Comments 1,710

Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Can't Stop the Ubisoft Rot of Star Wars Outlaws and XDefiant

MFTWrecks

@VanguardKaiser I like the cut of your gib.

But truth! Breakpoint suuuuuucked. Just give us a co-op shooter in a big open world again. Fix the issues the recent titles suffer from (like janky/broken squad members and lack of tactical options). Lean more toward MGSV's design and away from online looter shooter nonsense, leave that to the Divison IP.

Put more walls up between the titles/IP. Ubisoft games need to feel more distinct and not be so homogenized.

Re: Ori, No Rest for the Wicked CEO Says Studio Could Close, Then Backtracks

MFTWrecks

This is why I hate the tendency of gaming press to race to get impressions and reviews out quickly. When the latest overhaul/patch for this dropped, numerous publications dropped articles praising the game for all sorts of positive changes, but those were clearly all made in response to what the devs SAID was happening, not what the community felt or what the game truly felt like. There has been a lot of backlash now and it's clear they missed the mark, but the game probably saw a spike in new players/influx of old ones coming back BECAUSE of those glowing previews so those players are likely doubly pissed and more likely to leave negative reviews because they feel misled.

If gaming press simply waited for the dust to settle on these things and offered ACTUAL coverage of how a game is changing and how its community is reacting to it, all of this would likely be severely reduced in scale because people would have a better sense of what is ACTUALLY going on. I mean, just look at the pre-release previews for things like Diablo 4 seasons. Everything is always praising all the big changes, but it drops and (when it's not a hit) you can IMMEDIATELY tell within the community. So what is the benefit of having an inaccurate preview out early versus having an accurate one out a week or two later? Is it really that important for gaming news to glaze developers?

It makes no sense to me. It's why I often rely on the actual communities surrounding games I like and not any such articles. All it has done is drive me away from the very news sites that need my eyes and clicks, so what good has it served?

Re: Talking Point: What Do You Think of the PS5 Pro, Six Months Later?

MFTWrecks

@PlatinumMikey I know, but as I said, I don't really play games that would really push that all that much, I don't think. AND I'd need an all new TV to see any of it at all (I upgraded to my current TV when I got the 4 Pro, as it so happens). So it's not just the cost (and hassle) of trading/selling the current console, I'd also have to add on the expense of a solid TV that pushes it out of the realm of feasible for me.

Re: Talking Point: What Do You Think of the PS5 Pro, Six Months Later?

MFTWrecks

It didn't enough to move the needle for me this time around. I got a PS4 Pro when those launched because I felt the leap was higher. This time, not so much.

I've grown jaded with the state of the industry and the simple bells and whistles. I'm not blown away by "just the same but more" iterative sequels companies pump out. So for the games I find myself playing, the base line console is fine.

It didn't help that I'd need an all new TV on top of the cost of the Pro this time around to even see the differences, as my current TV doesn't do 120mhz. Combined, that was too expensive of a pill to swallow. Maybe next time.

Re: Control 2's Budget Won't Be as Big as Alan Wake 2, But Remedy's Confident It'll Be Excellent

MFTWrecks

@Splat If you needed to rely on the map in Control, you weren't paying attention.

Also, in a game about traversing a weird, unknowable, deeply liminal building... where is the fun in relying on the map?

I say this as a designer who hates ***** interfaces. But Control's was, as I interpreted it, an aesthetic choice. It added to the ambiance and feeling of unease prevalent throughout - and key to - the experience.

Re: Poll: Are You Disappointed by the GTA 6 Delay?

MFTWrecks

How can anyone consider it a delay? Rockstar never committed to a release date. The fact news coverage is treating this as a negative when NO ONE had confirmation of a release date before this and NOT a positive that we now got a release date confirmation is really odd to me.

Re: Sony's New State of Play Proves the Value of Deep Dives, Trends on YouTube

MFTWrecks

I really like me some Borderlands (I fell out of love due to 3 - but Tiny Tina's was solid af). It's always bothered me that the entire storyline is based around a group of vault hunters - Tiny Tina's even had 2 allies talking to you the whole game as if they were there with you - and yet they've never explored the idea of making it a true squad-based game.

Why have they not crafted a story (and gameplay systems) that fleshed out all the 4 main vault hunters by having them in-game with you at all times? Build out some crew management controls a la Mass Effect or Dragonage and let me move allies around the battlefield and utilize everyone's skills and whatnot. That would be such an incredible change of pace and allow for a much deeper characterization of the player characters.

PLUS, the game is "built for co-op." Okay, that's cool, but not everyone can play with 3 friends at all times. Why not bring that zaniness to all players who want it? (I think retaining the option to play in a "classic" solo mode would be needed.)

THAT'S the biggest change I want to see them bring to the series. It'd completely shake things up for solo players but deliver the experience they're designing the whole game for, anyhow.

Besides that, I think what they showed looks reeeal good. Definitely more interested in this than I thought I'd be.

Re: Action Figure Shooter Hypercharge Finally Unboxed on PS5, PS4 Next Month

MFTWrecks

I've had this on Switch since it came out and while it's a competent shooter, it's simply a really awful tower defense game. The mechanics just don't lend themselves to a fun time.

Maybe it's been improved since I last played, but there were core flaws in its design that made it really difficult to enjoy as a MOBA/tower defense/shooter fan. I figured it was right up my alley (love the aesthetic and general idea!) but it fell short in basically every regard.

Re: EA Confirms Heavy Layoffs, Titanfall Game Cancelled

MFTWrecks

I really wish Respawn would be allowed to push the envelope with Titanfall. Apex Legends just isn't it, imo.

The TF2 multiplayer was SO GOOD at making you feel like a small piece of a large scale conflict. Why are they not exploring more of that in the multiplayer space?

I honestly think something like a Titanfall: Warfare or something where the matches played almost akin to a MOBA (think Battleborn with mechs) or Battlefield's Rush mode would be BONKERS cool. You'd have the tight grunt skirmishes on the ground, building up to all out mania when Titans started being called in, at which point the battles would shift to mech on mech bananzas. Make it all about the push and pull of the battle over large spaces and... my goodness. I'd never play another shooter.

Re: RoboCop: Rogue City Expansion Unfinished Business Guns Down a July Release Date on PS5

MFTWrecks

@B0udoir No, and defending the game with your anecdotal experience doesn't change the fact it's glitchy as hell on PS5 and has been for a while. There are loads of people who had issues with the cutscenes as I describe amongst other issues.

Sadly, it's not well optimized for the platform and if the dev can't support its game, it's not worth me supporting them imo. Not my problem nor yours.

Re: Rumour: Ubisoft Still Chasing Live Service with New Battle Royale Now in Development

MFTWrecks

@Deadlyblack What's wild is that they sort of created the extraction shooter idea with Division's Dark Zone, if you think about it. And they have competent (if not great) multiplayer experiences in some of their shooters (like Ghost Recon), but instead of doing anything interesting and ahead of the curve, they waste millions of dollars and man loads of man hours just to show up late to the party.

They could have made a Division BR ages ago. Make it about regular people traversing an area and collecting loot and taking down NPCs for special "Division" tier gear. Matches would play out with great shooting and cover mechanics, and awesome sci-fi gear. It'd be like a BR with super powers, more or less. Plus, The Division's general TPS mechanics are some of the best in the business (if not the outright best), and the engine is pretty great.

They could have done something interesting in that space but they completely lack creative vision.

Re: Rumour: Ubisoft Still Chasing Live Service with New Battle Royale Now in Development

MFTWrecks

One of the most enjoyable things about BR games imo is that everyone is on an even playing field and that loot is randomized. I never once got truly deep into a BR game with hero shooter mechanics because of how awful they are at balance.

I think Apex got carried by the feel that Respawn brings to FPS games. They overcame the busted nature of hero balance, but only for so long.

It would be EXTREMELY on-brand for Ubisoft to be so damn late to the genre, though. Instead of creating ANYTHING new and exciting, they'll just copy someone else's homework, but do it worse and behind schedule.

And they wonder why they're failing so damn hard right now.

Re: PS5 Fans Give Bungie's Marathon the Cold Shoulder, 34% Say You'd Have to Pay Them to Play

MFTWrecks

The only thing that has me worried is the meta progression. I love the idea of an extraction shooter, but the brutal nature of not retaining ANYTHING when you fail is probably a huge part of why the genre has remained extremely niche.

I would have thought that, seeing that, and knowing how important player retention is, that Bungie would have done something to address that. Simply putting a colorful sci-fi coat of paint on a brutal gameplay loop is not necessarily how you grow a huge audience and push into untapped markets. It's like they're relying solely on their name/pedigree which... isn't as rosy as they probably think. What brings this game down may be the combined hubris of Bungie and Sony.

I would LOVE to see there be some sort of meta progression added, whether its a fraction of XP brought back to push some numbers higher or SOMETHING to make up for what will inevitably feel - to some - like an unfair or unforgiving round. No one truly likes wasting their time playing a game. If these matches truly result in next to nothing that pushes your account/character forward, than it means most players in-match will walk away frustrated. And there's a very small number of people who are okay with that long term. It'll be interesting to see how it FEELS to come close but fail, and whether they try and address that aspect of the game at all.

Re: Sony Won't Force PSN on Xbox, PC Players of Marathon

MFTWrecks

@Boxmonkey Same happened to me when I tried playing the one Warhammer arpg. I immediately uninstalled it. Never played a second of it.

It makes sense functionally when you are unlocking a feature like cross-save (like this will do in Marathon or that you see in Fortnite and many cross-atform shooters). But when a game functionally does not allow you to play AT ALL without creating a whole other account? F that noise.

Maybe Ubisoft didn't get ***** on because you could skip it and still play?

Re: Analyst Firm Predicts Some Pretty Unimpressive Sales Numbers for Xbox Ports on PS5

MFTWrecks

I mean, these weren't exactly heavy hitting franchises in today's day and age. It ALWAYS baffled me why these particular titles were chosen as the titles for Microsoft's proof of strategy. What did they expect? Did they think PS5 players were chomping at the bit for Penitent? (Was anyone, statistically speaking?)

You want to push units, then give PS gamers stuff they truly hunger for, the stuff that says, "Oh, wow. Xbox is taking this seriously." Give gamers Halo, Gears of War, and Forza. Those are the big IPs. Period.

If all they hand over are the titles Microsoft themselves don't put huge support behind, then why would PS gamers think they're getting anything of value?

You can vote with your wallet, surely, but you have to understand there were never many gamers in the market willing to open their wallet for these particular titles to begin with. It's like if Sony did this and the first games they ported were Patapon and The Order. It's a tepid release lineup and anyone saying otherwise is fooling themselves. A game can be critically well-received and still not have a place in the market. That's reality. Until we see Master Chief and Marcus Fenix on the PS Store, this will be half-assed/lackluster at best.

The fact they're releasing years-old titles at full price is another huge factor that they're not getting enough flack for.