Shit's still outta-control insane busy, but I feel like talking at someone about games, so here's some quick hits.
Looks like Bethesda's starting up the hype train by teasing some E3 announcements. PC Gamer has a good take on it. Obviously, there are two unknown properties that will be discussed, but I also think that the bigger surprises might come from games that are already shown there. I also think it's maybe time to retire Skyrim. The Morrowind expac will have just dropped, so another big-ass ESO announcement would be nice. I'm tired of them milking Skyrim. As for Fallout ... go big or go home. Gimme New Vegas 2 from Obsidian. A single-player expac for Doom would be awesome. Dishonored is on there, so something substantial in that area would be cool. No more trials, please. Gimme a proper expansion. And it looks like there be Prey post-release content? Wow.
As for the new stuff ... I'd love to see a new IP, obviously. I'd love to see another Rage game. Yeah, I'm that guy.
Dirt 4 has a trailer. Unfortunately, it looks like they're going arcade-style again, after the excellent Dirt Rally. This seems an odd choice.
On the plus side, FFXIV has dropped a pretty new trailer for Stormblood.
I also think I'm gonna ramp up my presence here. I'm getting pretty frustrated with existing so-called 'gamers' and gaming communities, so I'm giving thought to starting my own. I'm just tired of the hate, hyperbole, and discrimination. I try to learn from those that are different, but I know a lotta people that react in the opposite way.
I'm not really sure what I'm gonna do. I just wanna start a community that's more inclusive. I firmly believe that most gaming enthusiasts aren't what 'gamers' portray themselves as. I think most are normal, well-adjusted adults. Not the alt-right GamerGate Nazi fucks that are most commonly out in front.
Regardless, I'm also really fucking tired and I've had people all up in my face nonstop for weeks. I'm a private person that values his alone time greatly, and I rarely get it, especially lately. That's just how this time of year is for me. Holy cow, though, dude ... I am exhausted, both in terms of lack of sleep, but also in terms of face time with other humans.
Whatcha Playin'?
I'm still double-fisting Mass Effect: Andromeda and Torment: Tides of Numenera, with a side of The Elder Scrolls Online. I finished the ESO main campaign this weekend, and that was pretty rad. I haven't had much gaming time lately, but after I do some travel next week, I should be able to finally have some personal time again, around mid-May.
My goal is to finish MEA and TToN before E3. I think that's feasible.
I'm also trying to do a Dawn of War 3 mission whenever I can. I love that series. I'm not totally sold on the new one yet, mainly because I LOVED the cover system in DoW2, which has been replaced with something ... else, and I don't love it ... yet.
We've also got Prey coming next week, though I'll be traveling at the time. I'm still going to try and get it going then, but I'll likely have to wait until mid-May before I can really dig in.
Zzz
Anyway, I'm tired as fuck and tired of people as fuck. I'm tired of humans. I'm tired of being tired. I used to love spring time. I think next year, I'm going to just force everyone to fuck off in April. I dunno.
Good night.
-Blaine
This is where I type things at you, share some things that I think are cool, and occasionally shamelessly self-promote.
Showing posts with label stormblood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stormblood. Show all posts
20170430
a quick shout
Labels:
2017,
Andromeda,
bethesda,
dawn of war 3,
dirt 4,
e3,
elder scrolls online,
final fantasy xiv,
mass effect,
morrowind,
obsidian,
prey,
stormblood,
tides of numenera,
torment,
warhammer 40k
Location:
Manchester, MO, USA
20170221
MMOs and Time and Dollars and How Much Can I Really Enjoy Four of Them?
I love MMORPGs. I love the 'instant play' aspect, and I love getting to live inside their worlds. I love the community (usually.) Modern MMORPGs very much cater to the love of story that I have, plus they heavily feature math, which makes me swoon.
The problem is that there are too many that I like. I go through this every year or two, when I need to pare down, especially relative to the lack of free time that I have, and the fact that I mostly play gargantuan single-player RPGs.
So, here's what I have in rotation at the moment.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
This is my champion. Of any game I've ever played, I've put more hours into SWTOR than any other. I was in the beta, and fell in love HARD. I still play this pretty regularly. I adore this game. I've put over 1000 hours into it, and there's still a ton of content I've never played. This one stays, no matter what.
Yeah, I know, this game became fashionable to hate or loathe or whatever weird emotional assignment you tied to it, but it really is delightful, especially if you're a fan of the now-deleted Expanded Universe, specifically the KotOR stuff. This is a natural extension of it.
The free-to-play option is a good demo, but I'm a subscriber, and I feel just fine about that. The Knights of the Fallen Empire and Knights of the Eternal Throne mini-expansions were great. What this game needs is a proper expansion.
The Elder Scrolls Online
I had a bumpy ride with this one early on. Like SWTOR, I was in the beta for a long time, and it was decent, and then once the game launched, I decided to unsub for a time while they worked out some issues. At no point was it bad, but it had some problems that I wanted worked out before I came back. Eventually, I did, and really enjoyed it. I don't sub anymore, because it went buy-to-play, but I buy each of the DLC, and I've prepurchased the Morrowind expansion, which looks AMAAAZING.
What's interesting about this and SWTOR is that I approach each as a living single-player game. I'll group when I need to, and I belong to fairly active guilds, but I don't raid a lot. I do enjoy it when I do, but I'm fairly introverted, and MMOs are an OK way for me to brush up against being social.
I actually got my oldest son pulled in, and he's playing now. Once he's leveled, maybe we'll hit Cyrodiil together.
Guild Wars 2
This is another game in which I've been since the beta. I actually had some IRL friends playing with me for a while, but they've dropped out over the years, and I'm now the last man standing.
I finished the main campaign a while ago, and have been pushing through the Living World content, though I've hit a bugged dungeon, and have been waiting for it to be fixed so that I can continue. It is very frustrating, especially since I've enjoyed the game so much.
Guild Wars 2 is also the most fun 'just sit down and start playing' game that I play. It's just silky smooth.
The world is a hell of a lot of fun, too. Not only the lore, but the reactive elements, which, in my opinion, makes it the ultimate theme park MMO.
The lack of a subscription helps the enjoyment, too. I think the base game is F2P now, too.
Final Fantasy XIV
This is the tough one for me. I pay a sub for it, I used to really love Final Fantasy, I adore the combat and the mechanics of this game, as well as the structure of the world, but it has a few things that really bug me.
I play games that lack voice acting all the time, but FFXIV's flapping lips really bother me. I'd rather that there wasn't any camera work or anything, and that it just had textboxes over static images, or even handled it like the old SNES Final Fantasy games. The flapping lips just bother me.
This is a game that I really need to get more into. The above games were all 'my main game' for some period of time, which allowed me to really propel myself into the game. I've never done that with Final Fantasy XIV. I was even a launch day player, and got to enjoy the debacle of the original version of the game.
I've got Stormblood prepurchased, I've paid my sub through August, so I am going to try and really take the plunge.
Star Trek Online
I played the shit outta this when it first came out. I am absolutely nuts about Star Trek (and Star Wars), and this was my only connection to the franchise for a period of time. The Abrams fan fiction films were fun, brainless action movies, and we'll see if Discovery ever amounts to anything in spite of CBS. This is all I had for a while, and it was really enjoyable. The ship-to-ship combat is great, the ground combat has improved, but is still basically crap, but the game is a fun dip in the Star Trek universe.
I haven't been a subscriber in years, and I really barely play anymore, but I want to play more.
In Conclusion
So, that's five MMOs, plus my constant itch to fire up The Secret World again. I just checked, and holy shit, that's an expensive game to jump into right now and buy the full game.
It's too many, flat out, and I could use some help paring it down. I'd love your opinions. SWTOR and ESO are definitely sticking around.
On the flipside, I could also dial back the single player games that I play, to make more time for the MMOs. I dunno. Having too many quality games to play is a good problem to have, and a very, very first world problem. Still, it can be a fun discussion, and I'd appreciate any input ya'll have.
BTW, one week 'til Torment/Horizon Day!!!
Hit me!
-Blaine
The problem is that there are too many that I like. I go through this every year or two, when I need to pare down, especially relative to the lack of free time that I have, and the fact that I mostly play gargantuan single-player RPGs.
So, here's what I have in rotation at the moment.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
This is my champion. Of any game I've ever played, I've put more hours into SWTOR than any other. I was in the beta, and fell in love HARD. I still play this pretty regularly. I adore this game. I've put over 1000 hours into it, and there's still a ton of content I've never played. This one stays, no matter what.
Yeah, I know, this game became fashionable to hate or loathe or whatever weird emotional assignment you tied to it, but it really is delightful, especially if you're a fan of the now-deleted Expanded Universe, specifically the KotOR stuff. This is a natural extension of it.
The free-to-play option is a good demo, but I'm a subscriber, and I feel just fine about that. The Knights of the Fallen Empire and Knights of the Eternal Throne mini-expansions were great. What this game needs is a proper expansion.
The Elder Scrolls Online
I had a bumpy ride with this one early on. Like SWTOR, I was in the beta for a long time, and it was decent, and then once the game launched, I decided to unsub for a time while they worked out some issues. At no point was it bad, but it had some problems that I wanted worked out before I came back. Eventually, I did, and really enjoyed it. I don't sub anymore, because it went buy-to-play, but I buy each of the DLC, and I've prepurchased the Morrowind expansion, which looks AMAAAZING.
What's interesting about this and SWTOR is that I approach each as a living single-player game. I'll group when I need to, and I belong to fairly active guilds, but I don't raid a lot. I do enjoy it when I do, but I'm fairly introverted, and MMOs are an OK way for me to brush up against being social.
I actually got my oldest son pulled in, and he's playing now. Once he's leveled, maybe we'll hit Cyrodiil together.
Guild Wars 2
This is another game in which I've been since the beta. I actually had some IRL friends playing with me for a while, but they've dropped out over the years, and I'm now the last man standing.
I finished the main campaign a while ago, and have been pushing through the Living World content, though I've hit a bugged dungeon, and have been waiting for it to be fixed so that I can continue. It is very frustrating, especially since I've enjoyed the game so much.
Guild Wars 2 is also the most fun 'just sit down and start playing' game that I play. It's just silky smooth.
The world is a hell of a lot of fun, too. Not only the lore, but the reactive elements, which, in my opinion, makes it the ultimate theme park MMO.
The lack of a subscription helps the enjoyment, too. I think the base game is F2P now, too.
Final Fantasy XIV
This is the tough one for me. I pay a sub for it, I used to really love Final Fantasy, I adore the combat and the mechanics of this game, as well as the structure of the world, but it has a few things that really bug me.
I play games that lack voice acting all the time, but FFXIV's flapping lips really bother me. I'd rather that there wasn't any camera work or anything, and that it just had textboxes over static images, or even handled it like the old SNES Final Fantasy games. The flapping lips just bother me.
This is a game that I really need to get more into. The above games were all 'my main game' for some period of time, which allowed me to really propel myself into the game. I've never done that with Final Fantasy XIV. I was even a launch day player, and got to enjoy the debacle of the original version of the game.
I've got Stormblood prepurchased, I've paid my sub through August, so I am going to try and really take the plunge.
Star Trek Online
I played the shit outta this when it first came out. I am absolutely nuts about Star Trek (and Star Wars), and this was my only connection to the franchise for a period of time. The Abrams fan fiction films were fun, brainless action movies, and we'll see if Discovery ever amounts to anything in spite of CBS. This is all I had for a while, and it was really enjoyable. The ship-to-ship combat is great, the ground combat has improved, but is still basically crap, but the game is a fun dip in the Star Trek universe.
I haven't been a subscriber in years, and I really barely play anymore, but I want to play more.
In Conclusion
So, that's five MMOs, plus my constant itch to fire up The Secret World again. I just checked, and holy shit, that's an expensive game to jump into right now and buy the full game.
It's too many, flat out, and I could use some help paring it down. I'd love your opinions. SWTOR and ESO are definitely sticking around.
On the flipside, I could also dial back the single player games that I play, to make more time for the MMOs. I dunno. Having too many quality games to play is a good problem to have, and a very, very first world problem. Still, it can be a fun discussion, and I'd appreciate any input ya'll have.
BTW, one week 'til Torment/Horizon Day!!!
Hit me!
-Blaine
Labels:
elder scrolls online,
final fantasy xiv,
guild wars 2,
horizon zero dawn,
MMO,
MMORPG,
morrowind,
reckoning,
secret world,
star trek online,
Star Wars,
stormblood,
swtor,
the old republic,
tides of numenera,
torment
Location:
Manchester, MO, USA
20170207
The First Half of 2017
I gotta say, sifting through the first half of 2017 game releases is kinda staggering. We're seeing a ton of awesome and innovative stuff real quick this year.
Before I get to that, let me use 2007 as a point of reference. That was a year that I feel completely changed gaming. I'd argue that it was the most innovative year in gaming ever, and not in a totally oblique kind of way. There were several games that had subtle design decisions that, I'd argue, completely altered the trajectory of modern games.
Before I get to that, let me use 2007 as a point of reference. That was a year that I feel completely changed gaming. I'd argue that it was the most innovative year in gaming ever, and not in a totally oblique kind of way. There were several games that had subtle design decisions that, I'd argue, completely altered the trajectory of modern games.
- BioShock
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- Crysis
- Gears of War
- Portal
- Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
- STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl
- The Witcher
From the storytelling in BioShock to the stop n' pop in Gears, to the amazing mechanics in Portal, to the open world exploration and storytelling in STALKER, I think each one of those introduced a new concept in gaming that then permeated throughout gaming.
Also, Quake Wars is still the only multiplayer game that I've ever really gone crazy for.
The gaming scene in 2007 merits its own post some time this year, as it really was pretty incredible if you'd been a gaming enthusiast for a long time. Lotsa sweeping changes, and lotsa seeds planted.
Anyway, about this year ...
... or more specifically, the first half of this year.
I know I've seen crowded post-Christmas release calendars before, and I've seen games drop in March before, but I don't think I've ever seen such density in terms of quality releases in the first six months of the year. I also see the potential for a lot of innovation and new ideas. Also, a fair number of these are either new IP or total reinventions of existing IP.
First, the only one of these that I am NOT getting, Nioh. This game looks fantastic, and way too hard. I don't like hard games. I'm a busy guy, and if it's challenging, it needs to be in terms of strategy, and not twitch. If I can't beat a boss strategically on my first attempt, then no. In these kinda games you have to die a few times to learn the patterns, and then you can kill it. Yes, I recognize this as a strategy, but not the kind I like. Not for me. Nope.
Still, the reviews, if they were able to finish the game, are glowing, and there's already rumblings about 'game of the year.' Some folks love these kinda games, and I respect this genre absolutely (even if I personally have no use for it.)
Horizon: Zero Dawn
This really caught my attention at E3 a couple years ago. Every time Guerilla Games would show a new game at E3, in the past, I'd marvel at how alive and amazing the world looked, and then I'd roll my eyes as soon as it descended into yet another shoot-shoot-shoot experience. I saw so much wasted potential there.
Then, at E3 2015, they showed off a world that captured my imagination, and immediately started setting incredibly unrealistic expectations. Techno-savages battling robo-dinosaurs in a post-apocalyptic world that was way after the apocalypse! Yes! It all looked great, minus being trapped as a console-exclusive. That's enormously disappointing, but I bought a PS4 for Uncharted 4, so now I'll have a second game to play on it.
I've since dialed my expectations waaay back, but this game still looks great. I'd honestly be more hyped for it, were it not releasing against my personal (expected) game of the year.
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Holy shit, I am over the moon for this one. I've had to work very hard to not play more of the Early Access version, because I wanna be as fresh as possible on this game, but GODDAM, it is so good. I love everything about it, from the lore, the character building, the reactive world, the combat, all of it. It is a perfect blend, so far, of deep mechanics and rich storytelling.
This is marketed as a spiritual successor to PlaneScape: Torment, but that doesn't mean a lot for me, since I never played it. The few hours of Torment: Tides of Numenera that I've played, though, make that matter little, because I am so in love with it.
This hits three weeks from today, but I'm hoping that maybe it's available to backers the weekend before. That desire is not based on any real information that I've gotten, and will probably not happen.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
I love the Mass Effect series deeply, and felt that it came to a natural conclusion with ME3. I was skeptical when I heard about this game, because its existence (not coming from the ME trilogy team, not part of the trilogy) seemed like a possible EA-forced cash-in, but everything that I've seen over the last couple of months disputes that notion.
One of the things that is potentially off-putting to me is that seems even more action-focused than the previous games, which is not really something in which I have a lot of interest, but I'm more than happy to give it a chance. BioWare is a studio that has repeatedly gotten me to enjoy things that I didn't think I would, including the first Mass Effect, which had me (and others) screaming, 'WHY ISN'T IT KOTOR3?! JUST MAKE KOTOR3!' After playing it, I was relieved that they'd made it instead of KotOR 3 (which I still want.) I love new ideas, and BioWare is very good at implementing them.
I'm actually extending my Spring Training vacation by one day, so that I can squeeze in a full day with this game.
Prey
This looks hot. Some of my favorite people are working on it, including Shawn Elliot and Chris Avellone. Everything we've seen of the gameplay looks innovative as hell, and the creep factor is off the charts. I get vibes of everything from BioShock to Half-Life. I am so all over this.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
Also ...
... a buddy pointed out that Resident Evil 7 and Yakuza 0 have both already released and made very good impressions on many folks (I have a small number of issues with RE7, but I'm way early in the game.) I really wanna play Yakuza 0, but I already have too many games that are console-only (Uncharted 4, HZD, Gears 4), so I'll wait on that one.
We also MIGHT see stuff like Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 3 in the first half, though I'm skeptical. I'm very excited for both of those, as well, and the Original Sin 2 Early Access version is incredible.
I can't wait to see what the latter part of the year holds. We've got an incredible lineup for the first half, and like I said, I've not seen it this dense with cool games ... maybe ever?
How about you? What's got you stoked for the first half of 2017?
-Blaine
This really caught my attention at E3 a couple years ago. Every time Guerilla Games would show a new game at E3, in the past, I'd marvel at how alive and amazing the world looked, and then I'd roll my eyes as soon as it descended into yet another shoot-shoot-shoot experience. I saw so much wasted potential there.
Then, at E3 2015, they showed off a world that captured my imagination, and immediately started setting incredibly unrealistic expectations. Techno-savages battling robo-dinosaurs in a post-apocalyptic world that was way after the apocalypse! Yes! It all looked great, minus being trapped as a console-exclusive. That's enormously disappointing, but I bought a PS4 for Uncharted 4, so now I'll have a second game to play on it.
I've since dialed my expectations waaay back, but this game still looks great. I'd honestly be more hyped for it, were it not releasing against my personal (expected) game of the year.
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Holy shit, I am over the moon for this one. I've had to work very hard to not play more of the Early Access version, because I wanna be as fresh as possible on this game, but GODDAM, it is so good. I love everything about it, from the lore, the character building, the reactive world, the combat, all of it. It is a perfect blend, so far, of deep mechanics and rich storytelling.
This is marketed as a spiritual successor to PlaneScape: Torment, but that doesn't mean a lot for me, since I never played it. The few hours of Torment: Tides of Numenera that I've played, though, make that matter little, because I am so in love with it.
This hits three weeks from today, but I'm hoping that maybe it's available to backers the weekend before. That desire is not based on any real information that I've gotten, and will probably not happen.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
I love the Mass Effect series deeply, and felt that it came to a natural conclusion with ME3. I was skeptical when I heard about this game, because its existence (not coming from the ME trilogy team, not part of the trilogy) seemed like a possible EA-forced cash-in, but everything that I've seen over the last couple of months disputes that notion.
One of the things that is potentially off-putting to me is that seems even more action-focused than the previous games, which is not really something in which I have a lot of interest, but I'm more than happy to give it a chance. BioWare is a studio that has repeatedly gotten me to enjoy things that I didn't think I would, including the first Mass Effect, which had me (and others) screaming, 'WHY ISN'T IT KOTOR3?! JUST MAKE KOTOR3!' After playing it, I was relieved that they'd made it instead of KotOR 3 (which I still want.) I love new ideas, and BioWare is very good at implementing them.
I'm actually extending my Spring Training vacation by one day, so that I can squeeze in a full day with this game.
Prey
This looks hot. Some of my favorite people are working on it, including Shawn Elliot and Chris Avellone. Everything we've seen of the gameplay looks innovative as hell, and the creep factor is off the charts. I get vibes of everything from BioShock to Half-Life. I am so all over this.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
Also ...
... a buddy pointed out that Resident Evil 7 and Yakuza 0 have both already released and made very good impressions on many folks (I have a small number of issues with RE7, but I'm way early in the game.) I really wanna play Yakuza 0, but I already have too many games that are console-only (Uncharted 4, HZD, Gears 4), so I'll wait on that one.
We also MIGHT see stuff like Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 3 in the first half, though I'm skeptical. I'm very excited for both of those, as well, and the Original Sin 2 Early Access version is incredible.
I can't wait to see what the latter part of the year holds. We've got an incredible lineup for the first half, and like I said, I've not seen it this dense with cool games ... maybe ever?
How about you? What's got you stoked for the first half of 2017?
-Blaine
Labels:
Andromeda,
dawn of war 3,
divinity,
elder scrolls online,
final fantasy xiv,
horizon zero dawn,
mass effect,
morrowind,
nioh,
original sin 2,
stormblood,
tides of numenera,
torment,
warhammer 40k
Location:
Manchester, MO, USA
20170131
Final Fantasy, Elder Scrolls, Pillars of Eternity, and Streaming
There was a flurry of Final Fantasy announcements early this morning. You can get the full breakdown here.
Here's what caught my eye the most:
01. FFXIV: Stormblood is still on-target for 6/20. I had no doubt, but they're bringing back my favorite Final Fantasy class ever, the Red Mage, in this expansion. I played the first Final Fantasy back on the NES when it first came out, and I loved the Red Mage in that game. I've been hot and cold on Final Fantasy XIV, but the folks that love it FUCKING LOVE IT, so I keep trying it.
02. Final Fantasy XII HD is hitting PlayStation 4 on 7/11. I adore this game, but I'm not sure I'll ever replay it, especially if it's only on a console. I have a PS4, use it occasionally, but console gaming in my house is very difficult, whereas I can play my PC games anywhere, any time, with any mods, and they look gorgeous. I hope this hits Steam.
03. That Final Fantasy VII remake. By the maker, that's a clusterfuck. Today's announcement was just a reminder that this project exists. I already think Nomura is all flash and no substance, and the gutting of the battle system in this thing just reinforces that to me. Materia + turn-based + strategy made for some amazing battles, whereas this dumbed-down action system completely turns me off. I just don't understand this need to make everything flashy and stupid. Strategy is fun. Thinking is fun. And it's episodic because Nomura can't get projects out the door anymore. At least there's a chance he'll be kicked off this project, too (as happened on FFXV), when it takes too long. I hate this. Final Fantasy VI and VII were amazing games, and don't need to be 'fixed.' Make something new and great. Don't take something old and great and make it new and bad. Give me a true Final Fantasy VII sequel. Make it turn-based, strategic, and deep. Bah.
In happier news, Elder Scrolls Online is getting a major announcement today, at 1300 central time. As I said yesterday, I'm expecting it's going to be Vvardenfell (the island in Morrowind.) I'm a big fan of this game and series, so I'm excited to check it out. You can watch it here or below:
Watch live video from Bethesda on www.twitch.tv
I'm also thrilled with how well the Fig campaign is going for Pillars II. I'm loving the stretch goals, especially the one at $2m, which allows for more advanced user-controlled AI programming. I love that kinda shit, like in the original Dragon Age.
Anyway, I'll be streaming today @ 1630, and it'll probably be some ESO, so we can talk about the recent announcement. Check me out here or below!
Watch live video from taranwalker on www.twitch.tv
So, what do you think of the Final Fantasy announcements? Anything you're excited about? Anything really got your panties in a twist? What about ESO? Do you play? What do you wanna see?
-Blaine
Here's what caught my eye the most:
01. FFXIV: Stormblood is still on-target for 6/20. I had no doubt, but they're bringing back my favorite Final Fantasy class ever, the Red Mage, in this expansion. I played the first Final Fantasy back on the NES when it first came out, and I loved the Red Mage in that game. I've been hot and cold on Final Fantasy XIV, but the folks that love it FUCKING LOVE IT, so I keep trying it.
02. Final Fantasy XII HD is hitting PlayStation 4 on 7/11. I adore this game, but I'm not sure I'll ever replay it, especially if it's only on a console. I have a PS4, use it occasionally, but console gaming in my house is very difficult, whereas I can play my PC games anywhere, any time, with any mods, and they look gorgeous. I hope this hits Steam.
03. That Final Fantasy VII remake. By the maker, that's a clusterfuck. Today's announcement was just a reminder that this project exists. I already think Nomura is all flash and no substance, and the gutting of the battle system in this thing just reinforces that to me. Materia + turn-based + strategy made for some amazing battles, whereas this dumbed-down action system completely turns me off. I just don't understand this need to make everything flashy and stupid. Strategy is fun. Thinking is fun. And it's episodic because Nomura can't get projects out the door anymore. At least there's a chance he'll be kicked off this project, too (as happened on FFXV), when it takes too long. I hate this. Final Fantasy VI and VII were amazing games, and don't need to be 'fixed.' Make something new and great. Don't take something old and great and make it new and bad. Give me a true Final Fantasy VII sequel. Make it turn-based, strategic, and deep. Bah.
In happier news, Elder Scrolls Online is getting a major announcement today, at 1300 central time. As I said yesterday, I'm expecting it's going to be Vvardenfell (the island in Morrowind.) I'm a big fan of this game and series, so I'm excited to check it out. You can watch it here or below:
Watch live video from Bethesda on www.twitch.tv
I'm also thrilled with how well the Fig campaign is going for Pillars II. I'm loving the stretch goals, especially the one at $2m, which allows for more advanced user-controlled AI programming. I love that kinda shit, like in the original Dragon Age.
Anyway, I'll be streaming today @ 1630, and it'll probably be some ESO, so we can talk about the recent announcement. Check me out here or below!
Watch live video from taranwalker on www.twitch.tv
So, what do you think of the Final Fantasy announcements? Anything you're excited about? Anything really got your panties in a twist? What about ESO? Do you play? What do you wanna see?
-Blaine
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