What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Anything from run & guns to modern RPGs, what else do you play?
User avatar
TransatlanticFoe
Posts: 1736
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:06 pm
Location: UK

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by TransatlanticFoe »

Marc wrote:Pretty sure you can switch between CD and chip soundtracks on the fly, and yes as far as I can tell you can use four single joy-cons. It's a nice little package, possibly a bit costly stacked next to the Capcom one, but a nice surprise indeed. I've meant to go back and play Blawkhawk/thorne for years now.
Cheers, will mull it over (probably not for very long)

LET THE CARNAGE, BEGIN!
User avatar
Stevens
Posts: 3799
Joined: Thu May 01, 2014 11:44 pm
Location: Brooklyn NY

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Stevens »

Mischief Maker wrote:

Lords of Xulima.
So this is how back logs start. Need to finish Dragonfall, that looks really good.

I have Shadowrun Hong Kong too, but will I want more Shadowrun after Dragonfall? Maybe. It's a good game, but the only reason I can see to play it again would be a different character. It doesn't do choice like Wasteland.

Divinity OS 2 and Pillars II seem like major commitments.

DOS 2
POE 2 - This looks REALLY good.
Shadowrun HK
Lords of Xulima

Any others I should be considering?
My lord, I have come for you.
User avatar
To Far Away Times
Posts: 1661
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:42 am

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by To Far Away Times »

I just wrapped up Resident Evil 7 last night. Quite a good game. I've now caught up on all the mainline games ahead of Resident Evil 8 coming out in a few months.

I'll be doing a series ranking and mini write up for each of them... stay tuned. 8)
User avatar
vol.2
Posts: 2435
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 3:13 pm
Location: bmore

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by vol.2 »

To Far Away Times wrote: I'll be doing a series ranking and mini write up for each of them... stay tuned. 8)
Looking forward to it.
Searchlike
Posts: 168
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2021 7:17 pm

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Searchlike »

To Far Away Times wrote:I just wrapped up Resident Evil 7 last night. Quite a good game. I've now caught up on all the mainline games ahead of Resident Evil 8 coming out in a few months.

I'll be doing a series ranking and mini write up for each of them... stay tuned. 8)
I'm also looking forward to this, even though I know for a fact that I won't like where RE6 places. :lol:
User avatar
Mischief Maker
Posts: 4802
Joined: Thu May 08, 2008 3:44 am

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Mischief Maker »

Stevens wrote:I have Shadowrun Hong Kong too, but will I want more Shadowrun after Dragonfall? Maybe. It's a good game, but the only reason I can see to play it again would be a different character. It doesn't do choice like Wasteland.
From what I hear, the writing isn't as good and while the combat and character development are improved, it's at the cost of easier combat overall. Also matrix hacking is totally different.

But just so you're clear, despite the overhead view in map mode, Lords of Xulima uses a first-person blobber combat system with abstracted formation mechanics, not an isometric SRPG one.
Two working class dudes, one black one white, just baked a tray of ten cookies together.

An oligarch walks in and grabs nine cookies for himself.

Then he says to the white dude "Watch out for that black dude, he wants a piece of your cookie!"
User avatar
To Far Away Times
Posts: 1661
Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:42 am

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by To Far Away Times »

vol.2 wrote:Looking forward to it.
Searchlike wrote:I'm also looking forward to this, even though I know for a fact that I won't like where RE6 places. :lol:
Thanks, you guys. Sorry about the RE6 placement. :lol:

Incoming wall of text...

-----

14. Resident Evil 6

Resident Evil 6 looks like a game that had a ton of money thrown at it. It has an incredibly long and ambitious campaign (I think my playthrough clocked in around 25 hours or so), but is also a game desperately in need of better direction. You can do all these cool tactical dives and slides and stuff but you never need to do it and nobody asked for these mechanics in a Resident Evil game. It takes all the wrong lessons from Resident Evil 5 and doubles down on them. It's also really unpolished in a lot of areas. Is it really a good idea to have a Crash Bandicoot style run towards the camera section, start you incredibly close to the instant kill trap, and have the camera swing 180 degrees? And there's a lot of dumb frustrating design decisions like that here. Chris' campaign plays like a collection of all the worst aspects of the military first and third person shooters that filled the bargain bins on 360 and PS3. Also, I'm pretty sure a boss from Monster Hunter was reused here. Really? Its very out of place. The game is pretty much a mess.

13. Resident Evil 0

The game starts out strong with the introduction on the train but that's about it for the highlights. It also runs on the Resident Evil 1 Remake game engine which looks great, but unfortunately this one doesn't have nearly the same level of care put into it. The game also lacks item boxes for some reason. You can drop items, but it's more of a nuisance than anything. The tag system isn't really fun, and often feels like work. By the time the series got to RE0 you could tell it was in need of a reboot.

12. Resident Evil Revelations 2

This game is perfectly serviceable. It doesn't really have too many highs or lows, and doesn't have too many memorable moments but it plays fine and was definitely a step in the right direction after Resident Evil 6. The episodic nature and lower budget hold this one back a bit. Bonus points for being very self aware and having some memorable one liners. Moira quipping, "Why couldn't it be a normal factory, why'd it have to be a fucked up factory?" is one of my favorite lines in a game. The final boss fight is also better than most of the other games in the series.

11. Resident Evil: Code Veronica

At one point I would have called this my favorite Resident Evil game and I loved it when it came out. It felt like a fresh step for the series and bringing it into full 3D and having that incredible intro cutscene. Capcom went all in on the Dreamcast, and Code Veronica was no exception. Over time however, the flaws stick out a lot more. Code Veronica has the maze like level design of the older games, but the level's aren't very satisfying to navigate. Lots of long narrow hallways. Code Veronica is something of a Resident Evil for super players. The game expects you to be familiar with previous games in the series and starts hard and gets harder. Zombies are very fast and aggressive. You'll take hits from regular zombies more often than you would in the other games. The Bandersnatches are probably most difficult enemies in the series. And some of the difficulty is just plain unfair. It's quite easy to take a wrong turn and lock yourself out of getting some items. In fact, there's a boss fight where it's quite easy to get stuck and run out of ammo and basically have to forfeit your save file. I do still like this game a lot, but I think there's some fairly big problems with it, so it's pretty low on the list.


10. Resident Evil 5

Capcom's follow up to the legendary Resident Evil 4 plays it pretty safe. You get widescreen, HD, and online/split screen multiplayer but other wise this sticks pretty close to the Resident Evil 4 formula. And that's not a bad thing. Resident Evil 4 and 5 have great gameplay mechanics, and their accuracy focused, run and stop shooting gameplay with stunning enemies for easy melee follow ups is really satisfying. RE5 doesn't take all the right lessons from RE4 though. It's encounter design is not nearly as good. It's very much a game that is chasing trends rather than setting them. There's also a section half way through the game where it's portrayal of the villagers is uh... problematic. I do want to give a shout out to the partner AI in this one. I very rarely had any AI issues and felt I could trust the AI with ammo and healing items. Tonally, this game is all over the place. Most of the voice actors play it straight, but the voice actor for Wesker knows exactly what kind of campy schlock this is, and he's going to make the most of it.

9. Resident Evil Revelaitons

This game punches well above it's weight. I remember getting this game at launch and being floored by the level of production values and visual quality on a 3DS game. To this day, I think this is probably the most impressive game on the system. The parts with Jill on the cruise ship really shine. I guess that would be the "A" story. The "B" story with Parker and the rest of the cast is not as good. Also the less said about this game's plot and it's dumbass twist, the better. But this game is quite impressive, and the gameplay is quite good during Jill's sections and serviceable elsewhere. It captures the old school Resident Evil spirit, and is a showcase game for the system.

8. Resident Evil 3

Resident Evil 3 is solid and fun game but there's a little something off about it. I can't quite put my finger on it. It's more linear than it's predecessors, and it's not up to RE1 and RE2's standards. Exploring Racoon city should be a great set up, but it falls well short of the Spencer Mansion and Police Department. The Nemesis is a nice addition, and provides some really tense moments, but you feel very powerful in this game, and can just kinda plow right through it without much resistance on a first play through.

7. Resident Evil 3 Remake
The Resident Evil 3 Remake improves on it's source material quite a bit. The game plays very similarly to the Resident Evil 2 remake, and that's not a bad thing at all. I wasn't bothered by the short length and cut areas. It's a little jarring to just completely skip the clock tower when you're expecting it, but that was never my favorite section anyway. The expanded hospital section is nice. But the game takes a step back with the Nemesis, who only chases you through one area in the beginning. Otherwise, he just shows up in scripted segments and boss fights. The game feels a bit rushed, but I had fun playing it all the way through.

6. Resident Evil 1

The original Resident Evil is a great game. This is ultimately not a game about combat, it's about exploration and puzzle solving, with occasional combat to spice things up and worry about resources. The Spencer Mansion is one of the most iconic settings in a game for a reason. I could still probably sketch out most of the first floor by hand if I needed too. They had a really great idea and nailed the execution. There's also a certain shit-your-pants scare involving a dog early on that let's you know this game will pull no punches.

5. Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 2 is the iconic follow up to the first game. This is about as good as iterative sequels get. Everything here is a little bit better than it was in previous game. The Police Department is one of the best level designs in all of gaming. The art direction is a lot better and more sophisticated as well. We go from a mansion in the forest to an overrun police department that used to be an art museum. How cool is that? Navigating the police department is real treat. Resident Evil 2 is not a difficult game, but it makes you think that it is. You feel the constant threat from having limited ammo and more zombie encounters than the first game. But the game is very well balanced throughout. For it's time, and expectations of the era, it's pretty much perfect.

4. Resident Evil 7

This game plays like a dream and features an instantly memorable cast of villains. The first person perspective is an inspired choice, and it works well here. Ethan is not a super hero, he's not even a police officer. He has huge recoil after firing, moves slow, and is going to be inefficient in ways that other characters in the series are not. But it works well. The main villain, Jack, deserves a shout out. He chases you through the house, making references to Evil Dead and other horror movies, and you can tell he takes joy in hunting you down. At times you'll laugh, and at times you'll be scared shitless. He's a fascinating villain. There are couple of iconic early set piece battles against him and although they aren't entirely clear on what your supposed to do and if you're actually inflicting damage, they are extremely memorable and batshit insane. The game goes to great lengths to make the areas seem grounded and believable too. No secret underground labs in this one.

3. Resident Evil Remake

No doubt the scariest game in the series, the Resident Evil Remake is one of the rare games that makes the prior version completely obsolete. For the most part it is a very faithful remake, but there are a couple of brilliant gameplay changes that turn this game up to 11. In this game, zombies do not disappear after dying. They need to burned otherwise they may come back as "Crimzon Heads" which are incredibly deadly zombies that must be avoided at all costs. The problem is, there are limited resources to burn the dead zombies. You have to pick and choose which ones you burn, and remember where you left the zombies you couldn't burn. You may choose to take longer routes to avoid rooms for fear of an almost certainly devastating attack from a Crimzon Head. This is so stressy in the best possible way. I love it.

2. Resident Evil 2 Remake

The Resident Evil 2 Remake is fantastic update to a beloved classic. Bringing the camera perspective into more modern standards, this game still manages to retain the essence of the original. Zombies are more resilient here, but limbs can be targeted and it's a real treat to have a full 3D perspective. The game engine is also among the best and most scalable ever made, managing to run rock solid and look stunning on my old ass potato of a PC. Lot's of great details in this one, but one thing that stood out to me was the animation. There's a scene early on where an NPC takes a bite out of a hamburger. In a normal game, you would see the camera cut just when he takes a bite so it can switch to a model of the burger with a bite already taken out of it. Not here. We're doing things the hard way. You get a close up of the NPC biting the burger and chewing it. You see the hamburger bun deform and oh so slightly deflate as it is bitten into. The burger breaks apart realistically. It's so stupidly and needlessly detailed, but that's just a small example of the level of care went into the whole game. Design wise, this is game gets major props too. There's not a lot of ammo to go around, encouraging you to dismember (but not kill) zombies or run around them. At a certain point in the game Mr. X shows up, he's an invincible stalker enemy will chase you around. You need to move slow and quiet to avoid him, otherwise Mr. X is gonna give it to ya. Hope you remembered where you left those zombies...

1. Resident Evil 4

What is there to say about Resident Evil 4 that hasn't been said before? Much in the same way that Mario 64 blazed the trail for 3D platformers, Resident Evil 4 created the game design template for the modern 3rd person shooter. Resident Evil 4 was so different than how other games played at the time, but not only that, it has the swagger and confidence of completely nailing it on the first attempt. All third person shooters before Resident Evil 4 became instantly outdated and all third person shooters after were going to be expected to pick up the Resident Evil 4 camera positioning. But beyond the innovation, Resident Evil 4 also just plays fantastically. From the opening in the village to the final boss encounter, Resident Evil 4 is always throwing something new and memorable at you and every enemy encounter has a purpose and an idea behind it, and there is no filler or padding in the game. The game more or less abandons the survival horror aspects of the previous games, but what Resident Evil 4 did was so fresh, new, and exciting that you knew you were playing something special.
User avatar
BIL
Posts: 18989
Joined: Thu May 10, 2007 12:39 pm
Location: COLONY

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by BIL »

One tiny thing that irked me in the RE2 Remake... I understand there being only a finite number of (superbly detailed) zombie models. But having yellow flannel shirt dude pop up in the opening gas station raid, then also be the very zombie that gets decapped by Marvin, after a long, detailed cutscene - I wish they'd had some kinda palette-swap RNG going on, or even just debuted a different zombie model for that bit.

As said though, a tiny thing, only notable with the sheer craftsmanship of the surrounding work. I was delighted with the game overall, and it had some immense shoes to fill after REmake. Which gave me one of my most treasured moments from any horror medium, interactive or otherwise - when I whacked a zombie early on, forgot all about him, then returned to his room in the final sweep, readying for the endgame. He'd fallen behind a desk, totally out of shot - having a murderously leering Crimson Head bolt upright behind Chris was not only startling, I completely froze up (it's often not "fight or flight," to hear one self-defense instructor put it - sufficiently rattled people tend to outright freeze).

He got a nasty claw swipe in, before I took his head off with the magnum. It was a silly little jack-in-the-box fright, but in addition to the wonderfully organic setup (I'd completely forgotten the fucker! ran full-blast into his prone body, assumed I was hitting some invisible wall) - the way the design had it stand there for a horrible moment before attacking was just brilliant horror craft.

I'm glad it happened. Long live fixed camera angles and punishingly tight resources. Image
User avatar
Marc
Posts: 3408
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2005 10:27 am
Location: Wigan, England.

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Marc »

Surprised to see Zero so far down. Really enjoyed the last playthrough of this - a tighter, slightly more linear take on the original. I'd much rather play this again than R2RE, 4 or CV for sure.
XBL & Switch: mjparker77 / PSN: BellyFullOfHell
User avatar
vol.2
Posts: 2435
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 3:13 pm
Location: bmore

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by vol.2 »

Very solid list. Obviously, we all have our own take on things, but it mostly makes sense to me.

A couple of notes.

-I found that you gave nostalgia points unevenly. I supposed this makes sense as we all feel that more for one thing or the other. However, I don't see how RE4 gets all the historical points for 3rd person shooters (which isn't actually true, but it was so popular that it has more obvious imitators than the rest) but you leave RE1 languishing in the middle of the list when it legit invented the survival horror genre. Not to mention that, without it's success, all the rest wouldn't have happened.

-RE Zero didn't feel like a dead end when it came out to me. I thought the two player mechanic was strong, and the game detail was the best yet seen in a RE game. I also find it odd how people seem to mention the train in the beginning as a high point in the game. I actually find that whole portion to be kind of a PITA that you have to complete to get the main portion of the game. I also agree (with like everyone else) that the inventory system sucks, but I think maybe that's because we all ended up laboriously muling supplies around the map in order to maintain the most advantage. The game features plenty of both ammo and healing items. I think that it probably plays a lot better if you just take what you need and backtrack if you absolutely have to. The main issue was that we had all been taught to horde supplies in RE games because that was a main mechanic, so it's mostly pyschological.

-RE3 in my opinion is actually the game with the most franchise fatigue. It's not a terrible game by any means, but it's also not very detailed or interesting story-wise. By the end of the game, I was long past being bored with it, and I felt little motivation to finish. If I remember correctly, the reasons behind it's release were actually kind of complicated. There were too many of those games getting chunked out at Capcom at the same time (including dino crisis and CV) and there wasn't enough resources and time to really polish off any one of them, most of the attention going to the upcoming CV. For me, this game would be much, much lower on the list. Not at the bottom, but certainly below CV, RE5 and Zero.

-You didn't include RE HD remake, and RE3 Remake. Not sure about RE 1 HD because I haven't yet played it, but I understand RE3 HD is much different and it's own game.

-I don't really think it's fair to have one list for all of them. It would be interesting to see how things were different for you if there was two lists, one for 3rd person shooters and another for tank controls.
User avatar
Mischief Maker
Posts: 4802
Joined: Thu May 08, 2008 3:44 am

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Mischief Maker »

vol.2 wrote:However, I don't see how RE4 gets all the historical points for 3rd person shooters (which isn't actually true, but it was so popular that it has more obvious imitators than the rest) but you leave RE1 languishing in the middle of the list when it legit invented the survival horror genre.
Alone in the Dark: 1992

NOT LEGIT!
Two working class dudes, one black one white, just baked a tray of ten cookies together.

An oligarch walks in and grabs nine cookies for himself.

Then he says to the white dude "Watch out for that black dude, he wants a piece of your cookie!"
User avatar
vol.2
Posts: 2435
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 3:13 pm
Location: bmore

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by vol.2 »

Mischief Maker wrote:
vol.2 wrote:However, I don't see how RE4 gets all the historical points for 3rd person shooters (which isn't actually true, but it was so popular that it has more obvious imitators than the rest) but you leave RE1 languishing in the middle of the list when it legit invented the survival horror genre.
Alone in the Dark: 1992

NOT LEGIT!
I own Alone in the Dark and I considered it before making the comment, but it's not nearly the same thing at all. Sure it has some of the elements, but it's just not fully baked enough to be anywhere close. It's about as close as Wasteland gets to the first Fallout game, and that's being generous.
User avatar
Ghegs
Posts: 5052
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 6:18 am
Location: Finland
Contact:

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Ghegs »

Mischief Maker wrote:
vol.2 wrote:However, I don't see how RE4 gets all the historical points for 3rd person shooters (which isn't actually true, but it was so popular that it has more obvious imitators than the rest) but you leave RE1 languishing in the middle of the list when it legit invented the survival horror genre.
Alone in the Dark: 1992

NOT LEGIT!
Sweet Home at 1989?
No matter how good a game is, somebody will always hate it. No matter how bad a game is, somebody will always love it.

My videos
User avatar
Volteccer_Jack
Posts: 446
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:55 pm

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Volteccer_Jack »

Not super versed in RE series but RE2make placement on that list gives me the highest of raised eyebrows. I would put it in the same league as RE5/6, and certainly below the original RE2.

And while I played through RE4 roughly a billion times on GC and would have no choice but to call it my favorite, I still feel confident that if I was a "Real Resident Evil Fan (TM)" that it would not top my list.
"Don't worry about quality. I've got quantity!"
User avatar
Marc
Posts: 3408
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2005 10:27 am
Location: Wigan, England.

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Marc »

vol.2 wrote:Resi stuff
Concur completely on Zero. It's been maybe five years, but I remember finding the train sections somewhat claustrophobic (and not in a great way - more in the confined way of CV), but the mansion itself, if you can resist the temptation to pick up everything and leave shit lying around, a lot more logical than the original. It almost sends you round in a few loops to get what you need and get you out. It's a different experience than REmake, which still remains my favourite of all-time, but as enjoyable IMO.

4 I've always found somewhat over-rated. The atmos carries it, but the QTE's are atrocious, and by the time you land on the military base, it gets a bit stale.

3 I disliked back in the day, to the degree I've still not bothered picking up the Remake.

I'd like to play Alone in the Dark just for giggles.
XBL & Switch: mjparker77 / PSN: BellyFullOfHell
User avatar
vol.2
Posts: 2435
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 3:13 pm
Location: bmore

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by vol.2 »

Ghegs wrote:
Mischief Maker wrote:
vol.2 wrote:However, I don't see how RE4 gets all the historical points for 3rd person shooters (which isn't actually true, but it was so popular that it has more obvious imitators than the rest) but you leave RE1 languishing in the middle of the list when it legit invented the survival horror genre.
Alone in the Dark: 1992

NOT LEGIT!
Sweet Home at 1989?
Yes, obviously, as it's actually the game that inspired the creators to make RE 1 in the first place. But I think that these are all more like influences rather than analogs. Sweet Home most obviously takes a top-down RPG approach, similar to the first Final Fantasy game.

Alone in the Dark is closer to a direct antecedent, but there are too many things about it that were different about the gameplay to actually be "survival horror" as the Resident Evil series laid out. Besides the fact that AITD was not a well known game at all, and it wasn't very good (in my opinion). It's interesting mostly for the fact the it's H.P. Lovecraft related, and that it is an early attempt at polygon 3D graphics. Yes, you can find some limited weapons in the game, and there is a horror theme to it, but that's about were the similarities end. The combined presentation of the RE series codified in RE1 is unique and different. It's not just the perspective, it's also the hub-like design of the mansion, the item chests, and the b-movie-like feel and cutscenes.
Searchlike
Posts: 168
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2021 7:17 pm

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Searchlike »

To Far Away Times wrote:Sorry about the RE6 placement. :lol:

Incoming wall of text...

-----

14. Resident Evil 6
Bottom of the list! YES! Time to buy myself a lottery ticket. :mrgreen:

RE4 is what got me into action games. I can't go back to it nowadays, but it changed me as a gamer so I guess we are cool. 8) I wonder, how do you feel about the upcoming remake? For or against?
User avatar
Sir Ilpalazzo
Posts: 414
Joined: Tue Jul 30, 2013 11:32 pm

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Sir Ilpalazzo »

Volteccer_Jack wrote:and certainly below the original RE2.
Not to single you out, since you aren't the only one I've seen saying this, but I don't really understand it at all. RE2 has a lot of excellent details that the remake lacks (certainly the A / B scenario split is handled better in the original) but at the same time, it's by far the simplest of the original PS1 games. You get so much ammo that mowing down every enemy is trivial, unlike the first and third games, inventory management is barely a concern, the bosses - while very cool aesthetically - are almost entirely nonthreatening. It has the best presentation of the PS1 games and it's fun to casually run through and mow down zombies in (hit feedback is definitely improved over the original game and the lineup of weapons is great) but it has less going for it as a survival game, mechanically, than either of the others. The remake has issues with a lack of interesting enemy variety outside of standard zombies, and the sewer is kind of weak, but it's a much stronger game than the original.
User avatar
TransatlanticFoe
Posts: 1736
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:06 pm
Location: UK

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by TransatlanticFoe »

The lack of the proper A/B Claire/Leon scenarios, along with the Ada/Sherry segments being pretty weak, were drawbacks for the Resi 2 remake. I don't think I'd rush to play the base Resi 2 remake scenario again either - it's very linear in its progression, whereas its version of a B scenario feels like the proper game - items are acquired out of sequence, you'll have to backtrack to swap out inventory items and Mr. X is hunting you for nigh on the entire time (I really felt this was where they were going to go for the Nemesis remake).

Never even played the original Resi 2 at the time, only on DC a few years back, but I still rate it highly. The amount of content, the suprise of how much game there is after the police station... I think that shakes off the relative ease of the boss fights and many enemy encounters. Sure it doesn't have the same tension as the original, but it's still a fine game. And leaves me wishing a few extra bits from it made it into the remake.

No idea why they've gone straight to remaking 4, a game which only needs minor tweaks (moving and aiming, strip out the QTEs, a little less Leeeeeeeeeeeonnnnnnnnnn). Code Veronica has a strong setting and atmosphere, but does need attention as has been mentioned - a couple of duff boss fights (lol end of disc 1, whoops you have no ammo left), bandersnatches and fucking Steve.
User avatar
vol.2
Posts: 2435
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 3:13 pm
Location: bmore

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by vol.2 »

TransatlanticFoe wrote:and fucking Steve.
(throws controller against the wall)

Yes. I would totally welcome a CV remake. That has a potential to be incredible. It has such a great variety of locations and interesting mechanics.
User avatar
BareKnuckleRoo
Posts: 6162
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:01 am
Location: Southern Ontario

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by BareKnuckleRoo »

Last time I played the original RE2 I found I had a number of ammo issues... probably because it's been a while and I sucked, but I remember a lot of bullets being invisible where you had to really hunt for them. RE3 does away with this in that most of the ammo is visibly flashing and in the open as it were. I don't really think RE3 is tight on ammo unless you attempt to kill Nemesis during every single appearance (in which case you will have major resource issues). You get a lot of ammunition, even moreso when you realize just how many of the "bosses" you can either run from or kill without ammo using the environment (only one major midboss requires actual HP damage from weapons to kill outright). I need to replay RE2 as I'm sure you're right and I just wasn't sufficiently exploring every nook and cranny to find everything (I know for sure I didn't know at the time that Mr. X has ammo on him every time he drops, which I heard about later).

I'd agree that the bosses are slow enough in RE2 that most are just there to be damage sponges and don't feel terribly threatening, aside from perhaps Birkin's FACE FULL OF SPIKES doggo form.

RE3 is probably my fave from sheer playtime but I agree with it being rated average. The control scheme is considerably improved over RE2 (quickturning finally) but the setting and exploration aren't as interesting or as memorable as the more claustrophobic RE1 and RE2. The files you find also aren't very interesting to read by comparison to what you uncover in the first two games, the most interesting ones being the ones you get for beating the game repeatedly! It's very much the precursor to RE4 in the sense that it's much more focused on the action elements (which are indeed solid for a classic RE game, the mercenaries mode is super fun).

I disliked Zero. It was... perfectly average, but the elements that annoyed me were the ones where you suddenly lose access to a character (and by extension their inventory). I had to finish off the damn centipede boss as Billy with knife swings because Rebecca had most of the ammo when I ran into it, and when Billy suddenly vanishes I had Rebecca without a proper weapon to deal with the leech zombie that appears. Fortunately, I managed to make some wild dodges into the cable car with the Magnum and recovered from there, but the sudden loss of a character who's got all your ammo punishes the player for not knowing ahead of time you'll lose access to someone far more than it should. The same situation happens with Code Veronica at one point; knowing when and where character switching happens and how it happens so you don't give someone who's going to vanish your important items is very useful.

RE4 is very good, but it's not a survival horror game. It's far too action oriented to feel like the classic games. It doesn't feel much like classic Resident Evil, but it's a very good game in its own right.

REmake is great. Really, not much needs to be said about it. The boulder dodging sequences are a bit silly, but other than that I thought it was a solid game. Perfect mix of horror and campiness. The remakes that add Widescreen and "3D" movement options are icky though, both of them actually detract from the original GC game and should be disabled in the options.
vol.2 wrote:
TransatlanticFoe wrote:and fucking Steve.
(throws controller against the wall)
Steve is very dumb, especially when you discover there's an easy and incredibly unintuitive way to escape without taking damage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvzgrKJ_VbA

CV's bosses are weird. They have way more instant kills than the classic games, and other weirdness that feels like they were trying to feel more like puzzle fights than previous games. For instance you can't shoot the first tyrant and then run past him when he's downed even though there's clearly space; you have to kill him outright before you're pushed back into the flames (which happens very quickly if you make the mistake of not attacking aggressively).
User avatar
Mischief Maker
Posts: 4802
Joined: Thu May 08, 2008 3:44 am

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Mischief Maker »

"art of rally" is fantastic!

Most fun I've had with a racing game since Outrun 2006.
Two working class dudes, one black one white, just baked a tray of ten cookies together.

An oligarch walks in and grabs nine cookies for himself.

Then he says to the white dude "Watch out for that black dude, he wants a piece of your cookie!"
Gamer707b
Posts: 576
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2015 7:14 am
Location: Bakersfield, Ca

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Gamer707b »

Been playing a lot of Mario 3D World Bower's Fury on Switch. This version plays smoother and faster than the Wii U game. Also like the small gameplay tweaks. I'm going for the 100% completion. I've finally made it to The Champions Road. I would say , not counting the horrible Japanese Mario 2, this has to be the hardest Mario level that I can think of.
User avatar
Marc
Posts: 3408
Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2005 10:27 am
Location: Wigan, England.

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Marc »

Mischief Maker wrote:"art of rally" is fantastic!

Most fun I've had with a racing game since Outrun 2006.
High praise indeed, I'll be sure to check this out.
XBL & Switch: mjparker77 / PSN: BellyFullOfHell
User avatar
Stevens
Posts: 3799
Joined: Thu May 01, 2014 11:44 pm
Location: Brooklyn NY

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Stevens »

Still on Dragonfall, I don't think I have too much left. It's really good but it is very linear which is a small minus in my book. That said I am leaning towards replaying more than I am not at this moment.

It turns out Street Samurai + rifle is insane. I didn't know this going in, but it almost trivializes the combat. Raise main characters AP and fire away. Seriously it is nuts how effective it is.

Considering a non redundant build for my next run - meaning a character the game doesn't drop in your lap, but a little more research is needed.
My lord, I have come for you.
User avatar
Stevens
Posts: 3799
Joined: Thu May 01, 2014 11:44 pm
Location: Brooklyn NY

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Stevens »

Dragonfall finished.

I stand by most of what I wrote above. Again pretty new to the CRPG scene, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt:

Pros
- Enough text to add to the world without becoming a chore to read (I'm looking at you Torment). This is one thing I happen to really like in the genre.
- Graphics are solid.
- OST is fitting if unmemorable. That said coming from Wasteland 3 to ANY game the OST is going to be underwhelming. WL 3's OST is one of the best I've ever heard in 40 years of gaming. At least since OST's have been a thing.
- Super easy point and click interface.
- Really likable, well written, and fleshed out characters.
- Combat is easy to understand.
- There is a lot build wise I never touched which bodes well for repeat play throughs.
- At 25 hours it did not overstay its welcome.

Neutral
- You only really build your character and control their inventory. The rest of your party is pretty set and you have little say in their gear.
- Street Samurai/Rifle build is easy mode.

Cons
- Linear. While not a deal breaker by any means I like a bit more freedom of choice in when I go someplace. I feel this is particularly important on on repeat play throughs. Without that freedom the places start to feel like levels.
- Can't swap gear/items with teammates. Inventory can be a minor pita.

That is what I got for now. An absolute steal since I got DF and HK for $8 total. It is back to full price ($14.99), but since I got both for such a low low price Stevens is going to gift a copy of DF to the first person who PM's me cause I love this place that much and devs need to eat too: )

EDIT - While I want to play Hong Kong I am not ready to jump back into Shadowrun just yet. Got as far as the character creation screen when I decided I just wasn't ready to start it.

Picked up Divinity OS 2 in the meantime. Unlike Torment I'll make sure I return it before two hours if I don't like it.
My lord, I have come for you.
User avatar
BareKnuckleRoo
Posts: 6162
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 4:01 am
Location: Southern Ontario

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by BareKnuckleRoo »

Mischief Maker wrote:"art of rally" is fantastic!

Most fun I've had with a racing game since Outrun 2006.
What camera options are available? All the gameplay footage I've seen only shows this really zoomed out overhead view, was curious if there's other camera options.
User avatar
Mischief Maker
Posts: 4802
Joined: Thu May 08, 2008 3:44 am

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Mischief Maker »

BareKnuckleRoo wrote:
Mischief Maker wrote:"art of rally" is fantastic!

Most fun I've had with a racing game since Outrun 2006.
What camera options are available? All the gameplay footage I've seen only shows this really zoomed out overhead view, was curious if there's other camera options.
There are multiple angles, but it's all the overhead camera. It's kind of necessary so you can see the turns coming because this game's simulation model is more realistic than you'd expect. Trying to drift with Outrun-style abandon will send you flying into the ditch sideways.
Two working class dudes, one black one white, just baked a tray of ten cookies together.

An oligarch walks in and grabs nine cookies for himself.

Then he says to the white dude "Watch out for that black dude, he wants a piece of your cookie!"
User avatar
Blinge
Posts: 5369
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 4:05 pm
Location: Villa Straylight

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by Blinge »

Made it to Floor 250 in Let it Die.

Only Chempop will understand how much of a feat that is!

The rest of you? don't play it. don't even start.
Image
1cc List - Youtube - You emptylock my heart
User avatar
guigui
Posts: 2083
Joined: Mon May 26, 2008 1:02 pm
Location: France

Re: What [not shmup] game are you playing now?

Post by guigui »

Blinge wrote:Made it to Floor 250 in Let it Die.

Only Chempop will understand how much of a feat that is!

The rest of you? don't play it. don't even start.
As a former GungHo addict, and even w/o playing Let It Die, I both congratulate you and urge you to quit the game.
Bravo jolie Ln, tu as trouvé : l'armée de l'air c'est là où on peut te tenir par la main.
Post Reply