Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote at 19:03 this Monday (GMT):
> On 4/1/2024 7:16 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>>
>> I /was/ going to do an April Fools post here; in lieu of my normal
>> list, I'd put up a troll-post. I'd select some of the worst video
>> games ever written, claim I've played them, and hype them to the
>> stars. Games like "Alone in the Dark Illumination" or "Postal III" or
>> "Diablo Immortals". Except, the Internet being what it is, I'm sure
>> that there are fans of all those games, and thus the joke wouldn't hit
>> the way it should have. Of course I loved "Rambo: The Video Game",
>> people would say. "It was great". They wouldn't see the troll, they'd
>> just see somebody agreeing with their egriously awful taste. And then
>> I'd have to explain that, no, I didn't actually like those games. How
>> could I? They were terrible...
>>
>> So no April Fools here. Just my usual blather. Speaking of which...
>> let's get to it.
>>
>>
>>
>> Zip-zippity-zoom!
>> ---------------------------------------
>> * Detroit: Become Human
>> * Half-Life: Alyx
>> * Aviators
>> * Eurotruck Simulator 2
>> * Horizon: Zero Dawn
>>
>>
>> Drone-drone-drone-drone-drone-drone
>> ---------------------------------------
>>
>> * Detroit: Become Human
>> I don't know why I play these games.
>>
>> Games developed by Quantic Dreams, I mean. I have, over the years,
>> managed to acquire all of them, and I've not enjoyed the gameplay in
>> /any/ of them. I absolutely know what to expect from them too:
>> terrible quick-time focused gameplay, an unimaginative setting that
>> lacks cohesive realism, uninteresting characters, terrible dialogue
>> and visuals that - for their time - were impressive but haven't aged
>> very well.
>>
>> "Detroit: Become Human" is, perhaps, the least awful of the series, if
>> only because the storyline doesn't veer into absolute bat-shit madness
>> as the narrative progresses. If anything, it's storyline is trite and
>> cliche, lacking originality or surprise in all its twists and turns.
>> But that's not surprising; David Cage - the game's director and
>> resident auteur - has all the subtly of a brick through the window.
>> But at least the story makes sense, even if it isn't particularly
>> novel or well told.
>>
>> As for the gameplay, well, if you've ever played any of Quantic Dreams
>> games you know exactly what to expect: tiny, well detailed levels with
>> a handful of interactive objects that you manipulate through
>> quick-time button prompts. Why washing dishes is made more exciting by
>> repeatedly slamming the S key rather than just a single tap of a
>> generic use button, I can't imagine, but that's just how it goes in
>> Quantic Dream-land. At least the button prompts are much less
>> time-limited, and better suited to mouse/keyboard; it doesn't make for
>> more /interesting/ gameplay, but at least it's less /aggravating/. The
>> other defining feature of their games is the branching storyline, but
>> this is much more limited in "Detroit" than their previous games. I
>> tried to play as an android bound by his programming (no dreams of
>> humanity for me!) but the game wouldn't allow it.
>>
>> And the visuals? Well, they're fine. I'm sure that when the game
>> initially released back in 2018 they were something of a wonder, but
>> time and technology have quickly caught up and now the special effects
>> are looking a bit dated. Were there more to the game this deficiency
>> might be overlooked, but with so little else to the game, "Detroit's"
>> aging tech stands out all the more.
>>
>> The end result is a game I just don't - and it seems I fundamentally
>> cannot - enjoy. It's Uwe Boll filmmaking coupled with the worst
>> aspects of modern video gaming (minus the micro-transactions. I'll
>> give credit to Quantum Dreams for that much at least; none of that
>> nonsense in this game). It's not fun. It's not interesting. It's a
>> chore to play and every day its visuals become more dated. I don't
>> know why I buy the games. I don't know why I play them. I sure as hell
>> have no idea how the developer stays in business.
>>
>>
>>
>> * Half-Life: Alyx
>> Some might be surprised to find me playing this game, what with my
>> general disdain for VR. Or rather, it's not so much that I dislike VR
>> as I think it is over-hyped and under-delivers; it's a gimmick that
>> doesn't live up to its potential yet, and is overpriced to boot. But
>> if I'm playing "Half-Life: Alyx", a VR-only game, does that mean I've
>> changed my mind, that I've gone and invested in a VR headset of my
>> own?
>>
>> Of course not. But that wouldn't stop me from playing another
>> Half-Life game. Thanks to a third-party mod, "Alyx" is now fully
>> playable without needing a VR headset.
>> https://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-alyx-novr
>>
>> Although perhaps 'fully playable' is a bit optimistic. Technically,
>> yes, you can get through the game, beginning to end with this mod. But
>> the experience is /very/ rough, and if you manage it without using
>> NoClip (conveniently already mapped to the V key by the developers,
>> thus showcasing even they were aware of the necessity) then you're a
>> better person than I, Gunga Din.
>>
>> Movement is surprisingly tough in this game; for some reason, even the
>> smallest obstacles - a wire on the ground, the kerb between street and
>> sidewalk - can prevent easy progress. The protagonist does have the
>> ability to jump, but each hop is extremely low. Leaping across gaps -
>> which was sometimes required to progress - was all but impossible.
>> More than anything, this spoiled the overall experience. And don't
>> even get me started on how much more difficult this made the combat!
>>
>> But even had the movement been as smooth and carefree as in the best
>> FPS, still "Alyx" would have been a sub-par experience to its VR
>> counterpart, just because the game felt so much less visceral. Many of
>> the objects in the game - which in VR you can pick up and use - have
>> been rendered 'flat' and non-interactive. Functionally, modded "NoVR
>> Alyx" is not any worse than most modern FPS games, but you lose /a
>> lot/ of verisimilitude playing the game without the VR headsets and
>> controllers.
>>
>> Still, I'm not really faulting either the core game nor the mod; I
>> purposely chose to ignore the original's strengths by playing it this
>> way, after all, and if the experience isn't as great that is on me and
>> not the developers. In fact, I think that the modders got the game to
>> work at all without VR is already something of a miracle. But playing
>> it the way I did offers a much poorer experience.
>>
>> Still, I'm glad I did. Even in its pitiful, weakened form, it's easy
>> to see Valve's dedication to fidelity in its game-worlds. There's a
>> lot of fun stuff to see in do in "Alyx" (even if it is grim and
>> dystopian), the action is intense, and the story is generally
>> well-paced and exciting. It's definitely a game worth experiencing.
>>
>> But probably not using the no-VR mod, unless that's absolutely your
>> only alternative. If you can get access to a VR headset (convince your
>> friend to buy one and use theirs ;-), do that. Otherwise, just watch a
>> no-commentary play-through on YouTube. It's worth it just to get to
>> the ending. The NoVR mod is only interesting for how it overcame the
>> VR requirement.
>>
>>
>>
>> * Aviators
>> I acquired "Aviators" because it was free. I played it because the
>> topic - refugee Polish airmen who fought for the Allies during World
>> War II - looked somewhat interesting. But despite everything, it's not
>> a game I can recommend.
>>
>> Then again, it may not be fair to judge "Aviators" as a game. It's
>> intended more, I think, as a way to highlight the actions of Polish
>> airmen than to create software entertainment intended to compete with
>> modern games. And it's not completely without merits. If you've ever
>> wanted to get up and close with a British Halifax bomber, this game
>> may be as close as you'll get. The first part of the game has you
>> scrambling in and around a beautifully modeled version of the plane,
>> flipping switches and getting it ready to fly. You can practically
>> smell the AVgas and sweat-stained leather seats. It almost makes me
>> yearn to play it in VR.
>>
>> Unfortunately, too much of the software is wrapped up in rather
>> amateur 'game' sections; an extremely simplistic (and forgiving)
>> adventure section at the start, an incredibly boring gunner section in
>> the middle, and a tedious and limited stealth section in the third
>> (and fortunately final) act. These sections are extremely linear, and
>> every action you need to take is telegraphed to you. There is
>> absolutely no challenge and no fun to be had 'playing' these sections.
>>
>> Worse, the historical presentation is extremely simplistic, lacking
>> any real detail, history or depth to what these Polish aviators really
>> experienced. I got more of a sense of history playing "Call of Duty"
>> games.
>>
>> Its unfortunate the developers felt obligated to 'gamify' this
>> program. Had they simply made the whole thing a 3D-rendered museum,
>> where players could explore the planes and locations at their own pace
>> - and in a way that could present the user with a more thorough
>> overview of the Polish airmen's deeds and travails - the whole
>> experience would probably have been a lot more convincing and
>> thoughtful. Arguably, this program was designed for children, thus
>> excusing its shallowness. Still, given its violence, subject matter,
>> and pathetic gameplay, I don't think it's something kids would
>> actually enjoy.
>>
>> On the plus side, the game is extremely short. You can probably finish
>> the whole thing in less than an hour.
>>
>> I really had high hopes for "Aviators". The subject matter deserves to
>> be covered, and some of the production values in the game are quite
>> impressive. But the overall experience was sub-par and far less
>> informative than it could have been. Those airmen deserve better.
>>
>>
>>
>> * Eurotruck Simulator 2
>> It wasn't my intent to play "Eurotruck Simulator 2" again this month.
>> Then again, it never is. ETS2 is just the lowest-common-denominator
>> game in my collection; my 'go-to' title that I play whenever I can't
>> be bothered to play anything else. But even taking that into
>> consideration, neither was it my intent to play the game so much that
>> I'd have to include it in my monthly round-up. Had I only played one
>> or two sessions, I could easily have left it off this list. But my
>> recent hardware follies - my primary PC went belly-up for over a week
>> - meant I was forced to rely on an older computer as my daily driver.
>> And the only game that happened to be installed on that PC was
>> "Eurotruck Simulator 2". What was a hapless gamer to do?
>>
>> Still, the circumstances resulted in some interesting gameplay. I've
>> been playing ETS2 for years upon years now, always using the same
>> save-game to track my progress. But /that/ save-game was locked on the
>> broken PC, so - playing on the back-up PC - I was forced to start the
>> game anew. It was an interesting experience. In my older save, my
>> virtual trucking business - with dozens of locations and hundreds of
>> employees - made money hand-over-fist. Cash was never a problem. If I
>> wanted a new truck, I'd buy one. If I pranged the old truck, the cost
>> of repairing it - even were it totaled - was a rounding error on the
>> bottom line. And traffic tickets? I didn't even notice them, they were
>> so miniscule.
>>
>> But as a newly-created, up-and-coming truck driver, I no longer had
>> this safety net. Every dollar counted. That $500 speeding ticket not
>> only delayed a much needed upgrade, but - depending on my finances -
>> could potentially push my virtual trucking company into the red. It
>> actually became important to deliver the cargo on-time (and intact!)
>> if I wanted to get paid. I started paying attention to the price of
>> petrol again. No longer counted amongst the ultra-rich, I was one of
>> the Little People and had to start following the rules again.
>>
>> It didn't last, of course. The game's economy is extremely generous,
>> and just a few virtual weeks into the game, I'd already hired two
>> employees who were bringing me €20K EU per week. It wasn't quite the
>> immunity-from-consequence I was used to, but it was enough of a buffer
>> that I dared drive ever-so-slightly above the speed limit. Still, most
>> of the good habits I'd been forced to re-learn stuck with me. I barely
>> ever run over SUVs anymore.
>>
>>
>>
>> * Horizon: Zero Dawn
>> "Horizon: Zero Dawn" is everything I expect from a triple-A published
>> game. Which is to say, it's a run-of-the-mill experience, lacking
>> novelty or excitement, but with all the polish you'd expect from
>> having a fifty-million dollar budget.
>>
>> It's an okay game; don't mistake me. Triple-A published games almost
>> always are. It's mechanically sound, and its game-loop is, overall,
>> fun. It's entertaining enough to keep me playing it until the end. But
>> it lacks distinctiveness. It's a melange of elements from "Tomb
>> Raider" and "Assassins Creed" and "Far Cry", mixed together without
>> adding anything new. The only marginally notable feature is the game's
>> green-apocalypse setting, and even that isn't original, having been
>> done to death in books, movies, and even other video games. It lacks
>> spark, creativity. It's pablum: filling, but not tasty.
>>
>> None of its mechanics are particularly satisfying. The combat is
>> merely okay. Heavily reliant on ranged attacks, it feels very messy
>> when the monsters inevitably rush up right into your face. The camera
>> is workable but everything feels a bit too close. The stealth feels
>> half-baked. The platforming lacks style. The characters are all
>> forgettable, the cinematics unexciting, the story trite and
>> predictable. None of it is terrible, but nothing stands out either.
>> There's no sense of adventure or being part of an experience. It feels
>> safe, humdrum. You know exactly what sort of game this will be five
>> minutes in, and it neither exceeds nor disappoints in that expectation
>> throughout its forty-hour length.
>>
>> I wasn't unhappy playing "Horizon: Zero Dawn". It kept me playing for
>> hours-long sessions, exploring its overly-large open-world,
>> discovering all the various doodads and artifacts that typically are
>> scattered in its numerous nooks and crannies. I killed innumerable
>> monsters and liberated many bandit camps. I bought weapons, harvested
>> resources, and upgraded everything to its maximum potential. I climbed
>> towers and unlocked maps. I maxed out my stats. I ran up to all the
>> NPCs with a glowing green exclamation mark hanging over the heads and
>> helped them out with all their many errands. I even solved the mystery
>> hanging over the main quest. I didn't lack for things to do, and none
>> of my many hours spent in the game felt completely wasted. But neither
>> did I feel any real excitement. Everything felt very mechanical, very
>> paint-by-numbers. The end result might have been a pretty picture, but
>> it was a picture I'd seen dozens of times before.
>>
>> Which is to say, exactly the sort of experience I expect from a modern
>> triple-A studio production.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ---------------------------------------
>>
>> So that's my month. What about you? How did you spend your time?
>> Simply put:
>>
>> What Have You Been Playing... IN MARCH 2024?
>>
>>
>
> I have been playing and finished Shadows of War.
> This game actually was pretty good despite (or maybe because) it played
> a bit fast and lose with the Tolkien legendarium.
> The true star of the show was of course the Nemesis system, which
> allowed the randomly generated orcs you meet to have some actual
> personality and history with you. I think most of the game's huge size
> (over 100gb which is kinda insane) might have been made up of assets to
> create this huge variety of characters. Even after playing 90 hours on
> this game I still was encountering variations that I hadn't met, or at
> least not recognized before.
>
> The ending was a bit weak, the DLC promised some more thorough ending,
> but in the end it also was quite a letdown. It ended with a cliffhanger
> that didn't really feel like it had the impact they wanted from it.
> (Sauron is defeated and the Bright Lord escapes).

It's wild to me that DLC can just retroactively "fix" a game's ending.
IMO, the only game that did it well was the first Phoenix Wright.

> This was nominally the game Middle-Earth 2, even if you'd be hard
> pressed to remember that main title. Unfortunately it doesn't look like
> we are getting a part 3.
> I did hear WB games is working on a Wonder Woman game implementing the
> Nemesis system from this game, which... I dunno. it doesn't sound quite
> right. Might be good if they put some work into it.

--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom