Lexx

"Game of the year" is such a nonsense title, it makes me angry that people care so much about it. Bought The Last of Us on ps4 yesterday, because why not. Crazy how different it looks. So not blurry and weird. Really makes me realize how garbage the old low-res consoles actually are. Now with the ps4 pro, it gets on the level of modern PC games, but before that... just couldn't compare.

I love how the hair and beard grows over time. When I started the game, I got me a clean shave except for a nice western mustache. Then, as time passes, it slowly started to grow out... by now I'm rocking a big full beard and I can't get myself to shave it off again. It gives me the feeling that a lot time has passed and I went through a lot. The only thing I'm still doing is using pomade on my hair. Funny how just such a detail can give you a feeling of progression in a game. Probably because it is not something that just happens from one moment to the next, but actually needs time.

It's a thing for me since 1997, but barely any game is doing it right till today. Don't care much about what other RPGs do or don't do. Choice&Consequences are an integral part of an RPG to me. If I can't have an influence on the game world, then the game sucks as an RPG. The example you're giving with that encounter... well, you didn't really had a choice other than "just turn around", which is the equivalent of Oblivions "do you want to take this quest? yes / not now". Deciding to loot or not to loot is a very weak decision as well. As a general disclaimer: That obviously doesn't mean all games who do / not do this are garbage. I just don't see them as good RPGs or RPGs at all. Eh, I've never seen RDR(2) as an RPG to begin with, and I really don't get how people can see it as one. GTA was never one either. But whatever. PS: Does the Dead Eye mechanic change after a while? In the beginning, I was able to mark lots of enemies at once, now I can just slow down time and kick off one bullet before I have to quickly activate the slow-mo again. Maybe I'm missing something or don't get the mechanic or I don't know.

I don't as of now. The game looks beautiful and runs great. I even got used to the control scheme by now. It's just that #JustSonicThings. However, I do feel like they've wasted potential with their mission design. Not sure if I would replay the game once I'm done with it. PS: Is it possible to sell weapons? I accidentally bought two revolvers of the same type and switching through all these in the weapon slots is kinda annoying.

For all the rpg stuff SonicMage is spewing, RDR2 has completely, 100% linear missions so far. There is no choice&consequences whatsoever, except maybe your good/bad meter is changing every once in a while. This thing is kinda underwhelming anyway. More stupid than Fo3s karma value.

That looks dumb as hell... but I'd probably watch it.

So after my Amazon package got send back because the delivery guys were too stupid to get it to me, I've ordered it somewhere else. Cost me 60 bucks more, which annoyed me a damn hell...but the package arrived within two days, so whatever. Here are my random thoughts about RDR2 on PS4: - This game looks way better than I've expected. Folks made such a fuzz about how the Xbone is the best platform for it, but seriously, when I see the game on the PS4 Pro right now, I can't really imagine how the other console is topping it. I've watched all these comparison videos, but I simply can't see the pointed out flaws while the game is running. I mean, I don't deny they are there, just saying that I can't see it. As of now, the game looks about as good as any PC game I'm playing on my TV. - Same about the non-native 4K. For me personally, this matters not a single bit. But maybe that's just because I have no frame of reference due to not being able to directly compare with the Xbox version. - At times, I'm having the same problem with RDR2 as I had with Witcher 3: I see a lot, but I can't see ****. For some reason I have a very hard time focusing on anything in the game world that is a bit further away, especially in forest areas. After a while I went to the graphic options and reduced the sharpness filter by 50%. After that it got better. - I find it hard to see enemies half the time. They blend into the environment and the only way for me to spot them is to abuse the auto aim. Again, this got better once I reduced the sharpness. Guess the super hard edges made everything blur into each other or whatever. - The game world looks great. It's big, it's awesome. - BUT the hell is that a traffic going on. There's no 5 minutes without seeing another rider or a wagon or someone yelling at me or whatever. There's too many people, even in the wilderness. - Some of the missions have the same flaws as the usual open world game quests. They send you all over the place, all the time, which makes the game world feel small again. Yes it's big, but at the same time I'm jumping biomes like crazy. - I wonder if they added the swamps just to use the walking-through-snow mechanic once more. :> - The game has some great animation details. Love checking out my weapons and stuff like that. - I had to shoot my horse, because some **** wounded it too much. - I had to pay a boatload of money just because I accidentally missclicked or whatever and then it was a crime. First guy I wanted to stop, accidentally shot him in the belly. Or looting dead bodies on the roadside and some random rider passes along, reporting me, even if the folks attacked me first, etc. Actually I don't mind the later, it's just that there is ALWAYS a god damn rider passing along. Because this game is full of highways, with lots of traveling folks. - Hunted animals on your horseback are rotting way too fast. I lost good meat because the game forced me into a cutscene or mission and once I was able to sell that crap, it was too late... - Some missions could do with much less enemies, imo. After an hour or two of playing, I was already a mass-murderer. Pretty sure once the game ends, I've killed the population of Luxembourg. - Controls are not as bad as folks made it seem, but they sure ain't pretty. - That's all for now. Have to go to work now.

Gothic had this back in 2001.

Did they made these videos because they expected their fans to get up the fence once the news breaks? So now they do this fancy PR talk to keep folks calm?

Meh.

They also bought Inxile. Don't know how to wtf to that.

I am watching Star Trek DS9 for the first time right now. I'm at season 3 and so far, most of the time, it has really good episodes. STD might be more pretty, but everything else of that show just can't compare... like, at all. I'm still very tensed about the Picard show, but considering his age, we probably shouldn't expect too much (or too many seasons).

Back home.

My night was about 4 hours long. Now onto the plane to Frankfurt am Main. Ugh.

I'm too old for such fast gameplay.

Hah. Maybe he should play / revisit some of Dead Money and think about what he did there?

Well, Warhammer has always been a mix of just about everything.

Man, they really wronged him a lot.

Heh. So I'm monitoring the ps4 pro + RDR2 bundle on Amazon right now and suddenly there's lots of third party sellers offering the bundle for €550+. There are already three new offers since I checked yesterday evening. Wouldn't be surprised if some folks bought it cheap, knowingly how the price would increase once it goes out of stock.

This is the first time in my entire life that I had such issues, so I guess all in all it isn't too bad. By now I've already came down a bit and due to this experience, the RDR2 hype has died as well, so maybe in the end it was for the better. I'll keep an eye on the shop for a little longer, maybe the bundle will be available again for the reduced price. If not... tough luck.

Called the postal service about my package. Dude couldn't tell me much, but filled a complaint because it's way over time. My biggest fear now is to finally get the box and then it looks all trashed or something, because nobody in the warehouse gave a sheet about it for a full week. /edit: Wow, tracking says the package now left the hub. That was about 2 hours after I've called. So I guess it's going to arrive tomorrow. I'm tensed. /edit: LOL nevermind. Status now says "return initiated." I'm seriously getting pissed right now. Called the postal service again and they tell me I have to contact the sender... which is Amazon, and Amazon says I have to contact the postal service. What the **** is wrong with these people? /edit: Story continues, now it says "The consignment was delivered to the consignee via simplified company delivery from the parcel center." :D /edit: Final verdict: Package gets returned AND Amazon is out of stock AND the PS4 Pro with RDR2 now costs over 500€. I'm getting a refund of 322€. **** these people, seriously. I'm so incredibly pissed right now. /edit: This is me now:

Well, that's not exactly news.

Psst, don't tell that to SonicMage.

Not yet. Think I'll wait one or so days more to see if it sorts itself. After that I'm very likely going to call 'em. Only problem with that is that it's a really crappy hotline and I do not have much hope to get through with anything. Welp, praying to the gods of delivery for now.

If you don't know what it is, it is probably toxic masculinity.