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[DieH@rd]

Patrick Klepeck of GiantBomb interviews Jens Matthies, the Creative Director of Wolfenstein: The New Order

Covers the reception of the game, the development process, the narrative, difficulty of marketing the experience, some spoiler territory, and a tiny bit of hypothetical sequel talk.

Great interview.

 

[Vorheez]

Well, just finished my second playthrough and got my platinum. I may need to let it sink in first but my initial impression is that its one of the best FPSs I've ever played. Its been a LONG ass time since I've played a shooter where the gunplay was not stale and legit fun. I would get a rush from firing the assault rifle into a group of Nazis or dual wielding shotguns in an enclosed hallway, just exhilerating all around.

Scenery was varied and top notch, pacing was excellent, characters and story were engaging. Solid 9/10 for me, don't know what these reviewers were smoking. As someone has said before, if a AAA studio made this game it would be universally applauded.

 

[VlaudTheImpaler]

I will convince every gamer I own to get this lol

How much do gamers go for these days? And what would you do with

Spoiler

/to

them

Spoiler

/me

?

OT, I beat the game yesterday and 100% it today. Man, this game. I just keep coming back to it. An amazingly deep story, music that pulls you in and really solid Gameplay make this game the first AAA title in a while that I truly feel that I got my monies worth buying.

Spoiler

With the exception of the sound mixing. :'(

For anyone that has beat it and wants to replay it, they should definitely unlock and play 999 mode. This mode is probably going to be my go to for years whenever I need to scratch my classic shooter itch.

 

[Metal-Geo]

Patrick Klepeck of GiantBomb interviews Jens Matthies, the Creative Director of Wolfenstein: The New Order

Covers the reception of the game, the development process, the narrative, difficulty of marketing the experience, some spoiler territory, and a tiny bit of hypothetical sequel talk.

A great read!

[laughs]

 

[Messofanego]

GB: The game goes to some serious places. It seems like part of what you did with The New Order was say “okay, a Wolfenstein game has to have you kicking Nazi ass, it’s gotta be over-the-top, but how do you make people care about that where, in 2014, every single piece of media is over-the-top”?

Matthies: I think, to a degree, you answered your own question there. That’s exactly it. Just because it has those things doesn’t mean it has to be emotionally alienating. Some people have a problem with this, and they see it as an odd mix, in terms of the tone of the game. For us, that was never the case. It’s weird to me that you can’t have rambunctious attitude in a video game. This is the medium for those kinds of expressions.

But I also use movies like Inglourious Basterds, which has this amazing balancing act between really intense drama, personal drama, and over-the-top mayhem shooting stuff. I think that’s an excellent reference. Another reference of the same sort of style that we used when we talked about it internally and just to get everybody on the same page as to what kind of experience it was…we also used District 9, which is a very good example of that blend, in terms of tone. Also, the original RoboCop, Paul Verhoeven’s original RoboCop from 1989. It’s an incredibly well-made piece of fiction, not just in terms of its plot, which is amazing, but the story is great, the characters are great. It straddles this line between completely over-the-top craziness--the guy is called RoboCop for crying out loud--but it’s also this really intense personal drama about him losing his family, losing his memory. It has a feeling about corporate psychopathy, which is really powerful. We looked at those kinds of things and that’s the wheelhouse that we feel is appropriate for a Wolfenstein game.

GB: I can’t name any video games that have been able to do that. I think video games have, to this point, proven pretty bad at switching between tones. It’s usually why most video games pick one or the other. You’re either bombastic or you’re trying to do something more grounded and serious.

Matthies: Maybe that’s true. Obviously, there are many, many different kinds of video games, but if you’re looking at a shooter, even those that strive for “realism,” there is quite a lot of over-the-top craziness in those games, too. [laughs] I think that’s a part of really over-the-top video games. So we chose to play with those aspects.

That interview is fantastic, and I'm glad the blackly comic tone was brought up because I saw some critics on twitter blithely write off the game as "tonally inconsistent" as if they've never been accustomed with a black/dark comedy to realise you need some levity with such larger-than-life situations, ridiculous premises, and such intense subject matter. It was obvious from all the (excellent) marketing.

Happiness is one of the darkest comedies ever especially when it deals with pedophilia but you get pitch-perfect uncomfortable hilarity with this classic scene. The Producers is about the Nazis and the holocaust. Dr Strangelove is about nuclear war. Heathers and World's Greatest Dad are about teen suicides. Robocop, Inglorious Basterds, and District 9 are great reference points. I'm glad they didn't go completely po-faced like most games these days. I'd liken the tone to Max Payne 1 and 2 which had the world-weary and pulpy internal monologues but is also absolutely hilarious in moments and is self-aware enough to not be mired in misery like what I felt with the third game. It's kind of why I like the Kane and Lynch games (Blazko - Brian Bloom in those games too) because you're playing as deranged psychopaths with no redeemable qualities but they are pretty funny together.

"Buoy...buoy...silly word."

 

[Net_Wrecker]

I called that some people wouldn't like the tonal shifts prior to the game's release. I don't know, some seem to think that an over the top shooter can't be dramatic or take its story seriously, or that a serious story can't have some humorous and quirky touches. I never understood it. Of course it's a balancing act, and it's not as simple as tossing in a bunch of wacky nonsense like GTA has done recently while simultaneously trying to maintain a serious crime story (I actually think GTAV would've been way better if it focused on being a moody heist simulator btw), but Wolfenstein shows it can be done.

 

[Levyne]

That article is okay, but I can't help feel but that I'm reading a giant ad. :/

Edit: I'm not meaning to sound contrarian, but reading something like "After I finished the game, I went to check out the multiplayer.." as if he didn't already know just seems..odd. Though I'm reading in the comments that Patrick I guess doesn't tend to like shooters (I wouldn't know) so maybe I should realize that his response to the game is pretty damn genuine.

 

[Anung]

Been looking forward to the GiantBomb inteview. I hope machinegames go on to be big.

 

[Guy.brush]

Nice interview. There are so many possibilities they can go with for a sequel. As said in the interview BJ didn't

Spoiler

really make a dent in the Nazi regime, just finished off an old arch nemesis. It would be just logical to have Mecha-Hitler and the sequel be a search/hunt after Hitler with a nice twist that he might have been replaced?

I can see a bigger Germania/Berlin hub world in a sequel working nicely.
Then missions involving
- a giant airship/zeppelin
- infiltration of the Grosse Volkshalle (including bossfight in its arena)
- a military parade with assassination attempt
- Silberpfeil "breitbahn" train mission (not just a story mission)
- kill/hijack a "Big Bertha"
- Venus landing site (as hinted at in the first game)
- blow up/ free Nazi occupied Washington Whitehouse

and the list goes on

 

[Zakalwe]

Well, just finished my second playthrough and got my platinum. I may need to let it sink in first but my initial impression is that its one of the best FPSs I've ever played. Its been a LONG ass time since I've played a shooter where the gunplay was not stale and legit fun. I would get a rush from firing the assault rifle into a group of Nazis or dual wielding shotguns in an enclosed hallway, just exhilerating all around.

Scenery was varied and top notch, pacing was excellent, characters and story were engaging. Solid 9/10 for me, don't know what these reviewers were smoking. As someone has said before, if a AAA studio made this game it would be universally applauded.

I've not read any reviews, but I don't think an AAA studio would get a pass.

The first two thirds are great, brilliant even, and they've taken so much care with the level design (especially the part where you have to clear the guard outposts).

However, the last third of the game felt rushed. The Moon was the dullest part of the game for me, and it was the freakin' Moon! It had some cool moments, but overall I was really underwhelmed with that section. Each part after that gave me the same feeling, like they'd rushd the end or just stopped putting as much cae into the level design and enemy encounters.

The final level was super-disappointing, I thought there would be an epic battle through the castle, but it came to a head far too quickly. The final battle is just kind of sprung on you, and the ending is so abrupt that when it happens and the credits roll it feels like something was missed.

Great game for the first two thirds, just not sure what happened with the end.

Woudl also have loved to see more crazy Nazi tech, maybe some occult stuff, and all that advanced weaponry they found, they had so much room to make creative weapons but we ended up with pretty standard gear. It was all fun to use, just disappointing they didn't exploit the subject matter a little more.

I hope they make another one and really go to town with it.

 

[Banjo-Kazooie]

Can't see the interview at work. Did he not ask about DLC plans?

 

[antitrop]

Patrick Klepeck of GiantBomb interviews Jens Matthies, the Creative Director of Wolfenstein: The New Order

Covers the reception of the game, the development process, the narrative, difficulty of marketing the experience, some spoiler territory, and a tiny bit of hypothetical sequel talk.

I'm at work, but I cannot wait to get home and read this.

Platinumed it on PS4 over the weekend. Incredible game and I think its the best shooter since HL2.

I really think if Wolfenstein had a better first level it would have reviewed much better. It really is one of the best shooters of the last decade, but I guess some reviewers couldn't shake off that first impression.

I still liked the first level a lot, though.

 

[Levyne]

Can't see the interview at work. Did he not ask about DLC plans?

Not really, when asked "What are you doing next?" the answer was "we would love to make a sequel". 'DLC" doesn't appear in the article at all.

 

[antitrop]

However, the last third of the game felt rushed. The Moon was the dullest part of the game for me, and it was the freakin' Moon! It had some cool moments, but overall I was really underwhelmed with that section. Each part after that gave me the same feeling, like they'd rushd the end or just stopped putting as much cae into the level design and enemy encounters.

The final level was super-disappointing, I thought there would be an epic battle through the castle, but it came to a head far too quickly. The final battle is just kind of sprung on you, and the ending is so abrupt that when it happens and the credits roll it feels like something was missed.

Great game for the first two thirds, just not sure what happened with the end.

The Moon and The Bridge are actually 2 of my favorite levels in the game. Different strokes.

I thought the weakest part of the game was actually the underwater sections around chapter 8 or 9. I thought the mid dragged into a strong finish.

 

[Fancy Clown]

The Moon and The Bridge are actually 2 of my favorite levels in the game. Different strokes.

Yeah the bridge was amazing. Gave me huge Half-Life 2 vibes. I'm on

Spoiler

the moon

now and so far it's pretty stellar. I love the attention to detail like

Spoiler

how almost every level gets its own unique enemy designs the moon has these sweet red/white color schemed nazis and weapons, and the really detailed burn holes in peoples suits after you hit them with lasers.

 

[Messofanego]

Yeah, I'd honestly put the sewers section as the only weak level, the rest had standout moments like the bridge, lunar base, and especially the return to the homebase (also love this in Darkness 2). I'll agree that the maps don't get as complex later on, though.

I found the Return to Deathshead Compound pretty damn cool that you could backtrack cheese three to four rooms before and get the hallway enemies into the area with the turrets and vents so you're away from the Heavy Robot/Supersoldaten/Rocket Trooper enemies. They really are hard on Uber.

The start to chapter 14 with the Return to London Nautica is insanely blood pumping and need to think on your feet really quickly (just focus on the weakest for ammo, then one charged LKW to shotgun dude) in a very short amount of time.

Plus, I just love snow in games.

 

[Kade]

I would love DLC where you

Spoiler

play as Caroline in that exosuit.

 

[Zakalwe]

The Moon and The Bridge are actually 2 of my favorite levels in the game. Different strokes.

I thought the weakest part of the game was actually the underwater sections around chapter 8 or 9. I thought the mid dragged into a strong finish.

You really liked the final level and boss encounter?

It felt so rushed to me, there was almost no build up at all from the moment you breach the fortress the encounter itself. I was half expecting the boss to cut out half way and for the level to open up again, and when it just ended it felt far too abrupt. Left me feeling really unsatisfied.

I loved the Bridge level design, but the enemy encounters didn't feel well thought out and a few sections of that level were a real slog.

Again, don't get me wrong, it does so many things right. I think that might be why I'm being so critical, because it's so close to being perfect for what it is.

 

[WonderCheese]

I started the game on Uber and I'm trying to decide whether I should stick with it (I'm still only in the first chapter) or just switch to Normal. I do enjoy a good challenge, but I don't like getting stuck too often and the rage that comes along with that can tend to ruin the overall experience to a degree.

Upping the difficulty can really enhance the experience on some games (Hard difficulty in The Last of Us, for instance), but other times it tends to piss me off to the point where I start to hate the game (Guacamelee, for instance).

Does the game end up feeling cheap in spots on Uber, or does the added difficulty add to the experience?

 

[Levyne]

I started the game on Uber and I'm trying to decide whether I should stick with it (I'm still only in the first chapter) or just switch to Normal. I do enjoy a good challenge, but I don't like getting stuck too often and the rage that comes along with that can tend to ruin the overall experience to a degree.

Upping the difficulty can really enhance the experience on some games (Hard difficulty in The Last of Us, for instance), but other times it tends to piss me off to the point where I start to hate the game (Guacamelee, for instance).

Does the game end up feeling cheap in spots on Uber, or does the added difficulty add to the experience?

I didn't really run into any "cheap spots" on Uber until chapter 11 (a very tough fight with a lot of shotgun enemies that I eventually won and it felt great.) and chapter 14, where I eventually reloaded the chapter to find more ammo and armor for me at the beginning that wasn't there before when I kept dying and reloading at the checkpoint, was odd. There's also a very tough fight somewhere mid game (I think Chapter 8) that I was really struggling on but then learned that you can actually skip it, so it wasn't a big deal.

That said, no big deal at all in dropping down a level if it's not enjoyable.

 

[SwiftDeath]

I started the game on Uber and I'm trying to decide whether I should stick with it (I'm still only in the first chapter) or just switch to Normal. I do enjoy a good challenge, but I don't like getting stuck too often and the rage that comes along with that can tend to ruin the overall experience to a degree.

Upping the difficulty can really enhance the experience on some games (Hard difficulty in The Last of Us, for instance), but other times it tends to piss me off to the point where I start to hate the game (Guacamelee, for instance).

Does the game end up feeling cheap in spots on Uber, or does the added difficulty add to the experience?

There is a train station section of the game about half way in. If you make it there on Uber, feel free to lower the difficulty at that part. Everything else is fine on Uber in my experience

 

[Abusive_Red]

I'm at work, but I cannot wait to get home and read this.


I really think if Wolfenstein had a better first level it would have reviewed much better. It really is one of the best shooters of the last decade, but I guess some reviewers couldn't shake off that first impression.

I still liked the first level a lot, though.

I took the first level as being purposely more dated feeling, as it takes place back in BJ's heyday during the war. It puts that all to bed with the opening credits then you wake up into the new reality.

 

[WonderCheese]

I didn't really run into any "cheap spots" on Uber until chapter 11 (a very tough fight with a lot of shotgun enemies that I eventually won and it felt great.) and chapter 14, where I eventually reloaded the chapter to find more ammo and armor for me at the beginning that wasn't there before when I kept dying and reloading at the checkpoint, was odd. There's also a very tough fight somewhere mid game (I think Chapter 8) that I was really struggling on but then learned that you can actually skip it, so it wasn't a big deal.

That said, no big deal at all in dropping down a level if it's not enjoyable.

There is a train station section of the game about half way in. If you make it there on Uber, feel free to lower the difficulty at that part. Everything else is fine on Uber in my experience

Thanks guys. I'll just stick with Uber for now and drop it down if I get to a point where I want to bounce my controller off the wall.

 

[someday]

I beat this on Death Incarnate and just can't imagine playing it on Uber. I'm usually ok with difficulty but man I had a hard time. The checkpoints are less forgiving so maybe that didn't help. But, I'm playing the other timeline now on Normal and it's really too easy. I am really enjoying this game though. I wish I had bought this and rented Watch Dogs instead. These guys certainly deserved my money more than Ubisoft. I really hope there's a sequel.

 

[AJ_Wings]

You really liked the final level and boss encounter?

It felt so rushed to me, there was almost no build up at all from the moment you breach the fortress the encounter itself. I was half expecting the boss to cut out half way and for the level to open up again, and when it just ended it felt far too abrupt. Left me feeling really unsatisfied.

I loved the Bridge level design, but the enemy encounters didn't feel well thought out and a few sections of that level were a real slog.

Again, don't get me wrong, it does so many things right. I think that might be why I'm being so critical, because it's so close to being perfect for what it is.

The final assault into Deathshead's castle probably has one of my favorite combat encounters in the entire game. "Here is a crap load of soldiers, dogs, mechs and Ubersoldats. Go nuts!"

 

[sploatee]

The final assault into Deathshead's castle probably has one of my favorite combat encounters in the entire game. "Here is a crap load of soldiers, dogs, mechs and Ubersoldats. Go nuts!"

Me too! I loved the environment too and how it echoed the first level.

For me (as others have said) the game starts and ends fantastically. The weakest part is the lull in the middle although I understand why that lull is there - it does help establish character and atmosphere. The sewer level is probably the weakest part of the game.

 

[antitrop]

Nazis dead. Nazi robot dead. Broke all your shit. Helicopter secured.

 

[SwiftDeath]

Nazis dead. Nazi robot dead. Broke all your shit. Helicopter secured.

Yeah I love that line. Wish there was a compendium of the dialog for this game

At the beginning of that room he says something like "I'm going to beat you but it sure would be easier if you didn't have a goddamn army of robots"

 

[TheFLYINGManga_Ka]

Really clever on how you approach a level.

I died so many times on one part and was driving me crazy! Then on the loading screen I saw that if you take out the leader of the area they won't sound the alarm.

So I went all Sam Fisher to find the leader and then once I took him out, the rest was a cake walk.

Cool design! Makes me appreciate the game more.

 

[Cloudy]

Nazis dead. Nazi robot dead. Broke all your shit. Helicopter secured.

This is a stupid way to die.

 

[Metal-Geo]

Buoy... Buoyyyy... Silly word.

Still my favourite.

 

[Cloudy]

So guys, what's your favorite level and gun in the game?

So far, for me it's the assault rifle with rocket launcher mod (what a combo) and the Bridge level. Really a nice change of pace to be in a wide-open daytime level and the skyline looks so good. Also the traversal is pretty fun

PS: Do I get to keep all my mods for the other timeline?

 

[Messofanego]

So guys, what's your favorite level and gun in the game?

So far, for me it's the assault rifle with rocket launcher mod (what a combo) and the Bridge level. Really a nice change to pace to be in a wife-open daytime level and the skyline looks so good. Also the traversal is pretty fun

It's been a long time since we've had wife-open levels in games. Usually, they're just stuck in these linear house corridors.

Favourite weapon would have to be the godlike pistol. Like, seriously. It even gets a cool moon look.

Second would be the dual shotguns, they look so cool sharing the screen, and I love the cute sticky note when shrapnel mode is on. It's perfect for sections where there are hallways with lots of enemies.

I really wish there were more opportunities to cut open holes in metal to shoot with the LKW, I barely ever did that except for the helicopter base section. My request does go counter to what the game is about, giving you everything and letting you play it however you want, but I just didn't see the need for that function with the levels and would have liked some hints such as a heavy robot fight where you have to hide behind cover and take potshots with the LKW. Even if you used to cut open metal holes, why? The pistol is so godlike with the suppressor without the need for aim-down-sights like in the gif above, that you don't need a good aim spot with an open hole.

 

[Cloudy]

I barely ever did that except for the helicopter base section

2nd section of

Spoiler

Uboat level after you take out the heavy armor guys.

If you KO there, they even hint it. For the helicopter section,

Spoiler

I just dodged and charged my laser gun behind a pillar

 

[SwiftDeath]

So guys, what's your favorite level and gun in the game?

So far, for me it's the assault rifle with rocket launcher mod (what a combo) and the Bridge level. Really a nice change of pace to be in a wide-open daytime level and the skyline looks so good. Also the traversal is pretty fun

PS: Do I get to keep all my mods for the other timeline?

Honeslty I really enjoyed the train station although I might be a bit of a masochist. The build up to get to the train station was kind of slow and boring but once you got there oh boy

For guns I tend to favor dual AR Marksman set to Laser simply because there tend to be chargers about and they are a great combo against all enemies if not a bit short of ammo

Absolute favorite gun though is dual assault rifles set to rockets. Yes yes you have robots, army of men, turrets etc. YEAH WELL I GOT DUAL ROCKET LAUNCHERS!!!

 

[Cloudy]

I don't like dual-wielding for some reason. I only use it with shotguns on supersoldiers

 

[sploatee]

I'm pointing out the obvious here but Remote Play really does not work well with this game. I had easily my worst time with the game yet - I was RPing through the sewer level (including the bit with the boxes hanging from the ceiling) and it felt like I was underwater all of the time because of the lag. It's a shame - RP was alright in the early stages but now I'm getting some of the worst performance I've had since getting the console.

 

[SwiftDeath]

I don't like dual-wielding for some reason. I only use it with shotguns on supersoldiers

Yeah that's something dual-wielding is great for but I love taking down huge robots running and gunning with my dual marksman, or taking out 5 or so soldiers with my dual assault rifles before transitioning to cover.

 

[Messofanego]

I'm pointing out the obvious here but Remote Play really does not work well with this game. I had easily my worst time with the game yet - I was RPing through the sewer level (including the bit with the boxes hanging from the ceiling) and it felt like I was underwater all of the time because of the lag. It's a shame - RP was alright in the early stages but now I'm getting some of the worst performance I've had since getting the console.

What is Remote Play?

 

[sploatee]

What is Remote Play?

Streaming the PS4 to the Vita.

 

[d00d3n]

I wrote about the old school teleportation device transitions between levels in another thread:

I am a big fan of the ex-Starbreeze guys, but something is missing from Wolfenstein that keeps it from being a strong GOTY contender. The technical problems on PC when trying to activate basic functionality like MSAA were a big hassle, but more importantly, the old school teleportation solution to transitioning between levels felt really detrimental to the experience of playing the game.

For example the much hyped train story sequence - it looked really impressive in preview videos, but in the actual game the sequence felt crammed in between two levels. They tried to create an oppressive world, but the constant teleportation between story sequences and geographically distant locations (even using ridiculous stealth helicopters) made it really hard to immerse yourself in the world and feel the oppression.

I mean, imagine how effective that train sequence would have been if it had been preceded by escaping the military checkpoint of the previous level, hiding with a fake identity among other civilians, presenting forged paperwork to get on the train and getting to explore the train as a detailed location. All of this while being paranoid about being detected and with various stealth gameplay elements to make it possible to actually be detected. But instead of doing this, the game just cuts to the story sequence in question, which completely lacks tension as a result ...

Many of the levels that you "teleport" to could have been edited to be physically connected to the resistance headquarters hub, which would have required some effort from the developer, but would have vastly improved the immersion into the game world. Exploring the secret tunnels around the resistance headquarters in some short missions was a really fun experience, and I just wish that the developer had made more of an effort to facilitate that kind of connectedness between the hub and all the missions in the game.

 

[doniewhalberg]

I wrote about the old school teleportation device transitions between levels in another thread:

Hmm. Your ideas are good, but at the same time, I didn't find myself feeling the game lacking any of these things when I played it, nor do I feel it's lacking now I've read those other ways they could have gone about it. Sure, they would be interesting, but the game is interesting, ambitious and looong as it is. What you write could have been good, but what they did is good, so no complaints here. I certainly didn't find any of the game lacking tension. I actually liked the chapter breakdowns because it gave me a good starting/stopping point each night. Typically, I booted the game up, explored my current visit on home base then did a mission, and that usually gave me a real nice 2 hour chunk of game time each night, so there are pros to the way they did it.

 

[d00d3n]

Hmm. Your ideas are good, but at the same time, I didn't find myself feeling the game lacking any of these things when I played it, nor do I feel it's lacking now I've read those other ways they could have gone about it. Sure, they would be interesting, but the game is interesting, ambitious and looong as it is. What you write could have been good, but what they did is good, so no complaints here. I certainly didn't find any of the game lacking tension. I actually liked the chapter breakdowns because it gave me a good starting/stopping point each night. Typically, I booted the game up, explored my current visit on home base then did a mission, and that usually gave me a real nice 2 hour chunk of game time each night, so there are pros to the way they did it.

Interesting, and yeah, I guess that it may be beneficial to be able to complete separate sequences if you want to play the game in small chunks like that. I personally felt that the forward momentum in the game was quite weak as a result of the teleportation like transitions. I also played the game in short chunks, but it felt like the developer made this decision for me by preventing me from immersing myself in the game world.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

I wrote about the old school teleportation device transitions between levels in another thread:

I agree that it would've been a better game with a more seamless, connected structure between chapters and locations. Though I don't think the way it is now with clear chapter breaks and location jumps harms the game at all- I still really love the campaign- it would've been a real pleasure to flow in and out of different environments and set pieces experiencing everything in between.

It feels like asking for a lot considering the scope of the campaign as it is, but if I were forced to find a way to improve the presentation, that would be it..

 

[Zakalwe]

I wrote about the old school teleportation device transitions between levels in another thread:

Completely agree.

The game is on the cusp of being brilliant, this kind of development would have tipped it into greatness IMO.

 

[doniewhalberg]

Interesting, and yeah, I guess that it may be beneficial to be able to complete separate sequences if you want to play the game in small chunks like that. I personally felt that the forward momentum in the game was quite weak as a result of the teleportation like transitions. I also played the game in short chunks, but it felt like the developer made this decision for me by preventing me from immersing myself in the game world.

And hey, I don't disagree or anything, if they could have done it and done it well, I wouldn't have objected (I had similar thoughts about Dishonored when I played it). It's just hard to know whether they could have attempted it successfully with this project, so then it's hard to know if I want it haha. If they could have provided something on the level of say half life 2 which basically is a linear game but with fairly seamless transitions, then brilliant. But with that kind of connectivity I think I would have expected a similar increase in depth to the world and so, I'd rather have this, then them try it and it be a bad implementation. I'd be sitting saying "there was no point to those in-between areas, it may as well have been levels". I Remember people saying similar things about the last wolfenstein game actually.

 

[Cloudy]

Interesting, and yeah, I guess that it may be beneficial to be able to complete separate sequences if you want to play the game in small chunks like that. I personally felt that the forward momentum in the game was quite weak as a result of the teleportation like transitions. I also played the game in short chunks, but it felt like the developer made this decision for me by preventing me from immersing myself in the game world.

They could have used more cinematics to show the traveling but I don't feel we needed to play all those parts. The reason this campaign seems so much fresher than other recent shooters is that it ditches the go-go-go narrative and actually affords the characters some downtime...

Also, I'm not sure the point of this game is immersion. BJ isn't some mute character we're supposed to role-play as. The player is purposefully a 3rd person spectator. I think of it like a movie and I don't expect to immerse myself in those...

PS: Is there a laserkraftwerk upgrade for battery life? Geez, it runs out so fast and it's the best weapon against the robot guys lol

 

[notBald]

Hmm. Your ideas are good, but at the same time, I didn't find myself feeling the game lacking any of these things when I played it, nor do I feel it's lacking now I've read those other ways they could have gone about it. Sure, they would be interesting, but the game is interesting, ambitious and looong as it is. What you write could have been good, but what they did is good, so no complaints here. I certainly didn't find any of the game lacking tension. I actually liked the chapter breakdowns because it gave me a good starting/stopping point each night. Typically, I booted the game up, explored my current visit on home base then did a mission, and that usually gave me a real nice 2 hour chunk of game time each night, so there are pros to the way they did it.

Yeah, sounds like a lot of work for little gain. It would have been better, certainly, for those that play the game in one sitting. But at least you got the train ride, rocked trip, some driving, and such between areas. It also justified how B.J. would start without guns, seeing as it would be stupid to bring those along.

The only oddity being how he got back to Berlin from London fast enough to make a difference in that raid on the home base.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

They could have used more cinematics to show the traveling but I don't feel we needed to play all those parts. The reason this campaign seems so much fresher than other recent shooters is that it ditches the go-go-go narrative and actually affords the characters some downtime...

Also, I'm not sure the point of this game is immersion. BJ isn't some mute character we're supposed to role-play as. The player is purposefully a 3rd person spectator. I think of it like a movie and I don't expect to immerse myself in those...

I'd think that having a more connected journey would give the game even more downtime and opportunities for character interaction and world building. "Forward momentum" in d00d3n's post is about the chapter to chapter pacing, not about forcibly being pushed like modern military shooters. He feels like the forward momentum was broken constantly because the game decided to jump you ahead between chapters. If anything, that method is more "go-go-go" than what he's talking about.

And immersion doesn't have to be about playing a mute character and pretending it's you. Immersion is also about a sense of cohesion and tangibility to the game world. You're being immersed in BJ's story which is why you play sections like Chapter 8 in the camp with the long build up walking in line and touching the machinery. Or the base chapters. Or going through the body scan in chapter 13 remaining in first person.

 

[Messofanego]

Streaming the PS4 to the Vita.

Huh, interesting.