june gloom on 22/7/2008 at 20:45
Bioshock seems to have started a trend of horror games set in the 1960s. The aquarium at the beginning of the video Koki linked to is probably a nod to Bioshock, as well.
A few things that bug me. One is the way the player character's hand moves as if to open a door or manipulate an object. The fact that he doesn't actually GRASP the object but rather waves his hand at it is far more immersion-breaking than if his hand made no movement at all.
Two: Just a ship? Don't you think that's kind of... boring?
Third: Maybe it was just the trailer I watched but that game looks WAY too actiony for a supposedly "scary" game.
Fourth: The mental echo shit is stupid. Why does my character have to be "special" in some way? Why can't I just play an ordinary scared motherfucker with a gun?
catbarf on 22/7/2008 at 21:04
Quote Posted by dethtoll
Fourth: The mental echo shit is stupid. Why does my character have to be "special" in some way? Why can't I just play an ordinary scared motherfucker with a gun?
It seems that this game is pulling a Fahrenheit right from the get-go.
Koki on 23/7/2008 at 05:23
Quote Posted by dethtoll
A few things that bug me. One is the way the player character's hand moves as if to open a door or manipulate an object.
Hah, it bugged me a bit too, but thinking about it... it's better than no hand at all like in... everything else.
Quote:
Fourth: The mental echo shit is stupid. Why does my character have to be "special" in some way? Why can't I just play an ordinary scared motherfucker with a gun?
Ordinary scared motherfuckers get killed by bullets.
june gloom on 23/7/2008 at 07:12
Quote Posted by Koki
it's better than no hand at all like in... everything else.
Quote Posted by dethtoll
The fact that he doesn't actually GRASP the object but rather waves his hand at it is
far more immersion-breaking than if his hand made no movement at all.Bolded for emphasis.
Muzman on 23/7/2008 at 07:50
Quote Posted by dethtoll
Fourth: The mental echo shit is stupid. Why does my character have to be "special" in some way? Why can't I just play an ordinary scared motherfucker with a gun?
Dude, you just dismissed their entire premise/gimmick! "Why does Garrett have to be able to hide impossibly well in shadows?" "Why does Goggles have to have cybernetic implants?"
(Ok I guess they could have written it more like it's something spooky that happens out on the boat and less of a "power")
Anyway, this shouldn't remind anyone of Bioshock who has played Call of Cthulhu. All it shares with Bioshock is old music and water really.
june gloom on 23/7/2008 at 08:01
If you ask me, ordinary scared motherfucker with a gun is the gimmick nowadays.
Malf on 23/7/2008 at 08:45
Wait, it is?
I must have missed out on a whole swath of "Ordinary, scared motherfucker" shooters. I would have LOVED that.
Instead, I'm a growth-accelerated assassin in Bioshock, a scientist dude with a time-warping costume in Timeshift, an SAS hardnut in CoD4, another frikking scientist dude with a special suit (that doesn't warp time) in the Half Life series...
Being an average Joe with no special place in the world and no combat training who suddenly gets thrust in to a world of chaos and violence?
Sign me up!
I've had it up to here with being a "Special" person in FPS games.
Give me a more human story.
Quite looking forward to Left 4 Dead because of this. Office worker having to fight off a slew of zombies?
Count me in.
Just wish there were more single-player titles taking the same approach.
Oh and as an aside, anybody else feel slightly offended at quite how stupid Left 4 Dead's name actually is?
Yes, I know it's supposed to signify the fact that its main feature is 4-player co-op.
Congratulations.
Have a fucking cookie.
Get some subtlety people.
addink on 23/7/2008 at 09:05
Quote Posted by dethtoll
If you ask me, ordinary scared motherfucker with a gun is the gimmick nowadays.
So what's your point?
So their trying something different than 'the gimmick nowadays'*. That's fine in my book. In the end it boils down to having a coherent experience. If they manage to suspend disbelief, they'll succeed. If they don't, they'll fail. And strangely enough that has very little to do with whether you'll be playing an ordinary guy or not.
For gameplay it might be even beneficial if there are more mechanics in place than just the average
shoot this, and
use that. And it seems they're planning to implement some of the more complicated mechanics.
*) I'm with Malf on this one, I really don't see the normal guys being a majority in video game land.
Quote Posted by dethtoll
Two: Just a ship? Don't you think that's kind of... boring?
I actually really like the setting of a frozen ship, especially in combination with the heat sources. I just hope the game won't be cut into separate chapters that won't allow you to return to previous locations.
If anything is boring it's sewer systems.
june gloom on 23/7/2008 at 10:00
I think I was misunderstood. I was referring to the fact that every single fucking protagonist these days is super-powered somehow- to the point where what was once a very "gimmicky" characteristic of the protagonist is ubiquitous now, and "normal" is the gimmick. I'm fucking sick of that. I don't want to be Superman. I don't even want to be Batman. I'd be satisfied with Commissioner Gordon. Or Gordon Freeman.
(besides, I'm already Batman)
Matthew on 23/7/2008 at 10:10
A Commissioner Gordon adventure would rock.
