NTM

Well, I'm excited about it. These are still great games I'm sure. I'm just disappointed it's coming this late. I remember holding off on multiple DLC once I finished the trilogy because I was hoping for a remaster, but then some news came out that Bioware (or perhaps just EA) had no plans to do it as they wanted to create new things instead, so I went back through the series and bought all the DLC which cost about $59.99. This was probably in 2015, but at this point, I don't remember when I went back through them.

Wow, really? I'm usually in-the-know about this kind of thing, and yet I didn't know that. That sucks. I dislike it when apps like Netflix or Amazon Prime force HDR even when things aren't natively HDR, so doing it on console-level sucks. I don't have a PS5 yet. I mean, I hope more games take advantage of the system-level HDR calibration/HGIG, but not to use it for the entire system. Also, everyone seems to be running into that issue, but some like it, some don't. The best thing, and very inconvenient way to go about this right now is to find what games have HDR and the games that don't and turn it off and on, on the system settings... That is dumb. The reason is that, as you might have guessed, the games that are not natively HDR, are not actually HDR even when it's running under it. It's 'SDR in an HDR container'. Basically, fake HDR.

@serryl: Well, I chalked that up to both the money they have, as well as the talk of technology and medicine(?) going a long way toward prolonging people's lives, so they were able to be that way. There's some content in the game that shows that the tech can really change your identity too. I agree though that I wish they would have looked and sounded drastically older than they were, I felt there was enough story reason for them not to though.

Finished yesterday at 100 hours. I chose to go in with Rogue as Johnny too, and in the end, I tried both endings where Johnny talks to the kid and gets him a guitar, then, not liking that end (it was sweet, but that ending was perhaps the ending I wanted least, and I was a bit confused by the choices so it led me there). Then once I was put back into the game, I chose to have V come out. Panam was there since she was my love interest, and then V went to the orbital space station. I didn't love that ending either. I think the option I might like is taking Panam on the final mission. I checked, and it sounds as if that is the 'happiest' choice to take, and really is the one I wanted. I didn't take her though because I didn't want her to die. Thinking about it, the main story is extremely short.

I had done all the side missions that I could see (aside from buying all vehicles), which is one of the reasons why it took me 100 hours, but the main story felt like it would take 15 or so. I can't say I loved the main story. The events were fun to play out, but there wasn't a whole lot there. It's really about going everywhere and doing the side stuff that adds to it. That said, it's mainly the side stuff you pick up along the way during the critical path that felt most important. The majority of side quests/gigs felt relatively unimportant even when they were interesting. In a sense, it was disappointing. I enjoyed my time with the game, and I feel like going back in just to do my preferred ending, but I'm also already feeling like I've gotten what I wanted out of the experience and being put back into the world the way we were doesn't give a lot of motivation to keep going.

The best moments are the ones spent with the female characters in the game; I thought they were the strongest characters. I really felt a connection to Judy and was sad when she left. Panam was cool, but a bit generic. I liked Misty and I wish they did more with her; not necessarily as a love interest, just more. The world of Night City was great to walk around in. I enjoyed the sights and sounds of it, but perhaps my favorite was being in the badlands or in North Oak and looking at it from the outside. A few characters along the way also point that out, so maybe that's the point. Stealth/combat was nothing new, but it was fun. It's just unfortunate because I'm not sure how interested I am in seeing what the game feels like after these new patches come out. Maybe I'll explore the world a lot more when I can play it on Xbox Series X.

Something I didn't like, but would explain an issue some people have about the offensiveness and it not making a whole lot of sense, is that the world that Johnny came from didn't feel much different than 2077 that V is in. I wanted it to mirror ours more with modern tech, and the look of the city/clothing, but it does explain that even in 2013, 2025, etc., the world is pretty consistent up to 2077. In the end, I think I just wanted more time with the characters I cared about.

@bondfish: Better on Legendary difficulty. I haven't played them in a while, but I feel like the Halo games are, even if aspects haven't aged well, are still enjoyable.

Yeah, 198X has a great soundtrack, but it's not worth getting as there's not enough to it gameplay-wise, and the story/VO/writing is cringe-worthy. I didn't get it, but I watched it on YouTube as I discovered it is extremely short. Mine might be Red Faction: Remarstered. I also have it on Xbox 360, but I couldn't finish it there either. The game isn't bad, but I don't enjoy it enough to get through it, so I played very little of the 'remarster'.

There wasn't anything new that came out this year in which I regretted getting. It's a bit off-topic because I wouldn't say I regretted it, but a game I, unfortunately, can't muster the motivation to finish from this year is Nioh 2. It feels too much like a rehash of the first game, which was one of my favorite 2017 games. It feels like a big expansion pack rather than a full-fledged new game. I think it's well-made, but it doesn't grab me as the first one did.

I'll beat it at some point I'm sure, but I'm not sure when. Too bad that remasters a coming out now. I'm not sure if I'll get that.

Before I go on, I am not here to defend the game's issues or speak praise for CDPR when/where it's not deserved, but I want to be honest. I am 54 hours into the game and still going through it. I want to do everything in the game, so it isn't short, and better yet, not short on great content. I am surprised because I think, through the many (although for me personally, minor) issues, it's probably my second favorite game of 2020.

The thing is, I am on the Xbox One X too, so I'm excited to try it on new-gen hardware when I can. I wish there were fewer to no bugs; I wish the frame rate was a bit steadier; inventory management less cumbersome; an option to customize cosmetics because V looks terrible almost always, and maybe the option to go prone. HDR needs work. The traffic density in streets is also unrealistically low/vacant at times (although, at times it makes sense and I prefer it), but like the other things I mention, it's all minor enough that they're not taking away from my experience, and I don't think them being fixed would change my opinion too much (but I hope they're fixed!)

There are too many individual minor issues to name, they just don't add up to making my experience anything less than great. I love the world through its sights and sounds, the gunplay and stealth are a whole lot of fun to me, and the characters and their stories are extraordinary. I hate the state of night city, but I feel it's deliberately immoral. What it's trying to say is a bit simplistic, but it works as well as I assume they were trying to make it. It does was it feels like it sets out to do for better or worse. Through the story though, it shows that there are still good and caring people which I appreciate, otherwise it all would become overbearing.

So yeah, I love it. It is basically what I would want out of a new Deus Ex. And although I don't condone the things CDPR has done, I am impressed with what they pulled off considering this is their first FPS. Going on foot 99 percent of the time, playing very hard, and doing all side quests helps the experience I think. I'd regret running right through the story. There's a lot of variety and detail in the environments taking into account the entire map. I'm doing all the missions that are considered medium and down, and some hard ones since not all of them require you to get into combat encounters.

My least favorite side missions so far have been the hand-to-hand fights. The fist fighting isn't great, and the fact the foes can take you out in one to three hits, while it takes about 20 for you to finish them is somewhat annoying. Sometimes the story and characters behind them are interesting though. I've learned to just strong punch them over and over; seems they have a hard time fighting back when I do that and there's a good chance they get knocked to the ground.

Lastly, for now, question: what did people make of the GLaDOS vehicle?

I generally am not a fan of the music that you hear during combat, but I actually like it. It's somewhat dubstep-y. The game in general sounds great, especially on an Atmos system. The only thing that annoys me is that sometimes I'll hear what sounds like a huge ship fly over, but when I look up and behind me, there is nothing there. The music is one of those rare ones where, take the combat music for instance, that I find good, but it's not very memorable. I don't think I'd be able to conjure it up in my head and hum it or anything after I'm done playing it.

And yeah, the ponpon music, I just think 'anime' or 'chibi' when I hear it. I don't drive much in the game, but any time I do and I turn it to the jazzy station, the song is always the same for some reason. I'm not sure if it saves the music or what. It's a soundtrack I think that fits better in the game than listening to it separately, at least to me so far. Lastly, it's not so much a sound issue as it is a bug, but when you can't hear your footsteps, it's not because the sound isn't registering, it's because your character's legs aren't moving.

@nodima: I have been going everywhere in the game on foot for 98 percent of it and I'm playing on very hard, doing all side content within the optimal difficulty (if a mission is under 'danger: very high', I can't really do it yet), and it took me 23 hours to reach Keanu and the title card, which was surprising. I am now 34.5 hours in. I am really enjoying the game. I won't defend it nor could I even recommend it since its issues are well known and they're affecting so many, but for me personally, playing on the One X, the bugs are minor in my up to this point.

The combat/stealth/hacking/looting, etc., none of it is new, but I'm enjoying it and is well-enough made. I haven't done a lot of the main story, but what I've experienced so far I do like. The characters are good. I really like the world, from its sights and sounds. Side quests aren't as repetitive as I was initially led to believe, but they're not amazing. Overall, the game has issues, and on a technical level it's the frame rate that is most intrusive, but it's playable. I think it's great so far.

The game is definitely Deus Ex meets GTA, but only about... 20 percent GTA? Although it doesn't work entirely the same as Deus Ex, it's very reminiscent of HR and MD in terms of gameplay/traversal. I also want to say, I fully recommend people play on very hard. I think if they can diminish the bugs, maybe tweak some aspects (like inventory management), and people that had higher expectations set their expectations right, this game will be lauded by many whether it's deserved or not (unless, however, the stuff just offends you).

Going back to the topic though, that is an aspect I think is a bit over the top, but also in favor of the game just in terms of making the player feel disgusted for the state of its world. Some of that might make you feel something toward the developers, but a lot of it feels like it's made to tell its story.