NotThePars Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 The Witcher's proof that games can tell a story as well as cinema or television. The world building is almost unparalleled and I would struggle to think of a game that created a world that felt as vibrant and populated as the world in The Witcher. Contrast the occupation of Nilfgaard in the Northern Kingdoms and its presence all around you to the civil war in Skyrim that seemed to take place between two football team sized armies. I used to be a massive Elder Scrolls fan but Bethesda's limitations have become so painfully apparent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 I've only played DS2 but it was at best massively over rated. The load times between deaths were infuriating. Using bonfires as save points and setting the difficulty so high are a snidey way to drag what was a short game with a small map out. The storyline was gash and there was no decent side quests. If they allowed you to create your own bonfires so you didn't need to repeat your work you'd rattled through the game in less than 24 hours. Including the 8 hours of loading screen times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizfit Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Sod it i'm buying the Witcher 3 on payday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerSaint Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 25 minutes ago, Cerberus said: I've only played DS2 but it was at best massively over rated. The load times between deaths were infuriating. Using bonfires as save points and setting the difficulty so high are a snidey way to drag what was a short game with a small map out. The storyline was gash and there was no decent side quests. If they allowed you to create your own bonfires so you didn't need to repeat your work you'd rattled through the game in less than 24 hours. Including the 8 hours of loading screen times. You could probably rattle through most games in 24 hours though, especially if you arbitrarily change the key game mechanics. The difficulty makes it that much more of an achievement when you get past that boss you've been destroyed on 10 times in a row. It's more satisfying. It's not really an open world game so side quests don't fit in. They wouldn't fit the story either (which there is you just need to look for it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 17 hours ago, Saigon Raider said: I must have put around 100 hours into Witcher 3 and the two DLCs. Was my number one, I have never been so immersed in a game like this one. The quality of the DLCs, especially Blood and Wine, is incredible - like a brand new game. I am currently doing every available quest, treasure hunt,etc and leaving the main quest as I really don't want to finish it. The Bloody Baron quest was mind blowing. Loved Last Of Us as well but it is very linear compared to it although the story was superb. I've seen this a few times, people griping that The Last of Us was too linear - in what way is it too linear? Would the game be better if Joel and Ellie went off to do side quests? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophe Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 The gameplay massively let's down the Last Of Us, stunning story and truly amazing atmosphere but at the end of the day it's not a movie and the gameplay aspect let's it down for me. Didn't make the grade for my vote. Pulling for Skyrim to win now, voted it 7th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotThePars Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 4 hours ago, Cerberus said: I've only played DS2 but it was at best massively over rated. The load times between deaths were infuriating. Using bonfires as save points and setting the difficulty so high are a snidey way to drag what was a short game with a small map out. The storyline was gash and there was no decent side quests. If they allowed you to create your own bonfires so you didn't need to repeat your work you'd rattled through the game in less than 24 hours. Including the 8 hours of loading screen times. I haven't played Dark Souls as I was terrible at it and haven't devoted the time to rectify that yet but most people from what I saw would place Dark Souls 2 as by far the worst of the four titles (including Bloodborne in this). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamond_for_life Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 The mrs got me the Bioshock collection for Christmas. Hadn't played any of them before so started the first one on Friday if they continue like this I can see Bioshock being my favourite games franchise by some distance. Unbelievable setting and play so far. Didn't think I would be into it for some reason but I couldn't have been more wrong. Had a wee quick search and saw a few of you have talked the games up too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 47 minutes ago, Christophe said: The gameplay massively let's down the Last Of Us, stunning story and truly amazing atmosphere but at the end of the day it's not a movie and the gameplay aspect let's it down for me. Didn't make the grade for my vote. Pulling for Skyrim to win now, voted it 7th. I can't remember anything outrageous about the controls in the game. There was nothing in there that really put me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludo*1 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Not having the fact that the gameplay was a let down in regards to LoU. Admittedly it wasn't the most fluid but the controls were really good in my opinion. Not all games need to be like Tomb Raider in terms of flexibility of the characters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djchapsticks Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 4 hours ago, Francesc Fabregas said: I've seen this a few times, people griping that The Last of Us was too linear - in what way is it too linear? Would the game be better if Joel and Ellie went off to do side quests? Exactly. It's linear because the narrative requires it to be. The game is about Joel and Ellie having to get from point A to point B in one piece without getting eaten, stabbed, raped or shot to f**k. How much of a bummer and a momentum killer would it be if the option was there to f**k about? I'm all for open world games if done right. TLOU simply wasn't needed as one, nor would it have benefited from being one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djchapsticks Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 1 hour ago, diamond_for_life said: The mrs got me the Bioshock collection for Christmas. Hadn't played any of them before so started the first one on Friday if they continue like this I can see Bioshock being my favourite games franchise by some distance. Unbelievable setting and play so far. Didn't think I would be into it for some reason but I couldn't have been more wrong. Had a wee quick search and saw a few of you have talked the games up too. Brilliant, atmospheric is haunting and a brilliant storyline in the first. The sequels held up well too but nothing from the series was as good as Bioshock 1 for me. It was so different to anything else at that point in time. Also am I missing something here or did Portal 2 not even make the list? How the f**k did that happen?! It was probably my 2nd reserve as a choice. Can't believe no-one had it to make it top 50 though. Wonderful mechanics, funny, charming, brilliantly voice acted and a cracking learning curve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 5 minutes ago, djchapsticks said: Exactly. It's linear because the narrative requires it to be. The game is about Joel and Ellie having to get from point A to point B in one piece without getting eaten, stabbed, raped or shot to f**k. How much of a bummer and a momentum killer would it be if the option was there to f**k about? I'm all for open world games if done right. TLOU simply wasn't needed as one, nor would it have benefited from being one. Turns out Jim Sterling made a video about sandbox games yesterday and makes this very point: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The OP Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 I got The Witcher 3 for Christmas and it's decent but I'm struggling to really get into it at the moment. The menus, inventories etc seem very fiddly and needlessly complex and most of the missions seem to send you somewhere to wander about searching for something or fight a monster. The gwent thing seems a bit tedious. The controls are going for me too - the number of times (for example) I've walked towards the horse and pressed x but he doesn't get on because I've walked one step too far is a tad infuriating. I may come back saying it's the best game ever once I've mastered it but (as far as sandbox games go) it seems to me that it's no fantasy GTA/RDR and Shadow of Mordor seemed a lot more fun (with nowhere near the same load times when you die). I completely agree with the previous points about TLOU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spectre Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 14 minutes ago, djchapsticks said: Also am I missing something here or did Portal 2 not even make the list? How the f**k did that happen?! It was probably my 2nd reserve as a choice. Can't believe no-one had it to make it top 50 though. Wonderful mechanics, funny, charming, brilliantly voice acted and a cracking learning curve. my 5th choice, obviously forgotten in peoples minds, as it is fantastic and a reminder that a game does not have to be complex to be good. Would be nice to see a full list of all the votes once its finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djchapsticks Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 17 minutes ago, Francesc Fabregas said: Turns out Jim Sterling made a video about sandbox games yesterday and makes this very point: Excellent watch and more or less verbalising almost word for word what I've felt about the general quality of open world games for a while now. I wasn't aware of his content. I'll certainly be having a look at his YT channel in future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francesc Fabregas Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Just now, djchapsticks said: Excellent watch and more or less verbalising almost word for word what I've felt about the general quality of open world games for a while now. I wasn't aware of his content. I'll certainly be having a look at his YT channel in future. I only came across him a couple of months ago but he's generally excellent. His two videos about No Man's Sky are certainly worth your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djchapsticks Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Just now, Francesc Fabregas said: I only came across him a couple of months ago but he's generally excellent. His two videos about No Man's Sky are certainly worth your time. Have a look at Larry Bundy Jr's stuff. A lot of it is a lot more old school but he knows his stuff and pulls out some brilliant wee tidbits of 80's and 90's gaming info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishtergrolsch Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I've felt that way about alot of open world games. Skyrim IS great for that, it is full of cool stuff to do but similar to what Jim says in the video, if you can buy a house, become the leader of a guild and get lost in dozens of dungeons, it makes the impending doom of the world seem less urgent. Good stories are becoming fewer and games like TLOU, Mass Effect, classic Zelda and Final Fantasy weren't always balls out action because they had sections where the story was allowed to breathe. Lots of dialogue, back stories and building relationships with characters in games added to that and gave you something to get attached to or defend. Ellie and Joel in TLOU, Shepherd and the crew of the Normandy, Link and Zelda. Cloud, Aeris and Sephiroth. Give me a linear game with a great story and character development every day over an empty sandbox with a loose watery jobby of a story like No Man's Sky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmothecat Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I had never actually heard of Witcher 3 (or 1 or 2) before this thread. Might give it a look based on the posts on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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