5 Yrs#
Knowbowl
5 Yrs#
There's only one game fit to kick this thread off, and that's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
I finally got around to playing through this one earlier this year, and my only regret coming out was that I hadn't played it sooner. The Witcher 3 redefines video game storytelling, and in an open-world nonetheless. My favorite title before playing this was Mass Effect 2, a game I thought could never be dethroned. However, The Witcher 3 doesn't just dethrone ME2, it blows it out of the water. I wouldn't be surprised if CD Projekt Red used a time machine to stop time and give themselves an extra decade to make this game, as the amount of content here is mind-boggling. The base game is massive enough, but the DLC adds an entirely new game's worth of content.
Gameplay Design and Variation - GREAT (9)
Great combat, enemy variety, and play-style customization. Not a huge fan of massive inventory systems, but the game allowed me to use them less on my lower difficulty, and really experience the story how I wanted to.
Level Design and Variation - FANTASTIC (10)
The open worlds are vast, and vary heavily from area to area. The world design kept me intrigued enough to check every corner of the map.
Creativity - FANTASTIC (10)
Great source material, and great implementation. This level of writing and storytelling is a new standard for video games as a genre. The game's world is also very inspired, as natural environments feel more alive than any game I've ever played.
Overall Quality - GREAT (9)
Did experience one major crash that I thought wiped my save file, but ended up just requiring a hard-reset on my console. Would've given it a 10 otherwise.
Overall Fun - FANTASTIC (10)
This game drew me in, and didn't let me go until everything that could be done had been done. Every quest was well-written, and more often than not had a surprise twist, even the side-quests. Your choices also genuinely affect the world around you, and the outcome of every quest in the game. The combination of great storytelling, and meaningful interactivity made my intrigue unparalleled.
9.6/10 - A game so good it makes other games harder to play.
I finally got around to playing through this one earlier this year, and my only regret coming out was that I hadn't played it sooner. The Witcher 3 redefines video game storytelling, and in an open-world nonetheless. My favorite title before playing this was Mass Effect 2, a game I thought could never be dethroned. However, The Witcher 3 doesn't just dethrone ME2, it blows it out of the water. I wouldn't be surprised if CD Projekt Red used a time machine to stop time and give themselves an extra decade to make this game, as the amount of content here is mind-boggling. The base game is massive enough, but the DLC adds an entirely new game's worth of content.
Gameplay Design and Variation - GREAT (9)
Great combat, enemy variety, and play-style customization. Not a huge fan of massive inventory systems, but the game allowed me to use them less on my lower difficulty, and really experience the story how I wanted to.
Level Design and Variation - FANTASTIC (10)
The open worlds are vast, and vary heavily from area to area. The world design kept me intrigued enough to check every corner of the map.
Creativity - FANTASTIC (10)
Great source material, and great implementation. This level of writing and storytelling is a new standard for video games as a genre. The game's world is also very inspired, as natural environments feel more alive than any game I've ever played.
Overall Quality - GREAT (9)
Did experience one major crash that I thought wiped my save file, but ended up just requiring a hard-reset on my console. Would've given it a 10 otherwise.
Overall Fun - FANTASTIC (10)
This game drew me in, and didn't let me go until everything that could be done had been done. Every quest was well-written, and more often than not had a surprise twist, even the side-quests. Your choices also genuinely affect the world around you, and the outcome of every quest in the game. The combination of great storytelling, and meaningful interactivity made my intrigue unparalleled.
9.6/10 - A game so good it makes other games harder to play.
10 Yrs♥✓#
TheOro44
10 Yrs♥✓#
The image seems broken, you might want to edit that.
But yeah, The Witcher 3 is out of this world, with how huge and polished it is, I need to get around and invest a hundred hours or two, but I just can't jump straight to it by skipping the first 2. Unless, an exception wouldn't hurt...
9 Yrs♥✓#
Who needs a time machine when you have soul-crushing crunch periods?
On topic, I keep hearing how good TW3 is, but I'm hesitant to play it. For one, I disliked TW2. Secondly, when people say it's better than ME2 that makes me doubt that I'd like it. It reminds me of when everyone said The Last of Us had an amazing story and I was unimpressed.
Still, I'll probably play it in a couple of years :/
5 Yrs#
Knowbowl5 Yrs#
Yeah sadly you're right about the insane crunch-time they went through for this game, and are going through for Cyberpunk 2077. 'Tis a shame :(
9 Yrs♥✓#
Eries
9 Yrs♥✓#
The Witcher 3 is an improvement over its predecessor in every way so I think you might actually enjoy this one.
I would never compare the Witcher with Mass Effect. They are very different games and the people who said that that the Witcher is better probably just enjoy fantasy more then science
fiction.
5 Yrs#
Knowbowl5 Yrs#
I actually like Science Fiction better than Fantasy, but The Witcher 3 is just that good IMO. I agree they are different in many ways, but if I had to pick a favorite between the two, it would have to be The Witcher 3.
5 Yrs#
Knowbowl5 Yrs#
One of my more recent playthroughs was Perfect Dark Zero, a game I had low expectations about going in, but actually had some good fun with.
I've come to the conclusion that there are games with bad stories, and then games with stories so suspiciously bad that you have to wonder if they did it on purpose. This is one of those games, with some of the most ridiculous characters, dialogue, and plot points I've ever seen in a video game. It actually made a game that was fairly bad all around have some level of enjoyment to it. I wouldn't suggest playing through it, but a quick YouTube of some of the cut-scenes from the game will pique your interest.
Gameplay Design and Variation - OKAY (5)
Like many FPS titles, the game revolves around clearing the enemies in an area, and moving forward. There was a decent number of weapons, but the shooting felt semi-unresponsive.
Level Design and Variation - OKAY (5)
Most levels took place in varied environments, from underwater bases to jungles, but there just weren't many levels in the first place. Some were very difficult to navigate as well.
Creativity - BAD (3)
When it comes to sequels, the expectation is to expand on the last title, and improve in its shortcomings. This game went the opposite direction in almost every aspect. The story is also, as I mentioned previously, less than inspired to say the least.
Overall Quality - BAD (3)
Floaty shooting, wandering AI, less than perfect weapon balancing, and absurd writing.
Overall Fun - GOOD (7)
None of the above really hints at the game being fun, but again, the story was so poorly written that it became entertaining. I can't say that I didn't enjoy the clunkiness of it all.
4.6/10 - Bad game, but the writers were onto something... or I should say the writers were ON something.
I've come to the conclusion that there are games with bad stories, and then games with stories so suspiciously bad that you have to wonder if they did it on purpose. This is one of those games, with some of the most ridiculous characters, dialogue, and plot points I've ever seen in a video game. It actually made a game that was fairly bad all around have some level of enjoyment to it. I wouldn't suggest playing through it, but a quick YouTube of some of the cut-scenes from the game will pique your interest.
Gameplay Design and Variation - OKAY (5)
Like many FPS titles, the game revolves around clearing the enemies in an area, and moving forward. There was a decent number of weapons, but the shooting felt semi-unresponsive.
Level Design and Variation - OKAY (5)
Most levels took place in varied environments, from underwater bases to jungles, but there just weren't many levels in the first place. Some were very difficult to navigate as well.
Creativity - BAD (3)
When it comes to sequels, the expectation is to expand on the last title, and improve in its shortcomings. This game went the opposite direction in almost every aspect. The story is also, as I mentioned previously, less than inspired to say the least.
Overall Quality - BAD (3)
Floaty shooting, wandering AI, less than perfect weapon balancing, and absurd writing.
Overall Fun - GOOD (7)
None of the above really hints at the game being fun, but again, the story was so poorly written that it became entertaining. I can't say that I didn't enjoy the clunkiness of it all.
4.6/10 - Bad game, but the writers were onto something... or I should say the writers were ON something.
5 Yrs#
Knowbowl5 Yrs#
Just finished another survival horror title, and one of the 2000's classics, Dead Space.
This game perfectly captures that sci-fi horror vibe, and feels like a clash of Doom 3 and the Alien franchise. The characters are well written, the atmosphere is oozing from the walls (sometimes literally), and the alien/zombie creatures are truly frightening. I loved nearly everything about this game, especially the mechanics. The shooting feels weighty, the creatures react when shot, and taking out the limbs instead of just shooting for the head is a nice change.
Gameplay Design and Variation - GOOD (7)
There are quite a few different creatures that show up throughout the game, which is great. My only complaint is the slight overuse of them, as by the end of the game I was much less scared of them. Too much exposure, even to very frightening creatures, can eventually dull the horror. I also love the physics-based mechanics of the game.
Level Design and Variation - FANTASTIC (10)
One of the best examples of a feeling of being alone on a ship floating through space. The atmosphere is just amazing, and the levels are very well designed, and mostly unique.
Creativity - GREAT (9)
The creatures felt mostly original, and the physics-based gameplay also seemed pretty original. The more I think about it, this would make for a fantastic movie or TV series as well.
Overall Quality - GREAT (9)
Nothing ever felt clunky, and no crashes.
Overall Fun - GREAT (9)
Scary enough to keep away the feint of heart, and very fun to play.
8.8 - A staple in the survival horror genre
This game perfectly captures that sci-fi horror vibe, and feels like a clash of Doom 3 and the Alien franchise. The characters are well written, the atmosphere is oozing from the walls (sometimes literally), and the alien/zombie creatures are truly frightening. I loved nearly everything about this game, especially the mechanics. The shooting feels weighty, the creatures react when shot, and taking out the limbs instead of just shooting for the head is a nice change.
Gameplay Design and Variation - GOOD (7)
There are quite a few different creatures that show up throughout the game, which is great. My only complaint is the slight overuse of them, as by the end of the game I was much less scared of them. Too much exposure, even to very frightening creatures, can eventually dull the horror. I also love the physics-based mechanics of the game.
Level Design and Variation - FANTASTIC (10)
One of the best examples of a feeling of being alone on a ship floating through space. The atmosphere is just amazing, and the levels are very well designed, and mostly unique.
Creativity - GREAT (9)
The creatures felt mostly original, and the physics-based gameplay also seemed pretty original. The more I think about it, this would make for a fantastic movie or TV series as well.
Overall Quality - GREAT (9)
Nothing ever felt clunky, and no crashes.
Overall Fun - GREAT (9)
Scary enough to keep away the feint of heart, and very fun to play.
8.8 - A staple in the survival horror genre
5 Yrs#
Knowbowl5 Yrs#
Just finished playing through what now is one of my least favorite video games, Fallout 76.
To put this game's shortcomings simply, it's an online version of Fallout 4, which means that almost everything lovable about Fallout can't be here. It's an empty, meaningless experience that will genuinely test your patience to new extremes. I even waited for the Wastelanders expansion to come out, but was surprised at how boring the game still felt afterwords. Where did that 58G update even go? I can only guess that most of it went to microtransaction content, which is predatory in this game to say the least.
Gameplay Design and Variation - BAD (3)
So many poor gameplay choices for this game, with most of them coming from the game being online. I never had enough ammo, so running a melee weapon as a primary was needed. Fast traveling costs in-game currency, that you can of course pay real money for. I only spent the currency on fast traveling, so I never ran out, but it would be easy to run out if you spent it on anything else. Enemies were constantly spawning as much higher level than I could handle, and that's simply because another player at a higher level would be in the area. This would force me to find a new server, and this happened A LOT. The quests were poorly designed, and were some of the most uninteresting I've ever played. There really isn't much of a story to it either, even the new Wastelanders story. So what did the online aspect bring to the table then? Almost nothing. I would occasionally travel to someone to see if they could lend some resources so I could craft some things to continue the main plot, but that's about it. The game could've been offline completely, and it wouldn't feel different at all. But let me also reiterate that I had to craft to continue the MAIN QUESTLINE.
Level Design and Variation - OKAY (5)
The world can be pretty, and does feel like there was some inspiration around the setting.
Creativity - BAD (3)
Outside of the world being somewhat interesting, and this style of MMO being fairly unique, there was no creativity whatsoever. All decisions for this game seemed to be based around enabling monetization, and that's a true shame.
Overall Quality - TERRIBLE (1)
Listing out all the bugs and quality issues I experienced throughout the game would take pages, so I'll just list out the big ones. For starters, the game had trouble keeping my progress. If I were to quit the server and join a new one, more often than not I would have to repeat objectives, sometimes entire quests even. Outside of that, enemies would often be frozen or invisible, or have infinite health. Objective markers would often not show, which meant I had to get in a new server, which then meant that I usually lost some progress doing so. It was so bad that I started expecting the game to bug out wherever I went. The framerate was also constantly struggling, and the game looks like it should be on the 360, so I'm not sure why that was the case.
Overall Fun - BAD (3)
For every mildly enjoyable moment in this game, there are 10 things that you had to struggle through to get there. This game will genuinely test your patience, and that's the opposite of why most of us play video games in the first place!
3/10 - Bethesda still has no regrets though
To put this game's shortcomings simply, it's an online version of Fallout 4, which means that almost everything lovable about Fallout can't be here. It's an empty, meaningless experience that will genuinely test your patience to new extremes. I even waited for the Wastelanders expansion to come out, but was surprised at how boring the game still felt afterwords. Where did that 58G update even go? I can only guess that most of it went to microtransaction content, which is predatory in this game to say the least.
Gameplay Design and Variation - BAD (3)
So many poor gameplay choices for this game, with most of them coming from the game being online. I never had enough ammo, so running a melee weapon as a primary was needed. Fast traveling costs in-game currency, that you can of course pay real money for. I only spent the currency on fast traveling, so I never ran out, but it would be easy to run out if you spent it on anything else. Enemies were constantly spawning as much higher level than I could handle, and that's simply because another player at a higher level would be in the area. This would force me to find a new server, and this happened A LOT. The quests were poorly designed, and were some of the most uninteresting I've ever played. There really isn't much of a story to it either, even the new Wastelanders story. So what did the online aspect bring to the table then? Almost nothing. I would occasionally travel to someone to see if they could lend some resources so I could craft some things to continue the main plot, but that's about it. The game could've been offline completely, and it wouldn't feel different at all. But let me also reiterate that I had to craft to continue the MAIN QUESTLINE.
Level Design and Variation - OKAY (5)
The world can be pretty, and does feel like there was some inspiration around the setting.
Creativity - BAD (3)
Outside of the world being somewhat interesting, and this style of MMO being fairly unique, there was no creativity whatsoever. All decisions for this game seemed to be based around enabling monetization, and that's a true shame.
Overall Quality - TERRIBLE (1)
Listing out all the bugs and quality issues I experienced throughout the game would take pages, so I'll just list out the big ones. For starters, the game had trouble keeping my progress. If I were to quit the server and join a new one, more often than not I would have to repeat objectives, sometimes entire quests even. Outside of that, enemies would often be frozen or invisible, or have infinite health. Objective markers would often not show, which meant I had to get in a new server, which then meant that I usually lost some progress doing so. It was so bad that I started expecting the game to bug out wherever I went. The framerate was also constantly struggling, and the game looks like it should be on the 360, so I'm not sure why that was the case.
Overall Fun - BAD (3)
For every mildly enjoyable moment in this game, there are 10 things that you had to struggle through to get there. This game will genuinely test your patience, and that's the opposite of why most of us play video games in the first place!
3/10 - Bethesda still has no regrets though