What Are You Playing?

Nioh & Nioh 2 - As promised I went back and beat the human boss I left off at in Nioh 1, and I could see why I left because he's a real bitch that can literally kill you as soon as you enter the room. I almost had him traditionally, got his final phase to a sliver of life, but by this point he's constantly throwing fire, lighting and energy balls around and I just ran out of healing and rng. So I switched things up and tried every trick but I eventually just floored him with repeated Guardian attacks so he couldn't even go into his second phase. I think the 2nd phase prompt actually helped because instead of attacking again he'd hesitate before starting that animation, leaving you free to knock him down again instead; of course, I didn't know that the first few times I tried this so was too cautious, allowing him to make the change several times.

So, that was really annoying, and then back in Nioh 2 it turned out I was at another annoying boss, Shibata Katsuie, who had basically become a giant Yokai boar, but was also super fast, aggressive and like the previous fight was hitting me as soon as I entered the boss room. Fortunately, he didn't hit as hard despite his appearance, and was susceptible to poisoning, so he wasn't so bad once I hit him with that along with sloth and blindness to keep him off me.

Since then I beat the final boss of Nioh's last DLC, which was relatively easy because you automatically have an unkillable helper character, so you can just stay away for the most part and let them do the work. In Nioh 2 I've progressed a couple more stages and took down a few more bosses including a literal giant, which was pretty fun. After my first earnest attempt, which took like 15 minutes because it's a gimmick fight where you have to break up certain parts of his body to do a pre-set amount of damage when he staggers, I think I spent more experimenting with different weapons and abilities and exiting than actually fighting him. Finally, I settled on a super tanky build so I didn't have to worry about random insta-kills and he went down easy after that.
I personally platinumed Nioh and I certainly agree with some of your earlier points in the thread that some aspects of the game were shallow. Two of the main problems I had with the original game was:
1) I found the story to be lacking and it didn't hold my attention whatsoever. It felt like I was just going from region to region and I found myself barely understanding which new lord I was dealing with and for what reason etc .
2) I also found the inventory system especially late game/close to the platinum to be tedious and exhausting. The repetitive process of sorting through, disposing of, and selling a lot of equipment I didn't need, resulted in a lot of frustration for me. I liked a lot of the character designs/graphics and the challenge of the game, but I'm hesitating starting the second one because of the overall lack of enjoyment of the things I just mentioned.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I agree with most of that where Nioh and Nioh 2 are concerned. I enjoy the historical and mythological references but otherwise the writing is pretty silly. I don't mind the inventory system so much but it is sort of lazy and disposable, though does its job of getting you into the loot playloop. That's really the strength of it, extremely addictive, streamlined Souls-like gameplay with more quality of life features (like the not-so-secret pause feature =).


Mortal Kombat 11 - I haven't picked Nioh 2 up much lately though because I've been more focused on MK11, which I'm 400+ hours into and finally got a playable "Reptile." I'm still much better with Shang Tsung though, but at least it gives me a change of pace to throw at people that are a bad matchup for Shang (I'm also playing more of his ninjas variation for this reason because it has anti-missle to neutralize zoners).

Actually, my biggest strategic flaw with Shang is I don't zone enough; when I zone I tend to win, but I get too caught up trying to win by mixing it up with combos and while he's perfectly capable of that it's not the best use of his Warlock variation, which is my main. Essentially I play inside-out when I should be starting outside and only mixing it up to get away from them, and the projectiles even increase my effectiveness when go toe-to-toe because when they do get inside they're over-eager offensively, more predictable and susceptible to my krushing blow counters (most zoners I've faced can't fight up close for shit, so it's to my advantage I actually prefer it). The best example yesterday was a guy who kept charging me as Jax and finally charged right into a Fatal Blow I initiated from across the screen (Shang's FB sucks too, short range and easily avoided or cancelled out, unless you can basically get them to walk right into it like that).

Anyway, my win rate dropped as I pursued the Reptile skin and was more concerned with fulfilling the requirements for it than winning, so I wanna get that back up and maybe even pursue Demi-God status in Kombat League. The highest I've placed is Grand Master, but that's only playing 5 sets a day for the loot, so if I grind and really pursue it I should be able to go higher; I'm right on the cusp of Master now with two weeks to go but I don't want the higher Kombat Kard backgrounds that go with the higher ranks... This game is do dumb. =)


Otherwise, I also need to get back into Doom Eternal and I picked up Star Wars Squadrons on the steam sale this week. Gonna pick up my joystick this weekend. =)
 
Ghost of Tsushima multiplayer mode is a lot of fun. Played it till I got sick of it, but was worth the re-install. Currently replaying Assassin’s Creed: Origins because I’m trying to kill time until Valhalla is released, which would in turn keep me busy until Cyberpunk 2077 comes out in December after yet another delay.

So, that was really annoying, and then back in Nioh 2 it turned out I was at another annoying boss, Shibata Katsuie, who had basically become a giant Yokai boar, but was also super fast, aggressive and like the previous fight was hitting me as soon as I entered the boss room. Fortunately, he didn't hit as hard despite his appearance, and was susceptible to poisoning, so he wasn't so bad once I hit him with that along with sloth and blindness to keep him off me.

Yikes, that’s the one I meant. Looks like you had a smoother experience with him than I did, but still. He was disgusting to go against, especially with that jump-grab attack that basically kills you if you’re not near top-health. I got him down to 1% life on four separate tries, and died on all four. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a worse boss.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Ghost of Tsushima multiplayer mode is a lot of fun. Played it till I got sick of it, but was worth the re-install.

What does it entail exactly, PvP, co-op, or both?

Yikes, that’s the one I meant. Looks like you had a smoother experience with him than I did, but still. He was disgusting to go against, especially with that jump-grab attack that basically kills you if you’re not near top-health. I got him down to 1% life on four separate tries, and died on all four. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a worse boss.

Yeah, once I nailed him with the status effects it became much easier, though was still a stressful nail biter where I really had to hold on in the end. Before I dropped the game for more MK11 I had switched my magic/ninja setup to one with max defensive increases and that pretty much allowed me to mindlessly tank any normal bosses with relative ease. Even if you can't kill them before running out of juice you'll do so much damage that half the battles over (or if they have a tough second phase save it for then) and then if all else fails you finish them off with your Yokai form transformation. Between the buffs and your transformation you're essentially invulnerable for 75% of the fight.
 
What does it entail exactly, PvP, co-op, or both?
No, no PVP (thank God; I’ve had enough of that in FromSoft). The game’s basically PvE with three modes: Story, Survival, and Raid.

In story, you pair up with another player (you can go solo if you want) and basically finish a bunch of story-based missions. In survival, you play a number of rounds (depends on the difficulty you choose) where you survive waves and waves of Mongols while making sure they don't capture all 3 areas in the map you're playing in. You can go solo (is that even possible?) or with a team. Raid mode is basically story mode but you can play it in a group of 4.

All modes have four difficulties each (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Nightmare). I like how it’s not just a bigger health bar for enemies or that they just hit harder if you go up in difficulty. The whole thing pretty much changes when you go to gold, or nightmare (which lives up to its name), and the game truly goes insane at that point, with you fighting teleporting enemies and exploding dogs and so on, all while having ballistae fire rain down on you.

You get to choose from one of four classes: Samurai, Ronin, Hunter, Assassin. You can unlock the others later, but you start with one of these. They each have their own abilities and play-style, and I’ve mainly stuck to the Assassin. They each have “ultimate” attacks that you would never see in the story mode (the Assassin can teleport to stab enemies in the back).

Basically this multiplayer mode is Ghost of Tsushima on steroids, with a lot of fantasy elements in each mode. Instead of the historical narrative the story mode offers, this one is more like those ancient legends or folklore you hear from the singers you meet in the story mode.

Pretty enjoyable, but you need to gather three reliable players in a party if you want to take on the tougher modes, since you need to work together and play tactically. It doesn’t help that strangers sometimes just leave the session and you’re stuck fighting all those Mongols by yourself (Nightmare mode doesn’t even allow matchmaking once someone leaves, and if you have even one less player, it’s pretty much undoable).

I’d say give it a try if you’re curious and got the time.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Well, Ghost of Tsushima multiplayer sounds pretty cool, like they put some real effort into it and it's distinctive from the main game. Still, other than MK11 I'm not big on active participation in multiplayer, I prefer the passive integrations like in Death Stranding or passive-aggressive like Souls. Speaking of which...

Mortal Kombat 11 - 450 hours in and this is by far my favorite fighting game ever by any metric (save nostalgia). I've been working on my custom Reptile variation ever since I got the skin and I learned Sheeva too so I can counter the spammers (I learned there was a "Nemesis" designation in Kombat League for guys you've fought many times =). Speaking of which, I'm a Grand Master in Kombat League and Demi-God rank is within reach if I really stretch for it, but I'm not too motivated to get there because I like my current banner and title better. Mortal Kombat Grand Master sounds more like a real martial arts rank than the more fanciful God tier. =)

Star Wars Squadrons - So after the very real struggle of getting my old ass Logitech Wingman Attack 2 working with Windows 10 and recognized by Squadrons... I still don't think it's going to work out because the throttle doesn't always work and it only has 6 buttons besides, so I'm getting command prompts for button assignments to nowhere, meaning I have to find it on the keyboard, etc. Oh, and I'm playing it in VR, so blindly hitting the keyboard to find the next missing command isn't the level of immersion I'm going for with that. I'll try some workarounds, like my own custom setting I have memorized, but I'll probably also try a regular controller because it might be a lot better and you don't even use a traditional flight stick in the Tie Fighter anyway, though maybe I'll reinstall the original Tie Fighter and give it a whirl.
 
I don't know.

I've been trying to finally finish grinding in Fire Emblem Fates, after literally a year of playing it. I have Just Cause 3 and Watch Dogs 2, both excellent games waiting for me to return to, that I took a break from. But I don't know if I will jump straight back.

I like to play one at a time too, so I'd have to finish one of those too before starting another if I do go back.

I've been really wanting to try Rebel Galaxy Outlaw on Switch that I picked up not too long ago. Nice little open world space game, which I definitely dig. Kind of what No Man's Sky tried to be, only with a main character, story, actual things to do. And actual style to the gameplay and setting.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Been playing Hades on Switch for the past week. I've finished it about 10 times now and the gameplay loop is very well done (reminds me of Into the Breach in how addictive it is), but I wish there were more environments and enemy variety. Still highly recommend it.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I'm partying like it's 1993 playing Doom, Mortal Kombat and X-Wing!

Doom: The Ancient Gods - I continue to be frustrated with this game. After taking out a Marauder followed by an extended battle I fought my way to survive, there's an obnoxious platforming sequence you have to try and fail several times to know what to do, but of course I'm low on health from the fights so die... and the checkpoint wasn't before the obnoxious platforming part but before the fight, which I now have to do over despite completing. This is almost never the case, and it isn't just not fun, it's not good! Hopefully this was just a one-off and not a preview of things to come, but so far this expansion has taken the Doom Eternal gameplay loop to a miserable extreme and I wonder if they aren't artificiality lengthening these three measly levels.

Mortal Kombat 11 - Well, I'm enjoying my "Reptile" practice, getting some decent combos down, and thinking of a custom variation that has extra spear combos and Demon Rush (which is a move basically lifted from Reptile) when Kustom variations become usable in ranked matches in next week's update.

Star Wars Squadrons - So after more struggles keeping my flight stick working consistently, or at all since the game stopped detecting it at one point, I may have stumbled on my perfect DIY HOTAS solution: my old ass Logitech Wingman Attack 2 and a PS4 controller for throttle and non-combat ship commands. It worked shockingly well and was the most immersive and intuitive setup I have by far, especially in VR. I have flight and weapons controls on the stick of course, assigned to the buttons they should be too, and throttle and ship power controls on the gamepad, which I have on my left leg. It even automatically switches the on screen command prompts from the flight stick to the controller by touch (but it's all easy to remember and find on the gamepad anyway, unlike a keyboard). I ably completed a couple of missions this way and look forward to trying it out again tonight.
 
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Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
I finished Baldur’s Gate last week. I had so much fun playing it. I can’t wait to try out the sequel (which I’ve heard is even better). I loved the hopeless feeling of the ending, too. So good!

Now, I’m playing Ape Escape. It’s becoming more and more addicting as I play. I love how the designers took full advantage of the DualShock controller. It takes a little getting used to, but once you master it the apes don’t stand a chance!
 

guuuuuuuuts

Excited for the next chapter!
Hollow Knight. Highly recommended, gorgeously drawn platformer. You start as a little ghostly dude looking for a fight and gradually develop into a total beast. As you progress, the game literally comes alive and offers new surprises + challenges. Worth knowing up front: this game is difficult.
140


I've really enjoyed Harvest Games series Devil Came Through Here. It is a two person team that compose their own music and develop games around heavy themes: The Cat Lady (Depression), Downfall (Madness), and Lorelai (Neglect). Really unique and fun for lovers of Point and Click adventure games. If indie adventure games perk your interest, try The Cat Lady. A woman hunts down 5 devils plaguing the earth, looking for meaning within despair.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Mortal Kombat 11 - Kombat League is almost over and the 'Ultimate' edition is almost here, though I hope that's not the end of new content despite the title (Ultimate MK3 wasn't the final version of that game either =). I actually had one of my favorite, albeit not best, fights last night while I play out the Kombat League string. This Baraka comes out strong against my Warlock variation Shang Tsung, combos me near to death, so I recklessly hit him with the fatal blow hoping to come all the way back, which I actually managed to do a couple of krushing blows later. In round two he's way more hesitant and I'm a lot looser, make some good reads, and take him down comfortably. So he switches to Kollector and he tears my ass up! Just spamming combos, and I can barely get him to half life before getting juggled to death. Of course when he wins he's a toxc teabagger about it. So fine, I switch to Sheeva then and we'll see how well he can move when he's not just dialing up combos. We split the first two rounds so the whole set comes down to this, and he catches me and starts juggling and it's looking like it's over. As a matter of fact it is, he kills me. Starts teabagging, but then performs a mercy BUT continues to teabag! I don't waste the opportunity, hit him with the Fatal Blow when he comes in for the kill and then it's time to stomp him to death because fuck this guy, but he knows how to dodge the move so I have to execute just right, which I proceed to do by manually moving the stomp to where he's dodging (but you basically have to predict this before he starts moving =). Anyway, I nail him right on with this every time, enough to rattle him so now he's fucking up anyway, and the pride brought about the fall! Very satisfying.

Doom: The Ancient Gods - Well, I got through the gigantic first level, but man is it over the top, and not in a creative way. I think I would have preferred more small levels too because three, even huge, levels isn't a lot for the money (I know more are on the way, but they have my money now). I'd also just prefer bigger level packs like the old days. Anyway, I reached some dead end in the middle of the 2nd level where these shotgun and shield guys keep respawning and I don't know what to do to advance, so that's fun.

Squadrons - Unfortunately, I haven't been able to recreate my flightstick + gamepad HOTAS setup, the gamepad won't simultaneously detect with the stick anymore, and I'm having issues with the VR too where it's placing me like I'm 12 feet tall or standing on someone's shoulders, which happened to me in Subnautica too (I thought that might be a X-Box Game Pass issue). Anyway, after a half hour wasted fiddling I went back to the games above because they just work. Maybe I'll pick up a modern flight stick to remove some of the variables here, but the VR issue is more worrisome.

Hollow Knight. Highly recommended, gorgeously drawn platformer. You start as a little ghostly dude looking for a fight and gradually develop into a total beast. As you progress, the game literally comes alive and offers new surprises + challenges. Worth knowing up front: this game is difficult.

Co-sign, Hollow Knight is one of my favorites from the last couple years, though once again I found the extra content a bit tedious after an excellent base game. I just think it comes from developers trying to top themselves to validate additional material as not just more of the same, but don't make it, like, annoying.

This has been Bitching about Games with Griff; it's why I just keep playing Mortal Kombat.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
This is long overdue, but I got the Oculus Quest 2 about 3 weeks back, and I've really been loving it.

I built my current PC over the course of a year so that I could play Half-Life: Alyx. In the meantime I was waiting for a sweet spot to arrive for VR headsets between price and performance. Valve's $999 Index was just insane, and the $399 Quest felt almost perfect. But then the Quest 2 got announced, priced $100 less than the Quest, with better performance and higher resolution. I immediately purchased it.

Out of the box, this is a powerful, entry-level, standalone VR headset with exclusive games and ports of some of the most popular games available on VR. It also comes with a little trick—you can optionally tether the headset to your PC, and if you have a decent enough machine, suddenly there are no limits to what you can play. You can experience high-fidelity VR as if you owned an expensive, high-powered headset yourself.

I haven't said much about my VR playing these past few weeks because well... words are kind of worthless. The strength and curse of VR is that experiencing it is everything. Words and videos simply don't do it justice. Aside from the entry price point, which the Quest 2 has lowered to an acceptable range, this experiential barrier is in my opinion the only thing keeping the technology from becoming a dominant force in gaming. Unlike every other game on consoles or PC, you can't just check out a Twitch channel or YouTube to see what the big deal with VR is. You have to play it.

Now ... I could tell you how immersive and cool it feels in Alyx when you run out of ammo in a firefight, and you're forced to duck behind a corner to buy yourself a few seconds. Eject the old clip, reach behind your head to grab a new one, slam in a new clip, prime the chamber with a button press, and hope you have time to line up your next shot before the enemy comes around the- Nope no time! They're already here, so you turn your head to face them, lift your pistol and shoot from the hip, hoping you landed it, because ammo is scarce—got 'em!

That sounds like a real hassle when I type it all out, so you'll just have to trust me on this—it's fucking cool, because you aren't shooting with a button press or aided by WASD. You're moving your body in a way that feels realistic to the in-game gesture. Of course, I knew all of those details going in, but playing it is different. It's genuinely like nothing I've experienced in a first-person shooter. It's kind of ruined the genre for me, if I'm being honest with myself. You feel like you're inhabiting a place.

The VR games that work really well enhance that sensation of immersion by giving you enough interactable details in the environment to make it feel truly real. In my first day, I physically sat on the ground in my room so my character could get closer and admire the details of common things like the reflective quality of the linoleum flooring in the game. Early in Alyx you walk through a room and see an alien bug in a jar. You can put your hand on that jar, and the controller vibrates slightly so there's a light sense of tactility. You can tap on the jar, and each tap delivers a short vibration jolt, and the bug reacts by jumping back from where you tapped. These little sensation tricks all add up to moments like when I walked into a dusty old garage. I was leaning my body over to peek inside an abandoned car, and the atmosphere of the room and the car’s interior tricked my body into thinking I could smell it. In that moment, I really could smell that musty old car. It just snuck up on me. That's fucking crazy.

The VR aspect is important, because it adds dimension to City17, making it a world that feels worth immersing yourself into. And this feels like a genuine Half-Life sequel, not just Half-Life: The VR shooter. You're exploring new areas, meeting new characters, and learning more about the Combine. The only pulled punch here is that it's set in a bookended slice of time in the series' history. Which, along with all the enhancements Valve has made, feels like a silly way to discredit the game. Because in every other respect, this really is Half-Life 3.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Aside from the entry price point, which the Quest 2 has lowered to an acceptable range, this experiential barrier is in my opinion the only thing keeping the technology from becoming a dominant force in gaming.

I think there's another major factor I've expressed to Aaz, and that's that VR is far more involved in every way, good and bad. It's not cheap or simple to set up, start up, or play even when everything is properly calibrated. Just the amount of room required is a major hurdle that requires a different level and kind of investment and commitment than regular gaming. Now a lot of that can be addressed with advancements in technology, automatic optimization and quality of life improvements, but it's still relatively physically and mentally taxing in a way traditional gaming just isn't (I get hot and my neck/back hurt from doing it too much =).

Also, on the developer side, it's so much more complicated, I think the amount of work that goes into making a good VR experience is exponentially more than traditional gaming and for much smaller portions (it's like building the Matrix by comparison). So, while those player inconveniences above can be overcome, because of the experiential factor you mention and the work overhead it's a catch 22 where because of those hurdles it's not necessarily going to be popular enough for game developers to invest in achieving those ends yet.

Anyway, from where Aaz has told VR and AR are going, I'm guessing the former won't truly become that dominant force you're talking about until the latter becomes a ubiqitious part of our daily life and VR is essentially plug and play in your smartglasses like games on your phone. That's obviously an extreme scenario, but I do think it needs to be that easy, or at least as easy and low maintenance as console gaming (hello PSVR). I know this because my favorite game experience of the last year was Half-Life Alyx, but I played FF7 Remake probably four times as much and I'm going to go play Doom and MK instead of my new VR game for the same reason: because it's so much simpler top to bottom. The only other way is if Oculus can turn the Quest line into like the VR equivalent of the Wii or Switch, which they seem to be aiming for but we'll see.

TL;DR... VR isn't for casuals, until it can be its potential for success will have that limited ceiling. Or, if VR is like sex, it also requires the effort of getting laid, whereas most are still just going to play by themselves for that easy release. =)

These little sensation tricks all add up to moments like when I walked into a dusty old garage. I was leaning my body over to peek inside an abandoned car, and the atmosphere of the room and the car’s interior tricked my body into thinking I could smell it. In that moment, I really could smell that musty old car. It just snuck up on me. That's fucking crazy.

I had the pleasure of that "presence" early on in Alyx as well, walking the streets after the crash. It was like being there but also being in a dream, but in any case forgetting that you're actually in a simulation. You're mind thinks it's somewhere else (another thing improved ease and comfort will enhance). A glass of wine helps with this as well.

this feels like a genuine Half-Life sequel, not just Half-Life: The VR shooter. You're exploring new areas, meeting new characters, and learning more about the Combine. The only pulled punch here is that it's set in a bookended slice of time in the series' history. Which, along with all the enhancements Valve has made, feels like a silly way to discredit the game. Because in every other respect, this really is Half-Life 3.

I think we perceive the importance of these things inversely and it's actually so much more than what the idea of "Half-Life 3" is, which is why Valve made it instead; they basically brought Half-Life to life and made it inhabitable, so it's objectively far and away the greatest thing in the series. By comparison, the old fashioned idea of what would be Half-Life 3 might as well be Duke Nukem Forever now; just a bunch of recycled FPS assets and tropes.

BTW, have you finished it, and, if so, what do you think?
 
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Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Out of the box, this is a powerful, entry-level, standalone VR headset with exclusive games and ports of some of the most popular games available on VR. It also comes with a little trick—you can optionally tether the headset to your PC, and if you have a decent enough machine, suddenly there are no limits to what you can play. You can experience high-fidelity VR as if you owned an expensive, high-powered headset yourself.

I think it's worth pointing out that in all respects, the Oculus Quest 2 is a very high quality device compared to other products currently on the market. It sounds obvious because it's what got you to pull the trigger on it, but its price-to-value ratio is truly unbeatable. It would be hard to find a reason to buy a Valve Index right now, even if it were only to play PC games.

I think there's another major factor I've expressed to Aaz, and that's that VR is far more involved in every way, good and bad. It's not cheap or simple to set up, start up, or play even when everything is properly calibrated. Just the amount of room required is a major hurdle that requires a different level and kind of investment and commitment than regular gaming. Now a lot of that can be addressed with advancements in technology, automatic optimization and quality of life improvements, but it's still relatively physically and mentally taxing in a way traditional gaming just isn't (I get hot and my neck/back hurt from doing it too much =).

Yeah VR gaming is a genre in its own right, complementary to traditional "flat screen" gaming. Gets you to exercise though, which is a plus when the years start piling on. :flora:

Anyway, from where Aaz has told VR and AR are going, I'm guessing the former won't truly become that dominant force you're talking about until the latter becomes a ubiqitious part of our daily life and VR is essentially plug and play in your smartglasses like games on your phone. That's obviously an extreme scenario, but I do think it needs to be that easy, or at least as easy and low maintenance as console gaming (hello PSVR). I know this because my favorite game experience of the last year was Half-Life Alyx, but I played FF7 Remake probably four times as much and I'm going to go play Doom and MK instead of my new VR game for the same reason: because it's so much simpler top to bottom. The only other way is if Oculus can turn the Quest line into like the VR equivalent of the Wii or Switch, which they seem to be aiming for but we'll see.

Well I think VR will always stay a niche within the wider gaming market. It will grow in popularity, user base, number of titles out there and so on, but it's never going to replace flat games or even mobile games. It's more an expansion of the market for the "core" audience. In that regard I think Quest 2 is doing and will keep doing wonders. Because now developers are making serious money, so a virtuous circle can be established.

That said, VR also has a lot of applications beyond gaming, and I believe that's where its commonalities with AR will get interesting in the coming years. Not that AR doesn't have potential for games either, it does, but the reason companies like Facebook or Apple are investing in it is because they see it as the future of computing (i.e. the next evolution after the smartphone). It's going to take 10 years to get there because the technology isn't quite ready yet, but it will allow experiences that will border on science-fiction compared to what we had in the 90s.

In the short term, the best AR applications will actually be on VR headsets (Oculus Quest 3 and the like), while the first lightweight AR glasses will stick to more basic use cases.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Doom Eternal: Gods, Guns & Ghouls - Well, turns out the place I was stuck at before was a glitch where the enemy I needed to kill to activate the checkpoint somehow disappeared from the play area (maybe he clipped out of a wall somewhere). No problem this time. Now I'm in the final level, which is a retread and kind of meh, and though there's moments I get swept up in breathtaking action, for the most part it's a grind I'll be happy to finish at this point. Doom Eternal can be a lot of fun, but it can also be reptitive as hell and the difficulty spikes of this expansion only exacerbates that as you keep replaying the same combat loop until moving on to the next, almost identical one. It's not the badass Doom vibe when you spend all your time constantly hunting for healing and only killing the bigger demons opportunistically.

MK11 - Going back to practice one of my first main in this game, Noob Saibot, to see if I click more with him now. So far the characters I've earnestly played or have any proficiency with are Shang Tsung, Scorpion, Sheeva, Noob Saibot, and Sub-Zero (over half of these characters I'm still pretending are Reptile =), though I'm so rusty with Noob and Sub-Zero I don't know how comfortable I'd feel fighting online with them. Mostly, I'm just bored of Shang Tsung and looking to see if I can be as, or hopefully more, effective with someone else.

Star Fox Zero - I've only completed the tutorial and the first level, but it's basically like Star Fox 64 3D with even weirder motion controls. You aim with said controls but they go off-center almost immediately. So far it's living down to its reputation as a not so great take on the Star Fox formula.

Other games I need to get, or get back, to: Nioh 2, Mortal Shell, Monster Hunter World, Code Vein, Devil May Cry 5, Final Fantasy XV (via PS Now), and The Witcher 3 DLC (not to mention all the VR games I still have to play). I don't think I finished the SF5 story mode either, but then nothing about it really compelled me to. Maybe I'll revisit that game when Dan is available, but after all these years... still an MK guy.

Nope, not yet. I play it for an hour or so when I get a chance in the evenings. I’m at chapter 6, I think?

Yeah, I was doing the math on how long you've had it times how much you could play per day and figured you weren't done yet. I'm sure you'll let us know what you think, but what's your favorite part so far, phantom smell-o-vision aside?

VR also has a lot of applications beyond gaming, and I believe that's where its commonalities with AR will get interesting in the coming years. Not that AR doesn't have potential for games either, it does, but the reason companies like Facebook or Apple are investing in it is because they see it as the future of computing (i.e. the next evolution after the smartphone). It's going to take 10 years to get there because the technology isn't quite ready yet, but it will allow experiences that will border on science-fiction compared to what we had in the 90s.

That's when I could see VR potentially becoming a dominant force, if the difference in difficulty between playing on a screen or in AR/VR becomes negligible, and you can still play from your couch in sort of a hybrid experience, then why not (save for those that literally don't have the eyes/stomach for it)? Then again, you never know with people; until recently we barely took advantage of video calling technology that's technically been around for over a decade and given that who would have thought the most popular form of electronic communication in that time would be written?

Speaking of AR though, Nintendo's little AR 3DS demo from years ago was pretty damn cool, and of course now they're doing that Mario Kart game in your living room. I think the most obvious AR/VR game to make is essentially turning your home into a haunted house. Silent Hill in your own home might be a bit much to handle though. :rakshas::magni:
 
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Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
I think the most obvious AR/VR game to make is essentially turning your home into a haunted house. Silent Hill in your own home might be a bit much to handle though. :rakshas::magni:

Well, it seems Resident Evil 4 is coming to the Oculus platform in 6 months (from the Capcom leaks), so that might be a start. :guts: (although it should be noted there are already scarier VR games out there)
 

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
I finished Ape Escape last week. I struggled with whether or not to even play this one. It looked a little too cutesy for me, but the critical reviews were so glowing, I felt I had to give it a try. It wasn't the best 3D adventure game I've ever played (certainly no Mario 64 or Ocarina of Time), but it was surprisingly addictive and inventive. I've heard its sequels are pretty fun, too, so I'll be giving them a try, too.

After that, I tried playing Mega Man Legends, but the poor controls and terrible voice-acting turned me off after a couple of hours. It's a shame, too, because I heard it's an underrated title. Oh, well. I gave it my best shot.

Right now, I'm getting close to finishing System Shock 2. Holy shit, what a great game. I really enjoyed the first System Shock, but this is leaps and bounds above the original. It's funny; before I undertook this little mission of mine to play the games I missed out on in their order of release, I'd never even heard of System Shock or System Shock 2. Now, they're some of my favorite first-person RPGs, right up there with Mass Effect.
 
Hello guys!

First post, long time lurker (since 2010 to be exact).

I recently bought The Witcher III (insert internet explorer meme).

To be honest, diving into it, I expected way more.

I find the plot mostly uninteresting, and although when I started I got that feeling of immersion in the Witcher world, as the game progresses I caught myself skipping more and more dialog except for the most crucial plot lines. Don't tell me you weren't dissapointed when the wild hunt origin and scheme got revealed?

Game-play wise I think it's fun, but the Story and Sword difficulty gets way too easy fast, especially ever since I made the enhanced cat witcher gear.
Plus, you practically can't die if you use the Quen sign.
I might try the harder difficulties sometime.

Nevertheless, I still feel like I want to complete it, even though you can tell I'm not THAT excited about the game.

What are your thoughts on it?
 
Hey man, welcome!

Don't tell me you weren't dissapointed when the wild hunt origin and scheme got revealed?
I think your expectations might have been set too high given how much praise the game gets on a regular basis. I don't think the story was designed to have a groundbreaking plot we've never seen before in fiction, so I can't say I was disappointed.

Most of the game is based on short stories collected in the original novels, which in turn take inspiration from various folklore and such.The focus is mainly on characters and world-building, despite the efforts to give it a more epic spin by the developers of the games.

Game-play wise I think it's fun, but the Story and Sword difficulty gets way too easy fast, especially ever since I made the enhanced cat witcher gear.
Plus, you practically can't die if you use the Quen sign.
Yeah, unfortunately the Witcher 3 didn't revolutionize the RPG, so you can easily break the game given the right parameters. If you'd like to make it more interesting my suggestion would be to give yourself certain limitations, such as not using Quen and not using the witcher sets, but regular equipment instead. Try to use more of the available mechanics such as bombs and the crossbow, and different signs, even if it's not the most efficient way to play, it can be surprisingly fun and more engaging.

What are your thoughts on it?
I've written about the Witcher quite a lot on here, and although I used to be way more into it when I first started playing years ago, I still think it's a great series.

What I like about it most has less to do with the typical game characteristics people generally focus on and more with its ideas and presentation. I know all the "dark fantasy" and "realistic fantasy" stuff has become quite a trend nowadays, and a lot of mediocre media and literature is coming out trying to cash in on it, but the Witcher is among the few good ones that basically kickstarted the whole thing; the biggest and the best one, of course, being a particular masterpiece from Japan.

The author of the books, Andrzej Sapkowski, gave the original material after which the games were modeled a rather pragmatic quality for a fantasy work, at a time when it wasn't something commonly done at all. His intention was to subvert the archetype of the unlikely hero commonly found in classic fantasy stories by authors like Tolkien and T.H. White and create a world where, if fantastical creatures existed, society would instead seek and create professionals who are specifically trained to deal with them. I appreciate the concept, and I think the games conveyed it successfully; the Witcher 3 in particular.
 
I think your expectations might have been set too high given how much praise the game gets on a regular basis. I don't think the story was designed to have a groundbreaking plot we've never seen before in fiction, so I can't say I was disappointed.

Most of the game is based on short stories collected in the original novels, which in turn take inspiration from various folklore and such. The focus is mainly on characters and world-building, despite the efforts to give it a more epic spin by the developers of the games.
The so called hype-train definitely kind of ruined it for me, and while my last post had a negative overtone, I still enjoyed the game enough to finish its main part (probably will finish the DLCs too).

I suppose another factor in my "disappointment" is that I jumped right into Witcher 3, without playing the two previous titles, so I kinda felt thrown in a love triangle (picked Yenn :shrug: ) that I didn't care about and rescuing friends I didn't know I had (Dande-who?).

Yeah, unfortunately the Witcher 3 didn't revolutionize the RPG, so you can easily break the game given the right parameters. If you'd like to make it more interesting my suggestion would be to give yourself certain limitations, such as not using Quen and not using the witcher sets, but regular equipment instead. Try to use more of the available mechanics such as bombs and the crossbow, and different signs, even if it's not the most efficient way to play, it can be surprisingly fun and more engaging.
I switch it up with my signs unless I'm bored and just want to get on with a mission. I will probably try more stuff in the DLCs.

I read somewhere you can Aard deflect arrows.
Are there more cool mechanics like that hidden in the game?

What I like about it most has less to do with the typical game characteristics people generally focus on and more with its ideas and presentation. I know all the "dark fantasy" and "realistic fantasy" stuff has become quite a trend nowadays, and a lot of mediocre media and literature is coming out trying to cash in on it, but the Witcher is among the few good ones that basically kickstarted the whole thing

Definitely a good ambassador of that particular kind of fantasy
a particular masterpiece from Japan
:ganishka:


In conclusion I would say it's a very good game (can't argue with that) but I think there are titles in the genre that do everything better.


PS: Of the 20 minutes it took me to write this post, I spent 10 of them watching skully eating beherits lol
 
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