The Hot Topic Returns

[Nag]

I think the most recent for me would obviously be Demon's Souls, in fact it's Fromsoftware games in general... Bloodborne was definitely an outlier for me and I've vowed to myself that I'm not getting caught in the hype again and shelling out money on their games.

 

Soulsborne games in general can bollocks as far as I'm concerned.

[one-armed dwarf]

It's ok to not like stuff but I will never understand the 'they only give it a pass cause it's Nintendo'. I don't know where people get the idea that it being a Nintendo game is part of the reason people rate it so high. For me it's only one of two Nintendo games I actually like, speaking as someone who really doesn't enjoy Nintendo games. The other one is gen 2 Pokemon (gold and silver). 

 

I think they just landed on a formula with that game which hit a chord with people who had been looking for a particular thing out of open world stuff. To me it's like the discussion around the breaking weapons and the timer mechanic in Dead Rising. I think the first game is brilliant but as soon as they took the timer out of DRII I just ignored that game cause it missed the point of the whole mechanic

 

3 minutes ago, OCH said:

Persona - Wherein micromanaging relationships is "The Meat" of the game. I just phased out for the most part.

 

You know I actually think that's a big reason why I didn't click with the story of Hades cause it's basically drip feeding social links in the same way and that's how they try and bridge the frustrating bits between runs

[OCH]

Personally, when it comes to From Soft, I prefer the Armoured Core series to Souls. As they don't seem to be making those anymore. I noticed it on Playstation store, so it might be available elsewhere. Metal Wolf Chaos is one I'd recommend in a similar vein. 

 

 

1 minute ago, one-armed dwarf said:

You know I actually think that's a big reason why I didn't click with the story of Hades cause it's basically drip feeding social links in the same way and that's how they try and bridge the frustrating bits between runs

There's me, who can spend countless hours happily grinding Item Worlds in Disgaea. But I had no patience or interest in the Social Links mechanic in Persona.

[spatular]

Nag’s picture on the question is mine, theres probably loads of other popular stuff i dont like, but one i keep, stupidly, trying is gta, although 5 i actually got to half way and it wasnt too bad, and one of the early 2d ones i liked messing around in because i knew where a tank was, but actually playing the game properly, nah. I dont usually like open world stuff so thats part of it, bad checkpoints in missions, i just dont like it. 
 

i generally dont like roguelikes (into the breach is an exception), animal crossing, or dark souls stuff either but i dont keep trying them.

[Maryokutai]

For me Hitman is one of those franchises. I can totally see the appeal and why it's so highly regarded among its fans, but it's just a rhythm and gameplay style I never managed to get into. To be fair I never tried the more recent outings and I think the last one I gave a shot was on Xbox 1 (?) but as far as I can tell the overall design of these games hasn't changed much and rather evolved, so I doubt it's worth it to give it another shot.

 

What I will give another shot is Monster Hunter, which is another franchise I never could get into previously (the excellent Stories spin-off being an exception). I tried one of those games on PSP, tried another one on 3DS and it just felt cumbersome and frustratingly slow-paced. But at the same time I just want to at least once experience what other people experience when they play this series, so I plan on getting Rise and give this thing one last shot.

 

I'm not going to specifically mention roguelikes because even though I don't like them it also really doesn't bother me that I don't. I've yet to see one that made me feel like I'm missing out on something, even the popular ones like Hades.

[Nag]

 

Quote

Readers discuss the video games with the best openings, from the start of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to the first Metal Gear Solid.

 

The subject for this weekend’s Inbox was inspired by reader Newton and asked what game do you think makes the best first impression, regardless of what follows? Assuming the beginning means anything within the first hour what game do you feel starts off the best?

 

There were a wide range of suggestions, although the cinematic starts of Uncharted 2 and Metal Gear Solid came up the most – with many preferring to get to the action quickly rather than enduring lengthy cut scenes.

 

Good question this, I think.

 

First one that comes to mind for a cgi opener is Resident Evil: Code Veronica watching that for the first time on the Dreamcast was kind of mind blowing. Playable openings for me would probably be Dead Space 2 and Mass Effect 2, DS2 especially chucks you straight in to the deep end.

[OCH]

Opening set pieces? I'll have to think about.

 

Opening cutscenes: Soul Reaver, Soul Blade, Banjo Kazooie.

A noteworthy intro has to set the tone of what you're walking into. Not just be a flashy graphical sequence. In my experience, these three captured that better than any others.

[mfnick]

God of War 3

Mass Effect 2

Onimusha 3 (CGI cut scene)

Uncharted 2

 

Ones off the top of my head that were amazing.

Half Life 1 stands out too just because it was the first game I ever played which did a cinematic gameplay opening. 

[shinymcshine]

IIRC for a RPGs both Lost Odyssey and Dragons Dogma had really great, actioned filled, opening sections.

[OCH]

Oh! Also, honourable mention to the very best one from Mortal Kombat:

 

 

[one-armed dwarf]

This is cheating I guess but Shadowbringers has a really good CG. Shadowbringers is about a world taken over by an abundance of light so it does the ol switcheroo on Cecil's path in FFIV

 

 

 

Has a really good remix of the FF3 world map theme in it around 4:35, which is a leitmotif of the game/expansion in general

[radiofloyd]

Games that made the best first impression?

 

I loved the openings of San Andreas, pedaling around Grove St, and GTA IV driving in the car with Roman and his cousin.

 

I love the opening of FFVIII in Balamb Garden. More recently FFVII Remake got off to an excellent start as well.

[DANGERMAN]

11 hours ago, Nag said:

Good question this, I think.

 

First one that comes to mind for a cgi opener is Resident Evil: Code Veronica watching that for the first time on the Dreamcast was kind of mind blowing. Playable openings for me would probably be Dead Space 2 and Mass Effect 2, DS2 especially chucks you straight in to the deep end.

the one time a Resident Evil picture would have been the one I'd go for! Code Veronica had a fantastic opening. So did Soul Reaver, as has been mentioned.

 

I don't think it's been mentioned, surprisingly, but Last of Us would be one I'd mention, unless we're specifically talking CGI. If so there's another Dreamcast game called D2 that had a cool opening, well, a mental opening. It's a bit long and apparently the insides of planes are fine to shoot bullets in, but that's not the strangest thing that happens in the game

 

 

[mfnick]

9 minutes ago, DANGERMAN said:

surprisingly, but Last of Us would be one I'd mention,

Shitinghell. How did I forget that? Excellent shot, unbelievably good opening. Closest I’d come to ever shedding a tear from a game. Until Part 2 funnily enough. 

[one-armed dwarf]

Also at the time the CG in FFX's opening was the best CG I'd ever seen, I think.

 

Then of course Onimusha 3 looked even better, but that CG annoys me cause it so massively mispresents the game in so many ways. Who the fuck is even that alien Samonusuke fights, no clue. Oni 2 was a much better game.

[Nag]

53 minutes ago, DANGERMAN said:

the one time a Resident Evil picture would have been the one I'd go for!

 

I generally try to use one of the pictures that Game Central use (there's two)... it was either Soul Edge or Uncharted... and Uncharted is shit.?

 

Bang on with the The Last of Us shout, that is a brilliant opening.

[Maryokutai]

Last of Us was the first that came to mind as well. If I'm allowed to stretch the definition of opening a bit, I'm also going to say Mass Effect, from the first mission on Eden Prime up to and including the part on the Citadel. The world building BioWare did in those 5 hours was exemplary, by the end of it it felt like you've always been in that galaxy and have been hanging out with Asari and Turians all your life. Both ME2 and ME3 have those heavy action openings which weren't bad by any means, but ME takes the take for me.

 

As for pre-rendered openings, fighting games and JRPGs traditionally have some very good ones. One of my favourites from recent times is the one from UMvC3:

 

 

[DisturbedSwan]

The opening to The Last of Us is the best I've ever played in my life.

 

Others off the top of my head would be GoW3, Uncharted 2, Uncharted 4. Can't think of any others.

[bellow]

Last of us, like everyone else. But there a 3 other games I reckon have great opening scenes: Witcher 2, which was great all the way thru; Kingdom hearts 2, which was great most of the way thru; and Fable 3 which, sadly, was downhill all the way after that opening cut scene.

[retroed]

I love the beginning of Batman: Arkham Asylum.