2015 VIDEO GAME CATCH-ALL THREAD

[Zimbra]

Just Cause 2 mechanics work well as a critique of both US foreign policy and of certain game design tropes, but I don't think either is intentional.  They do seem to have internalized some of the critiques for JC3; they pretty much cut out the 'destroying essential infrastructure of impoverished villages' bits.

 

I'm still trying to figure out how much of the Just Cause games are intentional camp and how much is just bad writing and voice acting.

[Neil Koch]

 

How is Star Wars Battlefront? I'm picking up either it or the Uncharted PS4 bundle, but haven't decided which yet.

 

From all reviewers I trust: It's fun for the 8 hours of content it has.

 

 

The beta didn't leave me too hyped, but my wife got me the special edition.  It's ok.  It's a lot more fun when you're playing with friends than randoms, but even then it's pretty shallow (not many maps and Endor sucks, no classes to pick from, limited weapon selection) and seems kinda grindy.

[Andrew POE!]

Obtained my 47th Platinum trophy with Batman: Arkham Asylum. By the end, I was really hating the combat challenges and some of the predator challenges.

[Chaos]

Obtained my 47th Platinum trophy with Batman: Arkham Asylum. By the end, I was really hating the combat challenges and some of the predator challenges.

 

This is why I am not rushing through Arkham Knight, and I don't try to come close to 100% these games.

 

After, Arkham City, I was kind of burned out by the formula of it all. I enjoy the story of these games, and I think the series does a lot of compelling things; however, I tire of the "navigate over here, and then figure out the puzzle of this room/or the best strategy to get past these bad guys silently without getting shot." I feel like these games need more beat-em-up segments. There's a fight in AC where you have to beat like 20-30 guys in the museum that's insanely fun because there's not a lot of thought you have to place in it outside of just working within the game's fight mechanics.

[assfax]

I just remember when you finally got all the riddler things and then there's a goddamned police radio thing and that's it.  Never gonna do that horseshit again.

[Lamp, broken circa 1988]

I have a tendency to upset people sometimes. I have an intense passion in my opinions and sometimes, people read it as an attack, and, that's fair enough. It's an easy emotional place to reach given that so much of modern identity is tied into the things and brands that people are tied into. I've caught myself doing it. I think rising above this requires secession from capitalism, so I try not to provoke people on that stuff because I know it's a common response.

 

I have a tendency to upset people on this sub-board sometimes. Sometimes I will play a game of great renown (GTA5 and Last of Us spring to mind) and I will respond negatively, and then I will put my negative response here, and then people have a counter-negative response. I swear, I do not mean to provoke these things. I'm just living my life. It's just an intersection of where my heart is and where yours is. I promise, I do not seek these things out.

 

I have not played a WWE game since Smackdown Vs. Raw.

 

Today I played WWE 2K16.

 

I don't understand how this happened.

 

To back up, this isn't my first go round on "the last time I played this sports game, it was a decade ago." I actually just last year, on a joke that went too far, ended up buying every Madden from 2006 to 2012 (to see how cheaply I could acquire most of the series ($10.10 or so)). This was inspired by playing 13 for a little bit and thinking "hey! I could get into just, like, being a lineman!" And much like that situation, the last madden I had played leading up to that was on the PS2. I ended up sitting with my older brother and playing through them in rapid succession (one game each at default settings, with a little time for dawdling in menus), and by the end of it I came away with really definitive opinions on the progression of the series and which Madden games were actually most fun to play ('11 is pretty dang good, 06 for 360 is hysterical and awful).

 

My point is, the jump between PS2 madden and 2013 madden didn't feel so significant.

 

The jump between SvR and 2K16 would have killed Evel Knievel. And not just like, regular falling. He would have landed and then been sucked, whole, through a soda can. The Amount of Things in this game is exclusionary, especially considering how much Goddamn Nothing they explain. There's no button tutorial. There's no position tutorial. There's never a point where it sits down and explains a thing for anyone hoping to return to the series. Which is good, because the fax system between my inputs and any reaction seems pretty faulty and I don't think either of us want to tax it.

 

I rented the game because I wanted to make some sort of nightmare person, so I went into the career and made someone, and it took so long to just load previews that I ended up giving up halfway through so I could get to trying to play the game, and was cruelly rewarded by actually playing the game. I had no idea that the awkward looking, amazing, funny videos I had seen of the game were videos of the game moving fluidly, controlled by people who understood. That just hadn't occured to me. All I left the experience was a harrowed feeling for the concept of how this mutation took place and confusion on how they hope to bring this game to new players.

 

I gave up when I searched the menus for a tutorial, did not find one, and then when I clicked "Gameplay Manual" in options, it gave me a URL and did not launch the in-system browser. I could Do It no more.

 

 

 

also i've been playing legend of zelda 2 on my 3ds before i go to bed and i really like that game a lot

[SirSmUgly]

Yeah, the opinion on WWE 2K16 I'm cool with, but TLoZ 2 SUCKS. Objectively. It's a fucking truth carved in granite by whatever deity that you may believe in. Fucking game disappointed the shit out of six-year-old me almost as much as Super Mario Bros. 2 did.

 

NOW I'M ANGRY

[odessasteps]

@richardgarriott

Players of Ultima, players of Shroud of the Avatar, come join us in Austin Texas NEXT SUMMER! https://t.co/qEu7Joe5NN

[Death From Above]

The Legend of Zelda 2 is a deeply misunderstood and very strangely panned game (though even then, it's more of an "overly vocal minority" deal) that I believe is probably one of the best 50 NES games, which I would say is a compliment. I'm honestly baffled what people hated about it so much.

[Lamp, broken circa 1988]

I miss the concept of a game's sequel being significantly different than it's predecessors. The difference between Zelda 1 and 2 is enormous. The difference between the first three Mario games is really substantial. Toejam and Earl did this too, where the sequel kept certain conceits and characters but the scenario was wholly different (although I'll cop to being The Only Person That Liked TJ&E2). The transition away from sequels being exploration on general themes and just "the same game but we fixed the problem" is odious and drains my ability to get excited for new video games.

 

at least with like indie developers, the odds are pretty good that the next thing they make is just a different game (see: Vlambeer).

[AxB]

Def Jam: Fight for New York was really good. Def Jam: Icon... I've never played it, but apparently it's rubbish.

[SirSmUgly]

The Legend of Zelda 2 is a deeply misunderstood and very strangely panned game (though even then, it's more of an "overly vocal minority" deal) that I believe is probably one of the best 50 NES games, which I would say is a compliment. I'm honestly baffled what people hated about it so much.

 

Mediocre dungeons,  even duller combat than typical games in the series, bland overworld with intensely annoying random encounters (though I do love the random encounter music), and though it is unfair to ding it for this last one, it also is Not Link's Awakening, which is by far my favorite TLoZ game, unlike most of the other 2D games which look and play a lot more like Link's Awakening.

 

Re: SMB2 (US), I'd rather play SMB2 (JPN) any day, and the latter veered toward unfair in its difficulty pretty early on in the game. I actually don't mind Nintendo's experimenting with Mario even if it has resulted in some mainline Mario platformers that I genuinely don't enjoy. 

 

As for sequels, I'm fine with a sequel being very different from its original in theory, but I really do appreciate the sequel as a refined version of what the first one offered quite a bit more in practice. 

[Vincey Greene]

I loved and beat Zelda 2 as a kid and haven't picked it up since, despite the constant presence of NES emulators and complete ROM sets in my life since the late 90s. Pretty sure it'll stay that way, I fear it doesn't hold up.

[assfax]

Alright, hardcore kill confirmed is the best mode in this new call of duty.  Dudes actually die when you shoot them and since you gotta get the dogtags it keeps all motherfuckers moving.   Then, you gotta approach the tags real gingerly just in case some unseen fucker is waiting in the wings baiting your ass and sendin' out sacrificial lambs.

[glfpunk]

Kill confirmed has always been one of my favorite game modes.  I definitely prefer hardcore in BO3 because of the map designs. 

[Salads]

Mario, Zelda and Metroid all took a route that went roughly pioneering NES debut > nutso letdown sequel > ok guys here's the real sequel > pioneering 3D debut. I think we can all imagine what kind of stance Yamauchi took after letting the hippies express their creative vision for the first follow ups.

[Raziel]

Wait, Metroid had a nutso letdown sequel before Other M?

 

And Mario's "sequel" was less about beint nutso and more "Shit, the actual sequel is too damn hard for the US so we need to reskin something else"/

[Neil Koch]

The Gameboy release wasn't great.

 

And I actually liked Other M besides the horrible cutscenes.  Better to keep Samus mute rather than have her be a whiny emo kid.

[Tabe]

Wait, Metroid had a nutso letdown sequel before Other M?

And Mario's "sequel" was less about beint nutso and more "Shit, the actual sequel is too damn hard for the US so we need to reskin something else"/

Yeah, Mario's real sequel is about as standard a sequel as you could ask for, apart from the huge jump in difficulty.

[Brian Fowler]

Super Mario Brothers 2: Because Fuck You, That's Why.

[Cliff Hanger]

Snagged the GOG bundle with the X-Wing games (and things no one cares about like Rebel Assault). After doing the first 3 Historical Training Missions, nothing has dissuaded me from my belief that Wing Commander 3 is superior.

[CSC]

Went to Costco today with the lady and finally picked up an Xbox One (500gb Lego Movie bundle, which was like $280).  Only crappy thing is that it's a "Christmas present", so I have to wait for another couple weeks.  But at least now I can come back into the video game threads without my general feeling just being jealousy. 

[Lamp, broken circa 1988]

So for my own amusement I've been tracking the games I've been playing this year on an ongoing list, and now that we're at the end of the year and GOTY stuff is springing up like seasonal vegetables, I figured I would dump mine here, with ten words or less to explain each.

 

1. Nuclear Throne - i think I've said enough about this. Condensed: Almost Perfect.
2. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate - First midnight release since Halo 2. Hunting Horn 4 Life.
3. Rocket League - Shouldn't work. Totally works. Excellence in fictional sports game design.
4. Westerado: Double Barreled - Absurdist Dodgeball & Whodunnit Jamboree. Also, Interactive Hat Fashion Showcase.
5. Downwell - So absolutely minimalist it's gorgeous, plus amazing sound & music.
6. Boxboy - Constantly revealing new facets of itself. Amazing replayability for $5.
7. Bloodborne - A palette cleanser, sorely needed after Dark Souls 2's endless knights.
8. Mortal Kombat X - The most interesting story a game told me in 2015.
9. You Must Build A Boat - Sequel to 10,000,000. Beat it on PC like an idiot.
10. Helldivers - An excellent heist game masquerading as Starship Troopers Smash TV.

 

Honorable mentions go to MGSV, which is my last open world game, and Undertale, which I was still tempted to put in my top 5 despite not finishing it yet

 

So what've y'all figured as your games of the year?

[SirSmUgly]

This was a strange year for me in that I found more pleasure from re-visiting old games or from playing games from a year or two ago. I got a Wii and have had some good fun with it. However, I would shortlist a few games that I enjoyed (or am enjoying right now, even). 

 

1. Rocket League - Arcade sports is a dying subgenre, sadly, so I appreciate any entry into said subgenre. Rocket League, however, is the perfect arcade sports game in that it has deceptive depth though it can be picked up and played by anyone. The devs deserve a whole lot of credit for adding new cars and even hockey mode into the game for free. The support they have given this game should be a lesson to all devs out there. It's definitely my GotY, and I hope it wins at least one GotY award out there.

 

2. Bloodborne - The pace of the game is fantastic; it's an all-offense affair. The level design is brilliant and encourages exploration even in such small, compact areas. The difficulty was a bit overstated, but it was a genuine challenge, something that is certainly welcome. 

 

3. Fallout 4 - I want to praise Fallout here because it does a lot of things that I like; interesting open world, general freedom, good character skill customization. I dig WRPGs quite a bit, and I find fun in playing a lot of those old CRPGs from the mid'-90s like Fallout, Fallout 2, and Planescape: Torment. However, though this is a very good game, it is a bad Fallout game. The narrative is missing the complexity of something like 2 or New Vegas and the focus on using combat to resolve issues over giving multiple outs to resolving a conflict is a real bummer. I've seen a quest tree comparison between NV and 4 going around online, and the quests are designed to such a linear state that it feels like Fallout except severely dumbed down. However, dumbed down Fallout is still better than a vast majority of games out there. 

 

4. Pillars of Eternity: On the other hand, this is how to do an awesome WRPG. Interesting, complex quests and varied skills that allow one to feel like they're roleplaying a specific character instead of becoming storyline Jesus. The only reason that I have it slightly behind Fallout 4 is because I much, much prefer Fallout's aesthetics. Here's to hoping that Obsidian gets another crack at Fallout this generation. 

 

5. J-Stars Victory Vs+ - This game is just stupid fun. I've played through most of the first two storylines for two characters, and using a ten-kick combo to blast someone back through a building that crumbles to the ground is one of the more satisfying things in gaming this year. 

 

The best games that I've played for the first time all year, regardless of release date:

 

Fallout 2: Finally beat this in preparation for Fallout 4. It's a fantastic, thoughtful game with interesting quest lines. The ultimate RPG, even more so than...

 

Planescape: Torment: I see why people tout this game as having some of the best writing in a video game ever. Fantastic narrative and the CRPG gameplay still feels good here in 2015.

 

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars: Better than UvMC3, and I love UvMC3. Maybe the best Vs. game Capcom has yet made. 

 

Super Mario Galaxy: The most interesting failure I've played in awhile in the sense that I don't think it was very good, but then again, I did beat it twice and end up with the 121st star on my file. I thought that the levels that were creative were great; unfortunately, they were few and far between compared to some of the more irritating or uncreative stars. I played through SM64 again recently, and that latter game definitely has better stars overall. On the other hand, Galaxy might be the most aesthetically pleasing game ever made. The OST is brilliant, and the game is quite beautiful. 

 

Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition: Fantastic little Metroidvania that was a better Metroid than any of the Prime games. Aesthetically pleasing as well with wonderful music and fantastic, colorful visuals

 

Rogue Legacy: What a great little throwback to Castlevania-style games. It was a genuine challenge and the conceit of adding genetic traits to future versions of your hero was quite clever. 

 

The Wolf Among Us: Maybe the best game that I've played in a long time. I finished it straight through twice. It worked as a throwback to hardboiled cop novels/TV shows and as an exploration of class conflict. I LOVED THIS so much and retroactively name it my personal GotY for 2013. 

[PuroresuFan]

A company that bought the rights to the Coleco brand is bringing the system and it's games back next year:

 

http://toyland.gizmodo.com/old-school-video-game-maker-coleco-is-making-a-new-cart-1748546892