Video Game Thread v. Series Xbox One X Series Switch S 5

[Herrick]

Started playing Cyberpunk 2077 again - had a brief stint with this first weekend of release when I put in maybe 5 hours, but a combination of my PC only being able to running it on low settings and the game being buggy at launch made me put it away. Always wanted to return to it with a better PC and after some time when they could work out the kinks with the game and here we are now.

Mostly enjoying my time with it now (3-4 hours in) however I will say that 1 pet peeve I have is that for such a big world, a lot of it feels kinda empty. There's so many NPCs who are just there that you can't interact with in any way, and it definitely takes me out of the game a bit. Don't get me wrong, I understand that giving every NPC in a huge city their own voice actor and a dialogue tree, as well as some function in game (part of a quest or not) would be an insane undertaking and I get that it's not doable. However, when you run around a block or an apartment complex and nobody is really interactable, then it does feel a bit empty.

I am still intrigued to get further into the game and hopefully some things will open up and improve.

I read or watched some review (more like a hype piece) of the 2.0 update mentioning how the world felt more "alive" but I agree with you, it really doesn't. Some random NPCs can talk but it's always a one-sentence nonsense reply. I'm 50-something hours into the game and it doesn't feel more alive in that respect. It doesn't really bother me because there are soooooo many missions to do and I really enjoy the gameplay and atmosphere. There is enough dialogue with the real people for me. Earlier today I did one mission that was all dialogue.

Edit: My main complaint is how the game auto-switches my tracked mission after receiving an un-ignorable phone call concerning another mission.

Edit: It's also nice that you no longer have to dress up like a clown because armor is no longer tied to clothing. I wish weapons had a transmog option though.

[Stadler]

Any Assassin's Creed fans?  Do the remastered versions in the "Enio Collection" or whatever it's called, get rid of any Multi-player Trophies?

[Skeever]

Started playing Cyberpunk 2077 again - had a brief stint with this first weekend of release when I put in maybe 5 hours, but a combination of my PC only being able to running it on low settings and the game being buggy at launch made me put it away. Always wanted to return to it with a better PC and after some time when they could work out the kinks with the game and here we are now.

Mostly enjoying my time with it now (3-4 hours in) however I will say that 1 pet peeve I have is that for such a big world, a lot of it feels kinda empty. There's so many NPCs who are just there that you can't interact with in any way, and it definitely takes me out of the game a bit. Don't get me wrong, I understand that giving every NPC in a huge city their own voice actor and a dialogue tree, as well as some function in game (part of a quest or not) would be an insane undertaking and I get that it's not doable. However, when you run around a block or an apartment complex and nobody is really interactable, then it does feel a bit empty.

I am still intrigued to get further into the game and hopefully some things will open up and improve.

I read or watched some review (more like a hype piece) of the 2.0 update mentioning how the world felt more "alive" but I agree with you, it really doesn't. Some random NPCs can talk but it's always a one-sentence nonsense reply. I'm 50-something hours into the game and it doesn't feel more alive in that respect. It doesn't really bother me because there are soooooo many missions to do and I really enjoy the gameplay and atmosphere. There is enough dialogue with the real people for me. Earlier today I did one mission that was all dialogue.

Edit: My main complaint is how the game auto-switches my tracked mission after receiving an un-ignorable phone call concerning another mission.

Edit: It's also nice that you no longer have to dress up like a clown because armor is no longer tied to clothing. I wish weapons had a transmog option though.

I am playing the game as well, after falling off around 10 hours in during launch because I could not stand the bugs any more. I've had a few crashes and a few bugs but overall it is a much better experience. The world definitely does feel more vibrant and alive but it's not interactive, it's just meant to look really good in the periphery. So I tried to play with horse blinders on, the stuff that they built out is really great and having the setting in the backdrop really helps set the tone. But there's no point in going anywhere or talking to anybody unless you have a quest pointing you to them.

[nobloodyname]

I agree with all that criticism of the world itself in Cyberpunk. But I had a good time with it on release (on a powerful PC) before putting it down unfinished, can't remember why. Then I properly picked it up again with V2, playing with path tracing on on a super ultrawide, and played it to completion which was around another 20 hours. I thought it was fabulous. Very much looking forward to playing the DLC at some point.

[Zantera]

Been putting a little bit more time into Cyberpunk and I do enjoy it, but I think I have to focus on the activities and the story and less about the open world aspect because that does feel a little bit empty I must admit. I'm soon caught up to the point in the story where I got to on launch (the introduction of Keanu Reeves into the game) which isn't very far mind you but I usually take my time and I don't usually rush.

Alongside having Cyberpunk I also installed the original Resident Evil remake on a bit of an impulse. I've become a big fan of the franchise with the remakes of 2, 3 and 4, and I never really played these games back as a kid. So far it's a bit of a mixed bag. I do love the setting and the atmosphere but the locked camera angles definitely make it feel dated. I know thats how a lot of people got into these games to begin with, but playing it this way after getting used to a free roam 3rd person style, this definitely feels like a step back in that regard. I usually avoid having multiple games going at once but I figured since these 2 are so drastically different and one of them is maybe a 10 hour game it should be fine.

Down the line I'm really hyped to finally dive into Red Dead 2 (after I finish Cyberpunk) and there's a few other games I'm curious to try as well.

[Sacul]

I love the REmake game, played it a lot when I was younger but I agree it feels dated and clunky compared to the newer stuff.

I finally managed to beat Fallout: New Vegas! Took me ages but damn, such a great game. Now I've gotta finish the DLCs. Also, I've resumed playing Disco Elysium, excellent game so far.

A friend came home the other day to help her clean her laptop and we ended up playing Elden Ring, which she's a big fan of. Now I'm craving for a PC or a console that can run it

[ReaperKK]

New Vegas is indeed killer, I loved that game.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Been putting a little bit more time into Cyberpunk and I do enjoy it, but I think I have to focus on the activities and the story and less about the open world aspect because that does feel a little bit empty I must admit. I'm soon caught up to the point in the story where I got to on launch (the introduction of Keanu Reeves into the game) which isn't very far mind you but I usually take my time and I don't usually rush.

In retrospect, I think the whole Cyberpunk situation is really interesting. When it first came out, it was a buggy, broken mess, but it also had its merits, which people didn't really want to acknowledge. Now that it's had a million patches, a next-gen update, and DLC, I almost feel like the pendulum has swung completely in the other direction. There are some fundamental issues with the original game - somewhat empty world, disastrous loot system, illusion of choice - that simply can't be patched out and will need to wait until the sequel, but those aren't mentioned anymore. We live in a very 0/10 or 10/10 culture and I think Cyberpunk is a good example of that.

[cramx3]

Been putting a little bit more time into Cyberpunk and I do enjoy it, but I think I have to focus on the activities and the story and less about the open world aspect because that does feel a little bit empty I must admit. I'm soon caught up to the point in the story where I got to on launch (the introduction of Keanu Reeves into the game) which isn't very far mind you but I usually take my time and I don't usually rush.

In retrospect, I think the whole Cyberpunk situation is really interesting. When it first came out, it was a buggy, broken mess, but it also had its merits, which people didn't really want to acknowledge. Now that it's had a million patches, a next-gen update, and DLC, I almost feel like the pendulum has swung completely in the other direction. There are some fundamental issues with the original game - somewhat empty world, disastrous loot system, illusion of choice - that simply can't be patched out and will need to wait until the sequel, but those aren't mentioned anymore. We live in a very 0/10 or 10/10 culture and I think Cyberpunk is a good example of that.

I'm not sure if I rated the game on release, but I really enjoyed it for the most part.  Haven't and likely won't come back to it, but I'm not surprised the a couple years later, the game is in great shape.  It really just needed some more time to fix things at the end of the day.  Sucks that games are always released unfinished these days.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Been putting a little bit more time into Cyberpunk and I do enjoy it, but I think I have to focus on the activities and the story and less about the open world aspect because that does feel a little bit empty I must admit. I'm soon caught up to the point in the story where I got to on launch (the introduction of Keanu Reeves into the game) which isn't very far mind you but I usually take my time and I don't usually rush.

In retrospect, I think the whole Cyberpunk situation is really interesting. When it first came out, it was a buggy, broken mess, but it also had its merits, which people didn't really want to acknowledge. Now that it's had a million patches, a next-gen update, and DLC, I almost feel like the pendulum has swung completely in the other direction. There are some fundamental issues with the original game - somewhat empty world, disastrous loot system, illusion of choice - that simply can't be patched out and will need to wait until the sequel, but those aren't mentioned anymore. We live in a very 0/10 or 10/10 culture and I think Cyberpunk is a good example of that.

I'm not sure if I rated the game on release, but I really enjoyed it for the most part.  Haven't and likely won't come back to it, but I'm not surprised the a couple years later, the game is in great shape.  It really just needed some more time to fix things at the end of the day.  Sucks that games are always released unfinished these days.

If you enjoyed the base game, I'd definitely give the DLC a try (I believe you can jump right into it). It's really great.

[Indiscipline]

Been putting a little bit more time into Cyberpunk and I do enjoy it, but I think I have to focus on the activities and the story and less about the open world aspect because that does feel a little bit empty I must admit. I'm soon caught up to the point in the story where I got to on launch (the introduction of Keanu Reeves into the game) which isn't very far mind you but I usually take my time and I don't usually rush.

In retrospect, I think the whole Cyberpunk situation is really interesting. When it first came out, it was a buggy, broken mess, but it also had its merits, which people didn't really want to acknowledge. Now that it's had a million patches, a next-gen update, and DLC, I almost feel like the pendulum has swung completely in the other direction. There are some fundamental issues with the original game - somewhat empty world, disastrous loot system, illusion of choice - that simply can't be patched out and will need to wait until the sequel, but those aren't mentioned anymore. We live in a very 0/10 or 10/10 culture and I think Cyberpunk is a good example of that.

I'm not sure if I rated the game on release, but I really enjoyed it for the most part.  Haven't and likely won't come back to it, but I'm not surprised the a couple years later, the game is in great shape.  It really just needed some more time to fix things at the end of the day.  Sucks that games are always released unfinished these days.

Games are released unfinished but you pay for a pretty whole price.

[cramx3]

Been putting a little bit more time into Cyberpunk and I do enjoy it, but I think I have to focus on the activities and the story and less about the open world aspect because that does feel a little bit empty I must admit. I'm soon caught up to the point in the story where I got to on launch (the introduction of Keanu Reeves into the game) which isn't very far mind you but I usually take my time and I don't usually rush.

In retrospect, I think the whole Cyberpunk situation is really interesting. When it first came out, it was a buggy, broken mess, but it also had its merits, which people didn't really want to acknowledge. Now that it's had a million patches, a next-gen update, and DLC, I almost feel like the pendulum has swung completely in the other direction. There are some fundamental issues with the original game - somewhat empty world, disastrous loot system, illusion of choice - that simply can't be patched out and will need to wait until the sequel, but those aren't mentioned anymore. We live in a very 0/10 or 10/10 culture and I think Cyberpunk is a good example of that.

I'm not sure if I rated the game on release, but I really enjoyed it for the most part.  Haven't and likely won't come back to it, but I'm not surprised the a couple years later, the game is in great shape.  It really just needed some more time to fix things at the end of the day.  Sucks that games are always released unfinished these days.

If you enjoyed the base game, I'd definitely give the DLC a try (I believe you can jump right into it). It's really great.

I'm sure it is, I just don't have desire to go back to this game.

Games are released unfinished but you pay for a pretty whole price.

Sadly, this has become the way.

[El Barto]

I love the REmake game, played it a lot when I was younger but I agree it feels dated and clunky compared to the newer stuff.

I finally managed to beat Fallout: New Vegas! Took me ages but damn, such a great game. Now I've gotta finish the DLCs. Also, I've resumed playing Disco Elysium, excellent game so far.

A friend came home the other day to help her clean her laptop and we ended up playing Elden Ring, which she's a big fan of. Now I'm craving for a PC or a console that can run it

Fallout's a weird one for me. I've tried 3 or 4 times to play 3 and just hate it. Don't like the gameplay or the look. I think FO4 is wonderful, though a lot of people seem to hate it. Vegas was the tweener, and while I don't love it, I thought it was perfectly decent. I should probably go back and play it again, specifically, as you said, to do the DLC.

[faizoff]

Stupid Epic Store sale with the stupid 33% off coupon. Ugh no self control on my part. Ended up buying

Cyberpunk 2077
Witcher 3
Sykrim remastered
Mass Effect Trilogy remastered
Red Dead Redemption 2

Got it all for $50.

100 GB download for Cyberpunk... goddamn these sales. Still have the 33% off coupon and the sale goes on til 11 am EST tomorrow.

This is in addition to all the fun free game giveaways they had for the last 17 days that include games like Guardians of the Galaxy, Saints Row, Outer Worlds, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Deliver us Mars....


Oh well add them all to the backlog.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Stupid Epic Store sale with the stupid 33% off coupon. Ugh no self control on my part. Ended up buying

Cyberpunk 2077
Witcher 3
Sykrim remastered
Mass Effect Trilogy remastered
Red Dead Redemption 2

Got it all for $50.

100 GB download for Cyberpunk... goddamn these sales. Still have the 33% off coupon and the sale goes on til 11 am EST tomorrow.

This is in addition to all the fun free game giveaways they had for the last 17 days that include games like Guardians of the Galaxy, Saints Row, Outer Worlds, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Deliver us Mars....


Oh well add them all to the backlog.

Let's see Cyberpunk will set you back about 100 hours
You can easily put 150 hours into Witcher 3 including the 2 expansions
Skyrim, I don't even know. I've put over 1000 hours into it since it first released.
Mass Effect Trilogy, there's another 100 hours
Red Dead 2 is another 60-80 hours, depending on how you play. Could be more than 100.

See you next year!

[faizoff]

Stupid Epic Store sale with the stupid 33% off coupon. Ugh no self control on my part. Ended up buying

Cyberpunk 2077
Witcher 3
Sykrim remastered
Mass Effect Trilogy remastered
Red Dead Redemption 2

Got it all for $50.

100 GB download for Cyberpunk... goddamn these sales. Still have the 33% off coupon and the sale goes on til 11 am EST tomorrow.

This is in addition to all the fun free game giveaways they had for the last 17 days that include games like Guardians of the Galaxy, Saints Row, Outer Worlds, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Deliver us Mars....


Oh well add them all to the backlog.

Let's see Cyberpunk will set you back about 100 hours
You can easily put 150 hours into Witcher 3 including the 2 expansions
Skyrim, I don't even know. I've put over 1000 hours into it since it first released.
Mass Effect Trilogy, there's another 100 hours
Red Dead 2 is another 60-80 hours, depending on how you play. Could be more than 100.

See you next year!

You forgot the part where I download and install them all and play for about an hour and then come back to it maybe 5 years later. 

[faizoff]

Cyberpunk is wow, truly exhausting (in a good way) so many controls, ton of back story, way too much customization of the character. I mean I'm not even going to be looking at the guy so why bother. This is going to take me some time getting used to.

[nobloodyname]

Epic Store? Hope you showered on the way out

Great games, mind, all of them! You're going to have a good time for a long time. Reminds me, actually, need to finish the final part of the Mass Effect trilogy (did it on release but started through the whole lot again when the LE was released). And I'm on the Epilogue, finally after years and years, in Red Dead 2. Need to get that done.

[faizoff]

Is there a reputation for the Epic Store that I'm not aware of?

Ended up playing for 3 hours last night, really interesting world.

[Herrick]

Been putting a little bit more time into Cyberpunk and I do enjoy it, but I think I have to focus on the activities and the story and less about the open world aspect because that does feel a little bit empty I must admit. I'm soon caught up to the point in the story where I got to on launch (the introduction of Keanu Reeves into the game) which isn't very far mind you but I usually take my time and I don't usually rush.

In retrospect, I think the whole Cyberpunk situation is really interesting. When it first came out, it was a buggy, broken mess, but it also had its merits, which people didn't really want to acknowledge. Now that it's had a million patches, a next-gen update, and DLC, I almost feel like the pendulum has swung completely in the other direction. There are some fundamental issues with the original game - somewhat empty world, disastrous loot system, illusion of choice - that simply can't be patched out and will need to wait until the sequel, but those aren't mentioned anymore. We live in a very 0/10 or 10/10 culture and I think Cyberpunk is a good example of that.

Agreed. I didn't closely follow the pre-release hype train so I don't know exactly what CDPR advertised but I do remember hearing the game was to be a "hardcore RPG". I have no doubt their next game will have massive pre-orders.

Is there a reputation for the Epic Store that I'm not aware of?

Ended up playing for 3 hours last night, really interesting world.

Apparently their app is quite shitty. I've never used it, nor will I because their timed exclusive deals with publishers hath turned Herrick off from them forever more.

[cramx3]

It seems people just generally hate the gaming apps for PC like Steam or Epic Store.  I really have never had much issues with any of these, the only thing that bothers me is there isn't just one ecosystem.  Every gaming company having their own app is just annoying, but generally, the apps themselves from my experience haven't been bad.  I'm sure there's lots of examples of these apps being shitty, I just haven't experienced it.

[El Barto]

It seems people just generally hate the gaming apps for PC like Steam or Epic Store.  I really have never had much issues with any of these, the only thing that bothers me is there isn't just one ecosystem.  Every gaming company having their own app is just annoying, but generally, the apps themselves from my experience haven't been bad.  I'm sure there's lots of examples of these apps being shitty, I just haven't experienced it.

Is Steam manufacturer specific? I kind of figured that there were just some manufacturers (MS comes to mind) that have their own, but most of them rely on Steam. I honestly don't have a problem with Steam as a concept. I've just had a ton of bad luck with it, and I'm generally opposed to software as a service. If I plop down $50 for something I want to actually own it.

[cramx3]

It seems people just generally hate the gaming apps for PC like Steam or Epic Store.  I really have never had much issues with any of these, the only thing that bothers me is there isn't just one ecosystem.  Every gaming company having their own app is just annoying, but generally, the apps themselves from my experience haven't been bad.  I'm sure there's lots of examples of these apps being shitty, I just haven't experienced it.

Is Steam manufacturer specific? I kind of figured that there were just some manufacturers (MS comes to mind) that have their own, but most of them rely on Steam. I honestly don't have a problem with Steam as a concept. I've just had a ton of bad luck with it, and I'm generally opposed to software as a service. If I plop down $50 for something I want to actually own it.

Steam isn't, but others like Epic Game store is the only place you are going to find fortnite for example.  Battlenet is for Blizzard games (although some are also on steam).   Origin is EA's platform. 

[El Barto]

It seems people just generally hate the gaming apps for PC like Steam or Epic Store.  I really have never had much issues with any of these, the only thing that bothers me is there isn't just one ecosystem.  Every gaming company having their own app is just annoying, but generally, the apps themselves from my experience haven't been bad.  I'm sure there's lots of examples of these apps being shitty, I just haven't experienced it.

Is Steam manufacturer specific? I kind of figured that there were just some manufacturers (MS comes to mind) that have their own, but most of them rely on Steam. I honestly don't have a problem with Steam as a concept. I've just had a ton of bad luck with it, and I'm generally opposed to software as a service. If I plop down $50 for something I want to actually own it.

Steam isn't, but others like Epic Game store is the only place you are going to find fortnite for example.  Battlenet is for Blizzard games (although some are also on steam).   Origin is EA's platform.

Wow. I've never even heard of two of those. So now you're supposed to have 5 different game platforms always running in the background? Popping up ads. Always updating stuff. Generally being obtrusive. I'll pass.

This is why piracy is still a thing.

[cramx3]

It seems people just generally hate the gaming apps for PC like Steam or Epic Store.  I really have never had much issues with any of these, the only thing that bothers me is there isn't just one ecosystem.  Every gaming company having their own app is just annoying, but generally, the apps themselves from my experience haven't been bad.  I'm sure there's lots of examples of these apps being shitty, I just haven't experienced it.

Is Steam manufacturer specific? I kind of figured that there were just some manufacturers (MS comes to mind) that have their own, but most of them rely on Steam. I honestly don't have a problem with Steam as a concept. I've just had a ton of bad luck with it, and I'm generally opposed to software as a service. If I plop down $50 for something I want to actually own it.

Steam isn't, but others like Epic Game store is the only place you are going to find fortnite for example.  Battlenet is for Blizzard games (although some are also on steam).   Origin is EA's platform.

Wow. I've never even heard of two of those. So now you're supposed to have 5 different game platforms always running in the background? Popping up ads. Always updating stuff. Generally being obtrusive. I'll pass.

This is why piracy is still a thing.

I have them all turned off to start when I power up so none run in the background until I play them, but yeah, I have like 4 or 5 different gaming apps on my PC. But yeah, to me, this is more annoying than any one singular app as they all seem to function fine on their own.

[faizoff]

It seems people just generally hate the gaming apps for PC like Steam or Epic Store.  I really have never had much issues with any of these, the only thing that bothers me is there isn't just one ecosystem.  Every gaming company having their own app is just annoying, but generally, the apps themselves from my experience haven't been bad.  I'm sure there's lots of examples of these apps being shitty, I just haven't experienced it.

Is Steam manufacturer specific? I kind of figured that there were just some manufacturers (MS comes to mind) that have their own, but most of them rely on Steam. I honestly don't have a problem with Steam as a concept. I've just had a ton of bad luck with it, and I'm generally opposed to software as a service. If I plop down $50 for something I want to actually own it.

Steam isn't, but others like Epic Game store is the only place you are going to find fortnite for example.  Battlenet is for Blizzard games (although some are also on steam).   Origin is EA's platform.

Wow. I've never even heard of two of those. So now you're supposed to have 5 different game platforms always running in the background? Popping up ads. Always updating stuff. Generally being obtrusive. I'll pass.

This is why piracy is still a thing.

There are quite a few of them, I think I have like 5 of them. There's also the Ubisoft launcher for games like Far Cry, the Amazon games launcher, GOG launcher, the list goes on quite a bit. Sometimes I think some games in Steam will launch other launchers to play the game. It's kinda ridiculous but... they did entice me with free games like GTA V and such, which is why I probably have so many.

As for the Epic launcher, I've had no issues at any point of time. Is it the Epic store that people have problems with or the launcher?

[Herrick]

I've had consistent issues with the Ubisoft launcher logging out and having to sign in again which entails getting a code sent to my e-mail. Some times I have issues using the Steam Controller running EA Origin games on Steam.

These are annoying issues. Why do these publishers sell games on Steam but still require their shitty Store Apps? Is it because their own apps have better anti-piracy measures?

[El Barto]

I've had consistent issues with the Ubisoft launcher logging out and having to sign in again which entails getting a code sent to my e-mail. Some times I have issues using the Steam Controller running EA Origin games on Steam.

These are annoying issues. Why do these publishers sell games on Steam but still require their shitty Store Apps? Is it because their own apps have better anti-piracy measures?

Perhaps, but marketing seems more likely. Who you are. Where you live. How old you are. What games you play. What mods you've installed. Valid phone and email. You're a goldmine, dude.

[Herrick]

I've had consistent issues with the Ubisoft launcher logging out and having to sign in again which entails getting a code sent to my e-mail. Some times I have issues using the Steam Controller running EA Origin games on Steam.

These are annoying issues. Why do these publishers sell games on Steam but still require their shitty Store Apps? Is it because their own apps have better anti-piracy measures?

Perhaps, but marketing seems more likely. Who you are. Where you live. How old you are. What games you play. What mods you've installed. Valid phone and email. You're a goldmine, dude.

I am a Herrick. And I have feelings, damn it  :'(

Edit: Hmm...the little crying face didn't show up.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

GoG is the best of them all, since none of the games have DRM. You can download the games after you buy them and never have to launch any kind of launcher if you don't want to.

[Herrick]

GoG is the best of them all, since none of the games have DRM. You can download the games after you buy them and never have to launch any kind of launcher if you don't want to.

If a game is on Steam or GoG, I almost always go with the GoG version.

[Polarbear]

https://youtu.be/0e17p2IVDUU?feature=shared

One of the few interesting exclusives on Xbox side right now! Indiana Jones and The Great Circle.

Looks awesome, and super authentic! Voice actors for Indy and Marcus are doing a fine job. Especially whoever is voicing Indy does a pretty good Harrison Ford impression. Coming later this year. If this turns out great, I might have to snag a discount Series S to play this.

[XJDenton]

Looks like fun, though the "executive producer Todd Howard" thing was weird.

[nobloodyname]

Agreed. That just made me feel not so bothered about giving it a go!

[cramx3]

Reminds me a bit of the modern Tomb Raider games. Which is a good thing.