SomTervo

Yeah, sorry MEth, I didn't mean to... for lack of a better word, 'mainsplain' at you about it. I guess I didn't put my thoughts across very clearly. Waffle o'clock. A more concise way of saying what I meant is that: the game is designed that way because when you ultimately overcome the idiosyncrasies and challenging design aspects, the sense of accomplishment and fun you get for it is through the roof. By the end, you're thriving on, addicted to the satisfaction you get from being in control of the environment. But to get to that feel you have to push through the 'fuck this shit, it's wasting my time' feeling you're talking about, which I definitely felt when I started out. I also know the 'this just isn't that fun' feeling. But for me, in Bloodborne, when you push through that irritation and seemingly un-fun design, you're rewarded with a huge, amazing feeling (and sense of pure fun) which makes up for those issues tenfold. It's just like an adult Zelda or hardcore DMC. I'm still not saying you're playing it wrong or anything – you clearly played DaS quite a bit, and it's totally fair if you didn't get good vibes even after overcoming the big challenges. Anne Frankly, I didn't find DaS or DeS fun anywhere near on the level of Bloodborne. And yeah, the 1,000x better world and graphical design makes Bloodborne a joy to walk about in even when you're frustrated as all shit by a level. I just did the first lantern in the Village again. I mean, fuck that place. It's the only time (I know of) in the entire game where the only way to survive the area – which is actually really short – is to just run. By the time you're halfway to the lantern, you'll already be low on health items, and then you've got an area where there are roughly 12 super-aggressive, high-damaging enemies who will all come running from three angles and swarm you, combined with a giant god-thing firing a huge, one-hit-kill laser to blow you up I mean fuck that. I ran past them all on my first playthrough and I ran past them all on my second playthrough. One day I will come back super-powered and destroy them all.

I need to do the same... I finally got to a new area which I haven't seen before since finishing the game! Upper Cathedral Ward. It's a... mean place. Also how the heck does one get to Cainhurst?

But in that kind of situation, because the item or shortcut remains, you still had tangible in-game progress. I'm fine with death in that kind of situation, a calculated death that accomplishes something. It's when the death requires me to redo something tedious, especially when you're expected to die multiple times in the same place. If I can just run past all those enemies to get back to the boss, why even put me that far back? Why not just put me right outside the boss room? Having to run past them isn't challenging, it's tedious. I play games to enjoy them, not to redo boring things multiple times. Not trying to say that they're bad games or that people are wrong for liking them, just I feel like a lot of people act like if you don't like them it's just because you're a pussy who can't bear failure. Not that you're doing that. I think this is intentional and is designed to make you think more. If they made you spawn right back at the boss, you'd be able to just keep bashing your head off it until you beat it by luck, using brute force to get your way with it. Naturally you would get better too, but they place you back at a lantern/bonfire to make you really consider your actions. So it's a 45-second run to get back to the boss, where there's a decent chance you'll die again. Are you prepared enough to fight this boss? Are you good enough yet? Have you worked out a strategy? Would it benefit you to turn and try another direction, explore another area to get your skills and equipment better before you try it again? I know I've had this thought process before and that it's made me better at the game. Most of the game's design decisions are there to encourage you to consider your decisions more carefully. If you've really thought-out a boss, your approach to it, and your equipment, it shouldn't be too difficult to overcome it first try (although obviously it helps to have encountered it once or twice to figure this out). That's why Youtube streamers like Yoshichan are so amazing - these guys see a boss for the first time, but do all their analysis and planning on the spot. They usually beat bosses in one go. It's the sort of series where this is totally doable. You have to play smart rather than play repeatedly. Also these games aren't linear even though they seem that way. Whenever something's a hassle – a boss or the run to a boss – it's always good to go try another way you've noticed but never explored. The deeper you delve into the level design, the more you'll uncover. Often they put massive progression points in the most incongruous, random of corners. A friend of mine missed a huge, key area of Bloodborne for ages because he assumed a narrow, random alley was a dead end. It was a revelation when he found out what's down there. (I believe Dark Souls 2 is an exception to all of this. I've heard very bad things about the vanilla game's level design and pacing – and the flawless level design and pacing is what makes DeS/DaS/BB masterpiece-level works.) Edit: Anecdotally, last night I was having huge trouble on a mid-game boss which I beat easily in my first playthrough. First playthrough probably 3-4 tries, second playthrough I'm on try 7 and still not beat him. The only difference? I properly sprinted past all the enemies and got to the boss after being beaten each time in about 20-30 seconds, and I've done this repeatedly. I wasn't thinking about my strategy, I thought briefly about improving my tactics and weaponry, but wanted to rush through because I didn't have much time last night. It was a mistake, and this isn't how the game should be played, and the game is reminding you of that by bumping you back to a lantern every time you die. I finished the night by doing a runthrough of a couple of other areas, levelling my character and weapons up a bit to give me a new edge and refresh my approach.

This is almost a misinterpretation. In the Souls games you need to change how you think about progress, because almost every mechanic is transient. 1. The only true progress is in your mind (how well you know your moves, how well you know enemy moves, how well you know the level's tricks - how experienced you are) 2. The only other decent markers for progress are picking up items (getting items is permanent progress as your inventory and weapon upgrades are always saved as-is) and save points (lanterns/bonfires) - but even these are more transient than your mental progress. 3. Currency, enemies, and progression through the level is not progress in a Souls game (unless it's a boss enemy or you unlock a shortcut). Once you mess with your mindset to think of it this way, and you realise that you're learning more stuff every time an annoying enemy/boss kills you, death and loss of level-progress stops being annoying. Every step you take, every move you make, every corner you get past, is you learning more stuff. And the game's not unfair – if that run back to the boss seems too long, there will almost certainly be a quicker way to do it (via starting point or shortcut). Also, because levels are transient and they don't need to be beaten repeatedly, you can just run through areas once you've learned all the pitfalls, traps and enemy placements. You can usually run the entire gameworld in a few minutes. When you begin to take ownership of your own skill and abilities, that's when the series shines. The frustrations just melt away. I think you would be, personally. For one thing, Dark Souls 2 is notoriously the worst in terms of balancing and pacing. For the other, Bloodborne is a more enjoyable experience in lots of ways than any of the other games. I've hugely appreciated, but never truly enjoyed the other games in the series. I almost finished Demon's and Dark Souls, but they never really gripped me. At some point it always stopped being worth it – even if I loved the idea/ethos the developers were going for. But Bloodborne... I don't know if it's the better graphics (they're amazing), the more compelling plot (still very minimal), the easier difficulty (I'm definitely having an easier time with it than I did with Dark or Demon's), or the streamlined systems (it's no longer full-blown RPG where you customise everything) – but I had no trouble at all completing it and I got serious Resident Evil 4/Silent Hill 2 vibes throughout. I felt like I was having fun the entire time – which I didn't in Demon's/Dark. It's a real classic and is far, far easier to play than the other games. It's more like a stripped down, serious Devil May Cry than Dark Souls or Demon's. The improved simulation, controls and graphics have gone a long way to making the world feel really together and really immersive to experience. Just walking about is amazing 90% of the time. Unlike in the Souls games where, even though everything looked good and the art was fantastic, it was all weirdly transient and ethereal somehow. As such I'd recommend Bloodborne as a good adventure even if you disliked the earlier games.

Just finished Spec Ops: The Line I feel like an asshole

Yeah, I found the Witch surprisingly easy. Did it with a buddy coop and it was actually much more difficult with two people, haha. I suppose you're dividing your attention more – you just need to focus on her and whale on her to win, only getting rid of witch-goons if they're really in your way. Regarding the Turret Guy, I definitely wasn't wearing any Church attire and he spoke to me. I had to choose 'spare the beasts' indeed to get his stuff. Edit: also my PS4-playing buddy said he went back to play Dark Souls after doing Bloodborne. He said it was incredible - even better coming off BB, they really complement each other apparently. Plus all his aggressive style skills from BB have ostensibly made Dark Souls even easier. Super-light loadout, two handed weapons only, focus on dodging and attacking = a really solid Souls style. I look forward to going back to finish Souls now, using my BB techniques. I always turtled too much in those games. Wanted to be safe. Pah! Safety.

That is so much easier than I imagined! Just beat DB Paarl. Shit was fun as anything. This game... Although I entered an agreement with the guy on the top of the tower, then killed a couple of beasts who cornered me, now he's raging at me again. Did I just lock out another side quest by aggravating him again?

Yes, who the hell doesn't say Gas Coin. I would also forgive 'Gaza', though. I've never been to that location! In the end you spoiled me! I had that item when I first fought him, but didn't want to use it. Wanted to do it au naturelle. It wasn't easy. On my second playthrough I used it then whaled on him. Was awesome and so easy Holy shit, sorry chiefs.

Left of cathedral is great. If you don't find her fighting Henryk, you miss out on that entire bit, then . That's what happened to me on my first playthrough. On my second I found her earlier and helped her with H. Really weird that you say that. I didn't get the secret boss you mention because I only met one part of the condition – but I beat the final boss in one try. Didn't die once. Just parried a lot, blunderbusses a lot, then when he started flipping out I whaled on him with Ludvig's. Wasn't hard at all – I was actually really disappointed. Same went for the couple of bosses leading up to him. The boss that gave me most trouble in the entire game was probably Gascoigne. Maybe Blood-starved Beast. Also, I'm on my second playthrough to try and see everything, but is the end-game condition

I've become a little bit tired of OoT – but at the same time I'm playing Mario 64. Not that is a contender for GOAT.

Deffo plenty of Polish in there, Vech I don't think I've seen a pic of you before! You're looking: On my end: I had a metal, and I metalled in the morning, I metalled in the evening, and all over the land:

Yeah ive taken to leaving bloodtinge and arcane way in the dust after all my other stats. One day ill do a bloodtinge build... One day

Scotland has a Proportional Representation system. For local council elections it even uses Single Transferable Vote, Officially the Most Proportional of all Representation Systems. And things are good. Except for Westminster's fiendish meddling.

I second this opinion, but... That's almost a game-changer for me. I bet the exchange rates will be insulting, but the option to just play for one currency and buy most things you'll need will make a huge difference. Like the prospect of just being able to take my inordinate amount of glimmer and buy these weird shard or mote things is so much more appealing than just doing strikes and stuff and hoping the RNG is kind to me. Although as I said, it'll no doubt cost like two million billion glimmer to get one mote of light, rendering a two year grind to buy one anyway. Goddamn destiny.

And back on-topic... Another backlog gem. I enjoy the side quests while I'm doing them but whenever I finish one I'm just confronted with this annoying, turgid list of missions I can barely remember starting which all sound dull as shit. It doesn't help when the game tells you where to go every step of the way for every objective. Oh, I have to go steal a horn from a guys house? Great, I can't wait! Oh, hang on. You're telling me where his house is, then to walk upstairs, go into his bedroom, take the horn while putting a big white icon above right where it is, then to leave his house and return directly to the quest giver. Rather than just telling me where his house is and leaving the rest up to me. Classic checklist, A-to-B-rather-than-fun gameplay. Still has its moments.

Great post - but in this case it actually boils down to definition of 'metanarrative'. I used the wrong phrase. I meant to say 'metafiction'. 'Metanarrative' is something more historical – stories which are about stories, explaining our culture or history and how it has developed. (Totally irrelevant.) 'Metafiction' is fiction which reminds you your experiencing fiction. All of the things you mention above do that - Spec Ops and Hotline Miami challenge the reader directly through their text. But the way that AC2 and The Bureau do it is by highlighting the camera-as-player-agent to break our connection to the protagonist and put the focus on the fact that we're looking through a window into a simulated world. Which is videogames' own brand of metafiction. It's still bluntly reminding you that you're experiencing fiction in that both games see you controlling meaningless puppets. It's just handled differently in Spec Ops and HM, where it's more a linguistic challenge rather than one done through game mechanics. The Bureau's one was a plot twist but also a nice moment metafiction. The AC/Bureau examples show stories which reflect on themselves, highlighting that they are stories - but the extra videogame angle is that they use the mechanics of playing a videogame to highlight that it is a videogame. Good ole critical theory. Imho it is a really pertinent example of metafiction in games - but indeed, maybe the word 'great' isn't a good one to drop here. Also I think Bioshock Infinite touches on metafiction, but imo they never bloody follow through with that idea of choice in games. Not like they did in the original Bioshock at least. Bioshock is full-bodied metafiction. Edit: we've probably also reached point of saturation where, despite anything we'll say, I see something there which you don't and vice versa. Guess we gotta lay the subjective interpretation dog to rest at some point! In The Bureau I saw that nice metafiction stuff which I recognised in books from my literature honours, but if you don't see it, than that's fine.

I guess that's a concise way of saying what I meant! For example Far Cry 4. I am so done with that game and would be fine with never picking it up again. Even though I was at 40% completion or so at 17 hours – I feel I've seen everything the game has to offer.

That 'free or gift' aspect is a good backlog DLC distinction. I've started basing my backlog commitment entirely around whether I feel guilty about not finishing a game or not. For example, I feel guilty for not having finished Spec Ops: The Line or Skyrim or Spider-man: Web of Shadows. They're things I immensely enjoyed but never put the time in to finish. So they are fully part of my backlog and I'm working on them - and enjoying doing so. However, games like Dead Island, Saints Row 3 or Ninja Gaiden Sigma – these I got a satisfactory amount of enjoyment from already. I had more than enough of a good time to warrant leaving them half-finished. (Dark Souls was in this category until I finished Bloodborne,, but now I'm determined to finish it since I've honed my skills in Yarnham.) The Dead Kings DLC is in the latter category – I adored finishing AC Unity and mucked around in it a lot, so I feel like my cup hath runneth over with fun already. I don't feel guilty about not playing Dead Kings. (Helps that it was free as heck.)

Here you go again with your hyperbole. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to mention The Bureau in the same sentence as the words "gaming history". It's a decent but very derivative tactical third-person shooter with a neat twist. The problem is the twist is pretty much the only memorable thing about it. I seriously doubt it's going to remembered by many ten years from now. I love getting carried away with myself. I've already brought it up a few times since on random websites saying 'hey Bureau did this way better than that other game'. For me, that's gaming history. Not for being a great game - because it isn't - but for doing something unique which is worth talking about. And yeah, it doesn't really cross the line of breaking the fourth wall, so I guess that was a bad angle on my part. But it still provides that uncanny moment when the game's camera, which is basically you avatar, is addressed directly. It tiptoes right up to that fine line but doesn't cross it. I suppose my statement would have been more correct if I'd said it's one of the greatest metanarratives in gaming history. Does it much better than, say, AC or Bioshock Infinite imo. And again, that's not saying it's a great story or a great game, but that the metanarrative was a really unique thing. I actually loaded up Spec Ops last night to try and finish it off, backlogwise. Really good game. As much as the gameplay is often frustratingly run-of-the-mill, it's kind of okay because that's sort of the point. The writing is all deceptively excellent, too. I love those loading screen messages, some of them pose really challenging questions and kind of make you do a double take for a moment. I am having to force myself through it a bit. It's not a great game to play.

I am on the cusp of mocking up a 'GoPro Burst Mode Hell: Thursday Next Edition' image. Watch this space. On Saturday we host the second ever FULL METAL CEILIDH. The first one was great. I played lots of metal riffs on accordion: Slipknot the Willow was especially difficult. Event on the whole was a great success, I bet Saturday will be awesome:

I don't remember DK being that bad... I remember we played with him on Uncharted 2 one time I think. He was a bit nuts. Tornado Creator was a special kind of frustrating, because he was a totally decent guy. He just couldn't objectify his opinions or see things in terms of evidence. This thread was the absolute best, TN, and hopefully it reminds you of him. It was just an insane bout of total head-in-the-clouds, 'end is nigh', baseless pessimism. Anyway, back on track, OcarinaofTimeOcarinaofTimeOcarinaofTimeOcarinaofTimeOcarinaofTimeOcarinaofTime

There were a lot (a lot) of Bloodborne and The Last of Us bundle deals for a while, which all looked excellent. Barring that, there may be The Witcher 3 deals. Aside from that, I can envisage only Arkham Knight being the next big bundle-op on the horizon

give us a bit more meat than that, strang I'm noticing more and more cracks as I played through OoT, but it's still a really pleasant experience. I'd never say it sucks.

All of the above sounds very reasonable. Bioware said it will be very separate from the original trilogy, and to be in another galaxy, the above working adds up. Also Mass Effect: Pathfinder sounds like a) a good title and b) a realistic title. I hope they go with something like this. Holy shit. As others said, he almost certainly won't be in this one... ... pre-order cancelled