Your video game hot take(s) thread

[Gordon_4]

There's a bit of a trend on console digital stores lately where any popular PC game ends up having multiple slop clones - apparently many using AI - of them shovelled weekly to daily intro the digital shelves. Schedule one? Uhhh, no..., how about 20 000 Schedules?! A load of police simulators, plus anything with the word "simulator" slapped on, whatever you can imagine, there's a shovel-slop game claiming to be its "simulator" out there. This has been a thing for a while though, and have mostly begrudgingly tolerated the obvious scams.

But lately, one has really baffled me, one I assume is supposed to be clones of perhaps an actual popular PC game? Cos of consistent variations of the same concept. And that is "digging a hole simulator" .... replete with pictures of garden hole, and sometimes, if you're lucky, even a shovel!

Is that really a popular genre on PC right now? Are things ok, PC gamers? Do we need a talk? Mayhaps a welfare check?

The clone problem has been around for a while, though it was more typically in that volume a Mobile Games issue since for a while the tools to build games were still pretty industrial and had steep - but not impossible - learning curves.

I mean you do remember that in the 2010s just about every other Jimquisition video was about Unity store asset flip shit being allowed on Steam, culminating in that fiasco with Digital Homicide taking frivolous legal action, right? This isn’t a new problem.

 

[XsjadoBlaydette]

Mindless orbs of electricity are not interesting, they aren't clever nor scary, yet games like stalker series and friends are somehow convinced they're worth smattering across their worlds/levels to this day. It's a mario obstacle at best. Fleeting fun for Italian plumbers to somersault over but less so for quasi-russian backpackers with movement capabilities marginally above a horny drunk snail. Every time I bumble across another one, all those wonderous feelings of intrigued anxiety fall away leaving nowt but a deflated sigh is disappointed angst. Look, I get it....maybe in real life, maybe seeing one would be a tad weird, generously speaking. In games, however, they're kinda just naff. In dire need of spicing up, like adding noticeable personality or ability to morph, even possess environmental objects to hurl themselves at you! Morph into angry electric imp dopplergangers of recently deceased loved ones, hurling chairs and sparking bog rolls!

 

[Xprimentyl]

Mindless orbs of electricity are not interesting, they aren't clever nor scary, yet games like stalker series and friends are somehow convinced they're worth smattering across their worlds/levels to this day. It's a mario obstacle at best. Fleeting fun for Italian plumbers to somersault over but less so for quasi-russian backpackers with movement capabilities marginally above a horny drunk snail. Every time I bumble across another one, all those wonderous feelings of intrigued anxiety fall away leaving nowt but a deflated sigh is disappointed angst. Look, I get it....maybe in real life, maybe seeing one would be a tad weird, generously speaking. In games, however, they're kinda just naff. In dire need of spicing up, like adding noticeable personality or ability to morph, even possess environmental objects to hurl themselves at you! Morph into angry electric imp dopplergangers of recently deceased loved ones, hurling chairs and sparking bog rolls!

Agreed. I won't say I've generally experienced enough of them to make a hot take that they're egregiously overdone, but I recall this exact sentiment when I encountered them in Elden Ring, a game in which they felt extremely out of place. They only appear (IIRC) in two separate and disparate areas, one being a ethereal wooded/lake area, and the other a frozen tundra, neither of which make sense for "electrical" elements. They're basically environmental hazards since you can't attack/disarm them, so the tactic is to get close enough to set them off, then evade for a few seconds as they hurl electricity intentionally at you for potentially massive damage. I think the "gag" is for players to miss one or two as they explore to punish those who don't pay attention, but FROM has mastered boobytraps, and the electric orbs are both lazy and out of place.

 

[Hades]

There's a lot of controversy or at least whining about Metroid 4 having Federation trooper side characters you have to escort. Both worries about these characters undermining the isolation and tension, and the first trooper you meet being bloody annoying. I think I'm in a weird situation about this. I don't really like the introduction of the federation troopers but I don't think me and their critics would get along much.

I've always disagreed with Metroid purists who insisted on the ''isolation'' aspect so heavily. Some of them even found the bounty hunter trio from Metroid Pime 3 a bridge too far. But they were so cool! Rundas, Gohr and Gandraya where the coolest thing in that game. They added to the Metroid world, had great designs and relations with Samus to explore. My biggest criticism of 3 was that there wasn't more of them.

But that's the problem. These Federation goons AREN'T baddass bounty hunters with cool powers and great designs. They're just a bunch of mooks. That's a step down from what we had before.

 

[BrawlMan]

Ninja Gaiden Shadow (Game Boy) I find better than the entire NES Trilogy.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

CD Projekt Red has said they are planning for the Witcher 4, tentatively set to release in 2027, to be the first part in a new trilogy. The part that's gotten attention and skepticism is that they are gunning to do those three games in 6 years, with three years in between each.

The skepticism is merited and obvious- it takes like 10 years to release one of these big AAA open world 100+ hr epic games with the latest graphics and thousands of lines of dialogue and all that stuff. CD Project themselves have had infamously rocky launches of their marquee games. Cyberpunk 2077 was 2020 and the Witcher 3 was 2015.

So my hot take is that their goal of 3 games in 6 years is actually not that crazy, despite all that. In and of itself, there is no logical reason why a video game trilogy can't basically follow the model that Peter Jackson made with the Lord of the Rings series- that is, to lay the groundwork for all three from the start, taking advantage of the fact that they are all planned from the get-go. Most sequels are conceived after the full release cycle of a game (which includes post-release support and expansions). But if you know you're going to release the next game already, you have pieces in place to get going as soon as the last one comes out.

The biggest thing that makes it possible IMO is that technology advances plateau. Maybe video games in 2027, 2030, and 2033 will look fundamentally the same in any series. CD Projekt are using Unreal Engine 5- so much of their development up until now has been spent on their own game engine. Unreal will continue to get updates by Epic so there is manpower and effort that CD Projekt can use to focus on parallel support of Witcher 4 and dev of Witcher 5. The world design, character animation, general art style, basic mechanics- we will want them to be consistent throughout all three games (it is safe to assume we will be playing as the same character, Ciri, in all three, as we did as Geralt in the last trilogy).

The Witcher 4 will sell a million billion copies, which will pay for a guaranteed release of The Witcher 5. So they can be working on it in 2028 without waiting for anything, and already have so much in place.

Now- am I confident this will happen? Predicting it? Hell no. The games industry- it's wacky! But I'm just saying it's not that crazy an idea. CD Projekt has the elements in place to counteract the reasons why AAA game dev takes so long these days. The irony being that 3 years in between planned sequels is still a lifetime in the old days, which means the goal does indeed take into account the realities of modern day game dev.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

CD Projekt Red has said they are planning for the Witcher 4, tentatively set to release in 2027, to be the first part in a new trilogy. The part that's gotten attention and skepticism is that they are gunning to do those three games in 6 years, with three years in between each.

The skepticism is merited and obvious- it takes like 10 years to release one of these big AAA open world 100+ hr epic games with the latest graphics and thousands of lines of dialogue and all that stuff. CD Project themselves have had infamously rocky launches of their marquee games. Cyberpunk 2077 was 2020 and the Witcher 3 was 2015.

So my hot take is that their goal of 3 games in 6 years is actually not that crazy, despite all that. In and of itself, there is no logical reason why a video game trilogy can't basically follow the model that Peter Jackson made with the Lord of the Rings series- that is, to lay the groundwork for all three from the start, taking advantage of the fact that they are all planned from the get-go. Most sequels are conceived after the full release cycle of a game (which includes post-release support and expansions). But if you know you're going to release the next game already, you have pieces in place to get going as soon as the last one comes out.

The biggest thing that makes it possible IMO is that technology advances plateau. Maybe video games in 2027, 2030, and 2033 will look fundamentally the same in any series. CD Projekt are using Unreal Engine 5- so much of their development up until now has been spent on their own game engine. Unreal will continue to get updates by Epic so there is manpower and effort that CD Projekt can use to focus on parallel support of Witcher 4 and dev of Witcher 5. The world design, character animation, general art style, basic mechanics- we will want them to be consistent throughout all three games (it is safe to assume we will be playing as the same character, Ciri, in all three, as we did as Geralt in the last trilogy).

The Witcher 4 will sell a million billion copies, which will pay for a guaranteed release of The Witcher 5. So they can be working on it in 2028 without waiting for anything, and already have so much in place.

Now- am I confident this will happen? Predicting it? Hell no. The games industry- it's wacky! But I'm just saying it's not that crazy an idea. CD Projekt has the elements in place to counteract the reasons why AAA game dev takes so long these days. The irony being that 3 years in between planned sequels is still a lifetime in the old days, which means the goal does indeed take into account the realities of modern day game dev.

Hoping they don’t just funnel subsequent games through an AI model. Regardless though, most of the front end physical work will be in building the characters and game world, which could all be used across each game. That leaves most of the remaining work in mapping out all the story branches (which could be already roughed in), and populating the world with game-specific loot, events, etc.

It’s pretty much a certainty some AI will be used to assist with different aspects that help streamline all the assets in place, but the main goal will likely be ensuring the feel of 4 (which will be a new benchmark) continues into the following two games.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Hoping they don’t just funnel subsequent games through an AI model. Regardless though, most of the front end physical work will be in building the characters and game world, which could all be used across each game. That leaves most of the remaining work in mapping out all the story branches (which could be already roughed in), and populating the world with game-specific loot, events, etc.

It’s pretty much a certainty some AI will be used to assist with different aspects that help streamline all the assets in place, but the main goal will likely be ensuring the feel of 4 (which will be a new benchmark) continues into the following two games.

One thing I haven't experienced as a games fan- and really as any kind of fan- is this sense of betrayal that hardcore fandom peep have when they think something goes wrong. Oh boo hoo the lady jedi isn't the right kind of jedi, Mass Effect 3 ending was just colors, the wicked witch in Wicked isn't wicked proper, blah blah.

The Witcher is one of my favorite "IP's," and while there have been many public "betrayals" from some of the fandom, I think they're all stupid. From how the games responded to the books, the TV show responded to the books and/or games, everything from supposed incorrect character motivations to the racial makeup of the TV show and interpretations of the "source" from and by CD Projekt Red and Netflix, I disagree with all of that crap.

But if they AI the actual story, the fundamental quest design, of a freaking Witcher game- I'll be actually mad. The thing that makes the Witcher games special is the quest design. That quality applies to all three games, even the infamously "clunky" and outdated first one (act 4 of the first game is legit one of the all time game greatest settings and situations in a game).

I'm reminded of radiant quests, and the old-ass game that comes to mind is Skyrim, the first game I encountered that, but of course it's common in others. Procedurally generated quests added to open world games to drop in mindless content and serve as a way for player to farm XP and materials. It was accepted in Skyrim because the rest of the game's quest were bespoke and crafted. So game devs certainly never needed "AI" to make bullshit boring quests.

If the new Witcher games add anything like that to a game that already has the kind of good story telling in quests they are known for, I'll be annoyed but it can be ignored. If that sort of thing actually becomes the game though, I'll get to participate in fan betrayal. That is the main thing that ruined the AssCreed games for me and what aborted my brief attempt with Mass Effect Andromeda, just that feeling like quests and goals and objectives were forgettable and interchangeable. The Witcher games excel at being, well, not that- every quest with dialogue is singularly unique and generally cool.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

This year's Game Awards was the best of these shows in a long while, maybe the best one I watched (I ended up watching it the morning after).

I think this is a "hot take" because saying anything positive about TGA, any of these showcases, or anything Geoff Keighley related is a hot take as gamers online just like to ***** at everything.
Yes I know it's advertising- we all know this, and no one is trying to hide that. So don't explain to me why you think TGA as a whole sucks, it's boring.

As a piece of entertainment, the shows have been really uneven, trying to balance promotion, paying genuine tribute to the craft and providing moments of entertainment and spectacle. Pacing has proved a tremendous challenge.

This was the first time I didn't find myself mentally checking out for large swaths of time. These shows always have those chunks where it's ads that look like reveals but you know it's ads. This year, those felt mercifully short or at least quickly paced. There were no horrid slogs like that one time where the guy from Community dressed like a chicken and murdered the momentum of the whole show at the end.

The only slightly embarrassing moment of actors on the stage being stupid was the cast of the Street Fighter movie and a [drunk/high?] Mila Jovavich, but even those were kind of funny (and I admit I found Jovavich charming, blame my nostalgic teenage lust).

The winners got time to make their thank you speeches.

None of the winners were egregious. Yes I understand why some think Kingdom Deliverance 2 should have won RGP and Clair Obscure should have sat indy games out, but I disagree that those are some crime or insult, it's just a reminder of how fuzzy the categories can be and how much acclaim Clair Obscure was getting. But all in all I don't judge the actual show by who wins what award, I don't think it matters or is important, and I'm talking about the awards show.

I didn't even like Clair Obscure personally but I think you'd have to be so cynical/nihilistic to be mad about its sweep (in other words, an internet shitposter and therefore worthy of dismissal). The show opened with singing and a ripping guitar solo; game execs wore silly matching berets; the crowds' enthusiam was at least partly genuine. Clair Obscure the game and its fanbase is to thank for that. It's nice when this kind of thing happens. I like when nice things happen.

I think the game reveals were good. Yes a lot of them didn't show gameplay- I think that's fine if the footage is honest about it and the projected release window is far away. There were a lot of 2027 projected windows and I don't remember if that was as common before, to start promoting a game at the TGA that is two years away (2027 to me means fall of 2027 by default), but I think that's ok to use cinematics and teasers in that case. But revealing a new MegaMan, new Tomb Raider stuff, a brand new Star War, and the next project from Larian, is all pretty freaking sweet.

Phantom Blade 0 looked bomb (despite my weariness/wariness/skepticism of action combat games these days, the trailer is the closest I've come in a while to letting myself be excited about one). Control 2 looked sick as hell- both in its gameplay and where it could be going with story.

There was not an overwhelming avalanche of grimdark soulslikes, hero shooters, fps military same-ol', or weeb anime slop (outside of the ads). I saw a number of co-op games which I think is neat even though I'll never play them. I saw a game about a gramma which chicken feet and a monster friend which looks like a potential 2026 GOTY for me already. I dunno anything about Forest but the trailer looked cool and I'm glad there are people excited about that.

Every past TGA show there was something terribly annoying and there really wasn't this year. I think Keighley and his team took all the (fair) feedback from the past few years and addressed them well.

 

[BrawlMan]

think the game reveals were good. Yes a lot of them didn't show gameplay- I think that's fine if the footage is honest about it and the projected release window is far away. There were a lot of 2027 projected windows and I don't remember if that was as common before, to start promoting a game at the TGA that is two years away (2027 to me means fall of 2027 by default), but I think that's ok to use cinematics and teasers in that case. But revealing a new MegaMan, new Tomb Raider stuff, a brand new Star War, and the next project from Larian, is all pretty freaking sweet.

Actually a lot of them did. Even one minute is more than enough. The only ones that really didn't are that new Yakuza style game from the original creator, and one of the other star wars games. The old republic game.

This is one of the better showings, but I only tolerated it mainly because people like max and Woolie were watching to help keep it entertaining and fun. I admit that if it wasn't for them.I would have almost checked out of the show otherwise. If not for those reveals as well.

 

[thebobmaster]

I mostly just followed along with people on here and elsewhere discussing the reveals. Which I really need to stop doing, because it seems it's a lot trickier for people to just mention a reveal without needing to explain why this actually looks like it's not going to be good, never mind actually be POSITIVE about a reveal, or show excitement (shock is not quite the same thing).

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

I didn't even like Clair Obscure personally but I think you'd have to be so cynical/nihilistic to be mad about its sweep (in other words, an internet shitposter and therefore worthy of dismissal).

Everything I've seen of the gameplay tells me I wouldn't enjoy playing it at all, but I'm still thrilled that it got such recognition, because it's something new and unique from a relatively small studio, and the people who are into that kind of gameplay adore it.

Control 2 looked sick as hell- both in its gameplay and where it could be going with story.

This was the one thing I saw that interested me, and I don't mind admitting that I'm kinda stoked.

 

[BrawlMan]

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is the best Shinobi game in a long time, and so much better than the 3DS game and both PS2 titles. It's also the best XBLA game in a long time.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is the best Shinobi game in a long time, and so much better than the 3DS game and both PS2 titles. It's also the best XBLA game in a long time.

Is this a hot take? Are there stans for those other Shinobi games?
(This is an honest question not snark- I legit forgot that it was a series, I only remember the original arcade game).

 

[BrawlMan]

Is this a hot take? Are there stans for those other Shinobi games?
(This is an honest question not snark- I legit forgot that it was a series, I only remember the original arcade game).

PS2 Shinobi and PS2 Nightshade (Kunoichi) actually have their defenders (which has only gotten smaller as the years have gone on), but 3DS Shinobi, not so much. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Super Shinobi II) [Sega Genesis/Mega Drive] is considered the pinnacle in the best of the entire franchise. I don't disagree with that, and that was my opinion for a long time, but AoV is starting to give that game competition now.

The PS2 games I particularly didn't like that much, but more so the first PS2 game, because of the overly high difficulty

 

[Drathnoxis]

So what exactly is the definition of a hot take?

Is it:

1) a controversial opinion on something, the hotness of the take coming from the arguments it has the potential to spark.

or

2) an opinion that has been recently formed without having been given time for full analysis, as in a take that is fresh from the oven and has not been subject to cool reflection.

I tend towards 2, but a lot of people seem to go by 1.

 

[BrawlMan]

So what exactly is the definition of a hot take?

Is it:

1) a controversial opinion on something, the hotness of the take coming from the arguments it has the potential to spark.

or

2) an opinion that has been recently formed without having been given time for full analysis, as in a take that is fresh from the oven and has not been subject to cool reflection.

I tend towards 2, but a lot of people seem to go by 1.

Either or. I've seen many of those variations at this point.

 

[thebobmaster]

PS2 Shinobi and PS2 Nightshade (Kunoichi) actually have their defenders ( which has only gotten smaller as the years have gone on), but 3DS Shinobi, not so much. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Super Shinobi II) [Sega Genesis/Mega Drive] is considered the pinnacle in the best of the entire franchise. I don't disagree with that, and that was my opinion for a long time, but AoV is starting to give that game competition now.

The PS2 games I particularly didn't like that much, but more so the first PS2 game, because of the overly high difficulty

Wait, Kunoichi is part of the Shinobi series? Huh. I played a bit of that game (mostly because the protagonist has a very striking visual style), but never realized.

 

[Xprimentyl]

So what exactly is the definition of a hot take?

Is it:

1) a controversial opinion on something, the hotness of the take coming from the arguments it has the potential to spark.

or

2) an opinion that has been recently formed without having been given time for full analysis, as in a take that is fresh from the oven and has not been subject to cool reflection.

I tend towards 2, but a lot of people seem to go by 1.

I'd argue the spirit of a "hot take" tends towards #1, an informed opinion that flies in the face of the generally/widely accepted one, where your concept in #2 is more a matter of basic opinion and suggests the take is possibly willingly uninformed, held without substantive consideration, and one the holder likely has no stake in to have that opinion challenged. Example, I could tell you I think basketball is a boring sport to watch, but as someone who has not spent enough time watching and understanding it, that's not a "hot take;" it's an opinion held by someone who doesn't know enough about it to have their opinion discussed in a broader, good faith discussion on basketball.

In my mind, a "hot take" is an opinion held by someone who shares commonality with a broader group, and still honestly sides against the larger consensus on a subject. I am a gamer, have been for decades. I've played a lot of games, and despite the storied development hell it went through, I honestly feel Duke Nukem Forever was not a bad game. Exceedingly mediocre? Absolutely, but not nearly the dumpster fire the larger gaming community decided it was.

 

[BrawlMan]

Wait, Kunoichi is part of the Shinobi series? Huh. I played a bit of that game (mostly because the protagonist has a very striking visual style), but never realized.

Yes. Though technically a spinoff, it still takes place in the same universe as PS2 Shinobi. Hibana and Hotsuma do communicate with each other if you team them up in Project X Zone 2.

I honestly feel Duke Nukem Forever was not a bad game. Exceedingly mediocre? Absolutely, but not nearly the dumpster fire the larger gaming community decided it was.

At this point DNF is considered at least a decent game, if you got all the patch updates and the dlc, the doctor who cloned me, to go along with it. That is, if you are playing on pc. The console versions never got the patch updates nor that dlc if I remember correctly. 15+ years of overhype and scope creep will do that to anyone's expectations.

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