Your video game hot take(s) thread

[Specter Von Baren]

People who complain about other people ranting about the story, usually don't like thinking or are trying to clean criticism to begin with. I hate that. Some things are always going to have weird or all stories, but if you call attention to it, within your own story and character, that just makes things worse.

Yeah it's kind of like... I don't think the story of Super Mario games are bad. But I think that, because the story is serving its purpose of giving you just enough motivation to get going and hop into the game and it's not trying to be more than that most of the time.

But if a series decides to give more complicated stories a try then I'm going to treat them with higher scrutiny.

 

[BrawlMan]

But if a series decides to give more complicated stories a try then I'm going to treat them with higher scrutiny.

Exactly why I am harsh on games like DmC (2013), Ninja Gaiden 3, and The Last of Us 1&2.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

I think the further graphics technology advances, the stronger Nintendo’s aversion is to joining the fray. They have the perfect excuse for not putting in the added effort because “realistic” looking visuals are not what appeals to their target market.

Regardless they are being put to shame by home brewers though. Check this lovely demo out -

 

[BrawlMan]

hey have the perfect excuse for not putting in the added effort because “realistic” looking visuals are not what appeals to their target market.

Twilight Princess says hello. Yes, it was stylized, but that is the most "realistic" Zelda has ever gotten.

 

[Drathnoxis]

The current "hot take" thing I been thinking about is: graphics DO matter.

The reason I like places like the Escapist is the idea that gameplay, story, innovation and "auteurism" are respected, and this idea that the latest graphics aren't as important as interesting, fun, innovative gameplay. I totally agree that graphics aren't the most important thing, and Undertale is great and whatever.

But graphics also matter to some degree and it is better when stuff looks cool. Games looking cool is why we play more video games than board games, to a large degree, I mean if we're being honest.

This whole "how important are graphics" idea has come to me from the perspective of sometimes certain game journalists and reviewers and people going TOO far the other way against the grain of dudebro gamur idiots.

Like the whole thing with Elden Ring looking potentially a bit disappointing that the graphics essentially look like Dark Souls 3, and its defenders are like "it doesn't matter, you're stupid for caring about that."
Well, no, I am a little disappointed by that, even though I preordered the game and still look forward to it as a FromSoftware fanboy. But still a new big game- it would be nice if it looked hella cool now on the new hardware.

And I recently tried to play Spelunky 2 and the combination of its brutal difficulty and the fact that it looks like from 1987 just turned me off. I don't feel like going back to NES when I can play anything from like 5 years ago that looks and feels amazing. But that is also just a mood I was in because I also just beat the similar luddite Nobody Saves the World by spending 30 hours reliving 12 yr old me brain. Or a few months ago when I play Stardew Valley so much I bought a clock for 10 million game dollars.

My point is that graphics were A factor- not THE factor- in deciding how I feel about a game I'm playing, buying, reacting to, whatever. I just think it became this cool/intellectual pretense to act like we're not gonna care if a game actually looks good, new, pretty, whatever.

And straight up I avoid most post-apocalypse games like Fallout because dirty broken buildings is just... ugly (contrast with Dark Souls where the wear and tear of the world is sort of its own beauty). Am I shallow or am I just reacting to the reality that video games is an intensely immersively visual medium

Nah, they don't matter if the game is good. I've been spending the last 2 or 3 weeks playing Nethack and the game doesn't have any graphics to speak of.

I think the further graphics technology advances, the stronger Nintendo’s aversion is to joining the fray. They have the perfect excuse for not putting in the added effort because “realistic” looking visuals are not what appeals to their target market.

Regardless they are being put to shame by home brewers though. Check this lovely demo out -

If by 'put to shame' you mean that the game has been made to look like a dull Skyrim mod, then yes, Nintendo should be ashamed of their pitiful Skyrim modding abilities.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Nah, they don't matter if the game is good. I've been spending the last 2 or 3 weeks playing Nethack and the game doesn't have any graphics to speak of.
If by 'put to shame' you mean that the game has been made to look like a dull Skyrim mod, then yes, Nintendo should be ashamed of their pitiful Skyrim modding abilities.

Skyrim mods are just hi res textures from what I’ve seen. This still has a Zelda-esque art style (just look at the character models ffs) but it’s also layered with a bunch of added environmental detail. The lighting is too bloomy and over saturated though.

 

[thebobmaster]

I care less about graphics and more about aesthetic. Zelda games don't have the most realistic graphics, but they have their own style that works for those games. I'd rather games focus on having a striking visual style rather than simply "look real".

 

[Dalisclock]

I care less about graphics and more about aesthetic. Zelda games don't have the most realistic graphics, but they have their own style that works for those games. I'd rather games focus on having a striking visual style rather than simply "look real".

It worked wonders for BOTW and apparently Wind Waker. I'd say the Link's Awakening remake also benefited a lot from the artstyle shift.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

I started playing a game called Kharon's Crypt yesterday that's designed as if it were made on the Gameboy Color right down to it's aspect ratio making it a square and having a border around it that looks like a GBA. The style suits the game and it's actually an enjoyable experience.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

I don't know if this is a hot take or just a political rant so please ignore or mods delete, but...

I am actually getting a little angry at the fact that games are coming out for new consoles as they are still hard to get. In fact I am following restock Twitter accounts and as for now it's apparently gotten even harder. And yet here comes Horizon Forbidden West.
I dunno... the whole thing feels like aristocrats dining on caviar while the peasants starve outside their walls. I like reading/listening to reviewers like the Escapist folks talk about Horizon and Dying Light 2 and whatever and I know those games play on "last" gen but, man, it's annoying. So annoying that the only way to get the optimal experience is to pay exorbitant prices to scalpers or win the equivalent of a lottery.

Isn't it enough we have de facto class systems in real life, now we have "upper class" gamers with PS5's/XBox X/30xx GPU and the "lower class" suckers? I'm not even complaining about normal price differences, just the ability to even access it if a consumer chooses. Like, of course a PS5 should cost more than a PS4, but it shouldn't also cost a thousand hours of search time while watching the marketing, demos and reviews of all these new cool games that you have to decide if you want to wait [an indefinite amount].

I know, I know, supply chain, blah blah. But I just have this uneasy feeling that Sony/Microsoft/etc are rather pleased about this. Brand companies love this exclusivity thing. I'm anticipating getting unreasonably angry at all the upcoming positive Horizon reviews, like they're implying "nyeh nyeh, you can't play this, loser" vibe.

 

[CaitSeith]

I don't know if this is a hot take or just a political rant so please ignore or mods delete, but...

I am actually getting a little angry at the fact that games are coming out for new consoles as they are still hard to get. In fact I am following restock Twitter accounts and as for now it's apparently gotten even harder. And yet here comes Horizon Forbidden West.
I dunno... the whole thing feels like aristocrats dining on caviar while the peasants starve outside their walls. I like reading/listening to reviewers like the Escapist folks talk about Horizon and Dying Light 2 and whatever and I know those games play on "last" gen but, man, it's annoying. So annoying that the only way to get the optimal experience is to pay exorbitant prices to scalpers or win the equivalent of a lottery.

Isn't it enough we have de facto class systems in real life, now we have "upper class" gamers with PS5's/XBox X/30xx GPU and the "lower class" suckers? I'm not even complaining about normal price differences, just the ability to even access it if a consumer chooses. Like, of course a PS5 should cost more than a PS4, but it shouldn't also cost a thousand hours of search time while watching the marketing, demos and reviews of all these new cool games that you have to decide if you want to wait [an indefinite amount].

I know, I know, supply chain, blah blah. But I just have this uneasy feeling that Sony/Microsoft/etc are rather pleased about this. Brand companies love this exclusivity thing. I'm anticipating getting unreasonably angry at all the upcoming positive Horizon reviews, like they're implying "nyeh nyeh, you can't play this, loser" vibe.

Pretty much that's why I'm sitcking to Switch releases for now (and I have a long backlog of Switch and PS4 games left to play too).

 

[Casual Shinji]

I care less about graphics and more about aesthetic. Zelda games don't have the most realistic graphics, but they have their own style that works for those games. I'd rather games focus on having a striking visual style rather than simply "look real".

I'll echo this sentiment, but with a tweek; I care less about graphics and more about optimization.

I don't know if this is a hot take or just a political rant so please ignore or mods delete, but...

I am actually getting a little angry at the fact that games are coming out for new consoles as they are still hard to get. In fact I am following restock Twitter accounts and as for now it's apparently gotten even harder. And yet here comes Horizon Forbidden West.
I dunno... the whole thing feels like aristocrats dining on caviar while the peasants starve outside their walls. I like reading/listening to reviewers like the Escapist folks talk about Horizon and Dying Light 2 and whatever and I know those games play on "last" gen but, man, it's annoying. So annoying that the only way to get the optimal experience is to pay exorbitant prices to scalpers or win the equivalent of a lottery.

Isn't it enough we have de facto class systems in real life, now we have "upper class" gamers with PS5's/XBox X/30xx GPU and the "lower class" suckers? I'm not even complaining about normal price differences, just the ability to even access it if a consumer chooses. Like, of course a PS5 should cost more than a PS4, but it shouldn't also cost a thousand hours of search time while watching the marketing, demos and reviews of all these new cool games that you have to decide if you want to wait [an indefinite amount].

I know, I know, supply chain, blah blah. But I just have this uneasy feeling that Sony/Microsoft/etc are rather pleased about this. Brand companies love this exclusivity thing. I'm anticipating getting unreasonably angry at all the upcoming positive Horizon reviews, like they're implying "nyeh nyeh, you can't play this, loser" vibe.

Horizon: Forbidden West is coming for PS4, and it looks pretty damn good, so you'll be fine in that department.

And I'm not too sure Sony is pleased with this situation, since the longer the time they can't get PS5's in people's homes, the longer their current games are partially locked to a 9-year old system.

 

[BrawlMan]

I don't know if this is a hot take or just a political rant so please ignore or mods delete, but...

I am actually getting a little angry at the fact that games are coming out for new consoles as they are still hard to get. In fact I am following restock Twitter accounts and as for now it's apparently gotten even harder. And yet here comes Horizon Forbidden West.
I dunno... the whole thing feels like aristocrats dining on caviar while the peasants starve outside their walls. I like reading/listening to reviewers like the Escapist folks talk about Horizon and Dying Light 2 and whatever and I know those games play on "last" gen but, man, it's annoying. So annoying that the only way to get the optimal experience is to pay exorbitant prices to scalpers or win the equivalent of a lottery.

Isn't it enough we have de facto class systems in real life, now we have "upper class" gamers with PS5's/XBox X/30xx GPU and the "lower class" suckers? I'm not even complaining about normal price differences, just the ability to even access it if a consumer chooses. Like, of course a PS5 should cost more than a PS4, but it shouldn't also cost a thousand hours of search time while watching the marketing, demos and reviews of all these new cool games that you have to decide if you want to wait [an indefinite amount].

I know, I know, supply chain, blah blah. But I just have this uneasy feeling that Sony/Microsoft/etc are rather pleased about this. Brand companies love this exclusivity thing. I'm anticipating getting unreasonably angry at all the upcoming positive Horizon reviews, like they're implying "nyeh nyeh, you can't play this, loser" vibe.

You're not wrong. Just play the games you want to enjoy. I got plenty of other games on my mind than whatever is "Next Gen" or "true next gen". Such esoteric terms mean nothing to me. I'm playing what I enjoy or what I'm invested in. I just don't play games to follow trends or play them because everybody else is playing it. That's how you get so many people that play Fortnite and COD and nothing else, because they're friends or "friends" are playing them. Do what you want to do. Any of those rich jackasses hogging and flashing they're expensive consoles around, ignore them. They're in it for the wrong reasons; only just to show off, and nothing else. They're not even true gamers, just another set of gamers that act like jackasses for no reason other than just to feel like they're better than anyone else, cuz they have no talent, merit, or self-worth.

Despite its flaws, I love the open world more in No More Heroes 3, than almost any other sandbox game. Especially today's sandboxes. Also, I'll defend the use of Travis only having one weapon. The weapon morphs depending on your combo strings, and functions similar to most of the other alternative swords from past games. I would not have mine one alternative weapon. To make up for it, Travis actually has a nice and updated move list.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

I don't know if this is a hot take or just a political rant so please ignore or mods delete, but...

I am actually getting a little angry at the fact that games are coming out for new consoles as they are still hard to get. In fact I am following restock Twitter accounts and as for now it's apparently gotten even harder. And yet here comes Horizon Forbidden West.
I dunno... the whole thing feels like aristocrats dining on caviar while the peasants starve outside their walls. I like reading/listening to reviewers like the Escapist folks talk about Horizon and Dying Light 2 and whatever and I know those games play on "last" gen but, man, it's annoying. So annoying that the only way to get the optimal experience is to pay exorbitant prices to scalpers or win the equivalent of a lottery.

Isn't it enough we have de facto class systems in real life, now we have "upper class" gamers with PS5's/XBox X/30xx GPU and the "lower class" suckers? I'm not even complaining about normal price differences, just the ability to even access it if a consumer chooses. Like, of course a PS5 should cost more than a PS4, but it shouldn't also cost a thousand hours of search time while watching the marketing, demos and reviews of all these new cool games that you have to decide if you want to wait [an indefinite amount].

I know, I know, supply chain, blah blah. But I just have this uneasy feeling that Sony/Microsoft/etc are rather pleased about this. Brand companies love this exclusivity thing. I'm anticipating getting unreasonably angry at all the upcoming positive Horizon reviews, like they're implying "nyeh nyeh, you can't play this, loser" vibe.

Ehhh. Some executive sitting in their office might be able to tell themselves that in a "look on the bright side" kind of way but the amount of headaches the situation has caused far outweigh any benefits. The only major console manufacturer that doesn't sell them at a loss is Nintendo, add on that the development costs for the design of the consoles isn't being reimbursed nearly as much as was expected or hoped for and that's a lot of money that's lost.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

You're not wrong. Just play the games you want to enjoy. I got plenty of other games at all my mind than whatever is "Next Gen" or "true next gen". Such esoteric terms mean nothing to me. I'm playing what I enjoy or what I'm invested in. I just don't play games to follow trends or play them because everybody else is playing it. That's how you get so many people that play Fortnite and COD and nothing else, because they're friends or "friends" are playing them. Do what you want to do. Any of those rich jackasses hogging and flashing they're expensive consoles around, ignore them. They're in it for the wrong reasons; only just to show off, and nothing else. They're not even true gamers. Or just another set of gamers that act like jackasses for no reason just to feel like they're better than anyone else, cuz they have no talent, merit, or self-worth.

Despite its flaws, I love the open world more in No More Heroes 3, than almost any other sandbox game. Especially today's sandboxes. Also, I'll defend the use of Travis only having one weapon. The weapon morphs depending on your combo strings, and functions similar to most of the other alternative swords from past games. I would not have mine one alternative weapon. To make up for it, Travis actually has a nice and updated move list.

I'm not really concerned about myself. It's more how it's a small reflection of the bigger socio/cultural thing. It's just that since I've decided to focus on gaming a bit more (hence joining the Escapist, etc) it's relevant to here.
It's like exclusivity for its own sake.
I watched the first episode of the Gilded Age and it's like that, "old" money vs "new" money. Just rich assholes doing more and more gatekeeping. And now they got kids and parents scrambling for new consoles. There's a similar vibe to it.

 

[BrawlMan]

Spoilers for Devil May Cry 5 - I actually love that V is the human half of Vergil and not a separate character. While interesting, if V was his own character, then him being Vergil's human half would not work. Especially since his familiars are not only just callbacks, but memories/nightmares from the first game. Griffon, Shadow, and Nightmare all fit. If V were his own character, it would be harder to explain or justify why he has DMC1 bosses and a mini boss as his familiars. Plus, you get some more character development and reveal just seeing and listening the human half of Vergil.

My only problem is that they don't bring back Phantom in some fashion, and the "dream" version of him dies in a prequel manga. I know it would have been hard for Itsuno and his team, but they could have tried something or drop a reference in a cut-scene/flashback. Even a lore note would have been preferable.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Spoilers for Devil May Cry 5 - I actually love that V is the human half of Vergil and not a separate character. While interesting, if V was his own character, than him being Vergil's human half would not work. Especially since his familiars are not only just callbacks, but memories/nightmares from the first game. Griffon, Shadow, and Nightmare all fit. If V were his own character, it would be harder to explain or justify why he has DMC1 bosses and a mini boss as his familiars. Plus, you get some more character development and reveal just seeing and listening the human half of Vergil.

My only problem is that they don't bring back Phantom in some fashion, and the "dream" version of him dies in a prequel manga. I know it would have been hard for Itsuno and his team, but they could have tried something or drop a reference in a cut-scene/flashback. Even a lore note would have been preferable.

Maybe they thought it rude to call him over from filming on Bayonetta 3.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Dark Souls 3 plays way better than Bloodborne. I went back to try finishing my personal chalice dungeon against Ebriettas in layer 3 I was reacquainted with how surprisingly unresponsive it feels. Half the time sprint won’t even register as an input as I enter the fog gate. Getting knocked down is practically a death sentence, in the rare instance she doesn’t kill you outright considering your health is cut in half along with your blood vial effectiveness.

I’ve read there’s an issue with Bloodborne’s frame pacing, and it might have something to do with why even PS5 didn’t get a 60fps patch. The fan patch works *somewhat* but also isn’t consistent and apparently impacts performance in other ways. Bloodborne is simply a weird beast (no pun) that might never leave PS4 if a dedicated team doesn’t think the effort to properly port it is worth it.

 

[BrawlMan]

Maybe they thought it rude to call him over from filming on Bayonetta 3.

Phantasmaraneae is nothing like Phantom! Phantasmaraneae is dressed up in African regalia and is a completely! original! character! I don't see the difference!

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Hot take being the invader’s thorough pwning -