Whatcha playin? (Video games wise.)

Le Saboteur

Active member
Montana Smith said:
Read something about meeting him when the date in reality matches the date he gives you in-game.

While that's a true leap out of game into life, it also seems very limiting. So much so that people have been amending their system dates to speed up the process.

If you're facing Julian Day aka Calendar Man, then to your right is a Sionis Industries* calendar with several dates -- one in each month -- circled in red. Stop in and have a chat with Mr. Day on each of those days, and be rewarded with the spiel from one of his many murders.

* - Sionis Industries is owned by Roman Sionis aka Black Mask. You might have noticed him being tazed on your way into Arkham City.

How is it limiting? He's called Calendar Man for a reason. It's not like you're forced to leave the disc in your system for a calendar year. Pop it in and out on the required dates; or, do as Finn has suggested. Those people who're adjusting the internal calendar care far too much about their Gamerscore.

The first rule of Gamerscore is... you do not talk about your Gamerscore. The second rule of Gamerscore is... you do not look @ the trophies/achievements until you've completed an entire playthrough.

Montana Smith said:
...before completing the final mission.

The mission is never over.

Finn said:
Well, like I said, the Asian cinema is not completely unknown to me. Out of the ones you listed, I actually have seen Hard Boiled and Infernal Affairs. The former, incidentally, actually had a sequel made for it in form of a video game, titled John Woo's Stranglehold.

I thought I was pretty clear: So, yeah, if anybody here is interested in fleshing out their collection of Hong Kong action movies, here's a sampling of some of the better movies in my collection:

I've seen Stranglehold in stores, but haven't picked it up. Curiosity may eventually get the better of me.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Le Saboteur said:
If you're facing Julian Day aka Calendar Man, then to your right is a Sionis Industries* calendar with several dates -- one in each month -- circled in red. Stop in and have a chat with Mr. Day on each of those days, and be rewarded with the spiel from one of his many murders.

I checked the calendar and I think the game recorded Valentine's Day, even though it wasn't.

Le Saboteur said:
How is it limiting? He's called Calendar Man for a reason. It's not like you're forced to leave the disc in your system for a calendar year. Pop it in and out on the required dates; or, do as Finn has suggested. Those people who're adjusting the internal calendar care far too much about their Gamerscore.

Limiting in that who knows if they're going to be able to slap the disc into their machine on a given day! Which was why some of those players said they were changing their system dates.

It is, however, a strange and interesting concept bridging fantasy and reality.

Le Saboteur said:
The mission is never over.

It is until the next chapter is released. ;)
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Le Saboteur said:
I thought I was pretty clear: So, yeah, if anybody here is interested in fleshing out their collection of Hong Kong action movies, here's a sampling of some of the better movies in my collection:
What? Oh, did I come across as demeaning somehow? Never my intention, I was simply commenting on the two Hong Kong flicks I recalled seeing and their possible connections to Sleeping Dogs and video games in general.

Guess I'll have to do my best sheepish old Chinaman impression now. "Apologies, but your language, this Engrish... how do you say it... difficult."

Le Saboteur said:
I've seen Stranglehold in stores, but haven't picked it up. Curiosity may eventually get the better of me.
Give it a shot, especially if it's up for a budget price. I don't think it was anything to leave a lasting impression, but fun enough romp for a single playthrough. It's probably best treated as a straight-to-dvd sequel to Hard Boiled, definitely made easier by the fact that Chow Yun-Fat "reprises" his role as Tequila, in both likeness and voice.

Montana Smith said:
Limiting in that who knows if they're going to be able to slap the disc into their machine on a given day! Which was why some of those players said they were changing their system dates.
It's not limited to any single year though, so I guess an optimist could view it as the ultimate solution in replay value.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Finn said:
It's not limited to any single year though, so I guess an optimist could view it as the ultimate solution in replay value.

You just have to remember to put the dates on your calendar.

It's such a cinematic game that dipping back into it many times shouldn't be a problem.

I think I spent a few hours in the Museum today just catching up with the objects I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for when I went through the first time.

I like the the ability to tag objects that you either can't work out how to reach, or don't have the right gadget to obtain, or are meant for another player-character.

At the moment I've just entered the wonderfully atmospheric Wonder City.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
I finished Far Cry 3, what, two weeks ago now? Three? Don't remember. I'll need to see when I picked up my last trophy, and that'll just irritate me because I need six more trophies to earn my very first platinum trophy. And in order to do so, I'll need to sign up for ubisoft's stoopid UPlay thing.

No, I don't want to give you personal information just to play the co-op component of your game.

Anyway, I've been wondering where this type of outlook on the game has been.

David said:
Far Cry 3 has its similar issues, and, while I mention briefly in my review my initial concern with this game?s relation to its source materials, I think the connection necessitates deeper discussion of both narrative and mechanics. Far Cry 3 relishes the trappings of colonial adventure fiction to celebrate its ridiculousness without biting irony (which really makes the issue of satire here suspect). It?s a game about excess and orientalism, as narratively problematic as it is mechanically engrossing, offering one of the most complete experiences in the colonial adventure genre.

Be forewarned, though. If you haven't played the game yet and want to remain spoiler free, don't read it. If you don't care -- or, have beaten it -- go right ahead! It ties in with the Indiana Jones: Racist? thread Rocko started.

The White Guilt is strong with this one. PhD. candidates also like to mix in a lot of needless triple word-score choices.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Finished the story part of Arkham City. Surprised it was so short, especially taking into account of the time I spent doing side missions and looking for trophies.

Hopefully there's still a lot left to do after the post-credits Catwoman sequence. There's all the GOTY things at least, and the rest of the trophies and side missions.

The music, acting, gameplay and locations make this a thrill-ride for the Batfan in me.

Arkham Asylum GOTY should be here (again) next monday, to give me another Bat fix.



Mr. J died? What it is '89 Batman?





:dead:
1011a.gif
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Monty:

Mark Hamill didn't wish to get involved in another Arkham title. So it was a classic case of real life writing the plot.

---

Le Sab:

This was one of the better reads I've had this week. Visits some of the same topics in a more earthly format.


Really need to play this game.

---

About my current outing: Still spending what little offtime I have in Hong Kong. I estimate I'm maybe two thirds through, and well, my impressions haven't really changed. It's not the most massive sandbox in existence, but size isn't everything, as it's simply superbly crafted. Not a title to miss if GTA-likes are your thing.
 
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Montana Smith

Active member
Finn said:
Monty:

Mark Hamill didn't wish to get involved in another Arkham title. So it was a classic case of real life writing the plot.


I see now that it was old news, foretold before Arkham City even had a title.

May 27th 2010 By: Josh Wigler

Fans of Mark Hamill's voice work as the Joker in the animated "Batman" universe now have an extra reason to pick up "Batman: Arkham Asylum 2," as the video game sequel marks his last time ever playing the Clown Prince of Crime.

"This will be my last, there's no question about that," Hamill told IGN. "But it's the last hurrah."

Of course, if "Arkham Asylum 2" performs anywhere near as fantastically as the first game, Rocksteady Studios is bound to pursue a third game. Even so, Hamill won't return, which could portend a grim ending for the Joker when "Arkham Asylum 2" rolls around. But based on Hamill's words, the fact that he came back for these last two games is nothing short of a miracle for "Batman" fans everywhere.

"When they said, 'We want you to come back [to the role of The Joker] and do Arkham,' I said the same; 'I left on a high note, I don't think we could ever top that,'" he recalled. "But they said, 'We got Paul Dini,' who was my favourite ever Joker writer, 'and Kevin Conroy,' who I love. This was a real reunion and a very pleasant experience. So of course I relented, but I had no idea it would have the impact it did."

As for the challenges presented by the Joker of "Arkham Asylum," Hamill said: "In Arkham Asylum, since it wasn't based on the animated version, it was as nasty and gnarly as it could be, since it was aimed at an older audience. So it gave me a way to justify The Joker."


http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/...voice-the-joker-again-after-batman-arkham-as/




It's comforting, however, to hear the inmates telling each other, "The Joker's not dead." (!)
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Finn said:
Le Sab:

This was one of the better reads I've had this week. Visits some of the same topics in a more earthly format.


Really need to play this game.

---

It's certainly well written, but two words come to mind while reading it -- twee and precious. People from Brooklyn (and London) have an incessant need to put themselves at the center of everything*. The writers must be of The Millenial generation that this game wants to harken to.

*- My sister's best friend got a book deal for learning how to orgasm. Yeah, like that needed to be added to the canon.

I'm reminded of a quote by Roger Ebert from his review of Spielberg's take on A.I.:

Roger Ebert said:
"What responsibility does a human have to a robot that genuinely loves?" the film asks, and the answer is: none. Because the robot does not genuinely love. It genuinely only seems to love. We are expert at projecting human emotions into non-human subjects, from animals to clouds to computer games, but the emotions reside only in our minds.

Substitute 'kills' and/or 'dies' for love and 'Jason Brody' and/or 'pirate/PMC soldier' for robot, and the answer is the same: none. Especially when each and every one of those paper tigers looks remarkably like the one directly to his left. Those hive personalities all seem to have gotten the clap from the same lady of the night because they didn't want to use a rubber. They all hate the heat, too.

Jason Brody is worse than a ridiculous protagonist; he's a boring protagonist. He's bereft of a personality aside from an assortment of pop culture references. In fact, once certain true personalities make their eventual exit, the entire archipelago loses much of its appeal. So much so that it's not worth delving back into once the campaign has reached its... well, conclusion.

Forget all the "ludonarrative dissonance" nonsense and what being good @ killing 'people' in video games says about you. It means: You have a lot of patience and well-developed twitch reflexes.

banner_farcry.jpg


This smug, self-satisfied arse is the game's writer. Everything you need (or would want) to know can be surmised from this photo.

If you're reading this and want to peruse his Deep Thoughts, please go here.

The one line of interest -- of feeling out of place, an anachronism, and wanting to reinvent oneself -- isn't new. No, it's been a staple of fiction for decades. Regrettably, that entire tack is lost with the bogus endings. Not flawed, bogus. If the writer had employed such tropes as pacing, narrative coherence, and characterization, then Far Cry 3 might, might have succeeded in its goals.

dlc_hurk_24435.nphd.jpg


Did you even like it? Of course. It was entertaining. Highly entertaining. It's just not anything particularly profound or special. More though once Finn starts a playthrough.
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Le Saboteur said:
It's certainly well written, but two words come to mind while reading it -- twee and precious. People from Brooklyn (and London) have an incessant need to put themselves at the center of everything*. The writers must be of The Millenial generation that this game wants to harken to.
Seems like you're criticizing its style, not the content. I agree, it took me a while as well to find the right flow for its perusal, but once I did, there certainly was plenty of insight to both Far Cry 3 and gamer culture in general.

I'm smarter than to call pieces that take philosophical approach to gaming a true novelty, but still, the fact that we see these things in greater and greater quantity these days is a sign that games as a form of media have come a long way since I first took a controller in my hand sometime in the late 80s (not that I was nearly mature enough back then to actually appreciate these kind of approaches).


Le Saboteur said:
Jason Brody is worse than a ridiculous protagonist; he's a boring protagonist. He's bereft of a personality aside from an assortment of pop culture references. In fact, once certain true personalities make their eventual exit, the entire archipelago loses much of its appeal. So much so that it's not worth delving back into once the campaign has reached its... well, conclusion.
There's another adjective I'd find worth adding: he's an experimental protagonist. Yes, the execution falls flat, but the fact that you're playing a snotty kid rather than some special forces grunt (in active service or former) makes me applaud the approach, even if the execution falls flat. But I'll have to come back and review the existence failure of Jason Brody's character once I, you know, actually play the game.

However, there is one character in every sandbox game far more important than the protagonist or any of the supporting cast that ultimately deems the game's success. That is the world itself. If Vaas really is the only thing keeping the environment alive (as you obviously allude to), then I really have to wonder why everyone's willing to give the game such high marks.


Le Saboteur said:
More though once Finn starts a playthrough.
Even without this comment, I was about to lament how handicapped I feel, discussing about a game I haven't actually played. This is definitely a back-and-forth we'll have to get back to once I actually get around to it.

Though given my more methodical nature as a gamer, I'm not so sure when that's going to happen, especially with the still-bloated backlog. Yes, FC3 would appear like the natural next step given all this talk, but it'd be the fourth sandbox in a row, so I may have to step into another direction for an appetizer. Maybe something from the adventure side like Sherlock Holmes or a meticulous sneaker such as Dishonored or Hitman.

Damn, I feel real giddy listing my options, knowing all the quality time I have ahead - but sort of depressed at the same time, since I also find myself wondering how in the hell am I going to find all the necessary hours these are going to take.


Speaking of which, how's your playthrough of The Witcher 2 coming along, Sab? Since you haven't mentioned it in a while, am I to presume it's on an indefinite backburner?

Le Saboteur said:
*- My sister's best friend got a book deal for learning how to orgasm. Yeah, like that needed to be added to the canon.
You know, if it opens the womankind an easier path to sexual gratification, I'm all for adding it. Because consequently, it should open us males more opportunities for gaming.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Arkham Asylum GOTY arrived earlier than expected.

A perfect, uncorrupted copy 'fulfilled' by Amazon.

It looks and plays as well as Arkham City. After gliding high above the city, the Asylum has an immensely claustrophobic quality. It feels very tense as well, with Joker harrassing you over the intercom, shutting doors around you and setting traps!
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Finn said:
Seems like you're criticizing its style, not the content. I agree, it took me a while as well to find the right flow for its perusal, but once I did, there certainly was plenty of insight to both Far Cry 3 and gamer culture in general.

Delving into the article's(?) actual content does you a disservice until you have actually have yourself kitted out. I don't want to inadvertently give something away, but I will go into a couple of peripheral items.

Far Cry 3's promotional materials indicate that the Rook Islands don't appear on modern maps; you need to find an old map. Just how old is left up to the imagination, but I would suspect something circa World War II would suffice. For various reasons, I don't find this surprising; the Pacific is vast, and large tracts are relatively unexplored. See the U.S. Navy's recent mishap because they didn't have the appropriate map.

We can, however, be confidant that we're in the South Pacific, specifically Southeast Asia/Indonesia/Malaysia. Our biggest indicators are the combination of local fauna (tigers and leopards can exist nowhere else in the world), and the locals; they have a combination of Asiatic & Pacific Islander features, with an Aussie-like accent. The underlying themes of the global black market, piracy, and human trafficking all serve to reinforce that specific locale. Because if you didn't already know, the Strait of Malacca is a pirate playground rivaled only by Somalia. Indonesia also happens to be a major source country for sex slaves and forced labor.

Quintin Smith said:
You have a radio, a fully-functioning tablet and generous access to vehicles, so you could try to contact your family; you could try to get a ride to the mainland, get to an embassy, call for help and let your family know your brother has died, that everyone you love is being held hostage by pirates.

You have access to a handful of road vehicles. A hang glider isn't going to get you very far, and a Zodiac-like craft and Patrol Boat type thing aren't ocean going vessels. They might have a range of 100 Nautical Miles (NMI). Don't even ask about that jetski.

Inter-island travel appears to only be capable via helicopter. From the looks of it, that chopper is a CH-60; they have a range of approximately 275nmi. There's potential there if you can fly it. Doesn't help much though if you don't know where you're at.

A Cessna appears very late in the game, as does a Gulfstream. Both are important in determining a rough location of the archipelago. Gulfstream jets have a range of several thousand nautical miles, so that's not entirely helpful. The Cessna, however, has a range of around a thousand nmi. If we're to believe the character flying it is going to upgrade in Singapore that narrows our search parameters down considerably.

Realistically that puts the Rook Islands roughly smack dab in the middle of the South China Sea, equidistant from anywhere. Though, there is an actual Rook Island on the Eastern coast of Papua New Guinea.

The Far Cry 3 wiki indicates that the Rook Islands are somewhere between Thailand and Papua New Guinea. That's a lot of territory to cover. The developers have subsequently ignored their own established reality. There's no skydiving outfit on this island. Where'd you come from? Where's that boat you had in the Stranded trailer?


Finn said:
...you're playing a snotty kid rather than some special forces grunt (in active service or former).

Jason Brody is a snotty rich kid for about fifteen minutes. Shortly after the opening, he's able to expertly wield military grade hardware and set fractures without a second thought or experience. He might as well been one of those faceless and nameless special forces grunts. It would have given the game better context.

Finn said:
If Vaas really is the only thing keeping the environment alive (as you obviously allude to), then I really have to wonder why everyone's willing to give the game such high marks.

Vaas is the linchpin to everything that happens. If Michael Mando doesn't win a VGA award, I would be shocked. He gets to do all the scenery chewing. I'll say no more, though.

far_cry_3.jpg


Hoyt, however, is the most compelling character in the game. Following his story would have allowed the team to come closer to realizing their narrative goals.

'nuff said.

Well, only because I've already said too much.

Finn said:
...or a meticulous sneaker such as Dishonored or Hitman.

Neither is quite as meticulous as you'd like. You now have enough firepower to get out of any situation. Give Holmes a go.


Finn said:
Speaking of which, how's your playthrough of The Witcher 2 coming along, Sab? Since you haven't mentioned it in a while, am I to presume it's on an indefinite backburner?

Unintentionally shelved because of the holidays. That glut of games that came out between Thanksgiving and early December set it back even further.
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Le Saboteur said:
You have access to a handful of road vehicles. A hang glider isn't going to get you very far, and a Zodiac-like craft and Patrol Boat type thing aren't ocean going vessels. They might have a range of 100 Nautical Miles (NMI). Don't even ask about that jetski.

Inter-island travel appears to only be capable via helicopter. From the looks of it, that chopper is a CH-60; they have a range of approximately 275nmi. There's potential there if you can fly it. Doesn't help much though if you don't know where you're at.
Hey. This was quite fascinating. From game design point of view, it's fridge brilliance at its best, and at least a partial justification for Jason's fight-rather-than-flight attitude, if he really has no way off the islands. Not so flattering for Mr. Smith, though. He's obviously not an outdoorsy person.

Le Saboteur said:
Jason Brody is a snotty rich kid for about fifteen minutes. Shortly after the opening, he's able to expertly wield military grade hardware and set fractures without a second thought or experience. He might as well been one of those faceless and nameless special forces grunts. It would have given the game better context.
...then, of course, there's this bit. I can understand that from a layman's point of view, it may seem a bit otherworldly a kid who's probably never handled a gun can pick it up so quick.

But to be honest, it's another bit of fridge brilliance. Because, in truth, using military hardware is ****-easy. They've been designed in a way that even the greatest simpleton can become comfortable in handling them in relatively short time. After all, the rank-and-file in most militaries doesn't exactly consist of geniuses, but rather likely the other end of the intelligence spectrum.

A skilled military instructor can teach a platoon of rookie grunts to wield their weapons in proper manner in a matter of hours. I still recall when they first took us to live-fire range. At the beginning, around 8 am, I was pretty freaked out to be handling an assault rifle designed to shoot live ammo.

By noon, I was already quite comfortable with it. Probably not an expert, but miles ahead of your ordinary man from the street. And later on, same with every other type of kit. Be it small arms, explosives, first aid equipment or communication gear, a few hours was all it took to transfer a novice into something that just might even pass for a pro.

You'd be surprised how little time militaries use for equipment schooling. It's physical training, tactics, operational safety and just drilling the mooks with that certain mindset laden with obedience that takes up most of the time. I still recall one occasion out in the field, when the comms guy had to step out for a moment and me, the squad medic, was told to stand in for him. The problem was, their messaging kit was of the type unfamiliar to me. When I brought my lack of training to the attention of the LT in charge, he simply gave me an empty stare and told me to get my ass in there.

Now, I don't except Jason Brody's adaption rate to be entirely realistic, but it might just be not so far-fetched as you may think. Wielding hardware, no issue. Operational safety? Well, he's alone for most time, in a very hostile environment, so friendly fire isn't much of an issue either. And judging by the way he looks, he seems to be in decent physical condition. It's the tactics bit where most suspension of disbelief is probably required, as in how a snotty kid can constantly come up with schemes that beat squads of people who probably have more training than him. But then again, if you, as a gamer, can figure out the best approaches to assault a base in the course of few hours... though to be fair, there is no safe points and reloads in real life if you screw up.

Le Saboteur said:
Neither is quite as meticulous as you'd like. You now have enough firepower to get out of any situation. Give Holmes a go.
But if what I've read is true, the meticulousness definitely is an option. It's up to the player's willpower if they decide to take the easy way out. At least for me, the game constantly not force-feeding me an approach makes it nothing but perhaps even more engaging.

Regardless, Holmes is actually the one I'm currently leaning towards. Should be sufficiently different, and also something I don't probably feel compelled to go back to after a single playthrough, at least without sufficient time.
 

Attila the Professor

Moderator
Staff member
Finn said:
Regardless, Holmes is actually the one I'm currently leaning towards. Should be sufficiently different, and also something I don't probably feel compelled to go back to after a single playthrough, at least without sufficient time.

Is that this game, The Testament of Sherlock Holmes?
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Attila the Professor said:
Is that this game, The Testament of Sherlock Holmes?
That's the one. Impressions likely forthcoming once I get around to it. Have you played it, or simply being curious about it?
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Finn said:
...then, of course, there's this bit. I can understand that from a layman's point of view, it may seem a bit otherworldly a kid who's probably never handled a gun can pick it up so quick.

A point of clarification: Earlier in life I was a NRA-certified instructor in both black powder and basic rifle, and spent a couple of summers teaching kids (12-16) in their use. So, while I agree with you on the relative ease of use, there is a learning curve. Jason Brody, however, goes from 0-60 without any evidence of acquired experience. For a game that wants to chronicle the rise from callow youth to hardened killer and the resulting descent from this "high", missing that vital first step is a critical failure.

sleeping-dogs-04-700x3931.jpg


Let's take a sidestep back into the seamy side of Hong Kong. After installing a gig-sized update, I spent a couple of hours refamiliarizing myself with the controls and busting a few drug dealers in the process. Dealt with Charlie Pang's gun, too. You do remember Charlie Pang?

Don't click on the link if you haven't played the game through this point, please. It should be experienced organically.

This was a phenomenal bit of design and storytelling. Not only does it advance the story by evolving two characters and their relationship, but teaches you the game's shooting mechanics without breaking the fourth wall. It wouldn't have been hard to implement something like this in Far Cry 3's very brief hand holding section.

Finn said:
There's another adjective I'd find worth adding: he's an experimental protagonist.

If I may get back to this for a moment, he's only experimental in the FPS genre. The adventure game genre that we enjoy is ridiculous with fish-out-of-water type characters. They're even fond of female protagonists. Black Mirror, Runaway, Broken Sword, and the phenomenal The Last Express all come to mind.



Finn said:
But if what I've read is true, the meticulousness definitely is an option.

No comment on Hitman: Absolution yet. I still haven't even installed it. Though, that meticulousness is definitely an option. The biggest hindrance to skulking about in Dishonored is the Omniscient City Watch Syndrome. In order to insert difficulty, once one watchman knows where you're at, they all do. I ended up killing a couple more watchmen than I wanted to because of this. Still, I will gladly set foot back into Dunwall once the story based DLC is released, and my backlog is thinned out.

Attila the Professor said:
Is that this game, The Testament of Sherlock Holmes?

That...um, review(?) is wa-ay to critical. It raises a couple of interesting points (changing to Watson was generally useless), but traditionally you as a reader/viewer/gamer never know what's going on in Holmes' head.

Also, playing Holmes' baying rent-a-hound was hilarious if a bit non-nonsensical. I'll take my gold trophy for the undertaking, though.

It does seem that Frogwares has heard the hue and cry, and will attempt to put you in full control of Holmes' faculties in the next outing, Crimes & Punishments.

Frogwares said:
Unlike the previous adventures of Sherlock Holmes, in Crimes and Punishments you will not be a mere spectator during the detective?s investigation. It is now your turn to truly become Sherlock Holmes and lead your own investigation?actually, your investigations, as 8 captivating cases await you! Murders, disappearances, spectacular thefts, and other investigations will bring you to the cutting edge of the detective genre and these cases will be the bread and butter of this game, written in the pure tradition of Conan Doyle?s novels. Each case offers real freedom to players, who will have to make important moral choices instead of simply enforcing justice by the book. All decisions have an influence in the game and affect your character?s reputation in addition to having realistic, sometimes unexpected, consequences. You will have to bear the weight of your choices, as Crimes and Punishments offers an exciting system of actions/consequences that forces players to think before acting by giving true depth to every decision they make.

crimespunishments-02__full.jpg


I'm not sure how far into the development cycle the game has gotten, but those screenshots look great. They're a vast improvement over the last outing. The fog alone assures that the decision to switch to the ubiquitous Unreal 3 engine was a good one. Aside from the choice to update the character of Holmes to a more modern sensibility, there isn't anything about this title that I don't like so far.

Truth be told, I would rather have an updated take on Watson. Do something more than act as Holmes' chronicler!

SleepingDogs_Screen_Fire-620x.jpg


In a final bit of news, Square Enix has announced their 2013 DLC plans for Sleeping Dogs. While the bulk of it appears to be another round of cosmetic updates, there's at least one more story update to be had in The Year of the Snake!

IGN said:
Set immediately after the new game, players will encounter ?a vicious end-of-the-world cult hell-bent on cleansing the city of its evils.? Players will get new outfits, new weapons including tear gas guns and electroshock pistols and will ?enter a race against the clock to bring the cultists to justice before Judgment Day.?

Getting to play as the famed Monkey King also sounds enticing.

No dates as of yet, but with the original statement indicating that Sleeping Dogs would receive DLC for six months after release, that would put April as the outlier. I wouldn't expect anything beyond that except for the inevitable sequel announcement.

CVG is reporting that insiders have told them that the 20th of February conference in New York will indeed be the public unveiling of the Playstation 4. I'm cautiously excited.

PS4 Everything
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Le Saboteur said:
Jason Brody, however, goes from 0-60 without any evidence of acquired experience. For a game that wants to chronicle the rise from callow youth to hardened killer and the resulting descent from this "high", missing that vital first step is a critical failure.
Out of curiosity, is there evidence for the contrary, that he does not have any? After all, I think we both agree that somewhat passable proficiency can be acquired with as little as a single visit to a range.

To be fair though... even if I should be more than competent to evaluate whether the adoption rate withstands the suspension of disbelief enough to chalk any disrepancies to gameplay and story segregation, maybe I shouldn't be talking about this subject before I've actually played the game.


Le Saboteur said:
This was a phenomenal bit of design and storytelling. Not only does it advance the story by evolving two characters and their relationship, but teaches you the game's shooting mechanics without breaking the fourth wall. It wouldn't have been hard to implement something like this in Far Cry 3's very brief hand holding section.
It was very clever, indeed - even if a justified tutorial isn't exactly a novelty anymore. Even more prominent example is the Assassin's Creed series. So much, in fact, that the devs at Ubi seemed to have made this trope their permanent lover and ten of its sisters their mistresses on the side when ACIII rolled around.

Le Saboteur said:
If I may get back to this for a moment, he's only experimental in the FPS genre. The adventure game genre that we enjoy is ridiculous with fish-out-of-water type characters. They're even fond of female protagonists. Black Mirror, Runaway, Broken Sword, and the phenomenal The Last Express all come to mind.
Don't I know that. My whole point was that the genre is the very thing what makes this case a breath of fresh air. Even if their execution falls flat, I'd like to give 'em props for the effort.

Besides, the premise and setting very likely partially served to the shock effect the gaming circles were treated after a bit lackluster hype phase. I don't think I've ever seen the hivemind of games journalism go this sharply from "meh" vibes during the previews to "GOTY candidate" once they acquired the finished product. In fact, something tells me that the devs would gladly do it all over again, even if they did have a chance to foresee the mixed reception some of the story elements got.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Finn said:
Out of curiosity, is there evidence for the contrary, that he does not have any? After all, I think we both agree that somewhat passable proficiency can be acquired with as little as a single visit to a range.

Yes. Shortly after you wake up in Dennis' care he hands you a wad of cash to purchase your first gun. Jason's response is "But I've never even fired a gun before."*

*Paraphrased, of course.

Finn said:
Don't I know that. My whole point was that the genre is the very thing what makes this case a breath of fresh air. Even if their execution falls flat, I'd like to give 'em props for the effort.

Fair enough. I'll desist in my postmortem until after you've had the opportunity to delve into the wonders of the Rook Islands.

Oh, and you're welcome.

the-witcher-inline-610x732.jpg





Finn said:
Even more prominent example is the Assassin's Creed series. So much, in fact, that the devs at Ubi seemed to have made this trope their permanent lover and ten of its sisters their mistresses on the side when ACIII rolled around.

Very true. I really should go back into that game and beat it. I'm either on the final chapter or the next-to-last chapter. Now with Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time finally coming out, that's one more game I'll need to play. Though, I ought to be finishing the HD Collection first.

 
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