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19 Jun 2015 15:26 #204623 by Michael Barnes
Yeah, those sidequests are TERRIBLE. I think the problem is that Cavia were trying to keep up with trend, which at the time was these kinds of really crappy fetch-quests ("I need X number of flowers", "kill Y number of these monsters", etc.) which somehow people are TOTALLY FINE with in a Bethesda game but nowhere else. Stick to the storyline and you won't really miss anything.

Jeb has a good point about increasing risk and reward, even if the difficulty is artificial. I absolutely love how Sakurai has done difficulty in Kid Icarus: Uprising and in Smash. You have to actually pay for difficulty with in-game currency that you've earned by playing it. BUT, you also effectively wager it against your success. If you go all in for level 9 difficulty, you lose money and have to dial it down while also losing some of your rewards earned to that point. So you choose how hard you want, and you put your money where your mouth is in terms of how hard you want it to be. Of course, at those higher levels there are better items, more rewards and more money to be had so there's the incentive for those as well.

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19 Jun 2015 15:38 #204626 by iguanaDitty
One of the reasons Witcher III sounds so interesting to me is that the side quests supposedly have stories built up around them so the rinse-repeat nature of them is mitigated. Also that they're less fetch quests than witcher quests, which sound intrinsically more interesting.

Still, I have to force myself to try Witcher II on easy again before I can fall for the same combat undoing me yet again.

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19 Jun 2015 16:14 #204630 by jeb
Side-quests in BORDERLANDS 2 were silly too. Some of them were hard, but for the most part you would get them from playing the game. Something like "Kill 5 Billymongs" can be accomplished by just driving to your next real quest, taking care to run over any Billymongs you happen across. On numerous occasions I was surprised to see a Quest completion bonus pop up--I had forgotten all about them.

Working the hardcore Barbarian in DIABLO 3 right now. Got this amazing Belt that I might never replace, even though it's Lvl 23 or something (Levels go up to 70). It applies all my skill runes (think: skill nuance) to my main skill. So, doing the thing I normally do (hit stuff) now does like eight things (shoot lightning, scare guys, stun guys, freeze guys, gain life, &c).

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19 Jun 2015 16:34 #204631 by OldHippy

iguanaDitty wrote: I guess I don't play video games to feel like I've accomplished something. I'm happy to just experience it. Every time I try to start an action game at normal instead of easy I am acknowledging that I will not complete the game because at some point it will get too hard for me to continue. Witcher II I couldn't even get past the opening fights which boggles the mind...yet there it is.

I'm also just fine not completing games, really. I play until I feel like I've seen enough or I just can't get past something. Sometimes I get so frustrated with an aspect of gameplay (a lot of times this is the camera) that I up and quit.


There are games where I reach a tough point and just give up... but the mark of a truly great game is reaching a tough point and feeling like you should give up but you never do and as a result you eventually beat it. Games that make me want to throw my controller but still have me hitting continue are some of my favorite games of all time. But they are very rare. Most games do not warrant that level of difficulty at all.

I can play games for fun or sometimes for a challenge but there is, for me, no one way to do it. It's VERY game dependent.

I have to say, I loved Witcher 2, but never really found anything hard in it except the Kraken fight and once I realized it was just a trick that was easy too. Great game. It's one of the only RPG's I played last gen that really got it's hooks in me, so much so that I played it twice to see the other story. Usually I hate adventure games and just want pure action...I also generally don't give a shit about story all that much. But Witcher 2 clicked with me for some reason. I'm not sure what it was because I lent it out to some friends who were fans of the genre (Skyrim or Mass Effect type stuff that doesn't really appeal to me) and they didn't like it at all. Perhaps I just don't get that genre. Witcher 3 would be really appealing if I had a new console but that is not going to happen for some time.

Occasionally a game is so good that I play it on the hardest difficulty... I think Vanquish is the best example of that for me. I just adored that game, beat it like 6 times and played it on every difficulty available (the short length is one of the big reasons it's so re-playable). God I'd love a sequel to that on Wii U.

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19 Jun 2015 16:44 - 19 Jun 2015 17:21 #204632 by Chaz
I'd just like them to release a PC port of Vanquish that supported mouse/keyboard as well as controller. I never got around to getting it on console because I suck so bad at aiming with a stick that I figured it wasn't worth it.

Speaking of more reasons why the WiiU is the best console of this generation, here's a half hour of gameplay from the new Fatal Frame game. This looks like a really fantastic use of the gamepad.

[youtube]
[/youtube]
Last edit: 19 Jun 2015 17:21 by Chaz.

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20 Jun 2015 06:58 #204643 by Sevej
Just finished The Walking Dead - Season 2.

The first was way better, but I think this one's ok. I don't like the (seemingly more) QTE stuff, and there's very few likable characters this time around.

But the best part is it *feels* different playing Clementine. When playing Lee, I always try to make the best decision, being neutral, and just trying to do the best thing. Clem is different. I feel that she's not presented with the big choices, since she's a minor. But this allows me to get nasty, blame people and being more straightforward and less politically correct. It just came so natural.

But maan... some of these characters just don't die quick enough.
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20 Jun 2015 10:51 #204650 by Gary Sax
^Sounds like the show. Other people just cannot get enough of the show but I could not bear another season of watching unlikeable people, even if that was sort of the point.

I played the first season of it and enjoyed it but wasn't it didn't blow me away. But I bought the Game of Thrones telltale game which I like more, but primarily because I really enjoy the Song of Ice and Fire source material. It wasn't really any better or worse a presentation.

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20 Jun 2015 14:37 #204657 by Pug

jeb wrote: Working the hardcore Barbarian in DIABLO 3 right now. Got this amazing Belt that I might never replace, even though it's Lvl 23 or something (Levels go up to 70). It applies all my skill runes (think: skill nuance) to my main skill. So, doing the thing I normally do (hit stuff) now does like eight things (shoot lightning, scare guys, stun guys, freeze guys, gain life, &c).


We must play this game together some time. I have a hardcore Monk I'm currently rolling with, although I haven't played in a bit. After playing on HC, I have no desire to go back to softcore. I love that my character can bite the dust at any moment, keeps me on my feet.
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20 Jun 2015 23:55 #204697 by jeb

Pug wrote:

jeb wrote: Working the hardcore Barbarian in DIABLO 3 right now. Got this amazing Belt that I might never replace, even though it's Lvl 23 or something (Levels go up to 70). It applies all my skill runes (think: skill nuance) to my main skill. So, doing the thing I normally do (hit stuff) now does like eight things (shoot lightning, scare guys, stun guys, freeze guys, gain life, &c).


We must play this game together some time. I have a hardcore Monk I'm currently rolling with, although I haven't played in a bit. After playing on HC, I have no desire to go back to softcore. I love that my character can bite the dust at any moment, keeps me on my feet.

Nice! I am on the PS4 with Ultimate Evil Ed--I don't know if we are sympatico. If so I am jeblucas out there in PS4 land.

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22 Jun 2015 10:21 #204742 by Columbob

iguanaDitty wrote: One of the reasons Witcher III sounds so interesting to me is that the side quests supposedly have stories built up around them so the rinse-repeat nature of them is mitigated. Also that they're less fetch quests than witcher quests, which sound intrinsically more interesting.


Well since a Witcher's job is to hunt and kill monsters, you won't really be fetching flowers or charcoal nuggets for anyone, unless it's to build yourself some potion or charm to help kill a monster. This is definitely a cool game with Eastern European medieval folk roots which I just love.

JonJacob wrote: I have to say, I loved Witcher 2, but never really found anything hard in it except the Kraken fight and once I realized it was just a trick that was easy too.


The hardest fight sticking out in my mind was fighting those wraiths in episode 2; Tthere were 3 at a time but they kept coming back until you beat 7-8 of them or so. Side quest so totally unnecessary, but man my potions and traps ran out before I even beat half of them. Then it was dodge this way and that until my shield sign could recharge, for half an hour.

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22 Jun 2015 10:38 #204745 by Black Barney
GAMES OF THRONES had episode ONE (Telltale Games) for free now on Xbox One so I downloaded it, haven't tried it. Loved Walking Dead season one to death and I love AGOT so I'm sure I'll like it.

So EA ACCESS has been around for a few months now. It costs 30$ a year to subscribe or 5$ a month. You get early access to new games if you're a real nut about that, but more important you get free access to 'the vault' which seems to be any EA game released more than a year ago. Xbox Gold members got free access for a week (ends today I think) so I took the occasion to try it out this weekend. I downloaded Madden 14/15, FIFA 15 and Need for Speed: Rivals.

I have always totally hated sports games (not sure if Mario Tennis counts, I loved that), can't stand the 'sim' nature of them, i'd prefer just it to be arcadey and fun. I haven't tried any sports games on current gen consoles so I figured I'd give one last kick at the can. So I spent hours with Madden and FIFA and HATED them in and out. i tried tons of different modes (even that new cool CCG-like Ultimate Team mode, which I also didn't like, opening boosters and all). I'm glad I tried it one last time to really make up my mind on this but now I'm convinced, they're not for me. Probably in the same way that some people really don't like the 'sim' feel of Forza games and prefer more arcadey racers.

...speaking of which, I downloaded Need for Speed RIVALS and really liked it. It's very Skyrim-questy, but I love that. I tried both a racer and a cop and settled on cops for now. Upgrading new vehicles. The EMPs are fun but I think the Electromagnetic FIelds and Shock-Rams are probably better. That roadblock sounds interesting. Anyway, I'm sad the free access is already over soon but hopefully I can still play it tonight. Unlocked a Ford Shelby and want to chase after criminals all night. Lots of fun.

I remember poo-pooing the idea of paying EA 30$ a year for this but I now think it's a decent deal. I'm a FPS guy a heart and believe it or not, I didn't even download Battlefield 4 which was also free (and i"ve never played it). Garden Warfare was there too which is cool.

I won't subscribe but I do think it's a decent deal. I get enough free games with Gold as it is.
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22 Jun 2015 11:07 #204751 by jeb

Black Barney wrote: I have always totally hated sports games (not sure if Mario Tennis counts, I loved that), can't stand the 'sim' nature of them, i'd prefer just it to be arcadey and fun. I haven't tried any sports games on current gen consoles so I figured I'd give one last kick at the can. So I spent hours with Madden and FIFA and HATED them in and out. i tried tons of different modes (even that new cool CCG-like Ultimate Team mode, which I also didn't like, opening boosters and all). I'm glad I tried it one last time to really make up my mind on this but now I'm convinced, they're not for me. Probably in the same way that some people really don't like the 'sim' feel of Forza games and prefer more arcadey racers.

There's a whole thread in this paragragh. I am with you--I need my sports games to be light and airy. There was a time when I was totally into HARDBALL III and took the Acton Action through the 162-game season, but those days are twenty-five years gone. I need things like ICE HOCKEY on the NES now (Team Four Fat Guys for life). I would play the cubist DR J VS LARRY BIRD ONE-ON-ONE before you could get me to spend any time with a recent NBA title from EA. I will make an exception for things like FOOTBALL MANAGER, as that's more an economic sim than a sports game, but you catch my drift. If I need to shoot the ball, puck, disc, whatever--it needs to be WII SPORTS or Konami TRACK & FIELD, and not MADDEN or FIFA.

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22 Jun 2015 15:45 #204764 by Black Barney
it's funny cuz I was totally going to start a new thread since I figured EA Sports games must have lots of hot opinions around here. People that love sports games and those that hate them cuz they're so damn inaccessible to casuals like me

Sports games I loved:
Baseball on intellivision
tennis on NES
Mario Tennis on N64
Ice Hockey on NES (was four fatties really the nuts in that game??)
Blades of Steel (awful)
Tecmo Bowl (obv)

on the driving side, I can appreciate both sim and arcadey games, but on the sports side, i can't stand the sim stuff and that's probably because I hate sports

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22 Jun 2015 16:24 #204772 by OldHippy
I generally don't like sim sports either but the most fun I've had playing video games with a group of buddies live and in person is probably while playing the EA NHL games. I guess they are sims in some way but the gameplay is so easy to understand and natural to use that it never feels sim like... also since we're all Canadian hockey doesn't feel like a sports game... because hockey is more than just a sport to us.

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22 Jun 2015 16:43 #204775 by Michael Barnes
Folks, that Diablo III Reaper of Souls edition that Jeb and I are on about is $20 on PSN right now. If you do not buy it you are literally a slobbering Neanderthal without a duke of an idea about how to comport yourself public-wise.

Sports games...yeah, you know, I go through periods where I _think_ want to play a serious sports game (usually FIFA), but when it comes down to it what I really want are more arcade-style sports games. NFL Blitz, NBA Jam, Sega Soccer Slam, Mario Strikers, Blades of Steel, Speedball 2, etc...I could care less about all of the frippery that goes with the big "sim" titles, even FIFA.

I was thinking about trying Inazuma Eleven on the 3DS, it's a JRPG soccer game.

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