General gaming discussion

The Raging Bile Duct

I'd agree completely with all the points about the third act killing Alien Isolation. It destroys the game.

CastorTroy

Haven't tried Isolation or Amnesia. Looking at Howlongtobeat makes me think the games are too long for the type of games they are.

Markitron

The Phantom Pain wrote: »

I've watched that Alien Isolation review a few times now and I don't see anywhere where he mentions playing the game on Hard?

I don't know about a video review but I definitely remember it in the written review. The bloke who reviewed it also tried to tell people that the human eye can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p, so I don't know if I would be trusting anything he says.

Retr0gamer

Good few IGN people have been on retronauts and seem pretty knowledgeable. They only really cover the triple A games though which doesn't interest me so I don't visit them. Used to be on that site constantly for the PS1 and early PS2/Gamecube era.

gizmo

Markitron wrote: »

I remember the bloke reviewing Alien Isolation complained that it was too hard, then later mentioned in the review that he selected hard difficulty. Gave it a lower score than Colonial Marines.

Top professionalism there.

FWIW, this is what they said about the difficulty in the game...

And in hindsight, playing on Hard difficulty – which I only did because Isolation actually describes it as “the recommended way to experience the game” – was a terrible decision. It means the Xenomorph can get you anywhere at any time, giving you no opportunity to avoid death, and run you down if it hears so much as a pin drop. Sure, a flamethrower blast or Molotov cocktail can ward it off for a moment, but alien-repelling resources are extremely scarce. Don’t make the same mistake I did.

Which is in itself, an interesting point. It's rare you see a game where the developer describes Hard Difficulty as the "recommended" level to play at, but between how the game actually plays and the subsequent release of the Novice and Nightmare difficulties post-launch, I'd wager focus-testing, metrics and publisher pressure had a role in it.

Oh and while I disagree with the length and difficulty arguments made in the review and mostly definitely the final score itself, someone else at IGN reviewed Colonial Marines and they gave it a lower score than Isolation. Given the state of A:CM at launch, that **** is almost libellous. :pac:

BlitzKrieg

The Raging Bile Duct wrote: »

I'd agree completely with all the points about the third act killing Alien Isolation. It destroys the game.

thats surprising, most people I know feel it's the middle where many kinda checked out at

the alien has been killed and you are fighting the androids

but anyone I know who got over that hump felt

everything from the hive onwards is a tour de force in video game horror and desperation

though I'll be the first to admit I'm incredibly bias, I still think alien isolation was the best game of 2014 and one of the best games of the entire ps4/xbox one generation (though technically it's straddling the two generations) and I'd argue it's the 3rd best *anything* in the entire alien franchise, just behind the first 2 films, only the alien rpg comes close to being as good.
It's such a bizarre contrast having that and colonial marines so close to each other in terms of release and development.

Retr0gamer

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

I'd argue it's the 3rd best *anything* in the entire alien franchise, just behind the first 2 films, only the alien rpg comes close to being as good.

You say that like the Konami Aliens arcade game doesn't exist.

BlitzKrieg

Retr0gamer wrote: »

You say that like the Konami Aliens arcade game doesn't exist.

Its up there with the italian sequel to aliens and the cold war version of alien 3 that got made into a comic and audio book.

Mr Crispy

I think I'm going mad... Was there ever a "Gaming Rumours" thread here on boards?

Zero-Cool

Started Soma again and it's sucked me in. I think when i played the first time, i approached it like Gone Home and i picked up ever single object in the apartment going for some story beat. This time gonna be much more brisk and story is instantly interesting. Gonna try blast through it.

gimli2112

anytime I play a game like that, almost straight away I want to play something immediately gratifying, like COD. I'm an immensely shallow person. I must try SOMA again though sometimes these things just click.

Retr0gamer

Zero-Cool wrote: »

Started Soma again and it's sucked me in. I think when i played the first time, i approached it like Gone Home and i picked up ever single object in the apartment going for some story beat. This time gonna be much more brisk and story is instantly interesting. Gonna try blast through it.

Story just gets better and better until that gut punch of an ending.

petes

Actually bought Soma a few years back but never played it....I think lol.

Going to give it a go today. That and maybe buy Returnal. Internet is ****e where I am so either wait an eternity for it to download or buy it physically.

I do have 40 quid left on a one4all so get psn credit so it only costs 40 quid!

gimli2112

Returnal is getting great reviews as far as I can tell

gizmo

gimli2112 wrote: »

Returnal is getting great reviews as far as I can tell

Housemarque with a budget?

gimli2112

gimli2112 wrote: »

Returnal is getting great reviews as far as I can tell

The 80 euro price tag is putting a lot of people off imho. Plus the rogue thing is something I feel like I'll love it or hate it in this particular use case.

johnny_ultimate

My copy of Returnal is in the post, but oof everything I've seen of those outrageously indulgent particle effects makes me happy with my purchase already :pac:

https://twitter.com/PlayStation/status/1388260624900100096?s=20

petes

Zero-Cool wrote: »

Started Soma again and it's sucked me in. I think when i played the first time, i approached it like Gone Home and i picked up ever single object in the apartment going for some story beat. This time gonna be much more brisk and story is instantly interesting. Gonna try blast through it.

I actually did play Soma before and forgot but I did the same as you, started again yesterday and find it a lot better so will continue on.

Although, Returnal is downloaded so will be giving that a go today too.

pixelburp

Any recommendations for hidden gem metroidvanias? I'm jones'ing for a fix but the only suggestions I'm getting via searches are either hits I've played (like Hollow Knight) or ones I bailed on (Bloodstained, a janky mess IMO).

TitianGerm

pixelburp wrote: »

Any recommendations for hidden gem metroidvanias? I'm jones'ing for a fix but the only suggestions I'm getting via searches are either hits I've played (like Hollow Knight) or ones I bailed on (Bloodstained, a janky mess IMO).

Did you play Ori?

johnny_ultimate

pixelburp wrote: »

Any recommendations for hidden gem metroidvanias? I'm jones'ing for a fix but the only suggestions I'm getting via searches are either hits I've played (like Hollow Knight) or ones I bailed on (Bloodstained, a janky mess IMO).

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is IMO up there with the absolute best of them.

pixelburp

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is IMO up there with the absolute best of them.

Yeah have that one, a good example with eat worm music

TitianGerm wrote: »

Did you play Ori?

Yup, didn't take to it and couldn't give you a reason. The feel wasn't right, and my middle aged wrists couldn't hack the timing on the platforming (big reason why I dropped The Messenger)

Retr0gamer

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is IMO up there with the absolute best of them.

This one.

I'd also recommend axiom verge and steamworld dig

Zero-Cool

Absolutely love Guacamelee 1 and 2, hugely fun and satisfying combat.

JimBurnley

Not quite sure what impact this will have but Sony announces partnership with Discord

https://www.sie.com/en/blog/announcing-playstations-new-partnership-with-discord/

J. Marston

Just won a hat-trick of games in Apex Legends. These old fingers still have it!

Retr0gamer

Played a good bit of Drakengard 3 over the weekend. Beat the first branch and one of the DLC chapters. I'm trying to get through my PS3 and 360 collections as I've not a whole lot left of them that's worth playing.

It's a Yoko Taro game and pretty much has the exact same flaws as all of his games I've played.

It's pretty much a terrible game to play. Combat is totally button mashing. It also feels horrible because at a technical level it's one of the worst performing games I've ever played. The game rarely hits the target 30 FPS and regularly hits single digit frame rates with loads of disgusting tearing. Levels are just linear corridors for the most part with a few enemies. There's a few panzer dragoon type moments but they aren't great either.

And yet every time I'm sick of it I'm compelled to return to it. The writing is regularly great. It's genuinely hilarious in parts and breaks the fourth wall in interesting and amusing ways. The protagonist Zero is pretty much the anti-nathan drake. While most protagonists kills thousands of people and quip amusingly while coming across as sociopaths, it's refreshing to play as zero who is just an out and out sociopath and does nothing to disguise this. All the characters are horrible people and yet the writing is good enough that they aren't hateful.

One area where the game does standout is the god tier soundtrack. Keiichi Okabe handles the soundtrack, the composer of the Nier games, with Emi Evans on vocals as well. And it's glorious.

This is pretty much the worst Yoko Taro game I've played yet. And while I find it utterly compelling, playing the game is rarely fun. I'm begrudgingly enjoying it. Nier is way better, despite that games problems with budget and the gameplay being a bit rote it's still a heap of fun and constantly reinvents its gameplay on the fly making it a really interesting game. Drakengard 3 is just button mashing corridors.

I'll definitely see it to all it's endings and the DLC endings but would be hard pressed to recommend it. But do check out the score. It's sooooo good.