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Dapper_Swindler
Feb 14, 2012

Im glad my instant dislike in you has been validated again and again.
Yeah, Aiden is basically just Rorschach with cell phone and none of the depth. There are a ton of other complaints and some stuff i do like, but ill wait til the LP get deeper in the story.

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Great Joe
Aug 13, 2008

Aiden is like Rorschach if Rorschach weren't funny or interesting.

CrashCat
Jan 10, 2003

another shit post


HOOLY BOOLY posted:

You never payed attention to the times where the kid or the sister refers to him as "Uncle" Aiden?
I didn't write "never"? It probably doesn't help that I watched other people stream it before I broke down and bought it, but the story cues all point me toward "failed marriage". :shrug:

Izzus
Mar 14, 2014

Cool, now I don't have to play this game.

Having a little experience in IT, I appreciated Conan's Clueless Gamer segment where their IT guy said the entire concept for this game was idiotic. He explained it so eloquently:
"That would be the worst design possible. [...] Because it would allow a guy like this to hack into everything, like he is."

anilEhilated
Feb 17, 2014

But I say fuck the rain.

Grimey Drawer
This looks terrible right from the start, with clunky interface, horrible art direction and situational-seeming items. At least you don't have to do a minigame whenever you want to hack something.

The Wicked Wall
Aug 24, 2012

I guess the aphorism
"I think, therefore I am" brings little comfort in this case.
After the insane amount of marketing hype this game got, it feels vindicating to know how frighteningly bad it turned out to be. Still, all the more to make fun of!

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Let's be fair. This game is mediocre.
Fix the driving physics and ignore the story, I could see being AssCreed popular.
The game has some interesting ideas and mechanics. Its side missions are cool and easily overshadow the events in the main plot. If the hacking mechanics were improved, and had more utility and variety, it would be a solid title.

Ape Has Killed Ape
Sep 15, 2005

SSNeoman posted:

Let's be fair. This game is mediocre.
Fix the driving physics and ignore the story, I could see being AssCreed popular.
The game has some interesting ideas and mechanics. Its side missions are cool and easily overshadow the events in the main plot. If the hacking mechanics were improved, and had more utility and variety, it would be a solid title.

This game would be great if it weren't so terrible!

The Heavenator
Feb 28, 2011

BangBangBang! Commando of the Galaxy
It's the type of game that the more you think about it, the angrier you get.

Kinfolk910
Nov 5, 2010
If it helps the game out in any way there is a much better visual/graphics system locked deep within its core. In the PC version you can actually hack it so it actually uses next gen graphics instead of... well... last gens graphics. Which is a little funny once you think a bit about it.

Ah sorry. I should be clearer. Somewhere in the other versions the better version is somewhere in there. You just need to hack it.

Kinfolk910 fucked around with this message at 23:50 on Aug 29, 2014

HerpicleOmnicron5
May 31, 2013

How did this smug dummkopf ever make general?


It's just bog standard. Think a well-made but run of the mill action movie. This is that, but videogames. Hiding from the cops is great though, the lighting effect when you're hiding in a dark alleyway and they're driving around with their sirens on is beautiful. And don't get me started on the beauty that is driving around in any multiplayer mode in a taco truck and then playing the music. That poo poo is hilarious.

CrashCat
Jan 10, 2003

another shit post


The Heavenator posted:

It's the type of game that the more you think about it, the angrier you get.
Yeah, that's pretty much how I felt. It's a standard to somewhat poor GTA clone, but it has enough flashes of good ideas sprinkled around to make me angry that those aren't in a much better game. Of course inevitably the publishers will just copy the theme instead of anything gameplay wise that made it even slightly tolerable. :eng99:

The Shame Boy
Jan 27, 2014

Dead weight, just like this post.



I think the driving is fine! It's a bit more arcady than you would see in a GTA title for sure but once you get used to it it's pretty fun to do a 90 degree turn that lets you more or less keep your exact speed.


It's also nice that the game has way more high performance cars and has them spawn more often than most other games like this so you're usually not to out of luck when it comes to fast rides.

Great Joe
Aug 13, 2008

The Heavenator posted:

It's the type of game that the more you think about it, the angrier you get.
Funny, I'm the same with another new Ubisoft product. gently caress The Crew.

Dr. Buttass
Aug 12, 2013

AWFUL SOMETHING

Ape Has Killed Ape posted:

This game would be great if it weren't so terrible!

Normally I'm the type of guy to insist that there's no such thing as a bad idea, just badly executed ideas.

Sometimes that does come with the caveat that for some ideas "played seriously" is inherently a bad execution.

CrashCat
Jan 10, 2003

another shit post


Dr. Buttass posted:

Normally I'm the type of guy to insist that there's no such thing as a bad idea, just badly executed ideas.

Sometimes that does come with the caveat that for some ideas "played seriously" is inherently a bad execution.
It's even more frustrating because the game clearly has a sense of humor about some things. But it just can't help but be full of itself about Aiden and his magical hacking crusade.

cant cook creole bream
Aug 15, 2011
I think Fahrenheit is better for weather
That screen tearing is pure torture. Who would ever think that's a good idea?
Developer guy: Sorry boss, the video encoding messed up, so we have these ugly effects. We'll redo that scene.
Ubisoft exec: No! This is magnificent! Do that everywhere. It fits the setting so well.

Ubisoft is really good at making unique but bad decissions. Did anyone else ever try to use that effect?

supermikhail
Nov 17, 2012


"It's video games, Scully."
Video games?"
"He enlists the help of strangers to make his perfect video game. When he gets bored of an idea, he murders them and moves on to the next, learning nothing in the process."
"Hmm... interesting."
Apparently it's a staple of music videos, according to something I read I don't remember where. The only actual thing that comes to mind is, I think, "New Divide" by Linkin Park. I think. The one with transformers.

Ah. I think that was a book called "The Most Human Human" about AI, but it had a section about digital artifacts becoming an art form. Sorry if no one cares.

Great Joe
Aug 13, 2008

A few games before Watch_Dogs have had video distortions as an artistic choice thing. Most just have chromatic aberration (rainbows on edges) when there's a violent shake of the camera, and then Max Payne 3 turned that into overdrive to show just how drunk/hung over Max was. Thing is, there's no art to how Watch_Dogs employs the effect, it's just...there, there's no impact to it.

CrashCat
Jan 10, 2003

another shit post


It's supposed to be to depict a dreamlike quality to the flashback but it just comes across as douchey. Bleh.

Mr. Highway
Feb 25, 2007

I'm a very lonely man, doing what I can.
Maybe the tearing effects are to demonstrate how pervasive technology has become in are daily lives. People are unable to experience real life as real life anymore. We can only understand vicariously through the medium by which we have grown accustomed to view it.

Or the developers just used too much of it. I haven't played this game and every time I saw anything about it I thought it was going to become mediocre. The idea of "hacking" the environment to plot your course or setup escapes, etc. sounded cool but I doubted it would work the way people wanted. And the tearing effects: When they showed up in the cutscene, I thought it would be a good way to prolong the "big brother" atmosphere. But then the tearing just kept going on and on and on.

Mr. Soop
Feb 18, 2011

Bonsai Guy

Mr. Highway posted:

Maybe the tearing effects are to demonstrate how pervasive technology has become in are daily lives. People are unable to experience real life as real life anymore. We can only understand vicariously through the medium by which we have grown accustomed to view it.

Or the developers just used too much of it. I haven't played this game and every time I saw anything about it I thought it was going to become mediocre. The idea of "hacking" the environment to plot your course or setup escapes, etc. sounded cool but I doubted it would work the way people wanted. And the tearing effects: When they showed up in the cutscene, I thought it would be a good way to prolong the "big brother" atmosphere. But then the tearing just kept going on and on and on.

The whole thing so far reeks of pretentiousness. It wasn't enough to include it occasionally but instead they had to really ram it into our eyeballs to make sure we get the point.

But even the cutscenes are pretty bland. If it weren't for the tearing (which IMO makes them less artistic and more unpleasant to the eye than anything else) there wouldn't be anything we haven't already seen 100 times before in other video games or movies. I'm not digging the game at all so far. It seems like it's really reaching to be "Next Gen" with the video effects and the pointless details when you highlight people. Wow, that's some evolution of gameplay and storytelling, right? And then you get to the meat 'n potatoes of the game with the driving and missions and it looks like it could be a very grey colored GTA/unfun Saints Row game.

Dr. Buttass
Aug 12, 2013

AWFUL SOMETHING

Great Joe posted:

A few games before Watch_Dogs have had video distortions as an artistic choice thing. Most just have chromatic aberration (rainbows on edges) when there's a violent shake of the camera, and then Max Payne 3 turned that into overdrive to show just how drunk/hung over Max was. Thing is, there's no art to how Watch_Dogs employs the effect, it's just...there, there's no impact to it.

Most of the time when I see video distortions and suchlike used as a stylistic choice, it's to communicate that something's wrong or off or compromised (like, oh I don't know, Max Payne 3). Watch_Dogs just kinda uses it wherever the gently caress because they made a game about hacking and they couldn't think of a stylistic gimmick for that. It doesn't symbolize something or even have a consistent message, it's just there because someone on the dev team went, "Well, gently caress, I don't know, I guess it looks cool sometimes," and no one else could think of an argument more compelling than that for why they shouldn't use it.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


It would have worked if Aiden became obsessed with computers and CitiOS. It would have been a good way to show how much computers have taken over his life, that he sees his memories as digital videos. For this to work though, he needed to be way more tech-saavy and tech-obsessed, which the current design doesn't match up. As it stands now, it's just a pointless detail.

Mr. Soop
Feb 18, 2011

Bonsai Guy

SSNeoman posted:

It would have worked if Aiden became obsessed with computers and CitiOS. It would have been a good way to show how much computers have taken over his life, that he sees his memories as digital videos. For this to work though, he needed to be way more tech-saavy and tech-obsessed, which the current design doesn't match up. As it stands now, it's just a pointless detail.

I agree. Used properly, it could have given the game a truly distinct visual style and had a subtle message. This way would have been fantastic.

Like you said though, it's just pointless detail. It's a shame too, Ubisoft is actually pretty good when it comes to implementing artistic design to create distinct visual styles.

Kurieg
Jul 19, 2012

RIP Lutri: 5/19/20-4/2/20
:blizz::gamefreak:
It's somewhat silly that Remember Me, a game in which everyone has a computer in the base of their skull that lets you alter memories, has more believable hacking than this game does. which reminds me, someone needs to lp that game

Also: the driving mechanics and physics are terrible, you can accidentally sideswipe a car and depending on the whims of the game you'll either have a horrible crash or the other vehicle will disintegrate harmlessly into it's constituent polygons.

The game has some absolutely bog stupid missions that require you to do some very precise driving and they're very frustrating.

Kurieg fucked around with this message at 05:55 on Aug 31, 2014

SystemLogoff
Feb 19, 2011

End Session?

This game is the Mega Man Battle Network series, except taken seriously. Someone needs to hack Lan over the main character for laughs.

CrashCat
Jan 10, 2003

another shit post


SystemLogoff posted:

This game is the Mega Man Battle Network series, except taken seriously. Someone needs to hack Lan over the main character for laughs.
I would have more respect for Aiden if his first act was to log into his mom's oven to clean it of viruses. Not even lying.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


CrashCat posted:

I would have more respect for Aiden if his first act was to log into his mom's oven to clean it of viruses. Not even lying.

Same.

By the way CrashCat Heavenator, will you show off the Digital Trips? Because those are awesome and justify my Season Pass purchase.

God I'm so glad I downloaded this game for free off the internet*


*Using a code that came with my new video card. Love ya, nVidia!

Seraphic Neoman fucked around with this message at 07:53 on Aug 31, 2014

CrashCat
Jan 10, 2003

another shit post


SSNeoman posted:

By the way CrashCat, will you show off the Digital Trips? Because those are awesome and justify my Season Pass purchase.
Watchu talkin bout, this aint my show

But I can't imagine they'll skip any of the few things that are actually momentarily interesting in this game :v:

Blue Ghost
Dec 12, 2012

Kurieg posted:

Also: the driving mechanics and physics are terrible, you can accidentally sideswipe a car and depending on the whims of the game you'll either have a horrible crash or the other vehicle will disintegrate harmlessly into it's constituent polygons.

I think one of the best things in this game are the vehicles, when you step in front of them magic happens (especially the trains). Or when you chase a person around in circles while driving a car.

CrashCat posted:

I would have more respect for Aiden if his first act was to log into his mom's oven to clean it of viruses. Not even lying.

He wouldn't be capable of this as it shows signs of being a proper human and having the ability to make choices that will aid others that he cares about.

Great Joe
Aug 13, 2008

SystemLogoff posted:

This game is the Mega Man Battle Network series, except taken seriously. Someone needs to hack Lan over the main character for laughs.

CrashCat posted:

I would have more respect for Aiden if his first act was to log into his mom's oven to clean it of viruses. Not even lying.
I want Aiden to traverse Chicago on roller skates and every time he has to hack a thing, I want Aiden to jump in the air, holding his smartphone up high.

Doseku
Nov 9, 2009
It was mentioned earlier that the hacking seems unbelievable but the thing is. Most of the hacking that you see in the game can be done in real life. For instance the power grid one at the stadium seems ridiculous sure but there were stories in the past about some power plants that actually have had some of their core systems hacked into because for some ungodly reason the systems happened to be connected to the internet for what I believe were maintenance reasons.

Hell webcams can be hacked into quite easily and has been done in real life. So it's not that far fetched that aiden is hacking various webcams at his sisters household and turning the cameras on. Heck he could even be doing it through the xbox connect, which has recorded people before and uploaded those images onto the internet without it's owner knowing about it.

The game theorist has covered a little of the real life inspirations for the hacking in this game here. Be warned. It might contain minor spoilers.
Game Theory: Watch Dogs Warning! YOU'RE NOT SAFE! (pt. 1)

What is unbelievable is that you get money from an ATM machine by having it blue screen on you.

The Heavenator
Feb 28, 2011

BangBangBang! Commando of the Galaxy
Most of what you can do hacking is realistic. The developers apparently even consulted with Kaspersky to get it right. That being said how you do the hacking, with a few touchs of your smartphone, is unbelievablely stupid and doesn't make sense.

Kurieg posted:

It's somewhat silly that Remember Me, a game in which everyone has a computer in the base of their skull that lets you alter memories, has more believable hacking than this game does. which reminds me, someone needs to lp that game

Remember Me is interesting to compare to Watch_Dogs in that it has serval similar elements but it does them much better. Also I totally will being LPing Remember Me sometime in the future.


SSNeoman posted:

By the way CrashCat Heavenator, will you show off the Digital Trips? Because those are awesome and justify my Season Pass purchase.

Yep, I will be showing all the side content. Or at least every type of side content. This game has a shitton of collectables and gently caress that noise.

Giovanni_Sinclair
Apr 25, 2009

It was on this day that his greatest enemy defeated, the true lord of darkness arose. His name? MARIO.
As a Chicagoan I was interested in how the game portrayed the city and that E3 trailer did a really great job of recreating the loop so am going to be following this LP to see if they follow up on that. Thought May stadium doesn't look like at all like Wrigley Field(which am sure they were trying to do since the neighborhood looks more of a northside than a southside one) and look more like a Yankee Stadium.

The Shame Boy
Jan 27, 2014

Dead weight, just like this post.



I can totally believe a hacked soda machine. Those things are set up to wirelessly let the people who own the vending machine know when it's time to send a guy out there to collect money/refill the drinks.

curiousTerminal
Sep 2, 2011

what a humorous anecdote.
For a while you could also hack soda machines by pressing a certain button combination to get into the menus that let you change prices and other such things, but only if they didn't change the default code for it. Dispensing free soda with it is just stupid, though.

SpookyLizard
Feb 17, 2009

curiousTerminal posted:

For a while you could also hack soda machines by pressing a certain button combination to get into the menus that let you change prices and other such things, but only if they didn't change the default code for it. Dispensing free soda with it is just stupid, though.

This depended on the machine and how it was set up. On most older machines you can hit a pretty common sequence (like 4231 or something) and it'd bring up the menu. By default it just let you browse the sales figures and stats and also some poo poo like about the refridgeration unit and poo poo. However, there was also a physical switch that could be activated inside the machine, and when that was enabled you could gently caress with pricing and everything else.

I think the real issue with the game is that was so close to being really good, and there is solid gameplay to be found in places, but when it's poo poo it's extra poo poo, and it's super lazy poo poo in places. The plot especially. I don't know how anyone responsible for it could think any of it is engaging or interesting.

aerion111
Nov 29, 2011

Prodigy of Curiosity.
Master of Jacks.
Apprentice of Masks.
And, when fighting the forces of darkness, always remember: "Armor of Darkness, Weapon of Light"

SpookyLizard posted:

I don't know how anyone responsible for it could think any of it is engaging or interesting.

Well, with a lot of 'big' games lately - not just AAA, but also the more hyped 'lesser' games - I get the feeling they don't aim for 'engaging or interesting', but for 'adequate'
They still missed, but I can definitively see why they thought people would be too distracted with the action and sandbox nature to actually notice the story.

Heck, from what I've seen, most people DO play this game exactly like they play GTA: Completely ignore all story, drive around killing everything and doing all the interactive stuff, then get bored 3-5 hours in and move on to a different game (especially if they're not getting a high enough view-count to justify dragging it out)
So, given how little exposure to the story over half the youtube-LPers get, I'm not sure improving the story would have been a worthwhile investment.
Mind you, improving the driving, shooting, or hacking WOULD have been worthwhile.

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ApeHawk
Jun 6, 2010

All the NPCs will look up and shout, "Do this quest!"
and I'll whisper, "Sure, why not."
Imagine how much better this game would've been if Jordi was the playable main character.

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