Video games and gaming

[Ali Katt]

Control ?

Nope. I've got Control as well.
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[Billy no mates]

Nope. I've got Control as well.
External Link/Members Only

Not heard of it, looks interesting.

[golden bull]

This thread has peaked my interest and bought back nostalgia so I googled some retro gaming and I’m gonna get myself a Pandora’s box 📦 😂😂😂

[Punter S Thompson]

Ocarina of Time is still the best game ever made.

[Billy no mates]

Ocarina of Time is still the best game ever made.

At the time, it was ground breaking.

It is, I found, unfortunately, like a lot of memories, very difficult to go back to.

[Rick2468]

At the time, it was ground breaking.

It is, I found, unfortunately, like a lot of memories, very difficult to go back to.

I find that era where they were using early tech for the 3D engines have not aged well and has not hit the nostalgia spot....not yet at least. The games were ground breaking so amazing at the time but are so rusty compared with recent games. The characters are 3D but have barely any features. In contrast games like Mario and Sonic still look good as they were just simple cartoons. I played Goldeneye 64 a couple of years ago and it felt awful to play. Similarly when I played GTA 3 Definitive Edition just couple of months ago I was really surprised how old it felt.

[Ali Katt]

I find that era where they were using early tech for the 3D engines have not aged well and has not hit the nostalgia spot....not yet at least. The games were ground breaking so amazing at the time but are so rusty compared with recent games. The characters are 3D but have barely any features. In contrast games like Mario and Sonic still look good as they were just simple cartoons. I played Goldeneye 64 a couple of years ago and it felt awful to play. Similarly when I played GTA 3 Definitive Edition just couple of months ago I was really surprised how old it felt.

I agree 100%. A lot of the problem is simple things like jumping platforms are difficult to judge: Tomb Raider, Mario 64, Spyro - great games, but frustrating.

[Punter S Thompson]

It's not really about how well it holds up now. It's about the impact it had on release. No other game has come close to how revolutionary that game was.
Modern games suck. Too reliant on   cut scenes to tell stories.

[mr.bluesky]

It's not really about how well it holds up now. It's about the impact it had on release. No other game has come close to how revolutionary that game was.
Modern games suck. Too reliant on   cut scenes to tell stories.

Games like The Last of us, and The Last of us 2 are visually stunning and can be frustrating to play because they have a lot of cut scenes to set the story line. The production costs on some of these games must be nearly as big as some modern day films. No wonder games today are so expensive to buy 

[Punter S Thompson]

Games like The Last of us, and The Last of us 2 are visually stunning and can be frustrating to play because they have a lot of cut scenes to set the story line. The production costs on some of these games must be nearly as big as some modern day films. No wonder games today are so expensive to buy 

Two perfect examples of what I don't like about modern games.
The have decent stories but rely on cut scenes to tell them. 
The actual gameplay is pretty mediocre.

[Ali Katt]

It's not really about how well it holds up now. It's about the impact it had on release. No other game has come close to how revolutionary that game was.
Modern games suck. Too reliant on   cut scenes to tell stories.

Been going since the 90s. Final Fantasy 7 onwards probably has over 4 hours of cutscenes or close to it, but the gameplay is there. Luckily most games made in the last 10 or so years let you skip them, so not really an issue if you just want to play the game. That said I do agree with you, if the gameplay doesn't hold up, pointless padding it out with 7 hours of FMV.

[Punter S Thompson]

Been going since the 90s. Final Fantasy 7 onwards probably has over 4 hours of cutscenes or close to it, but the gameplay is there. Luckily most games made in the last 10 or so years let you skip them, so not really an issue if you just want to play the game. That said I do agree with you, if the gameplay doesn't hold up, pointless padding it out with 7 hours of FMV.

Some of my favourite games manage to tell good stories without endless cut scenes.
Bioshock is a great example.

[Billy no mates]

Some of my favourite games manage to tell good stories without endless cut scenes.
Bioshock is a great example.

Agreed, unpacking from last year was also another great story told without any cutscenes or voice overs.

[Punter S Thompson]

Agreed, unpacking from last year was also another great story told without any cutscenes or voice overs.

Isn't that on gamepass??
Might have a look.

[Billy no mates]

Isn't that on gamepass??
Might have a look.

It’s a ‘life’ story, rather than a deep meaningful comment on society, however I found it beautiful.

[Punter S Thompson]

It’s a ‘life’ story, rather than a deep meaningful comment on society, however I found it beautiful.

I'll check it out.
Thanks for the recommendation.

[Rick2468]

I am still pouring whatever time I can into Witcher 3 and bloody loving it. I have got further in the story than my original playthrough.

I am playing it on "Death March" mode which is the highest difficulty. It starts off seriously difficult but once I levelled up a bit it isn't so bad. I wouldn't say it was difficult it is more a case that it punishes you for making mistakes so you really have to think about your combat and resist the urge to take one final swing rather than rolling out of range so you can plan your next outburst.

Great game I'm glad I started from the beginning rather than continuing the save I had been working on for five years as that save was a mess as I had so many quests in my log. This time I'm focussing on the main missions.

Saw that PSN have a sale on today with some tempting titles but I'm going to be strict and buy no more games until I've cleared or at least almost cleared the backlog of games I own and want to complete.

[radioman33]

Space Invaders was the beginning of this gaming and I remember it was 10p a game.Most arcades on seafronts don’t make much profit anymore and are up for sale,Southend for example.

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[mr.bluesky]

Space Invaders was the beginning of this gaming and I remember it was 10p a game.Most arcades on seafronts don’t make much profit anymore and are up for sale,Southend for example.

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Wasted many hours ( and money) playing the space invaders machine in pubs.

[Billy no mates]

Wasted many hours ( and money) playing the space invaders machine in pubs.

I remember every newsagents seemed to have a machine, for us to pump money into.

[Ghost89]

One of my faves. Operation wolf. “Rescue all hostages!” 

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[Rick2468]

Arcades were a rare special treat for me as a child. Only got to play on seaside holidays. I had a mate whose Dad would take him to the arcades once a fortnight and occasionally I would be invited along and he had bottomless pockets. We used to love playing the Ninja Turtles and The Simpsons games. I downloaded the ROMs to play on PC and they weren't good games to play on desktop, there was just something magical about the arcades. I had a Megadrive as a kid and the graphics and sounds on the arcades really made me go "WOW!". I still have a go on the shooting games or racers when I'm at an airport or at the Trocodero when that was still open.

[Ghost89]

Arcades were a rare special treat for me as a child. Only got to play on seaside holidays. I had a mate whose Dad would take him to the arcades once a fortnight and occasionally I would be invited along and he had bottomless pockets. We used to love playing the Ninja Turtles and The Simpsons games. I downloaded the ROMs to play on PC and they weren't good games to play on desktop, there was just something magical about the arcades. I had a Megadrive as a kid and the graphics and sounds on the arcades really made me go "WOW!". I still have a go on the shooting games or racers when I'm at an airport or at the Trocodero when that was still open.

I do think there’s a gap in the market for retro arcades. I’m sure it’d be a popular place for old school gamers and new gamers to see how far games have come.

[Ali Katt]

I do think there’s a gap in the market for retro arcades. I’m sure it’d be a popular place for old school gamers and new gamers to see how far games have come.

Incredibly expensive and difficult to run. It's a bit like I always thought a gaming bar like Barcade in America was viable in the UK, trust me it wouldn't pay off long term. There is a gaming arcade in Manchester I think pay by the hour, machines on free play.

[Ghost89]

Incredibly expensive and difficult to run. It's a bit like I always thought a gaming bar like Barcade in America was viable in the UK, trust me it wouldn't pay off long term. There is a gaming arcade in Manchester I think pay by the hour, machines on free play.

Maybe not. But I’d like someone to try!

[sparkus]

Incredibly expensive and difficult to run. It's a bit like I always thought a gaming bar like Barcade in America was viable in the UK, trust me it wouldn't pay off long term. There is a gaming arcade in Manchester I think pay by the hour, machines on free play.

Get yourself here lad: External Link/Members Only

[Ghost89]

That looks awesome! Pity it’s too far for me to just drop in though! It’d cost me a fortune so just as well really.

[Rick2468]

This morning, after playing it on and off, I finally completed Witcher 3! And on hard mode as well which wasn't that hard once you are used to it, I beat the last few bosses without dying once. I really enjoyed the game but I stopped giving a shit about the story towards the end and was just skipping.

I am going to get the platinum trophy so going to spend the next week mopping those up.

I will play the DLC at some point, currently deciding whether to take a break and play something else or not.

[NightKid]

I will play the DLC at some point, currently deciding whether to take a break and play something else or not.

I'd recommend the Yakuza series if you're looking to switch it up, especially Yakuza 0 or Kiwami 2.

Go with the former if you're looking to start fresh with the story. Though it's ever so slightly grindier than the latter, both have great systems/minigames nonetheless and you might find it a better natural progression when you get to YK2 as I thought the graphics and combat were an improvement myself.

[Rick2468]

I'd recommend the Yakuza series if you're looking to switch it up, especially Yakuza 0 or Kiwami 2.

Go with the former if you're looking to start fresh with the story. Though it's ever so slightly grindier than the latter, both have great systems/minigames nonetheless and you might find it a better natural progression when you get to YK2 as I thought the graphics and combat were an improvement myself.

I might do at some point. I have promised myself not to buy any more games until I clear my backlog. Thankfully on PS4 my backlog is only The Witcher 3 DLC, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Far Cry 5. I was terrible when I had my PS3 I bought so many games when they were on sale. I still have some games in the shrink wrap.

I had PS Plus for two years for about £35 a year and that was amazing value. Obviously you can only play what they release but I got a lot of value out of it and I played some great games I otherwise wouldn't have played. It was also really exciting each month waiting for the games to be announced. I only bought 3 games over the whole 2 years I had PS Now. My membership has lapsed but so I am just waiting until they release a game on it that I want to play.

[sparkus]

I guess they paid the chick to be in the picture and a face mask comes in handy to avoid the BO of some of the attendees, but this may be of interest to some on this thread:

External Link/Members Only

(plenty of punting options nearby too)

[Billy no mates]

I guess they paid the chick to be in the picture and a face mask comes in handy to avoid the BO of some of the attendees, but this may be of interest to some on this thread:

External Link/Members Only

(plenty of punting options nearby too)

It would be interesting to look around, but at £5 entry (£2 for half day), to what is basically a shop full of retro games, I must be missing something.

[sparkus]

It would be interesting to look around, but at £5 entry (£2 for half day), to what is basically a shop full of retro games, I must be missing something.

As with any event of this nature you're paying for 'buzz' of hanging out with fellow geeks.
Also the stalls will have gems to discover in a way more satisfying than online perusal.

[Marmalade]

Recent study suggests kids who are allowed more tv and video-game time are worse behaved than those who aren’t. Why am I not surprised?

[BoobyNewbie]

Do you have a link to the study please?

This is an interest of mine.

[Marmalade]

Recent study suggests kids who are allowed more tv and video-game time are worse behaved than those who aren’t. Why am I not surprised?

I had just noticed one in passing and didn’t keep a note of it as I scan through so many papers. There’s quite a number on the subject, but some of them are low quality, for instance on cause and effect, e.g. data that could also be interpreted as suggesting that worse behaved children tend towards more tv and video-games rather than the latter causing the behaviour. There’s also a question of what is ‘worse-behaved’ — for instance is idleness and watching tv rather doing homework an example or not. Or there’s credible-looking articles like External Link/Members Only which, if I were looking at it critically would ask, how come it increases violence in American adolescents whereas in Japan (which I think has much more violent media) it does not? That assumption itself might be wrong according to some External Link/Members Only
There’s a meta-analysis here:
 External Link/Members Only
Summary here: External Link/Members Only
which at least uses data rather than theory alone.

That a few players develop External Link/Members Onlywith their pastimes seems hard to argue with.

If I was a parent, I’d be looking at what I felt was the influence on a particular child, though my rule-of-thumb would probably to set time limits. I’m slightly against tv and video games generally, so slightly biased, but I think at least the old video games that relied on constant fast reflexes were shown to External Link/Members Only in adolescents (not young children).

Apologies for any typos — just a quick answer typed on my phone, but I agree it’s an interesting subject.

[Ghost89]

Recent study suggests kids who are allowed more tv and video-game time are worse behaved than those who aren’t. Why am I not surprised?

I don’t take a lot of stock in surveys like that. It’s all down to lazy parenting and not setting boundaries early on. I have a teenage son who is always playing video games and he’s the most well behaved child. Does well at school and is very respectful. I was the same and still am and it didn’t make me a reprobate.

[The0neAnd0nly]

Elden Ring - 10 out ot 10

Been playing this since launch and its absolutely phenomenal. It's a sum of the best parts of games such as Skyrim and The Witcher but probably closest to games like ICO/ Shadow of the Colossus.

George R Martin wrote some of the story and content although its deliberately light on information or what to do next.

I'd highly recommend it if your interested in a open world RPG type game. I've played a few Souls games before (Dark Souls and Bloodborne) and I'd say this is slightly more accessible to new players to the series although it's not easy at all.

[Billy no mates]

Elden Ring - 10 out ot 10

Been playing this since launch and its absolutely phenomenal. It's a sum of the best parts of games such as Skyrim and The Witcher but probably closest to games like ICO/ Shadow of the Colossus.

George R Martin wrote some of the story and content although its deliberately light on information or what to do next.

I'd highly recommend it if your interested in a open world RPG type game. I've played a few Souls games before (Dark Souls and Bloodborne) and I'd say this is slightly more accessible to new players to the series although it's not easy at all.

It’s on my list, but don’t see myself getting it till much later in the year.

[Rick2468]

I played Hollow Knight last year and totally bought in with the hype. I thought it was amazing. It made me realise how much I love the "Metroidvania" genre of games. I used to play the Castlevania games on Nintendo DS and thought they were good.

Hollow Knight kicked off a Metroidvania phase for me. Over the past 6 months I have played:

- Blasphemous - Thought this was awesome. Loved the setting and atmosphere. Controls were tight. Bosses were good. It was short but was a good time throughout, so didn't outstay it's welcome.

- Guacamelee & Guacamelee 2 - Both good games, combat was really good fun and involved a lot of button mashing whilst still having some sort of structure to it. Difficulty level really stood out on this game. It was challenging through but don't think I died more than 10 times in any one spot. The 2nd game was slightly better than the first but they were both good games.

- Salt & Sanctuary - Still processing what I think of this. There is a skill tree where you decide what sort of character you want, ie magic vs strength. I guess this is a positive feature but it overwhelmed me. This game has a "reverse difficulty curve" where it gets easier if you explore everything. I like games that reward exploring but I got so powerful just a third of the way through I was just slicing through enemies easily. I even beat most the bosses first time. It was satisfying to get through the game quickly but a bit of a challenge would have been nice. I might play this again but use a different build.

- Castlevania Symphony of the Night - I read up that this is regarded as one of the best games of all time. I played a few Castlevania games but not this one. It was great. The controls were tight. I could have believed it was a game released today but with retro graphics.

- Strider - Still playing this at the moment and holy shit it's good. I didn't like it at first as didn't know what to do and kept dying but now I've sussed it out I'm loving it. Had to drag myself away from it in order to get sorted for work tomorrow.

All this games cost just a few quid in sales. They are a few years old. I am getting a lot of fun out of them.

[Billy no mates]

May I add to those games Ori and the Blind Forest and Dead Cells, both worth a look in my opinion.

Strictly speaking Dead Cells isn’t a full metroidvania type game but it’s close enough and oozes playability

[Rick2468]

May I add to those games Ori and the Blind Forest and Dead Cells, both worth a look in my opinion.

Strictly speaking Dead Cells isn’t a full metroidvania type game but it’s close enough and oozes playability

Thanks. I'm on PS4 so can't play Ori unfortunately.

I played Dead Cells. The Metroid elements to it are very minor so I wouldn't class it as that type of game. I did enjoy it though. I found it impossible but played it a lot during early lockdown and ended up improving and eventually completed it on 5BC mode. After I completed it I went back to 0BC mode and I couldn't believe how easy it was considering I was dying within seconds when I first played it. It made me a better gamer and served me well playing similar games. For example Blasphemous had a reputation for being difficult but I found it quite easy compared to Dead Cells.

[Proton]

Quite expensive to buy these days, but with inflation probably what they cost at the time. Ironically I used to see them for £1 at car boot sales, now they are more like £20-£50. It's a Tomytronic 3D for any younger forum members. Tomy made some great toys, I liked their pinball games.

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[Ali Katt]

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Nice 

[Rick2468]

I have been playing Bloodborne (PS4) over the past week. I bought it years ago as it got rave reviews. I tried playing it a few times but kept dying and didn't know where I was supposed to go so I gave up and played something else. The game has no map or quest markers so it doesn't hold your hand which is good but also tough for a beginner.

I decided to give it another go a week ago but use a walkthrough guide. I continued to die a lot and I usually hate games that are too difficult but I felt compelled to keep trying. It's an addictive game. The weapon I am using is slow but delivers a very satisfying smash when it makes contact with an enemy.

The map is really well designed and after a while I worked out that you could open up shortcuts then go back to base to heal and restore potions. I am finding it less difficult now, I beat the first two bosses in just two tries each but there is a lot of scope for it to get harder.

The game is seven years old now. The graphics can look dodgy up close in places but the cities and skylines look amazing it is really immersive. At one point I just stopped and looked out at the skyline at all the tall chapels etc.

[The0neAnd0nly]

I have been playing Bloodborne (PS4) over the past week. I bought it years ago as it got rave reviews. I tried playing it a few times but kept dying and didn't know where I was supposed to go so I gave up and played something else. The game has no map or quest markers so it doesn't hold your hand which is good but also tough for a beginner.

I decided to give it another go a week ago but use a walkthrough guide. I continued to die a lot and I usually hate games that are too difficult but I felt compelled to keep trying. It's an addictive game. The weapon I am using is slow but delivers a very satisfying smash when it makes contact with an enemy.

The map is really well designed and after a while I worked out that you could open up shortcuts then go back to base to heal and restore potions. I am finding it less difficult now, I beat the first two bosses in just two tries each but there is a lot of scope for it to get harder.

The game is seven years old now. The graphics can look dodgy up close in places but the cities and skylines look amazing it is really immersive. At one point I just stopped and looked out at the skyline at all the tall chapels etc.

Once you've done with Bloodborne give Elden Ring a blast Reply 87 - much better and with better combat, bosses and gameplay mechanics IMO.

Same studio too so a lot of things stay the same (souls now runes, bonfires now graces etc)

[Rick2468]

Once you've done with Bloodborne give Elden Ring a blast Reply 87 - much better and with better combat, bosses and gameplay mechanics IMO.

Same studio too so a lot of things stay the same (souls now runes, bonfires now graces etc)

It is on my list. I am still on PS4 and not got a PS5 yet and will probably save Elden Ring until I have a PS5. I will get a PS5 at some point now that they are readily available.

I'm quite frugal with games and normally buy games that have been out for a while and less than £20 each. I only buy new releases when it's a multiplayer game that my mates are also playing.

[Billy no mates]

It is on my list. I am still on PS4 and not got a PS5 yet and will probably save Elden Ring until I have a PS5. I will get a PS5 at some point now that they are readily available.

I'm quite frugal with games and normally buy games that have been out for a while and less than £20 each. I only buy new releases when it's a multiplayer game that my mates are also playing.

A man after my own heart.

I just picked up Fenix : Immortals Rising for £10 from Amazon. It’s pretty good (if you wanted to play Zelda on an Xbox or PlayStation.

[Briddy]

Just finished the 2018 god of war now eagerly awaiting the release of ragnarok

[bj_bob]

I’m currently playing the Guardians Game as I got it cheap and I’ve got VTM Swansong too. I’m eagerly awaiting “The Quarry” in less than 3 x weeks!