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Help me choose a game.


punkenhead

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Here are the last 10 games I have completed. 

Fallout 4, GTA 5, Sleeping Dogs, Tomb Raider, RDR2, Resident Evil 4, Yakuza 0, Those Who Remain, Evil Within, Evil Within 2. 

I do have a couple caveats. I don't like co-op games ("I'm a rebel Dottie, a loner") and I don't like crafting or settlement building if it is a major component of the game. 

I welcome any recommendations based upon this list and my crotchety caveats.

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I see that you have played Yakuza 0.  Have you tried any of the Judgment titles designed by the folks that made the Yakuza franchise?  It also has an outcast detective character similar to the protagonist in Sleeping Dogs and it is also semi-sandbox like most of the games on your list.

Edited by J.T.
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If you liked the Sandbox stuff from GTA and Sleeping Dogs and liked Tomb Raider, the other 2 games in the series are also good.  If you liked RE4, then I would go with RE7 and Village.

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What system?  I just finished Ghosts of Tsushima: Director's Cut and it is my favorite open world game ever.  It is basically Red Dead Redemption in Feudal Japan with a better more concise story.  It's also incredibly pretty to look at.  

 

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22 minutes ago, J.T. said:

Ghost of Tsushima has crafting and he doesn't like games with crafting.  That's why I didn't bring it up.

I don't know if I'd classify the upgrade system as crafting, it is basically just how the RPG elements work.  Not only that, you get more than enough "crafting materials" just by playing through the game.  You don't have to spend any time farming for materials, unless you just want to do the main story quests and ignore all the character stories which would be cutting out about 50% of the game.  I personally thought the side missions were some of the best parts of the game.

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1 hour ago, Raziel said:

Well, I guess it depends on what level of one classify's as crafting.  It's pretty hard to escape in the "use materials to upgrade".  Even in God of War.

True enough.  He's got Fallout 4 in there, but I tried to think of games that had the sandbox qualities he seems to enjoy, but had near zero or zero crafting.

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Dark Souls! I'll always be that guy and throw it out there, especially looking at the list of games you've played, it's the perfect series for a seasoned player who's looking for a paradigm shift in how games present themselves to the player. The co-op aspects are pretty groundbreaking but completely optional (and you didn't really beat the game unless you beat every boss 1 on 1 in my eyes), you're not forced to care about some melodramatic story if you don't care, you can completely ignore it but if you do want to know more it's as deep as an ocean and has hours upon hours of lore on YouTube, you don't really need to craft or grind much for gear as you can get some of the best in the starting classes, there's tons of different ways to to play depending on your preferences, and the way the world reveals itself and you come to internalize the map is unlike any game I've played before. Though they're pretty different, when I beat it I immediately thought it was the best action game I had played since RE4. For all intents and purposes it's a Metroidvania. Semi open world with save points based around finding shortcuts and beating bosses via exploits, skill, tanking, cheesing, level grinding, however you feel comfortable. I would recommend consulting a walkthrough for some of the basics, but once you get comfortable you'll be able to play the whole series blind without much need for help. I'd always recommend the first one as it's the most iconic in the series, and if you like it you'll be able to get into a game like Elden Ring easier, which is likely gonna be the game of the year.


Ghost of Tsushima is not a game I'd personally recommend, though I can totally get why people like it. The world is beautiful and there's some great ideas implemented like the guiding wind. It's huge, but I've been a little burnt out on the sprawling sandbox timedumps since beating RDR2 a few years back and am lately preferring more linear games where the enemy placement and obstacles can be curated better. Within a few hours of GoT the loop felt pretty repetitive to me. Find a camp, kill everyone, liberate peasants, loot materials. The game puts a huge emphasis on stealth in the story but in practice stealth only slows you down, it's not difficult to just storm the gates and fight everyone head on, unlike a game like Sekiro where stealth is pretty much necessary, as you won't be able to fight hordes without dying. The side content felt like mindless checklist stuff to me. Go to fox dens and push a button, go to a hot spring and push two buttons, go find a shrine and do a platforming section where there's no timing or accuracy involved so you can't really fail. Your mileage will probably vary, but I just didn't find there to be enough variety in the set pieces, enemies, side quests, or missions to keep me interested.


Witcher 3 is probably a safer recommendation than GoT, I've only played a few hours so far but have seen enough reviews to know it would probably scratch that open world, hundred or so hour adventure itch if that's up your alley.


Persona 5 is my favorite JRPG since Ni no Kuni (Which I'd also recommend if you like the sound of Pokemon meets Studio Ghibli). It's a huge game with components of a visual novel, dungeon crawling monster collector, and a Shibuya life sim. If you're into a good anime series this is definitely recommended, though I am far from an anime guy myself and found myself fully sucked in here. The monster fusions were really addicting to me, the battles, while old school turn based RPG, feel fast paced and emphatic, and the soundtrack is absurdly catchy. It'll stick with you for life if it clicks. I can't think of any game I've played in the last 5 years that oozes so much style and finesse, even in the little things like the UI.


Mass Effect 2, Bioshock, Last of Us, and God of War are all other games I'd also recommend despite not playing at all (Last of Us) or getting about halfway though. I'd say just play whichever one is most aesthetically up your alley.

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On 1/13/2022 at 7:37 PM, J.T. said:

I see that you have played Yakuza 0.  Have you tried any of the Judgment titles designed by the folks that made the Yakuza franchise?  It also has an outcast detective character similar to the protagonist in Sleeping Dogs and it is also semi-sandbox like most of the games on your list.

I played through a bit of Judgement and liked it; but then it went off of PS Now, so I haven't had the chance to finish it. 

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On 1/13/2022 at 8:16 PM, Raziel said:

If you liked the Sandbox stuff from GTA and Sleeping Dogs and liked Tomb Raider, the other 2 games in the series are also good.  If you liked RE4, then I would go with RE7 and Village.

I haven't tried Village. I was fairly deep into RE7 and enjoying it until I hit a no ammo hiccup while battling the mother. I haven't revisited or restarted it. I agree on the other two Tomb Raider games. I especially liked Shadow of the Tomb Raider. 

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On 1/14/2022 at 10:20 AM, supremebve said:

What system?  I just finished Ghosts of Tsushima: Director's Cut and it is my favorite open world game ever.  It is basically Red Dead Redemption in Feudal Japan with a better more concise story.  It's also incredibly pretty to look at.  

 

I have a PS4, Xbox One, Switch, 3DS, and a PC that doesn't balk at most games. Ghosts of Tsushima is a game that interests me, but I game on a budget and it hasn't dropped in price enough to warrant my buying it. I do definitely want to check it out though. 

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On 1/14/2022 at 11:48 AM, Raziel said:

Well, I guess it depends on what level of one classify's as crafting.  It's pretty hard to escape in the "use materials to upgrade".  Even in God of War.

I'm not a fan of "Our settlement needs this, and this and this and this". I'm okay with  having to forage for materials to upgrade weapons and whatnot, I just don't want to build whole villages. I'm not Jimmy Carter. 

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On 1/14/2022 at 10:57 PM, Ramo2653 said:

Witcher 3? You don't have to craft, you can get by with just buying better swords as you progress through the game. And if you're decent at dodging, you can even finish the game with the default armor.

I think I will give Witcher 3 a try. Thanks. 

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On 1/16/2022 at 4:09 AM, punkenhead said:

I have a PS4, Xbox One, Switch, 3DS, and a PC that doesn't balk at most games. Ghosts of Tsushima is a game that interests me, but I game on a budget and it hasn't dropped in price enough to warrant my buying it. I do definitely want to check it out though. 

Yeah, I can relate.  I was in the middle of a long ass RPG run when Ghosts of Tsushima dropped so I didn't buy it at launch, and spent well over year looking for it to go on sale at a decent price.  I ended up getting it on a buy 2 get 1 sale.  It worked out because they ended up dropping the Director's cut and I was able to play it optimized for the PS5 with the DLC.  

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If you like open world games, Days Gone is a great one. It's Sons Of Anarchy meets Walking Dead plot wise, but a bit less cynical and unpleasant than either of those. The plot is genuinely good, though it takes a long time to get anywhere, and the power curve from more than two zombies meaning certain death to taking on hordes is very satisfying. I also really love how when you have to take out a human camp, they are made up of a specific, realistic number of enemies, who don't respawn and summon reinforcements. Plus, if you're smart or lucky you can sic zombies on them and pick the bones when they're done.

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1 hour ago, SturmCRF said:

If you like open world games, Days Gone is a great one. It's Sons Of Anarchy meets Walking Dead plot wise, but a bit less cynical and unpleasant than either of those. The plot is genuinely good, though it takes a long time to get anywhere, and the power curve from more than two zombies meaning certain death to taking on hordes is very satisfying. I also really love how when you have to take out a human camp, they are made up of a specific, realistic number of enemies, who don't respawn and summon reinforcements. Plus, if you're smart or lucky you can sic zombies on them and pick the bones when they're done.

After reading a bit more about Days Gone, it has definitely gone on my must buy list. Thanks!

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On 1/14/2022 at 11:43 AM, J.T. said:

Ghost of Tsushima has crafting and he doesn't like games with crafting.  That's why I didn't bring it up.

Good point but he has RDR2 in there and that has crafting.  Luckily, it’s not necessary at all.  I beat that game twice and never crafted a damn thing!

My daughter plays Minecraft and I’m like, “this sucks.  Imagine GTA but you first have to build your guns and make your own ammo.”

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