Guerrillas in the Mist
Member
My current GOTY and the best single-player FPS since Half-Life 2. Fantastic work, OP.
I'm not calling you out specifically, but I have to wonder if people would even mention this if they used an Indiana Jones "red line on a map" or something.(I'd swear you jump between Berlin and London as if they are the same)
Everyone's praise for the game has definitely put it on my radar.
I was on the fence during the Steam sale but googling up how it runs on a 560 Ti kind of put me off.
I'll probably buy it when I buy one of the new consoles.
As soon as I build my gaming PC, this will be the first purchase I make for it. Kind of kicking myself in the arse for not getting a chance to play Wolfenstein 2008.
I'm not calling you out specifically, but I have to wonder if people would even mention this if they used an Indiana Jones "red line on a map" or something.
Armored heavies aren't fun to fight, especially on higher difficulties, and especially when the game seems keen to dropping you in crazy small areas to fight them in, but everything else is top notch.
Also agree with OP's shout out to Syndicate's gunplay. And since co-op in that game was pretty much nothing but continuous shooting it'll go down as one of my all time favorites.
Armored heavies aren't fun to fight, especially on higher difficulties, and especially when the game seems keen to dropping you in crazy small areas to fight them in, but everything else is top notch.
Modern game reviewers, in general, have absolutely no idea what makes a good FPS.Can't believe there's finally a game where I can say "the critics got it right". Game was good but not nearly as good as some on GAF might suggest.
I will get the game eventually, but I have a hard time spending $60 on a single player only FPS
What's with heavies these days? It's like every game has them. They're not fun or interesting.
What's with heavies these days? It's like every game has them. They're not fun or interesting.
The maps are complex, packed with meaningful collectibles and alternate routes that remind me of older stealth games such as Splinter Cell where you go oh I could have gone through there the whole time. Thankfully, the big touted location is open and a visual treat. Its a bit disappointing that there isnt some significant gameplay change here (how awesome would zero grav combat be?) and it left me wanting more but I think thats a good thing. Some levels arent as open which makes sense as the pace quickens in the story when you build up a reputation for the resistance from chapters 13 to the end.
It was out-of-the-blue when back at EGX London in September 2013, I realised I didnt have to play the game like CoD in the case of avoiding aim-down-sights and adopting a more run-and-gun playstyle. There are no Call of Duty style X hit confirmation markers, a restrictive 2-weapon system (which is understandable for a pseudo-realistic military game), respawning perfectly accurate enemies, scripted trigger fails, follow the leaders butt and wait for them to perform overdrawn animations, or overly tunnelling corridors (unless if it makes sense like in a submarine). There are no scripted weapon sections where an empowering weapon is given to you to take down a boss and is never used again.
Why bother with most of this stuff when you could just play it like CoD? That might be because the enemy AI is really good. They wont charge at you like mindless cronies. They like to hang back and call others to flank you (this is all in German, too). If youre hiding behind cover whack-a-moleing them one by one like a shooting gallery, theyll flush you out with grenades or surprise you from the sides. Aiming down sights will make you a stationary target which you dont really want with such aggressive Nazis. Even at the start of Chapter 14 in Return to London Nautica where you crash land via rope and Syndicate-style enemy takedown with not much of a weapon cache while being absolutely hammered via an ambush of a shotgun shrapnel dude and ten other enemies, its still advisable to move around. This thinking extends to the few boss fights that there are, too, where you're encouraged to use all your weapons.
In many sections, youll have a chance to go stealth with taking down any commanders in the area who are the only ones to set off the alarm for reinforcements. My way was to take out the commanders first, and then go dual-wielding on the town with the rest of them.
I nearly forgot to mention there is a destruction system! Yeah, most of the wood/concrete [GIF] and metal grates [GIF] can be shot off too with the Laserkraftwerk, which is great in rattling out the few stranglers of enemies but also nail-biting when youre on the receiving end of giant turret wielding Supersoldaten or heavy robots wrecking up all your cover giving even more impetus to not be pinned down in one spot.
Im not a diehard elitist when it comes to a certain brand of storytelling, but I do prefer when you cant get everything from just a youtube playthrough. I like when not everything can be gleaned from just watching the cutscene library or listening to audio diaries or reading some supplemental materials. Remedys games (Max Payne 1 and 2, Alan Wake) are my absolute favourite mould where you still have dramatic cinematics but also theres enough detail in the environment or through character interactions and pulpy noir inner monologues while youre playing the game. Theres always something happening in your periphery. I feel this is how the influence of adventure games have carried on to qualify some games as truly action adventures. Which is all present in Wolfenstein: The New Order and what Machinegames set out to make.
Nearly every single character is interesting and memorable in their own way. The villains are chilling and charismatic. Ive mentioned it elsewhere, the four main female characters (Caroline, Anya, Tekla, Frau Engel) are pretty great too. Unlikely relationships are built between allies like between Max Hass and Klaus (father-son like), Wyatt and J (they both love music), Fergus (greatest Scottish character in a videogame) and Tekla, Anya and Blazko (most naturally presented romance in a game), or Set Roth and Caroline. Its all backed up by faultless voice acting from top to bottom (even the enemies shouting in German).
Check out Shadow Warrior (2013) for the real deal. It absolutely smokes New Order in every respect.
What's with heavies these days? It's like every game has them. They're not fun or interesting.
Since you didn't discuss the game's replay value, I'd like to bring that up. The game is a fully priced game with the length of a COD campaign, with a second story route that has a minimal influence on the game (I didn't complete it, so if I'm wrong, correct me). That is a big detractor from the game's quality. Games with even less content, like Titanfall, can manage to have replay value in their competitive aspect, which sustains replay value relative to the depth of player strategies used in combat; but TNO, as an SP game, is not afforded that privilege. Once you've experienced the game, you've accomplished almost all that you could do in it.
Being forced to move around an environment is worthwhile, though. Something that makes you reconsider the way you usually treat the space. It seems like the behavior heavies are meant to encourage.
It must be a tough problem. You make the heavy's damage output too weak -> players aren't intimidated. Raise the damage output -> players are too afraid to move at all. If most players sit behind cover and unload (I suspect this is true), then, yeah, they probably shouldn't be in games of this sort and a better solution should be found.
Hyperbole off the charts. I'm sorry, but while this game is good, there is no way in hell it's GOTY.
My current GOTY and the best single-player FPS since Half-Life 2. Fantastic work, OP.
What is Machine Games working on next?
Whatever Bethesda lets them work on. Hopefully a new IP.
Whatever Bethesda lets them work on. Hopefully a new IP.
What? I don't think you've played a modern COD campaign/clone.