Support NeoGAF

[robotzombie]

I don't want to read too deep into the thread to avoid spoilers, but I was just wondering, is there anything I should look out for in terms of secrets? Like is there stuff to shoot down from the sides of walls, or kill crows or anything like that like in RE4? Can you open hidden doors or break anything down with your melee attack?

 

[soultron]

Holy shit. This is the second game I've bought in two days. (Child of Eden yesterday YEAAAAH!) I feel like a gamer again.

So pumped to play this. Put me on the "Thanks for not letting me know this was coming out today bandwagon, EA."

Haven't listened to any soundtrack stuff because I didn't want to spoil anything.

HYPE.

 

[damn that's nice]

it's got all the best aspects of killer7, silent hill, re4, and no more heroes...

although the goathead mechanic is honestly kinda iffy

 

[Reave]

How about a patch that would allow the weapons to be upgraded to the point as they were when the game ends, when Garcia obtains them in the story?
So if I upgraded the Teether with full damage and capacity by the end of the game, in a "New game +" when I reach the story point again to obtain the weapon, it still has the upgrades intact?

PLEASE?

I'm not as crazy for a NG+ as others, but that's a pretty smart idea.

 

[AwesomeSauce]

It hurts not being able to pick up this game right now, but i know there will be a deal at some store soon. Also i got too many games i still haven't beat so i can just keep saying that to keep me from buying this right now lol.

 

[Rummy Bunnz]

That sounds a lot like Resident Evil 4 from what I remember... ?

Ammo was plentiful in Resident Evil 4, but you could run out. That does not happen in Shadows of the Damned. There are respawning crates of ammo every few steps. They're even present during boss fights. It makes one wonder why they included an ammo mechanic at all

RE4 had actual level design. Look at the village at the very start of the game. A large area with multiple buildings & pathways. There were also many enemies and they were actually threat. They'd stalk and corner you no matter where you went. Where you chose to fight was key. So was aiming! Leon's mobility was limited. If things went bad you could not just do a backflip and escape.

You could replay that stage multiple times and approach it differently each time. This is not the case for Shadows of the Damned. The levels are almost all narrow alleys. Box after box after box. Your positioning doesn't matter much. Garcia is far more mobile than Leon, making both melee and long range enemies less of a threat. The demons are also stupider than the villagers and fewer in number. And the Light Shot + invincible QTE attack takes out all non-bosses with little risk and no use of ammo. So not only is the game incredibly linear but its level design (and controls) results in shallow combat. Calling it "arcade-y" is insulting to arcade games.

So you're just walking from one setpiece to the next. Shoot a few enemies, solve shallow puzzles. No real thinking or choice on the part of the player. It's an amusement park ride (AKA modern mainstream shooter) which isn't the case for any game Mikami's actually directed.

So the game's probably more Suda than Mikami, but this is a totally sanitized Suda. It seems totally safe and focus group approved. It may be "punk rock" but I sure didn't see anything that would gross out a 15 year old boy, y'know? And a video game that frightens and pisses off 15 year old boys is the most punk rock thing a video game could be.

 

[~Kinggi~]

Any solid comparisons between the consoles? Was peeking at a ps3 stream and it looks like there may be severe screen tearing. Like really bad.

 

[Furio53]

Ammo was plentiful in Resident Evil 4, but you could run out. That does not happen in Shadows of the Damned. There are respawning crates of ammo every few steps. They're even present during boss fights. It makes one wonder why they included an ammo mechanic at all

RE4 had actual level design. Look at the village at the very start of the game. A large area with multiple buildings & pathways. There were also many enemies and they were actually threat. They'd stalk and corner you no matter where you went. Where you chose to fight was key. So was aiming! Leon's mobility was limited. If things went bad you could not just do a backflip and escape.

You could replay that stage multiple times and approach it differently each time. This is not the case for Shadows of the Damned. The levels are almost all narrow alleys. Box after box after box. Your positioning doesn't matter much. Garcia is far more mobile than Leon, making both melee and long range enemies less of a threat. The demons are also stupider than the villagers and fewer in number. And the Light Shot + invincible QTE attack takes out all non-bosses with little risk and no use of ammo. So not only is the game incredibly linear but its level design (and controls) results in shallow combat. Calling it "arcade-y" is insulting to arcade games.

So you're just walking from one setpiece to the next. Shoot a few enemies, solve shallow puzzles. No real thinking or choice on the part of the player. It's an amusement park ride (AKA modern mainstream shooter) which isn't the case for any game Mikami's actually directed.

So the game's probably more Suda than Mikami, but this is a totally sanitized Suda. It seems totally safe and focus group approved. It may be "punk rock" but I sure didn't see anything that would gross out a 15 year old boy, y'know? And a video game that frightens and pisses off 15 year old boys is the most punk rock thing a video game could be.

I'd say give it some more time, but maybe not. It sounds to me like you were expecting a direct sequel to RE4 or a survival horror game, which it isn't.

 

[Square Triangle]

Spoiler

"Just warn if I have to fuck a horse to unlock a door"- Garcia

Wow. This game is amazing.

 

[dochuge]

Not sure if this has been posted but GS just gave it an 8.5 "great" rating. Dude seemed to really love it. Only negative was no newgame+ feature.

 

[Rummy Bunnz]

I'd say give it some more time, but maybe not. It sounds to me like you were expecting a direct sequel to RE4 or a survival horror game, which it isn't.

I wasn't expecting either. In fact it's pretty much what I expected. I was just hoping for something more.

I have a feeling most of my issues are a result of publisher demands more than anything else.

I would keep playing, but I died at a boss, and it was a long fight cuz I was playing on hard, and you can't skip cutscenes, so that kinda killed my desire to continue onward.

 

[Montresor]

Should I play on Demon Hunter or Legion Hunter? Is this the type of game where you need to learn its mechanics and be a sort of veteran to play the highest difficulty (like Bayonetta, although that game forces you to unlock higher difficulties) or can I jump into Legion Hunter right away?

 

[web01]

Ammo was plentiful in Resident Evil 4, but you could run out. That does not happen in Shadows of the Damned. There are respawning crates of ammo every few steps. They're even present during boss fights. It makes one wonder why they included an ammo mechanic at all

RE4 had actual level design. Look at the village at the very start of the game. A large area with multiple buildings & pathways. There were also many enemies and they were actually threat. They'd stalk and corner you no matter where you went. Where you chose to fight was key. So was aiming! Leon's mobility was limited. If things went bad you could not just do a backflip and escape.

You could replay that stage multiple times and approach it differently each time. This is not the case for Shadows of the Damned. The levels are almost all narrow alleys. Box after box after box. Your positioning doesn't matter much. Garcia is far more mobile than Leon, making both melee and long range enemies less of a threat. The demons are also stupider than the villagers and fewer in number. And the Light Shot + invincible QTE attack takes out all non-bosses with little risk and no use of ammo. So not only is the game incredibly linear but its level design (and controls) results in shallow combat. Calling it "arcade-y" is insulting to arcade games.

So you're just walking from one setpiece to the next. Shoot a few enemies, solve shallow puzzles. No real thinking or choice on the part of the player. It's an amusement park ride (AKA modern mainstream shooter) which isn't the case for any game Mikami's actually directed.

So the game's probably more Suda than Mikami, but this is a totally sanitized Suda. It seems totally safe and focus group approved. It may be "punk rock" but I sure didn't see anything that would gross out a 15 year old boy, y'know? And a video game that frightens and pisses off 15 year old boys is the most punk rock thing a video game could be.

So it is basically resident evil 4 dumbed down for the COD generation.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Blargh, I thought this game was coming out tomorrow :l dunno if I should trek out to Wal Mart to pick it up since it's the only thing open at the moment.

 

[Teknoman]

So it is basically resident evil 4 dumbed down for the COD generation.

Well I dunno about that. Its more or less just a straight up action horror title. Not survival action horror. Anyway i'm ready to blast some pendejos.

 

[~Kinggi~]

Man to see this turned out good is a very nice turn of events. Still surprised cause it seemed like it had turd written all over it.

Now i guess its gonna be destined for some sort of cult status with middling sales.

 

[John Harker]

Got my game from Amazon, STOKED to play it (currently installing it to my Xbox HDD) but... what gives, aren't I suppose to get a soundtrack download code or something?

 

[Community Forum]

I keep pressing L1 to aim, and that makes me drink the sake instead. Like ALL THE TIME I do this.

 

[Teknoman]

Man to see this turned out good is a very nice turn of events. Still surprised cause it seemed like it had turd written all over it.

Now i guess its gonna be destined for some sort of cult status with middling sales.

I cant see how people didnt think it would be fun. Yamaoka, Suda, and Mikami? Thats auto-good.

As far as I know, there are enough Red Gems. In fact, I hid some of them, so look carefully.
Some are part of puzzles, some are kind of tough to get

The thing is, there was only so much time. (regarding the New game +) I don't want to get TOO specific, but we were very, very busy trying to get the game as best as we could, making it fun, and unfortunately some stuff just couldn't get put in without it being really risky. Balancing the game was a very tedious thing also, and coming back through the beginning sections of the game with the upgraded weapons wouldn't have been very interesting I would think, but that is just my opinion. It would have been insanely easy haha.

You guys should patch in a new game + if possible with an insanely hard difficulty above hard.

Maybe DMD difficulty? Would be fitting and too cool of an abbreviation to go to waste.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

I cant see how people didnt think it would be fun. Yamaoka, Suda, and Mikami? Thats auto-good.

Seriously, with a pedigree of talent like that, I can't imagine anyone thinking it would suck

 

[~Kinggi~]

I cant see how people didnt think it would be fun. Yamaoka, Suda, and Mikami? Thats auto-good.

From actual footage and pre-release content it looked incredibly sub-par, especially in the gameplay department. I dont have blind faith in any developer in the industry for the most part.

 

[mjc]

The screen tearing is pretty noticeable but I'm loving it otherwise. So ridiculous.

 

[Freyjadour]

Oh god the Storybook was great in 2-3. Please say there's more.

 

[Ridley327]

Oh god the Storybook was great in 2-3. Please say there's more.

Oh, there's more alright...

Spoiler

"It's like an Alanis Morissette song!"

 

[Furio53]

Oh god the Storybook was great in 2-3. Please say there's more.

Yeah there's more. The Legend of Stinky Crow is a personal fave. The line delivery was great

 

[Discotheque]

Patched in new game + would be fantastic.

And also damn I'm really loving this so far. It's like RE4 in Suda51's version of hell.

 

[John Harker]

All these years later... good to see the man still sticks by his vision.

Original concept art:

This is, if you recall, from his 'dream ps3' game Kurayami, which surfaced around early 2006. He said he'd never get the funds for it. Thanks EA!

 

[I NEED SCISSORS]

I never understood the Resident Evil 4 comparison - did people honestly expect it to be anywhere near as well crafted? I mean it might share the same aiming, but if it's janky, as Shurs puts it, then it's not the same. RE4 was perfection, that's why it's still worth going back to despite countless copies since.

 

[Traumnovelle]

All these years later... good to see the man still sticks by his vision.

Original concept art:

This is, if you recall, from his 'dream ps3' game Kurayami, which surfaced around early 2006. He said he'd never get the funds for it. Thanks EA!

I'm LOVING Shadows of the Damned, but I do wish it took it kept it's inspiration of Kafka's The Castle as seen in Kurayami (we probably wouldn't have had Johnson though ;_.

 

[psykomyko]

Just got past the Cannibal Carnival level just now. Loving the game so far!

This game isn't amazing technically, but its just a really stylish fun game. And its hilarious of course.

 

[EatChildren]

I never understood the Resident Evil 4 comparison - did people honestly expect it to be anywhere near as well crafted? I mean it might share the same aiming, but if it's janky, as Shurs puts it, then it's not the same. RE4 was perfection, that's why it's still worth going back to despite countless copies since.

People saw Mikami's name in the title and seemed to think that it was all his game, when really it never was.

 

[ToyMachine228]

Just got back from work and got to play about the first half an hour before I head to bed. Liking it so far. It has it's obvious flaws but I'm enjoying it.

Spoiler

Am I supposed to be doing anything with One-Eyed Willy or does he just indicate save points?

Going to update the OP with review scores here in a minute too.

 

[Discotheque]

I'm LOVING Shadows of the Damned, but I do wish it took it kept it's inspiration of Kafka's The Castle as seen in Kurayami (we probably wouldn't have had Johnson though ;_.

Same, if he doesn't make a sequel to this game (I haven't beat it yet, just finished cannibal carnival level) then hopefully he goes for a more psychological horror route in his next game.

But yeah as of now it's standing to be in my top 10, possibly top 5 games of the year right now. Loving it.

 

[Community Forum]

I'm laughing like a little girl about every 5 minutes.

Spoiler

LOL @ Strawberry Shitcake!

 

[Freyjadour]

Just got back from work and got to play about the first half an hour before I head to bed. Liking it so far. It has it's obvious flaws but I'm enjoying it.

Spoiler

Am I supposed to be doing anything with One-Eyed Willy or does he just indicate save points?

Going to update the OP with review scores here in a minute too.

His feces indicates a save point.

Digging this game, but I love NMH and never had an issue with the Dead Space take on RE4 Survival Horror.

 

[K' Dash]

Credits roll, I'm incredibly hyped for a sequel after the ending, with a little more polish this could be a very big IP, I hope they can find a new publisher cause I don't think EA cares.

I insist this could really benefit from a NG+, I couldn't get half of the gems to upgrade everything...

 

[thetrin]

How is the difficulty, and how are the checkpoints? I loved Vanquish, so I'm okay with something around that difficulty level.

 

[EatChildren]

Yamaoka hit it out of the park with the soundtrack here. Im constantly floored by how atmospheric the music is.

 

[∀ Narayan]

Going to make something to eat, and then I'll fire this bad boy up!

 

[K' Dash]

How is the difficulty, and how are the checkpoints? I loved Vanquish, so I'm okay with something around that difficulty level.

The game's pretty easy on normal with VERY frequent checkpoints.

 

[thetrin]

The game's pretty easy on normal with VERY frequent checkpoints.

I found Vanquish easy except for a few spots, and I found Bayonetta pretty difficult on normal until I got the hang of things. Where would you say DmD falls on that scale?

 

[Furio53]

It's funny, watching my little brother play right now. Kinda fun seeing the reactions after spending so long on it, seeing it every day.

 

[Kajiba]

Been playing for three hours or so. Game is awesome. The game kinda easy though even on the hardest level but still fun as hell. Definitely going to play again after im done beating it.

 

[Teknoman]

Credits roll, I'm incredibly hyped for a sequel after the ending, with a little more polish this could be a very big IP, I hope they can find a new publisher cause I don't think EA cares.

I insist this could really benefit from a NG+, I couldn't get half of the gems to upgrade everything...

Still hoping for some sort of new game + and DMD difficulty patch, but dunno if they'll get the time to do this...or if it was planned as an update.

 

[soultron]

On one of the earlier chapters of Act 3, and I've gotta say, I'm absolutely loving it.

Scrap the RE4 comparisons. The only thing this game shares is slightly similar aiming. Mikami being involved is grounds for comparisons, but this game is, IMO, more of a Suda 51 beast.

It's linear, sure. But it's a pretty tight, focused experience so far. The music is amazing and shows more range than Yamaoka's Silent Hill work. There are definite echoes of that series in this soundtrack, but you'll really be in for a treat if you're a fan of punk/rockabilly/folk stuff.

I didn't want this game to be an RE4 clone and I'm glad it's not. It's an entirely different game and one you need to experience if you're a fan of Suda 51 and quirky games like God Hand.

 

[marrioncobretti]

Im liking it too. I was kinda not digging the accent at first, but its alright that this dudes got a Latin past as opposed to a boring ass Texan character or something

 

[Necromanti]

Wait, what? THIS GAME IS ALREADY OUT? That felt like it came out of nowhere. Not like I need to add anymore to my backlog at this time, anyway...

 

[Teknoman]

Im liking it too. I was kinda not digging the accent at first, but its alright that this dudes got a Latin past as opposed to a boring ass Texan character or something

Hey that would've been cool too




I like him since he reminds me of Benicio Del Toro.

 

[soultron]

Wait, what? THIS GAME IS ALREADY OUT? That felt like it came out of nowhere. Not like I need to add anymore to my backlog at this time, anyway...

Yeah. Same thing I was saying yesterday!

I can't recommend this game enough. The terrible trailers don't do this game justice... I had no fucking idea how it would play from watching them.

 

[rdrr gnr]

More like, Textures of the Damned. Amirite?

Spoiler

Fuck UE3