OT: General Video Game Discussion VIII

[TaLoN]

Hearing some mixed reviews on Mass Effect Andromeda. Was planning on getting the game right away, but I might hold off a week or two.

Was hearing the same thing. Will still probably pick it up day 1, but it might give me some time to finish H:ZD. Started playing that after the Wild **** the bed last night.... wow, you guys were right. Beautiful game with an interesting story, really excited to play more tonight.

Watched Giant Bomb's stream of it, it doesn't look great. The writing/VO does not seem very good.

The only thing I've really seen about the new Mass Effect is that the facial animations are a colossal step downwards from the previous games, and I agree.

Not really concerned about the graphics... Mass Effect has never been a cutting edge graphics game.

The writing criticisms I have read don't really concern me that much either. Comments about how the game starts out really slow (so did the original Mass Effect, so did KOTOR back in the day - this is typical of Bioware, those who expected Mass Effect 2 or 3 type quick starts were fooling themselves), and gripes about character comments here and there being thin (ie run over some bad guys, Ryder says "Speed Bump" etc) just don't bother me much. It's the overall STORY that really matters when it comes to Mass Effect. You can't get a real idea about THAT quality of writing on a 50-70hr game until you get well into it. Reviewers don't even have the ability to comment on anything but the first 10hrs of the game right now because of the EA early access only being able to get through that.

I have read some early "comments" outside of reviews that those who have gotten more into the game say it gets a lot stronger as it goes.

Official reviews about the full game aren't going to be available until the 20th.

I'm still a full go on day one. Mass Effect is just my type of game, graphics be damned... though I do hear the environments look top notch, if the animations don't.

 

[SupremeNachos]

I spent 1hr last night adding all the Wild prospects I could.

 

[Minnewildsota]

I spent 1hr last night adding all the Wild prospects I could.

To Mass Effect? Impressive! :-p

 

[TaLoN]

To Mass Effect? Impressive! :-p

Granlund as a squadmate in Mass Effect would be amazing!

Pretty sure he'd be a Biotic God!

 

[Puhis]

How to start at Monza, vol 2:



[SPOIL]I've done two Classic Lotus Grand Prix races at Monza in my whole life. Started 7th in the first one, 9th in this one. Both times I've made up 6 positions in the first lap, and both times I've won the race by about two seconds.

I'm not sure whether I should do a third one, ever.[/SPOIL]

 

[StealthClobber]

That Red Bull livery on a Lotus 79.

 

[Vashanesh]

Just beat Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Hell of a game. Easily the best console game I've played this generation, and quite possibly the best game this gen period. And an absolute lock for my top-5 games ever list.

It's been a very long time since I've enjoyed a game this much. I've been losing sleep trying to squeeze in more play time. I'm 30 years old ffs...

 

[TwiztedHeat]

Just beat Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Hell of a game. Easily the best console game I've played this generation, and quite possibly the best game this gen period. And an absolute lock for my top-5 games ever list.

It's been a very long time since I've enjoyed a game this much. I've been losing sleep trying to squeeze in more play time. I'm 30 years old ffs...

I'm thinking this is the next game I get after I finish my Zelda time. Really intrigued by it.

 

[Puhis]

That Red Bull livery on a Lotus 79.

It hurts my eyes, too. Same with the late 80s-early 90s -Canon Williams livery.

 

[Minnesota]

Mass Effect shooting looks okay...

 

[Minnesota]

Huh.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Hearing plenty of bad stuff about Mass Effect. It's a shame if they **** this up. I loved the previous games.

 

[TaLoN]

Here's why I can't take gamer criticisms seriously anymore...

http://kotaku.com/********-harass-woman-for-working-on-mass-effect-andro-1793410647

The hatred perpetuates itself into an echo chamber where they all feel the need to jump on the hot bandwagon of hate.

This happened with MA3's ending - which I played myself before reading anything and I thought it was fine.

Now they have latched on to some quirky animations as the "end of the gaming world" to scream about endlessly to the point where they are harassing people who had nothing to do with the game in the first place.

Screw their hate-fest. I'm going to play Mass Effect Andromeda after I get home from the Sharks game Tuesday night and I'll have a blast doing it!

EDIT: More proof this is being blown out of proportion... here's a real Mass Effect fan's analysis...

after 10 hours of play I can honestly say this is a super overreaction. By and large the animations are serviceable with only a handful of extremely minor NPCs suffering from very poorly done animations.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Here's why I can't take gamer criticisms seriously anymore...

http://kotaku.com/********-harass-woman-for-working-on-mass-effect-andro-1793410647

The hatred perpetuates itself into an echo chamber where they all feel the need to jump on the hot bandwagon of hate.

This happened with MA3's ending - which I played myself before reading anything and I thought it was fine.

Now they have latched on to some quirky animations as the "end of the gaming world" to scream about endlessly to the point where they are harassing people who had nothing to do with the game in the first place.

Screw their hate-fest. I'm going to play Mass Effect Andromeda after I get home from the Sharks game Tuesday night and I'll have a blast doing it!

EDIT: More proof this is being blown out of proportion... here's a real Mass Effect fan's analysis...

Yeah, when the internet hive mind decides to hate something, they REALLY hate it. I'm going to wait for the reviews and make up my mind about buying the game.

 

[Sharppi]

Game reviews are generally **** now. The actual reviewers have a need to force their own needs and agenda on top of the game reviews. It's much better to just buy games that interest you or listen to your trusted friends.

 

[Wabit]

Game reviews are generally **** now. The actual reviewers have a need to force their own needs and agenda on top of the game reviews. It's much better to just buy games that interest you or listen to your trusted friends.

Lately I rent games before I buy them. I just can't bring myself to spend $60 on a questionable (for me) game.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Game reviews are generally **** now. The actual reviewers have a need to force their own needs and agenda on top of the game reviews. It's much better to just buy games that interest you or listen to your trusted friends.

Meh, reviews and community opinions can give you a pretty good picture whether the game is good or not. I'm in the same boat with Wabit, i'm not spending money without knowing what i'm going to get.

 

[Soldier13Fox]

Meh, reviews and community opinions can give you a pretty good picture whether the game is good or not. I'm in the same boat with Wabit, i'm not spending money without knowing what i'm going to get.

Personally, I'll put more weight into reviews of games that I'm not really all that invested or interested in in. Take Horizon Zero Dawn for example. Prior to the everyone losing their **** and giving it 9's and 10's, I honestly didn't have much interest in it and did not plan on purchasing. It looked to me to be just another open world game similar to Far Cry. But after reading the reviews and everyone recommendation here I bought it and I'm joining the the hive mind ... the game is truly excellent. it's just bananas.

But games that I'm invested in already, such as Mass Effect, I KNOW I'm going to buy, so I take all of the reviews with a grain of salt.

 

[Minnesota]

I think you need to know your reviewers. If you look at "game reviews" as a whole and read them all... Well, yeah, you're going to get occasional sensational click-bait stuff or nit-picking. Personally, I have a few select game reviewers I'll trust - I know they're honest, and they have similar game preferences as me.

Saying all game reviews are **** is painting the industry with a very broad brush.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

The only Video Game website that I really care about/listen to their opinions is Giant Bomb, and even then I know their tastes/preferences and how the gel with my own.

 

[Minnesota]

The only Video Game website that I really care about/listen to their opinions is Giant Bomb, and even then I know their tastes/preferences and how the gel with my own.

Same. Typically I like Brad games, and to a lesser degree Dan/Alex games. I don't like Jeff/Vinny games.

Still really enjoy hearing ALL of their opinions on games, but I know myself and Giantbomb well enough to know when Jeff really enjoys a game, I probably won't.

 

[Vashanesh]

Same. Typically I like Brad games, and to a lesser degree Dan/Alex games. I don't like Jeff/Vinny games.

Still really enjoy hearing ALL of their opinions on games, but I know myself and Giantbomb well enough to know when Jeff really enjoys a game, I probably won't.

They've done an amazing job over the years of cultivating their personalities. You can hear it every time someone asks Jeff about doing reviews (or anything, for that matter, he's obviously not shy about sharing his opinion), he thinks they're crap for the most part. He'd rather get 2-3 people together -- who are known quantities within the GB community -- and have them talk about the game, rather than assigning some reductive score that doesn't allow for an ounce of subtlety.

Games have become so subjective. Not one person on the planet enjoys things exactly the way another does. And as games have gotten more complicated, peoples likes and dislikes have evolved, too. Simply saying that a game is "good", a game is "4/5 stars". It's nearly meaningless. And as people's attention spans have gone to nothing, writing reviews seems almost masturbatory at this point. At the very least, it's done out of some antiquated expectation or obligation.

I've been a sub of GB for years, gone through the ups and downs. Killed myself when people have gone, moved, or moved on. Jumped for joy when new people have come in and found their voices. And even the major changes they're going through right now, I'm 100% confident that they're still going to be kicking ass for years.

I'd be lying if I said I agreed with any one of them more than maybe 60-70% of the time, but there is no denying that these are some of the most passionate people in games media/journalism/whatever you want to call it. They sincerely just want every game to be awesome, so everyone can have a good time talking about games.

 

[gphr513]

The only Video Game website that I really care about/listen to their opinions is Giant Bomb, and even then I know their tastes/preferences and how the gel with my own.

Same. Typically I like Brad games, and to a lesser degree Dan/Alex games. I don't like Jeff/Vinny games.

Still really enjoy hearing ALL of their opinions on games, but I know myself and Giantbomb well enough to know when Jeff really enjoys a game, I probably won't.

I'll have to check out Giant Bomb. Are these Brad/Dan/Alex people like writers on that site?

 

[Minnesota]

I'll have to check out Giant Bomb. Are these Brad/Dan/Alex people like writers on that site?

Yep, they're awesome. http://www.giantbomb.com/.

I've followed them since 2008 and they're some of the best in the business. Their podcasts (they do 2/week) are also top-notch.

 

[Wabit]

I went to rent HDZ and it was out, so I picked up Neir because of the recommendations here. So far it's a great game, definitely has the older FF's feel to it.