Video Game Chat Thread - Pre-Alpha Experimental Version

[Polarity]

I played through Haunted Castle on easy mode as it looked so weird I wanted to experience it.

Solid C- effort but some pretty good graphics and effects for the time. The plot and various stages are completely nonsensical though. Feels like they scrambled and built this game as quickly as possible then didn't have any time for a polishing pass on it. Some bosses are missing death animations, there's a random event where you teleport to some sort of twilight world and fight harpies for about 10 seconds, and this only happens once, etc.

It's also legendarily unfair -- there are plenty of enemies that are almost impossible to avoid unless you play this thing hundreds of times and memorize every pattern. The best part is you can only continue 4 times before it starts you at the beginning again.

Thankfully the game breaks once you get the stopwatch and you can kill every boss without taking any hits. I would have liked to have been around when this was in arcades. I bet it was pretty neat with decent speakers and a CRT in a dark room.

Gonna try the Rondo of Blood PC Engine game everyone talks about next. Hopefully a slight improvement.

 

[Least Concern]

Ayo, this N64 demake of Portal looks pretty clever. If you don't care about the technical how-to stuff, skip to 4:43 for some mostly uninterrupted gameplay footage.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

I finished Vice City for the 2nd time since 2002-2003. This time on my PC using an Xbox One controller off and on. Last time I played it was back in 2002 or 2003. I think I finished it in 2003. I didn't 100% it or anything but I finished all the story stuff back then. I won't be doing a 100% completion run this time either because a lot of the side stuff isn't very good, and I don't care about it much.

With the release of the (not so) Definitive Edition late last year and everyone talking about Vice City and I wanted to play it again. When I preordered RDR2 in 2019 one of the preorder bonuses was you had your choice of two free Rockstar games. I chose LA Noire and Vice City, so I had the original well the original PC port. I was looking into the Definitive Edition to see if Rockstar ever fixed it up enough. But people were still saying it wasn't that good. I just went ahead and installed the original. I tried adding some mods but it wasn't working right for me. I found a video about this Definitive Edition mod. It's a bunch of mods all wrapped into one mod that makes the game run on Windows 10 and makes the game look better than the vanilla PC version. No, it doesn't make it look like a modern game. It just adds in the color and lighting effects from the console version. I think it had some slightly better textures especially on some signs. I know the mod says it used AI for some stuff. It also increases the draw distance of the lights in game. So that you can see them from farther out.

It's a nostalgia thing for me so I was happy with the game looking like it did on the PS2 but better.

It's still the best GTA game IMO. Rockstar was basically doing the whole 80's throwback thing before anyone else was. Matter of fact this game might have started it. Though I didn't see a lot of 80's stuff popping back up till the mid to late 2010's. I am sure it had an impact on a lot of Millennials views of the 80's. I know it did for me. If you are a Millennial this is probably the only way you will ever get to experience the 80's. But it wouldn't be that much of an experience without the radio and the music. The music is important in Vice City. The radio is important to all GTA games, but the radio makes you feel like you are in a living city. It helps immerse you in the world. Kind of like visiting the camp and sitting around the campfire in RDR2 listening to other gang members tell stories.

I can see why some people would have wanted a good remaster or better yet a remake. I wish Rockstar had delivered on that, but they didn't. The games mechanics feel old and clunky at times. If you have been playing new modern games for a while you will notice this, and it will probably piss you off at times. I know a few of the missions were a pain in the ass. They could have used modern video game design to make them less frustrating.

But I got 65% completion in 28 hours. That's good enough for me. That's about what I did back in 2002-2003.

This is the mod I used if anyone is interested.

https://www.definitive-edition-project.com/

 

[Scanline]

I finished Vice City for the 2nd time since 2002-2003. This time on my PC using an Xbox One controller off and on. Last time I played it was back in 2002 or 2003. I think I finished it in 2003. I didn't 100% it or anything but I finished all the story stuff back then. I won't be doing a 100% completion run this time either because a lot of the side stuff isn't very good, and I don't care about it much. [...]

I've wanted to go back and play 3 and Vice City for a while. Unfortunately my PS2 copy was scratched to shit when it eventually fell into my hands so I couldn't get any further than the first two or so missions. Love the hell out of San Andreas and 4, though. Even V and Online were fun until they butchered the latter.

Only thing I have trouble getting past with Vice City is its buttfuck awful aiming controls. The environments and such look pretty fuckin' nice on original hardware, too.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

I've wanted to go back and play 3 and Vice City for a while. Unfortunately my PS2 copy was scratched to shit when it eventually fell into my hands so I couldn't get any further than the first two or so missions. Love the hell out of San Andreas and 4, though. Even V and Online were fun until they butchered the latter.

Only thing I have trouble getting past with Vice City is its buttfuck awful aiming controls. The environments and such look pretty fuckin' nice on original hardware, too.

You could try emulating it through a PS2 emulator, an Xbox emulator or maybe on Xbox One. But I think Rockstar would have pulled all the original versions from digital stores. You could pick up the GTA 3 pack for the original Xbox and maybe play it on the Xbox One that way. But buying that on ebay won't be cheap.

I would say either wait for the definitive edition to go on sale or play the original PC version with that mod I used. Piracy would be an alternative on the PC. But the PC version would be the way to go. I saw some videos of people playing it on the PS2 and a PS2 emulator and it didn't look that good. It was never a great looking game anyway. The neon lighting effects could be cool to see. It looks like what a game from the early 2000's.

You can checkout Vimms lair for ROM's ISO's and emulators. It's what I use.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole]

You could try emulating it through a PS2 emulator, an Xbox emulator or maybe on Xbox One. But I think Rockstar would have pulled all the original versions from digital stores. You could pick up the GTA 3 pack for the original Xbox and maybe play it on the Xbox One that way. But buying that on ebay won't be cheap.

I would say either wait for the definitive edition to go on sale or play the original PC version with that mod I used. Piracy would be an alternative on the PC. But the PC version would be the way to go. I saw some videos of people playing it on the PS2 and a PS2 emulator and it didn't look that good. It was never a great looking game anyway. The neon lighting effects could be cool to see. It looks like what a game from the early 2000's.

You can checkout Vimms lair for ROM's ISO's and emulators. It's what I use.

As far as I know the Xbox versions were the best because it had better textures and models. Better than PC even. This angered some people back in the day, wheels on cars had 10 extra polygons and all that.

 

[Scanline]

You could try emulating it through a PS2 emulator, an Xbox emulator or maybe on Xbox One. But I think Rockstar would have pulled all the original versions from digital stores. You could pick up the GTA 3 pack for the original Xbox and maybe play it on the Xbox One that way. But buying that on ebay won't be cheap.

I would say either wait for the definitive edition to go on sale or play the original PC version with that mod I used. Piracy would be an alternative on the PC. But the PC version would be the way to go. I saw some videos of people playing it on the PS2 and a PS2 emulator and it didn't look that good. It was never a great looking game anyway. The neon lighting effects could be cool to see. It looks like what a game from the early 2000's.

You can checkout Vimms lair for ROM's ISO's and emulators. It's what I use.

Emulators suck monkey fuck so when I play it for reals I'll be using an actual PS2 on a CRT. Like I said, when I gave it a shot on my beat up disc it looked pretty nice for the half hour or so I could get through.

And nah, Vimm's Lair sucks. Download speeds are too slow and you can't do multiple files simultaneously. Real gigachads still have access to Emuparadise.

 

[broners]

As far as I know the Xbox versions were the best because it had better textures and models. Better than PC even. This angered some people back in the day, wheels on cars had 10 extra polygons and all that.

IIRC it was just 3 that had better graphics on Xbox and the PC version can be modded to match. Not sure about VC but I've played some of SA on Xbox and it looks the same as on PC.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

Vice City has the same problem all open world story driven games have even new ones. Once you finish the game there isn't much to do except run around and act crazy and I have to say it's more satisfying to go on free roam rampages in GTA 4 and 5. I had the same issue when I played RDR1. When I finished the story in that game there wasn't much to do. Especially if you completed all the stranger side missions. I went back and the did the few I had left as Jack Marston. The one cool thing is you could start a mission as John and finish later on as Jack and the NPC would mention it. The other good thing about VC other than the 80's theme just slathered all over the place is that the game make sit feel like you are setting up a criminal empire. Like you are really taking over Vice City. I also noticed that money is very tight in that game which fits with the 80's and the economy being shit tier back then by pre Soviet Collapse globalism standards. I remember in GTA3 by the end of the game I was flushed with cash. The same thing happened in GTA SA and GTA 5. I never finished GTA4 though I am probably halfway through it. But RDR2 never gets boring even after you finish the main story. You can still the legendary animals the legendary fish or just go hunting and fishing. You can explore the map as well. Even in MGS5 you can screw around with the weapons and the AI.

As far as I know the Xbox versions were the best because it had better textures and models. Better than PC even. This angered some people back in the day, wheels on cars had 10 extra polygons and all that.

I had the GTA collection on the original Xbox in the mid 2000's. The games do look better than they did on the PS2. One of the major improvements were that the characters in game had actual hands instead of flippers. Better draw distances as well. In the Xbox version you would get water droplets and blood droplets on screen as well. It's not a mind-blowing effect now but it was back then. The mod I used had that effect activated in the PC version. It even had a hand mod for the characters.

Emulators suck monkey fuck so when I play it for reals I'll be using an actual PS2 on a CRT. Like I said, when I gave it a shot on my beat up disc it looked pretty nice for the half hour or so I could get through.

And nah, Vimm's Lair sucks. Download speeds are too slow and you can't do multiple files simultaneously. Real gigachads still have access to Emuparadise.

Yeah, emulators aren't great all the time. But I play God of War 1 and 2 on RPCS3 and it works pretty well. I use other emulators. I have one for PS1 and multiple emulators for SNES and Genesis games though I haven't played them in a while.

I mostly use Vimm's Lair for NES SNES Genesis PS1 GBA and NDS games. So they aren't that big and don't take long to download.

IIRC it was just 3 that had better graphics on Xbox and the PC version can be modded to match. Not sure about VC but I've played some of SA on Xbox and it looks the same as on PC.

The mod definitive edition mod I used to play VC makes it look like what I remember the Xbox version looking like. I tried playing SA a while back, but the nigger stuff was annoying me. I used the SA down grader which has mods you can choose to install, and it makes it look like a better PS2 version.

 

[SandyCat]

Deep Rock Galactic is underrated

Spoiler

Go play it its great

 

[Kamen Rider Faiz]

Real gigachads still have access to Emuparadise.

this guy gets it
Speaking of Emuparadise. It's been almost a lustrum since they cutted the easy way to download the games, thank God we have the workaround
Fuck Nintendo

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

this guy gets it
Speaking of Emuparadise. It's been almost a lustrum since they cutted the easy way to download the games, thank God we have the workaround
Fuck Nintendo

Didn't Nintendo go after the ROM sites and make them take down all their first party games?

 

[ZMOT]

Vice City has the same problem all open world story driven games have even new ones. Once you finish the game there isn't much to do except run around and act crazy and I have to say it's more satisfying to go on free roam rampages in GTA 4 and 5. I had the same issue when I played RDR1. When I finished the story in that game there wasn't much to do. Especially if you completed all the stranger side missions. I went back and the did the few I had left as Jack Marston.

tbh if the open world is properly utilized I don't know why you would even wanna go back there after the story. same I way I wouldn't expect a linear corridor shooter to still keep entertaining me once I'm "done". kinda reminds me of the "this game needs an ENDGAME" - for what? you're supposed to go from start to finish, maybe to some achievement stuff or collectathons, but the game is supposed to end at some point.

of course if the open world is never properly utilized, then what's the point? might as well make it linear.

 

[The Unfunny guy]

I finished Vice City for the 2nd time since 2002-2003. This time on my PC using an Xbox One controller off and on. Last time I played it was back in 2002 or 2003. I think I finished it in 2003. I didn't 100% it or anything but I finished all the story stuff back then. I won't be doing a 100% completion run this time either because a lot of the side stuff isn't very good, and I don't care about it much.

With the release of the (not so) Definitive Edition late last year and everyone talking about Vice City and I wanted to play it again. When I preordered RDR2 in 2019 one of the preorder bonuses was you had your choice of two free Rockstar games. I chose LA Noire and Vice City, so I had the original well the original PC port. I was looking into the Definitive Edition to see if Rockstar ever fixed it up enough. But people were still saying it wasn't that good. I just went ahead and installed the original. I tried adding some mods but it wasn't working right for me. I found a video about this Definitive Edition mod. It's a bunch of mods all wrapped into one mod that makes the game run on Windows 10 and makes the game look better than the vanilla PC version. No, it doesn't make it look like a modern game. It just adds in the color and lighting effects from the console version. I think it had some slightly better textures especially on some signs. I know the mod says it used AI for some stuff. It also increases the draw distance of the lights in game. So that you can see them from farther out.

It's a nostalgia thing for me so I was happy with the game looking like it did on the PS2 but better.

It's still the best GTA game IMO. Rockstar was basically doing the whole 80's throwback thing before anyone else was. Matter of fact this game might have started it. Though I didn't see a lot of 80's stuff popping back up till the mid to late 2010's. I am sure it had an impact on a lot of Millennials views of the 80's. I know it did for me. If you are a Millennial this is probably the only way you will ever get to experience the 80's. But it wouldn't be that much of an experience without the radio and the music. The music is important in Vice City. The radio is important to all GTA games, but the radio makes you feel like you are in a living city. It helps immerse you in the world. Kind of like visiting the camp and sitting around the campfire in RDR2 listening to other gang members tell stories.

I can see why some people would have wanted a good remaster or better yet a remake. I wish Rockstar had delivered on that, but they didn't. The games mechanics feel old and clunky at times. If you have been playing new modern games for a while you will notice this, and it will probably piss you off at times. I know a few of the missions were a pain in the ass. They could have used modern video game design to make them less frustrating.

But I got 65% completion in 28 hours. That's good enough for me. That's about what I did back in 2002-2003.

This is the mod I used if anyone is interested.

https://www.definitive-edition-project.com/

Im slowly starting to regret selling my PS3 along with a physical copy of gta san andreas

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

tbh if the open world is properly utilized I don't know why you would even wanna go back there after the story. same I way I wouldn't expect a linear corridor shooter to still keep entertaining me once I'm "done". kinda reminds me of the "this game needs an ENDGAME" - for what? you're supposed to go from start to finish, maybe to some achievement stuff or collectathons, but the game is supposed to end at some point.

of course if the open world is never properly utilized, then what's the point? might as well make it linear.

It's not expecting the story to continue on. But there isn't much to do in Vice City after you finish the story Unlike RDR2 where you can hunt fish and explore the map. But GTA 5 had the same issue. Once you completed the story there wasn't much to do. You could hunt in GTA 5 but there wasn't much to it and no real reason for it. You could barely call it hunting. But in GTA 4 and 5 you could always go on rampages and screw around in the game. There just isn't much to do in Vice City. There is no real physics to screw around with. Even going on killing sprees is kind of boring.

I still play MGS5 and run around in Afghanistan and Africa and mess around with the weapons and AI. Though with MGS5 the maps are kind of empty and there isn't much to do unless you stick to the areas populated with enemies.

Im slowly starting to regret selling my PS3 along with a physical copy of gta san andreas

I bought a used PS3 back in 2017 and some PS3 games that were super cheap. The version of San Andreas on the PS3 and 360 was terrible. You are better off playing the PC version if you can. I would even say get the definitive edition on sale if you can. Both the DE version and the ps3 and 360 versions are based on mobile ports. If you go with the PC version just use the SA down grader in the video I posted.

 

[Kerr Avon]

MOGA controller I'd been using primarily for emulators ( approximately 7 years )

Tougher bastard than any of the console controllers I've ever had

 

[Professor G. Raff]

I wasn't too interested in it outside of a curiosity of which characters would be in it, but with the release of the open beta of Multiversus my brother texted me asking if I'd be interested in playing so I put on a muted Twitch stream of some Brazillian guy while I did other things and got access to the beta. Yes, you really have to watch a Twitch stream for an hour if you don't wanna pay $40, anyway...

I think the game is pretty fun for a free-to-play smash bros. I spent the first night just trying all the characters in training to determine who I like and I ended up gravitating to Batman. I practiced to a point I felt comfortable with and ready to play humans the next day. Well, today I found out that while you can do all the characters in training, only 4 are available to play right away vs. others... so I had to play a decent amount of Harley Quinn just to unlock Batman... but at least I got decent with her. So be craeful with the new player goals if you play, try the characters in training and determine who you like the most because only the first one you choose requires minimal grinding. You can then use them to earn coins for more.

After I unlocked him my bro got on for some 2v2 fights which where fun. Playing in undeveloped metas likes this are a blast, we also did it with a newly released Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale in the day and like then we didn't lose much. We're both pretty quick on reactions and until the tier meta fully developed and other put in the work to gain skill that natural affinity is enough to win most games. In like 3 hours of playing we only lost a single best 2 of 3 set.

The game is new, but so far none of the characters seem overly unbalanced. Taz has a tornado move that is ridiculously safe without ranged attacks (and the have cooldowns mostly) and it is eerily similar to Meta Knight's death tornado from Brawl, but that is just one thing. Batman is super fun because he can grapple hook that can bring him all over the place and his bata-rang resets it's cooldown if you get it back which is nice since most projectiles are entirely CD based. My brother plays Jake the dog as his main who is a brawler with some long range and movement based attacks, but he is also learning to play Bugs Bunny against weaker opponents who is complex with all his object based interactions. The other characters are pretty distinct, but these are the ones I have the most experience with.

The game is worth picking up via the Twitch method if you wanna give it a shot, and especially worth it if you have someone to play 2v2 with. It's got a leaked roster of potential upcoming characters which are mostly interesting, but they should focus on more stages first IMO as there are only like 6. Other than the annoyance of having to unlock characters the micro-transactions are mostly harmless cosmetics and avoidable. Characters level up and can presumably be boosted trough money somehow and this absolutely gives an advantage... but it's not too crazy, the perks I unlocked didn't seem to effect my matches all that much. The hope is it doesn't gradually get worse. It'll be interesting to see if it succeeds or quickly fades like Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl did.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole]

Didn't Nintendo go after the ROM sites and make them take down all their first party games?

They've been going after ROM sites for a long time. They even went after emulators, Realityman got hit with a lawsuit and the first good N64 emulator, UltraHLE, disappeared.

 

[Rotollo 2]

So xenoblade 3 leaked and all I can say is this:

Spoiler

What did rex mean by this?

Become gigachad

 

[Jonah Hill poster]

So, the good news is that I managed to have the Store option of Steam working on my end so I can one day get the Valve Steam Deck before my birthday next year.

The bad news is that I keep forgetting that the prices are not cheap.

Spoiler

Adding on to the already obvious fact that they might be sold out by the time I do want to get it. Perhaps it was wise not to wait until almost two years later to now starting to do more research on it.

Either way, it’s still a great handheld console. Valve really outdid themselves for sure.