So I figured I would give some updated thoughts on the two games I've been playing.
NBA Playgrounds
They've already patched the "ugly" out of the game! The options menu now remembers your volume choices so the music is at a decent level now (or would be if I wasn't tired of it... So now its off!) I also turned off the announcers. They're no where as iconic as Tim Kitzrow (NBA Jam) and they say stupid stuff all the time. Hell, NBA street's announcer was light years ahead too. Basically, I'm not sure they really add anything. Especially the one that reminds me of Percy Watson.
One still cannot swap buttons nor can you turn off vibration so thats now officially my new ugly. The controls feel clunky at times, I don't feel like its me pushing the wrong buttons every time... but that the animations needs to finish before you push the button for the next thing move. (Also I think steals, pushes, jumping, can not be spammed... So that might be a be whats going on at times too.
Each shot type has a different timing... but up close to the rim its really hard to know what shot is going to happen... so that timing is a crap shot. Its far easier to hit 3s and long 2s than most layup. Dunks as long as the game doesn't slow down, seems to be by designed, are pretty simple to land. (For skilled characters.)
Each tournament game has an optional challenge that,
thankfully, you don't have to win the game to unlock as some of these challenges are not the best course of action for winning the game. I had a ton of issues with the score 20 points with 2 pointers. (Dunks don't count, of course.) Luckily, these only seem to be used to unlock different ball designs.
I haven't opened allot of card packs yet, you do get a gold pack (with a guaranteed legend, I do believe) after winning each tournament, but the normal packs... I feel I get too many duplicates. (Each dup helps level up the character. Leveling up unlocks "moves" but I've not really see any change.)
One last note: Its got a horrible long load time and I'm not at all sure why it does... I cannot think of a reason why it would take so long but if I had to guess I would say its on a timer for online play... but it happens even in solo play.
All in all, I would say its still a positive but a lack of meaningful feedback (on shots), RNG card drops, and some lack of refinement means that there's still room for the game to improve. (Devs seem to be listening and already have more cards/players coming in a free update.)
Forza Horizon 3 Hot Wheels
Disclaimer... I had allot of toys as a kid, and while Hot Wheels was never at the top of my list, the old criss cross crash (
picture) track I remember fondly from those days... Maybe more so than most anything else.
Anyhow, this expansion (actually both expansions) are expansions done right in a time when DLC is becoming more and more water downed. Honestly, as I stop and think about it I'm not sure I can think of a better season pass from this "generation" of gaming.
Its truly amazing. I never realized how much I wanted to race high above the ground on blue and orange plastic strips till I got to do it. Its got a good amount of 4th wall breaking humor and doesn't take itself seriously at all. There's a few iconic Hot Wheels cars and Mattel is completely happy to see their designs repainted. I saw a pretty sweet Deadpool themed one but I've also seen themed cars adverting alcoholic beverages.
Performance. I poked around and found my new preset was set for 36 frames... I was rather disappointed by that, obviously, so I unlocked it and put the FPS counter back on. I run at 72-70 frames per a second. I really need to go back to the base game and see how it handles city life again but I think I've had two frame drops in the few hours I've played. That said I've had two crashes to the desktop.
With longer, straighter tracks that feature long sweeping turns (not to mention guardrails) I've found myself favoring cars that are way too fast for their handling as there handling isn't such an issue. So that makes it all feel like its (almost) a whole new game.
I honestly cannot recommend it enough.
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