I feel that Doom 4 could definitely give us a couple new weapons for us to slaughter the demon horde with. I just came up with one particular concept for a new weapon that would easily fit into Doom 4's arsenal. I call it the Shredder (and no, not the one from Turok 2). It would function as a stylish replacement for the Chainsaw, being a handy melee weapon with a vertically rotating razor blade, allowing you to saw opponents.
Now how would this would differ from the normal chainsaw, you might be asking yourself. The weapon would have an alternate fire that would launch the blade out, slicing enemies that stand in its ways. Upon making contact with a wall, it would create a fairly small explosion on impact, and then split into two fragments, with each fragment splitting into two more upon hitting another wall, and finally each of those splitting again upon hitting yet another wall. After all of this occurs, the eight pieces would then disintegrate upon their next impact with any surface. It would be good for clearing out rooms filled with lesser enemies, and it would also lead to extreme chaos in multiplayer.
After you launch the razor blade out, another one will be loaded into the weapon after a brief delay. If you press the primary fire again before another blade is loaded into your weapon, you will be able to detonate the launched out razor blade during it's flight, dealing some light splash damage and immediately splitting it into eight.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Halo 5 Spartan Abilities
Halo 5 will feature "Spartan Abilities", which are default abilities that can be accessed by all players. Despite my ranting earlier, I decided to look more deeply into gameplay footage so I can make a proper analysis, rather than blindly hating the game for Sprint/ADS without even looking at how the different features are implemented. Below I will discuss my first impressions on each of the Spartan Abilities.
Thruster Pack
Serving as a quick boost of speed in any direction, the Thruster Pack seems to work great. I never once thought it would be a bad idea to implement this as a default ability, as it enhances strafing and also allows players to dodge incoming projectiles (rather than being helpless if a rocket is coming their way).
Ground Pound
At first I detested against players being able to one-shot-kill off spawn, but this move has quite some delay to it, meaning it might not be as overpowered as one would initially think. Players actually have a good amount of time to dodge incoming ground pounds. Not only this, but apparently it takes quite a bit of accuracy to line up your ground pounds, although I'll have to play it for myself before I'm able to confirm or deny this. The attack also deals some light splash damage, presumably in a shockwave effect.
Clamber
This ability lets you climb up ledges, and I'm not a fan of it for a couple reasons. My main gripe is that it takes away the emphasis on crouch-jumping. Anyone who's ever played a well-crafted ninja map knows what I'm talking about when it comes to the elite skill of crouch jumping. Of course I am exaggerating quite a bit, but regardless, crouch jumping is way more skillful compared to automated climbing. Whereas crouch jumping requires good timing as well as a nice place to jump from, clambering is simply a matter of getting close to a ledge and allowing the game to do the work for you. As I mentioned before, this ability can make the game feel a bit automated at times, which is my second problem with this.
Sprint
Sprinting is back, and while it may be somewhat more balanced than previous iterations in the series, it's still quite game-breaking at the same time. All players now have unlimited sprint, but cannot recharge energy shields while doing so. Although I appreciate the fact that players aren't able to cheat death as easily as they could in Halo 4, I feel that it still allows them to significantly delay it, simply because if you happen to be running away, your pursuers can't keep up with you AND shoot you at the same time, rather they have to choose between one or the other. It often results in many cat-and-mouse chases, destroying the game's flow completely. It's like a chase scene from a Kung Fu movie, but on a strict budget and getting in the way of the action, rather than enhancing it. I would've liked to see it removed as Thruster Pack seems like a nice replacement.
Slide
Whenever you reach the terminal velocity of a sprint, you're able to go into a slide via the crouch button. This makes you a smaller target, and can allow to quickly close the gap with enemies for a stylish shotgun kill. However, I feel this ability is redundant and should've been combined with the Thruster Pack, considering that both can be used for the same exact function with little to no difference.
Charge
As long as it's not 1sk or comes with too much knockback, I'm fine with it, although I'd like to see it combined with Thruster Pack: initiated by meleeing during a thrust, which in turn grants extra knockback to your punch, but not enough to be considered overpowered.
Smart Scope
The last but not least. Smart Scope, also known as ADS, is the most controversial new player ability in the game. However, I change my mind on this one after watching around 20 minutes of gameplay footage. It seems to be implemented like it was in Brutal Doom, rather than the shitty modern military shooters we all seem to identify this feature with. Here it essentially acts as a reskinned zoom, with no accuracy penalty to hip firing, no movement penalty to aiming, and it also comes with descope, which is good as it balances longer range combat and is not random like flinch was in Halo 4. Any weapon has the ability to Smart Scope, although some do it better than others (for instance, zooming with a BR is better than zooming with the AR). With the AR it seems to function just like the zoom in Quake 3, which is totally fine in my eyes. Overall it doesn't seem to change gameplay at all, only being an aesthetic difference to the traditional zooming from past installments. My only problem are the way the sights look themselves, especially on the BR/SMG, although this is a minor graphical complaint and as such does not really matter all that much.
Summary
Thruster Pack = Good
Ground Pound = Good
Clamber = Shit
Sprint = Shit
Slide = Good (but Redundant)
Charge = Good (but Redundant)
Smart Scope = Good
Overall = 5/7 (Meaning about 70% of these abilities are alright)
Thruster Pack
Serving as a quick boost of speed in any direction, the Thruster Pack seems to work great. I never once thought it would be a bad idea to implement this as a default ability, as it enhances strafing and also allows players to dodge incoming projectiles (rather than being helpless if a rocket is coming their way).
Ground Pound
At first I detested against players being able to one-shot-kill off spawn, but this move has quite some delay to it, meaning it might not be as overpowered as one would initially think. Players actually have a good amount of time to dodge incoming ground pounds. Not only this, but apparently it takes quite a bit of accuracy to line up your ground pounds, although I'll have to play it for myself before I'm able to confirm or deny this. The attack also deals some light splash damage, presumably in a shockwave effect.
Clamber
This ability lets you climb up ledges, and I'm not a fan of it for a couple reasons. My main gripe is that it takes away the emphasis on crouch-jumping. Anyone who's ever played a well-crafted ninja map knows what I'm talking about when it comes to the elite skill of crouch jumping. Of course I am exaggerating quite a bit, but regardless, crouch jumping is way more skillful compared to automated climbing. Whereas crouch jumping requires good timing as well as a nice place to jump from, clambering is simply a matter of getting close to a ledge and allowing the game to do the work for you. As I mentioned before, this ability can make the game feel a bit automated at times, which is my second problem with this.
Sprint
Sprinting is back, and while it may be somewhat more balanced than previous iterations in the series, it's still quite game-breaking at the same time. All players now have unlimited sprint, but cannot recharge energy shields while doing so. Although I appreciate the fact that players aren't able to cheat death as easily as they could in Halo 4, I feel that it still allows them to significantly delay it, simply because if you happen to be running away, your pursuers can't keep up with you AND shoot you at the same time, rather they have to choose between one or the other. It often results in many cat-and-mouse chases, destroying the game's flow completely. It's like a chase scene from a Kung Fu movie, but on a strict budget and getting in the way of the action, rather than enhancing it. I would've liked to see it removed as Thruster Pack seems like a nice replacement.
Slide
Whenever you reach the terminal velocity of a sprint, you're able to go into a slide via the crouch button. This makes you a smaller target, and can allow to quickly close the gap with enemies for a stylish shotgun kill. However, I feel this ability is redundant and should've been combined with the Thruster Pack, considering that both can be used for the same exact function with little to no difference.
Charge
As long as it's not 1sk or comes with too much knockback, I'm fine with it, although I'd like to see it combined with Thruster Pack: initiated by meleeing during a thrust, which in turn grants extra knockback to your punch, but not enough to be considered overpowered.
Smart Scope
The last but not least. Smart Scope, also known as ADS, is the most controversial new player ability in the game. However, I change my mind on this one after watching around 20 minutes of gameplay footage. It seems to be implemented like it was in Brutal Doom, rather than the shitty modern military shooters we all seem to identify this feature with. Here it essentially acts as a reskinned zoom, with no accuracy penalty to hip firing, no movement penalty to aiming, and it also comes with descope, which is good as it balances longer range combat and is not random like flinch was in Halo 4. Any weapon has the ability to Smart Scope, although some do it better than others (for instance, zooming with a BR is better than zooming with the AR). With the AR it seems to function just like the zoom in Quake 3, which is totally fine in my eyes. Overall it doesn't seem to change gameplay at all, only being an aesthetic difference to the traditional zooming from past installments. My only problem are the way the sights look themselves, especially on the BR/SMG, although this is a minor graphical complaint and as such does not really matter all that much.
Summary
Thruster Pack = Good
Ground Pound = Good
Clamber = Shit
Sprint = Shit
Slide = Good (but Redundant)
Charge = Good (but Redundant)
Smart Scope = Good
Overall = 5/7 (Meaning about 70% of these abilities are alright)
Monday, November 10, 2014
Super Castlevania IV = Overrated
Super Castlevania is a really exceptional game, however, sometimes I feel that it's kind of overrated compared to its predecessors (excluding Simon's Quest, that game was shit). With Castlevania IV, many fans look at things such as the improved air control, as well the ability to swing your whip in any direction, as the game's selling points. However, I disagree entirely and it really takes some of the fun out of the experience.
Castlevania, at it's core, is a game that was all about patience, timing, and planning. You weren't allowed to change direction in mid-air, simply because the game encouraged players to be patient and wait for the right time to jump. Whenever you died during a platforming section, it was often because you messed up on your timing. It wasn't the games fault that you fell into a bottomless pit, it was your fault for jumping too early or too late. While there's definitely some cheapness in the game (player knockback being extremely aggravating to me), the control wasn't necessarily bad. It was restricted for a reason, and that's because the game was all about timing. If you weren't patiently, you were penalized for it. Super Castlevania IV takes this entire aspect out of the game.
Not to mention that the sub-weapons are underpowered as fuck. You can use the whip for just about any situation because of its increased length, and the ability to swing in multiple directions. In the previous Castlevanias, the whip was designed to be less useful, which was for a good reason. This encouraged players to use their sub-weapons for situations that the whip isn't good for. And the funny thing is, in Super Castlevania IV there were certain parts of the game where they expected you to use a specific sub-weapon to clear the area, but the whip was so immensely overpowered that you have no need for the sub-weapons in the first place. All you ever had to do in that entire game was just spam the whip 24/7. Where's the strategy in that?
If they were going to put so much emphasis on the whip, the game should've been better designed around it. They had those grappling sections where you had to use the whip in order to swing from place to place, but aside from that, there were no other obstacles that allowed for cool, unique ways to use the whip. I would've liked to be able to lasso a small enemy with the whip and throw it as a projectile (like Super Mario Bros 2, but a bit more badass). What about being able to ride on ziplines? That would've been cool. How about a spin jump attack that uses the whip, sort of like Zero's double jump from the Mega Man X series? I feel that there were some serious missed opportunities.
Castlevania, at it's core, is a game that was all about patience, timing, and planning. You weren't allowed to change direction in mid-air, simply because the game encouraged players to be patient and wait for the right time to jump. Whenever you died during a platforming section, it was often because you messed up on your timing. It wasn't the games fault that you fell into a bottomless pit, it was your fault for jumping too early or too late. While there's definitely some cheapness in the game (player knockback being extremely aggravating to me), the control wasn't necessarily bad. It was restricted for a reason, and that's because the game was all about timing. If you weren't patiently, you were penalized for it. Super Castlevania IV takes this entire aspect out of the game.
Not to mention that the sub-weapons are underpowered as fuck. You can use the whip for just about any situation because of its increased length, and the ability to swing in multiple directions. In the previous Castlevanias, the whip was designed to be less useful, which was for a good reason. This encouraged players to use their sub-weapons for situations that the whip isn't good for. And the funny thing is, in Super Castlevania IV there were certain parts of the game where they expected you to use a specific sub-weapon to clear the area, but the whip was so immensely overpowered that you have no need for the sub-weapons in the first place. All you ever had to do in that entire game was just spam the whip 24/7. Where's the strategy in that?
If they were going to put so much emphasis on the whip, the game should've been better designed around it. They had those grappling sections where you had to use the whip in order to swing from place to place, but aside from that, there were no other obstacles that allowed for cool, unique ways to use the whip. I would've liked to be able to lasso a small enemy with the whip and throw it as a projectile (like Super Mario Bros 2, but a bit more badass). What about being able to ride on ziplines? That would've been cool. How about a spin jump attack that uses the whip, sort of like Zero's double jump from the Mega Man X series? I feel that there were some serious missed opportunities.
Noob's Guide to Strafejumping
Strafejumping is probably the first skill I learned while playing the Quake series, because it comes at no self damage, and in actuality it's not all that hard to do.
Simply hold the forward key as well the left or right strafe key, all while continuously jumping. Now during these jumps, you must move the mouse toward the direction of the strafe key that is being used, which is essential for gaining maximum the speed and acceleration. It's also really good to alternate between the two strafe keys for every jump, this is yet another technique that will allow you to utilize the full power of strafejumping. Just be careful not to bump into any walls, or else friction will take into effect, thus slowing you down immensely.
Once you've mastered the basis of this technique in Quake 3, now it's time to move onto circlejumping, which is often used to begin a set of strafejumps. It's useful to gain a sudden burst of speed that, when combined with strafejumping, allows you to unleash your inner speed demon. Firstly, turn your character 90 degrees away from the direction you plan to move in. You then hold forward and either the left or right strafe key (depending on the direction you wish to take), while turning your character to face ahead. From that instant, begin your strafe jumping and you are all set. The 90 degree turn is essential for maximizing your starting acceleration.
Tutorial video is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOffE5_k2f0
Tutorial video is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOffE5_k2f0
Resident Evil and Survival Horror
Resident Evil is an example of an awesome game that essentially gave birth to its own genre, which we know today as Survival Horror. The stiff, clunky controls, the claustrophobic map design, and the individual strength of zombies were three core elements that made this game a classic. You were not a powerhouse by any means, you were a weak, frail human being in the midst of a dreaded zombie apocalypse.
My problem with modern Resident Evil is the sheer fact that it isn't Resident Evil. It's no more about avoiding confrontation and desperately trying to hold on for dear life, now it's just a generic action game with third person shooter mechanics. Now you can easily take on an entire zombie horde at a time, unlike classic Resident Evil where just two average zombie could prove to be a significant threat. Modern Resident Evil needs to buff the zombies, make the environments tighter and more claustrophobic, bring back the slower pace, and make ammunition less common, all so the series can be brought back to its roots as a survival horror game.
One thing that has to go is zombies using guns. This isn't Gears of War. I don't mind Tyrants using heavy weaponry, but don't ever give a fully automatic assault rifle to the average zombie. It works for the Flood in Halo, but not for zombies in Resident Evil.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
THE CENSORSHIP OF 343 INDUSTRIES
343 Industries has now proven themselves as a greasy, disloyal, money-milking corporation with no care for their fans, and no passion for the gaming industry.
Around the past 24 hours there has been a leak displayed of Halo 5's multiplayer gaming, displaying Sprint and Aim Down Sights. Didn't the vast majority of the community vote against sprint? Didn't just about EVERYONE say "FUCK NO" to sprint? Yet they do it anyway ON PURPOSE to the displeasure of their fan base. Behavior such as this disgusts me, but it gets even worse.
They make the mistake, but they don't want to handle the consequences. My he forums has been in hell for the past day, fans outraged and criticizing 343i for their actions, I don't blame them. This is TWICE IN A ROW now. I forgave them for Halo 4 due to it being their first game but this draws the line. The company has temporarily banned hundreds of forums users for calling them out on their shit, Censorship at it's finest.
Thankfully I can get around their bullshit bans through some special tricks up my sleeve, but regardless, they are being unfair to their fan base, considering that THEY KNEW this was going to happen. I am currently thinking of beginning a massive Halo 5 boycott group, like the one they started for Left 4 Dead 2, but this one is guaranteed for success if I so choose to go through with it.
Later I'll post the image confirming my ban, I'll post the link to the leaked gameplay footage, and I'll also be citing my sources, but as of right now, I'm tired as shit. One thing I will have to say though, as a passionate competitive FPS gamer, I am disgusted. This kind of shit wants me to strangle myself in my own intestines.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Realism is the Enemy
One major problem with the modern military shooter (MMS), as I like to call it, is that they try so hard to be "realistic". Well...it's a fucking video game. Why? Why try to make it seem realistic if it's never going to BE REAL? The funny thing is, there are some gamers who believe that a shooter HAS TO BE realistic in order to be good. Why? Why this random requirement? It really makes no sense if you think about it. Since the game is in a virtual space and isn't going to be real under any circumstance,,,wouldn't want to focus on not being realistic? Wouldn't it be more fun to be able to do things that you can't in real life? Games allow for these opportunities, yet some stupid minded people like to dismiss any unrealistic game as being "bad". What the hell happened to creativity? I'd also like to mention that these dumbasses don't usually have a problem with Minecraft, Mario, or Street Fighter. So these genres are allowed to be unrealistic, but shooters can't be for some reason? Flawed logic. Realism is nothing but a restriction to creativity.
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