Video Games and Beyond...

[Howdyphillip]

I am starting a new general video game thread as it looks like we ran out of room in the last one. I played through two video games this week. The Game of Thrones RPG, and Max Payne 3. I enjoyed them both for very different reasons, although they both featured very solid story telling.

Max Payne 3 was an extremely unique piece of media because of its cinematography. The game was absolutely top of the line graphics, and the cut scenes were shot with flashing screens and blurry visions representing the characters drunkenness and effects of injury. They were also nearly all seamless into the actual game play which really incorporated me into the experience

It was limited by the fact that it is only a third person shooter. It is a short game at only around 12 hours, but any more than that, I would have grown extremely bored with the monotony of aim the gun, shoot the guy, repeat over and over again.

GoT was not very good at game play as the combat system was not enjoyable at all. The characters gained an attack fairly close to the begging of the game, and the strategy the rest of the way through was to keep using it. The voice acting was extremely sub par, and the graphics left a whole lot to be desired.

What it had that made it my favorite of the two game this week is an excellent story that felt right at home in the GRRM universe. The Art direction in the game was amazing as well, and the score was as good as any I have ever heard in video games. There are definitely places where I felt let down by this game, but over all, I don't think I wasted my money on it in the slightest. The story was just that good.

[Gurney Halleck]

I'm rocking a bit of Diablo 2 because us Aus/NZ players get smacked with server shutdowns and maintenance while the States and Europe bunk down.

If I could play single player offline, that's what I'd be doing.

But that is an entirely different kettle of fish.

[Screaming Turkey Ultimate]

Why do most western RPGs have terrible, inexpressive characters? Everyone seems so fucking bland and lacking in personality in Bioware and Bethesda games.

[Gurney Halleck]

Why do most western RPGs have terrible, inexpressive characters? Everyone seems so fucking bland and lacking in personality in Bioware and Bethesda games.

:bs:

I'm confused.

Western RPG?

As opposed to the ones they developed in Somalia or Fiji?

Do they have good developers and programmers in the 3rd world?

Btw, Bethesda have proven they can make some of the best games in the world. Nobody plays Skyrim for the expressive facial features.

Please clarify

[Howdyphillip]

:bs:

I'm confused.

Western RPG?

As opposed to the ones they developed in Somalia or Fiji?

Do they have good developers and programmers in the 3rd world?

Btw, Bethesda have proven they can make some of the best games in the world. Nobody plays Skyrim for the expressive facial features.

Please clarify

I am sure he is talking about Japanese RPGs.

Here is a history and a look at the difference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_video_game#History_and_classification

[The Butler of Tarth]

Just started playing GoT RPG and the entire thing just screams 'I WAS RUSHED' to me.

The combat system has potential but seems unpolished and clunky to say the least. And the locations seem like somewhere in the developers' studio there's a ton of post-it cards with things 'insert quest#456 here' written on them. Could've been a pretty good game if they had a couple of months to work on it.

[Jon AS]

Just started playing GoT RPG and the entire thing just screams 'I WAS RUSHED' to me.

The combat system has potential but seems unpolished and clunky to say the least. And the locations seem like somewhere in the developers' studio there's a ton of post-it cards with things 'insert quest#456 here' written on them. Could've been a pretty good game if they had a couple of months to work on it.

It was in development for quite a reasonable amount of time. Cyanide is simply a pretty bad studio.

[Weak With The Dawn]

Why do most western RPGs have terrible, inexpressive characters? Everyone seems so fucking bland and lacking in personality in Bioware and Bethesda games.

Probably for the same reason that all JRPG's have the same cast of eccentric characters with loud outfits.

Because people love to make generalizations.

[haLobEnder]

Why do most western RPGs have terrible, inexpressive characters? Everyone seems so fucking bland and lacking in personality in Bioware and Bethesda games.

Actually my biggest problem with Japanese RPGs and anime is the melodrama. While there are specific titles I'll enjoy just because of how over-the-top they are --the Ace Attorney and Yakuza series come to mind-- it seems like every JRPG these days stars the same bi-polar teenage male protagonist and the same ultra-hyper, shrilly-voiced female companion. Its one thing to not be able to relate to a character, it's another thing to actively dislike a character, and more and more I'm finding the characters in traditional JRPGs --ones that keep tapping that Final Fantasy vein-- fall in the latter category.

Not saying all WRPGs get it right either --certainly most Bethesda characters are as flat as you suggest-- but you even mentioning Bioware in the same breath tells me you're either playing the games wrong and not interacting with your party when you have the chance, or that you're coming to these conclusions very quickly and throwing the baby out with the bath water with your dismissal of WRPGs.

[Manhole Eunuchsbane]

Some interesting looking GOT mods for existing games...

http://kotaku.com/5912192/the-game-of-thrones-games-suck-so-try-these-awesome-mods-instead

[Weak With The Dawn]

George and HBO are teaming up with Disruptor Beam to create a Facebook games based on ASOIAF. I hate Facebook games to begin with, but Disruptor Beam doesn't seem to have any real experience making games. I can only find one: "50 Cent's Blackjack".

I wish GRRM had someone helping him make more informed decisions in the games market because ASOIAF is clearly a selling product now and more established gaming companies would be willing to develop a game now than they would have a few years ago.

[Centrist Simon Steele]

I get the sense George just don't give a shit.

I am about 7 hours into Amalur the Reckoning, does this game pick up? I've most done sidequests, but I am feeling pretty let down by the whole thing.

Mass Effect 3 still consumes much of my life though.

[Tyrellius]

I really enjoyed Kingdoms of Amalur for the first bit, I found the combat pretty exciting and fun. But the game just drags on. Too many stupid sidequests and by the time I met the gnomes I was a walking god and combat just wasnt hard anymore.

Gnomes - modelled on the Romans. I hate gnomes but love anything Roman so this just pushed me a bit far and I havent touched the game since. If they'd patch it and make combat harder I wouldnt be against trying it again. I'd just skip the fucking gnomish part.

[Weak With The Dawn]

You made it farther than I did Tyrellius. I'm not even sure how long I played but I got so bored with KOA that I gave it to a friend of mine less than a week after buying it.

There are things I liked about it, but the characters seem so shallow and it all just drags.

[Muttering Bill]

I finally finished off my platinum trophy for Dynasty Warriors 7. Which I've been working on for months. Well, I hadn't played it much lately since grinding the same level got pretty boring. But I musn't have had enough abuse, since I've started Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends. So far it seems like a good improvement though.

[Daeric]

The ending of KOA does become a bit of a slog where nothing can really touch you. The best advice I've heard for it is ignore the side quests and you'll at least be within touching distance of the intended level of the area.

[Shryke]

George and HBO are teaming up with Disruptor Beam to create a Facebook games based on ASOIAF. I hate Facebook games to begin with, but Disruptor Beam doesn't seem to have any real experience making games. I can only find one: "50 Cent's Blackjack".

I wish GRRM had someone helping him make more informed decisions in the games market because ASOIAF is clearly a selling product now and more established gaming companies would be willing to develop a game now than they would have a few years ago.

1) I don't think GRRM cares

2) Any dev studio worth getting very likely has zero interest in licensed properties

[Slurktan]

I finally finished off my platinum trophy for Dynasty Warriors 7. Which I've been working on for months. Well, I hadn't played it much lately since grinding the same level got pretty boring. But I musn't have had enough abuse, since I've started Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends. So far it seems like a good improvement though.

Do you have Warriors Orochi 3? It's pretty much the best Warriors game ever. It has like 130 characters (All Dynasty Warriors characters, all Samurai Warriors characters, Joan of Arc, Achilles, Ninja Gaiden, various mythological chinese/japanese figures like Wu Kong) no clone movesets, I think like 50 stages and an original plot. Fantastic! Only bad thing is there is no english VA which can be a good thing if you werent a fan.

[Tyrellius]

is out soon. I've suckered into too many rpgs lately. I was amped about getting this, but after seeing this vid, I'll think I'll leave it a bit longer and see what everyone else has to say.

[teemo]

I'm on a little break right now so I have a lot of free time, and I have way too many games to play. I'm still playing Skyrim and Dragon Age: Origins (great re-play value), and then I'm also playing Game of Thrones RPG, Max Payne 2, and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.

Dragon's Dogmais out soon. I've suckered into too many rpgs lately. I was amped about getting this, but after seeing this vid, I'll think I'll leave it a bit longer and see what everyone else has to say.

Me too! Exactly why I bought Kingdoms of Amalur, but it's not bad. I am hearing super mixed reviews about Dragon's Dogma and I have all of these other games to play, so I'm waiting for a price drop. Also waiting for a price drop on the new Silent Hill - has anyone here played that? I'm excited about a lot of games this year. The Last of Us, Grand Theft Auto V, Resident Evil 6, Borderlands 2, Hitman (might give it a shot), Assassin's Creed III....yeah, I've really gotten back into my gaming phase at the moment.[