General Games Discussion

M99 wrote:Google is going to reveal their console on GDC.

Is it going to be a console? I thought it would all be in the cloud.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

M99 wrote:Google is going to reveal their console on GDC.

Is it going to be a console? I thought it would all be in the cloud.

Yep, seems to be a cloud service.

RealGunner wrote:It's going to flop.

Not paying for a console significantly lowers the barriers to entry. Can see this being popular with casuals.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

RealGunner wrote:It's going to flop.

Not paying for a console significantly lowers the barriers to entry. Can see this being popular with casuals.

Ironic thing here is casuals either won't be able to afford it or simply won't have good enough internet.

How can you say they won't be able to afford it if you don't even know pricing? and I doubt any subscription price will be higher than the 500+ you'll need to drop for a next gen console.

Internet speeds I'm not sure, I know plenty of people that have a faster internet than they need for netflix.

Why i said or don't have good internet.

Reality is most people who pay for really good internet are also people who play games as it's the thing which is the most demanding and also easily obtainable for the average person.

Casuals on average won't care about high-speed internet, that's the ironic thing about this. It seems aimed at casuals but the only people who actually have the internet to make it viable aren't casuals.

They could handle it by lowering quality though. Casuals might care less about stunning visuals. In any case, all I'm saying is that it's a bit too early to discount the idea since we have no idea what the implementation will look like.

Games make or break consoles. it really does come down to that, although i must say i like the potential of a company like google launching a cloud gaming service. i dont know about the mainstream but i have a 60 mbps connection, so if they are telling me that i can game on my TV with just a subscription and without paying $500 for a console, im interested.

i think all console manufacturers want to go in this direction but simply do not have the resources for servers globally. This is google's selling point.

I don't like the guy but i agree 100% with this...

The reason why Microsoft and Sony are well positioned is because they’re still doing things “the old way” while aggressively pursuing this new future Stadia represents.

They can slowly turn the dial and ease everyone in. That’s going to be vital. Google Stadia can’t do that. So.

— Colin Moriarty (@notaxation) March 19, 2019

Disney revives Lucasfilm Games as EA flounders with 'Star Wars'

https://www.engadget.com/2019/03/20/disney-revives-lucasfilm-games/

Fantastic news, it won't mean much now but it might be potentially great in a few years.

Yup. No chance Disney stick with EA after 2021

Detroit: Become Human, Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls are all coming to PC
And will be exclusive to the Epic Store, as will Obsidian's new RPG.

Eurogamer wrote:Quantic Dream's trilogy of PlayStation exclusives will soon be PlayStation exclusives no more, with Detroit: Become Human, Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls all coming to PC as Epic Store exclusives in the near future.

It marked part of a series of announcements about further Epic Store acquisitions on PC made at this year's GDC, with upcoming releases The Outer Worlds from Obsidian and Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey - both part of 2K's new Private Division - both now exclusive to the store. Elsewhere, Ubisoft has committed to bringing more of its games to the store, and games such as Phoenix Point, The Sinking City, Control, Dauntless and Journey to the Savage Planet are all now Epic Store exclusives.

It came as Epic also announced it has some 85 million users of its store on PC, and how recent games have seen success there - Metro: Exodus, a high profile and somewhat controversial Epic Store exclusive, sold some two and a half times more in its launch period there than its predecessor did in the same time on Steam.

RIP Steam tbh.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/kotaku.com/vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-is-getting-a-sequel-1833479366/amp

Interesting, considering the original is one of the best RPGs ever.

Nice. I always wanted to try the first just never got around to it.

Apparently, several rumors seem to strongly suggest that Microsoft will release a digital only Xbox (Xbox One S All Digital Edition). It’s rumored to be available in online stores already in april. I don’t see the point, but whatever floats their boat, I suppose.

Playstation's "State of Play" series is starting on Monday. It's supposed to be their own game's showcase, like Nintendo Direct, though probably with less games and more talking.

Also, for those who care, tomorrow we'll find out more about Persona 5R. It's likely to be an enhanced version of the original P5 (following Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 Golden).

Jay29 wrote:Playstation's "State of Play" series is starting on Monday. It's supposed to be their own game's showcase, like Nintendo Direct, though probably with less games and more talking.

Also, for those who care, tomorrow we'll find out more about Persona 5R. It's likely to be an enhanced version of the original P5 (following Persona 3 FES and Persona 4 Golden).

Be interesting to see if they actually drop half decent news at any of those.

Like in the future will we get Last of Us 2 news at any stage like Nintendo have done with Smash Bros at their directs?

Thinking about buying Holdfast nations for the banter but think im way past this :/

Nishankly wrote:Thinking about buying Holdfast nations for the banter but think im way past this :/

I literally had to google that lol.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:

Nishankly wrote:Thinking about buying Holdfast nations for the banter but think im way past this :/

I literally had to google that lol.

There is some insane banter on it tbf to immaturity.

#R1

Game: Shinobi Legions.
Year: 1995 in Japan and NA.
Genre: Action Platformer.
Publisher: Sega, Vic Tokai.
Developer: Sega.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

One of the strangest thing about Shinobi Legions is that despite being the latest game in a core Sega franchise at the time, it was published in the West by a different company. Evidenced by that, and the fact that no other Shinobi game was released on the Saturn suggest Sega had no idea what to do with the franchise.

In hindsight, that was obvious with this game, as it is barely an improvement on the Genesis games. In fact, it is actually more of a step-down if we are being honest, even if the end product isn't bad in any way.

"If you want her back just come and find us"

While the Shinob series was always short in the story department with little narrative. Instead, it opted to offer the story through its futuristic Ninja setting, where the series protagonist, Joe Musashi, finds a reason to throw shurikens at enemy faces.

Given that this is a game released on the newer Saturn console, Sega decided to offer more of a narrative pull to the game.

First, this is a completely different story, with another protagonist. Second, there are now several FMV scenes separating the stages. These scenes are products of their time, with cheesy B-movie acting in a B-movie plot. A simple girl kidnapping to unlick a mystical force plot. Maybe, if it were not for the grainy images, it will even be a little endearing.

One thing to note is how little these scenes have with the actual progression in the game, as the scenes predict little of the setting of the next stages.

"Sho, you have to be the one who will defeat this evil power"

Regardless of the shallowness of the story, it does give Sho a reason to throw shurikens at enemy faces to save his girlfriend. Or, in this game, to slash them with his katana.

Unlike the previous Shinobi games, Legions puts more emphasis on getting close and personal with your enemies and slashing them with the sword rather than killing them from a distance. To accomplish that, the designers nerfed the shuriken, making them slower to throw. Also, they increased the move-set available and the speed of swordplay.

This is a mostly welcome change, as it increases the excitement of the combat. It does, however, increase the risks, especially at higher difficulties. To compensate for that, enemies in the game actually have less of a ranged threat than in previous game. On balance, this is actually an easier Shinobi than the ones I played on the Genesis.

Generally, the action is pretty good, even if it is a little bit sluggish and unresponsive at times. Some inputs, I feel, do not register at times. Double jumps fail for no reason, lunge slashes randomly appear, and shurikens are just too slow. Most of these issues only rarely affect the game, but they can screw you up at the wrong time.

"Sho, you're no match for me now that I have the key to the secret technique"

The biggest challenge in a game of this genre is always about perfecting the action mechanics and continuously improving. As such, their short length, which invites replayability, is not negative for the dedicated fan.

It is the same here, especially with some decent bosses that are fair yet challenging to defeat. Which is not something you can say for many Action games of this type. At least not the "fair" part.

Unfortunately, the levels themselves are not very creative and pale in comparison to the exciting locations of the previous games, both in design and in gameplay mechanics.

Worst of all are the final two levels, which are as frustrating as they are dull. With plenty of pits of doom in one that makes traversal a boring slog, and some rocket evading bullshit that betrays the unresponsiveness of the game.

It is in these instances, and not in actual moments of challenge, that Shinobi Legions gets its undeserved badge of difficulty.

"Let it be our honor to demonstrate the infamous dance of the deadly swords"

Typical to other games released on the early days of the Saturn, we see Sega experiment with new graphical and sound technology that somehow reduces the appeal of the games compared to their predecessors.

Not speaking of the grainy FMV scenes, the graphics in the game, that utilize digitized sprites in lieu of the beautiful handiwork of Shinobi III, are just simply a step down. It looks cheap. It is cheaps. And it is simply dated and unattractive.

Still, it is not as bad as early polygonal graphics and doesn't affect the gameplay in any way.

What is affecting the gameplay is an honestly weak score. This soundtrack makes a mockery of the excellent tunes of the Genesis games and was even replaced by some original compositions when the game was ported to Europe.

In Conclusion:

If you take it in isolation, then Shinobi Legions is a good, if unremarkable, action platformer game. It only when you compare it to its very recent legacy that you get disappointed. It is obvious that Sega had little idea what to do with their core franchises as they went forward with the Saturn.

That isn't more obvious than a Ninja trying to hide, dressed in white.

Final: 6/10

Pros:

• Good Action gameplay with the sword
  
• Good boss fights
  

Cons:

• Weak soundtrack
  
• Boring levels
  
• Unfair late-game levels
  
• Doesn't compare well to its predecessors
  

"Tips"
1- Utilize secret thunder power-up when in trouble.
2- Practice making your double jump.
3- Practice utilizing your wall jump.
4- Include shuriken throwing in your repertoire.
5- Look for powerups and life orbs inside breakable objects (beware of bombs).

"Next Game"

Even though I ended up not enjoying Shinobi Legions as much as the Genesis Shinobi games, I don't regret playing it at all. Thanks to Ghoane for suggesting this game for me to play. Feel free to suggest any game that is not already included in the list I a reviewing.

Next in the series, I will be writing a report on the games from #50 to #41 on the Retro Sanctuary list. I have only played a single game from those 10 (Albert Odyssey) since most of them are either multiplayer focused or genres that I am not usually good at.

After that, I will play and review the #40 game, Dark Savior.

Stay Tuned

Just watched Sony's State of Play. It was meh.

Iron Man is coming to PS VR.
No Man's Sky is getting a free update... and a VR mode.
Five Nights at Freddy's is getting a VR game.
More VR crap nobody is going to play.
Day's Gone footage.
Something decent looking called Observation from Digital Devolver.

Yeah, it was basically "State of VR". Nothing interesting for non-VR fanatics.

Concrete Genie got a release date i heard, i liked the look of that when they first showed it.

Yeah, think it was fall. Guess what? It's also VR compatible.