The OTHER top games of 2022; The okays and the bads

meiam

Elite Member
Dec 9, 2010
3,330
1,644
118
Video games don't feasibly have much of an ability to alter the main story path (because of the amount of work it takes to legitimately do that). So you can have major choices on side stories that branch off the main quest like how Mass Effect gave you those type of major choices that weren't major to the main storyline. The other purpose of choice is building your character's character and role-playing. You can basically play the Batman Telltale games as if Batman was in essence Archer. That's why everyone had such OSD about making their Shepard look just right for each of the Mass Effect sequels in the character creator because it was their Shepard, not that it was their story. The choices do matter very much in the end.
I agree you can't expect much change in most video game because of the crazy amount of work. But the telltale game specifically sold themselves on that concept and have no other gameplay then making choice while playing, yet don't actually offer any results from those choice, making them no different than just watching TV show.
 
  • Like
Reactions: immortalfrieza

hanselthecaretaker

My flask is half full
Legacy
Nov 18, 2010
8,738
5,905
118
The difference is the challenge in Ds3 and BB is controlled. There is a baseline to that difficulty that always falls into the tough but fair category. ER does not share that design choice and that's been proven in many videos with input reading, animations with impossible to react start up frames, and much more. For some people there will never be a hard enough, as shown by people doing lvl 1 runs no problem but those people are a very very very very small portion of the players. So the choice for the average player will be to use a Mimic Tear and one of the crazy weapons or spells. This is bad design, because it shouldn't be either god-gamer levels of skill or cheese. That's why previous From games are so loved because while it takes a bit of effort to learn the skill set, most anyone can beat them without "abusive" tactics.

I mean fucking DSP has beat every souls game. DSP!!!! If you know.....you know.



But they can. Most of the people playing Souls games for the first time, play them on reputation alone. While they may look up guides later when they get stuck, there is no reason to look up boss guides, or build guides because the fundamental way to beat every boss in BB is "Dodge attacks, and hit them back." There is no grand plan, what build does a hunter have really? Put points into the stat your weapon likes. That's it. So yes I believe a lot of the other souls games can still be played pretty blind.

In ER you are thrown into a giant fucking world and given a pat on the ass saying, "Good luck bro." So it's design in general is more promoting of looking something up to figure out where to go and what to do and when to do it and so on.

Like you said, it's not inherently bad and some people will really like this game design. But I believe that liking something doesn't mean it's good.



Does it though? I mean what do you mean by freedom of progression really? You are free to get lost and find random shit, but that's not always progression especially considering the huge amount of junk behind random cave boss number 324. Same thing for build variation, you are either big weapon, fast weapon, two weapon, or magic. That's really it, much the same way I don't really think the build variation in Souls games is generally good, nor do i think it's that important. The reason why "builds" feel different in Souls games is strictly because the weapons feel different due to the move sets. But if you are a person hitting a thing with a weapon, the type of weapon really isn't relevant because the playstyle is mostly the same, hit the guy with your thing and dodge away to not get hit by the guy's thing.

I don't much see a way to argue how a Katana plays differently than a longsword. Nor can I really find a way to argue how Comet Azure is different than summoning a moon to land on someone's face.

Let me be clear it's fine to like the game, and it's fine to enjoy how it did things. People like different types of games. I hate Breath of the Wild exclusively for how shit the weapon durability system is, but some people love the fuck out of that......some people also love cocaine so what do I know?
It’s pretty much always been that way.

But it’s not even cheating though as it’s mean to be a punish, and tells the player to plan accordingly and find openings to heal vs just thinking they can heal whenever they want all the time. You barely have to even think about stamina management either so it’s not like you’ll be SOL when you stop rolling or something. Even Radagon/Elden Beast weren’t an issue for finding time to heal. Granted some of the faster bosses felt like they were designed for Sekiro, but OTOH Sekiro didn’t give you a big bag of tricks to help level the odds either. Those bloody revenants for example stop being such a PITA just using a greatshield or this -

Generally the game can be as difficult or easy as one wants it to be, and this includes everything in the middle. It’s not just god-tier gamer or bleed/mimic cheesing. It’s the equivalent of people playing on elite vs easy mode whereas a lot of people still like playing on normal.

Kinda funny -

Even the officially supported big-ass guide supports cheesing tactics, which suggests that was surely intended as a legit way to play.

Also, the main reason for all the variety in play styles, weapons, builds, etc. is basically the same reason there’s a fashion souls subreddit. Like that saying, “variety is the spice of life”. Any game with combat can be distilled down to just hitting buttons to make things go dead. It’s the illusion that matters; kinda like reading fiction could be seen as a waste of time to some people but who the fuck wants to listen to them. :)
 

CriticalGaming

Elite Member
Legacy
Dec 28, 2017
10,753
5,295
118
So? The butt-fuck beat all of the Dead Space games, and was able to beat most of the final bosses first try in Guardians Heroes (He did do co-op with the same former buddy. They did Dead Space 3 as well.). Still doesn't change the fact Phil sucks and most hate him, and have no respect.
I mean the point is he is terrible at games, on top of his other problems. The dude is the dumbest assclown on the planet, yet he still manages to get through Souls and Nioh games. So the argument that they are too high of a difficulty barrier kind of falls apart.

For example this dude couldn't beat the last Kirby game that came out. KIRBY, the kids game made so easy literally toddlers can play, but DSP.....DSP could not. It's wild.
 

CriticalGaming

Elite Member
Legacy
Dec 28, 2017
10,753
5,295
118
It’s pretty much always been that way.
Having one mob do it in a game with a dramatically lower difficulty is different than ER. All games input read to a degree, but the point is not usually to destroy the player. And there are degrees to which it is tolerable. This is getting off-track but the bottom line is to ME, ER crossed all the lines into what I feel ruins a game, and did it for reasons that I don't think were worth the sacrifices versus what you'd get in a tightly controlled and balanced Dark Souls experience.

Therefore ER can eat my ass.
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
I mean the point is he is terrible at games, on top of his other problems.
So? You can still be terrible at games and complete a game, with enough effort. Which Phil obviously lacks. He's his own breed of stupidity and foolishness


The dude is the dumbest assclown on the planet, yet he still manages to get through Souls and Nioh games. So the argument that they are too high of a difficulty barrier kind of falls apart
What else is new? We've been through this song and dance already, but if either these games added an easy mode, then nothing would be lost and nobody would be hurt.

For example this dude couldn't beat the last Kirby game that came out. KIRBY, the kids game made so easy literally toddlers can play, but DSP.....DSP could not. It's wild.
Sucks to be him. He's not even worth mocking on that note. Nothing should surprise you at this point. I don't concern myself with something that's less than an insect.
 

Phoenixmgs

The Muse of Fate
Legacy
Apr 3, 2020
8,915
782
118
w/ M'Kraan Crystal
Gender
Male
I agree you can't expect much change in most video game because of the crazy amount of work. But the telltale game specifically sold themselves on that concept and have no other gameplay then making choice while playing, yet don't actually offer any results from those choice, making them no different than just watching TV show.
I don't recall the ads but you gotta know as a gamer what is possible and what isn't at some point. I can see if it was your 1st Telltale game and expect more decisions mattering, but you should know the gist of the games especially after that. Also the fact that these Telltale games are split into episodes means they're even more rigid than a comparable game in terms of story railroading. Though people always fall for the hype for whatever reason. Cyberpunk was so obvious that CDPR wouldn't be able to pull that off when just looking at what CDPR did in the past vs what they were claiming Cyberpunk to be. So you're making a 1st-person shooter (that you have no experience doing) that's an immersive sim which is probably the toughest kinda of game to develop (that you have no experience doing) and people thought that was actually going to be the greatest game ever made...!?!? The only thing CDPR really proved to be competent at was writing as the actual games were rather simplistic from a development standpoint (lots of work into them creating the world and the writing but game-wise very simplistic like the AI required for the Witcher games was very fundamental along with no systemic game elements interacting with each other that immersive sims require).
 

Old_Hunter_77

Elite Member
Dec 29, 2021
1,631
1,481
118
Country
United States
Ok come on let's not turn this into another Elden Ring thread, lol.
But basically I agree with u/CriticalGamming in how disappointed I was w/ Elden Ring, though not necessarily for all of the same reasons (more for the core mechanics and movement than the weapons or whatever).

To me this year is defined by my feelings towards franchises, so that my mediocre games are all sequels:
Elden Ring
Horizon: Forbidden West
Bayonetta 3
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
God of War: Ragnarok*

*I did really enjoy this a lot but constantly feel like "been here done that" the whole time

I mean, they're all fine games, you know, but my big take away from 2022 is to be a lot more choosey about franchise output.

I honestly can't say I played any BAD games because I only try games that I see a lot of press about and interest me, so even if I don't take to it I generally just figure it's not for me personally. Like, sure I didn't enjoy Genshin Impact or Persona 5 Royale but I hate JRPGs so what do I expect lol
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: FakeSympathy

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
Elden Ring
Horizon: Forbidden West
Bayonetta 3
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
God of War: Ragnarok*
ER I don't care for. FW, there's a beautiful looking, but not interesting to play. Rift Apart is fine, but I'm not a Ratchet & Clank. The only one I really agreed to being mediocre is Valhalla. But that is worse than mediocre. You want mediocre? Try playing DmC 2013 (it's vanilla console release and not the updated version) and Ninja Gaiden 3 (the 2012 release and not the updated version). Then complain to me about mediocre. Bayonetta three ain't even close to mediocre. At its worse, the game is at a 7 out of 10. But that's if you really just dislike the story. But I don't care, because it's 3! it's 3! it's 3!
 

NerfedFalcon

Level i Flare!
Mar 23, 2011
7,065
779
118
Gender
Male
I thought I wasn't going to have anything to contribute to this thread, but I just remembered that I played Shredder's Revenge this year, and while I wouldn't say it's bad by any means, pretty much the only thing it has going for it is its aesthetic. Mechanically speaking, Streets of Rage 4 clowns on it, with a more interesting scoring system, better combos, fewer PITA enemies and bosses, and more character variety. If you happen to love the Ninja Turtles and aren't super into beat-em-ups usually, then you'll probably get more from Shredder's Revenge than Streets 4, but otherwise, it just doesn't have the staying power.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
fewer PITA enemies and bosses
I think you meant PETA.

I played Shredder's Revenge this year, and while I wouldn't say it's bad by any means, pretty much the only thing it has going for it is its aesthetic. Mechanically speaking, Streets of Rage 4 clowns on it, with a more interesting scoring system, better combos, fewer PITA enemies and bosses, and more character variety. If you happen to love the Ninja Turtles and aren't super into beat-em-ups usually, then you'll probably get more from Shredder's Revenge than Streets 4, but otherwise, it just doesn't have the staying power.
This has always been a problem with Konami TMNT brawlers and most Konami brawlers in general. Even Turtles in Time suffers from this. As much as the SNES fanboys and Stuttering Craig like to bang the drum of "Best Beat'em Up Ever/Of All Time!", but they don't look hard enough or are blinded by nostalgia and fanboyism. There are brawlers better than both of the best Turtles games. Even amongst Konami brawlers, there are at least two of them from the arcades better than all of the TMNT games.

it does, but that aint him. trust me on that.
As much as I hate to admit it, Phil had a few moments early in his career.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NerfedFalcon

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
That was before the greed set in lol.
By early, I mean when the greed was already set in by 2011-2012/13. Even before that point, he was known for his huge ego winning one fighting game tournament, because it was a shitty version of SFII.
 

CriticalGaming

Elite Member
Legacy
Dec 28, 2017
10,753
5,295
118
By early, I mean when the greed was already set in by 2011-2012/13. Even before that point, he was known for his huge ego winning one fighting game tournament, because it was a shitty version of SFII.
He didn't win, he only got fourth place. Three Japanese players took the top three spots, so he claimed he was the best American SF player that year. And he only got that far because the top players boycotted that EVO because of that shitty SF port.

Even funnier. DSP got into the SF6 beta weekend and he randomly got matched against ChrisG who is one of the best SF players in the world right now. Chris beat DSP 16-0 and even said that he didn't believe he was actually fighting DSP because it felt like the person he was fighting had never played SF before.

DSP's ego too a brutal hit, to the point that DSP no longer plays SF on his streams something he has played every friday night for nearly a decade. ChrisG embarassed him so hard that he actually stopped playing the only game he claims he was ever "good" at. HAHAHAHA
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
No, I mean 'Pain In The Ass'. Though I suppose I do see it, now that you mention it.
In that case, that one is a bit arguable. SOR4 has plenty of annoying enemies; especially when you're playing Survival mode or Mania+. It's just that we're so used to it, or are given many invincibility frames for certain attacks, that the problems are not as noticeable. The Big Ben variants I hate the most, and Baboo can suck a spiked dildo wrapper in barbed wire. The only things I find annoying in Shredder's Revenge are the Rat King boss, the Black Foot Ninjas, and those stupid spider robots you have to kill a weird way. The only advantages SR has are slightly more enemy variety, and that everyone has their type of dash, evade, and counterattack. The game needed more bonus modes.
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
26,689
11,191
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
He didn't win, he only got fourth place. Three Japanese players took the top three spots, so he claimed he was the best American SF player that year. And he only got that far because the top players boycotted that EVO because of that shitty SF port.
Which only proves how pathetic and sensitive his ego really is. Great to know.

Even funnier. DSP got into the SF6 beta weekend and he randomly got matched against ChrisG who is one of the best SF players in the world right now. Chris beat DSP 16-0 and even said that he didn't believe he was actually fighting DSP because it felt like the person he was fighting had never played SF before.
DSP always gets trashed in SF, so I don't know why he's that upset now. That's usually how most of his fighting game matches go anyway.

DSP's ego too a brutal hit, to the point that DSP no longer plays SF on his streams something he has played every friday night for nearly a decade. ChrisG embarassed him so hard that he actually stopped playing the only game he claims he was ever "good" at. HAHAHAHA
Good. Now he, nor his creepy fans can't spread their toxic shit on a great franchise and its player base.
 
Last edited:

NerfedFalcon

Level i Flare!
Mar 23, 2011
7,065
779
118
Gender
Male
In that case, that one is a bit arguable. SOR4 has plenty of annoying enemies; especially when you're playing Survival mode or Mania+. It's just that we're so used to it, or are given many invincibility frames for certain attacks, that the problems are not as noticeable. The Big Ben variants I hate the most, and Baboo can suck a spiked dildo wrapper in barbed wire. The only things I find annoying in Shredder's Revenge are the Rat King boss, the Black Foot Ninjas, and those stupid spider robots you have to kill a weird way. The only advantages SR has are slightly more enemy variety, and that everyone has their type of dash, evade, and counterattack. The game needed more bonus modes.
SoR4, at least in the main game, doesn't have enemies that can simultaneously block all your attacks perfectly and can't be thrown either. I'm pretty sure there's multiple of those in TMNTSR, and even if there aren't, the Black Foot Ninjas can already, in your words, 'suck a spiked dildo wrapped in barbed wire'. Literally every time I've defeated one, I have no idea how I managed to do it. Maybe it's just me (or maybe I just haven't gotten that far into Survival before, my best is wave 18 or so), but I never had that kind of experience with any of the regular enemies in SoR4.