Hangout The Games Hangout Thread

[xi0]

It is definitely more concise as it is a much shorter game... meant to be played several times over many paths in order to get the full context of what was going on. Add to that it lacking a post game.

Funny though, I ended up caring a fair bit for ciri's side of the story. Playing the witcher 3 it really feels like it is all about her and without her it just doesn't work. I was kinda annoyed at the requirements to get good endings with ciri. Because IIRC there weren't clues or context regarding how to get the good ending, you just pick options barely being able to tell one is definitely bad and the other two seem equally good. As is the game is actively screwing you into getting a bad ending....

Well sure, the game doesn't really mean much without her. The issue for me is that I'm not someone who read the books, so I had no context or attachment to the character really. From my recollection she was really only mentioned in passing in the previous games as well.

I sort of got more enjoyment from Letho and yes, even the amnesia trope, since most of the second game was grounded in grit or political intrigue rather than something like Magical Elves from another dimension trying to capture a quasi-Mary Sue I had no real attachment to. I understand that would be much different for people who were familiar with the novels though. Ciri worked fine as a plot device for the first half of the game and the exploration aspect, but I guess I didn't feel much of a payoff in the end. I just think she's ... sorta uninteresting.

It sounds like I'm being overly harsh there, but it's not really my intention. The story didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the game funnily enough, and I still have yet to play the DLCs which seem to be rich experiences detached from the main story so maybe my opinion will change.

 

[Jammin]

Interesting take.

I also wasn't somebody who read the books but I really liked Ciri or more specifically our role as Geralt in relation to Ciri. That to me is was the real heart of the story in a sense. Because ultimately the focus on the story isn't really about you as the protagonist. Your taking the mentor and father role; and that's really how you effect the larger story. Her story. And I enjoyed that very much. As well as how, while doing that, it further explores his relationships to other characters throughout the series and gives you a lot of player agency with them.

As somebody who prefers character driven storytelling, generally, that was just an angle that appealed to me a big way.

 

[xi0]

Oh yeah, the lack of Iorveth certainly stood out to me as well. Having so many characters from previous games showing up but not a character like him was a bit of a letdown for me.

--- Double Post Merged, Jan 13, 2020, Original Post Date: Jan 13, 2020 ---

Interesting take.

I also wasn't somebody who read the books but I really liked Ciri or more specifically our role as Geralt in relation to Ciri. That to me is was the real heart of the story in a sense. Because ultimately the focus on the story isn't really about you as the protagonist. Your taking the mentor and father role; and that's really how you effect the larger story. Her story. And I enjoyed that very much. As well as how, while doing that, it further explores his relationships to other characters throughout the series and gives you a lot of player agency with them.

As somebody who prefers character driven storytelling, generally, that was just an angle that appealed to me a big way.

Yeah, I definitely think that worked well. No real complaints there honestly and it's why I said I don't think my indifference towards Ciri's story ended up really detracting from the experience. The game heavily features Ciri's story but it's not really about Ciri, so to speak.

But the actual meat and potatoes in regards to her kind of fell flat for me. If the proposed Witcher 4 game ever gets made with Ciri as the main character, I would play it because it's CDPR and it exists in the world they helped create, and not really because I'm super interested in where Ciri's story goes.

 

[Jammin]

Oh yeah, the lack of Iorveth certainly stood out to me as well. Having so many characters from previous games showing up but not a character like him was a bit of a letdown for me.

--- Double Post Merged, Jan 13, 2020, Original Post Date: Jan 13, 2020 ---

Yeah, I definitely think that worked well. No real complaints there honestly and it's why I said I don't think my indifference towards Ciri's story ended up really detracting from the experience. The game heavily features Ciri's story but it's not really about Ciri, so to speak.

But the actual meat and potatoes in regards to her kind of fell flat for me. If the proposed Witcher 4 game ever gets made with Ciri as the main character, I would play it because it's CDPR and it exists in the world they helped create, and not really because I'm super interested in where Ciri's story goes.

I do agree with that. Like I enjoy Witcher 3 because Geralt isn't the chosen one really. So if we had a new game about one of those epic fantasy chosen one characters like Ciri, I don't think I'd be into it. Like I really think it would either have to be Geralt or a character they built from the ground up. I don't think I'd be able to jump into a purely Ciri centric story and enjoy it as much.

 

[kkck]

Well sure, the game doesn't really mean much without her. The issue for me is that I'm not someone who read the books, so I had no context or attachment to the character really. From my recollection she was really only mentioned in passing in the previous games as well.

I sort of got more enjoyment from Letho and yes, even the amnesia trope, since most of the second game was grounded in grit or political intrigue rather than something like Magical Elves from another dimension trying to capture a quasi-Mary Sue I had no real attachment to. I understand that would be much different for people who were familiar with the novels though. Ciri worked fine as a plot device for the first half of the game and the exploration aspect, but I guess I didn't feel much of a payoff in the end. I just think she's ... sorta uninteresting.

It sounds like I'm being overly harsh there, but it's not really my intention. The story didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the game funnily enough, and I still have yet to play the DLCs which seem to be rich experiences detached from the main story so maybe my opinion will change.

I didn't have any context whatsoever from the books when I first played the wild hunt. And.... I also didn't have any context from the witcher 2. I suppose if I had played the witcher 2 earlier my perspective could have been substantially different on this end. That said, based on what I have read so far about ciri (on summaries and the wikia) the books do seem to be largely about her. On account of her being one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse and being "The lady of space and time". The witcher 3 does have substantial political intrigue and whatnot but it feels like it is spread out over a much larger game. You do get to pick the fate of nilfgard and redania. Can't recall if you could do much temeria wise. I love killing radovid.

The witcher 3 dlcs are IMO the best DLC I have played altogether.Each one is essentially an all new game. The first one... IIRC expands the already massive world map. And the second one gives you a whole new map (tousant or whatever that was spelled like). I have to point out that my experience with DLC is generally not that good. In nier automata it.... sucks (though I still would buy it again due to how much I love that game). In FFXV I didn't enjoy the new character quest enough to complete them. Not related to the witcher specifically but that is more or less where I am coming from DLC wise.

--- Double Post Merged, Jan 13, 2020, Original Post Date: Jan 13, 2020 ---

I do agree with that. Like I enjoy Witcher 3 because Geralt isn't the chosen one really. So if we had a new game about one of those epic fantasy chosen one characters like Ciri, I don't think I'd be into it. Like I really think it would either have to be Geralt or a character they built from the ground up. I don't think I'd be able to jump into a purely Ciri centric story and enjoy it as much.

Agreed, a story about ciri would be weird. Her story feels reasonably finished after the witcher 3.... Though I suppose the next an elle king could have an interest in her as well. Add to that her not really being a witcher due to lacking the mutations. She is capable of..... witchering largely because of her ambiguously vast power. If I had to pick a non geralt witcher for a future game it'd be... letho. The guy is a gigantic mass of muscle capable of maneuvering his way around kings, sorcerers and overall political intrigue by taking advantage of his brains and people underestimating said brain. I'd take eskel after letho but appearance wise I'd miss the feral and savage feel geralt and letho could give to a witcher.

 

[xi0]

I didn't have any context whatsoever from the books when I first played the wild hunt. And.... I also didn't have any context from the witcher 2. I suppose if I had played the witcher 2 earlier my perspective could have been substantially different on this end. That said, based on what I have read so far about ciri (on summaries and the wikia) the books do seem to be largely about her. On account of her being one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse and being "The lady of space and time". The witcher 3 does have substantial political intrigue and whatnot but it feels like it is spread out over a much larger game. You do get to pick the fate of nilfgard and redania. Can't recall if you could do much temeria wise. I love killing radovid.

For sure, but I guess because the game was so huge it couldn't really be considered much of a focal point.

The other issue I have with Ciri or maybe the magical aspect in general is that it seems sort of an afterthought. For all of the exposition and exposition dumps we get in the games (not complaining, it's sort of unavoidable given what the games are based on), not much of it seems to be about how any of it works. Which is not something I would have expected from this series given it's setting and atmosphere. There doesn't seem to be much of a human cost to it aside from people being persecuted for practicing it. Again, another thing that I would probably be more enlightened on if I was a book reader I guess.

 

[Jammin]

For sure, but I guess because the game was so huge it couldn't really be considered much of a focal point.

The other issue I have with Ciri or maybe the magical aspect in general is that it seems sort of an afterthought. For all of the exposition and exposition dumps we get in the games (not complaining, it's sort of unavoidable given what the games are based on), not much of it seems to be about how any of it works. Which is not something I would have expected from this series given it's setting and atmosphere. There doesn't seem to be much of a human cost to it aside from people being persecuted for practicing it. Again, another thing that I would probably be more enlightened on if I was a book reader I guess.

That's another criticism I actually agree with. The sorceress and magic system in general in the Witcher franchise is very arbitrary, in some ways. There isn't a clearly set system of rules to communicate what magic can do and what it can't or how it works.

Which I think works ok in the hands of side characters. But it makes me question if either of those types of characters could ever be a main character. Like Witchers by contrast have a pretty clearly defined skill set. With pretty clear limitations. And that makes for a better protagonist. Because he's working against or alongside those elements. So your not always asking questions like "Why didn't they just use magic to ____?".

 

[kkck]

For sure, but I guess because the game was so huge it couldn't really be considered much of a focal point.

The other issue I have with Ciri or maybe the magical aspect in general is that it seems sort of an afterthought. For all of the exposition and exposition dumps we get in the games (not complaining, it's sort of unavoidable given what the games are based on), not much of it seems to be about how any of it works. Which is not something I would have expected from this series given it's setting and atmosphere. There doesn't seem to be much of a human cost to it aside from people being persecuted for practicing it. Again, another thing that I would probably be more enlightened on if I was a book reader I guess.

It is definitely true the games did not go much into what can or can't be done with magic. I never particularly gave that part much thought mostly because sorcerers never appeared overpowered. As in, we didn't know the rules regarding their power but it didn't feel like an issue because of how vulnerable sorcerers feel in general. The persecutions and the fact that with geralt you kinda just jump at them and end them shows them as very vulnerable.

The netflix TV show mentions magic having a cost to it but that is never a thing after it is explained. So.... it doesn't really provide that much more context. What I have read about the books so far don't provide much more context either.

 

[riki]

Have any PlayStation users checked their 2019 Wrap-up? I got Action Hero: I’m curious what everyone else got.

 

[Jammin]

I got Marksman. Which I'm assuming is because of RDR2 and Borderlands 3.

 

[Haya-san]

Oh, my! Please, make it happen. One of my favorite games ever. It would be nice if we got a remaster of the first game as well.

Maybe not a spoiler, since it's a minor and optional quest that doesn't spoil the story of the original, but I always imagined if SoA got a sequel, it would be about the lost black moon. Maybe even exploring the old world beneath the clouds.

The first game's intro:

 

[xi0]

 

[Jammin]

 

[z.5]

If the game ends up good - without day one 40GB patches - then I don't mind if I have to wait a tad longer
... especially considering the vast quantities of 'free' time I'm currently blessed with to play it in, should it have actually come out on time

 

[Jammin]

My brain agrees with what your saying Zim. My heart though... it just doesn't understand.

Bloodlines 2 and this getting delayed stings. Even if it's almost certainly for the best.

 

[z.5]

My brain agrees with what your saying Zim. My heart though... it just doesn't understand.

Bloodlines 2 and this getting delayed stings. Even if it's almost certainly for the best.

Bloodlines 2 also delayed?!?

 

[Hardy]

Have any PlayStation users checked their 2019 Wrap-up? I got Action Hero: I’m curious what everyone else got.

Almost 200 hours of Spiderman and Yakuza 0 got me action hero. 130 hours in fifa (only one behind Yakuza) tho lol.

--- Double Post Merged, Jan 16, 2020, Original Post Date: Jan 16, 2020 ---

Fuuuuck Warrior and Strategist look so cool but who the fuck plays those games.

Time to get fighterz for next year I guess.

 

[kkck]

Welp, decided to play the witcher 2 on iorverth path just for the sake of context. I have to say, this game's beginning is quite awful.

 

[Hardy]

Almost 200 hours of Spiderman and Yakuza 0 got me action hero. 130 hours in fifa (only one behind Yakuza) tho lol.

--- Double Post Merged, Jan 16, 2020, Original Post Date: Jan 16, 2020 ---

Fuuuuck Warrior and Strategist look so cool but who the fuck plays those games.

Time to get fighterz for next year I guess.

Nvm you get all of them, god bless.

 

[xi0]

If the game ends up good - without day one 40GB patches - then I don't mind if I have to wait a tad longer
... especially considering the vast quantities of 'free' time I'm currently blessed with to play it in, should it have actually come out on time

There's been several games that have been delayed lately. Some of them are only for a month or so for "polish" reasons. So 5 months stings a bit more. The beginning of this year is congested for me though, with RE3 Remake, Doom Eternal, Wasteland 3, and Dying Light 2 (release date pls).

--- Double Post Merged, Jan 17, 2020, Original Post Date: Jan 16, 2020 ---

Kentucky Route Zero reaches the end of the road

Final episode and console versions coming Jan. 28

www.polygon.com

I missed this news, but holy shit... they're actually finishing it...