Your video game hot take(s) thread

[Old_Hunter_77]

> Because speedrunning is a thing.

Ok, sure. I think though the praise I've seen with that comment is not coming from speedrunners- but I guess if they're saying the option is there for speed runners that's good? I mean, it's just such a common thing I see about the game for such an uncommon scenario that is why I was thinking about it. Like if I saw it like 5 to 10x I wouldn't think twice but its in every description of the game. Just kind of struck me as weird.

>It can be considered a refreshing contrast to the gatekeeping most rpg’s or action games have with progression. Like where you are specifically told you need to be a certain level before fighting some bandit that looks the same as ones you fight early on, using some weapon that looks the same as one you already can use, or being told you’re too low level to go somewhere while exploring.

And that's a fair criticism, even though a lot of games I like do that. But it bothers me too. But that's more a valid criticism of those game design tropes (and, yeah, the longer games just highlight those weaknesses more and more).

Re: Witcher 3, if you ever get a chance to play with a mod that removes the level numbers, it's so awesome.
W3 is my favorite game of all time and its leveling/gear/rewards system is my one major criticism.

>... but are unlikely to be in most adult work places

Fair enough, I work in a very adult work place that's not about games so you guys now have the burden of seeing all my video game thoughs

 

[I can't enter my old name]

But I think it's stilly to praise a game for "allowing" the player to do something that is stupid and not fun. Or, if you can run to the final boss and beat it, congratulations, you are rewarded for not playing this game you bought?

Yes, but most people aren't going to do this the first playthrough because they are skipping power and content.

This is similar to people praising games where you can kill story NPCs. Yeah you just soft-locked yourself, but you essentially wrote your own narrative branch and ending at a certain point in the story. People want to see sandbox content in RPGs, which is why they market themselves where you can climb that mountain and your choices matter.

 

[BrawlMan]

I sort of agree with Austin. If the series were to continue, I will want more focus on Kagura & Saaya. All the more funny, because Kagura is just another female Dante (DMC3 version), but more stripperific. With that said, Aya and Saki do have personalities. They really don't get anything, until the 360 and Wii games. But even then, Aya is the calm and cool big sis, while Saki is the brash and hot headed little sister. She ain't stupid though. The little sisters out of my favorite of the original duo, because she can suplex mother fucking zombies!

Origin actually fixes those problems with the earlier games and give them both much needed character development and more believable relationship. I don't know where the series is going next, but if it takes place after Chaos, they can still go with the cel-shaded look.

​

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

I am a little suspicious and confused about the concern, or concern-trolling, about the release timing of Horizon games. The first one came out right before Breath of the Wild, the second before Elden Ring, and every professional game nerd is like "oh no poor Horizon, unlucky to be near better games." Listening to the Elden Ring streams by Nick etc and they're like "I can't even go back to Horizon now." Jim/Stephanie Sterling had the same point in his recent video about how Elden Ring makes open worlds like Horizon moot.

It's weird. Other games are released along side other games all the time, how come nobody worries about it? In the Before Times ye olden dayes before like 2019, Christmas time would see a slew of games and I didn't hear about how this game coming out meant that other game was a victim.

It's especially weird to me because I look forward to playing both Horizon AND Elden Ring? But also, I have a PS5, lucky me, and XBox players don't have to worry abou this? Also, most normal people don't play everything when it comes out.

I just don't know why Guerilla games is both pitied for release a game when there is another game, or insulted because their game isn't like that other game.

 

[BrawlMan]

I am a little suspicious and confused about the concern, or concern-trolling, about the release timing of Horizon games. The first one came out right before Breath of the Wild, the second before Elden Ring, and every professional game nerd is like "oh no poor Horizon, unlucky to be near better games." Listening to the Elden Ring streams by Nick etc and they're like "I can't even go back to Horizon now." Jim/Stephanie Sterling had the same point in his recent video about how Elden Ring makes open worlds like Horizon moot.

Magic bebe. Whole lot of magic. I can't speak for Nick and the rest on the Escapist, but I highly doubt they're saying or doing this just to be asses. Sterling genuinely loves Horizon, but it's clear ER engaged them even further. Dunkey made it clear that he did not like Forbidden West, and pretty much called what was going to happen a few weeks before ER came out.

I just don't know why Guerilla games is both pitied for release a game when there is another game, or insulted because their game isn't like that other game.

Because people like to hear themselves talk and think they're smart. Especially certain YouTube critics, and most in the gaming journalism industry. All these concerns are mostly just fakes and jumping on trends. This is nothing new, stuff like this even happened sometimes back in the late 90s and early 2000s before the HD era. Let them talk, it only makes them look all the more foolish. Now you go on and enjoy those games. Don't worry about what some other idiots that can't think of themselves, or always feel the need to act like they got something smart to say, and then they don't.

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

I am a little suspicious and confused about the concern, or concern-trolling, about the release timing of Horizon games. The first one came out right before Breath of the Wild, the second before Elden Ring, and every professional game nerd is like "oh no poor Horizon, unlucky to be near better games." Listening to the Elden Ring streams by Nick etc and they're like "I can't even go back to Horizon now." Jim/Stephanie Sterling had the same point in his recent video about how Elden Ring makes open worlds like Horizon moot.

It's weird. Other games are released along side other games all the time, how come nobody worries about it? In the Before Times ye olden dayes before like 2019, Christmas time would see a slew of games and I didn't hear about how this game coming out meant that other game was a victim.

It's especially weird to me because I look forward to playing both Horizon AND Elden Ring? But also, I have a PS5, lucky me, and XBox players don't have to worry abou this? Also, most normal people don't play everything when it comes out.

I just don't know why Guerilla games is both pitied for release a game when there is another game, or insulted because their game isn't like that other game.

Was just thinking about posting something similar along those lines, where even ppl i listen and watch whom i usually consider down to earth and reasonably intelligent still seem to confidently share these kinda fallacious thinkings. Starting to think i may be the mad one. Am hypothesising it's the symptom of getting too comfortable perceiving everything from within the influencer/reviewer/critic attention bubble and the ppl that follow such bubbles consistently.

Like, first off, Breath of the Wild is a Switch exclusive, and Horizon a Sony exclusive...neither of them are competing with each other in all but the wealthiest of households. Secondly, Elden Ring is part of a (sub?)genre of niche "non-casual" games that have been slowly gaining popularity, but not usually from casual crowds who do still gravitate towards less obtuse direction and often maintain preferences towards laid back gaming with shorter investments when time's a disappearing; this had the marketing bonus of GRRM which cannot be handwaved so easily too.

Thirdly, the average player does not, and usually cannot play every game as it comes out and only when it comes out otherwise it's gone, lost forever to the currents of time. These products remain available for a long time picking up new buyers and players outside of the review/influencer "discourse window."
I saw one article for some poorly thought out reason bringing up the sales of Elden Ring, then comparing them to the sale of Horizon using this same thinking: comparing a console exclusive to a multi-platform sales without compensating for the difference...which, as it turned out after calculation, happened to bring them both to around the same level, so kinda seemed like a weird angle to frame it tbh.

Also I got criticisms of certain common praises for Elden Ring but can't be arsed to go into that today. Also got criticisms of Horizon too, but again, arses...cannot...words today.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

I am a little suspicious and confused about the concern, or concern-trolling, about the release timing of Horizon games. The first one came out right before Breath of the Wild, the second before Elden Ring, and every professional game nerd is like "oh no poor Horizon, unlucky to be near better games." Listening to the Elden Ring streams by Nick etc and they're like "I can't even go back to Horizon now." Jim/Stephanie Sterling had the same point in his recent video about how Elden Ring makes open worlds like Horizon moot.

It's weird. Other games are released along side other games all the time, how come nobody worries about it? In the Before Times ye olden dayes before like 2019, Christmas time would see a slew of games and I didn't hear about how this game coming out meant that other game was a victim.

It's especially weird to me because I look forward to playing both Horizon AND Elden Ring? But also, I have a PS5, lucky me, and XBox players don't have to worry abou this? Also, most normal people don't play everything when it comes out.

I just don't know why Guerilla games is both pitied for release a game when there is another game, or insulted because their game isn't like that other game.

One thing I remember from when BOTW came out is someone saying it was hard to go back to HZD because of how much freer it was. Running into invisible walls in Horizon compared to being able to just climb up any wall they found was a huge deal for them.

Edit: The thing with long time reviewers is that they can fall into a pitfall of comparing everything to everything else because that's what they do all day. The less risks something takes the less it engages them. This is how people go down the road that leads to giving glowing reviews to incomprehensible arthouse trash, because it's different from what they see day in and out.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

XsjadoBlayde:
Yes, exactly, reviewer goggles. Spot on post, that's exactly what it is.
And I've heard the Escapist crew pointing this out, how their perspective is skewed like that, but that's the thing- even if we acknowledge our biases, we still have those biases.

Specter:
> Edit: The thing with long time reviewers is that they can fall into a pitfall of comparing everything to everything else because that's what they do all day. The less risks something takes the less it engages them. This is how people go down the road that leads to giving glowing reviews to incomprehensible arthouse trash, because it's different from what they see day in and out.

Yep, it's exactly like music critics (sorry I always go back to comparing everything to my primary entertainment love). They be like "this band sounds just like this band, 5/10." But like how many bands can be different? Or, if something is cool, then "this band is an homage to this band 9/10." Whatever.

 

[BrawlMan]

Yep, it's exactly like music critics (sorry I always go back to comparing everything to my primary entertainment love). They be like "this band sounds just like this band, 5/10." But like how many bands can be different? Or, if something is cool, then "this band is an homage to this band 9/10." Whatever.

I take music critics even less seriously than the video game critics. I never listen to music critics to begin with, but I remember seeing some reviews of a few of Linkin Park's early albums, and I told the ones who hated them that much, or were shitting on them just for the sake of it, "To fuck off."!

 

[Specter Von Baren]

XsjadoBlayde:
Yes, exactly, reviewer goggles. Spot on post, that's exactly what it is.
And I've heard the Escapist crew pointing this out, how their perspective is skewed like that, but that's the thing- even if we acknowledge our biases, we still have those biases.

Specter:
> Edit: The thing with long time reviewers is that they can fall into a pitfall of comparing everything to everything else because that's what they do all day. The less risks something takes the less it engages them. This is how people go down the road that leads to giving glowing reviews to incomprehensible arthouse trash, because it's different from what they see day in and out.

Yep, it's exactly like music critics (sorry I always go back to comparing everything to my primary entertainment love). They be like "this band sounds just like this band, 5/10." But like how many bands can be different? Or, if something is cool, then "this band is an homage to this band 9/10." Whatever.

No need to worry about comparing things to music. Everyone on this forum (And in life in general) makes comparisons based on what they know.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

I take music critics even less seriously than the video game critics. I never listen to music critics to begin with, but I remember seeing some reviews of a few of Linkin Park's early albums, and I told the ones who hated them that much, or we're shitting on them just for the sake of it, "To fuck off."!

I agree but I also don't envy their position. Music is probably the most subjective of artistic mediums and it's hard to describe why one likes a song without it coming off as a flat analysis or excessive purple prose. Unless the person reviewing the music knows music theory and the person reading the review understands music theory then it's just a fluffy, foggy, mess trying to get ones thoughts through to the readers.

 

[BrawlMan]

Unless the person reviewing the music knows music theory and the person reading the review understands music theory then it's just a fluffy, foggy, mess trying to get ones thoughts through to the readers.

That's the problem. A majority of music critics no little to nothing about music theory and are just rapidly going through albums and singles, and hopes of getting the first read or clicks. This has been a problem since a long time and especially during the age of the internet in the early 2000s. They rushed through the song they only listening to anything, or just listen to what's sounds good to them. Never a second or multiple listens or understanding of the lyrics. Just go go go! Jay-Z called this out 15 years ago!

 

[Dalisclock]

I am a little suspicious and confused about the concern, or concern-trolling, about the release timing of Horizon games. The first one came out right before Breath of the Wild, the second before Elden Ring, and every professional game nerd is like "oh no poor Horizon, unlucky to be near better games." Listening to the Elden Ring streams by Nick etc and they're like "I can't even go back to Horizon now." Jim/Stephanie Sterling had the same point in his recent video about how Elden Ring makes open worlds like Horizon moot.

It's weird. Other games are released along side other games all the time, how come nobody worries about it? In the Before Times ye olden dayes before like 2019, Christmas time would see a slew of games and I didn't hear about how this game coming out meant that other game was a victim.

It's especially weird to me because I look forward to playing both Horizon AND Elden Ring? But also, I have a PS5, lucky me, and XBox players don't have to worry abou this? Also, most normal people don't play everything when it comes out.

I just don't know why Guerilla games is both pitied for release a game when there is another game, or insulted because their game isn't like that other game.

Yeah, I get annoyed by the "Poor Horizon" folks because of a number of things you already mentioned. Notably, it does beg the question: if horizon apparently can't stand up against competition (and not even direct competition because of the platform and game play differences), that doesn't speak very well for Horizon does it?

Even though horizon was backed by Sony and ain't exactly a poor underdog here and it did well enough against BOTW to get a sequel.

 

[BrawlMan]

Yeah, I get annoyed by the "Poor Horizon" folks because of a number of things you already mentioned. Notably, it does beg the question: if horizon apparently can't stand up against competition (and not even direct competition because of the platform and game play differences), that doesn't speak very well for Horizon does it?

Even though horizon was backed by Sony and ain't exactly a poor underdog here and it did well enough against BOTW toget a sequel.

Once again, bitches being bitches, without admitting, nor want to admit, that they are bitches. Bitches love the sounds of sucking their own gentitals and smelling their own farts. We've all seen it already.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

The fact that we as a society can still get so hung up on judging and comparing stuff that’s supposed to be entertainment just shows humanity still has a long ways to go.

 

[Dalisclock]

The fact that we as a society can still get so hung up on judging and comparing stuff that’s supposed to be entertainment just shows humanity still has a long ways to go.

Fan is a a shortening of "Fanatic" and people are weirdly tribal , either about religion, nationalism or what video game system is the best. Humans are both the smartest and stupidest species.

 

[Chimpzy]

The fact that we as a society can still get so hung up on judging and comparing stuff that’s supposed to be entertainment just shows humanity still has a long ways to go.

Fan is a a shortening of "Fanatic" and people are weirdly tribal , either about religion, nationalism or what video game system is the best. Humans are both the smartest and stupidest species.

Speaking of really dumb fanboying

Doctor gets flamed after posting video of live surgery in Twitter ‘console war’ debate - Dexerto

A hospital is being review bombed following a heated console wars debate, leading to a doctor exposing his patient’s medical records.

www.dexerto.com

Losing your job to own the Xbots. What a hero.

 

[BrawlMan]

Speaking of really dumb fanboying

Doctor gets flamed after posting video of live surgery in Twitter ‘console war’ debate - Dexerto

A hospital is being review bombed following a heated console wars debate, leading to a doctor exposing his patient’s medical records.

www.dexerto.com

Losing your job to on the Xbots. What a hero.

Why did even bother trying to prove he is a surgeon? They were going to goal post, regardless. Also, almost any other method for proof would have worked better. If some idiots don't believe you, so what?

 

[Casual Shinji]

The fact that we as a society can still get so hung up on judging and comparing stuff that’s supposed to be entertainment just shows humanity still has a long ways to go.

Amen!

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

I just don't know why Guerilla games is both pitied for release a game when there is another game...

I think there is a form of logic behind this: Publishers no longer want to give a "slow burner" an opportunity to gather its audience. Anything that hurts Day One sales can cause the game to fall "below expectations" (and I think Squeenix has shown us just how ridiculous those can be) and harm any chances of further content or sequels. So there is, sadly, a non-zero possibility that having to compete against another, higher-profile game will kill a release in the crib.

On the other hand:

...or insulted because their game isn't like that other game.

That's just people being whiny gits.

Speaking of really dumb fanboying

Doctor gets flamed after posting video of live surgery in Twitter ‘console war’ debate - Dexerto

A hospital is being review bombed following a heated console wars debate, leading to a doctor exposing his patient’s medical records.

www.dexerto.com

Losing your job to own the Xbots. What a hero.

That's not quite to the level of "disclosing classified main battle tank blueprints to win an argument", but it's sure up there.