I’ve typed up so many comments about FFXV over the years, so I guess it at least didn’t end up being forgettable. I’ve been looking for the right wording , I think. It’s the worst game I ever loved? It has no right being as enjoyable as it is considering its issues? Something like that. It has so many problems, but there is also something there underneath it all. If only they didn’t spread it out so thin.
I hope you have the Royal Edition, the DLCs really do flesh out the story a lot. They should honestly just have been integrated into the main game. I recommend pausing the main story to play Episode Gladios and Episode Prompto whenever the respective characters briefly leave the party (you’ll know when). I’d play episode Ignis after chapter 10, but be aware that it contains a possible alternative (non-canon) ending depending on your choices.
Oh also there’s chocobos so it’s not all bad.
It also has one of the best fishing minigames out of any game out there, really! It has its moments.
I loved my first few hours in it. By the end, I had to force myself to finish it.
The game is gorgeous (and was super well optimised, ran like a dream on my first-gen fat old PS4), and the combat is mechanically satisfying. But those pluses are just not enough to carry it through its (way too long) runtime.
The story is only okay. But it suffers from a consistently dour and overly serious tone, with almost no variation. You get some crumbs of comic relief with Kenji, and that’s it. The rest is stone-face almost monotonously serious.
The mission design is also mostly awful. You have a couple of signpost missions (like the Legendary Tales I think they were called?) that are cool, and the bossfights are fun of course. But the rest is almost all talk, move to area, kill some dudes, return. The main story missions are also filled with endless walk-and-talk (or ride-horse-and-talk).
Add to that the extremely repetitive open world UbiSoft style collect-a-thon, and the game just wore my enthusiasm down over time.
I would also wait for a sale, unless you desperately love the setting. And even then, maybe wait and see how Rise of the Ronin pans out.
The Unfinished Swan is such a hidden gem, honestly. I never hear anyone talk about it. Very unique style and mechanics and an endearing story. Some beautiful environments too. And pretty short, so not a big commitment.
I think VII being the first 3D FF also was a big reason for being so suited to remake. VI still looks awesome today, it’s peak pixel art era and a lot of the sprites are really beautiful. Original VII looks like pure ass. Nothing has aged worse graphically than old, first generation 3D games.
I’m with you completely though, VI is my favorite and a modernized version would be a sight to see. I wonder what they’d do with the opera scene.
Yeah, the combat has some depth to it but it’s never really explained nor needed. I guess the only truly useful one is the melee button pommel smash after a parry which stuns the enemy for like 15 seconds, very useful against the horde fights. I liked playing around with it and the animations and combos are satisfying, but that’s about it.
They had enough of a foundation there though that I’m hopeful for the sequel.
Did you end up playing around anything further with the combat and the combos? I ended up really enjoying fighting in the game, I just wish the bosses were a little more refined maybe. The feeling of being in sync with the voices and dodging instinctively when they yell a warning is really cool, and unlike any other game I’ve played.
The ending didn’t click for me immediately either, but I ended up replaying it and giving it some more thought and I think I get what they’re going for. Really looking forward to the sequel.
And sorry again that I spoiled that trial! I hope you enjoyed it anyway, it’s still my favourite part I think.
Probably Civilization V (with the difficulty set below maximum so you’re not too restricted and don’t have to play so sweaty). I like just seeing whatever the Planet Simulator map spits out, putz around with half my brain turned off, trying out niche civs and basically just playing it like solitaire.
I don’t play it even every week anymore, but when I need some distraction and relaxation that’s a comfort game go-to.
Haven’t watched the video but wasn’t Throne of Bhaal originally intended to be BG3 and was later downscaled to an expansion because of reduced time and resources?
Sounds like what I’ve been doing, too. Finally found a badger yesterday for the satchel but still on the hunt for some other assorted animals. Sadly I think I’m locked out of some stuff because I killed the legendary bear as part of the story quest so the pelt despawned before I unlocked the trapper. Currently trying to plow through some gambler challenges for the gear, it might actually kill my enthusiasm though. And I’d like to combine them with some Bandit pieces but I’ve been hesitant because I am playing high honor.
The White Arabian seems great, im personally going back and forth between the Warped Brindle Arabian and the Tigerstriped Bay Mustang (was hell to acquire) for horses.
I loved my playthrough of Elden Ring - and I’m happy I got to play it at launch and participate in the zeitgeist and discovery of it at the point where the wikis weren’t even populated etc - but I’m not super keen to play the DLC. Finishing the game was definitely a little more of a relief that it was over than I would have hoped to feel. It didn’t help that the last boss is terrible, so the game kind of ends on a sour note.
Also, FromSoft DLCs are always much harder than the base game. I already didn’t enjoy what they did with Malenia, if they try to top her in the DLC I honestly just can’t see myself having any fun.
Still strolling through my snails pace playthrough of RDR2, haven’t left chapter 2 yet and mostly been doing side stuff, hunting fishing and completing challenges. Looking for a damn badger and beaver but can’t find either anywhere.
I also wish RDR2 had the same fishing minigame as FFXV. Not that it’s terrible, but I wish it had the same depth. That game had the best fishing minigame I’ve played, almost worth the price of admission for that alone.
Yeah the game never even hints at any combo system, though to be fair they never explain any mechanics (I guess in pursuit of immersion).
This video is not completely exhaustive, but goes through a fair amount of combos. In general, you can always interrupt a combo after the 1st, 2nd or 3rd attack with the melee button to punch/kick and follow up with a different two-attack combo. The finisher where Senua impales the enemy and pushes off with her foot can also be interrupted and extended by pressing light attack three times (which I don’t think the video covers).
I didn’t completely hate the find-the-symbol puzzles but they were definitely not particularly interesting. I think moments like the >!blind trial!< were where the game really shone. >!Navigating purely off of sound and controller vibration and avoiding the monsters in the dark!< is an experience that will stay with me for a while.
Completely agreed about the linear structure, I always thought it was the success of Witcher 3 that started an open-world craze, but regardless of where it came from it definitely ended up negatively impacting some games.
In general I think Ninja Theory did an amazing job at hiding the budget constraints. Another great example is the use of superimposed footage of live action instead of attempting to render characters and doing it poorly. The overall length of the game is also a part of this; they didn’t attempt to stretch too far and spread too thin but instead just made something brief but with the best quality they could. The game is short, but it didn’t feel too short. It felt perfectly measured for the story they were trying to tell.
More RDR2 this week, still haven’t finished Chapter 2 as there is just an unbelievable amount of stuff to be distracted by. Apart from further fiddling with some mods I’ve just been enjoying my time hunting and fishing and completing challenges, events and side missions.
I might need to lay off the pursuit of the challenges as they seem extremely grindy and I don’t want to burn out before I finish the story, but so far it’s not started to wear me down and I’ve been enjoying just playing poker with the boys and whatnot.