"Video Games!" or "What Are You Looking Forward To Buying In The Next While?"

[Seil]

So I visited my local EB, and drooled over a demo kiosk. Let's see what's on Seil's wishlist:

Doctor Who: War of the Extras

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Silent Hill 5

Zc-jvqJV4SI

Thief 4

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And yes, I know Thief 4 is already out, I'm just trying to figure out if Yahtzee's review was accurate. Because it's in my top five game series and I want it to be good, I also don't want to plonk $60 down to listen to Not-Garett talk about Dishonored.

[Ramary]

Thief 4 is pretty trashy even if you are not a fan of the old series unfortunately.

As for me, I guess I will get around to that new Kirby at some point and Tropico 5 is preordered, and that new Smash for 3DS in the summer. After that, hell if I know.

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

Off the top of my head..


Hellraid
Dying Light
River City Ransom: Underground
Chasm
Hyperlight Drifter
Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Wildstar launch
Witchmarsh
Dungeonmans
Planets³

[synkr0nized]

uhm

My next five planned purchases aren't games. So, I don't know.

[Kim]

A friend of mine is making a porn game and I could not be more hype.

Ladykiller in a Bind (http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/01/03/analogue-a-hate-story-creator-announces-ladykiller-in-a-bind/)

"Really, dating sims are inherently about manipulating other people — pick the right dialogue choices based off what you think they expect, learn about their interests so you can give them perfectly tuned gifts, make decisions based off whether you'll impress them or not — but like to pass it off as being about romance.

"Well, fuck that. You can still do that in Ladykiller in a Bind; we're just not going to pretend that it's anything other than manipulation. It'll have consequences."

also i love the full title

[greed]

Yeah seriously Seil, Thief 4 is bad and not even the kind of arguable if you like the series/genre you might like it bad or the good bad like EDF. It's just terrible.

I'm looking forward to a week or two after the Watch Dogs and Wolfenstein releases, they look interesting but want to hear about it from people and not press.

Also Pillars of Eternity is probably the thing I'm looking forward to most right now.

[Steel Shadow]

I loved Thief 4, but mostly for the stealing of stuff. As a part of the series it's way to linear and the plot is... Well, it's pretty bad.

But stealing shiny things? It's pretty great at that!

[Aldurin]

I'm in an awkward spot with games to expect.

Because of fucking Sunset Overdrive.
bMnjoqr5glk
I'm a big fan of Insomniac, and now I'm in a lose-lose situation.
If it's good: I have to buy a console I had no intention of buying before finding out about this.
If it's ok/bad: Goddammit Insomniac that's resources you could have put toward the next Ratchet and Clank game.

Also Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire look cool, but I'm half tempted to hold out for Chaos Emerald when it's released.

[Ryong]

What I'm looking forward to buy? Well, let's see...
PC:
Transistor
FTL ( I missed the last sale )
Vita:
New Atelier Rorona
Freedom Wars
Ragnarok Odyssey Ace
FFX+X-2 HD Remix
BlazBlue Chronophantasma ( if it doesn't get a PC release )

Although most of these have actually already been released but I really, really don't have the money.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

My interest in gaming has seriously taken a massive dive over the last year. Last 2 games I tried playing were Dishonored and Bioshock Infinite, never finished either. They just bored me about halfway through. Since then I've just been playing Magic 2014 all the time instead.

And there's nothing new coming out that even remotely interests me. The new Infamous turned out to be pretty mediocre and pointless to the previous games plotlines, Watchdogs is apparantly the next series Ubisoft are already planning to serialise and run into the ground with yearly versions ala Asscreed, which just has me not even wanting to touch it.

I'm just really dissapointed in this new generation.

[Revising Ocelot]

but I'm half tempted to hold out for Chaos Emerald when it's released.

Not happening. Unless you're also waiting for a remake of Crystal as well.

[Ramary]

I'm just really dissapointed in this new generation.

Tell me about it.

Do what I did and get into emulation, play some old favorites from yesteryear and play some older games you never got around to. Then get really frustrated at how much of a shit show N64 emulation is.

[MuMu]

*Games That Are Being Released And I'll Play But Not Now Because I Don't Make Enough To Buy Games At Release:

-Watch Dogs
-Murdered: Soul Suspect
-Dynasty Warriors 8: Long Title
-Arkham Knight
-Dark Souls II

The games that I will play are games I actually own but haven't added to my Steam library or something cheap that will get even cheaper during a sale.

[Ryong]

I'm just really dissapointed in this new generation.

Don't go for AAA++ "throw money until it works" games.

Then get really frustrated at how much of a shit show N64 emulation is.

Goddamnit I just want to play Gauntlet Legends and be able to know how many uses of a given item I have and also save them up, why must every other version be so shit!?

[Kyanbu The Legend]

I'm in an awkward spot with games to expect.

Because of fucking Sunset Overdrive.
bMnjoqr5glk
I'm a big fan of Insomniac, and now I'm in a lose-lose situation.
If it's good: I have to buy a console I had no intention of buying before finding out about this.
If it's ok/bad: Goddammit Insomniac that's resources you could have put toward the next Ratchet and Clank game.

Also Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire look cool, but I'm half tempted to hold out for Chaos Emerald when it's released.

I'm actually shocked at how many people say that. Even though OR and AS are both Emerald 2.0 with X/Y balance changes, engine, and bonus content.

Basically there are no plans to make a Emerald remake as Emerald's story and content will be present in both of those versions. It didn't happen with crystal for the same reason. It's content was added to HG and SS.

Also GOD DAMN Sunset looks awesome! Very nice use of the X1's hardware!

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

Goddamnit I just want to play Gauntlet Legends and be able to know how many uses of a given item I have and also save them up, why must every other version be so shit!?

warrior needs food badly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-QlTyfgBdg)

[Bard The 5th LW]

I never had a chance to play Myst when it originally came out so I'd like to give the newest remake of it a shot sometime soon.

[Loyal]

warrior needs food badly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-QlTyfgBdg)

Well, that is tempting...

[Ryong]

warrior needs food badly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-QlTyfgBdg)

I want 3 levels of special attacks on each class, being able to throw infinite axes/swords/arrows/magic balls depending on class and to get power-ups such as 3-way shot, 5-way shot, phoenix familiar ( which also gets 3 and 5 way shot if I have ) and so on.

I don't want Hammerwatch with 3D models.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

I never had a chance to play Myst when it originally came out so I'd like to give the newest remake of it a shot sometime soon.

Oh man, I know this feeling exactly. I only played it for the first time a couple of years ago (the fully 3d RealMyst version). Such a good game, but be prepared to tear your hair out in frustration at times. And stay the hell away from the musical age until the very last, that damn organ puzzle...

Riven is also really great, but I've yet to pay any of the others, I need to get on that.

[rpgdemon]

I want 3 levels of special attacks on each class, being able to throw infinite axes/swords/arrows/magic balls depending on class and to get power-ups such as 3-way shot, 5-way shot, phoenix familiar ( which also gets 3 and 5 way shot if I have ) and so on.

I don't want Hammerwatch with 3D models.

Plus, uh, I don't know who told them "Gauntlet needs constant blood splatters!", but it just looks distasteful. All in all, that game just looks very non-Gauntletesque.

[Loyal]

Seriously though, all I'm looking forward to right now are Smash Bros and Civ: BE.

[mauve]

I'm looking forward to:

Batman: Arkham Knight -- I've got some reservations about it (Why is Rocksteady inventing their own main villain when Batman has a bazillion canon characters to choose from? Also why bother re-designing all the existing villains AGAIN?) but I hold on to the stubborn hope that it will be at least be fun enough to ignore plot stupidity, like Arkham City was.

Transistor: Because Bastion was amazing.

Broken Age: I'm waiting to hear reviews on Act II before I buy it. Also Steam Summer Sale.

Kentucky Route Zero: Again, it's already out but I'm waiting for the rest of the story and summer sale prices.

[Ramary]

OH MAN I FORGOT ABOUT BEYOND EARTH.

But it is a Civ game, so it most likely won't be any good compared to the last entry until the first expansion pack.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Im interested in Kentucky Route Zero mostly because I live in Kentucky and have hiked/crawled/zip-lined through caves and I want to see if it holds up.

[Flarecobra]

There is really only one game that I can say that I'll be buying when it comes out, and that's the new Smash Brothers game for the 3DS.

[Solid Snake]

Not gonna create a new thread for this, I'll just post this here.

I can already tell that I am going to despise Far Cry 4.
Which is sad, too, because I'd love a game that took its Himalayas setting seriously instead of shitting all over it.

EDIT:

Like, it's pretty clear that the inspirations for Far Cry 4's country are Nepal and Bhutan.

Due to their cultural and geographical isolation, Nepal and Bhutan are two of the only countries in the world who never suffered any direct adverse effects from European colonialism. The most you can point to is the Anglo-Nepalese war, in which British forces in India eventually annexed a chunk of Nepalese territory but left the vast majority of Nepal alone, because Nepal was considered a useful buffer state between British-occupied India and China, and the Himalayan guerrilla forces ensured the territory was virtually impassable. The Brits were scared shitless by Nepal's forces, and for good reason. Bhutan emerged completely unscathed.

In our modern era, two of the cultures who've most successfully avoided the consequences of westernization and globalization would certainly be Nepal and Bhutan, who've managed to preserve their unique cultures.

So, I know what would make a great idea for a game.
Let's have a Caucasian Dictator resembling Julian Assange (because every pure-blooded American citizen wants to kick his ass) take over an area of the world the west has never actually taken over, then have an American frat brother (let's not even pretend for three seconds it'll be a native character, why would Far Cry 4 ever dare to introduce western audiences to a foreign perspective) and his Caucasian buddies (the pre-order bonus has a prototypical Caucasian 'badass' with a large gun as a buddy you apparently liberate from imprisonment) destroy the countryside!!!

At least Just Cause 2 was so ludicrously over-the-top and based on no real-world analogue that I couldn't take it seriously, but I have a feeling Far Cry 4 is going to present its story seriously, but oversimplify the Himalayas to the point of infuriating any reasonable person. Also, despite a tiny -- virtually 0.0% -- Caucasian population in the region, expect a ludicrous percentage of the people you meet throughout the game to be Caucasians who show up to help or hinder the poor oppressed natives, because the characters who are from this place will all be reduced to one-note stereotypes and have no agency whatsoever.

Oh, and Hinduism and Buddhism will be reduced to such entry-level 101 interpretations of those religions that it will inevitably offend anyone who actually knows or who bothers to show the basic respect to even research any fact about Hinduism and Buddhism.
...And the area's going to be littered with gangs and guns, because one of the happiest and most peaceful places in the modern world is obviously going to be incredibly violent, third-world countries are all the same and they all love killing people!

[Aldurin]

Game developers aren't going to do their research all of the time, especially when they're target markets likely don't give two shits about the rich history of a location or the nuances and depth of a religion or philosophy. The vast majority of games that have some sort of moral or theme have it dumbed down significantly. Even Spec-Ops: The Line which railed against the trend of modern military shooters didn't go very deep beyond the basic points it made.

These aren't college courses or deep, in-depth documentaries. If the devs even tried to pretend they were then their market would start rejecting it. They're making a game for people who want The Adventures of White McShooty and need minimal justification for it (if any at all, if you look at the Call of Duty series). The road of least resistance is the one paved with ignorance, so we're going to have shallow games for the foreseeable future.

[Revising Ocelot]

I think it'd be a lot better for your temperament if you had started ignoring AAA games when the 360 era started, Snake. That said, could we save the rage for when FC4 is nearer release? "What Are You Looking Forward To Buying In The Next While?" isn't really the best thread for negativity, NPF has more than enough of that already. Let's shit on Watch Dogs for now, that's due this month. (Seriously, how many Special Editions?)

As for being ontopic, an actual Rocksteady Arkham game, Trumpets 'n' Wingull (never played the GBA games) are the best examples on my future list, and I'm hoping for a bunch of 3DS stuff to be announced near E3. Majora's Mask 3D please, I saw that mask in Link's house in ALBW...

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

Wanted watchdogs. saw it was from ubisoft which means U-play. Immediately gave zero fucks about it.

Can't believe I forgot about Dungeonmans!

[Krylo]

Not gonna create a new thread for this, I'll just post this here.

I can already tell that I am going to despise Far Cry 4.
Which is sad, too, because I'd love a game that took its Himalayas setting seriously instead of shitting all over it.

EDIT:

Like, it's pretty clear that the inspirations for Far Cry 4's country are Nepal and Bhutan.

Due to their cultural and geographical isolation, Nepal and Bhutan are two of the only countries in the world who never suffered any direct adverse effects from European colonialism. The most you can point to is the Anglo-Nepalese war, in which British forces in India eventually annexed a chunk of Nepalese territory but left the vast majority of Nepal alone, because Nepal was considered a useful buffer state between British-occupied India and China, and the Himalayan guerrilla forces ensured the territory was virtually impassable. The Brits were scared shitless by Nepal's forces, and for good reason. Bhutan emerged completely unscathed.

In our modern era, two of the cultures who've most successfully avoided the consequences of westernization and globalization would certainly be Nepal and Bhutan, who've managed to preserve their unique cultures.

So, I know what would make a great idea for a game.
Let's have a Caucasian Dictator resembling Julian Assange (because every pure-blooded American citizen wants to kick his ass) take over an area of the world the west has never actually taken over, then have an American frat brother (let's not even pretend for three seconds it'll be a native character, why would Far Cry 4 ever dare to introduce western audiences to a foreign perspective) and his Caucasian buddies (the pre-order bonus has a prototypical Caucasian 'badass' with a large gun as a buddy you apparently liberate from imprisonment) destroy the countryside!!!

At least Just Cause 2 was so ludicrously over-the-top and based on no real-world analogue that I couldn't take it seriously, but I have a feeling Far Cry 4 is going to present its story seriously, but oversimplify the Himalayas to the point of infuriating any reasonable person. Also, despite a tiny -- virtually 0.0% -- Caucasian population in the region, expect a ludicrous percentage of the people you meet throughout the game to be Caucasians who show up to help or hinder the poor oppressed natives, because the characters who are from this place will all be reduced to one-note stereotypes and have no agency whatsoever.

Oh, and Hinduism and Buddhism will be reduced to such entry-level 101 interpretations of those religions that it will inevitably offend anyone who actually knows or who bothers to show the basic respect to even research any fact about Hinduism and Buddhism.
...And the area's going to be littered with gangs and guns, because one of the happiest and most peaceful places in the modern world is obviously going to be incredibly violent, third-world countries are all the same and they all love killing people!
Sooooo. . . Far Cry 3, but on a mountain?

[Solid Snake]

Sooooo. . . Far Cry 3, but on a mountain?

Pretty much!

[Marc v4.0]

Yeah, honestly I can't say I'm gonna get myself too pumped over Far Cry 4: Far Cry 3 but with more passive racism and 'edgy' bullshit!

I hope we at least get a Blood Dragon 2 out of this.

[POS Industries]

Yeah, honestly I can't say I'm gonna get myself too pumped over Far Cry 4: Far Cry 3 but with more passive racism and 'edgy' bullshit!

I hope we at least get a Blood Dragon 2 out of this.
You'd think they'd have learned their lesson after FC3 and just made Blood Dragon the main franchise.

[Marc v4.0]

You'd think they'd have learned their lesson after FC3 and just made Blood Dragon the main franchise.

You'd think, but then you'd remember that would be giving them too much credit.

[Solid Snake]

These aren't college courses or deep, in-depth documentaries.

I'm not sure I agree with this point because some of the most crazy complex plot elements I've encountered in stories lately have been in videogames.
Bioshock Infinite's tackling parallel universes and quantum mechanics, Final Fantasy XIII has three games dedicated to an absurdly complicated mythology I'm not even sure most its players have wrapped their heads around, Xenogears tackled organized religion and the meaning of existence, Mass Effect has an entire Codex explaining the mechanics of future sci-fi developments, and suddenly it's too much to ask game designers to accurately represent a foreign culture?

[Marc v4.0]

plus "They're just video games, lol" is a pretty terrible counterargument, they don't get a pass to just be completely terrible and blithely ignorant

[Kim]

Obviously I agree with Snake, both here and in the other thread, but I won't get too into this conversation because I know how this conversation goes. What I do want to say is that to respond to someone's thoughts and feelings about something by writing it off as, "Well, it's just a game," is a little insulting. (More than that, but I wanna focus on just the insulting element.)

When someone expresses their feelings and thoughts about something like this, obviously it is because they care. It is because it matters to them for some reason or another. When you write it off like that, your dismissing something that matters to someone else on the basis that you yourself don't care about it.

It is a single degree removed from simply replying with, "I don't care."

You don't have to care, but not caring doesn't have to mean making a post about why the other person shouldn't care either.

I'm sure that wasn't your intent, but please consider that that's how that sort of thing comes off, Aldurin.

[Aldurin]

I'm not trying to write it off as "It's just a game." I probably should have worded to specify that there is a stark contrast with people trying to make art (like the games Snake listed as counterpoints) and people who are making the next product to keep their money spigot flowing. When it's the latter, and far too many games are these days, the artistic side sees the amount of neglect Snake anticipates will happen with the representation of the setting in Far Cry 4. There are quite a few games that do explore deep concepts and provoke thought, but deep and thought-provoking concepts aren't a great pitch to CEOs and investors who see the top sales figures coming from the blander titles at the tip of the gaming iceberg.

It's a problem that the industry is ridden with that mindset, definitely, but it's reinforced by cacophony of people who don't care for depth or anything that challenges their comfortable beliefs, especially when ethnicity or gender come into play. The generic macho white dude as the main character will do better in the focus groups than a well-realized minority character because change makes people uncomfortable. Generic middle-eastern antagonist organization is a safe pick because it sits within the reinforced misconception of the world that too many choose to cling to.

In short: I do agree that the video game industry should be doing better with presenting and representing, but I don't believe it will do it as long as the audience it notices is the terrible, ignorant one. Sorry about that coming across wrong on the first try.

[Krylo]

Pretty much!

I hated Far Cry 3 so much in so many ways. The gameplay plus the fact that I had already bought it managed to see me through to the end, but the ending was just so awful too and ugh just ugh.

So yeah, between that and Ubisoft's proprietary DRM programs I was already planning on ignoring the fuck out of FC4. This is just more reason.

[Kim]

Thank you for clarifying, Aldurin. I appreciate it.

[Ramary]

The plot of Far Cry 3 and presumably 4 are really all just side projects to the main focus of the games. To be Skyrim with guns. Any sort of depth you can get with the setting is ether not explored or outright ignored to uphold the Skyrim with guns main objective. We need gangs in a extremely peaceful region cause its pretty and we need targets. Expecting depth when the creators have a much different priority in an industry so focus group and profit obsessed is a fool's errand. It does happen, but I would not expect every damn game maker to suddenly make complex and deep plots in games because a niche wants them.

Because you know, making deep things is hard.

[Bard The 5th LW]

I don't think anyone's expecting Far Cry or GTA to be deep, but it'd be refreshing to see them portrayed in a way that's accurate or researched on some level.

[Marc v4.0]

Yeah, this isn't some strange alternate universe where you can only make expressions in the media at complete extremes. The alternative isn't that it has to be some deep and meaningful expression of the human condition, there is a ton of depth between the two that can be explored.

Also, for the record, I'm pretty sure the guy who did Far Cry 3's story and thought it was super deep artistic 'you just don't get it!' stuff is also the one responsible for this thing, so it logically follows that, yes, someone with creative control actually already thinks they are making a deep story when they most certainly are not.

[MuMu]

It was completely forgettable too, they keep putting Alice quotes during the game and hinting at something deeper that's happening but it never goes anywhere. The only reason I remembered is because of Marc's post, I don't think a single person who played the could tell you what that was all about.

Regarding Ubisoft, I've been more eager for their low budget games, and they at least seem to be aware people enjoy them. After FC3 they published Call of Juarez: Gunslinger and Blood Dragon which where both excellent and now they've done the AC4 DLC Freedom Cry, Child of Light and soon the Vanguard game about WWI. Just the fact that they now have personnel dedicated only for these smaller games is saying something. I'm totally ok with them getting funds for these projects with AAA bland stuff.

[Kim]

Well, I was looking forward to DreadOut, which came out very recently. Mick was even kind enough to get it for me. Then it did this. (http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=260970359)

So uh yeah.

[Ramary]

Even the name scissor phantom seems pretty fucked up.

[Solid Snake]

Regarding Ubisoft, I've been more eager for their low budget games, and they at least seem to be aware people enjoy them. After FC3 they published Call of Juarez: Gunslinger and Blood Dragon which where both excellent and now they've done the AC4 DLC Freedom Cry, Child of Light and soon the Vanguard game about WWI. Just the fact that they now have personnel dedicated only for these smaller games is saying something. I'm totally ok with them getting funds for these projects with AAA bland stuff.

Ubisoft's probably right up there with Atlus as my favorite AAA developers. I do love me some Prince of Persias and Assassins Creeds.
Which is probably why Ubisoft and Atlus' recent fuckups sting a lot more than, say, EA's.
With EA, I've just learned to expect disappointment.

EDIT: I'm tempted to include Naughty Dog in there, but to be honest, I'm not convinced Last of Us isn't just an aberration. They did a pretty good job with that title, but there's also the Uncharteds, which I do enjoy, but which have serious, serious hating-on-minorities, let's massacre ten thousand foreigners for treasure issues.
Like at least the Last of Us has you fight an ethnically proportionate population of assholes to survive after an apocalypse, which is a lot more cohesive than watching Nate kill hundreds of lackeys for gold.
(And no, Drake doesn't get after-the-fact credit for "saving the world" when his initial ambitions were just for treasure and he just so conveniently happens to ultimately discover some crazy artifact that the antagonist plans to use to destroy everything.)

EDIT 2: The above example of me criticizing the Uncharteds is an example of me criticizing a game series I subjectively love, and I really wish were all more cool with the concept of disassociating ourselves from blind allegiance to products we enjoy so we can be more critical of things we love.

[Kim]

To be honest, part of me does wanna play Last of Us, especially after the [SPOILERS!] Ellie is Queer DLC, but I can't really work up the interest given how big a part of that game killin dudes is and how eager dudes seem in that game to use their guns. (It bugs me especially cuz I think a lot about The Road's depiction of post-apocalypse struggling for survival, and how the limited ammo thing was such a big part of that story. Like, a bandit gets held up at gunpoint and is actively debating whether or not to do anything cuz he's not sure the man is willing to waste a bullet or even if he actually has any.)

[greed]

I mean there wasn't a nuclear exchange or anything just lots of zombies, so there's a lot more to scavenge in TLoU than The Road. Also there could very well be some still functional munitions factories somewhere. But then I find getting hung up on the realism in games to be kind of silly as it's largely gonna result in you not playing anything. Also I fucking hate realism in games.

Of course I'm not playing it either but that's just cause I don't like how Naughty Dog does 3rd person shooters, I tend to find them boring as shit to play regardless of setting and writing.

Also on ME3, EA obviously had a large hand in it, but I'm very skeptical of Bioware's ability to deliver.


Edit: Also really looking forward to Witchmarsh (https://www.kickstarter.com/proj?ects/1027299776/witchmarsh) cause hells yes I would like a side scrolling action-RPG set in 1920s Massachusetts by the Risk of Rain/Starbound people.

Side scrolling action-RPGs/Metroidvanias are about my favourite genre and I fucking love stuff in non-standard settings. We need more games outside of European fantasy, modern day cities in America or Japan, modern battlefields and WW2.

[Solid Snake]

To be honest, part of me does wanna play Last of Us, especially after the [SPOILERS!] Ellie is Queer DLC, but I can't really work up the interest given how big a part of that game killin dudes is and how eager dudes seem in that game to use their guns. (It bugs me especially cuz I think a lot about The Road's depiction of post-apocalypse struggling for survival, and how the limited ammo thing was such a big part of that story. Like, a bandit gets held up at gunpoint and is actively debating whether or not to do anything cuz he's not sure the man is willing to waste a bullet or even if he actually has any.)

Honestly for you specifically I'd recommend waiting until Last of Us drops significantly in price, then picking up some special edition of the game for ultra-cheap solely to play the DLC.

The DLC isn't necessarily less violent as a whole, but Ellie isn't as skilled with guns during her prologue and there's really a lot less of the Uncharted-style combat. It's more about manipulating and stealthing your way into surviving a dire situation than anything else, and it's very well done.

Also, Ellie's an awesome character. Like, just for the sheer number of tropes she defies in exercising her agency as a real human being, it's worth getting to know her, and the DLC is all about getting to know her in a slightly less over-the-top scenario. It's still got the zombies and the assholes with guns, but you're less of an active participant in the murdering because Ellie's a less violent person, especially at that early moment in her life, than Joel. And, Ellie and Riley have a phenomenal relationship.

The game doesn't even really bother to define it, which makes me like it all the more, because it feels honest and organic for someone Ellie's age, as opposed to making it feel artificially like unrealistically timeless love it gets the smaller things about affection right and it just feels incredibly genuine.

As an aside though, one thing Last of Us actually gets right is limited ammo supply. At least for your character. You have to be very, very careful with every bullet. Admittingly, one thing Last of Us gets wrong though is that opposing AI appears to have either unlimited ammo, or at least a lot more ammo than you do. (Most human enemies do eventually switch gears into melee, so either there is a hard-coded ammo cap, albeit a very generous one for them, or the AI is just designed to give that illusion by eventually having the raiders approach for hand-to-hand combat.) This fits with some factions (the Pittsburgh raiders have story-related reasons to have access to a lot more resources than anyone else in their region) but not others (the Colorado faction you run into shouldn't be nearly as well-equipped as they are.)

EDIT: I'd argue that Last of Us borrows heavily from The Road, so much so that the "does this guy actually have a bullet?" scenario is actually something I suspect happens in the game, albeit in a scripted sequence and not in gameplay. The lack of bullets for the main character does force you as a player to utilize a lot more melee and stealth than in Uncharted, and in fact, in terms of the violence in the game that bothers me, I'd argue those up-close-and-personal melee moments were a lot more visceral, jarring and uncomfortable than the standard gunplay.

The game does absolutely manufacture a lot of reasons for groups in its universe to become well-organized militias in order to justify them having access to the weapons they do, and that does feel unrealistic. I mean, in a genuine zombie apocalypse scenario, I doubt groups of raiders would unite in such a fashion and act as a sufficiently organized, cohesive unit to wreak the havoc they do. Then again, the Fallout series requires a very similar suspension of disbelief, as it's equally absurd to imagine Caesar's Legion as a natural consequence of a nuclear holocaust.

[Krylo]

The plot of Far Cry 3 and presumably 4 are really all just side projects to the main focus of the games. To be Skyrim with guns.

I find that the plot of Far Cry 3 actively hurts my enjoyment of the game, though. It pulls me out of the immersion constantly. Like I can't figure out why he goes from terrified of violence and 'I've never held a gun' to rushing an outpost with literally no reaction and no character growth between. I don't understand why his girlfriend is so goddamn annoying and needy about him having just saved her and needing to go rescue his brother. Like some of it, fine, but she's all like 'oh god you're going to break up with me' and it's like 'really? I don't even. . . why are we having this conversation now?' And why does he immediately fall for Citra? I mean she's good looking and all but also continuously drugging him and clearly fucking insane, and has serious familial issues. And then there's American agent you work with just being completely ridiculous, and way Jason being an unmitigated engine of destruction just goes away every time there's a boss fight which he also hallucinates through for no reason I can actually discern, and then the final choice with Citra is like who would even make the choice to kill all the people you just spent all that time specifically to save just so you can hang out with the Rakyat and their lack of modern conveniences and, at that point, it being blatantly obvious they only like you because you're really good at murder and easy to drug up?

Like the whole thing is a convoluted mess. They never give me a reason to really care about Citra OR Liza or anyone else except Dr. Earnhardt and Dennis, but not enough to murder all your old friends, or really anyone else that happens to not be shooting at you right that moment.

And in fact gave me lots of reasons to not like the Rakyat, what with all the times they lied to me during the course of the game, and the fact they're obviously just using me as an expendable, but capable, soldier. . . and yet the character arc is APPARENTLY supposed to be me being torn between the two? Like, I'm GONNA take the people who, though kinda boring and generic, seem to actually give a shit about me as a person over the people who very blatantly don't care about me past someone who is holding a gun pointed away from them right now.

It's like if they had made Skyrim with guns but then replaced the Empire and Storm Cloaks with 'Completely Generic People' and Caesar's Legion.

And that's not even getting into whatever various social issues the game shits all over of which I can think of a few off the top of my head but I don't remember it all that well right now.

That's all just the really really bad story telling.

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

and I'm going to be that asshole that brings up the main topic again:


Witchmarsh (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1027299776/witchmarsh). By grandfather Nurgle's rectal prolapse I will have this game.

Oh yeah, and Planets³ too.

[greed]

Yo Skweeb, beat you Witchmarsh. Also really looking forward to Transistor that drops..... tomorrow holy shit.

[Ramary]

So it seems we were selling Far Cry 4 just a little bit short, because it seems the player character actually is from the area instead of some white dude. (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/134640-Far-Cry-4-Preorder-Screen-Leaks-Story-Details)

[Solid Snake]

"Hidden in the majestic Himalayas lies Kyrat, a country steeped in tradition and violence,"

...Yeah, not feeling a whole lot better about this.
Now as opposed to it being brazenly racist with a Caucasian protagonist being all like "These people are excessively violent barbarians!" It's probably going to be a guy whose ancestry is apparently from Kyrat, but who was raised in the west, judging the culture he's from as incredibly violent and barbaric compared to the 'pleasant' place he was raised in.

Which might be marginally better than Far Cry 3, but it's still going to be really freakin' not-historically-accurate and a dumb misrepresentation of actual Himalayan culture.

...And I still feel there's some serious racism in insinuating that a Caucasian mastermind is somehow able to oppress one of the few areas of the world whites never actually oppressed. Like, that's a genuine point of pride for Himalayan culture, its ability to resist British occupation. It's akin to if we released a game where Americans won the Vietnam War and were ruling over the Vietnamese, then tried to play it off as historically accurate.

[Ryong]

...Yeah, not feeling a whole lot better about this.
Now as opposed to it being brazenly racist with a Caucasian protagonist being all like "These people are excessively violent barbarians!" It's probably going to be a guy whose ancestry is apparently from Kyrat, but who was raised in the west, judging the culture he's from as incredibly violent and barbaric compared to the 'pleasant' place he was raised in.

That's a lot you're assuming there.

Which might be marginally better than Far Cry 3, but it's still going to be really freakin' not-historically-accurate and a dumb misrepresentation of actual Himalayan culture.

...And I still feel there's some serious racism in insinuating that a Caucasian mastermind is somehow able to oppress one of the few areas of the world whites never actually oppressed. Like, that's a genuine point of pride for Himalayan culture, its ability to resist British occupation. It's akin to if we released a game where Americans won the Vietnam War and were ruling over the Vietnamese, then tried to play it off as historically accurate.

I wasn't aware Far Cry was known for its historical accuracy. The series has built itself on "protagonist arrives on beautiful archipelago, fights evil native militias".

[Solid Snake]

I wasn't aware Far Cry was known for its historical accuracy. The series has built itself on "protagonist arrives on beautiful archipelago, fights evil native militias".

Right.
And the archipelago you're referencing is always in the third world, and the evil native militias are never ethnically Caucasian.

[Azisien]

I buy things too fast to look forward to all that much.

Probably upgrading my PC soon, though. Depending on the price/reviews, I might be getting this monitor: http://rog.asus.com/296652014/news/rog-announces-the-pg278q-swift-27-inch-wqhd-g-sync-gaming-monitor/

As for games, well let's just take a look see at the old wishlist:

Rust OR DayZ, probably DayZ, as I heard Rust is getting hacker-annihilated
Tropico 5, because I just recently went to a Caribbean resort, so I'm feeling kind of, Tropical.
Batman: Arkham Knight x100
The Banner Saga
Dying Light
Wolfenstein The New Order, assuming it is well received
Watch Dogs DLC, assuming I enjoy Watch Dogs as much as my brain wants to.

Super Smash Bros 3DS

I played a lot of Mario Kart 7 during above resort trip, which has me tempted towards a WiiU/Mario Kart 8...

That's about it.

[Solid Snake]

I just got Drakengard 3, which should be pretty good.

Debating whether to get Watch Dogs for PC next week. I feel the PS3 version would be vastly inferior, so it'll be PC if I decide to purchase it. I've just heard so many contradictory things about the game, and the lack of advance reviews is throwing me off. That and the 20,000 different Collector's Editions.

Beyond that, it's Tales of Xillia 2 in August, Danganronpa 2 in September, and Super Smash Brothers 3DS whenever it's released.
I might also pick up Transistor, The Stanley Parable, Deadly Premonition, and the Enemy Within DLC/"Upgrade" to Enemy Unknown if they're discounted for the Steam Summer Sale.

And that'll pretty much be it for the summer unless major titles are announced over E3 or something.

[Ryong]

Right.
And the archipelago you're referencing is always in the third world, and the evil native militias are never ethnically Caucasian.

Oh I'm not saying it's not racist, I'm just saying they're never trying to be historically accurate.

The series has enough issues, you don't have to think up new ones.

[Solid Snake]

Oh I'm not saying it's not racist, I'm just saying they're never trying to be historically accurate.

The series has enough issues, you don't have to think up new ones.

Well, I think it's clear it's trying for a greater degree of seriousness than, say, Just Cause 2.
Maybe the more appropriate way to describe it is to say that the tone the Far Cry series takes in presenting its narrative encourages gamers to believe it's aiming for a degree of historical accuracy or at least historical and cultural inspiration from the regions of the world where each title takes place.

[Ryong]

Maybe the more appropriate way to describe it is to say that the tone the Far Cry series takes in presenting its narrative encourages gamers to believe it's aiming for a degree of historical accuracy or at least historical and cultural inspiration from the regions of the world where each title takes place.

Yeah that sounds more like it. Either way, the series' views should be taken with a grain of salt.

[MuMu]

I would advise to wait a while for Watch Dogs, it got too many delays to not have launch issues. Specially on PC, but that goes for every PC port.

[MuMu]

fpRXiyIvvX4

As a Asscreed fan this actually made me a bit eager for Shadow of Mordor, it looks like it plays quite like the series but with an actual good focus on the assassination bits. The revenge system obviously won't be as specific as they promote it, but I like how you can plan an attack with your minions and maybe don't even participate in it at all, depending on their strenght. It also looks good.

[Azisien]

I would advise to wait a while for Watch Dogs, it got too many delays to not have launch issues. Specially on PC, but that goes for every PC port.

Been watching streams all weekend because the game leaked. It looks great. It was delayed in order to avoid terrible issues, as should be regular in games development. EA wouldn't do it, we know!

[Ryong]

I am now also looking forward to Lords of the Fallen.

Maybe it won't suck.

[Grandmaster_Skweeb]

Bought dungeonmans. INCREDIBLY PLEASED with it, even in early release state.

[Bard The 5th LW]

So I visited my local EB, and drooled over a demo kiosk. Let's see what's on Seil's wishlist:


I just reread this post and noticed that detail. EB Games still exists??? We used to have on that was replaced by a gamestop, so I guess I just assumed they were bought out by Gamestop.

[Kim]

So I just started playing Drakengard 3 and everyone should play Drakengard 3 cuz Zero is a delight and also one of her sisters just said to her "Are you really going to get ravaged by your own sisters, Zero?" So I'm looking forward to a lot of lewd flirting from her.

AAAA THIS DRAGON IS SO CUTE HE'S THE BEST

[Red Fighter 1073]

Found my old PS2 in the basement, so I'm gonna play through Persona 3 again soon (never was able to finish it the first time). Although the dungeon crawling was better paced in Persona 4, I think I remember liking Persona 3 a bit more than its successor while I was playing through P4. Might have been because the plot in P3 is in a bit of grander scale "save the world" kind of thing as opposed to P4's small town murder mystery, and I remember liking P3's characters a bit more but it's been a long while since I've played it.

[Solid Snake]

So I just started playing Drakengard 3 and everyone should play Drakengard 3 cuz Zero is a delight and also one of her sisters just said to her "Are you really going to get ravaged by your own sisters, Zero?" So I'm looking forward to a lot of lewd flirting from her.

AAAA THIS DRAGON IS SO CUTE HE'S THE BEST

Awwww yeah.

[Kim]

I just got my first disciple and the game implies he's bi. Like, he hits on Zero, so you know he's into women. But he also talks about how he wouldn't want to be muscular and wouldn't want that of his "partner" either, specifically using the word partner, which implies gender isn't a factor. Later, he's calling enemy soldiers ugly because they're muscular and says if they hit on him he'd stab them, and it's phrased such to overtly imply if they weren't muscular, or at least were attractive men by his standards, he'd probably be into it?

This makes me really happy.

[Solid Snake]

I just got my first disciple and the game implies he's bi. Like, he hits on Zero, so you know he's into women. But he also talks about how he wouldn't want to be muscular and wouldn't want that of his "partner" either, specifically using the word partner, which implies gender isn't a factor. Later, he's calling enemy soldiers ugly because they're muscular and says if they hit on him he'd stab them, and it's phrased such to overtly imply if they weren't muscular, or at least were attractive men by his standards, he'd probably be into it?

This makes me really happy.

Yeah, Jim Sterling wrote a review on The Escapist that really sold me on how the game's effectively balanced a raunchy, positive approach to sexual content with progressive ideals about gender and sexuality. Like, Zero's a scantily-clad woman who likes to have sex, but the game apparently makes it abundantly clear that she dresses that way because she wants to, the camera never lingers too long on any male-gaze shots, and she just has plenty of agency. The male disciples are all actually the submissive ones in their relationships with her, and they all have unique sexual quirks and preferences.

I haven't played it yet and it's entirely possible you'll reach a scene like that awful DLC in DA2 that will be regressive and damage a lot of your goodwill, but based on everything I've heard it at least seems that the majority of the game takes a very unique, sex-positive feminist kind of approach to its story. It doesn't really surprise me, this is from the NieR team.

[Kim]

The male disciples are all actually the submissive ones in their relationships with her, and they all have unique sexual quirks and preferences.

Relevant Dito Quote: "If anyone's getting crushed, I hope it's me."

EDIT: Also my friend Lulu says the game basically implies everyone is fucking everyone which makes me happy.

---------- Post added at 05:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:19 AM ----------

hey does anyone know if monochroma is good

[Ramary]

hey does anyone know if monochroma is good

Reviews seem to be universally slamming it. The general issue is that it is basically a crappy version of LIMBO.

[Azisien]

I'm such a nostalgia sucker, so I'll probably end up with Rise of Nations: Extended Edition, joining my AoE II HD and AoM EE.

Also dreaming of: Warhammer 40k Dawn of War HD and Battle for Middle-earth HD. Thanks world!

Looking forward to Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth, though I may opt out of the basic release because Firaxis' development cycle favours large improvements in their expansion packs, and if Civ IV and Civ V are any precedent, I might as well wait for the "full experience" in their Complete Edition, and that'll be like...2 years from now.

[Solid Snake]

There desperately needs to be a "Mario Kart 8 is the Best Thing Ever and Also Going to Make Snake Eventually Buy a Wii U" thread.

I mean look at this shit, it's incredible. (https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=2145adf621b6af0e&id=2145ADF621B6AF0E%211591&ithint=video,.mp4&authkey=!AD_qbmEplsZnPjs)

[Arcanum]

There desperately needs to be a "Mario Kart 8 is the Best Thing Ever and Also Going to Make Snake Eventually Buy a Wii U" thread.

I mean look at this shit, it's incredible. (https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=2145adf621b6af0e&id=2145ADF621B6AF0E%211591&ithint=video,.mp4&authkey=!AD_qbmEplsZnPjs)

I would, but I'm too busy playing Mario Kart 8. This game is fucking amazing. Character roster is a little lackluster (no idea why they needed to put all 7 of Bowser's kids in it, or baby characters, or Metal Pink Gold Peach) but otherwise I have no complaints. Controls, power ups, track design, all of it is amazing.

[Solid Snake]

They really ought to consider a Kart game with Smash's roster.

[Bard The 5th LW]

I know that Farcry 3 is sorta a dead topic but I was playing it today and kinda noticed that all the allied NPCs -AKA the unnamed non-white people- were a bit TOO identical.

https://24.media.tumblr.com/b1ad97c24454360abaf43420e0727eb2/tumblr_n6tfjflLD31sq2otjo1_1280.jpg
https://24.media.tumblr.com/a4851b90c1625ead588056200f077414/tumblr_n6tfjflLD31sq2otjo2_1280.jpg
https://24.media.tumblr.com/9d6b3aeeda65d9c4b3471a431319961a/tumblr_n6tfjflLD31sq2otjo3_1280.jpg
https://31.media.tumblr.com/66882aaf9530d4bd567db47a511274a8/tumblr_n6tfjflLD31sq2otjo4_1280.jpg

Like, I don't even know if this is racist or not, considering the ENEMY NPCs had more variety. But like, their clothing and tattoo patterns don't even seem to change that much.

[Kim]

The creator of Rust is a shithead apparently. (http://gyazo.com/b296d5bb51a5d5ed4717ae8f9aefe39c)

[Marc v4.0]

Sony isn't perfect by far and I'm sure they have their issues, but Sony Online Entertainment has their own sort of zombie survival sort of game coming soon, H1Z1. John Smedly, President of SoE, is vocally about representation in games, not afraid to straight up call out shitty behavior, and has made it known that players risk their SoE account for any harassment, in or OUT of game. If I could take back the money I used to buy Rust way back and instead save it for H1Z1, I'd do it in a heartbeat because I feel more comfortable giving my money to something headed up by a decent human being instead of walking trash in a mansuit.

[Bells]

I know that Farcry 3 is sorta a dead topic but I was playing it today and kinda noticed that all the allied NPCs -AKA the unnamed non-white people- were a bit TOO identical.

https://24.media.tumblr.com/b1ad97c24454360abaf43420e0727eb2/tumblr_n6tfjflLD31sq2otjo1_1280.jpg
https://24.media.tumblr.com/a4851b90c1625ead588056200f077414/tumblr_n6tfjflLD31sq2otjo2_1280.jpg
https://24.media.tumblr.com/9d6b3aeeda65d9c4b3471a431319961a/tumblr_n6tfjflLD31sq2otjo3_1280.jpg
https://31.media.tumblr.com/66882aaf9530d4bd567db47a511274a8/tumblr_n6tfjflLD31sq2otjo4_1280.jpg

Like, I don't even know if this is racist or not, considering the ENEMY NPCs had more variety. But like, their clothing and tattoo patterns don't even seem to change that much.

I'll just let you know that i'm the moron that instead of looking at the clone people in your photos, was just looking at the reticule of your gun (which is a big White and Green circle) thinking it was some detail i was suppose to pay attention and going "what...? what's in the circle?" for 10 minutes...

[Marc v4.0]

I'll just let you know that i'm the moron that instead of looking at the clone people in your photos, was just looking at the reticule of your gun (which is a big White and Green circle) thinking it was some detail i was suppose to pay attention and going "what...? what's in the circle?" for 10 minutes...

I'd laugh at you but I was about to complain that his circles weren't in the right places.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Next few games I plan on getting once I get the chance to.

Strider (PS3)
Mario Kart 8 (WiiU)
Sly Cooper HD Collection (PS3 and Vita cross buy deal for when I get my hands on one)
Disgaea 4 (most likely the Vita version. Will probably just end up settling for the older PS3 version. Really should get around to actually beating Disgaea 3...)
Castlevania Lament of Innocence (PSN, I have the PS2 version but wouldn't hurt to have an HD copy as a back up. That and my PS2 controller is glitching out on me now from old age)
Tales of Xillia 2 (PS3)
Super Mario 3D World (WiiU)
Rocket Knight (PS3, I cant believe I've yet to buy this...)
Persona 3 FES (PSN, is it worth it?)
Persona 4 (PSN, is it worth it? May just hold out till after I'm able to get a Vita and buy Golden)
SMT Nocturne (PSN, My uncle use to tell me all about it. Might as well play it)
Kingdom Hearts 2.5 (PS3, because KH2:FM+ in HD that's why... and I didn't buy KH:BBS so it's a win/win.)

And a bunch of stuff on 3DS and Vita along with classic PS and Nintendo stuff I'm forgetting that I want to get. Out side of the rest of the WildARMs and FF games. And the oblivious Megaman and Metroid games.

REALLY want to get my hands on a 3DS and Vita.

[Solid Snake]

Drakengard 3 has been phenomenal so far. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, because I keep not believing that I'm essentially watching a sex-positive portrayal of an assertive, no-nonsense woman protagonist who unrepentantly enjoys killing things and who isn't overly sexualized through excessive male gaze. (In fact, so far the most she's been hit on is by her sister; lesbian incest is apparently a thing in this game, as is nearly every ever sexual quirk in the book.)

Zero is unapologetically her and she takes no shit from no man, and it's kind of glorious to behold. All the agency, at least so far, is hers, and the (male) dragon and the men generally are just along for the ride. I was worried about the kid dragon but even the kid dragon being nauseating is actually explained through the story, Zero finds him every bit as annoying as we do, but tolerates him for reasons the story actually bothers to elucidate.

And, the game has a crazy fun sense of humor.
That introduction sequence, for example, is basically a glorious mockery of every trope regarding how fantasy stories like Lord of the Rings start, aesthetically and as a narrative, and I knew from the moment I burst out laughing once the sword plunged through that I was in for a treat.

There will almost inevitably be a moment where Drak 3 botches all this goodwill, because no video game is perfect, but so far this game is such a breath of fresh air in an objectively awful, awful industry.

Speaking of good news in an awful industry: I won't be buying an XBox One anytime ever, but massive kudos to Insomniac for brazenly calling out Ubisoft like this. (http://kotaku.com/wait-theres-a-female-assassin-in-sunset-overdrive-1593787362)
Insomniac does Ratchet and Clank, right? I might actually have to check out a few of their PS3 titles.

[Aldurin]

Speaking of good news in an awful industry: I won't be buying an XBox One anytime ever, but massive kudos to Insomniac for brazenly calling out Ubisoft like this. (http://kotaku.com/wait-theres-a-female-assassin-in-sunset-overdrive-1593787362)
Insomniac does Ratchet and Clank, right? I might actually have to check out a few of their PS3 titles.

Start with the PS2 titles if you can. There should be an HD collection of the first three, though I don't know about whether Ratchet: Deadlocked is available for that console. Secret Agent Clank and Size Matters are made by shit Sony teams and aren't necessarily worth trying.

[Revising Ocelot]

I see nothing in those Far Cry 3 screenshots except an awful resolution.

[Bard The 5th LW]

I see nothing in those Far Cry 3 screenshots except an awful resolution.

Even if I had $1000+ to put into a computer they'd still be identical.