The Backlog Check-in Vol. 267: 2/11/23: Tales of Symphonia Remastered Edition

[canedaddy]

Huh. If it runs OK on PS4 I might give it a shot.

of course none of us grew up on it, so it probably isn't as big of a deal to any of us as some of the things we did grow up on

Good observation. I have co-workers in their late 20s/early 30s who have a serious connection with Harry Potter and are going crazy for that game, and I forget we have a lot of geezers in here. (OK, I'm the king geezer, but you guys aren't in your 20s.) They forced me to read the books a few years back and I found them fairly entertaining. Do you think someone whose only connection with HP is the books would enjoy the game, or is it more centered around the movies?

[Phaseknox]

Do you think someone whose only connection with HP is the books would enjoy the game, or is it more centered around the movies?

It takes place in the past long before the Harry Potter stories, so it’s a standalone story with no connection to the Harry Potter stories except for its universe and the school that it takes place at.

[jfissel]

I think they used the movies for some consistency in how things look, such as the buildings and area layout.

[argyle]

Yup, like everyone said, there's no direct ties to the movies other than visual design.

And this latest gen has been the most blurred transition of any I've known (especially on the Xbox side where the upgrade process is automatic and largely invisible). I don't consider that a negative, tho I could see if some did. So I often forget what gen a game is even for. The positive for me is that my PS4/XBOne libraries are the same as my PS5/Series X libraries in my mind, so I don't feel like I'm giving up on getting to the games in those libraries that I still want to play. Basically, my new consoles, in my mind at least, are just more powerful versions of their last-gen counterparts.

[isthatallyougot]

Yup, like everyone said, there's no direct ties to the movies other than visual design.

And this latest gen has been the most blurred transition of any I've known (especially on the Xbox side where the upgrade process is automatic and largely invisible). I don't consider that a negative, tho I could see if some did. So I often forget what gen a game is even for. The positive for me is that my PS4/XBOne libraries are the same as my PS5/Series X libraries in my mind, so I don't feel like I'm giving up on getting to the games in those libraries that I still want to play. Basically, my new consoles, in my mind at least, are just more powerful versions of their last-gen counterparts.

Yeah, diminishing returns have been strong more recently. I think the focus on pushing pure tech power in regards to game development is a waste anyway though. We've got more visual horsepower than we even need (for me anyway). Design ought to take priority.

[argyle]

Yup, like everyone said, there's no direct ties to the movies other than visual design.

And this latest gen has been the most blurred transition of any I've known (especially on the Xbox side where the upgrade process is automatic and largely invisible). I don't consider that a negative, tho I could see if some did. So I often forget what gen a game is even for. The positive for me is that my PS4/XBOne libraries are the same as my PS5/Series X libraries in my mind, so I don't feel like I'm giving up on getting to the games in those libraries that I still want to play. Basically, my new consoles, in my mind at least, are just more powerful versions of their last-gen counterparts.

Yeah, diminishing returns have been strong more recently. I think the focus on pushing pure tech power in regards to game development is a waste anyway though. We've got more visual horsepower than we even need (for me anyway). Design ought to take priority.

Oh I agree, the biggest boon of the increased power for me has been higher framerates & faster load times. After playing games at 60fps, I've discovered that the reasons some games made me feel uneasy or gave me headaches after a while was due to their framerate. It's often not something you actively notice, but it makes a definite difference whether you're aware of it or not. I've been firmly against the push for ultra realistic graphics for a while now, and that definitely hasn't changed. Artistic design will trump graphical horsepower and its bells & whistles every time.

[isthatallyougot]

Artistic design will trump graphical horsepower and its bells & whistles every time.