Board 8 > transience's video game topic 55: it's '18 and Final Fantasy XV still isn't done

(+) Yeah! (+)

2K's transgressions are arguably the worst offenders out there in the genre of mobile greed greatly limiting player progression, but they seem to have largely escaped criticism. I wonder why that is? They've been gradually introducing more ways for VC to impact MyPlayer in the NBA games for years now; GTA Online inflation has been gradual too. It also probably helps that they're not making Star Wars or Lord of the Rings games.
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Under $5 PSN Flash Sale

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/grid/STORE-MSF77008-FLASHSALE18PS4G/1

Some pretty good stuff here. Jackbox 3, Bastion, Transistor, Life is Strange, the perpetually on sale Crypt of the Necrodancer. I think I'll pick up Jackbox at least.
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LocoRoco!!
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also Knack

how could I forget
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The store UI is not even loading for me half the time so maybe I will not be buying anything!!
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I'm getting pretty deep into the endgame on my Witcher 3 replay. The third act of this game is so well done, and rarely gets mentioned (likely because most people peace out after the Bloody Baron quest line). There are no wasted moments. Character arcs, no matter if they're three games (plus several books) in the making, or were just introduced in The Witcher 3, get the time they deserve to resolve. Several scenes are genuinely affecting. One of my favourite things about this game is that in order to get the "best" ending, your Geralt has to place his unwavering support for his friends, and believe in their abilities. It encourages to Geralt to be good, and his reward is to see his friends prosper.

If you aren't crazy like me and don't feel like replaying an 80 hour RPG (plus another 40 when I get to the DLC), Watch Out For Fireballs had an excellent series of 5 episodes on The Witcher 3 starting here:
http://www.watchoutforfireballs.com/176

Unfortunately they don't cover the expansions, and will probably get to them sometime in 2018.
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All parts of Witcher 3 are great. I actually think I like the Bloody Baron stuff the least just because I find Velen to be such a dreary part of the world. I suppose thats the point, but still.
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I'm pretty down on the Bloody Baron questline because I think it gives too much time to an abusive piece of garbage while offering very little time to those he's harmed. People often call it a highlight of the game because it treads in moral ambiguity and shows that The Witcher 3 is a game where there's often no good outcome. I think it's pretty clear that the outcome is better for others inside that quest, and there are too many Witcher Contracts with a similar structure.

What it is indicative of however is The Witcher 3's ability to seamlessly integrate main quests and side quests together, and conclude them down the line with emotional payoff. The Witcher 3 is kinda Context: The Game. You won't find many parts of this game without justification somewhere in the text.
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2018 is the year I finally get around to playing The Witcher 3.

And Fallout: New Vegas.

Maybe the one consolation to me not having to write about games for money!
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It pains me a bit to skip the new Cyber Sleuth game, but too many games come out next that I want so I know even if I get it I won't play much of it.
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those are two good ass games that do a lot of what i love about games - rpgs specifically - exceptionally well.

obviously i'm talking about fallout and witcher, not digimon
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Yeah, I'm excited to get started on New Vegas! My only point of reference to these huge ass WRPGs is Fallout 4, which is fine but I know is supposedly the least RPG of all the big ones in the genre.

I'm just waiting on the reception for Monster Hunter World when that's finally out. If it's as good as the hype, I might have to jump into that! Don't want to start FNV then dump it a week later because of dumb FOMO or whatever!
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Witcher 3 is legit one of my favorite games of all time.
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MonHun games have very devoted communities. You could jump into a game no matter when you get into it and find people to play with. There are still rooms up for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on Wii U, for example.

As far as reception goes, I mean, this is Monster Hunter, it doesn't change drastically between entries. The people positive on it will cite the same reasons that people who were positive on 4U and Gen did.
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SgtSphynx posted...

Witcher 3 is legit one of my favorite games of all time.

I'm with you there.
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I played a lot of Freedom Unite back when I had access to a PSP and had real life friends to play with! Haven't touched another one since then. I wanna ride this big new wave with the shiny new graphics and the more accessible gameplay!

Anyone here getting it day one, or are you folks gonna hold out for the PC version?
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So I went an Overwatch League game, and I have to say it was pretty entertaining. The venue they hold the games in is really impressive. They have these giant screens that showcase everything really well. I especially like how they show the status of all the players on the side. It updates in real time showing their ultimate charge, health, and it even shows when they're resurrected by Mercy. Another neat detail is that the ring on the ceiling fills up along with the percentage of the objective during games. I also liked how before each stage they had this gigantic panorama that filled up the entire screen showcasing the stage. I took pictures of all of them because they looked so cool. They also have raffles and giveaways, and seeing the live reaction of big plays was awesome. Overall the experience is really great. I might make it a regular thing.

Some pics:




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One of my New Years resolutions is to beat more games.

I thought my first game of 2018 would be Nier: Automata, but I got the $1 Xbox GamePass and ended up installingand beating in one tryThis War of Mine.

I played it before on PC AND PS3, and struggled repeatedly on both systems.

I dunno if they made it easier, but after a certain point I was completely self-sufficient. So much so that the anxiety and depression mechanics could be bruteforced with good meals, pep talks, and sleep.
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Grand Kirby posted...

So I went an Overwatch League game, and I have to say it was pretty entertaining. The venue they hold the games in is really impressive. They have these giant screens that showcase everything really well. I especially like how they show the status of all the players on the side. It updates in real time showing their ultimate charge, health, and it even shows when they're resurrected by Mercy. Another neat detail is that the ring on the ceiling fills up along with the percentage of the objective during games. I also liked how before each stage they had this gigantic panorama that filled up the entire screen showcasing the stage. I took pictures of all of them because they looked so cool. They also have raffles and giveaways, and seeing the live reaction of big plays was awesome. Overall the experience is really great. I might make it a regular thing.

Ive watched a couple of the games on Twitch. Of course, I havent played enough Overwatch to really grasp everything thats going on, but it makes for a decent background noise/occasional distraction while at work (my hours coincide pretty well with the current schedule).
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Grand Kirby posted...

Overwatch League stuff

This is all real cool. The set already looks great from what's shown on Twitch, but damn those pics make it look even better. That progress bar on the ceiling is super nice touch!
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Those are great pics! How much were tickets? What's concession like? It looks like it's just a retrofitted theatre, which is pretty neat.

My issues with Overwatch League as a spectator are that the producers very rarely give you a wide shot so you can take in all the action, and the commentators never stop talking. That last bit is more indicative of casters in general. They need to annotate everything, but very little effort is taking to explain why something happened, the significance of it. It's just X happened, then Y, Z, no pause in between. It's fatiguing.
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I sorta agree with the criticisms. Playing Overwatch on console and seeing the very best of the best play on PC really shows the difference in speed. It's fucking wild how fast these players move their aim, and it was super disorienting at times for the first couple of matches I watched. But I've gotten used to it after following most games into this week. I totally get now why the broadcast focuses mostly with the single player first person view. All the highlights from DPS players only really look amazing from that perspective! Pro Widows, Tracers, McCrees, Pharahs, Genjis, and even Zens are scary af.

I don't mind the commentators as much. Maybe it's because I've always followed the meta changes that I get the shorthand and the tactics talk immediately. Their pace is perfect for keeping up with how fast the games go, too. And hey, I like their personalities too and how hype they get! Gets me hyped too.
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I went to a League of Legends pro event once and the venue looked similar to that one. It was an awesome experience - tons of energy and excitement flying around, and lots of cool people to talk to. I had a great time and went home with a bunch of new posters that I still have hanging up. Glad you got to experience an event like that!
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I mean, I can follow along with the action fine, but it's not an enjoyable experience.
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iiicon posted...

Those are great pics! How much were tickets? What's concession like? It looks like it's just a retrofitted theatre, which is pretty neat.

Tickets were $20. They were offering half off tickets for next week if you bought them there that night. I didn't get anything to eat, but it seemed decent; hot dogs, chips, bottled drinks, fruit cups. Not that pricey either.

It's right next to the Warner Bros./NBC lots, so I assume the venue used to be a soundstage. It wasn't really that big, but they put a lot work into making the whole area look really nice.
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Anyone getting Iconoclasts this week?
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I might. waiting to see some impressions.
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I'm pretty curious about it and Celeste. I've seen game journos talk vaguely about Celeste, but nothing on Iconoclasts. I think video is gonna go up tomorrow on it though.
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I've waited too long for Iconoclasts to not get it
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here's a review

http://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/iconoclasts
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Man, Nintendo is just keeping the events going in Animal Crossing Phone Edition. Hasn't been a time without one since before Christmas, I believe. After Christmas was the New Year's Event, then the shitty RNG butterfly one that just ended, and now "Winter Sports" set to end with the month (which seems odd with the Olympics next month but I guess without the license it doesn't matter much?).
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Up to chapter 5 again in Xenoblade and a lot of the QoL issues are starting to creep back in. There's more blade swapping for field checks than in the first half of the game, and I feel like I'm in the menu more than I'm actually playing at times.

Also the worst thing about that game is the fact that when you complete an affinity node, it doesn't actually activate until you go three menus deep and watch it activate. Who designed this?
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I've never done the former but yeah the latter is really weird. I can't tell if you actually need to do that or if it just doesn't notify you until after.
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You don't actually get the benefit until you see the node fill in on the menu. I've tested it with the gathering skills.
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The Mana Sword posted...

Up to chapter 5 again in Xenoblade and a lot of the QoL issues are starting to creep back in. There's more blade swapping for field checks than in the first half of the game, and I feel like I'm in the menu more than I'm actually playing at times.

Also the worst thing about that game is the fact that when you complete an affinity node, it doesn't actually activate until you go three menus deep and watch it activate. Who designed this?

yeah both of these are bad.

if you're worried about people not seeing new skill unlocks, find a better way to surface the information
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oh man, The Red Strings Club is out this week too. good week for games.
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Field skills are just the worst. I dont think the person who designed that ever talked to the person who designed merc missions. What a mess that always is.
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Hey at least you can skip the voiced lines after completing a merc mission now!
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iiicon posted...

oh man, The Red Strings Club is out this week too. good week for games.

https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/ne4ypq/red-strings-club-cyberpunk-transphobia

oof.
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Looks like God of War is out on April 20th.

Kratos vs. Labo who ya got
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probably neither!
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I don't think anyone actually cares about God of War

only people really into ps4 exclusives
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Yeah, I'm not actually sure if people are excited for this game. They say they are when it pops up in conversation, but I pretty much never see anyone talk about unless there's a trailer or something.
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Horizon was in the same spot last year. people who hang out on like psblog think it's the greatest ever. Horizon at least seemed to have honest enthusiasm though. God of War, I dunno.
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god of war is probably going to be sony's biggest game this gen that isn't from naughty dog

The Mana Sword posted...

They say they are when it pops up in conversation, but I pretty much never see anyone talk about unless there's a trailer or something.

also this is like pretty much every game ever. why else would people talk about it pre-release?
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I agree with that but am not sure how much biggest sony game means. what's second? Detroit?
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horizon: zero dawn, spider-man, bloodborne, infamous. pick one.

what i mean to say is that god of war is one of the biggest sony franchises, and it's moving in a direction that makes it more appealing to the people who buy sony first party games in the millions, and there is tangible excitement for it.

i'm more bullish about god of war than spider-man because i think god of war has a better track record and a smaller chance at being outright bad
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put another way, i think god of war's transition to a more linear, narrative experience, coupled with its exclusive ps4 status, makes it an early candidate for overall game of the year, pending nintendo's late 2018 slate (which i doubt will have the broad appeal of zelda and mario) and red dead 2's release (which i still think hits next year)
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iiicon posted...

god of war is probably going to be sony's biggest game this gen that isn't from naughty dog

The Mana Sword posted...

They say they are when it pops up in conversation, but I pretty much never see anyone talk about unless there's a trailer or something.

also this is like pretty much every game ever. why else would people talk about it pre-release?

I think I was more referring to stuff like "hey here are my most anticipated games" - we saw a lot of these with GotY stuff. I don't really remember seeing GoW on many of those.
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Resetera had a vote and it was #2 behind RDR2!
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