Video Games Thread

[Edward64]

Here's a link to 2018 games.

Upcoming PC games | PCGamesN (https://www.pcgamesn.com/upcoming-pc-games)

I'm interested in


Monster Hunter
Kingdom Come
State of Decay 2


And keeping a watch on


Railway Empire - played the orig SM's Railroad Tycoon a ton when younger, not sure I'm as interested now though
Xenonauts 2 - I think I'm all XCom-like out but looking forward to reviews
Star Citizen - I think I'm going to have to treat this like a GRRM next release ... it won't happen in my lifetime and there's way too many good games out there to be too hung up over it

[CrimsonFox]

I'm jumping into Dokidoki Literature Club! Wish me luck!

I hope I'm not being trolled into this...

[mckerney]

I'm jumping into Dokidoki Literature Club! Wish me luck!

I hope I'm not being trolled into this...

Doki Doki is great!

You should also play Night in the Woods.

https://i.imgur.com/ddGbeB0.jpg

[CrimsonFox]

Doki Doki is great!

You should also play Night in the Woods.

https://i.imgur.com/ddGbeB0.jpg

I've been watching your pics on my steam feed! I definitely want that! :)

[SackAttack]

I'm jumping into Dokidoki Literature Club! Wish me luck!

I hope I'm not being trolled into this...

I'm told there's multiple endings but I'm disturbed enough by the playthrough I did I'm not sure I want to go back for more.

[CrimsonFox]

I can't wait to be disturbed...

I'm like on day 3...and...huh...is it hot in here?

[stevew]

Anyone have Battle Chef Brigade? Combo monster hunting and cooking game

[Izulde]

I'm going to try DDLC after I finish playing through Eiyu Senki (it's fun and easy, and better with *cough*DLC*cough*

[NobodyHere]

Games I'm looking forward to:

Dragon Quest 11
Battletech
Mechwarrior 5 (Slated for December)
Anthem
Pillars of Eternity 2
Civ 6 Expansion
Tropico 6
Star Citizen (for the third year running)

[CrimsonFox]

Vermintide 2!

[Edward64]

I really don't want it to be a scam but don't know what to think.

Abnormal Traffic Detected (https://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-citizen-raised-35-million-in-2017/1100-6455904/)
Star Citizen raised a lot of money in 2017. According to data collected by Polygon, the super-ambitious PC space sim raised $34.91 million last year, which is down from $36.11 million the year prior. In total, Star Citizen has raised an astonishing $175.9 million, according to the game's own publicly available funding data. Note that these figures do not include money given back via returns, but even with those accounted for, the number is surely still huge.

[NobodyHere]

Just so you know the title of your link is "Abnormal Traffic Detected"

[Edward64]

Just so you know the title of your link is "Abnormal Traffic Detected"

Yeah it is. Weird. Still works for me, it takes you to gamespot.com

[General Mike]

I'll buy whatever Lego games come out, that's probably about it. Maybe one sports game. I bought NHL in 2016, Madden in 2017, so maybe it's a FIFA year.

[mckerney]

My most anticipated game is Bayonetta 3. Not sure it will come out this year as it doesn't yet have a release date or if I'll get a Switch right away, but hard to get more excited for something than another Bayonetta game.

Other than that I'm really looking forward to Pillars of Eternity 2. The first Pillars wasn't quite as good as I had hoped but after how good The White March and Tyranny were and following some of the changes they've made from the original leaves me optimistic the sequel will be an improvement.

[SackAttack]

Honestly a bunch of the games I'm looking forward to are games that came out in 2017 that I haven't gotten to yet, such as Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2.

I just upgraded my PS4 hard drive to 1TB, though, and I'm in the process of turning the 500 GB drive into an external drive for even more PS4 storage, so the umpteen billion digital titles I have for PS4 that I haven't been able to install and play because of space restrictions are suddenly on the table now, as well.

[mckerney]

Given how great 2017 was for games I'll likely spend much of 2018 catching up. I still need to finish Divinity Original Sin 2, Cuphead, Night in the Woods, Nioh, and Prey.

Other games I'm looking to play but haven't started yet include Hollow Knight, Horizon Zero Dawn, Trails in the Sky the 3rd, Battlechasers, Yakuza 0 and Kiwami, Danganronpa v3, Thimbleweed Park, Torment: Tides of Numenera, and The Sexy Brutale.

[Groundhog]

Pillars of Eternity 2, I guess. I didn't finish the first one initially after getting stuck in a late-game part (I can't even remember, now), but I've recently re-started and I'm enjoying it.

[CrimsonFox]

And the first thing I do in Bioshock Infinite is turn on all the sinks.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Maybe RedDead2 -- though I'm hearing that may be 2019 now?

Other than that -- and even that is pretty muted -- I'm not sure if anything has been more than casual interest for me in a couple years. I knew my gaming had changed when COD couldn't pull me in with a WWII take.

[CrimsonFox]

Oh Doki Doki Literature Club
How you left my heart on the floor
How you fondled my emotions
And kicked me in the gut and made me want more

[NobodyHere]

Because there hasn't been a console sales post in a long while:

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2018/01/08/switch-outsells-entire-lifetime-of-wii-u-in-japan.aspx

[Abe Sargent]

I know this isn;t a 2018 Video Game, but no one is reading the 2016 one. I just finished Siege of Dragonspear, the expansion for BGEE from 2016 and loved it. Now I want to restart a EE game as Alzar the Mighty, a fighter who will dual to mage, lawful evil, using the battle axe. Never played as evil before, want to see how Alzar will handle it!

[Abe Sargent]

I'm killing Drizzt right now which I've never done before, I took out Algernon early to get his Nymph Cloak, and my current party of 5 - Viconia, me, Kagain, Imoen and Neera are currently cleaning up some open areas so I can head to the Mines and get the best evil character in the game, maybe, with Dorn.


EDIT - Post Drizzt death I am at 4 reputation. Nobody likes a Hero-Killer. I killed when my chars where level 2 and then got so many XP! I let the 20ish Gnolls wail on him and I peppered hm with missile weapons for around 10+ minutes, and then as they faded, I moved in and killed him with Alzar the Mighty's Axe. How apropos.

[Abe Sargent]

Just finished Throne of Bhaa l yesterday with Alzar who took on the Throne of Bhaal. I forgot just how bad TOB is until I replayed it. It's an worthy finale to BG1 and BG2. I beat it in three days .

Spear is great though. Loved it to death. It's a modern version that fixes UI and mechanical issues with the game engine and yet still a great game and chapter to the franchise.

[NobodyHere]

Battletech drops on April 24th

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jxqmd_tE2WI" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I was hoping for earlier in the month but oh well. I know I'll be getting it because I was a kickstarter backer.

[Brian Swartz]

Bwah. Well, I'm interested in Battletech but Frostpunk is out the same day it'll have to wait. Priorities.

[NobodyHere]

https://www.pcgamer.com/dragon-quest-11-confirmed-for-pc-release-date-set/

I've been waiting for this news. DQ 11 is coming on Sept 4. I'm quite surprised that they're releasing it on PC at the North America launch and that they're skipping the 3DS version all together.

[MizzouRah]

I am super excited to get Far Cry 5 into my grubby paws Saturday. I've always been a fan of this series and a few videos I watched has me psyched!

[spleen1015]

https://www.pcgamer.com/dragon-quest-11-confirmed-for-pc-release-date-set/

I've been waiting for this news. DQ 11 is coming on Sept 4. I'm quite surprised that they're releasing it on PC at the North America launch and that they're skipping the 3DS version all together.

I was looking forward to this news as well. Can't wait.

I am super excited to get Far Cry 5 into my grubby paws Saturday. I've always been a fan of this series and a few videos I watched has me psyched!

It's a Far Cry game. Very good.

[SirFozzie]

If you don't want to be spoiled as to the beginning of the Battletech game, do not click this replay stream.

Also, do not click this stream if watching it will make you want to build a time machine and set it to April 24th.

It doesn't look as good as I hoped.

It looks 100x BETTER.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/244283036

[Atocep]

I am super excited to get Far Cry 5 into my grubby paws Saturday. I've always been a fan of this series and a few videos I watched has me psyched!

Hands down the best Far Cry game IMO.

[MizzouRah]

Hands down the best Far Cry game IMO.

That's great to hear.. going to dig into it right.. NOW.

[dacman]

Hands down the best Far Cry game IMO.

I agree -- still Far Cry though. If you're not a Far Cry fan, I don't think this one will change your mind.

[MizzouRah]

FC 5 has been a blast so far, everything is just so well done and improved in this edition. I love calling in my gun for hire to help me with a tough mission.

[Thomkal]

If you don't want to be spoiled as to the beginning of the Battletech game, do not click this replay stream.

Also, do not click this stream if watching it will make you want to build a time machine and set it to April 24th.

It doesn't look as good as I hoped.

It looks 100x BETTER.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/244283036

Quill19 has an early look at Battletech:

Let's Try: BATTLETECH! - Part 1/3 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ryfU0PJRBE)

[NobodyHere]

I got my key for Battletech! It doesn't unlock for a few days yet though.

[Shkspr]

I've had a blast following the different YouTube streams of the people who got prerelease copies of Battletech, but the thing that struck me is how bad people seemed to be at it. People not building evasion on their 'Mechs, being obsessed with height advantage (which confers no more than a 5% bonus to hit), ignoring jump jets (which I attribute to disabling your players jets during the first scripted mission) and heat buildup, passing up chances to strip evasion from enemies because the to-hit chance is too low, and so on. Of the streams I watched, there was one guy who had significant experience in the BT universe, and he was, not surprisingly, the only guy who didn't do his damnedest to get the starting light 'Mech pilot killed.

So I'm excited, because people aren't going to be bringing as much TBS hex knowledge as they think to the initial game, but I'm dismayed, because much of the commentary seems to indicate that this learning curve may frustrate MWO owners, who think that just porting over their shooter builds is going to guarantee them a cakewalk, and are likely to turn on the game when it turns out that isn't the case. I'm already seeing lots of ignorant comments that it's a game for 5 year olds, which seems silly since most everybody has been playing missions with 0.5 difficulty out of 5.

The game is gorgeous, boasts huge depth, and appears to go all-in on the lore, to the point that I pulled out my old 3025 Technical Readout to follow along on the playthroughs. The only thing I've seen that concerns me is watching a lance of Locusts take down an Atlas 'Mech in the skirmish mode in about 10 rounds (followed, of course, by the same guy in an Atlas taking down a lance of Locusts in half the time).

Bonus silliness: it's fun to watch each of the streamers go through character creation only for them to wind up with characters that are 80% similar: Everyone hails from the "rare" background of the Deep Periphery, has a huge unkempt beard, ends up with Gunnery skill, and eventually recolors their 'Mech lance to be in red and silver. Even in cases where the streamer chooses another option, there's a moment on screen when their mouse hovers over the option. You can see the indecision in the mouse movement. Hilarious.

Anyway, I'm probably going to be addicted to this for at least two or three days before I'm distracted by shiny objects and/or work. Fun!

[JonInMiddleGA]

I know virtually nothing about this game (hadn't heard of it until tonight honestly) and only saw it due to a random LP in my YT subscriptions. But doing a little reading, Frostpunk is from the developer of This War Of Mine, so it being fairly grim isn't a big surprise.

The PC Gamer review mentions a few things about it I definitely wouldn't like (such as the roughly 45 game days hard end time) and I'm unlikely to ever own a PC that would run it anyway but I'm mentioning it here because the game just looks f'n gorgeous to me. I'll link the YT so you can judge for yourself and the review I read, but damn, the graphics are sweeeeet afaic.

Here's the Quill18 stream of a couple hours
Let's Play: Frostpunk - It's just like living in Canada! [Ep 1] - YouTube (https://youtu.be/-jKzFK9GpIg)

https://www.pcgamer.com/frostpunk-review/

[GrantDawg]

I've had a blast following the different YouTube streams of the people who got prerelease copies of Battletech, but the thing that struck me is how bad people seemed to be at it. People not building evasion on their 'Mechs, being obsessed with height advantage (which confers no more than a 5% bonus to hit), ignoring jump jets (which I attribute to disabling your players jets during the first scripted mission) and heat buildup, passing up chances to strip evasion from enemies because the to-hit chance is too low, and so on. Of the streams I watched, there was one guy who had significant experience in the BT universe, and he was, not surprisingly, the only guy who didn't do his damnedest to get the starting light 'Mech pilot killed.

So I'm excited, because people aren't going to be bringing as much TBS hex knowledge as they think to the initial game, but I'm dismayed, because much of the commentary seems to indicate that this learning curve may frustrate MWO owners, who think that just porting over their shooter builds is going to guarantee them a cakewalk, and are likely to turn on the game when it turns out that isn't the case. I'm already seeing lots of ignorant comments that it's a game for 5 year olds, which seems silly since most everybody has been playing missions with 0.5 difficulty out of 5.

The game is gorgeous, boasts huge depth, and appears to go all-in on the lore, to the point that I pulled out my old 3025 Technical Readout to follow along on the playthroughs. The only thing I've seen that concerns me is watching a lance of Locusts take down an Atlas 'Mech in the skirmish mode in about 10 rounds (followed, of course, by the same guy in an Atlas taking down a lance of Locusts in half the time).

Bonus silliness: it's fun to watch each of the streamers go through character creation only for them to wind up with characters that are 80% similar: Everyone hails from the "rare" background of the Deep Periphery, has a huge unkempt beard, ends up with Gunnery skill, and eventually recolors their 'Mech lance to be in red and silver. Even in cases where the streamer chooses another option, there's a moment on screen when their mouse hovers over the option. You can see the indecision in the mouse movement. Hilarious.

Anyway, I'm probably going to be addicted to this for at least two or three days before I'm distracted by shiny objects and/or work. Fun!

That's what I have been seeing as well. I just can't wait to get my hands on the game.

[Edward64]

Here's a link to 2018 games.

Upcoming PC games | PCGamesN (https://www.pcgamesn.com/upcoming-pc-games)

I'm interested in


Monster Hunter
Kingdom Come
State of Decay 2


And keeping a watch on


Railway Empire - played the orig SM's Railroad Tycoon a ton when younger, not sure I'm as interested now though
Xenonauts 2 - I think I'm all XCom-like out but looking forward to reviews
Star Citizen - I think I'm going to have to treat this like a GRRM next release ... it won't happen in my lifetime and there's way too many good games out there to be too hung up over it


Latest Start Citizen roadmap shows development through at least Q1 2019.

https://i.imgur.com/Ak0KfSI.jpg

[NobodyHere]

Might as well take my money now:


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WTHxBqqNONA" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Thomkal]

https://www.pcgamer.com/age-of-wonders-planetfall-goes-sci-fi-due-2019/

[MizzouRah]

Might as well take my money now:


<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WTHxBqqNONA" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe>


Mine too.

[Edward64]

Looks very interesting. 2019

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/19/age-of-wonders-planetfall-takes-the-wonder-to-the-stars/#more-544887
Here’s the better-goodword summary of this from Paradox themselves:

In Age of Wonders: Planetfall, players will emerge from the dark age of a fallen galactic empire to craft a new future for their people. Exploring the planetary ruins and encountering other surviving factions that have each evolved in their own way, players will unravel the history of a shattered civilization. Fight, build, negotiate and technologically advance the way to utopia, in a deep single player campaign, on random maps and against friends in multiplayer.

[mckerney]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wow, the decision to make Victoria 3 a free-to-play mobile game was certainly unexpected, but you can't argue with the end product. Definitely going to be my most anticipated title of 2018! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PDXCON2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PDXCON2018</a></p>&mdash; Quill18������ (@quill18) <a href="https://twitter.com/quill18/status/997486289204203521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[JonInMiddleGA]

State of Decay 2 notes after my first couple hours gameplay (in no real order)

-- it feels like it plays "slow", in terms of your character movement speed. Actions (like swinging a melee) not so much so but just walking feels a bit sluggish

-- damn the visuals can be buggy. I saw the "black polygons" glitch a few minutes after leaving the tutorial, luckily I wasn't in combat. And opening/closing gates, searching containers, the "aiming" to trigger those can be wonky as hell

-- It feels very similar to SoD 1, a lot of the mechanical stuff started coming back to me fairly quickly & I didn't play the original that much as I recall

-- I think like the "pick a pair" start. And yes, the characters within each pair do change names (which is just cosmetic as far as I can tell) and their starting skills do change if you go back from the selection screen & select "start new" again. I think the tendencies for the pairs are roughly the same, but I've seen variance in a skill on the same basic character from 3 to 5 stars for a starting point

-- weight limits are a bitch early, especially the 1-rucksack-at-a-time limit. There are locations (at least on one of the 3 initial map choices) that could require 3 trips to clear early on. And it feels like you're going to want to grab the large majority of stuff you come across.

-- Food seems like a real m.f. to deal with at the settlement level. And wood may be a perpetual thing.

-- SoD2 feels, to my recollection, to be a little more settlement/supplies oriented than SoD1 was.

[JonInMiddleGA]

A couple more hours into SoD2 and it feels very micro manage-y.

Not yet sure whether that's going to be a plus (quite possible) or a minus (if it gets much moreso).

And the physics, oh dear. Cars are SERIOUSLY touchy. I think the physics of them might be worse than SoD1, though watching vehicles sloooooowly sidestep their way off of obstacles via, like, "graphical creep" is wonky amusement I guess.

[CrimsonFox]

OMG gog.com

has my favorite fps story adventure of all time! UNREAL GOLD!

(which includes Unreal + The Return to Na Pali expansion)

So fun!

https://www.gog.com/

FREE FREE FREE!

[bhlloy]

State of Decay 2 notes after my first couple hours gameplay (in no real order)

-- damn the visuals can be buggy. I saw the "black polygons" glitch a few minutes after leaving the tutorial, luckily I wasn't in combat. And opening/closing gates, searching containers, the "aiming" to trigger those can be wonky as hell


Would be a shame if they didn't fix the glitches from the first game, the combination of glitches that could get your characters killed and autosave turned what was a really fun game at it's core into an exercise in serious frustration. I wanted to love it, but just couldn't get over those issues.

[NobodyHere]

This will go over well...

https://www.pcgamer.com/school-shooting-game-active-shooter-appears-on-steam-draws-widespread-condemnation/

But I bet the controversial subject alone will help drive sales to the game and get it plenty of publicity.

[mckerney]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Rest in Peace my Dearest Love<br>John <a href="https://twitter.com/Totalbiscuit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Totalbiscuit</a> Bain<br>July 8, 1984 - May 24, 2018 <a href="https://t.co/hg9ytHsItJ">pic.twitter.com/hg9ytHsItJ</a></p>&mdash; Genna Bain (@GennaBain) <a href="https://twitter.com/GennaBain/status/999785407087808512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[JonInMiddleGA]

Rest In Peace TB
#FuckCancer

https://kotaku.com/game-critic-totalbiscuit-has-died-1826310517

[Edward64]

A couple more hours into SoD2 and it feels very micro manage-y.

Not yet sure whether that's going to be a plus (quite possible) or a minus (if it gets much moreso).

And the physics, oh dear. Cars are SERIOUSLY touchy. I think the physics of them might be worse than SoD1, though watching vehicles sloooooowly sidestep their way off of obstacles via, like, "graphical creep" is wonky amusement I guess.

I never played SoD1 but am thinking about buying this as the bugs get worked out.

How is re-playability?

[MizzouRah]

Rest In Peace TB
#FuckCancer

https://kotaku.com/game-critic-totalbiscuit-has-died-1826310517


Fuck Cancer! RIP TB.. :(

[Thomkal]

very sad to hear about TB's death. :( Think I will go load some random game and swear at in his honor :)

[NobodyHere]

I don't who the guy is at all but it is kind of disconcerting that a guy one year younger than me dies of cancer.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I never played SoD1 but am thinking about buying this as the bugs get worked out.

How is re-playability?

At this point I think it's probably good for at least three plays (one for each starting map). From there, completionists could go around again to make sure they finish with each of the "Leader" types (there are ... four? of those maybe?)

The design also lends itself to future DLC so presumably there's some more play time to be had that way as well.

[Dantooine98]

Far Cry 5's first bit of post-launch DLC, Hours of Darkness, will be coming to PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on June 5th, Ubisoft has announced.

I like the teaser!

Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness Teaser Trailer | UbisoftÂ*[NA] - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtaiTabvIEE)

[Edward64]

At this point I think it's probably good for at least three plays (one for each starting map). From there, completionists could go around again to make sure they finish with each of the "Leader" types (there are ... four? of those maybe?)

The design also lends itself to future DLC so presumably there's some more play time to be had that way as well.

Is the world pretty open? Are you able to wander about, not do the main story line and still keep things interesting?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Is the world pretty open? Are you able to wander about, not do the main story line and still keep things interesting?

Yeah, I'd call it open, within the confines of the borders of each map at least.

I'm on Day 9 or Day 10 (game tracks that day/night cycle), that probably equates to something like 15-20 hours of game play (maybe?). I've yet to have any main storyline stuff come into play, literally no more than a couple of random radio messages that sort of hint at the existence of such a thing.

It's been all about just trying to survive & find supplies as a constant task. I've noticed tougher enemies starting to appear, and larger herds appearing more frequently, so I know I'm "progressing" in that sense but otherwise I'm that far in with no particular push toward the main story.

My expectation is that the difficulty will be ratcheted up steadily to nudge (or shove) you in the main story direction.

My kid is about 3-5 days (in-game) farther along and has had only a little more 'main story' stuff take place His character knows about the existence of a macguffin that my character hasn't heard about yet basically. That difference is probably not time-based, but rather based on the fact he's taken out 4-5 plague hearts while I've only taken out 2 so far.

As for the wandering around aspect of it, the game is divided into 3 roughly equal sized maps. (Hills, Plateau, and Valley, I think it is). I've seen roughly half my map, he's seen closer to 2/3rd to 3/4ths of his map. We've not cleared more than maybe 10-15% of the locations we're aware of, and those can repopulate as roaming hordes spread across the map. And I just unlocked the ability to move between maps (costs you Influence, which is the in-game currency for trade, claiming buildings & outposts, etc) but have no reason or desire to think about looking at another map to this point, I've barely touched the one I started on.

Hope that helps.

[Edward64]

Hope that helps.

Yes, that was great. Thank you.

Keep us updated on how you both are progressing and how you (dis)like it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Yes, that was great. Thank you.

Keep us updated on how you both are progressing and how you (dis)like it.

On the dislikes, I'll note that I haven't had a major (like big black polygons major) glitch since the one in the first hour or so I saw. Clipping is a definite thing & vehicles are still subject to visual oddities, collision detection & physics have some weird moments. I did, however, hit a glitch after switching being characters. (There's you and an optional follower from your group, you can switch between them, although maybe only once per outing?) I switched up for scavenging / load management purposes & the game got lost on where the centering should be. Both characters were INside the same building but my camera angle was like overhead drone angle ... OUTside. So I was trying to find the door, in the dark, without being able to see either character's p.o.v. I ultimately punted & used their "go back" function & backtracked in time like 2 mins, which luckily did throw me back into a proper p.o.v.

The thing I'm sorta not loving atm is that I am starting to feel like it may be ramping up the numbers of enemies in order to shove me down the main story path a little. It's not X-Com degree of punishment (yet) but it's reached the point of being a serious challenge to get a character out of a situation. I've had one character die so far but I feel like every single outing carries a significant risk of death. That'd be okay if I wasn't getting a nagging feeling that it's a situation being created intentionally (by multiplying the numbers) just to form my path somewhat. Not ready to swear that's the case -- maybe I just suck at the game -- but I'm suspicious of that being so.

[JonInMiddleGA]

State of Decay 2 note: these people make Preston Garvey sound downright self-sufficient by comparison.

[Edward64]

State of Decay 2 note: these people make Preston Garvey sound downright self-sufficient by comparison.

So they are whiny and always need your character to do something for them I assume?

I saw a youtube of SOD2 gameplay, the graphics look much better than FO4. Would you agree?

[JonInMiddleGA]

So they are whiny and always need your character to do something for them I assume?

We need to be doing X, we should go do Y, we need resource X, Y, or Z. Whine, whine, whine. The freaky part of it is that you switch between characters routinely, at will, so one minute you're annoyed by a particularly bitchy demanding voice, the next minute you're playing as that character hearing your previous one bitch & moan.

I saw a youtube of SOD2 gameplay, the graphics look much better than FO4. Would you agree?

I posed this question to my son, who had basically the same answer I started to give: it's such a different visual feel that neither of us thought of it as better/worse, just ... different.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Since I'm just sharing as we go on SoD2, I'll throw this out. My son is roughly 2x as far along as me in-game, I'm at like Day 9, he's somewhere around Day 16-17 or something. His comment -- which I guessed correctly before he finished making it -- was that he didn't feel like the main story (whatever it is) was moving hardly at all. That "there's nothing really going on except killing plague hearts & helping NPCs".

That might not be problematic to him -- and certainly not to me -- if the base-building aspect was more robust. But it's simply not. You have limited building slots available, meaning you don't have much to do with your base except constantly chase basic supplies (lumber/materials, ammunition, food, meds) in fetch quests or stumbling around the map.

He's at double my playing time and that has led to him learning about the existence of the game's apparent mcguffin & meeting one named character (i.e. someone connected to the main storyline) more than me.

And to this point there's not been enough clues to how to move the story for him to know whether he is supposed to be changing maps in order to progress or if there's simply a time element / kill count to wait out or what.

I don't dislike the game, but after some hours the limitations do feel like they're becoming kind of apparent. It's nowhere near "AAA title" material and a times it feels like those limitations are kind of obvious.

[Edward64]

Thanks for the detailed update. Keep them coming.

TBH, when I get stuck and not sure how to progress (e.g. most recently on New Vegas), I google on it and figure out what I'm supposed to do.

I get into zombies stories & movies and SOD2 sounds like my type of game.

[Edward64]

Another zombie game to be on the look out for ...

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/05/27/world-war-z-has-an-overwhelming-gameplay-trailer/#more-547867
... new World War Z video game is shaping up. Between a teaser trailer and a bunch of pre-prod art, this had all the looks of a project that might never see the light of day. Well, today we have a gameplay trailer that seems to really get both the action and the themes of the story, and that’s much more than I’d been hoping for.


The game is primarily a four player co-op title, which looks to be using the same locations as the book and film. You’ll be bouncing from Jerusalem to New York as you set traps and alter the environment before you and your team are over-run by the horde. Today’s trailer reveal focuses on Moscow, and sees your team defending docks and the interior of an ornate mansion, as well as the subways. The zombies start to pile up organically and overcome obstacles just like you’d hope for in a WWZ adaptation. The focus on stories in the different survivor zones already feels like the game’s developers are taking all the right cues.

Those devs are, incidentally, Saber Interactive. You might know them from Timeshift or Inversion or Quake Champions. This seems both well within their wheelhouse and exactly the kind of IP that could do great things with a team known for taking chances.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Thanks for the detailed update. Keep them coming.

TBH, when I get stuck and not sure how to progress (e.g. most recently on New Vegas), I google on it and figure out what I'm supposed to do.

I get into zombies stories & movies and SOD2 sounds like my type of game.

Yeah, we're not bashful (well, especially me) about googling past a sticky spot but we're both trying to avoid that here 'cause ... well, cause the plot feels pretty thin as it is & spoilering anything for ourselves even accidentally would thin it even further.

[Izulde]

I'm nerding out over Detroit: Become Human. Played a couple hours this morning before work, and it's everything you expect from a Quantic Dream production (which in my case is a great thing - David Cage is one of my favorite developers of all time). Love the way they handled progression tracking in this one - never quite seen it done like that before.

[bhlloy]

How the hell did I not realize there was a new Quantic Dream game coming out? Now to see if I can get Amazon now to deliver this evening. I sense a cough coming on...

[Thomkal]

very sad to hear about TB's death. :( Think I will go load some random game and swear at in his honor :)


Genna had the first podcast since TB's death. Nice to see she is going to follow in his footsteps:


The Co-Optional Podcast Ep. 217 TotalBiscuit Memorial Edition [strong language] - May 31st, 2018 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miI4Wd0ze0E&feature=youtu.be&a=)

[Izulde]

How the hell did I not realize there was a new Quantic Dream game coming out? Now to see if I can get Amazon now to deliver this evening. I sense a cough coming on...

It's taking up all my time, and there was already one thing I'd want to do differently so I'll probably play through a second time, which I rarely do because of how emotionally intense these games are.

[Izulde]

V.V. salty about my ending. Fortunately it allows you to jump in at various chapter points and not have to replay the whole game over.

[General Mike]

Lego DC Super-Villains looks interesting

[djsatu]

Picking up Vampyr today and can't wait to dive into it.

[Dantooine98]

looks very interesting

Picking up Vampyr today and can't wait to dive into it.

[djsatu]

looks very interesting


So far i'm having a blast, and it has totally surpassed my expectations and then some. Story is awesome, game is awesome. Could be a sleeper pick for the year. I'm totally hooked! Love when small studios put out quality games.

[bhlloy]

V.V. salty about my ending. Fortunately it allows you to jump in at various chapter points and not have to replay the whole game over.

I had a question about how this works - I tried to do what the game suggests to jump in and out and change the timeline and it didn't really work. Do you need to play the entire game from the place you are restarting to get the "benefits" of what you changed?

I got Connor deactivated, so went back and replayed some of the scenes so I knew at least the existence of Jericho before the Last Change scene, but still didn't get any different result.

[mckerney]

Madden will be back in PC again with Madden 19.

[rjolley]

Madden on the PC? Count me in.

[Vince, Pt. II]

So far i'm having a blast, and it has totally surpassed my expectations and then some. Story is awesome, game is awesome. Could be a sleeper pick for the year. I'm totally hooked! Love when small studios put out quality games.

Reviews are super critical of the "clunky" action combat. Is it that bad?

[Edward64]

Madden will be back in PC again with Madden 19.

That is great. Hope its a full port and not stripped down.

Oh, how good is the drafting & coach mode in the latest Madden?

[Izulde]

I had a question about how this works - I tried to do what the game suggests to jump in and out and change the timeline and it didn't really work. Do you need to play the entire game from the place you are restarting to get the "benefits" of what you changed?


What happens is that you jump in at a checkpoint, and you have to select to save your game. I'm not sure if you have to play through the rest of the game. I started at the latest checkpoint possible and played through the rest to unlock a different ending for one branch (and ironically ended up with a different sequence in the other branch that I wasn't going for).


Though I'm going to have to go back even earlier because I sacrificed Marcus at the march

[djsatu]

Reviews are super critical of the "clunky" action combat. Is it that bad?


I wasn't too fond about the combat within the first hour or so, but once I knew what I was doing by locking on and off, It got much more enjoyable. Camera will take a little getting used to when you have 2 or more opponents coming at you. Once you get better weapons and abilities, it's way better. Combat is one of my favorite aspects of the game. Don't let that deter you from this great game. Just get it, play it, and enjoy it.

[NobodyHere]

Anthem will not have offline play (https://www.pcgamer.com/anthem-will-not-have-offline-play/)

Well my interest is officially gone. Looks like EA didn't learn anything from their SimCity debacle.

[JonInMiddleGA]

This might just be the least interesting E3 in history for me.

-- I'm over legal drinking age, I don't give a shit about"battle royale" modes
-- I don't want comical sjw rewritings of history.
-- I don't want anything "always online"

You'd almost think I watched EA's presentation.

[Critch]

Going with Jon's grumpy old gamer theme, I'm sick of the pixel graphics trend. Make games pretty.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Kingdom Hearts coming to XBox is a nice get IMO. Not gamechanging, but nice.

The XBox reveals are heavily skewed into 2019 though

[JonInMiddleGA]

One thing I'd praise XBox presentation for is the focus on GAMES.

It's been worth the watch, even if there hasn't been much that excited me personally, it was a solid watch
edit to add: And the CD Projekt Red intro was lit

[JonInMiddleGA]

Rest in peace fallout :(

The last story was so bad that apparently that they decided to not even bother this time.

Damn you Todd Howard, damn you all to hell

[JonInMiddleGA]

Starfield confirmed, no release date, no real info
Elder Scrolls VI confirmed, no released date, even less info (just a quick fly-in screen)

[sabotai]

"Fallout 76 is an online-only..."

Pass.

[Thomkal]

Starfield confirmed, no release date, no real info
Elder Scrolls VI confirmed, no released date, even less info (just a quick fly-in screen)


not thrilled with the lack of info on these two especially Starfield. Hopefully we get more before the next decade.

[NobodyHere]

Tales of Vesperia is coming to consoles/PC outside the Xbox 360. Best news I've heard yet. I'm a big fan of the Tales games.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I think perhaps the most ... illustrative thing I can say about my response to Bethesda's E3 is this:

I won't post what I said in the Batcave, specifically what I may have wished on Todd, his offspring, and his offspring's offspring.

For those familiar with what I have zero qualms about saying here ...

[Maple Leafs]

If I'm reading the coverage right, the fact that we only got a 30-second teaser for Elder Scrolls suggests it won't come out until 2020 or so at the earliest.

Bethesda makes great products but their development process is broken.

[NobodyHere]

Report: Microsoft's Next Console Is Codenamed Scarlet (https://www.gameinformer.com/e3-2018/2018/06/11/report-microsofts-next-console-is-codenamed-scarlet)

[mckerney]

Yakuza 0 on PC, $20 with 10% off preorder discount.

Save 10% on Yakuza 0 on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/638970/Yakuza_0/)

[Atocep]

If I'm reading the coverage right, the fact that we only got a 30-second teaser for Elder Scrolls suggests it won't come out until 2020 or so at the earliest.

Bethesda makes great products but their development process is broken.

They said it's only in preproduction so definitely 2020ish.

[BYU 14]

No word on XCom 2 expansion?

[NobodyHere]

I don't think E3 starts properly until tomorrow so we'll see.

[Buccaneer]

I take it as positive news that Elder Scrolls VI is a thing. Can't assume anything these days.

I guess this is as good of a place to ask a long standing question. I built my current PC in 2010 and it is still working very well (e.g., playing modded Skyrim or Enderal on medium-high, Assassin's Creed on high, etc.). But there will come a time where I would need to build a more modern box.

So the question is how to people do this nowadays (do people even do this??). I checked the usual sites, at least the ones that are left, and I don't really see any customization or build-it-from-scratch options. Even NewEgg starts with something that you can only tweak. Help an old guy out, where and how to build a new PC?

[cartman]

NewEgg and Amazon still sell individual components that you can build up yourself completely from scratch.

[RainMaker]

Rest in peace fallout :(

The last story was so bad that apparently that they decided to not even bother this time.

Damn you Todd Howard, damn you all to hell

Wait, so there is no single player mode anymore? I'm somewhat cool with a Borderlands style game where you can play alongside someone if you want (which in turn increases the difficulty of opponents). But I don't really want to be on the same map as some random kids who can dedicate 14 hours of their life to the game.

The fun of Fallout was exploring the world, doing the side quests, and so on. The last game went away a bit with the whole "build your camp" crap. Also the map felt like a barren wasteland and not nearly as fun as previous versions.

My guess is they're going the GTA route where the online mode is where the money is at. Most people won't like it but all they need is a base of people who will pump money into add-on packs to upgrade their players, bases, weapons, etc and they'll make bank.

The same bullshit is going on with sports games right now.

[Scoobz0202]

NewEgg and Amazon still sell individual components that you can build up yourself completely from scratch.


Check out PcPartPicker. It will give you prices for components from different vendors among other things.

[Edward64]

NewEgg and Amazon still sell individual components that you can build up yourself completely from scratch.

FWIW, if you didn't know already, I think Tom's Hardware is a great resource for DIY

Tom’s Hardware: For The Hardcore PC Enthusiast (https://www.tomshardware.com/)

[Edward64]

Wait, so there is no single player mode anymore? I'm somewhat cool with a Borderlands style game where you can play alongside someone if you want (which in turn increases the difficulty of opponents). But I don't really want to be on the same map as some random kids who can dedicate 14 hours of their life to the game.


I think I read there will be single player but you should play multi-player.

The implication was the single player experience won't be near as rich.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The implication was the single player experience won't be near as rich.

Implied but not stated outright issues include:
Lack of NPCs (total absence?)

multiple players all with a single Quest (i.e. objective) ... so where's the replay?

presumably the end of VATS (coupled with a bad ads, that alone might kill it)

the likely end of the modding community (which IMO kept the IP alive during the looooong dev cycles)

a "settlement system" that appears to be "build, throw it in a suitcase & plop it down next time you load the game" ... yeah, that's immersive alright

likely broken scavving -- either you get 1/12th as much stuff or there's 12x stuff in the universe (based on my belief that it was implied that 12 players was kind of the sweet spot, I'd swear I caught that somewhere)

And that's just off the top of my head now, never mind all the shit I realized in the hours after the presentation

[RainMaker]

Reddit has a great community for building too.

/r/buildapc - Planning on building a computer but need some advice? This is the place to ask! (https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/)

[Buccaneer]

Thank you all, very helpful. Right now, I am leaning towards customizing a build to ensure compatibility among the tons of choices. My case, power and hard drives are all good, so all I really need is mb, cpu/fan, ram and a gtx.

I'll make my current build last a while longer or until it fails. I really won't need anything until early next decade when Elder Scrolls 6 comes out.

[Scoobz0202]

Might want to consider a new power supply while you are at it. 8 years is getting into territory that I would definitely not want to trust putting brand new, expensive components into.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Oh, I didn't realize that Todd Howard outright confirmed bluntly "no NPCs" in the post-presentation chat. Also confirmed that Vats "exists" but there's no time slow element, it sounded very much like a simple aim-assist. Also claimed "100% committed" to mods but "not at launch".

[mckerney]

No word on XCom 2 expansion?

Doesn't look like it unfortunately, but it looks like one is being worked on from the games Steam depot. (https://www.resetera.com/threads/rumor-new-xcom-2-expansion-codename-tle-coming-soon.47315/)

[Edward64]

Oh, I didn't realize that Todd Howard outright confirmed bluntly "no NPCs" in the post-presentation chat. Also confirmed that Vats "exists" but there's no time slow element, it sounded very much like a simple aim-assist. Also claimed "100% committed" to mods but "not at launch".

This sucks.

Any chance they have another traditional FO or ES in progress or is all development going into this?

[JonInMiddleGA]

This sucks.

Any chance they have another traditional FO or ES in progress or is all development going into this?

We got a 10-15 second fly-in "trailer" for ES6. No date, and that same post-show chat described it as being in pre-production.

I'd think 2021 or 2022, with Starfield coming before it probably in 2020.

[Edward64]

We got a 10-15 second fly-in "trailer" for ES6. No date, and that same post-show chat described it as being in pre-production.

I'd think 2021 or 2022, with Starfield coming before it probably in 2020.

Oh good, so they are not giving up SP.

What's another 3 or 4 years :) Lots of other good games to play.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Oh good, so they are not giving up SP.

What's another 3 or 4 years :) Lots of other good games to play.

At my age? It's a LOT lol

And, really, the dearth of interesting enough to play games is at least a small part of my issue with this. Last ... two years(?) give or take, my most played games are probably Fallout 4 (until the Sim Settlements mod got so wonky), Skyrim remaster, and BF1.

[Coffee Warlord]

Jurassic World Evolution is apparently being summarized as a very good mobile game, and a very shallow and dull PC game.

Disappointing. Not surprising, but disappointing. A dino zoo tycoon game woulda been fun.

[Atocep]

A dino zoo tycoon game woulda been fun.

There's still hope

Prehistoric Kingdom on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/666150/Prehistoric_Kingdom/)

[RainMaker]

At my age? It's a LOT lol

And, really, the dearth of interesting enough to play games is at least a small part of my issue with this. Last ... two years(?) give or take, my most played games are probably Fallout 4 (until the Sim Settlements mod got so wonky), Skyrim remaster, and BF1.

Have you played Witcher 3 and it's DLC? I'm guessing yes but that game falls in the same category as the one's you mentioned.

[RainMaker]

The whole shift away from single-player is sad. I get that microtransactions are where the money is at, but I loved having those franchises I could come to and get 100+ hours out of on my own.

I'm at an age where I can't dedicate 30 hours a week to remaining competitive online. The games that do have some kind of currency system eventually get riddled with hackers on the PC.

I'm sure the new Fallout will be a huge success. Maybe it doesn't sell as many copies up front, but they'll be able to bring in way more than $60 a sale.

[Kodos]

Jurassic World Evolution is apparently being summarized as a very good mobile game, and a very shallow and dull PC game.

Disappointing. Not surprising, but disappointing. A dino zoo tycoon game woulda been fun.

The reviews I read were positive enough that I think I'll give it a go. I love dinosaurs, and I had fun with Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis years ago. The kids liked it when I would knock down all the buildings and let 20 T. rexes loose on our park visitors. If this is a prettier version of that, I'll be satisfied.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Have you played Witcher 3 and it's DLC? I'm guessing yes but that game falls in the same category as the one's you mentioned.

Both me & the kid describe W3 as "quite possibly the best game I've ever played". Unfortunately, for whatever reason(s), it was the most fun game either of us has played.

I truly think it's as well executed as anything I've seen, I just never could get quite ... into it. I probably got, I dunno, 50-60 percent complete maybe?

[Buccaneer]

Detroit: Become Human - 9.75/10 I just watched the whole playthrough on YouTube (theRadBrad) and was completely blown away by what I witnessed. I loved Quantic Dream's Beyond Two Souls and this was their next game. Even though I am not much of a fan of futuristic stuff or robots, the stories, voice acting/mocap, music, graphics, atmosphere, etc. were so superb that it had me hooked and I can't stop thinking about it, even if I couldn't play it. But what really blew me away was discovering how the choices - even early on - can affect the rest of the game/stories, to the point that an alternate choice can give you a whole new storyline - and there are dozens of such choices. Most cinematic, story-driven games are fairly linear (for good reasons) but this is more of a cinematic, choice-driven game.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I just watched the whole playthrough on YouTube (theRadBrad) and was completely blown away by what I witnessed.

I saw a brief snippet of the playthrough and knew this didn't belong on my radar after seeing the dishwashing sequence.

These games -- or at least the work of this particular dev -- definitely seems to be an acquired taste.

(The point of my commenting here is noting the vastly different impact playthroughs can have on people)

[Izulde]

Detroit: Become Human - 9.75/10 I just watched the whole playthrough on YouTube (theRadBrad) and was completely blown away by what I witnessed. I loved Quantic Dream's Beyond Two Souls and this was their next game. Even though I am not much of a fan of futuristic stuff or robots, the stories, voice acting/mocap, music, graphics, atmosphere, etc. were so superb that it had me hooked and I can't stop thinking about it, even if I couldn't play it. But what really blew me away was discovering how the choices - even early on - can affect the rest of the game/stories, to the point that an alternate choice can give you a whole new storyline - and there are dozens of such choices. Most cinematic, story-driven games are fairly linear (for good reasons) but this is more of a cinematic, choice-driven game.

I'd personally give it an 8, after initially being super hooked on it. Some parts of it are phenomenal, others not so much. The endings feel a little underwhelming compared to previous games, and the story is the least original the studio's ever put out. I'd have to play Beyond: Two Souls again to see, but right now, Heavy Rain is still on top of my Quantic Dreams ranking list.

Overall, David Cage is one of those developers there's not much middle ground on - either you love his work or you hate it (I'm talking purely about the games themselves - as a person, he's... got some issues, which is why I think he gets hated so much and his games trashed by some people).

[Buccaneer]

I'd personally give it an 8, after initially being super hooked on it. Some parts of it are phenomenal, others not so much. The endings feel a little underwhelming compared to previous games, and the story is the least original the studio's ever put out. I'd have to play Beyond: Two Souls again to see, but right now, Heavy Rain is still on top of my Quantic Dreams ranking list.

Overall, David Cage is one of those developers there's not much middle ground on - either you love his work or you hate it (I'm talking purely about the games themselves - as a person, he's... got some issues, which is why I think he gets hated so much and his games trashed by some people).

That is very fair, my score reflected being able to watch the playthrough, which afforded me the luxury of fast-forwarding through the more tedious parts (like finding all the clues in a scene). I think if I had played it, my score would the same as your’s.

I wonder, though, if you made even more diiferent choices, whether there would better endings that you had not seen? The ending I saw was the most predictable endings (everyone lived happily ever after) and I felt that was good enough.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I know there was a lot of angst here about the "Fallout '76" announcement, but if there is any truth to the rumors that you can set up a private serve and just play the game with your friends - purely co-operative - this game just skyrocketed up my list.

At this point, the vast majority of my gaming is done co-operatively with friends. It's just so much more enjoyable.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I know there was a lot of angst here about the "Fallout '76" announcement, but if there is any truth to the rumors that you can set up a private serve and just play the game with your friends - purely co-operative - this game just skyrocketed up my list.

At this point, the vast majority of my gaming is done co-operatively with friends. It's just so much more enjoyable.

Here's how Polygon described it (and this jibes with what I heard Fraud Howard say in the interview myself) so I'll just quote them

Bethesda’s Todd Howard has confirmed that you’ll be able to set up your own private games to play the way you’d like, but that ability won’t be available when the game first launches.

This came up, oddly enough, in a conversation about mods.

“We love mods, so we are 100 percent committed to [offering mods] in 76 as well,” Todd Howard said in a conversation with Geoff Keighley. “We will not being able to do that at launch, though. Our goal for launch — this is really new for us — is to have a well-running, robust service, and then some period later, we’re currently still designing what that service looks like, you’ll be able to have your own private world, and be able to mod it and do all of that.”

[Honolulu_Blue]

The "Last Of Us: Part II" game play trailer was amazing. The first one remains one of my favorite games of all time.

The Last of Us Part 2 Gameplay Trailer (4K) - E3 2018 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMW_sycSs30)

[Edward64]

I don't dislike the game, but after some hours the limitations do feel like they're becoming kind of apparent. It's nowhere near "AAA title" material and a times it feels like those limitations are kind of obvious.

Still playing it? Keeping your interest?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Still playing it? Keeping your interest?

Haven't touched it in over a week. Neither has the kid. We're both around in-game Day 9 or Day 10 I believe. And we both, I think, have similar reasons that we're in no rush to go back:

-- The repetitive gameplay

-- The lack of sense of progress, each time you kill a heart the next one is a little more difficult. Yippie. It starts to feel like you're on rails with boss battles

-- The lack of explanation / exposition. You really don't know wth is going on, which is fine IF you feel like you're making progress towards figuring it out. Little sense of that for either of us so far

-- The lack of clarity about how the other zones work. You know there's an option to enter one of the other maps ... but there's no clue whether that's worthwhile / meaningful. And I mean none. Would it be starting over on a new map for no purpose? Would it progress the story / provide different challenges? Your guess is as good as ours.

-- The cost/benefit of the difficulty. Granted, I'm not the best shooter in the world but I think it's fair to say this is reasonably difficult (at least in the early game). Problem is, that difficulty doesn't feel like it has enough payoff to warrant suffering through it.

I believe we'll both eventually either recharge enough or simply get bored enough to dive back in at some point. But in terms of feeling any urgency to do so, there's none here.

[Edward64]

Thanks for the update.

[Kodos]

The "Last Of Us: Part II" game play trailer was amazing. The first one remains one of my favorite games of all time.

The Last of Us Part 2 Gameplay Trailer (4K) - E3 2018 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMW_sycSs30)

Really enjoyed the first one too. Looks good!

[JonInMiddleGA]

If anyone ever comes up with a more convoluted forum setup than Paradox, warn me ahead of time so that I don't even try to buy from them.

Good GOD.

[Edward64]

If anyone ever comes up with a more convoluted forum setup than Paradox, warn me ahead of time so that I don't even try to buy from them.

Good GOD.

Hmmm, never checked them out.

FWIW, I use the reddit forums for Stellaris and CK2.

[Edward64]

I guess I was all hung up on Fallout 76 but there will be an Elder Scrolls 6. Before you get too excited, its a long way off.

https://www.pcgamer.com/what-we-want-from-the-elder-scrolls-6/?ns_campaign=article-feed&amp;ns_mchannel=ref&amp;ns_source=steam&amp;ns_linkname=0&amp;ns_fee=0
The Elder Scrolls 6 is happening! We don't know when, and in fact it might be quite a long time before the game is far along enough to give us a proper trailer. Still there are a few details out there that have allowed us to speculate about the RPG's setting, and the mountains in the announcement sure are pretty.

Until we know more, we'll simply have to speculate about the improvements Bethesda might be planning. Will it be a bigger world? Probably. Will it have swords and sorcery in it? Almost certainly. We'd like more than that, though, as ever.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Hmmm, never checked them out.

FWIW, I use the reddit forums for Stellaris and CK2.

In this case the problem was needing a user-created file that might allow me to run HOI3 on a Win10 laptop.

Aaaaand the link was only available on the official forums :(

[Dantooine98]

The N. Sane Trilogy (first three games) is now available on other platforms other than PlayStation, you can now get in for Nintendo Switch, PC or Xbox One.

[Edward64]

Haven't touched it in over a week. Neither has the kid. We're both around in-game Day 9 or Day 10 I believe. And we both, I think, have similar reasons that we're in no rush to go back:

-- The repetitive gameplay

-- The lack of sense of progress, each time you kill a heart the next one is a little more difficult. Yippie. It starts to feel like you're on rails with boss battles

-- The lack of explanation / exposition. You really don't know wth is going on, which is fine IF you feel like you're making progress towards figuring it out. Little sense of that for either of us so far

-- The lack of clarity about how the other zones work. You know there's an option to enter one of the other maps ... but there's no clue whether that's worthwhile / meaningful. And I mean none. Would it be starting over on a new map for no purpose? Would it progress the story / provide different challenges? Your guess is as good as ours.

-- The cost/benefit of the difficulty. Granted, I'm not the best shooter in the world but I think it's fair to say this is reasonably difficult (at least in the early game). Problem is, that difficulty doesn't feel like it has enough payoff to warrant suffering through it.

I believe we'll both eventually either recharge enough or simply get bored enough to dive back in at some point. But in terms of feeling any urgency to do so, there's none here.

Some DLC news below.

I'm itching to get this even with your commentaries. It may not be as repayable as other games but it'll hopefully give me 30 hours of fun for the $30.
Microsoft revealed today that, after surpassing three million players, Undead Labs has released the Independence Pack DLC, which costs $4.99 includes new weapons, vehicles, supplies, and fireworks.
:
In addition to the Independence Pack, Undead Labs is also deploying Update 2.0, which adds 20 new missions, close to 10 new weapons, and a rare books trader. The update content is available separately from the Independence Pack for free to all players.

Looking ahead, Microsoft also announced that another DLC pack called Daybreak will arrive in September. Daybreak includes puts players in the shoes of a "well-equipped" Red Talon soldier in a new horde-like mode that challenges players to complete the objective of protecting a fortified position against waves of zombies.

[Edward64]

Finally bought SOD2 for the PC. I love the genre and figure it'll give me at least $30 worth of entertainment.

I've not been able to find a control to prevent the character POV from "jumping" around as much. Is there one?

[Edward64]

This sounds interesting.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/07/20/pathfinder-kingmaker-date-trailer/
Paizo’s pen and paper RPG Pathfinder may not be Dungeons & Dragons, but it’s as close as you can get to it while still being legally distinct, which makes it perfect source material for a Baldur’s Gate-esque old school RPG. Successfully Kickstarted a year ago, Pathfinder: Kingmaker now has a release date – September 25th – and a very fancy new trailer below to accompany the announcement.

While the heart of Pathfinder: Kingmaker is your usual adventuring material – go forth, kick arses, take names, hoard loot – it does promise some interesting twists in its larger structure. You’ve got your own town to manage, build stuff in and (presumably) tax until it bleeds, because adventuring doesn’t come cheap. The trailer also features some truly over-the-top gore effects that remind me vaguely of enemies exploding into very ’90s clouds of gibs in early Infinity Engine games.
:
Pathfinder: Kingmaker will be launching on September 25th for £35/€40/$40 on Steam.

[Edward64]

Some news on Starfield and ES6

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bethesda-has-a-new-studio-and-its-working-on-starf/1100-6461088/
Bethesda has announced it has acquired Escalation Games, the Dallas-based studio that contributed to the development of Skyrim VR, Fallout VR, and Skyrim Switch. It will know be known as Bethesda Dallas, as confirmed by during QuakeCon 2018. Bethesda Dallas is currently working on Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls: Blades, and the company's brand new property, Starfield.

Sadly, those eager to hear more about Starfield, which is an ambitious sci-fi role-playing game, were left wanting, as there was no further discussion about the game. This doesn't come as a surprise, as Bethesda was very coy about it when it debuted at E3 2018. Producer Todd Howard previously said that Starfield has been in development for years, and it's a game that Bethesda feels uniquely positioned to pull off.

We don't expect to see or hear about Starfield for a while, as both Howard and Bethesda's marketing boss Pete Hines asked fans to be patient. "We've been talking about it for a decade, we started putting things on paper five, six years ago, and active development was from when we finished Fallout 4, so two and a half, three years," Howard said. "Everyone should be very patient [for Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6]. It's gonna take a while for what we have in mind to come out."

[Edward64]

Beta game video of Pathfinder. Looks promising.

Let's Play Pathfinder: Kingmaker (Beta) - Ep. 01 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcPjlM277xk&feature=youtu.be)

[Coffee Warlord]

This might need its own post. My 4 year old *so* wants to play Minecraft (she watches her brother). Anyone know of any simpler Minecraft-esque games out there? A cursory googling didn't really show anything.

[JonInMiddleGA]

This might need its own post. My 4 year old *so* wants to play Minecraft (she watches her brother). Anyone know of any simpler Minecraft-esque games out there? A cursory googling didn't really show anything.

fwiw, here's a 2014 article (http://redtri.com/alternative-games-to-minecraft-for-kids/) that kinda goes along this line of questioning.

Most of the games mentioned are more for ages 6+ but I'm thinking maybe it could at least give you some sort of jumping off point?

[Vince, Pt. II]

This might need its own post. My 4 year old *so* wants to play Minecraft (she watches her brother). Anyone know of any simpler Minecraft-esque games out there? A cursory googling didn't really show anything.

Terraria is 2D, but probably not any simpler nor as exciting as Minecraft to her.

[Atocep]

If you're a fan of Papers, Please then I strongly recommend taking a look at Not Tonight.

[SackAttack]

Got curbstomped by the first boss in Persona 5 a year and a half ago, and quickly realized that my save process and insufficient leveling were to blame.

I finally started the game up again for another try two weeks ago and this time around it's going much better.

Might be my favorite game of the last 3-4 years.

[Brian Swartz]

If you're a fan of Papers, Please then I strongly recommend taking a look at Not Tonight.

Thanks! I don't have time for the stuff I'm already doing, so I'd like to play this but Not Tonight. Wishlisted though.

Glory to Arstotzka!!

[NobodyHere]

Dragon Quest 11 is preloading on my PC right now, huzzah!

[Neon_Chaos]

Just finished Spiderman for the PS4.

10/10. Simply amazing.

Six movies and three actors, and this game is probably the best portrayal of Spiderman I've experienced.

[Jughead Spock]

Just finished Spiderman for the PS4.

10/10. Simply amazing.

Six movies and three actors, and this game is probably the best portrayal of Spiderman I've experienced.

I'm seriously pondering buying a PS4 *just* for that. Well played, Sony.

[miami_fan]

Another trip down memory lane is coming

PlayStation Classic: Sony is getting in on the retro console craze (https://money.cnn.com/2018/09/19/technology/gadgets/sony-playstation-classic/index.html)

[NobodyHere]

Looks like Telltale Games is shutting down

https://www.gameinformer.com/2018/09/21/narrative-adventure-studio-telltale-games-essentially-closes-down

[Atocep]

Looks like Telltale Games is shutting down

https://www.gameinformer.com/2018/09/21/narrative-adventure-studio-telltale-games-essentially-closes-down

This is really sad to see.

On the surface poor management seems to be the only thing that makes sense. The sales they were reporting on the Walking Dead games alone should have been enough to keep the company afloat. I obviously don't know what their structure was, but 225 employees sounds like way too many for a company of their profile.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Daaaaamn the out of the box settings for the "story mode" for MyGM in NBA 2k19 appear to be crazy broken.

Better than last year overall, but utterly inane in spots, the brokeass part involves an expansion team being able to sign LeBron (complete with cut scenes that both discuss the near impossibility of such a thing happening AND with a Lebron cut scene that doesn't indicate he thinks it's weird in the least) over any number of other max deal offers.

The way it was set up, I honestly figured "okay, no way this happens" ... and, bloop, in a matter of a minute or so, I have him.

Playing games sim-only, I'm something like 42-9 through 51 games. LBJ + Doncic aren't bad cornerstones for an expansion club that otherwise has mostly expansion draft players who were recommended by name (all making under $3m/yr with multi-year control) by various members of my staff. That seems to be the key to this path (which is never really addressed in game by anyone other than LBJ when you beat the hell out of Cleveland): make sure you spend nothing in the expansion draft & leave yourself max flexibility for FA time. That, plus one of four choices with the owner dialogue that precedes it (for all I know, all the options could lead to getting him)

I know there are several sliders that can be used to move the difficulty of trades & signing up/down but I'm flabbergasted -- even with 2k involved -- that they defaults are apparently "so easy a small child can do it". This isn't so much annoying or exasperating as it is downright comical.

[RainMaker]

This is really sad to see.

On the surface poor management seems to be the only thing that makes sense. The sales they were reporting on the Walking Dead games alone should have been enough to keep the company afloat. I obviously don't know what their structure was, but 225 employees sounds like way too many for a company of their profile.

The newer games weren't selling. I think Walking Dead sold 4 million but that was years ago. Some of their new ones weren't even breaking 100k in sales.

I was kind of surprised when I heard the news but then I noticed everyone talking about it was talking about their older games and it doesn't seem like anyone is buying the new stuff.

[Atocep]

The newer games weren't selling. I think Walking Dead sold 4 million but that was years ago. Some of their new ones weren't even breaking 100k in sales.

I was kind of surprised when I heard the news but then I noticed everyone talking about it was talking about their older games and it doesn't seem like anyone is buying the new stuff.

Across all platforms they did pretty well for what they should have been, a small studio. They only made one type of game, for the most part, and over-saturated the market with those games though. When you make one type of game within a niche genre you probably shouldn't rapidly expand your studio to over 300 employees after your 1st widely successful game.

The Walking Dead was their bread and butter with 1 and 2 both selling very well, but quality started to drop off with Michonne and New Frontier. Wolf Among Us was their most successful non-WD series game and unfortunately they never got around to a sequel.

Another problem was some of the best work was in games where most fans of the IP weren't exactly the target audience for Telltale style games. I thought Borderlands was their best overall game and Batman 1 was solid with 2 outstanding. But do most video game playing Batman fans want to play an interactive story driven Batman adventure? Do Borderlands fans really want to play a Telltale game?

I'm incredibly disappointed we won't see Wolf Among Us 2 or another Telltale Borderlands game. But at the same time I realize the Borderlands game, Minecraft, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Game of Thrones probably should have never been made.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I thought Borderlands was their best overall game

I'd still put it behind TWAU but the Borderlands thing was shockingly entertaining to me, and now that you've mentioned it I'm surprised it hasn't gotten more love in their eulogies.

[RainMaker]

This isn't exactly sales but gives an idea of the popularity of titles.

https://i.imgur.com/jmyoGcc.jpg?1

[JonInMiddleGA]

Yeah, that's kind of a death spiral in a straight line right there :/

[MrBug708]

Red Dead Redemption 2 came out tonight

[Atocep]

Red Dead Redemption 2 came out tonight

Traded in the ps4 to get the ps4 pro bundle and picked it up earlier tonight. The first was probably my favorite console game. Reviews for 2 are incredible. It's installing now, but I won't be able to play until sometime tomorrow.

[Calis]

Upside of insomnia is I was up at about 4 this morning so I played a few hours of Red Dead Redemption 2 before I had to leave for work.

I’ve avoided reading up on it because I knew I was going to buy it... I’m a sucker for Westerns.

Still extremely early of course but I’m surprised with how.. methidical I guess is the word. This isn’t an Ubisoft style open world game. It definitely goes for the immersion route rather than quick animations/cuts. It definitely doesn’t rush into getting going either. I can see that turning some folks off but I think it’s a nice change of pace. The little bit of combat I’ve had has been ok. I’ve never been a big fan of the shooting in Rockstar games, but too early to really say how it is.

It looks great, there’s already several interesting characters.. great sound. I think it’ll be great. Only complaint I have so far is there sure s a lot of buttons and combos to memorize. Going to take some time.

[Neon_Chaos]

Leeeet's go Red Dead!!!

[MizzouRah]

Red Dead Redemption 2 came out tonight


I'm going into a RDR2 coma for the next few days.

[cartman]

I have the UPS delivery map up showing RDR2 getting ever closer to my house.

[Neon_Chaos]

Pro tip, if you have a destination waypoint set and don't care to stop for anything when headed there, you can just go into cinematic mode and let Arthur ride his way there.

[cartman]

Really, really impressed with the depth and immersion in RDR2. I can already tell there is going to be a lot of time just wandering around the countryside discovering stuff, and not just endless dashing from quest to quest.

This is the first game I've played where it seems that world just goes on, and you aren't reason for the game universe to exist.

[RainMaker]

So how is the game?

[Lathum]

Bump-

Curious about Red Dead also. I loved Grand Theft Auto back in the day, but don't play many games anymore that require max attention with a huge learning curve, if that makes sense.

I tried Fortnite, what a disaster that was

[Ajaxab]

I loved the first RDR and am about 9-10 hours into the second one. I am really curious about what people think of RDR II given how much games seem to have changed since RDR came out. The pacing of RDR II is very much in line with RDR. That pacing is considerably slower than a lot of recent releases. This isn't exactly sprinting around the world like one would in an Assassin's Creed. RDR II seems slow by comparison. Whether it is trotting slowly from place to place or hearing more about the game world in extended conversations, I'm not quite sure about how players receive that pace in 2018.

That being said, the slower pace has really grown on me. It's taken some time, but I appreciate the way the game forces me to slow down. There is a beauty in the attention to detail and the craftsmanship that has gone into creating such an incredible world. I just wonder if the 2018 player will have the patience to work through the first 6+ hours to get used to the way the game plays.

[JonInMiddleGA]

My kid (who got RDR2 on released) had an interesting line about it just a few minutes ago, so I'll share.

You know how we said that Witcher 2 was probably the best designed video game around, just not necessarily the most fun or best experience ? I think it's been replaced by RDR2

Some of you might remember me mentioning the original comment, in the context of how Witcher was an impressive feat & no question a fantastic game ... but that it only got 4th or 5th most play time from me even in the release year. That there was somehow less engagement/enjoyment in actually playing it than I'd expect from something that I was calling "maybe best game ever".

FWIW, that's the comparison he made after several days with it.

[Kodos]

I'm missing the humor from RDR.

[Vince, Pt. II]

My kid (who got RDR2 on released) had an interesting line about it just a few minutes ago, so I'll share.



Some of you might remember me mentioning the original comment, in the context of how Witcher was an impressive feat & no question a fantastic game ... but that it only got 4th or 5th most play time from me even in the release year. That there was somehow less engagement/enjoyment in actually playing it than I'd expect from something that I was calling "maybe best game ever".

FWIW, that's the comparison he made after several days with it.

That seems to scan with most of what I'm reading about the game. Most people seem to feel like the environment is so real and breathtaking that it really makes the "social" aspects (mainly NPC interaction) look completely backward in comparison - as if the game has no soul.

[JonInMiddleGA]

That seems to scan with most of what I'm reading about the game. Most people seem to feel like the environment is so real and breathtaking that it really makes the "social" aspects (mainly NPC interaction) look completely backward in comparison - as if the game has no soul.

He did, however, in the same conversation call it a "must play".

The question, I guess, is how long it holds once you get past the grand spectacle of it all.

[Neon_Chaos]

Already 4 chapters in.

Really really good, and probably the best game R* has ever made.

Considering it’s a prequel, and you know where the story is headed, they have done a damn fine job with the story.

[Edward64]

Not on PC yet unfortunately.

[MizzouRah]

With RDR2's slower pace, to me it actually feels like a real life place. Loving it so far.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Daaaaamn RDR2 is a hard disk hog.

I think I ended up deleting six games just to squeeze barely enough space to fit it.

[MizzouRah]

Daaaaamn RDR2 is a hard disk hog.

I think I ended up deleting six games just to squeeze barely enough space to fit it.


HAHA.. me too! Like 105 GB total installation!

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'll say this much for RDR2 (after about an hour), it sure feels like a worthy successor. The sound in particular could have been a continuation of the previous installment, made it "feel right" to me.

I will say too though, for as amazing as the game looks, I didn't get past the 2nd "chapter" before running into one of the clipping issues I'd read about. Amazing looking world ... and then you walk right through the corner of a building with a stray board passing through your head. Pops the immersion bubble really quick.

[MizzouRah]

Just riding my horse in the snow is quite an amazing feeling. Can't wait until the hand holding (tutorial) is over and I can explore this open world.

[Lathum]

I have to go to target today. My wife has a girls weekend staring tomorrow. Seems like a good time to grab this.

[NobodyHere]

Smash Bros Ultimate is confirmed to ship with 74 fighters. I'll be picking up a Switch this holiday season if I can find a good bundle. Black Friday is just around the corner.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Daaaaamn RDR2 is a hard disk hog.

I think I ended up deleting six games just to squeeze barely enough space to fit it.

I purchased a 4 TB hard drive for my PS4 for $65 at Best Buy. Well worth it so I don't have to worry about HD space anymore.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I purchased a 4 TB hard drive for my PS4 for $65 at Best Buy. Well worth it so I don't have to worry about HD space anymore.

I don't even know what the options / costs with doing something like that for XB1 might be, but I'd probably have to play the console more to (mentally) justify doing it.

I'll play for a cpl weeks in a row on some stuff but then can easily go a month or more without touching it.

[MizzouRah]

I have the money for a xbox1x and 4k tv but can't justify the purchase considering nothing is wrong with our xbox1 and 52" HDTV.

[Thomkal]

Some news out of Blizz Con-no not the Lucio Overwatch cereal coming out that (I think) you can also get Overwatch stuff in game. Its the 1 year anniversary of Destiny 2 (on PC), so until Nov 18, Blizzard is giving the base game away for free. Have to download it on Battle Net


Edit: Blizzard also announced that Warcraft 3 is being re-mastered and due out "next year"
Edit2: Diablo Immortal for Mobile also announced: https://www.pcgamer.com/blizzard-announces-massively-multiplayer-diablo-immortal-for-mobile/?utm_content=buffer56b03&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=buffer-pcgamertw

[JonInMiddleGA]

The kid picked up Black Ops 4 Thursday night, which meant I was required to play at least a bit of both traditional MP modes and the new Blackout mode (aka COD Fortnite).

The most interesting part of the experience to me is that, honestly, I think maybe too much was made of Blackout. Yeah, it's essentially viewed (right or wrong) as the reason they didn't bother with the single player campaign this go 'round & that's perfectly valid to criticize. For me at least, the furor over COD-PUBG had me expecting -- again, right or wrong -- a diminished traditional multiplayer experience.

I don't like the UI, I'm not crazy about some other choices they made with regard to those modes either, but at the very core of them at least they were still familiar & largely felt ... intact.

Take that fwiw, I mention it mostly in case anyone else had gotten the impression I described.

edit to add: Oh, as for Blackout itself. I'd basically call it Fortnite Lite. Feels a lot more casual to me, and removes the obnoxious build-at-the-speed-of-light requirement to be a top player. Top 20-30 finishes (which, granted, basically earn you nothing) was possible for me within just a few plays, despite having yet to record a single kill. And every death was pretty straightforward, I knew why I died, I knew what I did wrong (and a few things I did right), it just made more sense to me. I'm not a fan of the mode/genre in general & it's unlikely I ever will be, but I didn't feel the urge to throw shit at the TV (unlike Fortnite).

[Thomkal]

Don't have an Xbox, so don't know how good a deal this is, but this popped up on my twitter today:


Xbox Game Pass | Start Your Free Trial | Xbox (https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass?ocid=XGP_soc_omc_xbo_tw_Video_buy_11.23.1)

[Coffee Warlord]

Anyone getting in on Artifact?

[Atocep]

Anyone getting in on Artifact?

I went from day 1 no doubt to on the fence after seeing the pricing model.

[MizzouRah]

Some of these 4K TV deals are burning a hole in my wallet. Just might pull the trigger soon and then trade in my Xbox1 for an Xbox1x.


Saw Tomb Raider in 4k and it looks stunning. I bet Madden, NHL and other games I have like Far Cry 5 look great as well.

[nilodor]

Some of these 4K TV deals are burning a hole in my wallet. Just might pull the trigger soon and then trade in my Xbox1 for an Xbox1x.


Saw Tomb Raider in 4k and it looks stunning. I bet Madden, NHL and other games I have like Far Cry 5 look great as well.

I need to upgrade my eyes before I upgrade my tv. Anything above 720 p is indistinguishable for me.

[Edward64]

I need to upgrade my eyes before I upgrade my tv. Anything above 720 p is indistinguishable for me.

A 4K TV with 4K player and movies is fantastic.

A 4K TV with regular cable/streaming is not that great (I would actually say its worse).

A 4K TV with hidef cable/streaming is okay.

So if you are stuck with regular cable/streaming, then probably not worth your while.

[MizzouRah]

I ordered an LG 55" SK9000 for $600 off retail. Next I'll get an Xbox One X and upgrade our Netflix package to include 4K. We also have Dish and they have a 4K channel that has sports and stuff.

[Capital]

I've read great things about the Nintendo Switch, especially as a handheld. What's your experience as a console on a TV for multiple players?

[Groundhog]

I've read great things about the Nintendo Switch, especially as a handheld. What's your experience as a console on a TV for multiple players?

This is the only way that I've experienced the Switch - 4 player Mario Kart on a TV. It was a blast.

[Atocep]

It looks like a new Dragon Age will be announced sometime next month. I can't wait to see how Bioware disappoints me this time.

[Vince, Pt. II]

This is the only way that I've experienced the Switch - 4 player Mario Kart on a TV. It was a blast.

I bought it just after release to use as a console on my TV...and I hardly ever do that. It's almost constantly undocked, in my hands, and traveling with me. This is more a combination of lack of opportunity for multiplayer and convenience than a disparagement of it as a console on a TV.

[Edward64]

It looks like a new Dragon Age will be announced sometime next month. I can't wait to see how Bioware disappoints me this time.

Yeah, I preferred the first two, I think they really stumbled and got away from a winning formula for them.

[Groundhog]

I bought it just after release to use as a console on my TV...and I hardly ever do that. It's almost constantly undocked, in my hands, and traveling with me. This is more a combination of lack of opportunity for multiplayer and convenience than a disparagement of it as a console on a TV.

If I owned it, that would probably be true for me too I'd say. The portability of it has meant that the only time I play it is when we have family over and the brother-in-law brings his for multiplayer. I've thought about buying one mainly because I need a Zelda and/or Mario fix every once in a while.

[CrimsonFox]

Yeah, I preferred the first two, I think they really stumbled and got away from a winning formula for them.

you are describing fallout and resident evil as well

[NobodyHere]

The release of Smash Bros is really tempting me to buy a Switch

[SackAttack]

I've been lusting after a switch for a while but I think the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 news is gonna end up sealing the deal.

[MizzouRah]

Wow.. Madden, NHL, Far Cry 5, RDR 2, Shadow of the TR look like different games on the XB1 in 4k (and HDR on some of them that have it)


Regular HDTV looks about the same, maybe a bit brighter, but I watched a 4k movie on Netflix and it's hard to watch HD now.. HAHA!


Think I'll pickup AC Odyssey with Christmas money.

[thesloppy]

Sadly, I might be most excited about the release of Katamari Damacy on PC.

[Kodos]

Is Diablo 3 suitable for a 13 year old boy?

[CrimsonFox]

Is Diablo 3 suitable for a 13 year old boy?

it's not suitable for human comsumption

[Eaglesfan27]

Is Diablo 3 suitable for a 13 year old boy?

Yes. No sex or anything other than some video game violence and even that is not as bad as many games that actually deserve a mature rating.

[CrimsonFox]

Path of Exile is free and just like it :)

[thesloppy]

Yeah, I actually enjoyed Diablo 3 plenty, unlike lots of folks, but I'd still probably recommend Path of Exile or Grim Dawn as much better values of the same model, for whatever that's worth.

[Atocep]

I think D3 is probably a better entry level ARPG for most 13 year olds.

[thesloppy]

That's probably fair. PoE's skill tree and constantly shifting leagues/modes aren't exactly intuitive.

[Kodos]

Great. Thanks for the advice everybody!

[Thomkal]

Torchlight might also be a good start for a 13 year old. And its just about to get a new online version Torchlight Frontiers

[JPhillips]

Grim Dawn is great.

And it will be very cheap at the Christmas Sale.

[GoldenCrest Games]

Torchlight might also be a good start for a 13 year old. And its just about to get a new online version Torchlight Frontiers

+1

My son and I played the heck out of this when he was 12.

[NobodyHere]

The Nintendo Switch must be selling like bonkers this season because it seems that any good deal on it is gone in minutes.

[Arles]

I've enjoyed Diablo 3. Pretty streamlined gameplay and I'm going to try it out on the Switch this weekend. I'd highly recommend it - especially with the season setup. You start from scratch, go through a "season journey" where you level a character and complete some task items. Then, you get a set of character-based armor that you can use to create a pretty powerful starting point.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Happened to see/notice that Black Ops 4 (at least on XB1) is down to $39.99 right now.

Having screwed around with it a bit over the past week or so, I can probably get the hours out of it at that price.

It is what it is, but if you enjoy that sort of diversion (I'm good with level grinding in the middle of the night) then that's probably a fair price.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Happened to see/notice that Black Ops 4 (at least on XB1) is down to $39.99 right now. It is what it is, but if you enjoy that sort of diversion (I'm good with level grinding in the middle of the night) then that's probably a fair price.

Or, maybe not. I'm seeing the first gameplay with the new Zero character tonight.

If they don't nerf this significantly, multi-player may be dead.

This is perhaps the most absurdly OP character I've ever seen.

[SackAttack]

Tentatively aiming to get a Switch in the early part of the new year. How soon that comes together depends on stuff, but the better half has signed off, so it's mainly a question of finding a worthy deal and pulling the trigger at some point.

I already know Marvel UA 3 is going to be on the "get" list. Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild eventually, too.

There are a bunch of other games I want but don't necessarily intend to get right away - Disgaea, Civ VI, etc.

I suspect it's going to be largely a single-player machine (I don't think she's going to be super into it except maybe Mario Kart if/when I get that), so those are the sort of experiences I'm going to be looking for.

Any of our resident Switch owners have opinions on 1P titles?

[spleen1015]

I pulled the trigger on Octopath Traveler on the Switch yesterday. I haven't played it yet but everything I have read about it says its really good. I haven't sought too much information about it.

There are 8 main characters and I think at the start of the game you pick 1 of them and eventually you end up picking up all 8. They each have their own story that takes place along with the overall story.

That's about all I know.

Breath of the Wild is an amazing game.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Tentatively aiming to get a Switch in the early part of the new year. How soon that comes together depends on stuff, but the better half has signed off, so it's mainly a question of finding a worthy deal and pulling the trigger at some point.

I already know Marvel UA 3 is going to be on the "get" list. Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild eventually, too.

There are a bunch of other games I want but don't necessarily intend to get right away - Disgaea, Civ VI, etc.

I suspect it's going to be largely a single-player machine (I don't think she's going to be super into it except maybe Mario Kart if/when I get that), so those are the sort of experiences I'm going to be looking for.

Any of our resident Switch owners have opinions on 1P titles?

The Civ VI port is excellent, and being able to play while on the go is amazing.

[RainMaker]

Has anyone played the new Just Cause? Love their old games but probably going to hold off till it drops in price since I haven't even finished RDR2.

[SackAttack]

The Civ VI port is excellent, and being able to play while on the go is amazing.

The ooooooonly thing that's got me holding off a bit on Civ VI when I get a Switch is wondering whether they'll bother to do a 'GOTY' type edition with the Gathering Storm additions down the line.

[spleen1015]

I have almost 9 hours into Octopath Traveller and I am really enjoying it.

If you have a Switch and you're looking for a FF3/6 vibe, you should definitely give it a shot.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I have almost 9 hours into Octopath Traveller and I am really enjoying it.

If you have a Switch and you're looking for a FF3/6 vibe, you should definitely give it a shot.

I'm about 3 hours in right now, and I agree that it is quite good. The visuals are awesome, with the pixel look mixed with 3D environments, excellent lighting effects, and phenomenal sound / music so far. The story...is less than amazing to this point, though it is pretty early yet to be making judgement on that.

I had a really hard time at first because I started with H'aanit (the Hunter), and her dialogue is extraordinarily hard to take seriously. Not sure if it's the localization or that they just went way too far with the dialect, but a hunter who lives in a small village out in the woods with a super pronounced Shakespearean mode of speech is just...laughable, to me. Which was extra frustrating, because the voice acting seems top-notch so far. Getting a little away from her story has been nice, because it seems like most everyone else speaks much more normally.

That being said, the combat system is intriguing, offering enough tactical decisions that the random encounters haven't gotten boring yet. And so far the boss fights have been magnificent - challenging without being unforgiving is a nice change of pace for the typical JRPG fare where the combat is either laughably easy or damnably frustrating. Combine it with what looks to be a Tactics-like job system and skill learning path, and I am pleased with character development and combat so far.

The out of combat special actions each of the characters can use seems cool, but I worry that it will be tiresome once I have more people in my party; so far I'm up to three, and I am already tempted to skip things because there is a lot to do.

So far I give it a solid 7/10 with room to grow.

[MrBug708]

First time I havent bought the new FM right away. Worth getting?

[bob]

Can anyone tell me which version of FIFA on the current console generation includes World Cup qualifying?

[SirFozzie]

Heads up: GOG is offering two free games with purchase as part of their Winter Sale. Fantasy General (if you spend at least 1 cent) and Everspace if you spend $15.

Also, if you have Amazon Prime (and thus twitch Prime), there's a bunch of free games available via the twitch app, as well as in some cases an extra ciopy of the game to gift to friends who do not have twitch prime)

[CrimsonFox]

Have you gotten your free copy of Subnautica from Epic Games Launcher yet?

[Eaglesfan27]

Have you gotten your free copy of Subnautica from Epic Games Launcher yet?

Thanks for the reminder.

[MizzouRah]

Shadow of the Tomb Raider has been fantastic so far. Probably the best looking 4k/hdr game as well.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm curious, so I'll ask: has anyone tried Kingdom Come:Deliverance on XB1?

I know the initial reaction seemed to be that it was a hot mess when released but does anyone know how it is now after some time has passed?

[thesloppy]

I'm curious, so I'll ask: has anyone tried Kingdom Come:Deliverance on XB1?

I know the initial reaction seemed to be that it was a hot mess when released but does anyone know how it is now after some time has passed?

I can give you half-an-answer: it's been improved on PC.

I'm still not sure whether I'd give it a full thumbs-up, as I think it's desire to be a "realistic RPG" make it occasionally toe-the-line of making me feel like I'm doing actual work. That said, I believe you're intimately familiar with similar kind of inventory & skills micro-management from Fallout & Skyrim.

The combat is harder than most similar RPGs to learn, both on a purely mechanical basis, and because you have to essentially re-learn how to approach a fight, adjusting for the "realism" that makes it truly difficult to engage any more than one opponent at a time (and the lack of any fantasy monsters).

All that said, I think the increased busy work and tougher combat actually do serve to make it a more rewarding experience when you actually do or find something of significance, and the increased threat makes even just wandering around the world aimlessly a more exciting proposition that requires some preparation and forethought.

[Atocep]

I can give you half-an-answer: it's been improved on PC.

I'm still not sure whether I'd give it a full thumbs-up, as I think it's desire to be a "realistic RPG" make it occasionally toe-the-line of making me feel like I'm doing actual work. That said, I believe you're intimately familiar with similar kind of inventory & skills micro-management from Fallout & Skyrim.

The combat is harder than most similar RPGs to learn, both on a purely mechanical basis, and because you have to essentially re-learn how to approach a fight, adjusting for the "realism" that makes it truly difficult to engage any more than one opponent at a time (and the lack of any fantasy monsters).

All that said, I think the increased busy work and tougher combat actually do serve to make it a more rewarding experience when you actually do or find something of significance, and the increased threat makes even just wandering around the world aimlessly a more exciting proposition that requires some preparation and forethought.


Getting decent at sword fighting in that game felt so rewarding to me. Early on you'll fight some bandits that equally as bad as you with a sword and you'll think you're getting the hang of things, but when you run into a guy that legitimately knows what the hell he's doing and it's frustrating because you won't land a single blow. This isn't a game where he has X amount of armor so I'm not doing damage. It's a game where I'm not doing damage because he parries everything, counters, everything, and generally makes me feel like the blacksmith's son that I am.

I really enjoyed the game overall, but as I've mentioned on here before, it's very difficult to recommend to people because it's in no way shape or form for everyone. You're either going to like it for it's brutal realism or hate it because it's difficult and boring.

I think they did a good job creating an engaging storyline and an interesting world without the use of magic, dragons, or orcs. A few quests are truly memorable (Father Godwin, the Witches) and at no point did I feel like the most bad ass person in the kingdom.

[Edward64]

Hmmm, shouldn't we have a 2019 thread?

[Groundhog]

For me, Kingdom Come felt like the gameplay just got in the way of the story, which I was pretty interested in. Felt like a Bernard Cornwell book, but I found the game itself a bit bland and overly difficult - I probably would have loved it 15-20 years ago when I had a lot more time to dick around with how to hit someone with a sword vs. fatigue myself by swinging into the wind over and over again.

I admire what they tried to do though and I'm glad I gave them my money to be honest, because hopefully they try again and refine their engine.

[thesloppy]

The combat difficulty also makes it pretty difficult to set aside for a couple weeks and come back to, for whatever that's worth. You can learn combos to make yourself a bit more powerful, but ultimately your reflexes are going to determine whether you win or lose every fight, and trying to come back to it after those reflexes have gone a little stale can make for a frustrating couple of hours, trying to get comfortable again.

[stevew]

Anyone playing BO2 on ps4? Add me waldorfsalad

[JonInMiddleGA]

via Kotaku (and everybody else basically)

Developer Bungie and publisher Activision are splitting up, an industry-shaking divorce that will see the shared world shooter series Destiny enter fully into Bungie’s control.

[RainMaker]

My only problem with Kingdom Come is it can be tedious at times and takes a lot of work to get good at combat. I'm more of a casual player who just wants to get into a game and start doing shit. Not learn for hours and hours. It's all personal preference though.

I'm absolutely loving RDR2. Rockstar has its issues but they sure put a lot into their games.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Saw a YT "speed run" of FO:NV, one that was extremely glitch heavy.

And it kinda hit me: what does it say about the state of gaming in the past year or two that there are people who would rather figure out a number of crazy glitches to shorten their speed run than play new games that have been released?

[SackAttack]

Saw a YT "speed run" of FO:NV, one that was extremely glitch heavy.

And it kinda hit me: what does it say about the state of gaming in the past year or two that there are people who would rather figure out a number of crazy glitches to shorten their speed run than play new games that have been released?

Not a thing. Speed runs have been a thing forever, and glitches have been a part of it (although the record books are typically split between 'clean' runs and runs that rely on glitches).

Jump 20 years into the future with the concomitant tech advances, and there will still be people doing speed runs of "classic" games, and using glitches to try to set those records, no matter how amazeballs contemporary tech and games are then.