Reading this review and having all of the trans and queer stuff listed at one part really does remind me of how much they fucked that up. Good god.
Thankfully, your character’s gender is not tied to your choice of genitals. You can create a dude with a vagina or a lady with a penis, that’s no problem. But because of everything else about how the game handles trans identity, this hardly feels like the progressive step it should be. Rather than just letting you pick your pronouns independently of all your other character creation choices, your pronouns are assigned based on your selection of voice: Pick the “feminine” voice and your pronouns are she/her, and vice versa. (There are no nonbinary pronoun options.) As a trans woman with a voice that many would not describe as “feminine,” this direct linking of gender identity to having a voice that sounds “masculine” or “feminine” feels weirdly essentializing.
I could have forgiven it if the rest of the game took strides to humanize trans identities, but boy, it sure doesn’t. Ubiquitous throughout Night City are ads for a beverage called Chromanticure that feature a female-coded model with a penis visible through her skintight clothing, making it clear that in Cyberpunk 2077, trans bodies are objectified and commodified. Some cis bodies are, too, of course, but the crucial difference is that, as V, we constantly meet, interact with, and form relationships with cis characters who have far more dimension than the surface of any sexualized image on a billboard. The same can’t be said of trans characters. Even if you opt to play as a trans V, she’s not particularly well-defined. The game is about what you see through her eyes and what she goes through, not about who she is as a person.
Queer people are just colour for the fantasy of macho player character exploring the seedy underbelly.
You can tell its seedy because queer people are there. Also Hattians whose only rep is a gang.
thank you I couldn't find the right way to put into words how it felt gross to me, this is it exactly. Queer folk (and, like, all minorities) only existing as set dressing because this is all a big 80s retro throwback and queer people (and non-white people) in media in the 80s=seedy weirdo lowlifes
I think that compared to either other visual storytelling mediums or other text based mediums, you could safely call the witcher 3 mediocre in terms of its writing.
Compared to just flat out, other video games, especially big budget video games, the writing and editing are like, head and shoulders above the competition.
Writing in video games is bad.
I think it's inconsistent more than anything
there's some genuinely real good interactions in it, and then theres some real videogame shit going down
but yeah, I can count on one maybe both hands the amount of games that had the level of 'completeness' to it that witcher 3 had
+9
Options
Shortytouching the meatIntergalactic Cool CourtRegistered Userregular
I understand being mad about pretty much everything CDPR is, but come on
I think if someone plays witcher 3 and doesn't like it, or likes it but not enough to finish it, that's a perfectly reasonable experience to have. it's got rough spots, not everything is successful, the combat is pretty one-note and the writing is pretty uneven, especially in the main quest.
I don't know how you can reasonably argue that it is "mediocre", a term which necessarily attempts to position it in the middle of its contemporaries. it's way, way more successful at what it's trying to do than any of the stuff one might compare it to.
I would actually say TW3's combat is mediocre to bad because it mostly came across as bland open world slashslashdodge swordplay but with enemies arbitrarily breaking out of your default combo at different # of hits. I'm not sure I can think of a major open world RPG with combat I liked less, since games with more boring versions of the combat were less frustrating and games with more complex versions of the combat were engaging.
yeah witcher 3 had quite a few strengths and they generally weren't in the combat
it felt a lot better if you took the time to prepare for it, which I liked a lot
In much the same way that you can dislike a thing without needing to find a moral justification or other "serious" reason for disliking it, it's possible to have moral/political issues with a work without assuming that it's poorly crafted and that anybody who enjoys the craft is blind to or unconcerned with the moral issues.
It is very possible that Cyberpunk has a serious problems with the tastefulness and message of its writing while it's still, y'know, very well crafted/written as far as the crime thriller and sidequest stuff goes.
I ate an engineer
+6
Options
PiptheFairFrequently not in boats.Registered Userregular
I understand being mad about pretty much everything CDPR is, but come on
I think if someone plays witcher 3 and doesn't like it, or likes it but not enough to finish it, that's a perfectly reasonable experience to have. it's got rough spots, not everything is successful, the combat is pretty one-note and the writing is pretty uneven, especially in the main quest.
I don't know how you can reasonably argue that it is "mediocre", a term which necessarily attempts to position it in the middle of its contemporaries. it's way, way more successful at what it's trying to do than any of the stuff one might compare it to.
I would actually say TW3's combat is mediocre to bad because it mostly came across as bland open world slashslashdodge swordplay but with enemies arbitrarily breaking out of your default combo at different # of hits. I'm not sure I can think of a major open world RPG with combat I liked less, since games with more boring versions of the combat were less frustrating and games with more complex versions of the combat were engaging.
yeah witcher 3 had quite a few strengths and they generally weren't in the combat
it felt a lot better if you took the time to prepare for it, which I liked a lot
combat was totally fine for me until you fought big things or bosses
the DLC bosses were abysmal
the combat is so clearly designed around fighting dudes and dude-like things, and it works in that context
The Witcher 3 has mediocre combat, but the actual writing and performances are pretty damn good. It's better than most genre TV, and the depth of the world and characterization is incredible in the context of gaming.
One of the things that comes up a lot in these sprawling games is how Main Quest Character and Sidequest Character are often two different entities inhabiting the same space. With the Witcher 3, you have a character who feels consistent throughout 100+ hours of gameplay whether you play him as a good guy or asshole.
That the character is also compelling as a performance in voice, facial expression, and body language/movement and well written is a remarkable achievement in any medium.
Idk. I found the combat in Witcher 3 to be pretty fun.
I'm not going into the game expecting Bayonetta and deflecting arrows back at mooks like a Jedi was always entertaining.
Of course for narrative heavy games like the Witcher the combat is one of the least important parts to me so maybe I'm just very forgiving for what I consider "good" in that type of game.
I think that compared to either other visual storytelling mediums or other text based mediums, you could safely call the witcher 3 mediocre in terms of its writing.
Compared to just flat out, other video games, especially big budget video games, the writing and editing are like, head and shoulders above the competition.
Writing in video games is bad.
yyyyyuuuuuuuuuppppppppppp
One thing that really opened my eyes about this was when I played the 2014 Wolfenstein game. That game is a solidly written piece of genre fiction, it's fine and the editing of the cutscenes is incredibly competent. Like, not amazing, not revolutionary, just someone obviously experienced in editing with an eye for cinematic direction doing a good job. And I was reflecting on that and it was like, this says so much more about the industry at large than it does Wolfenstein specifically, that just having a core competency and attention to this part of making a visual story seems so extraordinary.
In much the same way that you can dislike a thing without needing to find a moral justification or other "serious" reason for disliking it, it's possible to have moral/political issues with a work without assuming that it's poorly crafted and that anybody who enjoys the craft is blind to or unconcerned with the moral issues.
It is very possible that Cyberpunk has a serious problems with the tastefulness and message of its writing while it's still, y'know, very well crafted/written as far as the crime thriller and sidequest stuff goes.
My expectations with Cyberpunk are that it will be a fun noir adventure in a well-realized open world. I don't expect it to be ground-breaking as a piece of science fiction, because it is really rare in general for a game to create a fresh take on anything in the genre it inhabits.
Not impossible, though. Disco Elysium is definitely an example of a game creating a fresh and literary take on a genre within gaming that transcends just being "pretty good for gaming".
I think that compared to either other visual storytelling mediums or other text based mediums, you could safely call the witcher 3 mediocre in terms of its writing.
Compared to just flat out, other video games, especially big budget video games, the writing and editing are like, head and shoulders above the competition.
Writing in video games is bad.
yyyyyuuuuuuuuuppppppppppp
One thing that really opened my eyes about this was when I played the 2014 Wolfenstein game. That game is a solidly written piece of genre fiction, it's fine and the editing of the cutscenes is incredibly competent. Like, not amazing, not revolutionary, just someone obviously experienced in editing with an eye for cinematic direction doing a good job. And I was reflecting on that and it was like, this says so much more about the industry at large than it does Wolfenstein specifically, that just having a core competency and attention to this part of making a visual story seems so extraordinary.
There's a reason why, if I'm not getting my RPGs mixed up, Vagrant Story still has some of the better cutscenes in video games despite being super old. A lot of games just rely entirely too much on boring, floaty shot/reverse shot of two guys talking.
I think that compared to either other visual storytelling mediums or other text based mediums, you could safely call the witcher 3 mediocre in terms of its writing.
Compared to just flat out, other video games, especially big budget video games, the writing and editing are like, head and shoulders above the competition.
Writing in video games is bad.
yyyyyuuuuuuuuuppppppppppp
One thing that really opened my eyes about this was when I played the 2014 Wolfenstein game. That game is a solidly written piece of genre fiction, it's fine and the editing of the cutscenes is incredibly competent. Like, not amazing, not revolutionary, just someone obviously experienced in editing with an eye for cinematic direction doing a good job. And I was reflecting on that and it was like, this says so much more about the industry at large than it does Wolfenstein specifically, that just having a core competency and attention to this part of making a visual story seems so extraordinary.
There's a reason why, if I'm not getting my RPGs mixed up, Vagrant Story still has some of the better cutscenes in video games despite being super old. A lot of games just rely entirely too much on boring, floaty shot/reverse shot of two guys talking.
Also why The Last Express remains one of the better looking games ever made. Art direction and an attention to environmental detail, body language, and facial expressions matters a lot more than fps and polygon count.
Phillishere on
+2
Options
Shortytouching the meatIntergalactic Cool CourtRegistered Userregular
FishmanPut your goddamned hand in the goddamned Box of Pain.Registered Userregular
I just started the Witcher 3 Blood & Wine DLC after having it for... 2 years?
I'm hellishly rusty and really need to go clear a few monster nests so I can start thinking through tougher fights rather than just letting my fingers operate on pure muscle memory when I stab things to death.
that can't be true, RDR2 didn't have any robot dinosaurs that I can recall
This is true!
RDR2 also did not have a top-billed credit for robit dinosaur AI which was then promptly revealed to be "press right thumbstick to use your blackberry to reveal the robits' sentry paths".
The real issue was the graphics; coming off RDR2's absolutely astounding weather, lighting, and animation, HZD was like, a lot of bloom, gravity-defying hair and clothing, and terrible speaking animations that made me want to skip every cutscene with conversations.
I sort of still mean to go back and play more of it to see what else happens with the story, but the map-icon spam was exhausting and so was interacting with most of the other characters so...
I just started the Witcher 3 Blood & Wine DLC after having it for... 2 years?
I'm hellishly rusty and really need to go clear a few monster nests so I can start thinking through tougher fights rather than just letting my fingers operate on pure muscle memory when I stab things to death.
do not be afraid to cheat/abuse the game horribly to be the final boss
it's a trasssshhhhhh fight
the rest of the dlc though? absolutely top shelf stuff
+2
Options
Shortytouching the meatIntergalactic Cool CourtRegistered Userregular
I didn't like the part of Witcher 3 where I had to kill a pack of wolves on the regular. That felt bad and out of place for Geralt.
I'm just generally not a fan of how big games like that feel the need to put enemy packs everywhere
ghost of tsushima had that problem, too
it's fine to just let me look around, or get where I need to go!
Video games seem to be terribly afraid that players will get bored if they don't engage with combat mechanics once a minute, and it's very frustrating.
+13
Options
PiptheFairFrequently not in boats.Registered Userregular
I didn't like the part of Witcher 3 where I had to kill a pack of wolves on the regular. That felt bad and out of place for Geralt.
I'm just generally not a fan of how big games like that feel the need to put enemy packs everywhere
ghost of tsushima had that problem, too
it's fine to just let me look around, or get where I need to go!
Yeah. I enjoyed how sparse Breath of the Wild was compared to other games of its kind. Like there was actually a point to using mounts because I didn't have to get off and fight every 5 seconds.
Zxerolfor the smaller pieces, my shovel wouldn't doso i took off my boot and used my shoeRegistered Userregular
Speaking of HZD and animals gone wild, I actually liked how all the critters in that game are completely harmless and will always run away from you (even though the biggest thing in that game is a boar). Even the turbo-mad killer machines are turbo-mad because plot reasons, and heck a lot herd-types will try to flee if you start shit regardless. I thought that was pretty neat.
+8
Options
StraightziHere we may reign secure, and in my choice,To reign is worth ambition though in HellRegistered Userregular
I want there to be like, a toggle for that sort of thing
Normally I am of the opinion that if there isn't a plot reason for me to be in a fight then there shouldn't be a fight there, and that all fights should be neat set pieces with intentional space
But I also respect that a lot of folks are used to and maybe even want combat every ten feet, in which case yeah, sure, have it available if people want to just fight random enemies every time they walk down the road
And having it as a toggle that you could like, turn on and off while you're playing would be fantastic - maybe you leave random encounters on early in the game, to get used to things, and then switch them off when you're just cleaning up, or maybe you do the reverse, making the world more dangerous as you get to a higher level, or maybe you keep them switched off most of the time but every once in a while just want to mash some buttons and can flick that switch
+4
Options
Shortytouching the meatIntergalactic Cool CourtRegistered Userregular
I want there to be like, a toggle for that sort of thing
Normally I am of the opinion that if there isn't a plot reason for me to be in a fight then there shouldn't be a fight there, and that all fights should be neat set pieces with intentional space
But I also respect that a lot of folks are used to and maybe even want combat every ten feet, in which case yeah, sure, have it available if people want to just fight random enemies every time they walk down the road
And having it as a toggle that you could like, turn on and off while you're playing would be fantastic - maybe you leave random encounters on early in the game, to get used to things, and then switch them off when you're just cleaning up, or maybe you do the reverse, making the world more dangerous as you get to a higher level, or maybe you keep them switched off most of the time but every once in a while just want to mash some buttons and can flick that switch
in practical terms this could just be part of the difficulty settings
+6
Options
BroloBroseidonLord of the BroceanRegistered Userregular
Speaking of HZD and animals gone wild, I actually liked how all the critters in that game are completely harmless and will always run away from you (even though the biggest thing in that game is a boar). Even the turbo-mad killer machines are turbo-mad because plot reasons, and heck a lot herd-types will try to flee if you start shit regardless. I thought that was pretty neat.
i still found it weird how many rats and birds and rabbits you have to kill to get that 5% drop chance pelt to craft a bigger pouch
i spent a lot of time hiding from the robot animals just so i could try to hunt rats
I want there to be like, a toggle for that sort of thing
Normally I am of the opinion that if there isn't a plot reason for me to be in a fight then there shouldn't be a fight there, and that all fights should be neat set pieces with intentional space
But I also respect that a lot of folks are used to and maybe even want combat every ten feet, in which case yeah, sure, have it available if people want to just fight random enemies every time they walk down the road
And having it as a toggle that you could like, turn on and off while you're playing would be fantastic - maybe you leave random encounters on early in the game, to get used to things, and then switch them off when you're just cleaning up, or maybe you do the reverse, making the world more dangerous as you get to a higher level, or maybe you keep them switched off most of the time but every once in a while just want to mash some buttons and can flick that switch
GTA and Red Dead are pretty good with this. Outside of some dangerous areas and encounters, so long as you don't have a gun pulled out you can interact with the environment as a random citizen going about their business.
random encounters should have died an ignoble death after chrono trigger showed that they were unnecessary
It's even worse when you have games like Yakuza where you have to find/buy/earn an item to avoid them. If you know they are a chore, just don't put them in the game!
Bethesda has a good formula for encounters, for the most part. There are dangerous enemies in the world, and you often have to get past them to get where you want to go, but they don't just spawn magically and the game gives you multiple options for stealthing past them.
I also like the sporadic trend of RPGs that don't give you XP for killing enemies, so you don't feel like you are long-term crippling your experience by not engaging with the trash mobs.
Posts
thank you I couldn't find the right way to put into words how it felt gross to me, this is it exactly. Queer folk (and, like, all minorities) only existing as set dressing because this is all a big 80s retro throwback and queer people (and non-white people) in media in the 80s=seedy weirdo lowlifes
edit: wrong thread but it is still true
I think it's inconsistent more than anything
there's some genuinely real good interactions in it, and then theres some real videogame shit going down
but yeah, I can count on one maybe both hands the amount of games that had the level of 'completeness' to it that witcher 3 had
yeah witcher 3 had quite a few strengths and they generally weren't in the combat
it felt a lot better if you took the time to prepare for it, which I liked a lot
It is very possible that Cyberpunk has a serious problems with the tastefulness and message of its writing while it's still, y'know, very well crafted/written as far as the crime thriller and sidequest stuff goes.
combat was totally fine for me until you fought big things or bosses
the DLC bosses were abysmal
the combat is so clearly designed around fighting dudes and dude-like things, and it works in that context
One of the things that comes up a lot in these sprawling games is how Main Quest Character and Sidequest Character are often two different entities inhabiting the same space. With the Witcher 3, you have a character who feels consistent throughout 100+ hours of gameplay whether you play him as a good guy or asshole.
That the character is also compelling as a performance in voice, facial expression, and body language/movement and well written is a remarkable achievement in any medium.
I'm not going into the game expecting Bayonetta and deflecting arrows back at mooks like a Jedi was always entertaining.
Of course for narrative heavy games like the Witcher the combat is one of the least important parts to me so maybe I'm just very forgiving for what I consider "good" in that type of game.
It's very good
One thing that really opened my eyes about this was when I played the 2014 Wolfenstein game. That game is a solidly written piece of genre fiction, it's fine and the editing of the cutscenes is incredibly competent. Like, not amazing, not revolutionary, just someone obviously experienced in editing with an eye for cinematic direction doing a good job. And I was reflecting on that and it was like, this says so much more about the industry at large than it does Wolfenstein specifically, that just having a core competency and attention to this part of making a visual story seems so extraordinary.
My expectations with Cyberpunk are that it will be a fun noir adventure in a well-realized open world. I don't expect it to be ground-breaking as a piece of science fiction, because it is really rare in general for a game to create a fresh take on anything in the genre it inhabits.
Not impossible, though. Disco Elysium is definitely an example of a game creating a fresh and literary take on a genre within gaming that transcends just being "pretty good for gaming".
There's a reason why, if I'm not getting my RPGs mixed up, Vagrant Story still has some of the better cutscenes in video games despite being super old. A lot of games just rely entirely too much on boring, floaty shot/reverse shot of two guys talking.
I liked a great deal about that game, but the dialogue scenes very nearly killed it for me.
Also why The Last Express remains one of the better looking games ever made. Art direction and an attention to environmental detail, body language, and facial expressions matters a lot more than fps and polygon count.
they also used procedural animation for most of it, which was what very nearly killed it for me
I'm hellishly rusty and really need to go clear a few monster nests so I can start thinking through tougher fights rather than just letting my fingers operate on pure muscle memory when I stab things to death.
This is true!
RDR2 also did not have a top-billed credit for robit dinosaur AI which was then promptly revealed to be "press right thumbstick to use your blackberry to reveal the robits' sentry paths".
The real issue was the graphics; coming off RDR2's absolutely astounding weather, lighting, and animation, HZD was like, a lot of bloom, gravity-defying hair and clothing, and terrible speaking animations that made me want to skip every cutscene with conversations.
I sort of still mean to go back and play more of it to see what else happens with the story, but the map-icon spam was exhausting and so was interacting with most of the other characters so...
HZD is very much a diamond in the rough though, it's very rewarding if you're willing to overlook its flaws
do not be afraid to cheat/abuse the game horribly to be the final boss
it's a trasssshhhhhh fight
the rest of the dlc though? absolutely top shelf stuff
I'm just generally not a fan of how big games like that feel the need to put enemy packs everywhere
ghost of tsushima had that problem, too
it's fine to just let me look around, or get where I need to go!
Which is a shame cause the actual story of HZD is aces. It really deserved better dialog cinematography.
Video games seem to be terribly afraid that players will get bored if they don't engage with combat mechanics once a minute, and it's very frustrating.
Yeah. I enjoyed how sparse Breath of the Wild was compared to other games of its kind. Like there was actually a point to using mounts because I didn't have to get off and fight every 5 seconds.
Normally I am of the opinion that if there isn't a plot reason for me to be in a fight then there shouldn't be a fight there, and that all fights should be neat set pieces with intentional space
But I also respect that a lot of folks are used to and maybe even want combat every ten feet, in which case yeah, sure, have it available if people want to just fight random enemies every time they walk down the road
And having it as a toggle that you could like, turn on and off while you're playing would be fantastic - maybe you leave random encounters on early in the game, to get used to things, and then switch them off when you're just cleaning up, or maybe you do the reverse, making the world more dangerous as you get to a higher level, or maybe you keep them switched off most of the time but every once in a while just want to mash some buttons and can flick that switch
in practical terms this could just be part of the difficulty settings
hrm
Personally I think their ED based hot dog holding is of greater concern
i still found it weird how many rats and birds and rabbits you have to kill to get that 5% drop chance pelt to craft a bigger pouch
i spent a lot of time hiding from the robot animals just so i could try to hunt rats
Steam // Secret Satan
GTA and Red Dead are pretty good with this. Outside of some dangerous areas and encounters, so long as you don't have a gun pulled out you can interact with the environment as a random citizen going about their business.
It's even worse when you have games like Yakuza where you have to find/buy/earn an item to avoid them. If you know they are a chore, just don't put them in the game!
Bethesda has a good formula for encounters, for the most part. There are dangerous enemies in the world, and you often have to get past them to get where you want to go, but they don't just spawn magically and the game gives you multiple options for stealthing past them.
I also like the sporadic trend of RPGs that don't give you XP for killing enemies, so you don't feel like you are long-term crippling your experience by not engaging with the trash mobs.