General gaming discussion

Jordan 199 · 12-06-2025 07:41PM

The excellent Still Wakes the Deep is getting an expansion next week.

https://youtu.be/aIB5haOJ9Rw?si=vsY8vURmFopHNedT

Iseedeadpixels · 12-06-2025 08:35PM

https://youtu.be/VIg6QxS2sRc?si=cC-GcstgejxkJlP6

This game is an honest to God scam!

Thank feck for this thread or I'd be a day 1 fool.

McFly85 · 12-06-2025 09:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123538185#Comment_123538185

Cheers, that’s probably the best shout, same engine as Kotor, it’s on steam and seems to run perfectly well on the deck. Dragon age has some control issues so will probably try that later on Game Pass!

Higgo84 · 12-06-2025 09:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123538668#Comment_123538668

How many times have you played it? You replayed it once I remember after you finished it the first time and if my memory serves you replayed it again another time but my memory may be a bit wonky on that.

It was a great game alright but I only replayed the intro to get achievements for the beginning of the game that I missed first time round as I went in blind like I do all games as I feel you ruin games by looking up guides or what to do in a game.

Jordan 199 · 12-06-2025 10:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123538994#Comment_123538994

I played it twice so far. I might give it another playthrough before the new expansion releases next week.

Retr0gamer · 13-06-2025 06:57AM

Bought Gooner... I mean Stellar Blade on PC. Seems to be a good port. Story hasn't grabbed me but I heard they basically stole every story beat from Nier Automata. Combat so far is like, not quite as crap as a PS2 button masher but not quite From Software level. And that's not a slight on the game, it's actually a lot of fun and is as good as it needs to be, there's way worse combat as someone currently playing Kingdom hearts 2 can attest to. The character models are the only thing I've an issue with as they seem to have been designed by men that have never experienced the touch of a woman.

The real standout though is the soundtrack. The Nier composer is on board and it's incredible.

There's a lot to make fun of here but ultimately it's a lot of fun which is all it needs to be and a good palette cleanser.

Cordell · 13-06-2025 09:13AM

The character models are the only thing I've an issue with as they seem to have been designed by men that have never experienced the touch of a woman.

Retr0gamer · 13-06-2025 09:29AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123539679#Comment_123539679

You think a bunch a nerds in their late teens/early twenties developing a videogame in Derby had felt the touch of a woman? 😂

Cordell · 13-06-2025 09:41AM

Nope, they were too busy making great videogames for the horny teenager in everyone including us :)

Potential-Monke · 13-06-2025 09:42AM

Breaking News: World Shocked to Discover Sexy Sells!

Aside from SB just being a fun action game with a semi decent story to keep you going, I 100% appreciate the character model. If you look at nearly every entertainment industry, it's sex that sells. Always will. Just look at the barbie doll look some women still chase, even though imo I've never met a man who actually likes the duck lips and fake brows, etc. And guaranteed 100% in the future when technology allows, robowomen will all be sexy. Also to mention it's basically the model Shin Jae-eun, so she's "real" - they changed the face slightly, but it's also her body (slightly modified) for 2 other similar characters in game. I'm with Korea on this one!

I also don't get the Nier Automata references, unless the reference is future dystopia. Which doesn't belong to Nier. Funny you mention the soundtrack though, because aside from the battles, the soundtrack just doesn't match what's happening on screen! Still recommend everyone to give it a whirl if they can. Just a solid fun game that you'll enjoy and remember enjoying, even if you don't remember specifics in years to come. I also reckon it's the first of many SB titles to come. And the "not quite FromSoft" combat is extremely welcoming. Not everyone is a masochist.

Retr0gamer · 13-06-2025 10:51AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123539785#Comment_123539785

There's a difference between sexualized and sexy and stellar blade is fully in the sexualized side while something like Bayonetta would be more on the sexy side of thing and owns her sexuality. I'm stellar blade they just seem to me me as dolls for gooners.

The game is good though, worth playing. Again not played it much but reading online people talking about it and it really does sound like they stole themes and story moments straight out of Nier Automata. And they can't really say they weren't inspired by Nier when the head developer said they headhunted the games composer to provide music.

But again, story stuff doesn't really affect the game when the combat is fun.

Zero-Cool · 13-06-2025 10:59AM

Can almost guarantee Geoff is gonna try have them play this at The Game Awards this year. Cracking tune - check. Big Game release - check. Hideo - check. Celeb involvement - check.

Saying that, Elle Fanning has some pipes!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaPl-J_RvAo

DeSelby83 · 13-06-2025 10:59AM

https://opencritic.com/game/18397/the-alters

This is looking like it'll be worth a punt. Its on gamepass but believe it's in the €30/40 euro range.

Retr0gamer · 13-06-2025 11:20AM

Saw Dominic Tarson bigging it up on blue sky and he is usually on the money with weird Indies.

Penn · 13-06-2025 11:22AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123540038#Comment_123540038

There's also the issue that when games don't have female characters who look like that and instead actually look like real women (usually based off an actual real-life model, whether the VO/mocap actress or another model) and are wearing reasonable clothes, the pathetics get their knickers in a twist because it's not sexualised enough.

As for Stellar Blade itself, the gameplay just didn't do it for me for whatever reason. Played about 5 hours or so but just never got to that point of actually wanting or being excited to play it. The combat was fine, but I just felt no interest in the game itself.

Xofpod · 13-06-2025 12:04PM

Finished Guns of Fury on the Switch last night, cracking little metroidvania/shooter that was a lot of fun. When the end credits ran, there were only 4 names listed! OK, one of them was the localisation company, but what an incredible game from such a small team. A couple of brothers I think; they also did Goblin Sword which I'll pick up at some point when I see it.

SuperBowserWorld · 13-06-2025 12:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123540296#Comment_123540296

Yes, have that on my wishlist. It's a contra/metroidvania mix.

Zero-Cool · 13-06-2025 12:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123540072#Comment_123540072

This war of mine was excellent so had high hopes for this. Not on my priority list but definitely gonna pick it up at some point.

Penn · 13-06-2025 12:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123540069#Comment_123540069

First time I heard Woodkid was the song they did (Iron) for the Assassin's Creed Revelations trailer, which is still one of my favourite game trailers of all time.

https://youtu.be/8-Ixo7QXw_E?si=kJfzVk4mIXykVlbO

johnny_ultimate · 13-06-2025 01:27PM

Only getting around to watching the Big Walk trailer now, and many if it's half as charming and imaginative as the trailer suggests it's going to be a real joy. Between the relaxed vibes, casual exploration, novel communication limitations and co-op heavy puzzles / challenges, if the design is sharp enough it's looking right up my street.

Also: just a great trailer! The designers directly pitching a game that might have been hard to sell in short form without that personal touch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ez7AP4-GM

Cordell · 13-06-2025 01:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123540161#Comment_123540161

I'm not sure it's the lack of oversized jiggly boobies and buttocks but rather something like this:

Or this:

Or even this:

Ugly female characters that are ugly for no good reason, even when the motion capture real person is beautiful.

Mr Crispy · 13-06-2025 01:40PM

Edit: forget it, I'll just use ignore instead.

jj880 · 13-06-2025 01:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123540646#Comment_123540646

I played the first leisure suit larry as a young teen but it was sold as a comedy text adventure about a guy looking for romance in dingy bars / casinos. A classic that did what it said on the tin. Do you regularly look at characters in random video games and think: "the devs should have made them more attractive"? Bizarre. Out of interest what age are you?

Cordell · 13-06-2025 02:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123540696#Comment_123540696

I'm guessing similar age with yourself, old enough to remember a time when the devs were making efforts to make video game characters attractive, and good fun games in general.

Penn · 13-06-2025 02:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123540646#Comment_123540646

I see absolutely nothing wrong with the character designs of the second and third (South of Midnight and SW Outlaws characters), and the first one is a known bad image of an okay looking character. It's Fable, not Miss Congeniality: The Video Game.

Plenty of badly designed or downright ugly male protagonists. But I guess, women need a "reason" to be ugly.

Cordell · 13-06-2025 02:23PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123540752#Comment_123540752

Outlaws protagonist is based on a beautiful actress so yes there must be a reason the game model ended up so ugly and with masculinized features.

Penn · 13-06-2025 02:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123540767#Comment_123540767

Yeah, so ugly and masculine…

Is that Kay Vess or Bruce Willis? Who can tell the difference?

McFly85 · 13-06-2025 02:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123540767#Comment_123540767

What masculine features? Just looks like a woman.

johnny_ultimate · 13-06-2025 02:33PM

The modern internet has broken video game discourse in the stupidest possible ways.

Cordell · 13-06-2025 02:39PM

Sure, let's pretend it doesn't happen. Or it may be that in my middle age my eyesight is not what it used to be and I'm just imagining that there is a significant difference between the actress and the model. And even better let's pretend that games featuring these models weren't all flops. But sure corelation is not causality and the root cause is not that.

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