@Th3solution I probably put around 60 hours into The Witcher 3 and it really messed with my ocd. The way that I used to play games (prior to being a plat hunter) was to clear everything possible before moving on. So I was on what I assume was the ‘main’ area… but had a mission where I was to set sail to another area named Skellige. So I thought… okay, well I’ll just mop up the question marks here and then I’ll set sail. Skip to three weeks later and I’m sure that there was more question marks there than there was when I was first asked to travel to Skellige. I’m pretty sure it was like Marvel’s Hydra ie ‘cut off one head (or in this case ?) and two more shall take its place’. In the end I just gave up and started something else. Funnily enough, much like RDR2 I plan on returning to it… some day 😅.
@colonelkilgore My experience, exactly! Looks like you made it further than I did, but I had to same issue. Trying to mop up the question marks in W3 was (and I like the Hydra reference so I’ll stay with Greek mythology) a Sisyphean task indeed.
With RDR2, there aren’t quite as many icons on the map to clean up, rather the world has interactive events which occur and distract in a more organic way. It still gets you off your goals for a while, but if feels more engaging, natural, and enjoyable to have it occur this way, rather than chasing icons ad infinitum.
We both may get a proper motivation to return to W3 when the PS5 version come out. That might motivate me.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution Ha Sisyphean indeed! Perfect analogy 🤣
Yeah I reckon the PS5 version will pretty much all it takes for me to return to the world of The Witcher 3… hell the Netflix show has had me on the precipice.
I finished a few games off at the weekend. ME1, great game and really good to finally get around to playing one game out of the trilogy. The other game that me and the kids had been playing through was The Last Campfire. We started this an age ago but got around to playing the last part and woah what an emotional ending that was.
Finished up Spider-Man: Miles Morales which was pretty brilliant. Improves on the first one in so many ways that I’d honestly rather have a sequel to that game despite there clearly being lots of material for Spider-Man 2. They managed to really ground Miles in his community, which was a great accomplishment especially compared to the first game, where Peter protects the neighbourhood but seems quite detached from the people who live there. Harlem in Miles Morales is one of the best representations of a living and vibrant place I’ve seen in a while, even just the extra street art adds to it. Now to chase the platinum!
@johncalmc I keep forgetting that Life is Strange: True Colours exists, and then keep hesitating to buy a copy whenever I'm reminded that it does. I think a lack of ringing endorsements is holding me back, so I'm real pleased to see you enjoyed it so much. Thanks for mentioning it!
@render Glad you enjoyed the first Mass Effect there, too! Such a classic (even moreso now that it actually works, and isn't a janky slideshow on console)!
@nessisonett Awesome! I kinda knew you'd think highly of it, but am real pleased to see you note all the same things I'd note about its success! And yeah, I really hope it's an indicator of where the sequel is headed, and that Miles is more of an equal partner alongside Peter. They can't just reduce him back down to sidekick status (although the hiring of his novel's author gives me hope, and would seem to suggest that he's gonna get a meaty chunk of the story to himself).
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@nessisonett it's a cracking game!! They did a fantastic job of grounding him and his roots in the community. The venom powers added an extra layer depth to the combat and the open world had just the right amount of activities. I have no background in spiderman other than a few of the movies but I would prefer to see more of Miles's story in spiderman 2.
@RogerRoger I only got it because I needed to fill my Christmas list out. Life Is Strange 2 totally killed any interest I had in the franchise, honestly. But pretty quickly into True Colors I was hooked.
Looking at reviews, I get some of the criticisms and why it's perhaps not getting as much praise as I think it should, but also some of those criticisms I see as positives. It's shorter? Sign me up! The story is more straightforward? I'll take that!
I think they've done a really brilliant job with the characters here and so for me it was a win.
@johncalmc Interesting. I'm kinda the other way around (thought the original was fine and enjoyed Before the Storm well enough, but then massively preferred Life is Strange 2 by its end) but regardless, I agree that the idea of a shorter, more straightforward story sounds like an improvement. I'm kinda curious to see which side of the True Colours fence I'll fall on now!
Often with narrative-driven games, connection to a character or characters can make all the difference. I think that's why I adored Life is Strange 2 so much, because I "got" the Diaz brothers in a way I never really "got" Max or Chloe. Sounds like you made a similar connection with the new cast, which is great!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@RogerRoger@johncalmc Thanks for reminding me I have LiS2 sitting in the backlog. Not sure when I’ll get around to it.
I’m looking forward to also playing True Colors since it’s been more universally praised. But I have a hard time dropping $60 for one of these games. I know I shouldn’t begrudge it having a full price when I very readily drop full price for other 12 hour games like Uncharted or Ratchet & Clank. I picked up LiS2 on a sale last year for like $15 so I figure by the time I get to True Colors it’ll be on the cheap.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Just finished my first playthrough of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and it’s a really good game. I always see it in the sales for under a fiver, so if you haven’t played it, it could be a nice little bargain for you. As I mention in another thread recently, it’s as good an immersive sim as I’ve played. There are some great skills available to unlock… and as a result there are many different ways in which you can play through each mission.
I’m gonna need at least one more playthrough (on the permadeath I Never Asked for This difficulty) and maybe another one after that too, as almost all of the trophies are missable and it’s real easy block an achievement.
@colonelkilgore I actually have Deus Ex Mankind Divided in my library by virtue of claiming it when it was a PS+ giveaway, and every now and then I am slightly curious to try it, but never enough to commit to downloading it. You’ve piqued my interest slightly, but I recall you said something about it reminding you of Dishonored, which I really couldn’t get into. Is there another game you’d compare DE: MD to as being similar? I really don’t have a good grip on what the game is like. It’s largely flown under the radar.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution so aesthetic-wise, it’s very Matrixy/cyberpunky which is one of my favourite cups-of-tea if you know what I mean. The closest approximation in terms of a gameplay-loop is definitely Dishonored though I’m afraid. It’s one of those ‘immersive sims’ where each area is a ‘decent’ size in terms of foot-print but can really be delved into using the various skill set that you choose due to verticality and subterranean. Every mission can be carried out in a multitude of different ways due to the skill set you select also.
It (& the Dishonored games) also remind me (a little bit) of the classic Bethesda games. I mean, one is immersive-sim and one is full on western RPG but there are similarities.
In all honesty mate, I’ve tried lauded games and struggled to get into them (like with you and Dishonored)… and then tried them a couple of years later, while in a different frame of mind and really clicked with them. Maybe just wait until you’re looking for something completely outside of your usual tastes and give it a try.
@Th3solution Don't worry, I know what you mean about games like Life is Strange and their price tags. It shouldn't be a consideration, you're right, but it is. Almost feels like there's some unwritten rule dictating that the more linear you make a game, and the less direct control and input a player has during its runtime, the cheaper it should be. Which sounds ridiculous to say out loud, and I'd disagree wholeheartedly with anybody advocating such a position, but there we are.
Anyway, looking forward to seeing your thoughts on Life is Strange 2 as and when!
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
@colonelkilgore Thanks, bud. Seeing as I own (or ‘have access to’ for lack of a better term) Mankind Divided, it might be the one I try if I get the hankering for something different and in that wheelhouse. I have Dishonored on PS3, but not the remastered PS4 version, so I’d rather not go back 2 gens ago to play a game I’m already wishy-washy about.
My gaming calendar is pretty full though. I don’t think I’ll venture for a while. But every now and then I get a wild hair to be impulsive with booting up a random game. Happened with Dirt 5 this week and it turned out pretty well.
@RogerRoger Game pricing has become incredibly inconsistent. And the advent of streaming services is only making it more convoluted.
If/when LiS2’s number is called, I’ll definitely drop a tag to you, since I still recall well your great review from a couple years ago.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
All I would say (for if you do ever give it a go), personally I find these types of games are all about exploration. I’ll spend hours searching every nook and cranny… and feel relatively satisfied with finding little more than a hidden passage (and yet more to explore 😂). If exploration really isn’t your thing, it could be why you didn’t click with Dishonored.
@colonelkilgore I actually quite like exploration. It was probably the timing in my life that was the problem with Dishonored. That and the first person viewpoint, which I abhorred before but am a little more tolerant to now.
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
@Th3solution It's a messy developing situation, for sure. I think the best we can do is set our own personal thresholds for such things, and try our best to feel like we're getting a decent bang for our buck. After all, you and I might think similarly about the price of a Life is Strange game, but there'll be others out there who'd happily pay three figure sums for such experiences.
And thank you, it's very kind of you to remember my ramblings! I just hope you find playing the game a worthwhile endeavour, and that you enjoy your time with it.
"We want different things, Crosshair. That doesn't mean that we have to be enemies."
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