You’re literally defending ‘post-truth, race to the bottom standard’ capitalism. Yes dumb consumers exist, but that isn’t a free pass for corporate exploitation or false advertising. Because this isn’t an alpha, it’s advertising.
Okay, if they want to bug test, there’s DECADES of accepted practice. Paid/intern bug hunters or playtesters, with an airtight NDA. They’re there to stress tests and find issues, there needn’t be a public facing element.
Marvel want free bug testers, and to get the hype train moving - but don’t want to pay for actual testers who work quietly, and want only positive commentary. Marvel want an astroturf campaign to push preorders, not actual genuine discussion or bug testing.
I’ve been part of public alpha releases, and generally they don’t allow streaming or public commentary, outside of the invite-only forum/discord channels - BECAUSE THEY WANT THE FEEDBACK TO FIX ISSUES.
Oh, absolutely and that’s why I love NV and 1 & 2. They have self awareness and embrace the whimsy, a character like Myron or ’Fisto’ the sexbot would NEVER feature in a grimdark lore like STALKER, but that’s the humanistic charm of it.
If there’s some kind of post-apocalyptic society, there’s gonna be weird people and freaks, just like now - but in an absurd context.
I can’t comment on ‘76 but I have played the Metro series, which is 100% on rails but makes it work.
Fallout has a tongue in cheek goofy that permeates the IP and casts a thin layer of non-serious over everything. The brutalisism and commitment to tone is what I loved about Metro and STALKER, but Fallout is Disneyland in comparison
I’d reflexively say “Yes” to New Vegas but it depends on what Fallouts you’ve played, and what you don’t like about them.
FO1 & 2 offer ZERO hand holding and expect you to know how to play an RPG, but offers a very open approach to the world and plot
FO3 and 4 are great games that primarily struggle with permanence of your actions in the world - it’s pretty on rails between and during setpieces, no secondary plot to really get lost in
Look at the games Remedy have been making since splitting from Rockstar.
I really enjoyed Control and the Alan Wakes for the plot and narrative decisions. That’s who Remedy have become, story focused with emphasis on world building. MoCap actors, FMV segments, parallel world building via audio logs and journals, etc while keeping the lessons learned from the Max Payne series for the gameplay combat loops.
All the Max Payne games are mechanics centric; tight gunplay and bullet-time combat. They also have decent-to-solid plots, but I didn’t replay MP2 dozens of times because I wanted the Mona-Max arc’s dopamine hit, nor pathfinding through NYC apartment mazes. Nimble combat against formidable and fair AI is the core part of that series.
It wouldn’t be what you want it to be, and that’s okay that it’s in the past. Remedy have worked an EU and are leaning into that instead, and have done well consistently.
As someone who loves the first two Max Paynes, and enjoys the third; the series should be left alone. With the way Max Payne 3 ended, there’s no good way to revive that franchise.