General Games Discussion

yeah I saw that on Amazon, will probably get it unless anyone vouches for something else

I got these ones. They are the best you can get

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-Mobile/dp/B00SAYCXWG/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1472134268&sr=1-1&keywords=hyperx+cloud+2

Might need to jiggle around with settings to make it work with ps4, and it's a fraction over your budget.

But see if Job Center will hook u up with a low interest loan in the interest of helping you get a pro youtuber career on the go.


https://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-H81CIS-Cisco-Headset-W%252fcord/dp/B00MYTKM4E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1472146037&sr=8-3&keywords=headset

Have you guys heard of this before? Looks good. It's been fairly acclaimed.

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2016/08/kentucky_route_zero_reviewed_a_perfect_depiction_of_quiet_economic_desperation.html

Article I read where I first heard of it

Blizzard straight to FB/largest social platform on the internet; that's pretty big.

Anyone here play Hearthstone? A friend introduced me to the game a few weeks ago and I'm literally so hooked I'm not playing Football Manager anymore.

have you found out it's available on android? rest in pepperonies your life srry oh god what have i done

Phritz wrote:have you found out it's available on android? rest in pepperonies your life srry oh god what have i done

It's available on everything but the kitchen sink.

Not getting it on my phone, hell no. Would already extend my lengthy bowel movement sessions. I have a zero game policy on my phone

But on anyone not versed: it's like Magic: The Gathering but with Blizzard lore, a turn based card game. Insanely addicting and free, if you don't mind a little farming, but for a casual player the time just flies.

Someone else with a zero game policy on their phone. I like your style

Tried the Nioh Demo. Really like it. gameplay is really smooth. Think they have toned down the difficulty from the Alpha as its easier now.

Main guy looks like Geralt ffs. Even has a medallion.

Love the atmosphere so far.

Firenze wrote:I know I've asked this question about 10 times over the last 2 years but can anyone vouch for a good PS4 headset that's like 30 or under

I'm not buying the Sony golds for 60 especially when I keep hearing how frail they are

PS4 default headset from taiwan isnt cutting it, can barely hear ppl

what are you using @LeVersacci

https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Advanced-Warfare-Sentinel-Gaming-Headset/dp/B00N1YKI7W

40 € on sale

was 130 € before

Also how have you been using the ps4 default mic lmfao you can barely hear anything.

Where do you find headsets for under 50€, Sacci? My last headset cost me 1000kr and I had tons of issues with it. I suppose it was a mid-range headset, but it had Taiwan quality.

Price: $48.89 & FREE Shipping on orders over $49. Details

Should've clicked the link before I asked Nice.

Bought it at Gamestop. It's 2 years old so the price fell obviously.

#27

Game: The Last Story.
Year: 2012.
Genre: RPG.
Publisher: Nintendo, Xseed.
Developer: Mistwalker.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to better rate different genres according to their own rules. It will still be from 50 quality points, but every title will start from 25 and earn/lose points according to criteria important to the titles and genres themselves.

Few games had as much controversy getting released as the Last Story. Fully localized in English for release in Europe, NoA did not see value in publishing it in North America. This was one of the three titles featured in Operation Rainfall which pressured Nintendo in releasing games in North America.

Basically, this was a JRPG game coming in a time when JRPGs severely declined in North America. A time different than the revival we see today. It was made by THE JRPG visionary, Hironobu Sakaguchi (creator of Final Fantasy), and probably was thought be Nintendo to be a failed prospect considering its European sales.

XSeed ultimately picked up Publishing duties, and it managed to become XSeed's highest selling game, selling twice as many copies in NA than in Japan.

"Balancing on the edge of a knife, that's how we lived our lives"

The Last Story, suspiciously similarly named to the Final Fantasy series, is similarly placed in trying to convey a unique story in familiar JRPG setting. Here is where we find the game's strengths and weaknesses in its storytelling.

First, the story suffers greatly from the weakness of their central characters. Zael is your typical JRPG hero, and is in the same vain as those other blonde Final fantasy protagonists you feel you have seen a hundred times. Calista might as well be Yuna or whatshername in FF8. So getting into the game, expect to dislike the leads, but don't expect that they will destroy the game's story.

That's mainly due to a good supporting cast, that despite conforming to some popular tropes, still manage to be charming. Anyone of them would have been a better Main Character than bloody Zael.

In summary, the story follows Zael and a band of mercenaries run by the charismatic Dagran as they attempt to get ahead in life. The world is in constant turmoil, with the dying land causing several factions to fight against each other for resources. They go to Lazulis Island, where it somewhat escaped the scourge of the land. In the background, there is an ancient war with a different species, the Gurak.

It's not a unique story, and there are many ways where it could have been better focused. There are cliched one dimensional villains, ancient mysterious powers, and a bland chosen hero. All staples in the JRPG genre. However, the sum is greater than the sum of its part.

There are elements that could have been explored better, like Dagran's social climbing, and the true nature of nobility, but it all is done in a good enough way.

Good Story Despite the cliches: +3
Good Characters: +3
Poor Main Characters: -3

"If I get killed cos' I'm too hungry and weak to fight, then don't blame me"

Initially, the battle gameplay in The Last Story doesn't seem to have much actual player interaction. You can simply walk around as Zael auto-attacks, and your party decimates the enemy. Occasionally, you can go into 3rd-person view, and shoot some arrows like in a very limited shooter.

You will mostly get this impression if you make the mistake of playing in "Normal" mode. Immediately when you start the game, switch to "Manual" mode and never look back. I am not even going to consider "Normal" mode beyond these two paragraphs.

In "Manual" mode, you control Zael as you move around the battlefield in real time. You can attack enemies at will, but you have a limited combo and your attack power isn't too much, especially since enemies will guard your attacks once the first combo is over. This means that if you go head on and try to bash an enemy to death, it will be a long time until they actually die.

The battle system actually demands more attention from the player. Zael must take cover, try and switch between enemies, chain attacks with his teammates, take advantage of items and magical circles on the ground, and occasionally uses his arrows to shoot down enemy snipers and mages.

However, you are not responsible only for dishing out damage yourself. While the friendly AI is pretty good at dishing out some damage, they require your help to be most effective. For instance, the health of each character is divided into 5 health bars, and once one is depleted a "life" is out. Only you can revive them quickly enough, or else they take a while (once all their lives are out they cannot be revived).

Mostly, you play the general and the decoy. By attracting enemies towards you, you can free your mages to use their magic and take the pressure from your bruisers. Also, you can specify orders and generally choose what your allies do (in a limited fashion).

It can be overwhelming, but the game does an excellent job at introducing new mechanics with short tutorials and a constant pace. Well into the half-point, the game introduces something to shake things up.

Boss battles shake things up considerably; rarely are they straightforward affairs. Mostly, each boss have a specific weakness that must be triggered. This requires more direction from Zael, and usually a smart utilization of your powers.

Its a unique battle-system that always keeps the player engaged. In may ways, I feel it could be expanded upon and improved, but I like it a lot as it is. Yet, I feel the game's battles never give it its due. There are few enemy types, and rarely is the game challenging enough to warrant a full investigation of how you can best use the system.

Great Gameplay: +5
Sometimes too Confusing: -1
Does not Reach its Full Potential: -2

"Well, well. The human from the castle, blessed with bravery, guts, and stupidity"

I don't think its hyperbole to call Lazulis Island one of the best designed cities in RPG history. Its vibrant streets, busy townsfolk, bustling energy, and all those tight organic hallways, all combine to make a very believable city.

Here is, finally, a place where I can believe a hundred thousand people can live. Sure, I only see place for about a thousand or so, but I can also see houses in the background, and what I see here favors the illusion of a bigger city.

Walking around the city is going to be a huge deal in the game. The game doesn't have many side-quests (they are actually never tracked), but you will need to walk the streets of Lazulis Island and interact with its citizens to find what few there are.

You can also go to market and play as a merchant, or just simply walk around looking for random trinkets. The game rewards you simply for walking around, as you see limitless items that help upgrade your gear.

Unfortunately, the same level of care has not been carried over in designing the rest of the game's areas. I am not talking about the lack of other cities, which might be a problem for a few, but about the limited dungeons.

In fact, one dungeon repeats itself in a different fashion nearly three times. Sure, they look organic enough, but they are nearly all straight hallways and battle rooms.

One exception is in a very cool side-mission set in a haunted mansion. Like other parts of the game, this side-quest could have been much better, but it still showcased a different dungeon design than what we see most of the game.

Great City: +5
Limited Dungeons: -2

"For the brighter the light, the greater the shadow it casts"

It's obvious that the game tried to tax the Wii to its limits. The Lazulis city-space itself caused some noticeable frame-drops, not to mention in battles where too many things happen at once. I won't give credit for that technical achievement, but I will give credit for that technical achievement actually producing something of note.

Graphically, the game's art design is very fantasy focused, but it also showcases the same over-design mentality that plagues Square-Enix. Whatever the hell Dagran looks like, I won't understand. This over-design actually leads to some memorable enemy shapes, as well as some good outfits and motif. In this game, I wasn't overly turned off by it.

Characters look good, like an early PS3 game, but with derpier faces (if you allow me to use that word). In fact, they all look good with the exception of Zael (you can tell I don't like the guy).

From far away, everything looks great, with the distance filter covering up for all the graphical flaws. Its only when you get close that the muddy graphics start showing the lack of texture detail.

As for the game's audio, I cannot complain about the Voice Acting. Since this was first localized in Europe, the English VAs used an all UK cast, and it fits really well with the game's setting. Dagran, Yurick, Syrenne, and Lowell perform admirably. Their jokes don't fall flat, and their banter and dialogue is believable. Mirania's VA doesn't hit those highs.

As for the two Main Characters, I cannot blame the VAs as much as I blame the script. I simply think all the awkwardness in their delivery is related to the inherent awkwardness of poorly written cliched dialogue.

The soundtrack is another one of those good, if not great, Nobuo Uematsu soundtracks. Aside from the very good main theme, and a couple of great tunes, the game's soundtrack is simply good. It doesn't reach the heights set by Uematsu himself, but it rarely falters either.

In many ways, its like the game itself.

Good Enemy Design: +2
Good Soundtrack: +3
Good VA: +3
Good Central Graphics: +3
Muddy Background Details: -2
Frame-Rate Issues: -2

In Conclusion:

The Last Story might not be the best JRPG of last generation, ore even the Wii. It might not even be in the conversation of being among the best. Yet, looking at it from afar, you can see that it did have all the elements needed to be among the best, but the final product is a bit lacking.

Still, it doesn't go all south, as the game manages to be particularly good in most of its length, and even amazing at times.

It is this flirting with greatness that attracted people to fight for it in Operation Rainfall. It was its failure to reach its promise that alienated some of those that fought for it; an anti-hype reaction of you will. Which is a shame, because the end product is still worth the time, and even worth the effort it took to bring it West.

Final: 40/50

"Tips"

1- Change Battle command to Manual.
2- Seriously follow tip 1.
3- Look around the city for items and stuff.
4- Don't forget to upgrade your equipment.
5- Listen closely while walking around, it might give you hints about some side-quests.
6- Try and get a hang of the Trade Market, its the best source of income.
7- Don't rush into battle, your primary job is to manage your team.

"Next Game"

I really liked The Last Story despite its flaws. It managed to grab my attention even after all the cringing the beginning hours had me in. I even began to like the cast (except Zael). Its too bad it didn't turn out greater than it was, but it was still good.

Next game in the list at #25 is the Wii release of one of the best Rail Shooters around, House of the Dead: Overkill. This won't be be the last Rail Shooter in this list, you can count on that.

Stay Tuned

reminder that the BF1 open beta starts in 2 days, tomorrow if you got insider access or w/e that is. Hopefully we can get a few of us to smash it.

Oh nice, will def hold me for the remaining 6-7 days till S2 is out

How do you get insider access?

You bought new headphones yet pleb?

this week I'm getting new ones

LeVersacci wrote:Oh nice, will def hold me for the remaining 6-7 days till S2 is out

How do you get insider access?

quick google search tells me it's as easy as subscribing to their newsletter edit: too late to get early access by signing up now ffs

I may actually be an insider lol, will check my email tomorrow.

Firenze wrote:this week I'm getting new ones

Which one you getting

No wonder i've never heard you call out enemies on OW smh

oh my goodness crysis 3 at max is stunning even when compared to the battlefields

You just realised that now lol?

Does Crysis even have gameplay

RealGunner wrote:You just realised that now lol?

Well I had never actually never seen max quality Crysis 3 live, just some compressed videos and played the console version; it got added to the EA Vault so I decided to boot it up and set it to ludicrous settings, in game cut scenes are pretty much cinematic level quality wtf

The game isn't that bad actually, it's not as good as Warhead but its campaign is pretty solid.

Crysis 3 was like the benchmark for high end graphics back in the days. Heard the game itself is pretty decent too.

I never played Titanfall. People seemed to really love it initially, but the hype wore off super fast. I wonder if Titanfall 2 will be the same. I doubt that I'll get the game, but the smooth movement and constant 60fps is appealing. I don't know why so many FPS games on console these days have slow and shitty movement.