Has anyone played any good video games lately?

Started by Music is life, July 20, 2013, 06:54:11 PM

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Oreo

Quote from: Hemingway on May 08, 2014, 02:07:30 PM
Best. name. ever.
I'm rather fond of Alacrity Fitzhugh, but alas, that is from a book, not a game.

She led me to safety in a forest of green, and showed my stale eyes some sights never seen.
She spins magic and moonlight in her meadows and streams, and seeks deep inside me,
and touches my dreams. - Harry Chapin

consortium11

Quote from: Inkidu on May 08, 2014, 02:14:29 PM
Bioware hasn't used a D20 system in what four, five games?

Neverwinter Nights I think so 2003/4... and predated Jade Empire.

That said (and I know I come about as a grouchy old man on this front) if going back to a D20 system meant we got games of the quality of Baldur's Gate 1+2 and KoTOR I'd be rather happy.

Quote from: Hemingway on May 08, 2014, 02:17:03 PM
Bioware certainly are in a box.

Personally, I think their time as the undisputed champions of cRPGs is over. Maybe it was some time ago, even. That's unless they seriously step up their efforts with DA3. I doubt it, though.

Bioware are sort of in a class of two though (along with Bethesda) as the only primarily RPG AAA developers though so it's somewhat difficult to compare them to others.

Put simply who else is there? Obsidian can churn out AAA games but generally only when a publisher takes a punt on them (Alpha Protocol, New Vegas, Stick of Truth to an extent) and they're actively diversifying away from AAA RPGs in favour of crowdfunding their RPG work and taking a "jobs for cash" approach to other projects (they're currently doing a World of Tanks clone). CDProjectRed can produce good games that often look AAA but they have a built in advantage from operating in Poland and thus being able to pay their staff basically peanuts (even in the notoriously underpaid games industry) and keep them working in the sort of conditions that many would consider inhuman. Then there's Piranha Bytes I guess but there's clearly a level below the big boys.

The nature of AAA development these days leaves companies vulnerable... basically, you're only ever one failure away from collapse. I've used this example before but Fallout 1 selling 80,000 copies back in the day was enough to greenlight a sequel while BG 1 and BG 2 (plus expansion packs) sold 5,000,000 by 2006 (so that's eight years worth of selling time) and were seen as saving the genre. In contrast the Tomb Raider remake sold 4,000,000 copies in six months... yet was considered a bit of a flop that only just crawled into profitability. Budget costs have exploded... especially those related to advertising. Thus they're sort of stuck; it's a huge risk to actually take a risk as even one game that fails commercially can break a developer (even if EA are less harsh than previously). Considering Bioware are coming off two games which can't exactly be called runaway successes (Dragon Age 2 and Old Republic) they're probably not far from being off the edge of the tightrope if Inquisitor isn't a huge smash... and that brings the challenge of how to balance mainstream appeal, keeping a core fanbase happy (although Bioware have tended to move away from that in recent years) and still innovating. Other companies can take more risks because either they're already funded (crowd funding) or their budgets are much lower (Witcher 2 cost around $10,000,000). When a budget is $25-40,000,000+ as many AAA games can be (Skyrim was supposedly $85,000,000+)... and that doesn't always include advertising... everything gets harder.

Chris Brady

Quote from: consortium11 on May 08, 2014, 04:39:47 PM
Neverwinter Nights I think so 2003/4... and predated Jade Empire.

That said (and I know I come about as a grouchy old man on this front) if going back to a D20 system meant we got games of the quality of Baldur's Gate 1+2 and KoTOR I'd be rather happy.

I mean, that they have the same D&D mind set, all their games (save Jade Empire) have the Caster/Expert/Warrior archetypes in all their games.  They'd need to break out of that mentality.
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Inkidu

Quote from: Chris Brady on May 08, 2014, 04:49:27 PM
I mean, that they have the same D&D mind set, all their games (save Jade Empire) have the Caster/Expert/Warrior archetypes in all their games.  They'd need to break out of that mentality.
Eh... when you get into archetypes it gets hard to break away from those because you know it's like trying to break away from the Hero, or the Villain, or the Mentor.
If you're searching the lines for a point, well you've probably missed it; there was never anything there in the first place.

Hemingway

Quote from: consortium11 on May 08, 2014, 04:39:47 PMPut simply who else is there? Obsidian can churn out AAA games but generally only when a publisher takes a punt on them (Alpha Protocol, New Vegas, Stick of Truth to an extent) and they're actively diversifying away from AAA RPGs in favour of crowdfunding their RPG work and taking a "jobs for cash" approach to other projects (they're currently doing a World of Tanks clone). CDProjectRed can produce good games that often look AAA but they have a built in advantage from operating in Poland and thus being able to pay their staff basically peanuts (even in the notoriously underpaid games industry) and keep them working in the sort of conditions that many would consider inhuman. Then there's Piranha Bytes I guess but there's clearly a level below the big boys.

I agree. Bioware is in the same category as Bethesda: They used to make good games, now they don't. Pillars of Eternity ( Obsidian ) and Torment: Tides of Numenera ( inXile ) are both looking extremely promising to me. Way more interesting than anything Bethesda and Bioware have done in the last few years. I'm not sure what the AAA label means at this point.

I actually had to look it up, and apparently it's a game that's a critical success, a financial success, and has innovative gameplay. I'm sure Bioware and co. fulfill the first two of those, but I'm not convinced that's really an indication of quality. Reviews are essentially worthless, and I'm sure Call of Duty is a good enough example to show that making big bucks doesn't equal quality. As for innovation? There's nothing innovative about any of the recent games about those companies. I'm not even stating that as my opinion, it's a demonstrable fact! DA:O explicitly harkens back to the Infinity Engine games, and DA2 copies gameplay elements from Mass Effect and DA:O. And Bethesda has been remaking Oblivion for the past 8 years. There's hardly anything innovative about that.

Anyway, rant over.

Pillars of Eternity and Torment are looking promising. Yeah, they're probably no more AAA than any of the other games mentioned, but at least they seem to be going for quality over mass appeal.

Valthazar

Just in case anyone is interested, Battlefield 3 is free on Origin sale right now.

Zeth

I really enjoyed Bound by Flame. I think it is made by Focus Home Interactive. The gameplay is fun and the Dialogue is mature without being overly so. Wouldn't play it around kids though.

Drake Valentine

Drakengard 3. If you enjoy a dark, morbid game with perversions and bloody combat. My only gripes with it is the damn load times and useless ally AI. Also dragon combat feels limited compared to other Drakengards(as in, you don't fight on your dragon that much through the game) and they shrunk map stages, as I recall huge freaking maps on one of the other Drakengards, with time limits, but this one doesn't have any time limits, unless it is something for a certain mission.

"When I'm Done With You, You'll Be a:
Raped, Bloody, And Humiliated, Little Alice in Wonderland."

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Oreo

Quote from: Zeth on May 28, 2014, 06:48:52 PM
I really enjoyed Bound by Flame. I think it is made by Focus Home Interactive. The gameplay is fun and the Dialogue is mature without being overly so. Wouldn't play it around kids though.

I just ordered the game last night. Is it much like Reckoning?

She led me to safety in a forest of green, and showed my stale eyes some sights never seen.
She spins magic and moonlight in her meadows and streams, and seeks deep inside me,
and touches my dreams. - Harry Chapin

Drake Valentine

I did not like Bound By Flame. Gave it chance then stopped playing.

"When I'm Done With You, You'll Be a:
Raped, Bloody, And Humiliated, Little Alice in Wonderland."

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Oreo

>.< I had to turn off the blood splatter on Drakengard 3.

Quote from: Drake Valentine on May 28, 2014, 09:59:03 PM
I did not like Bound By Flame. Gave it chance then stopped playing.
I heard it was a bit like Reckoning and I have been searching for something similar for over a year. Too fast a pace and I get lost, too slow and I get bored.

She led me to safety in a forest of green, and showed my stale eyes some sights never seen.
She spins magic and moonlight in her meadows and streams, and seeks deep inside me,
and touches my dreams. - Harry Chapin

Zeth

What is Reckoning? Kingdoms of Amular: Reckoning? If so it has the similarity in on character puts points into the three styles and some crafting/upgrading gear. But you do have companions in BbF,  and the game is shorter. I enjoyed KoA: Reckoning as well, especially the Teeth of Naros  expansion where you explore the floating city of the Kollossae. A race that resembles giant Greek/Roman statues.

Drake Valentine

Quote from: Oreo on May 28, 2014, 10:13:14 PM
>.< I had to turn off the blood splatter on Drakengard 3.
I heard it was a bit like Reckoning and I have been searching for something similar for over a year. Too fast a pace and I get lost, too slow and I get bored.

It is like Dragon Age. Just not as good.

"When I'm Done With You, You'll Be a:
Raped, Bloody, And Humiliated, Little Alice in Wonderland."

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Hemingway


Bliss

I just found the Neverwinter MMOPRG on Arc. I haz a happy.
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I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.
<3 <3 <3

Eratheos

Has anyone gotten Transistor yet? I am (just now) sitting down to play Bastion and enjoying it a lot, wondering about making that my next purchase.
We all crave the promise of the primal. Some merely seek it more ardently than others.

Chris Brady

I've been playing Transisters too much to actually talk about it?  It's a lot of fun!
My O&Os Peruse at your doom.

So I make a A&A thread but do I put it here?  No.  Of course not.

Also, I now come with Kung-Fu Blog action.  Here:  Where I talk about comics and all sorts of gaming

Drake Valentine

So after beating Drakengard 3 I decided to try out Nier.

And realize something.

WHY HAVE I YET PLAYED THAT GAME TILL NOW? Sure, it has a few shortcomings, but it is a brilliant masterpiece that goes in a different direction than most of your traditional games.

"When I'm Done With You, You'll Be a:
Raped, Bloody, And Humiliated, Little Alice in Wonderland."

Introduction | O&Os | O&Os2 | IM RP Request(Canceled 04/11/2010) | A&As(Updated 10/29/13) | Solo RP Request (Updated 09/20/14)
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Sel Nar

Quote from: Drake Valentine on May 31, 2014, 07:44:23 AM
So after beating Drakengard 3 I decided to try out Nier.

And realize something.

WHY HAVE I YET PLAYED THAT GAME TILL NOW? Sure, it has a few shortcomings, but it is a brilliant masterpiece that goes in a different direction than most of your traditional games.

Nier came out in 2010. Final fantasy 13 came out the same year. One of those two games deserves the title JRPG of the year, and it's not the one with a multimillion dollar ad campaign.

I cannot stress just how GOOD Nier is; The world is well-built, the art design is extremely evocative (if a bit bloom-happy at times), and, while the controls are slightly janky, the quality of the voicework combined with the ~Superlative~ music keeps me coming back. Also, Cavia (the devs) will troll completionists like it's going out of style. You'll see. (Also, roughly half of the 30 weapons you collect in the game are carryovers from Drakengard 1, with Nier's biggest weapon, the Iron Will, being Hymir's Finger)

Oniya

Quote from: Sel Nar on May 31, 2014, 09:37:31 AM
Also, Cavia (the devs) will troll completionists like it's going out of style. You'll see.

I so want to submit this game to the guy on YouTube who calls himself 'The Completionist'.
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Inkidu

I think I gave up on Nier within thirty minutes. :P
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Zeth

Quote from: Inkidu on May 31, 2014, 11:02:42 AM
I think I gave up on Nier within thirty minutes. :P

Yeah Neir Doesn't get good till round the part you rescue Emillio. Then It picks up. They wait until halfway into the game to let you use all the weapon styles to.

Inkidu

Quote from: Zeth on May 31, 2014, 02:35:32 PM
Yeah Neir Doesn't get good till round the part you rescue Emillio. Then It picks up. They wait until halfway into the game to let you use all the weapon styles to.
Oh well, that wasn't a smart move on their part, I guess.
If you're searching the lines for a point, well you've probably missed it; there was never anything there in the first place.

Revelation

I love the drakengard series. Except 2. The games are all terrible to play though. Drakengard was clunky and incredibly unfun when it came out, and a decade of aging has perhaps made it worse. The music feels janky at times and feels as if the game was scratched and the music keeps looping... But the music adds to the chaotic, insane features the game unfolds on the subsequent playthroughs. Caim and his merry band of insane psychopaths were not at all what I was expecting to play as, though it didn't really hit me the first time until I was massacring child soldiers in the game (I was 12-13, plus with all the censoring stuff like Leonard was rather obscured).

Nier is perhaps one of my favorite games despite not enjoying the gameplay. Sure, they try to do some neat things with it... but the gameplay is ass. It's okay at times, but it never rises above average. But the voice work, the amazing soundtrack, the interesting story and endearing characters all made the game memorable to me. Papa Nier was a Nier created solely for western Audiences. In japan, Nier is a much younger character and brother to Yonah with a different relationship to Kaine and Emil. Sadly, we will never see brother Nier in the west, but there are translations for the game and Grimoire Weiss (Supplement material) online. Even if someone gave up on the game, I recommend listening to the soundtrack because it's easily one of my favorite game soundtracks ever. It goes beyond just setting up the themes of the game, it really sucks you into it and it haunted me for a long time. Nier is one of the few games I platinumed.

Drakengard 3 is... A Drakengard game. I have a friend in japan who bought it on release, and we discussed the story as he played through it. I've known all about Drakengard 3's 'bad' gameplay since it was released, but it was still one of my most anticipated games of the year. The music is composed by the same person from Nier, and while it's different the soundtrack is still great. Going into Intoner mode turns the combat music into an orchestrated piece which I thought was pretty cool, and some of the boss themes (Phanuel, Abdiel, Two's themes) are great. The story isn't the same as Nier, but that's okay. The developer said that if you were expecting Drakengard 1 or Nier from the game, you wouldn't be getting it and it shows. Drakengard 3 has some pretty overt and obvious sexual tones, from Zero collecting a reverse harem, to even masturbating on Mikhails wing while he sleeps in an event. Besides the sexuality though, it mixes the usual Drakengard/Nier bleakness with a somewhat wicket edge of black comedy. Censoring things while still 'showing' or letting you listen to the brutality going on, having humor written into the game... Hell, even the soldiers propping eachother up and pissing their pants in fear of Zero during combat has an element of humor to it. And it does provide some relief to the doom and gloom. I finished the true end earlier this week, i'm hoping we get the rest of the intoner sister DLC's in the west, even if I already know about them.

Part of the reason Nier and Drakengard feel so 'bad' is because they had a literal shoestring budget, especially Nier/3. The developer spent what money he had on what he felt was important, and I respect that. But if you're looking for gameplay in these games... I would definitely advise you to steer clear.

Anyway! Yeah, I noticed the DDS games were put on PSN, as was nocturne. I picked up Nocturne to replay it, andI hope to play through the DDS games sometime soon, since I never got the chance to. I'd love if we could get Wild Arms 3 on the PSN, but Xseed has already said low chance of that happening.

Other games i've been playing are Risk of Rain (miner is the best character!), Valdis Story (A fun PC metroid-esque game with 2 characters to play, and 3 more coming as free DLC), and Muramasa Rebirth on the Vita, really fun game. I'm also looking forward to Azure Striker Gunvolt and Freedom wars, hoping we get Gunvolt before too long. Also of course hoping for a quick translation of persona Q.