Video Game Thread 2.0

[kefkaownsall]

I saw a guy who leaked the first mission of SRIV and it's looking pretty damn good.  It looks a lot more structured actually then 3.  Basically picture it as Metal Wolf Chaos

[ironbite]

Mega Kangaskhan.

[chitoryu12]

Playstation Plus added Hitman: Absolution (with the Deus Ex: Human Revolution content) for free, so I downloaded it and I just finished the gun shop level.

I know the game faced a lot of criticism for its departure from the past formula (and the short-lived Facebook app that was likely the product of a REALLY dumb person), but I love it. It adds a lot of things that I the series needed (decent shooting mechanics, more places to climb, decent cover mechanics, and no more funny ragdolls), and it still works with the more story-based gameplay instead of the sandbox "Kill your targets however you see it" missions of the past. The voice acting is also really damn good, and the animations are spectacular.

Also, Easy difficulty makes 47 so tough that you can basically play the game as a really good third-person cover shooter if you so desire. The gunplay has been revamped and shooting your way around is actually a viable solution if you're tough or good enough, so you can basically just set the mission to the easiest difficulty and go to town. I can imagine this game seeing a lot of mileage in my future.

[Witchyjoshy]

Also, Easy difficulty makes 47 so tough that you can basically play the game as a really good third-person cover shooter if you so desire.

You'd be surprised at how many people will scream that being allowed to play the game multiple ways ruins the game and is a terrible thing that should be avoided.

Mostly because it appeals to the "filthy casuals."

[Art Vandelay]

Suddenly, X-COM fucks me over. It starts me off in a terror mission surrounded by cyber disks and so many Sectoids hiding in just the right places so that I can never spot and shoot them within a turn, but they can all just pop out and gun down at least one of my soldiers each with no issue. Also, they have a penchant for mind controlling my only captain and taking out multiple soldiers at once with a single grenade.

It seems no matter what I do, I can't last more than three turns without 2/3 of my squad dead and the remaining 1/3 demoralised and panicking.

Success! Well, I didn't save a single civilian, and lost six soldiers and a tank, but I didn't lose the Skyranger and an entire squad's worth of equipment, so I count that as a roaring success. I also learned that personal armour is fifty shades of fucking worthless (though flying armour, on the other hand, is fucking amazing), so there's also that.

That said the whole desperation feel of the game is really kicking in. A month ago, things were pretty calm, just a small UFO here and there to clear out and a half-arsed terror attack from the aliens. Now, on the other hand, there are more UFOs, they're getting bigger and pretty much impossible to bring down with a basic interceptor and the aliens are now dabbling in mind control. Suddenly, I need more of everything and I need it yesterday.

[Vypernight]

Playstation Plus added Hitman: Absolution (with the Deus Ex: Human Revolution content) for free, so I downloaded it and I just finished the gun shop level.

I know the game faced a lot of criticism for its departure from the past formula (and the short-lived Facebook app that was likely the product of a REALLY dumb person), but I love it. It adds a lot of things that I the series needed (decent shooting mechanics, more places to climb, decent cover mechanics, and no more funny ragdolls), and it still works with the more story-based gameplay instead of the sandbox "Kill your targets however you see it" missions of the past. The voice acting is also really damn good, and the animations are spectacular.

Also, Easy difficulty makes 47 so tough that you can basically play the game as a really good third-person cover shooter if you so desire. The gunplay has been revamped and shooting your way around is actually a viable solution if you're tough or good enough, so you can basically just set the mission to the easiest difficulty and go to town. I can imagine this game seeing a lot of mileage in my future.

I wasn't a huge fan of the story, but the gunshop level is fun.  Also, I love Contracts Mode.  I just wish we could get levels from previous Hitman games.  I've already done at least 3-4 contracts for each map.

[chitoryu12]

I don't think Absolution's story was top notch, but it was a nice change of pace to have a long-running story (rather than a bunch of sandbox missions with a story in the background that only really comes to the fore in the final hour or less). It let them do different things with the formula, like "Run For Your Life" where 47 needs to escape from the police. The linear mission segments often have just as many routes and options as you would in a previous sandbox to reach the goal, and you can spend as long or as little time as you want on them. In the aforementioned mission, the library segment can be completed in 5 minutes or less by a skilled player on a relatively low difficulty. Or you can get stuck for 15 or 20 minutes.

You'd be surprised at how many people will scream that being allowed to play the game multiple ways ruins the game and is a terrible thing that should be avoided.

Mostly because it appeals to the "filthy casuals."

No lie, I'm probably going to do my second playthrough as an ultra-violent shooter and just blast my way through all the levels. Because it's fun and I can actually do that.

Think the "How Not to Play Hitman" series on YouTube.

[Søren]

I feel guilty when i just blast my way through levels in stealth games, hitman, deux ex, splinter cell. I know they are genuine options but i feel like such a bastard XD

[RavynousHunter]

I only do it when I'm cornered; I absolutely LOATHE having to start over, reload, or go back a checkpoint.  That said, in Splinter Cell (Double Agent, to be specific), I'm not above just putting a pistol round in someone's dome if they're alone and an easy target.  Or knifing them.

[IanC]

Finished the main story in Borderlands 2 last night, really enjoyed it. Still got the rest of the DLC to go through.
Also finished Uncharted: Golden Abyss this morning, which was really good, certainly lives up to its PS3 big brothers. Only problem is that it was a Vita launch game, and as such it uses every function of the Vita. Even that bloody useless rear touch pad. And some of them are forced use. Grrr. Oh well.

Picked up Metal Gear Rising: Revengance and Uncharted 2 last week, so will probably get started on one of those soon. Though I want to finish New Super Luigi U (aka "How hard can we make a 2D Mario game?") first.

[Valerius]

I feel guilty when i just blast my way through levels in stealth games, hitman, deux ex, splinter cell. I know they are genuine options but i feel like such a bastard XD

Same here. I've beaten Dishonoured quite a few times, and not once have I just blasted my way through the enemies. It just feels like a lazy and crude way to go about the game, especially when there are so many different stealthy approaches to take.

[ThunderWulf]

I feel guilty when i just blast my way through levels in stealth games, hitman, deux ex, splinter cell. I know they are genuine options but i feel like such a bastard XD

Same here. I've beaten Dishonoured quite a few times, and not once have I just blasted my way through the enemies. It just feels like a lazy and crude way to go about the game, especially when there are so many different stealthy approaches to take.

I will take the knock down the front door route sometimes if I'm bored, but yeah, a good stealth game, I find the stealth gameplay style is so much more rewarding.  I think that's why I liked Dishonored so much is it was an actually balanced stealth game and one of the best ones we've had since Thief.

[Valerius]

I feel guilty when i just blast my way through levels in stealth games, hitman, deux ex, splinter cell. I know they are genuine options but i feel like such a bastard XD

Same here. I've beaten Dishonoured quite a few times, and not once have I just blasted my way through the enemies. It just feels like a lazy and crude way to go about the game, especially when there are so many different stealthy approaches to take.

I will take the knock down the front door route sometimes if I'm bored, but yeah, a good stealth game, I find the stealth gameplay style is so much more rewarding.  I think that's why I liked Dishonored so much is it was an actually balanced stealth game and one of the best ones we've had since Thief.

Well, I suppose I lied just a tiny bit. Occasionally, when I'm on the mission to kill High Overseer Campbell, I'll sometimes just walk through the place and slaughter everyone I see, because fuck you, religious zealots! But normally, I prefer stealth. You're right, playing stealthily is just so much more satisfying in that game, especially since the developers put so much effort into making great stealth gameplay, like you said.

[Vypernight]

I downloaded the Citadel DLC for Mass Effect 3, but after playing through it for a few minutes, I decided to start a new game with my Vanguard.  I want to get farther ahead before I play the mission, but i'm loving my Vanguard!  Can't wait to get the Graal again!

[Søren]

I stupidly went through some dlc for borderlands 2 before finishing the game, now im overlevelled for the main campain, and underlevelled for Tiny tinas dlc. So now im judt tediosly one shot killing everything trying to maintain my level so I can get an iota of difficulty