Messages

1

General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2020

« on: February 21, 2020, 06:41:17 am »

6 - Metro Exodus: DLC (PC 2020) - BEAT - I only count DLC for my stuff if it's a notable story campaign stuff, and I think there's enough here for this to count as it's about 4 to 7 hours of an experience for Sam's Story and another hour or two for the Colonel's one when I get to it.  Sam's Story was pretty alright, it suffers from a little of the sloppiness the main game had, though I liked playing as Sam who gets more of an active role in things, as Artyom only really talked during the loading screens.  Plus it's Steve Blum and that's always fine to listen to lol They added a new boss monster which was kinda cool to have throughout, though I felt like they could've added more to the experience.  There's not really anything new mechanic wise, the only new mutant shows up in the second to last area of the game, and there's no weird or cool new gun in particular.  I did like getting more story about the state of the world, as it sets up future games perhaps, but I'm not sure how much I want that.

I still think Metro Last Light is the better game and I do enjoy this series, but feel like they've run its course with it maybe...I should've loved the open world experience more, but it didn't feel like the game nailed things as well as it did before.  I really don't want to see this series become like Far Cry, where the games just feel hollow, so hopefully they are done with it or if they do continue, they find a way to make the game really stand out once again.

I was wondering how to treat DLC...I might go with your rule and count anything over 5 hours or so. Gotta have a system! 

I don't play that much DLC but I still haven't played Witcher 3: Blood & Wine.

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Off Topic / Re: In My Opinion We Be Should Be Thankful That We Have VG Collect

« on: February 21, 2020, 06:35:51 am »

I've only been a member of the site a short while, but it has been very welcoming 

Well done to everyone who plays a part in creating a happy corner of the internet!

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General / Re: I just watched a documentary

« on: February 20, 2020, 06:11:30 am »

I am still hopeful that we get about the same ratio of physical to digital releases next generation.

I am not convinced there will be many physical releases after next gen as streaming may well have taken over.

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Modern Video Games / Re: What are the good PC VR experiences?

« on: February 18, 2020, 05:42:27 am »

I know you asked about PC, but I honestly think the best VR games out right now are PSVR exclusives.

Astrobot Rescue Mission is hands down the most amazing experience I have had playing a game in the last decade. It was the first time I put a VR headset on and this may sound sad, but it made me cry. It's so, so good.

Resi 7 was too much for me, but would be great if you like horror.

Tetris Effect is even better in VR, it's great.

I've heard good things about Ace Combat 7 and Deracine too.

The problem with PSVR is the set up and the resolution. I am really hoping they can do a Wireless Version in a few years time.

The only game I would be tempted by for PC VR is Half-Life Alyx.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2020

« on: February 16, 2020, 06:21:44 am »

4. Deux Ex: Mankind Divided (PS4)

I started this game all wrong! I was playing it as an FPS and really having a hard time...it wasn't much fun and I was tempted to put it down.

Having had a look online, I realized it is more of a stealth based RPG with guns as back up measure if things go wrong. With that in mind I restarted and immediately the game clicked.

The story follows on from Human Revolution and there is a handy recap at the beginning. The main story is pretty good, if fairly generic. I didn't do all the side missions, but some of the best storytelling is buried in there.

One frustration is the main story finishes abruptly without tying up loose ends. I believe the game did not sell enough for a final chapter, which leaves fans in a bad place.

The world is incredibly detailed and there is plenty to explore. There are always a few ways to approach each situation and some of them are a lot of fun.

The world itself is graphically stunning, but I think the character models are terribly animated.

The music gives you that Blade Runner vibe and the voice acting is good, although some parts have none which felt jarring.

Overall, I think it's an okay game, but one that I will forget very quickly. [6/10]

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General / Re: What Room Do You Use As A Game Room/Play Room? Or Setup Discussion

« on: February 14, 2020, 03:54:54 am »

I work from home so I converted my garage into an office a few years back. It is slightly separated from the house, which means the kids can makes as much noise as they like without bothering me.

I am largely paperless, so I just need a desk, printer and limited filing to work.

The other half of the room has a large TV & armchair. I only started collecting this year, so my 40-odd games currently sit in the TV unit.

I am having some shelves made at the moment (one of my suppliers is making them free of charge!) that should hold about 700 games or so.

Since I don't ever aim to have some of the awesome massive collections a lot of you guys have, the shelves should last me a good long while.

I have about 100 games yet to get on my wishlist that I have already beaten in the past. After that I will be adding games as I beat them. I estimate I will fill them sometime in 2032!

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News / Re: New position: Market Mod

« on: February 12, 2020, 02:43:38 am »

Congrats!! 

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2020

« on: February 10, 2020, 02:04:56 pm »

Finally finished Dragon Quest XI, really good, but I don't know if I enjoyed it more than Death Stranding.  I really enjoyed Death Stranding, but the BT fights sort of ruined the game for me, it could be a great chill game if it weren't for the BTs.  Any time "combat" comes up in the game I get really angry and annoyed, and that really needs to count against it, so maybe DQ11 will take #1 for now.

I completely agree re: the BTs in Death Stranding. I would just let the buggers catch me, then run until I was out of the black goop. Much quicker than fighting them and it clears the surrounding area of BTs for a while.

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Classic Video Games / Re: What's your breaking point with a video game?

« on: February 10, 2020, 06:06:47 am »

I have a high tolerance for mediocre video games..I normally see everything through to the credits. I think it comes through years of being a 'trophy hunter', which I have now thankfully left in the past.

I can think of one game I played and stopped because I was bored, and that was because it was the first graphic novel I had tried, a genre I will never bother with again.

What I do have a low tolerance for is games I simply can not finish, and this falls into two categories:

1) Horror games. I love the story and vibe of most horror games, but I just get way to stressed out playing them. I barely ever finish them. Resident Evil, Evil Within, Silent Hills...I've tried them all with no success. Metro or Bioshock are about my limit.

2) Metroidvania / platformers. I really struggle with a lot of these games due to a lack of skill and can very rarely get far in them.

I have two cases in point from this weekend actually:

First I tried Axiom Verge, and spent about an hour trying to get past the second boss. Then I read online that this should be child's play compared to the latter bosses, which are much harder. So I think, what's the point? I'm never going to finish the game!

Later the same day, I tried Resident Evil 7. Good grief! About an hour in and I shut that down and never want to play it again. Way, way too scary!

In both cases, I really liked the game, but will never finish it.

This leads me to an interesting question. I only started a collection very recently, with the aim of building a library of games I have beaten in the past or will beat in the future. Technically, as I know 100% I will never beat them, I should trade them in. But I do like the games and cover art. Decisions, decisions...

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2020

« on: February 10, 2020, 03:39:04 am »

3. Uncharted - The Lost Legacy (PS4)

I have played the Uncharted games out of sync. I started with UC4, then UC1 and now have played Lost Legacy. I want to have them all beaten this year.

This game is much shorter than the other entries...I believe it was originally intended as UC4 DLC but it snowballed to something bigger. I beat it in about 8 hours.

The story follows the Chloe Frazer who is new to me and Nadine who plays a part in UC4. The two are great protagonists in Lost Legacy. They have a great chemistry, all helped by the excellent script and voice acting.

It's rare you get two female leads in a game and I think it's handled really well.

Gameplay? Not a lot to say here other than it's more Uncharted and I love it! You play as Chloe throughout, and she plays similarly to Nathan, although her fighting style is a bit more about dodging punches to launch a good counter attack.

The graphics are on a par with UC4, there are no corners cut here.

I would love a full blown sequel with Chloe and Nadine, maybe with Nadine as the playable character this time [8/10]

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General / Re: Do You Have A Hard Time Picking A Game To Play?

« on: February 06, 2020, 03:15:43 am »

I often have this problem.

I get the rush of finishing something and then a strange reluctance to start something new.

I am one of those people who can't play more than one game at a time, and I think it takes me a moment to let go of the last game.

As soon as I have started the next game, I get a slight sense of relief that I am back into the groove and move on.

Weird!

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General / Re: Going Platinum

« on: February 05, 2020, 11:11:32 am »

God of War is a good platinum, but the final Valkyrie can be quite hard and the Ravens are a horrible collectible.

I would say for a first Platinum, you want something with a moderate challenge and no missable trophies.

I would say Horizon Zero Dawn. It's about 40-45 hours, nothing is missable and it's not overly challenging.

Spiderman is a another good one, about 30 hours and no missables.

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2020

« on: February 05, 2020, 06:33:13 am »

2. 11-11: Memories Retold (PS4)

This is a collaboration between Aardman Animation (Wallace & Gromit) and the developer DigixArt.

It's a narrative based, walking simulator set in the First World War that tells the story of two men on opposite sides of the conflict. It was made to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the armistice.

Firstly, it has a pretty amazing & unique artstyle. The world is rendered to mimic an oil painting....I'm no art expert, but think of an animated Monet painting. I found it quite jarring at the start, but as my eye adjusted, I really grew to love the effect.

Secondly, the voice performances and soundtrack are phenomenal. Elijah Wood & Sebastian Koch voice the two main characters and do a top class job, very believable. The mixture of orchestral and choral music is hauntingly beautiful, and my copy came with code for the OST.

The story itself is interesting and very well written. There's nothing groundbreaking here, but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

The gameplay is very straight forward. The puzzles are almost childish in their simplicity and there is zero challenge here. I didn't expect or want anything else.

My one complaint with the game is the lack of narrative choices of any consequence, a problem I have with the walking simulator genre as a whole. The only time you get to effect the story in a meaningful way is right at the very end.

This game is short and sweet, it took me about 6 hours in three sittings. I absolutely think it is worth a play if you have any interest in the setting and enjoy the walking simulator genre. [8/10]

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General / Re: 52 Games Challenge 2020

« on: February 04, 2020, 01:07:04 pm »

1.  Metro Exodus (PS4)

After my late start it's good to get my first game finished, although I have very mixed thoughts about this title.

The levels are a mixture of the normal tightly constructed linear sections and then open-world areas with markers on the map to check off. I quite like this new formula.

The problem is the quality of each levels design varies massively from area to area. It's almost like each level was designed by different companies.

Another bad point is the pathing within the levels....I can't tell you the amount of times my character got stuck on a virtually invisible twig or empty can....very frustrating.

The game is a looker...the landscapes are beautiful (in a post apocalyptic way!) and filled with detail. The character models are excellent apart from one noticeable area where I shot the identical looking henchman 40 times over in 5 minutes!

I like the general gameplay, it's pretty generic but well done. I enjoyed the weapon upgrade path and that I didn't seem to spend much time in the menus.

The audio design is another mixed bag. The game can be almost silent at just the right time to spook you out...very atmospheric and well done. But then there is the good awful dialogue, where multiple npcs would talk over each other, often drowning out the main story. Really very poor!

Overall, I feel there is a good game here, buried very far beneath the parts that let it down [6/10]

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General / Re: Switch exceeds Xbox One console sales - thoughts?

« on: February 03, 2020, 07:51:45 am »

I still can't believe how far Xbox as a brand has regressed since the start of this gen.

I seriously loved my Xbox 360 and it had some great exclusives for the time...Lost Odyssey, Alan Wake, Fable 2, Forza Horizon, Gears 1-3, Viva Pinata.

Then Xbox One came along...ooooh boy, surely it has the worst exclusive line up in history.

I actually see it getting worse next gen too. Strange form factor that won't fit in 99% of home entertainment systems, absurd naming convention, Game Pass is a breeding ground for mediocrity, they keep recycling the same stale franchises, no exclusives for 2 years....what the hell are they doing?!

Coupled with the excellence of the Switch and it's hardly surprising.

I predict that the Switch eventually beats the combined sales of Xbox One + Xbox SXE1SX (or whatever its is called)