New Games/General Gaming

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, DE. said:

Having the leads all out at once would be horrible, but keeping them packed away makes it pretty easy. Most consoles only really have a power cable and an RF/Scart/AV/HDMI lead. A lot of them can swap around as well. PS1 & PS2 for example can use the same cables, and so can PS3/PS4. 

In all honesty I barely play mine either. They're more like decorations or ornaments  I just like walking in and seeing them all sitting there. Most of what I actually play is VR these days. What is cool is that with the Oculus Rift somebody made a program which emulates the Virtual Boy. It does a great job too - even adjusts the movement so that it doesn't give the user the headaches that the actual Virtual Boy does.

Was the virtual boy ahead of its time? I can't even imagine what the games were like. Are they like just regular platformer games, but your head is in the screen? If that makes sense ?

[DE.]

To call something ahead of it's time suggests it had some redeeming values which were only appreciated once it was gone. You could call the 3DO and CDi ahead of their time as they tried to use CDs as a multimedia/gaming medium a few years before it really took off with the original PlayStation. Both consoles failed miserably for various reasons (3DO primarily its ridiculous price, CDi because they tried to market it as a multimedia centre rather than a console) but in using CD technology for games & movies they were a little ahead of their time. The CDi technically wasn't discontinued until 1998, granted, but it was dead in the water by 1994.

Virtual Boy on the other hand had no redeeming features. It was basically a pair of 3D glasses on a pair of short legs which showed everything in red & black and gave the user eyestrain and headaches within 20 minutes of playing. Practically every VB game could have been on Game Boy and been no worse off for it. It's kind of amazing that a company as experienced as Nintendo made such a massive misstep. Even SEGA, who were known for their crazy marketing ideas, decided against going down the VR route after realising the technology just wasn't there yet. Have to admit I would have liked to have tried Sega VR though.

AVGN's Virtual Boy review on YouTube covers it pretty well if you want an idea of what the games were like.

 

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 hour ago, DE. said:

To call something ahead of it's time suggests it had some redeeming values which were only appreciated once it was gone. You could call the 3DO and CDi ahead of their time as they tried to use CDs as a multimedia/gaming medium a few years before it really took off with the original PlayStation. Both consoles failed miserably for various reasons (3DO primarily its ridiculous price, CDi because they tried to market it as a multimedia centre rather than a console) but in using CD technology for games & movies they were a little ahead of their time. The CDi technically wasn't discontinued until 1998, granted, but it was dead in the water by 1994.

Virtual Boy on the other hand had no redeeming features. It was basically a pair of 3D glasses on a pair of short legs which showed everything in red & black and gave the user eyestrain and headaches within 20 minutes of playing. Practically every VB game could have been on Game Boy and been no worse off for it. It's kind of amazing that a company as experienced as Nintendo made such a massive misstep. Even SEGA, who were known for their crazy marketing ideas, decided against going down the VR route after realising the technology just wasn't there yet. Have to admit I would have liked to have tried Sega VR though.

AVGN's Virtual Boy review on YouTube covers it pretty well if you want an idea of what the games were like.

 

I haven't gotten into the more recent VR stuff at all. I bought the PS move controllers a few years ago, the sports game was good craic, but they released about 2 games after that, so I think that scarred me. Very skeptical about forking out 400-500 euros to get on this bandwagon. 

Is it worth it? 

[DE.]

For me it's been worth every penny, but the overall experience seems to be a very subjective one. Some people love it, some people hate it, a lot of people are somewhere in the middle. One of my friends liked the idea, bought a PSVR but couldn't stop puking, so ended up regretfully selling it. That's a rare case but it can happen. My suggestion would be, if at all possible, try it out first. You'll know after 10-15 minutes whether VR gaming is for you. 

Affordability is something to consider, but if you've already got a PS4 you should be able to get a PSVR & Camera second hand for less than a couple of hundred Euros. I think they've been doing bundles recently pricing the headset & camera new between 200-250, so the price is coming down. 

Goes without saying that the Rift is a totally different proposition. I paid well over £1k for the headset/controllers along with a PC powerful enough to run it. I don't regret the investment as the Rift is awesome, but still, PSVR is a very affordable entry point. It has its limitations but two of my favourite VR games in RIGS and Wipeout are exclusive to PSVR so I wouldn't be without it.

[Bigdoggsteel]

41 minutes ago, DE. said:

For me it's been worth every penny, but the overall experience seems to be a very subjective one. Some people love it, some people hate it, a lot of people are somewhere in the middle. One of my friends liked the idea, bought a PSVR but couldn't stop puking, so ended up regretfully selling it. That's a rare case but it can happen. My suggestion would be, if at all possible, try it out first. You'll know after 10-15 minutes whether VR gaming is for you. 

Affordability is something to consider, but if you've already got a PS4 you should be able to get a PSVR & Camera second hand for less than a couple of hundred Euros. I think they've been doing bundles recently pricing the headset & camera new between 200-250, so the price is coming down. 

Goes without saying that the Rift is a totally different proposition. I paid well over £1k for the headset/controllers along with a PC powerful enough to run it. I don't regret the investment as the Rift is awesome, but still, PSVR is a very affordable entry point. It has its limitations but two of my favourite VR games in RIGS and Wipeout are exclusive to PSVR so I wouldn't be without it.

Just checked those games out there, wow, they look deadly. I love wipeout, didn't realise it was available as a VR experience now. I will probably get involved at some point. 

[davulsukur]

On 06/04/2018 at 14:11, Norbert Rassragr said:

Is FF 15 good? I've only played 7,8 and 12.

I like it. It shifts away from the traditional turn based combat in favour of live. I think it works well.

I imagine you can pick it up at a fairly reasonable price these days (says without checking) so if you enjoyed 7, 8 & 12 then there’s a good chance you’d enjoy this one. Always worth hitting YouTube for a look at the gameplay as well.

@DE. & @Bigdoggsteel I’ve never actually sat back and looked at the monsters in FF7 too much but now you’ve pointed them out, there are some really strange looking things in there! 

[DE.]

There's a notable difference between the enemies in FF8 compared to FF7, they're a lot less fantastical and seem more grounded in real creatures (you fight a lot of soldiers in random battles too). There are still some fantasy-based ones (the GFs, Cactuar, Fake President Deling, some of the monsters at the end of the game) but there's a noticeable shift into a more realistic art style.

Also worth a read for anybody who likes FF8:

Squall's Dead theory - http://squallsdead.com/

Rinoa/Ultimecia theory - http://www.heartilly.com/rinoa/article_ultimecia.html

Spoilers in both links for anybody who hasn't played through the game and intends to!

I don't believe either of them were intended as part of the actual plot by the writers, but I love how creative both theories are

[davulsukur]

FF8 was decent, no doubts.

But nothing gets you going more than when the Boss music kicks in on FF7.

[DE.]

2 hours ago, davulsukur said:

FF8 was decent, no doubts.

But nothing gets you going more than when the Boss music kicks in on FF7.

The boss music on 6, 7 & 8 is all great tbh. My favourite overall music score is 7 by some distance though. An incedible job considering the limitations of the PS1. 

[davulsukur]

35 minutes ago, DE. said:

The boss music on 6, 7 & 8 is all great tbh. My favourite overall music score is 7 by some distance though. An incedible job considering the limitations of the PS1. 

When driving around in the car on FF15 you can choose the music playing on the radio, which includes loads (possibly all) of the previous FF soundtracks. 

7 is on it for sure 

[DE.]

48 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

When driving around in the car on FF15 you can choose the music playing on the radio, which includes loads (possibly all) of the previous FF soundtracks. 

7 is on it for sure 

Yeah, I heard that! Nice feature. I was pretty hyped for Final Fantasy VR... then it was just a fishing game. A bit of a let down.

[DE.]

For anybody who remembers/is interested in Shenmue, I & II are being rereleased on PS4/XB1. Base currently doing pre-orders for £22.85: 

https://www.base.com/buy/product/shenmue-i-and-ii-ps4/dgc-shenps4.htm

[Bigdoggsteel]

30 minutes ago, DE. said:

For anybody who remembers/is interested in Shenmue, I & II are being rereleased on PS4/XB1. Base currently doing pre-orders for £22.85: 

https://www.base.com/buy/product/shenmue-i-and-ii-ps4/dgc-shenps4.htm

Did you ever play the original? Any good? 

Interesting to see what they do with this 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Have any of you played Bloodborne? I missed it when released, but it was free on PS plus last month. Absolutely epic game. Best I have played in years. 

[DE.]

10 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Did you ever play the original? Any good? 

Interesting to see what they do with this 

I recently picked up the original on Dreamcast (4 discs!) but haven't played it yet. I'll probably wait until this one comes out and play it on PS4 - graphics will likely be a bit better and saving should be easier. Plus the Dreamcast controller is a stupidly awkward shape which makes it annoying to use for long periods.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, DE. said:

I recently picked up the original on Dreamcast (4 discs!) but haven't played it yet. I'll probably wait until this one comes out and play it on PS4 - graphics will likely be a bit better and saving should be easier. Plus the Dreamcast controller is a stupidly awkward shape which makes it annoying to use for long periods.

The dreamcast version apparently stood the test of time ok. Was a huge project in hindsight, didn't it cost like 60 million to make? 

I wonder how much the version is after costing. Considerably less I would imagine 

[DE.]

46 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

The dreamcast version apparently stood the test of time ok. Was a huge project in hindsight, didn't it cost like 60 million to make? 

I wonder how much the version is after costing. Considerably less I would imagine 

Yeah, Shenmue was a huge, multi-year project. It was originally supposed to come out on the Saturn but after SEGA dumped that console development was switched to the Dreamcast. In hindsight definitely for the best as the DC was a much better console. I love the Saturn (as I inexplicably love all failed consoles from that era) but they really @#/? up the architecture on that thing. It was capable of great things but only if you were a top level game designer - and most of those were working on games for the PS1 and N64, as the Saturn had already more or less died by mid-1996. 

From what I remember Shenmue didn't return much if any profit, so it's a bit of a surprise they were even allowed to make Shenmue II. I think on the original Shenmue there's a Saturn console in your 'house', and you can play Space Harrier and Hang On if you win them at a raffle somewhere. Little touches like that are really cool. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, DE. said:

Yeah, Shenmue was a huge, multi-year project. It was originally supposed to come out on the Saturn but after SEGA dumped that console development was switched to the Dreamcast. In hindsight definitely for the best as the DC was a much better console. I love the Saturn (as I inexplicably love all failed consoles from that era) but they really @#/? up the architecture on that thing. It was capable of great things but only if you were a top level game designer - and most of those were working on games for the PS1 and N64, as the Saturn had already more or less died by mid-1996. 

From what I remember Shenmue didn't return much if any profit, so it's a bit of a surprise they were even allowed to make Shenmue II. I think on the original Shenmue there's a Saturn console in your 'house', and you can play Space Harrier and Hang On if you win them at a raffle somewhere. Little touches like that are really cool. 

I would say it went a large way to ending Sega as a videogame powerhouse. Ya, there are loads of little touches like that apparently. Very cool 

[DE.]

The 32X/Saturn period undoubtedly ruined the company. It destroyed any faith their customers had in them. The sad thing is that the Dreamcast was an awesome machine with a really nice, eclectic library of games. The PS2 absolutely murdered it though. 

[K-Hod]

Has anyone played this? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Resident-Evil-Biohazard-PS4-PSVR/dp/B01GVN0CQ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1524048815&sr=1-1&keywords=resident+evil

If so, is it any good? I'm looking for a new game to get stuck into and I've got a PS4, so any recommendations would be welcome! (I like pretty much all games).

[DE.]

I've played it in VR. Utterly terrifying. I imagine less so when played flat, but still a decent game imo. 

[donnermeat]

17 hours ago, K-Hod said:

Has anyone played this? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Resident-Evil-Biohazard-PS4-PSVR/dp/B01GVN0CQ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1524048815&sr=1-1&keywords=resident+evil

If so, is it any good? I'm looking for a new game to get stuck into and I've got a PS4, so any recommendations would be welcome! (I like pretty much all games).

Horizon Zero Dawn

[Bigdoggsteel]

19 hours ago, DE. said:

I've played it in VR. Utterly terrifying. I imagine less so when played flat, but still a decent game imo. 

I played the demo, I don't think I would enjoy the stress of playing it. Love the franchise though. With regards the VR, would you get dizzy or experience motion sickness? I heard some saying they did 

[Bigdoggsteel]

20 hours ago, K-Hod said:

Has anyone played this? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Resident-Evil-Biohazard-PS4-PSVR/dp/B01GVN0CQ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1524048815&sr=1-1&keywords=resident+evil

If so, is it any good? I'm looking for a new game to get stuck into and I've got a PS4, so any recommendations would be welcome! (I like pretty much all games).

Bloodborne

Pyre

Mother Russia bleeds

Deus Ex mankind divided (or human revolution if you haven't played that) 

[DE.]

13 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I played the demo, I don't think I would enjoy the stress of playing it. Love the franchise though. With regards the VR, would you get dizzy or experience motion sickness? I heard some saying they did 

It's totally dependent on the individual. I've never suffered from any form of motion sickness, and similarly in VR nothing has really fazed me. Even playing Wipeout on the fastest speed setting didn't cause me discomfort. In definitely varies from person to person, but normally even if you do experience some discomfort it'll go away in time. 

Playing Resi 7 in VR initially is ridiculous. Even though I knew I was in my living room in the middle of the day with a headset on, playing the game was one of the scariest things I've done. Again over time the effect lessens. There's a game called Farpoint which has huge acid-spitting spiders jumping at you - the first time I played the game I literally fell over after moving backwards in panic as one of the spiders launched itself at my face. Took a few days before it became 'normal' and from then it was fine.