Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2021 18:33:50 GMT
Superliminal
Heard such good things, like comparisons to Portal but it feels really cheap and knocked together for a school project. There is some good ideas but people seem to think its deep and "boooooooonnnnkerrrrrrrs" but not really. its gamepass game and quite quick, later on it gets difficult as its not well made (the game was made in bubble with the devs sniffing their farts)
5/10
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Post by Samildanach on Oct 26, 2021 9:44:53 GMT
In my attempt to finally get a grips with the retro backlog, my plan is to blast through the games in blocks of each year they were released. On the whole, bought games in the form of Arcade Archives (and the like) as well as those on the PC Engine Mini and compilations will get a good go, whereas emulated games might get a more cursory play unless they are really good. So, without further ado, here are the games of 1988:
Galaga '88 (PC Engine Mini) This one is a little too 'early' for me with its lack of music, annoying bleeps, mostly fixed screen and repetitive setting. Clearly Galaga was a pioneer of the genre and brilliant design for its time, but it has been very much superseded by what has followed. So nothing wrong with this one other than it being rather archaic.
Fantasy Zone (PC Engine Mini) Ugh, I couldn't stand this one, mainly due to the slight inertia of your ship, so you feel like your sliding around the screen on ice. But then I don't like Mario games for that same slippy-slidy feeling so I know it's just me. The bullshit level goes up to maximum with the final part of the final boss which is too fast to kill with skillful manoeuvring and shooting and has to be squashed by the weight powerup that you may not have picked up earlier. Binned.
Dragon Spirit (PC Engine Mini) One of the first pure fantasy themed vertical shmups, this has many good points: music, aethetics, level variety as well as innovation (for the time). Unfortunately gameplay is ruined by your dragons MASSIVE hit box, which gets even bigger when you power up. There was a rare power-up that makes you tiny, at a cost to your fire power, and at that point the game becomes much more fun...until you accidentally get powered up again or killed and its back to the silly hit box. The final level reaches true bullshit levels of difficulty with a tight gauntlet of moving wall spikes and ground turrets that release power-downs if collected. After much pain I finally made it through, but having been powered down it was not possible to outrun the final boss' single tracking shot. Goddam it! There is a good game in there, but the bullshit ruins it so it gets shelved at a single credit-fed (almost) run through.
Image Fight (Arcade Archives, PS4) An Irem classic that has up to now passed me by, mainly because Irem's memorization heavy style of shmup is not really my cup of tea. One playthrough was enough to tell me it was very much one of those and I couldn't be arsed to learn its many intricacies. Clearly a well-made game, just not for me.
Armed Formation F (Arcade Archives, PS4) I had fun with this one since it has impressive visuals and good gameplay with its manipulation of your twin pods to shoot enemies approaching from the side and behind. It does get a little on the overly difficult side in the latter half of the game, but never quite reaching the bullshit levels of Dragonspirit. Recommended.
P-47 (Arcade Archives, PS4) A horizontal shmup that seems a little half-baked. There is 8 stages but only enough music, backgrounds, enemy and boss variety to fill four. The latter four switch things up by having more bullets fly your way but there is only so many times you can be killed by a sneaky last bullet from behind after dodging a crazy web of attacks before you get fed up with it. Not recommended when there are so many better games out there.
Thunder Cross (Arcade Archives, PS4) I had played and reviewed here (I think) this one earlier, so I won't go over it again other than to say that it is a decent Konami shmup but nothing overly special. Good for a few blasts now and then though.
Legendary Wings (Nes, emulated) Apparently a much better game than its earlier arcade game that inspired it and it is clearly a pretty good NES game. The first stage shows so much variety as you go from overhead ruins, to horizontal meaty section, back to the ruins, and then into a final horizontal temple section. Unfortunately all the stages repeats this template, with only a different overhead section each time but the same everything else, including bosses, for the remaining four stages. I didn't bother going beyond the third world mainly because I got bored.
Guardian Legend (Nes, emulated) A Compile game (of Aleste fame) so has great gameplay out of the gate. It mixes up vertical shmup sections with slightly zelda like sections between for a pretty impressive package for its time. As with Legendary Wings I gave up once it started to repeat itself too often, but had I owned a Nes back in the day along with this game, it would have counted as one of the better ones. Sadly I don't have the time to give this long game justice.
Thunder Force II (X68000, emulated) My favourite of the 1988 lot as the adrenaline-fused gameplay of the TF series is definitely my shit. This version came before the better known Mega Drive version and contains two extra levels (one overhead and one horizontal) which the later port dropped. This version is so much harder than the already difficult MD version due to the crazy amount of very fast bullets that head your way, so a 1cc is well beyond my skill level. Also the MD version greatly improved the shooting of turrets in the overhead sections since in this game the timing and positioning to get them is far too finicky to be fun when there is a barage of bullets heading your way. So if you only play one, stick with the MD version despite the missing two levels (which are probably the weakest anyway) and the cool parallax that some of the levels display in this version. For me, I love anything Tecnosoft, so this will get future plays no doubt.
Obviously that are more shmups released in 1988, most notably Gradius II (which I have played before anyway on the PSP Gradius Collection), however that one is on my PC Engine Mini with its exclusive extra level, so it will have to wait till I get to '92 when that port was released. As for 1988 shmups themselves, they represent the beginning of the 16bit-like era and show a massive step up in graphical prowess compared to the what came before (with the exception of R-Type the year before which arguably still looks impressive even now). Unfortunately the gameplay hasn't been refined yet to make them fair or enjoyable enough (Irem and Konami being the top tier at the time), instead we have a much more experimental time where the template for the genre is not yet set.
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marcp
New Member
Posts: 276
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Post by marcp on Oct 26, 2021 14:09:22 GMT
I do love some Galaga '88, brilliant little game. I too am going to have to make a proper start on the AA stuff.
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Post by steifybobbins on Oct 27, 2021 21:37:03 GMT
In my attempt to finally get a grips with the retro backlog, my plan is to blast through the games in blocks of each year they were released. On the whole, bought games in the form of Arcade Archives (and the like) as well as those on the PC Engine Mini and compilations will get a good go, whereas emulated games might get a more cursory play unless they are really good. So, without further ado, here are the games of 1988: Galaga '88 (PC Engine Mini) This one is a little too 'early' for me with its lack of music, annoying bleeps, mostly fixed screen and repetitive setting. Clearly Galaga was a pioneer of the genre and brilliant design for its time, but it has been very much superseded by what has followed. So nothing wrong with this one other than it being rather archaic. Fantasy Zone (PC Engine Mini) Ugh, I couldn't stand this one, mainly due to the slight inertia of your ship, so you feel like your sliding around the screen on ice. But then I don't like Mario games for that same slippy-slidy feeling so I know it's just me. The bullshit level goes up to maximum with the final part of the final boss which is too fast to kill with skillful manoeuvring and shooting and has to be squashed by the weight powerup that you may not have picked up earlier. Binned. Dragon Spirit (PC Engine Mini) One of the first pure fantasy themed vertical shmups, this has many good points: music, aethetics, level variety as well as innovation (for the time). Unfortunately gameplay is ruined by your dragons MASSIVE hit box, which gets even bigger when you power up. There was a rare power-up that makes you tiny, at a cost to your fire power, and at that point the game becomes much more fun...until you accidentally get powered up again or killed and its back to the silly hit box. The final level reaches true bullshit levels of difficulty with a tight gauntlet of moving wall spikes and ground turrets that release power-downs if collected. After much pain I finally made it through, but having been powered down it was not possible to outrun the final boss' single tracking shot. Goddam it! There is a good game in there, but the bullshit ruins it so it gets shelved at a single credit-fed (almost) run through. Image Fight (Arcade Archives, PS4) An Irem classic that has up to now passed me by, mainly because Irem's memorization heavy style of shmup is not really my cup of tea. One playthrough was enough to tell me it was very much one of those and I couldn't be arsed to learn its many intricacies. Clearly a well-made game, just not for me. Armed Formation F (Arcade Archives, PS4) I had fun with this one since it has impressive visuals and good gameplay with its manipulation of your twin pods to shoot enemies approaching from the side and behind. It does get a little on the overly difficult side in the latter half of the game, but never quite reaching the bullshit levels of Dragonspirit. Recommended. P-47 (Arcade Archives, PS4) A horizontal shmup that seems a little half-baked. There is 8 stages but only enough music, backgrounds, enemy and boss variety to fill four. The latter four switch things up by having more bullets fly your way but there is only so many times you can be killed by a sneaky last bullet from behind after dodging a crazy web of attacks before you get fed up with it. Not recommended when there are so many better games out there. Thunder Cross (Arcade Archives, PS4) I had played and reviewed here (I think) this one earlier, so I won't go over it again other than to say that it is a decent Konami shmup but nothing overly special. Good for a few blasts now and then though. Legendary Wings (Nes, emulated) Apparently a much better game than its earlier arcade game that inspired it and it is clearly a pretty good NES game. The first stage shows so much variety as you go from overhead ruins, to horizontal meaty section, back to the ruins, and then into a final horizontal temple section. Unfortunately all the stages repeats this template, with only a different overhead section each time but the same everything else, including bosses, for the remaining four stages. I didn't bother going beyond the third world mainly because I got bored. Guardian Legend (Nes, emulated) A Compile game (of Aleste fame) so has great gameplay out of the gate. It mixes up vertical shmup sections with slightly zelda like sections between for a pretty impressive package for its time. As with Legendary Wings I gave up once it started to repeat itself too often, but had I owned a Nes back in the day along with this game, it would have counted as one of the better ones. Sadly I don't have the time to give this long game justice. Thunder Force II (X68000, emulated) My favourite of the 1988 lot as the adrenaline-fused gameplay of the TF series is definitely my shit. This version came before the better known Mega Drive version and contains two extra levels (one overhead and one horizontal) which the later port dropped. This version is so much harder than the already difficult MD version due to the crazy amount of very fast bullets that head your way, so a 1cc is well beyond my skill level. Also the MD version greatly improved the shooting of turrets in the overhead sections since in this game the timing and positioning to get them is far too finicky to be fun when there is a barage of bullets heading your way. So if you only play one, stick with the MD version despite the missing two levels (which are probably the weakest anyway) and the cool parallax that some of the levels display in this version. For me, I love anything Tecnosoft, so this will get future plays no doubt. Obviously that are more shmups released in 1988, most notably Gradius II (which I have played before anyway on the PSP Gradius Collection), however that one is on my PC Engine Mini with its exclusive extra level, so it will have to wait till I get to '92 when that port was released. As for 1988 shmups themselves, they represent the beginning of the 16bit-like era and show a massive step up in graphical prowess compared to the what came before (with the exception of R-Type the year before which arguably still looks impressive even now). Unfortunately the gameplay hasn't been refined yet to make them fair or enjoyable enough (Irem and Konami being the top tier at the time), instead we have a much more experimental time where the template for the genre is not yet set. This is a genre I can become obsessed with or forget it exists but I do love reading your posts and I find it really interesting to see such enthusiasm for a relatively forgotten genre these days. It's almost enough to inspire me to push through the archaic nature of many old classics and try to find the magic underneath but like many people I lack the patience of 8 year old me when it comes to entertainment. Top post, really enjoyed it with the exception of the Fantasy Zone section which I actually quite enjoy for two minutes here and there. I think I like the charm of it because I also like twinBee. Spent far too much time trying and failing to get good at Xevious on 3ds because simple games looked really good in 3d too
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Post by uiruki on Oct 27, 2021 22:17:21 GMT
49. Metroid Dread - Switch - 4/5
I liked this a lot in the end. What struck me was how well paced it was for the most part - I never found myself getting particularly lost or stuck as the design was very good at guiding me in the right direction. I enjoyed the cutscenes with angry Samus too.
A few reservations though: I don't think the EMMI sections all worked that well (though I'd have been a lot more unhappy if it didn't have the quick restart feature) and the Switch did end up feeling a bit creaky towards the end. It could have done with another area or two as well, as you basically get the final upgrade and then immediately go to the final boss. The lack of a decent fast travel system didn't help, though in its favour you can cross the map fairly fast.
50. Eiyuu Densetsu: Kuro no Kiseki - PS5 - 4/5
Probably the best one in a while, as a game. I liked the new battles when I realised that the action bits are just to get an advantage (or blitz through weak enemies - always a good part of these games). The characters are good as well, particularly the new main character. He's not that different from Rean, who I ended up hating, but he's a lot better tuned in areas that the Sen series missed a lot: his voice actor is a lot better, he's a lot more self aware, he knows what's going on, he's effective and intelligent and he's got history with key players in the series. As a result you go from a guy just sliding around and winning at random to a character who sets out deliberate plans which then save your bacon. The game also has an ending!
On the flip side, the technical half of this game is absolutely dreadful. We've gone from close to 4K at a solid 60fps in the previous game to barely above 1080p at 30 and with some hideous loading times. I'm talking 15 seconds for some loads on a PS5 - including loads during story sections! On multiple occasions the game will spend ten seconds or more loading a scene with one character who says maybe three lines and then it spends another ten loading the scene it was just in. The actual writing is still as rote as it always was, with pet phrases appearing all over the place and the writer of a scene just getting mental blinkers and using the same weird phrasing for something multiple times in a row. I found the soundtrack a bit disappointing with a lot of repetition and only a few tracks I really liked. And that wasn't helped at all by the fact that it's just too long. I know it's a new character and a new setting but I don't think it needed over 120 hours to get there.
I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the next one but they really, really need a PS5 patch and an engine upgrade. I don't think it's acceptable in a videogame to have not only objects pop in over a second or so when a camera angle changes, but also lights and shadows. No joke, the camera will change to a dark area which will then slowly light up because of the street lights in the scene.
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Post by suicida on Oct 27, 2021 22:52:50 GMT
50. Eiyuu Densetsu: Kuro no Kiseki - PS5 - 4/5 Nice write up. About what I expected from Kuro TBH. I played nearly the entire series earlier this year (only skipping Sky 3rd) and I found Cold Steel to be by far the worst arc of the 3. I really didn't like the switch from isometric pixel art to 3D, and like you I hated Rean by the end (I'm Team Bestelle until I die) The Switch ports of CS 3 and 4 had lots of really annoying technical issues, too.
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Post by uiruki on Oct 28, 2021 7:43:17 GMT
That's a heck of a run through! In terms of battles I like the speed of the Sen series better; Hajimari really is super snappy, especially on PS5. The new orbment system in Kuro is really interesting in that it's got the same element points on quartz that Sora and Zero/Ao have but instead of getting spells with the score totals you get bonus abilities which fire off depending on which line you have them on. By the end I was having Agnes casting spells extremely quickly and with a 90% chance of firing off another bonus spell at the end for nearly as much damage again while also no-selling half of the final boss's attacks for zero damage.
I wouldn't be too confident on the Switch port this time around, it was very shaky in PS4 Pro mode because they have tried to build an engine with lots of modern rendering lighting and shading techniques but it just seems incredibly inefficient and badly implemented.
One other thing is I'd like to play through Sen 4 and Hajimari again now because it does follow on from those and I'd like to remind myself of some of the characters who make an appearance. I didn't expect to find myself wanting to go through those again but I do have Platinum trophies for the first three Sen games so a Nightmare run would work.
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malek86
Junior Member
Pomegranate Deseeder
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Post by malek86 on Oct 28, 2021 20:59:20 GMT
Song of Horror (PC)
A different kind of survival horror, one inspired by many other series, which also adds some twists of its own. The puzzles of Resident Evil, the setting of Silent Hill and Alone in the Dark, and the minigames of... uhm... Shenmue? Anyway, the result is pretty interesting. In each episode you have a number of characters to choose from, and when one dies, the others must press on (makes me think of Maniac Mansion in some ways). If they all die, you must restart the chapter.
And die they will, since the game is full of instant death traps. Some are obvious, some much less so. In some cases you get items for doing highly unadvisable things, and unfortunately the game doesn't really give too many hints about that. The minigames, on the other hand, tend to be easy, but one false step is usually enough to get you killed, so they are still somewhat dangerous. Especially because you only get four characters at most, and sometimes even less.
This permadeath really adds to the tension, but on the other hand, it's infuriating when you have to restart the whole chapter (and they are fairly long, especially the fourth one) because you died to some dangled carrot. I must also admit that some of the puzzles were pretty annoying, especially ones where you need to reassemble an item or a photo.
It was free with Prime, so it's hard to complain too much, and I did have fun, even if the game does overstay its welcome after a while... it must have taken me at least 16 hours, and as far as survival horrors go, that's a lot.
7/10
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Post by Samildanach on Oct 29, 2021 0:04:07 GMT
This is a genre I can become obsessed with or forget it exists but I do love reading your posts and I find it really interesting to see such enthusiasm for a relatively forgotten genre these days. It's almost enough to inspire me to push through the archaic nature of many old classics and try to find the magic underneath but like many people I lack the patience of 8 year old me when it comes to entertainment. Top post, really enjoyed it with the exception of the Fantasy Zone section which I actually quite enjoy for two minutes here and there. I think I like the charm of it because I also like twinBee. Spent far too much time trying and failing to get good at Xevious on 3ds because simple games looked really good in 3d too Thanks for the encouragement! I do enjoy writing them but it is even better when you find out you are not blathering into the Abyss. Yes, I was harsh on Fantasy Zone but I do realise I'm a bit weird in that any slight slidy-inertia effect when moving, turns me right off. Probably ptsd from trying to beat the likes of world 2 in Sonic the Hedgehog back in the day (small marble platforms moving through lava with me trying to stop bloody Sonic sliding off one side of it before sliding back off the other side...gah! The horror!)
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Post by dangerousdave on Oct 29, 2021 6:14:49 GMT
Ha! I also played a lot of Xevious and Twinbee on the 3DS. A lot of deaths, but I eventually got good enough to loop the stages a few times over on each.
I do miss the 3D retro stuff on 3DS. So crisp and clean.
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Post by Chopper on Oct 29, 2021 10:03:40 GMT
So...Vagrus: the Riven Realms is an open-ended game; rather than having an endgame, there are objectives to aim for such as gaining Fame or Wealth. However, there is also a standalone campaign/tutorial included called Pilgrims of the Wasteland - this runs around 7 hours, and I completed it, so I thought I'd include it here.
As a tutorial for the main game, it throws a ton of information at you. It's also a text-heavy management game with a multitude of stats to track, and so much info can cause you to miss critical information and lead to a lot of frustration. Each of the three or four days I played the tutorial, I literally had a massive headache by the end (it took me 8.5 hours, what with reloads etc). So apart from the frustration, it's very much a 2-Panadol game.
The other effect of missing vital info is that you tend to think that the game is trial and error - so there is no way to anticipate events until you meet them, and then find you are unprepared and have to reload and try again. This happened me multiple times, and in fairness I did eventually discover some info that hinted as to what was coming up, but the developer very much lets you fail and learn through pain and suffering.
So, is it worth recommending? I hear that the main game is also a bunch of instant game overs and requires pre-existing knowledge, but there's something very appealing about the 'idea' of the gameplay - manage a trading caravan, do a load of choose-your-own-adventure type stuff, with lots of reading, tactical turn-based combat (two rows of three on each team, front line and back line abilities, bit clunky) - that I am still, despite it all, kind of looking forward to the main game.
The question is whether to jump right in or come back later after a few more patches.
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Post by richyroo on Oct 29, 2021 15:58:20 GMT
Crysis 2 Remastered
Forgot just how good the gunplay in this game is. The Nanosuit really does make you feel like a super soldier too.
Overall just very fun to play, even if the story is just 'ok'.
I give this one a 8.5/10
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Post by simple on Oct 29, 2021 23:08:04 GMT
Carrion
What a lot of fun this is. A Metroidvania where you get to play as a gibbering fleshbeast part-Alien, part-Thing, all teeth and tentacles. Not a long or difficult game but it gets the balance of occasional trial & error puzzles and powertrip slaughter just right.
9/10
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Post by erekose on Oct 30, 2021 15:18:55 GMT
Carrion What a lot of fun this is. A Metroidvania where you get to play as a gibbering fleshbeast part-Alien, part-Thing, all teeth and tentacles. Not a long or difficult game but it gets the balance of occasional trial & error puzzles and powertrip slaughter just right. 9/10 I loved that game but it would have been truly elevated with the addition of a map system. I was way too scared of getting lost to explore as much as I wanted to.
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Post by erekose on Oct 30, 2021 15:21:09 GMT
Metroid Dread. 8/10
Really fun to play and a return to form for the series. The atmosphere only just recovers from what must be the worst soundtrack in a Metroid game not named ‘Other M’, but love the fluidity and additions to the lore.
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Post by dfunked on Oct 30, 2021 15:37:07 GMT
erekose - it definitely felt like more background ambiance most of the time instead of recognisable themes for specific areas. I wouldn't say it's bad necessarily, just different approach to the standard of the series.
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Post by simple on Oct 30, 2021 16:50:35 GMT
Carrion What a lot of fun this is. A Metroidvania where you get to play as a gibbering fleshbeast part-Alien, part-Thing, all teeth and tentacles. Not a long or difficult game but it gets the balance of occasional trial & error puzzles and powertrip slaughter just right. 9/10 I loved that game but it would have been truly elevated with the addition of a map system. I was way too scared of getting lost to explore as much as I wanted to. I really want to go back and get all the optional containment units but yeah, without a map I’ll almost certainly youtube some of them
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Post by erekose on Oct 31, 2021 17:13:35 GMT
erekose - it definitely felt like more background ambiance most of the time instead of recognisable themes for specific areas. I wouldn't say it's bad necessarily, just different approach to the standard of the series. For me it’s a major disappointment but I think you’re right and it’s only because of the very high standards of the series that I feel the way I do.
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Post by Phattso on Oct 31, 2021 19:15:48 GMT
I really want to go back and get all the optional containment units but yeah, without a map I’ll almost certainly youtube some of them Just FYI, I managed to 100% the game even without a map. Once you've finished it, the backtracking isn't too onerous actually. Probably less than an hour post-completion to mop everything up.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2021 10:21:34 GMT
The Evil Within 2
I REALLY wanted to like this, especially as I know it's generally held in much higher regard than the first. As I loved the first game I presumed I would really love this.
Alas... No. I didn't really like it at all in the end. Think the first one shits all over it. What I liked about the first was how batshit mental it was, and it really felt gruelling trying to get through it. it was a true survival horror game.
This wasn't like that. It was more straightfroward, easier, and had far less horror. Nothing like the memorable encounters and locales of the first game. Union was alright to look at but the open areas were tempered by running like complete dogshit (pop up all over the shop, incredibly distracting and took me right out the game) and full of shit enemies that went down far too easily. All I had to do was upgrade my pistol and keep crafting ammo for it. No need for anything else.
The early parts of Union were the best though, with the ghost lady randomly appearing and the creepy knife weilding ladies that weren't easy to take out. The photographer you went up against meant for some cool set pieces as well but after him it REALLY shat it's pants. Terrible looking lava enemies for chapter after chapter and the plot attempting to stay coherent but still making no sense (it was far more effective in the first game were I didn't have a clue what the hell was going on). Repeated returns to Union and the shit boring Marrow sections didn't help and there was just zero tension or scares. There wasn't loads in the first either but that at least went fuck it and tried to gross you out instead, this time they couldn't really be arsed.
So no horror at all and an over reliance on shooting meant it played out just as a standard action game, but mechanically it wasn't good enough to be one. Seb also moved like he'd just suffered a groin injury.
First third of the game - 7/10 Final two thirds of the game - 4/10
It was just all a bit pish and I kind of wish I hadn't wasted my time with it.
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Post by simple on Nov 1, 2021 12:24:15 GMT
I really want to go back and get all the optional containment units but yeah, without a map I’ll almost certainly youtube some of them Just FYI, I managed to 100% the game even without a map. Once you've finished it, the backtracking isn't too onerous actually. Probably less than an hour post-completion to mop everything up. Job done, my fourth ever Platinum (after Spiderman, Sexy Brutale and LIS: Before The Storm). I did youtube two of them, I had two from general play and the others I found using the hidden progress checklist room. Did the Christmas DLC too. It was fun but lacked variety, felt like it was a little too reliant on combat. Nice little coda though since the main game left me wanting more and it was a perfect length to be a good bonus that didn’t outstay its welcome.
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malek86
Junior Member
Pomegranate Deseeder
Posts: 2,869
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Post by malek86 on Nov 1, 2021 12:49:03 GMT
Duke Nukem Forever: The Doctor Who Cloned Me (PC)
Let me preface by saying that I found DNF generally unremarkable, but not that bad either. The PC version lets you carry four weapons at once, which helps a lot, and I'll still take it over the myriad military shooters of its era. Biggest problems were the drab colors, excessive linearity and crass humor. Overall, it's a 6/10 game. I had heard the DLC was better so I wanted to try it, and took this chance to replay the main game before it.
Unfortunately, I can't agree with that opinion. Just about the only good things this DLC does are better humor and somewhat redeeming Duke's callous personality from Forever. Everything else is exactly like the main game, but worse. The final boss is pretty terrible too. At least it's not long, at around 3 hours and half, but that doesn't make it good.
4/10
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Post by Aunt Alison on Nov 1, 2021 13:07:48 GMT
The Evil Within 2 I REALLY wanted to like this, especially as I know it's generally held in much higher regard than the first. As I loved the first game I presumed I would really love this. Alas... No. I didn't really like it at all in the end. Think the first one shits all over it. What I liked about the first was how batshit mental it was, and it really felt gruelling trying to get through it. it was a true survival horror game. This wasn't like that. It was more straightfroward, easier, and had far less horror. Nothing like the memorable encounters and locales of the first game. Union was alright to look at but the open areas were tempered by running like complete dogshit (pop up all over the shop, incredibly distracting and took me right out the game) and full of shit enemies that went down far too easily. All I had to do was upgrade my pistol and keep crafting ammo for it. No need for anything else. The early parts of Union were the best though, with the ghost lady randomly appearing and the creepy knife weilding ladies that weren't easy to take out. The photographer you went up against meant for some cool set pieces as well but after him it REALLY shat it's pants. Terrible looking lava enemies for chapter after chapter and the plot attempting to stay coherent but still making no sense (it was far more effective in the first game were I didn't have a clue what the hell was going on). Repeated returns to Union and the shit boring Marrow sections didn't help and there was just zero tension or scares. There wasn't loads in the first either but that at least went fuck it and tried to gross you out instead, this time they couldn't really be arsed. So no horror at all and an over reliance on shooting meant it played out just as a standard action game, but mechanically it wasn't good enough to be one. Seb also moved like he'd just suffered a groin injury. First third of the game - 7/10 Final two thirds of the game - 4/10 It was just all a bit pish and I kind of wish I hadn't wasted my time with it. I thought Evil Within 2 had an amazing atmosphere, especially the first hub area. Loved the tactical gameplay as well, it was really fun using the environment to take out enemies. Remember a few occasions where enemies would come running out of doors or you'd walk into a building and trigger an event of some kind that felt quite organic
I didn't finish it because I got distracted and too much time had passed but got quite far in I think. The spooky ghost lady was great
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2021 13:18:08 GMT
Aunt Alison All that stuff you've described really happens effectively in Chapter 5 and it's probably the best chapter in the game. That's the first proper open area and (apart from the aforementioned technical shite) is easily full of the best bits. You've unfortunately got 16 chapters of alright to mediocre pish around that though.
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Dgzter
Junior Member
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Post by Dgzter on Nov 1, 2021 13:20:11 GMT
Yeah, sorry to read that Wunty. I personally loved TEW2 and I definitely shat myself at multiple points throughout lol I imagine playing on a (at the time) high-end PC made a bit of a difference with the graphics/pop-in, too.
Ah, well. There are rumours of a third installment, so fingers crossed that might better hit the spot for you.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2021 13:25:15 GMT
I'm maybe being a bit harsh because my expectations were so high of course. I feel like I was promised a trip to the funfair only to be pushed down a grassy slope in a three-wheeled shopping trolly.
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Post by harrypalmer on Nov 1, 2021 14:59:01 GMT
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - 9/10
I abandoned this after an hour and was convinced to return to it after posting in the abandoned games thread. Very glad I did as it's bloody (literally) brilliant.
As a game, I stand by some of my initial complaints: traversal is a chore, and a few of the puzzles are not very well signposted - those two things in combination can make some of the sections a bit tiresome, especially with the threat of perma-death. The first hour is the worst part of the game by far.
Puzzles are ingenious, and combat is actually pretty decent, boss fights, in particular, are excellent. Perma-death is not really an issue as it's generally really easy, so it's more intended as a looming threat, although if I'd have died towards the end I'm not sure I would have been able to start again.
As an experience it's almost flawless, the artistic vision and execution are staggering. The audio, acting, animation, and general art direction are brilliant. It really sucks you in and immerses you in the story, few games have done it this well.
Can't wait for the sequel. I played on PS5, and it's not backwards compatible (you have to download from the web version of the store as it won't appear in the console store), but experienced no issues at all.
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Post by simple on Nov 1, 2021 18:33:26 GMT
I loved Hellblade. Its been awhile since I played it but I remember being blown away by some of the facial animations. I can imagine it holds its own on PS5 even without an upgrade.
Some really spectacular set pieces too, and the combat was way better than those calling it a walking sim would ever know.
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Post by harrypalmer on Nov 1, 2021 19:16:14 GMT
Yeah it looked absolutely stunning.
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Post by stuz359 on Nov 1, 2021 20:35:42 GMT
Ninja Theory pretty much nailed facial animation with Heavenly Sword. It was weird actually because it was the arrival of the next gen for me in the 360/PS3 era, but very few games since have even matched that level of digital performance, maybe having Andy Serkis star and direct the mo cap on that game really paid off.
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