Monday, February 15, 2016

Thoughts and Stuff

Extended Title: Things That I Have Issues Articulating into Something That Would Necessitate a Full Post, So I'm Putting Them into One Comprehensive Post


The Division vs. Destiny: They Are Not the Same
A couple weekends ago I played in the Division beta, and it was actually pretty decent. The shooting was fun, albeit being a Third-Person shooter and the overall gameplay loop seemed like it would last a while. I don't know, I guess what I'm trying to get at is that these 2 games really aren't the same. A lot of what I've seen on this game is comparing it to Destiny; take a step back, though, and actually look at what these two games have in common. The only thing I can think of is the loot drops, otherwise, they don't really have much more in common. I think people are kind of grasping at straws trying to draw comparisons between these two games, when, in reality, they're only similar in a very barebones kind of way. It's like saying Diablo 3 and Borderlands are the same game, but really they just share a loot treadmill.


Bungie Please


Yesterday, Bungie released a weekly update, stating that a larger update, coming in the spring, will feature a significant Light increase, new gear to earn and equip, and new PvE challenges centered on replayability and fun experiences. They also announced that Destiny 2 is coming in 2017. Bungie, please, you're falling into Activision's trap of shit. I wouldn't doubt if Destiny 2 is another half-baked game that is fun, but flawed, much like Destiny was. It's taken them this long to "fix" Destiny (The Taken King was really good), but now, it's been basically radio silence since. Yeah, they've added a few things, like microtransactions, that have helped fund smaller events, like the Halloween and Valentine's Day ones, and the Sparrow Racing League. These small things aren't substantial enough to keep a player like me happy over the months we go without any new content. The point is, Destiny 2, I think, will be another disappointment, at least at the start, filled with Bungie telling us every week that they're busy fixing the issues just to be followed by more issues created by fixing the older issues. Until one day they come out and say "We've got a new expansion coming that is going to rework the entire game" and so on to viscosity. 
The community (mainly streamers and YouTubers like ProfessorBroman, KingGothalion, and Datto) is making this out to be some huge announcement that will breathe life back into the game, but really come on, we already knew this was coming, like really, we knew there was another expansion coming, we knew there was going to be a sequel, this is literally no big news. The expansion wasn't detailed past "it'll be here in the spring so GET READY" like they've done with every other thing. Shit, at this time last year we already had the Dark Below for a few months and were on the heels of The House of Wolves. Now, we're seemingly a few months out from this newest expansion and we know nothing about it. I'm preparing myself for the worst, but hoping for the best; because hell, I love Destiny, I have over 500 hours put into it, but really, I can't handle shit like this. I guess the point I'm trying to get across is that this was not a substantial "announcement", or really even an announcement at all, so don't get your hype thrusters reared and ready to go, just to be almost definitely disappointed, and if you're not initially disappointed, just wait a few months.


Assassin's Creed Is Taking a Break
"This year, we also are stepping back and re-examining the Assassin’s Creed franchise. As a result, we’ve decided that there will not be a new Assassin’s Creed game in 2016. Since the release of Assassin’s Creed Unity, we’ve learned a lot based on your feedback. We’ve also updated our development processes and recommitted to making Assassin’s Creed a premier open-world franchise. We’re taking this year to evolve the game mechanics and to make sure we’re delivering on the promise of Assassin’s Creed offering unique and memorable gameplay experiences that make history everyone’s playground." - Direct quote from the Assassin's Creed team. 

Good. This is a good thing. People often rip on annualized franchises, myself included because they always seem rushed, and Assassin's Creed is no exception, especially with Unity being as terribly buggy as it was. The team taking a step back to really work on a game and take in the community’s feedback shows that there is some heart and care in the series. I'll definitely give Assassin's Creed Reborn a try when it comes out in 2017.


Firewatch Mini Review
Firewatch is the first game of its kind that I have played. The decent story is made great by stunning graphics and fantastic dialog and is only held back by feeling a little bit on rails at times. It would be nice to have a sort of New Game Plus where you could just freely explore the Wyoming wilderness without being held back by the story of the game (though, as I said before, the story is really good). The graphics in this game are really stunning, filled with oranges and yellows, a color that, I think, is underused in gaming. The dialog in this game is some of the best I have ever heard, guiding witty exchanges and meaningful conversations contained some of the most memorable parts of the whole game. Pair that with a decent, engaging story, and you have a great game. The only gripe I have with this game isn't even huge, I just don't feel the need to play it again.