Dreams do come true. Our lord graces Sony with his presence!
Couldn't imagine a more beautiful union between a game creator and publisher. I'm sure this will be a healthy change for Kojima, too. It'll help him to refocus after all the filth he's had to endure with Konami for so long. (you can see his enthusiasm in the video!) I so look forward to seeing what he comes up with.
I'm worried for RIME. It has the potential to be marvelous, but the extremely lengthy development time is disconcerting. Here's hoping we'll actually hear something soon!
@naut I didn't think it was obvious, but I understand why this reaction happened since they originally said it would be released in "multiple parts." I found that surprising. If The Witcher 3 is and FFXV will likely be on one disc with the PS4, what in the world are they doing with VII? (ha ha) And most people would conflate "multiple" with a number range of 3-4 (or at least I do), so episodic would be an appropriate term to use in this case. With things cleared up now, you'd think they would do VII and VII-2 or something, but they might just go up to 4. Either way, it's going to be very interesting to see how Square goes about segmenting VII into several parts.
I thought the critics were too...generous to this game simply due to its social commentary, but I do think it's definitely worth playing. Nice dialogue, great pacing, etc. Glad to see it come to PS4 so more people can play it.
Now I'm REALLY excited for the developer's new game called Tacoma! That looks much better.
No, I wouldn't. I'll admit that I enjoyed RE5, but Redfield's campaign in RE6 was awful. Wesker's was alright, but I liked Leon and Ada Wong's campaigns the most. The problem though is that RE6 feels like a third-person shooter instead of...Resident Evil. :/ That's why I loved how Revelations 2 was a return to form. If you remaster one of the last-gen games, remaster RE5. That was the better game, and it was the best-selling RE in the series, last time I checked.
Now, if they make tweaks to the gameplay with RE6, then color me interested. But if it's a straight-up port...I'll pass.
@Holographic6 Right. Obviously the sound design, gameplay, visuals...they all look great. I wish I had been more positive about those aspects (and even some great things I liked in the campaign), but there's only so much space I have to write. And yes, I do believe it's a cop out to say that "don't think to hard this is CoD." No, Treyarch has proved its stories can make CoD more than it is, and the series has always had the potential to have characters you care about and compelling stories with some mind-blowing twists or events. BO3 could have delivered on that, but didn't. Anyway, thanks for the comment! And welcome to Push Square!
@Ewflex Yes, this is what surprised me so much after finishing the campaign. I was expecting it to be a great time, but I just didn't know what some other reviewers were talking about after playing what they apparently played. But hey, I respect their opinions and understand them. I just think BO3 was too risky this time, and its breadth of customization, leveling system, or anything else don't redeem its story and boring missions, but other people think otherwise. And I didn't notice the AI was awful, but I know it was...okay, at best. I've seen better and worse.
@consolfreak1982 I'm glad you enjoyed it! However, I just don't see where the flashiness and adrenaline come in. I was honestly shocked at the lack of well-choreographed action sequences and varied shootouts. The majority of the game is just open area shootouts. One after the other. Usually every CoD mission maintains my interest by going from an explosive vehicle section to a stealthy sniper mission, but even on a higher difficulty, the game wasn't that exhilarating for me since missions were never mixed up that well in tone or with gameplay.
I will admit though that I'm vaguely intrigued to see what the Nightmares mode is all about. Might play it with a friend in the near future to see how it is!
@Gamer83 Glad you liked it! I, too, think that CoD at heart is generally a "loud, dumb FPS," but the stories have still always engaged me with their characters (Black Ops), mission variety (MW2), and experimental elements (BO2). The developers may know what CoD is, but it has the potential to be more, and BO3 was what I was expecting to break that trend to some degree. But I found it below the threshold of the amount of, er, "dumbness" I could take. Well, it's not that the story was dumb, really. In fact, it's got a brilliant hidden story under the surface. But it just suffers from the problems I laid out in the article to the point where I couldn't suspend my tolerance any longer.
@nathanSF You point out something all gamers need to be wary about. We shouldn't be so uptight and entitled with what games deliver. Sometimes it's just about having fun, and a grand story or gorgeous graphics aren't always necessary in this day and age. However, while CoD may not have the best storylines in modern gaming, it does have great characters and stories from time to time, and when you have trailers like these for Black Ops III...
You can't help but think, "...What happened?" There's a point where we should expect great things out of games in this day and age and be disappointed when it doesn't deliver on all fronts, because for some particular games, one aspect that's neglected can ruin the whole experience, and that goes for BO3.
@chiptoon I already knew this would be the highest one. I just wanted to offer most readers the chance to vote for what most of them are thinking.
@BertoFlyingFox I tried to play on splitscreen, but I found the game more difficult to play. Like you said, the squished screen looked bad and the frame rate was inconsistent. Playing co-op online would be much better in my opinion. But yeah, some of the new abilities are nice!
@BAMozzy I'd say that structure applies to much more than just shooters. But yes, Treyarch's games have been more interesting in how they jump through time. I really liked that with Black Ops, but the thing is that despite the missions being out of order chronologically sometimes, they were set up in such a way that a past mission gave context to current events, and when you finish in the past, you picked up where you left off. There has always been a good sense of progression leading to the climax with CoD stories since they're easy to follow, but in wanting players to play whatever missions they want from the get-go in any order...like I said, it just doesn't sound right. I think players would play the campaign with the intention of doing missions in order, and if someone hadn't played a certain mission yet, why on earth would they want to play it out of order? Treyarch's inclusiveness with the whole campaign being unlocked is good, but it causes more problems than it solves, I think, which destroys the point of repetition. You want to replay something if it's good, but if the campaign isn't good and all the customizing and unlocking stuff is there...what's the point? Like you said, it's too "ambitious." It could work, but it didn't here for me.
@soracloud28 Hey, if you've got some experience, contact @get2sammyb if you'd seriously like to join the staff. I can't speak for him in regard to if we're looking for writers right now, but it doesn't hurt to put your name out there.
@teknium_ Sure, I usually expect to turn my brain off for titles like Modern Warfare 3 and Advanced Warfare. But Call of Duty has proven it can have engaging storylines like with Treyarch's titles that are more than just dumb fun. Black Ops III had the potential to be as compelling as Black Ops, but it handles everything from character development to plot progression so horribly with the way the campaign is structured. It's also lacking in so many "wow" moments with action, exhilarating chases, etc. Modern Warfare 2 compensated for some of its plot holes with amazing twists and varied, stunning moments. That opening mission was just...ugh, I love it to this day. (ha ha) I do agree that if you do want to turn your brain off for Black Ops III, it's average. But it could have been so much more, and that's why I consider it among the worst campaigns.
But yeah, I totally agree with you about the multiplayer modes. Everything up to Black Ops was fantastic. After that? I really enjoyed AW and BO2 was good, but Ghosts and MW3 were painfully average. I'd say Black Ops III multiplayer is pretty great so far. I love the maps, Specialist classes, and wall-running!
@get2sammyb That was something I didn't think would happen, Sammy, so that's very perceptive of you! Yeah, co-op did end up doing that to the campaign. And as for looking to the right series, it's not that I'm looking for Black Ops III to be the next "The Last of Us" or something. I just think the series has great potential to be much better, especially (as I said above) with what Treyarch has done with the Black Ops series. Even the Modern Warfare series was enough to make you feel for the characters a bit. If I hadn't been spoiled about Soup's death in MW3, I probably would've been impacted more by that scene, so judging by the trailers they released for the campaign, I knew Treyarch had the capability to create a compelling cast of characters with a relatively deep story. And with co-op? It looked like they could do something special with four separate characters, even with the ability to change their genders. But alas, that wasn't meant to be. :/
Yes, I think Cage's new game will have a story that relates to what I was talking about. Not exactly the same thing, but questioning the "humanity" of sentient robots is definitely along the same lines. From the trailers, I actually thought there would be those kinds of sentient robots in Black Ops III, but there aren't. Lastly, yes. The ending to CoD4...so memorable!
@godslayer1975 In terms of campaigns, the WW2 games were great back in the day, but the Black Ops games are fantastic, and the MW series was pretty good as well. Ghosts and Advanced Warfare were fine. But BO3 just tried too hard to be something it wasn't. Admirable, surely, but it didn't turn it great. And when I acknowledge that Ghosts and AW were really generic, saying that I enjoyed their campaigns more than Black Ops III's campaign, no matter how many times I think it over, makes me cringe a bit inside.
@BAMozzy That's a great point! I wish I had mentioned this, because I think that was the downfall of this campaign. Having a whole campaign unlockable from the start is just...unnatural. I've rarely heard of games like this because it goes against the whole idea of story progression being a reward. The design decision makes sense when you look deeper into the story's meaning (seriously, the theories about who your character is and the intentionally misleading order of the missions is pretty awesome), but it hurts the coherence and pacing of the story terribly. I respect Treyarch's willingness to experiment with a unique campaign structure like this, but I'd prefer the traditional, somewhat generic stories to what's in Black Ops III. I mean, maybe Treyarch could've worked with it, and I'd to see them succeed with their ideas next time, but the next game is going to have to be much better to impress me instead of poking at forms of avant-garde storytelling.
Sure, I think your summary of the typical CoD campaign is accurate. I do believe though that titles like Black Ops and even MW2 gave great, motivating context to why you were killing who you were killing and had some awesome plot twists. The reveal about Reznov? Shepherd's betrayal? Absolutely brilliant.
The depth with customization and the leveling system is commendable, and if future CoD games do co-op, I think they should follow in Treyarch's footsteps in regard to these things. Even the Nightmare mode is...eh, well, it's okay, I think. It's just kind of "there" and thinking about replaying those missions doesn't sit well with me, but having zombies as enemies and a completely different story is kind of cool. Lastly, I'm right there with you in regard to how much you're enjoying the campaign. Better than the Battlefield games, but not as good as Ghosts and AW.
@Ben_Stead Thanks for the awesome reply! I see we concur on a couple of things (that male voice though ), but hey, I definitely agree that Treyarch should get serious kudos for trying something new. It's the one thing I love about the game industry. Even if a developer attempts something new in a fascinating way and botches it, I respect that courage to innovate. Rollers of the Realm, an indie game I reviewed, was okay, but it's a great example I respected for being so...different!
You point out my FAVORITE mission in Black Ops III! I'm assuming you're referring to "The Demon Within" where you explore Hall's mind? I would say that mission showcases the potential BO3 had to explore the horrors of virtual reality (discerning what's real or not) and humanity in an age dominated by technology, where both of those things can destroy us from inside (which you could totally do with the DNI interface). I also think you make an intriguing point about player choice. I didn't really catch how involved my character was with the direction of the story. "Player" really takes charge, more than any other character in Call of Duty history (maybe with the exception of Jack Mitchell from AW and David Mason in BO2). So yeah, you bring up one of the very reasons why I love Treyarch so much. All of its games, especially the first two Black Ops games, were experimental in a lot of awesome ways. There are RTS side missions in BO2...that's insane! lol It's such a shame that I just don't think it turned out well this time.
@RaymanFan2 I think there's a point where every game that focuses on a story, no matter how simple or generic, needs to be compelling or interesting in some way in order for players to be motivated to finish it. Games like Diablo III need not worry about story since it's all about gameplay and co-operation, but CoD, with dozens of cutscenes, important characters, and so forth needs to be vaguely interesting, and when it's not, I think it's worth taking a look at to see what went wrong. Seriously, I don't come to CoD for an amazing story. I just expect some exhilarating action, entertaining characters, and some nice plot twists. And I'd argue that every CoD hasn't "sucked." The worst they've been is merely "okay." This one, in my opinion, is the first that literally was a pain to finish...I've never experienced that before. :/
@Azikira That's an unpopular opinion, but I'm actually with you and the minority on this one. World at War is one of my favorite CoD campaigns. And yes, the reveal of Nazi Zombies at the end was INCREDIBLE. So exciting! Many, many hours were spent on Nacht Der Untoten.
@BladeRider If you're not really going to pay attention to the story or characters, yes! I would say Black Ops III is a fine game to play with a friend. One thing I didn't have time to point out in my article is that Black Ops III has by no means a horrible campaign. It's just the worst among the Call of Duty campaigns, or, in other words, very underwhelming. But yeah, if you're looking for something to play through that provides dumb fun and decent co-op, I'd recommend it. It's just that I can think of many other co-op campaigns I'd rather play...even FUSE is better as a co-op, teamwork-oriented experience than Black Ops III. :/ But if we're talking about multiplayer and zombies, those are definitely great for playing with friends, so you'd have something much better to look forward to after the campaign if you end up not liking it.
@Bad-MuthaAdebisi Ghosts is not as awful as everyone makes it out to be, but I do agree with the majority that it's one of the more underwhelming titles that's come out in a while. With the campaigns, I don't expect them to be emotionally impactful or deep, but when you have a cast of great characters, amazing setpieces and moments, and a simple yet fun-to-follow story, the campaigns can definitely have an impression for being memorable in some ways (Call of Duty 4 and Black Ops are great examples).
@dryrain Really? It didn't feel longer to me. It took me about 7 hours to get through with a (mostly) solo playthrough. I went through the missions fairly quickly on the Veteran difficulty setting (remember the days when that actually meant something?). Now, I will admit that Black Ops III tries to experiment with its story here, and I respect that Treyarch was willing to do that. But it has many of the major story beats as Ghosts and Advanced Warfare. You get your limbs ripped off and robotic replacements and the people you once thought as friends are turning against you (AW), so you have to go after a rogue unit with your best friend to stop their evil plans to change the world (Ghosts). It's a similar plot with more twists along the way, but Treyarch just doesn't do anything interesting with it. The characters are boring, you have little context as to what's going on, etc. Call of Duty has been good about those things several times in the past, but this time those aspects just fall flat on the face and the experimental story details get lost in the confusion.
And the thing is, Black Ops III was setting itself up to be thought-provoking. More than any CoD before it, even Black Ops (which I consider the best story in the entire franchise). I don't expect it from CoD usually, but I thought for sure Treyarch was going to go beyond the first Black Ops' depth and Black Ops II's great (if flawed) moral choice system with the story trailers they were putting out for the third game. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
By the way, it does hurt to write this "insulting" article. I love CoD more than most since I've been playing it for nearly 10 years! To be so disappointed over the campaign this time surprised me.
@AyanamiReign Yes, I would like to try out Realistic! Although Veteran was challenging enough, getting killed by one bullet sounded more infuriating than a good challenge, so I didn't go with Realistic at first. And yes, World at War, next to the very first Call of Duty, is the most brutal game in the entire series. The Heart of the Reich mission...scarred me for life, but I fought for that Platinum Trophy and got past all of those grenades! (ha ha)
Yes, adding co-op has always been something I would've been okay with in the campaigns. In fact, I'm surprised World at War even included a two-player version. So yes, with such a heavy emphasis on co-op in Black Ops III, the challenges you can complete by leveling up are nice, and having so many weapons, camos, and collectibles does make repeated playthroughs more enticing. I applaud the depth of customization, but again, I just think the campaign itself has way too many same-y missions, which makes doing custom loadouts not worth the time. I just went with the "Field Ops" one every time since I didn't feel like constantly looking through my loadouts and adjusting them when the auto-assigned one was fine. The only thing I liked were the Cyber Core abilities, but those were hardly enough to save the campaign for me.
@soracloud28 DANG IT. You're hired, good sir. I bet @get2sammyb is resisting great urges to change the tagline to what you suggested!
Hey everyone! Author here. Just want to say that I'll be checking the comments over the next couple of days to answer questions (or debate ) about my points and whatnot. And so everyone knows, I think the multiplayer is great and the Zombies mode is fun as well in Black Ops III, so there's definitely aspects of the game that partially redeem it in my eyes.
There wasn't even a tutorial in the game! Just a practice room. I think something like Injustice is a fantastic (and similar) example of how to bring in new players with its introductory tutorial, ability to put combos on the screen while you play for practice, etc. If SF5 is anything like that, then I'm in.
@chiptoon I agree. I like how the ending connects smoothly with the ending of Darksiders 1, but the last boss fight...ugh. So lame. So many better bosses throughout the game.
@Neolit Oh man, if you liked Darksiders, you'll love this one! I too liked the unobtrusive RPG elements, but DS2 takes them farther with a great skill tree, leveling system, tons of armor/weapon/talisman loot to sort through, and more. The voice acting is just as powerful in the sequel, the open world is even larger and a bit less linear (though it's easy to follow objectives and get around with fast travel), and it's just a blast. Death is also more agile than War, so the way he gets around and fights is faster-paced than the way you played as his brother.
@JaxonH Took the words out of my mouth. Those are great reasons why DS2 is something you got to play, and like I said in the review, I love how this one tries to stand out more as its own game than the first one. The obvious LoZ and GoW inspirations are still there, but with the RPG elements, bigger open world, and new ways you interact with characters, it took what Darksiders did well and made it even better.
@Warruz YES. I was bummed out when I didn't see this! I was hoping I could import my save data over to the PS4 version, but no...
@SKC_Diamond You don't need to in order to understand the story, but playing the first game gives a lot of context to who War is and what's going on with him. What's interesting is that DS2 essentially takes place at the same time as all the events of DS1 are going on. With the sequel, you just see what Death was doing to try and clear War's name...while War was on Earth trying to do the same in his own way (ha ha). So yes, I would play the first game if you could. It's great! But if you don't, you'll still be fine. You could even play them in reverse, if you want!
@whywai88 I noticed other reviewers have said this, but I disagree. Could it have been better? Well, sure, if we're talking about a remake. But for remaster work? I think Gunfire Games did an exceptional job with the assets. However, like I said, the glitches, frame rate, and screen tearing is disappointing to see in this remaster.
@EWolf Ah, I've heard of DF before! I'd love to see their in-depth review of the Deathinitive edition. And yes, I can confirm after correspondence with the developer that a patch is on the way to fix the glitches I mentioned in the review.
@Dodoo Ha ha, if I remember correctly, I don't think they changed this. In fact, the symbols on the open world map you go to to fast travel are even smaller! This nor the size of the font personally bothered me...but it might bother you, if you weren't a big fan of it.
@themcnoisy Eh, I would disagree. Super Mario 64 had harder bosses and more complex platforming to perform with wall jumping, having to time jumps to do the triple jump, long jumps, etc. I replayed Spyro the Dragon to 120% and, honestly, it's just not as satisfying as the sequels and other 3D platformers are in terms of difficulty. And this is coming from a massive fan of the Spyro trilogy and 3D platformers. Difficulty isn't always a measure of quality, but sometimes it can be if a game is so easy to the point of eliciting boredom (New Super Mario Bros. 2, for example) or being so hard its just not fun (some would argue Dark Souls is like this, though I wouldn't!).
@mookysam Glad you liked it! Yeah, you have to adjust to the camera a bit, but I think it holds up so well today. Really a nice piece of game engineering on Insomniac's part. And yes...most gems were easy to find, but boy, some of them were tricky, little ones that had me stumped for an embarrassingly long time.
@ricklongo Unfortunately that's not the case. You can only download the games off of PSN on the PS3. Why Sony hasn't made versions available for the PS4 (let alone the Vita!) yet is beyond me.
@naut 2 and 3 have much more lively, beautiful worlds, way more side quests to go on, better and more varied challenges, far greater boss fights, more entertaining and funny characters and stories, etc. The first game is still great, but the other two improve on the original in every way. If you didn't like the first one, that's definitely understandable, but give 2 or 3 a shot if you can!
@Volcanox And SMB definitely uses this to its advantage. I also like how the blood that splatters everywhere essentially serves as a marker for players that shows them where they die most. It indirectly tells the player to focus most on improving in the areas where there's the most blood splatter, which is such a cool design choice, too. I also think a cool level design decision is how sometimes Bandage Girl is literally right in front of you, but is either locked behind bars, guarded by vicious saws, on a really small platform, etc. It creates this contrast that you're always so close to the objective, but yet so far in reality, which smartly adds to the frustration you feel when you fail. (ha ha)
Hey everyone! Reviewer here. Man, a lot more comments than usual! Let me address some of them, and if you have any more questions, I'll be around.
@Volcanox Ha, maybe so, and good on you! Really I only hated the game just for the first two hours. You know how you have a certain idea about how something will be you're looking forward to, and when it's completely different you get mad? That's how I felt with SMB. However, being different doesn't always turn out to be a bad thing (like with Resident Evil 5, for example. It's a departure from the series, but still a great game on its own). After I readjusted my expectations and took it for what it was, I ended up really enjoying it.
@GlynCR One thing I wanted to make clear is that this can be intensely frustrating for others, especially if you're not accustomed to platformers. I've played quite a fair share of them, so I consider myself, eh, and expert, I suppose on the genre to a degree. After finishing the main content, I only got frustrated when I encountered levels that took me 15+ minutes to finish, and there were about...25-30 levels like that, I would say. Some of them are easy, some only take a couple tries to finish, etc. It's a mix of difficulty, which I didn't elaborate on in the review, but overall, it's definitely more challenging than your average platformer. Don't get me started on some of the Dark World variants of levels. Those can be nightmarish!
@Neolit @Volcanox Ah, you two point out something really great! The ability to instantly respawn and get back at the level does mitigate some of the frustration. It's all short stages if you run through the whole thing and complete it, but they just take a long time to get through. It's not like a long, tough platforming level that takes more than 5 minutes to get to the end and when you die, you have to do it all over again. Once you perfect your motion, at the most stages last about...30 seconds to two minutes. It's just that you'll spend several minutes stuck on one, little part of the level sometimes. (ha ha) Definitely would've like to have mentioned this aspect of the design in the review.
@JLPick @themcnoisy @Mergatro1d @Mergatro1d Well, looks like I'm not the only one who boiled over this way more than once. Yeah guys, I really think it has to do with exceptionally good timing when jumping off of walls or edges of the ground, but I swear I couldn't believe some moments where I looked like I totally had it right and still didn't jump. It's a really annoying aspect of the gameplay, but hey, that's one of the reasons why it's so punishing!
@Johnnycide @Boerewors YES. It's great for picking up real quick and finish a level or two since they can be really short on the Vita. And BY THE WAY EVERYONE, I played this both on the PS4 and Vita. Both platforms are great for this game. However, there's a caveat to both. On PS4, it obviously looks better and its easy to make out Meat Boy while you're playing, but playing with the Vita feels a tad more intuitive and fitting for this kind of game at the expense of a smaller view of Meat Boy. The zoomed-out perspective means you'll need to have your face a bit closer to the Vita than usual, so this isn't exactly a game you can play any time on the go. It will demand your attention to the max sometimes.
@stupidget @adf86 Yep! SMB definitely reminded me of the N+ series. Loved the first one on the DS! I so need to play N++ now. It looks fantastic.
@ztpayne7 Oh man! That's rough (ha ha). You know, at first I was trying to figure out what the game wanted me to do. Am I supposed to hold it down the whole time? Only for quick bursts? Is it a mix of holding and letting go of the button depending on what you're doing? I just figured out you need to hold it the whole time and hope for the best that you'll land on those tiny platforms that require precise moving in the air while jumping!
@Anchorsam_9 That's SMB for you in a nutshell, ladies and gentlemen.
@AyeHaley Really? I can see why you might not have liked, say, the Rapture level music (that got kind of annoying), but I honestly liked some of the rock songs in Hell, the banjo music in the Forest world, etc. That especially goes for the retro music in the Warp Zones. I will definitely say that after listening through some of the original soundtrack, as I said in the review, it's disappointing we didn't get that instead.
@get2sammyb Well, if you want a visual style faithful to the original TV show, I would say this is pretty dang cool then! lol I just prefer more imaginative takes on Transformers, and HMS got that nice cross between the G1 and Michael Bay style that really caught my eye (no, I don't like the movies. Just think some of the Transformers' designs are pretty cool in them. )
Yeah, that muddy look was pretty common for a lot of games last-gen. I understand how that would turn you off in terms of the visuals. However, I thought it looked more metallic than muddy, and some of the bright neon colors helped offset the abundance of grays (especially with FoC).
@get2sammyb But...the mix of realistic and retro elements in the art direction of the Cybertron games were so good. This one just...looks like the TV show. Still looks good though, I'll admit.
Anyway, not sure about what Metro said. High Moon Studios' Transformers games were criminally underrated (they made the best Transformers games), so I gotta test this one out for myself. I hope it's as good as reviews are letting on!
Ugh. I don't have time to play all three games over again, but if there were one I would choose, it would be Uncharted 2. When that game came out and I played it, it truly opened my eyes to what the medium was capable of in a way no game had ever done for me before. I mean, I loved the first game and was looking forward to the sequel, but in no way was I prepared for the intensely immersive experience U2 would offer.
I'll definitely get this down the line though. When it hits $30, I'll pick it up. Bluepoint really is a master at...well, remasters. They did the MGS HD Collection and knocked the ball out of the park with Peace Walker. I'm playing it now, and while you can certainly tell it was on the PSP (those blurry textures), it looks absolutely fantastic in other places. Good to hear they haven't lost their touch!
Eh, I'm okay with a month not being so hot. I've already been gifted with COUNTLESS blessings due to PlayStation Plus and have barely scratched the surface of the free games I've gotten from it that I want to play (worth every penny), but hey, at least Broken Age is a good choice! Super Meat Boy is all right, but as for the rest...yeah, not that great. lol
By the way, @get2sammyb, "foetal position?" Isn't it fetal?
looks up strange spelling
Dang it, British spellings of words puzzle me sometimes.
I was but a little over one year old when the PS1 came out in the US. Dad bought it when I was around three years old, I think, with a copy of Crash Bandicoot, Metal Gear Solid, and (as far as I know) Spyro 2. Obviously didn't play MGS back when I was that age (ha ha), but Spyro 2 and Crash literally changed my life by introducing me to gaming. Don't know how different my life would be if it weren't for PlayStation, but it's awesome to say I actually grew up alongside it over all these years!
I understand the reasoning why they didn't include. Still, you could argue Peace Walker didn't need an HD port on consoles with this line of thought. I'm playing it now and can tell it's more suited as a portable title since it feels like a "light" version of MGS, but I'm glad it made its why to the PS3. I'd say the same for Golden Abyss. It's a fantastic title on the Vita, but wouldn't play or look as good compared to the other games in the Uncharted Collection. Despite that, it would've been nice to see it anyway on the PS4. I don't doubt it could've been done.
To put it shortly, I think Destiny is definitely better with TTK and that Year 2 patch. More side quests provide more incentive to play and actually give some of the NPCs more character. The fact that leveling up now is influenced by all of your equipment and actions is more rewarding and fun (albeit easier). The cutscenes, dialogue, levels, and enemies in the TTK missions are much better than the vanilla content. And then there are all these other little things that help improve and streamline the experience, too. Yeah, overall Destiny (in it's current state) is an 8/10 for me. At launch? Probably a 6/10. But Bungie has made a lot of great improvements since then and if someone hasn't touched the game yet, you'd DEFINITELY get your money's worth with the Legendary Edition. Totally worth it.
Love the console design. Simple, but perfect use of the "III" logo. Also like the controller's colors! The blazing orange analog sticks are a bit too intense, but it still looks good. But man, I'm still good with my launch PS4. Although I've been tempted a couple times to get one of these special edition versions, I'll stick with mine for another 2-3 years or until it breaks on me.
I'll be joining the fight on Wednesday night after I get this paper done on the internal debates in English departments over the secession or continued unity of the writing studies and English studies disciplines. It's riveting. But after leveling up to 32 this weekend, I'm thankfully already ready for TTK! I've had my problems with Destiny, but I'm honestly excited to jump back in for a bit, especially to play with friends!
@ztpayne7 Exactly. This was something I was more lenient about in the past (I thought the lack of tools demonstrated that you had to be good with what little you had), but in playing this again, I really think the game's not benefiting from having more stealth-centric abilities and equipment to use. Hopefully that will be addressed in Dishonored 2!
@Comrade44 Oh, definitely. I would give the game itself a 9/10. As a poor remaster, that's why I had to bring down the score for this particular version of it.
@naut Sure! I mean, you could save $20 if you were to buy it now, but you're still getting an incredible game with a lot of content for $40. It's just that you could have it all for even cheaper, which is a steal! But if the Definitive Edition goes down to, say, $30? I think it'd be reasonable to go with it then over the GOTY version.
@Anchorsam_9 My thoughts exactly! If it had been a more substantial remaster, I would've been more inclined to recommend playing it again if you loved it the first time around.
@system11 I noticed that the FOV is WAY higher on PC than on consoles. Although I think maximizing it looks ridiculous. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxUq2p0udlk) I would've appreciated a middle ground on consoles. Somewhere in between the lowest and highest numbers you can set on PC. So yes, the Definitive Edition should have had an increased FOV for sure, but not over the top.
Oooo, I love this topic! Definitely had a lot of conversations on it while I was taking my major in Game and Interactive Media Design. And before you say it, I hardly proclaim myself an expert on this just because I went to college to study game design and theory. Hardly. Just thought I should chime in.
My personal definition for something to qualify as a video game is "a virtual, interactive experience that imposes rules on the player that help create conflict, competition, or challenges in some form." Notice how I don't say that a video game has to be "fun." Fun is entirely subjective and something that fluctuates throughout our experience with any given game, so we get into a whole relativistic mess if that's a qualifier for making something a video game.
The reason why I stress conflict, competition, and challenge is that video games have had one or more of these aspects created by its mechanics and rules since the dawn of Asteroids. Whether it be a title with puzzles, shooting, trivia, platforming, and what have you...all of these things are what drive us to play games. We want to be challenged, and we want to be challenged continuously in any way possible (predictability breeds familiarity, destroying fun in classic "games" like tic-tac-toe). That is what games are about. Even Flower!
This is why games like Dear Esther and Proteus are, in my opinion, not video games. They are walking simulators. There is no interaction or challenge in those games. You merely walk around in a space and have things shown or explained to you. You don't truly interact with the game at all...you're just along for the ride. However, I believe Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Gone Home, and The Stanley Parable are definitely video games. Mostly. They tread on the fence with their intensely light emphasis on interaction, but they involve challenges in some ways with interactable environments, decision-making, etc.
I get confused though when people think that saying something isn't a video game is a bad thing. I enjoyed Dear Esther, but I certainly wouldn't call it a video game. It was a visual novel walking simulator, and there's nothing wrong with that. Even Minecraft isn't a game if you play it on the Creative mode! It's just a creative spin on building with Lego bricks. But it can still be fun as are many games and activities that aren't video games. Now, on Adventure mode, Minecraft then becomes a video game because challenges arise in various forms. It's not just about building blocks anymore. You have to fight, plan, and survive.
Anyway, hope those are some interesting thoughts to contribute. Nice, relevant topic to write on, @get2sammyb! Enjoyed your brief yet succinct coverage of this debate.
@SuperCat Nothing wrong with drinking Mountain Dew or Doritos! It's when you consume them both at the same time that you should be worried about turning into one of those MLG CoD kids. And yeah! Black Ops had one of the best campaigns and a really balanced multiplayer. AW was great as well for everything it did differently. So it's nice to see that BO3 is like a combination of these two games. Hopefully it'll turn out great. Oh, and I too enjoy the tears of gamers, especially when playing One in the Chamber. lol
@Flurpsel They're two different shooters for different crowds, so I can see why BO3 still wouldn't appeal to you. I love both series, but while CoD is about quick-paced, contained skirmishes on small maps with an arcade-y shooter feel (does that make sense?), Battlefield has always been about longer, methodical, team-oriented matches with giant, open maps. The latter is more "realistic," of course, but CoD is fun in its own way as well. I'll admit that DICE has always made superior audio though! But I wouldn't say the guns sound bad in CoD. They're just...not as good in comparison. lol
@special_donkey Yes! This is something I noticed that was missing. Perhaps the removal of the leaning mechanic was intentional to streamline the gameplay to be more like the older games? That was something I liked in Ghosts. But still, I'm not that upset that it's gone. It wasn't in AW after all, and I still really liked that one, so I think BO3 will be okay without it, especially with the more simpler gameplay it seems to be going for.
@Faruko Right! I can see why it would be hard acclimating to CoD after playing games like Counter-Strike or Battlefield for a while. It's all about being constantly active and going for the kill in most modes, but still, some restraint is required in "running and gunning," and I think BO3 has more of that than previous CoD games. Most of Treyarch's titles have been less about that and more about taking things a bit more slowly. But still, the same gameplay tactic applies. As for the maps, I don't know. I thought they were pretty good! Really liked the placement of walls to run on, since they promoted good flow between major areas of some maps. I will say though that these maps felt slightly more open and spacious than in previous games, which I found an interesting change.
@MinerWilly Oh, don't worry. You aren't in a minority! CoD tends to divide players a lot, and while I think a lot of people think ill of it for no legitimate reasons besides the fact that it's "cool" to hate and complain about the franchise, you sound like you've got good reasons for why you didn't like it. The playstyle of shooters ranges across the board, and CoD is in a class that will only appeal to certain audiences. Nothing wrong with that.
@TomKingPhooey Wow, that's a long time! I'd definitely advice jumping back in to CoD if it's been that long for you since a CoD caught your attention. Glad you like it. And I do agree about sniping. As I mentioned somewhere above, I was really surprised by how difficult it was to do. I didn't like it at all, and that's coming from someone who's primarily used assault rifles and sniper rifles in every CoD!
Excellent review, Sammy! I honestly thought most of this game would be a host of QTEs from the gameplay footage and trailers I'd seen, but it seems to be way better than that. Going to give it a test run tonight since I was able to rent it from Redbox!
@get2sammyb It's very odd. I mean, this game is $2.99 on iTunes...that's totally worth buying this game for! But asking for $19.99 is insane. Definitely a major turnoff.
@BAMozzy I thought about the potential abuse of Black Hat, too! All you need to do is equip two of them and you can hack any scorestreak you want...that's a real bummer for the person who worked hard to get the scorestreak in the first place. It'd be like someone taking over your AC-130 in Modern Warfare 2...man, that was the best, but if I had it taken away from me, I'd be so mad! But I guess we'll have to wait and see if the rest of the community agrees on whether Black Hat should be changed or not.
@get2sammyb Yes, I do think it's really jarring seeing (sometimes) 4-5 of the same Specialist on one team. That's the sacrifice Treyarch's making by removing original, customizable characters (like in Advanced Warfare). However, like I said, hopefully this customizable armor (and hopefully skins, too) will mitigate this issue.
@ShogunRok I liked Advanced Warfare, too! I don't think that one got enough appreciation for what it tried to do differently. It certainly worked, but now we're seeing the opposite with Black Ops III, which seems to be molded after the more classic stuff than trying to be something different. Hopefully it will turn out well by November! I know I'm already going to buy the game...as I do with each CoD.
@BAMozzy Thanks for the in-depth thoughts on the beta! I couldn't go into too much detail with the minutiae in the article, but you definitely touched on a lot of things I thought about as well. The lack of something to mitigate flinch is somewhat disappointing, especially when - as you pointed out - you are trying to hit someone who's head is popping out from behind cover. It's near impossible, and you'll surely die in that kind of encounter more likely than you would in past CoD games. Instead of implementing a new perk, I hope they do decrease the flinch a bit after this beta.
The grenades were okay, I think. I agree they could cover more distance (especially since most of the characters have cybernetic arms), but I don't mind either way if they address this. And as you pointed out, there are a whole bunch of little things that need to be balanced out with weapons and the Specialist abilities. One thing that surprised me personally is how difficult it is to use sniper rifles this time! They're very sensitive to the touch and take longer to acquire enemies in your line of sight. I've always been an assault rifle/sniper guy, but I just couldn't get into using sniper rifles this time. I hope Treyarch makes the aiming more smooth and slow, since it felt so...twitchy to me. By the time I even locked on to most enemies, I was way past gone.
Other than that, I could also point out pistols seem more useful this time, launchers have way less splash damage, perks like Sixth Sense might need to be nerfed, and so on. But yeah, you got some of the major stuff I noticed as well.
@get2sammyb Yeah, I'm not sure how to feel about less story as well. I tend to like linear games with clear, set objectives more than the "do what you want" open-world stuff with open-ended goals.
I'm not sure about returning to Destiny, @ShogunRok. All of those additions and changes they're making look great, but I still think it's cheap that if I end up getting this, I might as well buy Destiny all over again (The Taken King physical copy) since I'll get the other two pieces of DLC for only $20 more. Like you said, the price is a major turn-off (it's only $20 less than a full-fledged retail game!), so I'll wait and see how all this turns out before making my decision on returning to Destiny.
Blast. That PS4 is byotiful. But the controller...not liking it all that much. @get2sammyb is right that it looks like it's trying to replicate Darth Vader's chest plate, but I'm not feeling it. Looks like a bunch of colors randomly slapped on the controller.
Overall, still a pretty awesome bundle. And if Battlefront lives up to the hype, no one should pass up on getting this if they don't already have a PS4 (and if they love Star Wars, of course)!
And can we talk about how awesome Bounty Hunter was when it came out? It was a HARD game for me as an 8 year old, but man, was it fun to fly around as Jango and use his twin pistols. Good times.
The first video game ever to make me cry. The story is just...ugh. So heartbreaking and beautifully conveyed. And while the controls are agreeably difficult to get used to, I still found the way you controlled the two brothers fascinating. Definitely recommend it for anyone who hasn't played it yet. Nice review, Stephen!
Dang, this game just keeps looking better and better. That stupid reveal for Blast (aka: Team Deathmatch) put me off since it was hyped to be something unique, but a gameplay trailer to announce a mode akin to space battles? I'm down.
Man, this is such a good idea. Not only will we continue to get the usual free games of the month, but now there will be discounts on games that lose the vote. So really...PS Plus just got a bit better because everybody wins in some way! lol
Temple of Osiris and God of War Ascension? I'm done with these two games! And for anyone that hasn't played Limbo...well, you kind of need to do that. Such a cleverly designed and creepily atmospheric indie game.
@BLPs Shooters with brown environments all day, every day!
The funny thing is that I personally love these kinds of 3D platformers, so I really wanted to give this a go. Cartoony, colorful, wacky...I grew up on this stuff with Spyro and Crash. But this game is just okay in so many ways, and getting to the good with the above average gameplay while having to endure the boring story and terrible dialogue just didn't work for me. :/ Like I said, I think kids might enjoy this more, but still, I could think of many other 3D platformers I'd rather recommend than this. Still, I really want to see newer IPs like this! That's why I was happy to see Knack when the PS4 launched (even if it was underwhelming) and am stoked for Yooka-Laylee! There needs to be a revival of this genre, and unfortunately, a remaster of this obscure title isn't quite what I was looking for. :/
@Sonicfan11589 Like @get2sammyb said, I assume they're identical across platforms. I'm really curious how the Wii U version uses the GamePad...
@get2sammyb No problem! And yes, it's one of the weirder remasters I've seen! Interesting to see this forgotten game brought back from the dead, but...why? lol
@AyeHaley You know, one thing I should've mentioned is that this game's only $30. That's not bad at all for a remaster! But is the low price worth it? Not really...I'd definitely say to give it a go for $20 at the most, but even then I can't recommend the game wholeheartedly unless you really love this genre.
Comments 296
Re: Hideo Kojima Partners with PlayStation to Deliver Compelling New PS4 Exclusive
Dreams do come true. Our lord graces Sony with his presence!
Couldn't imagine a more beautiful union between a game creator and publisher. I'm sure this will be a healthy change for Kojima, too. It'll help him to refocus after all the filth he's had to endure with Konami for so long. (you can see his enthusiasm in the video!) I so look forward to seeing what he comes up with.
Re: Promising PS4 Exclusive RIME Is Still Alive
I'm worried for RIME. It has the potential to be marvelous, but the extremely lengthy development time is disconcerting. Here's hoping we'll actually hear something soon!
Re: Crisis Averted, Final Fantasy VII Remake 'Episodes' Will Each Be Full-Sized Games
@naut I didn't think it was obvious, but I understand why this reaction happened since they originally said it would be released in "multiple parts." I found that surprising. If The Witcher 3 is and FFXV will likely be on one disc with the PS4, what in the world are they doing with VII? (ha ha) And most people would conflate "multiple" with a number range of 3-4 (or at least I do), so episodic would be an appropriate term to use in this case. With things cleared up now, you'd think they would do VII and VII-2 or something, but they might just go up to 4. Either way, it's going to be very interesting to see how Square goes about segmenting VII into several parts.
Re: Gone Home Gets Comfy on PS4 from 12th January
I thought the critics were too...generous to this game simply due to its social commentary, but I do think it's definitely worth playing. Nice dialogue, great pacing, etc. Glad to see it come to PS4 so more people can play it.
Now I'm REALLY excited for the developer's new game called Tacoma! That looks much better.
Re: PSX 2015: Shawn Layden Trolled Us All with Crash Bandicoot Shirt
At the very end, the screen goes black. Silence for several seconds. Then a montage of all the games they announced.
I died a bit inside when the conference ended this abruptly.
Re: Xenomorph, Leatherface Breathe Fear into Mortal Kombat X
XENOMORPH AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Re: Is Resident Evil 6 Getting Reanimated for PS4?
No, I wouldn't. I'll admit that I enjoyed RE5, but Redfield's campaign in RE6 was awful. Wesker's was alright, but I liked Leon and Ada Wong's campaigns the most. The problem though is that RE6 feels like a third-person shooter instead of...Resident Evil. :/ That's why I loved how Revelations 2 was a return to form. If you remaster one of the last-gen games, remaster RE5. That was the better game, and it was the best-selling RE in the series, last time I checked.
Now, if they make tweaks to the gameplay with RE6, then color me interested. But if it's a straight-up port...I'll pass.
Re: Soapbox: Call of Duty: Black Ops III's Campaign Is Among the Worst in the Franchise
@Holographic6 Right. Obviously the sound design, gameplay, visuals...they all look great. I wish I had been more positive about those aspects (and even some great things I liked in the campaign), but there's only so much space I have to write. And yes, I do believe it's a cop out to say that "don't think to hard this is CoD." No, Treyarch has proved its stories can make CoD more than it is, and the series has always had the potential to have characters you care about and compelling stories with some mind-blowing twists or events. BO3 could have delivered on that, but didn't. Anyway, thanks for the comment! And welcome to Push Square!
@Ewflex Yes, this is what surprised me so much after finishing the campaign. I was expecting it to be a great time, but I just didn't know what some other reviewers were talking about after playing what they apparently played. But hey, I respect their opinions and understand them. I just think BO3 was too risky this time, and its breadth of customization, leveling system, or anything else don't redeem its story and boring missions, but other people think otherwise. And I didn't notice the AI was awful, but I know it was...okay, at best. I've seen better and worse.
@consolfreak1982 I'm glad you enjoyed it! However, I just don't see where the flashiness and adrenaline come in. I was honestly shocked at the lack of well-choreographed action sequences and varied shootouts. The majority of the game is just open area shootouts. One after the other. Usually every CoD mission maintains my interest by going from an explosive vehicle section to a stealthy sniper mission, but even on a higher difficulty, the game wasn't that exhilarating for me since missions were never mixed up that well in tone or with gameplay.
I will admit though that I'm vaguely intrigued to see what the Nightmares mode is all about. Might play it with a friend in the near future to see how it is!
@Gamer83 Glad you liked it! I, too, think that CoD at heart is generally a "loud, dumb FPS," but the stories have still always engaged me with their characters (Black Ops), mission variety (MW2), and experimental elements (BO2). The developers may know what CoD is, but it has the potential to be more, and BO3 was what I was expecting to break that trend to some degree. But I found it below the threshold of the amount of, er, "dumbness" I could take. Well, it's not that the story was dumb, really. In fact, it's got a brilliant hidden story under the surface. But it just suffers from the problems I laid out in the article to the point where I couldn't suspend my tolerance any longer.
@nathanSF You point out something all gamers need to be wary about. We shouldn't be so uptight and entitled with what games deliver. Sometimes it's just about having fun, and a grand story or gorgeous graphics aren't always necessary in this day and age. However, while CoD may not have the best storylines in modern gaming, it does have great characters and stories from time to time, and when you have trailers like these for Black Ops III...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Tx9k0C7Ic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfr053KdD6w
You can't help but think, "...What happened?" There's a point where we should expect great things out of games in this day and age and be disappointed when it doesn't deliver on all fronts, because for some particular games, one aspect that's neglected can ruin the whole experience, and that goes for BO3.
@chiptoon I already knew this would be the highest one. I just wanted to offer most readers the chance to vote for what most of them are thinking.
@BertoFlyingFox I tried to play on splitscreen, but I found the game more difficult to play. Like you said, the squished screen looked bad and the frame rate was inconsistent. Playing co-op online would be much better in my opinion. But yeah, some of the new abilities are nice!
@BAMozzy I'd say that structure applies to much more than just shooters. But yes, Treyarch's games have been more interesting in how they jump through time. I really liked that with Black Ops, but the thing is that despite the missions being out of order chronologically sometimes, they were set up in such a way that a past mission gave context to current events, and when you finish in the past, you picked up where you left off. There has always been a good sense of progression leading to the climax with CoD stories since they're easy to follow, but in wanting players to play whatever missions they want from the get-go in any order...like I said, it just doesn't sound right. I think players would play the campaign with the intention of doing missions in order, and if someone hadn't played a certain mission yet, why on earth would they want to play it out of order? Treyarch's inclusiveness with the whole campaign being unlocked is good, but it causes more problems than it solves, I think, which destroys the point of repetition. You want to replay something if it's good, but if the campaign isn't good and all the customizing and unlocking stuff is there...what's the point? Like you said, it's too "ambitious." It could work, but it didn't here for me.
@soracloud28 Hey, if you've got some experience, contact @get2sammyb if you'd seriously like to join the staff. I can't speak for him in regard to if we're looking for writers right now, but it doesn't hurt to put your name out there.
Re: Soapbox: Call of Duty: Black Ops III's Campaign Is Among the Worst in the Franchise
@teknium_ Sure, I usually expect to turn my brain off for titles like Modern Warfare 3 and Advanced Warfare. But Call of Duty has proven it can have engaging storylines like with Treyarch's titles that are more than just dumb fun. Black Ops III had the potential to be as compelling as Black Ops, but it handles everything from character development to plot progression so horribly with the way the campaign is structured. It's also lacking in so many "wow" moments with action, exhilarating chases, etc. Modern Warfare 2 compensated for some of its plot holes with amazing twists and varied, stunning moments. That opening mission was just...ugh, I love it to this day. (ha ha) I do agree that if you do want to turn your brain off for Black Ops III, it's average. But it could have been so much more, and that's why I consider it among the worst campaigns.
But yeah, I totally agree with you about the multiplayer modes. Everything up to Black Ops was fantastic. After that? I really enjoyed AW and BO2 was good, but Ghosts and MW3 were painfully average. I'd say Black Ops III multiplayer is pretty great so far. I love the maps, Specialist classes, and wall-running!
@get2sammyb That was something I didn't think would happen, Sammy, so that's very perceptive of you! Yeah, co-op did end up doing that to the campaign. And as for looking to the right series, it's not that I'm looking for Black Ops III to be the next "The Last of Us" or something. I just think the series has great potential to be much better, especially (as I said above) with what Treyarch has done with the Black Ops series. Even the Modern Warfare series was enough to make you feel for the characters a bit. If I hadn't been spoiled about Soup's death in MW3, I probably would've been impacted more by that scene, so judging by the trailers they released for the campaign, I knew Treyarch had the capability to create a compelling cast of characters with a relatively deep story. And with co-op? It looked like they could do something special with four separate characters, even with the ability to change their genders. But alas, that wasn't meant to be. :/
Yes, I think Cage's new game will have a story that relates to what I was talking about. Not exactly the same thing, but questioning the "humanity" of sentient robots is definitely along the same lines. From the trailers, I actually thought there would be those kinds of sentient robots in Black Ops III, but there aren't. Lastly, yes. The ending to CoD4...so memorable!
@godslayer1975 In terms of campaigns, the WW2 games were great back in the day, but the Black Ops games are fantastic, and the MW series was pretty good as well. Ghosts and Advanced Warfare were fine. But BO3 just tried too hard to be something it wasn't. Admirable, surely, but it didn't turn it great. And when I acknowledge that Ghosts and AW were really generic, saying that I enjoyed their campaigns more than Black Ops III's campaign, no matter how many times I think it over, makes me cringe a bit inside.
@BAMozzy That's a great point! I wish I had mentioned this, because I think that was the downfall of this campaign. Having a whole campaign unlockable from the start is just...unnatural. I've rarely heard of games like this because it goes against the whole idea of story progression being a reward. The design decision makes sense when you look deeper into the story's meaning (seriously, the theories about who your character is and the intentionally misleading order of the missions is pretty awesome), but it hurts the coherence and pacing of the story terribly. I respect Treyarch's willingness to experiment with a unique campaign structure like this, but I'd prefer the traditional, somewhat generic stories to what's in Black Ops III. I mean, maybe Treyarch could've worked with it, and I'd to see them succeed with their ideas next time, but the next game is going to have to be much better to impress me instead of poking at forms of avant-garde storytelling.
Sure, I think your summary of the typical CoD campaign is accurate. I do believe though that titles like Black Ops and even MW2 gave great, motivating context to why you were killing who you were killing and had some awesome plot twists. The reveal about Reznov? Shepherd's betrayal? Absolutely brilliant.
The depth with customization and the leveling system is commendable, and if future CoD games do co-op, I think they should follow in Treyarch's footsteps in regard to these things. Even the Nightmare mode is...eh, well, it's okay, I think. It's just kind of "there" and thinking about replaying those missions doesn't sit well with me, but having zombies as enemies and a completely different story is kind of cool. Lastly, I'm right there with you in regard to how much you're enjoying the campaign. Better than the Battlefield games, but not as good as Ghosts and AW.
@Ben_Stead Thanks for the awesome reply! I see we concur on a couple of things (that male voice though ), but hey, I definitely agree that Treyarch should get serious kudos for trying something new. It's the one thing I love about the game industry. Even if a developer attempts something new in a fascinating way and botches it, I respect that courage to innovate. Rollers of the Realm, an indie game I reviewed, was okay, but it's a great example I respected for being so...different!
You point out my FAVORITE mission in Black Ops III! I'm assuming you're referring to "The Demon Within" where you explore Hall's mind? I would say that mission showcases the potential BO3 had to explore the horrors of virtual reality (discerning what's real or not) and humanity in an age dominated by technology, where both of those things can destroy us from inside (which you could totally do with the DNI interface). I also think you make an intriguing point about player choice. I didn't really catch how involved my character was with the direction of the story. "Player" really takes charge, more than any other character in Call of Duty history (maybe with the exception of Jack Mitchell from AW and David Mason in BO2). So yeah, you bring up one of the very reasons why I love Treyarch so much. All of its games, especially the first two Black Ops games, were experimental in a lot of awesome ways. There are RTS side missions in BO2...that's insane! lol It's such a shame that I just don't think it turned out well this time.
@RaymanFan2 I think there's a point where every game that focuses on a story, no matter how simple or generic, needs to be compelling or interesting in some way in order for players to be motivated to finish it. Games like Diablo III need not worry about story since it's all about gameplay and co-operation, but CoD, with dozens of cutscenes, important characters, and so forth needs to be vaguely interesting, and when it's not, I think it's worth taking a look at to see what went wrong. Seriously, I don't come to CoD for an amazing story. I just expect some exhilarating action, entertaining characters, and some nice plot twists. And I'd argue that every CoD hasn't "sucked." The worst they've been is merely "okay." This one, in my opinion, is the first that literally was a pain to finish...I've never experienced that before. :/
Re: Soapbox: Call of Duty: Black Ops III's Campaign Is Among the Worst in the Franchise
@Azikira That's an unpopular opinion, but I'm actually with you and the minority on this one. World at War is one of my favorite CoD campaigns. And yes, the reveal of Nazi Zombies at the end was INCREDIBLE. So exciting! Many, many hours were spent on Nacht Der Untoten.
@BladeRider If you're not really going to pay attention to the story or characters, yes! I would say Black Ops III is a fine game to play with a friend. One thing I didn't have time to point out in my article is that Black Ops III has by no means a horrible campaign. It's just the worst among the Call of Duty campaigns, or, in other words, very underwhelming. But yeah, if you're looking for something to play through that provides dumb fun and decent co-op, I'd recommend it. It's just that I can think of many other co-op campaigns I'd rather play...even FUSE is better as a co-op, teamwork-oriented experience than Black Ops III. :/ But if we're talking about multiplayer and zombies, those are definitely great for playing with friends, so you'd have something much better to look forward to after the campaign if you end up not liking it.
@Bad-MuthaAdebisi Ghosts is not as awful as everyone makes it out to be, but I do agree with the majority that it's one of the more underwhelming titles that's come out in a while. With the campaigns, I don't expect them to be emotionally impactful or deep, but when you have a cast of great characters, amazing setpieces and moments, and a simple yet fun-to-follow story, the campaigns can definitely have an impression for being memorable in some ways (Call of Duty 4 and Black Ops are great examples).
@dryrain Really? It didn't feel longer to me. It took me about 7 hours to get through with a (mostly) solo playthrough. I went through the missions fairly quickly on the Veteran difficulty setting (remember the days when that actually meant something?). Now, I will admit that Black Ops III tries to experiment with its story here, and I respect that Treyarch was willing to do that. But it has many of the major story beats as Ghosts and Advanced Warfare. You get your limbs ripped off and robotic replacements and the people you once thought as friends are turning against you (AW), so you have to go after a rogue unit with your best friend to stop their evil plans to change the world (Ghosts). It's a similar plot with more twists along the way, but Treyarch just doesn't do anything interesting with it. The characters are boring, you have little context as to what's going on, etc. Call of Duty has been good about those things several times in the past, but this time those aspects just fall flat on the face and the experimental story details get lost in the confusion.
And the thing is, Black Ops III was setting itself up to be thought-provoking. More than any CoD before it, even Black Ops (which I consider the best story in the entire franchise). I don't expect it from CoD usually, but I thought for sure Treyarch was going to go beyond the first Black Ops' depth and Black Ops II's great (if flawed) moral choice system with the story trailers they were putting out for the third game. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
By the way, it does hurt to write this "insulting" article. I love CoD more than most since I've been playing it for nearly 10 years! To be so disappointed over the campaign this time surprised me.
@AyanamiReign Yes, I would like to try out Realistic! Although Veteran was challenging enough, getting killed by one bullet sounded more infuriating than a good challenge, so I didn't go with Realistic at first. And yes, World at War, next to the very first Call of Duty, is the most brutal game in the entire series. The Heart of the Reich mission...scarred me for life, but I fought for that Platinum Trophy and got past all of those grenades! (ha ha)
Yes, adding co-op has always been something I would've been okay with in the campaigns. In fact, I'm surprised World at War even included a two-player version. So yes, with such a heavy emphasis on co-op in Black Ops III, the challenges you can complete by leveling up are nice, and having so many weapons, camos, and collectibles does make repeated playthroughs more enticing. I applaud the depth of customization, but again, I just think the campaign itself has way too many same-y missions, which makes doing custom loadouts not worth the time. I just went with the "Field Ops" one every time since I didn't feel like constantly looking through my loadouts and adjusting them when the auto-assigned one was fine. The only thing I liked were the Cyber Core abilities, but those were hardly enough to save the campaign for me.
@soracloud28 DANG IT. You're hired, good sir. I bet @get2sammyb is resisting great urges to change the tagline to what you suggested!
Re: Soapbox: Call of Duty: Black Ops III's Campaign Is Among the Worst in the Franchise
Hey everyone! Author here. Just want to say that I'll be checking the comments over the next couple of days to answer questions (or debate ) about my points and whatnot. And so everyone knows, I think the multiplayer is great and the Zombies mode is fun as well in Black Ops III, so there's definitely aspects of the game that partially redeem it in my eyes.
Re: Capcom Hopes Street Fighter V Will Attract a New Audience
I tried playing SF4 once.
The series does need to be more accessible.
There wasn't even a tutorial in the game! Just a practice room. I think something like Injustice is a fantastic (and similar) example of how to bring in new players with its introductory tutorial, ability to put combos on the screen while you play for practice, etc. If SF5 is anything like that, then I'm in.
Re: Review: Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition (PS4)
@chiptoon I agree. I like how the ending connects smoothly with the ending of Darksiders 1, but the last boss fight...ugh. So lame. So many better bosses throughout the game.
@Neolit Oh man, if you liked Darksiders, you'll love this one! I too liked the unobtrusive RPG elements, but DS2 takes them farther with a great skill tree, leveling system, tons of armor/weapon/talisman loot to sort through, and more. The voice acting is just as powerful in the sequel, the open world is even larger and a bit less linear (though it's easy to follow objectives and get around with fast travel), and it's just a blast. Death is also more agile than War, so the way he gets around and fights is faster-paced than the way you played as his brother.
@JaxonH Took the words out of my mouth. Those are great reasons why DS2 is something you got to play, and like I said in the review, I love how this one tries to stand out more as its own game than the first one. The obvious LoZ and GoW inspirations are still there, but with the RPG elements, bigger open world, and new ways you interact with characters, it took what Darksiders did well and made it even better.
@Warruz YES. I was bummed out when I didn't see this! I was hoping I could import my save data over to the PS4 version, but no...
@SKC_Diamond You don't need to in order to understand the story, but playing the first game gives a lot of context to who War is and what's going on with him. What's interesting is that DS2 essentially takes place at the same time as all the events of DS1 are going on. With the sequel, you just see what Death was doing to try and clear War's name...while War was on Earth trying to do the same in his own way (ha ha). So yes, I would play the first game if you could. It's great! But if you don't, you'll still be fine. You could even play them in reverse, if you want!
@whywai88 I noticed other reviewers have said this, but I disagree. Could it have been better? Well, sure, if we're talking about a remake. But for remaster work? I think Gunfire Games did an exceptional job with the assets. However, like I said, the glitches, frame rate, and screen tearing is disappointing to see in this remaster.
@EWolf Ah, I've heard of DF before! I'd love to see their in-depth review of the Deathinitive edition. And yes, I can confirm after correspondence with the developer that a patch is on the way to fix the glitches I mentioned in the review.
@Dodoo Ha ha, if I remember correctly, I don't think they changed this. In fact, the symbols on the open world map you go to to fast travel are even smaller! This nor the size of the font personally bothered me...but it might bother you, if you weren't a big fan of it.
Re: Review: Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition (PS4)
@get2sammyb No problem! However...
"I absolutely detest the art direction in Darksiders."
At least you're giving it a chance though.
Re: Your Free PS4 PlayStation Plus Games for November Include Magicka 2, The Walking Dead
@Swiket My reaction exactly. lol I already have TWD Season 2, and Magika 2 doesn't really appeal to me so...meh. :/
Re: Can Your Wallet Survive the Latest NA PS Store Flash Sale?
OH MAN! Everybody's Gone to the Rapture for $8? Sold. That's a steal considering how recently it came out!
Re: Review: Spyro the Dragon (PSone)
@themcnoisy Eh, I would disagree. Super Mario 64 had harder bosses and more complex platforming to perform with wall jumping, having to time jumps to do the triple jump, long jumps, etc. I replayed Spyro the Dragon to 120% and, honestly, it's just not as satisfying as the sequels and other 3D platformers are in terms of difficulty. And this is coming from a massive fan of the Spyro trilogy and 3D platformers. Difficulty isn't always a measure of quality, but sometimes it can be if a game is so easy to the point of eliciting boredom (New Super Mario Bros. 2, for example) or being so hard its just not fun (some would argue Dark Souls is like this, though I wouldn't!).
@mookysam Glad you liked it! Yeah, you have to adjust to the camera a bit, but I think it holds up so well today. Really a nice piece of game engineering on Insomniac's part. And yes...most gems were easy to find, but boy, some of them were tricky, little ones that had me stumped for an embarrassingly long time.
Re: Review: Spyro the Dragon (PSone)
@ricklongo Unfortunately that's not the case. You can only download the games off of PSN on the PS3. Why Sony hasn't made versions available for the PS4 (let alone the Vita!) yet is beyond me.
Re: Review: Spyro the Dragon (PSone)
@JesWood13 If only.
@naut 2 and 3 have much more lively, beautiful worlds, way more side quests to go on, better and more varied challenges, far greater boss fights, more entertaining and funny characters and stories, etc. The first game is still great, but the other two improve on the original in every way. If you didn't like the first one, that's definitely understandable, but give 2 or 3 a shot if you can!
Re: Review: Super Meat Boy (PS4)
@Volcanox And SMB definitely uses this to its advantage. I also like how the blood that splatters everywhere essentially serves as a marker for players that shows them where they die most. It indirectly tells the player to focus most on improving in the areas where there's the most blood splatter, which is such a cool design choice, too. I also think a cool level design decision is how sometimes Bandage Girl is literally right in front of you, but is either locked behind bars, guarded by vicious saws, on a really small platform, etc. It creates this contrast that you're always so close to the objective, but yet so far in reality, which smartly adds to the frustration you feel when you fail. (ha ha)
Re: Review: Super Meat Boy (PS4)
Hey everyone! Reviewer here. Man, a lot more comments than usual! Let me address some of them, and if you have any more questions, I'll be around.
@Volcanox Ha, maybe so, and good on you! Really I only hated the game just for the first two hours. You know how you have a certain idea about how something will be you're looking forward to, and when it's completely different you get mad? That's how I felt with SMB. However, being different doesn't always turn out to be a bad thing (like with Resident Evil 5, for example. It's a departure from the series, but still a great game on its own). After I readjusted my expectations and took it for what it was, I ended up really enjoying it.
@GlynCR One thing I wanted to make clear is that this can be intensely frustrating for others, especially if you're not accustomed to platformers. I've played quite a fair share of them, so I consider myself, eh, and expert, I suppose on the genre to a degree. After finishing the main content, I only got frustrated when I encountered levels that took me 15+ minutes to finish, and there were about...25-30 levels like that, I would say. Some of them are easy, some only take a couple tries to finish, etc. It's a mix of difficulty, which I didn't elaborate on in the review, but overall, it's definitely more challenging than your average platformer. Don't get me started on some of the Dark World variants of levels. Those can be nightmarish!
@Neolit @Volcanox Ah, you two point out something really great! The ability to instantly respawn and get back at the level does mitigate some of the frustration. It's all short stages if you run through the whole thing and complete it, but they just take a long time to get through. It's not like a long, tough platforming level that takes more than 5 minutes to get to the end and when you die, you have to do it all over again. Once you perfect your motion, at the most stages last about...30 seconds to two minutes. It's just that you'll spend several minutes stuck on one, little part of the level sometimes. (ha ha) Definitely would've like to have mentioned this aspect of the design in the review.
@JLPick @themcnoisy @Mergatro1d @Mergatro1d Well, looks like I'm not the only one who boiled over this way more than once. Yeah guys, I really think it has to do with exceptionally good timing when jumping off of walls or edges of the ground, but I swear I couldn't believe some moments where I looked like I totally had it right and still didn't jump. It's a really annoying aspect of the gameplay, but hey, that's one of the reasons why it's so punishing!
@Johnnycide @Boerewors YES. It's great for picking up real quick and finish a level or two since they can be really short on the Vita. And BY THE WAY EVERYONE, I played this both on the PS4 and Vita. Both platforms are great for this game. However, there's a caveat to both. On PS4, it obviously looks better and its easy to make out Meat Boy while you're playing, but playing with the Vita feels a tad more intuitive and fitting for this kind of game at the expense of a smaller view of Meat Boy. The zoomed-out perspective means you'll need to have your face a bit closer to the Vita than usual, so this isn't exactly a game you can play any time on the go. It will demand your attention to the max sometimes.
@stupidget @adf86 Yep! SMB definitely reminded me of the N+ series. Loved the first one on the DS! I so need to play N++ now. It looks fantastic.
@ztpayne7 Oh man! That's rough (ha ha). You know, at first I was trying to figure out what the game wanted me to do. Am I supposed to hold it down the whole time? Only for quick bursts? Is it a mix of holding and letting go of the button depending on what you're doing? I just figured out you need to hold it the whole time and hope for the best that you'll land on those tiny platforms that require precise moving in the air while jumping!
@Anchorsam_9 That's SMB for you in a nutshell, ladies and gentlemen.
@AyeHaley Really? I can see why you might not have liked, say, the Rapture level music (that got kind of annoying), but I honestly liked some of the rock songs in Hell, the banjo music in the Forest world, etc. That especially goes for the retro music in the Warp Zones. I will definitely say that after listening through some of the original soundtrack, as I said in the review, it's disappointing we didn't get that instead.
Re: Round Up: Transformers Devastation PS4 Reviews Start Rolling Out
@get2sammyb Well, if you want a visual style faithful to the original TV show, I would say this is pretty dang cool then! lol I just prefer more imaginative takes on Transformers, and HMS got that nice cross between the G1 and Michael Bay style that really caught my eye (no, I don't like the movies. Just think some of the Transformers' designs are pretty cool in them. )
Yeah, that muddy look was pretty common for a lot of games last-gen. I understand how that would turn you off in terms of the visuals. However, I thought it looked more metallic than muddy, and some of the bright neon colors helped offset the abundance of grays (especially with FoC).
Re: Round Up: Transformers Devastation PS4 Reviews Start Rolling Out
@get2sammyb But...the mix of realistic and retro elements in the art direction of the Cybertron games were so good. This one just...looks like the TV show. Still looks good though, I'll admit.
Anyway, not sure about what Metro said. High Moon Studios' Transformers games were criminally underrated (they made the best Transformers games), so I gotta test this one out for myself. I hope it's as good as reviews are letting on!
Re: Feature: 7 Improvements That Make Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection Feel Fresh on PS4
Ugh. I don't have time to play all three games over again, but if there were one I would choose, it would be Uncharted 2. When that game came out and I played it, it truly opened my eyes to what the medium was capable of in a way no game had ever done for me before. I mean, I loved the first game and was looking forward to the sequel, but in no way was I prepared for the intensely immersive experience U2 would offer.
I'll definitely get this down the line though. When it hits $30, I'll pick it up. Bluepoint really is a master at...well, remasters. They did the MGS HD Collection and knocked the ball out of the park with Peace Walker. I'm playing it now, and while you can certainly tell it was on the PSP (those blurry textures), it looks absolutely fantastic in other places. Good to hear they haven't lost their touch!
Re: October's PlayStation Plus Lineup Is Going to P*** People Off
Eh, I'm okay with a month not being so hot. I've already been gifted with COUNTLESS blessings due to PlayStation Plus and have barely scratched the surface of the free games I've gotten from it that I want to play (worth every penny), but hey, at least Broken Age is a good choice! Super Meat Boy is all right, but as for the rest...yeah, not that great. lol
By the way, @get2sammyb, "foetal position?" Isn't it fetal?
looks up strange spelling
Dang it, British spellings of words puzzle me sometimes.
Re: A Very Happy 20th Birthday to PlayStation
I was but a little over one year old when the PS1 came out in the US. Dad bought it when I was around three years old, I think, with a copy of Crash Bandicoot, Metal Gear Solid, and (as far as I know) Spyro 2. Obviously didn't play MGS back when I was that age (ha ha), but Spyro 2 and Crash literally changed my life by introducing me to gaming. Don't know how different my life would be if it weren't for PlayStation, but it's awesome to say I actually grew up alongside it over all these years!
Re: Here's Why Uncharted: Golden Abyss Isn't in Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
I understand the reasoning why they didn't include. Still, you could argue Peace Walker didn't need an HD port on consoles with this line of thought. I'm playing it now and can tell it's more suited as a portable title since it feels like a "light" version of MGS, but I'm glad it made its why to the PS3. I'd say the same for Golden Abyss. It's a fantastic title on the Vita, but wouldn't play or look as good compared to the other games in the Uncharted Collection. Despite that, it would've been nice to see it anyway on the PS4. I don't doubt it could've been done.
Re: Poll: Has Destiny Won You Back With The Taken King?
To put it shortly, I think Destiny is definitely better with TTK and that Year 2 patch. More side quests provide more incentive to play and actually give some of the NPCs more character. The fact that leveling up now is influenced by all of your equipment and actions is more rewarding and fun (albeit easier). The cutscenes, dialogue, levels, and enemies in the TTK missions are much better than the vanilla content. And then there are all these other little things that help improve and streamline the experience, too. Yeah, overall Destiny (in it's current state) is an 8/10 for me. At launch? Probably a 6/10. But Bungie has made a lot of great improvements since then and if someone hasn't touched the game yet, you'd DEFINITELY get your money's worth with the Legendary Edition. Totally worth it.
Re: Here's Your Custom Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 PS4
Love the console design. Simple, but perfect use of the "III" logo. Also like the controller's colors! The blazing orange analog sticks are a bit too intense, but it still looks good. But man, I'm still good with my launch PS4. Although I've been tempted a couple times to get one of these special edition versions, I'll stick with mine for another 2-3 years or until it breaks on me.
Re: Guide: What Time Does Destiny: The Taken King Go Live on PS4 and PS3?
I'll be joining the fight on Wednesday night after I get this paper done on the internal debates in English departments over the secession or continued unity of the writing studies and English studies disciplines. It's riveting. But after leveling up to 32 this weekend, I'm thankfully already ready for TTK! I've had my problems with Destiny, but I'm honestly excited to jump back in for a bit, especially to play with friends!
Re: You Should Definitely Make Your Own Personal Destiny: The Taken King Trailer
@ShogunRok LOL My gosh.
THE DARK LORD HATH COME, 420blazeitdoyouevennoscope, AND HE KNOWS YOUR NAME.
Anyway, here's mine. I'm surprised I'm in the top 10 percentile with a Crucible KDR like that. :/
https://www.destinythegame.com/legend-of-you/share?video=2.4611686018429326725.2305843009217997133&version=2
Re: Review: Dishonored: Definitive Edition (PS4)
@ztpayne7 Exactly. This was something I was more lenient about in the past (I thought the lack of tools demonstrated that you had to be good with what little you had), but in playing this again, I really think the game's not benefiting from having more stealth-centric abilities and equipment to use. Hopefully that will be addressed in Dishonored 2!
Re: Review: Dishonored: Definitive Edition (PS4)
@Comrade44 Oh, definitely. I would give the game itself a 9/10. As a poor remaster, that's why I had to bring down the score for this particular version of it.
@naut Sure! I mean, you could save $20 if you were to buy it now, but you're still getting an incredible game with a lot of content for $40. It's just that you could have it all for even cheaper, which is a steal! But if the Definitive Edition goes down to, say, $30? I think it'd be reasonable to go with it then over the GOTY version.
@Anchorsam_9 My thoughts exactly! If it had been a more substantial remaster, I would've been more inclined to recommend playing it again if you loved it the first time around.
@system11 I noticed that the FOV is WAY higher on PC than on consoles. Although I think maximizing it looks ridiculous. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxUq2p0udlk) I would've appreciated a middle ground on consoles. Somewhere in between the lowest and highest numbers you can set on PC. So yes, the Definitive Edition should have had an increased FOV for sure, but not over the top.
Re: Talking Point: What Is a Video Game?
Oooo, I love this topic! Definitely had a lot of conversations on it while I was taking my major in Game and Interactive Media Design. And before you say it, I hardly proclaim myself an expert on this just because I went to college to study game design and theory. Hardly. Just thought I should chime in.
My personal definition for something to qualify as a video game is "a virtual, interactive experience that imposes rules on the player that help create conflict, competition, or challenges in some form." Notice how I don't say that a video game has to be "fun." Fun is entirely subjective and something that fluctuates throughout our experience with any given game, so we get into a whole relativistic mess if that's a qualifier for making something a video game.
The reason why I stress conflict, competition, and challenge is that video games have had one or more of these aspects created by its mechanics and rules since the dawn of Asteroids. Whether it be a title with puzzles, shooting, trivia, platforming, and what have you...all of these things are what drive us to play games. We want to be challenged, and we want to be challenged continuously in any way possible (predictability breeds familiarity, destroying fun in classic "games" like tic-tac-toe). That is what games are about. Even Flower!
This is why games like Dear Esther and Proteus are, in my opinion, not video games. They are walking simulators. There is no interaction or challenge in those games. You merely walk around in a space and have things shown or explained to you. You don't truly interact with the game at all...you're just along for the ride. However, I believe Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Gone Home, and The Stanley Parable are definitely video games. Mostly. They tread on the fence with their intensely light emphasis on interaction, but they involve challenges in some ways with interactable environments, decision-making, etc.
I get confused though when people think that saying something isn't a video game is a bad thing. I enjoyed Dear Esther, but I certainly wouldn't call it a video game. It was a visual novel walking simulator, and there's nothing wrong with that. Even Minecraft isn't a game if you play it on the Creative mode! It's just a creative spin on building with Lego bricks. But it can still be fun as are many games and activities that aren't video games. Now, on Adventure mode, Minecraft then becomes a video game because challenges arise in various forms. It's not just about building blocks anymore. You have to fight, plan, and survive.
Anyway, hope those are some interesting thoughts to contribute. Nice, relevant topic to write on, @get2sammyb! Enjoyed your brief yet succinct coverage of this debate.
Re: First Impressions: Call of Duty: Black Ops III Embraces the Past As It Focuses on the Future
@SuperCat Nothing wrong with drinking Mountain Dew or Doritos! It's when you consume them both at the same time that you should be worried about turning into one of those MLG CoD kids. And yeah! Black Ops had one of the best campaigns and a really balanced multiplayer. AW was great as well for everything it did differently. So it's nice to see that BO3 is like a combination of these two games. Hopefully it'll turn out great. Oh, and I too enjoy the tears of gamers, especially when playing One in the Chamber. lol
@Flurpsel They're two different shooters for different crowds, so I can see why BO3 still wouldn't appeal to you. I love both series, but while CoD is about quick-paced, contained skirmishes on small maps with an arcade-y shooter feel (does that make sense?), Battlefield has always been about longer, methodical, team-oriented matches with giant, open maps. The latter is more "realistic," of course, but CoD is fun in its own way as well. I'll admit that DICE has always made superior audio though! But I wouldn't say the guns sound bad in CoD. They're just...not as good in comparison. lol
@special_donkey Yes! This is something I noticed that was missing. Perhaps the removal of the leaning mechanic was intentional to streamline the gameplay to be more like the older games? That was something I liked in Ghosts. But still, I'm not that upset that it's gone. It wasn't in AW after all, and I still really liked that one, so I think BO3 will be okay without it, especially with the more simpler gameplay it seems to be going for.
@Faruko Right! I can see why it would be hard acclimating to CoD after playing games like Counter-Strike or Battlefield for a while. It's all about being constantly active and going for the kill in most modes, but still, some restraint is required in "running and gunning," and I think BO3 has more of that than previous CoD games. Most of Treyarch's titles have been less about that and more about taking things a bit more slowly. But still, the same gameplay tactic applies. As for the maps, I don't know. I thought they were pretty good! Really liked the placement of walls to run on, since they promoted good flow between major areas of some maps. I will say though that these maps felt slightly more open and spacious than in previous games, which I found an interesting change.
@MinerWilly Oh, don't worry. You aren't in a minority! CoD tends to divide players a lot, and while I think a lot of people think ill of it for no legitimate reasons besides the fact that it's "cool" to hate and complain about the franchise, you sound like you've got good reasons for why you didn't like it. The playstyle of shooters ranges across the board, and CoD is in a class that will only appeal to certain audiences. Nothing wrong with that.
@TomKingPhooey Wow, that's a long time! I'd definitely advice jumping back in to CoD if it's been that long for you since a CoD caught your attention. Glad you like it. And I do agree about sniping. As I mentioned somewhere above, I was really surprised by how difficult it was to do. I didn't like it at all, and that's coming from someone who's primarily used assault rifles and sniper rifles in every CoD!
Re: Gallery: Sony Made Us Dress Up as a Squirrel for Tearaway Unfolded
This is my editor, @get2sammyb. In a furry, orange, squirrel onesie.
By the way, nice kicks, man.
Re: Review: Until Dawn (PS4)
Excellent review, Sammy! I honestly thought most of this game would be a host of QTEs from the gameplay footage and trailers I'd seen, but it seems to be way better than that. Going to give it a test run tonight since I was able to rent it from Redbox!
Re: Review: Back to Bed (PS4)
@get2sammyb It's very odd. I mean, this game is $2.99 on iTunes...that's totally worth buying this game for! But asking for $19.99 is insane. Definitely a major turnoff.
Re: First Impressions: Call of Duty: Black Ops III Embraces the Past As It Focuses on the Future
@BAMozzy I thought about the potential abuse of Black Hat, too! All you need to do is equip two of them and you can hack any scorestreak you want...that's a real bummer for the person who worked hard to get the scorestreak in the first place. It'd be like someone taking over your AC-130 in Modern Warfare 2...man, that was the best, but if I had it taken away from me, I'd be so mad! But I guess we'll have to wait and see if the rest of the community agrees on whether Black Hat should be changed or not.
Re: First Impressions: Call of Duty: Black Ops III Embraces the Past As It Focuses on the Future
@get2sammyb Yes, I do think it's really jarring seeing (sometimes) 4-5 of the same Specialist on one team. That's the sacrifice Treyarch's making by removing original, customizable characters (like in Advanced Warfare). However, like I said, hopefully this customizable armor (and hopefully skins, too) will mitigate this issue.
@ShogunRok I liked Advanced Warfare, too! I don't think that one got enough appreciation for what it tried to do differently. It certainly worked, but now we're seeing the opposite with Black Ops III, which seems to be molded after the more classic stuff than trying to be something different. Hopefully it will turn out well by November! I know I'm already going to buy the game...as I do with each CoD.
@BAMozzy Thanks for the in-depth thoughts on the beta! I couldn't go into too much detail with the minutiae in the article, but you definitely touched on a lot of things I thought about as well. The lack of something to mitigate flinch is somewhat disappointing, especially when - as you pointed out - you are trying to hit someone who's head is popping out from behind cover. It's near impossible, and you'll surely die in that kind of encounter more likely than you would in past CoD games. Instead of implementing a new perk, I hope they do decrease the flinch a bit after this beta.
The grenades were okay, I think. I agree they could cover more distance (especially since most of the characters have cybernetic arms), but I don't mind either way if they address this. And as you pointed out, there are a whole bunch of little things that need to be balanced out with weapons and the Specialist abilities. One thing that surprised me personally is how difficult it is to use sniper rifles this time! They're very sensitive to the touch and take longer to acquire enemies in your line of sight. I've always been an assault rifle/sniper guy, but I just couldn't get into using sniper rifles this time. I hope Treyarch makes the aiming more smooth and slow, since it felt so...twitchy to me. By the time I even locked on to most enemies, I was way past gone.
Other than that, I could also point out pistols seem more useful this time, launchers have way less splash damage, perks like Sixth Sense might need to be nerfed, and so on. But yeah, you got some of the major stuff I noticed as well.
Re: Round Up: Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain PS4 Reviews Take Top Marks
@get2sammyb Yeah, I'm not sure how to feel about less story as well. I tend to like linear games with clear, set objectives more than the "do what you want" open-world stuff with open-ended goals.
But still.
Re: The Taken King Is Looking More and More Like What Destiny Should Have Always Been
I'm not sure about returning to Destiny, @ShogunRok. All of those additions and changes they're making look great, but I still think it's cheap that if I end up getting this, I might as well buy Destiny all over again (The Taken King physical copy) since I'll get the other two pieces of DLC for only $20 more. Like you said, the price is a major turn-off (it's only $20 less than a full-fledged retail game!), so I'll wait and see how all this turns out before making my decision on returning to Destiny.
Re: The Force Is with This Limited Edition Star Wars PS4
Blast. That PS4 is byotiful. But the controller...not liking it all that much. @get2sammyb is right that it looks like it's trying to replicate Darth Vader's chest plate, but I'm not feeling it. Looks like a bunch of colors randomly slapped on the controller.
Overall, still a pretty awesome bundle. And if Battlefront lives up to the hype, no one should pass up on getting this if they don't already have a PS4 (and if they love Star Wars, of course)!
And can we talk about how awesome Bounty Hunter was when it came out? It was a HARD game for me as an 8 year old, but man, was it fun to fly around as Jango and use his twin pistols. Good times.
Re: EA Doesn't Think You'd Play a Star Wars Battlefront Single Player Campaign
I played Battlefront II's campaign at least 8 times.
Like heck I wouldn't - let alone thousands and thousands of new and old fans - play a new campaign.
Re: Review: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (PS4)
The first video game ever to make me cry. The story is just...ugh. So heartbreaking and beautifully conveyed. And while the controls are agreeably difficult to get used to, I still found the way you controlled the two brothers fascinating. Definitely recommend it for anyone who hasn't played it yet. Nice review, Stephen!
Re: Gamescom 2015: Star Wars: Battlefront Fighter Squadron Footage Flies In
Dang, this game just keeps looking better and better. That stupid reveal for Blast (aka: Team Deathmatch) put me off since it was hyped to be something unique, but a gameplay trailer to announce a mode akin to space battles? I'm down.
Re: Star Wars: Battlefront's Blast Mode Is Not as Exciting as It Sounds
@get2sammyb If there was a new trailer showing gameplay, a little fanfare would have been just.
But there's not even a trailer.
They literally made a big deal out of saying this game will have team deathmatch.
Re: Sony Wants You to Pick Your Next PS4 PlayStation Plus Freebie
Man, this is such a good idea. Not only will we continue to get the usual free games of the month, but now there will be discounts on games that lose the vote. So really...PS Plus just got a bit better because everybody wins in some way! lol
Re: August's PlayStation Plus Freebies Feature Lara Croft, Limbo, and God of War
Temple of Osiris and God of War Ascension? I'm done with these two games! And for anyone that hasn't played Limbo...well, you kind of need to do that. Such a cleverly designed and creepily atmospheric indie game.
Re: Review: Legend of Kay Anniversary (PS4)
@BLPs Shooters with brown environments all day, every day!
The funny thing is that I personally love these kinds of 3D platformers, so I really wanted to give this a go. Cartoony, colorful, wacky...I grew up on this stuff with Spyro and Crash. But this game is just okay in so many ways, and getting to the good with the above average gameplay while having to endure the boring story and terrible dialogue just didn't work for me. :/ Like I said, I think kids might enjoy this more, but still, I could think of many other 3D platformers I'd rather recommend than this. Still, I really want to see newer IPs like this! That's why I was happy to see Knack when the PS4 launched (even if it was underwhelming) and am stoked for Yooka-Laylee! There needs to be a revival of this genre, and unfortunately, a remaster of this obscure title isn't quite what I was looking for. :/
@Sonicfan11589 Like @get2sammyb said, I assume they're identical across platforms. I'm really curious how the Wii U version uses the GamePad...
@get2sammyb No problem! And yes, it's one of the weirder remasters I've seen! Interesting to see this forgotten game brought back from the dead, but...why? lol
@AyeHaley You know, one thing I should've mentioned is that this game's only $30. That's not bad at all for a remaster! But is the low price worth it? Not really...I'd definitely say to give it a go for $20 at the most, but even then I can't recommend the game wholeheartedly unless you really love this genre.