[Malankazooie]

oof, Godfall isn't getting great reviews. And I've read that Spider-Man: Miles Morales has people annoyed at how short it is. Double oof. If the cost of video games goes up to $70 that's going to make for some unhappy consumers if games leave an impression of being too short. To be fair though, I think some games are too long.

[Aptorian]

In anticipation of receiving a new gaming PC I took a look at my Steam account. I haven't used it in over three years.

I was dumbfounded to find almost 300 games on my Wishlist. 300! I went down the list and it was like an alcoholic stumbling into a distellery. So many titles I'd forgotten about, so many games I used to buy just out of curiosity when they were on sale. Some of those games have been on the list for over 5 years.

I ended up scrubbing a fair few titles off the list, survival games I have no interest in, weird indy green light projects that appear to be dead, stuff I've played on PS4. But then I went through Steam's discovery que and before I knew it iyhad over 300 titles in my Wishlist again.

The Black Friday and Christmas sales are going to be interesting.

[Mentalist]

Nioh 2 with all the DLCs is coming to Steam in February. Costs less than a full-fat new release, too (66 CAD instead of the usual 80)


Good things come to those who wait,

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 13 November 2020 - 03:13 PM

[Malankazooie]

Malankazooie, on 09 November 2020 - 10:47 PM, said:

Malankazooie, on 02 November 2020 - 01:22 AM, said:

<snip>
- - -
So the latest I've read is the controller for the PS5 is going to blow minds. People are playing that little alien game that ships with it and are all like - what-da-whaaaa! about how the controller has incorporated next level haptic feedback. A vid: https://twitter.com/...794690572816389
- - -
<snip>

YouTuber YongYea describes the controller feedback. I will have to get in in my hands and decide for myself, but it sounds pretty damn cool. And of course developers will have to deliver games that incorporate it for maximum effect.

<vid snip>

'Cold War' runs the same on Series X and PS5. The DualSense is the difference.

[Malankazooie]

A described experience that criticizes. So, fair and balanced? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The One Thing I Don't Like About The PS5

The upside is your supposed have control in the settings and can dampen the effect or outright turn it off it seems.

This post has been edited by Malankazooie: 13 November 2020 - 08:46 PM

[Malankazooie]

Calling all Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor>War completists. Do I need to have played SoM prior to SoW to fully understand what is going on? Or am I okay to just jump right into SoW? Asking because PS+ made SoW a Nov. free game, but not SoM. Which is kind of weird, should maybe have packaged them together. Anyway, I don't want to be lost in the story and not knowing what is going on by missing some key aspects from SoM. I'm guessing I should be okay, but thought I would ask you g4m3r G33K5 who have played through them both.

[Aptorian]

It will help to have played the first game but the story is not that complicated.

That said, I think Shadow of Mordor is the better game so you should play that first.

[Malankazooie]

Are you talking specifically about the story?

I sort of remember reading that Shadow of War improved everything and incorporated the "antagonist system" or some such new game mechanic, whereby it kept the progression of filthy Orcses (*gollum-voice) fresh and not so repetitive. I sort of remember SoW getting creative with the orc names too.

I'm worried this game is going to really click with me and make me real desperate for that Gollum simulator, walk-about lands of Mordor, parallel path/follow Frodo,Samwise footsteps tour game.

[Mentalist]

The story in both games is pretty much tripe, so you won't be missing much. Look up the cutscenes for SoM on YT, and you're good to go.

Shadow of War is fun, as long as you're willing to make up your own goals and stories in it. The Nemesis system is a bit of a sandbox. The gameplay is basically Arkham Pokemon.

[Aptorian]

I'd say that Shadow of War expands the Nemesis system, creates new and interesting enemy combinations but it also over complicates the game and there's a kind of management need to the game that bogs the game down. Shadow of Mordor is a bit more restrained in that way.

I'll add that in both games, the Nemesis system only really comes to the fore if you're playing poorly and therefore constantly dying or failing missions. If you're efficient and hyper aggressive, you can murder the fuck out of most orcs. I will say though that I had a nemesis orc in War that became damn near impossible to kill and I actually came to fear that evil bastard.

[Tiste Simeon]

I preferred Mordor too but I can't remember why.

[Mentalist]

Incredible Aptorian, on 16 November 2020 - 08:12 AM, said:

I'd say that Shadow of War expands the Nemesis system, creates new and interesting enemy combinations but it also over complicates the game and there's a kind of management need to the game that bogs the game down. Shadow of Mordor is a bit more restrained in that way.

I'll add that in both games, the Nemesis system only really comes to the fore if you're playing poorly and therefore constantly dying or failing missions. If you're efficient and hyper aggressive, you can murder the fuck out of most orcs. I will say though that I had a nemesis orc in War that became damn near impossible to kill and I actually came to fear that evil bastard.

I dunno, I found the pacing in SoM kinda sucked. You don't get the cool stuff until you're already 3/4s into the story, and the payoff in the end is pretty uninspired. Also, the rescue missions sucked.

SoW had a lot of extra RPG fluff, but it was all part of a tailoring your build/loadout to the specific challenge. The farther into the game you got, the tougher your opponent orcs would get- especially with the DLC tribes. That's largely what kept the game going, because as I said, the story in both games is tripe.

[Malankazooie]

I don't see myself buying Shadow of Mordor, so unless it becomes free I'll just forge ahead and play Shadow of War. I have a pile of games to play though, so I've decided to pivot and play something else, so who knows, by the time I'm ready to fire up SoW, SoM will be free and I go that route. Who knows.

[Mentalist]

Shadow of Mordor is shorter, and that's why a lot of people prefer it- it has a lot less of the "AAA open world bloat".

However, I felt that because it was basically proof of concept, the Nemesis system doesn't really come into its own in that game. (It could also be the fact that I'm an obsessive completionist who always tries to clear all available side content before progressing the main missions, thus fundamentally over-levelling myself and breaking most typical AAA open world games). In any case, I didn't really feel a good flow in SoM, precisely because it had so little "content". And the story is tripe, so that can't carry the game by any means.

Shadow of War, otoh, had enough filler stuff and Nemesis system options to really let the game become a good anecdote generator. I've spent over 100 hours in that game, and I never really felt bored, as I was completing skill challenges, levelling individual weapons best suited to taking down certain opponent types, building up my stable of PokéOrcs, and generally having a blast being The Poison Batman of Mordor.

[Malankazooie]

It's well known it rains a lot over there, but on this day you lot have the added benefit of that precipitation being pure shit.

PS5 Launch Day In The U.K. Is An Absolute Disaster

[Mentalist]

So, uh... Horizon Zero Dawn is coming on GOG next week.

Sony is low-key kinda serious about its PC ports now?

putting the game on the DRM-free GOG storefront is kinda a big deal.

[Malankazooie]

Just curious to know from you folks- so, it goes without saying getting a PS5 anytime soon is going to take a lot of work and be damn near impossible it seems. I mean if you're willing to give up some mouth love in a dark alley you could probably get one, but I was wondering have any of you guys been successful landing an Xbox Series X console? If so, how as it been going? Do you like it? Has it met or exceeded your expectations? Have you tried out the xCloud (i.g. "Netflix for Games doohickey")? How has that been? How has the overall experience been going? What's been your experience with the Xbox side of this new console generation?

[Aptorian]

Don't own an Xbox but Xcloud isn't Netflix for games, that's gamepass. Xcloud is a variant of Google Stadia or PlayStation Now. I think.

If I wasn't waiting for a PC I'd definitely buy an Xbox though.

[Malankazooie]

lol! One of the PS+ free games in December is Just Cause 4. I aint touching that game with a 10 ft. pole. I heard that shit is crazy as hell.

[Malankazooie]

Just curious, have any of you guys tried to buy an Xbox Series X? Asking because there isn't the same level of difficulty caused by demand that the PS5 is experiencing, yeah? Like if you were on top of it and on the ball with when depleted inventory is replenished, you could probably get one right?