peakborn

Seems pretty neat, I'm mostly interested in how they tie in the period to the story and gameplay mechanics.

When it comes to the discussion of anime nonsense: I always felt that it straddled the line between anime nonsense and Pythonesque informed absurdity but I've only played the original trilogy. I bought the rest but burnt out half way through the third during my recap and have yet to return.

True and while I agree with most of Sommers points in general there isn't really a great foundation to any games criticism at the moment, most are translating critical frameworks from other mediums based on preference and majority of knowledge. The lack of these frameworks for analysis forces a reliance on more established mediums like film or the far more veteran of literature; sometimes combined with philosophical, historical or philosophical angles; to create a understandable point with varying levels of success. I'm guilty of this myself with private attempts mainly relying on film theory.

Video games are still fairly infantile in years when it comes to a critical scene, whether the current attempts and movements are beneficial to the creation of reliable criticism, frameworks and analysis remains to be seen.

In a mistake akin to Jeff's a lifetime subscription to the same company's superhero MMO.

Thanks to exchange rates it was softened by roughly 20% but I played it for less than a month past launch. What the fuck was I thinking.

Super High Tension!

During the Dragon Battle I was getting a real Ragnarok Odyssey vibe but that disappeared when that horde came marching down the road at the 2:45 mark at it went full Warriors. I've never been that into Dragon Quest, but my interest is piqued.

Also don't ask me why but that Dragon looked real cakey.

@viking_funeral: I've no idea why a liberal leaning paper would freak out when right wing numbers would increase, none at all. They're probably having prophetic nightmares of (let's drop the UK political conversation's equivalent of nitroglycerin into this well mannered thread) a reanimated Thatcher.

@kung_fu_viking: Hmm, looking it up seems that any British/EU resident in Scotland has a vote, regardless of time spent. I've not really kept up considering I can't vote, I hold my stance on the cultural standpoint though even if it gets messy when if comes to identification.

Personally I find it weird with familial ties to all of Great Britain, that suddenly a contingent of those people will technically be in a "foreign" (I can't really define the change in that except what was static seems to be a dynamic). Although having central Irish heritage I really can't lean either way.

I do think that the 3 year rule for voting seems odd, on a cultural standing, I know a few people who are Scottish through and through and went to university with Mr. Salmond but aren't considered Scottish enough to vote but anyone who's lived in Scotland for over 3 years is.

@andymc1888: Sure, but whichever choice post referendum you'll see countries governments under the U.K. banner gaining greater autonomy (or the opportunity for it) from Westminster thanks to the problems highlighted by this campaign. The Yes campaign hasn't been afraid of using some pretty shameful tactics, especially smear tactics and sensationalism, that hardly puts them in a different league than the No campaign.

Rollcage, Stuntman: Ignition, Recettear, Zoo Keeper, Armed and Dangerous, Quidditch World Cup, Zoombinis. I have fond memories of all these games and still own copies of the latter four, QWC remains the only sports game I've ever gotten into.

Aside from the recently podcast mentioned Buck Bumble. Most of mine come from odd Mac shareware (and some of the names have faded from my memory):

Giza - a first person maze puzzle game where you descended into a pyramid collecting crystals.

Postie (?) - a top down shooter like space invaders but you where a postman throwing letters and pedestrians and increasingly difficult law enforcement up to the army with tanks, with children's TV Postman Pat theme included.

Foobar Versus the DEA - a top down scrolling shooter where you played a Foobar (who I think is a nondescript superhero) who needs to free his boyfriend (and from looking it up) from a DEA mind control camp, by blowing up a computer that spies on all Americans called NOSEY, progressive.

Twisted! - A point a click adventure where you got transported to Oz, with most of it's iconic characters and a logic I could never understand.

BOOM - Bomberman with DOOM styled sprites, up to 4 players with a co-operative main mode and competitive arena modes. It was awesome and I played this far too much.

I'm fairly sure the postman one is bootleg and shady so it's lost to the ages (edited because I found out what Twisted! was exactly).

I've attempted all console MGS games up to 3 and Portable and Peacewalker. I've only completed Peacewalker. I only have fond memories of VR missions in MGS.

But MGS is like 16 years old, things age man and technology has improved.

That being said MGS is super fucking anime and anyone in denial needs to start listing off the villains like Vamp or The Pain and then deny it.

Anime as fuck, those bees, man.

I've been playing Monster Hunter for a very long while, since the first putting at least 200-300 hours in each time, and as a 'westerner' I love Monster Hunter and it remains one of my all time favourites.

Personal example aside. The gameplay mechanics of Destiny and MH are very different and only sound similar when used in a broad sense: as pointed out Destiny is far more akin to Diablo 3 or Borderlands with random loot driven experiences, Monster Hunter may share progression through equipment procurement and improvement but it is entirely based on player decision. Combat mechanics are clearly different, with Monster Hunter being far more comparable to the Souls series.

The main thing is you bring up is that Monster Hunter is mechanically complex, which is it's charm, and the one thing reviewers brought up was that Destiny isn't mechanically complex(or if there is any it's obfuscated and no control is given to the player). When thrown into comparison with the recent console release of Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls it's shortfalls are far more obvious . It's also worth noting Destiny doesn't capitalise on it's story either.

I've always linked the mild ire to Monster Hunter in the west to the way it surfaces and informs the player on the minutiae and of the gameplay as well as some of the larger mechanics too, which in the early days (anything before MH3) was lost in translation. 8:4 has done a good job of preserving it in recent years but the way it's relayed still seems alien to some western players, while you might pick up references in what seem like unremarkable conversations there is still an a fair bit of experimentation as well as some expected knowledge base that has never been founded due to the earlier titles.