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Gripe about What You're Playing 2: Bellyache-tric Boogaloo
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Becksworth
Aging Hipster Dragon Dad
I like Nights, but I'd agree it's one of the weirdest games ever to be elevated to console killer app status.
Becksworth
Aging Hipster Dragon Dad
More griping about my Steam queue, but it's currently like 25% on average SCP Backrooms themed games. Is this because I bought Control on Steam?
Becksworth
Aging Hipster Dragon Dad
I didn't add the last non Euclidean yellowed office building walking sim to my wishlist, why do you think I am going to add this one?
ArugulaZ
Fearful asymmetry
Hm. I'm not far in yet, but R-Type Final 2 strikes me as a rather lackluster entry in the series. While the previous game (and R-Type Delta, if I properly recall) brought you into the action with dynamic camera angles and memorable set pieces, every stage I've seen so far in R-Type Final 2 feels like a shoebox diorama... long, but restrictive, and not very deep. The stages are just deep enough to make you feel like you exist in a tangible environment and not a video game wallpaper, but they're dimly lit, with overblown neon lasers cutting through the eerie darkness. Fortunately, nothing you can see in the background is worth observing for long anyway.
The bosses kinda bite, too... not very exciting, and forever thirsty for your bullets. There's a forked corridor with two cylinders pushing their way through the passages, along with potato roots which can be easily destroyed, but love to pop back up underneath you when you least expect it, and can barely see them. It's a tough fight due partially to the roots, but also because the targets just won't explode. I'm hitting a weak point, it's flashing, so either die already or at least give me some idea of how much longer this is going to take.
The whole thing feels... extraneous. Not R-Type Command unnecessary, but the first Final was a satisfying conclusion for the series and I don't think we really needed to see the B-sides for that. "Here, have some lost adventures that were left out of the previous game, because they weren't interesting enough to include." Gee. Thanks.
The bosses kinda bite, too... not very exciting, and forever thirsty for your bullets. There's a forked corridor with two cylinders pushing their way through the passages, along with potato roots which can be easily destroyed, but love to pop back up underneath you when you least expect it, and can barely see them. It's a tough fight due partially to the roots, but also because the targets just won't explode. I'm hitting a weak point, it's flashing, so either die already or at least give me some idea of how much longer this is going to take.
The whole thing feels... extraneous. Not R-Type Command unnecessary, but the first Final was a satisfying conclusion for the series and I don't think we really needed to see the B-sides for that. "Here, have some lost adventures that were left out of the previous game, because they weren't interesting enough to include." Gee. Thanks.
ArugulaZ
Fearful asymmetry
Just got an Xbox Series S in the mail, and I'm kind of... underwhelmed? When you get a next generation game console, you expect the developers to take the interface in a fresh, exciting new direction, and the Series just doesn't do that. The interface is basically the same as it was on the Xbox One S, give or take some fancy background effects, and I wouldn't call that the summit of user menu evolution.
I'm just sitting here thinking, "Hey, look. I spent $240 on this. I know it's not top of the line, but can I get some fanfare here? Make me feel like I'm paid for a new game console." You got that premium feeling in the jump from the Master System to the Genesis, or the Saturn to the Dreamcast, but here? Nothin'.
I'm sure the games will make it all worthwhile, but really, there aren't too many games that are exclusive to the Series at the moment. This system's charm exists largely in its backward compatibility, making me feel like I just bought an Xbox One Plus. :'/
I'm just sitting here thinking, "Hey, look. I spent $240 on this. I know it's not top of the line, but can I get some fanfare here? Make me feel like I'm paid for a new game console." You got that premium feeling in the jump from the Master System to the Genesis, or the Saturn to the Dreamcast, but here? Nothin'.
I'm sure the games will make it all worthwhile, but really, there aren't too many games that are exclusive to the Series at the moment. This system's charm exists largely in its backward compatibility, making me feel like I just bought an Xbox One Plus. :'/
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
I literally thought that's what the S was? Is it really supposed to be the next gen? I completely missed that if so which is also hilarious for their marketing goals.
ArugulaZ
Fearful asymmetry
It's complicated. There were three Xbox One systems; those were the last generation game systems by Microsoft. The current generation is the Xbox Series, named because... Microsoft hates its customers, I guess. Both Xbox One and Xbox Series come in budget and premium models, named S and X respectively. So that's four systems over two generations, all with the same interface and aggravatingly similar titles. That's not counting the classic Xbox One, affectionately known as the VCR for its size and utilitarian ugliness. (And also the Xbox One S All-Digital, which is the same as the Xbox One S, minus the optical drive.)
So yeah, it's like the confusion over the Wii and Wii U all over again. The only way I can be absolutely sure an Xbox S is a Series and not a One is to look for the black circular grill on the front, which makes the system look like a public school intercom.
So yeah, it's like the confusion over the Wii and Wii U all over again. The only way I can be absolutely sure an Xbox S is a Series and not a One is to look for the black circular grill on the front, which makes the system look like a public school intercom.
As someone who plays and reads about games every day but hasn't owned an Xbox since the 360, I definitely was not aware of the nuances to the naming above. I thought the One was their last gen console and the S/X were their current gen consoles. I had no idea the Series moniker meant anything generational, or that there were also S/X models of the One.
I don't doubt that would be easy to learn if I were interested in buying an Xbox and sat down to research it, but I definitely didn't get all that through marketing or osmosis or anything.
I don't doubt that would be easy to learn if I were interested in buying an Xbox and sat down to research it, but I definitely didn't get all that through marketing or osmosis or anything.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
This is all so incredibly stupid.
FF7 Crisis Core is both better and worse than I remember it being. The revamped combat system is much more engaging and dynamic. But the tiny, empty zones - that felt fine on a handheld - looks ridiculous on a 4k hdtv. And the monotony of the missions/enemy types/combat zones is fairly painful to my current gaming sensibilities.
The XBox One X, a.k.a. XBOX
ArugulaZ
Fearful asymmetry
I mean, I get the difference. I got the difference between the Wii and Wii U too, but the fact that so many people didn't was a bit of a problem for Nintendo. They literally had to tell you at Wal-Mart that the Wii U was a new console and not an accessory for the Wii, because Nintendo did such a piss-poor job of expressing that in the marketing.
I feel like the same thing is happened with the One and Series. If you guys, the members of a pretty hardcore console gaming forum, needed an explanation as to what a Series is, the average consumer won't have a clue. You know somebody out there made the mistake of buying a One instead of a Series for their grandkids, or maybe buying themselves an One X instead of a Series S, because the X means it's way more powerful even though it's an old console, right?
Besides, "Series" is a stupid name for a game console anyway. The Xbox Series isn't a name... it's a question that doesn't bother to answer itself. It's a declaration of plurality that won't tell you which member of the series it actually is. It doesn't tell you anything about the product, either... "Series" is a term that suggests a long lineage of sophisticated products, but that could just as easily apply to a set of Gillette razor blades, or a quality bourbon. It doesn't say, "Hey! Game console here! Exciting times up ahead! Play me!" What it says is "Boy, I would be impressed with this if I had any idea of what it was."
I feel like the same thing is happened with the One and Series. If you guys, the members of a pretty hardcore console gaming forum, needed an explanation as to what a Series is, the average consumer won't have a clue. You know somebody out there made the mistake of buying a One instead of a Series for their grandkids, or maybe buying themselves an One X instead of a Series S, because the X means it's way more powerful even though it's an old console, right?
Besides, "Series" is a stupid name for a game console anyway. The Xbox Series isn't a name... it's a question that doesn't bother to answer itself. It's a declaration of plurality that won't tell you which member of the series it actually is. It doesn't tell you anything about the product, either... "Series" is a term that suggests a long lineage of sophisticated products, but that could just as easily apply to a set of Gillette razor blades, or a quality bourbon. It doesn't say, "Hey! Game console here! Exciting times up ahead! Play me!" What it says is "Boy, I would be impressed with this if I had any idea of what it was."
FelixSH
(He/Him)
Seriously. I also have problems remembering which is the most recent Playstation, but there I just have to find the highest number. This Xbox naming scheme is just confusing nonsense.
I miss the time, when consoles had real, distinct names. Like, the Super Nintendo ia obviously the better version of the Nintendo. The Gamecube is clearly recognizable as different than the Nintendo 64.
ArugulaZ
Fearful asymmetry
It's not just the names, either! You turn on an Xbox Series, and it's almost exactly the same interface as the Xbox One! I'm very much having a "where's the beef?" moment with my supposed "upgrade." It doesn't look, sound, or behave in any way that I would seriously refer to as a new experience.
Exclusives are few, the interface is the same, the games are almost entirely the same, it uses the same accessories. I suspect this will change in time, but at the moment, the Xbox Series S may as well be a faster Xbox One.
Exclusives are few, the interface is the same, the games are almost entirely the same, it uses the same accessories. I suspect this will change in time, but at the moment, the Xbox Series S may as well be a faster Xbox One.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
That's part of my issue. I dogsat for a friend and played his S or X a couple hours a night for over a week. And I still had no idea I was playing a different console until this thread.
I think this is a bit of a oversimplification. Like yes. It is faster. But even last gen games on it, look insane. Gears 5 especially. I have a 4k 120hz tv. And I have to say between the console supporting that plus solid state... location of the beef is self evident. That said... Basically using it to play old games at this point. I do think there is something appealing to keeping the os and controllers relatively the same. For my money the series controller is the best in show.
MS hasn't put out any BIG games since Forza whatever and Halo in 2021. I'm still playing Halo, and starfield is coming out sometime? But real value of Xbox is gamepass. It was cool to play Pentiment, Shredder's Revenge and so on day of release.
Just my two cents here.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
A friend was raving about Potion Craft a month or so ago, apparently she'd logged 100+ hours on it in Steam. So now that it's on Gamepass I tried it out.
And found it completely tedious. I stopped playing and came back to it the next day just in case I was in a mood, and nope. Just not enjoying any aspect of it.
Which is a bummer, because I know she's going to ask me and be sad I didn't like it.
And found it completely tedious. I stopped playing and came back to it the next day just in case I was in a mood, and nope. Just not enjoying any aspect of it.
Which is a bummer, because I know she's going to ask me and be sad I didn't like it.
That situation is always rough. I played The Witcher 3 last year and a friend of mine was really excited because it's her favorite game. In the end I found it just "okay", but I found myself really emphasizing the things I liked when describing my experience to her and downplaying the things I didn't.
Ha! Me too, and also about witcher 3.
madhair60
Video games
S is discless current-gen
X is disc-drive current gen, but beefy
it's really really really incredibly easy to understand and I truly cannot comprehend how otherwise smart people, the users of Talking Time, could feasibly struggle with it. but then I remember you all got stuck on the Carnival Night Zone barrel*. alright cheers
*this is a joke please do not be upset
X is disc-drive current gen, but beefy
it's really really really incredibly easy to understand and I truly cannot comprehend how otherwise smart people, the users of Talking Time, could feasibly struggle with it. but then I remember you all got stuck on the Carnival Night Zone barrel*. alright cheers
*this is a joke please do not be upset
Becksworth
Aging Hipster Dragon Dad
I think similarly to the Wii U, it's not hard to understand if you were already interested, but if you were apathetic beforehand the naming isn't helping breaking through that.
FelixSH
(He/Him)
Yeah, it's more that this kind of naming differences is likely REALLY confusing to people who are not interested in gaming (like parents, who just want to buy something for their kids). If you sit down and read up for a minute, it's pretty clear, but dunno, maybe use names that are a bit more distinct, at least? Something that I will not have forgotten in an hour, or will mix up all the time? S and X seem to be randomly chosen letters, that don't tell me anything about what makes the console an S or an X (I think, except if I miss something obvious here). At least D instead of X, so I could remember that it stands for disk-driven. Or something stupid clever, like cow and chicken (cow is the beefy one, of course).
Just seems like bad naming, which you can work around as a customer, but a good name doesn't demand that the customer does this. Such a name will speak for itself.
Anyway, I don't really mind. I'll probably never buy another console, except for Nintendo ones (who, I hope, will never do something as silly as the name WiiU again), so if Sony and Microsoft want to keep using bad names, it's fine by me.
Just seems like bad naming, which you can work around as a customer, but a good name doesn't demand that the customer does this. Such a name will speak for itself.
Anyway, I don't really mind. I'll probably never buy another console, except for Nintendo ones (who, I hope, will never do something as silly as the name WiiU again), so if Sony and Microsoft want to keep using bad names, it's fine by me.
Becksworth
Aging Hipster Dragon Dad
I suspect PlayStation consoles having consistently stuck to numerical iterations is probably what fuels some of these weird name choices. If XBox did likewise they would be on XBox 4 now, which would probably have its own separate marketing concerns with low info consumers.