Topic: The Chit Chat Thread

@Kidfried Oh and I’ve never played Splinter Cell games before. That online mode sounds really interesting. That’s the kind of thing I am talking about where fresh ideas that are well executed are actually beneficial. It makes me want to actually try the game.

@Th3solution Black Flag was the first time I'd given AC the proper time of day.

In general, I found the series mostly uninteresting. I tried the first game, but got it while I was about half way through Heavenly Sword, and it only felt half as good - so returned it. Didn't bother with another until Black Flag, which was an absolute blast.

The core Assassin's Creed gameplay is, for me, the low point of the whole thing. The story was good fun, but it was the ship-board stuff that hooked me, and the fleet stuff in the mobile app.
Never did finish the story off - just lots of pirate type stuff.

I do know a few people who went pretty deep on The Last of Us MP. It doesn't appeal to me, but then, neither does Uncharted MP.

@KALofKRYPTON I spent all of maybe 2 hours on TLoU MP before I moved on. Some games just have such a powerful story and single player experience that you don’t want to taint it. The impact of some games resonate so stongly with me, that I feel adding to the experience only cheapens it. I want to cherish the memory of what it was and how it emotionally affected me. So these games I can’t really motivate myself to try their online components or do I feel obliged to replay them. Examples are TLoU, Red Dead Redemption, Uncharted 4, and Heavy Rain (not that HR had multiplayer, but after playing to the end, I didn’t feel the need to replay it to get all the endings or extend my time with the game because I wanted my ending to be the final one in my mind) However, I played a significant amount of UC2’s multiplayer and quite enjoyed it. The story of UC2 didn’t have the finality to it that UC4 did, so it didn’t seem weird to me to keep playing past the ending.

@Th3solution I actually played Red Dead Redemption a lot after that ending. And even went on to play and finish and then play it again with my partner not long after.

The fact that you can play further after the ending, made it feel less definitive to me. With Uncharted 4, TLoU and Heavy Rain I did have that feeling of "I'll probably not return to this game in quiiiiite some time." But those endings were so definitive as well.

I tried the TLoU multiplayer during my playthrough of the game, but I found it a bit distracting from the main experience. The Last of Us is about the characters more than the world to me. The whole thing about the fireflies and such feels like such an afterthought compared to the personal drama's that are happening during the game. So I didn't really care for what the multiplayer offered there, how well crafted it might have been.

@Kidfried I agree completely. Especially about TLoU being really character driven. And often that’s the issue with MP online — you’re there playing as a character in a setting not congruent with the story of the game, doing things the characters would never have done in the story. (Like Nathan Drake shooting Elena in a death match, or playing as a character who is dead.). It just detracts. I think if I remember correctly, in AC’s MP you played as random Templars and Assassins rather than as Ezio or Altair. I may be misremembering that but I think that’s how it was, which is less distracting.

Also, Assassin's Creed was never about Ezio or Altair in the first place. The world they try to immerse you in is the star of every game.

I think it's the same reason Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn't focus as much on a main character as the last one. They don't want the multiplayer to feel tacked on.

@Th3solution it's a training program my Abstergo using the animus. And it is a bunch of random templars you killed in the main story. It makes sense though.

For UK readers, anyone see that Grainger Games is closing a third of its stores in the North of England? Literally closed them via an email.

@Rudy_Manchego I didn't even realise they were still going, but that's still sad news. I got a fair few bargains from their Newcastle branch during my studies.

Do they only operate up t'north?

@RogerRoger
Yeah I think so but they also have an online store. I recently got my xbox one from them as the price was pretty good. Also picked a few games up in sales online.

Wow, every time I go in to my local branch they always seem busy. Must be another falling victim to the internet.

@crippyd My local branch is in a fairly good location and seems to have good stock and customers but I guess it is all down to mark up and where they make their margins.

@Rudy_Manchego Mine is in a good location too and the prices always seem good, but tbh, my home town of Hartlepool is hardly a North East London so I doubt that shop alone is keeping the company afloat.

@crippyd THey seem to have closed a lot of smaller stores in smaller locations so I guess maybe they are just suffering stores. I tend to shop there more then anywhere else on the high street. It was the only place I could find a PSVR Aim controller last year!

Update to the above, seems that all Grainger Games stores have now been closed with all 67 going. Staff only getting paid till Saturday.

Serious carnage on the hgh street at the moment.

Hmm. That leaves supermarkets (PS4/Xbox) and GAME (PS4/Xbox and a little sprinkling of Nintendo and PC) as the last notable bastions of high street gaming presence, without going preowned.

Gross.

Either way I finally picked up a new PS4 game for the first time since...er...Megaman Legacy Collection 2 in August maybe? Oh, no. The terrible Jak ports in December.

Either way I nabbed Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition for a whopping £3 on sale on the PSN, and Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 Final Mix Betamax whatever the rest of it is.

A friend recommended it on gameplay only so...yay? Says a lot about the story.

That last one was via Amazon along with a copy of Ultra Sun and a Zygarde plush.
Theres no game places near me within 20 miles that arent supermarkets that only stock the annual stuff like CoD and FIFA, so I guess i am part of the problem.

@YummyHappyPills Can't wait to hear your thoughts on Kingdom Hearts!
Just give it a chance. The story will fall in place .

@Fight_Teza_Fight Ive already fully analysed the story.

Yeah. No. KH3 is a game that the story cant wrap up in any meaningful way now there is two Organisation 13s, one of which is made of Xehanort clones and several time travelling Xehanorts, there are god knows how many versions of Sora, there is still Aqua that the plot forgot about, they brought bacl the original Organisation 13 who are DEAD but whatever time travel, as well as Vanitas...who is dead and half of a clone of Sora who is evil...the other half being Ventus...not including Sora's Nobody Roxas...

And the series involves bloody TIME TRAVEL!

Look. Tetsuya Nomura. Great FF monster designer. Terrible at everything else. Why do someones socks have zippers on them? Why is this outfit entirely made of belts? Why did Square let this man not only right a plot for a game (bad idea) and lead development on several when that isnt his skill set?

Like seriously FFXV is getting DLC through 2019 because it STILL hasnt made enough money yet and I bet the years Nomura spent faffing about doing nothing until he got booted off in 2012 didnt help.

Keep him to drawing monsters. Keep him away from everything else.

I hear the game part is good though as an action/rpg. I need something good after XC2 disappointed me and before Ys VIII comes out.

I buy all my games online - Amazon, Game, GameCollection, GameSeek etc. Partly because of being disabled and lacking the opportunity and means to get to a retailer and partly because of the prices. That coupled with the fact that digital sales are increasing can't help the smaller store - especially those with no online presence either.

I never buy pre-owned but there are options for those that are happy to buy 2nd hand. Not only high-street stores like Game, CEX but also online - inc ebay, musicmagpie etc. They also allow you to send in games/consoles etc to trade if you want to (again something I don't do) so I see little point in worrying about the smaller stores. I know its not great for the staff employed there but I don't see the death of the high-street for things like 'games' in particular being a 'disaster'.

There are some things that are better to buy in person - clothes/shoes as you may need to try them on to see if they fit, fresh fruit/veg as you get to pick the best yourself rather than rely on a picker etc but 'games' and hardware is not important. You can find enough forums, reviews, video's etc now to know what games are around, what they offer and even have 'chats' with other gamers to get recommendations or advice (if you need it) without having to go to store, pay for travel/parking etc. As for getting the 'game' on the day of release, with pre-ordering online I have often got great prices and received the game on the day - occasionally a day early too. Its arrived before I would consider going out to the shops, petrol and parking costs added and the travel time to and from the retailer etc. When I was more physically able, I could get a game in my lunch break but still couldn't play it until the evening.

I am finding with this gen I am buying alot more digital wise on my PS4. Mostly due to what @BAMozzy said about pricing. I am finding alot more deals digital wise then in brick and mortar stores. Except for the Buy Two Get one sales or the occasional game I "keep" from Gamefly. Also.I tend to find it more convenient as well too since I don't have to go anywhere.