System Wars Lounge V47: The 60FPS 1080P Edition

Just looked at Gamespot's Game of The Months to see what is a potential Game of the Year for 2014.

February's game was The Last of Us DLC. How in the world did that get through?

Cause it was released in Feb? :P

Didn't Bravely Default release in February?

No.

Dec for everyone except NA, which was Feb. Also from what I heard the last half of the game almost ruined the whole game.

I'd be bored too with that shitty backlog. Most of those games have very predictable mechanics, so you know what to expect from them before you even start playing. The sense of wonder simply isn't there. Especially when none of those games even have a decent story to tell either.

You should think deeper, what do I want to play? Look for something that stimulates your curiosity new or old, whatever genre. If nothing comes up then don't force yourself to play anything. Just stop playing games and wait for the itch to comeback on its own even if if takes days, months or years it'll return because there's nothing that can replace video games.

To me video games are bigger than books, bigger than movies, bigger than anything entertainment wise because they offer a combination of various disciplines like writing, art, music, animation, the logistic for level design, the interactivity, the flow of events, the feedback, etc. There is nothing harder to accomplish in the entertainment industry than making a good video game. And "good" is subjective which only makes it harder.

But I can't finish this rambling without some recommendations. I know you like Jrpg's especially Persona 4, so I have a little list that you should try if you haven't:

• Parasite Eve or 2 (PS3) creepy atmosphere, story and a different take in the horror genre.
• Chrono Cross (PS3) nice story, incredible music and wide variety of characters to play.
• Suikoden II (Emu unless you want to pay $200 for a used copy since PS3 can read PS1 discs) I have not played this one myself but I have heard is like Suikoden I only better. Suikoden I was amazing, the story was thin though, that's why I don't recommend it, but from the bit I played months ago Suikoden II looks like an improvement in every front. You can recruit up to 108 characters, so is a bit like Pokemon with its "Gotta Catch em all" and they all have a personality. The game has 3 battle systems: one-on-one duels where you predict your opponents movements based on what he says to counter it. Large scale battles where you use all the characters you recruit in battle, a bit like an RTS but nowhere near as deep. And the more people you recruit the stronger you are. The 3rd battle system which is the traditional turn based but you make party's of up to 8 members with any of the characters you have recruited. But what really makes these Suikoden games shine is that they are not like FF where there's always some bad guy that wants to destroy the world just because he's crazy. The conflicts in Suikoden games are always more about perspective, they make a lot of use of a gray area in their story-lines. The games draw a lot of inspiration from Journey to the West, so they aren't like those more anime inspired JRPG's you'd usually play with the same old tired cliches about a bunch of kids banding together to save the world and shit.
• Deus Ex HR (PS3/X360/PC/Wii U) this game's easily the best take at cyberpunk in recent years and to me it's way better than the entire Mass Effect Trilogy combined. Very atmospheric and has an incredibly believable setting. The story presents well thought arguments about mechanic (for lack of better word) augmentation in humans and its repercussions. More than decent stealth mechanics superior to any MGS game to date. The game has big maps but it's not open-world, although it provides more than enough for you to explore and discover. It will not take over your life like Skyrim, which to me is a plus.
• The Last of Us (PS3/PS4) GOAT bro. The cream of story-telling in recent years. Story and Setting are nothing special but the blend of story-telling, characters and gameplay is comparable only to the best of the best that this industry has to offer.
• Sillent Hill 2 (PS2/PS3/PC) an incredibly immersive experience thanks to its terrific atmosphere and intriguing story. A blast from the past. This game hooked me like crack but I have it postponed till next week because I don't want to dilute my experience with my concerns of an exam I have on Monday about computer architecture.

What all these games have in common is that they all have very interesting setting and stories (and this is objectively speaking, so **** you if you doubt me). Which based on your backlog I see this is what's greatly lacking. All those games in your backlog focus too much on gameplay and leave everything else behind. In the case of SMT IV, the production values of that game are just too low even compared to a PS1 game like Parasite Eve. It's not enough to immerse yourself unless you really do try to get into it.

Great, Legend of Korra is over. Now what am I supposed to watch?

Almost? it's a fucking chore, justified by apologists with "just turn the encounter rate off, it'll totally turn this bullshit repetitive, stale, recycling groundhogs day bullshit where you repeat the entire game 5 fucking times into something doable".

That shit should have been a warning on the back of the box. When Bravely Second or whatever it's called comes out I want reviews that comment on whether or not the game repeats the bullshit from the first game, so fucking stupid.

it's funny because it was all from one day to the other. The amount of users that used to come here was decreasing with the passing of time but after the redesign was when a really big chunk just left and never came back. And to be honest. I like the redesign a lot more than the old retro looking one and I'm the kind of person that hates change. It just looks so modern and cool! Everywhere I go when someone posts links from Gamespot many people always praise the redesign of the site

But I do miss the trolling from many users like that guy that used to stalk tormento. I think it was something like tesselation or something like that. lol

And now that I read Sniper's sayonara post I feel like giving the guy a hug and tell him that everything will be fine. ;(

But I do find funny that Sniper was banned before me. The only time I've been flagged was when someone asked me if I believe in god and I said, nope. Never imagined there were so many butthurt religious people in this forum. I might get flagged again for this last line but **** it. This would be my second strike anyway. As of right now I have 2 lives left before I'm forced to migrate to 4chan /v/ or reddit. XD

Is there anything more 90's than Smash Mouth? (serious question)

;(

But anyway, I was just joking, I hope they don't continue the trend they started with P3 about the games being like a dating sim and shit. Which I doubt since P3 and P4 were the most popular in the franchise. I really miss the serious atmosphere, fight me some Hitler, adults in the main party and seeing main characters die. I hope it is at least as dark as P3.

@R3FURBISHED: ha. smash mouth. how coincidental.

yesterday i started whistling a song, and i was like, 'what song is this?'

turned out to be smash mouth's walking on the sun.

i realise this doesn't answer your question and this is where i abruptly end my post without explanation.

True detective.

And if you want a wierd artsy anime movie (but you don't) I recommend Mind Game.

But seriously watch this movie guys, it's like anime surrealism with an uplifting story.

Man, I can never get into those crazy rogue-like games. Only one I have is FTL and Terreria, if you can count it as one. And I haven't played either.

Maybe your wish will become true one day.

I will love you forever

This goes out to SNIPER

man I've been here literally all day. I'm so anxious! Never in my life I have wasted this much time in a forum like today.

It's like, I read a page of a book then comeback here, go back to the book and the again here... Oh dear lord help me.

Prime SW was glorious... There was always something happening. SO many debates about everything. Nowadays, it kinda sucks :(

Still, it's always funny watching mrhugglescock or whatever.

This just gets more and more fun.

Bored and rich 50 Cent is best 50 Cent.

The weekly humble bundle is worth it (minimum $1) just for one finger death punch

Must... finish... KOTOR....

Beat Rayman Legends (8/10)

Okay, okay, I exaggerated on its quality. But the beginning was so Mur-fucked. As was, ironically enough, the very last portrait and its inner levels. They really summarize the game as a whole - a lot of great ideas, a lot of botched execution.

Murfy was absolutely horrendous more often than not. First off, he fucks up the pacing big time, but more on that later. My right thumb has two main priorities in Rayman games, jumping and attacking, both which when Ubisoft is on top of their game come together in a nice rhythm. Punches, ground pounds, spins, etc. can all lead to boosts in jumping, while jumping adds dimension to the attacks, like what they can do and even things like the blue punches. The extra button assigned to Murphy does nothing. Moving a plate, adding guacamole, eating cake, etc. are all glorified versions of what better platformers (like Origins) do already - create the harmonious environment that both encourages exploration while pushing you along the path. Murfy's inclusion to simply create platforms, tickle bad guys, and all hurts the game so much. All it does is add an extra step to the origami, extra seasoning to the perfect curry. It ruins it.

The pacing of Rayman, both Origins and Legends, is also slightly off. Sometimes the game wants you to completely run like you're fucking Seabiscuit yet they both want to hold you back a bit for shiny tidbits and Teensies. I'm happy Legends' latter half went balls out towards sprinting levels, dropping Murfy and his boring breaks of pace. Again, creating Murfy just for the player to make their own platforms is not satisfying in the least. At most, it works, at worst, it makes co-op sessions straight up unenjoyable.

I also felt that while there were awesome quality of life changes like enemies not needing extra jumps to get rid of them, there were small quirks that seem to be overlooked. I'm not sure if Origins had these to this extent, but there are parts where it felt like no one took the time to replay a level to determine if the player would execute this jump in this way or attack X before Y. Obviously the possibilities ensure nothing is perfect but here whenever the camera seems just too slow or I have to obnoxiously restart an entire level because it feels like trial and error versus the one-shot perfection that were Origins' treasure levels, it's a little hard not to be disappointed.

There's also a lack of a sense of adventure here. Like Origins started you off in a jungle, and then the mosquito levels came (hooray no mosquito levels here) and you were transported mid level to a different area. It felt natural. The overworld map added to that experience. Here, the tent is a content monger that's a little short on a sense of purpose - where are we exactly? I get "Legends" might imply the paintings in the background as legends are often memorialized that way and the small nod it is to Super Mario 64 as well, but it feels gamey, as if the best direction they thought of as to not feel like a retread of Origins is no direction at all. However, this goes away as Legends' levels become better and better and we get more Invasion levels.

Ahh, Invasion levels. Great stuff. They need more of these, because gaming needs more examples of short but sweet. These levels, along with the fantastic music levels (WHY AREN'T THERE MORE MUSIC LEVELS), demonstrate a certain amount of cinematography in how fast, fluid, and dynamic they feel. Really great stuff. They're not the treasure leels (I'm a whiny bitch, I know), but they serve a great purpose.

Anyways, it's past midnight here, so I'm tired and rambling again. Game's really good, nearing great, but it's not Origins in terms of execution. Whereas that feels like an adventure through Michael Ancel's strangest dreams, this feels like a game that wanted to achieve a level that was one step higher, akin to Super Mario Galaxy and 2 surpassing the prequel. Unfortunately, it failed, but with the daily challenges, scratch tickets, Origins' levels, and a bit more, it's not a bad buy on the PS4.

Also, no loading times. Also Remote Play worked really well here. Finished about 3/5 of the game via Remote Play, including the last entire set of levels and tons of Invasion levels. If you have decent WiFi, you'll only notice the slightest delay, not enough to **** up most jumps and all

I was hyped for that game tell people started complaining about that half, then the game just slipped off of my radar.

@ReadingRainbow4 said:

This just gets more and more fun.

I just found out about Vivian James.

Fun stuff, I like how 4Chan opt for the Money to go to Colon Cancer Research to combat "Butt hurt"

I was loving the game until it did that bullshit. I love the job system from Final Fantasy 5, and the combat here was tons of fun. I'm just not doing padded bullshit, because those twats insisted the game needs to be "x hours long" instead of as long as they have gameplay ideas.

Bojack Horseman...opinions from anyone?

I would give you an opinion... If netflix were available in this country. D:

Hey, I didn't say that their equipment made them look like road-raging fashion freaks. lol I said trigger-happy. Since when did MRAPs and body armor have triggers?

Speaking of triggers, I have to ask: Are rifles really necessary in a riot situation? I thought they're used only in situations where lethal force can be expected to be used against police. Riots, while certainly not a part of an officer's regular duty (and God forbid they ever be), don't fit that criteria because protestors are typically unarmed, am I not wrong? And again, do rifles not send the wrong message? "Oh, someone does something remotely stupid and the cops open fire on a crowd?" We all know cops carry guns, but open-carried weapons as opposed to concealed carry really drive home that fact and makes them look far too intimidating, oppressive even. No amount of training in proper escalation of force and advanced weapon use could lessen that image.

Play FTL already. If nothing else, the mini-narratives in the numerous events you'll come across in every playthrough and the music will make you feel like you're the best star captain in the galaxy until you vent out all oxygen barring one room to put out a massive fire only to realize you forgot the oxygen cycler was taken out of commission. What's worse is that I did that after I beat the game twice.

Haven't watched, but Aaron Paul? Will Arnett? Guess I'm in for at least one.

@parkurtommo: Omg Netflix is so amazing 0_0 you need to petition that shyt to come your country

It's a display of force: riot scenarios can turn deadly with shots fired, throwing objects which can lead to GBI (great bodily injury), or the idea of being outnumbered and overrun leading to injury/hostage. Although in large protests, my department will bring in the mounted patrol (horses) as they can move crowds easily since no one is going to stop in the way of a horse. I have yet to see a "riot" per se in a very long time in my area mind you. I would prefer the MRAPs as they can act as shields or move into a hostile area to retrieve a wounded officer, where as horses cannot.

Again, the display of "tactical" gear is welcomed in my eyes as I wish all departments would move towards being "practical" in our uniforms instead of "style." Yes, I can wear my nice $100 A/B Pants and a $100 shirt and look classy, but all my gear is on my sam brown or belt which leads to back/hip problems eventually. Having a tactical vest alleviates some of that... but again, people far too often look at it and fear monger instead of doing what works best for law enforcement. When civilians think they "know best" in how to do our job, things get screwed to hell.

Right!? That's what I thought as well!

Here's my review:

I read in other reviews people taking note of the "stupid humor" and this show is just that -- brainless and stupid, but it shouldn't be.

Will Arnett is a great actor and his voice fits perfectly in a 1,500 horse's body, but just like the show "Horsing Around" (the '90s sitcom that made Bojack Horseman famous) his character is completely humorless. Episodes show Bojack wandering between forced encounters with the characters of the show to stupid joke that the show writers must have thought were funny.

Aaron Paul also graces the headline, but voices a character who has no point being in the show whatsoever. He contributes nothing save for more forced and stupid "humor".

There are clever moments in Bojack Horseman and it should be a good show, this is a Netflix original after all, and with shows like House of Cards I was expecting a lot more.

Netflix shows have always been turn your brain off friendly. They are some the least nuanced television this side of CW.

Except Cosmos :P

Like pretty much all shows not on HBO.

FX exists (you know minus Sons of Anarchy, because that show is atrociously written) and so does Hannibal. Mad Men as well.

@Technoweirdo: maybe. I don't know. I don't feel like FTL nowadays.

Can't say I disagree with that assessment. First episode is particularly awful due to introductions in a frickin' sitcom of all things made worse by the tasteless humor given by characters who are unlikable in any way. Second episode fared a bit better, but still gets cringe-worthy at times and feels like they're just trying to give Will and Paul any lines they can think of to lengthen the show and fulfill whatever time/episode quota there was and justify having them on the show.

Yeah, thrown objects are a distinct possibility. Not gonna ask you to go into a protest in the nude. Fine if you want to show off your good looks, but that'll change when you get a cracked skull from a stray brick. Riot helmets and armor? Totally okay. Same with MRAPs for protected transportation. Same with grenade launchers for firing tear gas into rowdy crowds attempting to overrun a perimiter. Buy as much of that from the military as you want. More protection from lethal force and providing less-than-lethal/non-lethal options is something I'm behind 100%. Not the rifles. Not in this situation. Even in the event of an actual attack against officers, ground-level troops have next to no visibility seeing as the shooter is in a crowd. With visibility, that doesn't eliminate the chance of them missing and causing collateral damage. Rooftop-level may stand a better chance of identifying and certainly a better chance of shooting while avoiding collateral damage. Being off the ground also makes them less likely to panic. Rifles in the hands of marksmen? Totally okay. Rifles for the guys on the ground? Still not okay. Not for image purposes. Not even for practical purposes.

Maybe if a riot ever got so bad that lethal force against authority was to be expected (I'd hope not), I'd approve of rifles wholesale but military action is also warranted at that point which makes the whole thing redundant.

You are the Federation's only hope. Kill the Rebel scum.

behold the power of unity

@Technoweirdo: Actually watched RotS today.

Need to update my OS with minimum budget. Any suggestions?

I did like the end of the second episode with Bojack's speech that described sitcoms and reality TV to the letter - and then the show portraying that by doing exactly what he just said, also with it showing how the "news" today overplays ever little thing as if someone had actually done something wrong. That the worst thing Bojack did was tell his personal feelings and then explain them.

The end of the second episode is what will push me to watch more, even though I have low expectations now.

Killer Instinct so good.

Borderlands 2 sucks.

I coulda told you that.

Eh, I liked it a lot myself.