Here is an update on the future of games that use Microsoft's flop GFWL.
store.steam failypowered.com/news/externalpost/pcgamer/1010231247669222706

Popped up on my news under Dark Souls from Steam. Apparently Namco is 'exploring options' for Dark Souls, which is the first time they have even addressed the subject on the future of that game.

edit: http://www.pcgamer.com/tag/games-for-windows-live/ in case the other link does not work.

FTFY

Very interesting. Dark Souls is the only game from that list where I actually care about GFWL being removed though, because that's the point where I plan on picking up the game again. I hope they do the right thing.

Because most developers think we're all retarded and need every single visual aid we can get to do simple stuff.



You don't need to add an obnoxious filter that highlights stuff for you to conduct investigations.

Stalker Call of Pripyat is fucking me hard right now. I can beat the game on normal without much difficulty, but the next level up is just absurd. Anyone play this game?

Yeah, three years ago. Certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but I love everything S.T.A.L.K.E.R.. Even Clear Sky.
Never player Pripyat on hard though. Probably a mistake.

I picked up the game when it first came out too and just started playing again. I never played Clear Sky because I heard from a friend as well as some review websites that it had a few problems. I should probably pick it sometime. Anyway, the mutated animals are easy enough to deal with (still haven't encountered a Blooksucker though...) and the unarmored stalkers and bandits and such aren't too tough, but guys with exoskeletons are goddamn impossible to kill. They take an absurd number of shots to kill plus they kill you in about two seconds. I'm trying to do one of the beginning missions for Owl and I can kill all of the unarmored guys but there are two with exoskeletons who keep killing me. It's somewhat aggravating. But yeah, it's definitely something to do if you have spare time and like getting pissed off.

Headshots help a lot as far as I remember. They are the great equalizer.

I haven't played much STALKER because those damn controller mutants were too much for 15 year old me to handle. A great looking mod called MISERY has been getting a lot of attention and it's making me consider getting the game. I usually give vanilla a shot first but this looks too good.

Yeah, Misery looks cool but I doubt my computer could handle it. Plus it's not like the game needs to be harder. EDIT - Oh shit, controllers are going to be impossible.



Well, yeah, but the AK's terrible accuracy isn't making that easy.

I never really understood the complaints about Clear Sky. The storyline isn't the best thing ever, and it loses a lot of the creepy atmosphere that makes some parts of the first STALKER really great, but it adds some fantastic mechanics - factions are actually worth doing stuff for, in the original STALKER they were practically worthless. The weapon and armor upgrades are amazing, and the periodic Zone-wide anomaly that requires you to take cover is a welcome mechanic as well. My only real gripe with the game is that travel is a giant pain in the ass, even with the partial fast travel mechanic they introduced. Call of Pripyat refines all that stuff further and includes some cool story elements to boot, but it's Clear Sky that first introduced them.

So, this game is looking amazing and has relentlessly vast potential. Definitely my most anticipated alongside Witcher 3.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D48PCFshHg

I haven't gotten a new game for a while now, or at least one that I kept playing. I pretty much gave up on Assassin's Creed III and Armored Core Verdict Day due to lack of interest without getting very far in either of them. Now my PS3 time is primarily spent playing Black Ops II for hours on end. One day though, I saw my brother downloaded Journey, so I played that....wow...wow...wow...wow...wow...

My only complaint with that game is that it could have been a little longer.

Looks like Mount&Blade turned up to eleven.

No, it really doesn't. I thought it was actually the best game out of the series that I have played (which is everything from the first AC to AC3), but if you really haven't found it entertaining a couple hours in, then maybe it's not for you. I have to actually sneak and run instead of fight to really have fun with this game. The way you can order your subordinates to take out a target that's in your way is rather enjoyable, but when your on a mission that can easily be failed upon the enemy realizing they've been infiltrated, and you call upon your recruits... the way they just charge up to the guy and kill them without any effort to conceal themselves is rather odd. Plus, wouldn't people recognize a guy in a flashy hooded robe all armored out with swords and a crossbow as an assassin?

Basically, when you embrace the tactical side of this game, you might have more fun with it. But in the end, if you haven't already found it fun, then you might not want to get another in the series unless you wanna follow the story (which is really well done, if I say so myself).

Indeed, though it seems to be more standard RPG-based, which is absolutely awesome for me. Mount & Blade is cool with its semi-Total War esque campaign, but a more traditional open world action RPG set in a purely historical medieval kingdom... man, if this is half as good as they're hyping it up to be, it'll be absolutely brilliant.

Mount & Blade 2 (and possibly fantasy RPGs) is going to have some stiff competition in the future.

We talked about that game not that long ago.

Dark Souls devotees, behold: Lords of the Fallen!

Apparently, there's a group of German developers who are working on an action RPG that is heavily inspired by the Souls games. You know the deal; methodical combat, challenging opponents, beautiful scenarios..... Plus skill trees in the vein of Borderlands (which I haven't played, but certainly want to). Now, I don't know about you guys, but it does look very promising to me. However, sad as it might be, it seems like it will only be released for the next gen of consoles and the PC

Yeah yeah, so they say... Let's see some gameplay.

True. But only those who have actually played Dark Souls get to say this!

I'm a little annoyed at seeing the Souls games being used as a marketing term.

Why? It means Dark Souls serves as a positive example, and that people want to see devs following that example. Also I don't think Dark Souls fans are a target audience easily fooled. Either they will deliver on their promises and be rewarded with success or they won't and will be thrashed accordingly.

A lot of the time, it comes off more as a "we're inspired by that popular game that YouTube Let's Players rage at because it's so hard XD" than "we're making a game that challenges the player's patience, critical thinking, and skill."

I'm for it if it's actually done right, but it seems all talk so far.

To be fair though..... Which other developers have compared their games to the Souls series in recent times? This is the only example I can come up with so far

Maybe accusing people of using it as a marketing term is a bit of a stretch, but it's mentioned every so often in developer interviews. One of the producers of Payday 2 called it the "Dark Souls of heist games," which definitely doesn't make sense if you've seen that game (unless you consider tedium the same as difficulty). I've even seen Dark Souls mentioned as an influence in interviews and press releases for games like Gears of War: Judgement, The Witcher 2, Lichdom, and Destiny. As far as I can tell, the only influence that's there in those games is difficulty while the Souls games are much more than that. There's so many other difficult games in different genres that you can compare your game to.

Ahh, my bad. My excitement got the better of me, I'm afraid.

Quite a bunch of these actually. The ones that immediately come to mind are Jasper Byrne's next project, another Jasper Byrne's project and that unsuccessfully Kickstartered metroidvania.

EDIT: Oh, also Radio the Universe! How could I forget it!?

But yeah, quite pumped for Lords of the Fallen (well, at least until they will reveal the system requirements). It sounds similar to Dark Souls and looks similar to Darksiders, so I'd be happy with wherever it lands in the spectrum between the two. Here's some more coverage of the game (apparently it's set to release this year also).

I've been having the urge to play Dead Space again. Which brings up an idea. I would love to see that game remastered for the current gen consoles and for pc. I could only imagine the detail they could put into it.

Speaking of current gen remasters, I've been re-playing Tomb Raider on PS4. For the most part, it has a pretty nice graphical bump, but to be honest, I don't really notice it that much beyond Lara's redesign. Might be because it's been a while since I've played the game on PS3, where it already looked quite good. Or maybe I'm just not taking enough time to stop and smell the roses.

That's the way I think of it. Not much they can do to make it any better.

http://gearnuke.com/tomb-raider-definit ... s3-vs-ps4/

In fact, based on this I think the PS4 overall doesn't look as good compared to the PC. PC trumps both. The oddest is her PS4 character model. Weird.

Based on that link, the PS4 version definitely beats out the PC version in a few aspects, though more fidelity is certainly evident on the tree in the PC version.

Her new character model is definitely derptastic in a good deal of screenshots I've seen.

For any of you 3DS folks, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords is free on the eshop for four days.

Free on PS+ for NA in February:

PS4: Outlast
PS3: Metro Last Light, Remember Me, Payday 2
Vita: Modnation Racers: Road Trip, Street Fighter X Tekken

Once again...

FYI Metro: Last Light is really really cool, but it's a direct sequel to Metro 2033 so you should probably play that first.

I'm too much of a little bitch to play Outlast.

Has anyone here played Fallout 3 with the Tales of Two Wastelands mod? It is awesome being able to play both games, with the NV engine, items, and mods. Sadly though, sometimes quest/objective switches won't activate.

Outlast will own you. Hard. Nowhere near the first Amnesia but a great thrill nonetheless.

I started playing Rule of Rose, a little known horror game for the PS2. Have played maybe 15-20 minutes but it's off to a good start, fairly similar to Silent Hill, which I adore.

Just saw a trailer for Elder Scrolls: Online. I believe my nerd-boner just exploded.

Don't have a working 360 or a PC that can run it. I'll just read the plot from a wiki site or something.

It's going to be horrible, a cash grab, just as The Old Republic was. They already put a playable race behind a pay wall for pete's sake. They know it's going to fail in the long run, and if the pre orders are anything to go by they will make all the money in the first couple of months, after which they will just half-ass any future content, and it will probably go free to play after that. It's exactly what happened to The Old Republic, and it is completely intended to work that way.

Which one? If it's the Argonians, someone's going to die.

Yeah, as shitty as it will likely be I feel obligated to give it a shot just for the hell of it...Hopefully I'll be surprised, but eh.