Random Video Game Crap

[GasBandit]

Any reason I shouldn't get the standalone legendary version? I'm a total novice with Steam. I know what it means as a distribution platform, but beyond that, I'm clueless.

--Patrick

You don't have to, but you'll miss out on about half the available mods. Still, Skyrim Nexus's mods are many and robust (and most of the best mods are there too), so it may be plenty for you.

I do recommend you get steam, though. It is bar none the best way to get games cheaply for those on a constrained budget, thanks to their biannual huge sales promotions. And there's even a large number of games available for free. At the very least, you should check out Team Fortress 2 (which is free), it'll give you a good introductory idea on how steam "works" while giving you one of the top multiplayer FPSes of all time.

 

[AshburnerX]

Any reason I shouldn't get the standalone legendary version? I'm a total novice with Steam. I know what it means as a distribution platform, but beyond that, I'm clueless.

--Patrick

I'm almost certain the standalone legendary version still comes with Steam Keys.

Steam integrates a lot of functions into games that you may or may not want. For instance, the Steam Workshop gives you a way to browse mods and then integrate them without any fuss. In fact, they'll even update themselves when a new version is released. You also get stuff like leaderboards, achievements, badges, cards, and other fun stuff. This is all on top of the basic stuff like friends lists and an in-game web browser (which is glitchy as hell).

So yeah... Steam is actually pretty great.

 

[Ravenpoe]

Skyrim's DRM is through steamworks, so it's all steam, no matter how you buy it.

 

[Frank]

I have a feeling that no matter how good South Park: Stick of Truth is or how well it sells, Ubisoft is going to fuck Obsidian out of any profits from it. Bethesda did it, Sega did it, THQ probably would have and Ubisoft is no stranger to fuckery.

 

[AshburnerX]

I doubt they would if it's a success. They need the South Park guys to be involved and they are the types that would tell Ubisoft to fuck off if they screw Obsidian out of stuff.

 

[Frank]

Mega Man X8, the apparently mediocre but entirely superior to the abysmal Mega Man X7 game, is actually affordable again on Ebay (it's spent years in the 70-100 dollar range). Suddenly it's 20-30 bucks and entirely within what I'm willing to pay for it.

I'm excited, it's like the only mainline Mega Man game (X or otherwise) I've never finished (because X7 was an abysmal pile of trash).

 

[AshburnerX]

Mega Man X8, the apparently mediocre but entirely superior to the abysmal Mega Man X7 game, is actually affordable again on Ebay (it's spent years in the 70-100 dollar range). Suddenly it's 20-30 bucks and entirely within what I'm willing to pay for it.

I'm excited, it's like the only mainline Mega Man game (X or otherwise) I've never finished (because X7 was an abysmal pile of trash).

It should have never been that much, unless someone is selling a sealed copy and even then it should be more like $63. Seriously. You've been looking at sealed carts. You want complete or loose ones if you just want to play the game.

 

[Bubble181]

Steam integrates a lot of functions into games that you may or may not want. For instance, the Steam Workshop gives you a way to browse mods and then integrate them without any fuss. In fact, they'll even update themselves when a new version is released. You also get stuff like leaderboards, achievements, badges, cards, and other fun stuff. This is all on top of the basic stuff like friends lists and an in-game web browser (which is glitchy as hell).

Combined with an always-on line DRM feature, which is abotu the only one of its type to allow you to actually go off line for up to a month (if you don't care about achievements and the like). Hate AODRM, but I can sort of live with Steam since it's flexible enoguh nowadays.[DOUBLEPOST=1381390517,1381390420][/DOUBLEPOST]

Random time: To buy download or retail? Oy.

For some games this is not a difficult question. You look at it, know you'll only play through it once and then (if you're like me) trade it in or sell it, or maybe give it to a friend/relative, so you get the retail. Other games, you know this is a game to keep, one you'll love and cherish, so it makes sense to download.

It's funny how my reasoning is the exact opposite. Reselling used games doesn't exist in Belgium (some stores are trying to launch it now, but too little too late), so for me it's a matter of retail if I want to be sure to be able to play it later, or download if it's something I could live with losing if/when the website/store goes under.

 

[AshburnerX]

Combined with an always-on line DRM feature, which is abotu the only one of its type to allow you to actually go off line for up to a month (if you don't care about achievements and the like). Hate AODRM, but I can sort of live with Steam since it's flexible enoguh nowadays.

Yeah, this is important. Steamworks is DRM, but it's also fairly unobtrusive. It's really the best of a bad situation and much better than some things like Origin.

 

[Ravenpoe]

Combined with an always-on line DRM feature, which is abotu the only one of its type to allow you to actually go off line for up to a month

You can actually stay offline a whole lot longer. Theoretically, you can stay offline indefinitely, but you'll need to make sure to shut-down steam and your pc properly whenever you power down, as the authentication files that steam downloads to verify your games can be lost if they're in use during a power-down.

 

[Bubble181]

You can actually stay offline a whole lot longer. Theoretically, you can stay offline indefinitely, but you'll need to make sure to shut-down steam and your pc properly whenever you power down, as the authentication files that steam downloads to verify your games can be lost if they're in use during a power-down.

Depends. I know my computer asks for re-confirmation after about 3 weeks and stops loading after a month or so. You can probably cheat that by changing system time or whatever, but the intention is to be on line once a month.

Yeah, this is important. Steamworks is DRM, but it's also fairly unobtrusive. It's really the best of a bad situation and much better than some things like Origin.

Absolutely. Though there's always the Shining Beacon of Awesome that is GOG.com.

 

[PatrThom]

Absolutely. Though there's always the Shining Beacon of Awesome that is GOG.com.

My biggest problem with GOG is that it is all too easy to buy 100 hours of gameplay every week. And that's unsupportable.

--Patrick

 

[figmentPez]

Yay, Steam finally fixed the bug in the comment notification system. Up until recently, if someone left a comment, but deleted it before you read it, then you could end up perpetually stuck with a notification for a message you couldn't check. A minor annoyance, but it'll be nice to actually have the notification area only turn green when I actually have something to check on.

 

[Frank]

My biggest problem with GOG is that it is all too easy to buy 100 hours of gameplay every week. And that's unsupportable.

--Patrick

Humble Weekly Bundle does that for a dollar a week. It's insane. If I wanted to play through every game I have now on Steam I'd need 8+ years of free time.

 

[Ravenpoe]

I don't normally post commercials on webforums, because reasons, but Sony's "Perfect Day" commercial for the PS4 shows a surprisingly charming video-game bro-mance.

 

[Far]

While that commercial is pretty good, they have the weirdest marketing team.

 

[AshburnerX]

Weird or not, I'm feeling engaged as a consumer. They are clearly doing something right.

 

[PatrThom]

It's one of the few commercials I've seen that really sells the idea of multiplayer.

--Patrick

 

[Ravenpoe]

What's nice about it, and it mentioned in some of the comments (I know, I know... you never read the comments) is that it not only shows two friends having a nice day with each other through video games, but it does so without slamming other activities. There's a real danger when you try to approach this to show it as an alternative to, say, going outside, and both sides would slam the other as if it's opposites. "Fuck sports, play video games!" vs "Video games? Go out and REALLY LIVE!"

Instead, it stands on its own. It's really good marketing.

 

[Hailey Knight]

As is almost always the case when Gamestop is having a buy 2, get 1 free sale, I can think of two things to buy, but not a third to get for free.

 

[CynicismKills]

Man, replaying Tales of Vesperia. Yuri is the best protag ever.

Spoiler

Corrupt, murderous army general that will get away with his crimes scott-free due to social standing? Yuri throws him into a pit of quicksand and lets him die.

 

[ThatNickGuy]

http://www.gamespot.com/videos/batman-arkham-origins-video-review/2300-6415747/

Once again, Carolyn Petit posts a review that has a number of Gamespot readers raging against her. I can never understand why people get so worked up over a review, let alone a semantic number. On top of that, many commenters are lashing out at her personally because she's transgendered.

 

[Bowielee]

http://www.gamespot.com/videos/batman-arkham-origins-video-review/2300-6415747/

Once again, Carolyn Petit posts a review that has a number of Gamespot readers raging against her. I can never understand why people get so worked up over a review, let alone a semantic number. On top of that, many commenters are lashing out at her personally because she's transgendered.

This isn't the first time they've done that in regards to that journalist. Stay classy internet!

 

[ThatNickGuy]

This isn't the first time they've done that in regards to that journalist. Stay classy internet!

Oh, I know. I've seen the comments on a number of her reviews. Fortunately, the personal attacks and calling her a "he" or an "it" have dropped a bit. Could be just people getting banned.

 

[Hailey Knight]

I can never understand why people get so worked up over a review, let alone a semantic number.

I'm amazed this is one of those games that people even give a shit about.

 

[Bowielee]

I'll admit it, I bought Arkham Origins on release day (so I could get the preorder Deathstroke content) and from what I've played of it, it's basically an Arkham City clone in almost every way. The menus for your upgrades maps and such are ugly as hell though. I've also had a few glitches, far too many for this early in the game. The first fight is against Killer Croc and in the second half of the fight, he literally disappeared and I had to fight an invisible Croc (on a purely stylistic note, Croc looks dumb as hell. He looks like Toad when he got turned into a Goomba in the Super Mario Brothers movie). And there's a mysterious guy named Enigma who leaves clues all over the place. /sarcasm/Wonder who the hell he is./sarcasm/.

I'm fairly certain the 5 hour estimate I've heard is incorrect as I'm an hour in and haven't gotten that far. It does look like it will be shorter, though.

Overall, it's mediocre. I had completely forgotten that Rocksteady wasn't doing this one when I bought it, so my bad on that front.

One thing that I DO like, stylistically, is the Christmas theme and the fact that it firmly takes place right after The Long Halloween, which is one of my favorite Batman stories.

 

[Jay]

3.5 on 10 from Destructoid.

 

[Terrik]

Guys I hate EA but I like Battlefield. Shit.

 

[Frank]

I'll admit it, I bought Arkham Origins on release day (so I could get the preorder Deathstroke content) and from what I've played of it, it's basically an Arkham City clone in almost every way. The menus for your upgrades maps and such are ugly as hell though. I've also had a few glitches, far too many for this early in the game. The first fight is against Killer Croc and in the second half of the fight, he literally disappeared and I had to fight an invisible Croc (on a purely stylistic note, Croc looks dumb as hell. He looks like Toad when he got turned into a Goomba in the Super Mario Brothers movie). And there's a mysterious guy named Enigma who leaves clues all over the place. /sarcasm/Wonder who the hell he is./sarcasm/.

I'm fairly certain the 5 hour estimate I've heard is incorrect as I'm an hour in and haven't gotten that far. It does look like it will be shorter, though.

Overall, it's mediocre. I had completely forgotten that Rocksteady wasn't doing this one when I bought it, so my bad on that front.

One thing that I DO like, stylistically, is the Christmas theme and the fact that it firmly takes place right after The Long Halloween, which is one of my favorite Batman stories.

You can shoot through the main story pretty quickly, or play fetch sidequests and pad it out but yeah, the 5 hour playtime thing seems to be internet hyperbole. The glitches are out of control at points. I've had to restart the game a few times because doors would bug closed and I couldn't progress (this padded some playtime onto the game because I would explore every nook and cranny of a level thinking I missed something). The combat can get annoying too, with Batman basically just choosing to not continue the combo, despite my stick pushed towards the nearest standing enemy, he'll just take a swing at the air and my 28 hit combo is reset. Infuriating at times, worse is when this causes an enemy to get a cheap hit in when he shouldn't have been able to.

The really big brightspot on this game is the soundtrack. Christopher Drake generally does a pretty fantastic job (his soundtracks are my favorite parts of a lot of the newer DC animated films, especially his Justice League theme found in Crisis on Two Earths and Doom).

I would like to see a proper open world Batman game (not these lifeless imitations that City and Origins are). Even better would be a Batman Beyond one.

 

[Frank]

"YES, THIS GAME IS EXCLUSIVE TO ONE CONSOLE NOW!"

Why are you happy about this? What kind of empty life do you lead where this is something that makes you happy? This attitude is mind-boggling.

I guess this is that sort of people:

 

[AshburnerX]

"YES, THIS GAME IS EXCLUSIVE TO ONE CONSOLE NOW!"

Why are you happy about this? What kind of empty life do you lead where this is something that makes you happy? This attitude is mind-boggling.

I guess this is that sort of people:

Microsoft must have dumped a HUGE amount of money in EA's lap for this to have happened.

 

[Bowielee]

You can shoot through the main story pretty quickly, or play fetch sidequests and pad it out but yeah, the 5 hour playtime thing seems to be internet hyperbole. The glitches are out of control at points. I've had to restart the game a few times because doors would bug closed and I couldn't progress (this padded some playtime onto the game because I would explore every nook and cranny of a level thinking I missed something). The combat can get annoying too, with Batman basically just choosing to not continue the combo, despite my stick pushed towards the nearest standing enemy, he'll just take a swing at the air and my 28 hit combo is reset. Infuriating at times, worse is when this causes an enemy to get a cheap hit in when he shouldn't have been able to.

The really big brightspot on this game is the soundtrack. Christopher Drake generally does a pretty fantastic job (his soundtracks are my favorite parts of a lot of the newer DC animated films, especially his Justice League theme found in Crisis on Two Earths and Doom).

I would like to see a proper open world Batman game (not these lifeless imitations that City and Origins are). Even better would be a Batman Beyond one.

Also, in Arkham City it seemed like pretty much every ledge was a grapple point, in this game, I'm finding myself constantly searching for grapple points.

 

[Frank]

For sure, it feels like half the buildings are randomly not grappleable.

 

[Frank]

I'm mad that I did not know about Hot Pepper Gaming. Funniest review gimmick ever.

 

[CynicismKills]

Yeah, EgoRaptor has a fucking stroke talking about Monster Hunter, it's hilarious.[DOUBLEPOST=1383630776,1383630647][/DOUBLEPOST]Also it might be the one you linked, but there's another where the girl gets super pissed at a cat that's off-screen drinking her glass of milk while she suffers.