Video Games: You Game Like a Young Man, With Nothing Held Back. Admirable, But Mistaken.

[Merentha]

In summary, it keeps the best ideas from FC2 and FC1, ditches the crappy ones and generally ends up being extremely entertaining. Certainly not game of the year (it's way too silly and, beyond the open-world aspect, generic in its FPSness, and lacks the replayability of XCOM or the atmosphere of Dishonored), but much better than most people were expecting.

Well, if I wasn't totally broke, this would have sold me.

[Tony Soprano]

It seems that the next installment in the Assassins's Creed series could be taking us to a South American country. A country we've already visited in Assassin's Creed III.

The managing director of Ubisoft's Brazil studio, Bertrand Chaverot, has told Techundo that the next Asassin's Creed will take place in the same country.

I don't know a whole lot about Brazilian history to say whether or not it would be an interesting setting, but Ubisoft's take on any period on history would be definitely interesting.

A lot of people disapprove of Ubisoft's yearly Assassin's Creed releases, but I think they should make another game next year, and then give the franchise a rest for a couple of years.

The innovations that were implemented in Asssassin's Creed II also worked in Brotherhood, but they felt like the same old in Revelations. Ubisoft made some changes to the system that had worked for the past three games, the system that people were getting bored of, and added some interesting new features as well. Compared to the huge step forward that the franchise received going from the original Assassin's Creed to Assassin's Creed II, the changes from Revelations to Assassin's Creed III seem minimal. But, they worked. People liked the game, and it was great, aside from a few bugs here and there. That's why I think that Ubisoft could walk a similar direction with their next installment, keeping the things that worked, and replacing the things that didn't in Assassin's Creed III.

But, people will get bored of the franchise again if Ubisoft keeps milking it with yearly releases for 5 years straight. So, my advice to them: Give us one more game, and then give us some rest.

[Clueless Northman]

Am I the only one who has the feeling that someone got a time-maching and pulled back FTL straight out of the 90s? :)

How can you blame a game for being popular? If a game is selling a fuck ton of copies it means people enjoy playing them. You can't just say "well I enjoy this genre, therefore everyone else should". FPSs dominate because tons of people find them fun/addictive.

So what? Does it mean that Berlusconi actually deserved to be Prime Minister thrice, just because tons of people seemed to prefer him?

What gamers need is games that are good, not games that are popular. Both aren't linked, they aren't even correlated.

Then of course, what gamers need, and what the video game industry actually needs, is less emphasis on franchises and going back to being innovative, creating actually new games. Like FTL, Sleepind Dogs or Dishonored. (and I'm not sure if I like it when people say "Dishonored could be the beginning of a new interesting franchise").

I guess it's really subjective, I actually should have written it was a pretty crappy year in gaming for me, didn't mean to include anyone else

when I said that ,sorry.

Still, I would think it's quite a good signt hat good games are actually made, even in genres that don't interest me that much. Better than having just crappy games in crappy (to one's opinion) genres. And since you had good games to your liking the year before, it means you might have good games you like soon, again. At least, the whole industry didn't go down the drain, the way it nearly did some time ago.

[The Winged Wolf Bran Stark]

It seems that the next installment in the Assassins's Creed series could be taking us to a South American country. A country we've already visited in Assassin's Creed III.

The managing director of Ubisoft's Brazil studio, Bertrand Chaverot, has told Techundo that the next Asassin's Creed will take place in the same country.

I don't know a whole lot about Brazilian history to say whether or not it would be an interesting setting, but Ubisoft's take on any period on history would be definitely interesting.

A lot of people disapprove of Ubisoft's yearly Assassin's Creed releases, but I think they should make another game next year, and then give the franchise a rest for a couple of years.

The innovations that were implemented in Asssassin's Creed II also worked in Brotherhood, but they felt like the same old in Revelations. Ubisoft made some changes to the system that had worked for the past three games, the system that people were getting bored of, and added some interesting new features as well. Compared to the huge step forward that the franchise received going from the original Assassin's Creed to Assassin's Creed II, the changes from Revelations to Assassin's Creed III seem minimal. But, they worked. People liked the game, and it was great, aside from a few bugs here and there. That's why I think that Ubisoft could walk a similar direction with their next installment, keeping the things that worked, and replacing the things that didn't in Assassin's Creed III.

But, people will get bored of the franchise again if Ubisoft keeps milking it with yearly releases for 5 years straight. So, my advice to them: Give us one more game, and then give us some rest.

Damn, I was hoping that the next game would take us to France for the French Revolution.

And this one release per year is starting to get ridiculous (if it isn't already). Maybe they should take a few years off of the series after this.

Also, spoilers for the ending of AC3:

Considering what happened at the very end of AC3, I'm curious how they're going to include the present-day portion of the series.

[Sivin]

Sleeping Dogs was supposed to be True Crime 3 before it got repurposed.

[Leviathan I]

I'm not saying FPSs are good, that's entirely subjective. I'm saying you can't blame a company for staying with a successful formula that's making them well over a billion dollars every year, just for that game. I'm saying the problem is publishers because they're motivation is not to make an innovative, good product, it's to sell as many copies as possible.

[Merentha]

I'm not saying FPSs are good, that's entirely subjective. I'm saying you can't blame a company for staying with a successful formula that's making them well over a billion dollars every year, just for that game. I'm saying the problem is publishers because they're motivation is not to make an innovative, good product, it's to sell as many copies as possible.

Its not really much of a practical difference between "man, I hate the publishers that force most games to have a derivative CoD-based formula" and "I hate CoD for being so successful that the publishers force most games to have a derivative CoD-based formula." The latter, actually comes closer to the point, which is: I strongly dislike some of the effects the existence of CoD has had on the gaming industry. I also happen to think it has had some very good effects. I just think it is time to move on.

I would argue that putting the blame on publishers is also a bit...misguided, since it sounds like you're trying to create some kind of publishers=evil but necessary financiers and developers=noble artists that want to make good, innovative projects dichotomy that I don't feel is totally true.

[haLobEnder]

Played a little more Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition tonight. I finally played through some of the new content which was quite fun. Neera and Dorn are great new companions, Rasaad not so much; He keeps dying on me if I don't watch him like a hawk during combat; Why on earth Overhaul decided we needed a low-level monk companion is beyond me, as they're essentially useless at low level.

Neera dies a lot too, but what she lacks in combat skill she makes up for in charm. Dorn makes up for them both on the battlefield, but he doesn't mesh well with the rest of my group with is mostly neutral good in alignment. I'm worried that he's going to come to blows with the rest of my party at some point.

Anyone supporting the Godus Kickstarter? I'm sort of surprised it hasn't received all of its funding yet given who is involved. I've never actually played any of the Molyneux god sims -- I was very young when Populous came out and didn't have a good enough computer to play the Black & White series-- but I've always had an interest in these types of games. It's tempting, but the £20 price tag is a bit steep.

[Tony Soprano]

Damn, I was hoping that the next game would take us to France for the French Revolution.

And this one release per year is starting to get ridiculous (if it isn't already). Maybe they should take a few years off of the series after this.

Also, spoilers for the ending of AC3:

Considering what happened at the very end of AC3, I'm curious how they're going to include the present-day portion of the series.

I was actually hoping for a Victorian England setting for the next Assassin's Creed.

Assassin's Creed III spoilers:

It could star my favorite non-Assassin, Haytham. It would give us a better look into the organization and motivations of the Templar Order.

And I hope they scrap the whole modern day setting for the next game. It did nothing but take away from an awesome experience for me.

[TheEvilKing]

Anyone supporting the Godus Kickstarter? I'm sort of surprised it hasn't received all of its funding yet given who is involved. I've never actually played any of the Molyneux god sims -- I was very young when Populous came out and didn't have a good enough computer to play the Black & White series-- but I've always had an interest in these types of games. It's tempting, but the £20 price tag is a bit steep.

Never actually played any Molyneux games but they do have a reputation for always being massive disappointments.

Maia will probably be a better god sim.

[Alex.]

Smashed through Halo 4 single player on Saturday night. Thought the story was actually pretty good. Intrigued to see where they take it regarding Cortana.

[Muttering Bill]

Still, I would think it's quite a good signt hat good games are actually made, even in genres that don't interest me that much. Better than having just crappy games in crappy (to one's opinion) genres.

Good games in bad genres does not give me something new to play. I'm with Revan, this year has been pretty bad for games.

I bought only 4 new games this year. 1 of them I still haven't even opened (and I got in February), and the others were just alright.

But I'm not complaining, it gives me more time to get other things done.

[karaddin]

No, it's not. Not when I played the extended cut a few months back anyway.

Late reply but I read that version plays when you haven't romanced anyone, but I agree it's awesome and should be in all versions. I particularly love it for a Shepard that goes renagade to get the job done but isn't an asshole... looking back at the things done in the name of necessity and feeling shame.

[Fez]

Late reply but I read that version plays when you haven't romanced anyone, but I agree it's awesome and should be in all versions. I particularly love it for a Shepard that goes renagade to get the job done but isn't an asshole... looking back at the things done in the name of necessity and feeling shame.

All the versions of that conversation were great. I'll never understand why they couldn't just end the game with it and maybe a 2-second shot of the crucible firing. Then, screen fade to black. No denouement, no happy sunshine ending (which its pretty clear is what most people of those who were unhappy wanted), but most importantly none of that nonsense that came after that actually was in the game.

[Jon AS]

Then, screen fade to black. No denouement, no happy sunshine ending (which its pretty clear is what most people of those who were unhappy wanted)

No, really. Most people unhappy with the ending just wanted one that didn't suck. Preferably leaving out everything that comes after the cut-off point you are suggesting here, so you're clearly on the same page.;)

Personally I think bleakness for bleaknesses sake (oh, how dark and edgy!) is just as cheap as an unearned happy ending, and with all the talk about choices and consequences we got over the years the endings for ME3 really should have run the entire spectrum from "reasonably happy" to "everyone dies and nothing you did changed a thing". But Bioware wanted their stupid shiny green borg ending, no matter how fucking creepy that is.

Crucible firing and fade to white would have been an acceptable solution if Bioware couldn't come up with good endings (which sadly was the case), but would really just have been an admission of failure on their part.

[Fez]

No, really. Most people unhappy with the ending just wanted one that didn't suck. Preferably leaving out everything that comes after the cut-off point you are suggesting here, so you're clearly on the same page. ;)

Personally I think bleakness for bleaknesses sake (oh, how dark and edgy!) is just as cheap as an unearned happy ending, and with all the talk about choices and consequences we got over the years the endings for ME3 really should have run the entire spectrum from "reasonably happy" to "everyone dies and nothing you did changed a thing". But Bioware wanted their stupid shiny green borg ending, no matter how fucking creepy that is.

Crucible firing and fade to white would have been an acceptable solution if Bioware couldn't come up with good endings (which sadly was the case), but would really just have been an admission of failure on their part.

The problem with having a gamet of endings though is it makes any future games rather difficult. I'm perfectly fine with ME3 being the end of Shepard's story (give that poor wo/man a break), but I want to see more games set in that universe that also have humans in them. That's rather hard to do if there's that many different possible endings. So having just one ending works for me. But I want it to be a good ending (and frankly I don't see the ending I suggest as all that bleak. Reapers are dead, galaxy is rebuilding, things will go back to normal. Shepard may or may not be dead, but either way s/he was successful and will be remembered as a hero).

[karaddin]

My favourite suggested ending for renagade that I read was failing to complete the crucible, but the reapers still converging on earth unaware of this, then taking out the relay or the sun to destroy them all with the sacrifice of earth. Obviously that would have tried other less bleak alternatives as well, but I like that idea for the ending that gave the best results galaxy wide.

[Jon AS]

The problem with having a gamet of endings though is it makes any future games rather difficult.

Well they weren't plannig future games in the setting (there were some suggestions for prequels or something like that). And as I said: removing variety from the endings would have been a cop-out, but of course it would have been infinitely preferable to what we got (where the three endings don't arise from the player's choices throughout the games, nevermind the fact that the Starchild and its synthesis are just unbelievably bad).

[Poobah]

The problem with having a gamet of endings though is it makes any future games rather difficult.

Well that's something you're gonna have to go ahead and fucking deal with if you plan on making a series of games wherein you promise choices with major storyline consequences and so fourth.

[balefired-ed]

So, I just picked up a PS3, but am currently playing FF6, which I am having a blast playing.