Your video game hot take(s) thread

[XsjadoBlayde]

This is new to me, and never heard of that part. It could be possible of both factors. I just do know the Army did throw fuss about the game and its subject matter. That part I remember very well. I still remember them raising a fuss about the player being able to play on the terrorist side, or show them in a grey light. It still wasn't right to get the game axed, for that reason. FTR, not defending Eric Prince, I was referring to the details I originally posted. If he's the shitbag you say he is, I definitely believe you.

The well of shittery is deep for Erik Prince and Blackwater...

The Dark Truth about Blackwater | Brookings

Outsourcing the war to private military contractors such as Blackwater has shattered the United States' moral authority and its ability to win wars like that in Iraq.

www.brookings.edu

Part One: Erik Prince: The Rich Kid Who Bought An Army - Behind the Bastards | iHeart

<p>Have you ever heard of a guy named Erik Prince? In episode 23, Robert is joined by Miles Gray (The Daily Zeitgeist) and they discuss the life of Erik Prince the man who wants his own Air Force. </p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a...

www.iheart.com

Also, the creative lead for this Fallujah game actually donates to the republican party, which I think puts his statements into a much clearer light with the "we have no political statements for these US war crimes cause by warmongering conservatives, but here's some soldiers feeling all sad about doing war crimes."

Browse Individual contributions - FEC.gov

Explore current and historic federal campaign finance data on the new fec.gov. Look at totals and trends, and see how candidates and committees raise and spend money. When you find what you need, export results and save custom links.

www.fec.gov

Victura is the developer. All art is propaganda, as George Orwell would say.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

The well of shittery is deep for Erik Prince and Blackwater...

The Dark Truth about Blackwater | Brookings

Outsourcing the war to private military contractors such as Blackwater has shattered the United States' moral authority and its ability to win wars like that in Iraq.

www.brookings.edu

Part One: Erik Prince: The Rich Kid Who Bought An Army - Behind the Bastards | iHeart

<p>Have you ever heard of a guy named Erik Prince? In episode 23, Robert is joined by Miles Gray (The Daily Zeitgeist) and they discuss the life of Erik Prince the man who wants his own Air Force. </p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a...

www.iheart.com

Also, the creative lead for this Fallujah game actually donates to the republican party, which I think puts his statements into a much clearer light with the "we have no political statements for these US war crimes cause by warmongering conservatives, but here's some soldiers feeling all sad about doing war crimes."

Browse Individual contributions - FEC.gov

Explore current and historic federal campaign finance data on the new fec.gov. Look at totals and trends, and see how candidates and committees raise and spend money. When you find what you need, export results and save custom links.

www.fec.gov

View attachment 3096

Victura is the developer. All art is propaganda, as George Orwell would say.

PMC’s being used for nefarious purposes in the Middle East, you say? Gee, sounds a bit like a certain game I remember playing nearly thirteen years ago.

Spoiler

 

[Trunkage]

This is new to me, and never heard of that part. It could be possible of both factors. I just do know the Army did throw fuss about the game and its subject matter. That part I remember very well. I still remember them raising a fuss about the player being able to play on the terrorist side, or show them in a grey light. It still wasn't right to get the game axed, for that reason. FTR, not defending Eric Prince, I was referring to the details I originally posted. If he's the shitbag you say he is, I definitely believe you.

Yeah, I certainly remember the incident more than the controversy of the game.

 

[Hawki]

The whole Ubisoft "Our games are non poltical" isnt complicated. It's a disclaimer to say that they're not making a political statement as a company. Obviously the stories are political. All stories are. The ones we think aren't mean we're either missing the moments, or the politics are universal enough to us that we dont see them as "political".

I really don't agree with this idea that all stories are political. Yes, you can pull a "technically" by your criteria, but if everything is political, the term loses all meaning.

I mean, keeping with Ubisoft's IPs, any "Clancyverse" game is almost certainly political for instance. In contrast, what are the politics of something like Rayman 2?

 

[Elijin]

I really don't agree with this idea that all stories are political. Yes, you can pull a "technically" by your criteria, but if everything is political, the term loses all meaning.

I mean, keeping with Ubisoft's IPs, any "Clancyverse" game is almost certainly political for instance. In contrast, what are the politics of something like Rayman 2?

My only memory of Rayman was that he was some sort of mutant...rabbit...thing. So I default to not having an answer.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I really don't agree with this idea that all stories are political. Yes, you can pull a "technically" by your criteria, but if everything is political, the term loses all meaning.

I mean, keeping with Ubisoft's IPs, any "Clancyverse" game is almost certainly political for instance. In contrast, what are the politics of something like Rayman 2?

Having never played any of the Rayman games I had to look up what the story of Rayman 2 is.

Without having to stretch anything too far you could say that the politics of Rayman 2 are anti-colonialist.

From the Wikipedia article:

Rayman 2 takes place in a world called the Glade of Dreams, and revolves around its invasion and occupation by an armada of interstellar Robo-Pirates, led by Admiral Razorbeard. Prior to the invasion, the Robo-Pirates destroyed over one hundred planets in the galaxy, with the intention of enslaving their inhabitants. Upon the invasion of the Glade of Dreams, the Robo-Pirates were battled against by Rayman, Globox, and other allies. After some battles, Rayman's capture occurs after the explosion of the Primordial Core. Ly the Fairy telepathically communicates with Rayman explaining the consequences of the damage, with the core's shattering into 1000 Yellow Lums, and the capture of many fighters. Rayman's powers are also lost due to this, and he finds himself captured by the Robo-Pirates at the beginning of the game.

It's about a foreign invasion causing cataclysmic destruction of native habitats and enslaving the population for profit.

 

[Elijin]

I also have now looked it up and I agree with Dirty Hipsters. They're prime examples of politics we have accepted wholesale, and thus no longer consider "political".

Also after reading the breakdown of the story, I add "Drugs are awesome" to the list, because I can only assume they were involved somewhere in writing that.

 

[Hawki]

Having never played any of the Rayman games I had to look up what the story of Rayman 2 is.

Without having to stretch anything too far you could say that the politics of Rayman 2 are anti-colonialist.

From the Wikipedia article:



It's about a foreign invasion causing cataclysmic destruction of native habitats and enslaving the population for profit.

Being someone who's played Rayman 2, it's an example of a "technically," by the criteria I laid out above. It has space pirates enslave the native population, and Rayman has to free them. Congratulations, you've got a fantasy world with human behaviour that's as old as civilization, and is now universally recognised as immoral. The story is pretty bare bones, and is far more concerned with the fantastical aspects than examining piracy or slavery. I mean, the story is pretty much "Rayman, go collect four masks to revive our creator god" to "hey Rayman, our creator god has destroyed all the pirates [off-screen], but now you've got to defeat the pirates on their ship because our god's power doesn't extend beyond the planet" to "Jesus Christ this final boss is hard!" (okay, that last one is me).

Don't get me wrong, I love Rayman 2, and the story has a charm to it, but to call it "political" is really a stretch. Or if we're shifting to another Ubisoft franchise, I can buy the idea that Far Cry 5 and 6 are political, but how would Far Cry Primal be political?

 

[BrawlMan]

• Most beat'em ups on the Sega Genesis kill the beat'em ups on SNES. Especially Streets of Rage 2. What does not help, was the a lot of the brawlers on SNES were single player only, even when getting to the console's mid life cycle. Whatever brawlers that were co-op were few that made it stateside, and most are average or mediocre.
• Castlevania Bloodlines > Castlevania IV
• I am not a big fan of either 3D Castlevania games, but I find the Lords of Shadow games more interesting than the games on PS2.
• I find the 3rd party games on Switch more interesting than nearly all of Nintendo's first party line up. This has almost always been the case with me though when it comes to Nintendo consoles.
• Ninja Warriors Again and its remake, Ninja Warriors Once Again, has the best designs of robot ninjas ever made.
• Metal Gear Rising > all of the 3D Ninja Gaiden games.
• I never liked the open world in No More Heroes and I am glad the sequel got rid of it and the stupid entry fee. Cuts down padding. III on the other hand seems to be bringing back the entry fee at least based on the recent trailer. Not exactly looking forward the entry fees again.

 

[Dalisclock]

• Castlevania Bloodlines > Castlevania IV

Wasn't IV basically an SNES remake of the first game?

Bloodlines is the one that takes place during WW1, right? Where Elizabeth Barony triggered WW1 to bring Dracula back early? With the Morris family from the Dracula Novel surplantting the Belmonts? Because that's actually an interesting take on the series that's kinda been doing the same thing for a long while.

 

[BrawlMan]

Wasn't IV basically an SNES remake of the first game?

Yes. While technically, IV has the best whip mechanics in a 2D Castlevania game, Bloodlines has more variety and replay value. Every stage is dfferent with their own unique gimmicks, going across Europe instead of just the castle again. You have two playable characters with their own strengths and weaknesses. The gore they got away with, except the EU/UK version of the game. Cool and awesome rotating effects that put the SNES mode 7 to shame. See Contra: Hard Corps or any Sega Genesis game done by Treasure that takes it even further.

Bloodlines is the one that takes place during WW1, right? Where Elizabeth Barony triggered WW1 to bring Dracula back early? With the Morris family from the Dracula Novel surplantting the Belmonts? Because that's actually an interesting take on the series that's kinda been doing the same thing for a long while.

Yes to all of the above. John Morris was the son of Quincy Morris. They later retconned John to be part Belmont in Portrait of Ruin. He died from his wounds after defeating Dracula, because he did not know how to use the Vampire Killer properly.

 

[Inazuma1]

• Most beat'em ups on the Sega Genesis kill the beat'em ups on SNES. Especially Streets of Rage 2. What does not help, was the a lot of the brawlers on SNES were single player only, even when getting the console's mid life cycle. Whatever brawlers that were co-op were few that made it stateside, and most are average or mediocre.

You're not wrong. Final Fight 2 and 3 had co-op but nobody remembers those, and the only other examples I can think of were from, ugh, Jaleco. Jaleco: The Pinnacle of Beat'em Up Mediocrity.

Wasn't IV basically an SNES remake of the first game?

Bloodlines is the one that takes place during WW1, right? Where Elizabeth Barony triggered WW1 to bring Dracula back early? With the Morris family from the Dracula Novel surplantting the Belmonts? Because that's actually an interesting take on the series that's kinda been doing the same thing for a long while.

Yes on both counts. And to your point that Bloodlines actually does something different, that can also go in reverse as seen with Lords of Shadow 2. You play as Dracula! But he's an unlikable emo ***** who has to transform into a rat and hide from big enemies because he's still super hungover after waking up from his 2000 year coma.

 

[BrawlMan]

You're not wrong. Final Fight 2 and 3 had co-op but nobody remembers those

Unless your name is Matt McMuscles. TMNT IV, Power Rangers: The Movie, Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, Combatribes, Battletoads & Double Dragon and Super Double Dragon has co-op too.

I can think of were from, ugh, Jaleco. Jaleco: The Pinnacle of Beat'em Up Mediocrity.

The US division of Jaleco screwed the Rushing Beat series so hard with the horrible localization. The only good thing I can say is that the second game, Brawl Brothers (Rushing Beat Ran) has an easy cheat code where you can at least play the Japanese version. But man I have never seen a video game trilogy fucked this hard dumb localization and removing cool or interesting features or songs for no reason. The 3rd Rushing Beat being the prime example.

 

[Inazuma1]

Unless your name is Matt McMuscles. TMNT IV, Battletoads in Battlemaniacs, Combatribes, and Super Double Dragon has co-op too.

How the fuck did I forget about Turtles In Time? I may as well hand in my 16-bit boomer membership card for that. I don't really count Battletoads because just like in the original only the first level is an actual beat'em up. The rest after the first Turbo Tunnel are all goofy gimmicks and puzzles. I've never heard of Combatribes, and never played Super Double Dragon. Though with how bleh Double Dragon 3 was I think it's understandable why I wouldn't want to.

The US division of Jaleco screwed the Rushing Beat series so hard with the horrible localization. The only good thing I can say is that the second game, Brawl Brothers (Rushing Beat Ran) has an easy cheat code where you can at least play the Japanese version. But man I have never seen a video game trilogy fucked this hard dumb localization and removing cool or interesting features or songs for no reason. The 3rd Rushing Beat being the prime example.

Bad localization or not my big issue with Rushing Beat is just that none of them really play all that well. If Final Fight was the progenitor that 90s Beat'em Ups took inspiration from and Streets of Rage made the concept work well on a console, then Rushing Beat just feels like the lowest effort attempt at a Beat'em Up. Something about them just doesn't feel right, and the lack of personality or style on display makes for a very bland experience.

 

[BrawlMan]

How the fuck did I forget about Turtles In Time? I may as well hand in my 16-bit boomer membership card for that.

HAHAH. No need for that my chum. We can all forget some games at some point.

I don't really count Battletoads because just like in the original only the first level is an actual beat'em up.

Yeah, despite being a sequel, Battlemaniacs is a glorifed remake of the first game. It has more brawler sections, but it' still a genre roulette of ideas. Super Battletoads/The Arcade Game is a way more straightforward brawler and is all the more better for it.

I've never heard of Combatribes, and never played Super Double Dragon.

Both are by the same former company, Technos. Combatribes was an arcade game with 3 players, but became two players in the SNES port. Super Double Dragon is decent, but it's obvious the game was rushed out the door. There is practically no story, aside from the manual. A lot was removed from the cutting room floor. I recommend playing the Japanese version: Return of Double Dragon. It's easier and feels much more polished by comparison. Either versions are better than all iterations of DD III.

Bad localization or not my big issue with Rushing Beat is just that none of them really play all that well. If Final Fight was the progenitor that 90s Beat'em Ups took inspiration from and Streets of Rage made the concept work well on a console, then Rushing Beat just feels like the lowest effort attempt at a Beat'em Up. Something about them just doesn't feel right, and the lack of personality or style on display makes for a very bland experience.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you. It's just that they took a mediocre experience and made the games worse in some or all capacity. I do have a bit of a soft spot for Rushing Beat Ran, because of the semi-comic book atheistic. Certain enemies and bosses are overpowered or have cheap moves. Though Rushing Beat Shura has the best game out of the trilogy. Not a huge accomplish, but at least some fun can be had, unlike its Western counterpart.

 

[Inazuma1]

Rushing Beat Shura has the best game out of the trilogy. Not a huge accomplish, but at least some fun can be had, unlike its Western counterpart.

I'm guessing Shura in the west was called Peace Keepers? I had a cheat book back in the day that had an entry for Peace Keepers that detailed elements of its branching paths and how you could fight 'hidden' bosses or find different routes and it made me want to play it just because it made the game sound really cool. Then I actually did play it, and woof. For all the hidden bosses and paths playing it was just a sleep inducing slog with a villain that quoted Shakespere for seemingly no reason.

 

[BrawlMan]

I'm guessing Shura in the west was called Peace Keepers?

Yes.

I had a cheat book back in the day that had an entry for Peace Keepers that detailed elements of its branching paths and how you could fight 'hidden' bosses or find different routes and it made me want to play it just because it made the game sound really cool. Then I actually did play it, and woof. For all the hidden bosses and paths playing it was just a sleep inducing slog with a villain that quoted Shakespere for seemingly no reason.

Like I said before, they changed a lot for no reason. The plots between both versions are so different that they might as well be different games. I don't know much of the plot of either games, but Peace Keepers was localized to be a "stand alone" (all three localized version of the titles suffer from this) game and suffered for it big time. Removing a lot of the music makes the brawling even more of a slog and replaced with either "ambience" or no music at all.

 

[Gyrobot]

When I am talking about how Tom Clancy's IP has been fully descrated and how game who made a historical revision of Highway of Death did what the Tom Clancy IP doesn't do anymore...

How Rainbow Six Siege's New Look Embraces Its Five-Year Evolution - IGN

Rainbow Six Siege's new logo and art design embraces the game's evolution from tactical shooter to ultra-competitive hero shooter.

www.ign.com

This is the reason why I believe COD was more political in it's message even it had to uncomfortably be pro American

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

GTA IV is certainly flawed, but is still the most well-made GTA game.

Spoiler: I ultimately concur

Grand Theft Auto IV Remains The Most Important GTA

We’re back in the New York Groove with Niko Bellic and company.

www.gameinformer.com

It was GTA 4's world, not its story, that made a lasting impression

The incredible detail of GTA 4, and especially its PC port, created a world that felt real like nothing before it.

www.pcgamer.com

For some reason I’ve been thinking about the game quite a bit lately, nearing the end of my Platinum run of RDR2. I think it’s because of its superior attention to detail for its time, which is something I hope most for GTA6 to follow closely.

 

[Gyrobot]

GTA IV is certainly flawed, but is still the most well-made GTA game.

Spoiler: I ultimately concur

Grand Theft Auto IV Remains The Most Important GTA

We’re back in the New York Groove with Niko Bellic and company.

www.gameinformer.com

It was GTA 4's world, not its story, that made a lasting impression

The incredible detail of GTA 4, and especially its PC port, created a world that felt real like nothing before it.

www.pcgamer.com

For some reason I’ve been thinking about the game quite a bit lately, nearing the end of my Platinum run of RDR2. I think it’s because of its superior attention to detail for its time, which is something I hope most for GTA6 to follow closely.

And looking back at it, GTAIV's cast and storytelling beats GTAV's cast and storytelling by a long shot before Rockstar drank the GaaS flavored Koolaid

To sum it up.

I like GTA IV better than V because the latter is actually more unpleasantly cynical in spite of technically being markedly goofier. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, the game's satirical elements are presented with much more aggression and bitterness than in past titles, where the spoofing of American culture was lighthearted and comedic. In the past it felt like the developers had a genuine fondness for the 80's and 90's media they were making fun of, but in V they have nothing but contempt for young millenials, famous celebrities, "hipsters," and every other group that lands in the firing line. It also manifests in how the characters are extremely unlikable while also not being terribly engaging or complex. Most of them can be separated into five categories:
1) shrill, dismissive jerks who constantly belittle the protagonists (IE, Michael's family, Franklin's aunt and ex-girlfriend),
2) the protagonist's dimwitted friends who are mostly dead weight (IE, Lamarr, Ron, Wade),
3) conniving, self-serving hucksters and psychos (IE, most of the strangers),
4) bland villainous characters with nebulous, poorly-defined goals who aren't very involved in the story (IE, Stretch, Wei Cheng, the O'Neil Brothers),
and 5) marginally better-defined villains whose personalities boil down to "smug asshole who's abusing his power" and still don't have much bearing on the overarching plot (IE, Steve Haines and Devin Weston, who seem like they could have been killed at any point prior to the final mission). It's difficult to care about Michael's family or Lamarr when they spend most of the game screaming, acting like twats, and getting into trouble that the protagonists must then begrudgingly rescue them from. The protagonists don't seem to care about any of these people, so why should the player?