|
|
Post by mikegarrison on Oct 11, 2024 20:59:22 GMT -5
Another reason I wanted to quit Horizon Forbidden West early on was because I stopped liking Aloy. That's a problem. In a single-character game like that, if you don't like the character it's a big issue. ---- So your post made me do a quick search, and it seems a lot of people were upset that Aloy was less likable. That she treated everyone around her as not important compared to The Great Aloy, Savior Of The World. However, I also saw some arguments that this was the point. That in the last game Aloy went from despised outcast to The Chosen One who literally saves the world. And now she expects to have to do it again, so she is acting like she's the only person that matters. But (according to these posts), her character arc continues to evolve as the game goes on, and she learns that she can't do everything all by herself. Or so the posts claim. |
|
|
|
Post by bbg95 on Oct 11, 2024 22:05:29 GMT -5
I'm trying to think of games I've played where I really disliked the main character. I think The Last of Us 2 is probably the best example. It has two playable characters. Abby is thoroughly unlikable, and it's a chore to play her sections. And Ellie is a lot less likable than she was in the first game. The best parts of that game are actually the playable flashback sequences featuring Ellie and Joel because those parts felt more like the original game.
Actually, now that I think of it, I'm not a big fan of the protagonist of Final Fantasy IX. But I love many of the other characters. I'm sure there are some other examples, but they're not coming to mind. In general, if I really dislike the main character, the rest of the game better be outstanding.
Edit: Final Fantasy IX, not X.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wolfgang on Oct 11, 2024 23:03:37 GMT -5
Horizon Forbidden West
I've been busy upgrading my outfits. LOL! They're not just for the "look" but they have stat buffs.
A big change in this game is that during combat with machines, I have to focus more on targeting various machine components like electric canisters, tails, horns, eyes, etc. If you just shoot the machines haphazardly, their armor will significantly reduce your intended damage. Also, many machine parts are needed for upgrades and if you kill the machines without stripping (the game terminology is "tear") them of your needed components, those very components will get destroyed when the machine dies. So, if you need the tail component, you have to tear it first before the machine dies. If you kill the machine, the tail component will not be available for harvesting.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wolfgang on Oct 11, 2024 23:07:23 GMT -5
I'm trying to think of games I've played where I really disliked the main character. I think The Last of Us 2 is probably the best example. It has two playable character. Abby is thoroughly unlikable, and it's a chore to play her sections. And Ellie is a lot less likable than she was in the first game. The best parts of that game are actually the playable flashback sequences featuring Ellie and Joel because those parts felt more like the original game. As you know, I'm actually the opposite. I thoroughly enjoyed the Abby sections (including Lev and Yara) and Abby is one of my favorite characters of all time. The only sections I fast forward are the Joel/Ellie flashback scenes. (And yes, I enjoyed the original The Last of Us game.) I think it's because I'm ready to move on with the story and character arcs when we get to The Last of Us 2. If The Last of Us 3 ever comes out, I'll be okay if Abby ended up being killed. It's life. They're in the post-Apocalypse. People die. I'm okay with it. |
|
|
|
Post by Wolfgang on Oct 11, 2024 23:09:04 GMT -5
Horizon Forbidden West
I'm now Level 25, doing mostly side missions and other open world things.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wolfgang on Oct 12, 2024 16:33:45 GMT -5
Horizon Forbidden West
There's a new feature in this game where you have the option to aim using the motion sensor feature in your controller. It's called "gyro aiming" where the position and movement of your controller dictate where you're aiming with your weapon. It may be common in PC gaming (I don't really know) but it's new for console gaming. Traditionally, you had to use your right thumbstick (R) button to aim. (The R button is also the camera button.) I haven't enabled this gyro aiming feature because I'm not used to it. I tried it for one mission when I was level 24 and I almost got killed because it took me way to long to aim.
In order to practice safely, I'll have to go to a low level area with loser machines so I can adjust to this new aiming feature. I want to love it because intuitively, it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wolfgang on Oct 12, 2024 16:37:45 GMT -5
Another reason I wanted to quit Horizon Forbidden West early on was because I stopped liking Aloy. That's a problem. In a single-character game like that, if you don't like the character it's a big issue. ---- So your post made me do a quick search, and it seems a lot of people were upset that Aloy was less likable. That she treated everyone around her as not important compared to The Great Aloy, Savior Of The World. However, I also saw some arguments that this was the point. That in the last game Aloy went from despised outcast to The Chosen One who literally saves the world. And now she expects to have to do it again, so she is acting like she's the only person that matters. But (according to these posts), her character arc continues to evolve as the game goes on, and she learns that she can't do everything all by herself. Or so the posts claim. In narrative cutscenes, Aloy has actually said the words "I'm the only one who can save the world." Probably true but still...ugh... |
|
|
|
Post by mikegarrison on Oct 12, 2024 16:38:33 GMT -5
It may be common in PC gaming (I don't really know) but it's new for console gaming. It's not common in PC gaming to use a controller at all. I mean, you can. They sell them. But most PC games are set up for mouse and keyboard. |
|
|
|
Post by Wolfgang on Oct 13, 2024 20:14:48 GMT -5
Horizon Forbidden West
My biggest complaint in this game is false advertising. Sort of. Every Horizon Forbidden West review and trailer showed Aloy fighting monsters along beaches, sometimes beneath the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. I was expecting vastly different scenery, specifically some spectacular Northern California Bay Area scenery, from that you find in Horizon Zero Dawn. But...jeez...it's a long journey across Utah, New Mexico, Arizona (I think), and Nevada before you even set foot in California. It's the same scenery from Horizon Zero Dawn -- plain desert wasteland (e.g., Mad Max), plain uninteresting forest w/ streams, plain mountain areas. I realize this is the Post-Apocalypse but everything looks old and familiar, e.g., Borderlands, Rage 2, Metro trilogy, and in many areas, The Last of Us 1/2. You don't even get to the beaches and the west coast area until you're near the end of the game.
The things I love the most are the locations where "relics" from the old days (that means, from the 21st or 22nd century) are integrated with the Post-Apocalyptic world. For example, I've been to Salt Bite (a tribal location) a few times. The people there dress in indigenous garb and lead the kind of life you associate with 19th or early 20th century tribes in Africa and South America. Then, through exploring, I discovered that this particular camp is actually the site of an aircraft wreckage during the early days of Zero Dawn (circa 2060s). That's cool stuff.
|
|
|
|
Post by bbg95 on Oct 13, 2024 20:54:02 GMT -5
Oh, I forgot to mention... Another reason I wanted to quit Horizon Forbidden West early on was because I stopped liking Aloy. For most of the game, she's kinda arrogant and has a "the law doesn't apply to me" attitude about everything. If someone told her she can't do something because of cultural or legal obstacles, her attitude was, "Who's going to stop me? You? Give me a break." She is kinda hateful. Really. You know, I didn't think Aloy was that likable in the first game either. Granted, I didn't get that far into it. That's a game that I will probably never get to. I own it (I think it was free on PS Plus at one point), but I'm just never in the mood to sink 40 or 50 hours into it. Too many other games I'd rather play or replay. |
|
|
|
Post by Wolfgang on Oct 13, 2024 21:00:27 GMT -5
Horizon Forbidden West
I don't like the huge quantity of different outfits and weapons, each with their own unique stat buffs (as well as "look"). I hate having to wear a stealth outfit at the beginning of the fight, then switch to either a range- or melee-strong outfit in the middle of the fight, and if I tear off a heavy weapon (e.g., Thunderjaw disc launcher, Ravager cannon) from the body of the monster, I then have to switch to an outfit that allows me greater mobility and damage with that heavy weapon. Sheesh! (Actually, I don't "have to" do anything. It's just that the right outfit gives you a greater chance to win the fight.)
Same goes for the weapons. There are weapons that are stronger when you're using them while in stealth. Others are stronger for greater damage. And still others have a greater chance for critical hits. These three are just the tip of the iceberg. The sheer glut of weapons is dizzying.
A complication is that to unleash the full potential of these outfits and weapons, you have to upgrade them with various resources found in the world, usually harvested from monsters you've killed, animals you've hunted, or stuff from various vendors. The problem is, when you get to the last couple upgrades for each outfit or weapon, you'll have to give up this precious material called Greenshine (which comes in variants: sliver, fragment, chunk, slab, cluster). These are finite in the world. You either have to use one you've harvested to upgrade your weapons/gear or use them to buy other precious monster parts that you need. The good thing about the requirement for monster parts is I can always find that monster, assault it, and take the parts I need. Anyway, I'm regretting using my Greenshine collection on the lowest level outfits and weapons. I should've held on to them until I acquired the higher level outfits and weapons.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wolfgang on Oct 13, 2024 21:05:20 GMT -5
Oh, I forgot to mention... Another reason I wanted to quit Horizon Forbidden West early on was because I stopped liking Aloy. For most of the game, she's kinda arrogant and has a "the law doesn't apply to me" attitude about everything. If someone told her she can't do something because of cultural or legal obstacles, her attitude was, "Who's going to stop me? You? Give me a break." She is kinda hateful. Really. You know, I didn't think Aloy was that likable in the first game either. Granted, I didn't get that far into it. That's a game that I will probably never get to. I own it (I think it was free on PS Plus at one point), but I'm just never in the mood to sink 40 or 50 hours into it. Too many other games I'd rather play or replay. I actually loved the first game. But on additional playthroughs, I got tired of ALL the damn cutscenes and ALL the Cauldrons. Anytime a video game puts me in a maze, I get turned around easily and I have no clue where I'm supposed to go. Also, I think Horizon Zero Dawn (and Horizon Forbidden West) takes itself way too seriously -- even down to the soundtrack. I know I know, it's the Post-Apocalypse. The world is dangerous. |
|
|
|
Post by Wolfgang on Oct 13, 2024 21:17:02 GMT -5
Horizon Forbidden West
Well, I tried practicing the gyro aiming in several locations where there are low level loser machines. It took me forever to take them down because I was taking too long to aim and in the meantime, I got abused frequently by their attacks. Ugh. I think I'm sticking with the traditional right stick aiming.
|
|
|
|
Post by bbg95 on Oct 14, 2024 11:55:29 GMT -5
Horizon Forbidden West Well, I tried practicing the gyro aiming in several locations where there are low level loser machines. It took me forever to take them down because I was taking too long to aim and in the meantime, I got abused frequently by their attacks. Ugh. I think I'm sticking with the traditional right stick aiming. Yeah, that sounds like way more trouble than it's worth. The analog stick work fine for aiming. |
|
|
|
Post by Wolfgang on Oct 14, 2024 17:09:56 GMT -5
Horizon Forbidden West
I'm at level 30.
There are various new gameplay mechanics that really buff your damage/status effect stats (both offense and defense). Two of those ways are:
1. Valor Surge
2. Food/potion buffs
Valor Surge: When you do things in battle, you build up this meter called "valor." When you've got the entire meter filled up, you can manually activate this thing called "Valor Surge" where your stats are buffed for 3 minutes (or more, if you upgrade it). For example, if you have Ranged Valor, all your damage output from ranged attacks is buffed significantly such that you can probably kill a gigantic machine with 2-3 shots. It's that powerful. If you activate Stealth Valor, you turn invisible for 3 minutes (or until you attack an enemy). The problem is: I always forget to manually activate Valor Surge!!. It seems I'm not the only one. Many people online said they've gone the entire game without ever using Valor Surge or just used it once or twice. It's that forgetful.
Food/potion: Simple. You drink some food or potion and you gain stat buffs depending on the particular food or potion you consumed. For example, there's this stew thingie where if you eat it, you get 75% more damage output and 75% more health for about 3 minutes. Anyway, I have this and I've never used it.
|
|
