Video Games...Discuss Them

[Irish]

Started playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

Digging it so far, despite wonky controls and awkward interfaces. But I've run into the same problem I run into in every open world / sandbox RPG: If there's hunting, fishing, or crafting involved, then I fuck off and do those, max them out, fill my inventory with useless stuff, rather than pay attention to the main plot or any of the sidequests.

I'm pretty much the GTA player who never finished any one of the those games because he spent all his time stealing different cars ("Hey, I've never driven a garbage truck before! Lemme try that!") and listening to the radio.

Last night I legit spent over an hour running around the German countryside in KCD picking flowers so I could max Herbalism, and later Alchemy. Right now I'm figuring out where I can find, buy, or steal a bow so I can hunt game. There's like rabbits, boars, and deer all around these HUGE European forests and I'm just supposed to ignore them because some usurper is on the throne and I'm duty bound to return a sword to some high lord??? Pfffft.

Howlongtobeat.com says this is like a ~50 hour game but I'm pretty sure I'll put 300+ into it and never see the ending.

[Dukefrukem]

RE/L4D

[Irish]

I bought the Kingdom Come DLC because it includes a dog companion.

His name is Mutt. You can feed him treats and tell him he's a good boy. He'll also hunt rabbits and attack enemies for you.

This is Mutt:

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[Idioteque Stalker]

Kingdom Come has always stuck out to me as maybe, just maybe, a game I would love. But I think I just want a super-hardcore (maybe even rougelike) game that lives in a similar universe. And with the huge time commitment of Kingdom Come... in the end its probably not the game I want.

[Irish]

JFC. Gears 5 and Borderlands 3 in the same week.

(Might play G5 because it's on GamePass, waiting on B3 because of the weird, sketchy shit around it. And I'm still in the middle of Kingdom Come.)

Kingdom Come has always stuck out to me as maybe, just maybe, a game I would love. But I think I just want a super-hardcore (maybe even rougelike) game that lives in a similar universe. And with the huge time commitment of Kingdom Come... in the end its probably not the game I want.

It might be one of the best RPGs I've played. It's definitely one of the most ambitious. They tried mechanics that buck convention and while they function in-game just fine, they don't always translate into good gameplay or pure fun. But I like that they tried different shit. There's stuff in the game that's almost experimental for a wide release title.

Anyway, dunno if you were looking for response or recommendation but I'll throw in: I'd absolutely get it if you (1) are a superfan of roleplaying games and (2) want a different experience from the usual, aka Witcher and Skyrim and (3) can find it on sale for $25 or less (just to hedge your bet a little more).

[Irish]

This reminds me, too, that I almost wanna build a basic Windows box so I can emulate old titles and play some of the weird shit on https://itch.io/

I think that'd be fun. I kinda roll my eyes at experimental stuff in other mediums (film, novels, etc) but I love it in the digital realm.

[amberlita]

I don't know if we need RDR1 / RDR2 spoiler tags at this point, but....

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I really do love how Rockstar Games kind of gave the fans the finger for their reactions to John Marston's death in RDR1 by making a better character in Arthur, and then having you play John after Arthur's death.

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This is a really good point. It’s also fun how much people were bitching that Arthur seemed mean in the trailers and they were afraid they wouldn’t like playing him as much as Marston. Moreover, they made Marston a less likable character at the beginning of RDR2, and he grows more as a man over the course of RDR2 than he did in RDR1. He not only owes his life to Arthur, his redemption arc - which pales in hindsight to Arthur’s - is only possible because of Arthur. It’s really remarkable that Rockstar pulled that off, especially given how beloved Marston was (is).

The game has thwarted my attempts at maintaining ground rules for this second play through. They froze access to the ledger until I did that fateful deed for Strauss. I realized freeing Micah was the only way I could get the dual wielding holster. And Dutch has taken to complaining about how lazy I am for hanging around camp so much (“You used to be useful Arthur!”), even if I’ve just walked in to said camp with 3 animal carcasses to feed the gang! Asshole. Alas, proceeding with story missions was inevitable. On the bright side, the compliments levied at my Arabian show no signs of slowing and she handles like a breeze. In some ways I find her easier to handle than I do Arthur when he’s running. I never paid attention to the horse handling on my last play through but man it would’ve been easier if I’d tracked this horse down long ago.

[megladon8]

I actually really like Dead Island.

[Dukefrukem]

[Irish]

Hey Joe, what would you recommend for someone with limited Mario experience outside Odyssey?

New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe or Super Mario Maker 2?

[Milky Joe]

If you've never played ANY Mario games outside Odyssey? I would say go for the classics: Super Mario World and SMB3. If you have a Nintendo Online sub (only $20 for a year), you can play both for free via the NES and SNES online channels. They're two of the best videogames ever made.

But between those two you mentioned, I'd go with Maker. There's an infinite amount of content there in a variety of styles/physics. I'm not the hugest fan of the New Super Mario physics, but NNSMBU Deluxe is definitely the best of that series. So it's good but not the best.

[Idioteque Stalker]

Last of Us Part 2 preordered. No doubt in my mind it will be amazing. But I have to say, no multiplayer is super disappointing. Not because of value or anything—I just loved factions mode so much in the last game.

[Ezee E]

That multiplayer was among the best I've ever played. That is a bummer but so good to see that the game is here.

[Scar]

Starting to think RDR2 and XCOM2 have ‘ruined’ video games for me. Very hard to find something else to play.

EDIT: And the Souls series, obviously.

[megladon8]

I’m having a hard time remembering the title of a game from my adolescence, and any help would be appreciated.

It was on PC, first person, a fantasy action/RPG.

Would have come out in the mid-to-late 90s (early 2000s is possible but very unlikely...would say 2000 at the very very latest).

I remember that it had really lukewarm-to-bad reviews, but I enjoyed it.

I could swear the title started with “Lords...”, and I think it was the 2nd or 3rd game in a series.

The box art had a monster with its mouth open, sort of lunging forward. Predominantly oranges/reds/pinks in the artwork.

Hope this helps. I’m dying to remember what it was.

[Irish]

First person? Third person? Isometric? Single character or group?

Have you checked out the TSR Forgotten Realms stuff from that era? Might be something in there.

ETA: Wasn't Lords of Chaos was it? https://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2013...haos-1990.html

[megladon8]

If you read my post you’d see I said first person, Irish.

God.

[Irish]

This meets almost all your boxart criteria

[Irish]

Also lotsa interesting stuff in this thread: https://www.neogaf.com/threads/can-w...awlers.469298/

(I kinda wanna play Lands of Lore now.)

[megladon8]

You found it!!

Lands of Lore III!

Thank you so very kindly!

[Irish]

LOL wtf are you serious? Holy shit that's cool!

ETA: GOG has the first 2 games for $6. I might get this just to play the first one.

https://www.gog.com/game/lands_of_lore_1_2

[megladon8]

Yep that was it.

Seriously, thank you. Been driving me nuts.

I can’t give you any more rep, so...respek knuckles.

[Irish]

Hey no problem. Glad I helped.

*fistbump*

[Dukefrukem]

I miss video games.

[Irish]

I'd sympathize but I'm too busy playing the Switch port of Doom '93 right now.