General Games Discussion

I'm in progress of doing a completionist run of Horizon: Forbidden West. It's a really polished game with a ton of content, and I've really enjoyed playing it so far. They've really gone above and beyond in adding content to this game. New weapons, customization options, armor dye feature, mini-games, underwater and flying mounts.. it's mind-blowing how much content and new features there are in this game.

But I'm currently on my 5th side quest that has a quest giver or side character that complains that she was discriminated against in some way for being a woman. One was discriminated against by her own brother, another was denied military service on account of her gender. It doesn't take away from the quality of the game, but I do wish they had been more subtle about these things. I don't know if it's comical or just annoying at this point.

McLewis wrote:Redfall getting destroyed by critics. Oof. Disastrous for Xbox and Arkane.

It looked like a neat concept, but the trailer itself just didn't reel me in even with the Borderlands/Destiny like elements. I would've much preferred to play as a vampire than as a human personally.

And now the pressure on Bethesda is that much more intense. Starfield absolutely has to be a hit now or that's basically 3 years for Xbox without a hit flagship AAA title.

Early reviews seem to suggest that it's a shallow and unpolished experience. Sounds to me like the game was rushed out for release prematurely, which seems to be a common occurrence these days. Game publishers have picked up a tendency to instruct their developers to improve their games through patches and DLC, rather than release them in an optimal state half a year later.

McLewis wrote:

Thimmy wrote:

McLewis wrote:Redfall getting destroyed by critics. Oof. Disastrous for Xbox and Arkane.

It looked like a neat concept, but the trailer itself just didn't reel me in even with the Borderlands/Destiny like elements. I would've much preferred to play as a vampire than as a human personally.

And now the pressure on Bethesda is that much more intense. Starfield absolutely has to be a hit now or that's basically 3 years for Xbox without a hit flagship AAA title.

Early reviews seem to suggest that it's a shallow and unpolished experience. Sounds to me like the game was rushed out for release prematurely, which seems to be a common occurrence these days. Game publishers have picked up a tendency to instruct their developers to improve their games through patches and DLC, rather than release them in an optimal state half a year later.

I place the blame for this trend squarely on the financial departments of the companies that own these publishers. The reality is the current business model is the right one for maximizing profit, even if it means the quality of the product suffers. Microsoft should've learned this lesson already, but apparently they haven't.

I've watched a few documentaries on the development of games, in general, how game companies are run now compared to 10-15 years ago, and how micro-transactions made their way into modern games. The common consensus seems to be that game developers and gaming companies used to be run largely by people who played games themselves, and had some level of passion and dignity when it came to creating quality products, but nowadays they're run by people who are educated in ITIL, business and marketing. As a result, profit and efficiency are prioritized above quality to a greater extent than in the past. It's a shame, but it is what it is.

I'm probably not going to play an MMO ever again in my life, but this gameplay footage looks so promising that it's almost suspicious

A bit late i know

Marvel's Spider Man is a great game i rate it A. Could be A+ if it had wider variety of combos as in Mortal Kombat for example. Traveling through Manhattan is a super experience i don't know the city very well but it seems accurate enough. Reminds me of playing Spider Man 2 on PS2 and never completing the game, just wandering around. Most side missions are fun and/or relevant especially Harry's research that would educate people on big cities environmental issues. I've always enjoyed collectibles so i do not mind pigeons, backpacks and all.

Only got 4 days to platinum the game before it's removed from PSN Premium. The rate at which games are removed is starting to annoy me by the way.

#36(S)

Game: Syphon Filter 3:-
Year: 2001.
Genre: 3rd Person Shooter/Stealth
Publisher: Sony.
Developer: Bend Studio




If you thought that a third Syphon Filter game in three years is a sign of creative fatigue, then you have thought right. For all intents and purposes, Syphon Filter 3 is almost identical to the second game but with poorer pacing and story beats.

That explains why this third outing of Gabriel Logan and friends had the lowest scores on the PS1, but is too much of a good thing necessarily bad? I actually don't think so, which is why despite the game being clearly inferior to the second outing, I still enjoyed my time with it at its best.

"She gave her life for mine, how can I live with that? The same way I will, by surviving, by not giving up, by fighting for what you believe in"

Right off the bat, you are treated to the aftermath of the death of a beloved character in a cutscene. Here, you will notice how the story immediately starts with high stakes, and you will also notice the updated technology used in the CGI cutscenes, which now show significantly better-developed facial animations than its predecessors.

Unfortunately, the game's plot and pacing take a nosedive from there, and that's mainly due to its poor choice of hinging its story on a flash-back-heavy narrative design. For more than half the game, various characters in Logan's crew testify to the US Congress (in the form of the VP) about their past relationship with the now rogue Agency.

Through each hearing, you go back in time and play a mission with that character, which does little to advance their characterization and even less in advancing the central plot. It may have been interesting to play the missions where Xian Ling and Logan first met, but all the others were completely unnecessary.

This narrative choice hampers the series's otherwise satisfying plotline and massively reduces the stakes. You know the character testifying about their history is going to survive, so why play the flashback?

At least the voice acting is a bit improved from the second game with Logan and remains solid for the rest as expected.

"Not Gabe and I, we worked for the greater good"

In many ways, I could just copy and paste the gameplay portions of my Syphon Filter 2 review, and much would apply here. This is the second time where the franchise's Action-Stealth gameplay actually works since the second game already fixed the issues of the first.

It is as satisfying as it has always been to control Logan, both when you are in a firefight or when you are sneaking around. Thankfully, there are levels catering to both styles of play. Also, the game plays exactly the same regardless of the character you choose, so it doesn't have any impact on the game which character is testifying to Congress at the moment.

One thing that is annoying here, just as it was annoying in the other games, is the sudden spikes of difficulty. In some missions, you are tasked to save hostages, and you have to headshot two or more enemies in mere seconds. In others, enemies suddenly gain a huge boost in power and accuracy, managing to deplete your armor with one barrage of bullets.

Thankfully, the checkpoints are close enough that it rarely becomes frustrating, and you could always use the trustworthy strafe to look around corners and covers.

"Discover who is behind the shadowy organization controlling the Agency"

With almost the exact same gameplay and mechanics as its predecessor, the only way Syphon Filter 3 could have differentiated itself and justified its existence was to be equally as creative in crafting new missions. Mostly, the game succeeds in that mission.

Some missions introduce interesting weaponry and/or gadgets, such as Xian Ling's mission in Afghanistan where she finds a weapon that can fire through walls. Others are simply well-crafted levels that take full advantage of the game's mechanics. Variety is key here. From a hotel in Tokyo to a survivalist camp in Colorado, there are different locations, different objectives, and different styles for many missions.

Naturally, this means that some missions are weaker than others. Personally, I don't care much about some of the escort missions, with one particular mission escorting a truck having some nasty difficulty spikes within it. Also, some missions are very short, seemingly being inserted to use the same area in a different way to pad the run time.

Generally, though, the stage design in the better levels is really good. Thanks to the handy map and objective list, you won't get lost, and the stages are built in a way you can logically navigate with ease. Missions are almost divided equally between stealth and combat focus, which showcases the best the series has to offer.

"Trust, Miss Xing, would seem to be in short supply in your agency"

For the third game in a row, not many advancements were actually made to the game's graphics or animation. Admittedly, there were fewer instances of the camera clipping through the environment, but the environment is also slightly more bland in a majority of the stages.

So, don't expect anything better than the admittedly high-tier PS1 polygonal graphics and animation in-game, with the only upgrade here being for the CGI cut-scenes. These cut-scenes are ironically reduced as a result, with the focus on the improved facial animations taking away from the masterful direction of action scenes in the previous games.

Thankfully, the audio production continued its positive trend slightly by producing another suitable soundtrack to the game. While no track immediately stands out, I can remember clearly how effectively it conveyed the various areas you traversed in the game. From the tribal sounds on the jungle missions to the spy-thriller tunes in the city.

Lastly, the voice acting is as solid this time as it has always been. Even Logan's VA slightly improved, no longer emphasizing each line as if he had some mysterious constipation.

In Conclusion:

Familiarity breeds contempt. It doesn't go as far as that in this case, but Syphon Filter 3 is an almost similar package to the second game in the series but one that is wrapped in a worse-told story.

So, while it is true that the game's mechanics and the majority of its missions meet the same high standard, you can't help but expect a sequel to be better. Failing to achieve that, I think this game is a minor disappointment, and in a way, it was common for games in the same franchise to fall on their face with the fast development cycles of the PS1 days. This one manages to fall with some dignity intact.

Final: 7/10

Pros:

• Improved facial animation in the CG scenes
  
• Retains the solid gameplay of the second game
  
• Solid mission and level design
  
• The Third/First Person shooting hybrid works
  
• A lot of decent CGI scenes
  
• Suitable soundtrack
  
  

Cons:

• The plot's pacing is off
  
• The flashback-heavy narrative device is boring
  
• Same camera issues as the second game
  
• Wierd difficulty spikes here and there
  
• More throwaway missions this time around
  
• Some graphical and audio errors
  

"Tips"
1- You can shoot locks to break them (and electric panels as well).
2- Learn to take advantage of your map to figure things out.
3- Beware of enemy grenades.
4- Some levels require some vertical climbing, so look up often.
5- Stealth missions REQUIRE stealth.
6- Learn how to reliably get headshots with free aim.
7- Grenades are useful against multiple targets.
8- Use the roll to approach quietly while sneaking.
9- Beware of shooting friendly targets.
10-Take advantage of cover when fighting multiple targets.
11-Sometimes running through enemy fire is your best option.


"Next Game"

Well, that takes care of my playthrough of the Syphon Filter franchise on the PS1. I really think this franchise is one of the premium upper-middle-tier Action-Shooter games on that console. It was clearly inspired by the success of Metal Gear and I think made a decent attempt at copying some of that formula while forging its own strong identity.

Next on the list is another Square cult classic. Threads of Fate sits comfortably in number 35 on the list. I actually played this game a long time ago, but I don't remember much of it (other than the fact that I enjoyed it) so it will be interesting going back.

Stay Tuned

Looking good (with Max Payne), release date 17.10.2023.