oldschoolsoviet • Comments
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The big interview: Phil Harrison on Xbox One...
...Kinect, indie games and red rings.
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Sid Meier's cultural victory
"If there's anything in reality that's not fun, we will change it."
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PlayStation 4 military MMO War Thunder gives you planes, warships, tanks
It was the inclusion of swastikas I was getting at, and the blind panic that ensued because at no point during development did anyone at Gaijin think to check the legality, especially surprising for a Russian dev, nor that it'd been highlighted during certification.
Of course, the skins featuring swastikas had been 'borrowed' from PC modders in previous installments, which threw up further questions of whether permission was given to use them. The resulting rushed patch which essentially removed the ability to use those skins was a bit ham-fisted, and they were lucky to avoid any lawsuits/legal action.
As for tailhooks, some are glitched and thus carrier landings are impossible for several US fleet aircraft, the continuing weakness of MGs vs the 'supa lazerz' cannons, bombers made of tissue and a whole host of other issues. A lot of these issues have still been blindly carried over into WT, despite the complaints in BoS.
A polished finish is not one of Gaijin's redeeming qualities, but the fundamentals still make the best console flight game available.
*Looking at WT vids last night, and there are other problems- the strange bastardised physics/version mixing arcade and sim mechanics, the twitchiness of play, and the easy K&M kills. The fact that players still believe that dogfighting is still restrained to ground level, at ridiculously low speed as they try to 'Top Gun' brake each other, and forming kill trains is more worrying, certainly in one vid where eight players chased one enemy, while the ninth faced the entire opposing team alone. Play like that is far more annoying than any number of bugs. :( Reply 0
If you want an air combat SP version, with some fun MP, get Birds of Steel which was essentially the testbed for WT, available on PSN/GoD rather cheaply. Custom campaigns provide limitless scenarios alone.
Plane rosters are a tad concise rather than comprehensive, AI is hit-or-miss, and there's still the odd bug and niggle, moreso on the 360 as it lacks the last PS3 patch because that's the way Gaijin have always been. The fees for patching have always been fairer with Sony according to devs, and there's been a larger PS3 install for their last three titles (Sturmovik/Apache/BoS), so it figures that they'd stick to where the punters are (and are likely to be) with such a niche title. Biased, yep, but they have their reasons.
As for this, and how it'll pan out regarding tanks/ships is anyone's guess, given Gaijin's past emphasis on the skies, and their ability to cock-up and omit little details (swastikas and tail-hooks spring to mind) means it'll still be a bit rough round the edges, but with enough fun to carry it through. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out and supporting it if I can. Reply +4
Gran Turismo 5 retrospective
Linked to those last GT article. That race will be burned forever into my memory, the pitch-black fear, the 'early' pitstops and my final charge on new boots.....
....and that cynical bastard ram on the last straight, knocking me off the track.
/shakes fist Reply 0
Figured I'd finally upload it, but not the whole 5 lap, 50min race. An epic afternoon, where we didn't realise how long we'd be racing for, and the night/day/night transition was fantastic.
As much as I enjoy Forza, it'll never beat situations like this. Reply +4
Thomas Was Alone review
Somehow, I'm still enjoying this firing through a few levels per teabreak. Hmm.
I must really enjoy rectangles. Reply +8
Test Drive Unlimited retrospective
How Lost Planet 3 has weathered the storm
This is what Lost Planet 3 multiplayer looks like
I hope the complainers are delighted with this generic, grey, drab soup on offer instead.
Where's the grapple ? Fixed ziplines yawn.
The multitude of mechs ? Transforming spider tanks ffs, rather than that knockoff Drio-alike.
The cartoony and crazy pirate factions. Poor Saucer Head.
I'll just fire up LP2 instead, and fire a ridiculously mental railway gun into a 200ft boss. Or scour that particular MP map for that utterly indiscriminate nuclear warhead. THAT'S how this should've remained, crazy and Japanese to the end. Reply 0
See what Monster Hunter looks like on CryEngine 3
Yet judging by the earlier report, like SE, Capcom haven't got a clue, regurgitating cheap reproductions on lower hardware, in order to squeeze every ounce of profit out of a stagnant product. The cartoon 'junior' and trivial GREE spinoffs just reinforce the diminishing spiral of returns over there, and this glimmer of promise won't escape Chinese borders.
WiiU MH was DOA to me being a retread of Tri, and whatever happened to the PS3/Vita translation of MHP3rd ? The current enthusiasm for MH3U shows some hope, but that's being pissed up a wall with limited stocks. MH4 on 3DS ? Pffff.
It'll soon be time to see another franchise disappear through poor decisions and direction, an all too common fate this gen. Reply +6
Gran Turismo 6 for PlayStation 3 spotted in retailer listing
When it worked, it was fantastically hard-pushed racing.
There's still a replay of an (dusk-night-morning) hour long Nordschleife duel between three of us, where the night IS pitch-black and terrifying, a trio of headlights cutting through. Utterly epic afternoon that.
If it's nowt more than a streamlined, improved version of GT5 with added tracks, I'd need the weather/time variables available for all of the tracks, PD. Then we'll talk cash. Reply +2
David Hayter, the voice of Solid Snake, waves goodbye to Metal Gear
....at the very end. Strange choice of date for a clear-cut statement, to signify that as the final line in the tweet, and it isn't as if HK has a reputation for double bluffs and trolling of crazy proportions. Current feverish rantings elsewhere say there may be a return in the guise of young Solid Snake, and DH would certainly play along given past japes.
All I definitively know is, with MGS and HK, you can't be definitively sure of anything. :D Reply +10
Borderlands 2: new character Krieg the Psycho, level cap increase, Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode
That's the best thing they've come up with ?
/sigh
Methinks the ACM money has run out. ;) Checking the official forum suggestions which show far more imaginative ideas.
Good to see the cap increase and pearls, but I know deep down that UVHM will just be yet another playthrough.....and that's not something I feel like. Roll on the final (?) DLC, and that'll do me. Reply +11
Witcher 3 dev says Skyrim's story and quests were "generic"
And that's the beauty of a generic open-world - it's about making my own story. Currently playing as an Imperial lass, crushing the Stormcloaks, wiping out the DB (disappointing/missed opportunity in Skyrim) and trying to resurrect the presence of the East Empire Company on Solstheim.
Witcher 2 is superb, no doubt, but it still remains uncompleted because of the information overload, and trying to keep track of everything and everybody, let alone take an interest, is something that just escaped me. I found it a real struggle to get into, but eventually I'll have the perseverance to return to it.
Both games have their problems, certainly in presenting background/quest info, where I'd like to see a proper Journal (think Oblivion crossed with a Valkyria Chronicles style presentation) rather than bland menu text, and to think the Witcher 2 is devoid of the "generic" kill X amount, fetch X of this, style of quest is blinkered to say the least. Reply 0
Far Cry 3 sales hit 4.5 million as Ubisoft revenues soar
But hey ! You can aim properly ! Woooo ! And kill cassowarys ! Woooo ! And Facebook your scores ! Woooo !
It doesn't bode well for future installments. Reply -4
Borderlands 2 sold nearly six million units to date
I'm more interested in the supposed extensive DLC for E.U.
And yay for BL2. Reply +9
All Skyrim DLC coming to PS3 in February
The "water" bug affected practically everyone. IIRC, it requires you to delete ALL previous game data (install and updates BUT NOT saves) and re-install the game data and re-download the last patch. Should fix it right up.
Just keep those saves ! Reply +2
Developers' Games of 2012
RDR was first-person ? Really ? Reply -28
Games of 2012: Far Cry 3
The ridiculous simplification in menus.
The unchallenging, straight line checkpoint races.
The show-all mini-map.
The gamification of loot, red vs blue groups, and stealth.
Unchanged driving physics, fire, factions and freedom that were all a step back from it's predecessor, and little in the way of destruction.
An inchoerent, jumbled mess of a plot, and increasing absurdity via the side stories.
10/10 ? GOTY ? GOTG ? All I could see was utter disappointment in an empty, souless void of an open-world FPS. Reply -11
Hitman HD Collection release date finally set for February
Contracts basically recounts the story of Codename 47 in flashback, and features the better levels from it as a reminiscing of 47's best jobs. Adding in the new levels feauturing the sub base in a Siberian snowstorm, the Rotterdam biker bar, the Meat King's fetish club and that finale as icing.
Probably still best to play them in order of release (SA, C, BM) due to the mechanics as well as the plot. As for H2:SA, I'd expect it to be the non-dairy, Sikh-free version. Didn't make much difference iirc. Reply +2
Most of the original Codename 47 was reworked/remade with extra levels, and launched as.......
.....Contracts.
I'm amazed at the number of people who don't realise this.
After the disappointment of Splinter Cell-esque Absolution, I'll be grabbing this without doubt. Reply +7
Rage: The Scorchers DLC outed by Trophies leak
My copy sits in a dusty corner, still unfinished. I long for the day I summon the perseverence to soldier on, but alas, I fear that time has passed. The vast majority gave up long ago. Reply +2
Ace Combat Assault Horizon PC version confirmed
Seems like the most bizzare decision I've ever heard. Reply +2
The truth about Japan: a postcard from the Japanese games industry
Bumpy Trot/Steambot, ZZT/Disaster Report went south with IREM and the tsunami, Valkyria Chronicles farmed for a cheap profit and abandoned with GREE, but they were classic great games. Suda51/Platinum have produced some absolute gems that sold well, but not significantly to be considered worth following up (Madworld, Vanquish) even with a Western slant. Level 5 have regressed to a younger audience, focusing on the portables and TV series tie-ins, hopefully to return in future. El Shaddai and Neir, brain-melting obscurites, but regarded as cult-classic must plays by the critics, despite woeful sales.
Even the Souls games, and Yakuza series couldn't be considered AAA despite their sucess, and Tokyo Jungle, Way of the Samurai or Binary Domain are only regarded for B-grade joviality. But they have remained Japanese, despite some Western appeasement. And what about the clamour of forums for The Last Guardian and Ni No Kuni ?
A sorry state of affairs, but I'd say the uniqueness of Japanese games IS what makes them global. They've always offered something that couldn't/wouldn't be produced elsewhere. The problem lies in thinking that they'll achieve CoD levels of sales with a bit of marketing and extras, and the enivitable backlash due to the Westernised approach that has seen fans walk away from games that have no appeal any more. The domestic social/portable side of things with greater profit margins isn't helping much either, especially given increased development costs and the disappearance of the sub-AAA market across all territories.
/misses the PS2 golden era Reply +4
Yakuza trailers show off dance battles, bear fighting
Entirely possible, but strongly hinted at not to be plausible. They still have the EU translation team, but I've got a feeling SEGA will look for another publisher to pick up the work/cost. Seems to be the current route/option for Japanese devs these days.
Fingers crossed everyone. Reply 0