Topic: The Chit Chat Thread

@Ravix So, it was heavily discounted in the current PS Store sale and I bought it for less than £10, which was a good deal. Decided to try it for a spin before I started my "Shadowrun Returns" session. I played for a little under an hour and... well, let's just say it wasn't love at first sight. It felt very clunky and slow to me. The animation for picking up an apple took around twenty minutes to complete, it felt like, and it seemed like he picked it up with the back of his hand (I suppose he had some sort of adhesive on there). I also got in a fistfight with a drunkard and that felt completely off. I can only hope that fight wasn't representative of the combat in the game, that combat gets better as the character gets skilled in the various disciplines.
I liked the character interactions, though. While the voice acting was less than stellar, the actual dialogue felt quite real. I will come back to it later and give at fair shake, but my first impressions didn't exactly propel it up to the top of my backlog.
I should add that I know that all the negatives I mentioned are easily overcome if the game manages to pull me in, so I'm not in any way discounting it yet.

@FuriousMachine oh, it's a game with flaws, but a game that makes up for those with its endless charm and sheer willingness to not be as hand-holdy as other games. You have to remember it was a game made by an independent Czech studio funded by a kick-starter, and the passion project of the lead writer for Mafia 1 and 2. I always think a game made with passion will reveal itself to the player soon enough, and can easily be forgiven for any jank.

It's one you've definitely got to fall in love with and find out for yourself, though.

Just the other day I was on an old save just incase I'd missed any good side quests the first time round, and I started one that in essence seemed like the goal would be to maybe get some rabbit skins for the huntsman (I thought, well that's why i'd missed it). Needless to say, it was not, it was a full on detective task to find out about a murder and find out what really went on a few years ago as the perp who had escaped could potentially be back in town with cruel intentions for those that initially caught him. There were no real quest markers as to who anyone involved might be, and it was linked to a seperate quest involving a gang of poachers and it potentially involved witchcraft and rituals in the nearby forest too. And by the end, we found out what went on, and afterwards Henry was given a new task by the local lord, too, and a new place to call home for his efforts.

I was basically like: oh yeah, that's why I love this sh** 😂

@FuriousMachine It's terrible at first impressions, particularly the combat. And I'll admit it took multiple attempts to get into, but it's a game I ended up loving enough to pre-order the sequel.

I think what helped is that it's a game that challenges preconceived notions. My point is that the clunkiness helps it feel very real. There's no reason why a blacksmiths son should be anything other than useless at fighting. It definitely takes getting used to. And as Henry improves, so you shall, too. And there's no harm whatsoever in running away.

And while this isn't a prerequisite for enjoying the game, it does help to consider how the game was developed. It feels like a passion project, a labour of love. In a modern world filled with gacha, GaaS, loot boxes, battle passes, live service, big budget, licensed, corporate driven games, this felt like the very freshest breaths of air and made me wish for more games like it. While it's hardly the same thing, Kamiya is also making the right noises about Okami 2 and I'll be showing my support in pre ordering that. I'm excited for KCD2, and I dearly hope find a lot to love in KCD.