Video Games: Devils Die Twice

[Fez]

59 minutes ago, Corvinus said:

I'd argue it also fits on the historical side, by having such aggressive AI. AFAIK, the Three Kingdoms period is considered to be the bloodiest period in China's history, with millions dead over the course of a century. I think a census done by the Jin dynasty early on after they united China showed less than half of the population of what had been near the end of the Han dynasty.

Also yes. Though there were periods of peace between some of the warlords, moreso in history then what the novel shows, so I think it makes sense that there are opportunities for peaceful diplomacy.

In addition, because the win condition is only to be Emperor, there be no other Emperors, and control at least 95 settlements, it's entirely possible to end the game while still having allies (not just vassals, but actually allies) still alive. There's something like 180 settlements in the game, so you only need to control around half the map to win. 

[Slurktan]

9 hours ago, Corvinus said:

 

I'd argue it also fits on the historical side, by having such aggressive AI. AFAIK, the Three Kingdoms period is considered to be the bloodiest period in China's history, with millions dead over the course of a century. I think a census done by the Jin dynasty early on after they united China showed less than half of the population of what had been near the end of the Han dynasty.

The Census afterwards showed a loss of roughly 71% of the population.  38 million dead.

[Kalbear]

So Death Stranding...does this look fun at all? Like, okay, it looks pretty, but the trailers have so far not made me want to play it at all. An open world game with...ladders and climbing ropes?

[Jace, Extat]

Just now, Kalbear said:

So Death Stranding...does this look fun at all? Like, okay, it looks pretty, but the trailers have so far not made me want to play it at all. An open world game with...ladders and climbing ropes?

All the hype over this game smacks of dweeb fanaticism run amok.

Dude hasn't released a coherent game since Snake Eater

[KiDisaster]

Snake Eater is the only game of his that I've played to completion, if you don't count P.T. 

I'm interested in Death Stranding from a purely "how batshit nutty is this going to be?" standpoint. I want the weird. 

[Werthead]

14 hours ago, Slurktan said:

The Census afterwards showed a loss of roughly 71% of the population.  38 million dead.

The figures are debated, but the An Lushan Rebellion in the 8th Century killed approximately 36 million in just twelve years, with the possibility of a much higher figure, although this was when China and the surrounding region's population was considerably higher, so percentage wise the Three Kingdoms may have been far more devastating. 

[Jace, Extat]

3 hours ago, KiDisaster said:

Snake Eater is the only game of his that I've played to completion, if you don't count P.T. 

I'm interested in Death Stranding from a purely "how batshit nutty is this going to be?" standpoint. I want the weird. 

Ground Zeroes is actually my favorite Metal Gear game because the controls were smooth and there wasn't any seizure-inducing nightmare visions.

And it's 45 minutes long.

[Fez]

Apparently there's a strong chance that Larian Studio's next game is not Divinity: Original Sin 3, but rather... Baldur's Gate 3. 

My first reaction is: holy fucking shit.

My second reaction is: Larian needs to massively step up the quality of their writing for this to not be an enormous disappointment.

[KiDisaster]

24 minutes ago, Fez said:

Apparently there's a strong chance that Larian Studio's next game is not Divinity: Original Sin 3, but rather... Baldur's Gate 3. 

My first reaction is: holy fucking shit.

My second reaction is: Larian needs to massively step up the quality of their writing for this to not be an enormous disappointment.

I really loved Original Sin 2. When I saw the 'III' thing on their website I just assumed it was OS3 but this is really cool. 

I'm guessing they'll bring Avellone back in for this, maybe as lead writer this time. He did some work on OS2. 

[Rhom]

1 hour ago, Jace, Basilissa said:

Ground Zeroes is actually my favorite Metal Gear game because the controls were smooth and there wasn't any seizure-inducing nightmare visions.

And it's 45 minutes long.

The gameplay in Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain was top notch.  Agreed that GZ was great because of the narrow focus.  The fact that PP didn’t have a real resolution or even a real over arching story was a head scratcher.

[Werthead]

2 hours ago, KiDisaster said:

I really loved Original Sin 2. When I saw the 'III' thing on their website I just assumed it was OS3 but this is really cool. 

I'm guessing they'll bring Avellone back in for this, maybe as lead writer this time. He did some work on OS2. 

Avellone (and the whole Black Isle team) also did some side-work on BG2, and of course Avellone was project lead on Mask of the Betrayer (which seems to be regarded as the best non-Baldur's Gate D&D RPG), so he'd be great at this.

I imagine the team at Beamdog would be pretty annoyed after all the years they've spent pouring into remastering BG1 and 2 and reawakening interest in the franchise, though, as they've apparently proposed BG3 to WotC several times over the years and been turned down. But if you want a company that's going to take the series forwards with new, proven tech instead of just being a nostalgia fest, Larian is a much better bet.

Also, this isn't really going to be BG3. It'll be a spiritual successor set in the current iteration of the Realms, so likely set over a century after BG2 with relatively few connecting characters or storylines. Throne of Bhaal pretty conclusively closed down the story.

[KiDisaster]

Microsoft announcing Gamepass coming to PC (for more than just the handful of Play Anywhere MS Studios games it currently covers) is pretty cool. Paradox joining in is a pretty big get. 

https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/en/paradox-interactive-to-join-the-xbox-game-pass-for-pc/

[Centrist Simon Steele]

So has anyone played Kingdom Come Deliverance? It's on sale on GOG right now, and I've been fairly interested in it. I understand it is not without its quirks, but shitty combat doesn't bother me so much (I LOVE the Gothic series). I'm looking for an immersive RPG. I suppose Kingdom Come may not be that, so aside from that, what do you guys recommend?

I loved the Gothic games because of the in depth construction of the game world. I loved wandering around those first two games feeling a real sense of immersion. I really love most open world games, but I'm kind of worried I played them all! I even liked Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The Witcher 3 is my favorite of all time, though I did love Mass Effect 2 (and somewhat 3). I like strong characterization and exploration. 

A caveat: a lot of RPGs seem to be going back to top down. I think this is fine, though I prefer 1st/3rd person. Some games I could go back to as I didn't play them much are Divinity 2 Original Sin (I just couldn't get into it), Neverwinter 2 (it's clunky camera threw me off, but I can get used to clunkiness if the game turns out great), Legend of Grimrock 2, Divine Divinity, ...I feel like I have a ton that never caught me. 

One thing about Kingdom Come that I love in RPGs is the ability to build your own base/city. I think this is a DLC for Kingdom Come. So if you know of any games like this, throw out some suggestions. I am looking at the newest Ys game as it seems to be focused on this. 

[Jace, Extat]

9 minutes ago, Mr. Fancy Pants said:

So has anyone played Kingdom Come Deliverance? It's on sale on GOG right now, and I've been fairly interested in it. I understand it is not without its quirks, but shitty combat doesn't bother me so much (I LOVE the Gothic series). I'm looking for an immersive RPG. I suppose Kingdom Come may not be that, so aside from that, what do you guys recommend?

I loved the Gothic games because of the in depth construction of the game world. I loved wandering around those first two games feeling a real sense of immersion. I really love most open world games, but I'm kind of worried I played them all! I even liked Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The Witcher 3 is my favorite of all time, though I did love Mass Effect 2 (and somewhat 3). I like strong characterization and exploration. 

A caveat: a lot of RPGs seem to be going back to top down. I think this is fine, though I prefer 1st/3rd person. Some games I could go back to as I didn't play them much are Divinity 2 Original Sin (I just couldn't get into it), Neverwinter 2 (it's clunky camera threw me off, but I can get used to clunkiness if the game turns out great), Legend of Grimrock 2, Divine Divinity, ...I feel like I have a ton that never caught me. 

One thing about Kingdom Come that I love in RPGs is the ability to build your own base/city. I think this is a DLC for Kingdom Come. So if you know of any games like this, throw out some suggestions. I am looking at the newest Ys game as it seems to be focused on this. 

I bought it about a year or so ago and tried to play. I was really interested in it.

But goddamn is it just rough.

Like going back in time to Oblivion but with shittier UI, HUD, AI's, voice acting, controls, combat, and pretty much everything.

That being said, I once watched a video a guy made explaining why he loved it despite the incredible amount of flaws and he made a good case.

My advice is: If you buy it from Gamestop used you can give it a try and see if you can look past the issues and enjoy it. If so, and you want it on PC, then return the game back to Gamestop for a full refund within 7 days and buy it from GOG. (Check when the sale ends, and of course this is contingent on you having a console as an alternative)

[Centrist Simon Steele]

1 hour ago, Jace, Basilissa said:

I bought it about a year or so ago and tried to play. I was really interested in it.

But goddamn is it just rough.

Like going back in time to Oblivion but with shittier UI, HUD, AI's, voice acting, controls, combat, and pretty much everything.

That being said, I once watched a video a guy made explaining why he loved it despite the incredible amount of flaws and he made a good case.

My advice is: If you buy it from Gamestop used you can give it a try and see if you can look past the issues and enjoy it. If so, and you want it on PC, then return the game back to Gamestop for a full refund within 7 days and buy it from GOG. (Check when the sale ends, and of course this is contingent on you having a console as an alternative)

Hm, excellent idea! I do have a console. I think I'll try that. If I miss the GOG sale, Steam will have one soon. Plus, the price of Kingdom Come with the DLC is the same price as if it weren't on sale. Just the base game is discounted.

[GallowKnight]

I recently wrapped up Vampyr, which I liked quite a bit. The combat was a bit wonky and it became really tedious towards the end of the game with the sheer amount of it. But it though the story was really interesting and the atmosphere was great. And I really liked the characters, enough so that I kept talking to them and doing their side-quest even after I realized that it was kind of pointless if I weren't going to eat them.

Now on to the difficult task of selecting the next game to play off of game pass.

[Werthead]

On 6/1/2019 at 11:52 PM, Mr. Fancy Pants said:

A caveat: a lot of RPGs seem to be going back to top down. I think this is fine, though I prefer 1st/3rd person. Some games I could go back to as I didn't play them much are Divinity 2 Original Sin (I just couldn't get into it), Neverwinter 2 (it's clunky camera threw me off, but I can get used to clunkiness if the game turns out great), Legend of Grimrock 2, Divine Divinity, ...I feel like I have a ton that never caught me. 

One thing about Kingdom Come that I love in RPGs is the ability to build your own base/city. I think this is a DLC for Kingdom Come. So if you know of any games like this, throw out some suggestions. I am looking at the newest Ys game as it seems to be focused on this. 

I don't think Neverwinter Nights 2 itself is rated highly for its storytelling (although it is better than the first game), but the two expansions are very highly regarded. Mask of the Betrayer is often mentioned in the same breath as Planescape: Torment as being one of the best RPGs of all time.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker has a build your own city (and indeed your own kingdom) mechanic, but the game was janky as hell on release. Apparently it's a lot better now, but it's still quite unbalanced compared to other games.

[Centrist Simon Steele]

On 6/2/2019 at 5:15 AM, GallowKnight said:

I recently wrapped up Vampyr, which I liked quite a bit. The combat was a bit wonky and it became really tedious towards the end of the game with the sheer amount of it. But it though the story was really interesting and the atmosphere was great. And I really liked the characters, enough so that I kept talking to them and doing their side-quest even after I realized that it was kind of pointless if I weren't going to eat them.

Now on to the difficult task of selecting the next game to play off of game pass.

I've had a hard time finishing it. I like some of it, but a lot of it is kind of rough (around the edges). Combat is rough for sure, but I hate that you can't skip dialogue--well, you can't skip it effectively. I read fast, and I like to read the lines and skip them before the voice actors are done saying them--but in this game, if you skip, it doesn't just skip the line on the screen, but multiple lines you haven't read yet. And while the writing is good, I never found it good enough to sit there and just watch. Maybe I'll go back to it though.

19 minutes ago, Werthead said:

I don't think Neverwinter Nights 2 itself is rated highly for its storytelling (although it is better than the first game), but the two expansions are very highly regarded. Mask of the Betrayer is often mentioned in the same breath as Planescape: Torment as being one of the best RPGs of all time.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker has a build your own city (and indeed your own kingdom) mechanic, but the game was janky as hell on release. Apparently it's a lot better now, but it's still quite unbalanced compared to other games.

This looks really cool! I think I'm getting it. On sale at GOG, and it was even on my wishlist, though I have no memory about why. Thanks!

[dog-days]

On 6/3/2019 at 1:22 PM, Werthead said:

I don't think Neverwinter Nights 2 itself is rated highly for its storytelling (although it is better than the first game), but the two expansions are very highly regarded. Mask of the Betrayer is often mentioned in the same breath as Planescape: Torment as being one of the best RPGs of all time.

Pathfinder: Kingmaker has a build your own city (and indeed your own kingdom) mechanic, but the game was janky as hell on release. Apparently it's a lot better now, but it's still quite unbalanced compared to other games.

I'm in the minority that preferred NWN2 to Mask of the Betrayer.  I also prefer BG2 to Planescape. It's probably a question of atmosphere;  I like Chris Avellone a lot in his interviews, but I don't find his school of writing as appealing as many do - it often feels a bit cold and overwrought at the same time. 

In defence of NWN2, I can only say that I find it charming - even if, pace Anthony Blanche, charm is the death knell of art. 

 

[Werthead]

I decided to finally give Dawn of War III a go, having gotten it for free in a Steam special offer a while back. It's surprisingly okay, since it was torn to shreds on release. Dawn of War was more of a traditional RTS, Dawn of War II was more of an ARPG and DoW III is trying to be...both simultaneously? It kind of works, with decent base building and hero abilities. The campaign, which actually allows you to control all three races (unlike the previous two games core campaigns, which were All Space Marines, All the Time, until the expansions), is solid as well, although the base building mechanic does feel a bit of an awkward fit for Space Marines (a bit more logical for the Webway-traversing Eldar and scrap-gathering Orks though).

The lack of cover is a bit weird though. When a 2017 game has vastly inferior cover mechanics to games released in 2004 and 2009, something has gone wrong somewhere. It also feels like the writing was much stronger in the first two games, with multiple characters interacting with one another and developing the story. In DoW III it feels like the game is in a bit of a hurry and puts all the storytelling in mission briefs and debriefings instead.

So, solid but not particularly fantastic. It does feel like 40K games are in a bit of a rut and it's a shame the highest-profile and highest-budgeted one of recent years wasn't better.