

[Wryan]

From what I can tell, it's out Nov. 20. I suspect it's a free download and will be patched online. You obviously play online but there's no subscription or one-time charge to play. I'm not...too sure...how they'll make their money, other than thru the purchaseable items that can add to your character, although you can play the game fine without those.

From the wiki page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetside_2): "PlanetSide 2 will be free-to-play. The developers have indicated an admiration of the League of Legends model,[7] also known as the Freemium business model. It will feature certain free aspects, and will include a cash shop. The cash shop will not sell items such as guns or vehicles that make players more powerful, instead the shop will sell equipment, obtainable through the game progressions and cash shop exclusive things such as visual customizations.[8] The shop will also offer XP booster and resource booster implants that will not take up one of your implant slots, last 24 hours, and award increased XP or resource gains while active."

It seems to have been developed by some good people.

[Stay Puft]

F2P has proven to be a very profitable business model. I was actually just reading a Wired article yesterday about this, might be of interest to you:

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2012/11/meet-the-whales/

Apparently a large percentage of revenue for F2P games comes from a small fraction of the total player base. These big spenders are referred to as whales.

[megladon8]

Nearly finished "Max Payne 3" in Old School mode. The extreme difficulty is balanced by a higher number of painkillers to acquire in the levels. It's great.

Just over 24 hours!!! :eek::eek::eek:

[D_Davis]

I'm on vacation visiting my parents and I did something a little crazy yesterday; I bought a PS Vita. I got the Assassin's Creed bundle - pretty good deal. $249 for the system, a memory card, and the game. Then I got home and downloaded Ragnarok Odyssey, an action RPG which is basically another version of PSO and Monster Hunter.

I really like the system. I haven't had a portable system since the DS, and I haven't really liked a portable system since the GBA. I wish that Sony systems weren't struggling so much, because I really like their designs. I also wish that Capcom would have continued the Monster Hunter franchise on the Vita and not the 3DS.

Anyhow, I'm really looking forward to Persona 4 Golden.

It's also cool that so many PSP and PSone games are available for the system.

And that screen! Wow. OLED tech looks amazing.