Author Topic: What are you playing?  (Read 3559989 times)

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Bebpo

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34440 on: March 16, 2020, 04:35:23 AM »
Finished 198x. The last game KILL SCREEN was glitched on mine and after multiple attempts over 30 mins became clear it was impossible to progress so I had to just watch it and the ending on youtube.

Sprite work, music was amazing. Even the story and VA was solid. The games were pretty basic and it was kinda pointless. 90 min proof of concept episode 1 for something that'll never get an episode 2.
Sprite work at this level is just not doable for a full game for an indie developer.

Still glad I played through it for the art and music and little story about

spoiler (click to show/hide)
a kid coping with his dad's death with an imaginary arcade in his head
[close]

But could've enjoyed it just as much watching it on youtube. No reason to actually play it over watching it. It really is just a visual novel/interaction movie.

Joe Molotov

  • I'm much more humble than you would understand.
  • Administrator
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34441 on: March 16, 2020, 04:56:52 PM »
SF4 - Swearing racial epitaphs every time I lose.

:yikes bruh
©@©™

Bebpo

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34442 on: March 17, 2020, 04:23:00 AM »
Back to AC Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs now. Bayek still rocks, writing is still solid, afterlife areas are very pretty and nice visual change of pace, gameplay is still as simple as a simple 2000 ps2 game. These really are more adventure games that you might as well set to easy and just blow through the story and quests. The mission design is basically go here and interact with this object/person -> repeat every mission. Kill someone once in a while. Still fun, but simple.




toku

  • 𝕩𝕩𝕩
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34443 on: March 17, 2020, 09:39:06 AM »
Such a dope setting. They'll never top it. Underrated voice acting too. I need to pick up that season pass too lol

Great Rumbler

  • Dab on the sinners
  • Global Moderator
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34444 on: March 17, 2020, 04:26:28 PM »
Got a beta key for Wasteland 3 today, so I'll be checking that out.
dog

Cheddahz

  • Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34445 on: March 17, 2020, 05:45:56 PM »
New Call of Duty is great; spent a majority of the afternoon playing it

tiesto

  • ルカルカ★ナイトフィーバー
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34446 on: March 17, 2020, 10:07:35 PM »
Final stage of Astral Chain. Went back and did everything I missed up until this point. Will probably beat it now that I'm not spending 2h a day commuting and I'm in lockdown mode.
^_^

Great Rumbler

  • Dab on the sinners
  • Global Moderator
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34447 on: March 17, 2020, 10:10:24 PM »
Final stage of Astral Chain. Went back and did everything I missed up until this point. Will probably beat it now that I'm not spending 2h a day commuting and I'm in lockdown mode.

Oh my sweet summer child. :neogaf
dog

Akala

  • Easy Victor
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34448 on: March 17, 2020, 10:44:41 PM »
PSO2 is apparently out now?

Bebpo

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34449 on: March 17, 2020, 11:55:12 PM »
Such a dope setting. They'll never top it. Underrated voice acting too. I need to pick up that season pass too lol

Yeah, great setting and lead with Bayek.

The first expansion was pretty whatever. This is a little better. At this point I'm not bothering doing all the ?s on the map and just speed running the main quest and actual "!" sidequests and it's worth the time mostly for the dialogue/VA and the the setting.

Bebpo

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34450 on: March 18, 2020, 02:22:55 AM »
Finally got around to playing and beat Pony Island. This game was great, and well done and not @_@ cringy. Very clever. It was also pretty fucking hard. I thought it was gonna be a meta adventure chill game, but it's intense. Lots of great stuff. The Asmodeus boss battle was so good omg. I can see why it's a cult classic. Everyone should play this at some point in their life.

Now I can get back to his next game The Hex which I'd started but paused to go back and play Pony Island.



spoiler (click to show/hide)



[close]
« Last Edit: March 18, 2020, 02:30:37 AM by Bebpo »

tiesto

  • ルカルカ★ナイトフィーバー
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34451 on: March 18, 2020, 08:52:28 AM »
Final stage of Astral Chain. Went back and did everything I missed up until this point. Will probably beat it now that I'm not spending 2h a day commuting and I'm in lockdown mode.

Oh my sweet summer child. :neogaf

??? I hear the end guy is a pita... but how come?
^_^

Great Rumbler

  • Dab on the sinners
  • Global Moderator
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34452 on: March 18, 2020, 09:24:12 AM »
There's post-game content that takes nearly as long as the rest of the game to beat.
dog

tiesto

  • ルカルカ★ナイトフィーバー
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34453 on: March 18, 2020, 09:37:22 AM »
There's post-game content that takes nearly as long as the rest of the game to beat.

I heard that but it's apparently just battle arenas... don't think I'm even gonna bother with much of that.
^_^

demi

  • cooler than willco
  • Administrator
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34454 on: March 18, 2020, 10:30:20 AM »
but don't you want the secret ending where you get to fuck your sibling?
fat

Mr Gilhaney

  • Gay and suicidal
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34455 on: March 18, 2020, 03:59:48 PM »
I started playing company of heroes... On iPad. It. Works surprisingly well

paprikastaude

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34456 on: March 18, 2020, 04:03:24 PM »
That Trials of Mana demo. I was okay, but I think I'll wait for Tales of Arise  :doge

Beezy

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34457 on: March 18, 2020, 10:47:27 PM »
The Trials of Mana demo really felt like how I remember Seiken Densetsu 3 to be when I played a fan transalation as a kid, but now in 3D. The music still holds up too. I think I'll get it at launch.

Bebpo

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34458 on: March 18, 2020, 11:08:46 PM »
I never played the original (but played Mana a bunch and Evermore as a kid). Without the nostalgia glasses should I skip the original and play this? Or will this feel janky and better to play the original on Switch and then the remake to see what they did with it?

Beezy

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34459 on: March 18, 2020, 11:40:57 PM »
I think it would be cool to play the original and then this to see how they updated it from 2D to 3D. Maybe play the original with 3 of the characters and then play the remake with the other 3? The Mana Collection is 50% off right now on the eshop. I don't think Trials will feel janky to anyone who hasn't played the original though.

Forgot to mention that the normal difficulty was pretty easy in the demo. I might try it again on hard.

Don Rumata

  • Hard To Be A John
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34460 on: March 19, 2020, 04:02:44 AM »

(Image removed from quote.)
The environment art of this game was one of the best of the gen, just stellar work.
Too bad Odyssey's didn't quite live up to it, but it's hard to beat Egyptian opulence.

Bebpo

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34461 on: March 19, 2020, 04:21:18 AM »
Hmmm, gamepass PC just got The Surge 2. After the Borys (rip) writeups, definitely curious to give it a try.

Bebpo

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34462 on: March 19, 2020, 05:53:08 AM »
Man, Ori 2 is wonderful.

Definitely an improved sequel. This may end up being in my top-tier metroidvanias.

Great Rumbler

  • Dab on the sinners
  • Global Moderator
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34463 on: March 19, 2020, 09:17:03 AM »
Since Ubisoft was doing a big sale and I had a lot of card money I finally bought AC Odyssey. Gonna run around ancient Greece bopping some bandits and grabbing loot until Animal Crossing and Doom come out.
dog

Let's Cyber

  • Banned (duration pending)
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34464 on: March 19, 2020, 09:24:37 AM »
The Trials of Mana demo really felt like how I remember Seiken Densetsu 3 to be when I played a fan transalation as a kid, but now in 3D. The music still holds up too. I think I'll get it at launch.
I was super happy with the remake music. I was prepared to just switch to the original soundtrack but they nailed it with the new stuff.

paprikastaude

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34465 on: March 19, 2020, 08:26:15 PM »
RE3 demo :lawd

Don Rumata

  • Hard To Be A John
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34466 on: March 19, 2020, 09:46:40 PM »
Finished Plague Tale.
grew on me a bit by the end, but it's still a mediocre game, with some cool visuals and an amazing soundtrack.
Ending felt rushed, too.

Started Ori 2, feels just as good as the first one, though i hate the color palette, they really need to ease up on that shit, because it makes me sicker than Trine.
Just because you're doing whimsy cartoon visuals, doesn't mean you have to pump up bloom and saturation to the point i can't see shit.

tiesto

  • ルカルカ★ナイトフィーバー
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34467 on: March 20, 2020, 08:53:51 AM »
Played the Trials of Mana remake demo... it's pretty good! They did a good job with keeping with the original art style and music, just polished and modernized a bit more. I liked how the environments are done to scale and do a good job of reflecting the original game - they didn't drastically stretch out the environments, or add a bunch of meaningless fetch quests or overdone "systems" that are all-too common with RPG remakes. The combat doesn't really feel like your moves have that much "impact" (apart from the strong attacks), like I couldn't even tell when enemies were hitting me... but I liked how enemies would telegraph their moves. Biggest complaints are the voice acting sucks (especially Charlotte's baby talk), the fact your next destination is made way too obvious (including even who to talk to), and the fact the jump and talk button are both mapped to the same button - they didn't learn their lesson in FFXV?

But the music brings back so many awesome memories for me, back in HS I'd listen to that soundtrack to death and still think Kikuta's work on SD2 and 3 are fantastic. SD3 is one of the first games I imported so there's that nostalgia. How is Indivisible btw? I was interested because of the soundtrack, but I hear the game isn't that great?
^_^

BisMarckie

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34468 on: March 20, 2020, 08:59:55 AM »
Tackling my backlog? :nope

Trying out something new? :nope

Replaying Metal Gear Solid 1+2+3 for the hundredth time? :ohyeah

Beezy

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34469 on: March 20, 2020, 12:46:37 PM »
Biggest complaints are the voice acting sucks (especially Charlotte's baby talk)
I played it with japanese VA and thought it was good.

BisMarckie

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34470 on: March 20, 2020, 09:07:53 PM »
I forgot how MGS 1 on extreme is some grade A bullshit :maf

I gave up after the Hind fight since there is no way I can survive the elevator without being able to take a single hit and the second Sniper Wolf fight without cheesing it with the nikita
« Last Edit: March 20, 2020, 09:13:12 PM by BisMarckie »

Chooky

  • Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34471 on: March 20, 2020, 11:34:10 PM »
every forced combat scene in that game is balls on extreme. damn near impossible without heals. 

BisMarckie

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34472 on: March 21, 2020, 12:22:41 AM »
I banged my head against the wall enough that I redid the Hind fight and managed a hitless run. Still cheesed the Sniper Wolf fight, no shame.  8)

Not looking forward to the escape with the car. :existential

Chooky

  • Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34473 on: March 21, 2020, 07:04:11 AM »
haha, whatever works. just don't forget there's a second elevator fight during the card key sequence lol. other than that it should be relatively smooth sailing, but yeah that liquid fight and especially the chase are pure hell. you can do it tho;  you're almost there!

Nintex

  • Finish the Fight
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34474 on: March 21, 2020, 07:30:34 AM »
Since Ubisoft was doing a big sale and I had a lot of card money I finally bought AC Odyssey. Gonna run around ancient Greece bopping some bandits and grabbing loot until Animal Crossing and Doom come out.
By the time you finish every icon on the map you should be about halfway through the Corona Crisis  8)
🤴

Nintex

  • Finish the Fight
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34475 on: March 21, 2020, 12:30:36 PM »
Tried Beat Saber on my Rift S.

This is the shit.  8)
🤴

BisMarckie

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34476 on: March 21, 2020, 03:01:47 PM »
haha, whatever works. just don't forget there's a second elevator fight during the card key sequence lol. other than that it should be relatively smooth sailing, but yeah that liquid fight and especially the chase are pure hell. you can do it tho;  you're almost there!



:ego

At least 60 of these continues were used during the liquid fight and the chase. This shit is so broken on extreme  :lol

paprikastaude

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34477 on: March 21, 2020, 03:54:32 PM »
started Bioshock for the first because of PS+. It's okay. I immediately turned off the compass and hints - was this already in the originals? Way to undermine your own level design. ::)
« Last Edit: March 21, 2020, 05:02:15 PM by Spieler1 »

Mr Gilhaney

  • Gay and suicidal
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34478 on: March 21, 2020, 05:01:31 PM »
'Bethesda accidentally left a Denuvo-free .exe in Doom Eternal's files"


so yeah, i am playing doom  :doge

Joe Molotov

  • I'm much more humble than you would understand.
  • Administrator
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34479 on: March 21, 2020, 10:31:23 PM »
For some reason I have 2 Steam accounts and one of has Streets of Rage 2 so I beat that on 1 continue today

Nice. About once a year I like to bust out SoR2 and see how far I can get on a single continue, but the jungle is as far as I've ever made it.
©@©™

Chooky

  • Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34480 on: March 21, 2020, 10:36:23 PM »
haha, whatever works. just don't forget there's a second elevator fight during the card key sequence lol. other than that it should be relatively smooth sailing, but yeah that liquid fight and especially the chase are pure hell. you can do it tho;  you're almost there!

(Image removed from quote.)

:ego

At least 60 of these continues were used during the liquid fight and the chase. This shit is so broken on extreme  :lol

congratulations, shinji-kun

did you use first person view for the chase? it's still a pain, but it makes it a lot easier

BisMarckie

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34481 on: March 21, 2020, 11:35:17 PM »
Yeah of course, I don’t think it’s even possible in third person.  :doge

BIONIC

  • Virgo. Live Music. The Office. Tacos. Fur mom. True crime junkie. INTJ.
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34482 on: March 22, 2020, 01:28:48 AM »
FF7 replay up to submarine heist (on hold for now)

Alternating between Doom Eternal and Animal Crossing

Then the Control expansion will be out on the 26th

Then I want to replay OG RE3 before the remake comes out

Then I’ll play the remake

And I want to finish up my FF7 replay before the remake comes out in the middle of all fucking that

Then I’ll play that remake when it comes out

Gaming nirvana  :aah while the fucking world is on fire  :existential
Margs

Bebpo

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34483 on: March 22, 2020, 01:41:11 AM »
Finished AC Origins - Curse of the Pharaohs. Did all the side quests, just like the main game & DLC#1. Was about 82 hours for it all.

Was good and more meaty than the first expansion which was nothing. Outside some neat afterlife visuals and boss fights though, DCL#2 didn't really bring anything new to Origins. Which is fine. But Origins was already pretty huge, so it's more of the same good stuff. Definitely enjoyed it. Learned some stuff about Egyptian history, got called neb a lot, some fun quests. But I think between the main game and the DLCs I went through like a hundred+ forts of jumping down and assassinating captains with very little skill required and basically no punishment for anything.

Origins was great. I'd put it up with AC2, Black Flag, and Syndicate. And the cool thing about all those four AC games is they're all pretty different from each other and unique experiences. AC at its best.

That being said, I'm definitely done with rpg-lite AC after Origins and ready for AC to go back to something closer to Syndicate where it still feels like AC and has a little more traditional stealth w/punishment for messing up (Unity was kinda overkill and too punishing, but it did make it satisfying when you stealthed a base). Definitely skipping Odyssey, but hope the next Viking one is a little more AC-ish.






Don Rumata

  • Hard To Be A John
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34484 on: March 22, 2020, 02:10:39 AM »
Definitely skipping Odyssey, but hope the next Viking one is a little more AC-ish.
Dude... expect it to be full on rpg bonanza.

Bebpo

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34485 on: March 22, 2020, 02:20:45 AM »
idk, they keep changing the formula and then doing two games in the style and then change again. I'm not expecting it to be too similar to Origins/Odyssey. But if it is, then I'll probably just skip it until they do an entry that feels different again.

Don Rumata

  • Hard To Be A John
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34486 on: March 22, 2020, 02:46:16 AM »
idk, they keep changing the formula and then doing two games in the style and then change again. I'm not expecting it to be too similar to Origins/Odyssey. But if it is, then I'll probably just skip it until they do an entry that feels different again.
Keep in mind that they changed the formula after Unity, also because it flopped, and Witcher 3 came out and was a massive success.
I'm not sure they're ready to change the formula already, especially considering all the praise Odyssey got, for its rpg-like elements (dialogue choices for example).
I see no reason for them to go back to a smaller title, until this format blows in their face.

toku

  • 𝕩𝕩𝕩
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34487 on: March 22, 2020, 10:30:28 AM »
Love the setting or Origins so much. Love the art in it so much.

Svejk

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34488 on: March 22, 2020, 01:23:06 PM »
One thing that Odyssey did so right though, is the option between the male and female protag.  I hope they do that for the next one.  Bayek may be a really well done character, but I would have much preferred a female pharaoh assassin.  :lawd  ....but I suppose that wouldn't make sense storywise.. ho well.

Nintex

  • Finish the Fight
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34489 on: March 22, 2020, 03:10:14 PM »
Just murdered another cultist in Odyssey. I've visited every island now.
I think it's just about 4 left including Deimos until they're all dead.  :jeb

Kassandra is canon btw, they were just cowards for not doing just Kassandra.
She's the best Assassins Creed protagonist since our boi Ezio.
Although I haven't yet played Origins, that's next on the list but Odyssey just keeps going and is soooo good  :bow
🤴

Svejk

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34490 on: March 22, 2020, 03:40:35 PM »
Kassandra is canon btw, they were just cowards for not doing just Kassandra.
She's the best Assassins Creed protagonist since our boi Ezio.
I agree.  Game wouldn't be half of what it is without her.

Bebpo

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34491 on: March 22, 2020, 03:58:24 PM »
She's the best Assassins Creed protagonist since our boi Ezio.
Although I haven't yet played Origins, that's next on the list but Odyssey just keeps going and is soooo good  :bow

Bayek is really good.

I also really enjoyed the twins in Syndicate. Generally Syndicate was a very pleasant game. When I went to London the same year I played it I could find my way around the city from the game's map.

Bebpo

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34492 on: March 22, 2020, 04:01:39 PM »
idk, they keep changing the formula and then doing two games in the style and then change again. I'm not expecting it to be too similar to Origins/Odyssey. But if it is, then I'll probably just skip it until they do an entry that feels different again.
Keep in mind that they changed the formula after Unity, also because it flopped, and Witcher 3 came out and was a massive success.
I'm not sure they're ready to change the formula already, especially considering all the praise Odyssey got, for its rpg-like elements (dialogue choices for example).
I see no reason for them to go back to a smaller title, until this format blows in their face.

I mean look at this:

AC1-3 - same formula, then 3 sucks ass and ends the trilogy and this is what they start doing:
Black Flag / Rogue - 2 games, new formula
Unity / Syndicate - 2 games, new formula
Origins / Odyssey - 2 games, new formula

Now if the new one is just another Origins/Odyssey re-skin rpg-lite...it could happen. But I also think it would've been out by now? Usually when they're is a gap it's because they're doing something new with the formula.
I could see Viking AC be further in the rpg direction, but I also expect it to be totally different from Origins/Odyssey just like Origins was from Syndicate and Unity was from Rogue.

So I'll keep an open mind. Maybe the new formula will be great even if it's more rpg heavy. I'm just done with the rpg-lite of Origins/Odyssey after 80+ hours in Origins.

I do think at some point they'll go back to a stronger focus on stealth and level design because it will feel "fresh" after all this open world easy peezy stuff.

Nintex

  • Finish the Fight
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34493 on: March 22, 2020, 04:35:54 PM »
If I was doing the vikings I would do a overhaul of the fighting mechanics
🤴

Bebpo

  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34494 on: March 22, 2020, 08:36:36 PM »
Tried out a bunch of the game pass games that are leaving in a week.

Kingsaway - Was a pretty fun rogue, but after one run was kinda good. The multi-tasking in combat can get kinda annoying which is how I ended up dying.

Operencia - This seems like a good first person dungeon crawler. Was super easy at the start which doesn't surprise me coming from Zen Studios since their pinball games are super easy too.

Vampyr - Finally tried this and played about an hour. Didn't like it :( The combat is just so simple/janky was not fun. I didn't realize it was a combat game. I thought it was an adventure game with some stealth bits or something. Instead was like a little bit adventure talking to people and a lot of crappy combat. And you can't it seems like you can't even duck what the hell?

toku

  • 𝕩𝕩𝕩
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34495 on: March 22, 2020, 10:16:33 PM »
Yeah if you're interested in the story the best part just play on easy. The combat is very jank and it's harder if you try to go for the good ending.

Great Rumbler

  • Dab on the sinners
  • Global Moderator
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34496 on: March 22, 2020, 11:17:45 PM »
The combat improves once you get more abilities and such, but, yeah, if you're not feeling it just got for Easy and enjoy the story.
dog

tiesto

  • ルカルカ★ナイトフィーバー
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34497 on: March 22, 2020, 11:35:06 PM »
Star Ocean First Departure R - I love the original SFC game but never played this when it was on PSP. Put some time into it this weekend and am nearing the game's midpoint - when you have to collect the 4 emblems and can do a bunch of optional stuff/recruit a bunch of optional characters. The prerendered graphics and towns look gorgeous but I hate how they replaced the interconnected map of the first game with a world map. This game's world map is super bland and traversal is slow, it's just following linear paths from destination to destination... nothing off the beaten path, no treasures to find, etc. - the music was remastered too, most of it sounds pretty good but the battle theme (For Achieve) is not nearly as good as the SFC version in all its slap-bass forward glory. So I don't know if I overall enjoy this game as much as the SFC version. Still better than 3 and 5 though!
^_^

Great Rumbler

  • Dab on the sinners
  • Global Moderator
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34498 on: March 23, 2020, 12:08:24 AM »
Star Ocean 2 is still the high point for the series, for sure.
dog

Don Rumata

  • Hard To Be A John
  • Senior Member
Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #34499 on: March 23, 2020, 12:29:51 AM »
idk, they keep changing the formula and then doing two games in the style and then change again. I'm not expecting it to be too similar to Origins/Odyssey. But if it is, then I'll probably just skip it until they do an entry that feels different again.
Keep in mind that they changed the formula after Unity, also because it flopped, and Witcher 3 came out and was a massive success.
I'm not sure they're ready to change the formula already, especially considering all the praise Odyssey got, for its rpg-like elements (dialogue choices for example).
I see no reason for them to go back to a smaller title, until this format blows in their face.

I mean look at this:

AC1-3 - same formula, then 3 sucks ass and ends the trilogy and this is what they start doing:
Black Flag / Rogue - 2 games, new formula
Unity / Syndicate - 2 games, new formula
Origins / Odyssey - 2 games, new formula

Now if the new one is just another Origins/Odyssey re-skin rpg-lite...it could happen. But I also think it would've been out by now? Usually when they're is a gap it's because they're doing something new with the formula.
I could see Viking AC be further in the rpg direction, but I also expect it to be totally different from Origins/Odyssey just like Origins was from Syndicate and Unity was from Rogue.

So I'll keep an open mind. Maybe the new formula will be great even if it's more rpg heavy. I'm just done with the rpg-lite of Origins/Odyssey after 80+ hours in Origins.

I do think at some point they'll go back to a stronger focus on stealth and level design because it will feel "fresh" after all this open world easy peezy stuff.
You have to keep in mind that they had 2 or 3 ACs in development simultaneously, that's also why when Unity flopped (at least critically) they couldn't just do a 180° with Syndicate, which was already deep in development, but when that underperformed, they took some time before putting out Origins.
Now Ragnarock is going to be the first nextgen one (even if cross gen) so they'll probably try something new, but always on the bedrock of that mega open world, rpg-lite direction Witcher 3 put them in.

Again, Odyssey did super well, was received with a lot of praise even beyond the usual AC crowd, it'd be suicide to go back to a smaller stealth focused game, especially since they don't even seem to want to do that for Splinter Cell.

But i'm not saying they'll just copy/paste Origins a third time, they'll bring some changes, maybe significant ones, but i think, always in that massive-RPG direction they've been doing so well in.

Besides, Vikings doesn't exactly scream classic Assassin's Creed gameplay to me, not a lot of climbing you can do on wooden huts, and not a lot of stealth with you raid party; naval exploration and  large skirmishes, on the other hand...  :doge