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Giant Bomb #11 | Thanks for the Spelunkin', the Spookin', and the Scoopin'

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Myggen

Member
Pretty much describes my beta experiences, except I rarely got past the main menu.

It's been such a great year for Ubisoft.

I can't get to sleep without hearing Jeff and Vinny's voice. Gimme that early Bombcast.

Gonna be a late one according to Brad :/

Brad Shoemaker @bradshoemaker · 4 hours ago
Heads up, podcast will probably be up pretty late today due to a bunch of required extra processing work and a ton of GOTY shooting.
 
They're probably gonna get away with it relatively unscathed so they probably don't care, is the thing.

Call of Duty sales started to drop due to lack of innovation, and that was just one series being formulaic. Ubisoft has has multiple franchises that all have the same formula, so they're going to be running them into the ground much faster than Activision ever could with CoD. It's sad that it's not even a joke to say The Crew is Assassin's Creed but with cars.
 

Archaix

Drunky McMurder
EA gave me free games all weekend and today. I like this new EA


Everything about EA for the past year or so (since the year of apologies ended) seems centered around "Oh christ please, please, PLEASE like us" and it's worked out for fans for the most part. Even their E3 videos where they announce game ideas they had in the shower this morning, it's all "LOOK AT US BEING HUMAN!"
 

Myggen

Member
They're probably gonna get away with it relatively unscathed so they probably don't care, is the thing.

Time will show, but I'm not so sure about that.

Everything about EA for the past year or so (since the year of apologies ended) seems centered around "Oh christ please, please, PLEASE like us" and it's worked out for fans for the most part. Even their E3 videos where they announce game ideas they had in the shower this morning, it's all "LOOK AT US BEING HUMAN!"

"The ten people left at Criterion are making a game with a helicopter or something? Fuck if I know!"
 

daydream

Banned
Call of Duty sales started to drop due to lack of innovation, and that was just one series being formulaic. Ubisoft has has multiple franchises that all have the same formula, so they're going to be running them into the ground much faster than Activision ever could with CoD. It's sad that it's not even a joke to say The Crew is Assassin's Creed but with cars.

Yeah, I mean, (some) people on GAF are gonna draw their lessons but I sincerely doubt the general public will react, either because they don't care, they're not aware of the alternatives, they're insensitive to creative bankruptcy, they only play heavily marketed games, they forget easily, and so on, and so forth.

Nothing would make me happier than to be proven wrong, of course.

This doesn't apply solely to Ubisoft btw but also stuff like EA sports titles (by far the biggest offender), pre-ordering broken games, etc.
 
Day 15: It's been 15 days since MGScanlon has last been recorded. The joys of wonder have been all but forgotten over the GotY podcasts. There is no end in sight to this drought. Many have fallen in the wait, they just couldn't go on. A few remain, chronicling the occurrences since then...but we will fall sooner or later.
 

cb1115

I Was There! Official L Receiver 2/12/2016
comments section of that Tomb Raider story is hilarious.

act like console exclusives haven't been around forever, amigos.
 
Everything about EA for the past year or so (since the year of apologies ended) seems centered around "Oh christ please, please, PLEASE like us" and it's worked out for fans for the most part. Even their E3 videos where they announce game ideas they had in the shower this morning, it's all "LOOK AT US BEING HUMAN!"

EA's had a REALLY weird 2014. Their entire E3 conference was centered around the reveal a game that leaked a full month early, and ended up being delayed out of the holiday season. Then they filled the rest of the show with vague conceptual videos that could easily have zero representation of the end product. Cut to last week, when they hype up a big Game Awards announcement - only for it to be yet ANOTHER video of dudes in a meeting room discussing concept art, punctuated by 10 seconds of engine footage.

Oh, and they've only released one major non-sports title this fall season - and it's somehow one of the year's best games overall. Punctuated by constant free game giveaways, and the slow improvement of Origin into a tolerable product.
 
Speaking of podcasting and hot-button issues, I just experienced ludonarrative dissonance. I think. I was playing Patrick's favorite game, The Evil Within, which thus far has been about sneaking past zombies and cowering in fear from the encroaching darkness of aspect ratio. So I clumsily snuck my way past like twelve dudes because the main guy can't melee to save his life, but then I finish the chapter and he's drop kicking zombies in the next cutscene. What. Why can't he do that while I'm playing? RE4 let me do that.

Fuck video games.
 

danm999

Member
I mean, EA hasn't had a pristine year. Dungeon Keeper happened this year.

But yeah, mostly they seem to be trying to right the ship. Dragon Age Inquisition seems to indicate they learned their lesson from DA2.
 

Archaix

Drunky McMurder
I mean, EA hasn't had a pristine year. Dungeon Keeper happened this year.

But yeah, mostly they seem to be trying to right the ship. Dragon Age Inquisition seems to indicate they learned their lesson from DA2.


Wait...really?

Well, I've finally gotten over that whole "time moves so much faster than when I was younger" thing.

As for Dragon Age, I haven't played the new game yet and ignored almost everything about it because lol Bioware. But is this one actually good like the first Dragon Age, or is it only good if you believe that Mass Effect 2 was well-written?
 

danm999

Member
As for Dragon Age, I haven't played the new game yet and ignored almost everything about it because lol Bioware. But is this one actually good like the first Dragon Age, or is it only good if you believe that Mass Effect 2 was well-written?

It seems to be channelling closer to DA:O than DA2; more character customisation, choices have more impact, bigger and more varied environments, central plot and concrete stakes rather than broken up narrative, etc.

I don't like the combat as much as Origins though, it's still too close to 2, and though it makes some concessions to the Origins style (tactical overview character), it's kind of facerolly.

I'm only 3/4ths or so through it though. It may go to hell in the third act. Also if you've got Vinny-itis of feeling the need to collect everything this game might get you killed.
 

Archaix

Drunky McMurder

I read that when it was posted; the only thing I took away was that this is the first time Patrick's gotten into a western RPG. It doesn't really say anything about the game itself. It's entirely possible this is just the first time he's tried since he's actively been attempting to get into new types of games.

Even the discussion on last week's bombcast didn't really tell me anything because to be honest, I don't trust any of their opinions on this kind of game. Our tastes have just never matched up so unless Dave is talking I can't really say I put any weight into what's said.

edit: For example, this sounds real bad right here:


I don't like the combat as much as Origins though, it's still too close to 2, and though it makes some concessions to the Origins style (tactical overview character), it's kind of facerolly.

I'm only 3/4ths or so through it though. It may go to hell in the third act. Also if you've got Vinny-itis of feeling the need to collect everything this game might get you killed.
 

tchocky

Member
The moment I heard you climb towers in your car in The Crew, I knew I'd never play that game.

I don't think you climb towers, you drive up to a satellite dish and press a button to sync and it does the far cry style zoom out and into certain locations and unlocks icons on the map, at least the two I found in the beta was like that. I think when Jeff says it has towers he means the concept rather than physical towers.
 

Tan

Member
How could that be this year?!? It feels like forever ago.

Oh wow. That Paul Barnett GDC video was from March. How long has this year been?

There have been several instances this month of me saying "that was this year!?" I don't know what's going on.
 
I read that when it was posted; the only thing I took away was that this is the first time Patrick's gotten into a western RPG. It doesn't really say anything about the game itself. It's entirely possible this is just the first time he's tried since he's actively been attempting to get into new types of games.

Even the discussion on last week's bombcast didn't really tell me anything because to be honest, I don't trust any of their opinions on this kind of game. Our tastes have just never matched up so unless Dave is talking I can't really say I put any weight into what's said.

edit: For example, this sounds real bad right here:

It depends on what you're looking for. I love the game so far. I haven't been this immersed in an RPG in some time, and it's tied with Sunset for my GoTY. The combat isn't faceroll-y if you're on higher difficulties. You'll be forced to be in the tactics view in every fight on those difficulties and pay attention to positioning, combos, etc. I enjoy reading about the lore, the characters, the politics and the world.
 
can URL of the year please be twitch.tv/bazza87

GIUw3jh.gif
 

danm999

Member
The combat isn't faceroll-y if you're on higher difficulties. You'll be forced to be in the tactics view in every fight on those difficulties and pay attention to positioning, combos, etc.

Yeah I gotta cop to this. I'm playing on normal, so I can't speak for higher difficulties. I also might have stayed in the Hinterlands too long and overshot the level I was supposed to be at making most fights trivial.

Ultimately I would recommend it if you liked Origins. Then again, I quite liked Mass Effect 2, so our tastes might not align Archaix.
 
Think I could overlevel and beat Inquisition on Nightmare without ever using the tactical view?

Maybe. You'd have to use the tactics view in the Hinterlands until you got to a high enough level. No guarantees if you're fighting a bear or a dragon that your levels would be good enough.
 

TraBuch

Banned
I'm actually already done with Hinterlands. Well, mostly, haven't tried the dragon and a couple of the rifts are a bit too much. Also cleared Storm Coast and have
got the Templars on my side.
I figure the hardest parts are behind me but I'm not sure.
 
It depends on what you're looking for. I love the game so far. I haven't been this immersed in an RPG in some time, and it's tied with Sunset for my GoTY. The combat isn't faceroll-y if you're on higher difficulties. You'll be forced to be in the tactics view in every fight on those difficulties and pay attention to positioning, combos, etc. I enjoy reading about the lore, the characters, the politics and the world.

You don't need tactical camera even on the highest difficulties. You certainly aren't forced there. The combat in the game plays out like KOTOR for the most part. It's the least tactical of the Dragon Age games.
 

Egg0

Banned
Uhhhhhh... Anyways, how late is late for Brad? I think we've gotten alot more early-casts from the Brad era, so not sure when the podcast usually go up.
 

daydream

Banned
Uhhhhhh... Anyways, how late is late for Brad? I think we've gotten alot more early-casts from the Brad era, so not sure when the podcast usually go up.

If it's as late as the latest Bradcast I remember, it could take another 90 minutes.
 
You don't need tactical camera even on the highest difficulties. You certainly aren't forced there. The combat in the game plays out like KOTOR for the most part. It's the least tactical of the Dragon Age games.

I found myself getting dumpstered on nightmare if I didn't use tactical view, and same for about half the fights on hard. The companion AI is not intelligent enough to handle the harder battles, so I found tactical to be a necessity. On hard I could manage in the action view about half of the time, and the other half switch to tactical. On nightmare I found myself needing tactical almost all the time. Granted i'm not overleveled at all, and it's very possible i'm not good at the game.
 
I found myself getting dumpstered on nightmare if I didn't use tactical view, and same for about half the fights on hard. The companion AI is not intelligent enough to handle the harder battles, so I found tactical to be a necessity. On hard I could manage in the action view about half of the time, and the other half switch to tactical. On nightmare I found myself needing tactical almost all the time. Granted i'm not overleveled at all, and it's very possible i'm not good at the game.

Are you crafting gear? I found most of the difficulty in the game to amount to a gear check. I started on hard, switched to nightmare after about 15 hours and barely used the tactical cam the last 2/3 of the game. Though a lot of that is because this game gets easier the farther into it you get.
 
Are you crafting gear? I found most of the difficulty in the game to amount to a gear check. I started on hard, switched to nightmare after about 15 hours and barely used the tactical cam the last 2/3 of the game. Though a lot of that is because this game gets easier the farther into it you get.

I'm about 20 hours in, mostly messing around in the Western Approach at the moment.
I've crafted some gear yeah, my Mage is quite decked out. I'm still finding it a decently good challenge on normal at the moment but if I end up feeling too powerful i'll knock it up to hard or nightmare.

Bard wasn't kidding, this is a latecast.
 
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