Your video game hot take(s) thread

[BrawlMan]

But maybe it's too fair?

No. Especially nowadays where everybody's following Sony and Microsoft's price hike. All because it's the same grift they pulled off back when the HD era first started. The only difference is now is that they can use covid as an excuse to do all the price hikes. Controllers cost $70 now. The same price as a fucking game. Meaning I'm only going to get these controllers during Black Friday in addition with a gift card or a coupon.

really like what the Completionist does- he rates games by how much you should play of it. The highest rating is "complete it" which means do all the achievements and hardest difficulty etc, and "finish it" means play through the critical path. That is way more meaningful than 7/10 vs 8/10 or 4 ****. I think there is justification for a similar scale of economics, where the highest rating is MSRP and the lowest rating is "don't even play it if it's literally gifted to you."

As much as I like the Completionist, his method ain't exactly foolproof either. It's better than the whole systematic numbers thing. Which never meant anything, but for people to seek validations on their purchases, as those numbers can never fully accumulate someone's true feelings on a game. I said before, economics and everybody has their own value on what's important to them or not. I usually prefer the scale of buy it (with caution and being understanding that everybody has their own financial situation), wait for a sale, wait for a deep sale, rental, "never touch it/some ol' bullshit", and "fuck you" (when the product is really that bad).

 

[BrawlMan]

I dunno I'm just repeating what I heard, I never played RE4. I guess.. more side quests?

I just told you they did. Now you know. The fact that you never played RE4 original proves you don't have much to worry about. So the side quests shouldn't be a problem for you in the remake. If you don't want to do them, then don't. Though it is recommended you should do at least a few, so you can get the best treasures to buy the best items, weapons, and upgrades.

 

[BrawlMan]

I will give Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge credit for letting you select any playable character to play as in chapter challenge, after beating the story. This is something DMC5 still hasn't figured out, Special Edition or not. This something Capcom has to do, if there are roster of characters you can select from. In Vergil mode, you will go through all of Nero's, V's, and Dante's levels. I don't see why Capcom couldn't do the same thing for the other characters. Just remove all the cut-scenes. It's exactly what they did for Vergil. Team Ninja had them beat by 6 years by doing the same thing. Technically, Capcom did this with a playable Vergil in DMC3:SE, but Dante and him were the only playable characters.

If Ninja Gaiden 4 ever happens, they need to bring back the Steel-On-Bone counter system and weave other ninja characters into the actual story. Focus on different characters, while adding some new or returning ninja/kunoichi as well. Ryu's pretty much done as a character, and does not have much left other than iconic looks.

I like this NG hot take here.

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[Thaluikhain]

Duke Nukem 3d is technologically rather more advanced than the original Doom, but Doom is still just better. Despite all it's nominal advantages, the only thing it outdid Doom on was being purely. Which did make it massively popular at the time, but not being a teenager anymore it just seems so tacky in a way that Doom doesn't.

 

[BrawlMan]

Duke Nukem 3d is technologically rather more advanced than the original Doom, but Doom is still just better.

That's actually a cold take. Most people acknowledge that by the late 2000s and early 2010s. Shoot, Doom 64 I'd always have more fun with than Duke. Still applies now. Games like Blood (any of the recent "Boomer" [they should be called Gen X shooters really] shooters that mimic the 90s and early 2000s) and Serious Sam had more going on for them than Duke.

I am going to hold off on Wanted: Dead. I don't mind about the low budget, but it still feels too unpolished for ex-NG devs. I already got the Ninja Gaiden Trilogy, so I can keep playing that for a while. I like my No More Heroes type games as well, but I can already tell there is not a lot going for the combat and they used too many of the same enemy types with a different costume.

 

[BrawlMan]

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[TheMysteriousGX]

David the Arrow Bard

For all the stealth archers out there...

www.tumblr.com

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

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Really depends on the game. Imagine how many good games would be harshly judged because someone whose job was reviewing them didn’t know what they were doing.

I believe credible sites should have at least one or two people well versed in each genre to be much use to anyone looking to buy the games they review.

 

[BrawlMan]

Really depends on the game. Imagine how many good games would be harshly judged because someone who’s job was reviewing them didn’t know what they were doing.

I believe credible sites should have at least one or two people well versed in each genre to be much use to anyone looking to buy the games they review.

I'm more or less the same mindset.

Uh oh, Yahtzee is complaining about RE4 remake again. He's complaining about remakes are becoming too "homogenized". When that only applies to RE3 Remake (even then, it's not that bad as some people make it out to be), and he's assuming everybody's reception of RE4Make is going to be, "it's alright...". Making a lot of assumptions there, Yahtzee. Thank you you're not excited for this, but please get your head out of your ass. If you don't like it, fine, but don't assume everyone's going to say it's okay or bad. Capcom knows they can't screw this up. The original always be there and forever in your heart. You got 10 different versions of the freaking game. Keep playing those and move on.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

On the question of "what does it even mean to be good at games," I just think that the different types of games are so different as to make "good at games" phrase meaningless. Or maybe it just means being willing to spend time and effort?

'Cause as I have complained about many times here before, I can NOT for the life of me play FPS games, especially shooters. Confusing and hard on the eyes and boring.
But then I played Dishonored in both murder everyone and ghost stealth perfect mode because that game just captured my fancy so much. It took me forever but I pushed through- does that make me "good at games" or just "I was bored one weekend?"

I platinum all FromSoftware games but I couldn't get past the tutorial in Dying Light and have to switch almost every other game to "easy" mode halfway through if I want to complete it. I haven't actually beat a platformer in like 15 years and I'd rather slit my wrist than learn a RTS, deck builder, or MMORPG. Am I bad at games?

I think criticism is valued by knowledgeable people who are open about their experiences and biases. This is true for all art and entertainment.

It seems our valiant Escapist crew have gotten a lot of criticism from internet commentators recently, all of which is heightened by the Hogwarts Rowling nonsense, and they're feeling a bit salty. I will say that it's making the streams and podcasts a little pissy which is also fun. This is a dumb fun hobby and I'm all for a bit of harmless drama.

 

[BrawlMan]

but I pushed through- does that make me "good at games" or just "I was bored one weekend?"

Sometimes it can be both.

It seems our valiant Escapist crew have gotten a lot of criticism from internet commentators recently, all of which is heightened by the Hogwarts Rowling nonsense, and they're feeling a bit salty. I will say that it's making the streams and podcasts a little pissy which is also fun. This is a dumb fun hobby and I'm all for a bit of harmless drama.

Tell me about it. Yahtzee really got pissy for a minute at the halfway point.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Maybe it's because I didn't play enough of HZD, but playing Ghost of Tsushima really makes the bow and arrow gameplay of the former feel like shit.

It's most likely because in HZD you're plinking away at fucking robo dinos with a stick and a curved stick, but GoT just really feels like archery whereas HZD feels like you're using an incredibly clunky gun.

Perhaps it's also because the stealth nature of a bow and arrow are mostly irrelevant in HZD? Although fighting human enemies in HZD also felt pretty awful.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Maybe it's because I didn't play enough of HZD, but playing Ghost of Tsushima really makes the bow and arrow gameplay of the former feel like shit.

It's most likely because in HZD you're plinking away at fucking robo dinos with a stick and a curved stick, but GoT just really feels like archery whereas HZD feels like you're using an incredibly clunky gun.

Perhaps it's also because the stealth nature of a bow and arrow are mostly irrelevant in HZD? Although fighting human enemies in HZD also felt pretty awful.

When playing Forbidden West it felt like the priority was on spectacle and how epic fighting looks being more important than how moment to moment gameplay felt. I dunno of that makes any sense but yeah I agree, the Horizon games feel less great to play in terms of combat the more I play them, that's why I never replay them.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

When playing Forbidden West it felt like the priority was on spectacle and how epic fighting looks being more important than how moment to moment gameplay felt. I dunno of that makes any sense but yeah I agree, the Horizon games feel less great to play in terms of combat the more I play them, that's why I never replay them.

It’s partly why I’ve yet to finish FW. I mean, the game controls well and aiming is still butter smooth, but just the act of fighting most of the things feels tedious (and that’s just combat; I won’t get into dialog wheels).

Highlight weak spots>target them with tear arrows…oh wait, gotta craft more or find more animals to kill to do that in the first place…jump and roll like a madwoman in between their charges>loot parts to craft more shit needed to fight effectively.

Ugh, just typing this out feels exhausting and it’s not even noon yet.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

I platinum all FromSoftware games but I couldn't get past the tutorial in Dying Light

Whereas I'm the complete opposite- the parkour in Dying Light and Mirror's Edge came easily to me, but I get tired of banging my head against Soulslikes very quickly. Also I've been playing FPS games for decades, but RTS games completely elude me, primarily because I can never get my units to do what I want them to do.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

It’s partly why I’ve yet to finish FW. I mean, the game controls well and aiming is still butter smooth, but just the act of fighting most of the things feels tedious (and that’s just combat; I won’t get into dialog wheels).

Highlight weak spots>target them with tear arrows…oh wait, gotta craft more or find more animals to kill to do that in the first place…jump and roll like a madwoman in between their charges>loot parts to craft more shit needed to fight effectively.

Ugh, just typing this out feels exhausting and it’s not even noon yet.

Tedious is an apt word to use. Which I think is pretty counter intuitive to the immediate gratification you get from using a bow and arrow.

 

[BrawlMan]

Maybe it's because I didn't play enough of HZD, but playing Ghost of Tsushima really makes the bow and arrow gameplay of the former feel like shit.

It's most likely because in HZD you're plinking away at fucking robo dinos with a stick and a curved stick, but GoT just really feels like archery whereas HZD feels like you're using an incredibly clunky gun.

Perhaps it's also because the stealth nature of a bow and arrow are mostly irrelevant in HZD? Although fighting human enemies in HZD also felt pretty awful.

What helps in Tsushima's favor is Jin gets two different bow types, both can be upgraded, and most things you can kill in 1-2 shots.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

What helps in Tsushima's favor is Jin gets two different bow types, both can be upgraded, and most things you can kill in 1-2 shots.

[emphasise mine] because the importance of that cannot be stressed enough. Ranged weaponry in combat is satisfying only when it has a major effect, like straight-up killing a dude or applying some cool status effect.
I just played Mafia the other day and every time I shot a guy like 5 times I was so annoyed- it's a bullet, with a gun... f'n die! Even funnier to me is that the closer I was, the less I had to shoot them for them to die, but I don't think that's how bullets work? Pretty sure if I get shot from across the strong in the head vs 2 ft away I end up dead.

But that game came out like 20 yrs ago so at least I knew what I was getting into. I kind of demand more these days, at least if I'm going to pay full price for a game.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

[emphasise mine] because the importance of that cannot be stressed enough. Ranged weaponry in combat is satisfying only when it has a major effect, like straight-up killing a dude or applying some cool status effect.
I just played Mafia the other day and every time I shot a guy like 5 times I was so annoyed- it's a bullet, with a gun... f'n die! Even funnier to me is that the closer I was, the less I had to shoot them for them to die, but I don't think that's how bullets work? Pretty sure if I get shot from across the strong in the head vs 2 ft away I end up dead.

But that game came out like 20 yrs ago so at least I knew what I was getting into. I kind of demand more these days, at least if I'm going to pay full price for a game.

To be fair, there are quite a few real life instances where people get shot up like 6+ times and still live. IIRC muzzle velocity is mainly impacted by air resistance and gravity upon leaving the barrel, so an up close shot would technically be strongest.

Now, if you’re emptying a magazine into someone’s noggin - at any distance - and they’re still standing, it’s likely the game’s just plain busted. Extra surprising if it’s the remake, which one would think has more technical accuracy with physics coding and such.

 

[Dalisclock]

To be fair, there are quite a few real life instances where people get shot up like 6+ times and still live. IIRC muzzle velocity is mainly impacted by air resistance and gravity upon leaving the barrel, so an up close shot would technically be strongest.

Fun fact: Emmet Dalton, of the famous Dalton gang, survived the gang's last bank robbery with 23 gunshot wounds. while the rest of the gang died in the associated shootout with law enforcement. Granted, he was captured and went to prison for a while and I can only imagine he was feeling those 23 gunshot wounds for the rest of his life.