Lurker > LightningStrikes

v_charon posted...

Late Night With the Devil lives up to all the hype. What a unique and crazy film. Go see it immediately, probably my favorite horror movie since Hereditary (maybe, I'd have to check what came out in each of the years between them).

Chiming in to say I absolutely LOVED this. Just an amazing setup for a horror film executed amazingly well. Surprisingly had a packed house and there were gasps in the audience at points. May end up as one of my all time favourites.

Them studio announcing it as THE FIRST MA RATED MARVEL SHOW was definitely a marketing ploy, Sydney Freeland said they just made the show the way they wanted to do it and got the MA rating. They werent deliberately going for it.

Oh, I mostly liked that one but I cant help but feel that making Melina the villain fundamentally misunderstands the themes of Black Widow. Or maybe it understands them perfectly? It was a surprising decision I guess.

Echo beated, I thought it was quite good. Ending was a little weak but far from the worst. Episodes 3 and 4 were my favourite. It obviously got very heavily cut down, its quite apparent in some scenes, but the fact that it managed to be still coherent and entertaining despite that just gives Secret Invasion less excuse. Overall it was at its best when it was going into Choctaw culture, when it was a down to earth crime story and when it was a familial story and at its worst when it was being typical Marvel. It would place around the middle of the Disney+ shows in my opinion.

I think that was always just intended as a nod to the fan casting.

I thought that was easily the best episode of Season 2! Cate Blanchett helped. Overall Season 2 was decent, about as good as Season 1 but it never hit either the same highs or the same lows.

Also watched the first episode of Echo. It was good! A shame Marvel/Disney seemed to have no confidence in it. Definitely hurt its chances of finding a wide audience.

The rest of the lists!

Staff:

Lucy - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/lucy-james-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6363/

Grubb - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/jeff-grubbs-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6358/

Bailey - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/bailey-meyers-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6343/

TurboShawn - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/turboshawns-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6375/

Mike - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/mike-minottis-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6373/

Bakalar (and son) - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/jeff-dylan-bakalars-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6372/

Jan - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/jan-ochoas-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6377/

Giant Bomb Moderators - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/giant-bomb-moderators-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6334/

Former Staff:

Ben - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/ben-packs-top-six-games-of-2023-so-sorry-that-i-didnt-finish-ten-in-time/1100-6376/

Guests:

Jason Fanelli - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/jason-fanellis-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6340/

Leon Chang - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/leon-changs-top-5-games-of-2023/1100-6346/

Mary Kish - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/mary-kishs-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6369/

Jesse Vitelli - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/jesse-vitellis-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6344/

Adam Cole - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/adam-coles-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6354/

Shinobi602 - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/shinobi602s-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6357/

Steve Saylor - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/steve-saylors-top-3-games-for-accessibility/1100-6352/

Chris Kohler - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/chris-kohlers-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6341/

Alex van Aken - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/alex-van-akens-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6359/

John Ricciardi - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/john-ricciardis-top-10-games-of-2023-and-1998/1100-6347/

New Game Plus - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/new-game-plus-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6371/

Kevin Zuhn - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/kevin-zuhns-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6378/

Great lists this year. This weeks Bombcast Revengeance is very good also.

What I do this is clear is that BG3 is absolutely stronger than TW3 was in 2015.

Ill be honest, I really dont think Cyberpunk hurts The Witcher 3 at all. People said the same thing about Fallout 76 and Skyrim yet that held up very well. Especially now that Cyberpunk has restored its reputation almost fully. Now if The Witcher 4 disappoints that could be a different issue.

Aside from the final TW3 is probably just as strong, its continued to expand its audience since then. However I can definitely see BG3 as stronger.

Yeah I mean in general the tastes around here are for big RPGs and Action Adventure games, the WRPG/JRPG distinction is largely irrelevant. Of course if you did make that distinction WRPGs are a lot stronger than JRPGs these days!

We dont know how strong TotK is because we have no points of comparison. Jumping to ITS ONE OF THE WEAKEST ZELDA GAMES is very extreme. I would probably say BG3 is very strong but we dont know how much so yet.

Thats true in general which is why there should always be a final poll. However, it should be noted that no historical split where a multiplatform game is removed gives TLoU the win. Then you have 2021 where Dread gained significantly over REVIII. It is entirely plausible that ALBW increases its margin like that or Brawl. Anything can happen, thats why there should have been a final poll, but ALBW would have been heavily favoured to win. It makes sense, historically multiplatform games are neutral ground even when not on Nintendo systems themselves.

Thats actually the opposite dynamic though. A Playstation first party game getting taken out and votes going to the multiplatform game. When it was also Nintendo, Sony, and Rockstar in 2018 it split down the middle.

There should have been a final final poll but ALBW still would have won. Multiplatform games usually split down the middle. See Fallout 3 in 2008 and RDR2 in 2018.

Edit: Actually 2018 is the perfect comparison as it was first party Nintendo, first party Sony and Rockstar. That split gives ALBW the win.

Also RE4 does have that Nintendo heritage. BG3 has the edge but it could go either way.

Dont misunderstand when I mention Metacritic. Its more as an indication of the general reception. Nobody is arguing for FFVIIR as an all-time classic like those other games of similar genre.

I mean really VII Remake is a AAA Action RPG with an 88 average from critics and a franchise name, it performed exactly like that. No reason to assume its be more or less. Its in that RE2/Dread/Bloodborne zone.

Also Final Fantasy has historically been a series where each game starts with a huge burst of hype then diminishes over time. Thats not even just a GameFAQs thing, these games sell like half their lifetime numbers in a week. With that said VIIR being the start of a trilogy could help it long term by keeping it in peoples minds. Like how XIV only got stronger with each expansion.

Yeah I would take FFVIIR over Dread but it would be a lot closer for Dread than FFVIIR would get against any of those big dogs. FFVIIR looked like a normal GotY winner not an all timer, and that about goes with the general reception. All of the rest of those are all-timers.

I wouldnt even take FFVIIR over Persona 5 at this point!

XII actually got a 92 Metascore even though the turn against it happened pretty quickly.

I was thinking and the only format where XVI makes it to the final poll is back when it was exclusives for each platform then a separate multiplatform poll. Then TotK would win the Switch poll, BG3 wins the multiplatform poll, XVI wins the Playstation poll, Hi-Fi Rush embarrasses Starfield to win the Xbox poll, Sea of Stars wins Indie and RE4 wins remakes. If its platform polls with multiplatform games, BG3 eliminates XVI, if its genre polls BG3 eliminates XVI, if its sequels/originals/remakes BG3 and TotK eliminate XVI, and with this years format or one exclusive poll and one multiplatform poll, TotK eliminates XVI.

With that said, XVI should still be in the polls as its a major release with great reviews and top 5 strongest of the year. It was never going to win or do all that well, but it should have been in the polls at least.

Well XVI never would have made it because it would lose to BG3!

Also yeah Pikmin 4 is definitely this years Forgotten Land in terms of strength relative to previous entries. Actually that was a GotY poll snub wasnt it?

Wonders currently doing better than XVI did against TotK by the way. Despite the SFF you would expect.

Wait, what happened? Give us the juicy site drama.

Yeah that one was much more understandable because of the reviews, and it likely doesnt make the final poll. Similarly reviews probably damned AC1. This is the worst snub I can recall.

shane15 posted...

Leaving a mainline FF game out of a poll like this is unacceptable. If this is a sign of things to come maybe it's better we don't get another contest.

Mainline FF games dont get a free pass just for being mainline FF games. If there was another game with XIII/XV reception I dont think it needs to turn up if its not a weak year otherwise. XVI is a snub because it reviewed much better not because it has Final Fantasy in the title. Contests have nominations anyway so its a different thing.

TeamRocketElite posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/poll/9234-at-the-halfway-mark-whats-your-pick-for-the-best-game-of

FF16 solidly beat RE4 in the halfway poll. I would still expect FF16 to beat RE4 today.

SMBW would never get a fair shot at FF16 due to TotK being around. Depending on tomorrow's result, I think FF16 might be stronger than SMBW as well.

That poll was also right in the honeymoon period for XVI. No way it doesnt get weaker given the way the narrative on that game has turned.

I thought this might happen after realising that Dave the Diver came out at the very end of June. Well, its ridiculous, FFXVI should have been on that poll over Live A Live. I dont think FF should automatically get a slot for being part of that franchise, but XVI clearly reviewed well enough. And I would say I liked it but didnt love it. Also Jedi Survivor should have been in over Ghost Trick.

Anyway, as for this poll I can see Pikmin 4=Street Fighter VI, yeah. The thing is Pikmin 4 is the big breakout moment for the franchise in terms of mainstream recognition and being considered a GotY contender. Like Kirby and the Forgotten Land before it its a moment where a series that hadnt done much suddenly starts to perform, or so it seems.

The Starfield result is disastrous, no two ways about it. Especially when you consider that its really the only proper Xbox representative on the poll. I dont even think its to do with platform availability as plenty of people have a PC. It just really disappointed people.

So where would FFXVI have ended up? I can definitely see RE4 beating it. I guess the only other contender is Wonder.

So I guess were doing astronomical seasons? Which would put FFXVI in summer. Regardless Jedi Survivor should be on here. It would even have a shot at second.

Edit: Also, Live A Live came out last year. So weird that the Playstation/PC port is on here.

Oh this is much better than the previous way they were doing it.

A little bit late on this but top ten lists!

Staff:

Dan - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/dan-ryckerts-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6361/

Tamoor - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/tamoor-hussains-top-games-of-2023/1100-6362/

Former Staff:

Drew - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/drew-scanlons-top-5-games-of-2023/1100-6331/

Abby - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/abby-russells-top-games-of-2023/1100-6336/

Guests:

Evil Uno - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/evil-unos-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6338/

Ben Starr - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/ben-starrs-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6364/

Jordan Middler - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/jordan-middlers-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6360/

Cristian from Argentina - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/cristian-from-argentinas-top-games-and-anime-of-2023/1100-6368/

Xalavier Nelson Jr - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/xalavier-nelson-jr-s-top-4-7-out-of-10-games-of-2023/1100-6353/

Mansoor - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/mansoors-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6348/

Alex Boniello - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/alex-boniellos-stuff-of-the-year/1100-6365/

Chris CJ Johnston - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/chris-cj-johnstons-top-10-games-of-2023/1100-6337/

Phil Theobald - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/phil-theobalds-top-game-of-2023/1100-6351/

Greg Sewart - https://www.giantbomb.com/articles/greg-sewarts-backlog-of-2023/1100-6356/

More are coming over the next few days!

Shrug, Ive not played the game but I liked it.

Least surprising developments ever.

Now just recast the role. No need to even do multiverse shenanigans to explain it, recasts happen all the time.

They posted the archive and also the Bombcast Revengeance this week was them doing Best Music as a bonus category.

https://twitter.com/_janjerome/status/1734264092620399075

Waiting to receive the full file apparently.

It will probably go up as a full video archive and the podcast version tomorrow after the weekend. They gotta have that break!

It was one of their best ever live show and a great list. I know people liked some of the arguments but I think the politicking and the jockeying for positions had gotten unfit for purpose. Chicory kind of showed that, and arguably even PUBG before it! The last two lists seem to much more clearly reflect the feelings of the whole staff.

Grubbs list there had a top tier GotY plot twist. And thats why Eurovision voting is great.

Okay this is a pretty wild love stream, would recommend.

GotY finale is live now. Seems to be going pretty well. Audio is good, much better than Day 3 because they actually have mics!

Oh GotY day 3 got lost in the Game Awards shuffle. Whittling down to the top 20. Audio quality could be better unfortunately.

I dont think The Flash is on that level. $270 million on a $200 million budget. The $200 million losses were early projections based on a much higher estimated budget and lower estimated take, its probably not that bad, but still terrible. The Marvels is looking at about a $220 million final gross on a $200 million budget, worse than The Flash. John Carter was $284 million on a $264 million budget. So that still wins, with The Marvels a respectable second. The Flash can float off into simply being a big bomb.

Oh, GotY Day 2 (the pre-recorded one) was uploaded to Youtube early:

https://www.youtube.com/live/kAX9fuWat8c?si=aVUp7BgJywGj0oxF

No podcast version yet though!

Well, it was The Mind Place/Rewriting Reality counted as one mechanic which makes a lot more sense. Although they could have only done it as the latter I think.

Move over Saints Row vs Skyrim here comes Tenet vs Inception.

Ill stop spamming this topic now until there are other comments.

Okay Lucy has a tremendous amount of coffee with her in the pre-stream.

GOTY starts in five minutes!!!

https://www.giantbomb.com/chat/

Or

https://www.youtube.com/live/5hf40FaKJIU?si=FVa-sWHFhO9taSmA

It was always only going to be the final day! But there will be three categories as well as GotY itself. Here is the schedule:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/51c423c4.jpg

So 18 categories in total, nice.

Should be noted that Kissinger never stopped using his influence to do harm. He was probably the lead voice calling for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia for instance.

But also, next year will have elections in the US, the EU parliament, India and the UK. Thats over 2 billion people and the first three are the three largest democratic exercises in the world. So it will be an absolutely huge year for global democracy that could define the next generation.

Again I think its more a huge anti-establishment, anti-government move instead of necessarily a shift rightwards, but in many places that does mean a shift to the right. On the other hand, look at Poland, which was seen as a far right bastion for so long, worshipped by the likes of Trump and Bannon yet has now gotten rid of their far right government. Indeed nearly every incumbent government in an advanced economy thats facing an election is losing regardless of where it sits, all thanks to the cost of living crisis. People are desperate for change, which can be good or bad depending on where you are.

Its 2008-2011 with the crash all over again, and that resulted in a lot of nasty right wing governments, but also some progressive ones. The constant was that governments got thrown out all over the place. I think were seeing the same thing now.