Your video game hot take(s) thread

Worgen

Follower of the Glorious Sun Butt.
Legacy
Apr 1, 2009
14,968
3,840
118
Gender
Whatever, just wash your hands.
That game was so ambitious. It has so many mechanics in it that really are unique and inventive for the time but it was only on the Game Cube, had bad voice acting (on top of compression distorting the voice files) and was probably too ambitious to get a good rapport going. Such a shame.
Yeah, kinda wish I still had my copy of 2. Ended up selling it for 20 bucks long ago when I still did that. I mean 2 didn't seem anywhere near as good as 1 but still.
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
29,328
12,220
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
Oh man, I really don't remember anything from the plot of Baten Kaitos. I still have my copy somewhere... Annoyingly, I'll probably never play it again since its already hard to find time to replay the games and doom mods that are on my list.
That game was so ambitious. It has so many mechanics in it that really are unique and inventive for the time but it was only on the Game Cube, had bad voice acting (on top of compression distorting the voice files) and was probably too ambitious to get a good rapport going. Such a shame.
You know, I heard a lot about Kaitos, but so was not invested to get into it. Around this point, and after 2003, long, epic JRPGs was just not doing it for me. There were so many games to play and I usually went for short games, even with all the time I had as a teenager. The jrpg I ever fully completed on my GameCube was Custom Robo. And the "RPG elements", are so light and barely there, that I don't even think it counts. Didn't matter, cuz I had so much fun with the single player unlocking all the mechs. Leading to one of the best multiplayer titles on the system ever. I've had so many sessions of that game with my brother and our friends. Countless hours going at it against each other. I'm glad I hang on to the game and kept the save file.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Specter Von Baren

Specter Von Baren

Annoying Green Gadfly
Legacy
Aug 25, 2013
5,637
2,856
118
I don't know, send help!
Country
USA
Gender
Cuttlefish
Yeah, kinda wish I still had my copy of 2. Ended up selling it for 20 bucks long ago when I still did that. I mean 2 didn't seem anywhere near as good as 1 but still.
I would say 2 is far and above a better game overall. It has a lot more polish in audio, visuals, and gameplay and it cuts back on cumbersome mechanics from the first game. I like the balls that the first game has with all the different things you can do and its various mechanics but it's bloated and has a very hard time supporting its own weight. 1 is a more interesting game but as far as replayability goes I'd rather play 2 again.

You know, I heard a lot about Kaitos, but so I know investment to get into it. Around this point, and after 2003, long, epic JRPGs was just not doing it for me. There were so many games to play and I usually went for short games, even with all the time I had as a teenager. The jrpg I ever fully completed on my GameCube was Custom Robo. And the "RPG elements", are so light and barely there, that I don't even think it counts. Didn't matter, cuz I had so much fun with the single player unlocking all the mechs. Leading to one of the best multiplayer titles on the system ever. I've had so many sessions of that game with my brother and our friends. Countless hours going at it against each other. I'm glad I hang on to the game and kept the save file.
*sigh* I would love for Nintendo to make a new game in the series. Not only was the gameplay excellent but they actually managed to make a really likeable trio of main characters and it all adds up to a really awesome package.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

The Rogue Wolf

Stealthy Carnivore
Legacy
Nov 25, 2007
16,850
9,524
118
Stalking the Digital Tundra
Gender
✅
If you are having fun, you are playing the game right*.
Tying this in with Undertale, I was kind of gobsmacked hearing about how harsh the community is when some YouTuber or another doesn't "play the game the right way". Apparently you're supposed to go in blind and yet immediately know everything about the game?

(Side note: I accidentally wrote "Understale" and I wonder if that was Freudian. Undertale is the greatest game that I'm never going to play.)
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
29,328
12,220
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
Tying this in with Undertale, I was kind of gobsmacked hearing about how harsh the community is when some YouTuber or another doesn't "play the game the right way". Apparently you're supposed to go in blind and yet immediately know everything about the game?

(Side note: I accidentally wrote "Understale" and I wonder if that was Freudian. Undertale is the greatest game that I'm never going to play.)
Backseat gamers are the worst. Especially those that act like they know everything, or expect the people playing for the first time to do everything correct on the first try and be perfect. Those kinds can screw off. You should see the YoVideoGames crew, they get this crap alot whenever it's a game they never played before, or have not played in a long time. It's usually in jest though, but there are moments.

Though sometimes they do put it on themselves. See their GC tonight video, when they played Viewtiful Joe. They died a lot on the first level and after beating the first end mini boss, being called it quits, and immediately go to another game. The chat helpfully pointed out, what they're supposed to do and how they're supposed to fight the boss. Barely listened or kept saying "it's not working!". I was nowhere near close to perfect when playing VJ the first time through, and definitely died a lot, but even I was able to figure out what you're supposed to do against the helicopter boss pretty easily. I still took damage, but I really didn't start dying until the second stage. Everyone is different though.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Specter Von Baren

meiam

Elite Member
Dec 9, 2010
3,586
1,820
118
Another game that pulled that off to great effect was Baten Kaitos with you yourself being a someone the characters in the game talk to and how it makes the plot twist work so well.
I dunno if I'd say it pull it off well, outside of the twist it doesn't really affect the story, for 90% of the game you're effectively playing as the protagonist (and the rest is just playing as another character rather than the "true" main character). The twist would have worked just as well without that aspect.
 

Specter Von Baren

Annoying Green Gadfly
Legacy
Aug 25, 2013
5,637
2,856
118
I don't know, send help!
Country
USA
Gender
Cuttlefish
I dunno if I'd say it pull it off well, outside of the twist it doesn't really affect the story, for 90% of the game you're effectively playing as the protagonist (and the rest is just playing as another character rather than the "true" main character). The twist would have worked just as well without that aspect.
I disagree. The twist only works because of the psychology of players putting themselves in the perspective of the central character. Without the player being the spirit the twist would either be too easy to guess thanks to the required changes to the story or the game would have to outright cheat with bullshit like Heavy Rain did.

Edit: I'm not saying you can't do that kind of twist without the player being an actual character as the spirit. What I'm saying is that the reason the twist is so good and blindside's so many people without needing to resort to lying to the player is because of you being a character as the spirit. This was not the only or even the first game to have this kind of twist, it's not it's originality that is so good but it's execution.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

Dalisclock

Making lemons combustible again
Legacy
Escapist +
Feb 9, 2008
11,286
7,081
118
A Barrel In the Marketplace
Country
Eagleland
Gender
Male
So seeing that yet another Serious Sam game came out, I'm gonna throw this out there.

Serious Sam needs to get on with it and have Sam go fight Mental.

So I know SS is a stupid fun FPS based around killing loads of enemies, but there is kind of a basic plot here: Mental and his army of aliens have attacked earth, Earth has fallen and only a man in a T-shirt can win the war for humanity. Serious Sam 1 had you in the Past killing the aliens because the war was already lost in the present(and it's later revealed earth was destroyed when the moon was dropped on it), Serious Sam 2 takes place off earth with Sam liberating planets to go fight Mental(but doesn't). SS3 takes place before SS1 and SS4 takes place before SS3.

And yeah, the plot doesn't matter much but man it feels like they're dragging this out way longer then they really need to. Instead of finishing the fight, it just looks like it's gonna be prequels and side games forever.
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
29,328
12,220
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
So seeing that yet another Serious Sam game came out, I'm gonna throw this out there.

Serious Sam needs to get on with it and have Sam go fight Mental.

So I know SS is a stupid fun FPS based around killing loads of enemies, but there is kind of a basic plot here: Mental and his army of aliens have attacked earth, Earth has fallen and only a man in a T-shirt can win the war for humanity. Serious Sam 1 had you in the Past killing the aliens because the war was already lost in the present(and it's later revealed earth was destroyed when the moon was dropped on it), Serious Sam 2 takes place off earth with Sam liberating planets to go fight Mental(but doesn't). SS3 takes place before SS1 and SS4 takes place before SS3.

And yeah, the plot doesn't matter much but man it feels like they're dragging this out way longer then they really need to. Instead of finishing the fight, it just looks like it's gonna be prequels and side games forever.
Preaching to the choir here. Most fans have been stating that since II or BFE.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dalisclock

Ezekiel

Elite Member
May 29, 2007
1,314
618
118
Country
United States
Removing the supernatural element from Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy was a mistake. People whined about every game ending with undead and immortals, but there were ways to keep a consistent theme of magic without using those types of humanoids again. Could have used monsters, for example, or given the characters special abilities when they held certain MacGuffins. Without that magic element, the ancient ruins and the ridiculous level design all feel a bit dumber. Actually, it feels like they went even more over the top with the ancient cities after they dropped the magic, or stopped placing them where they weren't quite so obvious to the whole world.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Specter Von Baren

Casual Shinji

Should've gone before we left.
Legacy
Jul 18, 2009
20,138
4,903
118
Removing the supernatural element from Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy was a mistake. People whined about every game ending with undead and immortals, but there were ways to keep a consistent theme of magic without using those types of humanoids again. Could have used monsters, for example, or given the characters special abilities when they held certain MacGuffins. Without that magic element, the ancient ruins and the ridiculous level design all feel a bit dumber. Actually, it feels like they went even more over the top with the ancient cities after they dropped the magic, or stopped placing them where they weren't quite so obvious to the whole world.
Well, technically Uncharted 3 also got rid of the magic since everything "supernatural" was illusory. The only difference is that there it makes the bad guys' motivation fall apart. I never minded the supernatural element in the previous games, and I equally didn't mind the lack of anything supernatural in the later games.

These games would always run into the issue of trying to be 1930's pulp adventure, but put in a modern setting that really has no corner of the world left that is uncharted.
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
29,328
12,220
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
Removing the supernatural element from Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy was a mistake. People whined about every game ending with undead and immortals, but there were ways to keep a consistent theme of magic without using those types of humanoids again. Could have used monsters, for example, or given the characters special abilities when they held certain MacGuffins. Without that magic element, the ancient ruins and the ridiculous level design all feel a bit dumber. Actually, it feels like they went even more over the top with the ancient cities after they dropped the magic, or stopped placing them where they weren't quite so obvious to the whole world.
They dropped the supernatural elements since Drake's Deception (other than the swarm of man eating beetles). There were no genies, and everything from the city was just hallucinogens in the water of the dead civilization. The lack of supernatural elements does not bother me in Unchrarted 4. It's Sam and Nadine that piss me off. Lost Legacy I would not have cared either way about supernatural or non-supernatural elements. I only care about Chloe.

Plus, these games were always doing in the wizard in some form. The El Dorado is some giant gold casket/sarcophagus filled with an ancient zombie virus. The blue sap heals people and turns them in to roided out drug attics with blue skin, when they consume too much. Thief's End and Lost Legacy were just the "logical conclusion". I would not have a problem with it, but I bet my glorious golden ass that lot's of people would have bitched and moaned about going full supernatural with the series.
 
Last edited:

Ezekiel

Elite Member
May 29, 2007
1,314
618
118
Country
United States
These games would always run into the issue of trying to be 1930's pulp adventure, but put in a modern setting that really has no corner of the world left that is uncharted.
Oh, I know.

I think it was a mistake setting these games in the present. The idea of a huge lost kindgom in the middle of India, for example, is laughable. As is the gigantic island in Uncharted 4. At least in a historical setting you have the excuse of alternate history. I know it would draw comparisons to Indiana Jones, but I feel like you kind of still have to. Drake's daughter would have nothing amazing left to explore in... 2036? I'm assuming the end of Uncharted 4 for takes place in about 2026.
Yeah, that's what I mean. Airplanes. Satellites. Freighters. Fishing ships. 7.8 billion people.

You can make this work either in an alternate past or the very distant future.
 

Dalisclock

Making lemons combustible again
Legacy
Escapist +
Feb 9, 2008
11,286
7,081
118
A Barrel In the Marketplace
Country
Eagleland
Gender
Male
Oh, I know.
Yeah, one of my wierd gripes with the Uncharted games is that pretty much anything big Drake has discovered should have been a UNESCO would heirtage site LONG before he got there. Like it's not hidden, an airplane flying overhead could have easily seen any of these massive ruined cities or something because they're all open to the sky.

You know, before Drake destroys everything. Because like Lara Croft before him, Nathan Drake is the worst thing to happen to archology since ISIS.
 
Last edited:

Casual Shinji

Should've gone before we left.
Legacy
Jul 18, 2009
20,138
4,903
118
Oh, I know.
The thing is, I think you could still set these games in modern times, but you'd have to ditch the lost city aspect. It's really the climactic reveal that makes you go 'wait, how'd nobody find this yet', all the clues that lead to it are usually hidden in plain sight. These games have had their fill of lost cities by now anyway, so it would suit the franchise to maybe try something new in that regard. Honestly, if they do ever return to this franchise it'd be a good idea to change A LOT.
 

Bob_McMillan

Elite Member
Aug 28, 2014
5,424
2,046
118
Country
Philippines
Since we're talking Uncharted...

We need a good third person, cover based shooter that's focused on the actual shooting. No fucking crammed in optional stealth, RPG mechanics, open world bullshit, puzzles, etc etc. I thought Uncharted 4's gunplay was quite good, but I was never really able to get used to it because I either felt guilted into killing most enemies with neck snaps or the game was more interested in having me climb over picturesque environments.

So basically, a Doom 2016/Eternal for third person shooters.
 

hanselthecaretaker

My flask is half full
Legacy
Nov 18, 2010
8,738
5,910
118
The thing is, I think you could still set these games in modern times, but you'd have to ditch the lost city aspect. It's really the climactic reveal that makes you go 'wait, how'd nobody find this yet', all the clues that lead to it are usually hidden in plain sight. These games have had their fill of lost cities by now anyway, so it would suit the franchise to maybe try something new in that regard. Honestly, if they do ever return to this franchise it'd be a good idea to change A LOT.
How would the moniker work though if there wasn’t an “Uncharted” theme to it?
Scratch that; when you really think of it it never actually made sense or mattered anyways.
 

hanselthecaretaker

My flask is half full
Legacy
Nov 18, 2010
8,738
5,910
118
Since we're talking Uncharted...

We need a good third person, cover based shooter that's focused on the actual shooting. No fucking crammed in optional stealth, RPG mechanics, open world bullshit, puzzles, etc etc. I thought Uncharted 4's gunplay was quite good, but I was never really able to get used to it because I either felt guilted into killing most enemies with neck snaps or the game was more interested in having me climb over picturesque environments.

So basically, a Doom 2016/Eternal for third person shooters.
The first step would be to not make it a cover based shooter.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
29,328
12,220
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
Since we're talking Uncharted...

We need a good third person, cover based shooter that's focused on the actual shooting. No fucking crammed in optional stealth, RPG mechanics, open world bullshit, puzzles, etc etc. I thought Uncharted 4's gunplay was quite good, but I was never really able to get used to it because I either felt guilted into killing most enemies with neck snaps or the game was more interested in having me climb over picturesque environments.

So basically, a Doom 2016/Eternal for third person shooters.