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TechSpot Explains Why Using "Ultra" Settings is "Dumb"

I found this great article by TechSpot today explaining why using "Ultra" settings (or the preset) is "dumb." I have to agree, although I'm one of those gamers that wants the best hardware to be able to easily run any game on that preset. However, this is an expensive and performance demanding preference. It's not based on logic, either. I have noticed great quality in games using only the "High" preset along with great performance. I've also noticed that the "Ultra" preset doesn't usually add anything noticeable, except for the huge performance hit.

That experience is exactly what TechSpot is referring to here. They've benchmarked the performance and quality of some... Read All I found this great article by TechSpot today explaining why using "Ultra" settings (or the preset) is "dumb." I have to agree, although I'm one of those gamers that wants the best hardware to be able to easily run any game on that preset. However, this is an expensive and performance demanding preference. It's not based on logic, either. I have noticed great quality in games using only the "High" preset along with great performance. I've also noticed that the "Ultra" preset doesn't usually add anything noticeable, except for the huge performance hit.

That experience is exactly what TechSpot is referring to here. They've benchmarked the performance and quality of some games using really good hardware. Their observations were pretty much what I just said, the quality of "Ultra" presets is usually negligible and comes with a big hit to performance. I really think this is a relevant topic here and I do strongly recommend reading the article. One of the games mentioned is DOOM Eternal and the game recommend that I don't use the highest preset, but the second highest and it was great.

Sometimes it's difficult to decide which settings to use in a game and presets are a great way to do that simply. GeForce Experience can also optionally "optimize" your settings, but I've found that while those settings are usually good, sometimes they are not. This makes me question the basis of the settings that GE chooses.

Take for example Ark: Survival Evolved. I let GE "optimize" my settings when I got my GTX 1660Ti (and other new hardware). However, I noticed the performance with those settings was unacceptable. It was pretty much using the "Epic" preset, which is the "Ultra" one for this game. Ark has been out for a while now and it's been very demanding on hardware since the beginning. This is just an example of a game where the highest preset comes with an unacceptable hit to performance while not really showing any greatly obvious quality improvement that you'd think would come as a result of the settings.

Let me know what you think about this topic. Are you one of the people that *must* have hardware good enough to run on "Ultra" presets? Or are you someone who values performance more and still enjoys good quality? Have you also noticed how "Ultra" presets don't always give really big and noticeable differences in quality, but significant performance hits?

https://www.techspot.com/article/2338-ultra-vs-high-settings/

I didn't want to leave this post w/out an image, so I uploaded a screenshot I took some time ago showing my settings for Ark. This was primarily to help me remember, since the game sometimes resets them.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 10/05/2021 at 07:59pm

I try to max out graphics. As long as framerate isn't horrible I am fine. 30 fps is all one needs.

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 10/05/2021 at 08:30pm

Depending on the game, I won't settle for much less than 60. LOL That's for modern games, but some games are locked at 30 and I usually find that acceptable. More FPS makes me happy, even though I realize it's not all that great and sometimes irrelevant. I think GE helps "optimize" your settings for 30FPS, not 60. The Ark settings it gave me pretty much limited me to around 30 FPS and it wasn't acceptable, performance was still bad. Once I switched to the "high" preset, performance greatly improved along w/ my FPS. I'm still using a 60hz monitor, though I really want to upgrade. I also don't like screen tearing, so I use VSync. I am very interested in GSync especially, though FreeSync is gaining popularity and compatibility.

Travis Admin wrote on 10/07/2021 at 01:54pm

I’ve noticed the ultra settings providing noticeable quality on some games but not others. Though I usually tweak every setting to see how much benefit vs performance hit I get for each one.

Though when you’re zoned into a game I think it’s far less important.

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 10/07/2021 at 07:01pm

Cool! Thanks for your input, Travis! I usually see if GE can "optimize" settings for a game (which it cannot do for all games) and see how that goes. I like the games that auto-detect and put me at the highest settings LOL. I've done most of my tweaking w/ Ark, as shown in my embedded screen shot. I was tweaking it years ago and I continued to tweak it even until recently.

Travis Admin wrote on 10/08/2021 at 08:42pm

I’ve found GeForce experience to be a good starting point but sometimes it gets things way wrong. Where some times it puts me in a very poorly running situation, sometimes it tries to make me play things at settings that are nowhere near as advanced as I could use without a performance hit.

I do like the option as a starting point quite a bit though.

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 10/08/2021 at 09:35pm

Agreed! I have the same experience.

jdodson Admin wrote on 10/09/2021 at 04:40am

Someday I may have a PC with the ability to run max graphics on. That said, it feels like I do with the Series X but I know compared to some PC's out there it's not as powerful.

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 10/09/2021 at 08:04am

I haven't been keeping up, but my perception is that this console is pretty good. They're remaking GTA 5 and Skyrim for both consoles and PC. I seem to remember some games performing much better on the new generation than last. I think Cyberpunk was one example. I'm not too surprised and I think it's good that they've reached this point. They seem to be on par with PC now. I don't know if they have Ray Tracing and DLSS though.

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Free Guy Is A Must See Movie And Is Streaming Now

Check out the embedded trailer. I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to give away spoilers. Guy, played by Ryan Reynolds, is pretty much the main character but there are other recognizable actors in it as well. The ones I noticed were Taika Waititi and I recognized the voice cameo by Hugh Jackman. You might recognize it, too. It sounds like him, but you don't see his face. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was actually the bank robber in the trailer that Guy shoots. You don't see his face, either.

What if life were a video game? Guy found glasses that opened his eyes and he began to see video game things such as health pickups, money, and missions. If you like... Read All

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Switch Tech Review

Seems like I'm posting a few Digital Foundry videos this morning. With that, has anyone picked up and played Skyward Sword on Switch yet? I've heard the controls are a mixed bag but overall the game is quite good. I didn't get this game on the Wii but am curious if it's worth coming back to on Switch?

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 09/27/2021 at 08:24pm

So, I haven't watched the video, but I thought I'd add my two cents in, since you kind of asked for it. I had the game for the Wii and really enjoyed it. I remember the last time I played it, though it was probably 5 or more years ago and was the second time I played it.

My only concern is that I have no idea how you're supposed to play it without the Wii controller, because it relied on that heavily and IMO it worked out well. Clearly they must have found some way around this, though. This may have been pointed out in the video.

I'm surprised that of all people you, Jon, haven't played this. Well, you said you didn't get it on the Wii, but you didn't say you didn't get it on the Wii U, so I could be wrong that you "haven't played this." I don't think I got it for the Wii U, but I could again be wrong, but I definitely had it for the Wii.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 10/04/2021 at 03:12am

> I'm surprised that of all people you, Jon, haven't played this.

It came out at the end of the Wii cycle and I was very focused on the PlayStation 3. Kind of like now. I was pretty focused on the Switch and now I’m mostly playing my Series X.

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 10/04/2021 at 07:55am

Ah, I understand, I've gone through similar phases. I'm currently strictly focused on the PC and have been for a while. I'm interested in the Switch, but don't have one at the moment. I'm only slightly interested in the new console generation, but not very. When it comes to them, I'm more interested in when their exclusives will come to PC, if at all.

Anyway, This is a good game and I'm sure they did a good job adapting the controls.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 10/09/2021 at 04:39am

> Anyway, This is a good game and I'm sure they did a good job adapting the controls.

I've heard mixed things about it. Apparently it's possible to control the game with a normal controller but very difficult. You have to still be precise with the sword swinging which isn't the easiest on a thumbstick.

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 10/09/2021 at 08:06am

Ah yeah, the motion controls were a big part of it, that's why I was concerned. It was really fun on the Wii.

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Super Star Wars Trilogy on SNES - A Gaming Renaissance For A Classic Franchise

I played Super Star Wars on the Super Nintendo a lot. A lot. It's one of the most fun Star Wars video games I've played and it's notoriously "Nintendo hard." I never really thought about it as a youth but when I come back to it now I do. If you practice at it you can beat it start to finish in one life, which I could do, but it takes a lot of effort to develop that. That all said, Super Star Wars and the subsequent two games are an example of fantastic Star Wars video games in a very crowded space. Lately, the quality of Star Wars games has gone up but it wasn't always so.

Hawkeye Is A Christmas Show?

I didn't expect to be excited about a Hawkeye show. I generally am not a fan of the character.

But, I *love* that this is leaning heavily into the Christmas theme! I hope the show keeps that vibe throughout!

Also, "Rogers: The Musical"? YES PLEASE

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 09/13/2021 at 05:01pm

Kinda getting Die Hard feels from this 😀

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 09/13/2021 at 05:21pm

Yup. Looks good.

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 09/13/2021 at 05:34pm

Ew, I don't like Christmas. It's the most *not* wonderful time of the year, IMO. Adam's right about his Die Hard comment. I haven't dived into the Marvel comics, so I didn't know who Kate was until I played Marvel's Avengers. She also goes by "Hawkeye." I thought she was Clint's daughter, but she's simply a fan. They have an interesting relationship, though, or at least I think it's interesting. I like Kate in the game and she looks cool here, too.

I had to pause to see because the clip goes by so quickly, but I noticed a woman in red with black hair and a wine glass at a dinner table. She is Vera Farmiga and was in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. I really like her because she looks like someone I know (there's a bit more to it than that, but I'm just going to keep it simple here).

Thanks for sharing! Now I'm going to go have a Christmas barf.

AdamPFarnsworth Post Author wrote on 09/13/2021 at 05:51pm

Lol! Christmas is my favorite time of year, but if it's not yours, I'm really sorry about how long the season lasts!

One minor detail I saw I the trailer that's probably nothing, but in the Rogers musical, it looks like Loki is wearing a mask, and I want it to me a nod to The Mask with Jim Carrey lol

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 09/13/2021 at 06:05pm

Yeah, sorry to crap on your favorite time, I meant no offense to you. I guess that's part of why I didn't get into it and decided against saying what I wanted to. Funny, too, how I said your comment about Die Hard was right, but I thought Jon posted this, I later realized you did. So many details, so little I've paid attention to.

I only saw Cap in that musical, everything went by so fast. The Mask was awesome!!!! In fact, it was "smokin'!"

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/16/2021 at 03:09am

> Now I'm going to go have a Christmas barf.

After how many candy cane cookies?

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 09/16/2021 at 03:34am

LOL Well I do like the fruity ones.

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 09/16/2021 at 08:25am

Oh! How could I forget! I do love Nightmare Before Christmas! Also, to be fair to Christmas, there isn't a holiday that I like.

Travis Admin wrote on 09/17/2021 at 02:35am

Greg you strike me as someone who would enjoy Halloween :)

And yeah this is interesting. Definitely not what I was expecting from Hawkeye but I'm glad the tone feels very different.

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/19/2021 at 09:49pm

> Also, to be fair to Christmas, there isn't a holiday that I like.

Tonight a Ghost of Christmas past will come to visit you...

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 09/20/2021 at 02:54am

Well it better be a Cheerful Ghost or I'm calling the Ghostbusters!

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/20/2021 at 11:19pm

👻

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 11/25/2021 at 06:42am

Disney+ never disappoints! Go watch the two episodes they gave us, "bro."

jdodson Admin wrote on 11/25/2021 at 08:50pm

Thanks for the note. Added to my watchlist!

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/09/2021 at 03:41pm

I am really enjoying this! So far the only Marvel show to not 100% connect with me was Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 12/09/2021 at 04:50pm

I've liked all these shows. I'm once again at the point where there are two episodes left and I wonder how they're going to answer all my questions. It's exciting.

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 12/09/2021 at 05:30pm

I don't like the Christmas aspect of the show, but if you're curious as to why it's there, check this out (it has nothing to do with story details, so definitely no spoilers): https://www.gamespot.com/articles/so-why-is-hawkeye-a-christmas-show/1100-6498720/

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/09/2021 at 08:50pm

It should have been an april 1st story! :)

I like the christmas aspect.

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 12/09/2021 at 09:38pm

It does help with the episodic timeline. There are only 6 of these and 2 more. It makes sense, because Clint is trying to get home for Christmas.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/10/2021 at 03:15am

What if he wanted to get home before April 1st so he could pull an epic prank on his wife? I think I am on to something here. 🤣

GregoPeck Super Member wrote on 12/23/2021 at 01:06am

Hawkeye is the most awesome Christmas ever, along with The Nightmare Before Christmas. Despite my dislike for this holiday season, I absolutely love this show! It has mysteries, a great plot, great action, and surprises! When it comes to Disney+ (and movies for that matter), the MCU does not disappoint. Be sure to stick around for a post-credits scene, it's quite enjoyable. "I can do this all day!"

Travis Admin wrote on 12/23/2021 at 03:26am

I don’t know if I’d say Hawkeye is anywhere near my favorite Marvel series, but it absolutely has my favorite finale of any Marvel show.

Which is weird because they’ve all been so satisfying. But this one is SO satisfying. The finale is probably my favorite single episode of any Marvel TV. Well. Disney Plus Marvel TV. The whole Netflix Universe and Agents of SHIELD is something else but it looks like those lines are getting blurred

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A Spoiler-Free Review of Middle-Earth Shadow of War

GregoPeck gives this a solid "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.

GregoPeck gives this a "Rad" on the Ghost Scale

This is fun, with very few issues, and is well worth your time.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is a sequel to Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. In a way it’s cool, because I felt like the game play was much more fun and addictive than I expected. Unfortunately, enough time passed and I became bored with it. It’s still a great game and I highly recommend it, but in the end I feel “blah” about it. I guess I burned out on it. I’ll let you know about game play mechanics, what I liked, and what I didn’t like along with problems I ran into.

In case you didn’t read my review of Shadow of Mordor (link at bottom) or if you’re unfamiliar with the basic game play of this series, I’ll give a friendly introduction. These games take place in the... Read All

The Matrix Resurrections Trailer!

The trailer for The Matrix Resurrections is finally out and the movie will be released in theaters and HBO Max on 12/22/21. The trailer says "this Christmas" and my first thought was that is a bad idea, because Spider-Man: No Way Home comes out on Christmas and I wouldn't bet on anything getting as much attention. That's not to say The Matrix is bad, it's great in fact, but...well I'm sure you understand.

So, Neo and Trinity are back, but they don't know each other. Neo (Thomas) is seeing a therapist played by Neil Patrick Harris, because he's having weird dreams and thinks he's crazy. Jada Pinkett Smith returns as Niobe, who you might remember in the sequels. It... Read All The trailer for The Matrix Resurrections is finally out and the movie will be released in theaters and HBO Max on 12/22/21. The trailer says "this Christmas" and my first thought was that is a bad idea, because Spider-Man: No Way Home comes out on Christmas and I wouldn't bet on anything getting as much attention. That's not to say The Matrix is bad, it's great in fact, but...well I'm sure you understand.

So, Neo and Trinity are back, but they don't know each other. Neo (Thomas) is seeing a therapist played by Neil Patrick Harris, because he's having weird dreams and thinks he's crazy. Jada Pinkett Smith returns as Niobe, who you might remember in the sequels. It *looks* like Morpheus is back, but is played by another guy. It looks like this might be a younger version of himself (according to the link below). Hugo Weaving will also not return and I'm disappointed both actors will not be returning.

I found a link with some more details, especially about the actors. You can check it out here:
https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a29498105/the-matrix-4-cast-release-date-plot-trailer-keanu-reeves-news/

I'm looking forward to seeing it, I've loved The Matrix movies since they came out. I'm also extremely fond of The Animatrix and if you haven't seen it, but are a fan of The Matrix, you should. As it sounds, it's anime Matrix stories. Some aren't really relevant to the overall story, but a few of them are significantly related. IMHO the best ones give us the backstory of how the Matrix was created and it's very interesting and disturbing. I loved the soundtrack as well.

I'm glad it seems this is coming to HBO Max the same day as theaters. The one great thing about COVID is that it created a significant boost to streaming services like HBO Max and Disney+. Those services have started showing movies when they release and I really love it. I think it's incredibly responsible, especially since we're currently dealing with the more contagious Delta variant and even vaccinated people are getting sick (but not mortally so). I prefer to watch something in the privacy of my own room. I did go see Shang-Chi, so obviously I've decided to go anyway, since not all movies I want to watch are streamed right away.

Let me know what you think about this. Are you a fan of The Matrix? What did you think of the trilogy? Have you seen The Animatrix? I've got a little more to say, but I might wait and put it in the comments.

jdodson Admin wrote on 09/11/2021 at 01:01am

> Let me know what you think about this.

Looks like a visually and stylistically fresh take on The Matrix. It's not too modern, but modern enough. I'm going to see this for sure.

That said, I have no idea what this is beyond The Matrix again?

> Are you a fan of The Matrix?

Yeah, very much. Re-watched the trilogy a few months ago.

> What did you think of the trilogy?

The first movie is a massive cultural milestone. It has a bit of "90's goof" but I love camp so it's awesome. I used to really _HATE_ the sequels but recently I've come around on that and find them to be pretty good. I agree with some recent takes on the sequels, they should be viewed as one complete film as they were shot back to back and really are.

> Have you seen The Animatrix?

Many times. I'd rate it the second best Matrix movie.

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 09/11/2021 at 02:02am

I think it looks "modern," but maybe I don't understand your definition. Yeah, this does seem like "The Matrix again." Remember (spoilers!) Neo formed a truce with the machines and gave up his body. We see images of that in this trailer. It also seems as though someone is watching The Matrix via screen projection.

I don't know about "90's goof," I never felt that, but I really enjoyed it. I didn't hate the sequels, but it seems sequels never live up to the original. The movies are a true sequential trilogy, though.

I'm massively impressed you've seen and loved The Animatrix! I don't know of anyone else that has seen it.

One thing I wanted to note is that I love Neil Patrick Harris's glasses (obviously, because they're blue!). However, I came to believe they're specifically blue. This wasn't some random color the costume designers chose, they're blue as in "blue pill." I think that's real fitting (and an original thought). The blue pills make a seriously obvious come back, but we do later get to see the choice to be made again (red vs. blue).

Thanks for posting this reply, because I just posted my Shadow of War review and it looks like it pushed this down. I wanted this to have the attention, because I'm sure others here want to see this, too.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 09/11/2021 at 05:25am

I really loved the first matrix. I thought the other two were fun, but don’t remember much from them. I have watched some of the animatrix if not all.

This trailer slaps and kind of makes me want to see it in the theater.

AdamPFarnsworth wrote on 09/12/2021 at 05:06pm

I agree with everything Will has said here lol. Loved the first, the sequels were fun, but not great, and I'm familiar with the Animatrix, but still need to sit down and watch all of it.

And the trailer looks amazing. I have a feeling we're going to go into the movie thinking it's soft reboot, and they're going to subvert expectations very satisfyingly. 😀

Travis Admin wrote on 09/12/2021 at 06:08pm

I never disliked the Matrix sequels but they weren’t what I expected at the time. My rewatches were always better than the first time seeing them in theaters.

The Matrix was my favorite film for a while, it was the first DVD I bought when I got a DVD rom for my PC.

In a lot of ways I think the animatrix and the video game between Reloaded and Revelations are required to really feel like you have a full understanding of what the whole world is all about, which is great for people who dive into all of that but not for those who didn’t. For example I only found out this week that Morpheus is canonically dead because of the events of the Matrix Online, and the Wachowski sisters consider that fully part of canon.

Though it seems like in this revision of the Matrix, Yahya’s character is a new Morpheus.

Anyway yes I am super into this trailer and I hope covid has died down enough by late December so I can see this in theaters. But either way I’m watching it many times I’m sure.

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 09/12/2021 at 06:46pm

Yay, Travis finally spoke up! I was waiting for that! :) I remember when we were college roommates. In my memory, I still have an image of seeing that Matrix DVD and I remember us watching it, maybe at least once. I don't recall if I saw it in theaters, but I think maybe so. I had already graduated high school by the time it came out and was in community college.

I don't recall a "Matrix Online" though I've recently seen that it existed. I think the one I was familiar with was Enter the Matrix, which I'm sure I saw in the database here. I think I remember it came out on all three consoles at the time; GameCube, XBox, and PS2 (I still have all three). I specifically remember seeing it for the GameCube. I don't recall if I played it though. I may have played a little bit of it, but not enough to get any story out of it. I seem to remember Niobe.

That's odd that Morpheus is canonically dead, because of the the events of The Matrix Online. I guess that's a bit of the Matrix lore I missed out on. And yes, it's been confirmed Yahya is indeed playing a younger version of Morpheus, if his style wasn't obvious enough. He confirmed it on Twitter.

Once again, New Rockstars (on YouTube) has a great trailer breakdown and analysis.

Travis Admin wrote on 09/13/2021 at 03:25am

Yeah I played Enter the Matrix back in the day and loved it. Gameplay was… basically just ok but the story was great. You remember correctly, Niobe was a big part.

Travis Admin wrote on 09/13/2021 at 03:25am

Thinking about playing it again if I can get it to run on modern hardware

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 09/13/2021 at 07:22am

Cool, man! I was about to ask about "modern hardware," but I decided to Google my question, I didn't know it's also a PC game. I'm just not sure where to buy it, I don't see it on Steam, not that that's the only place to buy games...

Travis Admin wrote on 09/14/2021 at 03:04pm

I think it was only sold physically and then basically forgotten. I still have my discs from back in the day

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 09/14/2021 at 03:47pm

I have Enter the Matrix on the original Xbox. My guess is Atari didn't keep the license so they no longer can release it.

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 09/14/2021 at 04:14pm

Oh, cool! I have an XBox, but the only game I have for it is Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 09/14/2021 at 08:23pm

Looks like it averages around $6 used in box: https://www.pricecharting.com/game/xbox/enter-the-matrix

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 09/14/2021 at 09:31pm

That sounds good! There's a site I've never heard of before, too!

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 12/02/2021 at 02:47pm

New trailer! This one looks very interesting as it shows the parallels between this and the first movie. It talks about making "copies" and deja vu, "it happens when they change something." This month is an awesome month for movies! It looks like I'll be going twice this month. The last time I saw two movies in the same month was probably decades ago. Check it out: https://youtu.be/IgYs_NDyaLs

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/02/2021 at 08:44pm

I hope the movie starts with the end of 3, and the matrix physically reboots itself. Maybe put a boot up screen for credits, and then we start with this reboot!

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 12/02/2021 at 09:24pm

Awesome ideas!

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 12/07/2021 at 05:38am

Here's a new trailer: https://youtu.be/nNpvWBuTfrc

Will_Ball Game Mod Super Member wrote on 12/07/2021 at 03:28pm

Looks like Matrix is borrowing from MST3K in the new movie and providing commentary on the old movie. I hope for a lot of funny!

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/10/2021 at 02:34am

Everyone lives in the shadow of Mystery Science Theater 3000 🤣

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 12/21/2021 at 05:42am

Thank goodness this movie is streaming, because my theater isn't playing it. They're only playing Spider-Man: No Way Home and Encanto, the latter is one I know nothing of. I can't blame them for continuing to play Spider-Man: No Way Home. That was without a doubt the best movie of the year, maybe even the best Spider-Man movie ever!

Travis Admin wrote on 12/22/2021 at 05:17pm

Yeah I'm glad it's streaming because I feel like it launched right at the window where I no longer want to go to the theater anymore. We were planning to go see this and Spider-Man next week in theaters but covid is at peak levels in VA now, back like it was last January before the vaccines were really available. And this damn hypercontagious omicron variant seems to be able to defeat a lot of defenses.

GregoPeck Super Member Post Author wrote on 12/27/2021 at 07:42pm

I think the best word to describe this movie is "meta" (and I don't mean that new Facebook company). I enjoyed it. If you're a Matrix fan, I don't think you should pass this up.

jdodson Admin wrote on 12/28/2021 at 02:40am

Agreed, it's quite meta. At first it was a bit much and I was wondering how meta or how deep the rabbit hole would go. In fact, the movie doesn't even quite know then they sort of answer everything and it loses a bit of the magic. That said, it's a great film I just wished it sort of broke out of the Matrix and did a huge left turn but in the end it didn't and I'm actually really happy with what we got.

That post credit scene wasn't great. Honestly felt like they could have done better there.

Travis Admin wrote on 12/30/2021 at 11:32pm

It was a movie that we didn’t need, it didn’t really add anything to the Matrix lore or anything like that, but it was fun and something I imagine I’ll rewatch. Lana Wachowski said this was a catharsis for her, kinda going back to a comfort project to help her deal with some things in life, and it shows. It’s definitely a comfort movie.

There are no plans for this to be the start of a new trilogy but I’d kinda like to see that.

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Even More Quake - The Game, The Technology, The Ports, The Legacy

Now that the NightDive / MachineGames Quake remaster is out I thought it was worth sharing this Digital Foundry retrospective video. This came out earlier in May so it doesn’t cover the recent NightDive / MachineGames version but goes deep on Quake, it’s history and various ports.

Watch Spoonee Complete This Delightful Paladin% FFIV Run in 1:05:48

During the Flame Fatales 2021 Games Done Quick charity speedruns this year I watched a new run I hadn't heard of for Final Fantasy IV called Paladin%. Basically it's a speedrun all the way to when Cecil becomes a Paladin making a much quicker FFIV speedrun. Not only does this run feature a classic Square RPG but also a runner I hadn't seen before, Spoone who is an absolute delight to watch.

Titanfall 2 Is One of the Best First Person Solo Games I've Played In Some Time!

Titanfall 2 dropped in 2016 to a very crowded shooter landscape and such as it was, somewhat under-performed expectations. That said the franchise went on to launch APEX Legends which is one of the biggest free to play Battle Royale games around and as such when I picked up an XBox Series X I decided to give Titanfall 2 a go. I played a bit of APEX Legends and it's a great Battle Royale game but I'm not a huge player of those kinds of games beyond the occasional Fortnite match and after hearing incredible things from one of my friends about Titanfall 2 I picked it up on sale for a handful of bucks digitally.

Titanfall 2 Is Incredible In 120FPS

Titanfall 2 is one of... Read All Titanfall 2 dropped in 2016 to a very crowded shooter landscape and such as it was, somewhat under-performed expectations. That said the franchise went on to launch APEX Legends which is one of the biggest free to play Battle Royale games around and as such when I picked up an XBox Series X I decided to give Titanfall 2 a go. I played a bit of APEX Legends and it's a great Battle Royale game but I'm not a huge player of those kinds of games beyond the occasional Fortnite match and after hearing incredible things from one of my friends about Titanfall 2 I picked it up on sale for a handful of bucks digitally.

Titanfall 2 Is Incredible In 120FPS

Titanfall 2 is one of those games that when Microsoft gave developers the ability to take advantage of the XBox Series X hardware Respawn allowed game to run in 4K at 120FPS. I've heard some of my friends say they don't care about graphics and for the most part I agree with the sentiment. When you're into something fun be it a movie or game the graphics aren't always the most important thing. That said, playing a game at 120FPS is really an incredible thing that gives a game a little extra. If you are getting a console or PC soon capable of this, I'd hold out picking up Titanfall 2 until you can experience it as it's quite special.

The Empire VS The Rebels with Robot Suits

It's a battle tested story. Evil Empire wants to destroy it all and you are part of the scrappy rebels that will stop at nothing to save it. (A planet maybe, I don't entirely remember) Titanfall 2 uses these tropes to the max and the way they blend them makes the gameplay seamless. I'll be honest, I'm not sure I followed everything going on with the story but it serves the gameplay and incredibly lush visuals which is all I could really ask for.

Titanfall 2 clocks in at about 6-8 hours for the main campaign which isn't very long and thank Euclid for that. I know lots of gamers are looking for an epic 5,000 hour game but I'm really not anymore. Time is a premium and frankly, I'm not sure what kind of game could really hold my attention that long anyway. Titanfall 2 doesn't feel long winded and by the time I was wondering when the story would wrap up, it did. The final boss fight didn't really feel like a final boss fight which I really appreciated. It wasn't particularly challenging, which again, seemed good to me. The final boss fight here seemed a bit more like the ending to Kill Bill 2, except with Robot Suits and more shooting and yelling. I suppose in retrospect they aren't a lot a like but I liked it wasn't hard.

Titanfall 3 Please

With the success of the infinite money machine of APEX Legends I hope a new Titanfall single player game is coming but it might not be a big priority for EA. It seems that some rumors have surfaced that EA has given Respawn the greenlight for Titanfall 3 but I'm not sure what form this game might take and a huge game in early discussions is a long way from a potential launch.

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