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[EdReedFan20]

Either that or they just didn't get a review copy of the Xbox One version.

Good point. I think JC3 has the Sony marketing deal, considering all material shows the PS4 box up front. From what I understand, that typically is an indicator as to who has the marketing deal.

Also, related to the GOTY talk, it seems likely that some games that will/should/could crack the top ten list will not have garnered a review from Giant Bomb. Rocket League will most likely make the list, as could Until Dawn. Neither has been reviewed. I haven't paid attention in the past, but is that par for the course?

 

[danm999]

All I'm expecting it Life is Strange in the conversations for best moment, best style, and best debut. Episode 4 has the best moment but 3 has the runner-up.

Yeah, that all seems reasonable.

He's not wrong.

It's a shame York and Zack never chatted about Cage in their car rides together.

 

[LurkerPrime]

BAK-ALARM
CNET Just Cause 3 review.

You are Rico Rodriguez, an experienced soldier acrobat who laughs in the face of danger and has no problem mowing down hordes of enemies. Rico is also nearly invisible -- it takes a shocking amount of firepower to take him down.

I still believe in him.

 

[danm999]

Also, related to the GOTY talk, it seems likely that some games that will/should/could crack the top ten list will not have garnered a review from Giant Bomb. Rocket League will most likely make the list, as could Until Dawn. Neither has been reviewed. I haven't paid attention in the past, but is that par for the course?

It's unusual but not unprecedented (Hearthstone, Rogue Legacy, Papers please for example).

 

[daydream]

Oh, I thought you were talking about Max only taking inane shots. I guess you're talking about wanting a more expanded photography aspect?

hm, i guess neither (although doubling down on the photography aspect would have certainly been an idea worth considering)

what i was mostly referring to are the pictures she looks at throughout the game. it just seems strange for max to be enchanted by work, e.g. victoria's, that just seems kinda bad and trivial to the player (as evidenced by beast's reaction). unless her judgement is subversively demasked as worthless - but considering she's supposed to have a talent for it, that doesn't add up. the style they went with for the pictures isn't doing them a favour, either.

so i guess i am asking for an expanded photography aspect - not mechanics-wise or anything but they should have put more care into what is clearly a central discourse in the game

 

[LurkerPrime]

Are LiS' photos even meant to be taken at face value? I want to say nearly all of them have a sort of abstract "in the background" style that's short on details. The only serious photos would be the collectible ones that Max herself takes.

 

[Antiwhippy]

hm, i guess neither (although doubling down on the photography aspect would have certainly been an idea worth considering)

what i was mostly referring to are the pictures she looks at throughout the game. it just seems strange for max to be enchanted by work, e.g. victoria's, that just seems kinda bad and trivial to the player (as evidenced by beast's reaction). unless her judgement is subversively demasked as worthless - but considering she's supposed to have a talent for it, that doesn't add up. the style they went with for the pictures isn't doing them a favour, either.

so i guess i am asking for an expanded photography aspect - not mechanics-wise or anything but they should have put more care into what is clearly a central discourse in the game

Ah alright, I thought you were talking about the random photos that she herself takes throughout the game, which I thought greatly enchances the slice if life aspects of the game.

 

[daydream]

Are LiS' photos even meant to be taken at face value? I want to say nearly all of them have a sort of abstract "in the background" style that's short on details. The only serious photos would be the collectible ones that Max herself takes.

they aren't but that's my point - they tell me nothing and/or make max' comments seem silly. it's a wasted opportunity

 

[ThreePiMatt]

BAK-ALARM
CNET Just Cause 3 review.

Originally Posted by CNET

You are Rico Rodriguez, an experienced soldier acrobat who laughs in the face of danger and has no problem mowing down hordes of enemies. Rico is also nearly invisible -- it takes a shocking amount of firepower to take him down.

I still believe in him.

Must be tough to play if you can't see your character.

 

[Volotaire]

I wonder if we will get Jeff Bakalar's top ten list.

 

[Archaix]

Are LiS' photos even meant to be taken at face value? I want to say nearly all of them have a sort of abstract "in the background" style that's short on details. The only serious photos would be the collectible ones that Max herself takes.

She's also a huge fan of Spirits Within. Maybe the game is trying to tell us something about Max.

 

[Antiwhippy]

2.8 GPA isn't great either.

 

[killroy87]

My thoughts are still:

1. Super Mario Maker
2. Metal Gear Solid V
3. Rocket League
4. Axiom Verge
5. Splatoon
6. The Witcher 3
7. Bloodborne
8. Undertale
9. Rise of the Tomb Raider
10. Fallout 4

I swapped FO4 and ROTR from the last time I posted this since it seems like they're pretty positive on Tomb Raider overall.

That's a solid list. I'm gonna go out on a limb with an outlier here and say Dying Light takes the #10 slot over Fallout. None of them are reeeeally singing the praises for FO4 except dan, and it's more of an "this game is so dumb and fun" manner.

I'm telling ya, folks! Dying Light will be an underdog!

 

[Dineren]

That's a solid list. I'm gonna go out on a limb with an outlier here and say Dying Light takes the #10 slot over Fallout. None of them are reeeeally singing the praises for FO4 except dan, and it's more of an "this game is so dumb and fun" manner.

I'm telling ya, folks! Dying Light will be an underdog!

I think that TW3 is way too high on that list, I seriously doubt it even makes it. Dying Light at 10 wouldn't surprise me at all though. Has anyone besides Brad played it?

 

[Antiwhippy]

Wait, axiom verge is this year?

 

[misses bull]

I think that TW3 is way too high on that list, I seriously doubt it even makes it. Dying Light at 10 wouldn't surprise me at all though. Has anyone besides Brad played it?

Dan said he liked it a lot

 

[Death Metalist]

Wait, axiom verge is this year?

Yes. So is MKX.

 

[Brashnir]

Yes. So is MKX.

So is Kerbal Space Program. (though the time it spent in early access is why that seems so weird)

 

[killroy87]

I think that TW3 is way too high on that list, I seriously doubt it even makes it. Dying Light at 10 wouldn't surprise me at all though. Has anyone besides Brad played it?

I'm pretty sure Dan mentioned liking it a lot, and I waaaant to say Jason? I can't remember.

Also, Crypt of the Necrodancer could come out of nowhere for a low spot, that game stuck around for a little bit.

Basically, never underestimate the games that make an impression on Brad specifically. We all know his stubbornness knows no bounds.

 

[Teddified]

Guys, Gat out of Hell.

 

[justjim89]

Damn it, Brad's not gonna finish SOMA before GOTY, is he? That ending is so good, was hoping someone would be speaking for it in GOTY.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Fucccck.

My life.

Wait, does this mean that I perceive time as slower or faster? I'm cool with slower.

 

[Tubobutts]

Fucccck.

My life.

Wait, does this mean that I perceive time as slower or faster? I'm cool with slower.

It means weird dudes in saffron robes are moving your time around.

 

[ThreePiMatt]

So is Kerbal Space Program. (though the time it spent in early access is why that seems so weird)

Shame Vinny is the only one to really play KSP. Personally, I think its the best Indie game since Minecraft.

 

[Twin Tails]

Fucccck.

My life.

Wait, does this mean that I perceive time as slower or faster? I'm cool with slower.

SuperHot GOTY 2016

 

[LurkerPrime]

SuperHOT's gonna be so good.

Ah alright, I thought you were talking about the random photos that she herself takes throughout the game, which I thought greatly enchances the slice if life aspects of the game.

The collectible photos are a great, innovative addition to narrative adventure games. It gives a reason to poke around, observe, and replay. TellTale's stuff needs something like that, though it'd be hard to do without aping LiS really heavily.

In spite of this, I say go Ape!

they aren't but that's my point - they tell me nothing and/or make max' comments seem silly. it's a wasted opportunity

Eh. They aren't meant to say anything by themselves--that's what Max is for. Through her, we'll learn about the world of LiS. And it's not like she's lying to herself--she's giving an honest analysis of whatever it is.

Dunno how you can see such traditional adventure gaming as a missed opportunity.

 

[danm999]

I think that TW3 is way too high on that list, I seriously doubt it even makes it.

They've all played varying degrees of it, and all really liked it except for Jeff who is more ambivalent. Stuff like that tends to get on these lists.

 

[Antiwhippy]

It means weird dudes in saffron robes are moving your time around.

I knew I should have left out some yak butter tea as an offering.

 

[Dineren]

Damn it, Brad's not gonna finish SOMA before GOTY, is he? That ending is so good, was hoping someone would be speaking for it in GOTY.

There is still hope! I liked SOMA enough that I immediately went and watched Patrick's LP of it. Watching him struggle at the last puzzle for 5+ minutes was something else.

They've all played varying degrees of it, and all really liked it except for Jeff who is more ambivalent. Stuff like that tends to get on these lists.

Fair enough. It just seems unlikely with as many games they have played and liked this year.

 

[killroy87]

How much did GBeast actually like Life is Strange? Possible it makes the top 10?

 

[daydream]

Fucccck.

My life.

Wait, does this mean that I perceive time as slower or faster? I'm cool with slower.

you thought more time had passed than was actually the case

your sense of time ranking is 'speedy gonzalez'

 

[EdReedFan20]

So is Kerbal Space Program. (though the time it spent in early access is why that seems so weird)

And even weirder is the fact it is coming to PS4, XB1, and Wii U next year.

 

[danm999]

How much did GBeast actually like Life is Strange? Possible it makes the top 10?

It's difficult to say since their discussion of it is pretty much confined to the Playdates. We'll know in about a month.

Fair enough. It just seems unlikely with as many games they have played and liked this year.

It always depends on the day and the people but I'm struggling to think about many more games that would bump Witcher 3 that aren't present on Incandenza's list except for maybe I dunno Until Dawn or something.

 

[aspaceman55]

hm, i guess neither (although doubling down on the photography aspect would have certainly been an idea worth considering)

what i was mostly referring to are the pictures she looks at throughout the game. it just seems strange for max to be enchanted by work, e.g. victoria's, that just seems kinda bad and trivial to the player (as evidenced by beast's reaction). unless her judgement is subversively demasked as worthless - but considering she's supposed to have a talent for it, that doesn't add up. the style they went with for the pictures isn't doing them a favour, either.

so i guess i am asking for an expanded photography aspect - not mechanics-wise or anything but they should have put more care into what is clearly a central discourse in the game

It seems you're meant to be given the idea that Max doesn't really know what good photography looks like. She has a good grasp of masters (there's a book in her room she talks about a lot), and she can judge her peers' work from a mechanical perspective, but she doesn't have the eye of a critic. She's meant to seem naive and not all there artistically since the whole game is The Catcher in the Rye.

There's also some suspension of disbelief to be expected since the artstyle of this game doesn't favor showing very good photographs. A watercolor representation of a photo isn't going to capture what makes the photo work. They're very different mediums and what works in one doesn't work in the other.

 

[killroy87]

It's difficult to say since their discussion of it is pretty much confined to the Playdates. We'll know in about a month.

Yeah, but my life isn't boring in a month, my life is boring now

I enjoy speculating about things that don't matter haha

 

[justjim89]

How much did GBeast actually like Life is Strange? Possible it makes the top 10?

To the point they're at, I could see it picking up a minor award or two, especially the twist in Episode 3. But without them beating it, I don't see it making Top 10 in such a crowded year.

 

[Sleeping Lesson]

Damn it, Brad's not gonna finish SOMA before GOTY, is he? That ending is so good, was hoping someone would be speaking for it in GOTY.

It totally deserves to be talked about. I hope he does end up finishing the game.

 

[Antiwhippy]

you thought more time had passed than was actually the case

your sense of time ranking is 'speedy gonzalez'

But doesn't that I mean I perceive more time than the actual amount of time.

Basically I'm immortal.

 

[aspaceman55]

How much did GBeast actually like Life is Strange? Possible it makes the top 10?

They like it a lot, but they haven't completed the strongest part of the game. And they won't finish by GOTY deliberations, so I doubt it will get anything more than a nod in the podcast. They've only really seen two of the main "moments" that let you know that LiS is a lot better than it puts on, and the remaining parts of the game that tie everything together in a really cool way are still yet to come.

Spoiler

Along with the best choice.

They've seen the episode 3 twist though, so it might be able to make a fight with only that assuming someone like Austin decides to fight hard for it.

 

[killroy87]

To the point they're at, I could see it picking up a minor award or two, especially the twist in Episode 3. But without them beating it, I don't see it making Top 10 in such a crowded year.

They like it a lot, but they haven't completed the strongest part of the game. And they won't finish by GOTY deliberations, so I doubt it will get anything more than a nod in the podcast. They've only really seen two of the main "moments" that let you know that LiS is a lot better than it puts on, and the remaining parts of the game that tie everything together in a really cool way are still yet to come.

Spoiler

Along with the best choice.

They've seen the episode 3 twist though, so it might be able to make a fight with only that assuming someone like Austin decides to fight hard for it.

Ah my mistake, I thought they finished it. Never mind.

 

[danm999]

Yeah, but my life isn't boring in a month, my life is boring now

I enjoy speculating about things that don't matter haha

Ok it will be #4 on the list because GB East will make a dirty deal for Brad's support in exchange for letting him put the Taken King on the list.

Jeff will scream collusion and Drew and Jason will weep tears for the violation of the sanctity of the process whilst Dan will care not as his favourite two games reign supreme.

 

[Twin Tails]

Can't wait for The Taken King discussion.

 

[daydream]

It seems you're meant to be given the idea that Max doesn't really know what good photography looks like. She has a good grasp of masters (there's a book in her room she talks about a lot), and she can judge her peers' work from a mechanical perspective, but she doesn't have the eye of a critic. She's meant to seem naive and not all there artistically since the whole game is The Catcher in the Rye.

There's also some suspension of disbelief to be expected since the artstyle of this game doesn't favor showing very good photographs. A watercolor representation of a photo isn't going to capture what makes the photo work. They're very different mediums and what works in one doesn't work in the other.

yeah, i brought up the unreliability of her view on things as a possible explanation, though if that's the case, then my criticism of a major discourse being undercooked simply shifts to that aspect of it. they don't really do much of anything with the crucial point of coming-of-age narratives which is the perspective. conversely, if they're not going for that, the photography aspect feels neglected. heck, they could have combined the two in a productive fashion but instead they kinda stopped halfway, without being too inclined to do something truly interesting beyond the mundane setting.

i'm still intrigued by what's there, don't get me wrong. it's certainly more worthwhile than most of what's probably going to end up on their goty list, anyway

 

[Twin Tails]

A Very Ryckert Thanksgiving 2015

It's the holidays again, and Dan's father, girlfriend, sister, and mother joined him for a chat about squirrels, Jurassic Jim, and Sears Tower farts.

Filed Under: John Hammond, Squirrel, Dynasty Warriors 3, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Kansas City

 

[hamchan]

I feel a bit weird listening in on Dan's family have a conversation.

 

[daydream]

not quite the mammoth i hoped for but it'll do

when is paul starting his own podcast

 

[Askherserenity]

I wish they all played LiS.

It really deserves to be talked about more. In the top 3 for me.

 

[Death Metalist]

A Very Ryckert Thanksgiving 2015

Saving it for tomorrow.

 

[Tubobutts]

I'm sure there's no chance of it, but I hope GBEast somehow finds a way to do a play date to finish LiS this week.

 

[TraBuch]

Does anyone else avoid Dan-centric podcasts? I like him but I don't think I can handle that much Ryckert.