I loved it. Played it a ton and then I traveled and didn’t play it for a week or so and then for some reason I had no desire to play it again when I got back. I’ll get back to it eventually I think.
OT: Video Games VI
- Thread starter Calicaps
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Unsurprising but not a bad thing from the brief glimpse of the UI pretty similar to WotR. Will probably give it a shot but have never delved into anything Warhammer ever. Sort of seems kinda steam punkish.
HTFN
Registered User
- Feb 8, 2009
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I think the phrase they use is "grimdark" or something like that but depending on who you're looking at army-wise they do look a bit steampunk. I can't remember the exact reason but in-universe humanity completely sucks at making and developing new technology so they take cult-like care of the shit they have and it's weird. Everything is chunky and steam-punky because it's like hundreds of years old.
But then there are shiny sleek races, some blood magic races, orcs are a fungus or something I think which was actually pretty cool and they're green for photosynthesis if I remember right, it's got flavors for everybody as long as you're fine with the entire universe being a bleak dystopia
Hivemind
We're Touched
If we're talking Warhammer 40K video games - it's all about Boltgun this week. Boomer shooter fully exploiting 90s nostalgia
40K as a setting has plenty of issues. It's the origin of the "grimdark" aesthetic, where every single faction is full of amoral (at best), warmongering, zealots and psychopaths. You get your choice between fascists, all-consuming alien bugs, demonic cultists, undead robot skeletons, sadistic slave-taking space elves, or the bloodthirsty comic relief - each with their own variations on the aesthetic and real-world design cues (from World War 1 trench warfare tanks to retro 1950s sci-fi to Gundam). It started as satire, but tends to take itself too seriously in the more recent past. As Arbitor Ian puts it, "if you have to explain [that the Imperium is satire], then it isn't working." That doesn't stop me from buying Warhammer stuff or playing some of their video games, but it is what it is.
The video games for 40K tend to be shovelware. There's a handful of really great gems out there, but for every good 40K game there's at least 10 games that range from mediocre to outright terrible.
40K as a setting has plenty of issues. It's the origin of the "grimdark" aesthetic, where every single faction is full of amoral (at best), warmongering, zealots and psychopaths. You get your choice between fascists, all-consuming alien bugs, demonic cultists, undead robot skeletons, sadistic slave-taking space elves, or the bloodthirsty comic relief - each with their own variations on the aesthetic and real-world design cues (from World War 1 trench warfare tanks to retro 1950s sci-fi to Gundam). It started as satire, but tends to take itself too seriously in the more recent past. As Arbitor Ian puts it, "if you have to explain [that the Imperium is satire], then it isn't working." That doesn't stop me from buying Warhammer stuff or playing some of their video games, but it is what it is.
The video games for 40K tend to be shovelware. There's a handful of really great gems out there, but for every good 40K game there's at least 10 games that range from mediocre to outright terrible.
Devil Dancer
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- Jan 21, 2006
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Soooo the Cult are actually the Tech priests of Mars, so it's heretical to develop new technology unless they do it or unless you rediscover technology from 10k+ years ago. This is in part because more advanced machinery can be possessed by demons from the Warp. The Warp is how people travel faster than light, you tear a hole in realities/dimensions and travel through the Warp, but you can't do it without installing a psychic barrier or the demons will board your ship and eat you. You also can't navigate the Warp without the light of the Emperor's beacon on Earth, which is powered by the sacrifice of 10k psychics a day to the Throne, which literally drains their souls for energy.
It's super crazy.
HTFN
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I was really enjoying a podcast I'd found on spotify to pass the time at work that started unpacking lore but then they had one episode where half of them went on some neckbeard-y "haha women's rights" bit and it put me off so hard I had to try to find a new source.
That all tracks but I wouldn't have been able to put it back into words, but yeah. It's crazy, it makes a certain sense but only kind of, and everything about the Emperor is completely insane. I was never really drawn to the Imperium except for the Tanith books but some of the other races are pretty cool.
I really genuinely think they have one of the best and most intimidating versions of Orcs in fiction. Various undetected underground stages that can cultivate from a single spore, they're a virtually unstoppable pandemic that eventually reaches a stage of consciousness and starts killing the shit out of you and making safe places to make more of itself. It's ridiculous. I never played them but so much of their lore is so fun and so stupid. Painting stealth troops purple because "nobody's ever seen a purple ork" and the idea that they generate a low psychic energy that makes their technology work so long as they believe it works? f***ing A+ comedy lore that doesn't outright shatter the universe.
Yeah, the Orks, besides being British soccer hooligans, also have a psychic gestalt which makes their technology work. They're a fascinating mix of concepts. And yeah, the Imperium has special purgation teams for after an Ork infestation has been contained, because you need to truly scorch the earth. Also their big Warboss vaguely sounds like Margaret Thatcher if you squint at it.
HTFN
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Lol I forgot about that, anything red goes faster, their "gods" are also mildly hilarious. Also the idea that they keep growing and growing and then suddenly just, like, something pops and now they know more technology stuff or got better at punching. Their genetic evolution is dumb fun.
They just have a unique flavor to them that I can't quite describe. In virtually any other fiction they're villains through and through but so much of 40k is so amoral and dark that they're actually somewhat pure, though very violent. They almost wind up about as close to neutral as you can get and have character in the universe because while they're obviously not fighting for any real moral cause they're also just, like, having a good time doing their thing.
In some stories they're spooky monsters and for good reason, in others they're absolute goobers and also for good reason. That's a pretty good balance in 40k all things considered.
Hivemind
We're Touched
That's just the tip of the iceberg. There are full-on fascists in the 40K fandom. Especially when it comes to content creators that focus on the setting and lore, you have to be really careful. With the gaming-oriented content creators, you'll run into plenty of neckbeards (and also plenty of good people). The hobby-oriented content creators are *mostly* respectable people.
Very much done on purpose (although they deny it now, presumably because they're a big business and don't want the political chaff). I like 40K a lot more when they were more openly tongue-in-cheek.
While purple Orks are great, I prefer these Sneaky Gits
ChaosLord
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- Jan 16, 2010
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Playing "Dark Alliance" right now (got it for $9 on Amazon). As I suspected, not NEARLY as bad as the trolls on the internet said it was. Again if you play a game for all of 30 minutes, how can you give a credible review? Not the best looking game in the world (think 1st gen PS4 game, like Dragon Age: Inquisition, or Killzone: Shadowfall), but the gameplay is fun and the game is steeped in RA Salvatore "The Companions" lore, which is kind of interesting to me (as I've read some of the books). I'm only about 4-5 hours into it so I'll give a more comprehensive review later.
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ChaosLord
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I'm trusting you guys with the Diablo 4 review when it comes out (next week).
Its a huge release, so you can expect a ton of negative reviews from all the crazies out there
even if the game is masterpiece (this was the case with RDR2 and AC Valhalla).
But you guys seem to be demanding of your video games and yet not unreasonably so. So I'm trusting you with the review. Don't let a fellow Caps fan down
Its a huge release, so you can expect a ton of negative reviews from all the crazies out there
even if the game is masterpiece (this was the case with RDR2 and AC Valhalla).
But you guys seem to be demanding of your video games and yet not unreasonably so. So I'm trusting you with the review. Don't let a fellow Caps fan down
Hivemind
We're Touched
There's gonna be a battle right off the bat because some folks will be getting it a few days early with early access, but not everyone is gonna fork over an extra $30 for the collector's edition to get early access. So expect plenty of hearsay, second-hand reviews, and controversy in the early days.I'm trusting you guys with the Diablo 4 review when it comes out (next week).
Its a huge release, so you can expect a ton of negative reviews from all the crazies out there
even if the game is masterpiece (this was the case with RDR2 and AC Valhalla).
But you guys seem to be demanding of your video games and yet not unreasonably so. So I'm trusting you with the review. Don't let a fellow Caps fan down
On the other hand, every Blizzard game seemingly has a botched launch with long server queues, so also expect that
Neil Racki
Registered User
Had a baby boy 20 days ago. Ive wanted to upgrade to a PS5 for a while but wife pushed it off. Im back at work. Wife's mom and sister visited yesterday at our house. I get home and see a box gift wrapped istting on the floor in front of our tv in the living room. Dont think much of it, assume its a present grandma gave us. Some foot massager or something.
Were on the couch and she says something like "so you didnt notice that present for you?". And I say "what is it, a PS5?" and then I look at the box size and realize yeah thats about the right size. f***. So now I feel bad bc I ruined the surprise opening PS5 moment. She says she got it a while ago but forgot about it, been busy.
So now I feel bad bc I ruined the moment. I didnt open it last night bc I was trapped in the planning committee brain meetings on how to proceed.
This morning I walk down and its sitting in the same spot. And another thought comes to me. f***. She sd her sister picked it up for her. They probably got me the digital cheaper version when I intended on buying the disc one bc I love movies.
So now I dont know what to do.
This still wrapped present is just sitting in my living room haunting me like some 1800s aborted fetus that was buried in the backyard.
I dont know what to do.
Were on the couch and she says something like "so you didnt notice that present for you?". And I say "what is it, a PS5?" and then I look at the box size and realize yeah thats about the right size. f***. So now I feel bad bc I ruined the surprise opening PS5 moment. She says she got it a while ago but forgot about it, been busy.
So now I feel bad bc I ruined the moment. I didnt open it last night bc I was trapped in the planning committee brain meetings on how to proceed.
This morning I walk down and its sitting in the same spot. And another thought comes to me. f***. She sd her sister picked it up for her. They probably got me the digital cheaper version when I intended on buying the disc one bc I love movies.
So now I dont know what to do.
This still wrapped present is just sitting in my living room haunting me like some 1800s aborted fetus that was buried in the backyard.
I dont know what to do.
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You open it, you look as excited as an 8-year old kid on Christmas morning, you give your wife a big kiss and hug and say thank you profusely… and then you go to the ATM and get cash and swap it out with the one you want but pay the difference in cash so there’s no evidence of the swap. First world problems, man.
If you need the receipt to swap it pretend like you set it up and it’s making a weird noise and you want to exchange it for a new one because there’s no way something this expensive should be acting up right out of the box, maybe it got damaged during shipping.
Signed, a guy whose wife loves to buy him video game stuff but some times gets it wrong.
PS. Way to bury the lede, congrats on the baby!
Neil Racki
Registered User
OMg thank you ... thats the solution.
of course.
The secret exchange.
Feels like a Seinfeld episode but I dig it.
(of course theres a 50/50 chance she got me the disc one and all is good. I was going to open one side, peak in and then retape before I left for work but forgot to.)
I wouldn't worry about the disc version since if you were planning on using it as a 4k blu-ray player it doesn't support dolby vision for some ridiculous reason.
Hivemind
We're Touched
Beat Boltgun tonight. Played on Hard difficulty (3rd of 4 options). Took me 14.4 hours, according to Steam.
Not a perfect game, by any means. But it was really enjoyable. If you're either a fan of the 40K setting or a fan of boomer shooters (OG Doom), I would recommend. Definitely scratches the itch for a FPS with a wide arsenal of crazy weapons that mostly feel unique, big set-piece fights, collecting power-ups, dodging projectiles, a variety of enemies that all require different weapons or strategies to deal with, collecting colored keys, 90s charm, and tons of pixelated gore.
The cons (list will be long, but most are relatively minor):
*Difficulty is super inconsistent, thanks to dumb enemies. The big encounters and boss fights can be really hard at times, but the enemies just normally spawned around the environment are mostly jokes if you're willing to play patient. Granted, if someone was trying for speedruns and whatnot, these enemies would be a bigger challenge.
*If you're able to find the vortex grenade on each level, it can turn giant bosses into kinda jokes. It is a secret item, and usually the hardest one to find on levels, but if you get it and save it for the next big baddy boss, it chunks like 50% of their health.
*There are a number of levels that you can definitely get lost in. Rooms within levels often look similar, and it's not always obvious which hallway you should be going down next. Even after you find the required path and keys, sometimes it can take a while to backtrack to the locked door.
*A handful of level suddenly have platforming sections, and the jump controls aren't tight enough for it to be fun.
*Once you have a bunch of weapons, it can be annoying to scroll to the one you want in a particular moment and can lead to panic moments.
*They show you a dash ability to get thru a closing door in the first level, but then never require you use it again.
Not a perfect game, by any means. But it was really enjoyable. If you're either a fan of the 40K setting or a fan of boomer shooters (OG Doom), I would recommend. Definitely scratches the itch for a FPS with a wide arsenal of crazy weapons that mostly feel unique, big set-piece fights, collecting power-ups, dodging projectiles, a variety of enemies that all require different weapons or strategies to deal with, collecting colored keys, 90s charm, and tons of pixelated gore.
The cons (list will be long, but most are relatively minor):
*Difficulty is super inconsistent, thanks to dumb enemies. The big encounters and boss fights can be really hard at times, but the enemies just normally spawned around the environment are mostly jokes if you're willing to play patient. Granted, if someone was trying for speedruns and whatnot, these enemies would be a bigger challenge.
*If you're able to find the vortex grenade on each level, it can turn giant bosses into kinda jokes. It is a secret item, and usually the hardest one to find on levels, but if you get it and save it for the next big baddy boss, it chunks like 50% of their health.
*There are a number of levels that you can definitely get lost in. Rooms within levels often look similar, and it's not always obvious which hallway you should be going down next. Even after you find the required path and keys, sometimes it can take a while to backtrack to the locked door.
*A handful of level suddenly have platforming sections, and the jump controls aren't tight enough for it to be fun.
*Once you have a bunch of weapons, it can be annoying to scroll to the one you want in a particular moment and can lead to panic moments.
*They show you a dash ability to get thru a closing door in the first level, but then never require you use it again.
ChaosLord
Registered User
- Jan 16, 2010
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Finished Dark Alliance tonight. Reminded me of "Dragon Age: Inquisition" -- lively gameplay and decent story ruined by first gen graphics and a general lack of polish. Better than the $9 I payed for it, but not by much.
Anyway, on to a real game: I just ordered Elden Ring. Not a big fan of Dark Soul type games, but the gorgeous fantasy setting was too much to resist. I'm feeling confident -- I played Dark Alliance on its most difficult setting and smacked that game around. I'm ready for this one.
Anyway, on to a real game: I just ordered Elden Ring. Not a big fan of Dark Soul type games, but the gorgeous fantasy setting was too much to resist. I'm feeling confident -- I played Dark Alliance on its most difficult setting and smacked that game around. I'm ready for this one.
bacchist
lumpy, lumpy head
- Feb 7, 2013
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I'm not any good at vidya games, and Elden Ring isn't as bad as it's made out to be. Yeah, you die. A lot. But you can just try, try again (and again) or go grind for a while and explore some other areas to level up if you get stuck.
Devil Dancer
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- Jan 21, 2006
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I suck at video games and I finished all the content in Elden. It's totally doable, but don't hesitate to do some research.
shtorm2005
Registered User
The thing about Elden Ring is that it’s evil and it’s creators are mean and we should shun them.
HTFN
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Dude, that's what got me. I was so determined to embrace the "experience" that shortly after Magrit I just had no idea what the f*** I was doing, my build was going all sideways, and I lost the plot a little and couldn't get it back. Didn't want to start a new character, didn't fully want to break down and research for some min-max way to play and beat the game...
But I should have. Should have just let nerds figure the weird stuff out for me and live my life. Then my console bricked and I haven't played since.
