@mbun I suppose, I guess most every game feels like that to me.

At random I was watching the GT reactions to the 2015 Bethesda E3 Presentation today and think it's interesting to compare how Fallout 4 was presented and received to Starfield yesterday. Fallout was in a conference where it was able to take up 30 minutes to really soak at a time where BGS was on a run of hits, and there was a ton of energy and confidence in what was being shown. Starfield's equivalent yesterday was about half that time where instead BGS is a little under fire, and there is no energy in a digital presentation outside of a more subdued Todd Howard. They both hit a lot of the same notes, though Starfield was more focused due to the time window. GT at the time was loving Fallout 4, but yesterday during Starfield it felt like there was constant nitpicking and comparisons to other things from the Allies looking to detract.

Its just interesting how time and other circumstances can impact showings when this is that same studio's first full game since Fallout 4, which while disappointing to some, was at least good. That isn't to say there aren't reasons, Todd was a public face of Fallout 76 despite not heading it he pumped it up which came back to bite him when it initially launched, Bethesda stumbled on a couple of other games as well, they sold to Microsoft which some didn't like, and showed off multiple new IP's that some may not have liked the direction of. And to be fair to the Allies, its partially a different crew than who was reacting to that and it was SEVEN years ago now, which is crazy in and of itself, things and people change so I wouldnt expect a 1:1 reaction. Its just interesting.

I really hope this works out, I liked a lot of what I saw but it feels like everyone is just waiting for the dam to break which is a tough spot to be in.

Thought that was really good all around, especially with the focus being on the next 12 months. There's so many good games coming out and it put the focus on things that have been complained about the past few years - gameplay and in the near term timeframe. Not everything hit for me, like I don't care all that much about Kojima, or Hollow Knight, or Diablo but felt there was a ton of variety and some solid indies showcased as well. Due to the restraint I don't think it was all it could be, but it keeps the focus on the present and there is a ton there.

Redfall, Plague Tale, Forza Horizon 5 Hot Wheels expansion, Lightyear Frontier, The Last Case of Benedict Fox, Pentiment, Cocoon, Starfield were some personal favorites.

That isn't everything, and includes stuff from other shows, but there's so much coming.

Yea, there's a couple of ways they could handle 2v2 but this probably isn't the best option. 4v4 would I'm sure be fun if they could make it work connection wise - haven't looked but wouldn't shock me if thats at least a local option.

Players just need to be confident on who they're in control of, and that would obviously lock you into a character. What works in FIFA Pro Clubs is you can all control a singular player, then you can have 1 player control the rest of the team if needed. The issue might be exacerbated by whether both players are using auto or manual switching, pretty sure everyone I've played with including myself chose manual.

Referencing 2v2, we would play Pro Clubs all the time back in the day and 1 user would be locked to his 1 player while the other user would control Any, or the remaining 10 players on the pitch. Here you could do 3 & 1.

Just played three more games, I'm 5-0 so far. Don't want to form too strong of an opinion yet, but its such a frantic pace that the 2v2 mode is really finicky. I've been pretty in sync with my partners so far, and it can be kinda fun to try and setup and protect each other during super strikes, but its still a weird feeling. Looking forward to solo matches when full release comes because it is enjoyable, and the connection issues haven't been too big a deal, though you can feel the stress on the game with all the action going on.

Card Shark released June 2nd, and have played the opening chapter - its really cool. Its surprisingly pretty humorous, which I wasn't really expecting. Art and style is beautiful and the game itself is fresh and original. Looking forward to dive in further, as I'm pretty sure the story gets pretty crazy.

Youtube Video

Mario Strikers: Battle League comes June 10th, and as a massive soccer and Mario sports fan, will pick this up. The online test is happening right now, and while I expect there to be issues regarding online play and content, I'm looking forward to it.

Youtube Video

Also looking forward to The Quarry as well, I've rewatched the Supermassive GT/EZA streams recently and am eager to play this one myself before seeing how their stream differs.

Played the original a ton on Gamecube, never did get around to the Wii version though which looked annoying.

Managed to play through all the tutorial stuff and played a couple of matches during the 1st session as well. I'm relatively impressed from a mechanics standpoint, though I wouldn't say it was a totally smooth online performance. 2v2 online is a little odd and the connection never felt rock solid... its hard for me to think I'll play a ton of online, and if I do it would be 1v1. Gameplay hasn't changed much, some thoughtful tweaks have been made, so I think it has the base to be fun and competitive on a game to game basis. Aggression has it's rewards and detriments and can be capitalized on if overdone.

My main concerns are with longevity and modes, and its something I fear will constantly hang over these Mario spinoffs forever. I just don't know how it will sustain, or keep someone coming back often outside of a casual, local setting. I'm getting it, but I expect it to be a serious and valid issue in the coming discourse.

It's an achievement - just one I have no interesting in following or caring about despite thinking a lot of the Marvel properties are cool. I liked the original Iron-Man when I saw it, unaware it was the first step into the MCU, and never had any real interest going forward even when Nick Fury shows up at the end. The Incredible Hulk didn't really look interesting, and I didn't like Iron-Man 2 whenever I saw it. I had no interest in Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, or Marvel's The Avengers. It was around the leadup to Age of Ultron that I finally watched both Captain America films and Iron-Man 3 and didn't like any of them. After hearing how much praise was given in particular to The Winter Soldier, it seemed pretty apparent I wasn't jiving with what they were doing. I randomly saw Guardians of the Galaxy and enjoyed it, but never saw the sequel and have seen nothing else but a lot of trailers and clips from other films.

It's hard not to be a little cynical toward it from the outside - the fervor for what's next is crazy, and its just non stop. I'm not sure an entire universe should hinge on post credit teases. It seems harsh to critique them for all feeling the same, but that's how they appear. Its like watching the doughnuts on the conveyer belt getting glazed at Krispy Kreme when you see the marketing. There's basically two character types, and they both just quip slightly differently which is off putting for however many characters there seem to be now. All this to say, for them to pull it off and have as many people entrenched is remarkable - just look at the state of DC's movies in comparison from a point of continuity... or how the same parent company has butchered Star Wars.

I can't say I won't watch any going forward, but I like Spider-Man and haven't watched any of his three solo movies yet so I don't know what it will take to drag me back in, I've watched the formula and I've had my fill - but I am genuinely curious to see how long it can go on because people seem to eat it up.

2022 Total - 9

January - 3
6th - Gorogoa
15th - Psychonauts 2
17th - The Artful Escape

March -1
15th - Red Dead Redemption II

April -1
10th - Shredders

May-1
1st - Streets of Rage 4

June-3
13th - Mario Strikers: Battle League
15th - Card Shark
22nd - The Quarry

August -1
7th - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

When I scrubbed through 2007, surprisingly I couldn't put together more than 4 games I'd actually played so I skipped the vote. Just wanted to say I came to Assassin's Creed probably a year or so after launch and knew little about it other than a recommendation from a friend. Was very thrown off by the future setting, but it intrigued me, especially as the game inched closer to the end. I'm still incredibly impressed with what this series started as, which makes me all the more disappointed in what it became. II was a good follow-up, but I skipped on Revelations and Bloodlines, and waited until III came out which killed the franchise for me. While I no longer have much interest in playing them, I still hold the original in very high regard and don't understand when I see it put down in modern lists.