What is the last video game you played?

[Quintus 5,399]

I haven't put it down yet, it's just that I tried it out and ending up progressing quite far before turning it off and returning to my other games in progress. I'll probably return to it when they're done. Oh and Rise of Iron will dominate my game time from next Tuesday anyway. 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

BioShock collection for me. 

[Quintus 5,399]

Already played them on PC. 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

2 hours ago, Quintus said:

Already played them on PC. 

They're worth playing again!

[Quintus 5,399]

Especially considering you have never played them at double the refresh rate you had previously.

[King Mark 3,626]

I've finished Lords of the Fallen. Playthrough was 27 hours so not so long. Later bosses had some difficulty...took me 2-3 attempts each on average. The combat is a bit clunky and less responsive compared to Dark Souls. Side quests are very difficult to complete because of total lack of map  markers or even any indications in the menus to keep track of them, so I missed quite a few  (after you beat the final boss you can't continue, your kicked out to NG+)

 

Tomorrow I should be starting Star Ocean :Integrity and Faithlessness

 

[Sweeping Strings 2,346]

Recently purchased (and am enjoying playing) Mirror's Edge : Catalyst.  

[King Mark 3,626]

Is the dual shock 3 for Ps3 discontinued?..mine is starting to break and I couldn't  find one in stores

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Yes, I believe the console itself is also discontinued. Still very affordable prices on the net, though. You can also use your DualShock 4.

[King Mark 3,626]

On 2016-09-19 at 7:14 PM, Koray Savas said:

 You can also use your DualShock 4.

 

Ah ,the guy at the store told me I couldn't so it looks like he lied to me.

 

I bought a third party PS3 controller just in case but I guess I'll return it

[SzPeti42 49]

Next on my list is The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition. As a PC guy from my early childhood these old Lucasarts Point&Click games were my Marios and Zeldas, especially Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.

 

On another note I never could get into the Elder Scrolls games, they were less focused on the story and I hadn't had the time to finish all games, but I always loved the music, like this.

 

[Red 75]

That whole concert can be found on Youtube. It's pretty fantastic; one of the best game concerts I've seen in terms of the performance and set list. 

[King Mark 3,626]

I'm towards the end of Star Ocean, Integrity and Faithlesness

 

It's too bad the story  was supposed to be a lot longer and epic, but they cut it due to budget constraints. All the gameplay elements like the crafting system was obviously made for a game that was supposed to be much bigger. I still enjoyed it despite the bad reviews and most of the negative points I've read were exaggerated. I've managed to stretch it out to 45 hours so far by doing everything  but the reviews said it was about 20 hours long. I find that mainstream reviewers have little patience to explore the systems in place in a JRPG and just dismiss them as a bad idea or too complicated. Most of the reviews focused on the A.I. of the characters being bad,but there was a skill system which you had to figure out and use properly for the A.I. to work properly.

 

It's a bit the same situation for a game like The Last Remnant which I enjoyed a lot

 

 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I finished BioShock the other night. A lot of articles I've read comment on how it looks and feels its age, but I honestly never got that from my second play through. It is still extremely playable, and what Ken Levine and Irrational accomplished with the environmental storytelling and the concept of the story and its design is still remarkable. With that being said, I still feel it was a bit overrated at the time. I was the only one of my friends that preferred the sequel over the original, which I am looking forward to playing next. 

 

[Quintus 5,399]

Yeah the sequel was really solid, although neither really set my world alight at the time. The third game was the best one by far for my own money. 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Oh definitely. BioShock Infinite is one of my favorite games of all time. It's a shame it had such a turmoiled development and that 2K shut down Irrational. Levine and a smaller team of the core staff are working on "smaller" games now, which is a shame, but I still look forward to what they do next.

[King Mark 3,626]

I got this game called The Technomancer. It's somekind of RPG  that takes place on mars

[King Mark 3,626]

Technomancer is cool. Sort of like Mass Effect with melee weapons

[King Mark 3,626]

I've finished Technomancer. like i said if you like Mass Effect you'll like this. The story was interesting and kept me guessing

 

Now I move on to another JRPG...Atelier Sophie,The Alchemist of the Mysterious book

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Bought one of these VR headsets a few days ago. The kind you slot your phone into.

It's little more than a gadget. The fact that you have to use your phone makes that as a serious product it's largely rubbish.

The resolution of the average smartphone, even an iPhone 6 really isnt substantial enough. So you can see the dots in the screen even if you are running high res video. And many of the VR or 3D stuff I've found so far is 30fps. which apparently is insufficient for a proper VR immersive experience. The field of vision is incredibly narrow and it's annoying to get a text or popup message when you are having the headgear on, enjoying a 3D POV rollercoaster ride.

 

However, this is but a cheapo version of the VR tech which is now forthcoming. And I can totally see this becoming a huge thing.

 

3D in the cinema has rarely been anything more than a gimmick for me, 3D on your TV is completely pointless. But on a headset that completely fills your field of vision? Capable of playing high resolution content in a high frame rate?

 

Even a €20 headset with free apps and a bunch of VR stuff from Youtube manages to entertain for a few days. A really well sorted set, with all the bugs ironed out, playing content that has been intelligently created to give a very immersive experience is coming!

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I've been messing around with the PSVR and it's a pretty unique experience. Looking forward to where the tech goes in terms of game design. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Not just game design though. VR has possibilities way beyond that.

[Wojo 2,453]

Porn. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

That too, but I doubt any developers will be focusing on that very much (won't stop the adult industry from cashing in on it)

 

But how about VR software where you can attend a concert, or a play while sitting at home. And it will feel very lifelike (as lifelike as it can get with olfactory and sensory info missing)

[Sweeping Strings 2,346]

Hmm ... would still rather be actually in the theatre/concert venue, I think. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Not always possible though. 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

12 hours ago, Stefancos said:

Not just game design though. VR has possibilities way beyond that.

Well yes, that's why I think it has more of a future than superficial 3D technology. 

[Quintus 5,399]

I finished SOMA, on PS4. If you're into that all so rare and special thing that is strong narrative in videogame storytelling, then you owe it to yourself to experience what is one of the most stunningly immersive releases ever and what is, personally speaking, one of the very best, most ambitious game's of the last decade.

 

A first person hard sci-fi existential mind-bender set deep beneath the sea after its civilisations were wiped out in an extinction event, SOMA is, I imagine, the closest one might get to an audiovisual sensory experience without actually having a VR device. Hyperbole? Put on your best headphones, switch out the lights and see for yourself. In the right conditions, this developer transports the player.

 

The sea floor abyss traversal moments towards the end of this game were searingly intense and convincing (in the dark on my living room) to the point of being exhausting in their elemental harshness. The powerful sense of relief after reaching the submerged sanctuary of an accessible airlocked door is real, and for me one of gaming's most palpable sensations yet. The sound design alone is incredible, particularly in these intances (and probably does 50 percent of the work).

 

BIOSHOCK would have had to go back to the drawing board after this deep and enthralling journey .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Never heard of it, will have to check it out.

 

I've been playing Battlefield 1. It's a breath of fresh air amongst the endless future shooters that now permeates the FPS genre. I would love to believe that its success will convince EA to revive Medal Of Honor in its true WWII setting, but we all know that would never happen. Probably the best shooter this season, but I have Titanfall 2 and Infinite Warfare to check out first. The campaign vignettes are also really well done.

[Quintus 5,399]

The way Battlefield 1 handles is sublime tactile design. As someone who has played all of the shooters, it stands out. 

 

SOMA was free as part of PS+ subscription a couple of months ago.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

On 10/30/2016 at 6:24 PM, Quintus said:

SOMA was free as part of PS+ subscription a couple of months ago.

The UK must get different titles than the US then.

[King Mark 3,626]

Finished Atelier Sophie

 

Now playing Legend of Kay (PS4 re-master of the PS2 game). It's a Zelda like game and pretty fun. Fighting, environmental puzzles, platforming...

[King Mark 3,626]

Took me a week to complete Legend of Kay. It was harder and more hard core than I expected. I guess they used to make games harder in the PS2 era. It took me 2 hours to beat the final boss, it was hard. There was a lot of jumping and platforming puzzles that were frustrating too.and I have a sore thumb now

 

Now playing Omega Quintet

[A24 4,326]

On 20-10-2016 at 4:46 PM, Stefancos said:

 

VR is the only thing that will get me gaming, so bring it on!

 

I'm pretty sure you'll buy a VR set but something tells me it won't be for gaming.

 

 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

3D, virtual reality ASMR!

[Quintus 5,399]

I'm going to be trading my PS4 in soonish and upgrading to the new 'Pro' model released this week. It all hinges on whether or not the games I play see performance improvements in 1080p mode. 

[Jay 37,319]

Well here's a list of titles with Pro upgrades at launch

 

http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/11/03/ps4-pro-games-launch-list/

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

1 hour ago, Quintus said:

I'm going to be trading my PS4 in soonish and upgrading to the new 'Pro' model released this week. It all hinges on whether or not the games I play see performance improvements in 1080p mode. 

 

So much for the discerning consumer! 

[Quintus 5,399]

31 minutes ago, Jay said:

Well here's a list of titles with Pro upgrades at launch

 

http://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/11/03/ps4-pro-games-launch-list/

 

Yeah saw that, but I'm waiting to see how fast that list grows before making a decision. If it looks like relatively few developers end up providing enhanced titles (as could happen) then I'll not be bothering. 

[Jay 37,319]

Destiny 2 coming in 2017

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I've been playing COD mostly since the release of Infinite Warfare and Modern Warfare Remastered. The former is surprisingly pretty fun online. MW is a classic and still plays very well, I've been putting most of my time into that one. I find it interesting that they completely omitted the 4 from its title. A sign that they're done with numbered entries for good? I always felt that they were saving the title Call Of Duty 5 for another reboot for whenever the series would eventually diminish.

[King Mark 3,626]

So basically the PS4 pro is a downgrade from the regular PS4 if you don't have a 4K TV

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2016-why-are-some-ps4-pro-titles-running-slower-than-base-hardware

 

I have no idea why they're aiming at 4K when a lot of current titles still have performance issues at 1080p. It's not like 1080p is "mastered" and now it's time to move on to higher resolutions

 

This machine seems like just a bunch of compromises..you don't get real 4K and the titles kind of run slower because the machine can't really handle the higher resolutions. And the ups scaling for  1080p also affects performance for regular tV's

[Quintus 5,399]

That's just standard launch creases which will be ironed out. And actually, the 4K downscale which is applied to games for those still on 1080p sets (like me) is said to be hugely impressive. Image quality is excellent and it's bye bye to aliasing. 

[King Mark 3,626]

I guess we'll see in the coming months, but I know gaming sites won't let go of the issues

22 minutes ago, Quintus said:

 And actually, the upscale which is applied to games for those still on 1080p sets (like me) is said to be hugely impressive.

 

When has upscalling  ever really improved anything....both in music and image quality? Isn't the true native resolution always the best?

 

On another note, Omega Quintet is one of those titles that offer more than it seems. The reviews were shit, and it's about pop idols who somehow have the ability to destroy monsters and save the world. But at it's core lays a really hardcore JRPG full of complex battle systems and a more ambitious design than a lot of games I've played recently. It's similar to Hyperdimension Neptunia or Fairy Fencer F  from the same publisher, but the environments are much larger and there's a lot more exploration. There's even this huge skill grid system (like Final Fantasy X)  you can take time to mess with. The dialogues are corny, but that's the same with every Compile Heart tittle

[Quintus 5,399]

Digital image upscaling downscaling per pixel isn't like trying to make your old John Williams recordings sound better, KM. In video games, to downscale something like a 4K image, or 'supersampling', to use the correct term, is an extremely effective method of drawing a significantly cleaner image per frame. I've seen how it looks in some PC games on my own desktop computer, it is strikingly impressive and a huge improvement over a straight native 1080p image. 

 

Then, again, from what I can gather from what you have said in this thread over the years, you're not really one notice fine visual details or frame rate, so the boost probably would be lost on you and it'd be understandably difficult for you to justify the upgrade cost. 

[King Mark 3,626]

9 minutes ago, Quintus said:

Then, again, from what I can gather from what you have said in this thread over the years, you're not really one notice fine visual details or frame rate, so the boost probably would be lost on you and it'd be understandably difficult for you to justify the upgrade cost. 

 

Well, I tend to notice specific things. Frame rate rarely matters because I play games where it doesn't matter too much.  As far as the resolution itself goes, I'm ok with 1080p.

Now what I do notice is stuff like the lighting, quality of the special effects, and texture quality especially when you get close to an object. Why not try to improve those things with the PS4 pro instead of going for a higher resolution, I'd rather have a game that looks fantastic at 1080p than bland at 4K because the resolution itself is using all the system ressources

[Quintus 5,399]

I generally agree, I'm all for more visual effects and smoother frames at a native 1080p and I'm in no rush to get a 4K TV. But the custom Pro hardware allows for those things and a supersampled image on a 1080p display, so it's a win either way. Did you read the Digital Foundry analysis of Battlefield 1 this week? That has the info you need. 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

It all ultimately falls onto the developers and how they utilize it. If it could guarantee a locked 60fps for shooters I'd buy it immediately, but that isn't the case. Best Buy currently has a bundle deal, the PS4 Pro and a Sony 55" 4K TV for $1,000, which is incredibly tempting, but I know I probably won't notice the minimal upgrades in visual fidelity.

 

[Quintus 5,399]

I'm going to wait until the first price reductions start coming in on the Pro before considering an upgrade at that time. The existing PS4 is fine for now. 

[Jay 37,319]

No reason to buy a 4K TV now when OLED will go into high production next year and prices will drop loads