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Everything Else Video Games Thread [Spoilers]

Discussion in 'Gaming and PC Discussion' started by Erandil, Oct 28, 2013.

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  1. Chime

    Chime Dark Lord

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    I'll save you some of the trouble of deciding:

    Mass Effect one starts out good. You've got some annoying tropes - like blue skinned humans as space aliens, humans are "special" - but the game still pulls off a good atmosphere, even by today's standards. Actually, ME1's aesthetics are good enough it definitely looks better than games from a similar time, like Bioshock one. Its music is also pretty good, though I can't recall much of the sound design - and some of the models are especially ugly... so it's flawed, but by no means unimmersive.

    That said, ME1's game mechanics are stifling. The gunplay is at times, shallow, buggy and repetitive. The class-based systems aren't all that engaging. Mechanically, as an RPG or a FPS, it never really gels. Mechanically, everything does work, more or less, but you'll find yourself killing things just to progress the story, not (probably) out of any enjoyment with them.

    Things are jerky and stiff; there aren't a whole lot of active abilities. Even the "psychic" physic-based abilities are pretty mellow. The game can be reasonably challenging on the first playthrough, if you put it on the highest difficulty, however.

    The second Mass Effect sacrifices story - the plot is just all over the place - for arguably little on the gameplay side. It's got a lot of gratuitious moments and is carried mostly by the performances and one-liners of the characters you recruit or meet on your journey, so I can say I enjoyed parts of ME2 when I first played it, but it definitely didn't live up to the expectations ME1 brought us.

    Actually, I should probably shut up here. I'm doing it again. By saying these things I'm just going to provoke a lot of heated discussion.

    All three games are controversial. You should at least play the first one - you can get it in a bargain bin somewhere, I'm sure. If it doesn't tickle your fancy, you can safely stay away from the next two. Judge the games on your own, but my judgments are pretty harsh. ME1 showed promise, but ME2 and ME3 were driven by that greed to capture the Dude Bro audience, and the gun mechanics and RPG mechanics suffer as a result. By the third game, many levels are just way too stifling and linear, with an over-emphasis on regenerating health, cover-based shooting, and wave-based encounter design. I think you're aware of how the ending was received, so it's clear ME3 does not deliver what ME1 set up, to most people. If you can grab all three for a small amount of money, it's probably worth it for the one-hundred hours they'll keep you occupied for - and at the end of it, you can say, "Well, I experienced that." And have some insight onto why some people are so passionately displeased with BioWare (or maybe you'll just be befuddled with our ire?)

    It's worth mentioning, that if anyone hasn't played Mass Effect before, they should probably make sure they can cross of these games first from "The List of story-driven PC RPGs you probably should at least try playing for 30 minutes to see if you like them": VTMB, Deus Ex, Arcanum, PST, BG1/2, FO1/2, Wasteland, KOTOR1/2, IWD1/2, NWN2:MOTB (only MOTB), ToEE, ME1. Honorable mentions but not included b/c not really being story-driven: TES:Morrowind, JA2, M&B:WB. PC action rpgs included would add: D1, D2, TQ, PoE to the list. Of course, there are some more obscure RPGs worth mentioning, like Geneforge 5, but I wouldn't consider them 'required' by any stretch.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2013
  2. Red Aviary

    Red Aviary Hogdorinclawpuff ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    Been trying again to play Dark Souls on-and-off over the past week. Made it a lot further than the previous two times I've tried it; I'm in Anor Londo now. Trying to get past these two archers on narrow ledges. And of course they're not just archers, they're those Black Knights, and they fire javelins at you instead of arrows.

    Honestly I'm torn over this game. I like the atmosphere, the art style, what I've scrounged of the story/lore so far and some gameplay elements. But I really don't appreciate this supposedly intentionally frustrating gameplay. I think it's way overrated. I keep hearing "challenging but rewarding," but that just seems like a platitude. I don't see much reward. I see a big enemy dead and then just a bigger one behind it mixed in with some bullshit game design. Where's the "reward" again? Granted I don't have problems all the time. My first real trouble was with the Stray Demon below the Undead Asylum, and now there's these archers. Not saying the game's been easy, but those are the ones that made me quit for a while. I won against the Stray Demon through bullshit luck rather than skill it felt like, and when I get past these guys it'll probably be the same way.

    And I hate the community. The game has some very real problems (the camera sometimes, particularly with the huge enemies and how you can't see shit, and how fighting multiple enemies is just clunky as fuck), but it seems like if you try to criticize it at all then you're clearly just mad at it because you suck or something. No game's perfect, but try telling those idiots that.

    On the story/lore/whatever you call it: again, what I've learned is interesting, but then again, I have to scrounge for it, and I don't appreciate that as much as just having a cohesive narrative. I mean, I don't see why having to search around for information from items or obscure dialogue from NPCs is somehow better than presenting it through a story. Why do people think this method is superior to something like, I don't know, Dragon Age? I felt a whole lot more connected to Dragon Age than this. Though I'm apparently still only halfway through the game so maybe that will change some.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2013
  3. SmileOfTheKill

    SmileOfTheKill Magical Amber

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    Some quick points on Dark Souls.

    The Black Knight archers is like, the worst game design of the entire game. This is true. They can be easily dealt with as an experienced player, so not like they are unstoppable. Just horribly designed.

    To attempt to fix camera, go into the options and turn on camera auto-wall fixing or whatever nonsense it is called. That should help. For fighting multiple enemies, well it is designed to be hard to just man fight multiple enemies. That is the point.

    Don't hate the community really, it seems like you just got the general idiot audience. The general audience in every game is dumb. (Expect Dwarf Fortress)

    The reason why the story is good in this game is more of the presentation as well. It doesn't force anything down your throat and that alone makes it more endearing than it would be normally.

    If you need help with the game, just message me. I have put an ungodly amount of time into that game.
     
  4. Tehlaziboi

    Tehlaziboi Ninja Meido

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    To further elaborate on those archers, just straight up run through the ledge and don't even worry about dodging. Their arrows will only hit you if you're stationary. Once you reach the end, then quickly kill the archer to the right. If he shoots before you reach him, then time your roll to dodge it. This has to be done quickly otherwise the other archer will snipe you in the back and it's a one-way trip to death.

    And I agree that this one area is more frustrating than a good number of boss fights. I can't even begin to count how many times I've died to those silver knights shooting at me from such a bullshit distance.
     
  5. Quick Ben

    Quick Ben In ur docs, stealin ur werds.

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    I haven't played the game so my opinion might not carry weight but I think the reward isn't getting loot(I'm assuming that's what you were expecting) but rather the gaining of skill. That is the enemies you beat, you beat because you were good enough and you learned from your mistakes the first time you died and its that satisfaction of success that is considered the reward.
     
  6. Ash'Ura

    Ash'Ura Totally Sirius

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    Quickest way to kill the Archer on the right is to parry the bastard. Silver Knights are ridiculously easy to parry. As for the Stray Demon and the Fire Sage, they're extremely susceptible to Bleed Damage. All you need to do is stay behind them and slash away. Also, Dark Souls is my all time favorite game, but I have to agree with Red Aviary. The majority of the online community that I've met were either super butt hurt over minor criticisms of the game or just doughy eltists.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2013
  7. Solomon

    Solomon Heir

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    Oh thank god, I was honestly starting to wonder if I was alone in thinking those fucking archers are complete bullshit.

    I don't have much else to say about Dark Souls, really. It's an alright game with some serious design flaws. While Demon's Souls also had some similar design flaws (fuck World 5 and everything it represents; especially fuck 5-2), I got the feeling it was better designed, and it was a lot more fun. Then again, Demon's Souls didn't have the trainwreck that is the entire second half of Dark Souls.
     
  8. Red Aviary

    Red Aviary Hogdorinclawpuff ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    I'll see what I can do next time I play. I think I had the actual strategy down from the sounds of it (run like hell to the right and try to kill the knight quickly), but the execution has been a problem. Thanks for the suggestions though.

    As for Demon's Souls, I'll be getting a PS3 soon and I was considering trying that out as well once I beat Dark Souls.
     
  9. Ash'Ura

    Ash'Ura Totally Sirius

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    I've never had any issues with World 5, but my biggest issue with Demon's Souls is the Dragon God boss and the lackluster end boss. King Allant was too easy and the Dragon God was a gimmicky puzzle fight. I understood that the end boss fight was more of a cautionary tale than a boss fight, but still, it didn't have to be that easy.

    Dark Soul's was better on that front, but the end boss in Dark Souls wasn't that difficult either and Bed of Choas is just fucking awful.
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2013
  10. Solomon

    Solomon Heir

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    Dark Souls also had a puzzle boss, remember.

    I hated World 5 mostly because 5-2 was an unbearable slog. 5-1 was passable, and I enjoyed all three World 5 bosses enough, though they weren't spectacular.
     
  11. SmileOfTheKill

    SmileOfTheKill Magical Amber

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    Demon Souls greatly suffers from being the first in the series. Dark Souls is massively improved combat and Demon Souls is painful now. Low friction, no poise system, and the humanity system blows.
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2013
  12. Ash'Ura

    Ash'Ura Totally Sirius

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    I did say the Bed of Chaos was fucking awful.

    As for Word, I personally liked World 5. The bosses, especially Garl/Astrea, were fun and the map wasn't that bad. Blighttown on the other hand, I hated to death. The frame rate drop was bad enough to effect gameplay and the stupid ass Infinite Mosquitoes were annoying as hell. In fact, I hate the Blighttown Mosquitoes more than the Anor Londo Archers.
     
  13. Anarchy

    Anarchy Half-Blood Prince DLP Supporter

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    The reward for beating dark souls (for the first time) without using a wiki or guide is a sense of accomplishment. You going into the game already knowing from word of mouth that it's a tough game, and you going in either thinking they're over exaggerating, or being an elitist. It's a bit of both, honestly. I don't think the game is massively difficult, but compared to pretty much every modern game, it is. I don't think the community is all that big though, but I could be wrong. The game has been out for awhile now.

    As for the silver knight archers, just run up the roof ramp buttress thing as fast as possible. I honestly just run past most of the monsters before them, they can't make it up the bridge. I either poke them off with a great sword lunge, or just kick them off. You should be able to fight them one at a time (blocking los), but yeah, they're one of the biggest pains in the game, because there is a difference between difficult and unfair. Also, if you keep playing (and make it past there) and want to make your life easier, hold off on the Tomb of the Giants until last, since it'll make your life less miserable if you've never been there. The Duke's Archives is probably technically the hardest place in the game though, but you can sort of do the post anor londo stuff in any order.
     
  14. Chime

    Chime Dark Lord

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    Dark Souls does have some interesting items to find, as well as some secrets to discover, but yes, the accomplishment is not any gratuitious Asari flirting with you, some unlocked combo move, or Phat Purple Fork of Horripilation +1 - it's figuring out how to overcome each challenge. Some challenges are simple things, like noticing what chests are trapped. Others are about dealing with certain enemy rooms, where the placements of certain enemies and traps can create interesting situations. The game is very good at rewarding you with a sense of progression - as you play a level over and over, you come to master it. Enemies that were horribly challenging before are just a minor nuisance - and this generally isn't because of an item or stat upgrade.

    Dark Souls definitely has a lot of aggravating points. If you're playing it on a good enough PC, you'll be able to avoid some of the down-right atrocious stuff - like the frame-rate drops in the area before the Bed of Chaos. Though, that awful nausea-inducing lava lighting might still be frustrating to deal with.

    I liked Dark/Demon's Souls for the exploration, meeting the occasional inscrutable NPC, and building my own character from an open base class.
     
  15. prion

    prion Second Year

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    There's one recent game that comes to mind. "Gone Home"
    It's a first person mystery game with no violence. It's all about the creepy atmosphere of going through your character's family's house when no one's home and after being gone for some time. It's piecing together one woman's life story while you explore everything in the empty house.
     
  16. Solomon

    Solomon Heir

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    If you do get Gone Home, just make sure you get it on sale, because the game is super short.

    EDIT: So I actually just played through Gone Home, today, and yeah. It's both really short and hardly a game at all; there are no puzzles, no encounters, just idly exploring an empty house and learning about the player character's family (with a heavy emphasis on her sister and her sister's experiences while the player character was on vacation.)

    That's not a knock against the game, it's actually quite excellent for what it is. It's just not really a game, and I certainly wouldn't suggest paying full price for it. Hell, I didn't, and I'm glad. I don't think I'd feel ripped off if I did pay full price, but it's just not an experience I'd feel good paying $20 for, quality or not.
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2013
  17. Solomon

    Solomon Heir

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    Double post, but: This crazy guy just beat every level in Dustforce blindfolded in about five hours. It's fucking nuts. If you want to get to the actual start of the gameplay, jump to about 8 minutes and enjoy the ride.
     
  18. Erandil

    Erandil Minister of Magic

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    http://store.steampowered.com/app/237990/

    The Banner Saga. If you like strategic, difficult and story driven games than you should really try that one out. Not only is its gameplay really great but its art is also beautiful and the whole concept is amazing.
    It is a turn based party RPG that is easy to understand but difficult to master.
     
  19. Solomon

    Solomon Heir

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    In response to their recent financial report and the ludicrous downshift in expectations for sales and operating profits, Nintendo's stock price dropped by around 17%.

    I am not a financial analyst, and I can't claim to say shit about what this means for them as a company, but holy shit that's a dramatic drop in stock price.

    FEdit: It's worth mentioning, of course, that the stock exchange is still open and that number can change, and the Nikkei probably isn't open either, but still. Jesus.
     
  20. Rehio

    Rehio Bad Dragon ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

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    God, it sucks being a Nintendo fan sometimes. I like their systems, their games, and I want them to succeed.

    But sometimes it just feels like they're trying not to succeed. The complete lack of advertising for the WiiU (People still don't know that it's a completely separate system, and not just an add-on controller) and lack of Mario/Zelda/Smash even a year after the system comes out, I find it kind of hard to fathom how they've managed it.
     
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