Fabulously Olivier
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Posts posted by Fabulously Olivier
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2 minutes ago, Tryhard said:
Not only are most of the games considered "open world" games in modern times almost exclusively third person
As they should be.
Followup unpopular opinion. First person is incredibly limiting for games, and WILL lower the quality of melee combat, even if there is also a third person option. It's largely to blame for the weakness of Bethesda's melee and magic combat.
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My unpopular opinion is that Bethesda's games have always been mediocre. Even before Fallout 76 made it popular to hate on them. They all have terrible combat. They are all poorly balanced. They all have shallow RPG build systems. They all have more bugs than the beds of a 1 star hotel.
We looked past it back then because no one else was doing singleplayer open world rpgs of that scope, but now they're a dime a dozen, and Bethesda is no more interesting than the likes of Ubisoft.
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So, here's an opinion that is probably only unpopular in specific circles...
A few meaningful skill choices is WAY more impactful than a bunch of small ones.
Choosing my skills and runes in Diablo 3 is deeper and more flexible in practice than assigning stat points and skill ranks in Diablo 2.
Marvel Heroes was better AFTER its controversial Omega update that killed the game shifted from the skill-ranks system to branching skill choices. People just gave it flak because you can never overhaul an existing system without angering the community, even if the new one is loads better.
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2 minutes ago, Tryhard said:
It was more prevalent around the time DS1 came out but the whole 'git gud' mentality was something that was always annoying, and a reason to never bother with the fanbase as in most cases.
Oh, no. It's still prevalent and annoying now, and I consider them to be among the worst fanbases, alongside the likes of such notorious bases as League of Legends and Sonic.
(That said, right now, it's the Sonic one that's annoying me the most as there is a rather persistent redditor who keeps rolling alt accounts to send me lovely death threats and harassment for saying I didn't like Sonic once. But I digress).
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Okay, here's an unpopular opinion. Souls is just Monster Hunter for people who need to be reassured that they are in fact the leetest of gamers.
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Saying a game has great mod support is almost always a massive turn-off. It usually equates to a game being a boring, broken mess if you don't install and organize dozens of mods or more.
Looking at you, Bugthesda.
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1 hour ago, Tryhard said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWWOjWN_IHc
Despite the extreme dryness of BG1, I still like playing it occasionally these days, mostly solo as a sort of breeze-through. I guess I feel kind of guilty if I don't do a full trilogy run if I'm going to play it. Although I now include SoD in that.
as a side note - in many CRPG/D&D games, a lot of people get giddy over the prospect of playing high-level characters or basically demi-gods (about the level of your character in Throne of Bhaal). Unironically this is always where any D&D based games are the most terrible, because combat just turns into who can spam their overpowered abilities first and win instantly with no chance for retaliation. A lot of the time it can just be cast time stop and destroy everything before it gets a chance to move.
as a side, side note: Baldur's Gate 3 is coming out for full release on August 3rd and the max level is going to be 12, something that has been complained about but like the above I think is a correct decision as well. The amount of complaining about Larian getting the rights to do a third game has been unprecedented by people like me who enjoyed the original games, and unfairly, considering the excellence of Original Sin 2.
people unironically complaining about whimsical writing when space hamster man existed in bg1 and 2.
In fairness, I do think that was the intention. You have no idea how much the screaming would be if they touched the admitted archaic-ness of Diablo II. For what it was intending to be I do think it was well put together and I did like Vicarious Visions prior work, but it was always just going to be a nicer looker Diablo II. And even beside that it still sits at a 3.2 user score metacritic because of launch issues, general Blizzard hatred (warranted) and "the characters are too ugly and woke."
See, the problem with that is that they already had a solution for people who wanted the archaic experience. The game offers toggles for Classic and Expansion, in addition to the Normal/Hardcore, Non-Ladder and Ladder, etc. Why couldn't they just offer Traditional and Modernized experiences in the same toggle. The modernized version offering improved inventory, higher drop rates, sped up xp gains, etc.
Then there's things like removing genderlocking which uh... Just do it. Those who want to play the original versions of the characters can just pick the original version of the character.
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11 hours ago, Integrity said:
stop posting things that i agree with everywhere wtf
d2x is lionized for a zeitgeist that can never be re-realized, and outside of that zeitgeist it's an exceptionally moody and atmospheric but not very good game outside of those elements. in its element, in approx. 2003 b.net, it is unapproachable; the time has passed. this cannot be experienced again.
I think the remake was just too low effort and didn't hit a balance of modernizing what needed to be modernized (inventory, gender locking, animations, quality and quantity of loot, etc.) while keeping what needed to be kept (core content, narrative, atmosphere, and RPG systems). Instead, they basically remastered the graphics to something that would still look well below par 10 years ago, and left it at that.
That said, I don't even know if I'm willing to apply a "for its time" argument. Sure, it was literally 20 years ago, but fast forward 1 year and we get World of Warcraft. Fast forward 2 years and we get Guild Wars - one of the deepest build systems in an RPG of all time, and it still holds up today.
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Post Reaper of Souls Diablo 3 is better than Diablo 2 (and Resurrected) in every regard. Yes, even in regards to the build craft Diablo 2 gets so much praise for.
It plays better, it looks better, it's faster, it has actual tangible skill choices, it's more generous with loot, classes aren't genderlocked, and it doesn't have the same amount of inventory space as an old, busted wallet.
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12 minutes ago, RibsChirino said:
Hahaha I'm so curious, I hope I remember to ask @Shrimpy -Limited Edition-about the Trails stuff when I play it. I don't hate any games to be honest, probably the closest is Mighty No. 9, that's probably the game I like the least 😞 Inafune got me hardcore
The most I can really say without spoilers is that the worldbuilding remains stellar throughout, but the quality of storytelling becomes more Saturday morning cartoon esque with Cold Steel, and then gets worse with Cold Steel 3, and even worse with 4.
But Sky, Zero, and Azure are such an incredible, beautiful ride that they need to be experienced. Preferably in release order.
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Just now, Shrimpy -Limited Edition- said:
That has nothing to do with loc times tho?
I was referring to your newfound hostility towards the franchise.
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Just now, Shrimpy -Limited Edition- said:
Ys 9 still took close to 2 years
And the less i say about the mess that was Ys 8 localization the better.
And Trails loc times are not excuseable in this day and age, either. But i don't care about that series anymore so it doesn't matter to me.
I mean if it's because of a writing quality decline in CS3 and 4, I might understand your attitude, but even then, I'd argue that the studio's ambition is to be respected and that no one does worldbuilding better.
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Ys games don't take anywhere near as long to localize as Trails games do, because they have normal or even conservative amounts of text, whereas Trails has an astromical amount of text. (I vaguely remember something along the lines of Cold Steel 3 or 4 having more lines of text than the entire Harry Potter novel franchise).
Edit:
Ah, here it is.
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For anyone who loves Assassin's Creed Black Flag, Ys X will be taking heavy inspiration from its naval combat. I for one am excited for faster-paced, anime piracy.
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27 minutes ago, vanguard333 said:
I didn't mind the idea of Dana replacing the tree and becoming the new goddess of evolution; I would've liked to see Dana be in other adventures, but, very early on in the game, I learned online that female main characters in Ys games are essentially Bond girls and I made my peace with the idea that that wasn't going to happen, and I figured that Dana taking the tree's place and choosing to watch over evolution with a far gentler hand than the mass-murdering Tree of Evolution would be a fitting conclusion to her character arc. In other words, I liked Dana becoming the new goddess of evolution; it was the Ys universe turning out to be a dream and the Lacrimosa being necessary to keep her from waking that I didn't like.
I see. I had never played Ys 7, so Maia came completely out of nowhere (and I suspect her sudden appearance in 8 would still feel out-of-nowhere even if I had played Ys 7).
SpoilerDana most likely appears in spirit orb form at the finale of Ys 9, alongside several other figures from Adol's past.
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Gonna go with Innes on this one. That coat is stylish af.
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What missions and explorable areas left a real impact on you? Whether it was excellent gameplay, memorable quests, or unique enemies and environments, share your love here.
Here's a few of mine to start.
Fire Emblem - Defense Missions
The peak of content for my preferred playstyle, and a chance to live out my Battle of Helm's Deep fantasies. Gabel Castle, Elincia's Gambit, Fort Nox, CQ10, etc. are all among my favorite missions in the franchise.
Guild Wars - The Jade Sea
A solidified sea of pure jade, inhabited by land pirates riding massive siege turtles, and populated by all manner of adapted sea creatures. No other setting in gaming feels so original and uniquely beautiful.
Guild Wars - The Echovald Forest
The opposite end of the spectrum. The pirates of the Jade Sea are at war with the gothic Kurzicks in their solemn petrified forest full of cathedrals and rivers. Here, players fight angry tree spirits and hostile wildlife.
Guild Wars 2 - Drizzlewood Coast
Guild Wars 2 is endlessly ambitious in its content, and with this map comprosing of a forest, river ford, and icy mountain, they successfully created a simulated Realm vs Realm style MMO conflict against PvE enemies. And it is wonderfully executed and epic in scale. Chef's kiss.
Diablo 3 - Act 3 and SMTV - Act 3
Similar universes with similar third acts. Massive ongoing battlefields against demons lend a sense of scale and grandeur to these dark tales.
Trails of Cold Steel 3 - Dark Dragon's Castle and Spiral of Erebos
Honestly singlehandedly redeemed what would have been my least favorite Trails game. The story rapidly reaches a climax with an epic final and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.
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20 hours ago, Perkilator said:
I just bought Trails in the Sky FC for $10 on Steam and so far, I’m having a blast!
Oh boy. The end of this game and transition into the next is one of the most epic moments in gaming.
Anyway, last clear for June.
32. Ys 9: Monstrum Nox
Cleared 6/30
8/10
So, Ys 8 and 9 are to Ys what FE 9 and 10 are to FE. The prior game of each is a 10/10 masterpiece and the peak of the franchise, and the next game is just good-to-great.
So, let's start with what I really like here.
The cast of characters is mostly better. This is the coolest version of Adol yet. Hawk is a fun, badass character who does a good job at filling the rival role. White Cat is fun to play and beyond adorable. Raging Bull is pleasant. I don't much care for Renegade or Doll. Usually with this franchise, I struggle to find a full party of characters I like, usually because both characters of one damage type are annoying (like Sahad and Ricotta for the impact type in Ys 8). But Adol/Krysha/Credo are all to my liking and fill the triangle. That said, Ys 8 had real quality where it counts - no one in 9 is as likeable as Hummel and Dana.
Movement and traversal are much improved thanks to monstrum gifts. The ability to glide, run up walls, and zip to grappling points helps make exploring fast and fun.
As ever, the combat and soundtrack of Ys are top-notch.
But here's what I didn't much care for...
This franchise is all about the joy of exploration, and the dingy, repetitive city setting really makes the game feel one note until you start breaking out from it. And even once you leave the city, there isn't that much variety. The game essentially has a gray, brown, and green color palette with a little water, and one lava area. It's a real downer compared to the vibrant, original setting of 8.
The game also takes most of its run time to start picking up the plot. It reaches serious heights around Chapter 7 (of 9) to the end, but it drags before then.
Also, the game seems bogged down in progress gates, and not in a fun way. A progress gate in 8 involved you exploring the island and finding survivors who could help open up more of the map. It naturally worked into the game. A progress gate in 9 involves either slowly grinding nox points from enemy spawn points or doing side quests until the game lets you do a Grimwald Nox and unlock more of the map, and I find it slows the pace considerably.
Oh, and also, the prison-exploration/puzzle bits with other-Adol are awful, and the game knows it because it lets you skip them if you die.
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11 minutes ago, Fire Emblem Fan said:
I've heard of it, but never played it. I've heard it's good! I just have no idea where I'd begin, I'm a little confused by the naming system. That and I'm caught up in some other games at the moment.
The best word of advice on Ys is just to dive into whichever one interests you. Ys is not Trails - it isn't so story heavy and serialized that you need to play them in narrative order.
Each is just its own contained adventure at a different point in Adol's life, and they'll only make minor references to characters/events from other games at most.
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I'll probably have a bit more to add given I'm on vacation for the next couple days but here's what I've played since last time
25. Ratchet and Clank 2016 (Cleared 5/27)
9/10. Extremely enjoyable 3rd person shooter/light platformer/collectathon with great humor.
26. Immortals Fenyx Rising (6/12)A mixed bag, but ultimately a solid 7/10. Breath of the Mild. Great combat, enjoyable puzzles, atrocious platforming, and some funny jokes. There was absolutely something hella compelling about it though, because it was my 4th platinum trophy this year.
27. Oninaki (Cleared 6/17)4/10, maybe 3/10. Nihilism the video game. No one has a personality. The story is soulless. The combat is unremarkable. The only things that kinda work are the art style and skill trees. Yeah, Tokyo RPG Factory games certainly feel factory made alright. Still not the worst game I've cleared this year. That's solidly Warriors Legends of Troy.
28. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Cleared 6/22)8/10. This game had no right being as good as it is. It's authentically Mario, brimming with personality, has a great soundtrack, and is more than just Xcom for babies. I've never seen an SRPG function with only 3 characters, and you can do so much in one turn between movement, dashing, jump attacks, pipes, attacking, and skills. It is just so delightfully fast paced, while aggressive and defensive at the same time. Make more SRPGs that play like this!
On the negative, some of the enemy design is extremely annoying, and this game as the worst texture pop in I have ever seen. Entire objects were literally glitching onto my screen (in exploration and Tacticam).
29. Yakuza 5 (Cleared 6/26)So, an ideal Yakuza game is probably a 9/10 in retrospect. But I'm knocking off one point for Haruka's part and 1 point for Saejima's part, because they were both boring as shit, and they were back to back so I actually had to take a break for a while. So 7/10 it is.
The story comes together well, but I ultimately think it was too much Yakuza for its own good, and not ideally paced. Also, needs a lot more Akiyama. Every game needs more Akiyama.
30. TMNT Shredder's Revenge (6/27)Enjoyably 6-7/10. It's fun, it's quick, it's full of personality, and it's authentic. But the enemy design is super cheap. They basically specialize in low to no telegraph attacks, and hitting you from offscreen. Also, it's really short.
31. Luigi's Mansion 3 (Cleared 6/28)8/10. Fun, creative, brimming with personality. The puzzles and combat are both fun. Though frankly, some of the bosses really aggravated me. They love "guess which of these is the real one" bosses.
Doom Eternal
Abandoned.
7/10. Great gunplay, entertaining setup for a story. Basic enemies are fun to fight. But the platforming is even more frustrating, the difficulty is way too high, and the boss designs suck.
Ultimately, I drew the line at the Hellvire - a durable, teleporting summoner that infinitely spawns high level empowered demons. No thanks, fam.
Currently playing Ys 9 Monstrum Nox, Dusk Diver, Persona 5 Royal, Neo TWEWY, and Fate Extella. Also Diablo 3 when my friend is on. And I have a lot more that I want to play. They'll be talked about in more depth when cleared or abandoned.
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I picture 1 main and 2 smaller campaigns in gen 1 (Sigurd, Quan, Eldigan), and 2 more substantial campaigns in gen 2 (Seliph, Leif), as well as possibly an Arvis campaign abridging both gens from the opposite perspective.
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I find the plot of Ys 8 downright Mass Effectian in the best way. And while maybe the ending doesn't quite stick the landing, it's not worth taking a point off the score, and it's far from as bad as JRPG endings get.
Tales of Arise feels like they ran out of money in the last 3rd because of a massive, incoherent sci fi lore dump, but the game was nonetheless fun. And most other Tales games end pretty roughly for that matter. Xenoblade 3 fails to stick its landing pretty hard, and it's still a masterpiece. Xenoblade 1 rushes an entire "half" of the game - the entire mechanis basically feels like 2 decent zones on the Bionis.
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Ys VIII is one of my favorite games of all time (top 10), and I enjoyed Celceta too. Playing Ys IX right this moment actually, and it's a solid 8/10.
And Ys X is my 2nd most anticipated game right now, just behind Metaphor.
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5 hours ago, DefyingFates said:
Now I'm curious when you got on the train! I've only been on it for a few years myself.
The stuff in bold is a valid point, but it's still frustrating when a $60 game launches with $30-40 worth of Day One DLC.
As for the FE part, I'm happy you feel the same way! I'm happy to not be alone! xD
I got on the train with vanilla P5 and have since also played Strikers, TMS, 13 Sentinels, and SMTV. Currently most of the way through Royal, and I intend to tackle Soul Hackers 2 and P4G before P3R and Metaphor come out. That isn't to say I'm interested in everything (Etrian Odyssey doesn't look good to me, and especially not at asking price), but most of it I'm up for.
Anyway, on the note of weird potential FE spinoffs, something like Yakuza could be really fun. Specifically with a character like Balthus. Go around getting in fights, boozing, gambling, and tackling all kinds of crazy sidequests for money.
What is your unpopular video game opinion?
in General Gaming
Posted
Even for shooters, my personal preference remains third person, because the ability to know one's position is important to me, and these games tend to be better at mobility. But yeah, first person is fine for shooters.
As far as games I'd otherwise have been interested in, but passed on because of the perspective... Cyberpunk 2077.