Video Game Chat Thread - Pre-Alpha Experimental Version

[Pope Negro Joe the XIIIth]

Ghost of Tsushima (Sony's other big game that's flown under the radar thanks to TLOU2 being a mess - out July 17th) is going to have a 8GB day one patch, 11GB if in Europe for all the language options. I hope this one doesn't suck, it could be my first full price game purchase of the year.

Yeah, I'm considering just pre-ordering it now because other than doom eternal there's nothing I'm really looking forward to playing on ps4, really just waiting to see how ps5 works out. Plus I have a Amazon gift card I got for my birthday this year so it's basically a free shot in the dark.

I'm just reluctant, the only game I've pre-ordered in the last few decades is Dark Souls 3 and that's because I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed.

 

[Slimy Time]

Yeah, I'm considering just pre-ordering it now because other than doom eternal there's nothing I'm really looking forward to playing on ps4, really just waiting to see how ps5 works out. Plus I have a Amazon gift card I got for my birthday this year so it's basically a free shot in the dark.

I'm just reluctant, the only game I've pre-ordered in the last few decades is Dark Souls 3 and that's because I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed.

What I don't like about it is how relatively quiet it's been. Whether that's because TLOU2 has been taking over the news or something else, it really feels like we haven't got too much info about the game. That being said, it is still one I am looking forward to, mainly because I'm a big fan of samurai and ninja games, and this looks polished.

I have not purchased a full priced 60 dollar game this year, but I think Ghost will be the first, barring some bad youtuber reviews.

 

[Coolio55]

I don't care what anyone says, i'm buying the fuck out of Watch dogs 3. The first game had this comfy and lively city and two had its head so far up its ass trying to be woke and shit, with its cliche stupid zoomer characters who did nothing but send their N word slave off to do the work and I fucking loved it. From an character who was silent and observing and studying the people he meets, to some autist who wears a mask that does emojis with its eyes like some loser that would think it would be cool to wear. And with this new one, going in hard with a dystopia post Brexit world thats gone to hell, I really fucking hope our favourite brit Sargon gets referenced or featured in an mission.

If there's some flavourtext about new post brexit fishing laws putting french fishermen out of business and onto the streets I'm gonna die laughing.

 

[Miller]

Aaagh, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is NOT giving me a good first impression. Does it get better?

Yes, also don't play Mankind Divided, it's shit.

 

[wholetthegodsout]

Yeah Im getting Ghosts. Sucker punch has a pretty good track record and its pretty much the PS4 swansong.

Btw even though there are new consoles and cyberpunk coming out in November it just feels like this year has been super quiet. Feels like all the companies aren't sure how coronavirus is going to effect things going forward and are being super cautious.

It's July and we still haven't seen anything about the new Call of Duty for instance.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole]

Yeah Im getting Ghosts. Sucker punch has a pretty good track record and its pretty much the PS4 swansong.

Btw even though there are new consoles and cyberpunk coming out in November it just feels like this year has been super quiet. Feels like all the companies aren't sure how coronavirus is going to effect things going forward and are being super cautious.

It's July and we still haven't seen anything about the new Call of Duty for instance.

It used to be like that, the amount of big releases tended to dry up shortly before the new generation.
Trash used to be on both the new and old at the same time to cash in on being one of the few games available during the launch window.

Hot take: console launches don't suck anymore when it comes to games. I imported the NTSC N64 and ALL(both) of the games available at launch.

 

[Mulva69]

Are there any racing games with VW Beetles?

!

 

[Back me up!]

Excited to get Super Mario 3D World on the Wii U next week.
Loved Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS.

While I liked 3d World it just did not get as close to the greatest that was the Mario Galaxy games. It is fun through so you should have a good time.

And Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze is the superior 2d game series, New Super Mario Brothers is just crap in comparison.

 

[Pissmaster]

I liked Watch Dogs 1 a lot but I realized one day that my favorite thing to do was to fire a gun at nobody, watch one of the NPCs pull out their phone and start dialing 911, and run up to them and grab their phone and spike it onto the ground. Inevitably, another NPC would pull out their phone and start dialing in response, and it sets off a chain where you start frantically running around finding the NPC calling the police and slamming their phones on the ground. You win when you run out of NPCs to scare off and you lose if they actually complete their call.

This isn't a marked activity at all, by the way, that's just how they act.

 

[Slimy Time]

Ghost of Tsushima review embargo has been lifted. Very good reviews, both from official game journalism sites and youtubers with review copies.
Key points:

• 30-35 hours with all side quest. With markers and collectables up to 50-60 hours.
• Very beautiful to look at. Varied areas, each region/biome looks and feels new. Music is great. You could be riding when a bird swoops down and flies next to you, follow the bird and it might lead you somewhere. Not a lot of map markers, have to use your eyes and visual cues to find things. UI is not cluttered.
• Samurai combat is great, very rewarding and leans towards skill over stats. 4 stances with different uses, It rewards you for waltzing into a camp and challenging the enemies to a standoff. Once you unlock enough skills and your timing is good, you can drop 5+ enemies easily before combat begins. Fail/mistime a slash in a standoff and you are at critical health, surrounded by enemies, so there is risk/reward.
• Skillup states that during 30-40 hours of combat, he never, ever got bored. Really nice middle ground between Nioh and Sekiro in how it plays, rooted in fundamentals. Very fluid animation and nails hitboxes, parries vary depending on weapon and when you are attacked. No lock on, but it works in a fluid way. Many different types of enemies as well. 4 basic "styles" of enemy, but they fight differently. Combat thoughout becomes harder not because enemies have more HP and damage, but because their fighting style is faster, more aggressive and harder. Skill > stat boosts.
• Stealth is ok. Nothing that hasn't been done before. Can see some AI jank if you get spotted and try to run/hide. Not as inspired as the samurai combat.
• Unlike new Assassins Creed games, this game is not reliant on levelling or stats. You are not going to fight a damage sponge boss who one shots you because your level is not high enough. Instead it's about unlocking skills and using them well. There is no grind to make sure you are at the right level to tackle a quest.
• It's open world, so comes with the pluses and cons of that sort of game. Doesn't suffer as much from the "boring elements" of open world games or doing stupid grind shit for collectables etc. Structurally very similar to what you have played in other open world games - main quest, side quests, map markers etc. Quests are varied and there are challenges. Sidequests may have 8 or 9 quests with allies or NPCs over the span of a few story acts, instead of it being "bump into you, do two or 3 quests, bye, I will never see or care about you again".
• Very Kurosawa-esq story. Bit flat, takes itself seriously. Nothing super exciting. Jin is also flat as a character, though he is a samurai in that time period, so perhaps its understandable.

Overall, well executed if a bit familiar. Really feel like a samurai. Looks like I have my first full price purchase of the year.

Edits/Additions:

• It does not take much to kill your character. A few hits and you can be put in a stun state where the enemy can execute you. Button mashing is not going to cut it. As mentioned above, enemies are/become aggressive, so concentration will be required in the later parts of the game.
• Mentioned above - 4 stances, 4 main enemy types (with subclasses and own movesets). Each stance deals with a specific enemy type, has its own moveset. There are lights, heavies, charge attacks, blocks and parries. Usual stuff. There are also 1v1 duels and bosses.
• The more you fight the more resolve you build. You can use resolve to heal or to pull off special attacks.
• Ghost equipment (kunai, smoke bombs, sticky bombs etc) are limited in resource. Don't forget about the bow, so it's very likely that you will weave in and out of stances, melee combat, dodge back and then pull out the bow for a quick headshot. All assassinations are one hit kills, with the exclusion of certain leaders, where it does a lot of damage.

 

[Maamtis]

I signed up for a Nintendo Switch Online family account and got these Splatoon 2 gear codes. I don't play Splatoon so if anyone wants them go right ahead.

 

[Pissmaster]

I thought I just had a Berenstain Bears moment

I could have sworn "Namco Bandai" was that company's name, until I just now noticed something that said "Bandai Namco". So I checked Wikipedia and apparently they swapped who gets top billing in 2014, when Namco Bandai Games merged into Bandai Namco Entertainment? But I checked one of my older games from '07, and it indeed says "Bandai Namco" in that order.

That's confusing and I'm not autistic enough to read up on the timeline, but I guess from here on out they're officially "Bandai Namco" universally.

you gotta get game company names right so when you ask a question your thread doesn't get derailed by total retards nitpicking about the order of the names, or capitalization, or whatever the fuck weird bullshit the official name uses just for style. i've seen idiots argue over the slash in "Fate/Stay Night"

 

[Bread Fetishist]

I thought I just had a Berenstain Bears moment

I could have sworn "Namco Bandai" was that company's name, until I just now noticed something that said "Bandai Namco". So I checked Wikipedia and apparently they swapped who gets top billing in 2014, when Namco Bandai Games merged into Bandai Namco Entertainment? But I checked one of my older games from '07, and it indeed says "Bandai Namco" in that order.

That's confusing and I'm not autistic enough to read up on the timeline, but I guess from here on out they're officially "Bandai Namco" universally.

you gotta get game company names right so when you ask a question your thread doesn't get derailed by total retards nitpicking about the order of the names, or capitalization, or whatever the fuck weird bullshit the official name uses just for style. i've seen idiots argue over the slash in "Fate/Stay Night"

I’m pretty sure the logo always read as “Bandai Namco”.

 

[Sir Wesley Tailpipe]

I’m pretty sure the logo always read as “Bandai Namco”.

At first it was Namco Bandai, but they changed it after a year or so of being merged.

 

[Bread Fetishist]

At first it was Namco Bandai, but they changed it after a year or so of being merged.

I know, I’m just talking about the logo. I recall it always being arranged in a way that read as “Bandai Namco”.

 

[Sir Wesley Tailpipe]

I know, I’m just talking about the logo. I recall it always being arranged in a way that read as “Bandai Namco”.

The logo always reflected the corporate identity, so at first it was Namco Bandai in the logo too.

 

[PopRocks]

So, do you guys remember Indivisible? That rpg game the Skullgirls guys made? And that flopped horribly? Well apparently it's getting a tv series.
https://nintendoeverything.com/indivisible-getting-new-tv-show/

 

[Ihavetinyweewee]

Yes, also don't play Mankind Divided, it's shit.

Speak of the devil, I just finished that game on my backlog.

I thought it was decent, like a solid 7. The big thing lacking was the globe trotting aspect. The game feels much smaller in scale than HR...

I think my issue with it: it feels WAY too much like a middle act. You would be lost about most things if you didn't play HR. You don't get any sort of payoff until a hypothetical finale.

I still had fun with the main campaign. Breach sucked though, I'm baffled why they wasted time developing that. Especially when they could have incorporated the DLC into the campaign...

 

[Miller]

I think my issue with it: it feels WAY too much like a middle act.

and the person who wrote the story cared more about making BLM allegories instead of a proper follow up to HR.

 

[Ihavetinyweewee]

and the person who wrote the story cared more about making BLM allegories instead of a proper follow up to HR.

I thought it was more heavy handed semetic allegories...

The conciet of the game was interesting for like twenty minutes. Then, it became more tedious and overstated...

Still, it seems like the aug bigotry was a natural progression from HR..

Personally, I just wanted to be done with Jensen/augs and get more into "X-files stuff."

The constant corporate espionage is kinda boring. I mean it's functional, but it doesn't excite. I collected every single piece of info and didn't read a single fucking thing. The emails and world building was so boring in this game...

Now, they don't seem to have a choice but to finish off Jensen's story...

What I did like: the powers were cool and well integrated. Even though it's smaller scaled than HR, it's better paced. I liked the customization of character and weapon synergy...