Thanks for everything you’ve done, Ben, it has been a joy to watch and listen to you over the last few years. Best wishes on your future endeavors, but remember - 3AM Boys forever.
The night shows start tonight, when the E3 show floor actually opens. It's starting around 9 P.M. Pacific, so look for it then (podcast usually goes up mid-morning after).
Yep, because it confirmed that BioWare decided to transfer its oh-so-boring-and-dull Dragon Age: Inquisition formula for filler to the venerable story-heavy franchise that was at its best when it eschewed filler (Mass Effect 2). I may pick it up in a year or so, but the approach that the reviews indicate fills ME:A took a series I have purchased day one or preordered and relegated it to "watch for a sale around $19.99 and take a waiver on it."
The essence of playing Breath of the Wild is as if Nintendo combined elements of Far Cry, Pokemon Snap, The Witness, The Witcher 3, and survival games all in one experience, clothed that experience in the aura and charm of Zelda, and threw in some Portal-like puzzles for good measure. While the game has distinct flaws and can certainly suffer from a lack of clear direction (a pro or con depending on your perspective), it is such a unique and joyful experience that I cannot help but feel refreshed after playing. If you are lobbing criticism without trying it yourself, then you are doing yourself a disservice. This is one of those games that I recommend anyone who has ever liked a video game try at least once, and approach with an open mind.
I'm about 20 hours in (buckled in over the weekend) on the WiiU version. It's got some framerate issues (particularly egregious examples usually came in towns or in massive enemy wave areas), but otherwise, performs well. Like others have mentioned, the only really annoying thing is that some Shrine puzzles require the use of the Gamepad instead of the Pro Controller (gyroscope needed).
@bisonhero: Path of Radiance is an incredible game, and its restrictions on supports and character grinding actually lend to the quality of the experience, rather than detract. I'm definitely more of a purist with FE games, and I find the inherent restrictions in deciding which characters to focus on and which supports to encourage far more rewarding than a game where I'm free to just pair any two units together and everything just works out. I'm with you on the characterizations as well, which are by far the best-realized in the FE series.
Awakening is the best of these three by a mile, and it's probably not even that close. Both Birthright and Conquest have absolutely horrid stories with threadbare characterization beyond the pairing/support stuff (and Revelations is not any better). Sure, the maps are fun and Conquest particularly is basically a classic Fire Emblem hard mode from the get-go, but that does not make up the absolute slog that playing through either game presents. Moreover, the child-rearing/eugenics mechanic is thrust into the games in a way that makes absolutely zero narrative sense, and detracts heavily from every other element the games present. By contrast, Awakening has a semi-coherent story with characters who feel far more fleshed out and less beholden to waifu/husbando wish fulfillment, and the children feel like a necessary addition to lend weight to a story about cute and sexy young adults trying to save the future.
That being said, Awakening has nothing on the Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn duo, and is not quite up to the standards set by The Binding Blade and The Blazing Blade. As much as I appreciate how much more prominent and popular Fire Emblem has become, I think the games' quality has been slowly slipping into a glorified dating sim and away from its more serious roots.
The list: Path of Radiance > The Binding Blade > The Blazing Blade > Radiant Dawn > Awakening > Sacred Stones > Conquest > Revelations > Birthright >>>>> Shadow Dragon (a remake of the first game with all of its problems and absolutely ugly art).
@wynnduffy: Then, if you don't care, why does the criticism about default whiteness bother you so much? Do you acknowledge that default whiteness exists? Do you seek out entertainment outside your comfort zone (i.e. traditionally black or Asian cinema or games ranging from visual novels to 4X games)? Do you take other people's suggestions seriously, or ever question your own beliefs when presented with information that challenges those beliefs?
While some criticism regarding race and gender may overstate or simplify the problems presented in a specific contexts, I find it hard to believe that any of those critics are acting with "malice" towards white people. What you may perceive as "malice" may be what many of us would call an acknowledgement of deep-rooted privilege, and I suggest you explore some additional pieces written on this site and others about why your perception may or may not be reflective of reality.
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