General gaming discussion

Exclamation Marc · 07-02-2022 7:40pm

Guardians is a brilliant game and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The storyline, the dialogue and the general pacing of the game was great. Hearing Drax's deadpan reactions had me laughing loudly. The soundtrack too was phenomenal. Busting into a big skirmish with The Final Countdown, Everyone's A Winner or Never Gonna Give You Up (or the rake of other bangers) blaring never got old.

Combat was definitely the weakest part of the game being very clunky and inconsistent. I'd agree that Starlords most useful coordinating other Guardians attacks as his are relatively useless.

Penn · 07-02-2022 8:26pm

GOTG was a game I was very conflicted on at the start, mainly due to the fairly bland combat. And although I enjoyed most of the chatter, it was never-ending at times, and the use of made-up words instead of actual swears just meant they used those words way, way too much.

But by the end I really did like it a lot. Even the combat, it really was more about learning the other Guardian's attacks and trying to combine them in the most effective way. Peter himself does become more powered and useful by the end too. I wouldn't say it's a fantastic game, but it's a fun enough romp with some great highs.

Gamer Bhoy 89 · 07-02-2022 11:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118595629#Comment_118595629

Oh, I haven't needed to crack any boulders yet but I'll take that on board.

Gamer Bhoy 89 · 08-02-2022 11:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118594724#Comment_118594724

I think some of us will play a game we're not enjoying hoping that something will click and it's over before we realise. That, or we at least want to see how the story plays out despite the gameplay not being fun.

Either way, sometimes we will get to the end of a game before looking back and thinking it wasn't as good as we were hoping. Sometimes it takes getting to the end of the game to get that reflection.

Right now, for example, Pokémon Legends Arceus is pissing me off with its overabundance of exposition so early on, when all I want to do is go out and collect fúcking Pokémon - it's confining me within its narrative because.... narrative. Fúck narrative, it's Pokémon! Gimme the fúcking balls already. If it was my first rodeo, I'd be out in a flash, uninterested in the game. But because it's Pokémon, and I'm already (somewhat of) a fan, I know it'll get better, so I'm working my way to get to that point.

The Raging Bile Duct · 08-02-2022 11:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118599031#Comment_118599031

Yeah, I've played games through where at the end it might not have been as good as I thought/hoped but still enjoyed more than disliked but I don't think I've played a whole game where I thought it was shít the whole way through and didn't enjoy it - I'll give a game 6-8 hours at the very maximum before I decide whether I bother powering on to the end. There's games that I powered through to get to the end which spoiled the experience somewhat which was usually down to the game being a bit longer than they needed to be - Naughty Dog would be very guilty of this. I've picked up the Legacy of Thieves collection upgrade and I'm playing a little bit of it here and there in between other games, rather than playing hours of it at a time, day after day and it's a much more enjoyable experience than the first time I played it imo.

Markitron · 08-02-2022 1:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118599031#Comment_118599031

Normally, if I am not enjoying a game after a few hours I will drop it, I might give it a bit longer depending on a number of factors but generally I don't look back.

Then there is Resident Evil 6, a game I played through fully despite the fact that I utterly and completely despised everything about it after about 30s. I didn't believe for one second at any point that the game would improve or that I would get used it it. And it isn't like it was a short game, it has 4 lengthy campaigns. That one makes no sense to me, still don't know why I did it.

Penn · 08-02-2022 1:32pm

I did the same with Devil May Cry 2. I completed Dante's story, Lucia's story, Trish doing Dante's story, Trish doing Lucia's story, and all difficulties on Dante & Lucia's stories. That game sucked, on all difficulties, with all characters.

I think part of it was I was younger, owned fewer games, and was a big fan of DMC1, so I was just forcing myself to try and like it.

Retr0gamer · 08-02-2022 1:37pm

I completed resident evil 6 because I wanted to see how deep the rabbit hole went.

And I hate myself for it.

johnny_ultimate · 08-02-2022 1:44pm

There's probably an extra element of 'I'll push through it' when it comes to sequels to games you really like. You're hoping you'll get that same buzz or find the old series magic. Or even 'there has to be more to this, surely?'

08-02-2022 2:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118599619#Comment_118599619

That reminds me of the days when you'd rent a game for the weekend and it turned out to be crap. You'd still play the hell out of it.

The Raging Bile Duct · 08-02-2022 2:49pm

I played Resident Evil 6 years ago and I completed it but I can't remember anything about it. I see all the hate for it but I honestly have complete amnesia when it comes to that game.

Markitron · 08-02-2022 2:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118599645#Comment_118599645

That was the weirdest thing, I wasn't even curious to see how bad it got. I didn't even want to know about the story, RE may not have the most coherent plot but I'm still invested as a long-term fan of the series.

The Raging Bile Duct · 08-02-2022 3:01pm

Is there any game series out there with multiple titles where the story/lore isn't pure scutter? I can't think of any.

I'll be honest, when I hear the word 'lore' mentioned, be it in relation to games, movies or whatever, it's a bit of a red flag for me. It's usually just of a load of any-old-bollix to try and entice hardcore nerd whales into parting with as much cash as possible.

The Raging Bile Duct · 08-02-2022 3:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118600073#Comment_118600073

Yeah, I played it for a continuation of the story. I had replayed 4, played 5 and then 6 close together but it's like I was zapped with that light from Men in Black at the end of 6.

Retr0gamer · 08-02-2022 3:07pm

I did kind of find Resi 6 fascinating. I mean it's obvious a lot of effort went into it as it looked great and there was a huge marketing push. The whole game is a lesson in hubris where a game is designed by corporate committee. It's like it was designed to be the biggest and best blockbuster ever and they set about achieving this not by letting a team be creative and create the best game they can but by copying every big blockbuster that was out then. The whole thing was just focused on ridiculous stakes and bombast and yet they totally forgot about the game. It barely functions as one. It's like it they barely had time to play test it or else they play tested it so late that when they realised it was a stinker they didn't have the time and budget to go back and finish it.

It really baffles me just how bad it is. There's just stuff in it that sticks out in my mind that seems like it's from an awful PS2 shooter like the Leon section boss fight in the church and the awful fight against the giant monster with Chris that just does not work properly.

Retr0gamer · 08-02-2022 3:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118600185#Comment_118600185

Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja

Honestly no game needs anymore lore than this:

Markitron · 08-02-2022 3:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118600185#Comment_118600185

I think Mass Effect did a pretty good job with lore. They had a very well realised universe in place from the beginning of the first game, with detailed history of all the main races which informed the plot going forward. Even Andromeda didn't ruin it as it was almost completely severed from the main ongoing storyline. The only real criticism of the lore I can think of is the 'ancient aliens' trope being a backbone of the lore, but even then it was released in 2007 right before that concept flooded games and movies, so it worked back then.

Markitron · 08-02-2022 3:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118600252#Comment_118600252

The worst thing about RE6 is that it was an awful parody of all of the action games of the mid-late 2000's, almost all of which were heavily influenced by RE4 in the first place. They went from master to a really **** apprentice in the space of two games.

Stone Deaf 4evr · 08-02-2022 3:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118600185#Comment_118600185

Dark Souls series.

Markitron · 08-02-2022 3:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118600465#Comment_118600465

I love Dark Souls but IMO the lore is amateur dark fantasy nonsense and it's delivery leaves a lot to be desired. I don't actually have a problem with this as it is more than adequate to set up the great atmosphere of the series. There is a reason they got outside help to set up the lore of Elden Ring.

pixelburp · 08-02-2022 3:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118600185#Comment_118600185

Mass Effect would be the one to come to mind immediately; but it had the benefit of being a trilogy, while its 4th entry was more a side-story that intentionally sidestepped the "main plot" by moving to a whole different galaxy. Either way, there was an attempt to craft something structurally consistent, the Star Wars/Trek inspirations clearly forming that rigidity.

Half Life, maybe? The writing on Half Life 2 onwards doesn't get enough credit; its world-building subtle and backgounded enough to let the player fill the gaps in themselves - as well as clever use of environmental design to help them do that. It also understood the value of keeping some things mysterious and unknowable, helping maintain that sense of Gordon Freeman / Alyx merely being pawns in ... something larger. While its characters had a good sense of grounding.

Overall though, I'd agree. Most game "lore" is deadweight at best, and indulgent garbage at worst. But TBH, good writing in gaming is rare enough across the board, let alone writing that informs a world or myth cycle.

awec · 08-02-2022 3:47pm

The Last of Us 2 is a game I tried to push through to complete just for the story but I had to give up. I got to the point where you switch characters and that was it for me, couldn't take any more.

If a game doesn't grab me within the first few hours I'm likely to just give up.

Retr0gamer · 08-02-2022 3:58pm

Sorry but Mass Effect lore is nonsense. The whole premise is the same ancient horror coming back to destroy the world and nobody listening and Bioware have been cribbing that storyline ever since one of them read Game of Thrones and decided it was a good idea to steal. The lore codex is full of badly written nonsense and the best way to play the game is to totally ignore it as reading all the entries actively slows the game down and makes it less interesting when you realise that it's just recycled sci-fi and fantasy tropes.

08-02-2022 4:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118600185#Comment_118600185

I think The Elder Scrolls lore is class, though I don't think the games do a great job of explaining it, it's more stored in books which only a few turbo nerds read.

But when summarised the lore is fun to dive into. I like how it's told through the unreliable narrator, which is exactly how ancient history in real life works.

The YouTube channel Shoddycast does a fairly extensive lore series, for those interested.

Penn · 08-02-2022 4:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118600503#Comment_118600503

The Dark Souls lore consists of watching 6 VaatiVidya videos where he explains how the markings on each of the individual bosses' clothes means they're a tragic figure for (reasons) and you should feel bad for killing them.

Retr0gamer · 08-02-2022 4:10pm

I do think a good lore bible during game development is really useful and can flavour the game unconsciously. However I think developers need to get over their habit of trying to shove that lore bible down players throats because they are so in love with it. They need to leave the ego at the door and realise show don't tell is much better.

Dark Souls is probably a good medium. You really don't need to read it to enjoy the games but if you really want to be a lore turbo nerd, it's all there for you to immerse yourself in. I actually think playing the games blind is much better than knowing the story as most From games are about the player being manipulated by greater powers who try to keep the truth from them so they will carry out their objectives.

Markitron · 08-02-2022 4:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118600745#Comment_118600745

Yup. Bloodborne was the most annoying, that actually had a decent backstory. Well I think it did, for all I know Vaati could have made it all up.

Stone Deaf 4evr · 08-02-2022 4:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118600764#Comment_118600764

Agreed, there needs to be a distinction with how lore is handled. As mentioned, Mass Effect, and I'd say to a degree, the likes of Halo / Destiny are in the same category, in that the lore is great, IF you go to the bother of looking at an internal codex or to external sources to read walls of text or exposition dumps on a youtube video - destiny in particular has an amazing backstory, but you cant experience any of it in game, so it may as well exist as a separate property altogether.

With The From Software games, the lore is woven into things like item descriptions, where its up to you to figure out the purpose of each individual item, while learning a bit of background on the way. Granted - a lot of people just head straight to a wiki page to look this up, but you can see that there was a bit of thought involved in having it the way it is.

Witcher 3 has loads of in game books, and letters that really add colour to the world, but I would think are largely ignored as they're optional, and likely not engaged with by the majority of the player base.

Retr0gamer · 08-02-2022 5:03pm

I remember my first few hours of mass effect and hating how slow it was. I choose to ignore all the codex entries and that's yeh exact point the game clicked with me and I started to enjoy it.

08-02-2022 10:42pm

Does anybody else with a SNES-mini find the following two issues irritating as well, (a) the controller wire length, and (b) the flap that opens up at the front to insert controllers? The miniature design is neat, though the opening at the front detracts from it. The controller wires should have been minimum 10 feet with the option for wireless controllers instead of having to rely on third party manufacturers such as 8bitdo etc.

The SNES means a lot to me as it was my first console- I still have fond memories of unwrapping the All-Stars Super Nintendo bundle on Christmas Day 1993. While I think I'll be playing SNES games for the rest of my life, Nintendo as a company really pisses me off. The Switch has amazing and beautifully designed games, yet the console's hardware is substandard and gimmicky. Why can't Nintendo create quality products like it once did? I also consider the "Nintendo does things differently and isn't out to compete with Microsoft and Sony etc." to be a cop out. They have more than enough resources to create quality hardware, or at least somewhat decent. The mentality within modern Nintendo just smacks of greed and laziness.

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