Video Games: Dawn of Waaaaagh!

[Talleyrand]

You mean there's a strategy other than send in a few skeletons and zombies to distract their archers while the bat monsters kill everything?

[Jon AS]

7 hours ago, KiDisaster said:

Minor but cool detail I just noticed: Some characters in Andromeda will call your character by their first name if you leave it as the default. Pretty nice addition. 

Noticed that too, really nice.

 

I think I'm past the point you could reach in the trial version. Established an outpost, recruited most of the team, did a bunch of the typical running around the newly opened up areas of the Nexus (and did a bunch of the usual sidequest stuff).

I'm liking the characters, want to find out more about the setting and the story and combat is still the best in the series. It's very much a Bioware game, both in good and bad ways (such as questionable design decisions like planet scanning mechanics and the technical side not being as strong as some other contemporary AAA games).

[DJDonegal]

Finished Mass Effect 2 last night. I think it's safe to say I won't get through Mass Effect 3 before Andromeda comes out, but hopefully by the time I get there I get the advantage of a price drop and some patches.

Started up Firewatch so I don't get burned out by the ME Universe. Got to Day 3 last night, and it's keeping me on edge so far. During Day 1 I had this overwhelming feeling that I was being led on by an Atlas-like character from Bioshock, but we'll see whether that's what actually ends up happening.

It also made me want to go back and play Bioshock again, which I may do sometime soon.

[briantw]

16 minutes ago, DJDonegal said:

Finished Mass Effect 2 last night. I think it's safe to say I won't get through Mass Effect 3 before Andromeda comes out, but hopefully by the time I get there I get the advantage of a price drop and some patches.

Started up Firewatch so I don't get burned out by the ME Universe. Got to Day 3 last night, and it's keeping me on edge so far. During Day 1 I had this overwhelming feeling that I was being led on by an Atlas-like character from Bioshock, but we'll see whether that's what actually ends up happening.

It also made me want to go back and play Bioshock again, which I may do sometime soon.

Really liked Firewatch, although I thought the plot resolution was a little underwhelming.  It's definitely nice and tense throughout, though, and gorgeous too.

[Maia]

22 hours ago, Fez said:

The only nitpick I have with it is how characters drop out of the narrative once they join your party full-time. I know its because they could then die at anytime; but I wish there were at least a couple characters where either they stayed as guest characters forever or they got the same restriction the main character has, and the game ends if they crystalize.

Well, much as I loved the game, I wouldn't say that it was the _only_ area where I'd have liked to see some improvements/changes.

Frankly, there is just one recruitable character that _really_ needed to be there and react to the plot throughout. In fact, it felt rather bizarre that this didn't happen. And since I find guest characters pretty annoying, on the whole, because I like to wait until enemies crystallize and/or I want to steal their good stuff while the guests just uncontrollably murderize everything, I absolutely would have loved main character-lite treatment in this case.

Also, this character and another one that joins late really needed to unambiguously die in the last battle for the (great) ending to make sense. I really don't understand why TWotL as is didn't give them a cut-scene or a picture screen to that end. Yea, they can permanently die before the last battle, but their premature dying is not really a plot problem, their potentially surviving is. So, make it impossible to refuse them/dismiss them and make it very clear that they died in the last battle, whether they were part of the active line-up for the very last fight or not. Or maybe make them guests for it. Everybody else on the roster is basically a nobody in that world, with a couple of edge cases, so it doesn't really matter for them. And it isn't like TWoTL doesn't already have some side-quests or occasional in-battle dialogs that depend on certain character's presence, so this omission is all the more jarring, IMHO.

Less reliance on sisters/love interests being in danger/fridged to motivate male characters to rescue/avenge them would be nice too. Also, more consistency between dialog and worldbuilding, so that we don't have somebody lamenting their powerlessness due to being a woman in a game choke-full of female fighters and mages, and when the character herself has serious magical chops(!).

But gameplay-wise, there are some other things I would have liked to see - like having bigger battles, with more units under my control, side-quests and acquisition of non-generic NPCs being more evenly spaced throughout the whole game, a good chunk of those NPCs not having useless/truncated special class templates and those acquired later in the game coming with a sensible amount of base classes already unlocked,  special class templates not all sharing the same reaction/support/movement abilities, etc. Elevation and structures playing even more of a role defensively would have been welcome too. Oh, and errands actually being a viable way for the otherwise idle characters to get enough job points to progress, rather than the useless pittance they actually provide...

Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that a sequel or even a spiritual sequel will ever get made, so the only thing to realistically hope for seems to be that Squeenix eventually manages to make a PC port and, unlike in the iOS/Android ports, either includes multi-player from the PSP version, or makes the formerly co-op  multi-player missions available in single-player. Judging by the descriptions, that's where the real challenge was. 

 

[Channel4s-JonSnow]

11 hours ago, Talleyrand said:

You mean there's a strategy other than send in a few skeletons and zombies to distract their archers while the bat monsters kill everything?

Lol.. yeah its basically that. 

Actually, the use of fear and leadership lead to far more interesting match ups I find. Being able to create chain routs is really useful, especially if you mop up the cowards with dire wolves. 

I guess my point is that I've been playing TW games for years and the battles all tend to rely on really simple hammer and anvil tactics. Anything that adds different mechanics to that is a plus for me.

[Ferrum Aeternum]

4 hours ago, briantw said:

Really liked Firewatch, although I thought the plot resolution was a little underwhelming.  It's definitely nice and tense throughout, though, and gorgeous too.

That was my exact impression of Firewatch. It's one of the very few games in recent memory that I played through in one sitting the first time through. I thought I read that someone's making a film version? Awesome if true.

[KiDisaster]

I thought the ending of Firewatch was pretty much perfect personally. Really great game. 

[Simon Steele]

5 hours ago, DJDonegal said:

Finished Mass Effect 2 last night. I think it's safe to say I won't get through Mass Effect 3 before Andromeda comes out, but hopefully by the time I get there I get the advantage of a price drop and some patches.

Started up Firewatch so I don't get burned out by the ME Universe. Got to Day 3 last night, and it's keeping me on edge so far. During Day 1 I had this overwhelming feeling that I was being led on by an Atlas-like character from Bioshock, but we'll see whether that's what actually ends up happening.

It also made me want to go back and play Bioshock again, which I may do sometime soon.

 

Patches maybe--but I feel like Bioware, no matter how bad/split word of mouth/reviews are (Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition), they refuse to discount their games.

I'm pretty bummed about ME4. I also noticed only a crew of 6. Another thing I loved about ME2 was the large, awesome crew. I downloaded the ME4 trial, and it is mostly boring so far. Maybe it'll get better.

[Fez]

22 minutes ago, Ferrum Aeternum said:

That was my exact impression of Firewatch. It's one of the very few games in recent memory that I played through in one sitting the first time through. I thought I read that someone's making a film version? Awesome if true.

Firewatch, Gone Home, Brothers, and The Stanley Parable are I think the only games I've played through in one sitting in a very long time. It really is a good game, and I enjoyed the ending; I thought it fit the overall tone of the story (especially where it was in the first half of the game).

If they do make a movie of it, I hope they keep Rich Sommer as Henry. I could see a movie of it working, I wonder if a studio would be willing though to make a movie where only one character is on screen for almost the entire time though, or if they'd make some pretty big changes to story. I'm fine with changes, but isolation is one of the key themes of the story and losing that would fundamentally alter it.

[Rhom]

Went to GameSpot to pick up ME:A.  On a whim, I asked if they had the Switch... they didn't, but a truck was coming in in about 30 minutes that should have some.  I was strong and left even though I saw the UPS guy walking into the mall.

I went home, got my wife to sign the e-filing thing for our taxes... thought some more about the fact that I'm going to be at a conference from tomorrow through Saturday; and got weak.  Went back to GS.  I figured if they had one, fine... if not, it wasn't meant to be.  There was a bit of a line.  Four people.  A guy in army BDU's was two in front of me.  While standing there, the guy gets a call and says "Yeah?  How many do they have?  I'll meet you there" and then he leaves.  The guy in front of me is just picking up his ME:A.  The cashier is the same guy who told me about the truck and says they have one left.  Had the army guy stayed in line; I would have just saved about $500.   

So anyways, while in the hotel the next few nights I'll be hitting up some Zelda.  Eventually, I'll box it back up and give it to the kids for Easter. 

 

[Werthead]

The first preview of Thimbleweed Park looks pretty promising.

[The Anti-Targ]

 

6 hours ago, Fez said:

Firewatch, Gone Home, Brothers, and The Stanley Parable are I think the only games I've played through in one sitting in a very long time. It really is a good game, and I enjoyed the ending; I thought it fit the overall tone of the story (especially where it was in the first half of the game).

If they do make a movie of it, I hope they keep Rich Sommer as Henry. I could see a movie of it working, I wonder if a studio would be willing though to make a movie where only one character is on screen for almost the entire time though, or if they'd make some pretty big changes to story. I'm fine with changes, but isolation is one of the key themes of the story and losing that would fundamentally alter it.

All is Lost, Life of Pi sort of. Just don't commit a large budget to it. I do think it's worth making a movie out of video games that aren't simply trying to be action / fantasy movies. 

Edited March 21 by The Anti-Targ

[KiDisaster]

4 hours ago, Rhom said:

So anyways, while in the hotel the next few nights I'll be hitting up some Zelda.  Eventually, I'll box it back up and give it to the kids for Easter. 

 

Damn, I only ever got chocolate and peeps for Easter  

I used to love those peeps. I bet if I ate one now I'd feel sick though. 

[Rhom]

1 hour ago, KiDisaster said:

Damn, I only ever got chocolate and peeps for Easter  

I used to love those peeps. I bet if I ate one now I'd feel sick though. 

As an adult, they are utterly disgusting...

My kids love them.  

[Swordfish]

56 minutes ago, Rhom said:

As an adult, they are utterly disgusting...

My kids love them.  

I still love the peeps.  We always roast them over the fire.

[Fez]

17 hours ago, The Anti-Targ said:

 

All is Lost, Life of Pi sort of. Just don't commit a large budget to it. I do think it's worth making a movie out of video games that aren't simply trying to be action / fantasy movies. 

I almost mentioned All is Lost, and Cast Away, as examples of where this did happen; but Cast Away had pretty long sections at the beginning and end with other characters (plus Tom Hanks as the star back when big actors were a box office draw by themselves) and All is Lost barely made its money back. Not exactly a promising example.

I know of Life of Pi was a huge success, but I didn't see it. Is the kid alone for all/nearly all of the movie?

I too would love to see a movie adaption of a video game that was focused on a personal story though, and I think Firewatch is a good candidate. 

[KiDisaster]

4 minutes ago, Fez said:

I almost mentioned All is Lost, and Cast Away, as examples of where this did happen; but Cast Away had pretty long sections at the beginning and end with other characters (plus Tom Hanks as the star back when big actors were a box office draw by themselves) and All is Lost barely made its money back. Not exactly a promising example.

I know of Life of Pi was a huge success, but I didn't see it. Is the kid alone for all/nearly all of the movie?

I too would love to see a movie adaption of a video game that was focused on a personal story though, and I think Firewatch is a good candidate. 

There are fairly significant parts before and after he's lost at sea with other characters from what I remember, and the frame narrative where he's giving an interview about the whole thing so...not really. Plus he's always got Richard Parker the Tiger with him.

Loved that movie. 

[Simon Steele]

So how is Mass Effect? I can't get too far into the trial--I don't know if this is because of the game or because I subconsciously know there is a timer. Sometimes that really effects me. The reviews seem good to really rough. I'm so on the fence about this. I guess I just wanted Shepard, Garrus, Grunt, Legion, Tali, Miranda, Thane, Aria, Wrex, Mordin, EDI, and Javik to come back. 

And, again, Legion. He was so cool. For two missions.

[Swordfish]

4 hours ago, Fez said:

I almost mentioned All is Lost, and Cast Away, as examples of where this did happen; but Cast Away had pretty long sections at the beginning and end with other characters (plus Tom Hanks as the star back when big actors were a box office draw by themselves) and All is Lost barely made its money back. Not exactly a promising example.

I know of Life of Pi was a huge success, but I didn't see it. Is the kid alone for all/nearly all of the movie?

I too would love to see a movie adaption of a video game that was focused on a personal story though, and I think Firewatch is a good candidate. 

There's also that movie where the guy got trapped in the crevice in the desert and had to chop his own arm off to escape.