iheartneopets

Fair enough, I guess. I like to know what I'd be buying when I pay $70, personally

Have you not been watching gameplay?

Typo on my part, but a definition of 'ream' is to reprimand or beat up, essentially

You are mistaking true exploration for unlocking new locations

It's not. No exploration or interesting story, no 'wow' factor like Alduin flying down on you for the first time. Don't expect Skyrim. Not even close.

I don't understand why it's so popular NOT to shit on them. Remember when Andromeda came out with many of the same issues, and people fucking REAMED it (rightly)? Now Bethesda is finally getting SOME criticism for their shitty business and game development practices and we have lots of people out here suckling at their teat defending them for some reason. "Leave them alone, it's just a Bethesda game, why do people love to hate them, wahhhh."

As if Bethesda isn't one of the most beloved companies of all time, and most everyone started from a place of WANTING to love this game. But they've been making shitty decisions for years, hiding behind the nostalgia of their past titles, and they are overdue some criticism. It doesn't mean everyone hates them.

Except you've left out a huge bullet point from that loop that has always kept me enjoying their games: quest marker->EXPLORATION->dungeon->vendor->crafting.

The procedural generation of this game immediately told me I wouldn't enjoy it (even though I hoped they knew what they were doing), because walking around Bethesda worlds has always been one of the best parts of the exoerience, and they went and optimized it out so that it's mostly a series of menus. And damn if that's not been their game design strategy for the past decade-plus—'optimize' out all the fun parts, make the game as simplified as possible, even if it means cutting out core features fans love.

I subbed :)