Thrik

BTW I've been repeatedly surprised by the decency of the AI in this. I think the main thing that gets me is that when I'm playing through areas stealthily enemies can and do climb up ledges, jump across gaps, and drop down holes. I'm so used to games not letting enemies do these relatively basic things (which is a fairly damning commentary on the state of game AI) that it does stress me out a bit trying to stay hidden because I never know if the fuck is going to be able to follow me where I've gone. Comparatively, even in games like Deus Ex: Human Revolution which have a huge stealth element enemies are incapable of traversing gaps, ladders, and vents. Jeez, I remember like 10 years ago when FEAR came out and being genuinely blown away by the fact that the enemies were crawling around on their bellies and shit to try and sneak up on me. Interestingly enemies tend to try and sneak-flank you in Tomb Raider too while you're distracted by their companions. Yesterday I was engaged in some shoot-out across a ravine, and one of them had actually climbed down to the bottom, snuck across to my side, and come up behind me and made me shit myself. Also I died because he had a huge weapon. It's so refreshing to have enemies that catch me out, it so rarely happens.

No need to apologise for taste. It's become increasingly clear to me while playing it that it's riffing off Uncharted in many ways, but then Uncharted did the same once upon a time. It's definitely designed to appeal to those who enjoy the Uncharted style of play, although I'd say that Tomb Raider is significantly more free-form than Uncharted was. Uncharted was absolutely linear, whereas in Tomb Raider there are quite a number of very open areas with plenty of things to discover and explore. It's a good evolution that I'll be surprised if any potential Uncharted sequel doesn't itself take note of. But the long and short of it is that Tomb Raider is first and foremost an action game, exploration second. It's worth noting that I wasn't a fan of the old Tomb Raider 1 or 2 or Underworld, so I'm probably exactly the kind of person they were trying to draw in with this game. It looks like existing Tomb Raider fans have been left a little in the lurch. For what it is — a heavily-scripted third-person action adventure — it accomplishes its goal very well.

Wind Waker is a classic in that regard. I'm sure most fans have (mostly) fond memories of the copius amounts of unskippable seafaring that was required when going between the islands and islets that comprised the enormous game world. There was a huge sense of discovery in that game too because you'd often come across uncharted little islands, platforms, etc that sometimes had side-quests. You could waste hours just exploring the sea and enjoying the immaculate ambience. I suspect fast travel was left out because Nintendo knew how important to the experience the sea exploration was. That game sits so wonderfully in my memory. I'm not sure if I ever want to play it again because it's like remembering some sweet vacation or something, I don't want a second visit to damage my memories.

I think we can now safely conclude that Sententia has died of tetanus.

I thought the whole point of their outfits in AC1 was that they resembled the same kind of gear everyone else was wearing, so when you blended in with crowds you literally blended in even without the sci-fi 'you're now invisible' effects. It made sense. Now the outfit looks increasingly out of place with every subsequent game and there's nothing in the fiction/canon that really justifies it. Even the modern-day Assassins don't wear any of that shit in the game's fiction (unless that changed with AC3). I suspect there's some kind of internal war over this at Ubisoft, with some thinking the retained look defeats the whole point and some not wanting to give up what is arguably one of few unchanged defining icons of the series.

I suspect the earlier comment about using the AC franchise was the only way for these guys to get their dream pirate game out and sell well. But I do agree that any and all traces of Ass Creed tropes should be eliminated. Personally I think the main character looks really out of place in the gameplay footage. You've got this dude who's meant to be a pirate in the Caribbean, and he's dressed like that? Come on. I want my guy to look like a fucking pirate. I really hope AC2's clothing customisation extends to letting you dress like a full-on LeChuck with beard and pirate hat. I don't know how the clothing was managed in the fequels and AC3.

The best part is she should reveal herself right now in this thread and nobody'd believe her.

I'm disappointed. It would have added to the realism of a trek if you'd gotten all the way to some insurmountable obstacle and then thought 'Ahhhhh... SHIT' and then had to go all the way back again to get the vehicle.

I will admit, I am Claire. Sorry guys!

I guess we're at that awkward stage now where everything is looking a bit gash now the next generation has been dangled in front of us. I'm a bit bummed they didn't take longer to get this being a truly next-gen game with loads more polish, but I suspect PIRATES will help me overlook it all. Hopefully if this does well it'll inspire others to give the pirate genre some more love.

As far as I'm aware any kind of cut that draws blood is a risk if you're outdoors. Tetanus is caused by some bacteria or something that's pretty much everywhere, although there's more of it in things like soil and rust. I cut my finger on a piece of glass on my balcony and when I phoned the NHS they said I urgently needed a tetanus shot due to the presence of potted plants on the same balcony. Once you've had a shot (which you're meant to routinely get anyway) they keep you safe for 10 years or so. It's pretty much dumb luck if you do or don't get it if you've not had your shot. It's easy to prevent but not at all easy to deal with. If you do contract it you could very easily be heading for intensive care. Definitely something to take seriously, which is why nurses like Twig's can be a bit OTT about it.

Indeed, had to get one myself recently. It has to be within 48 hours or so. Tetanus is no laughing matter so don't risk it please.

Gotta say, that video definitely appeals to me. I couldn't really care less about the setting of AC3, but as a life-long lover of all things piratey and big fan of AC2 this is so made for me. It kind of pisses me off that we had to go through three unnecessary releases to get to here, though. One thing that I'm a bit irritated about is the fact that I know they're going to try and jam the Desmond bullshit into this one too. Before I wasn't so bothered by the Desmond stuff, but as time has gone on I've realised that like others on this forum I just want a fucking Renaissance or pirate game — non of this sci-fi shit. I don't know, to me the whole Desmond side of the game just feels so pointless, like it's not really going anywhere. It's the struggle of a character I don't like surrounded by other characters I don't like in a world that feels shallower and less real than the virtual reality one you spend most of your time in. I noticed that there was a conspicuous absence of anything Desmond-like in that video, but I know it's there lurking beneath the water, waiting to reveal its vile head and destroy the perfect Caribbean atmosphere with yet another loading screen of the main character walking through a digital void or some 'disintegrating world' effect that seems more at home in The Matrix or more relevantly in Watch Dogs.

Oh dear, hope the crash thing hasn't hurt the launch too much.

Got some iPhone footage of a storm from my balcony last night:

I've been gradually playing this for a month or so now and have been really enjoying it. I've just got to a mountaintop fortress thing and so far it's been a relentlessly enjoyable romp of Uncharted-esque set pieces, surprisingly good stealth/action play thanks to robust enemy scripting, and nice exploration/collection gameplay. I can see how an existing Tomb Raider or puzzle fan would be underwhelmed because there aren't really any, unless those optional tombs I've been ignoring so far are full of them. But what it does deliver is stellar IMO. For me though, it's the location and atmosphere that really does it. This game is frankly gorgeous, sometimes I can't help but just take in the huge vistas and weather effects. I've never 'felt' wind in a game like I have in parts of this. And every location really has been wonderfully realised. I really like the way the island has been put together, with the ability to revisit areas (time of day adjusting accordingly) and the map showing how everything fits together. Really evokes Lost for me, with that constant feeling of there being some cool mysterious shit out there but you feel nice and safe in the places you've charted. And the story is actually really pulling me in, with a nice blend of supernatural mystery and genuinely horrifying human craziness. This is evidently a polarising game, but one I personally consider a highlight of the generation.

Yeah that's the kind of unpredictable shit I love in GTA games. One minute you're having a great time busting banks and playing darts, the next minute your cat has escaped and your stomach ties itself in a knot as you desperately chase the creature you've nurtured since it was a kitten, only to watch in horror as it freezes in the middle of the road as a truck driver nonchalantly thunders towards it. You can watch your beloved pet be mashed up, or you can pull out a gun and shoot the driver dead which may or may not save your cat — but the inevitable police attention will result in either your arrest or numerous deaths. A moral choice that asks as many questions as it answers. Come to think of it, a similar thing happened to me in GTA4. I'd been dating some girl for a while and we were getting along great, even managed to get laid once. But one time after getting a bit tipsy in a bar with her I decided to grab some moped and take her home on that. While going across the bridge highway at immense speed some fucking traffic suddenly stopped dead in front of me; I desperately hit the brakes but still hit the back of the car in front with some force. I was fine, but my girlfriend was flung through the air at breathtaking velocity and went straight into an incoming vehicle. She was no longer available for dating after that.

I continue to be a fan of Philter.

Congratulations! In honour of the event let's all enjoy the top five Nolans on Google Images:

Heh, heh, heh... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVDfnU6D52g

Here's a good list of the ones that're worth playing: Destiny

How long did you play KZ2 for, though? I too thought KZ2 was wonderfully put together in most ways, but the game got incredibly tiresome after a while because it basically just kept repeating the same mechanics and types of locations ad infinitum with no particularly interesting narrative to go along with it. In terms of showcasing how to put together a great shooter it succeeded, except it seems they forgot they need to make a whole game interesting rather than provide something that's awesome for a 15-minute demo session.

Unfortunately she might be a ticking time bomb waiting to go off, suddenly becoming obsessed with the idea of having them one day. Be prepared!

I think what you've just said basically describes every game in the Killzone franchise, Pony. All visually pleasing, all just a bit shit to play. I could not be more indifferent to the series.

Ah you've been bitten by the Nolan North bug too!