- Spoiler: show
...Dude, OKB0 is a straight line. Never mind the silly theatrics of the video and focus on the actual level layout, please:
If following a straight road to the very end makes this your favorite stealth area in the series, I can only assume that the Sorrow River in MGS3 is your second favorite, then.
...Dude, the main mission in Lufwa Valley has you sneaking past two guards to avoid detection, with the rest being composed of sprinting straight ahead / forced walking section:Todinho wrote: ↑April 8th, 2018, 7:35 pm Lufwa valley [...] Also the mission design is pretty great overall are there some poor missions? Sure, but most of them make excelent use of the levels and take full advantage of the open world structure. and it's at this point that you really understand and appreciatte how the open world was designed to accomodate these missions not the other way around
Even the speedruns are 90% pointless downtime in this game. How can anyone possibly defend this?! How can this ever be better than Camp Omega? Real talk: The helipad in MGS1 has a more interesting layout. I don't know what you're smoking, sometimes.
All jokes aside, I actually agree with that if we're talking about the mechanics. The actual stealth in MGSV is indeed stellar, thanks to the incredible AI, attention to detail and variety of features. I can't think of any other stealth game with a more refined and satisfying core gameplay loop. I just don't think that the actual level design is anywhere near close to the polish and intricacy of Camp Omega, and all the empty space between bases is a large part of that.
Games Completed 2018
- KSubzero1000
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Re: Games Completed 2018
- Spoiler: show
- mikeleddy83
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Re: Games Completed 2018
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Re: Games Completed 2018
Must every thread on this forum turn into a Kojima love-in? It’s getting a bit tiring.
- MajorGamer
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Re: Games Completed 2018
- Spoiler: show
A not bad Metroidvania game but has too many issues for me to consider it good. The screen is zoomed in too much so it is easy to take hits from off screen enemies and there is only one boss who you fight multiple times, each time gaining a new attack. The problem is that some of them create long periods of time you can't attack back combined with its ever increasing HP it makes the battle go on for much longer than needed.
- ratsoalbion
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Re: Games Completed 2018
08 Apr: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (PS4)06 Jan: Resident Evil: Director's Cut (PAL PS1 on PS3)
09 Feb: Final Fantasy II (GBA)
16 Feb: Resident Evil 2 (NTSC PS1 on PS3)
26 Feb: Yoshi's Woolly World (WU)
09 Mar: BioShock Infinite (PC)
10 Mar: BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode One (PC)
12 Mar: BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode Two (PC)
18 Mar: Shadow Complex Remastered (PC)
19 Mar: Splatoon (WU)
29 Mar: Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (NTSC PS1 on PS3)
06 Apr: Actual Sunlight (Vita)
Re: Games Completed 2018
So I just keep posting this here if any mods feel they need to move this to another thread thats fine
- Spoiler: show
- AndrewBrown
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Re: Games Completed 2018
My main memories of The Phantom Pain are: a. Running long distances between missions, b. Running to drop-in points to swap out the companion I would rather be using for D-Horse so that I can (see point a), and c. Running to drop-in points to get extracted so that I can redeploy to the other side of the map, so I can from there (see point a).
The Phantom Pain is the videogame that made me turn on sandbox game design in modern games. It's padding created through distance, inflated game time created through joystick labor. It's the most cynical form of "content." I admire the FOX Engine. I do not admire the videogame that was made with it. It is too transparently an unfinished videogame.
And that shall be the end of this discussion for me as we return to our regularly scheduled topic.
The Phantom Pain is the videogame that made me turn on sandbox game design in modern games. It's padding created through distance, inflated game time created through joystick labor. It's the most cynical form of "content." I admire the FOX Engine. I do not admire the videogame that was made with it. It is too transparently an unfinished videogame.
And that shall be the end of this discussion for me as we return to our regularly scheduled topic.
- AndrewBrown
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Re: Games Completed 2018
09/04: Attack on Titan 2 [Switch]AndrewBrown wrote: ↑April 2nd, 2018, 6:17 am 02/01: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past [SNES Classic]
04/01: Oxenfree [Switch]
13/01: Axiom Verge: Multiverse Edition [Switch]
14/01: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim [Switch]
15/01: Super Mario World [SNES Classic]
20/01: BioShock Infinite [360]
23/01: The Fall [PSN]
26/01: Celeste [Switch]
31/01: Super One More Jump [Switch]
05/02: Night in the Woods [Switch]
08/02: Dandara [Switch]
14/02: Dragon Quest Builders [Switch]
20/02: Bayonetta [Switch]
21/02: Puzzle Puppers [Switch]
23/02: Fe [Switch]
24/02: Old Man's Journey [Switch]
26/02: Portal Knights [Switch]
28/02: Bayonetta 2 [Switch]
07/03: Subsurface Circular [Switch]
14/03: Coffin Dodgers [Switch]
15/03: OPUS: The Day We Found Earth [Switch]
18/03: Tesla vs. Lovecraft [Switch]
22/03: Fear Effect Sedna [Switch]
23/03: Destiny 2 [PS4]
31/03: Devious Dungeon [Switch]
31/03: Warp Shift [Switch]
01/04: Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap [Switch]
02/04: Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder Devastated [Switch]
I was interested in the setting of Attack on Titan, but boy was I disappointed straight out of the gate. The setting I was interested in—of humanity driven to the brink of extinction by marauding man-eating giants—instead serves as a backdrop for a drama about super-powered humans. So disinterested is Attack on Titan in its setting that the revelation of where the Titans come from is treated as an incidental detail of another mission, mentioned in passing in literally the last cutscene before the credits roll. It doesn't seem to be a very good adaptation of the manga—much of the character's histories and motivations have been cut out, so characters seem to just do things without explanation—and it definitely isn't a very good localization, struggling particularly with keeping the pronouns of certain characters straight. By the end of the story, which near as I can tell recounts the first two seasons of the anime, I had come to regard Attack on Titan 2 much the same way I did the first Bayonetta: Things were happening and the story seemed to understand why they were happening, but it didn't have much interest in explaining, hinting, or even alluding towards those motivations. I sustained myself through the final two chapters by openly mocking the increasingly contrived plot twists; which character will suddenly reveal themselves to have super powers now? What new menace will appear to attack us and kill off a few characters then disappear without explanation? Which character will suddenly be my ally or my enemy for no apparent reason? I don't know if these things are better handled in the anime or the manga, but the videogame has done a poor job of enticing me to explore those other media.
Attack on Titan 2 is an Omega Force videogame, so it feels similar to many of their other titles while still being distinct. Players run around a large map, capturing points and answering cries for help from their allies—it feels very much like a Musou in this regard. In combat it is quite different; players hurl themselves at the Titans, using a gas-powered grappling device to propel themselves through the air, striking the Titans to cripple their limbs or kill them with a single, blood-spewing blow to the nape. Like the other Omega Force videogames I've played, this is an apt summary of the entire videogame, but in spite of its simplicity and even its rather lacking depth, it drew me in by having an extremely satisfying gameplay loop. My diminutive player character slaughtering dozens of Titans with little effort is extremely engaging, and luckily there's an alternate mission structure called "Another Mode" (I told you the localization isn't very good) that dwarfs the story in terms of content, and is far more attractive to me for its much more frantic and consistent pacing. Unfettered by a poorly-told story and constant empty chatter from characters with no discernible motivation, I enjoyed playing Another Mode more than any of my time spent in Story Mode.
I'm not typically a fan of tepid phrases like "if you're a fan of the show you'll probably like this;" call a turd a turd. The Story mode in Attack on Titan 2 is a mess, vague and poorly told and not even finished. But the actual combat missions are quite a lot of fun, so once I got away from the nonsense story about super powered humans having an unexplained civil war in the middle of an apocalypse, I quite enjoyed myself. Another Mode is basically exactly what I wanted out of Attack on Titan 2: The last desperate dregs of humanity against the ravenous army that wants to consume it.
Re: Games Completed 2018
Completed the bonus episode Farewell and I feel a little awful now about my feelings during the prequel. This bonus episode I felt was fantastic and brought closure to the story of Arcadia Bay, Max and Chloe. Things are brought full circle here and it even adds weight to my final decision from the first game.deacon05oc wrote: ↑April 7th, 2018, 1:40 pm Second game of the year completed with Life is Strange: Before the Storm. I loved the first game quite a bit. Yet I didn’t feel as strongly about this one. Although I felt this one didn’t have the technical issues of the first, the story didn’t seem to hit me as much as the first. The angsty teenage drama didn’t bother me in the first and it didn’t here either, but for some reason I just didn’t feel the relationship between Chole and Rachel the same way I did between Max and Chole. I do have the bonus episode Farewell still to play before I close out the stories in Arcadia Bay.
- seansthomas
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Re: Games Completed 2018
February 4th - DOOM (Switch)
February 7th - Oxenfree (Switch)
February 17th - Steamworld Dig 2 (Switch)
February 25th - The Fall Part 2: Unbound (Switch)
February 28th - Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (Switch)
March 4th - Subsurface Circular (Switch)
March 28th - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch)
April 4th - Floor kids (Switch)
April 9th - Rime (Switch)
Completed Rime tonight; gotta be honest, it does stutter a bit on Switch. Not hugely - but in-between large areas of terrain or in certain epic cut scenes, when I presume it's loading, frame rate drops. I don't think it's anywhere near bad enough to stop me recommending it to people as a game, rather it may be worth seeing how the PS4 version runs if that's an option for you.
Overall thoughts on the game... Good, not quite great. Lovely art style, but not Wind Waker or ICO level. Some clever puzzles, but traversal is a bit crude. Decent length, but glad I only paid £19 for it.
The best things about it are the ending, which was lovely and gives me a reason to replay it one day, and the soundtrack, which is one of the best I've ever heard in a game. It's really, really amazing.
So I liked Rime, and I'm glad it exists. But I didn't quite love it.
February 7th - Oxenfree (Switch)
February 17th - Steamworld Dig 2 (Switch)
February 25th - The Fall Part 2: Unbound (Switch)
February 28th - Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (Switch)
March 4th - Subsurface Circular (Switch)
March 28th - Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Switch)
April 4th - Floor kids (Switch)
April 9th - Rime (Switch)
Completed Rime tonight; gotta be honest, it does stutter a bit on Switch. Not hugely - but in-between large areas of terrain or in certain epic cut scenes, when I presume it's loading, frame rate drops. I don't think it's anywhere near bad enough to stop me recommending it to people as a game, rather it may be worth seeing how the PS4 version runs if that's an option for you.
Overall thoughts on the game... Good, not quite great. Lovely art style, but not Wind Waker or ICO level. Some clever puzzles, but traversal is a bit crude. Decent length, but glad I only paid £19 for it.
The best things about it are the ending, which was lovely and gives me a reason to replay it one day, and the soundtrack, which is one of the best I've ever heard in a game. It's really, really amazing.
So I liked Rime, and I'm glad it exists. But I didn't quite love it.
- ReprobateGamer
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Re: Games Completed 2018
- Spoiler: show
Firstly I'll rise my hands and say this is only a story completion (so about a third of the way through full completion ...) and secondly that a few of the levels were completed by my daughters.
With that in mind ...
Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of this game. Lego Marvel Super Heroes/Avengers, and Lego City Undercover provide very good examples of how the current ilk of lego games can work very well - this just ends up being clunky. Still in the point where the lego characters didn't speak, constrained in the approach by the existing story and in the point before they realised these games are for families so need to be young child friendly in approach, most of the mechanics either require prior knowledge of how these games work or a willingness for trial and error (and explain that concept to a 4 year old ...). The spell casting is helpful in that you don't need to select every spell exactly (the game will largely attempt to work out whether you are looking to destroy or merely move) but the 'move object' spell is a pain to move in the game space and can be tricky to aim
It also has one of my bug bears with these games when you can go through the story and not have unlocked all the skills you need when going back in Free Play - and not made it clear which skills these are.
In fact, it has a lot of the issues that also plague the Lego Movie Game in where the adherence to the plot is detrimental to the gameplay - that they have to hit the story beats means that the in-game teaching of skills can be a little rushed and which is handled much more cleanly in the Lego Marvel games (though not the Lego Batman games as much randomly ...)
Ultimately, it wasn't fun to play - I know that child presssure means I will likely be going back to it at some point but it wouldn't be something I would necessarily choose to go back to ...
- AndrewBrown
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Re: Games Completed 2018
11/04: The Bunker [Switch]AndrewBrown wrote: ↑April 9th, 2018, 10:30 am 02/01: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past [SNES Classic]
04/01: Oxenfree [Switch]
13/01: Axiom Verge: Multiverse Edition [Switch]
14/01: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim [Switch]
15/01: Super Mario World [SNES Classic]
20/01: BioShock Infinite [360]
23/01: The Fall [PSN]
26/01: Celeste [Switch]
31/01: Super One More Jump [Switch]
05/02: Night in the Woods [Switch]
08/02: Dandara [Switch]
14/02: Dragon Quest Builders [Switch]
20/02: Bayonetta [Switch]
21/02: Puzzle Puppers [Switch]
23/02: Fe [Switch]
24/02: Old Man's Journey [Switch]
26/02: Portal Knights [Switch]
28/02: Bayonetta 2 [Switch]
07/03: Subsurface Circular [Switch]
14/03: Coffin Dodgers [Switch]
15/03: OPUS: The Day We Found Earth [Switch]
18/03: Tesla vs. Lovecraft [Switch]
22/03: Fear Effect Sedna [Switch]
23/03: Destiny 2 [PS4]
31/03: Devious Dungeon [Switch]
31/03: Warp Shift [Switch]
01/04: Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap [Switch]
02/04: Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder Devastated [Switch]
09/04: Attack on Titan 2 [Switch]
I was incredibly wary of The Bunker when I first saw it. Its marketing leans heavily into Slasher genre imagery—not a fan—and I played a bunch of the PC games from the FMV game heyday—also not a fan. The Bunker is most definitely an FMV videogame, but it avoids most of the trial-and-error and hokiness of that storied genre. More importantly, the game's marketing is outright misleading, taking a key event from the climax far out of context to create a trailer and even its icon. Decidedly, and gratefully, The Bunker is far from a Slasher film. You watch and guide John, the last survivor in a bunker enduring nuclear fallout, as he deals with a computer malfunction that upends his existence. It's difficult to say much more without giving the whole plot away, but my biggest fear was thoroughly allayed: This doesn't have a lame, horror-movie style twist ending. It takes its premise seriously, explores it, and brings it to a definitive conclusion (one way or another) that respects the characters and their efforts. Being an FMV videogame, everything in it is filmed in live action. It's competently done with good performances from the actors and actresses.
I took a risk on this one, but I wasn't disappointed. I doubt I'll be remembering this at the end of the year, but it's a good choice if you're looking for something different.
- Simonsloth
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Re: Games Completed 2018
I enjoyed this too. It’s quite short but a worthwhile and welcome distraction. I enjoyed the narrative and would recommend it but admittedly until I read your post I had forgotten about it entirely.AndrewBrown wrote: ↑April 11th, 2018, 9:53 am
11/04: The Bunker [Switch]
I was incredibly wary of The Bunker when I first saw it. Its marketing leans heavily into Slasher genre imagery—not a fan—and I played a bunch of the PC games from the FMV game heyday—also not a fan. The Bunker is most definitely an FMV videogame, but it avoids most of the trial-and-error and hokiness of that storied genre. More importantly, the game's marketing is outright misleading, taking a key event from the climax far out of context to create a trailer and even its icon. Decidedly, and gratefully, The Bunker is far from a Slasher film. You watch and guide John, the last survivor in a bunker enduring nuclear fallout, as he deals with a computer malfunction that upends his existence. It's difficult to say much more without giving the whole plot away, but my biggest fear was thoroughly allayed: This doesn't have a lame, horror-movie style twist ending. It takes its premise seriously, explores it, and brings it to a definitive conclusion (one way or another) that respects the characters and their efforts. Being an FMV videogame, everything in it is filmed in live action. It's competently done with good performances from the actors and actresses.
I took a risk on this one, but I wasn't disappointed. I doubt I'll be remembering this at the end of the year, but it's a good choice if you're looking for something different.
- James
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Re: Games Completed 2018
- Spoiler: show
11th Apr - Blackwood Crossing (Xbox One)
After trying out the console version of MPQ for the forthcoming podcast (now recorded), I decided to run through the story mode again. The console version strings together several of the PvE events from the mobile versions, but without the micro-transaction-led resource limitations. It actually felt quite freeing to just be able to burn through the missions with a hotshot team of superheroes, and not worry about healing being limited by first aid pack cool-downs, or level caps being limited by the random drop-rate of specific covers. Almost like a different game, in that respect.
Blackwood Crossing was a game I picked up in the recent Xbox sale. Not a game I'd heard of, but the trailer looked interesting and with Tony's recommendation that it'd be up my alley, I took a punt on it. I'm really glad I did. It definitely falls into the environmental theatre category, alongside the Dear Esthers of the world, and that's a category I'm fully on-board with. From the genre, What Remains Of Edith Finch feels like the best comparison to Blackwood Crossing. It certainly won't be for everyone, but I really liked the exploration of familial relationships, and the weird 90s teen vibe.
Re: Games Completed 2018
AndrewBrown wrote: ↑April 11th, 2018, 9:53 am 11/04: The Bunker [Switch]
I took a risk on this one, but I wasn't disappointed. I doubt I'll be remembering this at the end of the year, but it's a good choice if you're looking for something different.
Yes! I really enjoyed this also, though there were a few bad impressions around here last year including He Who Shall Not be Named who just watched it on YoutubeSimonsloth wrote: ↑April 11th, 2018, 6:08 pm I enjoyed this too. It’s quite short but a worthwhile and welcome distraction. I enjoyed the narrative and would recommend it but admittedly until I read your post I had forgotten about it entirely.
If you haven't already, check out their follow-up, Late Shift, which is excellent. Silly in places but if you accept the premise it all holds together remarkably well and has lots of different endings.
- Simonsloth
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Re: Games Completed 2018
Yeah I played late shift on release although didn’t realise it was their follow up. More a choose your own adventure interactive movie than anything else but was quite fun to play with my wife who has no interest in “games”
- MajorGamer
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- Location: Toronto, Canada
Re: Games Completed 2018
- Spoiler: show
This lane based roguelite looked interesting to me from the outset but was initially hesitant to pick it up. That is because reviews kept on bringing up how much RNG plays a factor in the game and that is something I greatly dislike. It is what turned me off of FTL even though that one is very positively reviewed. As it turns out, they were wrong. Like any roguelite, RNG is going to affect things but it isn't the determining factor in your victory. You see, this game is hard. Very hard. The first couple victories aren't bad but it spikes after that and doesn't let up. You really need to utilize your entire arsenal to get through as know how the elements react to each other. Things like lightning on a poisoned target will spread the poison to other enemies or a wind spell on a drenched enemy will freeze them.
The mechanics are what made me thoroughly enjoy Has-Been Heroes but it is also a bit of a flaw. There is nothing in the game explaining these mechanics. Even something as simple as backstabs you need to find out on your own and how to use them. Some sort of tutorial would have been nice.
If you do get into this, expect to stay for a long time. There are a ton of things to unlock. A slew of enemies, items, and spells become available after each victory along with a couple more depending on how well you do on the run. Your first win has a bit over 100 unlocks. There is also a fair amount of different heroes to unlock to change up how you build your heroes during the run. There is honestly Binding of Isaac levels of content in this game.
- Combine Hunter
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- AndrewBrown
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Re: Games Completed 2018
- Spoiler: show
It's appropriate that Streets of Red would launch on consoles so close to the release of the Ready Player One film, as it's apparent the developers are a big fans of... well, just about everything in popular culture from the 90s. Streets of Red finds a rogue fairy (who introduces themself by exclaiming "Hey Listen!") appearing at a fan convention, turning most of the world into a zombie apocalypse ruled over by monsters from horror movies; my favorite one is a huge brute in a hockey mask, wielding Cloud's Buster Sword, only he's so huge that the Buster Sword is more like a butcher knife. When he is defeated, his mask falls off, revealing Isaac's face from Binding of Isaac. That's the kind of videogame Streets of Red is. The heroes are cosplayers at the convention who are also empowered by the rogue fairy; one character becomes the Shovel Knight, another is a mage in Magitek Armor, another gets a Sword and Shield and a Spin Attack, and the last is... a ninja? Maybe based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle arcade games, I really can't tell.
Streets of Red is a brawler at heart, so it's probably no accident that its title is similar to Streets of Rage. But there's quite a bit of strategy to it as well, as player's success will depend on money. Enemies drop money, of course, but if you defeat an enemy with a Fatality by using one of your chosen character's special abilities, then they will drop even more money. Having huge stacks of cash is essential to success, as respawning requires an ever-increasing fee, and randomly selected upgrades can be purchased at the conclusion of each level.
I don't think there's a single thing in Streets of Red that isn't some kind of joke or reference. Even its color palette seems to be making fun of the Real is Brown aesthetic, but not to the videogame's advantage—Streets of Red is downright unpleasant to look at. But the combat mechanics kept me engaged, and mastering the combo and fatality mechanics was rewarding. There's a bit of a learning curve to it, but except for the brutal final boss once you learn its pace and tempo it's not particularly challenging. I enjoyed Streets of Red: Devil's Dare Deluxe, but I'm not sitting here telling you it's a masterpiece.
- Indiana747
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Re: Games Completed 2018
(Jan) Life is Strange: Before the Storm - PS4.
(Jan) Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition - PS4.
(Jan) Watch Dogs II(platinum) - PS4.
(Feb) Marlow Briggs - Xbox 360.
(Feb) Shadow of the Colossus - PS4.
(Mar) Assassin's Creed Syndicate - PS4.
(Mar) Ghost Recon: Wildlands - PS4.
(Apr) The Witcher III - PS4.
(Jan) Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition - PS4.
(Jan) Watch Dogs II(platinum) - PS4.
(Feb) Marlow Briggs - Xbox 360.
(Feb) Shadow of the Colossus - PS4.
(Mar) Assassin's Creed Syndicate - PS4.
(Mar) Ghost Recon: Wildlands - PS4.
(Apr) The Witcher III - PS4.