Best and worst aspect of current gen gaming?

CiDeRmAn · 18-12-2010 01:37AM

I think the browness of fps environments has been successfully challenged by MW2 with its more colourful approach.
I want both real and fantasy in my games, I want to play GTA4 then zip off to the Ishimura.
I disagree that huge budgets condemn us to blandness, truth is that we can still see originality in modern gaming, be it Katamari, Wii Sports, No More Heroes.
I hate loading times, bye bye tapes and multiloaders!
And the rise of the iPhone, Xbla, PSN and Wiiware has meant that the spirit of the early arcade is still with us, that 3 minute buzz that brings us back for more.

Retr0gamer · 18-12-2010 03:31AM

landsleaving wrote: »

And worst of all, Nolan North.

Nolan North is great. Nolan North getting cast as Nathan Drake in every game isn't. The guy has amazing range and shouldn't be typecast. Look how good he was in alpha protocol where he played someone completely different to nathan drake.

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I think the browness of fps environments has been successfully challenged by MW2 with its more colourful approach.

Eh have you got cataracts or something because that game was very very brown and grey. I hope you aren't one of those that actually liked MW2 :O

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I disagree that huge budgets condemn us to blandness, truth is that we can still see originality in modern gaming, be it Katamari, Wii Sports, No More Heroes.

Try that again with games that actually had a budget this time because those 3 examples were very low budget games. Also Katamari is getting flogged to death by Namco with poor sequels that re use assest and levels wholesale to the original creators dismay.

Retr0gamer · 18-12-2010 03:37AM

Xluna wrote: »

I've heard it's similar in terms of gameplay to System shock but I didn't no anything about it being similar story wise. ( I only really started playing FPS, bar Doom, when the 360 came out.)

Still the city, and it's society, of Columbia does seem intriguing.

Ken Levine said when Bioshock hit development trouble he decided to just remake system shock 2 instead of creating more delays.

landsleaving · 18-12-2010 04:19AM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Nolan North is great. Nolan North getting cast as Nathan Drake in every game isn't. The guy has amazing range and shouldn't be typecast. Look how good he was in alpha protocol where he played someone completely different to nathan drake.

I haven't played it yet, so all I've seen is Nathan Drake over and over. Is it any good actually, I was thinking of picking it up in HMV the other day, but got Deadly Premonition instead

Retr0gamer · 18-12-2010 04:26AM

landsleaving wrote: »

I haven't played it yet, so all I've seen is Nathan Drake over and over. Is it any good actually, I was thinking of picking it up in HMV the other day, but got Deadly Premonition instead

I've heard it described as the best worst game ever. I've not played it just seen bits of it. Bassically the combat is terrible but the story and dialogue and the amount of choice you have supposedly make the game worth it.

Myrddin · 18-12-2010 04:13PM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Well Bioshock is actually a rehash. If you played System Shock 2 you wouldn't think as highly of it. I loved Bioshock but I played System Shock 2 after it and it's so much better. Even the story is very similar to SS2 right down to the twist. I do think Bioschock is great but it's kind of telling that what some people consider an inovative game is in fact very derivative of a much better game that came out nearly 10 years before it.

That said the very best and truly innovative FPS games that have come out have been the Fallout games and the superb Stalker titles.

I fully agree, but you have to remember not every generation has experienced the past greats. It's like films, everything today has been done 20/30 years ago...but the style changes, & thats what appeals to younger generations.

chopperbyrne · 18-12-2010 07:20PM

landsleaving wrote: »

Zelda games are still being made and are still brilliant, ditto Mario.

Haven't played a brilliant Zelda game since Wind Waker.

They're still good games, but even the Zelda franchise appears to have run out of steam.

ghostchant · 20-12-2010 02:25PM

landsleaving wrote: »

Violence, just too much violence, there are so few games that aren't all about killing. It used to be about staying alive.

I agree. There was a time when I'd try to defend it, but over-the-top gore-porn is not my cup of tea. Watched a video of Manhunt executions earlier on in the games forum and it just seemed wrong. I can't even take the God of War games seriously as legitimate entertainment due to the ridiculous killing sequences. But that's just me I guess!

Myrddin · 20-12-2010 04:57PM

ghostchant wrote: »

I agree. There was a time when I'd try to defend it, but over-the-top gore-porn is not my cup of tea. Watched a video of Manhunt executions earlier on in the games forum and it just seemed wrong. I can't even take the God of War games seriously as legitimate entertainment due to the ridiculous killing sequences. But that's just me I guess!

I thought it was just me, but I seen the same video in the games forum & couldn't help but feel it was completely uneccessary to have content like that in a video game. Like yourself I'd have defended in during my stupid years (teens), but now it just seems disrespectful of everything I believe in.

Never thought I'd say this, but thats one game that deserved a ban. It was on my wanted list too, purely for the controversial factor, but having now seen it, I think it's disgusting (in a respect for life kinda way, not a blood/gore thing).

o1s1n · 20-12-2010 05:15PM

You're skirting along a risky line with the ban thing though. You personally find Manhunt offensive. There are many millions of people out there who find the violence in Grand Theft Auto equally as offensive. If you're allowed to ban something based on content which insults/offends you, then they should be allowed too.

I'm a firm believer in allowing absolutely any content in any form of media as long as it's not illegal.

Retr0gamer · 20-12-2010 05:26PM

EnterNow wrote: »

I thought it was just me, but I seen the same video in the games forum & couldn't help but feel it was completely uneccessary to have content like that in a video game. Like yourself I'd have defended in during my stupid years (teens), but now it just seems disrespectful of everything I believe in.

Never thought I'd say this, but thats one game that deserved a ban. It was on my wanted list too, purely for the controversial factor, but having now seen it, I think it's disgusting (in a respect for life kinda way, not a blood/gore thing).

It does kind of cheapen videogaming as an artistic mediumto take seriously. However when I was 14 I really wanted MK2. It didn't matter that the game wasn't great or that Super Street Fighter 2 was a far superior game, MK2 had gore. The fact is that violence sells. Now I don't mind violence that is stylistic so God of War is fine by me but it's games that are violence for violences sake that really get to me. Stuff like soldier of fortune and Manhunter I can't stand because other than the sadistic violence there's not even a good game behind it. The violence servesno purpose other than to generate sales.

Retr0gamer · 20-12-2010 05:35PM

o1s1n wrote: »

You're skirting along a risky line with the ban thing though. You personally find Manhunt offensive. There are many millions of people out there who find the violence in Grand Theft Auto equally as offensive. If you're allowed to ban something based on content which insults/offends you, then they should be allowed too.

I'm a firm believer in allowing absolutely any content in any form of media as long as it's not illegal.

Now I wouldn't ban Manhunter myself but the violence in it isn't artistic it's exploitative. There's absolutely no merit whatsoever in what that game does.

o1s1n · 20-12-2010 05:40PM

There's an aspect to art which involves pushing boundaries. Personally I've always been very interested in exploitative media and the subject of it being banned/allowed from an artistic point of view. Why do we have no problem with blowing millions of life forms away if it's within context but we can't do it for the sake of doing it? Is the context just giving us an excuse to enjoy the slaughter without feeling bad? How often are you thinking of context while screaming 'BOOM!!! HEADSHOT!!!' at the screen?

In the end, it's all the same thing. Killing. Whether you're squishing goombahs to a pulp, blowing people away in COD or killing someone with a plastic bag in Manhunt.

I think if anything, Manhunt took that one aspect that is prevalant in so many games, isolated it and showed us that well...violence really ain't cool.

amacachi · 20-12-2010 05:52PM

o1s1n wrote: »

I'm a firm believer in allowing absolutely any content in any form of media as long as it's not illegal.

So as soon as some misinformed people who've never played videogames decide to make something illegal you'd be completely fine with some of it being banned?

Best aspect of current gen gaming for me is that for the first time I'm actually in a position to enjoy it.

Myrddin · 20-12-2010 06:44PM

o1s1n wrote: »

You're skirting along a risky line with the ban thing though. You personally find Manhunt offensive. There are many millions of people out there who find the violence in Grand Theft Auto equally as offensive. If you're allowed to ban something based on content which insults/offends you, then they should be allowed too.

I'm a firm believer in allowing absolutely any content in any form of media as long as it's not illegal.

Good point sir. I see where your coming from, certain things offend some, yet others will view it as funny etc. I guess it's just that I'm that bit older now, to see that absoloutely no good can come from kids etc playing a game like that. It's wanten violence purely for the sake of it it my personal opinion, but, maybe it's not about outright banning - and more a case of stricter parental controls (i.e. the option to dull down what can be down based on who's playing etc). As a parent, that would be a godsend.

o1s1n · 20-12-2010 07:21PM

amacachi wrote: »

So as soon as some misinformed people who've never played videogames decide to make something illegal you'd be completely fine with some of it being banned?

Good point. And of course no, I wouldn't be fine with it being banned. When I mean't illegal I was thinking of snuff films, child porn and things like that. I guess you could substitute 'illegal' in my post with 'things which cause harm to others'

EnterNow wrote: »

Good point sir. I see where your coming from, certain things offend some, yet others will view it as funny etc. I guess it's just that I'm that bit older now, to see that absoloutely no good can come from kids etc playing a game like that. It's wanten violence purely for the sake of it it my personal opinion, but, maybe it's not about outright banning - and more a case of stricter parental controls (i.e. the option to dull down what can be down based on who's playing etc). As a parent, that would be a godsend.

Couldn't agree with you more. No good can come of children playing anything like that. But if the media in question has an age rating on it, well... at that stage it's up to the parent rather than society. Society has already played a part in it with the age guide. I really think the 'OMG, THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!' anti videogames brigade haven't a leg to stand on in that regard. If the child is playing it then it's a failure on a parenting level.

Just keep your young lad playing the Nes,vectrex etc and he'll be grand!

Nerdkiller1991 · 20-12-2010 07:48PM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

- DLC rapetime transactions. Give me the full game I payed for. I don't want to have to pay 10 euros extra to pay for levels you cut out of a game. On the PC you used to pay half the price of a full game for an expansion which would be the size and quality of the original game. Give me something substantial like that that actually required effort to make. Yes - Fallout 3 expansions, Undead expansion to RDR. No - paying for cut levels in Assassins Creed 2, paying for to unlock content already on the disc.

- Multiplayer Matchmaking. It doesn't work, I'm clever enough to choose my own server thank you very much.

- Lack of dedicated servers for console games. Leads to no community building and once a game is 3 months old the online community is dead. Also pings are terrible if the host machine connection is crap.

- Lack of split screen multiplayer. I don't care if the field of view is reduced and the framerate is terrible. I'd rather play with 4 mates in the same room than online. For all my bile towards Halo it at least does this and does it brilliantly.

YES! I agree with all of those statements. I'm so fed up of having the game choose what server I should go on. I mean, look at Killzone 2. Supported dedicated servers and server browsers, but now look at Killzone 3. I think the dedi's are still there, but now its just matchmaking. At least they had the right idea of implementing splitscreen.

Retr0gamer · 20-12-2010 10:26PM

o1s1n wrote: »

I think if anything, Manhunt took that one aspect that is prevalant in so many games, isolated it and showed us that well...violence really ain't cool.

All it showed me was that you can't make a good game with violence alone because it was one of the worst games I'd ever played.

I think Rockstar should have taken a bit more responsibility and not made the game. They put out a terrible game to make a quick sale but managed to set peoples view of videogaming as a legitimate art form back another few years. Some controversial games I can defend the violence in them. Mortal Kombat is very much tongue in cheek. God of War is stylistic. The airport scene in Modern Warfare 2, I can see what they were going for, they failed to accomplish it but there was an effort to make a statement. Manhunter though there's no defending it for me. It's a terrible game, it was violence for violence sake and they can put a mature rating on the cover but that game was aimed at a young teen demograph.

Jack burton · 20-12-2010 10:45PM

I remember enjoying my playthrough of manhunt, but I'm a big tenchu fan, so almost anything stealth I like, the violence was just a bit too much in manhunt though. Liked the music aswell, good game to play anrgy!

o1s1n · 20-12-2010 10:55PM

Retr0gamer wrote: »

All it showed me was that you can't make a good game with violence alone because it was one of the worst games I'd ever played.

I think Rockstar should have taken a bit more responsibility and not made the game. They put out a terrible game to make a quick sale but managed to set peoples view of videogaming as a legitimate art form back another few years. Some controversial games I can defend the violence in them. Mortal Kombat is very much tongue in cheek. God of War is stylistic. The airport scene in Modern Warfare 2, I can see what they were going for, they failed to accomplish it but there was an effort to make a statement. Manhunter though there's no defending it for me. It's a terrible game, it was violence for violence sake and they can put a mature rating on the cover but that game was aimed at a young teen demograph.

What's in good taste and not good taste is completely relative to the person who is viewing the content.

To me, Manhunt was a look at the role violence plays in games. We've all become desensitized to pulling triggers and blowing the absolute ****e out of polygons on the screen. Whenever I killed someone in Manhunt though I had a horrible gut wrenching feeling of 'that's just not right' in my stomach.

Therefore whether you like it or not, that game has an impact. You talk about games being art, well...art has to have an impact. And I believe it was worth making for that alone.

There's more going on in that game than the likes of Soldier of Fortune by the way. SOF was just gore for the sake of it. After dismembering a few heads the novelty wears off. Manhunt and its sequal on the other hand are just downright frightening. As I was saying, it has an impact.

Jack burton · 20-12-2010 11:01PM

Yeah I agree on the 'that's just not right', i know exactly what you mean, remember getting the exact same feeling playing through it.

Because I dont think video games really desentise people to violence really, there is a big difference between doing stuff with a controller and washing blodd off your hands in real life. Trust me on that!

And no I never killed a person, but having spent a lot of time working as a butcher and in a slaughter house, and "preparing" my share of animals I know that blood and gore its a lot different to red polygons on the floor

o1s1n · 20-12-2010 11:08PM

It's the human factor really. If you're murdering someone in real life you're dealing with a person. Their emotions. Their fears. Their smell even. You're not getting that in games. Well..with Manhunt you got a little bit of that - and it's what freaked the **** out of everyone.

Jack burton · 20-12-2010 11:11PM

Yeah pretty much but games will never measure up to real life, just like mesturbation and sex, I know that makes me sound like a serial killer haha

I played the censored version of the sequal, I'd say the uncensored version is vicious!

o1s1n · 20-12-2010 11:16PM

I played through the uncensored version of Manhunt 2 on my PSP. It was a fairly nasty experience at times alright. There was still a couple of things censored out though (the pliars for one) as they were removed completely. I think this version just got rid of the censor filters.

Have the censored version for the Wii too but it's totally unplayable with those filters. I'd already played the game, just saw it in London and had to pick it up as a big **** you to the Irish censor office. :pac:

Jack burton · 20-12-2010 11:22PM

Yeah I have it on the PS2, the filters are just horrible, along with the faint snow on the screen the whole time, I'd like to play the beta that was leaked, just to see how bad it was

Retr0gamer · 20-12-2010 11:36PM

Didn't feel any impact from the game myself. The game just looked so awful that it was pretty obvious to me these weren't people so I felt nothing.

Well you have a point about art being subjective but I very much doubt Rockstar went into it trying to prove an artistic point. I'm pretty sure it was violent to make money and as GTA4 shows they really don't have the writing skills to pull off anything that clever.

This is all based off of Manhunter 1. I steered well clear of the second one on account of how awful the first game was.

Useless trivia but the exclusive review rights to Manhunter were taken off the UK magazine that had them first because they gave the game 3/10.

o1s1n · 20-12-2010 11:41PM

Halo 2 got several 10/10 scores. Don't trust reviews :P

Jack burton · 20-12-2010 11:43PM

Streets of Rage got 90% I think we can trust reviews, right retr0? :P

batari · 21-12-2010 12:07AM

I personally don't get that full on gore thing with current gen games. Sure, the likes of Smash TV back in the day sounded pretty rough; going around a quiz show maze bludgeoning anyone you could, but there was no full on violence in your face.
Not llike playing the likes of GTA on say the ps2, where you beat a guy to the ground, and proceed to kick his head till theres blood everywhere...just not right.
Yea I know I sound like an old fart (I'm 32)

amacachi · 21-12-2010 01:52AM

o1s1n wrote: »

Good point. And of course no, I wouldn't be fine with it being banned. When I mean't illegal I was thinking of snuff films, child porn and things like that. I guess you could substitute 'illegal' in my post with 'things which cause harm to others'

Aye, I just wanted you to be careful with your words. :pac:
As far as I'm concerned nothing should be banned but (we're getting too far into my politics here :pac:) there should be some option for parents to protect against this kind of stuff, but then there's another argument to say that that already exists and parents are just damn lazy.

Best and worst aspect of current gen gaming?

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