The General Videogame Thread

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I think Stanley's problem is exactly how overblown it got. It was fairly original back when the HL2 mod came out, but we've seen it done many times since then.

Veleda, as Volsung said, it questions the routine in our lives, but also the relationship between a videogame and a player. Think of Bioshock's "Would you kindly?" moment. If you're unsure about it, just try the old mod, it's free. From what I gather it is essentially the same thing, though I haven't played the new release, so I cannot confirm it.
 
I've seen videos of it. Looks cool but it's really short from what I've heard and the ending is said to be unsatisfying. Probably going to wait for a discount on GOG.
 
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It's not that short, about 10-15 hours or so. Even more on the hardest difficulty.

As for the ending, meh I disagree.
 
That is what I've heard about the ending, it's entirely possible it's wrong.

But 10-15 hours is fairly short for an "epic role-playing game."
 
The thing that annoyed me was that I could almost feel the game designer saying "Didn't see that coming, did ya? Got ya good, huh?" when the message was actually pretty obvious. That and the whole ~meta~ thing, as Dona put it. "Aren't we edgy and clever?" No game, you aren't. That's how I felt anyway.
I see. I think I'll pass, then. That's one thing I found annoying about Gone Home, this insecurity about the gaming industry implied in the need to say oh we're not THAT kind of game. Taking all the narrative devices and using them to pull a gotcha because the truth is just something mundane.

It doesn't help that discussions of the game inevitably include fans saying that the only reason people wouldn't like it is because they're either homophobic or "not self aware" and such blather.
 
I'm also waiting for The Banner Saga to be on sale, preferably DRM free but I'd like the rumoured Linux version as well.

Who said it was an "epic role-playing game"? By the looks of it it's one of those cool strategy games with role playing elements coming out lately, like the very good Expeditions: Conquistador.
 
Who said it was an "epic role-playing game"?

http://stoicstudio.com/game-overview/

"The Banner Saga is an epic role-playing game inspired by Viking legend. Hand-painted landscapes portray a world eerily suspended in perpetual twilight. Cities and towns begin to crumble into chaos. Heroes abandon their hearths and homes to traverse the snowy countryside, gaining allies along the way to help battle a strange, new threat."
 
I see. I think I'll pass, then. That's one thing I found annoying about Gone Home, this insecurity about the gaming industry implied in the need to say oh we're not THAT kind of game. Taking all the narrative devices and using them to pull a gotcha because the truth is just something mundane.

It doesn't help that discussions of the game inevitably include fans saying that the only reason people wouldn't like it is because they're either homophobic or "not self aware" and such blather.
Remeber, it's just my very subjective opinion (not trying to review it here) so I'd suggest you read some reviews and get some more opinions before you really make a decision.
 
I see. I think I'll pass, then. That's one thing I found annoying about Gone Home, this insecurity about the gaming industry implied in the need to say oh we're not THAT kind of game. Taking all the narrative devices and using them to pull a gotcha because the truth is just something mundane.

It doesn't help that discussions of the game inevitably include fans saying that the only reason people wouldn't like it is because they're either homophobic or "not self aware" and such blather.

Yeah, I heard that a lot, that people felt a little cheated by the end. Admittedly, the ending made me feel the same ("...oh... so that's what it is?"), but I really enjoyed the journey and dreary house experience, which made it worth it in the end. And it includes a lot of the simple, everyday things, and also some pretty common family problems that made it feel more real. Oscar's story in particular was pretty sad and a bit bizarre. If the 'gotcha' annoyed you, yes, definitely skip Stanley, because it is Gotcha! The Game in comparison.
 
Anybody else getting the Anniversary edition of Fable? Good ol' young teen nostalgia.
You know, I hear 'Fable' mentioned a lot when people are trying to compare 'The Witcher' to some other game. And I really don't get it, the only thing that kinda gave me a 'Witcher' vibe was the terrible fist fighting. I guess the whole 'you can use magic and swords at the same time' thing? Anyway, I tried really hard to like 'Fable' but just couldn't. Story was generic, combat lacked any weight - felt like I was hitting enemies with a stick rather than a sword. The world and the way everything was presented felt ridiculous - I remember something about using emotes in-game like it was an MMO or something, and the "dialogue tree," if you can even call it that, was pretty bad. Not sure how they justify calling it an RPG.

Wow, I seem to be shitting on every game you guys bring up. Sorry for that, don't mean to be an ass.
 
Idiots would compare it to the Witcher. The world is obviously black and white, either do the good thing or the bad. It presents no challenge neither, I could go through the whole game without a single resurrection phial. Combat was nothing spectacular, story not so much either.

It was however(I believe) the first choice/consequence game that I played. Like I said I'm playing out of nostalgia.

Oh. And what the hell is there not to like to shock someone whilst giving them the middle finger with the same hand?

Or thrust your hips into a fireball at their face?
 
I have Fable: TLC on PC and it's pretty much perfect as it is. I watched a couple of gameplays of this "new" version and it just looks horrible ! Fable [originally a game for Xbox] has aged very well in terms of graphics, much better than say something like Halo: CE or Halo 2. And it's because of the artstyle - the exaggerated heads and hands, colorful world and so on.

This xbox 360 version looks sooo bland it's not even funny - all the charm is gone in my opinion, when you get this darker color palette and ultra realistic faces and bodies. There is something weird now when you hear all those ridiculous English accents coming from these people.
 
GOOD NEWS!!
The Banner Saga is on GOG now... Maybe I'll buy it from them this year. Everybody is praising the game so much.:cheers:
 
GOOD NEWS!!
The Banner Saga is on GOG now... Maybe I'll buy it from them this year. Everybody is praising the game so much.:cheers:

That's fantastic news! I've been looking for places to buy it when it was released and was a bit disappointed not to see it on GoG. Now, I just have to wait for a bit of free time to play it. :victory:
 
I read a Linux version of The Banner Saga was planned after the initial Windows release. That would make me *not* want to buy from GOG, sadly. The bad news is the Humble Store offers only the Steam version. Guess I'll wait a bit more.
 
I liked Fable: TLC quite a lot when I first played it. Played it last year again, and though it doesn't hold up as well as it ought, it still had an enjoyable atmosphere, and good nostalgia feels. Not gonna play the the Anniversary edition though.

Good news about the Banner Saga on GoG! Definitely gonna buy it soon. Which reminds me, I read a review about it in the papers today whilst train travelling, and underneath it it had box which said "Other games with choice and consequence":
- Mass Effect
- Star Wars Kotor
- Fable

I couldn't have facepalmed more. One does not simply not put The Witcher on a C&C games list...
 
Finally, here it is. My highly anticipated pseudo-review of Chains of Satinav! (end sarcasm here).

Chains of Satinav is a traditional point and click adventure game from Daedalic Entertainment, the makers of other fun but imperfect adventure games such as the Deponia series. Unlike other adventure games, Chains of Satinav is based on an established fantasy setting, The Dark Eye, from which it draws inspiration for characters, events, names and locations. It is not necessary by any means to have any previous knowledge of The Dark Eye to play and enjoy this game, it's not an RPG and the lore elements are minimal.

Chains of Satinav is known for its detailed art style. We basically play through a series of digital paintings and for that reason alone it might be worth playing. It also has some fun puzzles and a serviceable but entertaining storyline. Now the bad: this is very much a Daedalic adventure game, i.e. dislikable main character, awkward voice acting, stiff animations, and a few obscure illogical puzzles. If you can get past the emotionless brick passing as main character, the saturday morning cartoon voices, jerky animations and a select group of disconnected puzzles, then you are in for a fun little adventure in the vein of the classic LucasArts or Sierra games. That said, some events, lines and locations are truly memorable, and the game does have a bunch of clever ideas that, in my opinion, do in fact redeem the awkward bits.

Thematically, it plays with the ever present idea of predestination and fate, illustrated by the figure of the deity Satinav, chained to the "ship of time" for attempting to interfere with his own destiny. There's a powerful seer who once accumulated power and brought forth plague and violence, so he was erm... taken care of. This one child was present during his... caretaking, and he grows up to be a strapping young bird catcher who can break fragile objects with a weak magical spell. He is considered to be bad luck and people don't exactly like him. But time has passed since the seer was last seen and the presence of crows may be a sign of his return. Quickly a series of events is unleashed and, of course, a long trip is in order for the bird catcher. The ending seemed to be a bit inconclusive, but I believe there is a second part (Memoria) that I may just have to play.

All in all a fun classic adventure game, with a charming atmosphere and an entertaining story that happens to be good enough to keep you playing. Hope Memoria will be on sale soon!
 
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