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Dyad (PSN) |OT| - Psychedelic Sensory Overload

W

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
ascully said:
After playing this for a few days I think the early levels are really fun, but when they start adding on layer after layer of complexity the fun seems to leave the game fairly quickly. I was really enjoying matching pairs but when the enemies appear and things get hectic I feel that all my strategy goes out the window. I got the first two trophys and about half way through the levels but I think I am done now.
Click to expand...

lol, wat

It would be boring if the same strategy could be used throughout the whole game. That's the good thing about the game, the game keeps being fresh throughout the game
 
N

Nert

Member
This game looks amazing and I'd love to buy it, but my PS3 broke down late last year. The timing on that has been pretty unfortunate, considering how excellent PSN has been this year (Journey is one of my favorite games of the year and all I could do was watch a playthrough of it on YouTube, lol).
 
T

thcsquad

Member
Got the highest rank that I've ever been able to achieve in any game, #23 on 'Not Playing is Becoming Increasingly Oppressive'.

And upon looking at the rankings....I beat Wario! Take that! Sorry for the shitty webcam photo.

suKqP.jpg
Click to expand...

In the time it took me to screenshot, upload, and type this post, I got knocked down to #35.
 
N

nyarla

Neo Member
This game made me finally buy a ps3 (ok there might be some other ps3 games i've been wanting to play too..). I love it, so much. Graphics, audio and game mechanics, all beautiful.. and the way they interlock with each other is veeery pleasing to the senses. Super trippy without ever being a mess of chaos (well, haven't played all the levels yet). Really great stuff! I can't read the small instructions text at all on my old crt tv, but don't mind this at all.. having a blast figuring stuff out. (this is my first post on here, hello!)
 
S

ShawnMcGrath

Dyad Developer
I played Level 9 (Match Sprint) on the leaderboards today, game and trophy. Try to beat my scores!

The previous 8 levels on the leaderboards under my name wasn't me playing.
 
D

Dog Problems

Banned
nyarla said:
This game made me finally buy a ps3 (ok there might be some other ps3 games i've been wanting to play too..). I love it, so much. Graphics, audio and game mechanics, all beautiful.. and the way they interlock with each other is veeery pleasing to the senses. Super trippy without ever being a mess of chaos (well, haven't played all the levels yet). Really great stuff! I can't read the small instructions text at all on my old crt tv, but don't mind this at all.. having a blast figuring stuff out. (this is my first post on here, hello!)
Click to expand...

Nice to see the developer of Forget-Me-Not on here :-D

Anyway, now that the Steam sale is over and I have money left I'm going to check this out. I have really been looking forward to playing it.
 
W

Wario64

works for Gamestop (lol)
Roto13 said:
I watched that yesterday and didn't bother to comment on it, but I was just about to say "Why would someone record themselves playing like an idiot and upload it to the internet?" and now he's taken it down. :p
Click to expand...

Heh, interesting. Also another interesting thing: that guy is the #2 dude in trophies on psnprofiles. Level 73 trophy.
 
C

Curufinwe

Member
Past the first set of levels things become very difficult and not that much fun for me. Making even just unlocking trophy levels very hard is a good way to limit a game's general appeal.
 
G

GWX

Member
Tried to find this and show it to my GF with her PS3 (I don't have one), but guess what: it's not available at the brazilian PS Store, even though it actually appears as a background to the store in some pages. And I didn't know PS Store was region locked in a sense that i need an american billing address to buy something in the american store. Nice going, Sony.
 
A

Adam J.

Member
Curufinwe said:
Past the first set of levels things become very difficult and not that much fun for me. Making even just unlocking trophy levels very hard is a good way to limit a game's general appeal.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I kinda feel the same way. I'm still enjoying the ride, but damn, it gets tough as hell. This is also one of the rare titles where the PS3 controllers analog sticks really fail me..
 
S

ShawnMcGrath

Dyad Developer
I would recommend *NOT* doing the trophy levels until you've beaten the game. And even then try to get 3 stars on all or most of the levels before doing the Trophy levels.

Each level tests a somewhat narrow set of skills relative to the entire game, but the trophy levels test one skill as deeply as possible. I think it's best to have a broad understanding of it before attempting them... there's a lot of little nuances you might pick up on when playing the later levels.

Just 1 star the shit, then go back!
 
Agent X

Agent X

Member
Trophy level 9 is quite the challenge! I actually got 49 on my second or third try (need 50 to pass), but most attempts I haven't even gotten past 40. I've probably put in at least 30-40 attempts on the level so far, still haven't successfully lanced 50.

sarcoa said:
I have discovered it's literally impossible for me to complete the trophy challenge for #9 Match Sprint.

You're intended to lance 50 enemies with just four lances. After my third lance Dyad either hard locks the PS3 or resets my % back to zero and then continues along an infinite white tube. It never makes it to the failed/retry screen. Either way I have to reload the game every attempt.

I suppose I could try nab 50 with three lances :/
Click to expand...

I've had two hard lockups on this level as well. Both of them were in the middle of a very good lance attempt (I'd guess at least 15 in one shot) and with 32/50 on the counter at the moment that the system crashed.
 
S

ShawnMcGrath

Dyad Developer
I beat that trophy level 20 times today on a retail PS3 (hence why I got on the leaderboards) and I worked every single time.

You aren't the only one to complain however. I have a first gen ps3... like a launch one. I tested on a slim testkit, (not retail, so it *MAY* differ, I don't know) and was able to beat it 20 times w/o a bug.

I'm not giving up on it, but I haven't been able to reproduce it yet.
 
J

jgkspsx

Member
This will be the first PSN game I buy if I ever get a PS3.

Also, every time I see this game mentioned I read it as "Dyack." I don't know how. It scares me.

EDIT: Oh, wow, developer in the thread. That's cool. Sorry to hear about the lockups, though.
 
N

NJShadow

Member
Did anyone realize that the 'Traids' trophy is spelled wrong? From what I can tell, it should be 'Triads' like in the game, or perhaps it was meant to be that way. ^_^ Yeah, I'm nit-picking, but I just noticed it when I got the trophy.

Edit: I also just noticed that the leaderboards for that trophy level seem to be reversed, with the best times at the bottom.
 
TwiztidElf

TwiztidElf

Gold Member
I'd like to get this game. I usually like trippy music stuff like Child of Eden and Rez, etc.

But watching the GB Quicklook I started feeling a bit motion sick. Has there been any reports of people getting motion sickness with this game?
 
S

ShawnMcGrath

Dyad Developer
You shouldn't get motion sickness. I tested on people who are susceptible to motion sickness in videogames and had zero problems.

I also haven't heard any cases of motion sickness. The worst I've heard is a guy getting a headache after an 8 hour play session, (it's probably a bad idea to play for that long anyway!)
 
T

The_Darkest_Red

Member
This game seems to get better and better the more you play of it. It's really fun to go from barely being able to pass a level to understanding the nuances at play and getting 3 stars on it (or a trophy). I haven't really done that on many levels yet though, I'm still pretty bad at the game all things considered. I don't know if I'll ever be good enough to really master it but it'll be fun to see how far I can push myself.
 
J

jorgeton

Member
Truly an excellent game. It's like the offspring of Rez and Zone Battles from Wipeout HD. I also hit a difficulty wall around the 12th stage or so, but good to know the best way to play is to beat the courses and come back later. I've gotten hung up on 3-starring every stage as I go along, but that shit stops tonight.

And, yeah, the soundtrack is pretty great. The loops that play during the stage select menu are sweet. I feel like I'm missing half the game b/c my 5.1 system recently bit it and I'm using the TV's speakers for sound.
 
C

Clunker

Member
What a goddamned game. What a strange, beautiful, intense experience. I let go of trying to three-star everything and just decided to go through all of the levels once or twice before moving on, and it's a far more enjoyable, enlightening game when you're not so hung up on one trophy or one three-star target time. Since every level is so different, you can find a level mechanic (or just a set of sounds) that clicks with you, and you can just play until your senses simply can't take anymore.

This is the most exhausting game I've played in ages. It's such a weird blend of reflexes, focus, and just letting go of focus to vibe with the level that I can't play for more than 15-20 minutes before having to take a break.

Also, as a fan of synesthesia-inspired games like Rez, Every Extend Extra (see avatar!), an Minter's stuff, I actually find a lot of the "drugs drugs lol" one-liners in discussion of Dyad really tiring and dismissive. I've never done any drugs in my life, and I love these kinds of "overload the senses" games. Even the PSN "games have reached a new high" double entendre made me roll my eyes a bit.

That said, after playing Eye of the Duck, I think any "drugs drugs lol" comments are entirely justified. What a goddamned mind fuck. I felt like my PS3 was trying to reach out of the TV and strangle me.
 
S

sarcoa

Member
ShawnMcGrath said:
I beat that trophy level 20 times today on a retail PS3 (hence why I got on the leaderboards) and I worked every single time.

You aren't the only one to complain however. I have a first gen ps3... like a launch one. I tested on a slim testkit, (not retail, so it *MAY* differ, I don't know) and was able to beat it 20 times w/o a bug.

I'm not giving up on it, but I haven't been able to reproduce it yet.
Click to expand...
For what it's worth I later discovered it had nothing to do with how many lances I was using, but rather the amount of time I would spend in the level. If I burned all of my lance attempts in under (estimate) 60 seconds it was fine, but if I waited any longer than that the level would dump both my score and the UI and never end. I am using a Slim purchased in Sept 09.

I eventually managed to get the trophy despite all of that :D
 
Z

Zabuza

Banned
NJShadow said:
Did you "finish" it?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure. I got to a point where there were lots of triangles coming towards the screen until DYAD showed up and told me to push a button when ready. I pressed X and it sent me to the 1st level. Is that the end?
 
N

NJShadow

Member
Zabuza said:
I'm not sure. I got to a point where there were lots of triangles coming towards the screen until DYAD showed up and told me to push a button when ready. I pressed X and it sent me to the 1st level. Is that the end?
Click to expand...

Yeah, you made it to the end. I think 'Eye of The Duck' is, quite frankly, meant to blow your mind. I believe Shawn took the game in a very artistic, philosophical direction, and then the very end is where he just unleashes all the creative energy that went into the game in one big explosion of colors and speed. I don't know that I've ever experienced anything like that. It's like he's trying to get folks to achieve a meditative, transcendental state of some sort.

So yeah, you definitely made it to the end, and from what I can understand, 'Eye of The Duck' is the point in the game where you get that "sensory overload" high, and then you gently float down. It's all about the experience. And as for why you start back at the first level, I'm not sure... maybe it's Shaun's way of illustrating the circle of life. Highs... lows... and then it starts all over again.
;)
 
Claytron

Claytron

Neo Member
Got 4th rank on Match Sprint (level 9/song 9?) and it feels good. Trying to 3 star a few last levels then I can starting working on the trophies. To me this is how trophies should be done. Actually accomplishing something rather than generic time sink trophies like, "Play for X hours" or "Get X kills".

Also, not to over hype the end... but that ending!
 
S

ShawnMcGrath

Dyad Developer
I appreciate everyone keeping the last level talk spoilers to a minimum. I think it's best as a 'surprise' -- I won't talk about it at all ;)
 
Z

Zia

Member
Eurogamer review:

Despite the difficulty at the deep end, Dyad's low barrier to entry and top-level simplicity makes it a welcoming experience no matter what your skill level. Likewise, McGrath's use of time penalties rather than 'lives' or restarts to punish mistakes makes this a less frustrating proposition than the arcade games from which it draws inspiration. But the heavy emphasis on leaderboards draws you in to compete, to better yourself. While the smeary, inexact visuals imply that this is a loose, imprecise game, beneath the colour and lights its focused, rigid rule set betrays its arcade heritage.

As with all games built to engender flow, Dyad can feel unrewarding when you're not in that rare state - when you're awkwardly grasping at anchor points and nothing's quite latching properly, and you lumber forward under the Sauron-like eye of the clock. In these moments, you will hate the game.

But that disgust is more honestly directed at yourself: Dyad merely holds a mirror up to your own failings. If you take the time to master the machine, to level up your own eyes and hands and co-ordination, then this is a game to amplify those tiny victories; to put your name in lights. 8/10
Click to expand...
 
S

ShawnMcGrath

Dyad Developer
S

spats

Member
That was a pretty sweet trailer. I think a demo is really important for a game like this, good thing it's coming out so soon.
 
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