GWJ Conference Call Episode 629

Red Dead Redemption 2, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, Spider-Man DLC, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, When Reality Gets in The Way of Fun ... Does Fun Still Win? Red Dead Labor Issues, Your Emails and More!

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This week Shawn returns from Nepal to talk a lot about Red Dead Redemption 2 with Sean Sands, Allen Cook and Michael Zenke.

To contact us, email [email protected]! Send us your thoughts on the show, pressing issues you want to talk about or whatever else is on your mind.

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Show credits

Music credits: 

Tabulasa - Broke for Free - http://brokeforfree.com/ - 1:06:42

Bloom Key - Broke for Free - http://brokeforfree.com/ - 1:47:06

Comments

"Red Dead Redemption 2 takes 25 hours to clear its throat."

EDIT: I'm already losing patience with it at around six hours, and to find I have to sit through an entire TV season's worth of holding x while people talk at me before something starts happening in the story is just uggggghhhh.

I love that vid clip!

It's worth noting my opinion on RDR2 has soured significantly in the three days since we recorded this.

00:02:22 Shawn's Experience in Nepal
00:09:30 Red Dead Redemption 2
00:44:25 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
00:51:03 Marvel's Spider-Man: The Heist
00:53:30 Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
01:03:58 Detective (board game)
01:06:42 When Reality Gets in The Way of Fun
01:47:06 Your Emails

Elysium wrote:

It's worth noting my opinion on RDR2 has soured significantly in the three days since we recorded this.

Mittens 2, 3, and 4 also bought it?

Well, in at least one case, a rando NPC pulled me off my saddle and stole my horse, and I couldn't manage to shoot him because the controls of this game just get worse and worse.

Elysium wrote:

Well, in at least one case, a rando NPC pulled me off my saddle and stole my horse, and I couldn't manage to shoot him because the controls of this game just get worse and worse.

This is what soured me on the previous Red Dead Games.

It was especially frustrating for me during story missions which required riding a horse for ten minutes to get to a location, only to get killed and have to watch the cutscene and ride the horse for ten minutes again, only to die... again.

Sure, maybe I’m just bad at video games. Or maybe Rockstar should stop pretending it knows how to make shooters and just make everything dialog trees and QTEs.

Beckett wrote:

00:02:22 Shawn's Experience in Nepal
00:09:30 Red Dead Redemption 2
00:44:25 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
00:51:03 Marvel's Spider-Man: The Heist
00:53:30 Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
01:03:58 Detective (board game)
01:06:42 When Reality Gets in The Way of Fun
01:47:06 Your Emails

I noticed that Mandy didn't make the cut. I haven't seen it but think I need to now. Here is the official trailer (warning it is a bit intense and weird).

I too immediately thought of Barry Manilow's Mandy, but more specifically this version.

doubtingthomas396 wrote:
Elysium wrote:

Well, in at least one case, a rando NPC pulled me off my saddle and stole my horse, and I couldn't manage to shoot him because the controls of this game just get worse and worse.

This is what soured me on the previous Red Dead Games.

It was especially frustrating for me during story missions which required riding a horse for ten minutes to get to a location, only to get killed and have to watch the cutscene and ride the horse for ten minutes again, only to die... again.

Sure, maybe I’m just bad at video games. Or maybe Rockstar should stop pretending it knows how to make shooters and just make everything dialog trees and QTEs.

This episode and anecdotes like these nudged me from "Maybe someday" to "Passing for the foreseeable future."

Rat Boy wrote:
doubtingthomas396 wrote:
Elysium wrote:

Well, in at least one case, a rando NPC pulled me off my saddle and stole my horse, and I couldn't manage to shoot him because the controls of this game just get worse and worse.

This is what soured me on the previous Red Dead Games.

It was especially frustrating for me during story missions which required riding a horse for ten minutes to get to a location, only to get killed and have to watch the cutscene and ride the horse for ten minutes again, only to die... again.

Sure, maybe I’m just bad at video games. Or maybe Rockstar should stop pretending it knows how to make shooters and just make everything dialog trees and QTEs.

This episode and anecdotes like these nudged me from "Maybe someday" to "Passing for the foreseeable future."

I really enjoyed Red Dead Redemption though I do have at least one bad memory of dying and having to do a long walk back to the place I died, rince repeat. I probably will play RDR2 but maybe I might be more willing to wait for the PC version.

Elysium wrote:

It's worth noting my opinion on RDR2 has soured significantly in the three days since we recorded this.

Why's that?

I’ve ridden and actual horse on an adventure holiday. At one point I remember thinking, oh I hear a waterfall. That’s odd though the sound just came out of nowhere. Oh, it’s slowing aaaaaaand now it’s stopped.

In RDR2 I’ve ridden into a tree on my horse while trying to turn the camera and take screenshots on PS4. I'm going to do my level best not to do that again. Loving the game so far but then I’m someone who will walk through town in AC: Origins when I don’t need to and who enjoyed the driving in Watch Dogs one for it's weightiness and imprecision when no one else seemed to.

Oh Mandy

Well you came and you gave without taking
But I sent you away, oh Mandy
And you kissed me and stopped me from shaking
And I need you today, oh Mandy

Yep.

RDR2 was a Day-1, maybe-take-the-day-off purchase for me...until I heard about the 60 hour main campaign. I am a huge Old West buff - I grew up reading Louis L'Amour books. This should be MY game. But I just don't have that much time for story-based games anymore. I can play Rocket League or Madden during times I don't have to have the sound on, or when I only have 15-20 minutes to play. It took me a couple of weeks to get through God of War. As much as want to see and experience in RDR2, it sounds like it will take me months... :-/

Oh Margie
You came and you found me a turkey
On my vacation away from worky

I think that my wife managed to (unintentionally) kill half of the horses in Skyrim.

Beckett wrote:

00:02:22 Shawn's Experience in Nepal
00:09:30 Red Dead Redemption 2
00:44:25 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
00:51:03 Marvel's Spider-Man: The Heist
00:53:30 Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
01:03:58 Detective (board game)
01:06:42 When Reality Gets in The Way of Fun
01:47:06 Your Emails
99:99:99 Halfway through RDR2

Corrected slightly

Hrdina wrote:

I think that my wife managed to (unintentionally) kill half of the horses in Skyrim.

I had a horse in RDR1 that looked exactly like Silver from The Lone Ranger that got killed in the crossfire of a random shootout and I was extremely pissed about it.

I’ve only been a listener for about a year, but this might be the first time I’ve had to turn off the podcast and just shake my head. From the negative review of the first Spider-man DLC (it’s the first part of 3, I loved it), to the boycotting of RD2 (which was followed, at least, with mentions of many other heinous practices much worse than crunch), I just had a hard time agreeing with anything. There’s nothing wrong with different opinions of course, I was just surprised I guess.

*mod*

No mini-modding, please. - Certis

Oh my bad. This forum isn’t for expression of opinions, just feedback?

It's ok to disagree with different views and offer your own provided the Code of Conduct is followed. I don't see any issue here.

Just a note about Q&A. Testing for games is not Q&A! You sound like my dad

Testing for games (and all software and even some product testing) is Quality Assurance. QA

dewalist wrote:

RDR2 was a Day-1, maybe-take-the-day-off purchase for me...until I heard about the 60 hour main campaign. I am a huge Old West buff - I grew up reading Louis L'Amour books. This should be MY game. But I just don't have that much time for story-based games anymore. I can play Rocket League or Madden during times I don't have to have the sound on, or when I only have 15-20 minutes to play. It took me a couple of weeks to get through God of War. As much as want to see and experience in RDR2, it sounds like it will take me months... :-/

Allow me to self promote.