General Gaming Thread - 2022

[apsham]

Man - not to keep hammering on it, but I still am really enjoying Saints Row.

I've hit the point where the enterprise building it taking place and just being able to select where they are and do their individual things to improve the venture is a great system. There's a bunch of small things too that I'm enjoying;

• All cars feel a little bit different, but regardless of what you're driving the drift and instant turning system means that you can pretty much make use of whatever you're in.
• The variety of stuff to do is fun as well - a lot of the stuff that improve ventures, you don't have to actively start a mission for. For instance, to improve the garage, the guy running it is going to want certain cars and if you come across them in the open world they'll highlight and you can grab them. Others are specific cars that he wants and they're marked on the map. You just jump in it and drive it back to him while getting chased. It's dynamic and I greatly enjoy it.
• Adding stuff to decorate the base is done by finding specific items and photographing them. Unlocking fast travel spots is also done like that - good use of the in-game camera.
• Cars and weapons all have a challenge assigned to them and if you do them, you can upgrade them with a special skill or ability - I really like that.

Something about the game in general has just grabbed me more than any other open world game in a long while. Really neat!

[Benji]

It's bothered me for a decade and a half - was the cheat code for GTA1 "HANGTHEDJ" a reference to The Smiths song "Panic", or something else?

[The Kraig]

1 hour ago, Benji said:

It's bothered me for a decade and a half - was the cheat code for GTA1 "HANGTHEDJ" a reference to The Smiths song "Panic", or something else?

I've always felt this. The Smiths were a huge deal in teenage angsty 90s in Scotland. People use the phrase when a DJ is being shit, but even then I feel like they're just jokingly quoting that one song. Especially felt it was on purpose for GTA because "panic on the streets" is a perfect summary of GTA.

[Ruki]

2 hours ago, apsham said:

Man - not to keep hammering on it, but I still am really enjoying Saints Row.

I've hit the point where the enterprise building it taking place and just being able to select where they are and do their individual things to improve the venture is a great system. There's a bunch of small things too that I'm enjoying;

• All cars feel a little bit different, but regardless of what you're driving the drift and instant turning system means that you can pretty much make use of whatever you're in.
• The variety of stuff to do is fun as well - a lot of the stuff that improve ventures, you don't have to actively start a mission for. For instance, to improve the garage, the guy running it is going to want certain cars and if you come across them in the open world they'll highlight and you can grab them. Others are specific cars that he wants and they're marked on the map. You just jump in it and drive it back to him while getting chased. It's dynamic and I greatly enjoy it.
• Adding stuff to decorate the base is done by finding specific items and photographing them. Unlocking fast travel spots is also done like that - good use of the in-game camera.
• Cars and weapons all have a challenge assigned to them and if you do them, you can upgrade them with a special skill or ability - I really like that.

Something about the game in general has just grabbed me more than any other open world game in a long while. Really neat!

This is making me feel bad about not getting it. Although, I am enjoying the hell out of Soul Hackers 2.

 

I'm hoping a used copy shows up in my area.

[apsham]

1 minute ago, Ruki said:

This is making me feel bad about not getting it. Although, I am enjoying the hell out of Soul Hackers 2.

 

I'm hoping a used copy shows up in my area.

I just started Soul Hackers 2 the other day! I bought Deluxe and everything on release day because I am all in on supporting more games like that coming to the Xbox and honestly, I just do that with SMT games anyways. I haven't got far in but I like the battle system so far.

[King Ellis]

2 hours ago, apsham said:

Man - not to keep hammering on it, but I still am really enjoying Saints Row.

I've hit the point where the enterprise building it taking place and just being able to select where they are and do their individual things to improve the venture is a great system. There's a bunch of small things too that I'm enjoying;

• All cars feel a little bit different, but regardless of what you're driving the drift and instant turning system means that you can pretty much make use of whatever you're in.
• The variety of stuff to do is fun as well - a lot of the stuff that improve ventures, you don't have to actively start a mission for. For instance, to improve the garage, the guy running it is going to want certain cars and if you come across them in the open world they'll highlight and you can grab them. Others are specific cars that he wants and they're marked on the map. You just jump in it and drive it back to him while getting chased. It's dynamic and I greatly enjoy it.
• Adding stuff to decorate the base is done by finding specific items and photographing them. Unlocking fast travel spots is also done like that - good use of the in-game camera.
• Cars and weapons all have a challenge assigned to them and if you do them, you can upgrade them with a special skill or ability - I really like that.

Something about the game in general has just grabbed me more than any other open world game in a long while. Really neat!

My issue with the side stuff is that a lot of it feels really padded when it's such mundane stuff. Like, I appreciate that they're giving context to the side missions in the sense that it's a way to build this criminal empire by diversifying the gangs income but a lot of it just feels so tedious. The mechanic one for example, granted like you say you could just come across them organically whilst you're out and about but if you're just sitting down to do that venture then it turns into 'drive her, pick up car, drive back' rinse and repeat. Same with the toxic waste or repo ones. Except the repo ones much worse because you can be towing a car, someone t-bones you out of nowhere when you're 10 yards from the end, flips the car and you're forced to restart. Plus, I've not been focusing on the actual main missions but it looks like the main story gets locked until you start completing some of the side missions?

On the vehicles, I did like that I was towing something with a helicopter and it actually felt like having that weight underneath had an effect on the helicopter itself. Like, if my cargo swung wildly out in one direction it would wrench the helicopter out that way too. Maybe I'm just misremembering but I feel like I've never seen that sort of thing before.

[apsham]

51 minutes ago, King Ellis said:

My issue with the side stuff is that a lot of it feels really padded when it's such mundane stuff. Like, I appreciate that they're giving context to the side missions in the sense that it's a way to build this criminal empire by diversifying the gangs income but a lot of it just feels so tedious. The mechanic one for example, granted like you say you could just come across them organically whilst you're out and about but if you're just sitting down to do that venture then it turns into 'drive her, pick up car, drive back' rinse and repeat. Same with the toxic waste or repo ones. Except the repo ones much worse because you can be towing a car, someone t-bones you out of nowhere when you're 10 yards from the end, flips the car and you're forced to restart. Plus, I've not been focusing on the actual main missions but it looks like the main story gets locked until you start completing some of the side missions?

On the vehicles, I did like that I was towing something with a helicopter and it actually felt like having that weight underneath had an effect on the helicopter itself. Like, if my cargo swung wildly out in one direction it would wrench the helicopter out that way too. Maybe I'm just misremembering but I feel like I've never seen that sort of thing before.

Yeah I might just be getting lucky any doing things in an order where it doesn't feel SUPER samey to me - but I knew I was getting into in that respect and I enjoy the driving/movement in this so it hasn't been super samey for me yet.

Another thing? I love the Monster Trucks - they properly crush cars - not just blowing them up possibly, but also just flat out pancaking them sometimes.

[Ruki]

2 hours ago, apsham said:

I just started Soul Hackers 2 the other day! I bought Deluxe and everything on release day because I am all in on supporting more games like that coming to the Xbox and honestly, I just do that with SMT games anyways. I haven't got far in but I like the battle system so far.

It's very easy to accidentally get too leveled. I did the party 'soul dungeons' or whatever they are called as soon as I can. Which makes the story dungeons less of a threat. I'm also REALLY bad at having money + ensuring I have demons with each different element. 

[apsham]

31 minutes ago, Ruki said:

It's very easy to accidentally get too leveled. I did the party 'soul dungeons' or whatever they are called as soon as I can. Which makes the story dungeons less of a threat. I'm also REALLY bad at having money + ensuring I have demons with each different element. 

Yeah the deluxe thing means I have the option of turning on the boosts for money, EXP, etc - they're good for a jam but I'm going to avoid using them if I don't have to.

[TheGrandAvatar]

Had a lot of fun recruiting people into DeadSec on Watch Dogs Legion. End up learning who they are friends with or related NPCs and solve their problems or recruit them also. With permanent death on you never know when you may lose an operative. Enjoy using hackers. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo vibes on the style that I went for with her. 

[JasonM]

I was vaguely interested in legion around the time it came out because I loved wd2's general vibe, but eventually decided against it because the release was so buggy.

How does the game hold up now @TheGrandAvatar?

[TheGrandAvatar]

It still can have one or two moments that can feel buggy in the game. Possible that this is the machine that I'm playing on. But they have really patched up a lot of the issues that I remember they had from the launch date. Almost feels fresh and smoother when I picked it back up after doing the same of turning it off at launch due to the bugs making it not a fun experience to play. 

If you can get it on sale then would recommend waiting for the sale. But if you can get a good deal with the DLC and Bloodline Expansion even better. Having a blast really recruiting specialists, collecting items and hacking. 

Hope that helps a little? @JasonM

[King Ellis]

So Ubisoft did a thing and there's like 5 Assasins Creed things announced, plus a final DLC for Valhalla. They're not all games, surely? I know one is the next mainline thing (in Japan) but they can't be doing 5.

[Bobfoc]

Four of them are games and there's a Netflix show. One of them is a mobile game, but the others are full releases made by three different teams.

[tristy]

The Last Chapter is just the final DLC for Valhalla.

Mirage is the prequel to Valhalla, set 20 years before that game, featuring Basim.

Jade is the open world RPG mobile game.

Hexe and Red are a part of Infinity, which is basically a hub for future Assassin's Creed games. Rumor is it's going to be a GaaS type thing, and you can seamlessly go back and forth between them. I think that's what the leaks said, anyway.

Alanah Pearce of Sony Santa Monica speculates that the Infinity thing will be Ubisoft introducing NFTs.

[METALMAN]

So I’m supposed to play Assassin’s Creed as an ARAB now?

[Benji]

I'm excited about Mirage because they've said they're going to try and get back to their stealth roots, and it feels like they are setting up a new trilogy which can hopefully include a long overdue remake of the first game.

[apsham]

Mirage is really just going to be the Assassin’s Creed Rogue to Valhalla’s Black Flag I assume? Since it’s a relatively smaller map and concept and plays off that story.

I’m very interested in Hex and mildly interested in Red. We’ve already had some great open world games set in Japan and I wanna see what they’re doing differently to handle that.

Valhalla’s French expansion was a pretty neat view of a return to older styled gameplay that I’d be happy to see them build on.

[Baddar]

I bought my fiancée the early access to Dreamlight Valley on PS5 because I'm a great guy, and she's having a blast with it. It's kind of like 'Disney does Animal Crossing' and there seems like there's plenty of content to keep occupied even at this stage.

[RPS]

4 minutes ago, Baddar said:

I bought my fiancée the early access to Dreamlight Valley on PS5 because I'm a great guy, and she's having a blast with it. It's kind of like 'Disney does Animal Crossing' and there seems like there's plenty of content to keep occupied even at this stage.

You know what is insane to me? 

Why is there so much written text? I know, money and development time. But if ever a game needed it, it was this one. I would be all in for this game for my daughter (6) but I'm not reading every screen for her.