Hot takes

[Ikagura Ikagura]

As someone who loves Kojima, you're right.

I feel like Kojima's biggest issue is he needs someone to step in and tell him no on certain things

Recently I was reading over the translated MGS2 Design Document and was immediately met with this on the first page.

View attachment 25476

Kojima's always been weird and out there and had very pretentious ideas. I feel like the only difference is now he's head of his own studio and nobody's around to shoot down his weirder ideas.

When you think about it Metal Gear Solid V is not MGS5 at all.

The "V" in the title is misleading.

 

[moonbits]

If it wasn't for Tomokazu Fukushima, Kojima wouldn't have reached his status. That man co-wrote MGS 1-3 and disappeared

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

If it wasn't for Tomokazu Fukushima, Kojima wouldn't have reached his status. That man co-wrote MGS 1-3 and disappeared

That explains the various changes in 4 and Peace Walker.

 

[Tonberry]

I think Castlevania 4 kind of sucks.

 

[MasterEn]

I think Castlevania 4 kind of sucks.

that's super castlevania 4, right?

 

[Tonberry]

that's super castlevania 4, right?

Yeah, I always forget the prefix for that one.

 

[J.F.C]

Meh i think people online rag on Kojimbo a bit too much.
He has a big ego but Kojima's a great game designer with a lot of good ideas, he just likes sucking Hollywood's cock too much and to give credit to himself on games he barely had a hand on (Zone of The Enders, Boktai) which are big flaws but that doesn't mean that everyone else in Konami did everything and he was just sitting on his ass all day doing nothing.

 

[tropicalavera]

I think Castlevania 4 kind of sucks.

that's because it DOES kind of suck.
tbh, most SFC/SNES action games are pretty lacklustre compared to what was happening on the Megadrive - especially Konami's outings.

 

[MasterEn]

Yeah, I always forget the prefix for that one.

egoraptor made a short vdieo many years ago talking about it for about 5 minutes.
it seems to be a remake of the first game but with improved graphics and controls, but they made the whip too over powered. it can do nearly everything that the sub weapons are supposed to do. you hardly ever need them. it hits multiple times, has a good reach, hits diagonally up; that's what the cross, holy water, knife and axe are for. it makes for an overall different and probably underwhelming experience.

 

[Tonberry]

that's because it DOES kind of suck.
tbh, most SFC/SNES action games are pretty lacklustre compared to what was happening on the Megadrive - especially Konami's outings.

It's just interesting because I always see that game on the top of the SNES lists, but I didn't even like it as a kid (I preferred Dracula X before I knew that it was a janky port/de-make of the best Castlevania game ever).
I'm generally a SNES preferrer but Bloodlines is definitely the best Castlevania of that era.

Another lauded SNES game I've never liked (but have tried to several times) is Secret of Mana. But I recently had to come to terms with the fact that I don't really think any Mana game is particularly good, they just have great art and music.

 

[Somnia]

While I can understand that people can find enjoyment I also need to give Sonic fans a reality check about several things:

1. Even if X-treme came out it would've been obliterated by Mario 64 (and even Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon). Even then players wanted more mature games than yet another mascot platformer. Maybe Sega should've focused on a new IP instead.
2. Even if 2006 was delayed for the next year it would've been mediocre. Yes, even a polished turd is still a turd at the end of the day. The level design is the only redeeming thing about it. It would've obviously been less infamous if it weren't for the excruciatingly long loading times, the framerate taking a deep dive when too many things are happening on screen, the tediousness of Silver's gameplay and certainly that badly written story with the infamous kiss scene.

PS: Also I still think that the Werehog has no place in Unleashed. They could've made it a fundamentally perfect game (the boost gameplay is much better for speed platforming than the Adventure style which is too close to a normal platformer with a Sonic skin slapped on it). Even the Wisps and 2.5D sections in Colours are fine.

I do not understand how you can say "Even then players wanted more mature games" and then admit that Crash, Spyro and Mario 64 would have trounced X-treme. Nevermind the fact that the majority of Sonic fans don't see much merit in X-treme and are fairly glad it didn't come out (they wanted Adventure on Saturn, not X-treme) but to say that Mario would trounce Sonic without admitting that Sonic has the most 90s attitude and edge of all the mascots feels silly to me. There's a reason that in the late 90s, Sonic Adventure sold nearly 3 million units on a dead on arrival console. Sonic was still a relevant IP and a good 3D Sonic game would still push units.

Would it have saved the Saturn? Of course not, Sega's approach to bringing Genesis IP forward and creating new IP was extremely flawed, especially in their western game divisions. Plenty of other mistakes were made with the systems architecture and rollout that ensured it was gonna be a middling success in even the best-case scenario. But I definitely think that if a good 3D Sonic game came out for the Saturn, it would have sold well and pushed some units, especially if it happened early on in the system's life before the west had thoroughly given up on it.

As for 06 itself, if development had gone smoothly it absolutely would have been received far better. While there is little to be done to help that story without extensively reworking certain aspects, the core characterization is still great in that game. Coupled with better controls, less bugs and the fact that it arguably has the best 3D Sonic level design of all time and you'd definitely have a winner of sorts. Even if certain concepts like the day and night cycle never made it in, a Sonic 06 that at least has ultra polished gameplay wouldn't have earned even half of the reputation it went on to have for the late 2000s and 2010s.

Regardless of how I feel about the game I'm genuinely happy that the Sonic community is one that can look at even the most generally reviled games from outsiders and find things to love in it. Shadow the Hedgehog is one of my least favorite games of all time and yet it has a very vocal, passionate following within the fanbase and that's kinda badass. Shit, I'm a Lost World and Colors apologist for cryin out loud!

 

[HexGramarye]

Most RPGs now are too long, and stories/pacing often suffer in the process. There's so much open world, and it's rare for a game to just be linear and focus on plot. Back in the day it would be rare for a game to exceed 40 hours, and I personally preferred how it was back then.

 

[RanmyakuIchi's icon RanmyakuIchi RanmyakuIchi]

Most RPGs now are too long, and stories/pacing often suffer in the process. There's so much open world, and it's rare for a game to just be linear and focus on plot. Back in the day it would be rare for a game to exceed 40 hours, and I personally preferred that.

I would apply this to more than just RPGs and say a lot of games in general are too long these days. I miss having a proper curated level and world design instead of massive open worlds that blur together and are full of busy work.

 

[Nidoking's iconNidoking]

I can't say I think MvC2 is overrated or anything since I'm just... not really qualified to make that claim, I've never enjoyed Capcom fighting games as a whole because they're just too technical and complex for me. I'm terrible at remembering inputs and long combo chains, and I'm not terrible skilled at reading opponents. They just don't click with me.

A notable hot take for me, though... I honestly thought Breath of the Wild was a pretty weak game. It really doesn't do much of anything to innovate or change the open world game thing, and repeats a lot of very outdated trends from them. The genre as a whole was also pretty stale way before it came out. Beyond that, it just isn't very fun or interesting. You repeat like four different things countless times, everything there is to 'find' is just more of the same things like shrines (which almost all have exactly the same rewards), the main dungeons basically don't even have enemies, and the weapon durability is horrific. I really miss the classic Zelda formula and wish they'd just go back to it, but the BotW formula is so monumentally popular I doubt it ever will... at least for the main series. The sequel is definitely a pretty solid game, though... even if it repeats a lot of the same mistakes.

 

[Tonberry]

I think Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Valhalla are the best ones.

 

[Pandaprewmaster325]

Counter strike source is better than 1.6 , you got buffed five seven and dual berreta and an actually good tec9.

 

[Elwiwi]

Kinda lukewarm take but whatever
Earthbound/mother should stay dead
xenoblade 2 and persona 3 portable should be eradicated from history

 

[Num]

xenoblade 2

you shouldve saved this for a shitty takes thread instead

 

[Elwiwi]

you shouldve saved this for a shitty takes thread instead

Whats wrong with my take ?

 

[Tonberry]

Whats wrong with my take ?

Nothing, it's a perfectly hot take, but I agree with you.
I think Xenoblade 2 sucks and I wouldn't touch P3P with a ten foot pole.

 

[MasterEn]

the only good part of xenoblade 2 was pyra.

 

[kuroninneko]

Lots of modern games focus too much on being narrative driven. I know its the big word these days in the game industry but I feel like too much narrative is bad for games. Maybe Im just oldschool but if I dont get to play in the first few minutes it becomes boring. Walking to a npc and pressing the talk button does not count as playing. RPGs might be exempt from this example if they have a challenging and thought provoking battle systems or fun world to explore.

Also there are some games I wanted to like but could not because to progress I had to talk to the correct NPC and to know who I had to actually read tons of intro dialog (which Im likely to skip bc of my limited time)

 

[miguk miguk]

you shouldve saved this for a shitty takes thread instead

I don't exactly agree with the other takes listed, but this one is far from shitty.

Whats wrong with my take ?

Nothing.

the only good part of xenoblade 2 was pyra.

The good parts:

• The main plot was mostly well thought out if you ignore the playable characters.
• The connections to the previous game were done well.
• Pyra is cute.
• Poppy is a very well developed character if you ignore her terrible origin story.
• Gameplay can be good if you can figure it out yourself (despite the endless tutorials that barely explain it).
• The music is still legit good. The background music at Indol is particularly well done, given how it foreshadows the truth of the place.

The bad:

• Rex is an ***hole by proxy. He never speaks out against anything anyone else does wrong no matter how bad they behave. Likewise, he never apologizes for his behavior towards Mythra. Also gets an ending he did not in any way, shape, or form earn given how little he respects the women in his life.
• Azurda is a sexist b*****d. Shames Mythra for things that she has no control over and he actually knows that, and thinks sexual harassment is a woman's fault.
• Mythra is set up to be mocked as a woman who brings misogyny onto herself. Said mockery doesn't even make sense in in-game logic. (Example: Mythra is mocked for supposedly choosing to dress sexually, yet in-canon she can not change her clothes because they are a fixed aspect of her body that she never chose.)
• Tora should have got his pedo ass beat after he told Rex about his ambitions. Dude doesn't belong anywhere near children, even artificial ones. The rest of the cast just pretends they never heard what he said despite the facts that he makes it clear repeatedly.
• Poppy QT (Hana JK in JP, literally "Flower Grade Schooler") is pedo bait.
• Morag is a discount Nazi. Her whole country is just a fascist-lite lifeless hellhole masquerading as a "normal" country.
• Nia is a dull anime stereotype, namely a tsundere. Spends too much time fretting over her chances with the guy she hates/likes instead of giving a damn about herself. Somehow, cannibalism is the least bothersome thing about her. ("What if he doesn't like me for eating people?" It's Rex, you fool; he's proven over and over to have no f***ing morality.)
• Zeke is a classist SOB. Rich jerk makes a super harsh insult against poor refugees and the rest of the cast just pretends he didn't say it because they're just as horrible.
• Newt is the most disgusting playable character I've seen in any JRPG. Ugly as sin, dresses like a Nazi, obsesses over the fascist-lite army, and literally quotes Hitler. The translators worked hard to censor all the religious stuff in the game, but a f***ing Hitler quote was okay?!
• Floren is just an anti-trans/non-binary joke. The writers of Xenoblade 2 seriously think that people living in their fantastical worlds can handle tons of weird stuff happening around them all the time completely poker faced, but a person not being the gender they thought they were is the biggest shocker they ever witnessed.
• And I want to note that after all this, Nintendo of America decided the one problem with the original script was the references to religion. Over 90% of all mentions of religion are censored in a half-assed way despite a lot of the original names for things being super obvious, yet they were cool with pedos, bigots, and Nazis.

 

[MasterEn]

I don't exactly agree with the other takes listed, but this one is far from shitty.


Nothing.


The good parts:

• The main plot was mostly well thought out if you ignore the playable characters.
• The connections to the previous game were done well.
• Pyra is cute.
• Poppy is very well developed if you ignore her terrible origin story.
• Gameplay can be good if you can figure it out yourself (despite the endless tutorials that barely explain it).

The bad:

• Rex is an ***hole by proxy. He never speaks out against anything anyone else does wrong no matter how bad they behave. Likewise, he never apologizes for his behavior towards Mythra. Also gets an ending he did not in any way, shape, or form earn given how little he respects the women in his life.
• Azurda is a sexist b*****d. Shames Mythra for things that she has no control over and he actually knows that, and thinks sexual harassment is a woman's fault.
• Mythra is set up to be mocked as a woman who brings misogyny onto herself. Said mockery doesn't even make sense in in-game logic. (Example: Mythra is mocked for dressing sexually, yet in-canon she can not change her clothes because they are a fixed aspect of her body.)
• Tora should have got his pedo ass beat after he told Rex about his ambitions. Dude doesn't belong anywhere near children, even artificial ones.
• Poppy QT (Hana JK in JP, literally "Flower Grade Schooler") is pedo bait.
• Morag is a discount Nazi. Her whole country is just a fascist-lite lifeless hellhole masquerading as a "normal" country.
• Nia is an dull anime stereotype, namely a tsundere. Spends too much time fretting over her chances with the guy she hates/likes instead of giving a damn about herself. Somehow, cannibalism is the least bothersome thing about her.
• Zeke is a classist SOB. Rich jerk makes a super harsh insult against poor refugees and the rest of the cast just pretends he didn't say it because they're just as horrible.
• Newt is the most disgusting playable character I've seen in any JRPG. Ugly as sin, dresses like a Nazi, obsesses over the fascist-lite army, and literally quotes Hitler. The translators worked hard to censor all the religious stuff in the game, but a f***ing Hitler quote was okay?!
• Floren is just an anti-trans/non-binary joke. The writers of Xenoblade 2 seriously think that people living in their fantastical worlds can handle tons of weird stuff happening around them all the time completely poker faced, but a person not being the gender they thought they were is the biggest shocker they ever witnessed.
• And I want to note that after all this, Nintendo of America decided the one problem with the original script was the references to religion. 90% of all mentions of religion are censored despite a lot of them being obvious, yet they were cool with pedos, bigots, and Nazis.

i know the good parts part of your list was meant to be a small defense of the game, but only two of those stand on their own.
"The connections to the previous game were done well."
i would certainly hope a direct sequel connects to the previous game. this isn't final fantasy.
"Pyra is cute."
100% agree.
"The main plot was mostly well thought out if you ignore the playable characters."
from what you wrote, pyra is the only good character and that would mean that the story is only good when she is on screen. if you have to ignore the party members to enjoy the story, you might as well not even bother playing the game. just look up pyra fanart. that's what i do.
"Poppy is very well developed if you ignore her terrible origin story."
kind of defeats the point of even bring it up in game if its that bad that it has nothing to do with her actual arc.
"Gameplay can be good if you can figure it out yourself (despite the endless tutorials that barely explain it)."
if the tutorial sucks and i either have to figure it out blindly or look up a guide, i don't think i would stick around very long. it's a different story if the translation is bad or something.
and with the rest of your bad parts list; kind of glad that i put off playing this. i can't imaging what the other installments in this set are like. i stopped playing xenosaga right near the end of the first game, and i've read that blade, saga and gears are all connected. now i kind of don't want to play gears either. i might just draw some art of pyra and KOS-MOS. and telos? i think that's her name.
they will apparently be the only parts of the entire series that i like.

 

[miguk miguk]

i know the good parts part of your list was meant to be a small defense of the game, but only two of those stand on their own.
"The connections to the previous game were done well."
i would certainly hope a direct sequel connects to the previous game. this isn't final fantasy.
"Pyra is cute."
100% agree.
"The main plot was mostly well thought out if you ignore the playable characters."
from what you wrote, pyra is the only good character and that would mean that the story is only good when she is on screen. if you have to ignore the party members to enjoy the story, you might as well not even bother playing the game. just look up pyra fanart. that's what i do.
"Poppy is very well developed if you ignore her terrible origin story."
kind of defeats the point of even bring it up in game if its that bad that it has nothing to do with her actual arc.
"Gameplay can be good if you can figure it out yourself (despite the endless tutorials that barely explain it)."
if the tutorial sucks and i either have to figure it out blindly or look up a guide, i don't think i would stick around very long. it's a different story if the translation is bad or something.
and with the rest of your bad parts list; kind of glad that i put off playing this. i can't imaging what the other installments in this set are like. i stopped playing xenosaga right near the end of the first game, and i've read that blade, saga and gears are all connected. now i kind of don't want to play gears either. i might just draw some art of pyra and KOS-MOS. and telos? i think that's her name.
they will apparently be the only parts of the entire series that i like.

The direct connections to XC1 don't come up until pretty late in the game. Even then, none of it is made clear until the last chapter.

What I mean about the main plot is that it all reads good on paper. If you read any summary online, you don't see all the dialogue or character interactions included, so it all sounds really good. It's only when you hear and see the characters being a bunch of b*****ds that the writing falls apart. (And note that you could easily miss Newt and Floren's parts, as both characters are locked away in the gatcha system.)

Poppy is the one character other than Pyra who doesn't act horrible towards others; likewise, she actually develops instead of staying the same anime trope from beginning to end. That, unfortunately, doesn't change the fact that her story starts off pedo baiting and Tora is always there to undermine it all.

The translations of the tutorials isn't the problem. The tutorials are just really bad because the Xenoblade writers suck at technical writing. (This was also an issue in Xenoblade X, especially for the mining system.) You basically have to experiment until you get how the battle system is supposed to work. (Note that almost every review of the game hated on it to the extent that they completely redid it in the prequel.)

Xenoblade 1 is actually a fantastic game and definitely worth playing. It has none of the issues that XC2 has. (Okay, Melia being traumatized at the end of the original release is kind of sad, but that was changed in the Switch version.)

Xenoblade X is a mixed bag. The gameplay is great, the world building is really good, and it does well at incorporating MMO elements into a mostly offline game. However, the writing is really bad, with an incomplete main story (though the Switch version expands it), a lot of repetitive dialogue in story cut scenes, and the playable characters having an idiotically repetitive and underdeveloped sense of humor. Oh, and the worst song in the game is the one that plays the most often. At least the characters aren't hateable when they aren't trying to be funny.

Can't comment on Xenoblade 3 too much since I've played it on and off without finishing. Nobody's confirmed for me if it gets as cringe as XC2 does, so I'm reluctant to put the effort into powering through it. (Also, the submenu's equipment section UI is such trash that it makes equipment changes aggravating, so that makes playing a bit of a slog.)