The Video Game Thread

[dvdWarrior]

I'm still playing WWE2K20, and having fun with that, along with MLB The Show 20, (I have this Australian pitcher I made for Road To The Show - Simon Riggs of the Colorado Rockies - he's fantastic), and Tony Hawk's Pro Skaters 1 and also 2. I dabble in the Star Trek Online and Fire Pro Wrestling World as well.

 

Been having an issue with my controller lately though. Seems it all the time wants to scroll up.... CONSTANTLY. It's ... really annoying. In WWE 2K, my wrestler wants to walk in a certain direction. Easy enough to deal with that. In Trek, my beloved USS Pantheon is prone to start spinning like a top in space.. and on the ground, Admiral Collyer is most always on the move. Whether I want him to be or not. Again, not the biggest problem in all the world, a mild inconvenience at worst.

 

But then there's times when I'm trying to pick something off a menu, and it just starts flying through all the available options, and it's a real pain in the butt to pick out the one I actually want. It's like one of those games you see on Facebook, you know... Which MCU Character Are You?.

 

Not a big fan of that.

 

Besides which, I am clearly Thor.

 

Also, after my boy Riggs snagged a pretty solid base hit for himself, and was sitting pretty at first base.... he just TOOK OFF AND TRIED TO STEAL SECOND!!!! Naturally, he was thrown out by 19 and a half miles, and made to look like a complete and utter idiot.

 

Not a big fan of that either.

 

I finally had to break down and get myself a brand new controller. They were a teency tiny little bit pricey... more than I spent on the new Tony Hawk game(s) actually, (did I mention I've been playing those? Well, I have and they're fantastic!), but it was worth it to finally be able to play a game without the constant aggravation of forward motion.

 

Finally, good times have come back... home.

 

[cappyboy]

Still with Kingdom Come which is a real testament to the quality of that game but I find myself hitting a personal wall. I've reached the point in the main story where I was scouting out the abandoned village the bandits took over and I'm starting to feel woefully undertrained as I'm only level 7. I've felt so hustled along the main storyline I've done hardly any side quests or stopped at what are meant to be points of interest. To the point I'm fearing I'm about to get myself horribly wrecked. I can't decide if I want to restart from scratch and try to take a more lesiurely approach to the game or plunge ahead and hope for a long enough lull in the story to do some personal catchup. I am also trying to play the game as scrupulously honest as possible. I hope that's not part of my issue but it does seem like my gear may be weaker than ideal.

[The Swanton825]

Still with Kingdom Come which is a real testament to the quality of that game but I find myself hitting a personal wall. I've reached the point in the main story where I was scouting out the abandoned village the bandits took over and I'm starting to feel woefully undertrained as I'm only level 7. I've felt so hustled along the main storyline I've done hardly any side quests or stopped at what are meant to be points of interest. To the point I'm fearing I'm about to get myself horribly wrecked. I can't decide if I want to restart from scratch and try to take a more lesiurely approach to the game or plunge ahead and hope for a long enough lull in the story to do some personal catchup. I am also trying to play the game as scrupulously honest as possible. I hope that's not part of my issue but it does seem like my gear may be weaker than ideal.

 

If it helps, there aren't any timed main missions that I can recall so you're always free to go off and look for some side quests to bump up your level. And I stole everything that wasn't nailed down and wound up basically drowning in more gold than I could spend, so playing Henry as an honest sort seems to be more what the game was balanced for.

[Blackman]

Still with Kingdom Come (...) I hope that's not part of my issue but it does seem like my gear may be weaker than ideal.

 

Yeah, that's what put me off as well. There's upkeep costs because it tries to be a sim and that takes the leisure approach away imo. I love that gear is hard to acquire though and makes you work for it. But sometimes it feels TOO much like actual work.

 

I wanted to get Tony Hawk reboot but it's still too expensive for a adrenaline shot. Plus I play the music on a regular basis so that aspect isn't really contributing.

 

I did get "Control" during the autumn sales. So far it looks impressive, but the raytracing is killing my 3D card.

 

And if your controller starts to nudge you one direction without you holding it clear upon startup it's time to get a new one. One of the best investments imo for PC gaming: an Xbox360 controller. Those should be relatively cheap and should be wired for minimum annoyance.

[Big Roguey]

For anyone interested, the online part of Red Dead Redemption 2 is now a standalone game. Until February it's dirt cheap to get, cost me £4.49 on the PS Store just there.

[Killagy]

Cyberpunk 2077 is almost here, less than 24 hours from release. I haven't been this hyped for a release in quite some time, I feel like a kid the night before Christmas <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

[guyver3]

In insanely hyped for 2077 but am also very worried that the early reviews are only PC. They seem to be trying to keep console versions extra hush hush with no footage or reviews which I’m surprised isn’t a bigger red flag for people. I’m debating if I should pick it up to play it over the holidays or wait until next year when I can get a 4K tv and hopefully a PS5 at a reasonable price.

[BHK1978]

In insanely hyped for 2077 but am also very worried that the early reviews are only PC. They seem to be trying to keep console versions extra hush hush with no footage or reviews which I’m surprised isn’t a bigger red flag for people. I’m debating if I should pick it up to play it over the holidays or wait until next year when I can get a 4K tv and hopefully a PS5 at a reasonable price.

 

I've heard it was buggy for the PC. Not sure if it is that way for the PS5 as well. I was thinking about getting it for my XBOX, but like you I might wait until the price goes down.

 

It is odd but I don't find games must buy anymore. I remember years ago when Grand Theft Auto San Andreas first came out I stood in line for two hours starting at midnight, just so I could have the chance of getting the game the first day. Now I could wait months before I go out and buy the latest hit game.

[cappyboy]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BHK1978" data-cite="BHK1978" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="28397" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p> </p><p> It is odd but I don't find games must buy anymore. I remember years ago when Grand Theft Auto San Andreas first came out I stood in line for two hours starting at midnight, just so I could have the chance of getting the game the first day. Now I could wait months before I go out and buy the latest hit game.</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> That's one of the things I've loved about Playstation Now. Quite a few of the games I've played on it have been blockbusters that either passed me by when they were the rage or cult faves I was unsure about. Your Red Deads. Your Horizon Zero Dawns. Your Kingdom Comes. And each case I've been glad I did experience the game that way. Both with unexpected surprises like Kingdom Come and the ones that fell flat for me like Red Dead and Horizon. If I'd had to pay for a hard copy of Kingdom Come, I'd never have wanted to take the risk. If I'd had to have a hard copy of Red Dead 1 or Horizon, I'd have felt like I wasted that money. This way, no risk all reward. Last game I've bought in hard copy form was the special edition of Skyrim fall of last year because Now lets me be so much more strategic and mindful in my hard disc buys.</p>

[BHK1978]

I get what you are saying but I still like physical copies. This is why when I posted above, buying digital or even renting digital did not cross my mind.

 

I probably would not be as open to a streaming service, because I might not use it that much.

 

The thing I dislike about buying digital (not streaming) is that you do not own the product you bought. Or at the very least if you buy through Amazon that is the case. They say that Amazon sells you a license to whatever digital media product they sell to you. Now I have not gone through the TOS of the XBOX store to see if that is the case with them as well, but if I was a betting man I would think it is the case.

 

Basically, they can pull the product at any time and you have no recourse to protect yourself. So I would much rather have a physical copy especially if I am paying sixty dollars for something.

[cappyboy]

And I'm with you on preferring hard copies for those games you're gonna keep going back to. For the Batman:Arkhams, the Elder Scrolls, Sly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank so forth and so on, I definitely want the hard copy. That way I can keep going on with those stalwarts whether the stream is co-operating or not. But for the gambles, give me the yearly payment for streaming and keep me from paying for discs I may end up wanting to hustle to the thrift shop

[Blackman]

<p><p>I was thinking about 2077, until I realised I got it about a year ago because the devs asked so nicely (and I play Gwent). I won't play it until it's all patched up though, but this outcome was to be expected for such an ambitious game.</p><p> </p><p></p><p>

Normally they're supposed to announce a new Tomb Raider project in a couple of weeks. That will give me something to look forward to at least. And I still need to play TEW20. XD</p></p>

[guyver3]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Blackman" data-cite="Blackman" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="28397" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I was thinking about 2077, until I realised I got it about a year ago because the devs asked so nicely (and I play Gwent). I won't play it until it's all patched up though, but this outcome was to be expected for such an ambitious game.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> I’m sorry but I couldn’t disagree with that sentiment more. The game was in development for 8 years and the state it was released in is just unacceptable. Everyone piled on Hello Games for No Mans Sky but CDPR get a pass because OMG the Witcher games are amazing. The game was released in a broken state and the developers knew full well because they wouldn’t let reviews for the console versions or footage of them out.</p>

[VBigB]

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="guyver3" data-cite="guyver3" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="28397" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I’m sorry but I couldn’t disagree with that sentiment more. The game was in development for 8 years and the state it was released in is just unacceptable. Everyone piled on Hello Games for No Mans Sky but CDPR get a pass because OMG the Witcher games are amazing. The game was released in a broken state and the developers knew full well because they wouldn’t let reviews for the console versions or footage of them out.</div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Yeah they don't get a pass for the console versions. They definitely should have scrapped last Gen support and worked on optimizing for the PS5/XBOX. I'm glad way back when I per-ordered I got it for the PC and not the PS4.</p><p> </p><p> Anyway on a high end PC so far I haven't had any major issues in about 10 hours. No crashes, but I do get the odd visual bug (npc kneeling in mid-air, lip sync on random crowd NPCs not always working, volumetric fog washed out once, weird physics on some of the random junk etc). I get about 100fps with some dips to 55fps with settings on ultra/1440p (except ray-tracing on High). With free-sync/G-sync I don't even notice the frame rate changes. I am playing on a machine with an RTX 2080Ti.</p><p> </p><p> I really haven't played long enough to see if some of the criticism over story and content is really warranted. Gunplay feels fine to me...better than fallout but not as good as a first person shooter.</p>

[Blackman]

because they wouldn’t let reviews for the console versions or footage of them out.

 

They offered refunds for all, apparently. Don't like it, return it and get your money back. I'm sure I'll play it eventually, on PC.

 

And they don't get a pass from me because of the Witcher III, though I enjoyed that. They get a pass for not championing DRM like... well, pretty much all other devs. That alone gives them more credit then any other dev, even though Gwent had several issues over the years.

[Blackman]

After watching some "highlight" videos i did decide to ask a refund. I can't believe anyone would play this, unless you're lucky enough to miss out on all the bugs. Will rebuy eventually for a lower price as that seems to be the trend nowadays. But the immersion hit is

 

Mk11:ultimate is now 30ish after a mere month. AC:Valhalla is -40, and Tony Hawk is 25. If you wait long enough, gaming is cheaper as a hobby than it used to be. But (near) bugfree games are becoming a rarity.

[cappyboy]

It always makes me happy to see more people giving Kingdom Come a chance. It's one of the most underrated gems of this generation IMO. I will admit there are a few really BS combat encounters (for the most part they were usually random bandit encounters) around the mid-game when the more heavily armored enemies start getting common, but man does it feel amazing once you get past that hill and you're running wild through a fortified Hungarian camp.

 

Then here's a crazy thought for you. Because of the positive experience with Kingdom Come, I'm starting to revisit other first person games to see if I can slay that old bugbear. A lot of my issues with first person date back to the days of titles like classic Doom or Blake Stone. Back when games didn't have mini-maps and landmarks were at a premium. Also toying with dipping my toes into Steam. That way I can play Kingdom Come on PC as opposed to console and have a better experience as a hunter. Maybe get Sims 4 digitally as I've really been missing that series as of late. At any rate, Kingdom Come has really awakened my sense of adventure as a gaming consumer.

[Big Roguey]

So. Uh.

 

Promotion Wars got an update.

[The Swanton825]

Then here's a crazy thought for you. Because of the positive experience with Kingdom Come, I'm starting to revisit other first person games to see if I can slay that old bugbear. A lot of my issues with first person date back to the days of titles like classic Doom or Blake Stone. Back when games didn't have mini-maps and landmarks were at a premium. Also toying with dipping my toes into Steam. That way I can play Kingdom Come on PC as opposed to console and have a better experience as a hunter. Maybe get Sims 4 digitally as I've really been missing that series as of late. At any rate, Kingdom Come has really awakened my sense of adventure as a gaming consumer.

 

I love this! There's so many great games out there to play that it's always worth at least giving a chance to see if what you used to dislike about a particular game or genre has changed. I used to hate Deus Ex with a passion until I played it with the Revision mod and suddenly it clicked with me.

 

Also, funny that would mention Blake Stone because I found a source port just a few days ago and have been playing it a lot.

[cappyboy]

I love this! There's so many great games out there to play that it's always worth at least giving a chance to see if what you used to dislike about a particular game or genre has changed. I used to hate Deus Ex with a passion until I played it with the Revision mod and suddenly it clicked with me.

 

Also, funny that would mention Blake Stone because I found a source port just a few days ago and have been playing it a lot.

 

Well. Blake Stone was one of my earliest forays into first person shooting. Had it even before games like Doom or Quake because I was more into and better able to afford shareware in the early to mid 90's than I was commercial games.

 

Currently I'm playing Mirror's Edge on PS Now. Gave it a look several months ago and balked at it being first person. Finding it quite a challenge but digging the atmosphere now that the mind's more open. Also planning to revisit the first Dishonored. Bailed on it the same way. Beyond that I don't know but plenty of time to figure that out.

[Jaysin]

Dishonored showed a lot of promise, but it was advertised as open world and it was very linear. Neat concept, but the false advertising really rubbed me the wrong way.

[The Swanton825]

Well. Blake Stone was one of my earliest forays into first person shooting. Had it even before games like Doom or Quake because I was more into and better able to afford shareware in the early to mid 90's than I was commercial games.

 

Currently I'm playing Mirror's Edge on PS Now. Gave it a look several months ago and balked at it being first person. Finding it quite a challenge but digging the atmosphere now that the mind's more open. Also planning to revisit the first Dishonored. Bailed on it the same way. Beyond that I don't know but plenty of time to figure that out.

 

Mirror's Edge is great, even if it can feel like the margin for error on some jumps is next to zero. Which reminds me that I should give Catalyst, the prequel/reboot/whatever it was supposed to be, a shot sometime. Dishonored is another favorite of mine. Very few AAA games give you the freedom to approach objectives that it does.

 

Dishonored showed a lot of promise, but it was advertised as open world and it was very linear. Neat concept, but the false advertising really rubbed me the wrong way.

 

My memory isn't that great so maybe I forgot Bethesda being stupid in their advertising (which wouldn't surprise me if they did), but Arkane was very upfront about wanting to make a game in the vein of Thief or Deus Ex where the player is given a linear progression of levels, but about a dozen ways to approach the objectives in each level.

[Jaysin]

My memory isn't that great so maybe I forgot Bethesda being stupid in their advertising (which wouldn't surprise me if they did), but Arkane was very upfront about wanting to make a game in the vein of Thief or Deus Ex where the player is given a linear progression of levels, but about a dozen ways to approach the objectives in each level.

 

I'm fairly certain the ads I saw talking about it being open world were in a magazine, but I don't remember which one.

[The Swanton825]

I'm fairly certain the ads I saw talking about it being open world were in a magazine, but I don't remember which one.

 

Ah, that explains why I never saw it then. The only gaming mags I was getting at the time were the Game Informer issues GameStop kept signing me up for no matter how many times I said no.

[Jaysin]

Ah, that explains why I never saw it then. The only gaming mags I was getting at the time were the Game Informer issues GameStop kept signing me up for no matter how many times I said no.

 

I know I had a subscription to Game Informer because of Gamestop, but I also had a couple other magazines I'd buy if they had interesting articles. I just don't remember the names anymore. My memory sucks