Video Games

Anyone tried AOE IV? Imagine I'll pick it up if it ever appears in a sale, but any reason to get it sooner?

I have played it a bit on game pass. Gameplay is pretty much the same as before but the opponents seem a lot more aggressive to me.

@JB was talking about getting it

I only haven't downloaded it as I don't have time at the moment to sink into it. I would like to play it but ultimately I'm having fun with Riders Republic at the moment surprisingly and Forza comes out soon...

Does anyone want a Nintendo Labo robot kit for Switch? It’s already been assembled, comes with the game cartridge.

https://www.nintendo.com/products/detail/labo-robot-kit/

Free, collection from SE8 only

That Unpacking game is really nice actually but way too short.

Those sorts of games always look very relaxing but the (perceived) lack of replayability always stops me from actually picking one up (Donut County is another)

That's where gamepass or similar is amazing.

Day off today. Spending as many hours as possible playing FH5. Starting with my tradition of driving every road in the game first.

Hopefully no release day server issues to mess things up

Totally bored of the Horizon format. New environment to explore appeals, but nothing else.

That’s never been a thing for horizon. Playing it for the last hour already.

Each to their own I guess. I love it.

Ah that's alright then. Hope you're enjoying it. Planning to download it in a few weeks I think.

Starting with my tradition of driving every road in the game first.

Well that took ages…

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started played wasteland 3 - enjoying it so far. really wish I could play FO:NV at 60 fps on xbox series S though : /

Driving games aren't usually my thing, but man FH5 looks absolutely gorgeous

It's insanely good looking. They've perfected 30fps motion blur and controller responsiveness. Feels basically as good as 60fps but with better LOD

Is the driving better now? I tried the previous one but couldn't see the point of a driving game without driving physics.

It's exactly the same tbh. Everything is exactly the same except the map.

It's definitely not the same...

Things that have changed:

1. Generally the cars feel weightier, more planted - tyre / grip physics have definitely been altered
   
2. ABS / no ABS implementations are now much more realistic
   
3. Feeling of speed is definitely dialled down (though still somewhat unrealistic)
   
4. The effect of 1. is that different tyre compounds (and suspension setups) affect the way a car behaves in a much more accurate way ie race tyres no longer just work offroad
   
5. The AI is harder per tier - ie I used to drive against Pro / Unbeatable and now I drive against highly skilled / expert to achieve the same results
   
   

Things that haven't changed:

1. Overall, the AI is still properly shit - rubber banding and cheating is still rife. AI cars seem to abandon physics in order to offer you a challenge
   
   

It's still definitely not a sim racer but that's not the point. Driving is more nuanced and challenging though.

So, what're Rockstar like these days with review embargos? Should we expect some GTA Trilogy reviews tomorrow (day before launch)? Or is it likely to be a launch day thing? Would prefer the Switch version, but if the performance is crap I'll go for the PC version instead.

They're usually a day of release company.

Switch screenshots look shit but maybe it'll look better in motion.

I am really enjoying Hong Kong Massacre right now even though it's not the style of game I usually play. It's Hotline Miami with good graphics.

I've always thought good arcade physics are as enjoyable as any proper simulator. Certainly if using a controller rather than wheel.

Am still really torn between wanting FH5 for the environment and avoiding it because so many other things will annoy me. I get that it's open-world, but that doesn't mean it has to be so completely lacking in structure. Little more than doing enough 'stuff' so that more 'stuff' becomes available and then some special 'big stuff' suddenly appears from out of nowhere.

And I know people don't like having to put much effort into obtaining things these days, but practically everything is handed to you on a plate as prizes. Never felt like I had to actually earn a car before I could compete in something.

Very much looking forward to GT7 next year, which will also look fantastic while no doubt sticking with its own trite formula.