Best posts made by Phbz

If someone has a link for a biologist streamer addressing if foxes are nature's waypoints and a meteorologist streamer clarifying if it's true or not that you can change weather by playing flute please link. Still have time to cancel my pre-order.

I'm playing Animal Crossing. A game that if you asked me a month ago if I was going to play it my answer would be "no, probably never". I'm loving it. Between quarantine and me quitting smoking it's the perfect game.

And by the way, whoever wrote this must have worked previously in the Xbox marketing department. Really clear messaging. 😁

So hear me out,

I'm getting old(er), weeks away from making 41 years old. Been playing since the early 80s but the first half of the 90s are my most beloved gaming years. Not saying that the old times were better, because I honestly don't think they were but they weren't worse either. Things just are and our experiences shape us.

Alone in the Dark (1992)

For years Shinji Mikami denied the influence of Alone in the Dark in Resident Evil.

AitD, a fixed camera 3D game, with tank controls where you play as a detective that gets trapped in a mansion had absolutely no influence on the creator of Resident Evil, in fact he never even saw the game until after releasing RE.

Fortunately in recent years Shinji Mikami came to reason and admitted such obvious fact (There's a rumour that it was Capcom that forced him to deny it but I have no source):

"That's when I played Alone in the Dark, which consisted of still sets. It was very interesting because there was a greater expressiveness. The next step was to adapt Resident Evil to this model. Capcom's horror game then turns into a zombie reinterpretation of Frédéric Raynal's Lovecraftian investigative game. "Without him," Mikami admits, "Resident Evil would probably have become a subjective shooter." https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2014/10/14/shinji-mikami-aux-sources-du-jeu-d-horreur_4502400_4408996.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter#xtor=RSS-3208

But Alone in the Dark isn't just the grandpa of survival horror and a lo-fi Resident Evil. It's a great game on its own and one of my favourite games ever. in 93, the first time I've played it, there was really nothing like this.

Youtube Video

After that intro where you see yourself walking through a great part of the scenery where the game will take part - which from a game design perspective is quite smart - you are on your own on this hostile mansion. As you gain control for the first time two monsters will brake through a window and a trapdoor, you can fight them (which will probably get you killed) or you can push some furniture to cover both entry points. Although this type of in-game solution is heavily influenced by Point n' Click games of the time, the tactile experience of directly pushing objects on a 3D level in a way that made logical sense was eye opening and one of those "Oh, games can do this?" moments that will stick with me forever.

Subsequent games became more action focused and lost the Lovecraftian influences and frankly are really not worth anyone's time. STAY AWAY!!

If you own a PC and are into gaming history you can get in on GOG https://gog-games.com/game/alone_in_the_dark_1
It will take a bit to get used to the controls but once you do it's fine, still weird but fine. Not an easy game but if you know what you're doing it will take you around one hour to be done with it. I would recommend to get a guide and if you feel like you are stuck use it.

(Edit:
-Didn't wat to expand too much because frankly I don't have patience to read huge walls of text and I imagine few have. Just want to shine a light on some "obscure" old games

-I'll add more titles occasionally

-And obviously everyone is free and welcomed to make their own entries)

OK, as I understand this; It works just like the video capture works, the system is constantly recording the last 5 minutes of audio conversations and you can use it to report any improper behaviour. So, I think, that just like no one has access to your video recording until you decide to publish them, here no one has access to your conversation recording since it's equally stored locally.

Privacy risks are not increased by this, or so it seems, we are as vulnerable as with Xbox One/PS4 which is quite vulnerable but no more or less.

First of all, it works! It didn't burst into flames, the optical drive didn't shred my game collection. It just works. And it's super silent. I don't know how it will sound in months or years, but right now it is surreal how silent it is. The only sound it produces is when installing a game from a disk, and it's still low.

The installation is super simple and shortened by using the phone app to configure the system while simultaneously the console takes care of some stuff on its side. I just had to connect my Xbox One external to it, asked me if I wanted to keep the setting and that was it. Although for some reason not every setting was transferred, had to go switch off achievements again. But it was smooth sailing. Kudos for how easy it is to copy/paste installed games from the external drive to the internal and how it prompts you to update to the XSX version. Simple, easy, great to deal with the SSD space constraints.

It's a different “new console experience” for sure. In a space of minutes you have the same console but not the same console. Like putting an old spirit on a powerful new athletic body. You know it already but every action is fast, braking some subconscious functional rhythms I had to navigate it. At moments I was thinking, this might work a bit too well, as I flew over some option because I wasn't expecting to be there so fast. Of course your brain quickly adjusts to it.

The controller.
I really like Xbox controllers, ergonomically speaking, This stays the same, nothing new really. There's a big improvement on the d-pad and the shoulder buttons are more accessible. Those were improvements needed and I feel they nailed it. Then there's a change in texture too, this I feel more conflicted about. On one side it greatly improves grip but it's a bit too raspy for my soft gentle hands. Also, would like it to be just slightly bigger.

The games.
Here once again it feels different from what a new console feels like. Of course I would love to have a brand new game to check my new toy but this is closer to getting a new GPU and checking how games you know run. Gears 5 looks truly impressive, but I've played it already and I'm not into replaying stuff, so after 1h I had enough of it. On the other hand Forza Horizon 4 is a near limitless game and I expect to play a lot of it, specially with the Quick Resume feature. All the times I felt like playing FH4 but didn't because the amount of time I had to play vs the amount of time spent in loading times are now a thing of the past... OR IS IT??? Effectively the Quick Resume feature at this time DOSEN'T WORK with FH4. This is a major stumble, a first party title updated for the XSX MS should make sure it had it working! Might be complicated being FH4 an always online game but hopefully it's going to be fixed soon. Wake up Microsoft!

But going back to the lack of games, there really isn't one. I've completed 35 games this year, played some more. Still there's a ton of games I wanted to play before getting this console and I still want to play them now. Got a physical copy of Dead Space 3 installing right now and through GamePass I have Grim Fandango, Jedi Falling Order and Doom Eternal ready to go as must play titles. So if from a marketing standpoint it makes sense to say “Xbox has no games”, as a gamer I feel like it makes none. Still I wish I had Demon Souls to play right now, but I will eventually.

So after my first hours with the system I'm happy with it as a continuation and improvement of a system I already greatly enjoyed. Looks elegant, feels fast and plays games.

Day 17 - Mobile Game

Looking at the thumbnail it looks like they're trying to force on me their acoustic guitar agenda. Now I feel the need to cancel them since I'm much more into synths.

Dead Space 2

I did play and loved the first game but never followed up on the series because - honestly - when I saw reviews for 2 with the swarms of humanoid baby monsters I decided I was not in the mood for that anxiety.

Then played it for a bit when it became BC with the X1, mostly to check to see if it was 4k. It clearly isn't, it's still under 1080p.

Now I was in the mood for some horror and finally decided to beat it.

First of all, the use of colour and lighting in this game is amazing. So is the sound design. Be it the crunchy and textured synths or the organic gore and distorted vocalisations. Superb stuff!

Good variety of locations, plenty of well thought combat situations. Some entertaining environmental puzzles to break the pace. Really enjoyed the tension throughout the whole game.

The story is kind of whatever, but pretty effective in contextualising setting and fuelling characters arch.

Then in the last 60 minutes things kind of collapse. Locations get boring, combat cenarios feel more random, even the art direction takes a hit. Final boss is a super short fight, feels clumsy.

Overall I enjoyed it a lot. Weird that not that long ago EA was putting out some really high quality single player games.

Most games are good.

@mbun No, I want fewer games but showing gameplay for more than a few seconds at best. Then you can have all the commercials you want.

That's a cool topic of conversation.

The ideal open world for me has to have "emptiness" in it. Open spaces and visual landscapes that help me map the land intuitively. Trekking is one of my passions in real life, it's immensely satisfying to set a visual target and on your way accidentally coming across something, like an animal, a hidden crystalline lake or just a fellow trekker taking a shit. Which takes me to what I consider the most important aspect and what current and future open worlds should aim for. Emergent situations. Even if illusory, make me be surprised by the unexpected, make me come across stuff that doesn't serve in any way my mission in that world but it's nevertheless impactful. Take things a step further, have main quests come to me instead of telling me to check that icon on the map. And emergent gameplay too, multilayered systems that evolve towards entropy.

@jackmarison93 What an auspicious start.

8h Patagonia bush trip done. Really stunning scenery.

Easiest pick for me. Galaxy 2 stands head and shoulders above all other games released this past decade and is one of the best games ever made. True that the overworld could be better but Mario could be flipping burgers on a Macdonald's between levels and SMG2 would still be my number 1 spot. It controls perfectly, has stellar level design, unparalleled creativity, one of the best OSTs in gaming and a gorgeous art direction.

Plus, on a personal level, it's the game that brought me back to gaming. And I swear I had a smile on my face from beginning to end.

Not the most original answer but the opening for TLoU is so elegant in transporting you through the shift that kicks off the story. Not the biggest fan of the game but what an opening.

Just got my XSX

Btw

RIP Maradona

Youtube Video

I've pretty much enjoyed every game they've put out (yes, including QB) so I'm excited about Control.

About being an Epic Store exclusive, I guess it's a good thing that our societies are in such a good state that we can focus on (un)important stuff like this.

Sorry about the spam

It's not a bad looking game, just a bit too blurry.

Fantastic sound design and great use of music. The village you initially go to feels so real. Reminds me of remote little villages you can still find in Europe but more lived in. Great stuff. The narrative continues to be top notch too, so well paced. That's why I love this type of short games, no need for filler. Reminds me of Hellblade in so many ways. Also, the companion so far is very well implemented, really engaging. And I can already feel the relationship changing and evolving, hope it keeps growing. Also being a child it's a good way to make by sure the player has a strong connection even without knowing him that well.

Ah, love the collectibles. A cool way to get historical details of when the game takes place.