Discussion What's your most favorite GAMING GENRE ? **General game Discussion thread**

[Frag Maniac]

I don't know man, I mean I really really love the Dead Space series, but I really really hate EA for canning it, and even going to the extent of acquiring Visceral Games whom developed it, then dismantling their team to work on their crap projects.

If the Dead Space IP were bought by someone that actually cares about the franchise and the brilliant work that was put into it, it would be one thing, but as many have said, EA is where great dev teams go to die.

This looks like it has the potential for being a desperate cash grab, so I'm skeptical, but the crazy side of me hopes and wants them to bring back the Visceral Games team to work on it, and maybe even continue the series if this one is successful. EA have a way of being utterly ridiculous about what they deem successful though, so good luck with that.

How are you getting on with Days Gone by the way? I just beat it on Survival II, the hardest mode, and I kind of wish I'd have played it on that mode my first play through. Even with a fresh start vs New Game +, it felt too easy. I mean sure in early parts of the game you have to be careful how you take on surprise attacks by wolves and such, but the biggest disappointment is they don't scale back resources at all on the hardest modes. You have WAY too much access to crafting supplies and ammo for a game that's supposed to be survival horror.

So now I'm experimenting with mods that amp up the difficulty. Right now I'm playing with the Massive Hordes mod, which increases horde size. It's good, but I'd like to add something that scales back resources as well.

[Edited]
I just started playing straight through without sleeping to start each mission in the morning, since I couldn't find a mod that limits resources. It makes the game quite a bit more immersive and challenging, especially since I'm using the Massive Hordes mod as well. It also seems like I'm far more often doing missions at night than in the day.

To go to the Metolius Lava Caves area at night, where that mission to get more meat when Boozer says it's running low, is very daunting. I recall even on my first play through on Normal I was mauled at night by the nearby horde there when it was roaming.

The funny thing was, two of the deer I hunted this time were hiding out in a cave, as if they knew they were vacated at night by Freaks. That didn't pan out though, as I could not get all the carcasses required for the mission before getting mauled again. Heck, I couldn't even make it back to my bike to save.

After about the 3rd try I finally got it done by bagging 2 deer that happened to run by near my bike, as I shot them with my Drifter Crossbow, then saved. The last 3 I had to work for though, as there were a handful of Freaks chasing me that I shot with the crossbow mostly, but 2 with an unsuppressed pistol.

I had chills wondering if that now fairly big Metolius Lava Cave horde was close enough to hear the pistol shots. Fortunately it wasn't, but it made me think of a mod I saw that makes Bleachers blind beyond a few feet, but with super enhanced hearing.

With the Massive Hordes mod making the Metolius horde pretty daunting in size, I was hiding out in bushes by my bike once, as they chased a deer. You could literally hear their feet on the ground sounding like a bull stampede. I hoped and preyed the deer didn't run my way, but it did, and there was no hope of escaping the horde.

Just when I thought I was burning out on this game, an interesting mod and a slight change of gameplay tactics has made it feel like new again. I am however getting some intermittent problems with some of the AI disappearing here and there, and I have to think it may be the mod causing it.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

I don't know man, I mean I really really love the Dead Space series, but I really really hate EA for canning it, and even going to the extent of acquiring Visceral Games whom developed it, then dismantling their team to work on their crap projects.

If the Dead Space IP were bought by someone that actually cares about the franchise and the brilliant work that was put into it, it would be one thing, but as many have said, EA is where great dev teams go to die.

This looks like it has the potential for being a desperate cash grab, so I'm skeptical, but the crazy side of me hopes and wants them to bring back the Visceral Games team to work on it, and maybe even continue the series if this one is successful. EA have a way of being utterly ridiculous about what they deem successful though, so good luck with that.

How are you getting on with Days Gone by the way? I just beat it on Survival II, the hardest mode, and I kind of wish I'd have played it on that mode my first play through. Even with a fresh start vs New Game +, it felt too easy. I mean sure in early parts of the game you have to be careful how you take on surprise attacks by wolves and such, but the biggest disappointment is they don't scale back resources at all on the hardest modes. You have WAY too much access to crafting supplies and ammo for a game that's supposed to be survival horror.

So now I'm experimenting with mods that amp up the difficulty. Right now I'm playing with the Massive Hordes mod, which increases horde size. It's good, but I'd like to add something that scales back resources as well.

Hey, actually I only loved playing the first Dead Space Game, as I didn't like the second and third entries. They actually changed the gameplay a bit, but the first title still remains a classic HORROR game. Many say the third entry, DS 3 was the worst in this franchise. Also, yes I agree about what you think about EA as well.

And even I think the new so-called "remake of DS1" is just going to be a desperate cash grab. EA just trying to milk this franchise. A lot of peeps also agree and share the same opinion regarding EA. EA killed Visceral Games. Here's the thing Visceral Games was not the same studio after Dead Space 2.

If you ever watched the Dead Space retrospective a bunch of ex-Visceral people mention that after Dead Space 2 the majority of the people responsible had left and EA had to re-staff the studio. This is why Dead Space 3 was such a disappointment and the quality of Visceral's output declined and then was closed.

But anyways, never mind all this. Btw, I actually stopped playing the "Days Gone" game in the middle. I first wanted to try RE:VILLAGE, so I'm still playing this game, but I will start playing Days Gone from the scratch. Just need some time. I'm actually STUCK in one level of RE: Village, lol. But since I watched one video walkthrough, I think I can continue in the same level further.

I'm stuck in this particular level and area of the game, as explained in this guide. It also contains some more useful info as well. So I'm just getting familiar with some basics as well, including how to solve puzzles.

https://guides.gamepressure.com/resident-evil-village/guide.asp?ID=59033

Btw, speaking of Days Gone game, playing on the Survival II, the hardest mode might be very damn challenging. Not my cup of tea though. I will start with the easiest difficulty first.

IMO, Survival Mode and Survival Mode II are the most challenging difficult settings in Days Gone. These levels are only for the gamers who want to challenge themselves and enjoy a brutal and violent experience. The Survival Mode restricts us from Fast Travel. It gives you survival vision to help you locate enemies instead. The Waypoints and plants are also not visible in this mode. Enemies will have an extreme amount of health (OUCH!), and some stronger enemies will be able to one-shot you. Instead of resources being easily around you, this time we will have to buy them.

The prices will be pretty high in this mode as well. The enemies are much more skilled and will come to you silently.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Hey, actually I only loved playing the first Dead Space Game, as I didn't like the second and third entries. They actually changed the gameplay a bit, but the first title still remains a classic HORROR game. Man say the third entry, DS 3 was the worst in this franchise. Also, yes I agree about what you think about EA as well.

And even I think the new so-called "remake of DS1" is just going to be a desperate cash grab. EA just trying to milk this franchise. A lot of peeps also agree and share the same opinion regarding EA. EA killed Visceral Games. Here's the thing Visceral Games was not the same studio after Dead Space 2.

If you ever watched the Dead Space retrospective a bunch of ex-Visceral people mention that after Dead Space 2 the majority of the people responsible had left and EA had to re-staff the studio. This is why Dead Space 3 was such a disappointment and the quality of Visceral's output declined and then was closed.

But anyways, never mind all this. Btw, I actually stopped playing the "Days Gone" game in the middle. I first wanted to try RE:VILLAGE, so I'm still playing this game, but I will start playing Days Gone from the scratch. Just need some time. I'm actually STUCK in one level of RE: Village, lol. But since I watched one video walkthrough, I think I can continue in the same level further.

I'm stuck in this particular level and area of the game, as explained in this guide. It also contains some more useful info as well. So I'm just getting familiar with some basics as well, including how to solve puzzles.

https://guides.gamepressure.com/resident-evil-village/guide.asp?ID=59033

Btw, speaking of Days Gone game, playing on the Survival II, the hardest mode might be very damn challenging. Not my cup of tea though. I will start with the easiest difficulty first.

IMO, Survival Mode and Survival Mode II are the most challenging difficult settings in Days Gone. These levels are only for the gamers who want to challenge themselves and enjoy a brutal and violent experience. The Survival Mode restricts us from Fast Travel. It gives you survival vision to help you locate enemies instead. The Waypoints and plants are also not visible in this mode. Enemies will have an extreme amount of health (OUCH!), and some stronger enemies will be able to one-shot you. Instead of resources being easily around you, this time we will have to buy them.

The prices will be pretty high in this mode as well. The enemies are much more skilled and will come to you silently.

I honestly can't agree at all on most of the complaints about DS3. My only slight nit picks were the trashy love triangle dialog, and the 3 missions that couldn't be played solo. That comprised a very small percentage of the game though.

Regarding the most common other complaints....

1. The claim it wasn't as scary.

Really, did anyone saying this even try the dungeons in the game? They were more scary and challenging than anything in the whole series. The creatures are also more formidable, and harder to anticipate where they'll come from. Surviving the cold as well added another dimension to the survival horror aspect. There was also that mission where you were lowered in a cage and had to fight off waves of advanced Feeders, very creepy and challenging.

2. The claim that the crafting sucked.

At first I didn't think I would like the crafting, but once I learned the basics of it, which isn't too hard to pick up, it gave the game far more versatility. Even if you continue to not like it though, you can instead play on Classic mode, where you only have access to premade DS1 weapons. So you really don't even have to do any crafting.

3. The claim that microtransactions ruined the game.

Seriously, it was merely a means for lazy gamers to get resources you can pick up in game. I had no problem with finding and using the 3 scav bots in the game, and felt it just added to the experience.

4. The claim that more action ruined the game.

Even the writer of DS1 said it was inevitable outbreaks would increase and there would need to be bigger battles in more areas. He fully agreed with this decision. Keeping an identical formula to DS1 would have stagnated the series.

5. The claim that universal ammo ruined the game.

I worried about this when I first heard it pre launch. Once I started playing the game though, it was a non issue because the versatility and strategy of crafting weapons more than makes up for it, and as well, it also makes the inventory more manageable.

6. The claim that instant deaths from environmental hazards killed Hardcore mode.

The way I look at it, if you're gung ho for playing a mode where any death restarts the whole game, common sense dictates you play though it on other modes enough times to the point where you know how to avoid such deaths. By my 3rd play through I pretty much had in my head how to time getting past falling obstacles on the climbs and such, and what route to take.

Now I'm in no way saying DS1 by comparison wasn't as good. However it was relatively easy to beat on the hardest mode with just the Plasma Cutter. Plus it's scares came largely from scripted scenes and jump scares. Thus it lacked the replay value of the others. I mean let's face it, unless you have a REALLY bad visual memory, you're going to know where all the scary parts of DS1 are, which considerably takes away from replay value. In DS3, a lot of the battles themselves were very scary.

That said, if you're still longing for something more DS1 oriented, it may come via an upcoming 2022 title called The Callisto Protocol, which is being made by a team called Striking Distance Studios, headed by Glen Schofield, creator of DS1. My only concern is they are owned by Krafton, whom publish PUBG, and Striking Distance has agreed at their request to make all of their games fit in the PUBG universe. This makes little sense since PUBG doesn't really even have a story, and it could easily as well make all SDS's upcoming games too similarly themed.

Here's a video discussing it and showing a trailer of The Callisto Protocol. I also made a comment on it under the name MrFragManiac.

As far as Days Gone goes, honestly, with the exception of the first part of the game when attacked by wolves and such, Survival modes are not really that hard, especially if you do everything in daylight. There's just way too much ammo and resources to even be called a survival mode, and in fact, you CAN see things, including plants, prey corpses, etc, on the mini map, AND even GPS routes. The way it works is the mini map, and other HUD features like the GPS, tracking footprints, etc, are only visible in Survival Vision. It does make things like escaping or shooting runners, chasing bounties, etc, while navigating a GPS route a bit more challenging, but as long as you are careful to notice the turns up ahead while Survival Vision is still engaged, then reengage it as soon as it's regenerated, it's not too bad.

However, you cannot actually spot enemies in Survival Vision on Survival and Survival II modes. There are 3 key features of Survival Vision that are disabled in those modes. As far as having to buy all resources in those modes and prices being pretty high though, that is not true either, and I'm patched to 1.05 btw, which is the current build version. Trust me, resources are far too plentiful in the Survival modes for those looking for a hardcore experience.

Their decision to allow HUD only in Survival Vision I can accept, I mean you'd be missing a lot of tracking side missions otherwise, which can often allow you to build encampment trust levels. My main contention with their Survival Modes is they do not limit resources.

BTW, I just finished Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 last night. It's a lot like the previous game, but in a more desert-like setting. This one though is the first in the series with ultra long range sniping, like up to 1500 meters. You can get scopes early on that cover such distances, but once you get out past 900 meters or so, it becomes increasingly harder to dial in headshots. This is because the long range scopes are more about long distance calibration, than having an extreme zoom appearance to the actual scope lens. It makes sense, since the more actual zoom a lens has, the more strain it puts on your eyes, even to the point of headaches. Thus it's a game kinda tailor made for playing on a big 4K display up close. Otherwise those heads can be hard to pinpoint, especially at night, because scan mode and thermal vision, which brighten everything or just bodies, don't work at that distance.

I thought I did pretty good to manage to make a lot of shots up to 1300 meters plus just using a 32" TV at 1080p res, sitting over 5 feet away from the screen. There were times though that I got frustrated when I only alerted vs killed them, and had to keep reloading prior saves to attain a "kill all in the area without raising alarm" challenge reward, one of which netted 200,000 credits. The next area that offered such a reward I opted to go for killing the target while he was escaping instead though, which netted 80,000 credits. The reason I passed on the kill all with no alarm challenge on that one was there appeared to be too many armored heavies for the 5 anti armor rounds I had (didn't have the upgrade that allows you to carry more).

It's a pretty good game, and some of the challenges are quite rewarding, as they sometimes take a lot of patience, strategy, timing, and precision to pull off. It gives you a bit of an idea what actual snipers have to endure.

As for RE Village, I keep putting off continuing it because I feel as dark as the actual environment is, it's best played in the dark, but as late as the sun goes down this time of year, I'm usually engaged in another game already by then.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

As for RE Village, I keep putting off continuing it because I feel as dark as the actual environment is, it's best played in the dark, but as late as the sun goes down this time of year, I'm usually engaged in another game already by then.

Btw, do you have plans to do some First-person shooter walkthroughs ? Currently, I'm re-playing a lot of old FPS titles, including Doom 3, Far Cry2 and 3/4, Call of Duty 1 and COD 2, STALKER, HALF LIFE series, QUAKE 4, Sin: Episodes, PAINKILLER, Serious Sam series, CRYSIS 1, just to name a few !

I'm actually addictive to the FPS genre ! Do you like playing FPS games though ?

Edit: Yes, I can agree with some of your points about Dead Space 3's criticism/complaint. I never actually finsihed playing this game though. Just played the first 2 titles.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Btw, do you have plans to do some First-person shooter walkthroughs ? Currently, I'm re-playing a lot of old FPS titles, including Doom 3, Far Cry2 and 3/4, Call of Duty 1 and COD 2, STALKER, HALF LIFE series, QUAKE 4, Sin: Episodes, PAINKILLER, Serious Sam series, CRYSIS 1, just to name a few !

I'm actually addictive to the FPS genre ! Do you like playing FPS games though ?

Edit: Yes, I can agree with some of your points about Dead Space 3's criticism/complaint. I never actually finsihed playing this game though. Just played the first 2 titles.

I've played pretty much all those games, and Painkiller in fact was my first venture into making game videos. The first ones were very low res and I used just the Fraps demo, which left a watermark. I became quite good at juggling corpses for gold coins with the Painkiller weapon. I also started doing some no scratch videos of Painkiller, and they became popular enough on the Painkiller forum that I'd often get requests to do certain parts of the game. Eventually I got better at making a bit higher res, better quality videos, but there were two video making experts on the forum from Europe that were constantly nit picking about the quality. That ended in me leaving the forum.

I really find it hard to force myself to go back and make videos of older games that are not nearly as good graphically as what we have today, but I did make a fair bit of no scratch Far Cry videos on the hardest difficulty. Most of those as well were very low res, and some nit picked about the background music I added. I did make a handful of higher res ones though.

Oh, almost forgot, I was also really into F.E.A.R., and made a lot of no scratch videos of that on the hardest difficulty too. Even the better quality ones are only 360p though, and must be viewed on the smallest viewer on YouTube. I eventually got to the point where I started dubbing in dialog and adding some humorous elements. The dismemberment visuals you can get in that game are very interesting, as well as some cool death animations that can result just from shooting something explosive near an enemy.

Here's a F.E.A.R. video I made of the Bad Water level, with a nice song by Halford added. It has some very creepy scenes to it.

As for Dead Space 3, if you like your horror games to be scary, which most do, I highly recommend playing the whole game, including and especially all the optional dungeons. What I used weapons wise is a chaingun/shotgun combo I crafted, with acid bath attachment. It also helps to find all the artifacts you can, because once you collect a full set, you get a lot of level 3 circuits, which really make your weapons powerful.

I made the video below to show how the chaingun/shotgun with acid bath is made, and what it can do once equipped with level 3 circuits. I really think one of the reasons some disliked DS3 was the extra action and waves of enemies was too much for them because they didn't know enough about how to craft decent weapons. I was talking to one of my neighbors who's been gaming longer than me about Dead Space 3, and he wasn't even aware collecting all artifacts gives you access to better weapon circuits.

This one's 1080p, so it looks pretty good even fullscreen. The nice thing about this weapon is the high rate of fire on the chaingun handles fast approaching enemies well, plus the acid bath slows down their movement and further damages them. Then the powerful shotgun finishes them off if they manage to get near you.

 

[hrisimir]

Everything else other than sport simulators.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

Oh, almost forgot, I was also really into F.E.A.R., and made a lot of no scratch videos of that on the hardest difficulty too. Even the better quality ones are only 360p though, and must be viewed on the smallest viewer on YouTube. I eventually got to the point where I started dubbing in dialog and adding some humorous elements. The dismemberment visuals you can get in that game are very interesting, as well as some cool death animations that can result just from shooting something explosive near an enemy.

Yup, even I loved playing the entire FEAR series. F.E.A.R 1 still remains one of the best original first-person shooters of all time ! I liked the SLOMO function as well, which really made the game feel like a live action movie, hehe. FEAR 2 and 3 were also okay, but I think the first title is still better in terms of Enemy AI, combat and overall gameplay.

Okay, let me try playing Dead Space 3 again from the beginning. Just played teh first few levels on my friend's computer before. I don't have this game yet in my STEAM library though. I was just watching some walkthroughs before, and read some reviews as well, but those were a bit biased, which made me not buy the game at that time. But it's a good game nonetheless, no doubt in this.

I will also try the "optional dungeons" like you have suggested. Are these separate game levels ?

 

[Frag Maniac]

I will also try the "optional dungeons" like you have suggested. Are these separate game levels ?

No, they're not separate levels. they're rather large areas to explore within levels. Technically, they're basically optional side missions, and there are 7 of them. It behooves you to do a lot of exploring in the game anyway, because there are very useful parts you can find to make decent weapons.

Take your time exploring the areas you can fly to just using the thrusters on your suit before you go to the planet too. It's an epic area to explore, and there's a lot of good loot to scavenge. The one problem I encountered though in that level is there's a side mission called C.M.S Greely, and for some reason the tram you take to get to it can result in a bit of saved progress getting lost. It's happened to me more than once, but I always soldiered on through those areas again, because the rewards are well worth it.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

Thanks., That sounds cool. I will definitely try those levels as well. Let me start the game from the beginning again in a slow and methodical pace !

 

[Frag Maniac]

Thanks., That sounds cool. I will definitely try those levels as well. Let me start the game from the beginning again in a slow and methodical pace !

Yeah and if by chance you find the game a bit harder than expected, regardless of the difficulty mode you're playing on, keep in mind in level 9 of the game shortly after getting to the planet, you can pick up the electrocution module to make a very powerful rivet gun out of the plasma cutter that easily electrocutes any enemy that approaches. You DO however have to do the Supply Depot dungeon side mission to get it.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

Okay. I have started playing DS3 ! Enjoying the game now. Thanks for all the tips.

On some other Gaming news, it appears that Bethesda will reveal a “revitalized” version of Quake at QuakeCon 2021. I loved playing the original QUAKE game. I just hope this new revitalized version is something different or more refined.

Bethesda has revealed that a new version of the classic Quake game will be presented at QuakeCon 2021. This “revitalized” version of Quake is developed by MachineGames and id Software, and will feature additional content. As the official schedule of QuakeCon 2021 states:

“Quake is back. In this special stream, John Linneman from Digital Foundry talks to Jerk Gustafsson of Machine Games about the title’s iconic legacy and what it meant to both of them. The pair will also discuss the additional content Machine Games have contributed to this revitalized edition.”

From the sounds of it, this new version of Quake will be a remaster and not a reboot or a remake, IMO. Or at least that’s what the description hints at. Personally, I just hope that this revitalized edition of Quake is not a simple re-release with some new content. Since we’ve already gotten Quake 2 RTX, MachineGames and id Software should at least implement full ray/path tracing effects to it.

Bethesda will present this new version of Quake on August 20th.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

A new teaser trailer released for COD: Vanguard. I just hope they keep the SINGLE player campaign mode at least with this upcoming title. Nothing much has been shown here though.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYeaKjAahjA&t=24s&ab_channel=CallofDuty

 

[Frag Maniac]

Regarding Machine Games, I'm more interested in the Indiana Jones title they're working on, as well as Wolfenstein III of course, which will likely come after from what I've read.

Another thing I'm very much anticipating is IO Interactive's James Bond game. It's been a while since we've seen a decent James Bond game on PC. I just hope to God they don't do what they did with Hitman and give us only a few missions you have to play over and over again to get any content length. To me that is horrible design.

That said, what they're currently calling "Project 007" will, according to IOI's official site for the game, feature a "wholly original Bond story, players will step into the shoes of the world's favorite Secret Agent to earn their 00 status in the very first James Bond origin story."

So there's definitely potential here for a good story, just hope they can flesh it out with good content, vs a Nuevo Hitman ways to kill demo.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

I'm more interested in the Indiana Jones title they're working on, as well as Wolfenstein III of course,

Are they really making another Wolfenstein Game ? That would be really awesome ! I have played almost all the titles released in this franchise, since the good old days pf Wolfenstein 3D from 1992.

But I didn't like Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Also, never played the last title in this series as well, "Wolfenstein: Youngblood". I didn't like the main protagonist and the "twin sister" idea in a first-person shooter. It kind of sucks they actually ruined the whole series.

Some say this is all about SJW propaganda, but I never understood all these things, and the reason behind it. I watched gameplay Videos of Youngblood though, but didn't like it that much. The story was dull and bland, and the gameplay elements were repetitive as well.

Never played any JAMES BOND PC game though. Would love to try some action, lol.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Personally I think there's been far too much fuss about Youngblood, and that's coming from someone whom wasn't sure he'd like it at first, mostly due to it being designed heavily around coop. I'm also not sure why you thought TNC wasn't a good game. Granted Youngblood was quite a diversion from the norm, but I don't feel either of their latest releases ruined the whole series, far from it. In fact when I went back to play Wolf TNO and TOB, they both seem too easy in comparison.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

Personally I think there's been far too much fuss about Youngblood, and that's coming from someone whom wasn't sure he'd like it at first, mostly due to it being designed heavily around coop. I'm also not sure why you thought TNC wasn't a good game. Granted Youngblood was quite a diversion from the norm, but I don't feel either of their latest releases ruined the whole series, far from it. In fact when I went back to play Wolf TNO and TOB, they both seem too easy in comparison.

Don't get me wrong, it's just that I didn't enjoy playing Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus THAT much. It's not a bad game, but I found the gameplay elements a bit repetitive. Also, even I felt the game too easy to beat, if you compare some of the previous old school shooters. Obviosuly my taste in gaming can be biased as well, but I'm addicted to FPS games.

Youngblood was indeed a diversion with it's co-op gameplay.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Don't get me wrong, it's just that I didn't enjoy playing Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus THAT much. It's not a bad game, but I found the gameplay elements a bit repetitive. Also, even I felt the game too easy to beat, if you compare some of the previous old school shooters. Obviosuly my taste in gaming can be biased as well, but I'm addicted to FPS games.

Yougblood was indeed a diversion with it's co-op gameplay.

What I meant about the first two Machine Games Wolfenstein titles feeling too easy when I went back to them is there are FAR more places in them where you can pretty easily stealth your way through. In The New Colossus there's a lot of forced open combat, and you really don't get a feel for how challenging it can be until you play on the harder difficulty modes. I guess I'm a bit biased in that regard because I highly value a good challenge. I actually prefer games that are hard for me to deal with on first play through, because it feels like there's more replay value if I have to find ways to best play them, and more reward too.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

Okay, I agree. But never mind the Wolfenstein series for the time being, but check this out. Here are 2 new videos on upcoming FPS games. Call of Duty Vanguard, and Far Cry 6 ! Gameplay looks interesting, especially the COD one. Good to know both these games will have a Single Player campaign story !

Unlike Battlefield 2042 and other latest COD titles, which are only focused on MP/BR Modes. I like the WW2 setting of COD: Vanguard. Graphics look impressive, at least in my opinion. The weapons are also solid.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzaHfpL2AdA&ab_channel=Ubisoft

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtZWVTTyFNU&ab_channel=CallofDuty

 

[Frag Maniac]

Yeah, those are two of the titles I'm looking forward to as well. I have a bit mixed emotions about them though. A lot of the gameplay design in Far Cry 6 looks a bit too arcade and far fetched, but hopefully it isn't constantly forced on you. My hope is things like stealth and sabotage will usually be an alternative to going loud and ridiculous, after all, we ARE playing a guerilla. I'm not really into a multi-rocket backpack launcher, and a pet dachshund and alligator as fighting partners though. Those elements make it look about as Saints Row-like as Watch Dogs Legion.

As for Vanguard, I'm a bit worried the campaign length will be very short. I'd also have tweaked some of the gameplay shown to offer better stealth choices. For instance having some smoke bombs and a Sten silenced SMG nearby where the player shot at the firing squad, instead of a single shot rifle, which let's face it, risks some if not most of those in the firing line getting killed. However, since it took place in Stalingrad I think, maybe a PPSh-41. It's not as quiet, but with it's very large clip, may have worked even better than the Sten after tossing a couple smoke bombs in front of the firing line.

I know this seems like nit picking to some, but guerilla fighters in WWII had to be smart, not only to save others effectively, but survive themselves. The same would be true in the fictional scenario in Far Cry 6. At first thought I assumed Vanguard might be focusing primarily on resistance fighters, but it seems they once again hand picked famous military personas as protagonists. No one seems to want to put out a AAA title that honors the many resistance fighters, without whom WWII would have taken far longer to win, with many more lives lost.

Both games certainly show lots of potential though, especially in times like these where we're lucky to have any AAA titles at all in an ever lingering global pandemic. I think you can see why I have mixed emotions about them though.

As for an update on what I'm currently playing, just beat Mass Effect 2 Legendary on Hardcore and saved all my team and shipmates, well, all that are possible to save anyway. I just started a play through of Mass Effect 3 Legendary last night, importing my ME2 save. Like ME2 Legendary, the remastering looks really good, but now the light and shadow effects really stand out even more.

 

[Joseph_138]

Playing Android games on my PC with Bluestacks 5, mostly Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes and Marvel Strike Force. I'm tired of squinting at my phone.

 

[nE0n1nja]

My most favorite genre is 3rd person RPG or action RPG.

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

As for Vanguard, I'm a bit worried the campaign length will be very short.

Yeah, I'm also a bit worried about the campaign length. In fact I even found some of the latest COD and Battlefield games a bit too short for my playstyle. They should follow what COD 1 and COD 2 offered in terms of gameplay. Btw, I haven't replayed any Mass Effect game yet. The last I played was ME3, two years back.

I didn't buy the Mass Effect Legendary edition though, but would love to play ME3, especially given this remaster really looks good. I have never played ME 1 though. I started with ME 2' s story and timeline.

Btw, how is Mass Effect Andromeda ? Have you played this title ? Heard that this game didn't meet the expectations of ME fans, and it was the worst in this franchise. Also, I think the entire Mass Effect franchise is over now ? I don't think we might get a new ME game in future, imo ? I could be wrong though.

 

[Frag Maniac]

Yeah, I'm also a bit worried about the campaign length. In fact I even found some of the latest COD and Battlefield games a bit too short for my playstyle. They should follow what COD 1 and COD 2 offered in terms of gameplay. Btw, I haven't replayed any Mass Effect game yet. The last I played was ME3, two years back.

I didn't buy the Mass Effect Legendary edition though, but would love to play ME3, especially given this remaster really looks good. I have never played ME 1 though. I started with ME 2' s story and timeline.

Btw, how is Mass Effect Andromeda ? Have you played this title ? Heard that this game didn't meet the expectations of ME fans, and it was the worst in this franchise. Also, I think the entire Mass Effect franchise is over now ? I don't think we might get a new ME game in future, imo ? I could be wrong though.

Regarding SP campaign length in games that are usually considered MP titles, I wish more devs would take note of what Respawn did with Titanfall 2. That was surprisingly a very well fleshed out SP campaign, and it had a lot of good gameplay in it.

The Mass Effect Legendary remasters are a bit of a mixed bag I'm finding. What you mainly get is better graphics. All the old bugs, many of which I'd forgotten about, are still there. A new one I noticed though was lack of proper DSR support, and it's very hit and miss. ME 1 Legendary didn't suffer it at all, ME 2 LE would keep resetting to 1080p after I changed it to 1440p, but then eventually held 1440p without changing my desktop res to 1440p. In ME3 LE, if I don't change my desktop res to 1440p, it most always reverts back to 1080p. And this is AFTER I had already tried editing the res in the config file to 2560x1440, and changing the file to read only.

Strangely, ME1 and ME 2 LE also seem to support mouse sensitivity better than ME 3 LE. Once I set it, it stayed set. In ME 3 LE, literally EVERY time I launch the game I have to go in and turn the mouse sensitivity way down to 15%, because the default 50% it keeps reverting to is WAY too twitchy for aiming, and even moving around.

The most annoying bug by far though is the one where out of the blue the combat HUD will stop reacting to LMB. I suppose for those whom use Keyboard shortcuts instead, it's not a problem. However for the many of us whom use the combat HUD, largely because it literally stops action and allows you to access where enemies are, and which to target with what ammo or power type, it means you literally have to hope you last through the battle with your squad dead or on auto, and you also can't use your own powers or even switch ammo types. To make matters worse, the spot it happens in is a pretty tough battle against the Geth, a race of networked AI, made by the Quarrians to be their servants, whom became sentient and rebelled against their creators after they tried to shut them all down.

I also just had a bug appear I'd forgotten about, where Kai Leng, an assassin working for Cerberus, is in invulnerable state the 2nd time he appears in the game where you and your squad have to battle him for the first time. Fortunately if you reload the auto checkpoint at the start of the battle, it corrects the problem, but it can take a couple tries. Such problems can make seamless capture attempts difficult though, which is one of the reasons I don't even bother trying to.

I have to say though, even despite all the little bugs, and the fact that ME3 is so confusing in many quests as far as where you have to go, which requires constant guide checking on the net, it's very exhilarating to play. ME3 by far has the smoothest player movement and combat, but the fact that it's Journal and the Galaxy Map are far more vague than the previous games can make it feel at times more tedious.

Yes, I have played Andromeda. I didn't get it until it had been patched pretty well though, so I didn't play it with the weird facial animation problems and other things that needed fixing. Keep in mind most of the bad reviews were based on the oversights of the original launch condition, it's a pretty good game now. I didn't think the new "Architect" that basically replaces the Reapers was all that interesting, but it's definitely got a lot more than that, and has it's challenges for sure. I'll probably play through it again when I'm done with the ME Legendary trilogy, probably on Hardcore.

Due note that the writing in Andromeda isn't as good as the original trilogy though, the lead writer had already left the team, and others followed suit with the rush job EA was forcing on them with Andromeda. There's a good article where the former lead writer was interviewed. This former lead writer (Drew Karpyshyn), and a couple other former Bioware employees, are said to be working on a new Sci Fi RPG. They're part of a dev team called Archetype Entertainment.

Here's that interview article, t's basically just more verification that EA is where good dev teams go to die. The smart ones get out before that happens. I have to wonder if even Respawn will eventually have to leave them to survive.

Mass Effect lead writer talks about leaving BioWare: "We were less able to make what we loved"

Drew Karpyshyn says Archetype will live up to BioWare's legacy

www.gamesradar.com

 

[Deleted member 2731765]

Regarding SP campaign length in games that are usually considered MP titles, I wish more devs would take note of what Respawn did with Titanfall 2. That was surprisingly a very well fleshed out SP campaign, and it had a lot of good gameplay in it.

Indeed ! I really enjoyed playing TITANFALL 2 ! An awesome game, and I wish more devs make SP story games like this. I loved the Parkour techniques like Wall running as well, even though in FPS this move is pretty new. Old school FPS games never had such gameplay mechanics. The same with DOOM ETERNAL as well.

Btw, thanks for the info on Mass Effect Andromeda. I'm going to check that interview article now (gamesradar).

This former lead writer (Drew Karpyshyn), and a couple other former Bioware employees, are said to be working on a new Sci Fi RPG. They're part of a dev team called Archetype Entertainment.

That's cool man. Would love to see which RPG they are making. They haven't provided any details yet though. It appears that some devs from ID SOFTWRAE are also involved in this new project.

https://www.archetype-entertainment.com/

 

[Frag Maniac]

Btw, thanks for the info on Mass Effect Andromeda. I'm going to check that interview article now (gamesradar).

Yeah I'm playing through ME Andromeda now, just started it a couple nights ago. I'd forgotten some of the quirks the last update (1.10) has, the most annoying one being the mouse cursor staying onscreen in cutscenes, and even during gameplay. I intentionally waited until the game was patched properly after reading about the bad reception, mostly due to facial animation problems. After all that patient waiting I wasn't expecting to be insulted by an oversight that's so obtrusive, yet so obvious and seemingly easy to fix. It hasn't exactly changed my perception of the new Bioware team and EA in general, so lazy.

That said, I'd also forgotten some of the cool things about the game, like the jetpack-like boost that allows you to get up onto buildings and such easily, the Nomad's (new Mako) ability to go into 6 wheel drive to climb very steep terrain, the ability to upgrade it, and the ability to scan with it and plant mining probes. There's also a lot of scanning you can do just on foot, which always increases your ability to research and craft items. On a smaller, but still appreciated note, is there's FINALLY proper DSR support (and I assume VSR), so you no longer have to do any file editing or changing desktop res to use a Super Res!

Like I said, it's a pretty good game. There are other minor quirks though, like dialog sometimes getting cut off at the end, NPCs twitching at times, etc. The brightness is also a bit hard to dial in on some displays. Many say the game, especially outdoor areas (particularly sun drenched desert-like planets) is too bright. Others say many indoor areas are too dark. I have an IPS TV with old style CCFL (fluorescent) backlighting, so what works for me is to crank in-game brightness up a bit, then crank the TV's color warmth up a bit. That way it adds just enough brightness in the dark indoor areas without washing out colors in the brighter outdoor areas.

On another note, I'm still getting so side tracked by Days Gone, and now Mass Effect Legendary and Andromeda, that I'm continuing to forget to try to get past the place I'm stuck at in RE Village. It's the spot fairly early on not long after you get into the castle, where there are 4 statues that rotate into 2 different positions each. For some reason I can't find the right combination, and the clue on the wall seems misleading. Whenever I get stuck on things like this, I always wish there was a way to get a vague hint, vs full spoiler, like a better explanation of what the clue means, but without actually telling you how to position the statues.