(no subject)
I'm tired of seeing the same post up, so I'm going to post something short about console games I've played recently.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
I love the Mass Effect series. But this one falls a bit short of the others. It's got some interesting ideas and some cool bits, but it's tedious and repetitive in a way that previous games in the series usually weren't. When I read that the development was done by a different team, and then at the last moment they attempted to get the original team back on board to "fix" things, well, it explained a lot. I haven't actually finished it. It's gone on the back-burner while I play other things. I'll eventually get back to it and finish it, since I've gotten most of the way through.
Final Fantasy XV
I really dislike the combat system. And good god, is the game just plain _boring_ at times (so... much... time... just spent watching them drive around). I've gotten to the end-game, and am now trying to go back and finish off the side quests before starting the end. And I've back-burner'd this game as well, because I just don't have the patience for the grind anymore.
Destiny
I got the version that came with all the expansions, so I've got plenty of content. It's very much a Bungie game. Unfortunately, Bungie hasn't really kept up with the times. Back when they did Marathon, they were ground-breaking with how they integrated a mysterious story into a first-person shooter. They did this mostly by giving information in the flow of the game, which was nice, but it also meant that plot points were generally far apart. Halo was similar. Destiny... is really just more of the same: "Here's some plot, now go shoot things until you're told the mission is over, and then we can give you more plot." They've mostly improved the shooting side of things, but not the integration of plot. I've still enjoyed it, but I can't help but compare it to the original Mass Effect trilogy, and the comparison doesn't favor Bungie.
Uncharted (1-3, so far)
I've enjoyed this series quite a bit. Granted, the whole thing puts you on rails, but it's got a story and interesting characters, and it integrates plot with gameplay, and provides several different elements to the gameplay (platform/climbing puzzles, shooter and stealth, but most of the focus is on the platform/climbing puzzles).
No Man's Sky
This is a game that's a niche interest. It's not really a shooter or dogfighter. It's a game of exploration and resource gathering. It's a game I return to when I need a break from other games. And every once in a while, they release a new update that adds a whole ton more to the game. There's no end to the game, really, so it's something I can just come back to. It's also something I can play around the kids at this point, unlike most of the above games. I got a PS4 in order to play this game, and while others have bemoaned it, I've never regretted it, myself. Love this game. Partly because it's different from most other offerings.
Watch Dogs/Watch Dogs 2
I never played any of the Grand Theft Auto games after the first one (which is rather different from the later versions). So this series is really my first experience with this style of game. But this series has trappings that appeal more to me than the GTA series - you basically play a hacker/fixer that is opposing a corporation that is attempting to control everything through surveillance and control of data... and some of the things it has to say about data privacy, data gathering, and manipulation of public opinion via the use of data, it just seems all the more relevant now. The second game has more compelling characters, and fixes many of the flaws of the first game, but I really enjoyed both.
Super NES Classic
Super Metroid! Final Fantasy III (really IV)! Nostalgia!
Anyway, that's what I've been playing lately (mostly in fits and spurts in the evenings after the kids are in bed). Anyone else play anything interesting lately?
Mass Effect: Andromeda
I love the Mass Effect series. But this one falls a bit short of the others. It's got some interesting ideas and some cool bits, but it's tedious and repetitive in a way that previous games in the series usually weren't. When I read that the development was done by a different team, and then at the last moment they attempted to get the original team back on board to "fix" things, well, it explained a lot. I haven't actually finished it. It's gone on the back-burner while I play other things. I'll eventually get back to it and finish it, since I've gotten most of the way through.
Final Fantasy XV
I really dislike the combat system. And good god, is the game just plain _boring_ at times (so... much... time... just spent watching them drive around). I've gotten to the end-game, and am now trying to go back and finish off the side quests before starting the end. And I've back-burner'd this game as well, because I just don't have the patience for the grind anymore.
Destiny
I got the version that came with all the expansions, so I've got plenty of content. It's very much a Bungie game. Unfortunately, Bungie hasn't really kept up with the times. Back when they did Marathon, they were ground-breaking with how they integrated a mysterious story into a first-person shooter. They did this mostly by giving information in the flow of the game, which was nice, but it also meant that plot points were generally far apart. Halo was similar. Destiny... is really just more of the same: "Here's some plot, now go shoot things until you're told the mission is over, and then we can give you more plot." They've mostly improved the shooting side of things, but not the integration of plot. I've still enjoyed it, but I can't help but compare it to the original Mass Effect trilogy, and the comparison doesn't favor Bungie.
Uncharted (1-3, so far)
I've enjoyed this series quite a bit. Granted, the whole thing puts you on rails, but it's got a story and interesting characters, and it integrates plot with gameplay, and provides several different elements to the gameplay (platform/climbing puzzles, shooter and stealth, but most of the focus is on the platform/climbing puzzles).
No Man's Sky
This is a game that's a niche interest. It's not really a shooter or dogfighter. It's a game of exploration and resource gathering. It's a game I return to when I need a break from other games. And every once in a while, they release a new update that adds a whole ton more to the game. There's no end to the game, really, so it's something I can just come back to. It's also something I can play around the kids at this point, unlike most of the above games. I got a PS4 in order to play this game, and while others have bemoaned it, I've never regretted it, myself. Love this game. Partly because it's different from most other offerings.
Watch Dogs/Watch Dogs 2
I never played any of the Grand Theft Auto games after the first one (which is rather different from the later versions). So this series is really my first experience with this style of game. But this series has trappings that appeal more to me than the GTA series - you basically play a hacker/fixer that is opposing a corporation that is attempting to control everything through surveillance and control of data... and some of the things it has to say about data privacy, data gathering, and manipulation of public opinion via the use of data, it just seems all the more relevant now. The second game has more compelling characters, and fixes many of the flaws of the first game, but I really enjoyed both.
Super NES Classic
Super Metroid! Final Fantasy III (really IV)! Nostalgia!
Anyway, that's what I've been playing lately (mostly in fits and spurts in the evenings after the kids are in bed). Anyone else play anything interesting lately?