This reminds me of when a certain author declared a well established character was secretly gay all along ... and this was declared after the multi-title series was already concluded. It also had no bearing on the plot.
There should be a name for this lazy after-the-fact insertion of "lore", but I guess we'll have to settle for just referring to this as "bad writing".
Someone needs to save these works of art from their creators. I blame George Lucas for starting this trend.
@iLikeUrAttitude Framerate is almost impossible to debate because it's always subjective. They're not saying an issue doesn't exist, they're just saying they didn't notice it and they don't want to stop enjoying something just because someone else isn't enjoying it.
Some games, like Pokemon Scarlet/Violet are almost unanimous in that most people agree the framerates are terrible, but not everyone agrees to what is "playable" and "not playable".
A game like TOTK struggles to keep 30 FPS, and even though that game is real-time and not turn-based, choppy frames never hindered my ability to play the game well, and I think the same is true for Dark Prince.
A patch to improve frames would be very much appreciated, but I don't think the framerate is hurting this game nearly as much as other recent entries.
Though, to be fair, this is coming from someone who played Rune Factory 5 and Deadly Premonition 2 on Switch and still had a good time, so take it with a grain of salt as you would any opinion.
I usually don't like MMOs because of the microtransactions and players cheating and being toxic, but this game seems like it's all about chilling out with your friends and no combat (unless I'm mistaken).
It's not out for Steam so I don't know the verdict on this one yet but will keep an eye on reviews.
Skies of Arcadia is the obvious choice, but I still play Phantasy Star Portable 2 for the PSP because I like to play these games solo and it's gona full-blown MMO lately, which just isn't my jam. I should probably play the classics too, but I discovered Phantasy Star on the PSP and that's the version I know and love.
So kudos to you Alana for speaking up for the Phantasy Star crowd!
This reminds me of the "Lego Worlds: Survivor Mode DLC" that never came to be. Lego games have the potential of being better than Minecraft if they included the builder mode from Lego Worlds, but that game had terrible graphics, performance, and an awful draw distance, even on Xbox. It's a shame.
I won't be playing Lego Fortnight because I like singleplayer games and don't like microtransactions or F2P games in general, but other than my own personal aversion to these things, it otherwise seems like a cool game and I hope they make a singleplayer game with similar features.
Doesn't really inspire me to pay $59.99 for the base game or $84.99 for the "Complete package" with garbage Day 1 DLC. I'm being harsh, but I think it's deserved.
I love this spin-off franchise, and I love DQ in general (Hoping for a DQ8 Remake some day) but in this case, SMT III and V seem like the better options for mon catching.
I respect DF, but I don't respect claims to predict the future based of nothing but rumors, so I was surprised to hear this.
-hops on soapbox-
Personally, I feel we've basically reached our limits with how beautiful games can be. The margin of difference between generations is getting less and less noticeable, at least to someone like me who grew up in the 90s.
It seems we're trending towards new games being priced at $69.99, 250GB+ in file size, requiring installation on SSDs, and demanding 100s of hours of your time with little pay off. It's much more of a commitment to play a game than it used to be, and I'd rather have 100 decent looking games in my library versus only 10 amazing looking games. Thus, I think Switch and Switch 2 have good priorities with regard to a beautiful, yet efficient library of games.
Ray tracing is cool, but a simpleton like me doesn't even know the difference vs regular reflections and the demanding requirements just aren't worth it to me for something I barely notice.
As a consumer, I would always watch these events in video anyway, so it's probably not a massive loss for people like me.
Still, the people who grew up in my generation will remember the unveiling of games like Halo or Oblivion and it just wont be the same level of hype and excitement versus just watching games being unveiled in sterile green screen environments, which seems to be the new norm.
@ozwally While I agree the Steam Deck is a much better experience in both of your examples (and probably most examples), I still think it's too early to directly compare those two because one is designed as a home console while the other is essentially a portable PC.
Don't get me wrong, the only real difference that matters to gamers is the Switch is plug and play for all gamers while the Steam Deck does require at least a basic level of PC gamer understanding and patience. Not all games work well for Steam Deck, and some require some level of tinkering, and that's enough to scare a lot of gamers off.
I can understand Nintendo dragging out this console because it's still making them buckets of money, but I fear they are dangerously close to becoming irrelevant in the gaming console market because of this always-increasing gap in technology.
I think the other elephant in the room is wondering if our Switch purchases will be backwards-compatible with the next Nintendo console or if we'll have to purchase those games all over again, like what happened with WiiU to Switch.
To be fair, Steam Deck will never have that problem.
@nhSnork This is why assuming bad faith in others is always a bad idea.
We could have had a nice conversation about how I was only referring to ports of games developed on much more powerful consoles and later ported to Switch, and that I wasn't talking about games developed specifically for Switch, of which there are many that still dazzle me today.
My critique was actually aimed at publishers/developers/executives gutting their own games to make a quick buck, the majority of which fail miserably compared to the "impossible ports" I mentioned previously. I think you mistakenly took this as criticism for Nintendo, which it is not.
Ah, well.
I'll give you this, I did audibly laugh at "crocodile tears", so thanks for the humor
@ozwally I appreciate not being alone in that, so thank you.
The Witcher 3 was such a surprise in 2019 because it was thought to be impossible to port such a demanding game to Switch.
But now in 2023/2024 all these other "impossible" ports are coming out, and the trick isn't as special as it once was.
Even in the most ideal cases of "impossible ports" like The Witcher 3 or even Hogwarts Legacy, if you compare them to their current-gen console versions, it sort of feels like we're just playing mobile phone versions, when we all would rather be playing the full thing as it was originally intended and designed.
All that art design and careful attention to detail is gutted for a barebones experience on Switch.
Having said all that, I feel the need to, again, mention that I am deeply in love with my Switch and only wish for Nintendo to succeed so they can keep making experiences like this.
The late stage of this particular console is just getting a little choppy, that's all.
After the Arkham release, I'm really just hoping they hold off until the next Switch iteration, or that the next Switch iteration is announced before then and it's just released there.
These games deserve better than "it's technically playable."
Please don't come for me, I love my Switch and tuck it into bed every night.
@SabreLevant What I suggested was to "back up" your comments and you haven't done anything of the sort besides weirdly shift this into a political matter, which it is not.
Wanting a decent wage from a company that respects its workers isn't a "lefty" concept, it's a human one.
You can die on this hill alone, I'll take my leave.
@Paraka You're correct, I was a little misleading there as the word is multi-faceted and has changed meaning over time.
It's not that capitalism existing is the problem, like any system it's great if there is a balance of power and that each party is held accountable for their own doings.
What I am referring to is the laws and regulations that protect companies while simultaneously exposing workers, and deliberately leaving workers open to be abused by companies repeatedly, and making excellent profits by doing so. Remember, it's a common practice to hire people at low wages, squeeze work out of them for as long as possible, and then fire them only to hire new people at the same base wage. This method gets short term profits and profits are all that matters to companies. Nevermind long term profits, that's not popular right now.
Capitalism didn't used to be a bad word, but in this age of corporate bailouts and mass layoffs, it's clear 'Capitalism' now means companies must survive at all costs, while all workers are expendable.
@Paraka Kudos to you for the "slow and steady" approach, that's rare these days and I for one think your company will succeed because of this approach.
Big or small, most companies just want to see improvement and increased profits every year, regardless of other factors.
Then, when it doesn't go as planned, their employees unwillingly absorb the blow rather than the company that was at the helm of these poor decisions.
I will get this game, just not now and certainly not at these prices.
It's also hard to respect a game that releases very expensive day 1 DLC that essentially makes the standard game much easier.
Pay to win DLC in singleplayer games is lame (I know there's a multiplayer mode but still).
P.S. There are way more monster catching games besides just this and Pokemon. For those unaware SMT III and V are very very good monster/demon catching games and I especially recommend them if you want a more complex and mature/dark theme to contrast the Pokemon-esque "sunshine and butterflies" theme these games typically portray.
I used to watch Netflix on my 3DS all the time, and that was in 2012.
It's up to Nintendo if they want to be more current with streaming services in their next console, but it's admittedly a strange thing to hope for in 2023/2024.
If we're going to bring back classic Nintendo features, I'd rather shoot for a new implementation of Streetpass or even a Music Player with a Visualizer. So many fond features that didn't make it to Switch.
@Tobiaku When a game releases and all the reviews agree it's a bad game with bad planning and writing, I think it's reasonable to conclude the failure of that game is attributed to its bad qualities, and has nothing to do with a group of manchildren throwing a temper tantrum because "game is inclusive and woke".
I said the boycotts failed for Hogwarts Legacy because they did. Many people wanted to Boycott the game for various reasons, many claiming it's "too woke", others claiming it's because the author of the story is a bigot, but whatever view you attribute to the boycotts, they all failed because the game was a smash success, despite all the whining.
@HeftyLaces This may be rubbing salt in the wound, but when you go out of your way to tell someone to stop talking about a thing because it bothers you ... chances are very high people will take advantage of this aversion and keep doing it simply because it bothers you.
People love irony.
If you don't want to discuss topics that make you uncomfortable, the trick is not to involved yourself in topics that make you uncomfortable.
In the months leading up to Saints Row 2022's release, there was a large group of people campaigning against it, stating their trailers and gameplay show that the game is "too woke". This is identical to what happened with Hogwarts Legacy, except Hogwarts was very well received because it was a well made game.
This is funny when you consider that Saints Row 2 (2009) had a gender slider, cross dressing, and lots of other "woke" elements, but that was before it became politicized.
However, a quick google search would tell you Saints Row 2022's actual release failed because it had poor planning and very poor writing. Instead of trying to appease their old fans and new fans, they upset all their fans with a poor product that is worse than previous entries.
I can see how you may conclude it failed for being "too woke" but it was just another fake woke boycott that happened to precede a very bad game.
@johnvboy Is there a game you can think of that specifically lost money just because they wanted to be more inclusive and "woke", as you put it?
The only thing I recall recently was the big deal about Hogwarts Legacy including a trans character and despite all the noise we heard about boycotts, the game still sold incredibly. I didn't hear about that boycott again, even with the recent Switch release.
From a gaming perspective, we're basically just going from "Are you a boy or a girl?" to "What is your pronoun?"
^ That's basically what people were threatening to boycott over, doesn't it seem silly?
We'll be talking about something trivial, such as TV or food or something, and out of the blue, they will say they're sick of this "woke" stuff. Doesn't matter what we're discussing.
I was at a cafe with my grandpa not too long ago and we just happened to be sitting within view of the bathroom, and our conversation was completely sidetracked because it reminded him that pronouns and genders exist, and he absolutely had to mention how much it bothers him.
Company that historically made money on a franchise would like to keep making money on said franchise.
They'll keep making video games so long as people keep buying them, but their issues with performance in the last few games has given me serious doubts about their future with video games specifically.
@Zeroo Sca/Vio does have pretty good character detail, this is true, but it's maybe not a good example to defend with regard to actual performance on Switch. Gameplay is solid and visuals are pretty nice in still images. Although:
-Frame rates still drop to "slide show" levels when near water, when it rains, or when near any area that is populated (AKA most locations).
-Objects and people pop in about 12 feet from where the player is standing.
-Patches have already been released for Sca/Vio, but these issues are still present and there is no hope they will ever be improved.
The demo for The Dark Prince does have some frame drops, this is a valid criticism, but the difference is Sca/Vio is a mainline Pokemon game that still has massive performance issues after multiple patches over almost 10 months, while your judgment of DQM Dark Prince's performance is based on a pre-release Demo, whereby the company still has much opportunity to patch and improve.
I just think it's a bit too early to say Sca/Vio is better performance-wise when DQM Dark Prince hasn't even released yet and Sca/Vio is infamously one of the worst performing games on Switch, despite already releasing all of their performance patches.
On the one hand, I loved playing and beating DQM 1 and 2 on the DS, so I'm excited to see where this franchise goes and I'm very happy it's not dead.
On the other hand, this game is releasing with some blatantly expensive day 1 DLC that either adds some challenge or completely ruins the base game's difficulty.
This is a wait and see for me, not gonna impulse buy this one.
This is an unpopular take, but - do the characters in this franchise have to look like that?
I put 135 hours into the original on the 3DS (maxed out all skills at least once) and I could understand the chibi thing back then, but man I miss the days of Level-5's Dark Cloud 1/2 and Rogue Galaxy when the characters actually had necks, elbows, kneecaps, and normal sized heads!
I know I sound like a grumpy old man, and maybe I'll change my mind on this later if it's really good, but I just don't think I can do another chibi game
Credit where credit is due, it's a clever move for Valve to extend a gesture of good faith to Nintendo, especially if Valve wants to continue expanding in the portable gaming market, which has been historically dominated by Nintendo since portable gaming became a thing.
I don't think they swim in the same ocean now, but maybe some day, who knows.
@BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed The most uncreative thing you can do is make a TV/Movie based on the already established story and lore of a video game, and these types of movies typically stay on that uncreative path.
Would releasing a movie based on a video game be way more interesting if it included actors we've never seen before? You bet!
That's why they never do it - it would be too good of an idea and as mentioned, they lack specifically lack creativity.
They always pick actors that are already drowning in fame to play in these types of movies and it never works.
Michael Fassbender is an amazing actor, but that Assassin's Creed movie will always be garbage.
Happy to see The House in Fata Morgana on the list - it's a really really good read but wow is it dark dark dark. If you feel unhappy with your life, reading/playing this game will do wonders!
I think Red Dead Redemption belongs at the top - it's possibly one of the darkest games on my Switch. Not only is the story super dark, it's set in a pretty messed up time period and even just the random encounters are some of the darkest experiences I've had in a video game.
In any GTA game, you can kill dozens of people and barely feel guilty because it's arcadey and colorful, but something about Red Dead makes you feel the weight of being a bad guy. It's super gritty.
@80sGamer I believe the latest patch was as recent as October 13, and the Steam Page seems to indicate a massive "full launch" update tomorrow on November 2nd.
Another person here commented they get 45 FPS with Sandrock on Steam Deck, but to be fair, they didn't share what graphical settings they used, so that may not make a difference to you.
Proton DB lists the game as "Platinum" for Steam Deck, which is the highest ranking, but the comments don't say much other than "it works".
I wouldn't blame you if you didn't download it again, it's 50 GB of precious Steam Deck space after all. Just wanted to share they're making loads of changes and that may change your initially poor impressions. I had pretty poor impressions earlier this year also.
@SwitchVogel Comparing two reviews is fruitless. I can appreciate why you would say this as a reviewer, but both this game and Harvestella were reviewed by the same person - yourself.
I'm going to attempt to press you further on this concern: why call out My Time at Sandrock multiple times for being unoriginal if you as a reviewer don't normally mention these concerns with other farm sims like Harvestella?
In your Harvestella review, you state the following:
"On the farm sim side of the gameplay loop, all the expected elements are here. Each season lasts for 30 calendar days and the clock is always ticking, which pushes you to prioritize chores and tasks you want to accomplish each day. You have to be diligent in hoeing, watering, and regularly reseeding your fields to get the most out of them, while the crops you can plant change by the season. Later on, you also unlock the ability to house livestock on your farm, netting you important animal goods like milk and eggs as long as you remember to feed and love your animals."
Your Harvestella review highlights these same tired farming tropes as a positive, as if to say "Of course all your favorite farming tropes are present, what else would you expect from a Farm Sim game?"
Meanwhile, here in your review of Sandrock, an indie game, you describe this game as relying on and borrowing farm mechanics as a negative. Not only negative, but harping on this singular negative point a bit longer than is appropriate, in my opinion.
I see the same descriptions of what is present in these two games, but where I get lost is at the very different conclusions.
I realize what I am saying may come off as confrontational, but I cannot understate my respect that you are speaking with me at all, one who would criticize your work. This is a powerful gesture.
@80sGamer I'm probably commenting too much here, but try it again on Steam Deck, especially if you already paid for it.
As mentioned by @Azura, performance was pretty bad in early access but after several patches, it performs much better on Steam Deck and you can increase settings higher than just medium now too.
Comments 951
Re: Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince Update Announced For Switch
@iLikeUrAttitude
When you see someone enjoying fishing, is it your duty to remind them how dirty and gross you think it is, despite their enjoyment?
Is it your goal to accuse others of "pretending" simply because they enjoy something you don't enjoy?
Just let the people fish. It's not your job to question why they enjoy it.
Re: Random: Hyrule's Shrines Serve A Secret Peace-Keeping Purpose, Says TOTK Director
This reminds me of when a certain author declared a well established character was secretly gay all along ... and this was declared after the multi-title series was already concluded. It also had no bearing on the plot.
There should be a name for this lazy after-the-fact insertion of "lore", but I guess we'll have to settle for just referring to this as "bad writing".
Someone needs to save these works of art from their creators. I blame George Lucas for starting this trend.
Re: Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince Update Announced For Switch
@iLikeUrAttitude Framerate is almost impossible to debate because it's always subjective. They're not saying an issue doesn't exist, they're just saying they didn't notice it and they don't want to stop enjoying something just because someone else isn't enjoying it.
Some games, like Pokemon Scarlet/Violet are almost unanimous in that most people agree the framerates are terrible, but not everyone agrees to what is "playable" and "not playable".
A game like TOTK struggles to keep 30 FPS, and even though that game is real-time and not turn-based, choppy frames never hindered my ability to play the game well, and I think the same is true for Dark Prince.
A patch to improve frames would be very much appreciated, but I don't think the framerate is hurting this game nearly as much as other recent entries.
Though, to be fair, this is coming from someone who played Rune Factory 5 and Deadly Premonition 2 on Switch and still had a good time, so take it with a grain of salt as you would any opinion.
Re: LEGO Fortnite, Rocket Racing, Fornite Festival - Which Is Best? Everything You Need To Know
-Not liking Fortnight because it's F2P and the leader in microtransactions, a notoriously greedy practice.
I can agree on that, but I also respect people like things I personally don't like and that's okay.
-Not liking Fortnight because its "pop culture" references are contaminating our children's minds.
Wait, what?
Re: Nintendo Download: 14th December (North America)
Curious about Palia.
I usually don't like MMOs because of the microtransactions and players cheating and being toxic, but this game seems like it's all about chilling out with your friends and no combat (unless I'm mistaken).
It's not out for Steam so I don't know the verdict on this one yet but will keep an eye on reviews.
Re: Talking Point: What Classic Sega Franchises Do You Want To See Rebooted?
Skies of Arcadia is the obvious choice, but I still play Phantasy Star Portable 2 for the PSP because I like to play these games solo and it's gona full-blown MMO lately, which just isn't my jam. I should probably play the classics too, but I discovered Phantasy Star on the PSP and that's the version I know and love.
So kudos to you Alana for speaking up for the Phantasy Star crowd!
Re: Soapbox: If You're Not Playing LEGO Fortnite, You're Missing One Of The Best Survival Games
This reminds me of the "Lego Worlds: Survivor Mode DLC" that never came to be. Lego games have the potential of being better than Minecraft if they included the builder mode from Lego Worlds, but that game had terrible graphics, performance, and an awful draw distance, even on Xbox. It's a shame.
I won't be playing Lego Fortnight because I like singleplayer games and don't like microtransactions or F2P games in general, but other than my own personal aversion to these things, it otherwise seems like a cool game and I hope they make a singleplayer game with similar features.
Re: Feature: Dragon Quest Monsters Producer On Introducing Series To A Whole New Audience
@Anti-Matter @sikthvash @UltimateOtaku91
Thank you very much to all of you for confirming!
Doesn't really inspire me to pay $59.99 for the base game or $84.99 for the "Complete package" with garbage Day 1 DLC. I'm being harsh, but I think it's deserved.
I love this spin-off franchise, and I love DQ in general (Hoping for a DQ8 Remake some day) but in this case, SMT III and V seem like the better options for mon catching.
Might pick it up on a sale.
Re: Feature: Dragon Quest Monsters Producer On Introducing Series To A Whole New Audience
Hows the framerate on this game? Any patches yet?
Re: GTA 6 On 'Switch 2' Would Be "Very Tricky To Pull Off", Says Digital Foundry
I respect DF, but I don't respect claims to predict the future based of nothing but rumors, so I was surprised to hear this.
-hops on soapbox-
Personally, I feel we've basically reached our limits with how beautiful games can be. The margin of difference between generations is getting less and less noticeable, at least to someone like me who grew up in the 90s.
It seems we're trending towards new games being priced at $69.99, 250GB+ in file size, requiring installation on SSDs, and demanding 100s of hours of your time with little pay off. It's much more of a commitment to play a game than it used to be, and I'd rather have 100 decent looking games in my library versus only 10 amazing looking games. Thus, I think Switch and Switch 2 have good priorities with regard to a beautiful, yet efficient library of games.
Ray tracing is cool, but a simpleton like me doesn't even know the difference vs regular reflections and the demanding requirements just aren't worth it to me for something I barely notice.
-hops off soapbox-
Re: E3 Has Been Cancelled, Permanently
As a consumer, I would always watch these events in video anyway, so it's probably not a massive loss for people like me.
Still, the people who grew up in my generation will remember the unveiling of games like Halo or Oblivion and it just wont be the same level of hype and excitement versus just watching games being unveiled in sterile green screen environments, which seems to be the new norm.
The times, they are a changing.
Re: Kingdom Come: Deliverance Switch Port Is Still Alive, Coming Early 2024
@ozwally While I agree the Steam Deck is a much better experience in both of your examples (and probably most examples), I still think it's too early to directly compare those two because one is designed as a home console while the other is essentially a portable PC.
Don't get me wrong, the only real difference that matters to gamers is the Switch is plug and play for all gamers while the Steam Deck does require at least a basic level of PC gamer understanding and patience. Not all games work well for Steam Deck, and some require some level of tinkering, and that's enough to scare a lot of gamers off.
I can understand Nintendo dragging out this console because it's still making them buckets of money, but I fear they are dangerously close to becoming irrelevant in the gaming console market because of this always-increasing gap in technology.
I think the other elephant in the room is wondering if our Switch purchases will be backwards-compatible with the next Nintendo console or if we'll have to purchase those games all over again, like what happened with WiiU to Switch.
To be fair, Steam Deck will never have that problem.
Re: Kingdom Come: Deliverance Switch Port Is Still Alive, Coming Early 2024
@nhSnork This is why assuming bad faith in others is always a bad idea.
We could have had a nice conversation about how I was only referring to ports of games developed on much more powerful consoles and later ported to Switch, and that I wasn't talking about games developed specifically for Switch, of which there are many that still dazzle me today.
My critique was actually aimed at publishers/developers/executives gutting their own games to make a quick buck, the majority of which fail miserably compared to the "impossible ports" I mentioned previously. I think you mistakenly took this as criticism for Nintendo, which it is not.
Ah, well.
I'll give you this, I did audibly laugh at "crocodile tears", so thanks for the humor
Re: Kingdom Come: Deliverance Switch Port Is Still Alive, Coming Early 2024
@ozwally I appreciate not being alone in that, so thank you.
The Witcher 3 was such a surprise in 2019 because it was thought to be impossible to port such a demanding game to Switch.
But now in 2023/2024 all these other "impossible" ports are coming out, and the trick isn't as special as it once was.
Even in the most ideal cases of "impossible ports" like The Witcher 3 or even Hogwarts Legacy, if you compare them to their current-gen console versions, it sort of feels like we're just playing mobile phone versions, when we all would rather be playing the full thing as it was originally intended and designed.
All that art design and careful attention to detail is gutted for a barebones experience on Switch.
Having said all that, I feel the need to, again, mention that I am deeply in love with my Switch and only wish for Nintendo to succeed so they can keep making experiences like this.
The late stage of this particular console is just getting a little choppy, that's all.
Re: Kingdom Come: Deliverance Switch Port Is Still Alive, Coming Early 2024
After the Arkham release, I'm really just hoping they hold off until the next Switch iteration, or that the next Switch iteration is announced before then and it's just released there.
These games deserve better than "it's technically playable."
Please don't come for me, I love my Switch and tuck it into bed every night.
Re: 'Armello' Developer League Of Geeks Lays Off Over Half Its Staff
@SabreLevant What I suggested was to "back up" your comments and you haven't done anything of the sort besides weirdly shift this into a political matter, which it is not.
Wanting a decent wage from a company that respects its workers isn't a "lefty" concept, it's a human one.
You can die on this hill alone, I'll take my leave.
Re: 'Armello' Developer League Of Geeks Lays Off Over Half Its Staff
Removed
Re: 'Armello' Developer League Of Geeks Lays Off Over Half Its Staff
@DonkeyBrainKing How did you reach this conclusion?
This person stated they're jobless and the only way to make money is to sell trinkets on ebay, that hardly sounds like a cushy situation.
Maybe they made 5k one month because they got lucky and had a lot of stuff to sell, but is that income guaranteed every single month?
Did they confirm they're talking about US dollars or some other currency?
Assumptions reflect badly upon those who make them, especially when made in bad faith.
Re: 'Armello' Developer League Of Geeks Lays Off Over Half Its Staff
@SabreLevant If you're going to call someone economically incompetent, you gotta back it up.
You're just throwing stones. Anyone can throws stones.
Re: 'Armello' Developer League Of Geeks Lays Off Over Half Its Staff
@Paraka You're correct, I was a little misleading there as the word is multi-faceted and has changed meaning over time.
It's not that capitalism existing is the problem, like any system it's great if there is a balance of power and that each party is held accountable for their own doings.
What I am referring to is the laws and regulations that protect companies while simultaneously exposing workers, and deliberately leaving workers open to be abused by companies repeatedly, and making excellent profits by doing so. Remember, it's a common practice to hire people at low wages, squeeze work out of them for as long as possible, and then fire them only to hire new people at the same base wage. This method gets short term profits and profits are all that matters to companies. Nevermind long term profits, that's not popular right now.
Capitalism didn't used to be a bad word, but in this age of corporate bailouts and mass layoffs, it's clear 'Capitalism' now means companies must survive at all costs, while all workers are expendable.
AKA 'Late Stage Capitalism'
Re: 'Armello' Developer League Of Geeks Lays Off Over Half Its Staff
@Paraka Kudos to you for the "slow and steady" approach, that's rare these days and I for one think your company will succeed because of this approach.
Big or small, most companies just want to see improvement and increased profits every year, regardless of other factors.
Then, when it doesn't go as planned, their employees unwillingly absorb the blow rather than the company that was at the helm of these poor decisions.
Re: 'Armello' Developer League Of Geeks Lays Off Over Half Its Staff
Capitalism.
It's what's for breakfast.
Re: Round Up: The First Impressions Of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince Are In
I will get this game, just not now and certainly not at these prices.
It's also hard to respect a game that releases very expensive day 1 DLC that essentially makes the standard game much easier.
Pay to win DLC in singleplayer games is lame (I know there's a multiplayer mode but still).
P.S. There are way more monster catching games besides just this and Pokemon. For those unaware SMT III and V are very very good monster/demon catching games and I especially recommend them if you want a more complex and mature/dark theme to contrast the Pokemon-esque "sunshine and butterflies" theme these games typically portray.
Re: Talking Point: Would You Like To See More Streaming Media Apps On 'Switch 2'?
I used to watch Netflix on my 3DS all the time, and that was in 2012.
It's up to Nintendo if they want to be more current with streaming services in their next console, but it's admittedly a strange thing to hope for in 2023/2024.
If we're going to bring back classic Nintendo features, I'd rather shoot for a new implementation of Streetpass or even a Music Player with a Visualizer. So many fond features that didn't make it to Switch.
Re: Random: More Kids Want In-Game Currency Over Physical Media This Holiday
My nephews asked for vbucks and shark cards for Christmas, and I can't think of a worse way to spend my money.
So I bought them clothing and physical toys instead.
That'll teach em.
Re: Pokémon's COO Wants To Keep Franchise Going For "Hundreds Of Years"
@johnvboy I thought you didn't have an opinion on this matter.
What are you indicating exactly?
Re: Pokémon's COO Wants To Keep Franchise Going For "Hundreds Of Years"
@Tobiaku When a game releases and all the reviews agree it's a bad game with bad planning and writing, I think it's reasonable to conclude the failure of that game is attributed to its bad qualities, and has nothing to do with a group of manchildren throwing a temper tantrum because "game is inclusive and woke".
I said the boycotts failed for Hogwarts Legacy because they did. Many people wanted to Boycott the game for various reasons, many claiming it's "too woke", others claiming it's because the author of the story is a bigot, but whatever view you attribute to the boycotts, they all failed because the game was a smash success, despite all the whining.
Does that clear everything up?
Re: Pokémon's COO Wants To Keep Franchise Going For "Hundreds Of Years"
@Chlocean Nice. My safeword is "cornucopia"
Oh wait, are we not talking about the same thing?
Re: Pokémon's COO Wants To Keep Franchise Going For "Hundreds Of Years"
@umbreon_sylveon Ah yes, "WWG1WGA" - people say this to me all the time.
It's such a commonly used abbreviation and very clever, only the smartest people know what it means. You must be one of them.
It's almost as clever as "Let's go Brandon"
Re: Pokémon's COO Wants To Keep Franchise Going For "Hundreds Of Years"
@AlexanderDaniels You seem to think this is a Q Anon Conspiracy forum
Sir, this is a Wendy's
Re: Pokémon's COO Wants To Keep Franchise Going For "Hundreds Of Years"
@johnvboy Ah, so you have no opinions of your own on the matter. Understood.
Re: Pokémon's COO Wants To Keep Franchise Going For "Hundreds Of Years"
@HeftyLaces This may be rubbing salt in the wound, but when you go out of your way to tell someone to stop talking about a thing because it bothers you ... chances are very high people will take advantage of this aversion and keep doing it simply because it bothers you.
People love irony.
If you don't want to discuss topics that make you uncomfortable, the trick is not to involved yourself in topics that make you uncomfortable.
Re: Pokémon's COO Wants To Keep Franchise Going For "Hundreds Of Years"
@Tobiaku Ah, now I remember this.
In the months leading up to Saints Row 2022's release, there was a large group of people campaigning against it, stating their trailers and gameplay show that the game is "too woke". This is identical to what happened with Hogwarts Legacy, except Hogwarts was very well received because it was a well made game.
This is funny when you consider that Saints Row 2 (2009) had a gender slider, cross dressing, and lots of other "woke" elements, but that was before it became politicized.
However, a quick google search would tell you Saints Row 2022's actual release failed because it had poor planning and very poor writing. Instead of trying to appease their old fans and new fans, they upset all their fans with a poor product that is worse than previous entries.
I can see how you may conclude it failed for being "too woke" but it was just another fake woke boycott that happened to precede a very bad game.
Re: Pokémon's COO Wants To Keep Franchise Going For "Hundreds Of Years"
@johnvboy Is there a game you can think of that specifically lost money just because they wanted to be more inclusive and "woke", as you put it?
The only thing I recall recently was the big deal about Hogwarts Legacy including a trans character and despite all the noise we heard about boycotts, the game still sold incredibly. I didn't hear about that boycott again, even with the recent Switch release.
From a gaming perspective, we're basically just going from "Are you a boy or a girl?" to "What is your pronoun?"
^ That's basically what people were threatening to boycott over, doesn't it seem silly?
Re: Pokémon's COO Wants To Keep Franchise Going For "Hundreds Of Years"
@Switch_Pro My grandparents do this too.
We'll be talking about something trivial, such as TV or food or something, and out of the blue, they will say they're sick of this "woke" stuff. Doesn't matter what we're discussing.
I was at a cafe with my grandpa not too long ago and we just happened to be sitting within view of the bathroom, and our conversation was completely sidetracked because it reminded him that pronouns and genders exist, and he absolutely had to mention how much it bothers him.
Is that you, grandpa?
Re: Pokémon's COO Wants To Keep Franchise Going For "Hundreds Of Years"
Company that historically made money on a franchise would like to keep making money on said franchise.
They'll keep making video games so long as people keep buying them, but their issues with performance in the last few games has given me serious doubts about their future with video games specifically.
Re: Video: Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince "Monster Showcase"
@Zeroo Sca/Vio does have pretty good character detail, this is true, but it's maybe not a good example to defend with regard to actual performance on Switch. Gameplay is solid and visuals are pretty nice in still images. Although:
-Frame rates still drop to "slide show" levels when near water, when it rains, or when near any area that is populated (AKA most locations).
-Objects and people pop in about 12 feet from where the player is standing.
-Patches have already been released for Sca/Vio, but these issues are still present and there is no hope they will ever be improved.
The demo for The Dark Prince does have some frame drops, this is a valid criticism, but the difference is Sca/Vio is a mainline Pokemon game that still has massive performance issues after multiple patches over almost 10 months, while your judgment of DQM Dark Prince's performance is based on a pre-release Demo, whereby the company still has much opportunity to patch and improve.
I just think it's a bit too early to say Sca/Vio is better performance-wise when DQM Dark Prince hasn't even released yet and Sca/Vio is infamously one of the worst performing games on Switch, despite already releasing all of their performance patches.
Re: Video: Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince "Monster Showcase"
@Zeroo I know right, I'm in the same boat.
Full price 59.99 is not a problem for me, but the day 1 DLC is insanely priced and most of it seems to remove the challenge of the base game.
I don't know why companies release paid DLC that undermines the game's normal difficulty.
Still - I'm a long time fan from the DS games and I'll likely pick it up on a sale.
Re: Video: Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince - Gameplay Introduction
On the one hand, I loved playing and beating DQM 1 and 2 on the DS, so I'm excited to see where this franchise goes and I'm very happy it's not dead.
On the other hand, this game is releasing with some blatantly expensive day 1 DLC that either adds some challenge or completely ruins the base game's difficulty.
This is a wait and see for me, not gonna impulse buy this one.
Re: Level-5's New Fantasy Life Game Has Been Delayed Until 2024
This is an unpopular take, but - do the characters in this franchise have to look like that?
I put 135 hours into the original on the 3DS (maxed out all skills at least once) and I could understand the chibi thing back then, but man I miss the days of Level-5's Dark Cloud 1/2 and Rogue Galaxy when the characters actually had necks, elbows, kneecaps, and normal sized heads!
I know I sound like a grumpy old man, and maybe I'll change my mind on this later if it's really good, but I just don't think I can do another chibi game
Re: Valve Announces Steam Deck OLED, Says Switch OLED Paved The Way
Credit where credit is due, it's a clever move for Valve to extend a gesture of good faith to Nintendo, especially if Valve wants to continue expanding in the portable gaming market, which has been historically dominated by Nintendo since portable gaming became a thing.
I don't think they swim in the same ocean now, but maybe some day, who knows.
Re: Valve Announces Steam Deck OLED, Says Switch OLED Paved The Way
And now a moment of silence for my OG PS Vita and the accompanying very expensive proprietary-for-no-reason 64GB memory card.
May they rest in peace.
Re: Talking Point: So, Who Could Play Link, Zelda, Ganondorf In The Upcoming Zelda Movie?
@Rambler I'd choose Danny DeVito for Princess Ruto, but everything else you suggested was perfect.
Re: Talking Point: So, Who Could Play Link, Zelda, Ganondorf In The Upcoming Zelda Movie?
@BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed
Full Disclosure: I didn't actually watch all of it.
The Assassins Creed movie actually made a profit in the box office, but more important than that, no one remembers that movie was even made.
Similarly, I barely remember anything about the 2005 movie Doom, which had Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Karl Urban, and Rosamund Pike.
I don't want to say all movies based on video games are bad, but I can't think of a positive example right now.
Re: Talking Point: So, Who Could Play Link, Zelda, Ganondorf In The Upcoming Zelda Movie?
@BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed The most uncreative thing you can do is make a TV/Movie based on the already established story and lore of a video game, and these types of movies typically stay on that uncreative path.
Would releasing a movie based on a video game be way more interesting if it included actors we've never seen before? You bet!
That's why they never do it - it would be too good of an idea and as mentioned, they lack specifically lack creativity.
They always pick actors that are already drowning in fame to play in these types of movies and it never works.
Michael Fassbender is an amazing actor, but that Assassin's Creed movie will always be garbage.
Re: Talking Point: So, Who Could Play Link, Zelda, Ganondorf In The Upcoming Zelda Movie?
I just want to point our you're setting the bar way too high.
As others mentioned, the obvious choice is that Chris Pratt will play as all characters, Eddie Murphy style.
Re: Best 18+ Switch Games For Adults
Happy to see The House in Fata Morgana on the list - it's a really really good read but wow is it dark dark dark. If you feel unhappy with your life, reading/playing this game will do wonders!
I think Red Dead Redemption belongs at the top - it's possibly one of the darkest games on my Switch. Not only is the story super dark, it's set in a pretty messed up time period and even just the random encounters are some of the darkest experiences I've had in a video game.
In any GTA game, you can kill dozens of people and barely feel guilty because it's arcadey and colorful, but something about Red Dead makes you feel the weight of being a bad guy. It's super gritty.
Re: Review: My Time At Sandrock - A Farm Sim Sequel That Plays It Too Safe
@80sGamer I believe the latest patch was as recent as October 13, and the Steam Page seems to indicate a massive "full launch" update tomorrow on November 2nd.
Pathea is super busy right now. Just look at the changelog: https://mytimeatsandrock.fandom.com/wiki/Changelist
Another person here commented they get 45 FPS with Sandrock on Steam Deck, but to be fair, they didn't share what graphical settings they used, so that may not make a difference to you.
Proton DB lists the game as "Platinum" for Steam Deck, which is the highest ranking, but the comments don't say much other than "it works".
I wouldn't blame you if you didn't download it again, it's 50 GB of precious Steam Deck space after all. Just wanted to share they're making loads of changes and that may change your initially poor impressions. I had pretty poor impressions earlier this year also.
Re: Review: My Time At Sandrock - A Farm Sim Sequel That Plays It Too Safe
@SwitchVogel Comparing two reviews is fruitless. I can appreciate why you would say this as a reviewer, but both this game and Harvestella were reviewed by the same person - yourself.
I'm going to attempt to press you further on this concern: why call out My Time at Sandrock multiple times for being unoriginal if you as a reviewer don't normally mention these concerns with other farm sims like Harvestella?
In your Harvestella review, you state the following:
"On the farm sim side of the gameplay loop, all the expected elements are here. Each season lasts for 30 calendar days and the clock is always ticking, which pushes you to prioritize chores and tasks you want to accomplish each day. You have to be diligent in hoeing, watering, and regularly reseeding your fields to get the most out of them, while the crops you can plant change by the season. Later on, you also unlock the ability to house livestock on your farm, netting you important animal goods like milk and eggs as long as you remember to feed and love your animals."
Your Harvestella review highlights these same tired farming tropes as a positive, as if to say "Of course all your favorite farming tropes are present, what else would you expect from a Farm Sim game?"
Meanwhile, here in your review of Sandrock, an indie game, you describe this game as relying on and borrowing farm mechanics as a negative. Not only negative, but harping on this singular negative point a bit longer than is appropriate, in my opinion.
I see the same descriptions of what is present in these two games, but where I get lost is at the very different conclusions.
I realize what I am saying may come off as confrontational, but I cannot understate my respect that you are speaking with me at all, one who would criticize your work. This is a powerful gesture.
Re: Review: My Time At Sandrock - A Farm Sim Sequel That Plays It Too Safe
@80sGamer I'm probably commenting too much here, but try it again on Steam Deck, especially if you already paid for it.
As mentioned by @Azura, performance was pretty bad in early access but after several patches, it performs much better on Steam Deck and you can increase settings higher than just medium now too.