Smevin's Regular, Every Day, Normal Ass Gamer Attempts at Trophy Hunting

[Shrooba]

Hey @YaManSmevz, I saw you wondering in another thread if Little Nightmares was on sale...
I just took a look from Australia, and the base game is 75% off. ? I think sales happen across all countries so go take a look!
After checking the US PS Store online, I believe getting the base game while it's on sale with Secrets of the Maw separately (contains the 3 DLCs) is half the price of the complete edition. Compare the prices just in case! ?

Edited October 6, 2021 by Shrooba

[rjkclarke]

Holy Late reply Smevzman

 

*Plays transition music from the Adam West Batman*

 

On 25/09/2021 at 2:38 AM, YaManSmevz said:

It's hard to describe, but they absolutely nailed the feel. The mall in particular I remember astounding me - that muzak was spot-on, and then you leave and Your Love by the Outfield is on the radio in the car. A very simple thing, but very much something that I experienced in that era!

 

...well, my mother was driving, and I've never asked but I think it's safe to assume she wasn't packing any heat.

 

Absolutely agreed on the soundtrack! I started talking about V-Rock, and was gonna go over each of the stations I listened to the most until I realized that I listened to them all pretty extensively and immediately scrapped the idea? I can't say enough good about it!

 

After reading that - I think I appreciate the game even more now - that's no mean feat being able to almost perfectly evoke that kind of memory. Hats off to R* on that one.

 

I think I'd be in the same boat regarding the soundtrack in Vice City, they are all so bloody good - less so with San Andreas (although they're all great too) yet - when I first played that, I was really into Johnny Cash, so I'd basically listen to anything even remotely country-ish for a while. So as soon as I'd get in a car I'd be tuning it straight to K-Rose and driving off singing " all my exes live in Texas!"

 

 

On 25/09/2021 at 2:38 AM, YaManSmevz said:

Yo, SAME.

 

I loved the different stuff there was to do, what a teller of things to come! Haha I remember seeing super rare cars driving down the street and I would immediately stop whatever I was doing, mission or not, and make a beeline for it. Like those trash trucks! And aw man, even though it wasn't sophisticated enough for you to fully engage with your surroundings yet, it was so cool going to the beach, hitting the club, and also (barring The Driver of course), the whole bank robbery bit was such a blast!

 

It was so ahead of its time in the amount of sheer variety there was on offer - it really feels like you're taking the place over as Tommy and working towards something, instead of arbitrarily doing missions like GTAIII was.

 

I think the cool thing about the garbage trucks, despite it infuriating at the time - and this might be a false memory - but I'm sure just like in the real world, they're mostly only on the road in the early hours of the morning, so that was a cool little attention to detail.

 

Man......The Driver was such a pain in the backside - I very distinctly remember asking this kid who got on the school bus how to do it - I'd never spoken to him before, because he looked like he smoked every conceivable type of crack under the sun - but he dropped plenty of sage wisdom for Vice City - and then I realised that the most likely thing was that he looked like a crack fiend because he probably propped his eyelids open with matchsticks to stay awake longer! Y'know just so he could play more Vice City.

 

On 25/09/2021 at 2:38 AM, YaManSmevz said:

Thanks so much bro, I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I felt that self consciousness in regards to the length, I made a few edits but for the most part I just thought oh well.. there's just too much to say, can't help it - if it's too long, then at least peeps can use it for a sleeping aid?

 

Dude I'm simultaneously looking forward to and dreading that one, I don't want it to be long but again, just so much to talk about!

 

I'll say exactly what you've always said to me on this kind of thing - which is, you need to let it be as long as it needs to be. Don't get too worried about that  self consciousness about length - although I get it, you know I do, just say what you need to say and I'm sure it's going to be awesome.

 

San Andreas is a hell of a game - and one I know you love, so if it needs to be long, then let it be. There's a whole lot to say with San Andreas, and a whole lot that really needs to be said. I'm sure you'll do it justice.

 

Also - fun San Andreas fact - I laugh every time Speedrunners say OG Loc in San Andreas speedruns - they pronounce it OGLOCK - which phonetically sounds hilarious, and I also think it sounds like the name of an Orc Locksmith ?

[YaManSmevz]

On 10/6/2021 at 7:42 AM, Shrooba said:

Hey @YaManSmevz, I saw you wondering in another thread if Little Nightmares was on sale...
I just took a look from Australia, and the base game is 75% off. ? I think sales happen across all countries so go take a look!
After checking the US PS Store online, I believe getting the base game while it's on sale with Secrets of the Maw separately (contains the 3 DLCs) is half the price of the complete edition. Compare the prices just in case! ?

 

Good call my dude, I took a peek on your recommendation and sure enough, there it was! Salt and Sanctuary was there too, I scored em both for just over ten bucks! I'm an excited little girl in a grown man's body right now, I've got some good times ahead! Roads? Where I'm goin, I won't need... roads?

 

17 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

I think I'd be in the same boat regarding the soundtrack in Vice City, they are all so bloody good - less so with San Andreas (although they're all great too) yet - when I first played that, I was really into Johnny Cash, so I'd basically listen to anything even remotely country-ish for a while. So as soon as I'd get in a car I'd be tuning it straight to K-Rose and driving off singing " all my exes live in Texas!"

 

I feel you on that, I utterly loathe country music but K-Rose was outstanding! I absolutely loathe modern country music but I must admit to having a soft spot for the old stuff (I've had my share of Johnny Cash phases as well), and K-Rose scratched that itch quite nicely. Besides, if I didn't live in California I'd live in TENNEEESSEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

 

17 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

I think the cool thing about the garbage trucks, despite it infuriating at the time - and this might be a false memory - but I'm sure just like in the real world, they're mostly only on the road in the early hours of the morning, so that was a cool little attention to detail.

 

Man......The Driver was such a pain in the backside - I very distinctly remember asking this kid who got on the school bus how to do it - I'd never spoken to him before, because he looked like he smoked every conceivable type of crack under the sun - but he dropped plenty of sage wisdom for Vice City - and then I realised that the most likely thing was that he looked like a crack fiend because he probably propped his eyelids open with matchsticks to stay awake longer! Y'know just so he could play more Vice City.

 

I did not notice that! You just put a new wrinkle in my brain... I always figured those things showin up was luck-based. Even if you are misremembering, I like that and choose to go along with it?

 

The funny thing about The Driver on my recent playthrough, I was dreading it so much... but it actually only took me two tries this time around, in spite of taking who-the-fuck-knows how many times before. Funny how even after all these years, when you replay a game it's strangely so much easier for the subsequent playthroughs. Maybe figuring out how to beat a game is akin to riding a bike, who knows.

 

But yeah, what a shitty mission overall. "Hey here's the Driver, you gotta beat him in a race while drivin a busted ass hooptie versus his sports car and the second you gain some ground the cops are gonna get called on you (not him) and even if you do manage to win he'll never even actually drive for you anyway so good luck, ya lil bish."

 

That was actually the mission's original title, but they cut it down considerably. The right move, I feel.

 

The Driver probably ruined that poor kid's life! He turned to crack to cope with how awful it was, I hope he got himself cleaned up. Keep an eye out for him at the reunion!

 

That matchstick idea isn't a bad one, and I may resort to that if I cut it close with the Winter challenge?

 

19 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

I'll say exactly what you've always said to me on this kind of thing - which is, you need to let it be as long as it needs to be. Don't get too worried about that  self consciousness about length - although I get it, you know I do, just say what you need to say and I'm sure it's going to be awesome.

 

San Andreas is a hell of a game - and one I know you love, so if it needs to be long, then let it be. There's a whole lot to say with San Andreas, and a whole lot that really needs to be said. I'm sure you'll do it justice.

 

Also - fun San Andreas fact - I laugh every time Speedrunners say OG Loc in San Andreas speedruns - they pronounce it OGLOCK - which phonetically sounds hilarious, and I also think it sounds like the name of an Orc Locksmith

 

Thanks man, I appreciate it? I remember Lazlo pronounced it "awglawck" during an interview with OG Loc on the radio and he was irate, it was pretty funny. I'm trying to do some more clean up with my profile, and get more done in the challenge so I can treat San Andreas as a kind of reward, but damn if I'm not itching to play it already!

 

You have forever given me the image of a shirtless Orc Locksmith adorned with a beanie and gold chain, to whom you'll return a key that wasn't made properly and he'll be like "DAMN, my shit was WACK!!"

[YaManSmevz]

Platinum #38: Afterparty

 

Life is just a party and parties weren't meant to last

 

I've always had a morbid fascination with death and the various schools of thought on the possibility of an afterlife. The concept has certainly yielded more than a few solid movies and TV shows - and from The Twilight Zone to The Good Place, it's pretty apparent that the flipside of the beyond makes for better entertainment.

 

As you may have guessed, this is precisely the territory covered in Afterparty. You play as a couple of dead college kids who find themselves in Hell, and it's handled in a similar way to the aforementioned Good Place - rather than a standard, more literal interpretation, the setting feels almost, for lack of a better word, normal. Your arrival is akin to getting in line at the DMV. The demons are all pretty humanized, and torturing people is a hum-drum 9-5 that they dislike just as much as any human dislikes theirs (and they're just as in need of a drink or twelve afterwards). There's even popular social media, the cutely named Bicker, used by demons and humans alike.

 

Anyway, naturally the kids don't think they belong in Hell and quickly are trying to come up with ways to dip out, and they find one - Satan is more a prince of partying than darkness, and has a longstanding offer to send back home any soul who can outdrink him. Definitely a premise I can get behind.

 

Like this studio's first game Oxenfree, Afterparty is heavily reliant on presentation and narrative - there's not much as far as actual gameplay is concerned beyond movement, selecting dialogue choices, and a few mini-games. They even make a crack about it at the end, how maybe next time there will be running or jumping. Which would be nice - it's one of very few shortcomings to be found here!

 

One of the few criticisms I had for Oxenfree was that as good as the dialogue was, at times you could tell that thirtysomethings were writing for teens, and bumping the characters up in age did wonders for them. The writing is sharp as a tack, and while a lot of wit is on display, it's not that thing where everybody is suspiciously clever at all times - it's very believable and feels like exactly what would happen if a few smart asses found themselves in Hell, surrounded by bored, very much over it demons who are long unimpressed with humans coming to terms with being deceased.

 

It has to be said that the voice acting is absolutely top shelf. And hilarious. It's not easy to be relentlessly sardonic and still feel organic, but they pull it off nicely. One of my favorite moments was our heroes meeting a new friend, a super friendly guy who they soon find out was a vicious serial killer. When they express surprise at how nice he seems, a demon responds that "you can't really slaughter a litter of boys in total anonymity without a few social graces."

 

Their version of Hell, altogether really, is a sight to behold. It's somehow simultaneously dark and vibrant, perpetual pitch blackness lit up with garish neon blazing everywhere. It brings to mind 90s Sci Fi depictions of sleazy dystopian cities. As does the soundtrack! It's a banger, man. 90s industrial vibes with skittish, modern percussion. In fact, I'm listening to it as I'm typing this. You can tell too that they at least took a few passing glances at Demonology and Devil-lore or something similar when it came time to put together the NPC characters. There were a wealth of references that, if I'm being honest, I only caught thanks to years of listening to bands like Danzig, or that black metal phase I had in high school?

 

Drinking has been a source of amusement in games for a while now, but it's nice to see it used as an actual mechanic - when you've got a drink in you, a third dialogue option unlocks, and what kind of drink you've had dictates the type of response. There are several different drinks, each with a Bicker review that artfully hints at what the effect will be.

 

"I keep trying to rhyme bullshit and make awful jokes. Did somebody slip me a Grand Exhibitionist?"

 

That's for the drink that makes you talk like a vaudevillian, and I enjoyed it far more than I should have. There's drinks that make you talk like a pirate, a mobster, a rich dipshit, and much more. A small touch but it goes a long way in enriching the admittedly narrow system of just picking one of two or three things for your characters to say.

 

Which brings me to the other setback this game has - while there are points where your choices absolutely do matter, for the most part you can say whatever you want without any real consequence. A shame, cuz that would've really elevated Afterparty a great deal.

 

In spite of the few issues, this is a great game. Afterparty is swimmingly creative, alternately hilarious and pensive, and generally well put together. If you haven't played this and would like to give it a go, may I just say this - Afterparty deserves a blind playthrough. Might this mean playing through it three times? Maybe, but if so I would suggest just spacing out your plays. You could plat this in an afternoon, but honestly I don't know why you'd want to! After playing the Beholder games primarily with a guide and in retrospect wishing I had just tacked an extra day or two on to my plat time so I could explore options a bit more, I decided to do that with this game, and I wasn't disappointed. Afterparty is short and sweet, was a great time for me, and there isn't anyone I wouldn't recommend it to.

 

On a side note, for whatever reason I've been having a really rough time wanting to write lately. I'm one of those people who's never happy with their finished product, and that definitely doesn't help! Guess it's like they say, it's more important to get it wrote than right.

 

Or is that the other way around? Crap.

 

THAT Trophy: "Impressive!" - Somebody, Probably

 

This is not hard, but it's the closest thing I encountered to it in this game. The beer pong and dancing mini-games were cake, but for some reason I just couldn't get the hang of this one. Until the last time I had to do it of course, when it clicked out of nowhere and I felt like Neo realizing he's The One while fighting Agent Smith. Oh well, you know how dat shit go.

Edited November 10, 2022 by YaManSmevz

[DrBloodmoney]

Oh snap - I was already going “this sounds ace”… then I got to where you said it was from the Oxenfree people!

 

I didn’t realise that this was their game!

 

Awesome review man - and you should get a commission from the dev, ‘cause you made a sale! ?

[DrunkenEngineer]

Great review Smev!  On to the wishlist this goes.  The backlog never ends.

[YaManSmevz]

On 10/8/2021 at 11:42 AM, DrBloodmoney said:

Oh snap - I was already going “this sounds ace”… then I got to where you said it was from the Oxenfree people!

 

I didn’t realise that this was their game!

 

Awesome review man - and you should get a commission from the dev, ‘cause you made a sale! 

 

On 10/9/2021 at 10:24 AM, DrunkenEngineer said:

Great review Smev!  On to the wishlist this goes.  The backlog never ends.

 

Thanks a lot, guys! I hope it can tickle y'all's pickle same as it did mine.

 

....there's gotta be a better way to say that..

 

On 10/8/2021 at 11:29 AM, YaManSmevz said:

the NPC characters.

 

I just realized I said "non playable characters characters." Ay what a dummy?

[YaManSmevz]

For my next trick...

 

Finally finished Family Feud, and I decided to complete all similar games for the very purpose of writing this post. As Liquid Snake would say, "I had to swat some bothersome flies."

 

So y'see, my wife is very much not a gamer. Every so often she'll see something I'm playing and take a mild interest (in particular she liked watching me play Cuphead and Overcooked 2, and generally seems to enjoy hearing me playing anything free of gunshots), but overall she has no real interest at all in gaming. As a side note, she seems to randomly overhear things in the wrong way. My favorite example of this happened with FF7RM:

 

Aerith: I'm comiiiiing!!

 

Wifey: ...uh babe, what are you playing?

 

She does, however, very much enjoy board games and playing along with TV game shows, and knowing that there were several video game renditions of these, the gears began to turn.

 

But what if I were to purchase PS4 games and disguise them as TV game shows?

 

Delightfully devilish, Smevz.

 

This was it! My chance to introduce her to gaming on her own terms with something she'd actually enjoy. I could walk her through the proverbial gateway and she might end up actually liking video games herself! She would suddenly realize that she'd been missing out, and this would officially be a gamer household. Foolproof! So I buy these games and present them to her, enthusiastically making my case. Would you care to guess how much success this hair-brained scheme had?

 

None.

 

Less than none actually, because I just ended up with games to complete that are very much not meant for completionists. They're all fun, and great for parties, but beyond that I'd be lying if I said that getting those hundos was very rewarding. So without further ado...

 

 

Nobody wins when the Family Feuds/

But my stash can't fit into Steve Harvey's suit

 

Platinum #37: Family Feud

 

I played the iteration on the 360, and in fact this was the game that gave me the brilliant idea to try and convert wifey. In all fairness, it is a good time. One big strike against it though is the blandness of the host - probably too big an ask to get Steve Harvey to appear in a video game, which while a shame is understandable, but really anybody with more charisma than a potato would've been nice. Sadly, we got the potato.

 

The customization suite is mostly pretty generic, but it does have a few nice touches - I was able to create a reasonably close Bojack Horseman character, so definitely points for that.

 

All said, Family Feud is Family Feud. They do a great job of capturing the game, boring host aside, and if you like the game show, there's no reason you wouldn't like this.

 

THAT Trophy: Neural Networking

 

A trophy for ten online wins isn't really unreasonable, especially in a world (cue movie trailer voice) where games like Mortal Kombat X get to torture completionists with their online demands, but it was a bit of a pain for one simple reason - most days, you're lucky to even find a match! Sometimes I would just let it search and do something else and wait to hear a game starting, and it just wouldn't happen.

 

Okay, two simple reasons. The games are a bit of a commitment - each one lasts close to twenty minutes (really it's a good thing, as it reflects faithfulness to the show), and more than a few times I was winning a game and the other person peaced out because they didn't want the L. I'm generally not much of an online MP person, so I've no doubt this is more common than i know, but wasting 15-20 minutes after trying for extended periods of time to even get the match in the first place is very demoralizing!

 

I acknowledge that these are more minor nuisances than full-blown problems, but out of all the trophies this was the only one that didn't come naturally, and kinda felt like a drag.

 

 

You punks pucker and pout, bicker and babble/

Now they all lost for words like I beat 'em in Scrabble

 

Hundo #6: Scrabble

 

This one, I can't really endorse as much. To be clear - Scrabble is a wonderful game, but just buy the board game and call it a day, don't be a weirdo like me and buy the PS4 version thinkin it's gonna reinvent the wheel or some shit. It's perfectly serviceable - the little animations and sound effects are cute, and it's a different medium for experiencing a classic game. There's no required clean-up after the game is over too, so I guess that's a plus.

 

Also, an odd distinction this game has is that there's basically a makeshift platinum - you get a gold trophy for unlocking all the rest, which made me think "but isn't that what a platinum is for?" Not a bad thing, it just seemed weird to me, I'd never seen that before. Maybe they wanted to give the trophy hunters a little love cuz they weren't permitted a platinum?

 

"Okay, whatta we got here... Scrabble?? What kind of loser is gonna try and complete that?? We're not gonna approve a platinum for this one."

 

"Hmm.. maybe a gold trophy that kinda stands in for one? There's gotta be someone who's gonna try and complete it, and then write a dumb post about it on a website somewhere."

 

"Alright, you convinced me. Let 'em have their gold trophy."

 

THAT Trophy: Float Like a Butterfly

 

Yo I gotta tell ya, they take their difficulties seriously here. If you play it on easy, your intelligence will be insulted to an inch of its life. When you play it on hard, you will quickly stop thinking you're however as smart as you thought you were.

 

I confess to cheating here - I needed a Scrabble word generator for this one, the AI is just too damn good. It made me wonder how the hell there are people who can beat computers at chess, I barely squeaked out a victory against one at spelling words! Plus, there's a VERY hard difficulty?? Nope. I will take my fake platinum and be on my way, thankyouverymuch.

 

 

I'm kind of schizophrenic, I'm in this shit to win it/

Cuz life's a Wheel of Fortune, here's my chance to spin it

 

Hundo #7: Wheel of Fortune

 

I really dug this one. Same issue as Family Feud where your host is basically a glass of milk, but if you like the show Wheel of Fortune, you will enjoy this game. The customization suite is definitely inferior to that of Family Feud, but that's really the only shortcoming here. It plays just like the actual game, and it's great if you just wanna wind down and do something undemanding.

 

THAT Trophy: New Baby Buggy

 

Solving a puzzle with less than 20% of the letters revealed isn't necessarily as hard as it sounds, it just requires a lot of luck. After enough puzzles, there's eventually gonna be one that you can nail no problem, but to get this organically will require a lot of playing.

 

 

Past Trivial Pursuits like East and West coast feuds/

Come against me on the mic, many and most will lose

 

Hundo #8: Trivial Pursuit Live!

 

And finally, we reach the end of our digital menagerie. So we've got two TV game shows, a board game, and now a board game presented as a game show. Ah, circle of life. I actually liked this approach! It's got that cheesy 2000s game show feel, and the unseen host sounds kinda like the actress who played Roz from Frasier.

 

As I said back at the beginning, the thing with games like this is that playing them for trophies feels like missing the point - they're not really achievement-based, the whole idea is to play for fun with your friends. Or the AI, which thoughtfully steps in if you're like me and have no friends. Sadly, this game suffers the most from its trophy list - if you're tryin to knock this out by yourself, it get old real quick. For casual play though, this one is pretty good!

 

THAT Trophy: Pop Goes Perfection

 

Another trophy I found myself cheating to get - answering every single question correctly. Nothing sucks the fun out of a game faster than constantly pausing and checking your phone, which is precisely what I had to do here. And since it's following a game show format, each game takes 15-20 minutes (MUCH longer with the method I mentioned), and if you make a mistake, it's a bit disheartening to have to start all over.

 

Plus, even cheating doesn't always help because some questions are worded in a way that makes simply googling an answer impossible. You also have to keep in mind that the cut off year for the game is 2013, so any worldly changes in the past eight years can render a technically correct answer incorrect. Although I now know that Turkey apparently built its first nuclear power plant in the last eight years, so... cool?

 

Anyway. Some more than others, but these games are fun and totally worth a play, especially when unhindered by silly things like trophy hunting. They won't convert the non-gamer in your life, but oh well, you can't have everything after all!

[DrBloodmoney]

12 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

For my next trick...

 

 

Haha, that was a great read man - I didn’t even realise some of these games existed on the Station!

 

I’ve had a scrabble app on my phone for like 10 years now, and actually really like digital scrabble, but you’re not kidding - the AI gets redonkulous on the harder settings!

 

Also - you made me do an actual snort, when describing the host as a glass of milk - that is highly likely to enter my verbal lexicon ?

 

 

PS, just incase anyone, like me, desperately needs closure on this screenshot:

 

Quote

 

 

The answer is clearly “HUMAN THUMBS”

 

[YaManSmevz]

10 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

The answer is clearly “HUMAN THUMBS”

 

Your grandmother made you human thumb sandwiches as a kid too??? I knew you were good people, Doc?

 

Thanks man, I'm glad you enjoyed it! When I started this checklist, this was a post I knew I'd be making at some point, I hope I did it justice!

 

Yeah dude, Scrabble's AI is somethin else. I will say though that it made me a considerably better player - I was never especially adept at taking advantage of the word and letter bonuses, but it's absolutely necessary because if you don't they'll bust out "xylophone" or "caziques" on those spots and blow the game wide open?

[rjkclarke]

On 07/10/2021 at 7:22 PM, YaManSmevz said:

I feel you on that, I utterly loathe country music but K-Rose was outstanding! I absolutely loathe modern country music but I must admit to having a soft spot for the old stuff (I've had my share of Johnny Cash phases as well), and K-Rose scratched that itch quite nicely. Besides, if I didn't live in California I'd live in TENNEEESSEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

 

Yeah I'm not exactly down for modern country music myself - Dwight Yoakam and I guess to a degree Billy Bob Thorntons band are about the limits of what I'd listen to if either of those count as modern country - but K-Rose - yeah man! Nothing beats riding around the Badlands on a Freeway singing along to some of those old style country bangers.

 

On 07/10/2021 at 7:22 PM, YaManSmevz said:

The funny thing about The Driver on my recent playthrough, I was dreading it so much... but it actually only took me two tries this time around, in spite of taking who-the-fuck-knows how many times before. Funny how even after all these years, when you replay a game it's strangely so much easier for the subsequent playthroughs. Maybe figuring out how to beat a game is akin to riding a bike, who knows.

 

But yeah, what a shitty mission overall. "Hey here's the Driver, you gotta beat him in a race while drivin a busted ass hooptie versus his sports car and the second you gain some ground the cops are gonna get called on you (not him) and even if you do manage to win he'll never even actually drive for you anyway so good luck, ya lil bish."

 

That was actually the mission's original title, but they cut it down considerably. The right move, I feel.

Yep - I was in the exact same boat you were man - dreading it and thinking I was going to be there for hours, and probably did it on my second or third attempt...

 

It's a little unfair too - because even if you bust that dudes tires, he still drives perfectly - guess Lieutenant Dan from Forrest Gump injected whatever was magic in his new legs into that fella's tyres.

 

On 07/10/2021 at 7:22 PM, YaManSmevz said:

I'm trying to do some more clean up with my profile, and get more done in the challenge so I can treat San Andreas as a kind of reward, but damn if I'm not itching to play it already!

 

You have forever given me the image of a shirtless Orc Locksmith adorned with a beanie and gold chain, to whom you'll return a key that wasn't made properly and he'll be like "DAMN, my shit was WACK!!"

 

 

That's a good idea to pick something like San Andreas as a reward - maybe I ought to do something similar and give myself Yakuza 3 as a nice little reward if I can get a bit more clearance done!

 

I'm fairly sure that shirtless Orc Locksmith lives not too far from me - probably not too far away from the dudebro E.T we conjured earlier in the thread ?

 

Man your Afterparty review was fantastic...

 

I was always planning to play that anyway - I know I haven't played Oxenfree yet - although I will be soon, I do know I'm pretty much guaranteed to enjoy that though - so to hear that those awesome developers pretty much hit another home run with this game makes me very excited to play it.

 

On 08/10/2021 at 7:29 PM, YaManSmevz said:

On a side note, for whatever reason I've been having a really rough time wanting to write lately. I'm one of those people who's never happy with their finished product, and that definitely doesn't help! Guess it's like they say, it's more important to get it wrote than right.

 

Or is that the other way around? Crap.

 

 I know that feeling all too well......

 

..... But - one of the wisest people I've ever known used to say those exact words to me "Don't get it right, get it wrote" .... He was right as well, it's better to just get it out there, than to dwell on it and think you've done a bad job...

 

Which is something you've never done by the way - I find myself always hoping you pop a platinum soon so I get to read your thoughts on whatever it is you've been playing - long or short, the reviews you write are always a treat, you do such a great job of talking about something serious, and then switching seamlessly into saying something ridiculously funny, but without that ever feeling jarring.

 

Oh those Game Show/Board game related reviews were something else...... Those absolutely cracked me up... 

 

However, why did you say this..... ?

 

1 hour ago, YaManSmevz said:

Ah, circle of life. I actually liked this approach! It's got that cheesy 2000s game show feel, and the unseen host sounds kinda like the actress who played Roz from Frasier.

 

Now I want to play it - if not just for that..... I would marry that lady in a heartbeat - well if she was still the age she was in Frasier, but then if she was - then I'd be a toddler and.......... Oh I instantly made it weird.... Shut up Mr Clarke - you silly person......

 

I actually played a Trivial Pursuit game back on the Xbox 360 - I think it was bundled with Burnout Paradise, and I came to the same conclusion as you, that it's pretty fun to play casually but absolutely joyless when it comes to cheevo's or trophies.

 

57 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

The answer is clearly “HUMAN THUMBS”

 

Oh you're one of those kind of Doctors.......Okay then Doctor Lecter.... Guess I'll have to say a big fat no if I happen to be in the area and you invited me for dinner....  I'd almost certainly be the main course.

 

43 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

Your grandmother made you human thumb sandwiches as a kid too??? I knew you were good people, Doc?

 

Smevz wins the internet 11/10/2021.........

 

I'm glad I finished my drink this time - because it would have gone everywhere, and I mean everywhere - that got me good.... My bedroom wall would have looked like someone decided to create some abstract wall art with some coffee and ruin my Trainspotting poster in the process - yes I'm one of those ? types that have a Trainspotting poster!

 

For some reason this reminded me of when I'd whinge and moan about not being able to go to McDonalds as a small child to my Nan and she'd say we can make McDonalds at home dear....  Which was always a burger in a sandwich - or something pretty similar, she'd always try though, which was the important thing bless her. 

 

I'd take those human thumb sandwiches any day over a Fillet O'Fish!

 

45 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

When I started this checklist, this was a post I knew I'd be making at some point, I hope I did it justice!

 

Yes you did..... That was an absolute treat!

[SolidJD]

This whole thread is great. Keep it up, Smevz! ?

[Grotz99]

2 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

A trophy for ten online wins isn't really unreasonable, especially in a world (cue movie trailer voice) where games like Mortal Kombat X get to torture completionists with their online demands, but it was a bit of a pain for one simple reason - most days, you're lucky to even find a match! Sometimes I would just let it search and do something else and wait to hear a game starting, and it just wouldn't happen.

 

Okay, two simple reasons. The games are a bit of a commitment - each one lasts close to twenty minutes (really it's a good thing, as it reflects faithfulness to the show), and more than a few times I was winning a game and the other person peaced out because they didn't want the L. I'm generally not much of an online MP person, so I've no doubt this is more common than i know, but wasting 15-20 minutes after trying for extended periods of time to even get the match in the first place is very demoralizing!

Ran into this same issue with Jeopardy, finding games just didn't have and it has the win 10 games trophy as well.

 

These are exactly the type of games I play with my wife; trivia or party games. It's partly why I have at least 5 Jackbox games and trivia games on my account...looking back though I wish I had my switch when I was buying them, trophies are kind of a pain to get plus I would be able to take it to friends houses. Another silly trivia game is battle Battle Knockout Trivia and it's an easier 100%. The Knowledge is Power games are pretty good too, but require you to use your phone and don't seem to work on PS5.

[YaManSmevz]

24 minutes ago, rjkclarke said:

It's a little unfair too - because even if you bust that dudes tires, he still drives perfectly - guess Lieutenant Dan from Forrest Gump injected whatever was magic in his new legs into that fella's tyres.

 

That's a good idea to pick something like San Andreas as a reward - maybe I ought to do something similar and give myself Yakuza 3 as a nice little reward if I can get a bit more clearance done!

 

I'm fairly sure that shirtless Orc Locksmith lives not too far from me - probably not too far away from the dudebro E.T we conjured earlier in the thread

 

Ferreal!! And the cops are just ramming into you the whole time, no fucks given, while he's left to just drive his lil heart out. That mission alone makes me wonder if I'll be jumping on the remasters!

 

Speaking of those, I did start playing San Andreas? all the talk of the remasters and the OG versions being taken down in the store, it just felt right. I think Little Nightmares and Salt and Sanctuary will enter a little mini tourney for a new reward!

 

Hahaha dude we're gonna have come up with a neighborhood's worth of bizarro creatures within a few months?

 

29 minutes ago, rjkclarke said:

Man your Afterparty review was fantastic...

 

I was always planning to play that anyway - I know I haven't played Oxenfree yet - although I will be soon, I do know I'm pretty much guaranteed to enjoy that though - so to hear that those awesome developers pretty much hit another home run with this game makes me very excited to play it.

 

Thanks man! I'm super excited for you to play and write about it, I have the utmost confidence that you'll enjoy it. Same goes for Oxenfree. I'm keepin tabs on Night School Studios, they're really doin their thing.

 

31 minutes ago, rjkclarke said:

I know that feeling all too well......

 

..... But - one of the wisest people I've ever known used to say those exact words to me "Don't get it right, get it wrote" .... He was right as well, it's better to just get it out there, than to dwell on it and think you've done a bad job...

 

Which is something you've never done by the way - I find myself always hoping you pop a platinum soon so I get to read your thoughts on whatever it is you've been playing - long or short, the reviews you write are always a treat, you do such a great job of talking about something serious, and then switching seamlessly into saying something ridiculously funny, but without that ever feeling jarring.

 

That means a lot bro, especially coming from you. The feeling is quite mutual, I get excited for that shit. When I see you've posted something, I'm like "Ayo, the new rjkclarke is out!!" Plus, when I get you to try a game, that means that soon I'll get to read your thoughts on it. It's win-win!

 

35 minutes ago, rjkclarke said:

Oh those Game Show/Board game related reviews were something else...... Those absolutely cracked me up... 

 

 

Yes you did..... That was an absolute treat!

 

Thank you! I actually read it to my wife before I posted it, and she had a good few laughs so I thought "okay, it's ready to post!"

 

36 minutes ago, rjkclarke said:

Now I want to play it - if not just for that..... I would marry that lady in a heartbeat - well if she was still the age she was in Frasier, but then if she was - then I'd be a toddler and.......... Oh I instantly made it weird.... Shut up Mr Clarke - you silly person......

 

I actually played a Trivial Pursuit game back on the Xbox 360 - I think it was bundled with Burnout Paradise, and I came to the same conclusion as you, that it's pretty fun to play casually but absolutely joyless when it comes to cheevo's or trophies.

 

You never know, maybe she likes em young?

 

Yeahmann, it grew to be a real drag. A shame, cuz it's well put together and very fun to play, but a perfect five round game, 50 answers in each category, using alt and guest accounts for the four players trophy, 25 wins?? Miss me with that shit, man.

 

Sidenote: the identity of the voice actress has been bafflingly hard to track down. There's an audio credit for someone named Dara Caden, but I can't find anything on them doing voice work. Google said it's Veronica Taylor, but she actually did a voice for a different Trivial Pursuit game aimed at kids. It's not among Peri Gilpin's credits either, so I'm completely at a loss.

 

46 minutes ago, rjkclarke said:

Oh you're one of those kind of Doctors.......Okay then Doctor Lecter.... Guess I'll have to say a big fat no if I happen to be in the area and you invited me for dinner....  I'd almost certainly be the main course.

 

Well, just your thumbs I imagine!

 

47 minutes ago, rjkclarke said:

yes I'm one of those  types that have a Trainspotting poster!

 

As you should, sir!

 

I have posters for Fear and Loathing and The Warriors. I find that so long as they are framed, they can be semi-classy! They've been with me since before I met the wife - I was prepared to fight for them to go up when we moved in together, but luckily she was cool with it.

 

Rock on witcha Trainspotting man, I'm about it?

 

45 minutes ago, SolidJD said:

This whole thread is great. Keep it up, Smevz! ?

 

Good look my dude, thank you! I appreciate the kind words and appreciate you payin a visit?

2 minutes ago, Grotz99 said:

Ran into this same issue with Jeopardy, finding games just didn't have and it has the win 10 games trophy as well.

 

These are exactly the type of games I play with my wife; trivia or party games. It's partly why I have at least 5 Jackbox games and trivia games on my account...looking back though I wish I had my switch when I was buying them, trophies are kind of a pain to get plus I would be able to take it to friends houses. Another silly trivia game is battle Battle Knockout Trivia and it's an easier 100%. The Knowledge is Power games are pretty good too, but require you to use your phone and don't seem to work on PS5.

 

Yeah, they're the only ones I can get her to play, and even then it's kind of a once-in-a-while thing. I also have Jeopardy, it came with Wheel of Fortune, but this was before I started trophy hunting - now I'm actually very hesitant to start it for that very reason?

 

I never heard of Battle Knockout Trivia, I'll have to peep that!

[Heather342]

Good effort on trying to convert your wife to the way of the gamer. Maybe one day she will have a change of heart ?

I do play quite a few games with my husband, mostly co-op games or we just help each other boost online stuff, and it is nice to share in that hobby together. Last year we had dedicated gaming nights playing Divinity Original Sin, and it was good fun trophy hunting together. 

[DrBloodmoney]

@YaManSmevz

What's that I see on your most recently played list? ??

 

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Platinum_Vice]

On 12/08/2021 at 2:12 AM, YaManSmevz said:

 

Haha I forgot about that! The dialogue was unexpectedly funny at times. Also "If you like David Cage... don't play this, it's seriously not that at all" is a great selling point. I ultimately enjoyed Detroit but I'll never play Heavy Rain simply because I feel my David Cage quota is one?

 

Hey Smevz, finally managed to find some time to start and finish this Checklist. Really enjoyed it  I've got a few things to say!

 

- I've always avoided Until Dawn both because of the genre but also because I thought it was a David Cage game. Now... Now I'll add it to the backlog, you've convinced me

 

On 12/08/2021 at 2:48 AM, DrBloodmoney said:

Yaaaaaasss!

 

just for a tiny bit of flavour… (don’t worry, you can’t spoil what is already pre-curdled…)

 

 

 

"I did not heet her, it's bullshet, I did naaat do it, I did naaaaaaaaat...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...oh hi Mark." 

 

On 12/08/2021 at 4:35 PM, rjkclarke said:

 

YOU AHHHHHH TEARING ME APARHHHHHHT DOKTOR BLEEDMANNY!!

 

HAHAHA ??? 

 

 

On 02/09/2021 at 10:17 AM, YaManSmevz said:

 

Same on Shawshank, such a great movie. To this day it makes me sad that it had the misfortune of coming out the same year as Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction, it got pretty overshadowed and is superior to both in my opinion (although with Pulp Fiction it is pretty close!)

 

 

I would fact check this but I don't know where to do it... BUT, I read somewhere that in one cinema during that year, you could walk in and choose between

The Shawshank Redemption, 

Forrest Gump

Pulp Fiction

Jurassic Park 

and The Lion King

as they were all showing there as recent releases.

 

Truly, pop and rock both peaked in the 80s, but movies peaked in the 90s.

 

Fortunately, video games are yet to peak IMO

 

3 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

@YaManSmevz

What's that I see on your most recently played list? ??

 

 

 

Yooooooooooo is it for trues, Smevz? For trues??

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by GonzoWARgasm
Can't spll

[YaManSmevz]

6 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

@YaManSmevz

What's that I see on your most recently played list? ??

 

 

 

3 hours ago, GonzoWARgasm said:

Yooooooooooo is it for trues, Smevz? For trues??

 

 

Yes. And first thing I have to say is thank you @GonzoWARgasm for your guide. I confess to seeking a YouTube guide embarrassingly fast, not unlike a teenage lover, but they're useless because they just show you the solutions. You did an excellent job of providing guidance and gentle hints.

 

That part where you're talkin about how it looks like these puzzles have been solved before legit gave me chills. I just finished the desert ruins, and was so lost until I noticed lines looking etched, and then shadows revealing the solutions. As you said, perspective is utterly tantamount in this game! Im already seeing that everything is truly there for a reason. And the fucking brain breaking is already underway, lemmetellya.

 

Copy it? No..

Upside down? Not that..

Backwards? Fuck..

Upside down AND backwards?? STOP.

 

I'm barely into it but for a guy who isn't particularly sharp, solving these puzzles, especially when you get into a groove and knock out a few consecutively, is a great feeling! And a big thanks to the good @DrBloodmoney, as I wouldn't in a million years have tried to tackle this if not for that stellar review!

 

4 hours ago, GonzoWARgasm said:

I would fact check this but I don't know where to do it... BUT, I read somewhere that in one cinema during that year, you could walk in and choose between

The Shawshank Redemption, 

Forrest Gump

Pulp Fiction

Jurassic Park 

and The Lion King

as they were all showing there as recent releases.

 

Truly, pop and rock both peaked in the 80s, but movies peaked in the 90s.

 

Fortunately, video games are yet to peak IMO

 

All of this.?

 

Jurassic Park came out the previous year, but I remember it being in theaters for a looooong time, so I don't doubt that one bit.

 

4 hours ago, GonzoWARgasm said:

 

Hey Smevz, finally managed to find some time to start and finish this Checklist. Really enjoyed it  I've got a few things to say!

 

- I've always avoided Until Dawn both because of the genre but also because I thought it was a David Cage game. Now... Now I'll add it to the backlog, you've convinced me

 

Normally this is what I would've led with, but y'all witnessed me witnessing The Witness and with no false witness I can say that what I've been witness to has been stunning.

 

Thanks a lot man, I'm so happy to hear that!

 

The cool thing about Until Dawn is how unpretentious it is. It's just like being in a shitty horror movie, for better or worse. I hope it treats you right whenever you should get to it!

 

Anywhey, hau iz yor seckslyfe?

[rjkclarke]

On 12/10/2021 at 0:02 AM, YaManSmevz said:

Speaking of those, I did start playing San Andreas all the talk of the remasters and the OG versions being taken down in the store, it just felt right. I think Little Nightmares and Salt and Sanctuary will enter a little mini tourney for a new reward!

 

Hahaha dude we're gonna have come up with a neighborhood's worth of bizarro creatures within a few months?

 

Oh look, it's taken me a million years to respond to everyone again - I must get better at this.

 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on San Andreas - and I'll say what you always say to me, make it as long as it needs to be, I know you love that game, so make it as long as you need to. It's going to be great either way.

 

Speaking of remasters - have you seen the leaked trophy lists? Looks like we have to get 100% completion on San Andreas this time - I've never done that, once I found out there was more than just the graffiti tags to get I kind of thought. No thank you, infinite lung capacity, luck and sex appeal is overrated ?...

 

I'm cool with us creating that weird little neighbourhood - can't promise I'll move in though, E.T terrifies me enough, although maybe seeing a dudebro version of him putting his rubbish out might take the fear away!

 

On 12/10/2021 at 0:02 AM, YaManSmevz said:

You never know, maybe she likes em young

 

Yeahmann, it grew to be a real drag. A shame, cuz it's well put together and very fun to play, but a perfect five round game, 50 answers in each category, using alt and guest accounts for the four players trophy, 25 wins?? Miss me with that shit, man.

 

Sidenote: the identity of the voice actress has been bafflingly hard to track down. There's an audio credit for someone named Dara Caden, but I can't find anything on them doing voice work. Google said it's Veronica Taylor, but she actually did a voice for a different Trivial Pursuit game aimed at kids. It's not among Peri Gilpin's credits either, so I'm completely at a loss.

 

Well I was about 14 when the final episode of Frasier aired - and 3 when it began, so either way - that lady is doing serious jail time, if she was interested in that version of me.  But hey if anyone has a time machine, and doesn't mind lending it to me to travel back  and take 1996 Peri Gilpin out for dinner, then I'd be much obliged. ?

 

That's actually the premise of probably quite a decent YouTube video you know, searching out the mystery of who that voice actor is -  I'm pucturing you with loads of mad stuff scrawled all over your walls, pacing back and forth after not shaving for days, trying to uncover the mystery.

 

On 12/10/2021 at 0:02 AM, YaManSmevz said:

 

As you should, sir!

 

I have posters for Fear and Loathing and The Warriors. I find that so long as they are framed, they can be semi-classy! They've been with me since before I met the wife - I was prepared to fight for them to go up when we moved in together, but luckily she was cool with it.

 

Rock on witcha Trainspotting man, I'm about it

 

 

Sounds like you lucked out on that one...

 

.........Although......

 

I am unfortunately without class on this one -  I'd love to get some of them framed, but some of them are huge so I'd have to spend a fortune buying frames so they look less tacky -  what do I do with my Darth Vader cardboard cut-out though? I mean that was originally there to cover up a sick stain on my wall? I can't frame that (the cut-out obviously, not the stain ?)..... Still - looks like the picture frame shop fairly close to me does have a use after all! Time to buy myself some class!

 

 

 

[YaManSmevz]

Hundo #5: Max Payne

 

Beep beep Richie, this is New York City/The X on the map where the pain keep hitting

 

In retrospect, 2001 was a hard year for video games to stand out. We were introduced to Devil May Cry, Halo, and (for us non-PC gamers) Half-Life. Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, and Super Smash Bros released franchise defining games. Now that I think of it, I may have to partially disagree with you, @GonzoWARgasm - gaming's peak may well have been '94-'04!

 

And now ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce: Max Pa-

 

..oh wait, that's from the second game.

 

I had seen Max Payne but didn't take much of an interest until after devouring Vice City, at which point I started throwing money at nearly anything with a Rockstar logo on it. And it didn't disappoint - in fact, I was absolutely enraptured with this game. A cinematic shoot-em-up where you can dive in slow motion to dramatically finish off your foes? A twisting plot that goes from tense to funny to nightmarish? Shit, count me in!

 

The concept is pretty standard action movie fare. You're an undercover cop carrying the trauma of having seen your wife and infant murdered. After yet another murder (your best friend this time), you find that you're not only being set up but your cover is blown as well, meaning you've got police and mobsters alike hunting you down. All against the backdrop of a superbly realized late 90s New York City - the team actually traveled to the Big Apple to photograph the seediest areas they could find with the goal of the most faithful possible representation of the city's infamous 1970-2000 griminess... at one point hiring bodyguards after finally grasping just how dangerous this really was!

 

The story is told with a stunning mish mash of Hong Kong action, classic film noir dialogue, and graphic novel presentation. Like The Killer and The Big Sleep got in a fight and Frank Miller broke it up. The comic book panels substituting for proper cutscenes was apparently a decision made based on graphical limitations, but it paid off marvelously - it actually makes the story feel that much more harrowing, and gave it a truly unique edge. Granted, a lot of the faces Sam Lake's titular protagonist makes are goofy as hell, but that's part of the charm - Max Payne is fully aware of how over the top and clichéd it is, and couldn't care less.

 

They really run with the whole film noir atmosphere, starting with Max's generally blasé, sarcastic attitude. Lines like "Collecting evidence had gotten old a few hundred bullets back" or "He was trying to buy more sand for his hourglass, I wasn't selling any" are straight out of the 40s. There are plenty of groan-inducing moments - for example, from the moment the Finito brothers are introduced, you can see the line "yer finito, Finitos" coming from a mile away - but though the writing can start feelin itself a lil too much from time to time, overall it's pretty sharp.

 

A future staple makes its debut here too, with TV and radio not only chiming in for plot points, but as random entertainment for the thugs you're at war with - one of them is even sitting on a couch and weeping while watching the hysterical Lords and Ladies as you approach. Then there's the Lynchian Address Unknown, which pokes a bit of fun at the game's own heavy handed dialogue but also legitimately unsettles - particularly since you're always on the lookout for when the next goon is gonna jump out blasting at you!

 

There's some genuinely chilling shit here as well. The nightmare sequences are masterfully done, and I remember being startled at how much of a lunatic one of the mob bosses turned out to be, spouting manic Satan worship gibberish with a Mike Tyson-esque tattoo on his face.

 

The voice acting is stellar, and must be said that as much as Davids Hayter and Bateson are Solid Snake and Agent 47 respectively, James McCaffrey is Max Payne. He just breathes so much life into a character that could've easily been a stereotypical "gritty detective," as Princess Caroline would say.

 

Then there's the music - while the soundtrack largely centers itself around the main theme (which I've always thought spectacular and have never tired of, despite the endless repetition), the other pieces fit the mood very well. Dark, foreboding, and not entirely unlike the score from The Killer. The music for the nightmare sequences is definitely a favorite of mine as well.

 

The gameplay is fast paced, frantic, and clearly where John Woo takes the reigns from the noir styled dialogue-led segments, with its infamous bullet time leading the charge. Max Payne isn't the first game to think of implementing slow motion as a mechanic, but it certainly was the first to popularize it. In interviews developers talked about working on it as early as 1998, so whether this was concurrently conceived independently of The Matrix or they were banging their heads against the wall, saw the movie, and were like "yes, THAT, let's do that!" is lost to time, but given the clear influence of Mr. Woo (John, not Ric), who already had been doing slow motion in gun fights for some time, either is possible.

 

Regardless, it works exceptionally with the shooting. Running around, diving with dual pistols, it's just so satisfying. By today's standards there's a lot to be desired, chiefly targeting and cover, but even in 2021 it's as fun as it ever was. The platforming, however, is very much of its era. There is no nuance whatsoever, which can be frustrating on the more delicate sections. It felt like flipping an omelette - you can have no hesitation whatsoever, you just have to confidently make your move. Anything less, you're stuck with scrambled eggs.

 

I love this game, love this franchise, and once I get to the PS3 portion of my backlog, in spite of the plat no longer being achievable, I will still play 3 again. As for this one. I'd say it's definitely worth a visit or re-visit, especially since it's on sale fairly often.

 

They were all covered. The final bullet point was an exclamation mark to everything that had led to this review. I released my fingers from the keyboard, and then it was over.

 

THAT Trophy: Under Par

 

So I didn't really get into it, but this game can be fairly difficult. The controls, while great for the time, are still clunky. Enemies are posted up in places you'd least expect, and more than a few times you're gonna get killed just by walking up to a door or going around a corner. Even if you're being cautious. And naturally, their aim is usually pretty on point. So imagine the added anxiety of a timer running out, with the only way of replenishing it being killing more enemies.

 

Sounds simple, right? Well, you really have to strategize who you shoot and when, and in order to do this your dodging game is gonna have to be solid. A guide is absolutely necessary because you really don't want to make any missteps or not know where an enemy is. Not to mention that you've got to speedrun this fool, because for the trophy you need to beat the game in essentially less than an hour. Pretty rough business, and honestly my hat's off to all those who hustled it for that Max Payne 3 plat the last few months, because I've heard it's even more ludicrous on that game?

 

What killed me were the nightmare segments - particularly following the blood trail in the darkness - my platforming was shit and you'd think since there are no enemies they would give you carte blanche, but nope.. you're still on a timer (albeit a more forgiving one). I ended up using the level select screen cheat to get to the next chapter, because it was just frustrating the hell out of me.

 

Still though, a great revisit! Just wonder if they'll ever get around to porting the second game...

Edited November 10, 2022 by YaManSmevz

[YaManSmevz]

Platinum #36: Rocket League

 

Here in my car, I feel safest of all

 

I heard about Rocket League from a buddy at work in January of '20, who gave the same description everybody does - it's footsoccerball with cars. My PS4 was still pretty new, and in one of my first visits to the PS store, I saw it on sale and nabbed it.

 

Now, I'm one of those people where a game can find me in an impatient state sometimes. Do you ever find yourself not in the mood to do something, yet you make yourself do it anyway? And I don't mean going to work or making sure the kids are still alive or anything like that, I mean like recreational activity. This is how I started Rocket League, I'm sorry to say - I was messing around in the menu and got the Tinkerer trophy, then tried playing a game and could not get the hang of it to save my life.

 

It was kinda like an elderly man trying to operate a new smart phone, then accidentally taking his own picture with the flash on a few inches from his face and in his surprise dropping it, smashing the screen.

 

Sad.

 

"Nuts to this," I said, and pretty much forgot about it until that December, when my completionist kick had gotten into full swing and I remembered I didn't have shit done for Rocket League. I started with the low hanging fruit against bots, but got to the aerial goal trophy and again, couldn't figure it out, got annoyed, and dropped it until this past August.

 

This last time, however, was when I saw where I was fuckin up with this game - I wasn't having fun. It was a chore to get these trophies, and the challenges I was setting for myself weren't rewarding in the least. Like tapping a ball into a hoop twice in thirty seconds, or playing a match while wearing a certain hat... big deal, y'know?

 

So at long last I took the plunge into the online modes, which real talk is what I should've done from the jump. This is a seriously fun game, and once you find yourself getting better, even more so. The homie @DrunkenEngineer, one of the peeps who kindly helped me on my RL journey, put it perfectly in his excellent review of this game - when you hit a clutch goal or come through with an assist in a crucial moment, you may well leap up from your couch in excitement! More than a few matches got so tense that I found myself standing up, completely plugged in, unable to tear myself away until the match had concluded, win or lose. Very grateful my wife never saw me do this, I probably looked like a lunatic!

 

Once I had götten güd, the rest of the trophies were mostly fun to go after, particularly taking on two hard level bots by myself. The grind trophies like 535 shots on goal or driving 50 km came organically, as I imagine was originally intended. It became hard to believe that I had avoided this game for so long!

 

At the end of the day, the only honest, non me-just-having-a-bad-attitude issue with this game is Jimmy Microtransaction sticking his nose in here. I really appreciate how purchasable stuff doesn't give anybody an unfair advantage, and I understand that developers gotta eat too, but it is heavily urged to pay money if you want a reasonable completion time, and the leap in speed you get with leveling up after slappin down some money was an eye-roller for sure. You can't trade or receive certain items needed for trophies without reaching a certain level, so the way this was structured is kinda cringe.. but that's where the negativity ends, really.

 

The game looks great. I loved the futuristic look of the stadiums, and the option to play in them at either night or daytime was inspired. The noise of the crowd was a great touch too, really amping up the competitive atmosphere. The music is bad ass. I loved this soundtrack so much, the song are fun and extremely well produced - I'm a sucker for good electronica, and they really brought it. I found myself just chillin with the menu open quite a few times cuz I was rockin out like a dork - hell, I even caught my wife bobbin her head to a couple of tracks!

 

So yeah, great game, and I'm so happy I came around was able to just let the game do its thing and forget about trophies and have a good time. The grind started to get to me again leveling up my certified item, but now that that's done, it's just a fun game that I'll still play on occasion - meaning Rocket League is the latest entry into my Post-Platinum Play Posse!

 

A quick word to anybody trying for the hundo - if I can be of help, feel free to hit me up. I had a good amount of help myself and I'd be happy to pay it forward. If our schedules line up, let's get it!

 

THAT Trophy: Sky High

 

This is purely me and my own gaming shortcomings, and I fully understand that - Sea Turtle is considerably more rare, but that one didn't give me much trouble for some reason. Making aerial shots, on the other hand, is simply a mechanic that I never really grasped, and when I finally got it, I knew deep down it was pure luck, and that I'd have a hell of a time trying to replicate that single success. Or maybe not, I did get that trophy before I started playing the game like a normal person, so who knows? More importantly who cares?

 

Thanks for reading all that, ya man Smevz is out!

Edited November 10, 2022 by YaManSmevz

[DrBloodmoney]

4 minutes ago, YaManSmevz said:

Platinum #36: Rocket League

 

 

Haha, great write up man - I know exactly what you mean about that game requiring the right approach!

 

 I can't think of another game where the delta is so massive, between how miserable it can be if you are 'check-listing' and going for specific trophies, vs. how goddamned awesome it is if you just forget about them, have some fun, and let them come naturally!

 

There is truly no feeling sweeter than a last second, game winning goal in that game ??

 

Congrats ??

[Platinum_Vice]

3 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

hell, I even caught my wife bobbin her head to a couple of tracks!

 

Oath.

 

For real Smevz, this is your best review.

[DrunkenEngineer]

8 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

Platinum #36: Rocket League

 

 

It really was a pleasure buddying up together on this game.  The next game we play (Last of Us! Last of Us!) we should do it over voice comms if you have a headset - I've found that makes MP games go by so much easier.

 

Totally agreed with you on the review, and it's very funny how our trophy journey followed an almost identical path.  I really dislike chasing trophies/achievements in multiplayer games - my most played franchise is Battlefield on PC and I couldn't tell you what the achievement lists look like as I just never paid it any mind - the focus was always blowing shit up and hanging with buddies over voice comms.

[YaManSmevz]

22 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

 

Haha, great write up man - I know exactly what you mean about that game requiring the right approach!

 

 I can't think of another game where the delta is so massive, between how miserable it can be if you are 'check-listing' and going for specific trophies, vs. how goddamned awesome it is if you just forget about them, have some fun, and let them come naturally!

 

There is truly no feeling sweeter than a last second, game winning goal in that game 

 

Congrats 

 

18 hours ago, GonzoWARgasm said:

 

Oath.

 

For real Smevz, this is your best review.

 

Thanks so much, guys!

 

No, this is not a game for trophy hunting, it's a game for enjoyment! It's funny, I looked at Rocket League's completion percentage, and it was a paltry 1.01. The fact that it's less than something like Fallout 4 (1.85%) simultaneously boggles the mind and makes perfect sense?

 

14 hours ago, DrunkenEngineer said:

 

It really was a pleasure buddying up together on this game.  The next game we play (Last of Us! Last of Us!) we should do it over voice comms if you have a headset - I've found that makes MP games go by so much easier.

 

Totally agreed with you on the review, and it's very funny how our trophy journey followed an almost identical path.  I really dislike chasing trophies/achievements in multiplayer games - my most played franchise is Battlefield on PC and I couldn't tell you what the achievement lists look like as I just never paid it any mind - the focus was always blowing shit up and hanging with buddies over voice comms.

 

Yes it was, and I'm down! I've got a lot on my plate at the moment, but within another week or so I'll have cleared some backlog stuff out and I can slap that on. I do have a headset! I say we handle this shit??