Time to work on my shortlist for game of the year:
God of War
Forza Horizon 4
Into the Breach
Divinity Original Sins 2
Assassins Creed Odyssey
Civ VI (Switch and IOS versions)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (not out yet ... but come on)
So far Forza Horizon 4 is the front runner. I've never been a fan of the series but this one is just pure fun on top of superb graphics and controls and RPG elements and so on. I'm pretty sure RDR 2 is going to blow everyone out of the ballpark. I'm very curious to see how Civ VI plays on the Switch with a controller on a big screen while sitting on my couch ... could very well turn me into Christian Bale in the Mechanic
Civ VI on the newer iPhones works surprisingly well. I thought the small screen would be an issue but it is somehow easier to control then on the iPad. A must get if you are a Civ fan
I haven't played Civ since iii. My cousin love iv but I thought it was too busy. Maybe im wrong?
Civ iv was the peak. It was a sandbox of civilization. Civs 2 and 3 were better than 5 and 6. At 5 they decided to dull the game down and focus on being pretty to appeal to more than the niche. More war game than dynamic civilization builder
Hmm. I've found less war in Civ VI, mainly due to the warmonger penalty that is applied after you get out of the ancient era. As long as you build a defensive army up and turtle until the medieval phase you should be fine. I've found going after the religious victory to be easier.
Civ IV was and is one of my top 5 games across all systems. My only complaint was managing workers in the end game.
Never played too much of Civ V. But I think the big game changers in Civ VI are:
* City Districts: You will have a nearby tile for your religious site, commercial hub, military training, etc. These can get bonuses from other tiles. It also limits a city from becoming the jack of all trades. Since it was a new concept it was strange, but it has helped me understand specializing cities to their full potential
* Civ Government Policy Cards: Each government has a certain number of policy slots that you can get cards that give bonuses
* Builders: Instead of workers, builders make three instant improvements and then "poof" away like a Mr Meeseeks
One other note is that when I play on the phone or Ipad, I usually play on the following options that make it much more suitable for a smaller portable screen:
No Barbarians
Small or Tiny world
Pangaea as to limit naval ... I find sea exploration to be a chore in all Civ games but I really don't enjoy it on a touch screen
Max of three other leaders and max of 3 city-states in the games
Well I played it for an hour this morning and can see where all those gigs were used. The game is gorgeous especially in 4K. The sound is great too. Gameplay is on par with past rockstar games. Again, only had time to play the opening mission.
I would have included the following to the PS1 Classic:
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Tony Hawk Twisted Metal 2 Gran Turismo 1 and 2 (MUST have been licensing issue. Otherwise people need fired.) Final Fantasy Tactics Wipeout PaRappa the Rapper (what up, yo??) Ace Combat 2 Driver Return Fire
If I have one complaint about RDR2 is that the controls of Rockstar games seem the same as they were 15 years ago. Considering how massive the world is and that a horse is your primary means of travel, tapping a button constantly to speed up the horse is a mind boggling game design decision. I literally may end up tapping a button a million times by the time I finish the game just to make a horse move faster than a walking pace.
The same clunky animations I experienced in GTA III - V seem present. They have created an amazing immersive world and the only thing that really pulls me out of it is when I’m walking along the edge of a cliff or train car and my character turns slightly to the left and when I try to straighten him up he jumps to his death the other direction.
I stopped playing Assasins Creed games after Black Flag because of frustrating clunky controls but took a chance on Oddessy and was very pleased with how much better it controls compared to the past. It’s almost night and day difference. If Rockstar had been able to to take Ubisoft’s control design it may have created the perfect game.
But it is still an amazing game that makes me shake my head and smile constantly. An all time immersive great game can overcome control issues as Bethesda has proved time and time again.
Ha, I'm still playing GTA Online and the 'weighted' and clunky controls are still an annoyance.
I went back to a packed lobby yesterday to test the community and it's as bad or worse than ever.
I'm dreading Fallout 76. I will have to play it because it's a Fallout game, but I know I will be driven off by packs of players following me around and doing dances around me like what happened in Destiny.
I'm really enjoying RDR2. I'm trying my best to do more exploring and side quests rather than hit the main story quests. While there are some issues with the controls feeling a bit "heavy" or sluggish at times, i'm constantly blown away by the scope and detail of the world. A couple things... Is it me or does it seem like there are far less side quests/missions in this one compared to the first? It seems like there are more "help the person in distress" quests and less actual side quests. Before release I loved reading about how you had to maintain the health of Arthur and his horses and how crafting would be a big part of the game. This seems less so once actually playing it. If I sit down for a couple hours and play, I find myself only maintaining my heath bars or my horses maybe once or twice. I mean, if i'm in a big gun battle, I tend to rely on the Tonics and food more, but I'm pretty sure I can go days to weeks within the timeframe of the game without really maintaining anything. Crafting so far seems pointless. I upgrade the camp and such, but rarely do I craft anything or feel the need to. The honor system is cool, like it was before, but it doesn't seem to affect anything really.
awesome! That would be sweet to have. Wish i still had my original one. How much is it?
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Also, very intrigued on the new Fallout coming out. Seems to be about a control vault, like 200 years before Fallout 3, and takes place in Virginia/West Virginia
he's actually working on Fallout 76. not sure what he did exactly. I'll have to ask him next time i talk to him. Trailer looks good i suppose. I'm not a huge gamer though so not sure what the other fallout games are like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9FGaan35s0&t
Hearing it's getting really bad reviews.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Also, very intrigued on the new Fallout coming out. Seems to be about a control vault, like 200 years before Fallout 3, and takes place in Virginia/West Virginia
he's actually working on Fallout 76. not sure what he did exactly. I'll have to ask him next time i talk to him. Trailer looks good i suppose. I'm not a huge gamer though so not sure what the other fallout games are like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9FGaan35s0&t
Hearing it's getting really bad reviews.
Really? I’ve been somewhat excited about this one, what have you heard?
Reclamation Day is upon me. Figured I would end up getting this sooner or later because, well ... Fallout! That's why. And it's probably going to be three to five years before Fallout 5 comes out so off into the wasteland I go.
Only 2-3 hours or so into it so far. First impressions:
Loot! Spending most of my time learning the C.A.M.P. basics, gathering resources.
Combat: I have yet to be involved in any major conflict. Few enemies I've just used melee on. Took on a few protectotrons (level 5) with a machete (me level 2) and got my butt handed to me.
Graphics: Not nearly as bad as expected based on what I was seeing on Youtube. Playing on xbox one x, but I don't think there is a huge difference on standard rigs. That said, Fallout 4 was not the best looking game. This game follows that art style and engine. Compared to RDR2 it's not close, but that said, the world looks pretty despite Bethesda's aging engine. This may seem minor, but for the first team Fallout has a world map that is good. It's an actual map and not a crappy green P.I.P. boy map.
Sound: Great sound and atmosphere. Feels like I'm walking in the woods of West Virginia.
Real People: Everyone I've come across so far has been cool. I few have helped. Most are probably like me just trying to figure things out. No one being a dick so far is a huge plus. If Bethesda did anything right, I think they made this game so it couldn't be ruined by packs of 12 year old looking to mess people up. It still feels more like a solo game than online multiplayer.
Bugs: I've yet to encounter anything major yet, but I've yet to really been in an environment / battle that would put it to a test. I think this is a game that will need a few months to iron things out based on what I'm reading.
I figure it will take 10 hours to really get a handle on this game. So far I'm enjoying it. The game is getting major hate because the internet is being the internet and also the concept of taking a single player game like Fallout and turning it to an online game seems sacrilegious (I'm firmly in that camp but am going in with an open mind).
I'll update more as I play it. But so far, it is no where near as bad as the internet has made it seem.
Comments
Tell me more about Civ VI!!!
Civ iv was the peak. It was a sandbox of civilization. Civs 2 and 3 were better than 5 and 6. At 5 they decided to dull the game down and focus on being pretty to appeal to more than the niche. More war game than dynamic civilization builder
Marble Madness didnt need storage space. Thats for sure.
Plan on picking up my Red Dead at lunch and beginning the install when I stop at home. Playing tonight after kids go to bed.
And yeah I added an external hard drive to my Xbox One a couple years ago. Money well spent.
I did FFVII, Metal Gear Solid, and Syphon Filter. Never played any of the others.
https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/29/here-are-the-20-games-shipping-with-the-playstation-classic/?yptr=yahoo
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Tony Hawk
Twisted Metal 2
Gran Turismo 1 and 2 (MUST have been licensing issue. Otherwise people need fired.)
Final Fantasy Tactics
Wipeout
PaRappa the Rapper (what up, yo??)
Ace Combat 2
Driver
Return Fire
I think I will be skipping this system.
I also could do without fighting games. Never understood the enjoyment in that genre
The same clunky animations I experienced in GTA III - V seem present. They have created an amazing immersive world and the only thing that really pulls me out of it is when I’m walking along the edge of a cliff or train car and my character turns slightly to the left and when I try to straighten him up he jumps to his death the other direction.
I stopped playing Assasins Creed games after Black Flag because of frustrating clunky controls but took a chance on Oddessy and was very pleased with how much better it controls compared to the past. It’s almost night and day difference. If Rockstar had been able to to take Ubisoft’s control design it may have created the perfect game.
But it is still an amazing game that makes me shake my head and smile constantly. An all time immersive great game can overcome control issues as Bethesda has proved time and time again.
I also dislike the weapons and items inventory system so far.
I went back to a packed lobby yesterday to test the community and it's as bad or worse than ever.
A couple things...
Is it me or does it seem like there are far less side quests/missions in this one compared to the first? It seems like there are more "help the person in distress" quests and less actual side quests.
Before release I loved reading about how you had to maintain the health of Arthur and his horses and how crafting would be a big part of the game. This seems less so once actually playing it. If I sit down for a couple hours and play, I find myself only maintaining my heath bars or my horses maybe once or twice. I mean, if i'm in a big gun battle, I tend to rely on the Tonics and food more, but I'm pretty sure I can go days to weeks within the timeframe of the game without really maintaining anything.
Crafting so far seems pointless. I upgrade the camp and such, but rarely do I craft anything or feel the need to.
The honor system is cool, like it was before, but it doesn't seem to affect anything really.
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Only 2-3 hours or so into it so far. First impressions:
Loot! Spending most of my time learning the C.A.M.P. basics, gathering resources.
Combat: I have yet to be involved in any major conflict. Few enemies I've just used melee on. Took on a few protectotrons (level 5) with a machete (me level 2) and got my butt handed to me.
Graphics: Not nearly as bad as expected based on what I was seeing on Youtube. Playing on xbox one x, but I don't think there is a huge difference on standard rigs. That said, Fallout 4 was not the best looking game. This game follows that art style and engine. Compared to RDR2 it's not close, but that said, the world looks pretty despite Bethesda's aging engine. This may seem minor, but for the first team Fallout has a world map that is good. It's an actual map and not a crappy green P.I.P. boy map.
Sound: Great sound and atmosphere. Feels like I'm walking in the woods of West Virginia.
Real People: Everyone I've come across so far has been cool. I few have helped. Most are probably like me just trying to figure things out. No one being a dick so far is a huge plus. If Bethesda did anything right, I think they made this game so it couldn't be ruined by packs of 12 year old looking to mess people up. It still feels more like a solo game than online multiplayer.
Bugs: I've yet to encounter anything major yet, but I've yet to really been in an environment / battle that would put it to a test. I think this is a game that will need a few months to iron things out based on what I'm reading.
I figure it will take 10 hours to really get a handle on this game. So far I'm enjoying it. The game is getting major hate because the internet is being the internet and also the concept of taking a single player game like Fallout and turning it to an online game seems sacrilegious (I'm firmly in that camp but am going in with an open mind).
I'll update more as I play it. But so far, it is no where near as bad as the internet has made it seem.