Your reply reminded me of some old shots I took in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, where one of the bonus unlockable outfits is Lara's original PSone model, and the contrast between it and the lush modern environments made for some decent opportunities.
Oh, and speaking of our shared fondness for pink, I'm also reminded of our chat about Godzilla, and my promise to show you that statue I mentioned...?
Shelf's not done yet, so there'll be better shots to share later, but I did at least unbox him!
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@Metonymy Additional thanks for your kind comment, although I feel I should point out that a good Photo Mode colour filter can be wonderful thing!
"If I let not knowing anything stop me from doing something, I'd never do everything!"
@Werehog Loving the new batch, Tjuz said everything I was going to say but they really are great. I like your Godzilla too, I've seen some of the newer movies but my favorite is the cheesy one with Jean Reno and Hank Azaria. There's a lot to be said of Roland Emmerich's work (bad? probably) I still really like that movie and of course Independence Day. Did you make that Godzilla yourself? I've never seen a pink one before. Just a very angry blue one. Do you collect monsters? or memorabilia in general? If your eye is for action shots I'd expect you would since so many collectibles are posed in action shots.
These violent delights have violent ends & in their triumph die, like fire & powder Which, as they kiss, consume.
One from my first two hours with Everybody's Gone to The Rapture
Disclaimer it's a PS4 title and while it looks good it doesn't look this good. I wanted to preserve how I felt the game felt to me (more realistic) So I did some things to make it look like a PS5 game.
Two more from my second playthrough. I'm about to start a third.
'You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain' - not Spiderman
I did some calculations. That trunk at 75% pure would be worth 2.2 million USD, if Spiderman cut it he could see a return of 4.8 million USD and that's not counting the bag of bank notes. A kilo goes further in New York than anywhere else in the USA, higher risks and transportation costs. And yet he says he can't pay his rent.
@Werehog Haha, the PS1 Lara Croft in modern gaming is just as amusing! Can you play the game with the old model, or is it just a change in model for the Photo Mode? I imagine the former might be a lot of work with animations and all, but I think it'd be a lot of fun for long-time fans! The pink Godzilla also does not disappoint. I am preparing my cuddles as we speak. Though I gotta say... even with real-life photography, you can't help but show off, huh?! What an angle! I'd feel violated if he wasn't so darn cute.
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@GirlVersusGame I was just about to say how amazingly Everybody's Gone to the Rapture held up! I haven't played it myself, so I didn't notice that you did some (presumably) post-process effects to make it look better than it does in-game. Either way, they're stunning shots! If you like these kinds of landscapes (and since you're in a walking simulator mood), I'm going to throw Draugen out there as a recommendation. It's a short experience too and not particularly well-known, but I quite enjoyed it when I played it and is beautiful at the same time! And hey... you can't expect Spidey to steal any of that money! He's too good of a guy. Maybe if you were playing Infamous, you'd be able to take that bag and run with it.
@Tjuz You owe it to yourself to play Everybody's Gone to The Rapture, you'll really like it I'm sure. I didn't think I'd like it as much but it delivered in many ways, you probably have it on Plus. It's better (in my opinion) than What Remains of Edith Finch and that game was excellent. It might also have some of my favorite ambient soundtrack too, not to mention the actual soundtrack. Thanks but I didn't want to change anything in post, there was just no photo-mode and I wanted to improve some of the dynamic lighting. I've seen that name Draugen on Steam, it's says Norway too like Edith Finch, interesting. That character has a little Cillian Murphy about them, that's a bonus.
And hey... you can't expect Spidey to steal any of that money! He's too good of a guy. Maybe if you were playing Infamous, you'd be able to take that bag and run with it.
I kind of do and it's not stealing if you aren't caught. He could give some to the homeless shelter too. By law 60% of those seized assets could go back into the police, I'd ask for a preponderance of the evidence. It 'could' be Spiderman's bag, a prosecutor would have to pursue civil forfeiture and since his identity is secret they'd be wasting the courts time. Therefore Spiderman should take the money and run or swing.
It is however turning out to be a good game. I especially like the attention to detail from the architecture and street layout. When a call comes in I don't need to bring up the map, I know where I'm going and only because it's so faithful to the real New York. I checked my old view to see how well they replicated that side of the city too, it's very accurate and weird seeing it again. I only lived there for a year but even seeing America again is an odd feeling. Even the brickwork looks correct on certain buildings and the cladding.
There are some inconsistencies with Central Park but that's to be expected, it's too big in real life and 1:1 would be so much work for the developers. Citigroup Tower is a lot smaller too, I haven't seen Central Park Zoo or much of Broadway. I imagine licensing played a big part in recreating certain structures. I stopped playing to read Spiderman Noir. I wanted to see where that black Rocketeer looking suit (in the picture) originated. I've never read a Spiderman comic until tonight, they aren't bad, at least this one isn't. You seem better though, the sickness didn't take you to the Rapture. You sounded in a bad way last week. Was Star Ocean good?
Edit: I saw your reply elsewhere, you don't need to answer that ^
@GirlVersusGame Both Everybody's Gone to the Rapture and What Remains of Edith Finch are games I've wanted to play (properly) several times. I've just found myself somewhat getting tired with the walking simulator genre, mostly due to the fact that or choice/consequence-based games were the large majority of what I played for over a decade. They're short experiences though and highly recommended, including by yourself, so I will no doubt have to just sit down for both at some point. This time entirely sober, so that I can actually focus on what's happening and follow the narrative! And I hadn't made the Cilian Murphy connection before, but I can totally see what you're saying. I'll happily admit that crushing on Cilian Murphy is probably most of the reason I got through five whole seasons of Peaky Blinders. Well, that and Helen McCrory's incredible performance! Rest in peace. ❤️
Haha, I'm glad you've pondered all the legal ramifications of what would happen if Spidey did steal the money. You're right. He could get away with it and probably would use it for the greater good anyway. Despite that, it's just not the Spidey I know to do so! I'm glad they managed to capture the feeling and aesthetics of New York City so faithfully. Sounds like it's as much of a tourism simulator as it is a good game to you! Have you ever played Watch Dogs Legion? Another open world title, but I've only ever heard praise of how it captured modern-day London with its accuracy and visuals.
EDIT: I managed to find two of my screenshots of Draugen at the time I played, if you want any indication of what it actually looks like in-game!
@Tjuz I'd already forgotten about Draugen (but now I bought it) Maybe I'll try it after Spiderman. Your pictures certainly do it justice. I have a thing for yellow trees like that, it's symbolic for hope in dendrology (the study of trees) and I really like Autumn, it lets me know that Winter (my favorite season) is coming and all of that snow. I really like that second shot, it's a very natural point of view, like you were there and not just the character. You even caught the crashing of the waves which really adds to it. They look natural too, not frozen in place. Have you played a game called Tchia? You might like that too, it's a kind of adventure game with a unique art-style and I believe falls under the diversity banner. the camera in the game is one you develop by going to a print shop, which means you manually take your shots to and hope for the best while doing it. The whole game is what you might call a feel good title.
I'm glad they managed to capture the feeling and aesthetics of New York City so faithfully. Sounds like it's as much of a tourism simulator as it is a good game to you! Have you ever played Watch Dogs Legion? Another open world title, but I've only ever heard praise of how it captured modern-day London with its accuracy and visuals.
It kind of was a tourism simulator, I know the layout of parts of New York, block by block from memory but only saw them by car or by air. It was interesting looking at everything up close, it's a city that's never not busy. I don't remember one time where it seemed less hectic or noisy. It's siren central on the ground, once you get high enough it's drowned out. It could be down to New York itself but tourism-wise there's not an awful lot to see, mainly because usable space has become so commercialized and when that happens cities lose something. Many people flock to the city for buildings and when you see those everyday by simply looking out the window the city loses something too. I don't know that I took it for granted? it just never felt interesting or all that unique compared to smaller European cities like Prague or Budapest. There's history there, old history and it's all so clearly visible and preserved.
Too much of New York is being defined by usable space, other than museums and Central Park I never saw much of anything else. I think that's the case for a lot of highly commercialized cities, if you like buildings and parks it's fine but there's not much else there. Which is probably why some people don't like city living. I can't say where I am in this city but all I see are trees and grass. It doesn't feel like the city but it is, London has a lot more room to breath. When the obvious prerequisites are met but my point of view is narrowed by other prerequisites, maybe there are some who don't like London at all.
I had a feeling you might mention Legion. I did try it but it felt a little too real at times, they did a very good job at creating some areas of the city though. It was probably one of the first games that made me think 'I've got a real problem', I can't think off many other hugely populated cities in games that I'd tried before then. Everything offline was already part of scheduling, routine, rules and limits so that was all expected but to feel limited in a video-game when those limits aren't really there? I didn't realize that had happened until then. I thought that was the end of gaming. I went into the music industry instead and didn't touch a game in so many months. It would have been right after the second incident too so it was fresh in my mind. After that game I pushed further into simulators, I skipped the last two Assassin's Creeds for the same reason. I can't remember why I started again, probably Minecraft.
As graphics get better, and NPCs get more realistic it will probably get harder to play games like that, unless I make a breakthrough which isn't at all common. I never thought I'd try this game, it too is densely populated, noisy, fast but it's been manageable. I probably said it already but Everybody's Gone to The Rapture ended up being exposure therapy. I would have tapped out had someone offline not pushed me that extra couple of steps, by the third playthrough (of six) it got easier. I knew what to expect, there were no surprises. It's a very odd feeling to adore open-worlds and to be equally terrified of them at the same time. It's also why I took those months off gaming, it took you guys for me to decide to try again. I'd been reading comments and talking about games but not playing them. Even people offline were pointing it out. I had no down-time other than the obvious. It would have been right after Cyberpunk too. A great game but Nightcity is one of the main stars of the game and it took so long to get through it, everything involved the city and so many people. It took three months to pick up a controller again.
I'll happily admit that crushing on Cilian Murphy is probably most of the reason I got through five whole seasons of Peaky Blinders. Well, that and Helen McCrory's incredible performance! Rest in peace. ❤️
I sneaked a look at Breakfast on Pluto (probably banned now too) recently and I maybe had a crush on him too, that was one of his most interesting characters. The music was great too, I'm not sure how well known it is internationally. It looked to be an independent production and one of his earlier roles. I tried to watch Peaky Blinders a couple of months ago with some of the guys, that show is hugely popular in Russia. Young men identify with the characters and that way of life. I saw maybe four episodes and did like it but something came up and I haven't seen it since.
When you say sober do you mean like that was a once off occasion or you sometimes have a drink as you game? I'm not being judgemental, I just wasn't sure if that was something normal people do. I may have asked before, maybe it heightens the experience. Also something you said maybe two weeks ago, I never properly answered. I'll eventually just note pad it across on Discord, it gave me pause to think and I pondered it a couple of times for those couple of weeks. Not in a bad way, I'd just never seen it like that before until you said it. Part of that normalization definition. Linked to that. Maybe in a couple of days or weeks, I want to grab the right words first and assemble them correctly.
I've just found myself somewhat getting tired with the walking simulator genre, mostly due to the fact that or choice/consequence-based games were the large majority of what I played for over a decade
I can't think of many games like that, not offhand at least. Certainly not a decades worth of them. Unless I cheapened the choice or circumvented the choice by shooting directly for a related trophy and not registering it as choice because the guide already made that choice for me. I do look forward to seeing more screenshots though, those Draugen have such a nice timeless feel.
These violent delights have violent ends & in their triumph die, like fire & powder Which, as they kiss, consume.
@Metonymy When you say sticker, I thought you meant your sword, then I thought you meant all of those red leaflets you left stuck to those men in that river of blood. Is there a story behind that scene? I really like that you included both versions, it helps to tell the story. I see the actual sticker now, I had the word mixed up with logo. I think the last one is my favorite, it's very story-book.
These violent delights have violent ends & in their triumph die, like fire & powder Which, as they kiss, consume.
@GirlVersusGame I did not make that Godzilla myself, no! But I'm certainly flattered by the fact that you think I could have! He's merch from the latest Western movie, 2024's Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire (during which he evolves from blue to pink). I'm looking forward to re-watching the cheesy 90s Roland Emmerich outing sometime soon, but need to work my way through the Japanese films first. And yes, I do collect a lot of similar cool-lookin' stuff, although not in any serious or professional capacity! I just try to fill my shelves with things that make me smile, s'all. I'm in the middle of sorting out a few bits and pieces, but will share a few shelf shots in the Gaming Tat topic when finished.
Superb shots from Everybody's Gone to the Rapture and Marvel's Spider-Man up there! I saw you'd started the latter whilst reading other topics and am real excited for you, because I love Insomniac's Spidey series! Please do share any other shots you take along the way!
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@Tjuz You can indeed play both Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider as a range of classic Lara models, including several PSone incarnations and her PS2 appearance from The Angel of Darkness. While the sprite-based faces of the former don't change, the latter boasts full facial animations in Rise, when the developers had a bit more time to implement them. It's very impressive, but can also be very, very jarring! Especially in cutscenes, when she's chatting to modern NPCs!
And while I'm flattered by your comment regarding my Godzilla shot, rest assured it had nothing to do with me and everything to do with my new phone's camera settings! But thanks all the same!
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@Metonymy You picked a great shot to stick a sticker on! Very dynamic and a great "90s box art" vibe going on there! I can really visualise that sitting on a shelf in a Blockbuster!
Also, those last two variants really do demonstrate the malleability of the game's visuals when using its Photo Mode! Without your note between 'em, I would have thought them totally different shots from different parts of the game! That's a stunning change! Very impressive!
"If I let not knowing anything stop me from doing something, I'd never do everything!"
@GirlVersusGame Yeah, the stickers (it’s what the game calls them) have to be built layer by layer. I just added the drops of blood to dress up the logo a bit.
I just wanted to highlight some of the beautiful environmental design and thought this area was particularly striking. It’s a rather eerie spot, there was some kind of magic ritual happening here. The variant really emphasizes the depth of the shot.
@Werehog Glad to hear that old-school feel resonated! The game is so bright and colourful, it lends itself well to it. I added a bloom effect as I thought it made the gold yokai blood pop and feel otherworldly.
“Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.” -C.S. Lewis
@GirlVersusGame I hope you'll enjoy Draugen! Don't go in expecting anything on the level of the highly praised walking sims you've played recently, but it's a solid, well-made 7/10. I hope my game will live up to your expectations after my screenshots. Thanks for the praise! I've definitely heard of Tchia, but I haven't really looked deeply into it. I think the open-world aspect generally turned me off from giving it a proper look, but I suppose I'll have to now that you've recommended it. I've only heard good things.
Yeah, I've never been to New York City, but I totally get what you mean in how it differs wildly in its appearance in terms of interesting history or architecture. Not to say that the city doesn't have history obviously, but it's hardly at the forefront like it is with many European places as you said. I'm always hard-pressed to think of tourist destinations I'd just need to see in the city too, so I concur on that one. I think I mostly just really want to to go Broadway at some point in my life. That place is made for me! It's a shame you weren't able to appreciate Legion's London quite to the extent you might have liked to, but I understand it's a sensitive issue for you. I think Spider-Man probably feels a lot more approachable, because you're often so airbound. It is less populated simply because you're expected to be traversing in the air and anyway not interacting with the ground for a large portion of the game. By accident, that seems to have made the game easier to stomach for you, so take the win! It's the only game I've ever gone out of my way to platinum, so for once I'll be able to follow along with your platinum journey.
I'm glad that this forum has helped you try new open worlds again, though. If it's a concept that really interests you, it'd be a shame to let anything get in the way of that. So far, I feel like you've had a fairly good experience with the ones you've been trying. Hopefully it's slowly starting to break some of those barriers. Not saying that you need to jump head-first into open-world gaming now, but at least know that it's always an option for you when a game truly appeals to you for whatever other reasons. I relate all too much with the whole talking about games, but not playing them. When I said earlier I stuck mostly to walking simulators/choice & consequence games for a good decade, it wasn't a case of me actively gaming. I'd be in hibernation more often than not and rarely jump at something that fit that mold. I think I've finished more games since the end of 2024 when I got back into the hobby than I did for over half a decade before that. I pushed myself into a niche and refused to explore outside of it, and that eventually ended up killing my interest in the pastime altogether. It's only been since actively trying out new genres and such that I've regained my love for games. In the time before that, much like yourself, it was mostly following the games industry, discussions and such, but without actually playing anything.
I'd never heard of Breakfast on Pluto for the longest time, but now you're the second person to bring it up alongside my roommate recently. It seems to be more of a cult film for sure with its fair share of passionate fans. I can't say I've seen it, but having a gap of gay Cilian Murphy in my viewing history feels wrong. I'm not surprised Peaky Blinders is beloved amongst the younger men in Russia. It's a very masculine-coded show, and while not my experience, I'm sure many young men look up to the characters in it. I found them interesting characters to watch, but rather repulsive for the most part. I don't usually drink while gaming, no. It was really a one-off occasion. I hadn't even intended to game at all that night. My friend and I were just hanging out at her apartment and acting like alcoholics, only for her to pull out the Switch and say: "You're playing What Remains of Edith Finch now!". Somewhat out-of-character for her, since she's hardly a gamer, but it clearly struck a chord even with her. The highest of praise. Like I said, I made it about an hour or so before the patient of drunk me started to run out and I got distracted by other activities, haha.
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@Metonymy Love those Nioh 3 screenshots! I'm not usually a fan of putting logos on a screenshot, but I think this one really works in the context and makes it better. The drops of blood you said you personally added were a great touch there too! Is the game in general so vibrant and colourful, or is that the work of photo mode layers more than anything? I don't know how much the bloom adds compared to the original visuals. I just expected it to be a darker, grittier looking game than these screenshots make it out to be.
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@Werehog I love that they went through the effort of doing the animations for Rise! I can't blame them for not doing it for the follow-up, since I imagine it's resource-intensive and a very small amount of people actually made use of it, but it's still a very nice touch. But yeah, it can't be anything but jarring! Hardly recommended for a first platythrough, I'd think. One day I'll get you to accept a compliment without actively trying to wave it away, Rog. It might be some impressive camera settings, but you're still the one who utilised them in the right ways and framed it well to get this exact shot! Maybe one day, I'll carve a compliment into your gravestone you'll never be able to get rid of. That'll be my last laugh... muhahaha!
@Tjuz Thanks! I find it to be an aesthetically vibrant game. Of course, it has its darker areas and whatnot but everything has kind of a glow to it. Even dark caves are full of glowing crystal Amrita. It’s not the prettiest game out there but it’s gameplay more than makes up for it. The appeal of the Nioh games, at least for me, is the smooth as butter combat system, exhilarating boss fights and clever level design that makes exploring more of a joy than a chore.
“Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.” -C.S. Lewis
@GirlVersusGame Nice work! That first one is fascinating. The black and white really lets the softness of the lights bleed through. You’ve captured a variety of interesting, even contrasting shapes too. The rounded edges of the tall building pushing up out of the rigidity of the grid works really well. It feels like the building is about to burst at the seams. Very cool!
“Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.” -C.S. Lewis
@Metonymy Oh thank you. The Chrysler Building is my favorite piece of architecture in New York. The rounded section you're seeing leads to the Nirosta stainless steel which creates the layers of sun-bursts within the motif. I left out the crown and spire and instead focused on the parts that were inspired by automotives, the gargoyles represent the old Plymouth hood ornaments, there are radiator caps within the cladding too. That same steel was used for the stars on the Kremlin, it's very decorative and highly durable, that original shine still holds true. I don't care much for the interior of the The Chrysler Building. I didn't take too many pictures in the game, I might take some more when I start Myles Morales. I'm curious to see the Christmas setting, especially if they added a tree to Rockefeller Center. I'd be shocked if they didn't, it's a staple for Christmas in New York.
These violent delights have violent ends & in their triumph die, like fire & powder Which, as they kiss, consume.
@GirlVersusGame I appreciate the information! Didn’t know the gargoyles were in reference to Plymouth. I recently watched the free climbing event ‘Skyscraper’ on Netflix and learned that there are pieces (can’t recall what they are called) on the Taipei 101 meant to ward off bad spirits or something. I thought that was cool. I’ve never been to New York but have always wanted to visit.
“Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.” -C.S. Lewis
@Metonymy I'm due some Netflix soon. I usually wait for maybe three or four months then watch things of interest in bulk. I've seen a lot of Taipei 101 on shows like Mega Structures and a whole host of other Discovery Channel building/machinery shows. From Skyscrapers to Oil Rigs I watch them all, or anything with men chopping down trees and getting that big timber. You probably mean Feng Shui, that whole district is haunted, architects and clients are very superstitious about negative energy affecting business. There's a huge damper in the building to prevent structural damage during earthquakes, I believe they modeled parts of it off a talisman and those eight segments lead back into similar superstition, eight is held in high regards due to it's strong symbolism in business.
You'll see a lot of prices with eight in them too, it's the same thinking especially when giving business gifts (not really a Western tradition but we do it too, or rather I receive them) I see eight all of the time in Chinese business, even the Beijing Olympics opened at 8/8/08 at 8:08 in the PM. It gets confused in certain other regions as far right (H's birthday) that's why I was initially confused when I first started seeing 88 in Chinese business, but to them it's different and it factors directly into architecture and especially into Taipei 101. Tencent for example use a lot of eights with their investors, envelopes etc.
These violent delights have violent ends & in their triumph die, like fire & powder Which, as they kiss, consume.
@GirlVersusGame Interesting, you obviously have a keen interest in architecture (and lumber?). Fascinating stuff, thanks!
Feng Shui - Reminds me of my grandmother, who emigrated to Canada from Hungary. She was very superstitious. Things had to be arranged in rooms a certain way, that sort of thing. She was fairly eccentric so I didn’t think much of it. I had much stronger feelings about having to scrub the shower from floor to ceiling after every use!
“Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.” -C.S. Lewis
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