Uncharted 4. Only up to Chapter 5 but it really has some amazing graphics. Definitely very much hand holding still and narrative driven so far; must be the longest period I've seen of this in an Unchared but at least the characters and storyline are done so well. I'm hoping the game frees up soon; I'm keen to see how it plays when you've got more freedom.
The first few chapters are quite heavy on the exposition and this game is a bit more focused on the narrative but you get some good open/action bits. It's a really beautiful looking game. I've probably spent as much time in photo mode as I have playing.
Dark Souls 3. Its more frantic than previous souls games, more like BB really but saying that I haven't had too much trouble thus far. The first two bosses killed me once a piece, after that the tree boas and crystal sage both died without a death. Then came the Abyss Watchers, they took 3 attempts, the worst part was the second phase, he doesn't give you much time but you can parry him which helps. Was nice to get that feeling again when you beat a boss that you feel is tough as you're not sure you are a high enough level for it. Was tougher than any of the 4 lord souls in DS2 that is for sure.
The Witcher 3 I love almost everything about this game. The graphics, storytelling, voice acting, world building, and exploration are some of the best I've ever seen in a game. I just wish it had better combat. The combat is clunky, awkward, and inconsistent. It doesn't help that the character movement for Geralt feels like he's drunk. Compared to something like Shadow of Mordor or Dark Souls, it just feels really unsatisfying. I think this video does a great job of explaining exactly what's wrong with it. I took his advice and have been playing the game on easy, and I'm enjoying it a lot more now. There are so many other great things that this game has to offer that there's no reason to slog through the mediocre combat on harder difficulties just to get to the good parts.
The combat isn't the greatest but I'd say it's good enough as far as fantasy RPGs go. If you compare it to Dragon Age or Skyrim they're all just meh. I went heavy on the signs with Griffin gear and I swear I never parried even once. Sign stun then finishing move or Flame evade flame where my bread and butter. After a while nothing but a boss was even difficult. Looking forward to Blood and Wine on May 31st. I believe it's supposed to be the last game with Geralt.
I think Shadow of Mordor ruined me for other similar games. It really set a new standard for combat in action RPGs. The fights in that game were so epic and satisfying. That being said, Shadow of Mordor was almost entirely about combat. Its game world and storytelling were very minimalist. Compared to something like Skyrim though which also has clunky, mediocre combat, yeah the combat in Witcher 3 is alright. I guess most RPGs have meh combat. I think if you combined the combat from Shadow of Mordor with the storytelling, exploration, and world building of Witcher 3, you would have the perfect action RPG.
Still playing Witcher 3 myself. Not played it for a while but carried on the last few nights. Just up to the part where you find out Spoiler Ciri taken on a boat and left from skellige. I have a bigger and better TV now with 1080p instead of 720p so it looks even better now.
I just got to Novigrad for the first time in Witcher 3. Holy crap is the city huge and life-like. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it in an RPG. It feels like an actual medieval European city. It puts the towns and cities in Bethesda's games to shame. In general I'd say that the world of the Witcher is far more life-like and detailed than anything I've seen in Bethesda's games. It feels like an actual place where people live rather than a weird robotic theme park.
It's amazing what a company with no major titles under it's belt and recovering from bankruptcy can do. Bethesda was the best at large urban areas but after a while the robot motion of the people is pretty noticeable. If Shadow of Mordor sets the bar for combat the Witcher 3 sets the bar for open world cities. It also doesn't hurt that Novigrad just looks great too. Of course I think some of the best scenery is around Kaer Morhen. I have high hopes for their next title Cyberpunk 2077 witch looks a lot like Deus Ex.
Even the best developers take a few games to find their stride. Rockstar didn't have a big hit until GTA3. Bethesda's first big hit was their fourth game, Oblivion. Witcher 3 is one of the most impressive games I've ever played. And if this is just their first breakthrough hit game, it makes me wonder how good their next game might be.
I'm giving up on Black Flag for the same reason I gave up on ASII. Too many missions that need to be repeated for failing. I don't have the time these days to keep retrying stuff. I never ran into that problem with ASIII but BlackFlag has the get spotted and fail or rescue X before time Y type stuff. Never liked that. I might have more patience if the game wasn't so clunky. All the AS games seem to suffer from the same poor character control.
You guys should definitely read books if you haven't already tried them. It's a similar story - guy who never wrote anything before comes up with a world so detailed and so interesting you can't really believe it. As for me, I am playing Dark souls 3 from time to time but mostly Trackmania Turbo - a similar gameplay concept that makes you constantly improve. I am currently playing the red lagoon and it's damned hard.
Just Cause 2 I get it's an open world sandbox game but really what the heck am I supposed to be doing?
It's like a low budget version of FarCry with a little Saints Row humor mixed in. It's entertaining enough but I probably wont stick with it.
I just started playing Max Payne 3 again. I never actually finished it originally when I started it a few years ago when it launched. Not sure if I remember why since I loved it to begin with.. I have a feeling it's because I resubscribed to wow for Mists of Pandaria.. ANYHOW, it all came back. My frustrations with constantly dying. This is still the only game that I know of where the AI can actually one shot you with a headshot. The dialogue in this game is quite great.
DOOM This is the most fun I've had with a single player FPS in years. It recaptures the magic of Doom 1 and 2, but it feels new at the same time. So far I'd give it a 9/10