mfnick

I was really looking forward to a “Netflix of games” type service, but I want to be able to download my games like on the Xbox so the streaming latency issue is no longer a issue as most of the games I like are the type where itd negatively effect my experience. Such as racing games, shooters (Cuphead style) and precision, twitch games like Dead Cells, Super Meat Boy, Celeste, Trials etc. However as much as I love Game Pass and see this a good idea if it’s sub based and has a good selection of games, the relatively recent incorporation of in game transactions make me really, really concerned about subscription based gaming becoming the norm. Moreso than the streaming side. Which would be fine for a lot of the more story based games. What worries me is that if publishers and developers are no longer getting a lot of their money from the sale of games they’re going to double down on ways to milk us to make up for it in the actual games hemselves. The in game transactions are going to become even more intrusive, larger, in your face and more common to make up for it. I doubt the amount they get from Google, MS etc. From the subscription pot will be anywhere near what they could make from actual sales. So they’ll have to make it up from implementing even more nefarious in game monetisation. I need to do more research but from what I understand the sub system has actually negatively effected the movie and the music industries. Especially the music side. I think it has actually helped the TV series style side though so hopefully for games it’ll work that way. Its worrying but as long as there’s a way I can download and purchase my games in the traditional way as well as through these streaming and sub based directional then I’m good for a many years yet at least. Until something like Strada gets too big and it’s no longer viable to create the type of gaming experiences I like anymore anyway being as in business even if something is profitable after you reach a certain size it’s not worth them doing unless it’s raking huge amounts in.

Completed this earlier, as mentioned in the completion thread. The story, details, world and characters side - amazing. The rest of it, not so much. The controls didnt bother me as much as most people. I never punched my horse or shot someone I meant to talk to by mistake due to them. The gameplay was serviceable. I did however find it a real chore to play at times. The mission design was really quite boring and repetitive for the majority of the time. The riding around got real dull real quick. And was especially bad towards the end where you’re basically having to travel the entire map for and after every mission. There’s a million things to do to. Which may sound like a good thing but I found most of Im such a pain that I just ended up not engaging with any of the systems. The hunting! Jesus what a twat. Even when using tips and a small guide it was just too much of a faff to get decent skins that I ended up fucking it off completely. The challenges, compendium, jobs, crafting, bounty huntersetc. just weren’t fun. Now the fact I was able to ignore these completely and still get through the game fine can be seen as a positive but I usually like doing all that type of stuff (apart from crafting, soooo sick of that in games) and the fact I didn’t want to in this game is a negative IMO. But, I can’t stress enough how much I loved the story and character side. They’re what kept me playing, even when I felt I couldn’t cope with another’s ride through the entire map, something interesting would happen to one of the characters and I’d have to play another mission to see the next bit even though I really didn’t want to play anymore. Ultimately I’m glad I stuck at it to see it through. Arthur is a Legend. Oh, and technically this may be the most impressive game ever. I also think we may be passed the uncanny valley stage with humans in games now. More and more games are really impressing me with this. All the facial ticks and expressions are coming through brilliantly, for the majority of the time forgot I was looking at characters in a game.

10/01/19 - Donut County (iPad) - Complete 12/01/19 - Gardens Between (Xbox One X) - Complete & 1000/1000GS 28/01/19 - Persona 5 (PS4) - Complete 16/03/19 - Red Dead Redemption 2 (Xbox One X) - Complete Including Epilogue Im glad I stuck it out but my God it was a chore to play at times. The characters and story moments are second to none though. There’s so many small details and the world building is again on another level. If it clicks with you there’s a shedload to do too, but I found it to annoying to bother even engaging with 90% of the systems. But the story beats made it just about worthwhile. 7/10

Play Trials Rising - Possibly the best one yet track design wise. Shame about the progression system, the map and the grinding. Red Dead Redemption 2 - The story is keeping me going but it’s become quite a chore to play. Come close to sacking it off a few times but want to see it through. Almost at the end of chapter 6 now so hopefully not too much more to do. DmC - Can’t afford 5 at the moment so gone back to this since it’s on Gamepass. Bloody brilliant game! Up there with 3 for me. Want Resi 2 Remake - Same as last month Devil May Cry V - Got my reservations but still can’t wait to get it. Bin Smash Bros Ultimate - Just found it really boring. Need to accept this series isnt for me anymore, not been able to get into one since Melee. Traded it for NSMB U Deluxe with Jimbo so will start that soon.

ODST was the best one IMO. Didn’t think much to any of the others.

Fixed

I really enjoyed the defence ?. Excellent work.

Looks like it’s designed to cut your hands and those sticks look worse than the N64’s. Hopefully it’s better than it looks...

It better be worth it!

I want this so bad. But got a couple of little things that are holding me off it. Got to say the environments look very bland and repetitive, all the screenshots and videos all look the same. Not sure on V either from what I’ve seen and read, doesn’t sound great to play as but the hands on seem positive. Dwarf has the same complaints though and still clicked for him so maybe I should just get on with it and trade RDR2 in so I can buy it...

Fuck DMC 2. It was such a huge disappointment, I adored this 1st and couldn’t wait for 2, got it at release and hated it. Such a chore to play.

Hearing loads of great things about this. Looking forward to eventually picking it up even if the demo didn’t really do anything for me. The videos have been showing it to have a much better flow to the combat than the demo too which was my biggest gripe.

Glad to see people are making good use of the stickers ?

January £23.49 - £25 PSN Top Up £13.99 - £15 PSN Top Up £9.39 - £10 Xbox Top Up £3.53 - Save me Mr Tako (Switch) £3.55 - Pool Panic (Switch) Febuary £37.99 - £40 Xbox Top Up £37.95 - Dirt Rally 2.0 Pre-Order (Xbox 1) (-£102.30) - Sold Games - GTAV, Super Paper Mario, Persona 5, Resident Evil 4 Wii, Zelda Skyward Sword LE & Forza 5. £13.99 - £15 PSN Credit £15.99 - 3 Months Game Pass April £36.85 - Mortal Kombat 11 Pre-Order (Xbox 1) £43.00 - Zelda Breath of The Wild (Switch) £18.99 - Assassins Creed Odyssey (Xbox One) £22.98 - 6 Month Game Pass (-75.00) - Sold Games - Mario Odyssey, Red Dead 2 and Wonderful 101 Total - £104.39

Awesome

Ah got you, yea that’s how I’ve played it mostly. It’s more difficult to make out what’s going on at times when it’s really hectic and when the screen zooms out as you’d expect but I found it playable enough.

How do you mean? The spirit world mode is playable handheld yea. In fact everything is playable handheld. But thought all Switch games were?

Would you swap for Smash Bros?

This would be good for us gamers, but I very much doubt Sony will be happy with you paying MS for a service on their machine. Hell they wouldn’t even let Origin on it.

Rocket League. Ill just have a match or 2 before turning console off.... Days later... huh? What time is it?

I understand the appeal of being able to dip in and out on the Switch with this but I honestly don’t know how you’d do the late medium and hard tracks without analogue triggers. I may have to double dip and get PS4 version myself. No one on my Xbox friends list has it and really miss having friend times to beat.

I love this game! But. Theres some poor design choices. The “game” part of it is as brilliant as ever, the course design is excellent. However the progression system and the layout of courses (a map full of icons, oh yea it’s a Ubisoft game) are really bad. It’s really difficult to tell what medal you have on a course unless there’s no sponsor there. It doesn’t help the not played, silver and platinum all look like the same icon when there’s a sponsor on it so finding new tracks can be far more difficult than it has any right to be. I have found that the stadiums have all their respective unlocked tracks under the X cross trials but it still requires searching through the stadiums to find particular difficulties. The old difficulty sections and lists worked so much better. Next is the rate of progression itself. From about level 45 onwards you have to replay tracks multiple times to earn enough experience to unlock the next lot. For example I unlocked a stadium and a 5 or so tracks at 68. I finished all the tracks and including their respective challenges and Which got me to level 70. To unlock the next set of trials I need to be level 78. Each level is 10,000 XP. I’m at a point now where all the sponsor challenges are 3,500-6000xp so it’s not taking too long (as long as the challenges aren’t too hard that is). But it’s still shit. Now I like replaying tracks in Trials, I do it loads. But forcing me to do so when I just want to try the new tracks? I’m not a fan of at all. I’m just not a fan of the stadium events either, especially when I’ve got to beat all 3 in a row, basically without any mistakes. Apart from these annoyances, still a great game though.

It looks ace! Think that may be my next Switch purchase. When it drops below £15 anyway.

I’d agree it’s not the same thing as “proper” gambling. It should have its own classification. But as others have said, it stimulates that same part of your brain and I don’t think it’s that far removed. If you’re wired that way and you get into them. Eurogamer ran a article on someone who had spent 10’s of thousands on micro transactions and we hear of these whales who spend thousands in these games, it’s because it targets that same feeling as gambling. Even if it isn’t necessarily the same thing to the letter and not quite as damaging in 99% of cases. & as you say while Most haven’t found it to be gambling Belgium has, so there’s definitely a argument to be made for each side.

It does IMO. I’m chasing my £10 loss because I’ve got nothing to show for it which I want. So I spend more money hoping I get something this time because in my head the chances are now going to be higher since I’ve already spent £10 and not got anything I want. And if I get something gen that original £10 hasn’t gone to waste. Its near enough the exact same feeling I get when chasing that £X amount I’ve lost in the casino. In that case I’m trying to get my losses back. In Rocket League I’m spending more to try and stop that original £10 spend being a waste.