Games to look forward to!

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Groovy Metal Fist said:
I know I've spoken a number of times about story driven game with player choices. I loved many of them, but didn't feel like my choices changed the overall arc of the story. I could only swap out a few details along the way.

Ken Levine wants to design a story driven game with player choices to genuinely shake up the narrative:

http://gamedesignreviews.com/scrapbook/stepped-on-a-narrative-lego/

I wish him all the best!

I think the major challenge there is the more the "reader" can change the story, the less the story matters and therefore it's no longer "story driven." Some would even say it's mutually exclusive (I'm kind of leaning that way). I mean, how story driven is your game if the story is that dispensable or interchangeable. There are plenty of games where you can sort of do as you please and there's multiple paths and conclusions but most of these would no longer be called "story driven", and the ones that would you'd probably categorize among those only changing details (Mass Effect). Fallout and Chrono Trigger come to mind as games that come down just on or to either side of that line, but they're still limited as far as this idea goes. To truly do this, one would basically have to write multiple separate and in depth story trees that go in completely different directions, perhaps with their own separate themes and individual characters (like if your main characters could live or die =), yet are treated with equal import, as if they're all the one true narrative. In that case, I feel like the story, themes, and the entire game would be consumed by and become about this concept (the "what ifs" of life) and, again, could be in danger of becoming some weird life simulator/experiment with no narrative rather than a driving one. Anyway, aside from the feasibility of all that, most games, or any medium for that matter, unfortunately can't even craft one great story.
 

Dar_Klink

Last Guardian when? - CyberKlink 20XX before dying
Griffith said:
I think the major challenge there is the more the "reader" can change the story, the less the story matters and therefore it's no longer "story driven." Some would even say it's mutually exclusive (I'm kind of leaning that way). I mean, how story driven is your game if the story is that dispensable or interchangeable. There are plenty of games where you can sort of do as you please and there's multiple paths and conclusions but most of these would no longer be called "story driven", and the ones that would you'd probably categorize among those only changing details (Mass Effect). Fallout and Chrono Trigger come to mind as games that come down just on or to either side of that line, but they're still limited as far as this idea goes. To truly do this, one would basically have to write multiple separate and in depth story trees that go in completely different directions, perhaps with their own separate themes and individual characters (like if your main characters could live or die =), yet are treated with equal import, as if they're all the one true narrative. In that case, I feel like the story, themes, and the entire game would be consumed by and become about this concept (the "what ifs" of life) and, again, could be in danger of becoming some weird life simulator/experiment with no narrative rather than being story driven. Anyway, aside from the feasibility of all that, most games, or any medium for that matter, unfortunately can't even craft one great story.

Well, there are Japanese Visual Novels that attempt that, and I don't mean just the porn ones. I wouldn't be the one to ask for recommendations as far as those go though.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith said:
To truly do this, one would basically have to write multiple separate and in depth story trees that go in completely different directions, perhaps with their own separate themes and individual characters (like if your main characters could live or die =), yet are treated with equal import, as if they're all the one true narrative.

Yup. That's the only way to make it work smoothly while keeping it truly "great". And there's a good reason it's never been done: given that most people don't even finish the games they play, writing 10 stories (and dozens of variations for each different one) for one game when you know most of them won't be appreciated is a waste of talent and effort. It could be a true masterpiece, but who would put in the time, effort and money?
 

einherjar

The Glorious Dead
After kinda burning myself out on Dark Souls II, I'm really looking forward to the English localization of Drakengard 3. Anyone else?
 
I'm really looking forward to playing Super Smash Brothers on the Wii U. I love the past games and am excited for all the newcomers to the series like Little Mac and Mega Man (my favorite!). The only disappointment I have so far is in the most recent Nintendo Direct, they mentioned that once again online mode will be very limited when playing with strangers. For me, most of my friends have moved away by this point or don't own Wii U's, so I was hoping for more customization to play with other people. Other then that, it looks fun!
 

Dar_Klink

Last Guardian when? - CyberKlink 20XX before dying
einherjar said:
After kinda burning myself out on Dark Souls II, I'm really looking forward to the English localization of Drakengard 3. Anyone else?

I haven't been looking into it a lot, but I really do want to give it a try. With all their flaws the first two were really interesting. I loved the whole sacrifice system in the world and how it affected each character. I still need to finish Nier though.
 
einherjar said:
After kinda burning myself out on Dark Souls II, I'm really looking forward to the English localization of Drakengard 3. Anyone else?

Were 1 and 2 any good? I kinda sticked with mainstream reviews and didn't give it a chance. :femto:
 

SaiyajinNoOuji

I'm still better than you
I am waiting for the inevitable release of "Saints Row 5: Pimps in Space (and Time)!"

I had great fun with 3 and 4 that I can't imagine them NOT making 5.

Also I hope they release Monster Hunter 4 for the Wii-U.

As for real games that are in the pipe to come out. None =|
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member

einherjar

The Glorious Dead
Dar Klink said:
I haven't been looking into it a lot, but I really do want to give it a try. With all their flaws the first two were really interesting. I loved the whole sacrifice system in the world and how it affected each character. I still need to finish Nier though.

The anticipation made me break out Nier again to complete some trophies and get the fourth ending.

RanShi said:
Were 1 and 2 any good? I kinda sticked with mainstream reviews and didn't give it a chance. :femto:

They're a mixed bag. One area they seem to skimp on is graphics. They aren't the best looking games, for sure. The first game had a deliciously twisted story and characters, but the gameplay was just not that fun. With the second game, a different director made it a lot more "mainstream," which meant better gameplay, but a trite story and bland characters. The game Nier is an offshoot of the series, following ending "E" of the first game, and developed by the original team. That one was quite enjoyable in both story and gameplay. Oh, and it had one of the best soundtracks of any game, ever.

Now here's the really good news: Drakengard 3 reunited the director and producer of the first game with Nier's composer. I forsee good times ahead.
 
einherjar said:
After kinda burning myself out on Dark Souls II, I'm really looking forward to the English localization of Drakengard 3. Anyone else?

Of course. Yoko Taro is one sick pup - he's quickly become a favourite game director of mine. Nier is still my favourite game of the generation (alongside the likes of Mass Effect 2 & the Souls series) and the original Drakengard is such a unique JRPG that intentionally goes against the grain of all other games in that genre. I'm also hoping to see some more Berserk influence in Drakengard 3 since Taro is a big fan of Berserk (I remember they put in one weapon that was straight from Berserk in either Drakengard 1 & 2 or Nier, can't remember).
 
Mario Kart 8 which releases the end of this month looks pretty fun. I used to play Mario Kart with my family all the time on Super Nintendo and N64 and seeing all the landscapes and characters in HD look amazing. I like how they are re-doing some of the older tracks for the retro courses, and adding some new twists like the anti gravity stripes to them. I've never been a fan of the Wii wheel, so I will probably just use the Wii U pro or game pad controller.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is out on WiiU now. Fantastic game. The sequel to Symphony of the Night. The fact that it's not on 3DS is so frustrating....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tmc65Wc18E
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Walter said:
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is out on WiiU now. Fantastic game. The sequel to Symphony of the Night. The fact that it's not on 3DS is so frustrating....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tmc65Wc18E

Damn that game was cool. Great combo along with Dawn of Souls.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Aazealh said:

Huge fan of Gone Home and sci-fi in general, but this trailer didn't do anything for me. Not sure if it was the voice acting, the placeholder music, or the Art Deco art design being evocative of BioShock, but I wasn't impressed with any aspect. Obviously, it's still very early, so I hope they're still at the drawing board stages for this.
 
Yakuza 5 finally getting a western release albeit digitally on PSN in summer 2015

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/yakuza-5-gets-western-release-in-2015/1100-6424020/

and not really new but some more tidbits about Until Dawn likening it to heavy rain

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/yakuza-5-gets-western-release-in-2015/1100-6424020/
 
Witcher 3 Wild Hunt - Steel book Box Art "Novigrad Edition"

AxHu5WO.jpg

jgERaFu.jpg

B6Cafm1CcAE6k2o.jpg:large
* Chosen Front Cover Art
5T1cIQl.jpg

fpIdrmK.jpg

TgISKQ4.jpg
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
I really, really wish I could get excited for Witcher 3, because it just looks awesome. But, I just couldn't get into the first two games, and I gave them a fair shake.
 
At first I really didn't enjoy The Witcher. I gave it another shot and after the first 8 hours I was captured. Truly love that game, especially after reading the book on which it's based. The Witcher 2 never did it for me. Finished the first act 2 times and lost interest. I hope the combat is changed enough, as well as the demand to make certain potions.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
bandofthehawk (Salem) said:
At first I really didn't enjoy The Witcher. I gave it another shot and after the first 8 hours I was captured.

I played through about 3/4 of Witcher 1 (based on a story summary I read after giving up) and about 6 hours of Witcher 2. The tone of everything just feels "off" to me. I like Geralt, but find the world boring. I like the graphics but find combat and inventory/potion management a chore. Everything is just unbalanced, to me.
 
Definitively The Witcher3 a game of 2015 for sure i saw a gameplay video it's like a dream an epic adventure that begins in May not in february :magni: the wait is suffering :SK:
 
Top Bottom