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codhand

Member
VITA load times are not good.

Framerate on VITA is 30 with hiccups (guesstimate)

PS4 version--five levels in--has been excellent.

One note about being shot from off-screen; the laser sight changes from orange to red when you have something in your sights. One time I used this tip thinking I was going to hit a guy, but instead blew up a barrel that was out of view, only to see a body come flying into view. Pretty cool.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
How many difficulty levels are there?

Normal, advanced, expert. Expert is locked off (I guess until you finish it on advanced).

So it seems like you're forced to progress through each difficulty in turn - starts on normal (no choice given) which unlocks advanced, the completing advanced should unlock expert
 

Nick_C

Member
could someone confirm if the Vita performance really is that bad? :/

I played through on my Vita, and while there were significant framerate drops, it wasn't that serious. That being said, the load times are atrocious, to the point I would tap the back touchpad so the screen wouldn't shut off. Other than that, I agree that it's a solid 7.0. Fun game, but it adds nothing to the genre.
 

tusken77

Member
Normal, advanced, expert. Expert is locked off (I guess until you finish it on advanced).

So it seems like you're forced to progress through each difficulty in turn - starts on normal (no choice given) which unlocks advanced, the completing advanced should unlock expert

Nice, thanks. I can see myself having fun with all the difficulty levels. Separate trophy lists for PS4 and PS3/Vita is nice too.
 

LiquidMetal14

hide your water-based mammals
I like this game a lot. The load times on Vita are long but the game play is there despite some minor non game breaking slowdowns. Have it ready to go on PS4 so I will definitely try it there for the high resolution and 60fps.
 
Played a couple levels and it's pretty good, but seemingly also pretty simple.

The 2.5 D level design/cover mechanic is pretty clever stuff.
 

Nags

Banned
Bought it and loving it. The style, art direction and combat are all right up my alley. I get some MGS2 vibes from the perspective change during the cover mechanic. Awesome stuff.
 
Played a couple of levels on Vita and it runs quite bad sometimes. I haven't played the PS4 version yet, but I think I will continue with that one and that one only.
 
Just played through the first mission on PS4.

When the game first started up I was really feeling the Sean Connery Bond/ ISPY feel of the 1960s with it's intro.

Gameplay in the first mission had a lot of pop ups to teach you how to play, which slowed the game down and drew me out of the environment. I think there is potential though.

I REALLY hope the idea is to support this game by releasing additional, varied locals throughout the world.

Aircraft carriers, deserts...would all be nice to see.

I can see the game being fun...to play in between serious games like TLOU and Destiny.
 

Skyzard

Banned
Will buy for Vita if they patch the reported long load times and hopefully any slowdown too. Looks good but I don't need the patience test.
 
So frustrating...

Waited for reviews, because I suspected it was an average title. And by the looks of things, yeah, it is, but still could be a bit of fun.

Now I'm ready to put down the money for the Plus Discounted Price, but Sony slammed that door shut, and is now flipping me off and pointing at the full price tag.

Well fuck you too, Sony. And this game.

Plus Discounts as pre-order incentive need to go away.
Yeah, this is what I was saying. If they're going to tie a discount to preorders, then make sure some reviews are out ahead of the release. It's pretty simple.
 

SerTapTap

Member
Game's really fun--not sure I'll replay it too much, but I'm liking it so far. Do you keep your unlocks after winning? Looking like it won't be a very long ride. Kinda annoying how sometimes just entering a room basically gets you spotted--wasn't expecting procedural generated levels but whatever. Since being spotted isn't THAT serious it works fine.

Yeah, this is what I was saying. If they're going to tie a discount to preorders, then make sure some reviews are out ahead of the release. It's pretty simple.

Download-only games generally have a day-and-date embargo because unlike big releases you don't really get much buzz for long, so they want the review push to happen then the game is live. I think the PS+ Preorder discounts are only for the Play deal anyway.
 

DirtyLarry

Member
How does cross save work in this game? Is it automatic? Can't find it in the options.
Whatever device you first played it from the menu go to Options > Online Account and it will list your CALLSIGN and VERIFICATION CODE
Then go on the second device, go to the same settings, but choose Switch Account and enter those two things from the first device.
That syncs up both devices.
They did not make this clear whatsoever, but that worked.

So there really is no comparing the PS4 and Vita version. The latter is pretty much a mess technically. Slow load times, and the slow down is horrendous when there is anything other than 3 people on screen. I actually got into a Defcon situation on the Vita, and no shit it turned into a slide show.

So primarily I will be playing it on the PS4, but as long as you know there are the issues on the Vita and do not care, it is a fun game on it as well.

With all that said this game is not doing anything new really, but it is solid. I would give it a strong 7 out of 10.
 
GDm6t3p.jpg


I'm third in the world. Step to me.
 

illusionary

Member
I have to admit that the reviews concern me a bit. I'm still interested by the game, but may wait for it to come up in a sale (Christmas, perhaps?) rather than buying immediately.
 
I just beat the game tonight.

I'm leaning toward not recommending it. There's fun to be had here, but I felt that the game was often not very fair. Many times I walked into rooms where I felt like I couldn't do anything to progress stealthly, and some times I just got instantly spotted upon entering.

There are neat things here, and it's a good looking game, but the game itself just was of a very inconsistent quality due to the random level generation. Wait for a 50%+ sale, anyway, I'd say.
 

Shinta

Banned
So frustrating...

Waited for reviews, because I suspected it was an average title. And by the looks of things, yeah, it is, but still could be a bit of fun.

Now I'm ready to put down the money for the Plus Discounted Price, but Sony slammed that door shut, and is now flipping me off and pointing at the full price tag.

Well fuck you too, Sony. And this game.

Plus Discounts as pre-order incentive need to go away.

Honestly, PS+ discounts have been in the fucking shitter for a few months now.

If you wait, the likelihood that this will be free by the end of 2015 is like ... 89%.
 

Kerned

Banned
I'v enjoyed what I have played of it so far, aside from the fact that there isn't an invert-Y option for the over-the-shoulder parts. How is that not just a standard option by now?
 

kyser73

Member
Kinda hand-wavey about buying this as the negatives in the reviews are the same as I remember the previews having - especially the gun play & aiming - which put me off pre-ordering.

Hmmm *scratches chin*
 
Just so I'm clear, no one in Europe or UK can play this right now, right?

Playstation Store on PS4 is just so bad with being up-to-date.
 

davidjwallace

Neo Member
I gotta say, I'm not really digging this game. Stealth feels broken in most sections, making the game feel unfair instead of difficult.
 

eshwaaz

Member
I'v enjoyed what I have played of it so far, aside from the fact that there isn't an invert-Y option for the over-the-shoulder parts. How is that not just a standard option by now?
It is, but you can only change it via the title screen options for some reason (not while in-game). Unfortunately, that also inverts aiming during the side view sections, which really throws me off. Another example of many that makes this game feel unfinished, or at least unrefined. A shame, as there's a lot to like, and you can really see the potential here.
 

SerTapTap

Member
Shame about the Vita version. Vita ports had been pretty solid for a bit, but Fez crashes and now this performs poorly.

Really my only problem with the game is how the random/procedural levels don't always seem fair--despite being clearly made of predefined pieces. Like somteimes there's a room with literally 6+ people in a room down the Z axis, and it's basically impossible to wait for ALL of them to turn around before you start taking pot shots, and if you DO get that lucky, the sight of the body will almost immediately alert 1-3 other guards, who will probably become much harder to shoot.

The game really doesn't require hardcore stealth, but it's really frustrating when it's basically not possible to slip through a room "right".

Love the atmosphere, the little cartoonish cold war jokes, look and music. The "aiming" sections blend into the 2D sections almost perfectly. But it needs some tweaks to how certain rooms spawn so they're not impossible to stealth, and there should probably either be some sort of "peek" function at doors, or rooms should never spawn so a dude is looking right at you when you walk in...that happened once. It's really dumb.
 

Agent X

Member
So frustrating...

Waited for reviews, because I suspected it was an average title. And by the looks of things, yeah, it is, but still could be a bit of fun.

Now I'm ready to put down the money for the Plus Discounted Price, but Sony slammed that door shut, and is now flipping me off and pointing at the full price tag.

Well fuck you too, Sony. And this game.

Plus Discounts as pre-order incentive need to go away.

Yeah, this is what I was saying. If they're going to tie a discount to preorders, then make sure some reviews are out ahead of the release. It's pretty simple.

I agree. On its own, I don't have a problem with tying the discount to a preorder. However, I do have a problem when they do that and also place an embargo on reviews until the day of the game's release. This type of embargo makes it seem like they lack confidence in the game.

Sony pulled the same stupid stunt with Hohokum, too. That's the main reason why I decided not to purchase either of these games.
 

tusken77

Member
Kinda hand-wavey about buying this as the negatives in the reviews are the same as I remember the previews having - especially the gun play & aiming - which put me off pre-ordering.

Hmmm *scratches chin*

The aiming is fine. Watch Jeff in the GB Quick Look. He's pulling off headshots with ease.
 

I Wanna Be The Guy

U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
So would you guys say the ideal way to play this on Vita is with remote play? Is that gonna make for a better experience than the Vita version itself?
 

SerTapTap

Member
So would you guys say the ideal way to play this on Vita is with remote play? Is that gonna make for a better experience than the Vita version itself?

I can't see why it wouldn't. This is sadly the best way to play Doki Doki Universe on Vita too. Controls are perfect for remote play, no backtouch

edit:

Kinda hand-wavey about buying this as the negatives in the reviews are the same as I remember the previews having - especially the gun play & aiming - which put me off pre-ordering.

Hmmm *scratches chin*

Gunplay is perfectly fine. It takes a couple minutes to get used to "taking cover" so you can attack enemies down the Z axis, but aiming controls are fine (apparently inverting is a bit weird as mentioned up-thread). Only problem I've had in aiming is due to levels with way too many dudes so my "silenced headshot one by one" strategy doesn't work. Pretty sure you're supposed to use the explosive barrels in these situations but I never feel comfortable like that, I usually get spotted (not that it matters TOO much, but it's annoying for a stealth game).
 

wouwie

Member
Just played this for about an hour and i'm enjoying it so far. There is a lot to like about this game but it also has some issues.

On the positive side, the presentation is really nice: fresh lovely visuals and animations, nice music and neat design. Also, the controls are nice and the gameplay is simple but fun. The switch between different views works well.

On the downside, i firmly believe that anything procedurally generated will almost never be a good as hand made levels. In a game like this, it will most probably result in levels being too similar and simple. In fact, it already feels like i have been playing the same level over and over, even after an hour of playing.

Also, the stealth doesn't really work as hoped. Once you start shooting, generally, most guards are alerted. Surely there must be a way to move through the levels in a more stealthy way, taking out soldier by soldier in a more tactical and satisfying approach? Maybe i haven't found the correct way of playing yet.

All in all, i feel this game has a lot of potential but is held back by being procedurally generated instead of hand made. I would have loved a proper stealth game with these visuals, controls and gameplay mechanics. But i'm glad i bought it and i look forward to playing more.
 
I can't see why it wouldn't. This is sadly the best way to play Doki Doki Universe on Vita too. Controls are perfect for remote play, no backtouch

edit:



Gunplay is perfectly fine. It takes a couple minutes to get used to "taking cover" so you can attack enemies down the Z axis, but aiming controls are fine (apparently inverting is a bit weird as mentioned up-thread). Only problem I've had in aiming is due to levels with way too many dudes so my "silenced headshot one by one" strategy doesn't work. Pretty sure you're supposed to use the explosive barrels in these situations but I never feel comfortable like that, I usually get spotted (not that it matters TOO much, but it's annoying for a stealth game).
My preferred technique for large rooms is the persuader dart. Target the most powerful guy and help eliminate most of his allies. Of course, if you want, any room will support slow, silenced pistol elimination as long as your are patient and careful.
 
I really like this game. I was a little skeptical but the preorder discount made me decide to risk it. Glad I did!

Vita loading times are real bad, but I haven't had any performance problems. The cross Dave system seems over complicated, but whatever.

I'm only through a few missions so far but I already want a sequel.
 

Skyzard

Banned
played on vita , it great :) it is cross save ?
I heard no cross-save. --- sorry, that was for a different game, crimsonland

Damn, think I can't hold out any longer for that vita patch. Let me just make sure I won't be spending a tenner on crimsonland. Damn, the trial for crimsonland is a lot of fun.
 
I just beat the game tonight.

I'm leaning toward not recommending it. There's fun to be had here, but I felt that the game was often not very fair. Many times I walked into rooms where I felt like I couldn't do anything to progress stealthly, and some times I just got instantly spotted upon entering.

There are neat things here, and it's a good looking game, but the game itself just was of a very inconsistent quality due to the random level generation. Wait for a 50%+ sale, anyway, I'd say.

Thats the impression I got watching previews on youtube. The game looks charming and fun but only in small doses. I want to play it but I think I'm content to wait for a good sale or the inevitable PS+ offering.
 

lt519

Member
Impression so far:

I played a couple missions last night on the Vita and experienced the long load times as reported by everyone else. But they really aren't that bad (30 seconds ish) because they are relatively infrequent (only loading levels every 10 minutes or so). It's not Skyrim PS3 bad.

I played a few more missions today on the PS4 and the Vita pales in comparison. The game looks better, runs smoother, and controls better on the PS4.

Overall I'm having a great time with it. The collectibles in each mission are fun to find, there is a bit of dry quirky humor, the visuals (on the PS4) are fantastic, and the gameplay is average. Hit boxes on enemies are massive (headshots are cake), which is OK.

I'd also argue that if you were on a stealth mission each door you open isn't going to have a hiding place in front of it and there may be someone there. So all the complaints about it being unfair (in the video game sense) add to the experience of the game for me. When I'm low on health/ammo and at a dangerous DEFCON level I know I have to be quick and it's quite nerve wracking opening that next door and not knowing what's going to be waiting for me. The complaints of enemies not being within view of a hiding spot are also weak arguments to me. Why should every enemy be within view of the first cover spot you find for you to pick off..?
 
One thing I'm just not used to is that an alerted enemy never goes back to a resting state. Which means I have to kill everyone in that room! Ok, then!

iuMIHAxK73Iyx.gif


An easy negative is the repetition of maps. Like, is it because I've not progressed that I've seen the same two places in 5 different variations?

But the gameplay itself is solid, some great sound design, and a brilliant art style. I do love corner and ledge takedowns. Wish I could sell my junk counter pistol, sleeping dart is great when you don't want to waste silenced pistol ammo.

This is most definitely a pure stealth game, like you can't ghost levels. You can ghost past enemies in the background with the SWAT turns, though.
 
I've been very tempted with this, but I think I'll leave it for now. Bought several Vita games recently, have a huge backlog and I'm trying to exercise a little in the evenings, which gives me even less time for games. I think the aspect which most puts me off is the randomly generated level design. I'd much prefer a properly designed spy action adventure, not going through simple rooms which have to suit the random algorithms. I can wait until it's on sale, which knowing most Vita games, won't take long.
 

Gundy2010

Member
This game does have some TF2 vibe in it, which is totally awsome! Playing on VITA right now, stable framerate in most of the area. So far so god.
 
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