Mini-Review/Backlog Destruction Thread

I played so much RDR2 that I even play it in my dream, so I took it slower. Damn that game is long. Personally, I think many of the main quests could be optional side quests ( I do all white & yellow quests anyway, but I avoid most random events when you ride as they tend to be repetitive), & the story could be tighter.
I am close to the end of chapter 5, & I am sure the final ending will be good, but chapter 1-5 is basically the same predictable plot line, over & over again. You know the outcome well before you play the main missions.

I am happy, & understand many missions are for you to 'bond' with the NPCs, and there are many, so there is emotional attachment when something bad happened to them or made you cared for them. But I think this could be made more compact, or optional.

- screw up a robbery that is supposed to be a walk in the park
- Found by enemies/Law
- Move to a new location
 
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Ohhh boy, I ran into the most frustrating bug in Mass Effect: Andromeda last night. On the mission to explore the vault of Havarl I reached a spot where I fell through the floor, a continuous fall through the game's geometry. I had to reload a earlier save and thankfully the game auto saves often so I didn't have to repeat that much content. But it was a scary thing as I'm a little over 20 hrs. into the game and wonder if I should even continue because I don't want to run into a bug that prevents me from progressing. Maybe I should quit while I'm ahead before I'm frustrated. But the thing is I really like this game.

Has anyone played Warhammer 40K Inquisitor Martyr? It looks like a Diablo like game with the Warhammer coat of paint which looks awesome. Its on sale right now on PSN and I wouldn't mind a new ARPG in that style to mess with.
 
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Breath of the Wild - I'm a Zelda fan now. Favorite single player game of the gen for me.

+ Nintendo fully embraced player choice throughout the design.
+ Loved the bite size shrines scattered throughout the world.
+ Art and animation was top notch.

- Some voice acting was surprisingly bad.
- Running past open world enemies a bit too effective.
- Story was disappointing.
 
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I’ve heard Zelda BOTW is an amazing experience till you get to the end then the end ruins it. That true?

The map, which is massive, has four divine beasts on it. One in each corner. I'm pretty sure you aren't forced to beat any of them before choosing to take on the final boss, which is located smack dab in the middle of the map. I chose to conquer all four before taking on the final boss.

I was borderline in love with the game right up until I beat my 2nd divine beast. The 3rd one was kind of a chore, and I almost quit the game before taking down the 4th one.

For me, the map was interesting to run around in for the first half of the game until you start to realize what kind of tricks it's pulling. Then, as you level up, it gets so easy to traverse it loses a lot of it's charm.

Getting to the final boss was a little more fun for me because you're finally running towards the mountain you've seen and avoided all game, plus it doesn't take that long. It probably took me an hour to go from beating my fourth Divine Beast to meeting the final boss, so it didn't feel like a slog as much.

Impressions before 1st Divine Beast: 9
Impressions before 2nd Divine Beast: 9
Impressions before 3rd Divine Beast: 6
Impressions before 4th Divine Beast: 4
Impressions before Final Boss: 7
 
I thought of getting the switch but I thought it will end up as a white elephant. Also, the price of the game is similar to PS4, making it not attractive to me.
I don't mind paying full AAA price for Zelda, but I am not sure about paying AAA price for Mario Kart.

I am back to RDR2, & Chapter 6 now. I did all white quests. I am quite enjoying the casualness of the game. The game is ridiculously easy with little thinking, as you just do what your cowboy buddies told you to do, go where they told you, when to attack, when to retreat, making it almost like an interactive game.
 
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Finished Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (PC). It was an ok game. I was really high on it when I started but 56 hours later at the end, I can see many flaws.
The good:
1. It's a very graphically pleasing game. I wish NVIDIA had chosen this game for ray tracing instead of Tomb Raider.
2. Gameplay ( combat) has been improved since Origins and it shows.
3. I did enjoy the more RPG-ish the game has become, especially with dialog choices.

The bad:
1. Story. IMO they ripped Origins story and slapped it in a greek setting and called it a day. Same revenge motive, with dead family members and a secret shadowy organization behind it. FYI the cultist leader is someone you would easily guess a mile away.
2. Side-quests. Alot were busy work but not nearly as bad as Mass Effect: Andromeda or Dragon Age : Inquisition.
3. Focus. Later in the game it sprawls to excess becoming unfocused. It became a chore to finish.

Overall its not a bad game but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece either. 8/10
 
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UBIsoft games have a habit of being way too long. I got halfway through Origins and feel like I got my money's worth already.
 
Super Mario Odyssey - It's a really polished "meh" game so far. I just beat the main story but have heard the post story game is where it really shines. Let's hope so.
 
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Super Mario Odyssey - It's a really polished "meh" game so far. I just beat the main story but have heard the post story game is where it really shines. Let's hope so.
Nope, it's just more moons on same levels. I honestly think gaming media did wrong by hyping the "end game" content in this game like it was some groundbreaking mechanic being unlocked.
 
I have no issue with long games, but many games do this by stretching thin to extend playtime & adding lots of fillers and traveling mostly emptiness.
 
Finished Spiderman (PS4). Solid game. I still feel like the Arkham games are better superhero games but that is no slight to this game. Graphically it hits all the right notes. Insomniac really put a lot of care into this game. It has the most pure form of web slinging I've ever seen. Story isn't much to write home about but it kept me entertained. With all the loose ends not really tied up, it sets itself up well for a sequel ( unless the dlc covers that).
Can't say that I liked this version of Mary Jane. Something about her was off putting.
Side quests were ok. They flesh out the lore and have some throwbacks/re-imagining of other characters but doesn't really tie into the story much.

Overall I'd say its a PS4 exclusive that spiderman fans or just fans of the superhero genre should give a shot.
 
Bulletstorm Fullclip Edition: (Full Disclosure I got this ridiculously cheap)


Good:
- Simple straight forward gun fights, no traveling across the map to start the mission, no collecting BS.
- Kill system was fun to try and check off all the special kills
- Story was passable

Bad:
- The dialogue sounds like it was written by a middle schooler who just learned how to cuss

Overall: It was nice to play a simple game and beat it over break and not feel overwhelmed by collecting and traveling or side quests. As someone without a ton of time it was I enjoyed it more than most would.
 
Finished Spiderman (PS4). Solid game. I still feel like the Arkham games are better superhero games but that is no slight to this game. Graphically it hits all the right notes. Insomniac really put a lot of care into this game. It has the most pure form of web slinging I've ever seen. Story isn't much to write home about but it kept me entertained. With all the loose ends not really tied up, it sets itself up well for a sequel ( unless the dlc covers that).
Can't say that I liked this version of Mary Jane. Something about her was off putting.
Side quests were ok. They flesh out the lore and have some throwbacks/re-imagining of other characters but doesn't really tie into the story much.

Overall I'd say its a PS4 exclusive that spiderman fans or just fans of the superhero genre should give a shot.

I thought the opposite. Spider-man hit all the right notes when it comes to storytelling. RDR2 however, is what I call decent character driven, but poor storytelling. You know what happened before it happens. The main plotline for every chapter is so similar, you know how the main chapter missions will pan out 100% of the time. You know who the traitor is a thousand miles away.
 
Just bought AC:Odyssey for no particularly good reason other than it was on sale and I had money in my account. My current backlog:

-Gears of War 4 (lol I really need to finish this today)
-Wolfenstein 2
-AC:Origins (probably should finish this seeing as I bought the sequel)
-Uncharted Lost Legacy (bought this cheap digitally, want to play it)
-God of War (when you see GOW in my backlog, it means both)

That on top of MP games:
-COD Blackout (still need to win a br game)
-Battlefield V
-Rainbow Six Siege
-Overwatch
-Destiny 2
 
I thought the opposite. Spider-man hit all the right notes when it comes to storytelling. RDR2 however, is what I call decent character driven, but poor storytelling. You know what happened before it happens. The main plotline for every chapter is so similar, you know how the main chapter missions will pan out 100% of the time. You know who the traitor is a thousand miles away.

I don't know if I'll ever pick up RDR 2. From the videos I've seen, its seems like too much like a wild west simulator with trivial minutia gameplay.
 
I don't know if I'll ever pick up RDR 2. From the videos I've seen, it seems like too much like a wild west simulator with trivial minutia gameplay.
Playing a TV series is what I called RdR2. Its slow pace, missions are highly scripted & you follow through with little diversion other than occasional go left/go right. But because it is very scripted, you do not have to think about how to approach any mission at all, so the game is very relaxing & stress-free.
 
I beat Astrobot and Moss this week.

I'm a ****ing believer now.

Astrobot was fun (though overrated) but I loooooooved Moss. I'm not supposed to love Moss. It's single player. It's linear. It's story focused. It's puzzle based. None of these things appeal to me. But it gave me some of that same feeling I got when I was 11 years old playing Metal Gear Solid for the first time. I wasn't playing a game, I was in a different world. Man, I sound so lame.

I'm way in on VR now.
 
I don't know if I'll ever pick up RDR 2. From the videos I've seen, its seems like too much like a wild west simulator with trivial minutia gameplay.

At the risk of committing gaming blasphemy, I thought the 1st one was horribly overrated. I keep looking for RDR2 on sale but I'm actually kind of glad I haven't found it. I get why some people like it, but I don't think I will. I'd rather play through GTA5 again I think.
 
I beat Astrobot and Moss this week.

I'm a ****ing believer now.

Astrobot was fun (though overrated) but I loooooooved Moss. I'm not supposed to love Moss. It's single player. It's linear. It's story focused. It's puzzle based. None of these things appeal to me. But it gave me some of that same feeling I got when I was 11 years old playing Metal Gear Solid for the first time. I wasn't playing a game, I was in a different world. Man, I sound so lame.

I'm way in on VR now.
Did it reinvent single player games and cure aids?
 
Just bought AC:Odyssey for no particularly good reason other than it was on sale and I had money in my account. My current backlog:

-Gears of War 4 (lol I really need to finish this today)
-Wolfenstein 2
-AC:Origins (probably should finish this seeing as I bought the sequel)
-Uncharted Lost Legacy (bought this cheap digitally, want to play it)
-God of War (when you see GOW in my backlog, it means both)

That on top of MP games:
-COD Blackout (still need to win a br game)
-Battlefield V
-Rainbow Six Siege
-Overwatch
-Destiny 2

Wolfie 2, get on it, soooo much fun, and looks incredible on the X!
 
In my ongoing saga of trying to play some of the older games in classic Nintendo series, I'm currently playing through Ocarina of Time 3D, sans the 3D because I hate it. Only a 1/4 of the way through or so but it's good. Probably just the controls due to the 3DS but sometimes the camera controls really f*** me over.

Also bought NBA Live 19 when it was going for $10. Don't play sports games a lot, but after having 18 last year and not having played 2k in since about 11 or so, I wanted to give that a try. Honestly not a fan of 2k's mechanics and feel, so decided to buy Live 19 at that price.

Also playing Fallout 76 and enjoying it. It has its issues but honestly isn't that much worse than Fallout 4 so whatever.
 
Tried giving the crash trilogy another go and yeah it's just garbage. Poor level design and crash just feels made of lead when jumping.
 
Mutant Year Zero on Game Pass goes down as one of the most underrated good games of 2018. Finished. Abrupt ending but look forward to see what they do next.

Over the holidays I tried to branch out my FPS games. Bought Rainbox Six Siege, Battlefield 5 and COD on sales. Only one I’m sticking with is Battlefield 5.

Red Dead 2 may go down as that game everyone else likes but me. I still turn it on periodically and just don’t like the gameplay at all. Problem isn’t just the controls (which are f’n frustrating). Also game design. Nothing more frustrating than failing an on rails mission because you go outside the rails.
 
I had a gaming marathon for the past 2 months due to long sick leave. I am taking a break & get some productivity done as well as reading more books.
 
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Finished Ni No Kini 2. The only thing that needs to be said is it plays like a next gen Suikoden. If the story was a bit more serious and without fluff, it could have given alot of games a run for its money. One of the best rpgs that I played from last year and released in 2018 ( Persona 5 was the best but it came out in 2017)