A quick word about the new Deadpool game. Don't buy it, because it's a game you don't want to play. You'll endlessly repeat sections and boss fights because all that tactics that the game teaches you will fail to save you from hordes of enemies with automatic weapons. The aim feature of guns actually centres on the chest and keeps pulling back there, making headshots difficult. Most of the melee enemies will block your attacks and you have to wait to counter their attacks before being able to retaliate. They want you to build up long combos, but you can't try to pay attention to the combo meter because the action is too hectic.
Despite its being relatively cheap on Steam, I'd still say stay away from it. Watch a video of someone else playing it, because as far as I'm concerned, it would be better watching than playing. It's absolutely hilarious, until things go against you, which they always will.
ADDITIONAL
Just to elaborate slightly - the writing, humour and performances in this game are great, spot on for the character. It's just that the game gets far too frustrating to play, and I'm not even playing on hard. If playing on easy is the only way to enjoy playing the game, sorry guys that isn't proper as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I just suck at it, but I don't think it's just me. If you think you can handle the irritation - go right ahead and try it. I wrote the original post just after a rage quit, but the point still stands - the game has an artificial difficulty made by swarms of enemies. The controls are kind of awkward as well, the original "use" key was U, that's just wrong. There was something of a focus on the melee and it looks fine, handles OK, but it's when you're dealing with melee enemies while also being shredded by gunfire that the game gets annoying. And Deadpool's healing factor doesn't kick in until a few seconds after you stop taking damage, so if you've got nowhere to hide, you're screwed.
ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL
Seems that the fight causing me the most frustration (took nearly an hour to do, retried about 25 times) was actually the prelude to the final boss fight - which was actually less frustrating than the build up. Now my other complaint is that the game is fairly short. Since it might technically be classed as a budget game ($29.99 on Steam) I suppose there is a little less to complain about, except that now I know how annoying it would be to play on hard. I think all my points here still stand, which is why I haven't retracted them. Hilarious, but frustrating.
Thursday 27 June 2013
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Awake
A short review of Alan Wake.
Short because it's not all that great and also because it's not a brand new game. Astute readers will have noticed that I discuss little of the story and here will do less so due to the fact that this game is all story. Well, mostly plot anyway. Big maps, nice scenery, but generally a straight line. Slight deviations for collectibles but despite some open looking areas, exploration is not really rewarded. You'll follow a path towards a pool of light, where you get a checkpoint save. Normally I hate checkpoint saves, but at least here you get plenty of them.
The game is really aiming for atmosphere, which it does well but still can't really frighten the player with much other than jump scares, though it has some creepy moments. But there is plenty of darkness and the game features an excellent lighting engine. Seriously guys, make Pitch Black into a game with this engine. As much as they touted the "light as a weapon" though, it's really "use light, then a weapon" most of the time. The light has to burn off shadow to make enemies vulnerable. Thematically this is somewhat coherent, but I really get the feeling that it was "I have this story in mind, and here's how we can make a game out of it". And I don't recall, but was this game released in episodes? Because it plays as episodes. This means that you start over fresh as far as weapons go, every time you have an episode break.
Combat just feels really jarring at times, even though it looks cool when you fire a flare gun (the game's super-weapon). Part of my issue with the combat is that the controls aren't always responsive; try to dodge and you get hit, dodge too much and you can't run away and jumping doesn't always happen. And enemies spawn all around you most of the time, so you'll be lighting up baddies in front and get hacked at from the side. What's weird though is that the camera is positioned so Wake is always running at an angle to the centre of the screen, but seems to back off a little when enemies are around.
What I like: The lighting is fantastic, the graphics in general are great and despite playing out mostly in darkness, this game features more colour than Tomb Raider did. I kind of like the story, but I definitely like the in-jokes and Max Payne references (Sam Lake is not above self-satire).
What I didn't like: The camera and controls. Combat. Huh, that's about it really, although combat makes up a fair amount of the game.
So far the Nightmare mode pages haven't been hard to find, but it doesn't really lend itself to repeats. I got it very cheaply, so a few (OK, several) moments of frustration during combat and occasionally falling off a ledge can be overlooked somewhat. And this came out about as long as my other game reviews, hmmm.
Short because it's not all that great and also because it's not a brand new game. Astute readers will have noticed that I discuss little of the story and here will do less so due to the fact that this game is all story. Well, mostly plot anyway. Big maps, nice scenery, but generally a straight line. Slight deviations for collectibles but despite some open looking areas, exploration is not really rewarded. You'll follow a path towards a pool of light, where you get a checkpoint save. Normally I hate checkpoint saves, but at least here you get plenty of them.
The game is really aiming for atmosphere, which it does well but still can't really frighten the player with much other than jump scares, though it has some creepy moments. But there is plenty of darkness and the game features an excellent lighting engine. Seriously guys, make Pitch Black into a game with this engine. As much as they touted the "light as a weapon" though, it's really "use light, then a weapon" most of the time. The light has to burn off shadow to make enemies vulnerable. Thematically this is somewhat coherent, but I really get the feeling that it was "I have this story in mind, and here's how we can make a game out of it". And I don't recall, but was this game released in episodes? Because it plays as episodes. This means that you start over fresh as far as weapons go, every time you have an episode break.
Combat just feels really jarring at times, even though it looks cool when you fire a flare gun (the game's super-weapon). Part of my issue with the combat is that the controls aren't always responsive; try to dodge and you get hit, dodge too much and you can't run away and jumping doesn't always happen. And enemies spawn all around you most of the time, so you'll be lighting up baddies in front and get hacked at from the side. What's weird though is that the camera is positioned so Wake is always running at an angle to the centre of the screen, but seems to back off a little when enemies are around.
What I like: The lighting is fantastic, the graphics in general are great and despite playing out mostly in darkness, this game features more colour than Tomb Raider did. I kind of like the story, but I definitely like the in-jokes and Max Payne references (Sam Lake is not above self-satire).
What I didn't like: The camera and controls. Combat. Huh, that's about it really, although combat makes up a fair amount of the game.
So far the Nightmare mode pages haven't been hard to find, but it doesn't really lend itself to repeats. I got it very cheaply, so a few (OK, several) moments of frustration during combat and occasionally falling off a ledge can be overlooked somewhat. And this came out about as long as my other game reviews, hmmm.
Friday 7 June 2013
Who's counting?
I know I haven't posted for a few weeks, I'm sure you're all overwrought with anticipation of... who am I kidding?
Haven't really felt like writing. Still have things I could post about - made a little list and everything. Still have older games to talk about, other game related stuff. Just started playing Alan Wake so I might have something there - I like the Max Payne references so far. Deadpool is coming out in a few weeks, so I should have something there as well. Can't promise anything though, wait for me. Or don't, whichever is easier.
Haven't really felt like writing. Still have things I could post about - made a little list and everything. Still have older games to talk about, other game related stuff. Just started playing Alan Wake so I might have something there - I like the Max Payne references so far. Deadpool is coming out in a few weeks, so I should have something there as well. Can't promise anything though, wait for me. Or don't, whichever is easier.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)