Ghost Blade: New Shooting Game for Sega Dreamcast

[Enemy]

Ok, played it with ship 1 and 3 and stick by my original comments. This game stutters like hell from the beginning of level 1. Put it in tate and in drops to bellow 30fps about 10 seconds in. Cant believe no one has noticed this!

[Enemy]

For myself the main issue is difficulty.
I can expect frame rate issues (christ,even the 360 has it) but there really needs to be a harder difficulty in future releases. I really enjoy playing it and it does play well. I was pretty disappointed with stage 5 boss design. Very flat.
I have just uploaded a video of me going thru all bosses on YouTube. This isn't my intention of bad mouthing the game but to show Rene where it needs improving. We all would like to see more shooters being made.

I felt neo xyx had many problems too but sadly no revise for that game.

I dont accept that, i can cope with slowdown but this thing never runs smoothly

[Sier]

@Horsey Cheers for the YT vids Mark, caught the review earlier this week.
£250 for the Ghost Blade CE, are you sure mate?

Whoever is selling this at that price stabs kittens - love to know where you saw that.

I think RDX 2 is Hucast's next title - going by the Alpha OST they had on sale at Gamescom.

[emphatic]

@EMPATIC: You were a beta tester and advisor right? What do you say about the difference between the beta version and the final version.
Regarding slowdowns, difficulty and so on.

AFAIK, the final RC passed to the beta testers was then made into the final game. I sadly have not had time to play the released game as of writing this, so don't take my word for it.

While beta testing, I pointed out all issues I found as well as suggesting enhancements, but as I signed a non-disclosure document, I'm not sure what I'm at liberty to discuss in this thread.

Ok, played it with ship 1 and 3 and stick by my original comments. This game stutters like hell from the beginning of level 1. Put it in tate and in drops to bellow 30fps about 10 seconds in. Cant believe no one has noticed this!

Do you mean people who's bought the game or during testing? I never played any other way than TATE, so sure, I noticed the hardware struggling from my first credit.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Are you saying it runs roughly like the Bio-ship Paladin MD port... or Steel Empire? Granada on MD is about as "30 fps" as I'd consider worth putting up with in a 2D shooter.
It would be nice to have a "how badly underperforming a shmup you keep playing nonetheless" thread. I recall the SFC Ikari no Yousai having left me disappointed in this regard, too (if only emulated).

[Horsey]

@Horsey Cheers for the YT vids Mark, caught the review earlier this week.
£250 for the Ghost Blade CE, are you sure mate?

Whoever is selling this at that price stabs kittens - love to know where you saw that.

I think RDX 2 is Hucast's next title - going by the Alpha OST they had on sale at Gamescom.

Thanks mate. It seems to be the only review online at the moment which highlights the games problems.

Haha I don't know why I said 250 quid in the vid. I meant to say over 100 pounds. I really should of wrote a script before I voiced it. I think the original price was 140quid for the CE. Which was good when it included a preview beta disc weeks before release.

I will be surprised how Redux 2 does after this fiasco release. People will still buy it with it being a dreamcast game but do we really need another version of dux?

I think they should save the cash to make it and focus on getting ghost blade right. There is a good game in it, just needs a bit of fine tuning.

Did you watch my boss video? I think that has surprised many people how poor the shot patterns are. Even shooter novices can see it is a little weak

[Horsey]

Are you saying it runs roughly like the Bio-ship Paladin MD port... or Steel Empire? Granada on MD is about as "30 fps" as I'd consider worth putting up with in a 2D shooter.
It would be nice to have a "how badly underperforming a shmup you keep playing nonetheless" thread. I recall the SFC Ikari no Yousai having left me disappointed in this regard, too (if only emulated).

Haha it certainly runs better than bio ship.
It is odd because I can deal with slowdown in ganes like dodonpachi. As the action seems to slow but the game still feels tge same. In ghost blade, it is more frame rate problems as the whole screen stutters and doesn't seem to refresh as quick.

It plays ok in yoko until stage 3 (some in level 1 tho) But it does suffer from the start in tate mode.
It doesn't make it unplayable due to it being very easy. But if there was more bullets on screen then it would be a huge issue

[Tigershark]

I'm liking this game more but it is still slightly broken due the frame issues though overall I'm not unhappy (certainly not as unhappy as some of you here).

I noted the following description of Play-Asia is still up which doesn't seem to reflect the game I just bought:

"The Ghost Blade consists of 3 different gameplay modes, with 3 different player ships to choose from. The included modes are '5 Stage Mode', a challenging 'Caravan Mode' (2min/5min), 'Time Attack', and last but certainly not least: all new 2-Player mode! All modes support both TATE (“3:4”) and YOKO (“4:3”) output at 480p."

[ATTRACTS]

Ok, played it with ship 1 and 3 and stick by my original comments. This game stutters like hell from the beginning of level 1. Put it in tate and in drops to bellow 30fps about 10 seconds in. Cant believe no one has noticed this!

If you read what I wrote, I do notice it but it comes and goes. Sometimes it's there when I start the game, other times it's not. You are carrying on like the game is unplayable which is absolutely not the case.

[ATTRACTS]

I'm liking this game more but it is still slightly broken due the frame issues though overall I'm not unhappy (certainly not as unhappy as some of you here).

I noted the following description of Play-Asia is still up which doesn't seem to reflect the game I just bought:

"The Ghost Blade consists of 3 different gameplay modes, with 3 different player ships to choose from. The included modes are '5 Stage Mode', a challenging 'Caravan Mode' (2min/5min), 'Time Attack', and last but certainly not least: all new 2-Player mode! All modes support both TATE (“3:4”) and YOKO (“4:3”) output at 480p."

It's a bummer but yeah, this was talked about before. The caravan modes didn't make it. Hopefully current gen releases will see them added.

[Austin]

So the game is out now but it runs like ass? What the hell? I was really hoping they would have been able to put out a polished product with this one.

[Strider77]

Hucast just kinda sucks.

[EVLSHMUP]

Well I just found this thread after ordering my copy two days ago. Ill try get a good video if it runs badly.

[Austin]

I just checked out a random dude's "first impression" video of Ghost Blade and he rolls through the first two levels. Admittedly, it looks nice visually and I dig the soundtrack. It's hard to tell what was actual framerate chop though versus what might have been caused by his 30fps video and YT compression, so I'd have to see it in person to make a final judgment. Shame there are so few difficulty options, that sort of kills it right there for me (the "Normal" mode looked ridiculously simple).

Hucast just kinda sucks.

Yeah.

Between the issues with their other games (like the insane blur of the DC Redux, for instance), I've had my fill of Hucast and I'm probably going to pass on this one. I think I would still enjoy it, but I just can't reason to give these guys more money if they can't put out a consistent product. I'm sure the casuals will enjoy it (and judging by the guy's video I watched, there are a bunch of people interested in it), but I'm voting with my wallet on this one rather than going the usual course of buying instantly "just because it's a new Dreamcast game".

Well I just found this thread after ordering my copy two days ago. Ill try get a good video if it runs badly.

If you have the capability of getting 60fps footage, that would be awesome.

[Immryr]

Isn't advertising a game as having a bunch of modes that don't exist just..... Illegal?

If I ordered a game expecting multiple difficulty levels and several play modes which didn't exist I'd be supremely pissed off.

[Kollision]

Isn't advertising a game as having a bunch of modes that don't exist just..... Illegal?

You know, I was just thinking about the same thing.
Something must be done in this case, or else Hucast will be pulling off shit like this forever.

[ATTRACTS]

Isn't advertising a game as having a bunch of modes that don't exist just..... Illegal?

You know, I was just thinking about the same thing.
Something must be done in this case, or else Hucast will be pulling off shit like this forever.

1. it happens in AAA games all the time.
2. the Caravan description was taken down from their official site weeks before the release. it definitely could have been communicated better but it also wasn't being hidden.

[Kollision]

it was false advertising
by the time {stupid} people put their money in the hat, caravan mode was part of the game's description

[CStarFlare]

I will be surprised how Redux 2 does after this fiasco release. People will still buy it with it being a dreamcast game but do we really need another version of dux?

I think they should save the cash to make it and focus on getting ghost blade right. There is a good game in it, just needs a bit of fine tuning.

Redux 2 will probably do more or less as well as everything else they've done, because their games have never sold on quality. They've sold on Dreamcast nostalgia and collector compulsion.

If this were a current gen or PC game, I'd be curious to see if they fix it. But you can't patch physical games, and I have a hard time expecting that they'll pull a Cave and do a free 1.5 swap, especially since people here seem to imply that the game needs a significant content boost in addition to technical tweaks. It would be lovely to see, though.

2. the Caravan description was taken down from their official site weeks before the release. it definitely could have been communicated better but it also wasn't being hidden.

Quietly revising advertised features is not a "could be communicated better" move. Stealth edits are not communication.

[ATTRACTS]

it was false advertising
by the time {stupid} people put their money in the hat, caravan mode was part of the game's description

Calling people stupid for supporting the genre is asinine. I purchased the game (and actually play it unlike the other 90% of people here bashing it) and I think it's a competent shooter with some frame rate issues. Extra modes would have been nice but I also realized long ago that this is a company with four people in it. When you support an indie game, you do so with the understanding that things will be limited and often cut. You might be pleasantly surprised (Gunlord/Fast Striker), you might be bummed out, it's a crapshoot. Dux was alright, Dux 1.5 was much better but reDux wasn't. It's the way it goes. Expecting giant studio like quality and content from a company that barely scratches it's pennies together to make things happen is silly. You all love to bash things because your own expectations when it comes to full dev/retail vs. small indie companies are impossible to reconcile because you aren't separating the two. I'm not giving Hucast a pass, I was annoyed too but there are good things inside this disc and it's clear a lot of work went into it with the resources they had. It's an indie game. If you want Cave/Raizing quality, buy a Cave/Raizing game.

[ATTRACTS]

2. the Caravan description was taken down from their official site weeks before the release. it definitely could have been communicated better but it also wasn't being hidden.

Quietly revising advertised features is not a "could be communicated better" move. Stealth edits are not communication.

Which is exactly why I wrote what I wrote. It should have been announced to preorder holders.

[Kollision]

it was false advertising
by the time {stupid} people put their money in the hat, caravan mode was part of the game's description

Calling people stupid for supporting the genre is asinine.

There's supporting and supporting. And I will always support the genre no matter what.

But you are right.
I feel very asinine right now.

[ATTRACTS]

it was false advertising
by the time {stupid} people put their money in the hat, caravan mode was part of the game's description

Calling people stupid for supporting the genre is asinine.

There's supporting and supporting. And I will always support the genre no matter what.

But you are right.
I feel very asinine right now.

I guess I just don't get all the hatred. I'll stop posting about this because I'm sure I've preached enough. All I have to say is that making a game from start to release is incredibly difficult. It's clear from the art/ship design/background/enemy design and music that a lot of love and hard work went into it. This is one guy with a few people around him, doing this not as a full time job but because they love the genre like we do. They make mistakes but if you contact them (I made friends with Rene a few years ago via Instagram), they reply and talk about the process and how shitty it is when they are faced with shitty decisions. They have a grand picture and sometimes due to money or technical limitations, it doesn't always pan out. The guy's not running around buying new cars with the few bucks he made off of Ghost Blade. We spent a few bucks and hopped along for the ride. I'm not rich, I don't have expendable cash but I'm not going to drag the guy through the mud over it because again, I don't think the intention was to rip people off. Do you really think he'd spend years promoting something, sketching these ships, planning the stages only to intentionally fuck everyone over so he can get torn to shreds on this forum? I got a simple Toaplan inspired shooter that looks pretty and has a decent scoring mechanic. Nice art, nice music. Not the end of the world. Plans for current gen release on the horizon, maybe things will get fixed up. We are quick to dismiss a persons passion and work because it isn't perfect, and that sucks.

I would LOVE two more difficulty settings, flawless frame rates and more modes, I'm sure my 16 year old Dreamcast would also love to be young again and have more RAM to accomplish all of these things. The vision was trimmed down, maybe one day on a stronger system it can be built back up and presented to the players as intended. I'll support it because without people like this who are at least TRYING, we won't get new games. The big companies have long deserted our genre (sans for the few bones we get thrown once and awhile). If it's between taking a chance or getting nothing at all, I'll take that chance.

[Tigershark]

I suppose it depends on what space you come from. If £25 is no big deal to you then spending the money and not getting quite what you wanted is not going to be a massive deal. But if £25 is a lot then it's going to upset you no matter what you say about the small development team. This might be an independent release but it's is no £5.99 game on Steam (and before you comment - yes I know that disc presses and packaging costs).

I can't get that worked up about it tbh. I've made my comments and stand by them. I wish this game was better but there we go. I don't regret buying it and I quite enjoy playing it but I think it'll start gathering dust quite quickly.

TS.

[Enemy]

Ok, played it with ship 1 and 3 and stick by my original comments. This game stutters like hell from the beginning of level 1. Put it in tate and in drops to bellow 30fps about 10 seconds in. Cant believe no one has noticed this!

If you read what I wrote, I do notice it but it comes and goes. Sometimes it's there when I start the game, other times it's not. You are carrying on like the game is unplayable which is absolutely not the case.

My comment really wasnt directed at you, sorry if you thought it was as it wasnt. To you it may not be unplayable and thats great but to me the framerate problems makes it unplayable. Wish it wasnt a game breaking problem to me but it is as soon as it starts and its all i can see. I am going to stop posting about this game now as i have said my piece and now its up to everyone else to play and enjoy it or not enjoy it.

[Casey120]

I bought and paid for the exclusive CE right at the start promising a DDP like Shmup caravan game, great looking animated backgrounds and with just a small release of 300 copies which then became 500 and the promise of a free demo disc before release, in the end I have to wait even longer and every single thing promised where all lies .
Don't care to much though seeing how the game turned out, lesson learned .

[LSU]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I completely understand that unexpected problems occur on a project and that especially when resources are tight, some features may have to give and there could be delays in the release date - this happens with game development all the time. But it seems there have been a lot of concessions with this particular title, even down to it not even being a caravan game any more when that was the original hook that was advertised. What I don't understand is how there there can be no proper communication to your supporters about such things. For example, I only just found out now about the CE delay - and only by reading this thread.

But, yeah, at the end of the day there are much more important things in life to worry about. Hopefully I'll still enjoy the game when I receive it.

[Enemy]

I know i said i wouldnt post again about this game but i had to .... the silence speaks volumes about this release.

[emphatic]

I know i said i wouldnt post again about this game but i had to .... the silence speaks volumes about this release.

Maybe most posters here are still waiting for their CE?

[strykr]

Pretty gutted tbh.

Waited so long, and had massive hopes for just a decent shmup.

I received mine a few days ago, fired it up on my New Astro City with viletims adaptor, was greeted with a very laggy half arsed game. 1cc'd it on my 3rd credit and didnt enjoy a moment of it tbh. the lag and framerate issues made it unplayable for me. repetitive enemies and half arsed bullet patterns, unimaginative design, and a game that feels like nowone gave a crap, and after waiting all that time.

Its nice to support homebrew and a cool system like the dreamcast but I think this is the last straw for me tbh. As for the argument that what the developers tried was too much for the system to handle I just dont buy that. There are quite a few great tate shmups for the DC, and besides that I can fire up 1942 on a board that was made 31 years ago and it feels right, handles smoothly, looks appealing, has longevity, difficulty.

I genuinely wanted to receive it and love it and write a post saying how cool it was, but its a disaster imo, and a real shame.