Whatcha playin? (Video games wise.)

The Drifter

New member
I beat Darksiders II last night. So, I figured that I would write up a small review for everyone who may be interested.
<b>Graphics</b>
First of all, I want to say that I love the art style in this series of games. There may not be any of the fancy doo-dads that some games have, such as bump-mapping, a million polys per character, ect, but the art style more than makes up for it. Joe Mad did the art as he also did for the first Darksiders, which helps make the game distinct.

<b>Controls</b>
The combat is smooth as silk. And very deep and fun to play. The platforming is fun, but it seems that sometimes the game can be unresponsive at times during these segments. But, other than that, the controls are fine.

<b>Sound</b>
Darksiders II really shines here. the sound effects are done well, but the great voice acting and music really stand out and is FANTASTIC!

<b>Overall</b>
I enjoyed my time with this game. Some parts can be annoying, I give it a 8/10
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Finn said:
By the way, the fifth installment of Broken Sword series reached its required backing of $400,000 yesterday, so the game according to the vision the devs want it made is a go.

If memory serves, that was about a million bucks American including what they already spent; that seems reasonable. Which is a far cry from the out of control budgets of AAA-titles that publishers are decrying these days. Though, I have yet to put a finger on why any game's cost should run into the tens of millions of bucks.
another playthrough compliments it far more than the first one.

I'd really like a copy of that art book, but the necessary two-fifty is a bit much right now.

Finn said:
Though I did manage to sneak a peek to Sleeping Dogs when visiting a friend. I have to say, it genuinely seemed like the first GTA-esque sandbox title that might just actually challenge Rockstar in their home turf. While Dishonored is still on top of my "to acquire" list for this year, I may just have to divert part of my budget to see what Hong Kong has to offer in all its glory.

Dishonored is right up there with Assassin's Creed on the must acquire list. They change depending on my mood, but naval warfare in the Age of Fighting Sail is one of my favourites. Now, if Dishonored was actually Thief 4, then it might be a different story.

Remember the nifty shanty that played over the official gameplay trailer? Well, Bethesda has decided to release it for your listening pleasure.

Dig the embedded video for an even quicker fix.



Dishonored_Tumblr_13380851688527.jpg
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Le Saboteur said:
Though, I have yet to put a finger on why any game's cost should run into the tens of millions of bucks.
I think I saw an article in some game magazine where Tim Schafer used to talk about this stuff. He said that game budgets bloat easily if one concentrates too much on the so-called external production values, ie. stuff that don't directly concern the people directly involved in the technical aspects of creating a game.

In that vein, I'd say one could easily shave off a few millions from any budget by cutting down marketing. Maybe I'm just too much of a gamer, but I don't really see why somebody who likes to play them would acquire a title simply because they happened to catch an ad or two or three somewhere. Or even become aware of its existence. To top off that silliness, the most marketed titles are ones that don't essentially even need the extra publicity. They have been greatly anticipated from the moment the dev has announced such a game is in the works.

Another thing Mr. Schafer mentioned was garnering attention by using big-name actors to provide voices. I can see why that would be a waste. They demand more salary while not essentially even delivering a good performance because they aren't experienced in acting by using their vocal cords alone. And their marketing value is dubious as well. I mean, what would happen if there was an announcement of a new Indy game in works, with Mr. Ford himself providing voice talent? Would this place go absolutely bats? No doubt. But would people who don't game but are used to simply liking his movies suddenly crowd the local Best Buy? Hardly. In other words, you've only managed to create more excitement among the people who would very likely get the game anyway.


But apart from that, there are also justified reasons why game budgets are what they are these days. Even if the costs can go too high to comprehend, it is good to keep in mind that games are generally more expensive to make these days, simply because especially the AAA titles are far more complex entities than they were a decade ago, not to mention two. Game worlds have gotten more expansive, as have game mechanics, the visual look of the game, sound work... all stuff that may require dedicated teams of tens to nail it down - especially if you have a deadline.

And finally, there is something that - according to my knowledge at least - has highly unpredictable costs in the post-production phase, but usually most of it is justified. The quality assurance work. QA can take up serious manpower to make sure the game is as bug-free as possible and generally works like it's intended when it goes out the door. The amount of this apparently grows expotentially with the complexity of the product (and the closeness of the deadline). Alternate method to this is to simply make sure the release works somewhat, and then listen closely to user feedback to add that extra layer of polish, but that generally requires a title made for a dedicated base, since they tend to be more forgiving. Ironically, it's sort of a two-edged blade. Try to utilize this with a title that's clearly being made as something the devs hope to garner as wide an audience as possible, and even the core can get mad, no matter how fan dumb fan rage usually is. But say from the start that you're not even trying to pamper everyone - and suddenly it becomes a source of good publicity.

<small>And for everyone left to wonder after this wall of text... no, I'm not a dev. But I've been involved with people who have poured some scientific research into the field. It's kind of amazing how you can waste your time away in a lab these days.</small>





And oh, in other news... time to dust off your copy of Half-Life 2. Because Black Mesa is out now. And from what I've heard, it's something not to ignore.


Also, if you ever need to get inspired about playing a game, head here. That Skyrim section especially has made me ask lately why I still haven't even booted it up.
 

Ska

New member
I'm currently not playing anything, as my PS3 has turned into a $300 paper weight. I started up a game of Madden two days ago, and didn't even get to the Press Start screen before my PS3 shut down on me. I go to restart it, and the light turns yellow for a split second before blinking red. It will continue to blink red until I turn off the power via the switch in the back of the system. When I turn it back on, the light stays on and is red. Try to power up the system and I get the yellow light flash, then blinking red again. I'm assuming this is the yellow light of death and that my PS3 is a goner?

Thinking of the hours of gameplay that I lost is making me sick...Metal Gear Solid 4, Assassin's Creed II, Need for Speed: The Run, Lara Croft: Guardian of Light, Infamous, etc. All games that I haven't finished yet that I was 50-75% complete on.
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Ska said:
I'm assuming this is the yellow light of death and that my PS3 is a goner?
Sounds like a YLOD all right.

One of the reasons I prefer PCs. They're not closed systems what comes to hardware, so if something goes fritz, the odds are it's nothing a relatively cheap replacement part, a screwdriver and some macgyvering won't fix.

Though in the technical sense, modern consoles aren't really that much more complicated - after all, they're nothing but tad fancier computers. In fact, I have heard stories of fellow propellerheads being able to strip their systems apart and jury rig 'em back into working condition. So if you know any garage geniuses, it shouldn't hurt to haul the thing over and let them take a gander at it. Unless the warranty's still good, that is. Goes without saying that in said case one should just FedEx it back to Sony.
 

Ska

New member
Finn said:
Sounds like a YLOD all right.

One of the reasons I prefer PCs. They're not closed systems what comes to hardware, so if something goes fritz, the odds are it's nothing a relatively cheap replacement part, a screwdriver and some macgyvering won't fix.

Though in the technical sense, modern consoles aren't really that much more complicated - after all, they're nothing but tad fancier computers. In fact, I have heard stories of fellow propellerheads being able to strip their systems apart and jury rig 'em back into working condition. So if you know any garage geniuses, it shouldn't hurt to haul the thing over and let them take a gander at it. Unless the warranty's still good, that is. Goes without saying that in said case one should just FedEx it back to Sony.


It's a 4-5 year old 40gb chubby unit. Def. out of warranty.

I plan on picking up a slightly used slim version. Don't want to spend $250-$300 for a new model, when I'm sure PS4 is right around the corner.
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Ska said:
It's a 4-5 year old 40gb chubby unit. Def. out of warranty.
Too bad. Though if it's been running this far without a hiccup, I suppose one might even consider himself lucky. Especially if it's been used regularly. After all, four to five years is sitting quite in the middle of the age range when machines with delicate electronics in them start showing wear and tear.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Finn said:
Any PC acquired during the past five years or so should run even the newest titles in the genres with relative ease.

How about one picked up in the past two days? ;) My previous PC decided to randomly turn itself off, and now won't turn back on. So while I wait for the time to root around its guts, I picked up this contraption from Dell. It works well, but I detest all the proprietary junk Dell includes. (No, you can't monitor my usage Dell.)

I should have sprung for the dedicated graphics card, but this integrated unit is decent. I can actually play Napoleon: Total War without sitting through monster lag, and Left 4 Dead 2 runs exceptionally well.

On the console front: Risen 2: Dark Water; Sleeping Dogs; The Testament of Sherlock Holmes; Ratchet & Clank HD Collection; Dishonored; L.A. Noire; Ghost Recon: Future Soldier have all been in heavy rotation. Sherlock, however, has taken up most of that time.

Sex-Guide-The-Witcher-2-Assassins-of-Kings-Ves-745x466-2c40a8ed22bf8174.jpg


Yes, that's The Witcher 2. And no, I haven't bought it. I found a copy of the Enhanced Edition for a ridiculously discounted price, and am definitely thinking about it.

Ves is ridiculously hot. For a collection of polygons.

While doing research I was surprised at the amount of sex in the game. It seems to be a new trend amongst RPGs going back, at least for me, to the original Fable.
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Le Saboteur said:
While doing research I was surprised at the amount of sex in the game. It seems to be a new trend amongst RPGs going back, at least for me, to the original Fable.
In this case, it actually stems from the devs being very faithful to the source material. The games are a continuation of a series of fantasy novels written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, and Geralt really gets around in those.

Though I didn't actually find the amount of sex that high (at least by European standards), but it is very graphic, at least for what is supposed to be a mainstream video game. Also, it's used solely as a storytelling device* rather than a gameplay gimmick as in, say, Fable where you simply drag a random NPC to bed and the screen fades to black with some modest "oohs" and "aahs" for cheap player giggles.

<small>*Think Ves is hot? Just Google "Triss bath scene". (NSFW)</small>
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Finn said:
The games are a continuation of a series of fantasy novels written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, and Geralt really gets around in those.

This I knew. While I've never actually read the source material, I was aware of the game's literary origins. The fact that Geralt tomcats about is a nice change of pace from the typical fantasy novel where... well, you know. Maybe I'll seek out a novel or two.

Finn said:
Though I didn't actually find the amount of sex that high (at least by European standards), but it is very graphic, at least for what is supposed to be a mainstream video game.

Agreed. It's not that high. It was just surprising. Considering that it's essentially the final frontier of gaming, it's equally pleasing that CD Projekt RED was able to handle it so deftly. BioWare's attempted it, of course, but it always felt clumsy. Well, at least in Dragon Age 2.


Finn said:
Also, it's used solely as a storytelling device* rather than a gameplay gimmick as in, say, Fable where you simply drag a random NPC to bed and the screen fades to black with some modest "oohs" and "aahs" for cheap player giggles.

Man, Lady Grey had some awesome "oohs" and "aahs". ;) But therein lies the problem -- it's too much of a gimmick; if it's not a gimmick, then there's a brief gameplay boost a la God of War to justify the inclusion. Given the limitations of the genre sex may always end up being "novel", but it is something that adventure games could possibly do quite well.

Finn said:
<small>*Think Ves is hot? Just Google "Triss bath scene". (NSFW)</small>

I saw it. That and the one with the cloven-hoofed siren. I still prefer the swordswoman to the sorceress.

I did go ahead and pick up a copy of the Enhanced Edition earlier today, and the good news is that this rig will run it; bad news is, it won't run it on Ultra. High works well, but I'll probably need to drop it to Medium in order to smooth out the frame rate.

The visuals are exceptional. I'm only through part of the tutorial so far, but the gameplay does seem rather deep. Let's see how it pans out!
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Le Saboteur said:
Maybe I'll seek out a novel or two.
There are seven in total. Too bad very few of them at least thus far have made it to languages a regular westerner can be expected to comprehend. I think there are only two available in English. Besides those I've read one more in another language I can understand, and then went the wiki route to fill in the blanks.

There's a fan translation project in the works, but I haven't found the time to peruse through those so I can't vouch for quality.

Le Saboteur said:
I did go ahead and pick up a copy of the Enhanced Edition earlier today, and the good news is that this rig will run it; bad news is, it won't run it on Ultra. High works well, but I'll probably need to drop it to Medium in order to smooth out the frame rate.
Wait, what? The Witcher 2... with integrated graphics? Does not compute, especially if you claim it runs on high settings.

Are you sure you haven't got your expressions mixed up and mean a factory-installed GPU instead? Because "integrated graphics" refers to a chip embedded on the motherboard and those are rarely no good for more than desktop work. Most rigs built by common manufacturers do come with dedicated cards, they're just from the lower end of the power spectrum.

Le Saboteur said:
The visuals are exceptional. I'm only through part of the tutorial so far, but the gameplay does seem rather deep. Let's see how it pans out!
While I'm prone to singing high praise from the rooftops to this game, I do have to admit that it is something of an acquired taste. Players looking for casual times should indeed beware.

I'd say the prologue defines whether you'll like it or hate it; if you enjoy it enough to make it through that, it'll only get better from there. Also, it's a game where the character build definitely matters a great deal as well, as some talent combinations are clearly not meant for newcomers (and the game is somewhat lousy at dropping hints what these might be). If you'd like some quick tips for which skills to invest in, shoot me a line.

And yes, it is a game that is exceptionally well-crafted what comes to graphics. Most of it is actually hard-coded to the texture and animation level, meaning the adjustable graphics settings are mostly extra layer effects which make a little difference save for true HD resolutions. If you prefer steady FPS to some eye candy, might as well crank nearly everything on low. It'll still end up looking better than most other modern titles on ultra.
 
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Le Saboteur

Active member
dandelion_ves.jpg


Finn said:
C'mon, am I seriously the only one here who talks about this game? If so, I'm slowly starting to think there's something wrong with me.

You've probably come to the disheartening conclusion that everybody in this thread is a dedicated console gamer, myself included. That said, I am enjoying everything that's happened thus far in Assassins of Kings. Not that much has actually happened yet, but the collection of voice actors utilized to bring the world to life is quite impressive. More developers need to put this much effort into their characterization!

Currently: About halfway through the "To the Temple" segment of the 1st Chapter.




Finn said:
There are seven in total. Too bad very few of them at least thus far have made it to languages a regular westerner can be expected to comprehend. I think there are only two available in English. Besides those I've read one more in another language I can understand, and then went the wiki route to fill in the blanks.

I noticed that. Two volumes isn't bad. I'll wait for the rest. It beats sorting through the gibberish that is Polish or Hungarian. I suspect that Hawaiian absorbed all of the extra vowels.

With all due apologies to our friends from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.


Finn said:
Wait, what? The Witcher 2... with integrated graphics? Does not compute, especially if you claim it runs on high settings.

Fairly certain. The spec sheet indicates "Intel HD Integrated Graphics." No other information is provided, and I haven't cracked the case yet. It'll run on Ultra as well, but I am forced to watch each letter being formed in the character's mouth. Medium seems to be a happy compromise.

Finn said:
While I'm prone to singing high praise from the rooftops to this game, I do have to admit that it is something of an acquired taste. Players looking for casual times should indeed beware.

I prefer something with more depth and complexity from the games I end up playing on PC. The console offerings have more than enough casual entertainment.

Finn said:
If you'd like some quick tips for which skills to invest in, shoot me a line.

I'll do that. Feel free to do the same. I can say that it also helps to read the instruction manual! With nearly all console games doing away with paper inserts, I expected to be able to find the control scheme in-game. Getting slashed in the back by a soldier of La Valette because you don't know how to draw yours is quite embarrassing.


dishonored-screen-2.jpg


Revenge Solves Everything

The Testament of Sherlock Holmes is superb. I wasn't expecting much from their first multi-platform effort, but Frogwares & Focus Interactive have really captured the essence of Sherlock Holmes. Here's hoping that they find the necessary sales to warrant another outing.

Unfortunately there's an irritating bug that I came across late in the game -- all of the audio randomly cuts out. It isn't game breaking but, but it's irritating and requires you to restart the game for it kick back in. I've set it aside for now in favor of Dishonored.

I adored Thief when it came out. My early impressions of Dishonored are equally favourable. The world it creates is richly detailed, creative, and the gameplay ties it all together in a nice little package. For those of us not into First Person Shooters, there's a definite learning curve to the controls. Once you've familiarized yourself with them though, things become obviously easier.

I'm attempting a stealth play through this first time around, but it's been a challenge. The first level was a complete bust, but I've only had to kill three people on the second. Let's see if we can improve upon that.
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Le Saboteur said:
You've probably come to the disheartening conclusion that everybody in this thread is a dedicated console gamer, myself included. That said, I am enjoying everything that's happened thus far in Assassins of Kings. Not that much has actually happened yet, but the collection of voice actors utilized to bring the world to life is quite impressive. More developers need to put this much effort into their characterization!
Not really. I reckoned it more as a cultural thing. While the game's production values are there with the rest of the big boys, it is regardless a bit obscure title coming from an obscure developer, based on obscure source material. It definitely hasn't created as much marketing noise than, say, Skyrim or Mass Effect. So if there is a fault, it's not on those casual-loving console peasants, but on my skills at grassroots marketing.

One of the things that has definitely helped the devs to paint up the world is the decision to make the games a continuation of the novel series rather than a simple adaptation. Original characters tend to be a little bland upon their introduction, because they don't really have history with the world. Here, a great amount of central characters who Geralt runs into have had some interaction with him in the past. They may be an old friend, foe, or something in-between, and they're constantly referring to events that took place in the novels. It definitely gives them more depth than a character whose only purpose is to be there to provide exposition and advance the plot in one way or another.

Le Saboteur said:
Currently: About halfway through the "To the Temple" segment of the 1st Chapter.
I might be nitpicking, but you're still in the prologue. The game is divided into five sections. The prologue, chapters numbered I, II and III and a short epilogue. The actual 1st chapter starts after Geralt is done recapping things to Roche and escapes his captors. Once you make it to Flotsam, you know you're in the thick of it.


V0ICO.png


Oh, and those woods back there? Far more than just for show, the world doesn't end at the town gate. And the forest is full of things that think witchers are tasty. Come well armed.

Le Saboteur said:
It beats sorting through the gibberish that is Polish or Hungarian.
Heh. Not to mention Finnish.

Le Saboteur said:
Fairly certain. The spec sheet indicates "Intel HD Integrated Graphics." No other information is provided, and I haven't cracked the case yet..
Now that makes sense, at least somewhat. It's one of those CPU-implemented graphics processors. Must be Ivy Bridge generation, I've heard those being able to handle mainstream gaming somewhat adequately, about on par with dedicated GPUs three or four generations back. Though I've yet to see a benchmark to go with that assessment I, suppose there's enough mouth-to-mouth going around that I can consider the story plausible, especially if the remaining components meet the modern standards.

Still, even if the onboard chip can run the thing, it should be kept in mind that it's not designed for a game as demanding as The Witcher 2. In a generation or two it might be so, but right now a dedicated solution is still recommended, not so much for performance's, but longevity's sake. Even a lower-end card, hovering around the $50 price mark is to be considered an upgrade in this case.

Le Saboteur said:
I'll do that. Feel free to do the same. I can say that it also helps to read the instruction manual! With nearly all console games doing away with paper inserts, I expected to be able to find the control scheme in-game. Getting slashed in the back by a soldier of La Valette because you don't know how to draw yours is quite embarrassing.
One of the things that come natural to a PC gamer is looking over the control options and customizing them to meet your standards, instead of just looking out for in-game tooltips. Of course, the adjoining printed manual is a nice thing to have, too.

Anyway, while while I've got no intention to hold your hand here, there are two general pointers I think you'll find valuable (though I can provide more insight should you be on lookout for some). Firstly, anything that gives you permanent buffs on vigor is always worth it. All the offensive moves you wish to do while in combat depend on it, be it casting signs or performing more advanced swordsplay tricks.

Secondly, don't bother with alchemy. I'm not saying it's worthless, in fact some of the best late-game buffs come from that tree. But to go that way requires foresight. You need to know what's about to come up next in order to know which crafting parts to spare, when to swig the right potion, and so forth. So save any alchemy builds for possible reruns and stick to swordsplay and magic for now.


Le Saboteur said:
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes is superb. I wasn't expecting much from their first multi-platform effort, but Frogwares & Focus Interactive have really captured the essence of Sherlock Holmes. Here's hoping that they find the necessary sales to warrant another outing.
Given that it's already the sixth outing in Frogwares' Holmes continuity, I'd deduce it's safe to say they've got a stable enough fan grounding to push out a few more titles if they feel like it. Especially since practically every game has been in one way or another superior to the last. (Well, maybe save for the move from Awakened to Nemesis.) Definitely another one to add to the backlog.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Finn said:
Given that it's already the sixth outing in Frogwares' Holmes continuity, I'd deduce it's safe to say they've got a stable enough fan grounding to push out a few more titles if they feel like it. Especially since practically every game has been in one way or another superior to the last. (Well, maybe save for the move from Awakened to Nemesis.) Definitely another one to add to the backlog.

Delving into the Cthulu Mythos in The Awakened was a fantastic entry to the series. Granted, Nemesis was a little odd in terms of a follow-up, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Arsene Lupin out of le monde francophone.

I glanced at the sales figures provided by VG Chartz the other day and per them, Testament has only garnered sold some 50-thousand copies. Which sounds pretty good, but I don't know if that's actually good or not for a what is essentially a PC-port. Oddly enough, the PS3 version has tripled the sales of the other two platforms.

Two things I would like from a future outing: 1.) The ability to turn off the hotspot indicators and 2.) an actual open world to traverse.
 

Ska

New member
Finn said:
Too bad. Though if it's been running this far without a hiccup, I suppose one might even consider himself lucky. Especially if it's been used regularly. After all, four to five years is sitting quite in the middle of the age range when machines with delicate electronics in them start showing wear and tear.

Still haven't repurchased yet. Waiting for the 500GB super slim bundle with Assassin's Creed 3 coming out the end of the month. A little nervous about the cheap looking sliding door to access the disc, but I'll take my chances. Looking forward to the upgrade in HD size. I'd like to transfer all my DVD rips to the PS3...use it more as a media device and not just a video game system.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Ska said:
Looking forward to the upgrade in HD size. I'd like to transfer all my DVD rips to the PS3...use it more as a media device and not just a video game system.

For, like, eighty-six bucks you could get a terabyte drive that will fit in your PS3. It just takes twenty minutes of your time. Well, maybe a little bit more.

I don't play games in the first person person perspective. Have I mentioned this? My recent foray into Dishonored proves an exception to the rule, but some of the seemingly inherent problems with the perspective continue to plague my overall enjoyment. For example, slipping through a high security zone undetected was ruined because I couldn't see where I was on a ledge. So while inching along looking for a better angle to Blink to, I fall off the ledge into full view of a massive set of kleig lights. Much swearing, ducking and weaving, and the errant crossbow bolt later I escaped my pursuers. Reloading an earlier save is permissible, of course, but I prefer to play a level without saving as often as is possible.

Dishonored is a spectacular outing and the chosen perspective is not indicative of the game's quality. I'm a little over halfway through, I think, and full thoughts will be forthcoming.

There may be two more exceptions to this rule before this year is out. First up, the newest entry in the Medal of Honor series. I haven't played an entry since...uh, the first (?) PlayStation 2 outing. The one where you storm Normandy on D-Day.

Hopefully the story on this one proves to be well told, and the seemingly constant shifting of Tier-1 operatives actually works. I'm supposed to pick it up tomorrow, but I may wait for the reviews to come out. At least the behind-the-scenes videos are groovy. Though, nothing is as entertaining as the time Sony brought a bunch of gamers down to San Diego for "Hell Week".


Now, there are good things about the first person perspective. You don't have to look at your douche bag self in, say, Far Cry 3. You still have to look at (and save) your douche bag looking friends, though. It's like somebody gave the... uh, kids from Jersey Shore into a video game.


72 hours ago the series was only peripherally interesting. Yeah, I had heard about it; didn't particularly move me, then for some reason I clicked on this video and it went from "eh" to pre-ordered. If an FPS can capture that much personality, then it might be worth playing.


Yes? No? Maybe?

 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Le Saboteur said:
I don't play games in the first person person perspective. Have I mentioned this? My recent foray into Dishonored proves an exception to the rule, but some of the seemingly inherent problems with the perspective continue to plague my overall enjoyment. For example, slipping through a high security zone undetected was ruined because I couldn't see where I was on a ledge. So while inching along looking for a better angle to Blink to, I fall off the ledge into full view of a massive set of kleig lights. Much swearing, ducking and weaving, and the errant crossbow bolt later I escaped my pursuers. Reloading an earlier save is permissible, of course, but I prefer to play a level without saving as often as is possible.
I was about to place some snarky commentary on your hand-eye coordination, but then it occured to me that you're probably playing with a gamepad, as opposed to Mouse + KB. And if so, I have to agree that yes, first person is more of a gripe with that mode of control.

In third person gaming that doesn't rely heavily on reticules, it's other way around and I have to join the choir that claims the gamepad provides the better experience for those (even though I'm almost exclusively a Mouse + KB gamer).

However, I also find the gap of superiority far narrower in 3rd person's case, meaning that while most 3P is definitely playable with M+KB, the same doesn't hold true other way around in 1P's case. So, as the chips fall, we can sort of deduce that while not designed solely for gaming, Mouse + KB is the best jack-of-all-trades setup for it.

Le Saboteur said:
Yeah, I had heard about it; didn't particularly move me, then for some reason I clicked on this video and it went from "eh" to pre-ordered.
I have to ask, which platform did you opt for? You know, since you seem to have a rig now that runs The Witcher 2, it should run this as well. Should solve your FPS woe quite nicely.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Finn said:
I was about to place some snarky commentary on your hand-eye coordination, but then it occured to me that you're probably playing with a gamepad, as opposed to Mouse + KB. And if so, I have to agree that yes, first person is more of a gripe with that mode of control.

It would be richly deserved since I was laying it on pretty thick. And, yeah, I'm using a gamepad. No argument from me on the Mouse + KB. For precision controls it's probably the best thing going.

Finn said:
I have to ask, which platform did you opt for? You know, since you seem to have a rig now that runs The Witcher 2, it should run this as well. Should solve your FPS woe quite nicely.

Playstation, of course. I thought about obtaining it for PC, but I spend enough time in front of a computer as is. Plus, I would rather sit on my couch.

Monkeys with hand grenades!


In other news, Ubisoft & Assassin's Creed III just earned themselves an extra gold star by not only including Benedict Arnold in the game, but by making the associated levels a PS3 exclusive!

PlayStation Blog said:
A simple fact is that the Hudson River was the single most strategic body of water during the American Revolution. It essentially split the colonies in two, so whoever controlled the river controlled the supply lines. And West Point was by far the most heavily fortified area during the war for this very reason. Where the fort was built, the river narrowed and made a small ?S?, allowing enough room for only one tall ship to pass through at a time. The Patriots built a massive chain on rafts floating across the water stopping any ship from making its way up because they were so outmatched in terms of the navy. It was the only way they could hope to hold it ? and it worked.

Full details can be found here.
 
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