What Are you Playing Now & General Game Discussions

[XenoMorph]

Speaking of NightDive.    Quake 2 Enhanced Edition  is available now on basically Everything  Xbox O/X/S  PS 4/5 Switch PC

Comes with Full Campaign
All Original Expansions
a New Expansion from Machine Games.
Added Multiplayer bots.

Ohh And Quake 2 64 is included 

****

Additionally a new Campaign dropped for Quake 1 EE  which is the 8 original MP maps redone

**
Apparently Quake 2 remaster on PS5/Xbox maybe PC support up to 8 player split screen? lol

Also this game is full cross play across all systems

[basballguy]

To put Baldurs Gate in perspective, I just finished Act I (of 3 i think) and it took me approximately 40 hours of gameplay. This is with prob 5 hours of gameplay i put in before I rerolled a character. Now i would guess about 8-10 hours of that is alt tab'ing and doing other things but it's fairly accurate i think.

And as I play through I just get excited about playing through the game with different characters making different decisions. Not sure I'll feel the same way after I finish...but until then it feels like a near perfect game.

[XenoMorph]

(08-12-2023, 10:58 PM)basballguy Wrote: To put Baldurs Gate in perspective, I just finished Act I (of 3 i think) and it took me approximately 40 hours of gameplay.  This is with prob 5 hours of gameplay i put in before I rerolled a character.  Now i would guess about 8-10 hours of that is alt tab'ing and doing other things but it's fairly accurate i think.  

And as I play through I just get excited about playing through the game with different characters making different decisions.  Not sure I'll feel the same way after I finish...but until then it feels like a near perfect game.

Absolutely cannot wait for BGIII (but have to lol) 

This weekend a buddy and I played thru Quake 2 campaign.  Was a great time.  Will do the expansions and Q2 64 soon.

Also played a lot of remnant 2 (havent finished a playthru yet as we are bouncing between my and his worlds).   And messed around with some Diablo 4 (still fun)

[*Synric*]

(08-12-2023, 10:58 PM)basballguy Wrote: To put Baldurs Gate in perspective, I just finished Act I (of 3 i think) and it took me approximately 40 hours of gameplay.  This is with prob 5 hours of gameplay i put in before I rerolled a character.  Now i would guess about 8-10 hours of that is alt tab'ing and doing other things but it's fairly accurate i think.  

And as I play through I just get excited about playing through the game with different characters making different decisions.  Not sure I'll feel the same way after I finish...but until then it feels like a near perfect game.

(08-14-2023, 09:46 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: Absolutely cannot wait for BGIII (but have to lol) 

This weekend a buddy and I played thru Quake 2 campaign.  Was a great time.  Will do the expansions and Q2 64 soon.

Also played a lot of remnant 2 (havent finished a playthru yet as we are bouncing between my and his worlds).   And messed around with some Diablo 4 (still fun)

I wouldnt have thought it possible but Starfield has some real competition for Game of the Year. BG3 is amazing and I hear the new Zelda is top notch too (haven't played it yet). 

PS Baseballguy what are you playing through as? I went with Melee Bard like I always do in D&D games.

[XenoMorph]

(08-14-2023, 10:03 AM)Synric Wrote: I wouldnt have thought it possible but Starfield has some real competition for Game of the Year. BG3 is amazing and I hear the new Zelda is top notch too (haven't played it yet). 

PS Baseballguy what are you playing through as? I went with Melee Bard like I always do in D&D games.

Of all the years for GOTY this year will be an absolutely Battle Royal lol....     Just RPGs alone. 

Personally would love BG3 to win or Starfield either one will be my personal GOTY.

But then add in Tears of the Kingdom,  FF16 (which some people like), Hogwarts Legacy,   and maybe Diablo 4   Could all compete all scored in the 90s

2023 will be listed as one of the all time great years for games for many years to come.

[CKwi88]

(08-14-2023, 11:56 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: Of all the years for GOTY this year will be an absolutely Battle Royal lol....     Just RPGs alone. 

Personally would love BG3 to win or Starfield either one will be my personal GOTY.

But then add in Tears of the Kingdom,  FF16 (which some people like), Hogwarts Legacy,   and maybe Diablo 4   Could all compete all scored in the 90s

2023 will be listed as one of the all time great years for games for many years to come.

No doubt there's been quality this year, but it's a three-horse race right now with TotK very much ahead. Starfield looks the part though and Baulder's Gate, while more "niche", looks to be as deserving as any. 

GOTY is impossible. The industry is too vast to objectively say a single game is "the best". My money would be on it going to Zelda, even though IMO it might not be the most deserving. We'll see how Starfield release goes. 

[basballguy]

(08-14-2023, 11:56 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: Of all the years for GOTY this year will be an absolutely Battle Royal lol....     Just RPGs alone. 

Personally would love BG3 to win or Starfield either one will be my personal GOTY.

But then add in Tears of the Kingdom,  FF16 (which some people like), Hogwarts Legacy,   and maybe Diablo 4   Could all compete all scored in the 90s

2023 will be listed as one of the all time great years for games for many years to come.

I think Diablo IV is pretty wonderful for the 90% that are along for the ride of a few playthroughs.  It's falling flat for the hardcore people but I doubt that'll even matter when it comes to voting GOTY.  

If Starfield came out today I probably wouldn't even buy it since i'm so wrapped up in BG3.  

(08-14-2023, 05:41 PM)CKwi88 Wrote: No doubt there's been quality this year, but it's a three-horse race right now with TotK very much ahead. Starfield looks the part though and Baulder's Gate, while more "niche", looks to be as deserving as any. 

GOTY is impossible. The industry is too vast to objectively say a single game is "the best". My money would be on it going to Zelda, even though IMO it might not be the most deserving. We'll see how Starfield release goes. 

I wouldn't be surprised if Zelda won it.  It's very easy to play, immersive, and has a great story.  I stopped playing it (but will eventually go back) after D4 came out.  I get slightly bored in the repetitiveness unless there's some incentive to keep playing (like access to better loot).  Like how many times do i have to help the dude build a sign or the other dude find his friend before he figures it out on his own?  I played through the first dungeon/boss (whatever they're called) and it kinda felt the same as BotW.  It definitely feels like an expansion/add on (like you've mentioned before) so I think that plays into it...as well as my inability to focus on a single game for a long time.  But still, Zelda has a MASS appeal and it checks almost every box for gamers, including myself. 

BG3 (through the first act) has had zero repetitiveness for me.  I agree that it's definitely crafted in a way where it caters towards a certain type of player but man, it's awesome not having to do the same objectives over and over like "gather 20 apples", "repair two statues", "kill bad guy and his sister", "escort dummy to house"...things like that get me bored when asked to do it over and over.  Diablo 4 fails miserably at that...though one could argue it's the nature of the game.  


If I was ranking right now...based on what i've played and the reviews I've read, I got GOTY like this (no Starfield rating yet):

1) BG3
2) Zelda
3) Hogwarts (haven't actually played this but it's on the list.  I've yet to find someone say something bad about this game)
.
.
. 
57) Diablo 4 (because I'm an end game player and the end game is awful lol)

[basballguy]

New post and different question:

Are there any Jagged Alliance fans out there?

I just saw they put out Jagged Alliance 3 after like 20 years of waiting (Half Life 2 anyone?) so I'm curious if anyone has tried that or is looking to play it.

This is another turn based combat game, focused on guerilla warfare.

[XenoMorph]

(08-14-2023, 05:41 PM)CKwi88 Wrote: No doubt there's been quality this year, but it's a three-horse race right now with TotK very much ahead. Starfield looks the part though and Baulder's Gate, while more "niche", looks to be as deserving as any. 

GOTY is impossible. The industry is too vast to objectively say a single game is "the best". My money would be on it going to Zelda, even though IMO it might not be the most deserving. We'll see how Starfield release goes. 

BG3 will gain some more steam when it starts hitting console... Unfortunately it only hits one soon.

[XenoMorph]

Games con Starts next week here is the schedule  

https://www.ign.com/articles/gamescom-2023-how-to-watch-schedule-and-what-to-expect
Tuesday, August 22
gamescom Studio Opening Night Live (with IGN Post-Show) - 11am PT/2pm ET/8pm CEST

Geoff Keighley will again host Opening Night Live to kick off gamescom 2023. The opening show will feature world premieres and some of the most exciting announcements from gameplay and trailer reveals.

Wednesday, August 23
gamescom studio Day 1 - 6am PT/9am ET/3pm CEST

Day 1 of IGN’s live coverage highlighting new trailers, exclusive interviews, and more:

Also catch “Into The Infinite: A Level Infinite Showcase" on August 23 after the IGN gamescom studio livestream ends.

Thursday, August 24
gamescom studio Day 2 - 6am PT/9am ET/3pm CEST

Day 2 of IGN’s live coverage will have even more exclusives.

[XenoMorph]

(08-14-2023, 05:41 PM)CKwi88 Wrote: No doubt there's been quality this year, but it's a three-horse race right now with TotK very much ahead. Starfield looks the part though and Baulder's Gate, while more "niche", looks to be as deserving as any. 

GOTY is impossible. The industry is too vast to objectively say a single game is "the best". My money would be on it going to Zelda, even though IMO it might not be the most deserving. We'll see how Starfield release goes. 

I think they should do a Retro game of the year like 3-5 years later when all the data is in from that year lol...   Like the NFL Redrafts  

Some games come out the gate hot then fall off a cliff or shut down.    Some start slow and become amazing.

[XenoMorph]

Xbox has announced the 360 store will close 7/29/2024 So in a year. You will no longer be able to purchase items from the 360 store.

Anything you have purchased will remain available for you to play afterwards.

Backwards compatible games will still be available for purchase on the xbox 1 store.

This likely will affect no one here but just in case you been eyeballing a 10+ year old game go get it lol

[The D.O.Z.]

Just picked up Hogwart’s Legacy and started my download for Madden 24 for PS5. I’m not an online player, I prefer the single-player, team building experience of franchise mode. After some research I decided to give EA another chance. They knocked it outta the park w/ Jedi Survivor, so they’ve earned back to good faith points from me. I was on the fence about getting it, but read a recent write up about how they’ve improved the AI, zone defense and offensive line blocking being the biggest improvements. Things I have been wanting them to improve vastly for quite some time. So, with restored faith points in mind, I bought it digitally. This is my first “next gen” Madden, I hope its worth it!

[XenoMorph]

Starfield can now be preinstalled.

getting so close

[The D.O.Z.]

So far, Madden 24 plays great. I haven’t noticed any game breaking glitches / bugs. The defense does feel like it plays “smarter”, and I’ve been a part of some sick Mixon runs due to some nice second-level OLine blocking, so they weren’t lying when they said they improved those areas this year. The Franchise Mode UI is still the same as its been for some time now, scouting still the same, weekly prep is still the same. They did add mini-game (position drills) to the players you choose to highlight for extra training points (my OVR72 DJ Turner is now a OVR78 going into the post-bye week game, for example.
I was pleasantly surprised that this game isn’t a large download as well. NBA2K-whatevers are 150+ gig. Taking up massive space. Madden 24 is under 60g.

[XenoMorph]

(08-18-2023, 11:14 AM)The D.O.Z. Wrote: So far, Madden 24 plays great. I haven’t noticed any game breaking glitches / bugs. The defense does feel like it plays “smarter”, and I’ve been a part of some sick Mixon runs due to some nice second-level OLine blocking, so they weren’t lying when they said they improved those areas this year. The Franchise Mode UI is still the same as its been for some time now, scouting still the same, weekly prep is still the same. They did add mini-game (position drills) to the players you choose to highlight for extra training points (my OVR72 DJ Turner is now a OVR78 going into the post-bye week game, for example.
I was pleasantly surprised that this game isn’t a large download as well. NBA2K-whatevers are 150+ gig. Taking up massive space. Madden 24 is under 60g.

I might check this one out when EA puts it in EA Plays portion of game pass its been a long time since i dabbled in a madden...   I think the last one i got still had Carson Palmer on the team lol

[Stewy]

(08-14-2023, 07:27 PM)basballguy Wrote: If I was ranking right now...based on what i've played and the reviews I've read, I got GOTY like this (no Starfield rating yet):

1) BG3
2) Zelda
3) Hogwarts (haven't actually played this but it's on the list.  I've yet to find someone say something bad about this game)
.
.
. 
57) Diablo 4 (because I'm an end game player and the end game is awful lol)

Some thoughts on these.  It is my very VERY strong belief that Beths run on GOTY awards is coming to an end with Starfield.  Not just because I think the launch will be a disaster (you're fooling yourself if you believe otherwise), but because the competition is SO strong.  

BG3 - Haven't played it yet but will get it on PS5 release.  The reviews are staggeringly good.  People were hyped for this and from what I've been reading BG3 is EXCEEDING the hype.  PCGamer gave it a 97%, which is it highest rating given to any game in two decades.  Let that sink in....

Zelda:  TotK - Have played it and finished it.  Hundreds of hours played.  Firstly, anyone who tells you or thinks it's just a BoTW addon, hasn't played it or they're being disingenuous.  Yes Link and Zelda and many of the primary NPCs are back, AND the over world topography is re-used as well, but that is where things change.  Some perspective.
---Firstly - It has a real and engaging story, which had me interested to find out the NEXT part for the first time since the original Zelda back in the 80's.  Even though you know the inevitable outcome as with any Zelda game, it is the journey to that outcome which really shines here above other Zelda games.
---Secondly - Powers are completely different, replaced and tremendously upgraded from BotW.  The puzzle solving became very repetitive in BoTW, but 120+ shrines in and they all felt different in TotK because of of the freedom of the various tools.
---Thirdly - The overworld is only reused as topography, but completely re-tooled to fit TotK.  Additionally, the game is nearly 3x larger than the original because there are Under worlds and Sky areas of exactly the same size with all having different themes that work together seamlessly.  So iti sn't a "copy" of BotW with different stuff.  There is so SO much more to explore and do with the underworld and SKY areas being completely different experiences than the over world.  I found myself getting tired of the under world (much more challenging from a gameplay perspective), then going and hanging out in the sky and back and forth, which helped keep it very fresh.
---Fourthly - Sky Areas / Exploring / Towers - Flying is just downright fun.  The overworld Towers are different with a different origin than BotW, but are your best exploratory tool as well.  In BotW you were hard pressed to reach X area quickly, but in TotK, you can go back to a tower over and over, then glide ot the North to explore, then the South, use it to boost yourself into the sky far enough to reach some sky islands you haven't been to before.  The failed promise of cool flying and sky travele which was unfulfilled in Skyward Sword is fulfilled in spades in TotK.
---Fifthly - Inventory, weapons, Shields, etc. have all changed, enhanced upgraded - In BotW the best weapons were Lynel weapons, hands down.  Once you worked up to killing them, turning them all silver and filled your inventory with their gear, there wasn't much left to do except finish the game.  I won't give spoilers, but how they handle weaponry is completely different in TotK to essentially being an entirely different system for melee weapons.  It all is a part of the ability to merge items, but I won't say more.
Lastly a criticism - there's too much farming.  You can upgrade a set of gear to be more than eough to finsih the game, but if you're a completionist and you want to acquire and max every set of armor then you're into 1000's of hours.
Note:  This is not me really advocating for TotK as game of the year, but just to defend it against the "it's just a BotW add on" critics, which is ludicrous.

Hogwarts:  Legacy - played it twice and finished it.  The story is incredible.  The graphics astounding.  The gameplay addicting (you want to fight).  Use of spell casting, combos and defending is excellently done.  In most other years, this would be hands down the GotY, but this isn't a normal year.

BG3 - haven't played it, but will, reviews as i said, are astounding so far.

So this is what Starfield is up against.  Three games with excellent reviews, loved by fans and (nearly) flawless releases.  And we have a bethesda game which we know will have release issues, bugs, broken content, and empty lifeless regions because that's what Bethesda games are at release.  If Starfield is a normal Bethesda release, it has no chance at GotY as Fallout76 has ruined any benefit of the doubt the critics used to give Bethesda.  Your blind fanboys may think differently, but they aren't the ones doing the reviews.  With that said, I also have no doubt that Bethesda will fix whatever is broke in Starfield, and it will eventually be a great game, but it won't be GotY or RPGotY.  the competition is just too good.  i give it a less than 5% chance at GotY at this point.

[Stewy]

(08-17-2023, 02:22 PM)The D.O.Z. Wrote: Just picked up Hogwart’s Legacy and started my download for Madden 24 for PS5. I’m not an online player, I prefer the single-player, team building experience of franchise mode. After some research I decided to give EA another chance. They knocked it outta the park w/ Jedi Survivor, so they’ve earned back to good faith points from me. I was on the fence about getting it, but read a recent write up about how they’ve improved the AI, zone defense and offensive line blocking being the biggest improvements. Things I have been wanting them to improve vastly for quite some time. So, with restored faith points in mind, I bought it digitally. This is my first “next gen” Madden, I hope its worth it!

A point of discussion.  I wouldn't give EA too much credit.  All they did was get out of the way and let a good studio do what they do best.  Giving EA credit for Jedi Survivor is like giving Mike Brown credit for Burrow throwing a touchdown pass.

This gives me hope that the next Dragon Age might actually be worth a damn as it appears EA has gotten out of Bioware's way as well.

[XenoMorph]

(08-18-2023, 12:48 PM)Stewy Wrote: A point of discussion.  I wouldn't give EA too much credit.  All they did was get out of the way and let a good studio do what they do best.  Giving EA credit for Jedi Survivor is like giving Mike Brown credit for Burrow throwing a touchdown pass.

This gives me hope that the next Dragon Age might actually be worth a damn as it appears EA has gotten out of Bioware's way as well.

Yeah Respawn's success with Fallen order.. Has made EA rethink single-player games a bit.  and allowed respawn to do what they want.

I am worried about Bioware changing to a GoW/ff16 style combat im sure some will like it though...  but that will be a big change.

Whatever Bioware releases next i do hope is successful for their sake it or it could be the last.   (unless the Remaster trilogy put them back in good graces)

[XenoMorph]

(08-18-2023, 12:37 PM)Stewy Wrote: So this is what Starfield is up against.  Three games with excellent reviews, loved by fans and (nearly) flawless releases.  And we have a bethesda game which we know will have release issues, bugs, broken content, and empty lifeless regions because that's what Bethesda games are at release.  If Starfield is a normal Bethesda release, it has no chance at GotY as Fallout76 has ruined any benefit of the doubt the critics used to give Bethesda.  Your blind fanboys may think differently, but they aren't the ones doing the reviews.  With that said, I also have no doubt that Bethesda will fix whatever is broke in Starfield, and it will eventually be a great game, but it won't be GotY or RPGotY.  the competition is just too good.  i give it a less than 5% chance at GotY at this point.

early returns im hearing from starfield is it is exceeding expectations.  So take that as you will...  

BG3 is defiantly gonna win over the PC crowd.. Not sure about the PS crowd who had called DoS2  Top down garbage   lol... But its getting hyped cause its releasing there first.

Starfield unlike previous bethesda titles was allowed to sit and get polished for an extra year.    Will it have bug sure.. But your lying if you say BG3 is flawless..  it just had patch to fix over 400 bugs  and then had to role it back and redo it again lol..

76 was a multiplayer title and not in the same level of Bethesda;s normal RPGs.



Right now i expect BG3 to win GOTY   But that can change in 2 weeks.