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Post by Ex on Apr 15, 2019 13:27:45 GMT -5
Pretty simple concept. I'm interested in your suggestions of games that offer a fulfilling sense of exploration and discovery. Preferably the best games of this sort you've played. Have you enjoyed any games which offered unknown expanses that rewarded curious adventurers?
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Post by Sarge on Apr 15, 2019 17:44:53 GMT -5
I know I've had a few games that give me that feel, but one in particular is too new to talk about yet...
I tend to really like games that actually reward exploration. It doesn't even have to be a game that has impressive vistas, although I really love it when a game makes you feel like you've discovered a place where you shouldn't be, and actually feels like it has been abandoned for millenia. It's such a cool thing, and some games just don't pull that off well.
A trite, but true, answer would be the Zelda series, especially the earlier games. You're always turning up power-ups that actually help you progress through the game. Finding a bomb-able wall is always fun.
Another that comes to mind is (wait for it) Chrono Trigger. What I like about it is that most areas feel very unique, and the graphical style just looks phenomenal. And while you're poking around for treasure, you're not turning up piddly junk, you'll often find flat-out upgrades to weapons and armor, so much so that you could probably not have to spend any money on new equipment if you're thorough.
Also, King's Field: The Ancient City really has some satisfying exploration. It has an oppressive atmosphere that many games can't match, and the way that the areas interlink is really awesome.
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Post by toei on Apr 15, 2019 18:54:20 GMT -5
One thing I appreciate about classic Dragon Quest is that there's always something in out-of-the-way places to reward those who bother looking - inns packed with travelers, or NPCs in dungeons. The world feels more lively that way.
Probably the game that fit the thread most is Uncharted Waters, though. It's literally a simulation of the Age of Exploration. I remember stocking up for expeditions way up north, searching for new ports just to see if people even lived that far up, or getting giddy about finding pepper for 3 coins a barrel that I could resell for ten times the price halfway across the world.
Beyond and Legend of Oasis are great about that too, there's an insane amount of hidden areas. In general it's a feature of a lot of action RPGs. I'm a big fan of walls you can through in older RPGs like Final Fantasy 3 and 4, too. It's a lot of fun when you find something valuable that way, especially if it's a piece of equipment you can't get anywhere else.
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Post by Ex on Apr 17, 2019 9:32:53 GMT -5
The King's Field games certainly fit this category. - One avenue of gaming I've not spent any real time with, is indeed nautical sailing stuff. There's a fair amount of quality games in that genre (from what I've read at least). I don't know how much fun I'd find being a merchant or pirate, just for the sake of building up virtual financial coffers. If there was a greater narrative I was unraveling while doing such things, then I'd be intrigued. Thinking over my personal game collection, I remember owning two games of this nature: www.gog.com/game/sea_dogs_city_of_abandoned_shipsen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_(video_game)Today I learned the Xbox version of Pirates of the Caribbean was the first U.S. console game developed in Russia. Somebody tell @tsumuri. Edit: Wow looks like all the Sea Dogs games were developed in Russia as well. Is maritime sailing a beloved Russian theme or something? Edit 2: OK I just found out that the Xbox version of Pirates of the Caribbean was originally designed as a Sea Dogs entry, but was re-titled to increase sales in the west. Oh this is a rabbit hole alright. - I can tell you guys a game that REALLY gave me a satisfying sense of exploration and discovery: www.gog.com/game/miasmataI loved beating that one... unfortunately it's too new to explain why. But here's a link to my review.
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Post by toei on Apr 17, 2019 10:11:09 GMT -5
Ex Uncharted Waters 2 has a bit more of a story. It's about equivalent to a non-linear console RPG in terms of narrative, so it's not front and center, but it's there. The first game is about restoring your family name (if I recall correctly, you're the heir to a former noble family that has lost its titles), and there is a definite beginning and ending, but that's about it. Still provides an end goal and structure.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2019 10:14:15 GMT -5
Edit 2: OK I just found out that the Xbox version of Pirates of the Caribbean was originally designed as a Sea Dogs entry, but was re-titled to increase sales in the west. Oh this is a rabbit hole alright. Yeah, I was about to point that out. That's typical Akella for you. No, they just really like pirating. They like to pirate a lot. Speaking of which, Xenus 1 and 2 aka Boiling Point and White Gold as well as The Precursors (game is actually from 2009) from Ukrainian developers Deep Shadows definitely offer a sense of exploration and discovery. Same for Gothic 1 & 2, which I like a great deal. Speaking of Russian games, there's also the Space Rangers series. Unbeknowst to most, those games have an amazing soundtrack.
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Post by Ex on Apr 17, 2019 10:18:22 GMT -5
Uncharted Waters 2 has a bit more of a story. I will check it out. Hopefully the story is standalone and doesn't build on the first game's plot or anything. That's typical Akella for you. It gets even more confusing, because apparently these Sea Dogs games were also called Age of Pirates over here as well. So there are releases that use the both series' names but are still the same game. What a mess! But I will check out the ones that are on GOG.
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Post by toei on Apr 17, 2019 10:38:15 GMT -5
Uncharted Waters 2 has a bit more of a story. I will check it out. Hopefully the story is standalone and doesn't build on the first game's plot or anything. You can choose to play as a few different characters (I think 6). One of them is the son of the first game's hero, but the others aren't connected to that family or the first game's story at all that I know of.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2019 10:41:44 GMT -5
It gets even more confusing, because apparently these Sea Dogs games were also called Age of Pirates over here as well. So there are releases that use the both series' names but are still the same game. What a mess! But I will check out the ones that are on GOG. Yeah, the entire series is simply known as Корсары in Russia which means Pirates. Корсары I is known in the West as Sea Dogs, Корсары II became Pirates of the Caribbean, Корсары III became Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales. Then there two games based on the Корсары III engine that didn't make in it in the West - one of them is more like a mod for the third game rather than an actual game. Then the series reappared in the West in 2009 with Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships, whose original title is Корсары: Город потерянных кораблей. They haven't been numbering the series in Russia since the aforementioned mod/game. The latest entry was Корсары: Каждому своё in 2012... which is known in the West as Sea Dogs: To Each His Own. You know, just like the very first game. Thanks, Akella.
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Post by Ex on Apr 17, 2019 11:32:18 GMT -5
One of them is the son of the first game's hero, but the others aren't connected to that family or the first game's story at all that I know of. Thanks for the clarification on that. Корсары I is known in the West as Sea Dogs, Корсары II became Pirates of the Caribbean, Корсары III became Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales. Then there two games based on the Корсары III engine that didn't make in it in the West - one of them is more like a mod for the third game rather than an actual game. Then the series reappared in the West in 2009 with Age of Pirates 2: City of Abandoned Ships, whose original title is Корсары: Город потерянных кораблей. They haven't been numbering the series in Russia since the aforementioned mod/game. The latest entry was Корсары: Каждому своё in 2012... which is known in the West as Sea Dogs: To Each His Own. You know, just like the very first game. Thanks, Akella. Wow what a mess! But I appreciate breaking it down as well as it could be. I went ahead and purchased Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales, which on GOG is called Sea Dogs: Caribbean Tales. So now I have three games in this series. I'll likely check them out this summer. I enjoy playing oceanic/tropical themed games in the summer.
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