The Video Game Thread

[dvdWarrior]

There's definitely a lot of extra enjoyment I'm getting out of the game, simply because it's the first one I've played in a long, long time. So much of it is new to me.

 

What is new is GM mode, and after a couple of days of playing it... I really like that too. It's absolutely not what most people wanted from a GM Mode. It's not even what I wanted. It's very restrictive. More of an optimization puzzle than a free-form fantasy booking simulator. It reminds me of a board game, where everything is abstracted down into a small amount of elements that control everything. I'm having a blast with it... although TEW has nothing to worry about in terms of competition.

 

Haven't tried MyRise yet. You don't seem to be able to import a CAW/moveset from a character you've created outside of the mode. I spent ages making the ideal evil sheep costume and can't be bothered doing it again.

 

I'm loving MyRise.

 

It ... does take FOREVER to pound out your move-set. It's a monumental undertaking.. but I'm really loving the first guy I created, (a supremely cocky heel actor type). I've now created a second, an MMA-based Striker I plan to play as a no nonsense babyface.

 

The practice mode, a little option you have in the Create Moveset section, has REALLY helped me figure out the controls a lot. I've actually unlocked that Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero from 1997 that I was wanting. I'll start working on the rest later.

 

I'm in the painstaking process of copying my first MyRise Character over to the custom superstar section. Sadly, you don't seem to be able to use your MyRise characters elsewhere... but I wanted to, so .. I did what I had to do.

 

So far the nWo Souled Out arena and the Starrcade 1996 arena are my two favorite places to play.

[Blackman]

There's definitely a lot of extra enjoyment I'm getting out of the game, simply because it's the first one I've played in a long, long time. So much of it is new to me.

 

That is true. The same thing kinda happened to me with 2019 or 2018, after several years of inactivity.

 

In its essence, TEW is also an optimisation puzzle (for event grades), albeit a very complex one. But it's so much more than that with all the different options to roleplay. But this GM mode looks quite simple. Why would I play this if I still haven't played TEW properly?

[The Swanton825]

I finished Kena: Bridge of Spirits this past week and either I missed the hype train on this game or nobody talked about it. It's a shame because this game is like a Pixar movie in video game form. If I had any major criticism it would be that the combat was trying too hard to mimic the God of War reboot and it just winds up leaving you with frustrating boss battles. Outside of that though, this is one of those games that doesn't really innovate on anything but does what it sets out to do well enough and with plenty of charm that it's still super enjoyable.

 

Also, if you don't find the misleadingly-named Rot to be absolutely adorable, you have no soul.

[Self]

Gave up trying to recreate 'myself' in WWE 2K22 MyRise, so instead I've jumped into the mode as big, fat MMA powerhouse; 'Loverboy' Luscious B Wonderful. I started with the moveset the game gave me, and have been tweaking it here and there. A lot of reckless, lazy throws for grapples. I'm a little disappointed with MyRise's disjointed storytellng, especially since my move to NXT. In the performance center I had a clear goal and rivals. Now it's just 'stuff' occurring. Wacky angles and childish squabbling on social media. I didn't even get to play my TV debut. It skipped straight to a post-show exhibition after my debut.

 

 

My Game Pass renews tomorrow and I'm still into it. During March I mostly played...

 

• Halo Infinite Campaign - Halo was my college experience, and the muscle memory is still intact. I've hit a tricky boss though. Never been a fan of boss battles in games.
  
• Yakuza Like a Dragon - Carried over from last month, but much like Halo I've hit a tough boss. Unlike Halo the solution for this is 'grinding' and I don't enjoy the combat here enough for that. So I'm done with this. Fun world. Well made. I've seen enough.
  
• Unpacking - Chill little game about unpacking moving boxes. 4-5 hours of zen. Surprisingly worked for me.
  
• Dungeons of Naheulbeuk This one didn't make a great first impression, with its generic fantasy tropes and frustrating amounts of dialogue, but I love turn-based, squad-on-a-grid combat so I powered through and ended up enjoying it. Fun comedic tone, an endearing pathetic-ness to the characters. I thought the story was a mess... but I guess I did skip a lot of dialogue.

 

I have that Guardians of the Galaxy game all downloaded and ready. That's my weekend plan.

[Blackman]

Wacky angles and childish squabbling on social media. I didn't even get to play my TV debut.

 

Did you play WWE2K20 (once it was playable)? The story mode there was so hilariously juvenile that I laughed out loud many times.

 

BTW a character might make a cameo in this year's storyline.

 

Anyhow, once you tweak the sliders and difficulty a bit, the game is really fun. It's just the collision issues but I figure that's just unavoidable.

[The Swanton825]

Did you play WWE2K20 (once it was playable)? The story mode there was so hilariously juvenile that I laughed out loud many times.

 

BTW a character might make a cameo in this year's storyline.

 

Anyhow, once you tweak the sliders and difficulty a bit, the game is really fun. It's just the collision issues but I figure that's just unavoidable.

 

And even that story has nothing on NBA 2K16's. It still holds a special place in my heart for its hilariously awful and pretentious storyline. Paper-thin characters appear and disappear from the story at random, "shocking" reveals come out of nowhere and make you feel nothing, that constant sense of "The writing wants to convince you it has depth without actually being deep", it has it all!

[dvdWarrior]

The Money In The Bank Ladder Match that your character HAS to win in MyRise... might just be the most sadistic, inhumanely horrid, morally reprehensible, in every possible way evil thing ANY human being on Earth has ever conjured up from the fiery depths of Hell....

 

And I am somewhat frustrated by it.

[djskeemask]

The Money In The Bank Ladder Match that your character HAS to win in MyRise... might just be the most sadistic, inhumanely horrid, morally reprehensible, in every possible way evil thing ANY human being on Earth has ever conjured up from the fiery depths of Hell....

 

And I am somewhat frustrated by it.

 

Tell us how you really feel!

[djskeemask]

And even that story has nothing on NBA 2K16's. It still holds a special place in my heart for its hilariously awful and pretentious storyline. Paper-thin characters appear and disappear from the story at random, "shocking" reveals come out of nowhere and make you feel nothing, that constant sense of "The writing wants to convince you it has depth without actually being deep", it has it all!

 

I bought WWE 2k20 on PC through Steam. Huge waste of money. Luckily, I bought it on sale. I was able to play it, but only to simulate. If I actually tried to play a match, the FPS would drop so bad that everything was in slow motion. This even happened in just one-on-one matches. Every graphic option turned down or off. I was playing with No Mercy N64 graphics in an empty stadium. Still slow motion. Tried everything I found on the internet to fix it, and nothing helped. (If anyone has any tips, please share!!). I will probably never buy another WWE game again. I'm glad Yukes is making AEW's game as they are the ones responsible for me and my friends losing mass amounts of hours of our lives playing WCW vs. NWO multiplayer on N64.

[Blackman]

Why didn't you refund it then? You can't have played 2 hours if it's impossible to play a match.

 

I also got it on sale for 30$ after a mere month, and I didn't feel like it was a waste of money or time, but after the storyline was finished I just stopped playing. At least in this new version the clipping issues are minimal. I hate it when that happens as it takes the magic away. Why didn't the "golden generation" of wrestling games have these issues and suddenly it becomes a thing. Contrary to what people sometimes think, the complexity of the games has NOT increased. Some simple actions are no longer there, and instead you can lift them in 4 different ways and finish with a move. But that's after 20 years of "progression".

 

Anyhow, the graphics look really good so some improvements have been made. I actually watch the entrances now.

 

MyRise is a bit... off imo. I started a career in RAW and went through everything and haven't gotten a title opportunity. But it's something else and I'm fine with it. The storylines are a bit short and uninteresting so far. Not sure if these change it you play another gender? That would add to the replayability.

 

The MyFaction mode is fun as it gives you different targets whereas otherwise you just play who you want. You can collect cards but it's not compelling you at all to spend money on it so it's fine. The game is easy enough to allow you to beat an 80 with a 58.

 

MyGM as I said before is lacking and fun to play but only once. Apparently some people love it and can't stop playing.

[dvdWarrior]

[Blackman]

All in all I like the game and it was a good purchase for what you get. My biggest gripe is no 90's Kane but you can't have everything, right?

 

Anyhow, today's announcement from Adam gives me one more game to look forward to. The rest of the year is - for me at least - very lackluster with nothing to look forward to afaik.

 

The only two left on my list to play are Inquisitions:Rome and Mount&Blade II. The former just got a Gladiators expansion which reminds at the excellent Gladius game that is recently purchasable on Xbox.

 

I want to like Elden Ring as it looks stunning but based on the comments of several people it will be a very frustrating experience for me. I played Dark Souls I shortly and it's really not my type of game. I hate grinding and the boss battles in Elden Ring are an exercise in patience. Gonna skip that one as games shouldn't be frustrating. This is also why forcing people to win a MitB match (8 or 6 people?) is a stupid idea as it's basically a lottery. Just let you lose and get an opportunity another way.

 

This week I lose my first match btw. Still playing on 'normal' apparently and it's just too easy to win with the godly stats your character gets. It was a cage match and I accidently did a "Hardy" and jumped off into an empty ring instead of climbing out. Oops. But the next match you immediately get a rematch for your title.

[djskeemask]

At the time, I wasn't hurting for money. I didn't ask for a refund because I am fairly good at troubleshooting problems on my computer. I figured I could fix it, or that a patch would come along. Oh well. Live & learn. I still play TEW regularly. Mostly experimenting to find the right mod. I am a huge World War 2 fan and played Company of Heroes 1 & 2 a lot. Mostly 1. I have recently found Sudden Strike 4, which is fairly close to CoH. With SS4, you can play as any of the world powers and each have their own campaigns. There is also even missions for the Pacific leg of the war. Kind of a spoiler, but not really. With the Americans in SS4, to set up for D-Day, you have to clear the town first with some Airborne troops before they storm the beach. It's fun to play a different aspect of that day, letting your amphibious troops land without the literal rain of bullets on the beach. Any suggestions to spend some tax return money on?

[BHK1978]

Now I'm on the Money In The Bank Robbery storyline, and let me tell you... that money in the bank ladder match.. is one of the worst experiences I remember having in a video game. Ever.

 

Reading this section of your post gave me flashbacks to the Grand Theft Auto San Andreas RC Plane mission. As many hours as I put into that game back when it came out, I stopped playing the game to win it, because I could never beat that mission.

 

Another GTA mission from hell, for me anyway, was the Sexy Time mission in The Ballard of Gay Tony. You need to beat that mission to win the game and well...I never beat it. I must have tried it at least sixty times before just giving up.

 

I can fully understand your frustration over stuff like that.

[dvdWarrior]

Reading this section of your post gave me flashbacks to the Grand Theft Auto San Andreas RC Plane mission. As many hours as I put into that game back when it came out, I stopped playing the game to win it, because I could never beat that mission.

 

Another GTA mission from hell, for me anyway, was the Sexy Time mission in The Ballard of Gay Tony. You need to beat that mission to win the game and well...I never beat it. I must have tried it at least sixty times before just giving up.

 

I can fully understand your frustration over stuff like that.

 

Oh, Ozzy's winning that match. If it's the last thing he ever does, Ozzy is winning that match.

 

:D

 

I have definitely had some missions like that in my life. Matter of fact, I think the Women's Money In The Bank Ladder Match in WWE 2K20 was such a thing for me. Though I'll admit I wasn't as invested in that game as I am in this one.

[The Swanton825]

I bought WWE 2k20 on PC through Steam. Huge waste of money. Luckily, I bought it on sale. I was able to play it, but only to simulate. If I actually tried to play a match, the FPS would drop so bad that everything was in slow motion. This even happened in just one-on-one matches. Every graphic option turned down or off. I was playing with No Mercy N64 graphics in an empty stadium. Still slow motion. Tried everything I found on the internet to fix it, and nothing helped. (If anyone has any tips, please share!!). I will probably never buy another WWE game again. I'm glad Yukes is making AEW's game as they are the ones responsible for me and my friends losing mass amounts of hours of our lives playing WCW vs. NWO multiplayer on N64.

 

Actually Aki were the ones who made WCW vs NWO. Yuke's are the ones who made Smackdown and almost all the other WWE games in the 21st Century. IIRC Omega was pushing hard for Aki (they're called syn Sophia now, but it's still the same Aki) but Yuke's has more experience with modern consoles so they won out.

[Jaysin]

When I watched Mania at my buddy's house we played WWE2K22 and it was very fun. GM Mode seemed limited, but still fun.

[Blackman]

When I watched Mania at my buddy's house we played WWE2K22 and it was very fun. GM Mode seemed limited, but still fun.

 

As in all the combat games (much like EA UFC) they have to find a balance between simple playability and comlexity. If the mode was truly complex a lot of people would have dismissed it from the start, let alone blast the game on the internet. The way it's now it's accessible to all players. I mostly miss the interactivity between brands like the last GM mode we saw (SvR 2k10?).

[Jaysin]

As in all the combat games (much like EA UFC) they have to find a balance between simple playability and comlexity. If the mode was truly complex a lot of people would have dismissed it from the start, let alone blast the game on the internet. The way it's now it's accessible to all players. I mostly miss the interactivity between brands like the last GM mode we saw (SvR 2k10?).

 

I was meaning more along the lines of no tag titles or midcard belts in GM Mode. It doesn't have to be super complicated to be good. It has a good starting point though for the future. Hopefully going forward they release entries every two to three years instead of putting out buggy messes every year like they did in the past.

 

2K22 shows a lot of promise and the roster is a lot of fun. I've seen some incredible CAWs already too.

[Blackman]

Hopefully going forward they release entries every two to three years instead of putting out buggy messes every year like they did in the past.

 

I don't know. They have to find a solution for the outdated gimmicks that is a plague on the game every year. And they sometimes supply CaW mode with alternative gear for some wrestlers, but you'd have to assign it yourself. Lots of work. It used to come with alternative gear.

 

The fact that someone had to "cheat" to get Alexa Bliss in the non-"Wyatt" version is annoying, but thank god it worked. I've missed the entire Fiend period so I'd rather have her in the normal version.

[djskeemask]

Actually Aki were the ones who made WCW vs NWO. Yuke's are the ones who made Smackdown and almost all the other WWE games in the 21st Century. IIRC Omega was pushing hard for Aki (they're called syn Sophia now, but it's still the same Aki) but Yuke's has more experience with modern consoles so they won out.

 

You are correct. Idk why I was thinking Yukes instead of AKI.

[dvdWarrior]

[The Swanton825]

You are correct. Idk why I was thinking Yukes instead of AKI.

 

It's an easy mistake since Yuke's are the ones everyone is always talking about and if Day of Reckoning is any indication, they can make a really good AKI-style game when they feel like it.

[Blackman]

Now, all I have to do is face Roman Reigns. No biggie, right?

 

Right?!?!?!

 

It can't be worse than the WrestlemaniaXIX game "boss" fight against Mr. McMahon. He kicked out of everything.

 

Cool trunks btw. Reminds me of Theory's Mania gear. I tried to look for that in the Community zone but couldn't find it.

[dvdWarrior]

Not 100% sure, but I think the shorts I used were Rusev's from 2K20, but with all the logos and identifying marks removed. I just changed up the colors to match the black and silver color scheme, and used rubber (I think) as the main material).