Uplay+ released today

Viajero

Volunteer Moderator
Man, I hadn’t really realized how much of a potato my old PC is until I have tried to run this monster AC Odyssey :D counting myself lucky that I can play it with most graphic features in medium or low!
 
I've been trying the closed beta of Ghost recon breakpoint over the last couple of days...to be honest, it's kinda clunky, awkward and amateurish compared to GR Wildlands. I seriously hope it improves some before release in a month or it'll be crucified.

They seem to have introduced the worst elements of the RPG nonsense prevalent in the Division titles into ghost recon...not a good idea IMHO. Turning a somewhat tactical multiplayer coop shooter into a half arsed implemented RPG game never works.
 
Last edited:
I've been trying the closed beta of Ghost recon breakpoint over the last couple of days...to be honest, it's kinda clunky, awkward and amateurish compared to GR Wildlands. I seriously hope it improves some before release in a month or it'll be crucified.

They seem to have introduced the worst elements of the RPG nonsense prevalent in the Division titles into ghost recon...not a good idea IMHO. Turning a somewhat tactical multiplayer coop shooter into a half arsed implemented RPG game never works.
Ah crap, I forgot I had it preloaded. I need to try it over the weekend, though your post doesn't really ring of hope. :LOL:
I loved Wildlands. So hopefully they will sort out whatever it is that makes Breakpoint clunky (I'll see what you mean tonight, I guess). The world and the mechanics they have shown looked super interesting.
 
Ah crap, I forgot I had it preloaded. I need to try it over the weekend, though your post doesn't really ring of hope. :LOL:
I loved Wildlands. So hopefully they will sort out whatever it is that makes Breakpoint clunky (I'll see what you mean tonight, I guess). The world and the mechanics they have shown looked super interesting.
I played a bit of co-op with a mate later on and the game redeemed itself somewhat...however, it's way more clumsy and clunky than Wildlands by a factor of 10.
 
I played a bit of co-op with a mate later on and the game redeemed itself somewhat...however, it's way more clumsy and clunky than Wildlands by a factor of 10.
Hmm, I'm curious to see what the clunkiness means.
I generally don't mind if the game enforces slow approach (with my reflexes I don't really have other options, anyway :LOL:) by discouraging "Rambo style" of running and shooting. Or if it's just somehow difficult to control (UI, skill usage, inventory, etc...)
 
Hmm, I'm curious to see what the clunkiness means.
I generally don't mind if the game enforces slow approach (with my reflexes I don't really have other options, anyway :LOL:) by discouraging "Rambo style" of running and shooting. Or if it's just somehow difficult to control (UI, skill usage, inventory, etc...)
Clunky animations...a reduction in video quality overall and a clumsy menu system that's not immediately intuitive... it just feels forced and awkward playing the game compared to the excellent Wildlands...which will be the benchmark for it after.
 
Clunky animations...a reduction in video quality overall and a clumsy menu system that's not immediately intuitive... it just feels forced and awkward playing the game compared to the excellent Wildlands...which will be the benchmark for it after.
Ah, okay. Gave it a try for a bit just now. I know what you mean.
The animations are kind of awful, I have to say. Vaulting over things and sprinting in particular are laughably bad. I mean I really started chuckling when I first tried sprinting. What the hell? :LOL:
Also, the camera seems to be much closer to the character than in Wildlands, which makes quick changes in direction disorienting (That's why I hate First person shooters, mainly)
And the last thing I've noticed is the awkwardly high "inertia" of the character. That is probably something quite easy to get used to but still it's a weird feeling compared to Wildlands.

Oh, and I haven't found a wat to holster the weapon? That would be almost a deal breaker for me (no joke)

I haven't played Wildlands since early spring so I don't have direct comparison, but I did play a lot of Division 2, recently, which has very similar style of movement to Wildlands. This feels miles behind both in feel, precision and looks.
(btw. I won't comment on the graphics, yet, because that is the one thing I know they are polishing last.)

EDIT:
1) OMG The objectives board and skill tree are awful. I don't mind the inventory and loadout screens - those were bad in Wildlands as well, but my god, if you could at least zoom out on those two so you can get some idea about the structure.
2) Running animation is apparently broken and reported so here's hoping the animations as a whole aren't final. Facial animations are weak as well.
3) I put graphics on Ultra and it looks fine. Beautiful even in some locations. I think it's only the starting area that is kind of bland. Not good for first impressions, I have to say.
4) The game seems to be strangely devoid of tactical element. Enemies move around in small groups that are easy to take out. Nobody covers nobody, it's the exact opposite of what it was to infiltrate a place in Wildlands. Will have to see how this feels in a couple of hours in higher level areas.
In Wildlands I really enjoyed the siniping, careful relocation and taking enemies out one by one. This feels.... different. Kind of arkade-y.
5) I kind of hate the MMO-ish style of the items shop. Defeats the purpose of exploration (one of the strong suit of the Wildlands and Division 2). Unless you can get much better equipment through loot than you can in trhe shop. Also will have to see.

All in all, first impressions do seem kind of meh at the first glance. 7/10-ish. Compared to the Wildlands which captured me from the first moments and wouldn't release me for months.

But I will see. I think I'm gonna play 10 or so hours to see what's what and then I'm going to wait for the launch and check if things have improved. This Beta build can be months old with a lot of features missing (They kind of even say so on the loading screen)
 
Last edited:
Ah, okay. Gave it a try for a bit just now. I know what you mean.
The animations are kind of awful, I have to say. Vaulting over things and sprinting in particular are laughably bad. I mean I really started chuckling when I first tried sprinting. What the hell? :LOL:
Also, the camera seems to be much closer to the character than in Wildlands, which makes quick changes in direction disorienting (That's why I hate First person shooters, mainly)
And the last thing I've noticed is the awkwardly high "inertia" of the character. That is probably something quite easy to get used to but still it's a weird feeling compared to Wildlands.

Oh, and I haven't found a wat to holster the weapon? That would be almost a deal breaker for me (no joke)

I haven't played Wildlands since early spring so I don't have direct comparison, but I did play a lot of Division 2, recently, which has very similar style of movement to Wildlands. This feels miles behind both in feel, precision and looks.
(btw. I won't comment on the graphics, yet, because that is the one thing I know they are polishing last.)

EDIT:
1) OMG The objectives board and skill tree are awful. I don't mind the inventory and loadout screens - those were bad in Wildlands as well, but my god, if you could at least zoom out on those two so you can get some idea about the structure.
2) Running animation is apparently broken and reported so here's hoping the animations as a whole aren't final. Facial animations are weak as well.
3) I put graphics on Ultra and it looks fine. Beautiful even in some locations. I think it's only the starting area that is kind of bland. Not good for first impressions, I have to say.
4) The game seems to be strangely devoid of tactical element. Enemies move around in small groups that are easy to take out. Nobody covers nobody, it's the exact opposite of what it was to infiltrate a place in Wildlands. Will have to see how this feels in a couple of hours in higher level areas.
In Wildlands I really enjoyed the siniping, careful relocation and taking enemies out one by one. This feels.... different. Kind of arkade-y.
5) I kind of hate the MMO-ish style of the items shop. Defeats the purpose of exploration (one of the strong suit of the Wildlands and Division 2). Unless you can get much better equipment through loot than you can in trhe shop. Also will have to see.

All in all, first impressions do seem kind of meh at the first glance. 7/10-ish. Compared to the Wildlands which captured me from the first moments and wouldn't release me for months.

But I will see. I think I'm gonna play 10 or so hours to see what's what and then I'm going to wait for the launch and check if things have improved. This Beta build can be months old with a lot of features missing (They kind of even say so on the loading screen)
On the money with those sentiments, Chris...my fear is Ubisoft turning the Tom Clancy franchise, traditionally co-op tactical shooters, into more of the Division idiocy and geared toward a PvP market. They've already turned R6 into a battle royale without a campaign...then the division with it's RPG outfitting nonsense...and now Ghost Recon with the beginnings of the RPG weapon leveling plague.

Not the Tom Clancy games I grew up playing...
 

Viajero

Volunteer Moderator
It's gonna finish.
But you're not gonna finish IT. That game is bloody awesome.

Having good fun with AC Odyssey. Going for a full assassin build and killing everyone on one hit (as long as I can sneak up on them :D) And the map is yuuuuuge indeed :) but I do not think I will be able to finish it even if I had bought it outright. I suspect I will get a bit burned out before end of the month. I am at level 10 and only on the second province, Megara, but I fear each province will be a bit of the same? Some side quests and then hit the Atheneans supplies and leaders, rinse and repeat etc?
 
Having good fun with AC Odyssey. Going for a full assassin build and killing everyone on one hit (as long as I can sneak up on them :D) And the map is yuuuuuge indeed :) but I do not think I will be able to finish it even if I had bought it outright. I suspect I will get a bit burned out before end of the month. I am at level 10 and only on the second province, Megara, but I fear each province will be a bit of the same? Some side quests and then hit the Atheneans supplies and leaders, rinse and repeat etc?
Yes, each province is the same in this regard - you weaken the defenders by killing them, looting their fortresses, etc. and then participate in the battle to flip the faction.
But you're looking at it from a different angle. Or better said, you don't yet have the whole picture.
After Megaris, where this activity is a part of the storyline, this whole faction-flipping thing becomes entirely optional (with I think two exceptions later on). You can do it over and over for fun or for XP and equipment, alternating the sides you're on. But you also don't have to do it at all. It's an automated mechanic. The ruling faction will get weakened over time and the battle will take place whether you're taking part or not. You can completely ignore them and they wil do their thing.

What I mean to say, in the grand scheme of things, this is just a fun stuff you can do on the side.

It's the exploration of the vast world and the story (three "main story lines" that will guide you through the game, plus dozens of small quests and stories you run into on your journey) that makes the game so good. Some sidequests in particular will surprise you by their scope.

You'll see. If you're still in Megaris (Before meeting your father), you're basically just finishing the tutorial. :)
 

Viajero

Volunteer Moderator
Yes, each province is the same in this regard - you weaken the defenders by killing them, looting their fortresses, etc. and then participate in the battle to flip the faction.
But you're looking at it from a different angle. Or better said, you don't yet have the whole picture.
After Megaris, where this activity is a part of the storyline, this whole faction-flipping thing becomes entirely optional (with I think two exceptions later on). You can do it over and over for fun or for XP and equipment, alternating the sides you're on. But you also don't have to do it at all. It's an automated mechanic. The ruling faction will get weakened over time and the battle will take place whether you're taking part or not. You can completely ignore them and they wil do their thing.

What I mean to say, in the grand scheme of things, this is just a fun stuff you can do on the side.

It's the exploration of the vast world and the story (three "main story lines" that will guide you through the game, plus dozens of small quests and stories you run into on your journey) that makes the game so good. Some sidequests in particular will surprise you by their scope.

You'll see. If you're still in Megaris (Before meeting your father), you're basically just finishing the tutorial. :)

Yeah the side quests are actually quite varied and distinct (so far). All of them voice acted to boot. I have seen there also some quests call "stories" or somefink that I need to take a look at. Not sure if those are additional DLC, or things I can unlock or...
 
Last edited:
Yeah the side quests are actually quite varied and distinct (so far). All of them voice acted to boot. I have seen there also some quests call "stories" or somefink that I need to take a llok at. Not sure if those are addiitonal DLC, or things I can unlock or...
Yes, the "stories" (they have blue marker) are "DLC" quests. They were added over the year (for free) and are generally a bit longer side quests, usually revolving around a real historical figure or event. I think for a new player they unlock one by one as you progress though the main story and level up.
 
I'll echo Chris here, the region flip is only mandatory in a few places, and even in those cases, there are story quests leading to it that even gate the possibility of flipping. It really is optional and you otherwise end up doing it just because you can or feel like it, or ignoring it altogether. Some regions have a sea battle instead of a melee too, for a change of style. While you will always have those camps/forts/supplies/leader available as optional occupations anywhere you go, there are a lot of stories to go through. And while the landscape remains mediterranean, it's far more varied than it gets credit for. There are different kinds of woodlands, clay pits, salt marshes... A lot of areas have their own flavour. And personally, I don't mind leaving the trope of fantasy land 101 consisting of magically close grasslands/forest/mountain/desert/snow/lava biomes. Just like Skyrim's variety was still all variations of mountains and snow, and still felt good. The Atlantis DLC areas are different, but you're unlikely to get there in the free month.

For reference, I'm clocked at 161h for main game + both DLC, but then I spent a lot of time doing side stuff. If I can give you one tip: ignore the "forked arrows" and sand timer icon quests. They're auto-generated basic quests and are just awful: typically "wipe bandit camp" or "kill 5 sharks" bad quests with little context and which all conclude with a "thanks, here's your reward". There's more than enough actually entertaining content, don't find yourself wasting time on these.
 
I'll echo Chris here, the region flip is only mandatory in a few places, and even in those cases, there are story quests leading to it that even gate the possibility of flipping. It really is optional and you otherwise end up doing it just because you can or feel like it, or ignoring it altogether. Some regions have a sea battle instead of a melee too, for a change of style. While you will always have those camps/forts/supplies/leader available as optional occupations anywhere you go, there are a lot of stories to go through. And while the landscape remains mediterranean, it's far more varied than it gets credit for. There are different kinds of woodlands, clay pits, salt marshes... A lot of areas have their own flavour. And personally, I don't mind leaving the trope of fantasy land 101 consisting of magically close grasslands/forest/mountain/desert/snow/lava biomes. Just like Skyrim's variety was still all variations of mountains and snow, and still felt good. The Atlantis DLC areas are different, but you're unlikely to get there in the free month.

For reference, I'm clocked at 161h for main game + both DLC, but then I spent a lot of time doing side stuff. If I can give you one tip: ignore the "forked arrows" and sand timer icon quests. They're auto-generated basic quests and are just awful: typically "wipe bandit camp" or "kill 5 sharks" bad quests with little context and which all conclude with a "thanks, here's your reward". There's more than enough actually entertaining content, don't find yourself wasting time on these.
Yeah I have to agree that the landscape doesn't get as much credit as it would deserve and that it's really amazingly varied while remaining realistic. Volcanic islands, lush valleys with meadows and woods and olive and wine orchards near cities, highlands, snowy mountains. I even like the Crete, down south. Far from green or varied, but still really interesting! My favourite are probably the eastern islands, though. I just love the beaches, cliffs and towns climbing up from the harbours. :)
 

Viajero

Volunteer Moderator
I'll echo Chris here, the region flip is only mandatory in a few places, and even in those cases, there are story quests leading to it that even gate the possibility of flipping. It really is optional and you otherwise end up doing it just because you can or feel like it, or ignoring it altogether. Some regions have a sea battle instead of a melee too, for a change of style. While you will always have those camps/forts/supplies/leader available as optional occupations anywhere you go, there are a lot of stories to go through. And while the landscape remains mediterranean, it's far more varied than it gets credit for. There are different kinds of woodlands, clay pits, salt marshes... A lot of areas have their own flavour. And personally, I don't mind leaving the trope of fantasy land 101 consisting of magically close grasslands/forest/mountain/desert/snow/lava biomes. Just like Skyrim's variety was still all variations of mountains and snow, and still felt good. The Atlantis DLC areas are different, but you're unlikely to get there in the free month.

For reference, I'm clocked at 161h for main game + both DLC, but then I spent a lot of time doing side stuff. If I can give you one tip: ignore the "forked arrows" and sand timer icon quests. They're auto-generated basic quests and are just awful: typically "wipe bandit camp" or "kill 5 sharks" bad quests with little context and which all conclude with a "thanks, here's your reward". There's more than enough actually entertaining content, don't find yourself wasting time on these.

Thanks for the tips! Although I must admit I have just done my first "kill 5 sharks" mission and it was actually fun figuring out how to kill them in the first place :D Died a good number of times before that! Presume it would get repetitive after a while yes.

Also fully agree the landscaping and actually city scapes are really good. That part has not got samey at all yet (well except the caves, some of them seem to have a very similar structire).
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the tips! Although I must admit I have just done my first "kill 5 sharks" mission and it was actually fun figuring out how to kill them in the first place :D Died a good number of times before that! Presume it would get repetitive after a while yes.

Also fully agree the landscaping and actually city scapes are really good. That part has not got samey at all yet (well except the caves, some of them seem to have a very similar structire).
If I have to be completely honest, after 340 hours in ACO I STILL don't know how to kill sharks.
My prefered method is to flail the longest weapon I currently have in the general direction of the shark.
Sometimes it dies, sometimes it doesn't.

shrug_1f937.png
 

Viajero

Volunteer Moderator
Hehe. Seems blunt and short weapons are quite innefective. Long range piercing ones, spears are best. Also... bows. If the sharks are not too deep you can actually kill them without breaking a sweat from the surface.
 
Sharks are easy to cheese. Just float at the surface and shoot them with a bow. Sometimes Ikaros won't be able to mark them, so just swim down until they attack, then back to the surface and they'll be highlighted. Alternatively, just ignore them: dive straight to the Ikaros-marked chest and swim back up.

Non-bow combat against sharks is, errrr, awkward to say the least.
 
If I have to be completely honest, after 340 hours in ACO I STILL don't know how to kill sharks.
My prefered method is to flail the longest weapon I currently have in the general direction of the shark.
Sometimes it dies, sometimes it doesn't.

shrug_1f937.png
I kill them with arrows fired from a small boat or outcrop of rock/bit of ancient temple above sea level...a lot easier than the shark wrangling thing ;)

edit: Ninja'd by Viajero and Fishy :p

There's a new addition of player created missions too which show up on the map...haven't tried any of them yet nor made any of my own to see how the editor works...but's a pretty good idea. Still loving the game after 300 or so hours.
 
Last edited:

Viajero

Volunteer Moderator
I think I have seen some map markers from player generated missions but wasn’t sure what it was at the time! I presume players can edit them and then publish somehow? How do we get them in our maps? I presume there must be lots of them so there must be a filter somewhere selecting only a few?
 
Top Bottom