I was extremely ready to be a Mario Sunshine apologist but unfortunately I think it really is just the weakest 3D Mario game. I think it's maybe also the only one where instead of pure number of stars/shines/moons collected that you also have to completed 7/8 stages on each level. I basically always collect every star in these games, and the one time I was happy to skip levels it turns out they're almost all required.
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Gripe about What You're Playing 2: Bellyache-tric Boogaloo
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I’d really like to enjoy Griftlands; but everything about it is just left of center for being a good experience for me.
Partly that’s because Negotiating and Combat are both basically the same experience, but they give you different screens that show information in different ways and use different terminology.
I mean “Health” and “Shields” don’t really translate to arguing with someone, but I still have to relearn all the nomenclature constantly.
Also, on the Switch at least, the controls are *weird* in a way that wreaks havoc on my muscle memory; you have to press X to advance dialogue but A to make choices, the right stick moves the cursor but the left stick moves through menus. That kind of thing.
Partly that’s because Negotiating and Combat are both basically the same experience, but they give you different screens that show information in different ways and use different terminology.
I mean “Health” and “Shields” don’t really translate to arguing with someone, but I still have to relearn all the nomenclature constantly.
Also, on the Switch at least, the controls are *weird* in a way that wreaks havoc on my muscle memory; you have to press X to advance dialogue but A to make choices, the right stick moves the cursor but the left stick moves through menus. That kind of thing.
4-So
Spicy
Playing Horizon Zero Dawn, I'm a bit past Meridian, and I'm wondering when the game stops being only moderately engaging and starts to live up to its reputation. Perhaps playing several open world games since HZD was released has spoiled the experience but coming off Ghost of Tsushima a few weeks ago has not done this game any favors. Specifically, the lack of vertical traversal feels odd in 2021, and while I enjoy the visual design of the game, the actual gameplay has done nothing for me. I'm tempted to leave well enough alone, watch a quick YT video on the storyline, and then content myself with Forbidden West, where a lot of these gripes - combat, traversal, stilted cutscenes - are supposed to be fixed and more in-the-now as far as open-world trends go.
Bring! Back! Video! World! D:
I was looking back at my early HZD reactions and saw that it took a while for the combat to click with me. Maybe you'd enjoy hunting the largest category of beasts, quests for which should start becoming available to you soon/now. The DLC area is also, imo, the best chunk of the game taken on its own, though it might be tuned a little tougher than where you're at right now, iirc. (But you also get really powerful weapons there, which helps make the combat that much more fun.)
madhair60
Video games
FROG!!
jpfriction
(He, Him)
Quick stinking up the gripe thread with wonderful news.
Becksworth
Aging Hipster Dragon Dad
Steel Assault's final boss is extremely tough, but the real hair pulling part is there a glitch where he clips out of bounds of the stage and makes the fight unwinnable. I don't know what triggers it but I hit it twice, both times he was near death of course.
Cant fault the guy for sticking with a winning strategy
VIDEO WORLD!!!
Finished it. Weird game! Will not be going for all the shines. Going backwards directly from this to trying out Mario 64 for the first time in over a decade or more, it's kind of amazing how much worse Mario controls in Sunshine than in 64. I guess that they felt like they had to do something to make the hover nozzle necessary, but they went way too far.
Disney Vault B.S. aside I'm glad people finally got to experience the game after nigh two decades of being a no-show (this is still a problem for a lot of GameCube stuff), but I definitely think you don't gain enough to compensate for what has been lost controls-wise to accommodate for this water pack gimmick the game wants you to engage with.
I mean, mad respect for Nintendo not just doing Super Mario 64 but prettier, but between this and that cancelled N64 game with lots of Marios it definitely feels like they were uncertain about how to follow up their enormous launch game platformer in a world where everyone was following the leader and making their own (generally less fun-controlling) takes on the concept.
Also in one of the rare cases of following the leader this is one of the few Mario games to have significant amounts of voice acted dialogue in cutscenes. Don't blame 'em for abandoning ship on that, but it's also kind of a shame they did instead of trying to improve.
Not asking for Bowser Jr. to blab for a few minutes every game, but it's weird how (outside of modern Wario Ware) this cartoony world is still communicated primarily through text and vocalizations. Maybe the movie will change that for the games but I'm not counting on it.
I mean, mad respect for Nintendo not just doing Super Mario 64 but prettier, but between this and that cancelled N64 game with lots of Marios it definitely feels like they were uncertain about how to follow up their enormous launch game platformer in a world where everyone was following the leader and making their own (generally less fun-controlling) takes on the concept.
Also in one of the rare cases of following the leader this is one of the few Mario games to have significant amounts of voice acted dialogue in cutscenes. Don't blame 'em for abandoning ship on that, but it's also kind of a shame they did instead of trying to improve.
Not asking for Bowser Jr. to blab for a few minutes every game, but it's weird how (outside of modern Wario Ware) this cartoony world is still communicated primarily through text and vocalizations. Maybe the movie will change that for the games but I'm not counting on it.
I was just playing this for an article and as a sort of follow-up to Psychonauts 2. I adored Grim Fandango back in the day, and I maintain it may be one of if not the greatest in its genre. That said? I can barely play it today. Something about having to go through these dialogue choices to hit the right flag is repellant now, and... damn. I kind of feel bad for not liking something I used to like a lot.
I underestimated how difficult Pokemon: LeafGreen in Nuzlocke mode would be.
I like the idea of not having to try to catch everything. Being forced to take the first choice from each route means I can just keep moving with the team I have. It stems from the same way FF5 is easier for me to play in the 4JF because all the choices are taken away from me and the fun becomes how do i deal with the next challenge with the team I have on hand. I picked LeafGreen because Blue is my original Pokemon and the only one I've really played to completion (because I was a kid who had to milk every ounce from a game because i wasn't getting another one until probably next Christmas). Mt. Moon becomes a challenging dungeon, even with Squirtle on my team just by being slowly worn down and fear of loosing a team member permanently. Misty is now absolutely terrifying.
I like the idea of not having to try to catch everything. Being forced to take the first choice from each route means I can just keep moving with the team I have. It stems from the same way FF5 is easier for me to play in the 4JF because all the choices are taken away from me and the fun becomes how do i deal with the next challenge with the team I have on hand. I picked LeafGreen because Blue is my original Pokemon and the only one I've really played to completion (because I was a kid who had to milk every ounce from a game because i wasn't getting another one until probably next Christmas). Mt. Moon becomes a challenging dungeon, even with Squirtle on my team just by being slowly worn down and fear of loosing a team member permanently. Misty is now absolutely terrifying.
ArugulaZ
Fearful asymmetry
Oh good, here's the gripey bitchy thread. You know how SNK is a whipping boy for cheap, unfair fighting game bosses? Well, they are pretty cheap, but at least they don't rewrite the established rules of the game they're in to limit the damage they take and reduce the chance of beating them to almost nothing. You know, like Mortal Kombat does. Remember how special moves bounce off Motaro in Mortal Kombat 3, damaging you instead and forcing you to struggle through the fight with nothing but jump kicks and crossed fingers? Well, Ed Boon's back to his old crap with Kronika. Special moves and even the tide-turning Fatal Blows have no effect on her, and she does all kinds of weird timey wimey moves that either freeze you in place or resurrect enemies you've already fought. Oh, so it's one against THREE now? Sure, why not. Way to snuff out any glimmer of hope I might have had putting this game to rest.
I can't believe someone at Netherrealm said, "Hey, remember all that game-breaking crap the horse guy did in the 1990s? We should bring that back in our latest game, because the fans loved it so much!" I also can't believe that when that person said this, he wasn't immediately chucked out of the window of a ten story building.
I can't believe someone at Netherrealm said, "Hey, remember all that game-breaking crap the horse guy did in the 1990s? We should bring that back in our latest game, because the fans loved it so much!" I also can't believe that when that person said this, he wasn't immediately chucked out of the window of a ten story building.
FATALITY!
The real secret to beating Kronika is after you lose a few times, the game discretely lowers the difficulty
FelixSH
(He/Him)
I try to play Fallout NV, and I don't know if it's the game or something else, but since I got out of the first town, it makes me moody. Like, I really don't like existing in this world, I guess. Dunno, when I played for some time the first time, it didn't affect me in that way (I just found something else to play, and then wasn't motivated to go back). I'm somewhat in the mood for an open-world game, but maybe this isn't a world that I actually want to explore? I'll keep trying for a few hours, hopefully it's just this day.
ArugulaZ
Fearful asymmetry
I noticed that. I certainly wasn't getting any better, that's for sure.
New Vegas is the goofiest and most fun Fallout setting, but that’s secondary to the fact that it’s a Fallout game, and Fallouts gonna Fallout
FelixSH
(He/Him)
For the record, my gripe is not "this game is stupid, because it isn't how I'd like it" and more "I wished I could play this game, but my brain doesn't want to cooperate". The game is fine, as far as I can tell.
I'm not even at the part that Lokii described here (good lord), it's more stuff like all the garbage, that people have still in their houses (someone mentioned their grandma in Modok, so this plays a few decade after the first or second game. It just feels a bit absurd, that people live in houses and never at least threw out the ruined books. Dunno, maybe that's just me.) and that I find fragments of the former civilization everywhere.
With the first two FO games, it is different, because 2D just isn't that intense, to me. But with 3D, it just seems like it gets to me more.
Also, I DO appreciate, that I can knock out all kinds of stuff, like horrible normal or radscorpions that are way too strong for me, and then punch them a hundred times, to kill them. I like, that the game gives me the option to not use weapons.
Alsoalso, the very first thing you hear about Ceasars Legion makes him godawful. No matter how horrible the NCR is, they can't be the bad choice here. I'm not helping a jerk, who restarted the use of crucification. But they are probably just both horrible, I guess.
I'm not even at the part that Lokii described here (good lord), it's more stuff like all the garbage, that people have still in their houses (someone mentioned their grandma in Modok, so this plays a few decade after the first or second game. It just feels a bit absurd, that people live in houses and never at least threw out the ruined books. Dunno, maybe that's just me.) and that I find fragments of the former civilization everywhere.
With the first two FO games, it is different, because 2D just isn't that intense, to me. But with 3D, it just seems like it gets to me more.
Also, I DO appreciate, that I can knock out all kinds of stuff, like horrible normal or radscorpions that are way too strong for me, and then punch them a hundred times, to kill them. I like, that the game gives me the option to not use weapons.
Alsoalso, the very first thing you hear about Ceasars Legion makes him godawful. No matter how horrible the NCR is, they can't be the bad choice here. I'm not helping a jerk, who restarted the use of crucification. But they are probably just both horrible, I guess.
There really isn’t a good faction in the game, but the Legion is clearly the worst choice.
Well, the Followers of the Apocalypse (or Children of the Apocalypse or whatever they’re called) are explicitly good, but you also can’t align yourself with them
Well, the Followers of the Apocalypse (or Children of the Apocalypse or whatever they’re called) are explicitly good, but you also can’t align yourself with them
The NCR generally has a lot of good people (whom you can meet many of early on), but they're spread far too thin out in New Vegas and have a few really horrible people in really high positions.
The Legion has enough people and enough strength to bring order to New Vegas, but they're a bunch of misogynistic slavers who go all in with crucifixions and executions and stuff.
If I had to choose one of the two I'd go NCR, but I don't have to choose one of the two. Though I do try to keep on the NCR's good side as long as it doesn't involve war crimes.
The Legion has enough people and enough strength to bring order to New Vegas, but they're a bunch of misogynistic slavers who go all in with crucifixions and executions and stuff.
If I had to choose one of the two I'd go NCR, but I don't have to choose one of the two. Though I do try to keep on the NCR's good side as long as it doesn't involve war crimes.
Violentvixen
(She/Her)
I tried Moonglow Bay on Gamepass and the graphics are just awful. I can't interpret a lot of structures and characters, I kept getting disoriented when in a room or boat and didn't understand where to go or what to do within rooms, there's no cohesive design leading you anywhere. The framerate was horrific, to the point that my spouse and I thought it was supposed to be some sort of stop motion animation homage but it doesn't seem like it.
But the final straw was cooking, which looks to be a big component of the game. Cooking a dish involves multiple different minigames, but they're all rapid fire and you don't really get a chance to orient yourself. I was failing them before I even understood what I was supposed to be doing.
I'm bummed because you don't see a lot of games based around an older character like this, the story sounded interesting and I liked the writing so far. But I literally can't play it and just looking at it gives me a headache. Maybe I'll find a Let's Play and just listen to the audio.
But the final straw was cooking, which looks to be a big component of the game. Cooking a dish involves multiple different minigames, but they're all rapid fire and you don't really get a chance to orient yourself. I was failing them before I even understood what I was supposed to be doing.
I'm bummed because you don't see a lot of games based around an older character like this, the story sounded interesting and I liked the writing so far. But I literally can't play it and just looking at it gives me a headache. Maybe I'll find a Let's Play and just listen to the audio.
jpfriction
(He, Him)
Booted up the copy of Nioh I found in my PS+ library because I felt like scratching a souls itch while I wait for Elden Ring and they put way too much shit in this game. Oh good, my proficiency with this sickle chain thing earned me a few samurai points that I accidentally wasted on skills for a weapon I don’t plan on using and now that I tab over I see there are two types of “magic”, each with their own set of skill points. I guess I’ll teach myself the powerful magic of “make 7 useless shurikens”.
Might just be salty because the big dude with the metal balls killed me 40 times in a row before I gave up and went to bed.
Might just be salty because the big dude with the metal balls killed me 40 times in a row before I gave up and went to bed.
I played Emerald for the first time a few years ago and I knew from the beginning I wanted Feebas, both because Milotic is one of my favorite pokemen and because I knew the experience was probably one of the most tedious in the whole mainline series, at least for a non-shiny, non-legendary 'mon.
And it was! It was super tedious. And the process for evolving Feebas was also nerve-wracking as hell. But man getting that Milotic in my team and taking it to the elite four was one of the most gratifying feelings in any game I've ever played. I'm glad that catch method is the exception rather than the rule, but I'm also kinda glad they did it just that one time.