Unpopular Opinions about Video Games

[X Prime]

People say they want games that prioritize fun mechanics rather than graphics but they're full of shit, even here.

I regularly recommend RPG Maker games as being the best in the turn-based JRPG genre.

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

Uninformed opinions are pretty worthless just like people who review a game without finishing it.

Then here's my unpopular opinion; you don't need to finish a game to review it. It's even subjective what "finish" entails; bad ending, good ending, perfect ending, 100% the game, earn all Trophies? I think you can figure out if you like a game pretty early on, even if it might get better (or worse) later. From 1-1 you experience 90% of SMB and if you didn't like it then I don't think that's going to change in 1-2 or certainly not by the end.

Bioware has never developed a turn based game.

Sonic: Dark Brotherhood is turn-based, iirc. Speaking of which, we need a proper Sonic RPG.

I wouldn't say it was overpowered at all. PSVita used the same SoC CPU & GPU as the then-year old iPad 2, which of course would come down in price throughout the life of the console.

He probably means compared to the competition. Most games 3DS & Vita share are significantly better on Vita, at least in term of graphics/performance. There's one exception I know of, Resident Evil Revelations (3DS) vs RER2 (Vita). For some reason the prequel on inferior hardware looks better (to my memory), which is weird, but it's not quite a 1:1 comparison.

I regularly recommend RPG Maker games as being the best in the turn-based JRPG genre.

Overall, as in, ever made? I wouldn't doubt they're among the best these days at least, considering the state of the genre.

 

[Pissmaster]

He probably means compared to the competition. Most games 3DS & Vita share are significantly better on Vita, at least in term of graphics/performance.

No argument there. It's kind of a testament to 3DS' game quality that a platform with a 400x240 screen in the 2010s could succeed, and holds lots of value into the 2020s.

I hope that Switch Attach concept is real. I would love to play ports of 3DS games that don't look like total ass.

 

[Georgio Cocklord]

Okay Im gonna explain my reasoning a bit in autistic detail, bear with me

The diagram at the top is the classical definition of what a system is, it takes a single input A and gives single output B. It is configured in such a way that A will always give B regardless of any other variable.

The diagram at the bottom is a very crude dialogue tree. If you can see it is just a series of state transitions where the player does not have actual agency or freedom, all the outcomes are predetermined and its just a rollercoaster ride. No matter how complex and big the tree is, the player is still going to not have complete agency or freedom cause every outcome is predetermined and designed to constrain the player.

Dialogue systems are manufactured in such a way that singular predetermined inputs give singular predetermined outputs, always, because we're not at the level of AI manufacturing dialogue on spot yet. Theres no situation where the player can do something outside the bounds of design in ways the developers didnt intend, fuck with the system to get an output which nobody could think of. So choices will always be predetermined constraints, you can never go outside the bounds or make decisions on the fly based on the reactivity of the world.

The diagram at the top is closer to your average gameplay systems where you have a bunch of predetermined outputs and a bunch of predetermined outputs which are considered combinatorially by the system. This is how traditional combat systems behave, youre given the basic grammar of the combat and the system will determine what damage output and associated effects each move will produce. This effect can be compounded by status modifiers and stuff but the point being that due to the system being combinatorial and having a higher sample space of input-output combinations, players have more freedom and agency since they might not always get Y output for X input.

The diagram at the bottom is closer to simulative gameplay systems where the system is made receptive and selective. Receptive to inputs which are outside the bounds of what developers intended and selective in the sense that the AI chooses the output depending on RNG, environment, player status and other constraints. The sample space is still finite, inputs and outputs are still finite but theyre not predetermined and can be anything/situation specific but will still be valid due to the systems receptive nature. Stealth and weather in games function closer to this model, the NPCs/world are not made to give a range of arbitrary random reactions based on player input but rather they will be receptive to player input (sound changes, light changes, footprints and trackable items) whatever it may be if it satisfies system constraints and will make a decision ie RNG and AI to respond to said input. Most Sim and strategy games function this way thats why theyre near infinitely replayable.

For RNG

CRPG RNG is usually the top left, its a sample space of 36 for dual dice, it can be bigger if youre using multisided dice or multiple dice but the main point is its less randomized and generally small, less than 100. Its also generally used to dictate skill checks which are mostly binary choices, at best ternary choices which is again a severe limitation. Ofc in a tabletop setting immersion doesnt necessarily need to be high, player freedom doesnt need to be high and it is okay for everything to be small scale. I dont think combat and damage scaling is something which often involves dice but even if they do, theyre generally of very limited scope.

The bottom part is your video game RNG, it can be of any range dependent on the situation and owing to the nature of the number line it can be practically infinite if you include decimals as well. VWXYZ are modifiers which can be used to control the range of the RNG required for the situation, they can be shifted around expanded or contracted whatever. Its more dynamic, larger in scope and more complex than traditional dice RNG which is good for making the game more immersive when used for damage scaling, environmental effects, buffs/debuffs, crits etc etc.

Apologies if its too autistic and full of math/engineering terminology

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

It's kind of a testament to 3DS' game quality that a platform with a 400x240 screen in the 2010s could succeed, and holds lots of value into the 2020s.

It really is. Plus certain screens were allegedly significantly worse than others, because they varied between batches I guess. Goes to show graphics don't matter that much.

I hope that Switch Attach concept is real. I would love to play ports of 3DS games that don't look like total ass.

Yeah, and that's a lot safer than hoping for remakes and praying they don't fuck them up like they tend to do (it's not 3DS, but they ruined the recent DS remake of Another Code, and I'm shitting myself worrying what they're gonna do to Hotel Dusk...).

 

[WULULULULU]

Basically, from the post above, there are some things games than excel but other variables that games fail at. Most of these contribute to a game's replayability, be it RNG, different paths and damage modifiers based on different factors. That said, being simple is oftentimes better than being complex.

 

[Georgio Cocklord]

Basically, from the post above, there are some things games than excel but other variables that games fail at. Most of these contribute to a game's replayability, be it RNG, different paths and damage modifiers based on different factors. That said, being simple is oftentimes better than being complex.

Its basically the difference between a sandboxy type thing and a rollercoaster ride. Most games fall into either category with some in between and me being an autistic purist, I dont consider rollercoaster rides as video games but just an interactive narrative. CRPGs to me are just a glorified version of Dragons Lair with more bells and whistles, theyre not even like light gun shooters or something On Rails but exactly like Dragons Lair with just multiple choices for every interaction.

 

[Whoopsie Daisy]

Now, gaming PCs are more flexible version of consoles because they have almost as much power, or can exceed it if you're willing to spend 4 figures,

When launch day consoles passed the £350 mark, that was the sign to bail out of the console space. Not to mention, if you want to play on consoles, the vast majority of their games are either online, or have online components to them, which increases the cost further.

If we take a PS5 for example. They're £500~ + £70 games + £40/year for online play. at an average length of 7 years per gen, and buying 3 day-one AAA games/year easily exceeds even a decent gaming rig. If you don't give a rats arse about RT and 4k, you can pick up a gaming machine that runs 1440p@60fps/120fps for cheaper than the console bundle.

I can only assume that the people who bought the consoles this gen were optimists thinking the games will be coming. They ain't and GTA 6 will be £100.

 

[TheHarbinger]

When launch day consoles passed the £350 mark, that was the sign to bail out of the console space.

The PS2 was a useful DVD player and had tons of good games. The PS3 was a Bluray and DVD player, had tons of good games, and free online multiplayer. They were honestly fine at a $300-$400 price point depending on what bundles you got. My PS2 game with Gran Turismo and a voucher for some DVD movies from the store I got it from. My PS3 came with MGS4, a headset, limited edition MGS stuff, and probably some other things.

I probably got my money's worth out of those consoles in the first year. Between playing games and watching movies. Are the modern Xbox and Playstation consoles worth even $250 today? Probably not. But the value of the PS2 when DVD players were not cheap was massive. Same with the PS3 and being able to play Blurays and being able to play video files or stream video from lots of services.

 

[Rololowlo]

People say they want games that prioritize fun mechanics rather than graphics but they're full of shit, even here.

It has always been a popular talking point that kidz-these-days only want pretty graphics when gameplay is all that matters, but between the indiepocalypse and the retro craze, not to mention the massive success of graphically unimpressive games like Minecraft, The Sims or Roblox, it's evident that nothing could be farther from the truth.

People are and have always been fine with modest visuals.

 

[ZipDisk]

you don't need to finish a game to review it.

Sure, open your review with "I disliked this game so much I did not finish it."

 

[Green Man]

It has always been a popular talking point that kidz-these-days only want pretty graphics when gameplay is all that matters, but between the indiepocalypse and the retro craze, not to mention the massive success of graphically unimpressive games like Minecraft, The Sims or Roblox, it's evident that nothing could be farther from the truth.

People are and have always been fine with modest visuals.

Honestly at this point, besides being super autistic and dialed in to the details, when it comes to graphical fidelity I can't really tell the difference between some graphical behemoth released in 2023 and 2016's graphical behemoth. I suppose if I really looked around and paid attention to the particle physics and shading and reflections, I probably would notice some differences, but it's not really enough to matter in my opinion. Framerates and max resolution are the most noticeable improvements at this point. At this point I kind of think the focus on "photorealism" is just making the entire dev process bloated as fuck, slow and incredibly expensive. Especially when it comes to genres where photorealism doesn't really mean dick, like I can see going for that in a simulator like MSFS or Arma or racing simulators, but other than that I don't see the point in chasing after extreme graphical fidelity at the expense of every other aspect.

Maybe my eyesight is just shitty but for the most part, outside of some particular titles [MSFS 2020 for example or RDR2] I think graphics pretty much peaked around 2016-2018 and I can't really tell the fucking difference. Maybe something will come out that'll blow my mind but at this point it's kinda old hat.

 

[Scarthew]

Well, the PS5 has FFVII remake and its sequels and Stellar Blade

so does the pc.

 

[Calandrino]

Okay Im gonna explain my reasoning a bit in autistic detail, bear with me

The diagram at the top is the classical definition of what a system is, it takes a single input A and gives single output B. It is configured in such a way that A will always give B regardless of any other variable.

The diagram at the bottom is a very crude dialogue tree. If you can see it is just a series of state transitions where the player does not have actual agency or freedom, all the outcomes are predetermined and its just a rollercoaster ride. No matter how complex and big the tree is, the player is still going to not have complete agency or freedom cause every outcome is predetermined and designed to constrain the player.

Dialogue systems are manufactured in such a way that singular predetermined inputs give singular predetermined outputs, always, because we're not at the level of AI manufacturing dialogue on spot yet. Theres no situation where the player can do something outside the bounds of design in ways the developers didnt intend, fuck with the system to get an output which nobody could think of. So choices will always be predetermined constraints, you can never go outside the bounds or make decisions on the fly based on the reactivity of the world.

The diagram at the top is closer to your average gameplay systems where you have a bunch of predetermined outputs and a bunch of predetermined outputs which are considered combinatorially by the system. This is how traditional combat systems behave, youre given the basic grammar of the combat and the system will determine what damage output and associated effects each move will produce. This effect can be compounded by status modifiers and stuff but the point being that due to the system being combinatorial and having a higher sample space of input-output combinations, players have more freedom and agency since they might not always get Y output for X input.

The diagram at the bottom is closer to simulative gameplay systems where the system is made receptive and selective. Receptive to inputs which are outside the bounds of what developers intended and selective in the sense that the AI chooses the output depending on RNG, environment, player status and other constraints. The sample space is still finite, inputs and outputs are still finite but theyre not predetermined and can be anything/situation specific but will still be valid due to the systems receptive nature. Stealth and weather in games function closer to this model, the NPCs/world are not made to give a range of arbitrary random reactions based on player input but rather they will be receptive to player input (sound changes, light changes, footprints and trackable items) whatever it may be if it satisfies system constraints and will make a decision ie RNG and AI to respond to said input. Most Sim and strategy games function this way thats why theyre near infinitely replayable.

For RNG

CRPG RNG is usually the top left, its a sample space of 36 for dual dice, it can be bigger if youre using multisided dice or multiple dice but the main point is its less randomized and generally small, less than 100. Its also generally used to dictate skill checks which are mostly binary choices, at best ternary choices which is again a severe limitation. Ofc in a tabletop setting immersion doesnt necessarily need to be high, player freedom doesnt need to be high and it is okay for everything to be small scale. I dont think combat and damage scaling is something which often involves dice but even if they do, theyre generally of very limited scope.

The bottom part is your video game RNG, it can be of any range dependent on the situation and owing to the nature of the number line it can be practically infinite if you include decimals as well. VWXYZ are modifiers which can be used to control the range of the RNG required for the situation, they can be shifted around expanded or contracted whatever. Its more dynamic, larger in scope and more complex than traditional dice RNG which is good for making the game more immersive when used for damage scaling, environmental effects, buffs/debuffs, crits etc etc.

Apologies if its too autistic and full of math/engineering terminology

Well, I don't agree.

 

[Agent of Z.O.G.]

Civilization 5 (with the Brave new world expansion pack which makes it second only to Amazonian Warriors: Protectors of the Rainforest) is the best crpg/jrpg.

 

[Ibanez RG 350EX]

Honestly at this point, besides being super autistic and dialed in to the details, when it comes to graphical fidelity I can't really tell the difference between some graphical behemoth released in 2023 and 2016's graphical behemoth.

As I said in a previous post, I just tried Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, which was released nearly seven years ago and for a previous hardware generation. It looks indistinguishable to me from any brand-new game - you could tell me it came out yesterday and I'd have no good reason to not believe you.

As a selling point or distinguishing feature of a product, graphics are dead.

 

[LORD IMPERATOR]

As I said in a previous post, I just tried Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, which was released nearly seven years ago and for a previous hardware generation. It looks indistinguishable to me from any brand-new game - you could tell me it came out yesterday and I'd have no good reason to not believe you.

As a selling point or distinguishing feature of a product, graphics are dead.

Mass Effect 2, Arkham Asylum, and War for Cybertron look just as good as any modern game. And that stuff came out 14 years ago.

 

[The Ugly One]

Are the modern Xbox and Playstation consoles worth even $250 today? Probably not.

They're still cheaper than similar-spec gaming PCs, but this makes them something I'd only buy for a teenager.

As I said in a previous post, I just tried Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, which was released nearly seven years ago and for a previous hardware generation. It looks indistinguishable to me from any brand-new game - you could tell me it came out yesterday and I'd have no good reason to not believe you.

As a selling point or distinguishing feature of a product, graphics are dead.

Hell, I just played Thief III recently and thought it looked pretty damn sharp, and that game came out twenty years ago.

 

[Drag-on Knight 91873]

so does the pc.

But not Rebirth yet. That's why the PC is the best overall console though; it rewards low time preference buyers. Sure, I can't play Rebirth now, but I will in about 2 years and at a discount. Whereas if I buy now, I must pay $80 because of inflation and demand is at its highest.

 

[Scarthew]

But not Rebirth yet. That's why the PC is the best overall console though; it rewards low time preference buyers. Sure, I can't play Rebirth now, but I will in about 2 years and at a discount. Whereas if I buy now, I must pay $80 because of inflation and demand is at its highest.

I mean I have no shortage of games to play and replay not to mention infinite multiplayer games that absorb half my gaming time. Im sure in 20 years bloodborne will be on steam.