Shadow of Mordor is a planned future-buy until proven otherwise ... but not because of that review. I look forward to word of mouth though.
Professor Layton and the Last Specter: All the puzzles, mystery, fun, and obsessive coin searching that I've come to love!
Back to Gran Turismo 4 - got the IB license, and started doing driving missions (I want the DeLorean). The amount of A-spec points awarded are ridiculous - 250 for each mission? Since apparently the more A-spec, the harder the AI drivers become, I'm going to do races I want to before going back to the driving missions. Now at 48.8% completion.
To reach back for a bit:
Story is nice, but it's not required for a game to be good. A game like Lemmings was insanely addicting even though the story was basically, "Take these guys. Get them there. Don't kill too many." It's like a casual game that went to college and got a degree in awesome. Plants v. Zombies has a slightly more involved story, but really it's still just a "pretense," not a story...just a wrapper that establishes a setting. The real "game" in PvZ is trying out all the permutations and synergies of plants to overcome the zombie onslaught, which is gameplay ultimately similar to that of Lemmings (though Lemmings had noticeably fewer permutations).
That said, story is still nice, and if the game you're building can fit into the category "interactive movie," then you damn well better sweat the creation of a good story. These days, everyone points to Okami and Ico/Colossus for representative examples of a story which "unfolds" rather than being told to you, and while the outcome is more or less predetermined (or at least on some sort of "track"), the player still gets to assume the role of the protagonist, almost Assassin's Creed-style, where you are prohibited from violating canon, but you get to participate and put your own "spin" on it. Earlier still, there were games such as Myst/Riven (not so much the non-Cyan sequels), which to this day are still iconic examples of linear, story-driven gameplay, and the "game" was not so much about rushing to the ending as it was about figuring out how to advance the game itself and force it to tell you the next chapter. Best of all, the challenges are more or less integral to the game experience rather than being glorified combination locks with "solve me or stagnate" posted next to them. Don't get me wrong...they're still combination locks, but at least they've been blended into the storyline and scenery so well that they don't break the immersion nor the illusion that the actions you are taking are actually relevant to the plot. A player wants to feel like his actions matter, even if they don't.
--Patrick
Story is nice, but it's not required for a game to be good. A game like Lemmings was insanely addicting even though the story was basically, "Take these guys. Get them there. Don't kill too many." It's like a casual game that went to college and got a degree in awesome. Plants v. Zombies has a slightly more involved story, but really it's still just a "pretense," not a story...just a wrapper that establishes a setting. The real "game" in PvZ is trying out all the permutations and synergies of plants to overcome the zombie onslaught, which is gameplay ultimately similar to that of Lemmings (though Lemmings had noticeably fewer permutations).
That said, story is still nice, and if the game you're building can fit into the category "interactive movie," then you damn well better sweat the creation of a good story. These days, everyone points to Okami and Ico/Colossus for representative examples of a story which "unfolds" rather than being told to you, and while the outcome is more or less predetermined (or at least on some sort of "track"), the player still gets to assume the role of the protagonist, almost Assassin's Creed-style, where you are prohibited from violating canon, but you get to participate and put your own "spin" on it. Earlier still, there were games such as Myst/Riven (not so much the non-Cyan sequels), which to this day are still iconic examples of linear, story-driven gameplay, and the "game" was not so much about rushing to the ending as it was about figuring out how to advance the game itself and force it to tell you the next chapter. Best of all, the challenges are more or less integral to the game experience rather than being glorified combination locks with "solve me or stagnate" posted next to them. Don't get me wrong...they're still combination locks, but at least they've been blended into the storyline and scenery so well that they don't break the immersion nor the illusion that the actions you are taking are actually relevant to the plot. A player wants to feel like his actions matter, even if they don't.
--Patrick
If we're dredge this up again for @Necronic then I may as well list some things.
Earlier on, he said that some games skirt by on their story while having mediocre gameplay, but then later said games could be using their story resources (writer payment etc) for more game stuff. Well, if those games are already crappy games, then putting resources toward the story isn't a waste, because they didn't have something good to begin with, therefore this is there method of getting sales, and there's a market for it, with people who desire games more focused on story, otherwise this tactic would not work.
Sometimes a story can make or break a game. I know that sounds unlikely, but it can. Example, the only reason I have an inkling of desire to replay certain older Final Fantasy titles or Xenogears is because of the story, to re-experience it. On the flip side, I returned Prototype 2 because the story stuff was so loathsome, despite good gameplay.
I gotta agree with @Null about the Bioware stuff. Simple stories, told effectively, solid characters. There's really nothing that special about the climax of the first Mass Effect, but it is because those characters I care about are experiencing it, and I'm experiencing it. BUT this is kind of a downfall point when you apply it to the trilogy. I had a discussion with my wife about which was the bigger letdown, Battlestar Galactica or Mass Effect 3. We concluded Mass Effect 3, because while both were disappointing in the end, BSG was trying to do something unique and fumbled it big time, while Mass Effect 3 only had to follow its roots of a pretty routine story, the kind of story almost anyone could tell, and yet they still fucked it up by overreaching where the talent didn't exist.
So Bioware's good games are a plain thing wrapped in lots of great stuff. But when you think about it, the same can be said for Guardians of the Galaxy. No one cared about that movie's first draft because it was pretty much just the plot, and none of the humor or characterization that made the movie so beloved.
Earlier on, he said that some games skirt by on their story while having mediocre gameplay, but then later said games could be using their story resources (writer payment etc) for more game stuff. Well, if those games are already crappy games, then putting resources toward the story isn't a waste, because they didn't have something good to begin with, therefore this is there method of getting sales, and there's a market for it, with people who desire games more focused on story, otherwise this tactic would not work.
Sometimes a story can make or break a game. I know that sounds unlikely, but it can. Example, the only reason I have an inkling of desire to replay certain older Final Fantasy titles or Xenogears is because of the story, to re-experience it. On the flip side, I returned Prototype 2 because the story stuff was so loathsome, despite good gameplay.
I gotta agree with @Null about the Bioware stuff. Simple stories, told effectively, solid characters. There's really nothing that special about the climax of the first Mass Effect, but it is because those characters I care about are experiencing it, and I'm experiencing it. BUT this is kind of a downfall point when you apply it to the trilogy. I had a discussion with my wife about which was the bigger letdown, Battlestar Galactica or Mass Effect 3. We concluded Mass Effect 3, because while both were disappointing in the end, BSG was trying to do something unique and fumbled it big time, while Mass Effect 3 only had to follow its roots of a pretty routine story, the kind of story almost anyone could tell, and yet they still fucked it up by overreaching where the talent didn't exist.
So Bioware's good games are a plain thing wrapped in lots of great stuff. But when you think about it, the same can be said for Guardians of the Galaxy. No one cared about that movie's first draft because it was pretty much just the plot, and none of the humor or characterization that made the movie so beloved.
Not really, I just skipped this thread for a while and then had a lot to read to catch up.
--Patrick
Finished Assassin's Creed IV. And....meh? The ending was incredibly anti-climactic. In fact, all of the story missions were incredibly dull and uninspiring compared to the potential of what this game could have been. There was way way way WAY too much emphasis on sneaking missions, even needing to sneak with your ship at points.
But the finale was just a ho-hum fight with a small group of cannon fodder, then some climbing, and a dive kill on the boss. Snore. Worse, when I was making my way towards the boss, the game glitched hard for me. I actually made it to the "boss" no problem, but there was no option to assassinate him or even swing my sword. Shooting at him just showed this force field around him. The fuck? So I thought, "Okay, I'll...jump off onto this platform?" Which made a stone breaking sound... and then I clipped through the wall. After a glitch that caused me to fall, I came back at a spot I hadn't even seen before. After some more confusing platforming, I finally managed to do the stupid anti-climactic one-shot kill. So even though I had made my way to the final guy, I apparently didn't go the RIGHT way according to the game.
And worst of all, any kind of "interesting" stuff was apparently all in the modern world, with revelations that I didn't give a shit about because I'm not a fan of the series as a whole and had no idea who anyone was. Something about some woman who's a god, but she's trapped in a machine? I don't even know.
I've said this several times already, but this game would've been so much better as its own thing. Anything fun and exciting in the game had nothing to do with the Ass. Creed series, but all about the pirate setting. The story missions were so force-feeding that it was a chore just to go through them. Only reason I did was to open up more things to explore like the underwater areas. Which were fun, but would've been more enjoyable if I was allowed to have a dagger or something to fight off the sharks.
I'll probably trade this game back soon enough and probably won't be revisiting the Assassin's Creed series again. It was fun, but just a grind and a chore near the end, with an incredibly anti-climactic finale and lazy mission design.
But the finale was just a ho-hum fight with a small group of cannon fodder, then some climbing, and a dive kill on the boss. Snore. Worse, when I was making my way towards the boss, the game glitched hard for me. I actually made it to the "boss" no problem, but there was no option to assassinate him or even swing my sword. Shooting at him just showed this force field around him. The fuck? So I thought, "Okay, I'll...jump off onto this platform?" Which made a stone breaking sound... and then I clipped through the wall. After a glitch that caused me to fall, I came back at a spot I hadn't even seen before. After some more confusing platforming, I finally managed to do the stupid anti-climactic one-shot kill. So even though I had made my way to the final guy, I apparently didn't go the RIGHT way according to the game.
And worst of all, any kind of "interesting" stuff was apparently all in the modern world, with revelations that I didn't give a shit about because I'm not a fan of the series as a whole and had no idea who anyone was. Something about some woman who's a god, but she's trapped in a machine? I don't even know.
I've said this several times already, but this game would've been so much better as its own thing. Anything fun and exciting in the game had nothing to do with the Ass. Creed series, but all about the pirate setting. The story missions were so force-feeding that it was a chore just to go through them. Only reason I did was to open up more things to explore like the underwater areas. Which were fun, but would've been more enjoyable if I was allowed to have a dagger or something to fight off the sharks.
I'll probably trade this game back soon enough and probably won't be revisiting the Assassin's Creed series again. It was fun, but just a grind and a chore near the end, with an incredibly anti-climactic finale and lazy mission design.
Well, aside from the fact that it's awesome.
GasBandit
Staff member
What happens after that is also the start of a brick joke that lands again when you romance Asha.
What I was basically hinting at is that if you love Dynasty Warriors and Zelda, this is the game for you, but if you hate Dynasty Warriors, you are going to hate Hyrule Warriors.
It's also kind of interesting if you go back to her right away, and she goes, "You have to wait until I want to." In fact, romancing everyone is pretty funny, especially their responses if you ask again right after.
GasBandit
Staff member
So I've started playing SR3 with another friend of mine, he's never played any SR game before.
He can't drive. He drives SO bad. I can't understand how he drives so bad. He runs into every wall. Every post. Over every guardrail, off every bridge, into every other car.
I don't even know how to explain to him what he's doing wrong because to me SR3's driving was just intuitive. How do you describe how to tie your shoes over VOIP to a 35 year old man who has never done it before?
He can't drive. He drives SO bad. I can't understand how he drives so bad. He runs into every wall. Every post. Over every guardrail, off every bridge, into every other car.
I don't even know how to explain to him what he's doing wrong because to me SR3's driving was just intuitive. How do you describe how to tie your shoes over VOIP to a 35 year old man who has never done it before?
FINALLY.
I won a Dodge Charger Super Bee 426 Hemi in Gran Turismo 4, and it was Butterscotch yellow. I've won over a dozen of them, but they were all awful colors - green, dark tan metallic, champagne gold, pastels, etc. There are only really 3 proper colors: Plum Crazy Purple, Hemi Orange, and yellow, either Top Banana or Butterscotch. Now, I had wondered if I was being too picky.
No. No, I was not. Seeing it in Butterscotch yellow with the black hockey stripes, it looked *perfect*. I am glad I kept going until I won this one.
I won a Dodge Charger Super Bee 426 Hemi in Gran Turismo 4, and it was Butterscotch yellow. I've won over a dozen of them, but they were all awful colors - green, dark tan metallic, champagne gold, pastels, etc. There are only really 3 proper colors: Plum Crazy Purple, Hemi Orange, and yellow, either Top Banana or Butterscotch. Now, I had wondered if I was being too picky.
No. No, I was not. Seeing it in Butterscotch yellow with the black hockey stripes, it looked *perfect*. I am glad I kept going until I won this one.
So I'm still playing Mass Effect, and I do the mission on Luna to shut down the rogue VI. And while I'm driving around the lunar landscape, firing the Mako's cannon randomly, as you are wont to do, I recalled a lecture that will be delivered by a certain gunnery chief several years in the future.
So I fired it at Earth and wondered if I was ruining someone's day.
So I fired it at Earth and wondered if I was ruining someone's day.
Dove a little deeper into Hyrule Warriors, I just got to where the game opens up into different areas and it certainly is a fun romp through some of the more popular worlds in the franchise. Just unlocked Midna, YAY! Say what you will about Twilight Princess, but that game was worth it for her alone. She's probably my favorite character in all of the Zelda games.
I have been devouring it.
Favourite moment with the nemesis system so far has been a Uruk named Malmug the Corruptor. He started out as just this normal Uruk that happened to be there after one of my first missions. I killed his chief but was very low and he finished me off. This got him promoted to a basic Captain. Then, he would keep showing up while I was in the middle of fighting someone else and they would overwhelm me. Malmug had poison as one of his strengths and it would continually fuck me up. I also learned later ambushes were another one of his strengths explaining why he would show up so often during other fights. After so many defeats he was taken to difficulty 20 and basically untouchable with how I was playing at that time, really stupidly. Eventually, he was at the top of the ranks, just under War Chief, and I couldn't touch him. I waited it out until I got stronger, better weapons and a little more knowledge under my belt.
A power struggle mission popped up, which are opportunities to catch Captains of guard and, theoretically make the fight easier.
A Trial of Ordeals is set for Malmug in which he is pitted, gladiator style, against a Caragor. I figure, I'll sit back a bit, let the Caragor do most of the work then swoop in and finish him off. The Trial starts and Malmug shouts something about making it quick. I laugh to myself, sure you will buddy, those things are like some lion bear hybrid and hate anything that moves. The cage opens and I start moving into position. I turn, leap toward Malmug and mid air he ends the mission and destroys the Caragor seconds after it's released, like he had done to me numerous times before. He goes up in difficulty, again, because of his win and the info telling me so falls away, the game unpauses and I land in front of him. He turns to me, "Did you set this up Ranger? I'll have your head for this, again!" and proceeds to ruin me, but, as I've learned a bit more now, I flee instead of standing to fight, and just die and make him even stronger. I gather some pipeweed, use it to heal myself up and then take a better look at his weaknesses.
This whole time he has been vulnerable to stealth kills and I've been overlooking it.
I make my way back to him, lurk on the rooftops and, once I've spotted him, leap off and land on top of him putting my dagger in is head as I do. He gasps out "How...how did you kill me?" and I've finally rid the land of all his bullshit.
A little while later I'm roaming a stronghold, being all stealthy when who shows up? Malmug the Corruptor, his face now severely scarred and no longer wearing the armor he once had. "Thought you could get rid of me, eh Ranger?" he bellows to me. But this time I know better and dispatch him the first time by hiding in a bush while he is having a feast, attracting his attention and then pulling him in to join me with my dagger.
Up until that point, I had never had a Captain come back after I had dispatched them but it had to be Malmug that would. He's currently lying "dead", the next big swing in the Ork ranks will hopefully clear his spot and another will take his place but honestly, we have so much history now, I kinda hope he does get up again.
You can't see just how bad his face is in that picture, which is kinda why I hope he does come back. The other side of his face was this massive open cut from his forehead across his eye and down past his mouth after he came back. Before he had a large helmet on that was also missing when he returned.
Favourite moment with the nemesis system so far has been a Uruk named Malmug the Corruptor. He started out as just this normal Uruk that happened to be there after one of my first missions. I killed his chief but was very low and he finished me off. This got him promoted to a basic Captain. Then, he would keep showing up while I was in the middle of fighting someone else and they would overwhelm me. Malmug had poison as one of his strengths and it would continually fuck me up. I also learned later ambushes were another one of his strengths explaining why he would show up so often during other fights. After so many defeats he was taken to difficulty 20 and basically untouchable with how I was playing at that time, really stupidly. Eventually, he was at the top of the ranks, just under War Chief, and I couldn't touch him. I waited it out until I got stronger, better weapons and a little more knowledge under my belt.
A power struggle mission popped up, which are opportunities to catch Captains of guard and, theoretically make the fight easier.
A Trial of Ordeals is set for Malmug in which he is pitted, gladiator style, against a Caragor. I figure, I'll sit back a bit, let the Caragor do most of the work then swoop in and finish him off. The Trial starts and Malmug shouts something about making it quick. I laugh to myself, sure you will buddy, those things are like some lion bear hybrid and hate anything that moves. The cage opens and I start moving into position. I turn, leap toward Malmug and mid air he ends the mission and destroys the Caragor seconds after it's released, like he had done to me numerous times before. He goes up in difficulty, again, because of his win and the info telling me so falls away, the game unpauses and I land in front of him. He turns to me, "Did you set this up Ranger? I'll have your head for this, again!" and proceeds to ruin me, but, as I've learned a bit more now, I flee instead of standing to fight, and just die and make him even stronger. I gather some pipeweed, use it to heal myself up and then take a better look at his weaknesses.
This whole time he has been vulnerable to stealth kills and I've been overlooking it.
I make my way back to him, lurk on the rooftops and, once I've spotted him, leap off and land on top of him putting my dagger in is head as I do. He gasps out "How...how did you kill me?" and I've finally rid the land of all his bullshit.
A little while later I'm roaming a stronghold, being all stealthy when who shows up? Malmug the Corruptor, his face now severely scarred and no longer wearing the armor he once had. "Thought you could get rid of me, eh Ranger?" he bellows to me. But this time I know better and dispatch him the first time by hiding in a bush while he is having a feast, attracting his attention and then pulling him in to join me with my dagger.
Up until that point, I had never had a Captain come back after I had dispatched them but it had to be Malmug that would. He's currently lying "dead", the next big swing in the Ork ranks will hopefully clear his spot and another will take his place but honestly, we have so much history now, I kinda hope he does get up again.
You can't see just how bad his face is in that picture, which is kinda why I hope he does come back. The other side of his face was this massive open cut from his forehead across his eye and down past his mouth after he came back. Before he had a large helmet on that was also missing when he returned.
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GasBandit
Staff member
I found running with superspeed, and short hops to get over obstacles/rivers, to be more fun in that regard. But yeah, travelling by superpowers completely changes what the game is.
Saturday Morning RPG: Been wanting to play this ever since I saw it at the Philly game expo, and it does not disappoint. Pretty much the best Paper Mario game to come out in years!
Five Nights at Freddy's: I am scared to continue...AWESOME!
Hector the Red badge of Carnage: Like point and click adventures? Like raunchy humor? Well this is for you! Can't wait to get the other two.
Five Nights at Freddy's: I am scared to continue...AWESOME!
Hector the Red badge of Carnage: Like point and click adventures? Like raunchy humor? Well this is for you! Can't wait to get the other two.
GasBandit
Staff member
Shadow of Mordor will be just as great come Christmas ... I tell myself to stop myself.
Great recap.
I'm currently exploring the map... on 3/4 war-chiefs dead. Haven't died yet but came close a few times but thankfully I put all my $$$ in extra health.
I make it a point to get intel before getting my kills. I'm intel intensive like the NSA. If I bump into someone I don't know, I try ranged... if it works I shoot them then at their feet, pinning them and GET THE FUCK OUT.
I think at some point in the last warchief in some little village, it was me vs a warchief.... I fuck up HUGE... alarm is off... then it's me vs 60 orcs, 1 warchief and 3 bodyguards... shit is going bad, can't even get some combos out, can't run.... I go down once but make the second wind quick time, then I find a fire and I slowly make my way to it with my counters... run a bit and with my last arrow shoot the fire while I'm standing on it (I'm immune) BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
About 40 orcs just DIE, most of the others are running,. including the warchief (weakness) and 1 of the bodyguards. I quickly finish off the warchief on a rooftop and I get the fuck out of there with like 5% health.
A few tips :
1. Have problems? Get Caramors. Open the cages... find meat sacks. THEN GET THE FUCK OUT BECAUSE THEY FUCK SHIT UP.
2. Pinning arrows are amazingly good.
3. Intel, Intel, Intel... be prepared... know the weaknesses.
4. Never let a guy get too strong. Eliminate them. Strongest enemy I have now is Power level 11.
5. Upgrading health first is really good but you should get more arrows too, they're good.
1. Have problems? Get Caramors. Open the cages... find meat sacks. THEN GET THE FUCK OUT BECAUSE THEY FUCK SHIT UP.
2. Pinning arrows are amazingly good.
3. Intel, Intel, Intel... be prepared... know the weaknesses.
4. Never let a guy get too strong. Eliminate them. Strongest enemy I have now is Power level 11.
5. Upgrading health first is really good but you should get more arrows too, they're good.
Stop it, stoooooooooop