Horizon 2: Forbidden West
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Mist
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HZD is an amazing game. One of my all time favs...
I purchased Forbidden West, but it's not the same. I'm only about 8 hours into it, but it is nowhere near as fresh. Plus, it's a bit grindy, and less "open world"-ish than it's predecessor.
Funny, however, that I thought the original game was pretty PC without ever offending me or throwing that in my face. Great, GREAT game that transcended politics (even though ti clearly has them). Forbidden West has to rub your nose in it a lot more.
I purchased Forbidden West, but it's not the same. I'm only about 8 hours into it, but it is nowhere near as fresh. Plus, it's a bit grindy, and less "open world"-ish than it's predecessor.
Funny, however, that I thought the original game was pretty PC without ever offending me or throwing that in my face. Great, GREAT game that transcended politics (even though ti clearly has them). Forbidden West has to rub your nose in it a lot more.
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Mist
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sakkath
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I don't understand what you mean by grindy. That kind of cave delving/exploration is similar across both games. That video could easily be compared to exploring GAIA prime in HZD.
Both games are almost identical in terms of open world. You do a small tutorial (HZD young aloy delving / HFW exploring far zenith HQ), then you get into a somewhat enclosed open world (HZD embrace / HFW claim) then once you progress the main story a little the whole world immediately opens up and you can go anywhere you want with minor limitations.
I do get what you mean by HFW not feeling that fresh because it's obviously just an iteration on HZD so a claim can definitely be made that it's not very original. I think it's an excellent iteration though as they improved basically every aspect of the game and in my view it's just a strictly superior product.
Both games are almost identical in terms of open world. You do a small tutorial (HZD young aloy delving / HFW exploring far zenith HQ), then you get into a somewhat enclosed open world (HZD embrace / HFW claim) then once you progress the main story a little the whole world immediately opens up and you can go anywhere you want with minor limitations.
I do get what you mean by HFW not feeling that fresh because it's obviously just an iteration on HZD so a claim can definitely be made that it's not very original. I think it's an excellent iteration though as they improved basically every aspect of the game and in my view it's just a strictly superior product.
Daidraco
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I mean, do you expect the puzzles to take less time? Or maybe, do you expect them to be a little bit more in your face with big arrows telling you where to go? I just dont get the complaint for grindy gameplay. The game was fine - not something I'll remember as fondly as the first, but grindy its not.
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Mist
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The first region after the tutorial funnels you into a what is effectively a very small area filled with a bunch of related side quests. The game has at least 3 major story milestones (the end of the tutorial, then 2 more) before the whole map opens up, and then 3 more metroid-vania style upgrades after that that unlock things you need to complete various open-world puzzles and other side areas, then one final upgrade towards the very end of the game.
I strongly suggest not looking ahead with spoilers.
Mist
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I mean, it's formulaic. The main story missions generally involve combat sections, platformy puzzle sections, dialog/plot sections, rinse repeat. The first game was the same way.
These games are a lot like Assassins Creed where they basically just stick to the same formula for the whole game. The difference being that the combat, plot, and itemization are all very good in this game, and the graphics are fucking phenomenal on the PS5. I think this game would feel pretty lame and last-gen on a PS4, because it is last-gen.
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What I mean by "grindy" are extended sequences of gameplay that offer only one option (like the jumping and platforming and swinging in that 4 minute nonsense). There are no "alternate solutions." You do all the sequences in the same order until you make a single mistake and then you start again. Often guessing what the next move in the sequence is that you just failed at, and then, you start it all again from scratch. Doing the same moves 10x for 3-4 minutes each is GRINDY.
sakkath
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Have you played that sequence in the video? There's no guesswork involved. If there are multiple climbing paths and you choose the 'wrong' path you don't start from the beginning, you go back the way you came. 'wrong' paths usually result in hidden treasure/POIs. Making a mistake/falling off doesn't involve starting from the beginning. In long climbing sequences there are periodic ladders/one way doors/breakable walls etc you can drop/open up to provide shortcuts. The video has quite a few of these.
Again, GAIA Prime from HZD is identical in this regard (except no shortcuts if you fall). There are many forks in the path, but none of them provide alternate ways to the quest goal, they are usually either wrong ways, or hidden treasure.
Daidraco
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Maybe I missed it. Are you actually playing the game or just looking at videos? I'd have to do some real bone headed shit to start from the beginning of most of the puzzles for just the MSQ.
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I am playing it-- HZD is one of my all time favs. I am only a little bit into HFW. But I will keep going (and be a better, more woke, diverse, SJW for it).
The example video I showed required a hundred plus moves all in correct order or you have to start from the beginning all over again. It's not like you could figure out a novel or alternate solution. And, it's not like that level makes any logical sense at all in term of layout of design (not game-theory, like "lets put all these pylons all over the place making this lab...). If you fail ANY step, back to step one. Rinse, repeat, until done perfectly.
annoying and grindy, that's all. None of that do I recall from HZD.
The example video I showed required a hundred plus moves all in correct order or you have to start from the beginning all over again. It's not like you could figure out a novel or alternate solution. And, it's not like that level makes any logical sense at all in term of layout of design (not game-theory, like "lets put all these pylons all over the place making this lab...). If you fail ANY step, back to step one. Rinse, repeat, until done perfectly.
annoying and grindy, that's all. None of that do I recall from HZD.
sakkath
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If you're only a little bit into HFW then you haven't done the content in that video. When you say it requires a hundred moves in order you make it sound like a street fighter combo. Have you actually done climbing in HFW? You push the thumbstick in the direction you want to climb and if there is a hand hold there then Aloy jumps there. If there's no hand hold there then nothing happens. You make it sound like if you push the wrong direction you fall? If you push the wrong direction nothing happens. In HFW the hand holds are 100x more obvious than in HZD too so it's a lot clearer where you have to go. You can fall in the few jumps that require leaps of faith but there's not that many of those.
If you fail you do not have to start from the beginning. In that video he went past many short cuts. If I just label the first one, it's at 0:53, off screen below him there's a ladder he could drop so if he fails he starts again from that point. You can see the ladder at 0:34. There's heaps of such shortcuts in that sequence.
If you fail you do not have to start from the beginning. In that video he went past many short cuts. If I just label the first one, it's at 0:53, off screen below him there's a ladder he could drop so if he fails he starts again from that point. You can see the ladder at 0:34. There's heaps of such shortcuts in that sequence.
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What SJW nonsense are you going on about? I honestly don't recall anything that stood out to me and I'm pretty far into the game. I skimmed some of the text data points so maybe I missed something there? You were just complaining about puzzles being "grindy", which is not really what most of us would consider "grindy" in the game, so I'm really curious what has rustled your jimmies.
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