Video Game Thread 2.0

[The Illusive Man]

Good news:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qyItbOQ1rg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qyItbOQ1rg</a>

Bad news:
PopCap has laid off Plants vs. Zombies creator George Fan, the day after announcing a sequel to the game.

EA has acquired casual games developer PopCap Games for $750 million in cash and stock options.

[kefkaownsall]

I've not played PvZ but really?  I hope Fan got money unlike Ass Creed's creator

[Art Vandelay]

Its one of those things you'd feel bad for spoiling, but at the same time...you kinda wanna warn other prospective new players about...

I don't. The whole point of the game is to have the player think they're playing just another generic modern military shooter, with all the expectations thereof being slowly picked at and then utterly shattered by that one scene. If the player isn't expecting another 3rd rate Call of Duty clone, the effect is ruined.

Unfortunately, I think the effect's been ruined by this point. The game has had enough exposure and reviews to clue in prospective buyers that it's meant to have that kind of storyline. The only ones who are going to pick it up thinking it's a generic military shooter right now are the ones who never pay attention to gaming media, websites, or reviewers.

True, but what are you going to do?

Anyway, just started another play through of Zelda: Wind Waker. Man, it really makes me miss the days when Nintendo consoles were actually good. None of this motion control garbage.

They're redoing Wind Waker on the Wii U. Basically a graphics rehaul.

I know, but I'll personally stick to the Gamecube version. No way I'm paying several hundred dollars to play a game I already own with a stupid tablet controller that has a 2-3 hour battery life at the very most. I'll just stick with my Gamecube and its normal, perfectly functional controller, kthanxbye.

[Distind]

Road Redemption has a slight chance in hell it's closing in on 130k:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkseasgames/road-redemption

Maybe I should start a pimp your kickstarter thread or something...

But unlike the doublefine backers, I'm looking at two games coming out in the next few months that appear to be quite on budget.

[Saturn500]

The Kickstarter for localization of The Tale of ALLTYNEX is almost at the first stretch goal. I think it may have helped that they made it so people who donate $25 or more now get a free Satazius Steam key, in addition to two of the three ALLTYNEX games, one soundtrack, and those wallpapers.

UPDATE: It lost money again? Are you shitting me?
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Oh, and System Shock 2's on Steam. Yay!

[Dakota Bob]

Picked up Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. Blood Dragon is delightfully absurd.

MARK IV STYLE MOTHAFUCKA

[Distind]

Road Redemption is closing in on an Xbox360 port if anyone was thinking of getting it, that said, it is funded at this point.

And how is dragon's dogma, I was looking at that.

[Dakota Bob]

I quite enjoyed it when I completed the original. the combat takes a few cues from dark souls and shadow of the colossus but is a bit more arcade-y. The Dark Arisen version fixes some of the originals flaws while adding new content. The environment design is great with some great dungeon-crawling bits, writing is a bit meh, voice acting alright (tries too hard to sound medievel) the pawn system is interesting (You can create a sidekick character that can be used by anybody playing online, and you can also hire other players pawns) sidequests are probably the games biggest weakness (not much variety)

One of the main problems fixed in the Dark Arisen is the ferrystones, crystals allowing you to fast-travel to locations where you place them. in the original they were pretty pricey and forced you to travel everywhere by foot for most of the beginning portions in the game. in the new version the price is slashed significantly making it a more viable option.

For its price its a great lengthy action-RPG

[Art Vandelay]

I just got me a copy of Primordia for 60% off. When it comes to indie current adventure games, you just can't beat Wadjet Eye.

Just noticed this game isn't actually indie. It's developed by Wormwood while Wadjet is the publisher. Well, isn't that something?

[Askold]

Do you remember those games where everything leading up to the end was entertaining, challenging and utterly awesome... But after defeating the final boss the actual payoff, the ending, was just one page of text or something similarly dissappointing?

It's not just that "I don't like the ending" it's more like there has been no effort done for the ending and it is just a token "you win" screen and some words.

This was a bigger problem in the older games but I just saw the ending to the first Stronghold game (after 2000 is still recent, dammit!) and other games like the Dungeon keeper and Startopia, startegy games in general and beat 'em ups as well seem to suffer from this.

[Distind]

I don't know, aside from the fallout kind of game where it actually means something time devoted to building some spectacular ending is time taken away from making a game that doesn't suck. See FF13 for the logical conclusion of spending all the money on story telling rather than making any kind of game at all.

[Saturn500]

Most shmups are pretty much the epitome of "gameplay over story".

For most shmups, the plot is All There in the Manual aside from the ending cutscene.

Mind you, this is primarily because they're arcade games, and, well, you know, there's probably going to be a line...

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Speaking of which, it seems the reason the ALLTYNEX kickstarter has been losing funds is because people are withdrawing their donations, since they don't think it'll reach the stretch goals.

Which is dumb. They're dumb. Obvious self-fulfilling prophecy mentality.

[ironbite]

I don't know, aside from the fallout kind of game where it actually means something time devoted to building some spectacular ending is time taken away from making a game that doesn't suck. See FF13 for the logical conclusion of spending all the money on story telling rather than making any kind of game at all.

Story?  FF13 has a story?  I thought it was just a mess of not-connected hallways that you're forced to send the characters down.

Ironbite-the story....there is no story.

[Distind]

Story?  FF13 has a story?  I thought it was just a mess of not-connected hallways that you're forced to send the characters down.

Ironbite-the story....there is no story.

No, there is a story, it's just utter shit.

[chitoryu12]

If you want System Shock 2, run over to Steam. It's on sale for $7.