Video Game Thread v. Wii4One

[Chino]

Interesting... I'll definitely check it out! The comparison just didn't make sense to me... 

Nothing would thrill me more greatly than for Rockstar to announce that the next GTA will be online only.

Considering they probably wouldn't want to turn away a large chunk of their fanbase I'd say there's almost no chance they do it.

As they shouldn't, it's a completely asinine idea.

Then why has Rockstar decided to not do any single player DLC? The money is online, and so is the fun. I didn't even bother finishing the campaign in GTA-V but have 200+ hours on the servers. I know there are still people who only want the single player, the but the majority of people still playing GTA-V are only there for the online element. After having so much fun playing V online, I'm not going to even bother starting the campaign in VI.

[BlobVanDam]

Then why has Rockstar decided to not do any single player DLC? The money is online, and so is the fun. I didn't even bother finishing the campaign in GTA-V but have 200+ hours on the servers. I know there are still people who only want the single player, the but the majority of people still playing GTA-V are only there for the online element. After having so much fun playing V online, I'm not going to even bother starting the campaign in VI.

Your argument is basically "I don't care about single player, so therefore they shouldn't bother". There's no reason not to have single player; you can just not play it. Everybody wins.

The reason people are mostly playing for the online at this point is because the game has been out for years now, and people have mostly long finished playing and replaying the single player. Online DLC is relatively quick and cheap to make, and is an easy way to get more life out of an old game and keep people playing at this point. It doesn't even compare to the work involved in creating a single player episode, so it's an apples to oranges comparison.

[Genowyn]

i did pacifist twice 
can't bring myself to kill -anything- in this game lol

I got a friend of mine to play it and he reports back to me saying he just befriended Papyrus but has killed everything else he's come across.

I'm like WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU

[TioJorge]

Blob said everything I was going to say. It's not like I'm saying 'fuck online', but there is absolutely no reason to take away single player. There is no realm in which that is not a total downgrade; there's no reason for it. It makes perfect sense that DLC would only be released for online if its successful...again, as Blob said. It's not like I'm attacking you or saying that online is stupid. But the idea itself is kind of daft...both from a business standpoint and as a fan. Again, as Blob said, everyone wins with the current model that makes complete and total sense. Online only? No sense.

Anyway, I digress...

I just got my little five year old friend into Pokemon and it is SO AWESOME seeing him feel those feels that I felt when I was a kid...except this little turd gets to experience it in full 3D on a new 2DS (I'm pretty sure he'd break the original 3DS/XL in a heartbeat  ) in all its glory. He's pretty damn good too, I was worried he wouldn't grasp it fully yet (he's smart, but he has a mild form of Asperger's) but the only thing I need to hammer down is the save function; he's having  a really tough time remembering to save every time he does something important, which is what I'd guess would be the issue. But hell, he's already beaten a gym leader and caught a bunch of Pokemon. It's going to be a lot of fun trading with him, teaching him, battling with him and exploring the world. Even more so considering the new game is going to be announced more than likely by the end of the year and if not then certainly the beginning of 2016. Pokemon Z, here we come!

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

It's sounds like it's confirmed there's no SP DLC on it's way then, is that confirmed? Would love if they did something similar like GTA IV with TLaTD and TBoGT.

I with out a doubt bought GTA V because of the SP campaign.

[TioJorge]

I know it was planned, but at this point I don't think it'll be released. But a simple Google brings up a lot of different articles on 'never' and 'yes it's still planned'. It doesn't affect me much anymore but my friend hasn't had online for a while and was given a PS4/GTAV as a gift for his b-day and thus was pretty excited about it, so it'd be nice.

The few hours I have logged with the online portion were pretty marred and I didn't hate it, but the people made it worse. I know experiences vary and that aspect is always going to be there with any online game, but I just didn't enjoy it all that much. I like to be able to wreck havoc on my own terms and with all the great and insane mods and cheats (this probably doesn't affect anyone who doesn't play on PC, but it's my only gaming platform right as aside from my New3DS).

[Chino]

It's sounds like it's confirmed there's no SP DLC on it's way then, is that confirmed?

Yes. Rockstar released a statement two weeks ago or so stating that there is no SP DLC currently in the works or in the foreseeable future. All GTA development teams are focused on Online DLC and enhancements.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

 

[TL]

So Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 is shockingly bad, even in the context of lowered expectations.
As one outlet put it, it's "Heartbreakingly Bad".

It's just such a bummer. My friends and I are huge fans of the THPS series, and were really hoping this would be at least decent, even if it wasn't a complete return to form. I have so many fond memories of the first four games, with 3 and 4 being among my favorite games of all time. Having played them pretty frequently throughout the years, including a lot in the past month or so, they both still hold up really well.

5 isn't just "not as good" or "different". It's really bad.
The worst thing is that, aside from a big mis-step with the 'slam' mechanic (which wouldn't even really be an issue if they hadn't mapped it to a single press of the grind button), they actually got the feel down pretty well. At least, when the game actually decides to work properly.

The inclusion of online lobbies between missions is baffling in its current form. You have no real interaction with the other players. If you choose to do online multiplayer, it takes you out of that lobby, and connects you with different players. You have to interact with this lobby, because it's where you start goals from (which don't activate half the time). When you start a goal, it takes you out of that map, loads the same map without other skaters, and then loads back to the lobby afterward (also, most of the goals are really dull). Even if you specifically tell it to go offline, it automatically puts you into an online lobby after one session.

The levels themselves are just... not interesting. They just feel very sparse and lifeless.
There are a lot of other small nitpicks and issues all over the place as well. Giantbomb.com has a good in depth look at it (If you're not familiar with Jeff Gerstmann, one of the guys in that video, if anyone was going to find the silver lining in this game, it would be him).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IZzXOdVkFU

Maybe most inexcusably, there's no 'Horse' multiplayer game type.

It's not the absolute worst game I've ever played, but it may well be the most disappointing.
It's a shame too, because it seems like the developers really wanted to make a good Tony Hawk game, but were given a shoestring budget and an impossibly rushed schedule.

I guess we at least still have 3 and 4, but this is a sad note for the series to go out on, which it probably will.

[Chino]

I'm devastated by the latest TH release
 THPS1 is in my top 10 games of all time. Sucks. I read that the day one patch was bigger than the game file itself and there are still too many bugs that keep the game from being enjoyable.

That's inexcusable. The new age of preorders is responsible for this. A developer gets half their nut before even having to deliver. So lame.

[TioJorge]

Yep, this newfangled fad is really fucking shit up big time. By and large, it has done nothing but make gamers feel taken advantage of, put an immense amount of pressure on developers, and caused nothing but issues. I truly cannot see one gleaming point of good that it's done, not a single one. I myself have given into it a few times, but every time it's been with a game that I am as sure as I can be that it'll be greatness (namely, Metal Gear Solid 5 and GTA5 most recently). Even then, I don't think it's a good idea at all. It's nice for developers who actually do the hard work and make it a great game that has been combed over ten fold for bugs to get that early cash for a last push, but overall it's nothing but a cop-out and a really easy way to scam people.

I'm really tired of it and hope that the fad ends soon. Which I seriously doubt is going to happen. It's funny though, it came on like a fucking plague...one day the announcement is made that you can do such a thing, and the next thing you know, every game on the planet, weather it's AAA or a piece of bugged out shit is up for pre-loading/pre-order/pre-cumming bullshit. It's crazy.

I haven't even played the Tony Hawk series since 3, but it's a real shame to hear that it's gone downhill and I was actually watching a friend play it the other day and (this from a guy who is as level headed as the Dahli Lama, never seen him so much as yell) raged out and quit the game and threw it away. I was pretty stunned, not by his actions, but how fucked up the game was. It looked like one of those really horrible rip offs of a really popular series made by a couple of inbred guys that want to make a quick buck and don't care about any backlash. Truly. Grab That Auto 5 comes to mind.  ... ...  R.I.P. THPS. I shall listen to some Alien Ant Farm and do some ollies in THPS3 as a sendoff. My favorite one. (Also got me into CKY!)

[cramx3]

Wow, didn't realize there wouldn't be single player dlc for gta5. Ballad of gay Tony was the best part of gta4. I will say though that I'd rather more online heists than anything else at this point,those are the most fun to play.

[Nel]

I'm pretty salty on the Tony Hawk thing. Apparently Activision's contract with Tony Hawk ends at the end of the year, and that's why they decided to suddenly touch the series again and bait nostalgic fans into buying it while they can still make cash off of it.

Motherfuckers. I loved that series when I was in junior high (never really played THPS4 that much), and I was looking forward to this one so, soooo much, and then I saw the Giant Bomb video and... fuck. Just fuck. How shameful.

[Fiery Winds]

That's inexcusable. The new age of preorders is responsible for this. A developer publisher gets half their nut before even having to deliver. So lame.

FTFY

It's the publisher, not the guys actually building the game that determine project timelines.

[Phoenix87x]

I'm pretty salty on the Tony Hawk thing. Apparently Activision's contract with Tony Hawk ends at the end of the year, and that's why they decided to suddenly touch the series again and bait nostalgic fans into buying it while they can still make cash off of it.

Motherfuckers. I loved that series when I was in junior high (never really played THPS4 that much), and I was looking forward to this one so, soooo much, and then I saw the Giant Bomb video and... fuck. Just fuck. How shameful.

I am right there with you.

Absolutely loved the series as a kid. Got really excited and was ready to buy on day one, but thank god for the internet, because I watched that same giant bomb video. Heartbreaking

[TioJorge]

I'm having a really great JRPG orgy over here. I just got into Bravely Default after owning it for quite some time and then putting down games in general for a while. Now that I've got a tad more time on my hands, I'm getting back into the games I left by the wayside and holy hell is this an awesome title. I think I posted a bit about it when I first picked it up but never got past the first few hours, which in this game means the first actual town in Chapter 1.  It's definitely old-school in that way; I can see myself having 80 hours by the time I get towards the end. I pretty much consider it an old-school Final Fantasy with new-school aspects and upgraded tech. I really like how the 3D is subtle enough to not be hindering or hurt my eyes after hours of playing but adds to the depth of the graphics. In towns (or so far, at least), it's a pseudo-2D perspective, yet the 3D feature makes it pop a lot more and actually makes it easier to maneuver around and find hidden spots, which means hidden items. Kind of like how the New Super Mario 3D is infinitely easier to play with the 3D on (except I actually found it downright impossible to play without it on, which isn't he case with this game, but the premise stands).

Anyway, I'm now nearing my third town and I'm fully invested in it and having a lot of fun. It's also pretty difficult at times and not because I just need to grind more or out of frustration, but the game itself takes a lot of truly coordinated attacks and a plan. Even if you're over-leveled, you can have your ass handed to you if you don't plan ahead and Brave/Default in a smart manner. Now I just need to pick between this and Xenoblade...that is going to be the toughest choice of all.  Both are in depth enough to where I don't want to flip/flop, I'll lose track of what's going on in one of the games.

[orcus116]

Started playing Saints Row 2 and damn it is fun. I love the early Tony Hawk game style of cartooniness within the GTA type universe.

[Genowyn]

*bravely default*

Listen to me.

Bravely Default is great, really.

But stop.

Play. Undertale.

[TioJorge]

  I will eventually! But I'm still in the process of upgrading my PC's mobo and am on an old, really, really shitty laptop. I'd love to play it but I don't want to have to deal with my laptop issues. Like...sometimes the laptop gets all laggy and freezes when I'm watching Netflix and have too many tabs open in Firefox; that's how bad it is. (I tried opening Steam one time to see if it'd at least play Terraria...I forgot about it and came back 30 minutes later and it still hadn't opened Steam  ) So for now, sadly, I'll have to wait. Soon though! I'll hopefully have my lil powerhouse up and running in the next few weeks.

Also, because of the aforementioned, I went ahead and got the Majora's Mask remake...FUGGIN' TITS! It's awesome; even better and more refined than the OoT remake! The few changes they've made in terms of the mechanics (I say mechanics but it's not..more like..placement of certain things on the map..just don't know what else to call it) improve the game, and of course the graphics are hugely improved. It might just be because it's been so long since I've played it (not since the bonus disc that came with Wind Waker way back when on Gamecube...god...I still have that!) but it sounds like the sound is improved vastly as well. I'm sure the New3DS' crazy good speakers help, but the sound is awesome and the music sounds much clearer. It's the first time I've ever had to actually not turn the volume slider all the way up and sometimes (like now, when the behbeh is asleep) have to turn it down a bit cause it's just that loud. Really great remake all around and I cannot wait to delve into the game more and have a nice nostalgia boner the whole time. I just got to the first temple so I'm literally just diving in. YUH! (the scene when Link transforms is still deranged as fuckin' hell  )

[Genowyn]

I mean the game is like 16 bit but okay

[TioJorge]

Ah, well that's good to know... But so is Terraria and my laptop crashed even trying to open it. Or Steam, for that matter. Yeah...it's...really bad...really fucking bad.  I'm excited to play it though.

[Skeever]

Listen to me.

Bravely Default is great, really.

I'm a lifelong FF fan, but I really did not enjoy Bravely Default and do not get the hype. Here are some reasons why:

• One dimensional characters who are basically just walking tropes
• Bad story
• Boring, grind oriented gameplay
• Long battles that require very little strategy
• Annoying mobile-game tier subgame

The game is certainly gorgeous (as much as a 3DS game can be, I guess), but ultimately I thought it was a huge step back and just not that fun to play. Ultimately I can't be bothered to play a 40 hour game when I don't give a single crap what actually happens to any of the characters.

If it's a JRPG you want, Shin Megami Tensei IV is a better game every department but the visuals. Great story, challenging, grinding won't help much, battles are exciting, fascinating world and atmosphere, awesome soundtrack.

[Genowyn]

I love SMTIV and would say it's probably the best 3DS game so far.

Also I'm Atlus guy around here, stay outta my territory

As far as Bravely Default goes I think it's the best Final Fantasy game to come out since X, even though it's not technically an FF game

[Skeever]

Haha, I love Atlus, but I won't be playing the P4 spinoffs games so if you will you've already got me beat.

Plus, I love SMT and Persona, but I'm totally not going to recommend that people skip the 3's and 4's of those series to play the "superior" early games **coughSMTsubcough**

[TioJorge]

GENOWYYYYYN!!! I'M the Atlus guy, you gotta deal with it!!    Ohhhh, I've got over 200 hours in SMTIV. I am the SMTIV GOD. By far and away my favorite JRPG series and IV is my favorite 3DS game. That said, I'm more than done with it.  I've 200%'d that game. But yes I obviously agree, it's the best JRPG and in my eyes the best game period for 3DS.

But I'm not sure how you're an FF fan and dislike BD, Skeever. Almost every FF out there barring the recent ones (pretty much past X...barring, in part, XII) is a grind-fest. The story isn't as riviting as certain FF titles, but then again I don't think that most FF titles have THAT great a story. Yes, some were dramatic at times and tugged at the heart-strings, but nothing made me scream "Wow, what an interesting story!" (that's usually reserved for Metal Gear Solid or The Last of Us types of games for me). They did the job, and I think BD does as well as most of the Ninty-era FF titles. Now...I'm going to disregard the battle/strategy comment because it makes me feel like you're just saying random shit... Maybe it's our differing playing styles, or that you grinded a bit too much and didn't need to use strategy...but if you're even keeled and aren't super powered, you absolutely need to use the Brave/Default system to win the tougher battles (Well, I should've stated earlier I'm playing on Hard mode, that might make a difference, I'm not sure what changes from Easy/Normal/Hard), and that to me takes a pretty decent amount of strategy and planning. Annnd I'm not sure how the mini-games (if that's what you're referring to?) is mobile-game... Lost me there.

I'm with Gen in that I think it's got the FF feel and overall core of a lot of different titles coming together beautifully in one game. I like it more than any recent FF title, that's for sure.

Either way, if you didn't like it, you didn't like it...but those are some really weird complaints to me from someone who is an FF fan. Eh! I'm loving it so far.

[Skeever]

The Brave/Default mechanic makes it a little bit more interesting, but still doesn't really introduce much strategy I don't think. Basically I just had the whole party brave four turns to end random battles as quickly as possible, otherwise they were such a drag. Boss fights were a bit better, but those are relatively few and far between given the high encounter rate.

[TioJorge]

I can see that. I tried doing the super brave thing and end up getting my ass kicked. I might just not be grinding enough but hard mode is really tough for me.  There is always the possibility that I just suck at the game too...

[Genowyn]

Tio I've been Atlus guy here since before you signed up

[TioJorge]

 

But I'm carrying the world on my shoulders... 

[Genowyn]

The Brave/Default mechanic makes it a little bit more interesting, but still doesn't really introduce much strategy I don't think. Basically I just had the whole party brave four turns to end random battles as quickly as possible, otherwise they were such a drag. Boss fights were a bit better, but those are relatively few and far between given the high encounter rate.

Did you fight the secret bosses? Like where you have to fight four asterisk holders at once? Some of those are extremely difficult and require serious preparation and strategy to overcome.

[reneranucci]

Just got the following bundle as a gift for my wife:

New 3DS XL - Red Color
Pokemon X
Fantasy Life

I hope she likes it. She loves the Pokemon games and from what I gathered from the interwebz, Pokemon X/Y is a great upgrade in the already great franchise. The Fantasy Life game was on one of the "Top XX Greatest 3DS games..." lists I checked and, after watching some video reviews, I went for it. The gameplay where you can switch between 12 vocations and accomplish small missions while completing the main goal really caught my attention. And my wife is the kind of person who'd love to be able to choose the whole attire of her character including adding hats/socks/purses.

[TioJorge]

Nice! Awesome buy. I got the same New3DS and it's a gorgeous system. Word of advice: I dunno how big of gamers you are, but the MicroSD is only 4 gigs and while that may seem like a lot, it goes really, really quick. I'd recommend upgrading ASAP and getting the annoyance of taking off the back cover and installing the new MicroSD (it holds up to a 32 gig MicroSDHC) out of the way. It's kind of a pain but it's worth it and good to know that unless you're a gaming fiend like I am, you'll more than likely never have to bother with it again. I've got nearly all my games on digital and still have room to spare, it's great.

Anyway, I hope you don't mind losing her to the system for a while!  Pokemon X is amazing and she'll love it if she's into the series, ten fold more if she hasn't played the series for a while. It's got an awesome blend of the old and the new and is really more catered to that audience it seems anyway. There really isn't a huge abundance of new Pokemon, but that worked out fine for me as I was just getting back into the series as well when I first played it and it was an awesome trip down memory lane in that gorgeous 3D. Truly a pleasure and it changes the game completely to have it in that format. After she's done with that, get the very cheap and VERY worth it Pokemon Bank, trade those lil dudes, and then get Pokemon Alpha/Omega! Actually...by the time she is through with X, Z might be coming out. Or whatever they are going to call it, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't called Z.

[Genowyn]

I am having some trouble with the logistics of Phantom Pain

You mean to tell me I am frequently taking a helicopter from the Seychelles to Afghanistan. That's a 4700km (~3000 mile) flight. ONE WAY. IN A HELICOPTER!

Also the soviet soldiers are incredibly disloyal
Like I show up and beat the shit out of/tranq them out and kidnap them
And they're like "Yeah I'll work for that guy no problem"
"Oh yeah fuck the motherland communism sucks"
"I'd love to live on a metal platform in the middle of the ocean with a boss who expects me to thank him for punching me instead of with my family"
 "Who come to think of it when the KGB finds out I defected will definitely be sent to a gulag"

[Nel]

Should be getting a New 3DS by the end of the month. I preordered that gold Zelda one that comes with TriForce Heroes from GameStop.

...Though I really, really wanted that Majora's Mask one from earlier this year. That was sexy.

[TioJorge]

I would've held out for the Zelda edition but I love the XL size way too much. I just can't go back after that. I guess I'm a slut...

But yeah, it does look awesome. Of course when the Majora XL came out I couldn't get it...meh!