For Diamond family gaming sessions, November was the highlight - one of those rare occasions when everyone loved the same game had a sequel on the horizon. The original Outer Worlds set their hearts ablaze with its unique art style and witty banter, drawing them into a thrilling mystery that captured their attention. It wasn't perfect; the combat lacked innovation, but the team's passion for storytelling made it worthwhile.
My wife was an exception - none of the games featured Crash Bandicoot, so she wasn't interested. The rest of us dived in, with my kids enjoying it more than I did. After trying to conquer the final boss battle for half a day, I declared victory and called it quits. My son finished Outer Worlds 2 first; I asked him how he enjoyed it, expecting me to share his enthusiasm.
"Go ahead," I said. "I'm sure you'll hate it." His response left me stunned: "You're going to hate it."
How could my gaming connoisseur son be so certain? He knew that if not for me, none of these kids would have even tried video games in the first place. This wasn't the same boy who destroyed me at Mario Kart - this was someone robbing his old man of potential enjoyment.
Determined to prove him wrong and enjoy Outer Worlds 2 despite my disappointment with it, I played on. My son offered insight into what went wrong: "There's no real heart or soul in the game; they just phoned it in."
Reading between the lines, their conversation delved deeper into RPGs as a whole - what works, what doesn't, and the role of storytelling. The crucial importance of a storyteller to make an experience believable was highlighted by my son. RPGs have roots in tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons, where the graphics don't matter; it's the world-building that makes all the difference.
The author revisited his memories of other iconic RPGs like Skyrim, Deus Ex, and Final Fantasy VII, which were brought to life despite having limited resources. The graphics may not be everything, but with a compelling narrative, these worlds became truly immersive.
When I finally admitted defeat on Outer Worlds 2, it wasn't a disappointment; instead, our gaming session turned into a fantastic conversation about games, family bonding, and more. Sometimes, even in the face of subpar game design, those conversations can lead to new discoveries.
My wife was an exception - none of the games featured Crash Bandicoot, so she wasn't interested. The rest of us dived in, with my kids enjoying it more than I did. After trying to conquer the final boss battle for half a day, I declared victory and called it quits. My son finished Outer Worlds 2 first; I asked him how he enjoyed it, expecting me to share his enthusiasm.
"Go ahead," I said. "I'm sure you'll hate it." His response left me stunned: "You're going to hate it."
How could my gaming connoisseur son be so certain? He knew that if not for me, none of these kids would have even tried video games in the first place. This wasn't the same boy who destroyed me at Mario Kart - this was someone robbing his old man of potential enjoyment.
Determined to prove him wrong and enjoy Outer Worlds 2 despite my disappointment with it, I played on. My son offered insight into what went wrong: "There's no real heart or soul in the game; they just phoned it in."
Reading between the lines, their conversation delved deeper into RPGs as a whole - what works, what doesn't, and the role of storytelling. The crucial importance of a storyteller to make an experience believable was highlighted by my son. RPGs have roots in tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons, where the graphics don't matter; it's the world-building that makes all the difference.
The author revisited his memories of other iconic RPGs like Skyrim, Deus Ex, and Final Fantasy VII, which were brought to life despite having limited resources. The graphics may not be everything, but with a compelling narrative, these worlds became truly immersive.
When I finally admitted defeat on Outer Worlds 2, it wasn't a disappointment; instead, our gaming session turned into a fantastic conversation about games, family bonding, and more. Sometimes, even in the face of subpar game design, those conversations can lead to new discoveries.
. Can't they just have one decent thread without all the drama? Like, my kid's comment about Outer Worlds 2 being a letdown was on point, though 
. It's not that hard to be honest about something you don't like.
Like, hello, it's a video game, not a relationship requirement. 
. It's all about the world-building and narrative. I'm gonna have to give my son credit for calling it on Outer Worlds 2 - that takes guts 
.
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but you know what's even sadder? seeing my son break down the games we love and tell me why they're not doing it right 
reminds me of those old skool final fantasy games where the graphics were basic but the worlds were so immersive... or how about skyrim? that game still holds up today because it didn't need fancy graphics to transport you to another world 
anyway, i love that my gaming session turned into a convo about more than just games - family bonding is everything 
. I mean, my son was right all along 
. The game just didn't have that special something that made it memorable for me back in the first one. My kid is super into gaming and knows his stuff, but even he wasn't impressed 
. It's funny how gaming can bring you and your family closer together, though 
. I remember when I was playing with my kids and we were all like "let's try to beat this boss" 
... only for me to give up after an hour 
. It's not just about graphics; it's about creating a world and characters that you care about 
. Like how Skyrim or Final Fantasy VII were able to transport you to another world despite their old graphics 
Sometimes, it takes a fresh perspective to appreciate the value of what we have, even if it's not perfect. 
and I gotta agree, it's like they phoned it in 
didn't expect much from the sequel but you know what? My wife ended up loving the first game lol 
anyway, I was talking to my kid about how gaming is all about storytelling now 
and how some games just can't compete with the classics like skyrim or ff7 
we discussed how graphics are cool and all but if the story's not right it's a hard sell 
. But what really impressed me is how this conversation with my son turned into something bigger - a discussion about the role of storytelling in games and how it can make or break an experience 
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. My son's right, sometimes it's not about the graphics or gameplay mechanics, but about creating an immersive world that draws you in 
. I love how our conversation went from "you'll hate this game" to actually enjoying the experience together 
. It just goes to show that gaming isn't just about winning or losing, but about sharing moments with loved ones 
. And honestly, some of the best gaming sessions are the ones where we can just chat and share our thoughts without anyone being too serious or competitive 
️. Like, my brother's always trying to beat me in Mario Kart, but it's not about winning or losing – it's about having fun together 
especially my kid's perspective on storytelling in games makes so much sense, I mean, graphics don't matter if there's no compelling narrative 
reminds me of how Skyrim and other old-school RPGs did it without all the fancy graphics 
, but it's the moments where you're all vibin' and laughing together that make it truly special. My kids still get a kick out of playing Mario Kart with me - it's like our own little tournament 
.
. It's all about perspective, right? Even when a game doesn't live up to our expectations, we can still find something to appreciate and learn from it 
. Give me a game with real heart and soul any day over a generic formula. I love how my son's insight into RPGs made him realize that it's not just about the tech, but what's behind it - the world-building, the characters, the story... all of that stuff.
Anyway, I'm loving this article's vibe – it's all about finding the positives and having fun conversations, even if the game isn't perfect! 
. And don't even get me started on the price of those new-fangled consoles 
. My nephew's been bugging me to get one so he can play some of these games, but I'm like "son, you know I played GoldenEye 007 back in '99 right?" lol. Anyway, back to Outer Worlds... I kinda feel bad for your wife, not being into Crash Bandicoot 
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. But what really struck me was how he connected the dots between storytelling and immersion in RPGs. It's crazy how those old-school tabletop games like D&D are still influencing modern game devs to this day 
I mean, he wasn't being a troll or anything, just giving his honest opinion. And honestly, I think he might be right... the combat did feel pretty basic and the story wasn't as engaging as I remembered from the first game