The "What are you playing now?" Thread

[kookoo]

I trying to decide if I want to get an Xbox X, PS4 Pro, or Switch. I already have a very old Xbox One in the livingroom, but this console would go in the bedroom along with a new 4K HDR TV.

I feel like they all have their pros and cons, and I can't decide:

X: Most powerful console, 4K BlueRay player, but I already have an X-one that does not do 4K.

PRo: $150 cheaper right now with the right bundle, somewhat 4K gaming, Some great games I want to play. But I would also have to buy PSN for multiplayer, and the 4K gaming graphics are not as good as the X, which is a little unfortunate because I'm getting a 4K HDR TV to pair with this.

Switch: Cheapest, ZELDA, on the go. Worse graphics, so it defeats the purpose of the 4K HDR tv, and I'm only interested in Zelda, and a possible future Pokemon RPG game.


Truthfully, right now its between the PS4 Pro and the X.

Help!

Personally my more powerful console is the PS4 pro, but to me the PS4 exclusives have and always will be more visually appealing so processing does matter. I have an Xbox One S because I have a 4K TV so it does a little bit of upsampling. Don't much care for 4K movies outside of Netflix anyway. Additionally, I buy all my multi-platform games that have multiplayer for the Xbox. Call of Duty, Fifa, ect. and just don't have PSN because I find it to be way worse than Xbox Live. Unless you're going to play Forza or GT online against people, in which case that should make your decision already.

So you could do a few things. Set up your systems the way I've done mine. I'm sure Gamestop has a trade in promo for older consoles that allows you to get a Pro or One X for cheaper. If you have a specific budget, I'd trade it in and get a PS4 Pro (or Xbox One) AND an Xbox One S (or PS4 slim/fat). It also depends on how important 4K blueray is to you.

 

[Simmy]

Seeing that LA Noire came out a full 3 years before True Detective aired...

Re-reading the way I wrote it, I can see the confusion, but that's kind of what I was getting at - that True Detective absolutely had to have pulled a great deal of its inspiration from LA Noire.

 

[Jack Brickman]

Finally getting around to playing more Wolfenstein II. Such a great game.

Love the newspaper article I found about how the presidency reflects the spirit of the people, and thus someday it will be occupied by an utter moron.

 

[TyGuy]

I heard this new wolfenstein has way more cut-scenes which drags down the pace significantly.

 

[Jack Brickman]

I heard this new wolfenstein has way more cut-scenes which drags down the pace significantly.

I don't think that's true at all. There are really only cut-scenes at the end of levels. During levels aside from the hub world you visit between I'm not sure there's been a single cut-scene mid-level. You usually get one at the start of a level to set it up and then at the end of the level to transition you to the next one.

The exception here are a couple of non-shooter levels that have some cut-scenes in them, but they're all great scenes, so I can't imagine why anyone would complain about them. The scenes on Venus are absolutely incredible.

 

[TyGuy]

I don't think that's true at all. There are really only cut-scenes at the end of levels. During levels aside from the hub world you visit between I'm not sure there's been a single cut-scene mid-level. You usually get one at the start of a level to set it up and then at the end of the level to transition you to the next one.

The exception here are a couple of non-shooter levels that have some cut-scenes in them, but they're all great scenes, so I can't imagine why anyone would complain about them. The scenes on Venus are absolutely incredible.

https://www.pcgamesn.com/first-person-shooter-cutscenes

3 hours worth of cinematics. Now, that's not a negative for everybody, but it's something people have complained about.

 

[Jack Brickman]

https://www.pcgamesn.com/first-person-shooter-cutscenes

3 hours worth of cinematics. Now, that's not a negative for everybody, but it's something people have complained about.

Personally, I'm a hell of a lot more concerned with the quality of the cut-scenes than the run time of them. Three hours of good, well-written, fun, enjoyable cut-scenes breeze by and you barely notice. That's where Wolfenstein II is at. I've never once found myself sitting there just waiting for a scene to end, which means the cut-scenes are good and don't feel their length.

Some games you watch cut-scenes and just don't pay attention because you just want them to end so you can keep playing. Wolfenstein II is not one of those games. I'm actually shocked to learn there are three hours of cinematics, because it sure as hell hasn't felt anywhere near that length of time thus far. Probably because they're generally very enjoyable.

 

[gourimoko]

https://www.pcgamesn.com/first-person-shooter-cutscenes

3 hours worth of cinematics. Now, that's not a negative for everybody, but it's something people have complained about.

The cut-scenes in the game that I've viewed were fantastic.

Also, can't they be skipped? The cinematics can be skipped by pressing ESC, AFAIK. And not sure how/why anyone would complain about the in-game narrative scenes? Seems weird.

 

[Jack Brickman]

I also think that pointing to Half-Life 2 in an instance like this is misguided. Yes, Half-Life 2 is an all-time great game and a classic, but not every game has to be Half-Life 2. Not every game has to be completely without cut-scenes, and not having cut-scenes definitely limits what you can do with your story.

Also, I don't even think it's really fair to say that Half-Life 2 had no cut-scenes. Yes, the game never takes away you control of the player-character, but there are a dozen segments of that game where you can't do anything other than stand around and watch events unfold or characters interact. Those may not technically be cut-scenes in the traditional sense, as you can still move around, but they might as well be because you're ultimately just standing around watching a scene.

I'd say it's really a more stylistic choice. Wolfenstein II has some very cinematic cut-scenes that choose their angles and lighting carefully. This couldn't be accomplished by going the Half-Life 2 route and doing everything in-game. Both are great games, and I appreciate that both do things very differently as well.

 

[TyGuy]

I'll point out that in the new order there were some levels that dragged the pacing like having to fetch items in the base for people that were more annoying than a boring cut scene.

I enjoyed that game, but it isn't a game I would revisit because of those pacing issues, and the fact that it's hard capped at 60 frames per second.

Doom is still probably the best game they put out in years. Incredible pacing, and the game runs faster than Chevy Chase's greased up sled in Christmas Vacation.

 

[Jack Brickman]

The cut-scenes in the game that I've viewed were fantastic.

Also, can't they be skipped? The cinematics can be skipped by pressing ESC, AFAIK. And not sure how/why anyone would complain about the in-game narrative scenes? Seems weird.

As I mentioned, I think it all boils down to quality. Outside of that article Ty posted, I haven't seen any complaints about the amount of cut-scenes in Wolfenstein II. Basically every review I read was almost unanimous praise for the game and the way the game developed its characters, and that is largely done via cut-scenes.

 

[TyGuy]

https://steamcommunity.com/app/612880/discussions/0/1479857071266284506/

I've seen people complaining about in on various sites.

 

[Jack Brickman]

https://steamcommunity.com/app/612880/discussions/0/1479857071266284506/

I've seen people complaining about in on various sites.

Seems to me most of those people are complaining that this game had the gall to have a story at all. They just wanted another Doom remake where it's all shooting and not even an attempt at story.

Which is fine, but I appreciate that Doom went one way and Wolfenstein the other. We got one game that is sheer balls to the wall action and even jokes at the start about how the story doesn't mean a damn and another that actually attempts and succeeds at telling a compelling story amidst an absurd premise and setting.

Wolfenstein is, to me, a game that combines fun shooting, competent stealth, and great writing. It's one of the best games of 2017 easily.

 

[Jack Brickman]

Holy shit...there's a scene where everyone in Wolfenstein II gets drunk for your character's birthday that is fucking hilarious. If people are actually complaining about shit like that, fuck them. It was a five minute cut-scene, sure, but it did so much to show you how all the characters you interact with are actual people who are still capable of having fun in the midst of a war.

I can just imagine neckbeards getting all up in arms because this game had the gall to try to make its characters feel like real people with relationships and goals, and I'm sure any alt right gamer hated how it was so willing to characterize Nazis and Nazi supporters as dicks.

 

[Chris]

Holy shit...there's a scene where everyone in Wolfenstein II gets drunk for your character's birthday that is fucking hilarious. If people are actually complaining about shit like that, fuck them. It was a five minute cut-scene, sure, but it did so much to show you how all the characters you interact with are actual people who are still capable of having fun in the midst of a war.

I can just imagine neckbeards getting all up in arms because this game had the gall to try to make its characters feel like real people with relationships and goals, and I'm sure any alt right gamer hated how it was so willing to characterize Nazis and Nazi supporters as dicks.

I liked that. People are bitching about it?

Anyways: beat Warhammer 2: Total War as Lizardmen last night. Final battle was pretty epic, most people say it's super easy but I enjoyed it, I'm also terrible at the game so if it was harder I likely couldn't beat it. Lost most of my army. Great game, definitely going to explore some of the other factions. The campaign map is beautiful, there are a ton of systems and mechanics, plenty to keep things interesting. Looking forward to the DLC as well. I can see myself putting dozens and dozens more hours into this leading up to Warhammer 3 which is probably 2 years away.