Your video game hot take(s) thread

[BrawlMan]

God Hand is the best 3D brawler (non-melee weapon based game unlike Devil May Cry or Dynasty Warriors) ever made, without much to contest it. I love Dynamite Cop, Demolished Fist, and Spike Out, but nothing really comes close to GH other than Mad World and especially Anarchy Reign. Urban Reign I rarely played outside at a friend's, but I know it's good. GH main problem is that there is a difficulty curve and it not for everyone. A majority of these games can use a port or remaster and put on XBLA/PSN/eShop/Steam. There is no reason not to. Especially if we're talking about Spike Out, that series always had network play.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

God Hand is the best 3D brawler (non-melee weapon based game unlike Devil May Cry or Dynasty Warriors) ever made, without much to contest it. I love Dynamite Cop, Demolished Fist, and Spike Out, but nothing really comes close to GH other than Mad World and especially Anarchy Reign. Urban Reign I rarely played outside at a friends, but, I know it's good. GH main problem is that there is a difficulty curve and it not for everyone. A majority of these games can use a port or remaster and put on XBLA/PSN/eShop/Steam. There is no reason not to. Especially if we're talking about Spike Out, that series always had network play.

No, God Hand's main problem is that people don't give it a chance because it looks like shit, sounds like shit, has as shit story and shit levels.

I love God Hand because it has one of the best and most freeform fighting systems ever made, and it's tons of fun, but literally everything else about the game is somewhere between mediocre and actually attrocious. You can't convince someone it's a game worth playing based on the absolutely terrible presentation, and it takes a while to actually figure out the combat system enough to start appreciating it.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

No, God Hand's main problem is that people don't give it a chance because it looks like shit, sounds like shit, has as shit story and shit levels.

I love God Hand because it has one of the best and most freeform fighting systems ever made, and it's tons of fun, but but literally everything else about the game is is somewhere between mediocre and actually attrocious. You can't convince someone it's a game worth playing based on the absolutely terrible presentation, and it takes a while to actually figure out the combat system enough to start appreciating it.

Sounds like it would be a good candidate for one of these newfangled remakes that have become so popular, and actually fixing all that other stuff while perhaps also expanding on what made it good.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Sounds like it would be a good candidate for one of these newfangled remakes that have become so popular, and actually fixing all that other stuff while perhaps also expanding on what made it good.

It doesn't need a remake, Platinum should make a new game with that combat engine, and actually put work into the presentation this time.

 

[BrawlMan]

No, God Hand's main problem is that people don't give it a chance because it looks like shit, sounds like shit, has as shit story and shit levels.

Meh. The environments weren't good looking (yet some decent or unique designs or gimmicks), but character models looked great, The stages themselves were mostly average in terms of level design. I disagree with sounds and music. When you hit something; especially when landing counter, it has big impact. The voice acting fits the tone of the game and the parody they were going for. There are a couple of awkward takes, but they do not stick out much and fit the charm. The music in this game is god like and has the same composer who would later do the first No More Heroes. As for story, I do not know what gamers were expecting. If they were expecting a game like this to have deep story-line, they were looking in the wrong direction. You had to be either really stupid or naive to expect the storytelling of an JRPG or Metal Gear game. Not to say that brawlers can't have a deep or non-shit story: see Guardian Heroes, DMC3, Mad World, God of War 1&4, and No More Heroes 1&2. But in 2006, there were not many other brawlers setting the world on fire in the late PS2 days. Urban Reign, Final Fight Streetwise, and Beatdown: Fist of Vengeance did not do shit, and the two latter's grim, gritty, and "ghetto" suffered most from this and looks all the more silly than God Hand or The Bouncer. If anything, this makes God Hand age even better, because it does not take itself seriously and knows how to have fun. When a serious moment does hit, it makes it all the more poignant and meaningful.

You can't convince someone it's a game worth playing based on the absolutely terrible presentation

No, but I was able to to convince a coupe of people to play the game by showing them footage back in my college days. I'll take what I can get.

and it takes a while to actually figure out the combat system enough to start appreciating it.

That's what I meant by difficulty. I should have been more specific and mention learning curve as that what I meant by difficulty on two fronts. Enemies are aggressive and this is game where button mashing can't save you.

Sounds like it would be a good candidate for one of these newfangled remakes that have become so popular, and actually fixing all that other stuff while perhaps also expanding on what made it good.

I can agree with the improvements and updates. Get Platinum to do it since it's their baby and everything would become full circle. Their last game under the Clover Studio label would be remade by them. For the publisher that shut them down. Thanks for that Capcom. I was mad at the time, but gamers got whole bunch of awesome games they never would had made under your greedy thumbs.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Meh. The environments weren't good looking (yet some decent or unique designs or gimmicks), but character models looked great, The stages themselves were mostly average in terms of level design. I disagree with sounds and music. When you hit something; especially when landing counter, it has big impact. The voice acting fits the tone of the game and the parody they were going for. There are a couple of awkward takes, but they do not stick out much and fit the charm. The music in this game is god like and has the same composer who would later do the first No More Heroes. As for story, I do not know what gamers were expecting. If they were expecting a game like this to have deep story-line, they were looking in the wrong direction. You had to be either really stupid or naive to expect the storytelling of an JRPG or Metal Gear game. Not to say that brawlers can't have a deep or non-shit story: see Guardian Heroes, DMC3, Mad World, God of War 1&4, and No More Heroes 1&2. But in 2006, there many other brawlers setting the world on fire in the late PS2 days. Urban Reign, Final Fight Streetwise, and Beatdown: Fist of Vengeance did not do shit, and the latter's grim, gritty, and "ghetto" suffered most from this and looks all the more silly than God Hand or The Bouncer. If anything, this makes God Hand age even better, because it does not take itself seriously and knows how to have fun. When a serious moment does hit, it makes it all the more poignant and meaningful.


No, but I was able to to convince a coupe of people to play the game by showing them footage back in my college days. I'll take what I can get.


That's what I meant by difficulty. I should have been more specific and mention learning curve as that what I meant by difficulty on two fronts. Enemies are aggressive and this is game where button mashing can't save you.




I can agree with the improvements and updates. Get Platinum to do it since it's their baby and everything would become full circle. Their last game under the Clover Studio label would be remade by them. For the publisher that shut them down. Thanks for that Capcom. I was mad at the time, but gamers got whole bunch of awesome games they never would had made under your greedy thumbs.

I'm going to be honest, I barely remember the music from the game other than the end credits. When I was talking about sounding bad I mostly meant the voice-acting.

And no, character models in the game don't look great, I will completely disagree with you there. Most of them look pretty generic or don't fit into the environments they're in, and some of them are just cringey.

Spoiler: These 2 assholes are the reason this game will never get a remake

https://giantbomb1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_small/1/16944/1167525-622655_mr_gold__mr_silver_super.jpg

Some of the bosses look fine, but few are really noteworthy designs, other than maybe the wrestler gorilla.

As for your defense of the story being "well of course it's bad, as was the style of the time, what were gamers expecting?" Well, gamers should always expect a decent story, that's kind of the point. The story is less important in some game genres than others, but if you're bothering having a story at all then it probably shouldn't be a shit story. Just because other games in the genre had equally bad stories doesn't make this game look better, it makes the genre in general look worse.

 

[BrawlMan]

I'm going to be honest, I barely remember the music from the game other than the end credits. When I was talking about sounding bad I mostly meant the voice-acting.

I suggest you go on YT and listen to some those tunes. I love them and they're awesome.

Spoiler: God Hand Tracks: My personal fave.

And no, character models in the game don't look great, I will completely disagree with you there. Most of them look pretty generic or don't fit into the environments they're in, and some of them are just cringey.

Speak yourself. Love'em warts and all.

https://giantbomb1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_small/1/16944/1167525-622655_mr_gold__mr_silver_super.jpg

Either remove them or heavily down play the gay stereotype. I would welcome to see them try.

As for your defense of the story being "well of course it's bad, as was the style of the time, what were gamers expecting?" Well, gamers should always expect a decent story, that's kind of the point.

As far as I am concerned, God Hand has a fine enough/decent story. The story ain't the main draw though. Similar to Devil May Cry, it's about how the characters interact and bounce off of each other. Gene is basically the human version of Dante combined Kenshiro. Seeing the brawler do taunts and laying the smack down on demon punks and assholes is just as awesome when Dante does it. No different from Joe or Bayonetta either.

The story is less important in some game genres than others, but if you're bothering having a story at all then it probably shouldn't be a shit story.

It ain't. That is my opinion.

Just because other games in the genre had equally bad stories doesn't make this game look better, it makes the genre in general look worse.

That's not God Hand's fault. That blame solely on the others that tried to be like GTA, weren't trying, fucking failed, and got lost in the anals of the early to mid 2000s to be forgotten about. I'll take a decent parody story that is honest about itself any day over a hyped up, piece of shit, GTA clone no one asking for. This means you Capcom and certain other publishers.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

The thing is that Bioshock was Babby's First System Shock, Dead Space went from a reasonably competent "horror" shooter to a sad joke, and while I've never played either Evil Within, I watched a playthrough of the first one, and I was amazed at what a bait-and-switch they pulled between the demo and the full version. So yeah, I actually do want a System Shock 3.

I can't speak for the Prey reboot, but I'm hoping for Atomic Heart to be something closer to STALKER than System Shock.

Ok, you've made me know of a hot take I have.

The original Prey was a more interesting plot than the remake. For all the goofiness there is having a guy fight aliens with Cherokee powers, I still think the overall tone and concept makes it more memorable than the remake.

I just can't stand Kratos on a conceptual level. On mechanical and visually artistic levels all of the games (or what little I see of them) have been superb but I just find Kratos himself repellent and not in a compelling way.

There's something there in the first game. The first game had Kratos being an asshole that also understands he's an asshole after he killed his own family but because being a murder machine is all he knows how to do and he no longer has a family that could temper that, he's continuing to be a murder machine in the hopes that it will lead to peace for him if he works for the gods long enough. 2 really REALLY dropped the ball on any nuance there was in the character.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Okay. For some time I've been struggling to think of a good hot take I have and I finally thought of one.

Manhunt is one of the greatest horror games made and it is criminally unremembered and underappreciated.

Part of it is the subject matter of the game but I also think people get hung up on thinking that those playing it are violent and edgy teens acting out violent fantasies and not thinking about what kind of reaction there is to the game by people that aren't like that.

I wasn't an edgy and violent teen and for me the game was terrifying. Having to hide and gruesomely murder people with nothing more than glass and plastic bags is terrifying. The situation of being stuck in an underground snuff production... Like can you imagine if you were actually in that situation? And on top of that you have a voice in your ear that's the only person who's helping you and they're also the one running everything and if you don't please them with horrible kills then they'll get you killed.

I also love the ratcheting up of the gangs from random drunks to roided out white supremacists to a backyard paramilitary group, (a reprieve with) a well armed gang, the the Smiley's, police officers and then a SWAT like group of professional bodyguards...

It's also great that it's a stealth game where getting a gun doesn't suddenly make situations a cake walk because your arsenal is always only going to be as good as that of the Hunters you're up against and there's way more of them than you so you'll just get gunned down if you just try to blast everyone.

The series is also a good example of how setting and story are important for games because Manhunt 2 is trash and I'd put that squarely on the change in setting and leave it at that since the less said about 2 the better.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Even though Far Cry 2 didn’t exactly live up to its initial scope when it was still a PC exclusive, it’s still probably the high point in the series.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Even though Far Cry 2 didn’t exactly live up to its initial scope when it was still a PC exclusive, it’s still probably the high point in the series.

I'm not sure about that on a technical level, given the huge amounts of bugs in FC2, the hilarious physics (zebra runs into parked jeep = dead zebra) and how the voice actor for The Jackal seemed like he was auditioning for a high-school play version of Dawson's Creek. But on a story level (I can only compare the first three, since 4 and 5 still cost money and are therefore priced higher than I'm willing to pay for them) I would say that Far Cry 2 aced the exam by showing just what a hellhole that kind of playground for paramilitary lunatics would realistically be. Neither you nor any of your potential allies are heroes- just more mercenaries on the pile, just as eagerly screwing over the noncombatant population as helping them in order to earn a few more diamonds from foreign-influenced "liberation groups" led by wannabe dictators with private armies. And The Jackal (who, I'll readily admit, did have a few really good bits in his recorded conversations with Reuben Oluwagembi) hit upon the perfect solution: Evacuate the noncombatants, let the area become a theme park for gun-toting murderers-for-hire, and give them free rein to exterminate each other.

Far Cry 3, on the other hand: Once Vaas died, I quit the game, because he was the only interesting character in the whole damn thing (far more than that rich shithead Jason "killing feels like winning" Brody).

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

I'm not sure about that on a technical level, given the huge amounts of bugs in FC2, the hilarious physics (zebra runs into parked jeep = dead zebra) and how the voice actor for The Jackal seemed like he was auditioning for a high-school play version of Dawson's Creek. But on a story level (I can only compare the first three, since 4 and 5 still cost money and are therefore priced higher than I'm willing to pay for them) I would say that Far Cry 2 aced the exam by showing just what a hellhole that kind of playground for paramilitary lunatics would realistically be. Neither you nor any of your potential allies are heroes- just more mercenaries on the pile, just as eagerly screwing over the noncombatant population as helping them in order to earn a few more diamonds from foreign-influenced "liberation groups" led by wannabe dictators with private armies. And The Jackal (who, I'll readily admit, did have a few really good bits in his recorded conversations with Reuben Oluwagembi) hit upon the perfect solution: Evacuate the noncombatants, let the area become a theme park for gun-toting murderers-for-hire, and give them free rein to exterminate each other.

Far Cry 3, on the other hand: Once Vaas died, I quit the game, because he was the only interesting character in the whole damn thing (far more than that rich shithead Jason "killing feels like winning" Brody).

Did you watch the video? I can only assume the latest main entry (FC5) represents the largest opportunity for improvement in the tech area, but still falls way short of FC2.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Did you watch the video? I can only assume the latest main entry (FC5) represents the largest opportunity for improvement in the tech area, but still falls way short of FC2.

I skimmed through the second one. (I mean, c'mon, it's 20 minutes of animations and AI derps.) And 5 may have been the largest opportunity, but it doesn't make 2 a gold standard by any means.

 

[Dalisclock]

There's something there in the first game. The first game had Kratos being an asshole that also understands he's an asshole after he killed his own family but because being a murder machine is all he knows how to do and he no longer has a family that could temper that, he's continuing to be a murder machine in the hopes that it will lead to peace for him if he works for the gods long enough. 2 really REALLY dropped the ball on any nuance there was in the character.

Yeah, GOW2 and 3 have some great environments and setpieces, but they took Kratos's wonderfully tragic and what felt appropriatly GREEK style downfall and turned it into KRATOS SMASH followed by I'M A MONSTER! I'M REALLY MAD AND SAD NOW! which cycles straight back to KRATOS SMASH MORE! because Kratos went from being kinda interesting to a wheel of ETERNAL ANGER and SUICIDAL SELF HATRED.

I haven't played it yet, but apparently the GOW 18 rehabilitated his character to some extent

 

[Dalisclock]

Far Cry 3, on the other hand: Once Vaas died, I quit the game, because he was the only interesting character in the whole damn thing (far more than that rich shithead Jason "killing feels like winning" Brody).

You aren't missing anything. I don't remember anything after that except the bad ending(the good ending is boring).

Honestly, the only parts of the game I do remember besides that are the parts where Vaas is being cra-cra in your face, so I guess that says a lot about who the real star is.

 

[Gergar12]

EA is full of morons who underused, undervalued, and underappreciated the Star Wars IP.


Edit: I mean I get it. At Gamestop the most games we had were CODs, and Sports Games, not open-worlds, or any other single-player game. But why complete with fucking COD, when there were players begging for an AAA open-world Star Wars, a Strategy Star Wars, and action-adventure Star Wars. But no Battlefront, Battlefront, Battlefront, and the AA game Fallen Order which was their best Star Wars game by far followed by squadrons another AA game.

Oh, and if you like strategy games download Star Wars Gold Pack Empire At War, then download Thrawn's Revenge the mod followed by Fall of the Republic.

 

[BrawlMan]

EA is full of morons who underused, undervalued, and underappreciated the Star Wars IP.


Edit: I mean I get it. At Gamestop the most games we had were CODs, and Sports Games, not open-worlds, or any other single-player game. But why complete with fucking COD, when there were players begging for an AAA open-world Star Wars, a Strategy Star Wars, and action-adventure Star Wars. But no Battlefront, Battlefront, Battlefront, and the AA game Fallen Order which was their best Star Wars game by far followed by squadrons another AA game.

Oh, and if you like strategy games download Star Wars Gold Pack Empire At War, then download Thrawn's Revenge the mod followed by Fall of the Republic.

We did have a variety of different Star wars before the Disney that's a lot of people's main problem with the Star wars license right now. Just giving it to one corporation is just boring. The shutting down of LucasArts is proof of that. I don't mind the idea of an open world Star wars game, but the family goes to Ubisoft of all people makes me even less interested. I hate their design structure and I am not buying anything from them. I'm still boycotting them. For them screwing over Rayman Legends and all the abuse, harassment, and racism going on over there. The fact that the shareholders still get to keep their money and make money even though they don't work at the company anymore is disgusting and nauseating. So they won't be seeing this man's money.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

I skimmed through the second one. (I mean, c'mon, it's 20 minutes of animations and AI derps.) And 5 may have been the largest opportunity, but it doesn't make 2 a gold standard by any means.

Easy to acknowledge, considering the series has never been one in the first place. But still, other than graphics and playability I’d put it above even Crysis based on that one video.

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

Shit, I've ran out of hot takes. But I still want to be controversial! (Katie Hopkins mindset just surfaced)

Umm...there's gotta be something...

I..?

Hate?

...

Boobs?

Yeah, let's go with that.

They get in the way and I don't understand why people obsess over them in everything so much. Also boob armour still haunts these videogame halls...

 

[Casual Shinji]

I haven't played it yet, but apparently the GOW 18 rehabilitated his character to some extent

And just as importantly it reframes the previous games as 'this guy was an evil asshole not to be admired or celebrated'. It feels like Santa Monica's way of stating 'Yeah sorry, we went a bit overboard there'.