The Video Game Thread - anything and everything...

[JediMichael]

I just wonder if there is going to be some amusement park with Mack Rodent and Pals fighting against the governor of the state lol.

I did play both Red Deads and beat 2 (still need to do 1) but never got into GTA. I should try 5 before it gets deserted for 6.

I only ever play the campaign, never online, so as long as you have a disc, that will never change.

Everyone always wants the bigger more detailed map, but I was still fine with GTA3 and Vice City, as I could actually remember where most everything was. These bigger maps, I just have a hard time knowing where something is, which is nice to have the GPS in game, but it almost gets too much at times.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

What are everyone's thoughts on Starfield? I recently got a new PC and it came with a trial for XBox Game Pass and when I saw Starfeld on it, I decided to give it a try. After playing it for a few days now, I'm still on the fence about it. It's interesting but I don't like how there's a lot the game doesn't tell you how to do and you have to figure it out yourself or look online. Somethings are easy enough because it's the same basic game mechanic in every game. But then are things specific to this game that it either doesn't bother to tell you how to do it or it does so very quickly and if you blink, you'll miss it.

It's like if you took Skyrim or Fallout 4 and removed their souls and any interesting locations. It's sad, but I think they thought they could just do a half *ss copy and paste, but set it in space. I started a new game of Skyrim a week or two ago and within 10 mins I was hooked. I was hooked and I have played this game at least ten times, know every trick, location, etc. I hope it will be a come to J-e-s-u-s (really RPF censors *****?) moment for Bethesda because it's not a good sign for Elder Scrolls 6 and the next Fallout game.

 

[Paul Andrew]

It's like if you took Skyrim or Fallout 4 and removed their souls and any interesting locations. It's sad, but I think they thought they could just do a half *ss copy and paste, but set it in space. I started a new game of Skyrim a week or two ago and within 10 mins I was hooked. I was hooked and I have played this game at least ten times, know every trick, location, etc. I hope it will be a come to J-e-s-u-s (really RPF censors *****?) moment for Bethesda because it's not a good sign for Elder Scrolls 6 and the next Fallout game.

I had a similar reaction. It's not bad, per se, but I find it utterly uninteresting. Traversing the bespoke wilderness of Skyrim or the Capitol Wasteland might have just spoiled me, but this game lacks the sense of "what's just over that next hill?" that pulled me through the other Bethesda games and the story just didn't hook me enough. Add to that the fact that I have no love for space combat or ship building and this game just seems to have been made for someone who isn't me.

I may give it another chance down the road at some point, but right now I'm digging into other things.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I had a similar reaction. It's not bad, per se, but I find it utterly uninteresting. Traversing the bespoke wilderness of Skyrim or the Capitol Wasteland might have just spoiled me, but this game lacks the sense of "what's just over that next hill?" that pulled me through the other Bethesda games and the story just didn't hook me enough. Add to that the fact that I have no love for space combat or ship building and this game just seems to have been made for someone who isn't me.

I may give it another chance down the road at some point, but right now I'm digging into other things.

That's the even worst part for me, is that I thought the space combat and shipbuilding would be awesome. It's right up my alley. By the time I had all the perks to unlock the best parts, I had zero interest in actually building a ship. I did do some customizing of my ships, but that was it. I never even attempted base building, and I spent hours in Fallout 4 making settlements. Also, other than Andreja, I wish I had the option to space all the other companions.

 

[Solo4114]

I'm on my second run of Baldur's Gate 3. I'm playing one of the origin characters this time (Wyll) and planning on romancing Karlach. But I'm also playing as a Hexblade warlock instead of the Fiend class. Basically, it makes me a bit tankier. BG3's Pact of the Blade stuff for warlock actually kiiiinda incorporates Hexblade build elements into it, so the Hexblade mod feels just a teensy bit redundant, but it also gives you access to better armor and a 2nd attack at Level 5, which is nice. Like I said, a tankier Warlock.

 

[JediMichael]

With my brother here for Christmas, thought I'd try to get the old Sega Genesis up and working. It did and played through Streets of Rage 2 and then Rocket Knight Adventure. That game is quite hard.
So then I thought I'd try the 32X as well, as its been a LONG time since I've played it....possible around 15 years or so.
Of course wanted to try some extremely early 3D Star Wars. (Although, some PC games went back even farther)

Well, it.was having trouble booting up. I got the first screen for every game, but nothing else.

Well, I FINALLY got it to boot up, but.the controller wasn't working.
Got this pic.

Then it froze, and now I can't get anything more to boot up, other than just that first screen, then just blackness.
Old technology can be a pain sometimes.
Plus, hooking both systems together and needing all the pins to be clean, then all these wires in the back, with both systems needing their own power. Then of course hoping all the pins in the controller port are working. I also used to have the Sega CD, meaning even more wires.

Its kinda funny and ironic, that Sega made all this stuff to try and outdo Nintendo, but the money they lost from it all, then from the Saturn sure didn't help.
So while the Dreamcast was actually pretty decent, I think Sega was just too far in the hole to recover and one major reason they went 3rd party.

 

[HeartBlade]

With my brother here for Christmas, thought I'd try to get the old Sega Genesis up and working. It did and played through Streets of Rage 2 and then Rocket Knight Adventure. That game is quite hard.
So then I thought I'd try the 32X as well, as its been a LONG time since I've played it....possible around 15 years or so.
Of course wanted to try some extremely early 3D Star Wars. (Although, some PC games went back even farther)
View attachment 1772250
Well, it.was having trouble booting up. I got the first screen for every game, but nothing else.
View attachment 1772252
Well, I FINALLY got it to boot up, but.the controller wasn't working.
Got this pic.
View attachment 1772256
Then it froze, and now I can't get anything more to boot up, other than just that first screen, then just blackness.
Old technology can be a pain sometimes.
Plus, hooking both systems together and needing all the pins to be clean, then all these wires in the back, with both systems needing their own power. Then of course hoping all the pins in the controller port are working. I also used to have the Sega CD, meaning even more wires.
View attachment 1772260
Its kinda funny and ironic, that Sega made all this stuff to try and outdo Nintendo, but the money they lost from it all, then from the Saturn sure didn't help.
So while the Dreamcast was actually pretty decent, I think Sega was just too far in the hole to recover and one major reason they went 3rd party.

From everything ive read, Dreamcast was ahead of its time and honestly wish other companies took from Dreamcast’s example. Their biggest “innovation” is using analog sticks based on magnets and the halls effect for positioning, meaning that those sticks wont suffer from analog stick drift for years unlike modern consoles where your controller’s sticks start getting funky after a year of decently heavy play. Im honestly considering how difficult it is to learn soldering so I can just buy replacement sticks and resolder them on. Not sure what the risks are to be honest and the internet does seem to state its pretty easy.

Btw, anyone see the news how the Insomniac Wolverine game was apparently leaked for PC? Apparently its incomplete still but people can download it illegally thanks to the hackers. Honestly, great job ruining a game and potential franchise for people. If the Wolverine game sales lag as a result, I can see Sony pull the plug because the risk isnt worth it.

Why cant hackers hack for something more interesting and impactful like Hilary’s files or Trump’s taxes lol.

 

[Solo4114]

From everything ive read, Dreamcast was ahead of its time and honestly wish other companies took from Dreamcast’s example. Their biggest “innovation” is using analog sticks based on magnets and the halls effect for positioning, meaning that those sticks wont suffer from analog stick drift for years unlike modern consoles where your controller’s sticks start getting funky after a year of decently heavy play. Im honestly considering how difficult it is to learn soldering so I can just buy replacement sticks and resolder them on. Not sure what the risks are to be honest and the internet does seem to state its pretty easy.

Btw, anyone see the news how the Insomniac Wolverine game was apparently leaked for PC? Apparently its incomplete still but people can download it illegally thanks to the hackers. Honestly, great job ruining a game and potential franchise for people. If the Wolverine game sales lag as a result, I can see Sony pull the plug because the risk isnt worth it.

Why cant hackers hack for something more interesting and impactful like Hilary’s files or Trump’s taxes lol.

I kinda doubt that a hack of a partial game is gonna make a huge dent in the sales figures. More concerning would be a bunch of negative reactions swirling as a result of some unfinished feature or placeholder material or whatever.

"ZOMG WOLVERINE DOESN'T MAKE A SNIKT SOUND WHEN HE POPS HIS CLAWS OUT AND IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THEY EVEN HIRED A VOICE ACTOR FOR HIM YET, JUST SOME DUDE IN THE DEV POOL AND THE LIPS DON'T EVEN SYNC!" Well, yeah, maybe they didn't bother to add the sound yet, and the guy doing VO work is just one of the devs providing something to work off of.

 

[JediMichael]

My brother came over and tries Knuckles Chaotix for the 32X, and got it working. But then it froze after about a min.
Maybe the 32X is overheating and does that. Thats disappointing.
But, at least the Genesis works, so we're playing Streets of Rage 3 now.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I stupidly gave away my Sega Genesis to my cousins back in the mid 90s... I also had the first two Road Rash games. It's one of the few racing games I liked.

 

[HeartBlade]

I kinda doubt that a hack of a partial game is gonna make a huge dent in the sales figures. More concerning would be a bunch of negative reactions swirling as a result of some unfinished feature or placeholder material or whatever.

"ZOMG WOLVERINE DOESN'T MAKE A SNIKT SOUND WHEN HE POPS HIS CLAWS OUT AND IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THEY EVEN HIRED A VOICE ACTOR FOR HIM YET, JUST SOME DUDE IN THE DEV POOL AND THE LIPS DON'T EVEN SYNC!" Well, yeah, maybe they didn't bother to add the sound yet, and the guy doing VO work is just one of the devs providing something to work off of.

Hopefully and luckily it was an incomplete version but it would be disheartening nevertheless. I didnt want to spoil the game for myself so didnt activetly search for leaks. I dont know if they decide to scrap what was leaked, tweak, or just carry on but they really need to buff up security now which means more money on security, less money spent on devs to make a better game.

I dont think the snikt sound would be a big deal but how his healing factor works, the moves available (can he parry, heavy attack, combos, etc) the enemy variety. Although it is expected to be released some time next year also it should be pretty done unless they decide to just delay following the hack. The Activision game gives a very good blueprint for a Wolverine game though which could only be improved with a better combo system.

 

[Nth]

Insider suggests original God of War Trilogy could be set for a PS5 Remaster. https://comicbook.com/gaming/amp/news/god-of-war-games-ps5-remaster-release-rumor/

This would be amazing. The PS2/PS3 Trilogy was already remastered once to the PS3/PS4, but to have the whole trilogy remastered and available on current gen system would literally have me doing an entire God of War series playthrough at least once a year. The original games are masterpieces and still hold up to this day.

 

[HeartBlade]

Insider suggests original God of War Trilogy could be set for a PS5 Remaster. https://comicbook.com/gaming/amp/news/god-of-war-games-ps5-remaster-release-rumor/

This would be amazing. The PS2/PS3 Trilogy was already remastered once to the PS3/PS4, but to have the whole trilogy remastered and available on current gen system would literally have me doing an entire God of War series playthrough at least once a year. The original games are masterpieces and still hold up to this day.

That would be cool and would make sense. There is hype for God of War given the success of Ragnarok as well as the free DLC that recently dropped and I do think the devs need to think about what to do next with the series now that the Norse arc is over. I can see Santa Monica buying time while retaining interest by re-releasing the original trilogy and the side games on modern consoles and PC to keep interest in God of War up while they develop the next world they plan to explore. Although there are hints from Tyr's weapons used in Valhalla (Aztecs, Egypt, Japan), I could see them surprise us by not using any of these regions because Tyr already dealt with them (or they are allies to Tyr so Kratos doesnt need to visit them) although Valhalla does try to put an end to Kratos' story with Valhalla.

 

[Paul Andrew]

I've been playing a game called Infernax. It's like an ode to Castlevania 2 and a little Zelda 2. I really like it, despite parts being so hard they border on frustrating.

Also going back to Final Fantasy Tactics, which continues to be the secret best Final Fantasy.

 

[JediMichael]

Tried to get the 32X to run again....but sadly, no luck. So instead, was playing around with the debug mode in Sonic 3 on the Genesis. Made this little video of some of the odd things that happened, or the fun I was having, like bring Sonic in the area that was meant only for Knuckles.

 

[Nth]

I've been playing a game called Infernax. It's like an ode to Castlevania 2 and a little Zelda 2. I really like it, despite parts being so hard they border on frustrating.

Also going back to Final Fantasy Tactics, which continues to be the secret best Final Fantasy.

Still hoping that leaked Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster rumor turns out to be true.

Between Switch, Steam and PSN I don't even want to add up how much I've spent on the holiday sales. But it was a lot less than if I had bought everything when it wasn't on sale. I'm still perusing the stores now and again while I'm on Christmas break as the sale season ends January 6th on all platforms I believe, so gobbling up what I can now.

Over Christmas break the game I have spent the most time with is Warhammer 40K Darktide, although I did get 40k Rogue Trader as a Christmas gift. Now that I have a PC that can play Darktide at max settings where my minumum framerate is 60fps I can truly enjoy it.

 

[JediMichael]

Not sure if there is a limit on videos that are uploaded. Original fire size was 381mb, but failed, so I compressed it down to 165mb and it worked.
So anyways, for my Final Fantasy 6 group, I wanted to make a little comparison video, and with screen shots, between using composite cables, (just the one yellow plugin) VS, component cables (the 3 blue, green and red plugins) and also going through the retrotink 2x pro. I only have component cables for the Playstation 2, I just used that version of Final Fantasy 6 purely for the visuals. I did four quick tests. First was composite into tv and filming off the screen, next was composite as a direct connection captured to the PC. Then component into the retrotink and HDMI into tv and filmed off screen, then last with all that, but the direct capture to the PC.
Just wanted to share with what I've found to be one of the best ways to connect older systems to an HD tv and still look really good.
(You can see the best difference when using a bigger screen, not just a phone screen.

Split.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I rarely played my PS2, but I still have an old widescreen Sony tv that has analog inputs that I got around 2005. It has exactly one HDMI. I mean I still have it as in I still have one, it's not my primary TV. I'm not that much of a peasant!

 

[JediMichael]

I've been making a whole lot of pictures for my Final Fantasy 6 FB group.
This one I made like two months ago already and anyone thats played FF6 will get the reference.
Sabin, who can normally only suplex normal enemies, but theres the one train boss where he can also suplex. I really think it was a mistake in their coding, but its now become such a meme type thing, even the new pixel remasters let you suplex the train....although they renamed the move as, Meteor Strike.... I like Suplex better.

So now I started mixing Final Fantasy 6 and Chrono Trigger for some fun cross over memes. I can't believe how many likes I've gotten over the past few days from all these....probably several thousands between a FF6 and Chrono Trigger group. Its nuts....lol.
This started it all.

To which some asked, what would happen if Kefka jumped through the gate?
Probably this....

There was also the idea of what happens when you do not wait for Shadow....

Another suplex meme crossover.

Figured I through in a little Final Fantasy 7....as the battles from both games are very similar and are really meant to teach the player how things work.

Poor Edgar is always trying to be the ladies man....just most all woman in his world totally ignore him...that is until he found this secrete club from Final Fantasy 4.....oh boy......(even though all they do is a basic dance, I'm surprised Nintendo allowed that back in the early 90s with how strict their censorship was....some parts did still get a bit censored....weird Japanese humor I guess)

Duel tech: Crono Drill. I told everyone NOT to ask how Crono is holding on the drill bit....(his legs....right)

Both Frog (at least in the original SNES release had that old style of accent....and Cyan as well....and Gau, who found it funny in FF6....is now getting a Thou overload.

And the one I just finished a little bit ago.

I ended up having to watermark it with my name, as some people started reposting it. So a few others called them out, since they weren't even giving credit....so then they did, and put the wrong person...Not even sure how that happened. So a watermark of some kind it is.

 

[Solo4114]

I'm in the midst of a 2nd BG3 playthru while I figure out how to update the mods I have running in Cyberpunk 2077 (last update broke the game for me because of the mods I had, and I've been waiting for them to update).

This time around, I'm playing as Wyll and romancing Karlach. So far it's pretty cool. I'm just up to the Shadow-Cursed lands and wandering around in Restinford. I find having Wyll as an Origin Character that I'm playing gives me...well, a reason to bother bringing him at all. I'm doing this with a Hexblade mod, so he's a bit more interesting and does more than just cast Eldritch Blast. Still think I prefer my Paladin playthru, though. I just love playing Paladins in 5e. Most other games, too, come to think of it. My first WOTR run was a paladin as well.