The only decent AAA games that have come out in the last 5 years

[Mynon]

Horizon? GTA V? Black Flag? All of those games are thought of highly even around here.

 

[Quillon]

Dead Space 2 fagget. one of the finest TPS

Dead Space 1 was better & scary as shit. 2 is streamlined shooter, main stream as shit.

 

[Black]

Dishonored 1

Cool thread.

 

[TripJack]

wolfenstein, overwatch, last of us, batman, and titanfall are not decent

Decent as in "playable without feeling like you are wasting your life". Of all those only Dishonored 1 counts and only as a stealth game.

but dishonored is a pointless stealth game

Dead Space 2 fagget. one of the finest TPS

Dead Space 1 was better & scary as shit. 2 is streamlined shooter, main stream as shit.

and also not from the last 5 years

 

[Ash]

Even just the Japanese market has, frankly, been outstanding in its high, consistent quality. Just recently, NieR: Automata, Persona 5, Nioh, Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne have all delivered consistently high quality that is hard to argue with, unless, of course, you are some edgelord trying to be 'cool'.

Hahaha this motherfucker reckons he has an eye for quality. Give me a break.

But there is a shade of truth here. Gaming has gotten better from the dark ages of decline (2006-2013. Or even before that by a few years arguably). Not by much, but there has been a very slight noticeable increase in quality, generally speaking. Most of OP's list is pure shit to "meh" though. A bit under "decent" qualification.

Horizon? GTA V? Black Flag? All of those games are thought of highly even around here.

GTAV isn't a good GTA game (or a good game in general by my standards), and is pretty darn boring across the board.
Black Flag I haven't tried because Assassin's Creed is decline incarnate. Maybe it's better than the awful previous games but I highly doubt that. Anyway you've clearly no point of reference for what is actually good.

 

[Lacrymas]

but dishonored is a pointless stealth game

The levels are logical and non-linear for the most part, you can finish them even without any powers, which means they thought them through. Exploration is done well and has a point. The worldbuilding is good, I like how character-centric it is, it's kinda like the Renaissance (Sokolov is the embodiment of the Renaissance man), but steampunk-ish. That's as decent as modern AAAs can get. It's not as good as Thief or Deus Ex, but what is?

 

[Ash]

Dishonored 1 is very meh. So short. So bland. So much retarded dumbed down challenge-devoid gameplay. Not what I'd point to as the best of modern AAA. I'd readily point to Arkane's Prey before it, in fact, despite being disappointed by that game too.

 

[Lyric Suite]

Dark Souls.

Not much else i can think of. Assetto Corsa is decent as far as racing games go, but that's hardly a genre people here will care about (i myself only got into it because of my dad). People here say Prey is gud, but i won't personally know until i actually try.

Some of the usual suspects mentioned here i could never get into it. Dishonored, nu-Deus Ex etc. I mean, they are probably decent enough but the memory of what those type of games used to be like just ruins it for me.

 

[Jasede]

Prey is 'above average' but saying it is good might be going a bit too far; that said, it's the next best thing to System Shock 2. Think SS2, but far less linear, but with worse enemies and a story that goes just as pants on heads retarded by the end.

The new Zelda is pretty good, though; it is strange to see Nintendo try something so new (as far as the franchise is concerned.)

I hate Dishonored; it has nice art and an interesting world, of course - much like Thief - but the problem here is that the gameplay has no stakes whatsover. You are given ridiculously OP powers in the first minute, negating all challenge. And then, whether you wish to sneak or fight, you are pretty much invincible, one-hit killing everyone; a far cry from weak our favorite thief.

 

[TripJack]

but dishonored is a pointless stealth game

The levels are logical and non-linear for the most part, you can finish them even without any powers, which means they thought them through. Exploration is done well and has a point. The worldbuilding is good, I like how character-centric it is, it's kinda like the Renaissance (Sokolov is the embodiment of the Renaissance man), but steampunk-ish. That's as decent as modern AAAs can get. It's not as good as Thief or Deus Ex, but what is?

i agree but what i'm saying is there's no point being stealthy in dishonored

in thief any random retard with a weapon will probably buttrape you in a fight and you're often forbidden from killing anyone anyways, in dishonored you can murder 10 guys in 10 seconds no problem so why sneak around?

 

[Jasede]

Right. That's the thing. While it's technically not a bad game IF you impose all these things on yourself, we can't judge a game based on "yeah, it's good if you don't use X, Y and Z!" - if that were what they wanted us to do, they'd have included a different ending for people who abstain from all powers AND from killing, for example.

I mean, by the same logic, FF9 is an incredible combat RPG because of how well-balanced the level 1-only playthrough is. But we can't judge a game based solely on some custom, voluntary challenge that isn't acknowledged. (That said, in defense of FF9: the game DOES acknowledge it in a way; you get a special reward for beating that ~40 hour game in less than 12 hours, which essentially requires running from every fight and beating bosses while horribly low level.)

 

[Lacrymas]

The same can be said about Deus Ex 1 though, why be stealthy when you can buttrape everyone with weapons? Yeah, you are way more overpowered in Dishonored, but it's the same logic.

 

[buru5]

I mean, by the same logic, FF9 is an incredible combat RPG because of how well-balanced the level 1-only playthrough is.

I like this logical. It makes Oblivion one of the best RPGs ever made.

 

[AwesomeButton]

GTAV isn't a good GTA game (or a good game in general by my standards)

Get out of here, GTAV is good.

dumbed down challenge-devoid gameplay.

I hate Dishonored; it has nice art and an interesting world, of course - much like Thief - but the problem here is that the gameplay has no stakes whatsover. You are given ridiculously OP powers in the first minute, negating all challenge. And then, whether you wish to sneak or fight, you are pretty much invincible, one-hit killing everyone; a far cry from weak our favorite thief.

Here we can agree.

BTW I like it how Ash maintains his hard-on for Jasede across multiple threads

Right. That's the thing. While it's technically not a bad game IF you impose all these things on yourself, we can't judge a game based on "yeah, it's good if you don't use X, Y and Z!" - if that were what they wanted us to do, they'd have included a different ending for people who abstain from all powers AND from killing, for example.

Meh, Thief had a multitude of "styles" in which people were playing it back then, and they even had names coined by forum members at TTLG. So, playing Dishonored with house rules is actually keeping with the tradition. And game endings? How many endings did Thief have? I think Dishonored's problems are elsewhere, in its overly simplified sneaking aspects.

 

[Ash]

Eh, just two, and just today because I feel like having a bash of the decline and he's a good vector to direct it at, being a decline fag.

GTAV is not hard decline but, as usual for a modern game, gameplay became less of a priority for the devs. Or engaging gameplay anyway. GTAV is lacking in that regard and is a borderline working class simulator often. worst offender is exploration of the world is simply no longer fun. Nearly everything is marked on your map. Interactive content per square mile is much less. Various game systems discourage it and so on.
The story is pretty darn banal and seemed ultra-pandering to me, even if it has good acting and presentation.
I really did not enjoy that game and I've played every GTA since the first. But 4 was shit too.

 

[AwesomeButton]

I don't understand what your expectations are of GTA. It has been a parody in GTA and "GTA2", and Since GTAIII it's been moving towards more cinematic and taking itself more seriously with each next game. If anything, GTA V moved to balance the crazy stuff with the serious themes, and I think it did a good job.

 

[Ash]

"I don't understand what your expectations are of GTA."

Same as every single game that isn't outright upfront about its intentions like old school adventure games or new school walking sims: engaging gameplay. If the gameplay is not engaging it's a huge time sink of tedium. A complete waste of time, and the devs are invested the wrong medium.

The peak of GTA was Vice City and San Andreas, then it was all decline from there.

It's the same phenomenon every other open world game suffers from these days, except New Vegas. The old philosophy was smaller sandboxes packed full of intricate design and extensive interactive content. Now it's aim for huge ass worlds devoid of content to the point that what little does exist needs marking on the map. Not to mention the game lacks challenge, has banal mechanics (Game won't even let you crouch, instead they have a cover system and a "hunch your back" awesome button that could have just as easily been for crouching were the devs not tools), regen health, working class sim missions, boring mini games like Yoga QTE's and a mind-numbingly boring and pandering story.

All you do in five is mindlessly follow objective markers, follow along the shitty plot, and do stupid, piss-easy mini-games and working class sim missions mixed with third person regen health cover shooting.



Take the worst bits from the old GTA games and make them the focus, make them worse in the process, and you have GTAV.

 

[Ezekiel]

I didn't like GTA V. I've played through San Andreas, IV and V, and V I thought was the weakest one. It didn't control well, it wasn't fun and the characters were unlikable. The formula needs to change.

I don't understand what your expectations are of GTA.

I know you didn't ask me, but I made a personal wishlist over a year ago. The first thing I'd do is remove Dan Houser as the headwriter.

The question most people ask each other about the next GTA is which city it should take place in. I don’t know the cities of America that well, so I can’t say. I don’t want it to be Liberty City or San Andreas again. I’m not one of those people who thinks they should take it to another country. America is most known globally and by the GTA fanbase, which makes the references in the game more effective. Couldn’t they make up their own city, though? The cities are largely fictional anyway. The parody falls apart when you consider that all these cities are isolated islands. I’d make it a coastal area, part of a mainland instead of another island. The city could still parody America.

I want a more serious tone. I don’t enjoy the humor much. It should have humor of course, but I want it less on the nose.

The movement should be quicker and I want an alternative to the over the shoulder aiming. I want it to be more like Max Payne 3, but without the diving through the air, since that’s not GTA. I want the animations to continue having weight, but I also want them to be efficient. Max Payne 3 had a nice balance, but I’d make the movement tighter.


I really hate how at some point walking become the default movement in third person action games. It sucks. GTA, Batman, Assassin’s Creed, Shadow of Mordor and probably many others. Most people prefer jogging or running in games. Walking should be the one that you have to hold a button for, not running. I find it pretentious. Also, the run in GTA takes half a second to get going, and with a keyboard, there’s no way to jog. I want the default to be the jog, the run to be Shift, and Ctrl should be used for walking and possibly still creeping.

I want the temporary carry and pick up system from Max Payne 3 as well. The character would have two holsters on his upper body, which he could use for pistols and small sub-machine guns, and a larger weapon slung over his shoulder. He would place the rifle or whatever it is beside him when he’s driving. Yeah, I really like Max Payne 3.

I want the open world to be less… arbitrary. I don’t know how to say it, but there are so many moments in which your character could shoot the other person or vise versa that inexplicably turn into lengthy car chases, including one of the endings in V. Actually, shootouts are like that too. They have a standoff and then they start yelling at each other and retreating and shooting, everybody missing. Max Payne was often unarmed in MP3, but he used distractions and sudden attacks to get out of those situations, which was a lot more convincing.

More importantly, I want the open world to be denser. I want intricate, destructible interiors and more of them. The driving gets boring.

I think the story should involve stealing and selling cars, earning its name.

I want the cars to have weight. I want the driving to be a balance between IV and V while also being more accurate than both. The weight and physics should also extend more to the crashes. Cars can flip easily. The only car crash I’ve ever been in involved a truck toppling over our front and landing on its top. I wanna see the dynamically deformed car bodies of IV with the realistic momentum that can send cars flying. Also, it might be nice if the speed alternators while you’re on foot with a keyboard were applied to the driving. Maybe you could hold Ctrl and Shift to depress the accelerator less or more, or you could use them for manual transmissions (if enabled).

I want the chases to be less scripted. They really need to overhaul the AI, especially for the police. I want them to investigate, patrol and pursue believably. A surveillance helicopter should be one of your worst enemies. I want denser traffic, so that it’s less about going really fast and more about maneuvering and knowing when to slow. I also want car stealth, kind of like the opening of Drive.

A bigger punishment for murdering civilians. If the player is caught for a serious crime, I want a Game Over instead of jail time. I think the main character should be more the silent, uncharismatic type, so that your actions contradict the story less. He or she should be an antihero.

I want at least one good female character. A woman who is involved in what’s going on and whose motivations you care about, without the despicable, abrasive, pitiful personalities of other women in the recent games.

There should be children and you should be able to kill them. I don’t care if it offends people. I’m offended that people consider fictional children untouchable treasures while acting like adults are disposable meat whose (often humorous) deaths are insignificant. GTA loses a lot of credibility by not having children. It’s a world in which people just appear as adults instead of being born.

 

[buru5]

"I don't understand what your expectations are of GTA."

Same as every single game that isn't outright upfront about its intentions like old school adventure games or new school walking sims: engaging gameplay. If the gameplay is not engaging it's a huge time sink of tedium. A complete waste of time, and the devs are invested the wrong medium.

The peak of GTA was Vice City and San Andreas, then it was all decline from there.

It's the same phenomenon every other open world game suffers from these days, except New Vegas. The old philosophy was smaller sandboxes packed full of intricate design and extensive interactive content. Now it's aim for huge ass worlds devoid of content to the point that what little does exist needs marking on the map. Not to mention the game lacks challenge, has banal mechanics (Game won't even let you crouch, instead they have a cover system and a "hunch your back" awesome button that could have just as easily been for crouching were the devs not tools), regen health, working class sim missions, boring mini games like Yoga QTE's and a mind-numbingly boring and pandering story.

All you do in five is mindlessly follow objective markers, follow along the shitty plot, and do stupid, piss-easy mini-games and working class sim missions mixed with third person regen health cover shooting.



Take the worst bits from the old GTA games, make them worse, and you have GTAV.

I think you're mistaken about older GTA games, or just looking at them with rose tinted goggles. Vice City and SA both used quest markers extensively. Everything was shown on the mini-map with quest markers and sometimes lines telling you where to go. Large maps devoid of content? VC and SA are both guilty of this as well, with 90% of the buildings just large blocks that can't be entered.

These seemed to be your biggest points of contention with the newer GTA games, so do you have any other points?

 

[Ash]

"Everything was shown on the mini-map with quest markers and sometimes lines telling you where to go."

Wrong.

-Various forms of "hidden packages" (that are actually rewarding, unlike the few hidden things in five).
-Hidden mini-games (that are also actually fun)
-Armor/weapon/health/money pickups
-Rampages
-Stunts
-Unique vehicles.

All of this in V is either removed (pickups, hidden mini-games), unrewarding (hidden packages), or marked on your map (rampages/kill frenzies). Not to mention all this was packed into a tighter, more interactivity per square mile space, not sparsely spread out over a huge, empty world. Same shit that affects modern open world RPGs too.

 

[buru5]

"Everything was shown on the mini-map with quest markers and sometimes lines telling you where to go."

Wrong.

-Various forms of "hidden packages" (that are actually rewarding, unlike the few hidden things in five).
-Hidden mini-games (that are also actually fun)
-Armor/weapon/health/money pickups
-Rampages
-Stunts
-Unique vehicles.

All of this in V is either removed (pickups, hidden mini-games), unrewarding (hidden packages), or marked on your map (rampages/kill frenzies).

What you really mean is most of it is "unrewarding". Which is a filter for, "I didn't like it". Truth is, there's shit tons of hidden crap in GTA V.

http://m.ign.com/wikis/gta-5/Collectibles

You're obviously not looking at this objectively, or you haven't played the games you're talking about.

 

[Kev Inkline]

Apart from physics, I can't think of a single aspect GTA V wouldn't beat GTA IV, so saying it's steady decline after SA is a bit strong wording.

 

[Ash]

What you really mean is most of it is "unrewarding". Which is a filter for, "I didn't like it". Truth is, there's shit tons of hidden crap in GTA V.

http://m.ign.com/wikis/gta-5/Collectibles

You're obviously not looking at this objectively, or you haven't played the games you're talking about.

No, they're objectively unrewarding by comparison. Most common form of reward in V you get some money which can be gained in numerous ways and doesn't hold a great deal of value in the working class simulator, and only at 50/all of the hidden items found, that's about it of note. Older GTAs unlocked weapons that spawned at your cribs per 10 packages found. The per-10 increments ensured you don't have to be autistic and find all of them before being rewarded, and the rewards themselves inherently held more value as there was no other way to have weapons spawning at your crib. Not to mention that in itself is a very valuable thing in old GTA where you don't keep your weapons if you die/get nicked.

 

[AwesomeButton]

Same as every single game that isn't outright upfront about its intentions like old school adventure games or new school walking sims: engaging gameplay. If the gameplay is not engaging it's a huge time sink of tedium. A complete waste of time, and the devs are invested the wrong medium.

So, you didn't find GTA V fun. That's what this whole paragraph boils down to. I did though. I don't think it strayed from the formula.

I think you're mistaken about older GTA games, or just looking at them with rose tinted goggles. Vice City and SA both used quest markers extensively. Everything was shown on the mini-map with quest markers and sometimes lines telling you where to go. Large maps devoid of content? VC and SA are both guilty of this as well, with 90% of the buildings just large blocks that can't be entered.

Totally right. GTA V is a typical GTA if you take off the glasses, it's just been moved to an even more cinematic feel, due to tech advances and design/writing decisions.

Ezekiel , can't address your whole article, but I noticed two things where my preferences are completely opposed to yours - 1) I like how they make parodies of iconic US metropolises, I guess that's what you mean under "why don't they make up their own city", because that's what they've been doing all the time - using made up cities based on real ones, and 2) I like walking as default movement. I've always found default running to be unrealistic.

 

[Ash]

Totally right.

Totally wrong. You're ignoring what I've just written. Take off the blinded by awsum cinematics and pretty graphics glasses.

Soyou didn't find GTAV fun. That's what this whole paragraph boils down to.

Uhh, yes? What else is it meant to be, boring? Well, sometimes you'd think that is actually what they were going for, what with the Yoga mini-games, janitorial work and shit.