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[Big_Al]

Yeah, Stalker aims to be a good gaming experience, Far Cry 2 aims to make you feel like you are literally working.

Well I'd personally put Far Cry 2 just above it for the enjoyment I get from it but that's just me and I can fully appreciate many folk would disagree. Anyway that's just a personal preference I'm not arguing over Stalkers quality, I'd recommend it to any FPS fan. It's fucking awesome and I REALLY need to play Call Of Pripyat. I've heard some really good things about that one and it's high on the backlog list.

 

[FloatOn]

I suppose the best way to open this little review would be to admit that I found the game to be rather boring during its opening act. The campaign took me several weeks to finish simply because I initially lacked the drive to continue forward -- there was no momentum generated from narrative curiosities or profound enjoyment of the underlying mechanics, just a faint desire to continue for the sake of finishing what I'd started. Of course, this eventually changed dramatically -- for the better, I mean.

While BioInf does get credit for having the best combat in a BioShock game thus far, that's not exactly a high bar. I was initially happy with it as unarmoured enemies went down in a few shots and heavier types naturally took a bit more of a beating, however the combat quickly falls into the same trap as it does in so many games: enemies are made more powerful and more difficult to kill for seemingly no contextualised reason. They're simply harder for the sake of being harder. Consequently, the "battle arenas" that punctuate the campaign become less of something to look forward to and more of a chore (especially in later moments of the game), thanks to your shield -- which is nigh on useless even when fully upgraded -- being depleted in as little as one shot and enemies shrugging off a hail of gunfire before firing a rocket at your face. It's simply not fun. Similarly, the game's vigor system feels uninspired as most of them are little more than rebrands of their predecessor's equivalents, and the only interesting enemy type -- the Handy Man (sadly lacking the moustache that made him so distinguished in earlier footage) not being far removed from the Big Daddy. The combat in the game may be fine-tuned, but there's no escaping the feeling of "been there, done that."

Similar disappointment was found in Elizabeth -- not as a character, but as an AI companion. Throughout the game there's no shaking the feeling that she's less an assistant and more a vehicle for narrative exposition; her world interaction is limited to a few scripted moments and usefulness to the player confined to tossing you the occasional item while in combat or finding invisible coins during the quieter moments. You'd think that a young woman who'd spent almost her entire life locked away in a tower would be more interested in the big wide world. Really, for all of Irrational's talk, Elizabeth is little more than slightly repurposed Alyx.

Where the game does shine, however, is in its visual splendour*. The world of Columbia is, for the most part, meticulously crafted -- not a chapter goes by where you don't stop for a moment just to bask in the surrounding scenery. It's true that reaching Columbia lacks the sense of awe and wonder that diving down to Rapture did all those years ago, however there's no denying the city is infinitely more interesting from an aesthetic perspective. Sadly, where the world design does falter is in its lack of meaningful interactivity and decidedly dull NPCs. There are elements of interactivity peppered throughout your travels, of course, but outside of scripted moments they're limited to looting, sight-seeing and film-watching; this, coupled with the almost wax museumesque nature of the NPCs (they've no existence outside of a limited routine, if one at all) contrasting with the psychotic enemies brings to mind the artifice of it all and is consistently if only lightly distracting as a result. Much was made of Columbia being a living, breathing place, designed to be in stark contrast to the dilapidated Rapture, and while this is true to some extent, it's a shame that such little effort was put into making the world feel more alive than dead.

(*There's also, of course, the narrative, but in the interest of this being spoiler-free, I'll leave it alone.)

Overall, the fundamental problem with BioInf is that while it's a great experience, the mechanics it employs to fuel its gameplay aren't. I give it 3/4 Saorise Ronan gifs.

Good review but in regard to the bolded:

Bioshock 2 CRUSHES Bioshock Infinite's combat. Infinite is not as claustrophobic so yeah zooming with iron sights was a nice touch but, being limited to 2 weapons at a time, no ammo types, boring guns for the most part and a weakass overshield for those that couldn't handle managing a health bar with items.

The vigors were okay but mostly a retread of what was found in Bioshock 2 with the charging plasmids.

Also: drill hand > skyhook

by far.

 

[JaseC]

Near the end of the game on one of the zeppelins, I fired 7 rockets into a guys face that was about 10 feet from me and he was still standing. He fired one rocket back and I was dead.

point : validated

The RPG enemies are the worst offenders. One rocket takes away your entire shield and at least a quarter of your health.

 

[JaseC]

Good review but in regard to the bolded:

Bioshock 2 CRUSHES Bioshock Infinite's combat. Infinite is not as claustrophobic so yeah zooming with iron sights was a nice touch but, being limited to 2 weapons at a time, no ammo types, boring guns for the most part and a weakass overshield for those that couldn't handle managing a health bar with items.

The vigors were okay but mostly a retread of what was found in Bioshock 2 with the charging plasmids.

Also: drill hand > skyhook

by far.

I prefer it simply for the tighter precision. I do agree that the shield is practically useless and due to the enemy scaling isn't worth upgrading -- the concept is completely broken. Ditto for the Skyhook as a weapon, especially since it's also useless unless you rob yourself of other perks to upgrade it.

Edit: D'oh, didn't switch tabs.

 

[MMBosstones86]

Good review but in regard to the bolded:



Bioshock 2 CRUSHES Bioshock Infinite's combat. Infinite is not as claustrophobic so yeah zooming with iron sights was a nice touch but, being limited to 2 weapons at a time, no ammo types, boring guns for the most part and a weakass overshield for those that couldn't handle managing a health bar with items.

The vigors were okay but mostly a retread of what was found in Bioshock 2 with the charging plasmids.

[B]Also: drill hand > skyhook[/B]

by far.[/QUOTE]

Dude. no.

The skyhook was fantastic and completely underused in the game. Zipping around on the skylines to change elevation during combat, then jumping down onto someones face. Come on.

 

[AlphaProspector]

From this data:

It's more profitable to release an indie game on the PC on STEAM and GOG.

Fixed

But, yeah, guess Spreadsheet Editions are being more profitable nowadays!

Just bought Strike Suit Infinity and I intend to spend this day off blasting enemies with missile and laser missile barrages non-stop. Cue Omega Boost's opening Shade by Feeder!

 

[FloatOn]

I was also kind of pissed at the Octopus vigor (I forget what it's called) being basically the leash from Bulletstorm.

A game that didn't enjoy nearly half the sales but was probably twice the fun in regards to the combat. Sure Infinite's story was more intelligent but man the gameplay was disappointing.

 

[morningbus]

Fixed

But, yeah, guess Spreadsheet Editions are being more profitable nowadays!

Just bought Strike Suit Infinity and I intend to spend this day off blasting enemies with missile and laser missile barrages non-stop. Cue Omega Boost's opening Shade by Feeder!

Honestly, and I like GOG, but the last game I saw that released the numbers they sold on GOG put up pretty unspectacular numbers.

 

[Dimitri2401]

From this data:

It's more profitable to release an indie game on the PC than the xbox.

Didn't Microsoft financially support Polytron during the development of Fez?

 

[Gvaz]

You just describe almost every first person shooter ever made.

You mean every game ever made that just increased npc damage and decreased yours and called it "harder"

 

[AlphaProspector]

Honestly, and I like GOG, but the last game I saw that released the numbers they sold on GOG put up pretty unspectacular numbers.

Really? From many devs I heard GOG was pretty nice in terms of sales. Of course not Steam-nice but good enough. Hmmm...

Oh, changing topics, today we'll see the release of Blood Dragon (calling it "Far Cry 3" doesn't seem to make much sense, right?). I hope that will be good so people can have apocalypses inside their apocalypses.

Did anyone get early access or play it already? How is it?

 

[Gvaz]

In terms of sales it goes

Steam > GOG > Gamersgate > Desura > not selling it on pc at all

Individual developer site shops go in the middle of that list at some point, but is completely different depending on which developer we're talking about. Generally always before steam, but higher than desura.

 

[Stallion Free]

For people complaining about Bioshock Infinite difficulty:

Honestly, and I like GOG, but the last game I saw that released the numbers they sold on GOG put up pretty unspectacular numbers.

The most asked for game of all time moved like 30k I think they said.

 

[FloatOn]

Dude. no.

The skyhook was fantastic and completely underused in the game. Zipping around on the skylines to change elevation during combat, then jumping down onto someones face. Come on.

Meh, I felt the skyhook was pretty much a novelty. There were not enough areas that allowed it to be used for platforming in combat. And using it as a melee weapon wasn't as satisfying as whacking or drilling an enemy with the drill. Just not as much weight and not nearly strong enough without the right clothing items.

 

[Visualante2]

Didn't Microsoft financially support Polytron during the development of Fez?

Not to my knowledge, Polytron actually paid Microsoft to be on XBLA. I think they got a bad deal signing when they did and then had a horrendously long development. Better to consult other threads on this though, I'm not an expert.

 

[yaron777]

I give it 3/4 Saorise Ronan gifs.

Wow, what has the world come to if JaseC can't even spell Saiorse Ronan correct anymore?

 

[morningbus]

Really? From many devs I heard GOG was pretty nice in terms of sales. Of course not Steam-nice but good enough. Hmmm...

I may be combining a few different games with my sales outlook on GOG. So don't take that as gospel.

Atom Zombie Smasher sold 96% of its copies through Steam with the remaining 4% being split between direct sales on their site, GamersGate, Direct2Drive, Impulse, Ubuntu Store, and Desura. GOG wasn't included in the list, so it must not have been available at that time.

Still, I doubt it'd be significant.

 

[HoosTrax]

Last game that disclosed really detailed numbers was Defender's Quest I think.

Certainly, it doesn't hurt to offer a game direct considering the bigger cut it entails (minus payment processing fees etc), especially if it comes with the promise of a Steam key.

 

[Dimitri2401]

Not to my knowledge, Polytron actually paid Microsoft to be on XBLA. I think they got a bad deal signing when they did and then had a horrendously long development. Better to consult other threads on this though, I'm not an expert.

If that true, then they made a mistake by signing with Microsoft. But if Microsoft (or Sony or whoever) gives you money for the exclusivity, then it's harder to quantify in what extent PC would be a better platform than consoles.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Wow, what has the world come to if JaseC can't even spell Saiorse Ronan correct anymore?

lol

 

[JaseC]

Wow, what has the world come to if JaseC can't even spell Saiorse Ronan correct anymore?

Oh god, what have I done.

 

[Stallion Free]

Oh god, what have I done.

Now you will never get to meet the love of your life.

 

[JaseC]

Now you will never get to meet the love of your life.

My head shall forever be hung in shame.

 

[nexen]

Welp, I bought Far Cry: Blood Dragon just because of the soundtrack.
If the game is any good at all, that would be a strong bonus.

so good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-uunJYVTIE

 

[MMBosstones86]

Oh god, what have I done.

What happens on the internet, stays on the internet. FOREVER

 

[SteveWinwood]

Welp, I bought Far Cry: Blood Dragon just because of the soundtrack.
If the game is any good at all, that would be a strong bonus.

so good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-uunJYVTIE

Whoever made that needs all the raises.

 

[nexen]

Whoever made that needs all the raises.

It is like the soundtracks of Blade Runner and the original Terminator got busy and had themselves a love child.

 

[Big_Al]

Listening to those few Blood Dragon tracks got me interested in more Power Glove tracks, their So Bad EP is pretty great as well.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdcskfqXH5I

 

[FlutterPuffs]

Guys.

Fez or Blood Dragon?

 

[Stumpokapow]

Guys.

Fez or Blood Dragon?

Wait until summer and get both for less than the price of either right now, with the bonus that any glitches will be patched.

 

[TheExodu5]

Wait until summer and get both for less than the price of either right now, with the bonus that any glitches will be patched.

But he won't be able to partake in our Fez community event!

Fez!

 

[FlutterPuffs]

Wait until summer and get both for less than the price of either right now, with the bonus that any glitches will be patched.

Well. That's a really good idea. I should finish Dishonored anyway.

 

[nexen]

Wait until summer and get both for less than the price of either right now, with the bonus that any glitches will be patched.

This, unless you really need that Blood Dragon soundtrack, like I did.

 

[JaseC]

Wait until summer and get both for less than the price of either right now, with the bonus that any glitches will be patched.

Given Ubi's track record, I wouldn't so certain about Blood Dragon.

Edit: In regard to it being patched up, I mean.

 

[nexen]

Given Ubi's track record, I wouldn't so certain about Blood Dragon.

Edit: In regard to it being patched up, I mean.

Deep discounts ahoy, though. That game is going to be $5 to $2.50 by summer.

http://www.giantbomb.com/

has both a review and a quick look of Blood Dragon.
In the quick look they weren't too kind, mostly because of the inconsistent tone of the game.

 

[Megasoum]

Given Ubi's track record, I wouldn't so certain about Blood Dragon.

Edit: In regard to it being patched up, I mean.

lol it's not like Fez has a good patch track record...

 

[Stallion Free]

lol it's not like Fez has a good patch track record...

Good thing Valve doesn't charge 3 million dollars per patch like Microshaft.

 

[a secret-boss]

WTF can't install Far Cry.

Where is my install button?

 

[sibarraz]

I had a question, if I buy a collection pack which includes a game that I already own, what could I do with said game? gifting it? trading it? or is just something that I couldn't do anthing with it

 

[morningbus]

WTF can't install Far Cry.

Where is my install button?

It's not out yet. Wait about an hour and a half for the store refresh.

 

[derExperte]

I had a question, if I buy a collection pack which includes a game that I already own, what could I do with said game?

You can watch it disappear instantly into the Steam-void.

(There are very few exceptions.)

 

[a secret-boss]

It's not out yet. Wait about an hour and a half for the store refresh.

augh. can't it be midnight. i was planning downloading it while I'm @ work

 

[morningbus]

augh. can't it be midnight. i was planning downloading it while I'm @ work

Do you have a phone capable of accessing the Steam website? If you leave your computer on, you can remotely initiate the download.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Bought FEZ.

Meh.

 

[a secret-boss]

Do you have a phone capable of accessing the Steam website? If you leave your computer on, you can remotely initiate the download.

wait u can do that? I got the app on my iPhone

 

[Blizzard]

I had already preordered Fez based on Fish's endearing personality, but it was only after that that I learned that apparently the puzzles in Fez are nearly impossible to solve alone, and it literally took the entire internet community weeks to solve some of them, not exaggerating.

Are those just extra crazy puzzles for secrets or something, and the main game is decent and can be completed alone?

 

[morningbus]

wait u can do that? I got the app on my iPhone

Yeah, if you leave your computer on and Steam open, you can remotely start a download. I believe you have to do it through the browser and not the app, though. I've never done this, so my info is spotty.

 

[Aaron]

Yeah, if you leave your computer on and Steam open, you can remotely start a download. I believe you have to do it through the browser and not the app, though. I've never done this, so my info is spotty.

It works through the app. You can only start downloading games you just purchased, not ones already in your library.

 

[DagsJT]

Posted in the Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon thread but I'll post here in case people miss it.

For those who bought from GMG, you can enter the key into Uplay and use that to download instead of GMG's Capsule app.

Press [Windows key]+[R]
Type in the path to your Uplay.exe, this should look like
C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher\uplay.exe
Press [Spacebar] and then add:
-upc_uplay_id 205
Press enter, Uplay will start and in your games list you can finally enter your key

Confirmed downloading through Uplay at the moment for me.

 

[morningbus]

It works through the app. You can only start downloading games you just purchased, not ones already in your library.

Just checked and if you do it through the browser your games list looks like this:

With the option to install by pressing that button.