ITT we lament our backlog and play old games

[Ythan]

It's about the journey and this is actually a serious post.

[xRECKONERx]

I've gone through a phase recently where I'll buy a game and just burn out on it like immediately.

First happened with Ghost of Tsushima, then Nier Automata, then Crash 4.

GoT is because I just don't think it's a great game. It's good, it's quality, yeah. But it's just another pretty coat of paint slapped on top of the Assassin's Creed formula, except maybe even more tedious because there are no towers to reveal the map, you have to literally ride around on your horse to every location to reveal it. Which has a certain "immersive" element to it, but the map is HUGE, and it gets exhausting. And then like, I personally think the character models are meh at best? Looks like an early PS4 game, not a 2020 release.

Nier: Automata... man I just don't get it. The music is good and the story is a little interesting but I have fallen asleep playing it TWICE because it's just... I don't know. It's running across big empty spaces to go button mash at a group of robot enemies which drop a billion items named things like TYPE-3S POD UPGRADE MODULE 26B or R07 SHIELD UNIT or COMPLEX GADGET or whatever, just so generic, and there's no immediate understanding of what they're used for. The combat isn't engaging, it's just button mashing. It's sacrifices substance for style, even though that style is really fucking good.

Crash 4 is actually really great, but I went into it with the idea of wanting to Platinum the game. And then I died. A lot. Over and over again. Punishingly difficult, at times. Then I looked up the Plat and found out you have to get every N.Sane relic in the game. N.Sane relics require you to beat a level without dying once while collecting every gem in the level by breaking every crate, collecting 80% of all fruit, and the hidden gem. In case you've forgotten, Crash is a series where if you get hit by one enemy, you die. Full stop. Maybe you can find a mask which saves you from one hit. But this is also a Unity game, and like other Unity platformers, the controls feel a bit dodgy. Several levels have you controlling a character that has to be able to aim a gun in a three dimensional space, but the game provides no cross hair or aiming reticle to show you where you're aiming. I'll still finish this probably, but my dreams of digging in to 100% it are just dead.

[CaptainMeme]

Nier: Automata... man I just don't get it. The music is good and the story is a little interesting but I have fallen asleep playing it TWICE because it's just... I don't know. It's running across big empty spaces to go button mash at a group of robot enemies which drop a billion items named things like TYPE-3S POD UPGRADE MODULE 26B or R07 SHIELD UNIT or COMPLEX GADGET or whatever, just so generic, and there's no immediate understanding of what they're used for. The combat isn't engaging, it's just button mashing. It's sacrifices substance for style, even though that style is really fucking good.

I had exactly the same thing with Nier. Everything about the game made me want to play it except uh, actually playing it. It's so incredibly dull most of the time that whenever I do play, I just find myself wishing I was watching someone else play it instead.

[Ythan]

The more open worlds I play the more I am convinced that paths are better. Wrt Ghost.

[brassherald]

Yeah, open world games kind of end up mostly empty which is not great.

I kind of like BOTW's style for that because there are puzzles and shit hidden everywhere. But, lots of them its just dead space between the cities.

[Ythan]

Souls games really made me appreciate paths and lit up obvious items. Items are still hidden sometimes but if it's visible on screen it's obvious. This as opposed to scouring open areas for nondescript vendor trash in say Skyrim.

[brassherald]

Souls games really made me appreciate paths and lit up obvious items. Items are still hidden sometimes but if it's visible on screen it's obvious. This as opposed to scouring open areas for nondescript vendor trash in say Skyrim.

Yeah, I've definitely also played games where it's just not obvious what is and is not vendor trash. That's always frustrating. I feel like if the only point of an item is to sell it, just put the money there.

[Ythan]

I mean most of the stuff you pick up in Souls games is trash but at least you can spot the trash easily.

[xRECKONERx]

The more open worlds I play the more I am convinced that paths are better. Wrt Ghost.

Yeah with the exception of BOTW, or like Minecraft if you count that, I haven't played many enjoyable open world games.

I loved Witcher 3 up until I didn't because it took me to a new map with a whole new open world to explore and I was like "i am fucking done"

[Ythan]

I think the saving grace in botw is that almost every treasure is garbage to an extent that loot in other games does not match and so it's really irrelevant if you miss anything that you don't find naturally.

[brassherald]

I do also like that you can technically just leave the starting area, charge towards Calamity Ganon and win the game if you are good enough.

[Ythan]

Yeah the fact that the game design itself is open and not just the map is really good.

[Ythan]

By saving grace I meant specifically with regards to the map. The game overall is excellent imo.

Another plus for the map every place is actually distinct and at least somewhat interesting.

Coughskyrimcough.

[Isis]

The combat isn't engaging, it's just button mashing.

It hurts my soul that the story/music etc were so great but wasn't paired with gameplay it deserved.

[Ythan]

This sounds like this game called Legend of Mana I used to be obsessed with until I saw through the outstandingly beautiful scenery and awesome Yoko Shimomura soundtrack and realized the gameplay was actually really awful.

[brassherald]

Yeah, Nier:Automata really is not up to my standards for a Platinum Games game.

Like, even the Transformers game that they released was like a solid brawler with some real depth and challenge. This one, well, I feel like it's a little easier than it needs to be.

By the way, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is still probably my favorite game from Platinum.

[xRECKONERx]

By saving grace I meant specifically with regards to the map. The game overall is excellent imo.

Another plus for the map every place is actually distinct and at least somewhat interesting.

Coughskyrimcough.

i am definitely on team "skyrim is a bad game" but i would extend that to basically every single bethesda game, full stop

[Ythan]

I haven't started completely hating Fallout 4 yet.

[bugspray]

By saving grace I meant specifically with regards to the map. The game overall is excellent imo.

Another plus for the map every place is actually distinct and at least somewhat interesting.

Coughskyrimcough.

i am definitely on team "skyrim is a bad game" but i would extend that to basically every single bethesda game, full stop

as long as you don't count games that they were only publishers for

[Ythan]

Aka watch yourself profligate