The End of a Generation: Intro
I'm back, for a bit.
Throughout this month and next I'll be sharing my
thoughts on the outgoing (7th) generation, just ahead of the long-awaited
arrival of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The Wii, PSP and DS have already
been replaced by the Wii U, Vita and 3DS, and now it's time for the PS3 and 360
to step aside and bring this generation to a close.
The 7th gen has certainly been a long'un, full of highs
and lows, and I want to take this opportunity to look back before looking
forward. Although this won't be a full-time return to blogging, for the next
month or two I will be posting regularly, sharing some final thoughts on a
period of gaming that I have enjoyed more than any other. I hope you'll join
me.
*************
Let's Catch Up
It has been almost five months since I last updated
Toomanywires, but not much has changed in that time. I continue to enjoy video
games, waste far too much energy pining for Japan and I'm still not entirely
sure how to use a semi-colon;
When I left you back in May, I was beginning to fall for
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. I'm happy to
report that I caught the hunting bug and spent two hundred hours between the
Wii U and 3DS versions. Most of that time was spent in co-op with my wife, who
took to Monhan like a Plesioth to water. The tails off, honey.
I did of course make time for other games. Here's a quick
rundown of the last five months of stick twiddling:
Aliens Colonial Marines (PS3) - Rubbish, yet fairly
inoffensive. Fairly
Attack of the Friday Monsters (3DS) – Surprisingly brief
but oh so charming. It succeeded in generating a sense of nostalgia for a time
and place to which I have no connection.
Call of Juarez Gunslinger (PS3) - Great arcade action, and
all the better for an interesting story full of legendary figures from the Wild
West. A return to form for a series that had gone to shit.
Final Fantasy XIV (PS3) – Unfortunately, I just couldn’t
get into it. I spent most of my time in Eorzea fighting boredom and felt no
great desire to explore. My wife seems to be enjoying it though and I may give
it another spin when it moves to PS4.
God of War Ascension (PS3) - It's God of War, again. I
played it and have nothing more to add.
Grand Theft Auto V (PS3) - Despite finishing the story
last night, I'm still not sure how I feel about GTAV. One minute I'm all-in, the next I'm losing
interest and going on dead-end rampages. The writing is poor; the lack of
subtlety is depressing and the satire suffers by trying to lampoon everything
under the sun. However, for the most part the narrative has succeeded in
holding my attention. The sheer size of the map is overwhelming, yet the
promise of new discoveries keeps me exploring and the attention to detail is
truly astounding. I need more time to make up my mind and also to fully
experience GTA Online, assuming Rockstar are capable of fixing it.
Shatter (PS3) - I returned to set some new hi-scores. I
left with renewed appreciation for what is still, by far, the best game on the
PlayStation Network.
Spelunky (Vita) - This just isn't for me.
Snatcher (Saturn) - After almost a decade of apartment
dwelling, this summer we finally moved into a house. I now have space for a
very small games room, which I've filled with retro goodies. The Japanese
Saturn has benefited most from this new arrangement and I've committed to
finishing Hideo Kojima's Snatcher. It's definitely testing my Japanese, which
was the point, but I do love me some Cyberpunk. The excellent soundtrack,
straight out of an 80's cop movie, needs no translation.
The Last of Us (PS3) - I was thoroughly invested in the
narrative and the relationship between the very believable leads. This
made the gameplay inconsistencies and regular bouts of Rambo-itis even more
painful. The Last of Us is very good, but I'd stop well short of calling it
best-of-gen.
Tomb Raider (PS3) - Despite the Homer
Simpson-esque levels of punishment Lara withstands (comical) and her refusal to put on a coat
(frustrating), I really enjoyed this reboot. More please.
Great to see you writing again. Excited to see what you have to say. Out of these, I loved TLoU most by far. I'd actually put it as my second favorite this gen, just clicked with me so much. Tomb Raider I thought was just okay, Spelunky I enjoyed a lot, and the only other game here I see myself getting is GTA V, which as I expected is getting more critical opinions now.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I've got plenty to say, I just need to find the time to say it!
DeleteI can't remember the last time I was so torn by a game. GTA V is undoubtedly a special game, one that does so many things well, yet I can't help but dwell on it's failings. Looking forward to seeing whether GTA Online will help me make up my mind.
Cheers
It's good to see you back again! I know how hard it can be to find the free time to do stuff like this.
ReplyDeleteMonster Hunter co-op is the way to go. That's the secret to really enjoying the game. I just wish we had gotten a PS3 or XBOX 360 version, so this series could have taken off in the West too...
I really need to play Gunslinger. I keep hearing good things about it.
I tried the FFXIV BETA, but I couldn't get into it. I just don't think that MMOs are my thing. The game looks gorgeous though.
I still need to play the Last of Us single player. I've played a little bit of the online multiplayer with my friends, but that's it... I'm always so behind.
I look forward to seeing more posts from you. Game on!
Thanks. I've got a list of about twenty posts that I want to do as part of this series. I'll be happy if I manage half that!
DeleteA PS3 Monster Hunter would've been great, though I did find myself enjoying Ultimate more on the 3DS than the Wii U. I think it works really well on a portable.
Gunslinger was really good and perfect for short burst sessions. You should definitely give it a go.
Cheers