The Video Game Thread

[D-Lyrium]

For me, Lords of the Fallen is the game I wanted Dark Souls to be.

 

It's basically the idea of Dark Souls but done differently, and I vastly prefer it. It's not for everyone, but it is for me.

[The Swanton825]

I've never played A Machine for Pigs, too much of a coward when it comes to horror games. But I'll be damned if this isn't one of the finest pieces of voice acting I've ever listened to (MASSIVE spoilers):

 

[Clarity]

I ended up buying Shadows Of Mordor. Only done 2 story missions so far, so cant really say how that goes..

 

From the 2 hours I mucked around, I managed to kill 4 named characters, died once and spent the rest of my time skulking about and picking off orcs..

 

They have also added in an awesome photo mode

[tjb000]

So I finally bought the Elite: Dangerous Beta tonight and it's pretty awesome. I haven't even jumped into a real game yet as I've been *trying* to do the tutorials, and boy do I suck. Kind of sad when the tutorials are giving you troubles.

 

I wanted to wait until I got some kind of HOTAS setup to play, but I'm just using an XBox One gamepad (I only own the controller, not the system. PS4 for the win!). I feel I got a little bit better after the two hours I played, but I'm still have difficulties. I especially suck at getting into a docking station. Took me forever to find the entry and when I got in, I crashed... Then it crazily glitched for several seconds as my ship kept tumbling and going through things and I was finally ejected.

 

I'm completely new to this kind of space flight simulator, and noobiness aside, it was really fun to play and quite graphically pleasing too. Looking forward to diving into it more. I foresee this and Star Citizen sucking up a lot of my free time when they are fully featured.

 

With that, I'm trying to experiment with a program called Voice Attack that will work with Elite: Dangerous. For those unaware of the program, it's a voice recognition piece of software that will let you give voice command input. Nifty and will come in handy I imagine, not to mention DAT IMMERSION!. Which is why I really want a HOTAS setup for the game. Not to mention Oculus Rift... HNNNNNNNGG!

 

[FINisher]

I have E: D too with Oculus Rift and with Saitek Pro X52 -HOTAS -setup :3 But I'm getting my new GPU (R9 290) so that I can finally play it with the Oculus, VR needs a lot of power from the GPU since my 7870 could barely run it (in VR -mode) with everything on minimum -.-'

[D-Lyrium]

Elite was one of the first games I ever played, on one of those 5 1/4 inch floppy disks, back in the days when games came in proper boxes with proper manuals.

 

E:D is a game I'm really interested in playing, but won't play until release. Unless impulse buying happens. Luckily it's not on Steam, so impulse buying is unlikely.

[Dragonmack]

i was actually part of the kickstarter backers for Elite Dangerous ( along with a lot of other games that have or are coming out in this year and next) and just got the beta myself. haven't had a real space flight game since Freelancer a decade ago. but for this really think going to need to get a joystick.

 

seen a Logitech joystick going for around $35 on best buy that has some good reviews and planning to pick one up so I can play the beta more ( if I get any time between Shadows of Morder, and the WOW expansion launch in a couple weeks)

[BHK1978]

After having played GTA 5 so much that I finally got bored with it (There are only so many times you can have Trevor go up to a NPC and say rude stuff to them.) I decided I wanted to go back and play Lost and the Damned/Ballad of Gay Tony. I was amazed at how poorly the vehicles handled in those games, I mean they were absolutely terrible especially when compared to GTA V.

 

I wanted to get San Andreas but I have not got XBOX Live so that will not be happening. I was wondering if anyone had a chance to play it and how good it was.

 

I can't wait for Dragon Age III to come out that game looks like it is going to be sick.

[Blackman]

I can't wait for Dragon Age III to come out that game looks like it is going to be sick.

 

Yeah, well it looks all right (all right ). But that doesn't mean much nowadays, and has never meant much tbh.

[Macca316]

Yeah, well it looks all right (all right ). But that doesn't mean much nowadays, and has never meant much tbh.

 

I fully intend on playing a dwarf at some point just to romance The Iron Bull just to see if said dwarf gets ripped in two by The Iron Bull

[grits207]

Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is out today and I'm pretty sure I've never been this excited to play a game other than GTA V. I logged over 500 hours in the original BoI in the span of just a few months and fully expect to top that in Rebirth. Just an absurdly fun and addicting game.

[The Swanton825]

I fully intend on playing a dwarf at some point just to romance The Iron Bull just to see if said dwarf gets ripped in two by The Iron Bull

 

I love how enough people wanted it that BioWare actually made it an option. I'm really looking forward to Inquisition, I just hope that it actually lives up to my cautious optimism. But you never know with any game these days.

 

(Yet I've still pre-ordered it and WWE 2K15)

[Macca316]

I love how enough people wanted it that BioWare actually made it an option. I'm really looking forward to Inquisition, I just hope that it actually lives up to my cautious optimism. But you never know with any game these days.

 

(Yet I've still pre-ordered it and WWE 2K15)

 

I am so deep into that franchise as a fan that even if its terrible I'll love and play the hell out of it...

 

Did the same with DA2 even though alot of people claim its terrible.

 

I got WWE 2K15 for the PS3 as at current don't have a ps4... Yeah it's the same game largly but i'm enjoying it... and one split second moment has easily made this purchase worth while for me,

 

was playing as a downloaded Hideo Itami against Fandango and the guy that made the Itami had given him a slap as one of his punches, Fandango jumped off the top rope and thanks to janky physics I managed to b*tch slap Fandango out of mid air...

 

Was pretty awesome.

[hellboy2]

i love Dragon Age 2, after completing it, i finally read reviews and was stunned about how people thought it was bad

 

only thing i don't like, is too many random battles, that take ages to plow through, but i love it anyway

 

Also addicted to Fallout New Vegas, forgot how much i love it, i have Veronica as a companion the first time i have used her, as i always stick with Boone

[Macca316]

i love Dragon Age 2, after completing it, i finally read reviews and was stunned about how people thought it was bad

 

only thing i don't like, is too many random battles, that take ages to plow through, but i love it anyway

 

Also addicted to Fallout New Vegas, forgot how much i love it, i have Veronica as a companion the first time i have used her, as i always stick with Boone

 

I read no reviews but have since seen on forums and talking to people that it was apparently really bad.

 

While I agree with some points, every dungeon being almost a carbon copy of each other, Some of the people who didn't enjoy ther story... I'm not saying their wrong... but their wrong the story is just as good if not better than DA:O its a more personal story... easpecially if playing as a Mage.

[Blackman]

only thing i don't like, is too many random battles, that take ages to plow through, but i love it anyway

 

Also addicted to Fallout New Vegas, forgot how much i love it, i have Veronica as a companion the first time i have used her, as i always stick with Boone

 

The game recycled the same maps too much, and at the same time offering encounters with little to no narrative context. It was bad enough you just had to spam spells and abilities to get through them. The narrative itself was boring as f*ck, with the player being trapped in a city through most of the game, just doing random fetch quests. The gameplay was fine, though dumbed down from 1, but it made up for the other areas to create a imo barely playable game. I forced through it because of Dragon Age 1, but if I were gifted with foresight, I would've stayed far away from this waste of my time.

 

Fallout New Vegas I started, but the beginning is so underwhelming that I gave up on it after one hour. I like freedom in games, but the game just leaves you with little pretext - or not enough to interest me. I liked Fallout 3 a lot, and though Fallout NV seems to offer more of the same, it seemed like crap to me. Quite the riddle actually: same graphics, same gameplay. Didn't get tired of F3 as I've played both years apart. F3 offers a tutorial in the vault underground while building up the story. The emerging from the vault at the start was quite amazing. FNV doesn't offer that at all.

 

It seems to be typical for Obsidian. They make good games but the beginning is SO underwhelming. KOTOR II is horrible to pick up, yet the story was great near the end (at least imo). Neverwinter Nights II is supposedly good, but the first dungeon and the tutorial are SO boring they made me quit, probably never to pick it up again. In a time where games are just 2$ and 2 clicks away, you gotta make your game interesting or players will either:

1. Go back to games they like, such as FIFA or CoD

2. Try another game in their - no doubt long - backlog

[D-Lyrium]

I still maintain that DA2 is not a bad video game. However, it's an absolutely terrible Dragon Age: Origins sequel. The bar was set high, and DA2 was not the game most people (myself included) wanted.

 

However, I'll play Inquisition anyway. Two main reasons:

- Bioware made it, and ME3 still hasn't shaken off my fanboism.

- Leliana is a major character.

 

Fallout New Vegas I started, but the beginning is so underwhelming that I gave up on it after one hour. I like freedom in games, but the game just leaves you with little pretext - or not enough to interest me. I liked Fallout 3 a lot, and though Fallout NV seems to offer more of the same, it seemed like crap to me. Quite the riddle actually: same graphics, same gameplay. Didn't get tired of F3 as I've played both years apart.

 

Agreed... The opening in F3 was slow as a glacier too but that was ok because you were just learning about the world (in most cases - F3 was a looot more popular than F1, 2 or T just due to the genre it was in). FNV still had that slow, plodding opening that was totally unnecessary for a sequel. I do like the setting, but I haven't got very far in the game. I still do pick it up occasionally though.

 

It seems to be typical for Obsidian. They make good games but the beginning is SO underwhelming. KOTOR II is horrible to pick up, yet the story was great near the end (at least imo). Neverwinter Nights II is supposedly good, but the first dungeon and the tutorial are SO boring they made me quit, probably never to pick it up again.

 

I remember liking NWN2 when it came out. Had some good characters and interactions. I do remember everything up until you met Khelgar and Neeshka being a slog, but after that it was quite fun. The druid was completely useless though, and spent so long back at the inn that when I did finally have a use for her she was massively under-levelled. I seem to remember liking the story, but it did take months to actually go anywhere.

 

There is practically zero reason to go back and play NWN2 now, as everything good about it has already been done better in other games. Most of them named Dragon Age.

 

In other news... First Person GTAV! Looks good!

[Macca316]

I still maintain that DA2 is not a bad video game. However, it's an absolutely terrible Dragon Age: Origins sequel. The bar was set high, and DA2 was not the game most people (myself included) wanted.

 

Am I the minority of people who found the story to be enjoyable? maybe not as big and bold a story as Origins but it was a smaller scale personal story that i found to be for the majority highly enjoyable.

[Hive]

It seems to be typical for Obsidian. They make good games but the beginning is SO underwhelming. KOTOR II is horrible to pick up, yet the story was great near the end (at least imo).

 

The first planet in KoTOR II is probably the worst intro level in any game ever. Man, was it a drag to get through... and it didn't take long for people to make a mod that allowed you to skip the first planet entirely.

[Blackman]

Agreed... The opening in F3 was slow as a glacier too but that was ok because you were just learning about the world (in most cases - F3 was a looot more popular than F1, 2 or T just due to the genre it was in). FNV still had that slow, plodding opening that was totally unnecessary for a sequel. I do like the setting, but I haven't got very far in the game. I still do pick it up occasionally though.

 

You are right. It was slow but as an opener, it's an absolute hole-in-one. Let me compare it a little with known multi-playthrough games:

 

- Baldur's Gate II: You escape captivity and emerge in a town with lots to do / Quest: chase a sorcerer with vague directions through a semi-open world

 

- TESIII Morrowind: You escape captivity (rather: you're released) and emerge in a town of little significance / Quest: Search some dude who'll get you underway through an open world

 

- TESIV Oblivion: You escape captivity and emerge in a town with lots to do / Quest: delivery of an item to some dude through an open world (note that many never even arrived there after 20 hours )

 

- TESV Skyrim: You escape captivity and emerge in a little town on your way to a bigger one with word of dragons through an open world as a /Quest

 

- Fallout III: You escape confinement and emerge in an open world looking for your father with vague directions as a /Quest

 

Is it just me or am I seeing a trend here? This is of course no coïncidence. Most of these games are from the same devs, but they obviously realise that this type of narrative entrant is a strong cataclyst for gaming interest and ultimately devotion to a particular game. It's proven time after time that it works, even though the directions are vague and unclear. Even Tomb Raider copied it to great effect.

 

- Fallout New Vegas asks you to find the men who tried to kill you. Generally, people would have little motivation to do this. Vengeance, surely, but the player doesn't care about the character enough to trigger that. You are dropped in an empty space of land with little to do, so I just quit. Or maybe I was just too lazy in that particular week.

 

- NWN II has you in a town that is attacked by a mysterious cult/group, which is never explained until quite late in the game (I suppose). I could've listened better to the story, perhaps, but ultimately, I didn't know what I was doing in the first dungeon.

 

BG makes you despise Sarevok / Irenicus through smart use of opening segments. F3 and TES call to the adventurous side of the player. What does NWN2 do, or FNV? The latter attempts this, poorly, and the former just leaves you in the dark without a clear representation of the goal in sight: be it a dragon, a badguy, an item,... Planescape Torment had the player character itself as the central point (brilliant btw). You can and probably will get dragged in somewhere along the road, but it's often too late. Dragon Age II just makes it worse by handing you the same evil image of the Blight, but you're actually running away from it, literaly, to one of the dullest places imaginable (baaad level design is at fault here). It almost made me want to backtrack to get some frickin' action.

[Blackman]

The first planet in KoTOR II is probably the worst intro level in any game ever. Man, was it a drag to get through... and it didn't take long for people to make a mod that allowed you to skip the first planet entirely.

 

It was full of horrible fetch quests that made me quit the first time. I only finished it about 5 years ago in a second attempt.

 

Baldur's Gate II had a similar mod to skip the intro dungeon, but that was just made because people replayed the game so much they actually got sick and tired of it.

[BHK1978]

Am I the minority of people who found the story to be enjoyable? maybe not as big and bold a story as Origins but it was a smaller scale personal story that i found to be for the majority highly enjoyable.

 

I liked it but the one major thing I hated was what Blackman touched on, I hated the recycled maps. I did enjoy the story and how it tied in with the original game and Awakening (I might be one of the few people who thought Awakening was a good game...).

[Jaysin]

Finally got around to playing Bioshock Infinite. I barely played the first one and didn't play the second at all, but holy crap Infinite rules. I understand where all the praise has come from. I just got the Shock Jockey Vigor. I'm having a ball.

 

*Edit*

Instead of double posting, I figured I'd edit this in.

 

I've had the game Psi-OPs: The Mindgate Conspiracy on my mind quite a bit lately. I don't understand why there wasn't a franchise built around it. It was fantastic. It definitely deserved a sequel.

[Rickymex]

Am I the minority of people who found the story to be enjoyable? maybe not as big and bold a story as Origins but it was a smaller scale personal story that i found to be for the majority highly enjoyable.

 

I liked the story but yeah the recycled maps just dragged on. All my other playthroughs basically was me killing all the mooks with cheats and just enjoying the boss battles and the story.

 

The only thing I want from DA3 is to know where my Warden and his kid is. That all I care about honestly. The kid was born to two extremely powerful people and has a god inside. He needs to show up sooner or later preferably as a good person.

[The Swanton825]

I liked the story but yeah the recycled maps just dragged on. All my other playthroughs basically was me killing all the mooks with cheats and just enjoying the boss battles and the story.

 

The only thing I want from DA3 is to know where my Warden and his kid is. That all I care about honestly. The kid was born to two extremely powerful people and has a god inside. He needs to show up sooner or later preferably as a good person.

 

I bet five (imaginary) bucks that the kid factors 0% into the story and is only seen in a blink and you'll miss it cameo.

 

EDIT: Then his story will be available after release as 15-20$ DLC.