OT: Video Games/Computers/Gadgets/Gizmos

[Ron Swanson]

I didn't think there would be a chance in hell I'd be skipping Lords of the Fallen, but goddamn, I think I might. Reviews have been brutal.

Yeah, think we may be hitting a "Soulslike" critical mass here.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/lords-of-the-fallen-ps5-review-attack-of-the-clones/ar-AA1i8giw?ocid=entnewsntp&cvid=6e2dbf3d9e6d45549e2a202941667f73&ei=44

Lords Of The Fallen PS5 review summary

In Short: An absurdly generic Dark Souls clone whose general competence is all the more frustrating for the fact that it refuses to come up with a single new idea of its own.

[Ryan5UW]

Damn, that sucks. I was looking forward to Lords of the Fallen. I've got some Best Buy rewards expiring soon that timed up nicely with this release too.

[ReasonablySober]

I'll still play a Soulslike, even if it is derivative. I just like the genre a lot. But LotF went from being a stay home to play on day one game to something I'm okay waiting on. A big reason why is re-discovering Wo Long and being perfectly happy to play through that and its DLC.

[MikeIsGood]

As a non-Soulslike player who is extremely jaded that basically all of the good RPGs the past decade have been funneled into being Soulslike...I'm kind of here for the critical mass hitting and breaking things down (all apologies to all of you lovely people who love these games).

[Prez]

Not saying Lords of the Fallen is great (I have not played it), but I don’t necessarily agree with the comment in that review linked above where it rips the game for not doing/trying anything new. The game has this dual realm mechanic where you basically have two worlds stacked on top of each other and can use a lantern to flip into the “Umbral” realm to access secret pathways, secret items, etc. It’s a pretty ambitious and huge aspect of the game that is not a common Soulslike feature at all. There some other gameplay mechanics that are unique as well, albeit not as large as the Umbral/Axiom realm switching.

I will also say from what I’ve seen from some of the youtube reviewers who I trust the most with Soulslike games (Fightincowboy and Fextra), they really enjoyed the game. It has performance issues and some QoL issues that will likely be patched in the coming week or two, but generally they were super positive about it.

I’m gonna give it a week until the performance issues are fixed, but I’m not as down on it.

[ReasonablySober]

Not saying Lords of the Fallen is great (I have not played it), but I don’t necessarily agree with the comment in that review linked above where it rips the game for not doing/trying anything new. The game has this dual realm mechanic where you basically have two worlds stacked on top of each other and can use a lantern to flip into the “Umbral” realm to access secret pathways, secret items, etc. It’s a pretty ambitious and huge aspect of the game that is not a common Soulslike feature at all.

I will also say from what I’ve seen from some of the youtube reviewers who I trust the most with Soulslike games (Fightincowboy and Fextra), they really enjoyed the game. It has performance issues and some QoL issues that will likely be patched in the coming week or two, but generally they were super positive about it.

I’m gonna give it a week until the performance issues are fixed, but I’m not as down on it.

Those were the two dudes I was referring to when I said that the two most positive reviews I've seen were from guys whose livelihoods depend on it being a game worth playing. That's probably overly simplistic, but those guys get almost all their traffic from Soulslike players.

[Prez]

Not saying Lords of the Fallen is great (I have not played it), but I don’t necessarily agree with the comment in that review linked above where it rips the game for not doing/trying anything new. The game has this dual realm mechanic where you basically have two worlds stacked on top of each other and can use a lantern to flip into the “Umbral” realm to access secret pathways, secret items, etc. It’s a pretty ambitious and huge aspect of the game that is not a common Soulslike feature at all.

I will also say from what I’ve seen from some of the youtube reviewers who I trust the most with Soulslike games (Fightincowboy and Fextra), they really enjoyed the game. It has performance issues and some QoL issues that will likely be patched in the coming week or two, but generally they were super positive about it.

I’m gonna give it a week until the performance issues are fixed, but I’m not as down on it.

Those were the two dudes I was referring to when I said that the two most positive reviews I've seen were from guys whose livelihoods depend on it being a game worth playing. That's probably overly simplistic, but those guys get almost all their traffic from Soulslike games.

That’s fair, but at the same time FC for example wasn’t hesitant at all to critique aspects of Lies of P that I also wasn’t a big fan of, and I found myself generally agreeing with his review there. And he also didn’t shy away from mentioning fair criticism of Lords of the Fallen as well. I tend to find his reviews pretty fair and don’t really get the feeling that his takes are driven by the need for traffic.

And those aren’t the only two positive reviews I’m seeing, just the two reviewers I follow pretty closely. I’m seeing a bunch of other reviewers positive about the game, but dropping it score wise for the performance issues (which is totally fair).

I guess I’m still optimistic that it’s a solid-good game worth playing, just once they’ve fixed the performance issues. I’m sure I will down the road and will post my thoughts on it.

[ReasonablySober]

Not saying Lords of the Fallen is great (I have not played it), but I don’t necessarily agree with the comment in that review linked above where it rips the game for not doing/trying anything new. The game has this dual realm mechanic where you basically have two worlds stacked on top of each other and can use a lantern to flip into the “Umbral” realm to access secret pathways, secret items, etc. It’s a pretty ambitious and huge aspect of the game that is not a common Soulslike feature at all.

I will also say from what I’ve seen from some of the youtube reviewers who I trust the most with Soulslike games (Fightincowboy and Fextra), they really enjoyed the game. It has performance issues and some QoL issues that will likely be patched in the coming week or two, but generally they were super positive about it.

I’m gonna give it a week until the performance issues are fixed, but I’m not as down on it.

Those were the two dudes I was referring to when I said that the two most positive reviews I've seen were from guys whose livelihoods depend on it being a game worth playing. That's probably overly simplistic, but those guys get almost all their traffic from Soulslike games.

That’s fair, but at the same time FC for example wasn’t hesitant at all to critique aspects of Lies of P that I also wasn’t a big fan of, and I found myself generally agreeing with his review there. And he also didn’t shy away from mentioning fair criticism of Lords of the Fallen as well. I tend to find his reviews pretty fair and don’t really get the feeling that his takes are driven by the need for traffic.

And those aren’t the only two positive reviews I’m seeing, just the two reviewers I follow pretty closely. I’m seeing a bunch of other reviewers positive about the game, but dropping it score wise for the performance issues (which is totally fair).

I guess I’m still optimistic that it’s a solid-good game worth playing, just once they’ve fixed the performance issues. I’m sure I will down the road and will post my thoughts on it.

Yea, I'm still gonna play it I'm sure.

I think my disappointment with the game stems from the bosses, which apparently aren't any good, and the Umbral world where it doesn't sound like there's anything interesting in there, just more mobs of enemies.

Those are bummers.

[ReasonablySober]

Must be a good week for Castlevania music.

Read on Twitter

This is really, really good.

[KidA24]

The first 50 turns of any Civ6 game are still incredible. I'm still terrible at it.

[AussieBuck]

The first 50 turns of any Civ6 game are still incredible. I'm still terrible at it.

I really should give it a go. Civ4 is still my go to when I want to turn off my brain for a few hours.

[KidA24]

The first 50 turns of any Civ6 game are still incredible. I'm still terrible at it.

I really should give it a go. Civ4 is still my go to when I want to turn off my brain for a few hours.

Steam sales happen all the time, you can get the whole package for like $5.

Let me know if you do, I'll point you to quality of life mods

[AussieBuck]

The first 50 turns of any Civ6 game are still incredible. I'm still terrible at it.

I really should give it a go. Civ4 is still my go to when I want to turn off my brain for a few hours.

Steam sales happen all the time, you can get the whole package for like $5.

Let me know if you do, I'll point you to quality of life mods

I actually have the game, I just haven't managed to build myself up to learning a new version. I had the same issue motivating myself to change from civ2 to 4 way back in the day.

[WeekapaugGroove]

The first 50 turns of any Civ6 game are still incredible. I'm still terrible at it.

Love me some civ 6. I'm a huge history nerd so right in my wheelhouse. I have way too many hours into that game.

Been playing Old World the past few weeks, it was created by an old civ dev so lots of similarities but it's focused on the bronze/iron age and also incorporates some leader/dynasty elements. Really enjoy the game, maybe more than civ in some aspects.

Sent from my SM-F731U using RealGM mobile app

[MikeIsGood]

Been playing Old World the past few weeks, it was created by an old civ dev so lots of similarities but it's focused on the bronze/iron age and also incorporates some leader/dynasty elements. Really enjoy the game, maybe more than civ in some aspects.

Well ****, I'm intrigued.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Been playing Old World the past few weeks, it was created by an old civ dev so lots of similarities but it's focused on the bronze/iron age and also incorporates some leader/dynasty elements. Really enjoy the game, maybe more than civ in some aspects.

Well ****, I'm intrigued.

If you're like me and are into that period of history I highly recommend. I've never played Crusader Kings but I've seen Old World called a mix of CK3 and Civ. They just released a DLC and it's well supported game with really good AI. Much smarter and more ruthless AI than Civ 6.


PS. I'd also recommend The Ancient World Podcast if you haven't checked it out yet.

Sent from my SM-F731U using RealGM mobile app

[KidA24]

I really should give it a go. Civ4 is still my go to when I want to turn off my brain for a few hours.

Steam sales happen all the time, you can get the whole package for like $5.

Let me know if you do, I'll point you to quality of life mods

I actually have the game, I just haven't managed to build myself up to learning a new version. I had the same issue motivating myself to change from civ2 to 4 way back in the day.

Well, look up potatowhiskey's mods. They are the perfect bit of QOL.

His videos are great too.

[TroyD92]

Hopefully finishing up the 4090 build today. :3

[ReasonablySober]

2023 so far

GotY
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Nothing else really close or in the discussion. Wo Long and Remnant 2 would probably be my next.

Good, solid:
Weird West: Definitive Edition
Street Fighter 6
Final Fantasy XVI
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
Lies of P
Mortal Kombat 1

Still planning to play:
Baldur's Gate 3
Dave the Diver
Octopath Traveler II
Darkest Dungeon II
The Expanse: A Telltale Series
Sea of Stars
Assassin's Creed Mirage
Lords of the Fallen

Huge disappointments:
Fire Emblem Engage
Diablo IV
Starfield

Yet to arrive:
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Cities: Skylines II
Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1
Alan Wake II
EA Sports UFC 5
Star Ocean: The Second Story R
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
Super Mario RPG
SteamWorld Build

[jschligs]

2023 so far

GotY
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Nothing else really close or in the discussion. Wo Long and Remnant 2 would probably be my next.

Good, solid:
Weird West: Definitive Edition
Street Fighter 6
Final Fantasy XVI
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
Lies of P
Mortal Kombat 1

Still planning to play:
Baldur's Gate 3
Dave the Diver
Octopath Traveler II
Darkest Dungeon II
The Expanse: A Telltale Series
Sea of Stars
Assassin's Creed Mirage
Lords of the Fallen

Huge disappointments:
Fire Emblem Engage
Diablo IV
Starfield

Yet to arrive:
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Cities: Skylines II
Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1
Alan Wake II
EA Sports UFC 5
Star Ocean: The Second Story R
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
Super Mario RPG
SteamWorld Build

Surprised to see you have Starfield as a huge disappointment. It's actually exactly what I expected to a degree and I've enjoyed it when I played. What's been strange though, is I have zero desire to go and play it right now. Maybe that in and of itself is why its a disappointment. But if I being honest, I'm just not as big on space as I am medieval/mythical times. It's just hard for me to get into singleplayer story driven games lately with my time limits.

But I think you're spot on, TotK is top shelf right now all by itself. One of the few single player games I actually have played this year. I've heard good things about CoD and Cities 2, but don't expect those to be in contention for GotY.