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No one said it had an amazing amount of C&C. I said it had quite a bit, and it does. It's also spread throughout the game not just at the end. Nothing major, but lots of little things that lead to additional dialogue, battles, loot, etc.
I don't see it as exaggerating, I see it as my personal preferences and priorities. I'm big into C&C, I'm big into making my character have a specific role/style/personality and expressing that in dialogue, I'm big into faction decisions having repercussions that mean something. I'm a big Black Isle and Obsidian fanboy for these reasons among others. For someone with my tastes and priorities, this game is shitty in these aspects. I can't pretend I feel otherwise, it is what it is. Like I said above I sided against the religious people every single fucking chance I got, yet just got the achievement for being their best buddy. I chose the natives over the alliance every chance I got, but also am their best buddy anyway. I very rarely get the ability to express any personality or preferences in dialogues, only ask questions and then say "okay" or make a black and white decision. This shit annoys the fuck out of me, do you want me to lie and say it doesn't?
If you have different priorities, fine. I'm not telling you the game sucks because it has other aspects that are good, and I'm not telling you to be like me. I mean you should be like me obviously, I'm super cool, but you don't have to be.
No one said it had an amazing amount of C&C. I said it had quite a bit, and it does. It's also spread throughout the game not just at the end. Nothing major, but lots of little things that lead to additional dialogue, battles, loot, etc.
I don't see it as exaggerating, I see it as my personal preferences and priorities. I'm big into C&C, I'm big into making my character have a specific role/style/personality and expressing that in dialogue, I'm big into faction decisions having repercussions that mean something. I'm a big Black Isle and Obsidian fanboy for these reasons among others. For someone with my tastes and priorities, this game is shitty in these aspects. I can't pretend I feel otherwise, it is what it is. Like I said above I sided against the religious people every single fucking chance I got, yet just got the achievement for being their best buddy. I chose the natives over the alliance every chance I got, but also am their best buddy anyway. I very rarely get the ability to express any personality or preferences in dialogues, only ask questions and then say "okay" or make a black and white decision. This shit annoys the fuck out of me, do you want me to lie and say it doesn't?
If you have different priorities, fine. I'm not telling you the game sucks because it has other aspects that are good, and I'm not telling you to be like me. I mean you should be like me obviously, I'm super cool, but you don't have to be.
C&C is exactly what makes a game an RPG. If you don't have it as a pillar of the game it's not an RPG. Maybe you've been on the wrong forums since 2005.
Greedfall is a bit tricky in the way that it has better-than-average C&C but almost non-existent role-playing in dialogues. Main character is predefined, fully voiced and you never have control over what de Sarde is going to say.
Personally, I enjoyed this game much more than I expected to, but I always had a soft spot for a sentimental costume dramas.
It is the same reason why I was willing to give Inquisition a chance, but even beautiful period clothes could not save that turd.
So, while some of you are still playing Greedfall (which I put on hold to wait for some patches, but I guess it's time to restart now), allow me to recommend their previous game, the Technomancer.
Technically it's pretty similar to Greedfall, ofcourse visuals are a bit weaker (especially characters) because the game is 3 years old, but great art design helps a lot to improve presentation. The style is a mix between sci-fi and post-apocalyptic and the looks of locations really help to create this heavy atmosphere. However, even though for the whole game you are technically on a desert planet, the places you visit vary a lot.
Ophir, the capitol city of the corporation Abundance brings back memories of Blade Runner and other cyberpunk movies (a pity there is no rain there, alas, Mars, a desert planet), Noctis, the cosmopolitan town of merchants has Arabian Nights vibes. The Mutant Valley, where the outcasts of society find refuge, is also a place where flora - brought by the first colonists - managed to bloom, despite the harsh conditions, creating a small Garden of Eden in a middle of the wasteland. The great finale takes place on one of the Mars poles, so you get the typically reddish color palette turns blue.
The plot is quite interesting - there are similarities to cool B-movies of the 80s and early 90s, especially Total Recall, the real one, not the 2012 shit. You explore Mars, taking part in machinations of various factions, picking sides, backstabbing and getting backstabbed, searching for answers to important questions, and getting to know secrets, that will change the fate of humanity on the Red Planet. There are a lot of choices to be made - some with particularly heavy consequences (for example, early on I almost completely wiped out one of the factions, which later made another faction power grab much easier; I could not seek their aid in the endgame too). Most of the companions are likable and their missions allow you to get to know them better (and romance at least 3 of them - Spiders are the modern Bioware, which was already established). What is a big plus for me, for the first time in Spiders game I felt like the ending was not rushed, that this time they did not run out of money in the middle of production. Chapter 3 is almost as content-heavy as chapter 2. Although they should call Chapter 4 simply - an Epilogue. It's just the final location, no more side content, just the great finale of the main plot.
When I started playing this game, I was curious if it's a sequel or a prequel to the 2013 Spiders' game Mars: War Logs. It appears it's neither. The plot of Technomancer plays out in the same time as Mars: War Logs. There are several moments when knowledge of the other story enhances your understanding of what is happening in the broad picture. The protagonists of Mars: WL are mentioned by one of the characters (who is present here only because he was saved by them) and their final achievements are also important for the Technomancer's endgame.
Of course Technomancer is not without faults: typical Spiders' problems are present in this title. There is too much backtracking, which is even worse due to constant respawns of mobs you meet along the way. So you will be fighting the same enemies in the same places often (or slightly changed, because new types of enemies appear in the later stages of the game and the encounters are changed due to it). Sometimes the game feels like it's deliberately wasting your time, when you get a quest, go to a hostile city, fight through it to solve the mission, return to the quest-giver... only to receive another quest sending you to the same, hostile city, where all the enemy groups already managed to respawn! This motherfucker really couldn't give me both quests at once? However, a lot of those quests are optional and there are ways to avoid some combats (stealth, hidden shortcuts through levels).
Despite the flaws, the game is a very enjoyable 30 hours experience. What it does, it does well, without overstaying its welcome. If Greedfall is as good, I will be satisfied with it.
So, while some of you are still playing Greedfall (which I put on hold to wait for some patches, but I guess it's time to restart now), allow me to recommend their previous game, the Technomancer.
Technically it's pretty similar to Greedfall, ofcourse visuals are a bit weaker (especially characters) because the game is 3 years old, but great art design helps a lot to improve presentation. The style is a mix between sci-fi and post-apocalyptic and the looks of locations really help to create this heavy atmosphere. However, even though for the whole game you are technically on a desert planet, the places you visit vary a lot.
Ophir, the capitol city of the corporation Abundance brings back memories of Blade Runner and other cyberpunk movies (a pity there is no rain there, alas, Mars, a desert planet), Noctis, the cosmopolitan town of merchants has Arabian Nights vibes. The Mutant Valley, where the outcasts of society find refuge, is also a place where flora - brought by the first colonists - managed to bloom, despite the harsh conditions, creating a small Garden of Eden in a middle of the wasteland. The great finale takes place on one of the Mars poles, so you get the typically reddish color palette turns blue.
The plot is quite interesting - there are similarities to cool B-movies of the 80s and early 90s, especially Totat Recall, the real one, not the 2012 shit. You explore Mars, taking part in machinations of various factions, picking sides, backstabbing and getting backstabbed, searching answers to important questions and getting to know secrets, that will change the fate of humanity on the Red Planet. There are a lot of choices to be made - some with particularly heavy consequences (for example, early on I almost completely wiped out one of the factions, which later made another faction powergrab much easier; I could not seek their aid in the endgame too). Most of the companions are likeable and their missions allow you to get to know them better (and romance at least 3 of them - Spiders are the modern Bioware, which was already established). What is a big plus for me, for the first time in Spiders game I felt like the ending was not rushed, that this time they did not run out of money in the middle of production. Chapter 3 is almost as content heavy as chapter 2. Although they should call Chapter 4 simply - an Epilogue. It's just the final location, no more side content, just the great finale of the main plot.
When I started playing this game, I was curious if it's a sequel or a prequel to the 2013 Spiders' game Mars: War Logs. It appears it's neither. The plot of Technomancer plays out in the same time as Mars: War Logs. There are several moments when knowledge of the other story enhances your understanding of what is happening in the broad picture. The protagonists of Mars: WL are mentioned by one of the characters (who is present here only because he was saved by them) and their final achievements are also important for the Technomancer's endgame.
Ofcourse Technomancer is not without faults: typical Spiders' problems are present in this title. There is too much backtracking, which is even worse due to constant respawns of mobs you meet along the way. So you will be fighting the same enemies in the same places often (or slightly changed, because new types of enemies appear in the later stages of the game and the encounters are changed due to it). Sometimes the game feels like it's deliberately wasting your time, when you get a quest, go to a hostile city, fight through it to solve the mission, return to the quest-giver... only to receive another quest sending you to the same, hostile city, where all the enemy groups already managed to respawn! This motherfucker really couldn't give me both quests at once? However, a lot of those quests are optional and there are ways to avoid some combats (stealth, hidden shortcuts through levels).
Despite the flaws, the game is a very enjoyable 30 hours experience. What it does, it does well, without overstaying its welcome. If Greedfall is as good, I will be satisfied with it.
If there are real negative consequences to any choices I never saw them. I always sided with the natives against everyone else when possible, but ended the game with everyone my friend and all 5 factions in the final battle. Even companions I never used or did missions for got rosy end game slides talking about their success. I get that there are some visible and invisible changes based on your choices and actions, like maybe a native chief helps you out quicker or a camp has less enemies or something, but all in all? Not impressed with that aspect of the game at all, which is a shame since its setup for choices between factions.
As for the rest... combat ain't bad really. It gets super repetitive and has little enemy variety, but on "hard" you have to pay a good amount of attention and use dodges or parries and such. I played a rogue style scientist with guns and traps and a dagger and it was entertaining. You can stay back, shoot, throw bombs and flasks and occasionally stabby stab when needed. I liked it about as much as Witcher 3 combat. The world... most areas look the same, and while it makes sense thematically for everything to look like South Dakota it gets a little boring after a while. There isn't even fucking snow or desert levels, what kind of video game is this? Also too many corridors and segregated areas similar to Risen 2 and 3. If the fucking Switch can do a massive open world, the fucking PS4 can, so why is my PC version so crippled? Meh. Story is good at heart but has zero player input, not only in "choice and consequence" but also your character's personality, which you have zero control over. Loot is same old same old, very few unique items and whenever I found one it was always worse than what I had.
All in all a thoroughly okay time waster but nothing more. I enjoyed Risen 2 and 3 more, just because they have fucking personality, if that tells you anything.
There isn't even fucking snow or desert levels, what kind of video game is this? Also too many corridors and segregated areas similar to Risen 2 and 3. If the fucking Switch can do a massive open world, the fucking PS4 can, so why is my PC version so crippled?
This isn't a console issue, probably more of a budget issue. They had a Pillars of Eternity-sized budget and had to recycle a ton of interiors as it is. Additionally, the engine, which is all theirs, might not be all that great at open worlds since it wasn't made with that in mind, I dunno.
This isn't a console issue, probably more of a budget issue. They had a Pillars of Eternity-sized budget and had to recycle a ton of interiors as it is. Additionally, the engine, which is all theirs, might not be all that great at open worlds since it wasn't made with that in mind, I dunno.
Consoles was at fault for corridor design at the times of PS2, current gen is all about squeezing huge open worlds into all genres possible from shooters to racings. Hell if I know what is worse.
Only nasty design tendency I could realistically blame consoles for right now is interfaces designed for controllers in every RPG with remotely action-y combat. Even Elex was more comfortable on gamepad comparing to good old KB&M.
Playing the games how they are supposed to be played, in Greedfall's case at least?
Same for DA:I, Elex, Nier: Automata and, I guess in not-so-remote future, Outer Worlds. Only from what I have played in the genre in last couple of years.
Playing the games how they are supposed to be played, in Greedfall case at least?
Same for DA:I, Elex, Nier: Automata and, I guess in not-so-remote future, Outer Worlds. Only from what I have played in the genre in last couple of years.
I played a mage on Hard, who could do range, twice more effective melee and cool matrix-style shadow-stepping. Also died in first 2-3 noticeable hits when out of armor.
It was generally fun for a first 2 hours in a day, ok for 1 hour more and quite repetitive and stale after.
