Copanele's collection of trophies and experiences

[Joe Dubz]

9 minutes ago, Copanele said:

All I am hoping is that Path of Pain is not as jank/awful/please shoot me like Stormy Ascent was in Crash Bandicoot. If I have to do that kind of stupid shit one more time I might lose it

Wooooo boy, geezus that looked rough... I had to watch a video to see what that was all about! But as I said, not to worry because you don't necessarily even need to do it if you don't want to! I just looked it up to be sure and it isn't needed for the one trophy... So you'll be aight regardless!!!

[Copanele]

No. 160: Uncharted - Drake's Fortune

+💯 % completed

Platinum Name: Platinum

Hardest Trophy: Charted - Brutal finish the Campaign on Brutal difficulty

Difficulty: 5.5/10

Personal impression: 7.7/10

 

I mentioned it in a status update before, but anyone ever watched Relic Hunter? A TV show with Tia Carrere where she was a famous treasure hunter, accompanied by a bookworm sidekick who was the heart of the show and where together they hunt all kind of trinkets, curses and treasure was the friends we made along the way. Each episode had a crazy thin plot that nobody cared about, but you had a good time watching that stuff regardless.

 

This is exactly the feeling that I had when playing Uncharted 1. It's a very VERY simple game with one-dimensional plot, a stupid "woah" revelation moment and lots, LOTS of ass kicking. I think there was even a treasure at some point, who knows anymore ?

 

Ok enough parallels. In Uncharted 1 you play as Nathaniel Drake, a daredevil adventurer who is after the famous treasure of El Dorado who was allegedly discovered by his great-great-great ancestor Francis Drake. Accompanied by reporter/thrill seeker Elena and his best friend Sully (I think it's his best friend?), Nate follows the clues left by his predecessor in finding the famous treasure. Along the way he battles pirates, elite pirates and a...special kind of pirates, since of course he is not the only one who wants the treasure.

 

What stood out for me in this game, considering its age, is the graphics. Man this game looks good. Yes I know it's also remastered but I checked the original version and yeah, not bad Naughty Dog! Everything looks on point, the jungle FEELS like a jungle (aka annoying to traverse), the sun rays at the beginning also set the mood for the adventure. The graphics only lack when it comes to actual tombs, those are the blandest tombs I ever raided.

Music's also good, lots of ambiental, but it gets alert when you are in an encounter...I really have nothing to say about the music score, it really wasn't that remarkable for me sorry

 

Now for the gameplay...it's around 30% platforming and 70% shooting and...to be honest that's the main flaw of the game. Although the gameplay itself works, with cover system, lots of weapons, smart enemies that don't just stand there, but actually cover, try to flank you, throw grenades and all that, IT'S TOO MUCH. Considering how many people you kill, Nathan Drake is the equivalent of Genghis Khan in terms of murders. Holy crap you shoot A LOT OF GOONS to the point where it's infuriating. Even Drake comments mid-fight "how many of you are there!".

That's a nice touch to be honest, Drake getting "oh no no no " whenever a grenade lands near him or "this isn't my day" when he is overwhelmed by gunfire really contributes to the mood.

 

On the other hand, platforming and puzzle solving was made for kindergarden kids. The game's main flaw is that it's holding your hand for the entirety of the playthrough. Every time you reach a puzzle room, you get an "open your notebook" pop-up for a clue to the solution -- problem is that the notebook straight up gives you the answer to the riddle. No guessing, no nothing, just says "statue x must be in position y" or "follow these numbers to exit the room". And if that's not enough, if by any chance you are lost or have no idea where to go (pretty hard since all the climbable sections are painted white, like it's Mirror's Edge or something), a "press the up button" prompt appears on the screen which indicates you EXACTLY where you have to go. This was actually annoying. I played my first playthrough with my wife watching and even she went " Drake we are not blind, you know" when the game prompted me to climb the OH SO OBVIOUS WALL WITH A MASSIVE HOLE IN IT! Like wow game, stop already!

 

Now for the story - story is shit. Really, it's actually pretty bad I know that they wanted to make Nathan Drake a bootleg Lara Croft which herself is a bootleg Indiana Jones (best tomb raider ever 1v1 me on that), but maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan the story sucks. They didn't even try. Plot is obvious, tons of foreshadowing, unidimensional villain, big reveal which was a big bleh, some plot points that were forgotten mid-game (who built the trap in the jungle after all????). But from what I take, I think the story was just an excuse to introduce and flesh out the characters. And this is where it gets interesting.

 

At first I didn't like Nathan Drake. He looked like an idiot, with his gelled hair and his one liners and his mad clueless persona despite him knowing lots of history and languages. Same with Sully, what's with the "back in my day I was a lover boy" attitude? Elena...ok Elena was likeable from the get-go.

But since I played the game like 5 times because I didn't know you have to unlock difficulties...the characters grew on me. I don't know, Drake still was an idiot, but a lovable idiot, and Sully just managed to fool me with his happy personality. I legit went with the "ok lads, one more time on Crushing" attitude, eager to throw Drake to more vicious enemies this time. I have to give props to Naughty Dog for building up these characters and forcing us to play the game multiple times. Don't get me wrong, Nathan Drake is not even close to the image of Indiana Jones, but he's getting the job done. At least in this game.

 

As trophies...all I can say is, without tweaks, I would have been in a world of hurt. Ignoring the easy kill x enemies with weapon y or the various level speedruns, Crushing and Brutal(DLC) difficulty were A PAIN!!!!! WOW THOSE DIFFICULTIES WERE CHEAP! Luckily I could use a glitch to activate infinite ammo and one-shot kills (you can normally use those tweaks on the difficulty you're playing only AFTER you finish the game on said difficulty). Especially on Brutal, you die in 1-2 hits while enemies must be headshotted, because you get only 2-3 bullets as a drop. Brutal mode was incredibly unfair, the deepest respect goes to those who did the mode legit.

To best explain how easy you die in Brutal mode, here's a car chase section where I have to shoot with a minigun at chasing cars/motorbikes. It's not fun let me tell you:

 

Another trophy was the speedrun (finish the game under 2hrs 30 minutes) buuuut... I had fun with that. It can be done on Easy difficulty, most of the encounters you run & gun and the time requirement is very lenient. I finished the game in 2hrs 8minutes and I really took my time with sections like the Church or the Sanctuary? missions.

 

So...this was my Uncharted 1 experience in a nutshell. Not good, not bad, but it convinced me to play Uncharted 2 some time in the future. I heard that one is truly a great game, so I am curious to see if that's true.

 

THE GOOD:

- fun gameplay

- characters are likeable

- at points you really feel like a badass

 

THE BAD:

- the story is garbaggio

- the entire game feels like a B-rate movie

- Brutal difficulty is nonsense level of hard

- Why do we have the Jet Ski level?

 

Recommendation: Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tombif you ever played this on PS2 (i did on PC), it's a way better game in my opinion. Actual puzzle, mad fun fist fights, the whip and of course Dr Indy himself. Yes it has no trophies unfortunately, hope it will get remastered at some point.

Edited December 24, 2023 by Copanele

[DrBloodmoney]

Interesting Uncharted review, and good read mate - though I can't say I agree with all of it! ?

(30% platforming? Does Uncharted have any platforming? ) It's really just vertical traversal, as cinematic scope, rather than platforming as gameplay, isn't it?...

 

...To me, saying Uncharted has poor platforming is like saying Mass Effect sucks because it isn't a good rhythm game... ?

 

Really, I see the games as entirely swashbuckling, campy adventure-cover-shooters - and in that genre, I still think all four of the games excel - (I remain a big fan of the first one!)...

Personally, I'd struggle to think of a cover-shooting series I've enjoyed more - though, granted,  it isn't a genre I dive deep on - I'm a surface level kind of guy with those kind of game - I like a good, meat-and-potatoes narrative romp, with some likeable characters, a fast pace, and some silly spectacle - which the Uncharted series has for me in spades!

 

I enjoy the B-Movie aspects... though I must admit, for all that I am not really an action-movie guy, I would still take an Uncharted game over virtually any modern action movie!

 

52 minutes ago, Copanele said:

So...this was my Uncharted 1 experience in a nutshell. Not good, not bad, but it convinced me to play Uncharted 2 some time in the future. I heard that one is truly a great game, so I am curious to see if that's true.

 

I will say - and I really don't want this to come off the wrong way, so don't read anything into this that isn't there - but in the nicest possible way, I would caution against it.

 

I think if you are coming to Uncharted as a series now, in 2021 for the first time, a lot of the things that were truly impressive about Uncharted 2 at the time (and they were) will not have much impact now.

The train level in 2 was genuinely baffling as to how they managed to make it work at the time, (along with some parts like the cruise ship in Uncharted 3,) but really, at this point, Uncharted 4 is the only one left where the tech side remains a source of amazement - the rest have lessened as other games have caught up.

 

What you are left with is the cover shooting, the characters and the story. If those had no impact (or a negative impact) on you in the first game, there isn't much likely to change - the games absolutely stay true to a set formula, and the 'puzzles' and gameplay split remains largely the same - it's really just the setting, the tech, and the story that changes - as well as finessing of the mechanics. 

Edited November 24, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Copanele]

33 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Interesting Uncharted review, and good read mate - though I can't say I agree with all of it! 

(30% platforming? Does Uncharted have any platforming? ) It's really just vertical traversal, as cinematic scope, rather than platforming as gameplay, isn't it?...

 

...To me, saying Uncharted has poor platforming is like saying Mass Effect sucks because it isn't a good rhythm game... 

 

Really, I see the games as entirely swashbuckling, campy adventure-cover-shooters - and in that genre, I still think all four of the games excel - (I remain a big fan of the first one!)...

Personally, I'd struggle to think of a cover-shooting series I've enjoyed more - though, granted,  it isn't a genre I dive deep on - I'm a surface level kind of guy with those kind of game - I like a good, meant-and-potatoes narrative romp, with some likeable characters, a fast pace, and some silly spectacle - which the Uncharted series has for me in spades!

 

I enjoy the B-Movie aspects... though I must admit, for all that I am not really an action-movie guy, I would still take an Uncharted game over virtually any modern action movie!

To be honest, yeah there's way less platforming (also I suck at maths ) now that you say it, it really was for eye candy only!

Also my baboon brain was like that : Hey this fucker keeps jumping in picture A and B and C and he also has a gun! Means there's a lot of jumping around no? NO!

Well it wasn't "poor" platforming, just like...why are you even here kind of platforming. Which is fun because most of the promotional stuff that I see is Drake jumping or grabbing some shit, so there was my confusion.

 

For Uncharted however, I am not at all satisfied with ONLY this much sadly. It's personal preference, I know, but I can't stop comparing this game to the old Tomb Raider games or Indiana Jones where you had the gunning part AND you had legit puzzles / traversal stuff. Maybe I didn't get the idea of the game idk.

Again, I don't think it's a BAD game, I quite enjoyed it, it's just a very mediocre game in my opinion. It's like canteen food, it fills your stomach, it is seasoned with salt and pepper, but doesn't really make you enjoy culinary art, you know. Maybe I am asking too much

 

However this next part somehow confirms my inner suspicion/fear:

33 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

I will say - and I really don't want this to come off the wrong way, so don't read anything into this that isn't there - but in the nicest possible way, I would caution against it.

 

I think if you are coming to Uncharted as aseries now, in 2021 for the first time, a lot of the things that were truly impressive about Uncharted 2 at the time (and they were) will not have much impact now.

The train leve in 2l was genuinely baffling as to how they managed to make it work at the time, (along with some parts like the cruise ship in Uncharted 3,) but really, at this point, Uncharted 4 is the only one left where the tech side remains a source of amazement - the rest have lessened as other games have caught up.

What you are left with is the cover shooting, the characters and the story. If those had no impact (or a negative impact) on you in the first game, there isn't much likely to change - the games absolutely stay true to a set formula, and the 'puzzles' and gameplay split remains largely the same - it's really just the setting, the tech, and the story that changes - as well as finessing of the mechanics. 

If all they change is the setting and the tech while keeping the formula then yeah I can safely say that Naughty Dog is not a company for me. Thing is, most people who recommended me this series went "omg Uncharted 2 will blow your socks off, it's SO GREAT" and I was legit wondering wow how good can it be?

BUT given that most people just recommend me stuff without considering my tastes in videogames AND me having way more faith in your judgment, believe it or not considering this new info, I might indefinitely postpone Uncharted 2. Or at most, see a playthrough of the first level and see if it hooks me in.

 

To be honest, tech in itself never amazed me, it's HOW you present me the shit. NieR the original release (not Automata) was a butt ugly game. THE INTRO TO THE AERIE ALWAYS GETS ME EVERY SINGLE TIME! And it's like one new area with a city suspended in the sky big deal, but the camera work, the soundtrack, finding your way through that maze bullshit while hearing cryptic warnings, that tingles my experience and sadly nothing in Uncharted 1 came even close to that kind of moment, despite Uncharted 1 (not even talking about 2) being way more technologically advanced in terms of presentation.

 

Lots of ranting here I know, hope it was coherent enough

Edited November 24, 2021 by Copanele

[DrBloodmoney]

26 minutes ago, Copanele said:

To be honest, yeah there's way less platforming (also I suck at maths ) now that you say it, it really was for eye candy only!

Also my baboon brain was like that : Hey this fucker keeps jumping in picture A and B and C and he also has a gun! Means there's a lot of jumping around no? NO!

Well it wasn't "poor" platforming, just like...why are you even here kind of platforming. Which is fun because most of the promotional stuff that I see is Drake jumping or grabbing some shit, so there was my confusion.

 

For Uncharted however, I am not at all satisfied with ONLY this much sadly. It's personal preference, I know, but I can't stop comparing this game to the old Tomb Raider games or Indiana Jones where you had the gunning part AND you had legit puzzles / traversal stuff. Maybe I didn't get the idea of the game idk.

Again, I don't think it's a BAD game, I quite enjoyed it, it's just a very mediocre game in my opinion. It's like canteen food, it fills your stomach, it is seasoned with salt and pepper, but doesn't really make you enjoy culinary art, you know. Maybe I am asking too much

 

That's fair of course - they are, to me, the equivalent of Comic Book movies (or actually, more appropriately, James Bond movies) - there isn't deep substance there, but there is spectacle - and you know after one whether it's a formula that works for you . There are examples of good ones and bad ones, but it's a comparative thing, within a set formula - if you don't like the basic building blocks, then it doesn't really matter whether an individual one of them is a good or bad example of putting those building blocks together - they aren't going to do much for you!

 

Quote

However this next part somehow confirms my inner suspicion/fear:

If all they change is the setting and the tech while keeping the formula then yeah I can safely say that Naughty Dog is not a company for me.

 

I will say - The Last of Us might be still worth a look - for the simply reason that while the mechanical feel of the games is still similar, the building blocks are genuinely different.

The tone and narrative elements are much different, (and much better and more substantive, IMO) and the cover-shooting is completely replaced with stealth and brutality - but again, that is a new formula. Like the first one, and you are likely to like the second, don't like the first, and the same issue will arise.

 

(I know, I know, there is a massive contingent of people who like the first, but hate the second, but I don't think you fall in the camp they do - that was completely down to objecting to the story, rather than the gameplay (there is no reasonable argument whatsoever that TLoU2 is worse mechanically) - and you are generally a 'gameplay-forward' kinda dude. (just labelling you unsolicited there, sorry ? - if I'm wrong, just tell me to go F myself ?)

 

It was just that people didn't like having their perceptions of characters and narrative from the first one re-contextualised. Personally - I loved that aspect, and the more dour tone, but I don't think it's a coincidence that I also love The Godfather Part II more than The Godfather, for the same reason.)

 

 

Quote

 

Thing is, most people who recommended me this series went "omg Uncharted 2 will blow your socks off, it's SO GREAT" and I was legit wondering wow how good can it be?

BUT given that most people just recommend me stuff without considering my tastes in videogames AND me having way more faith in your judgment, believe it or not considering this new info, I might indefinitely postpone Uncharted 2. Or at most, see a playthrough of the first level and see if it hooks me in.

 

To be honest, tech in itself never amazed me, it's HOW you present me the shit. NieR the original release (not Automata) was a butt ugly game. THE INTRO TO THE AERIE ALWAYS GETS ME EVERY SINGLE TIME! And it's like one new area with a city suspended in the sky big deal, but the camera work, the soundtrack, finding your way through that maze bullshit while hearing cryptic warnings, that tingles my experience and sadly nothing in Uncharted 1 came even close to that kind of moment, despite Uncharted 1 (not even talking about 2) being way more technologically advanced in terms of presentation.

 

The tech was impressive - very much so at the time, but I hear you. Tech alone isn't enough if the games don't appeal on a base level - it's just for me they did, so the tech was a big additional draw. It's still hard to recommend on that alone though, so far after the fact, as other games have caught up. There are some sections that remain quite unique - (a firefight in a collapsing building in 2 is still a very impressive thing to see now,) but those moments are fleeting, and losing impact year-on-year.

 

 

Quote

Lots of ranting here I know, hope it was coherent enough

 

Totally - makes sense to me - I just like a rant back ?

Edited November 24, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Copanele]

23 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

I will say - The Last of Us might be still worth a look - for the simply reason that while the mechanical feel of the games is still similar, the building blocks are genuinely different.

The tone and narrative elements are much different, (and much better and more substantive, IMO) and the cover-shooting is completely replaced with stealth and brutality - but again, that is a new formula. Like the first one, and you are likely to like the second, don't like the first, and the same issue will arise.

Hahah prepare for this one I like that you mentioned The Last of Us because here's my takes:

• I platinumed AND 100%d The Last of Us.
• I thought it was a good game BUT  I wasn't very invested into it (here's my impression of the game btw)
• Best time I had when going "IT'S STEALTH BRICK TIME" as Joel on Grounded+

I never took part in the PSNP madness that was the launch of TLoU2 (damn, what a war that was ). But honestly I already knew I wouldn't play the game before the whole Tiger Woods reveal.

And yes, I will have to agree, at least the story is more spicy in part 2, it's not the textbook Little Red Riding Hood thing, THAT part got my attention ? but watching the game (and being spoiled of course, it was unavoidable)... mneh I wouldn't have a good time with it. But that is only because I wasn't too much into TLoU1 in the first place.

Am I a monster? IDK perhaps I did try to do a DMC brick combo on a Runner, I might be beyond saving at this point.

 

1 hour ago, DrBloodmoney said:

(I know, I know, there is a massive contingent of people who like the first, but hate the second, but I don't think you fall in the camp they do - that was completely down to objecting to the story, rather than the gameplay (there is no reasonable argument whatsoever that TLoU2 is worse mechanically) - and you are generally a 'gameplay-forward' kinda dude. (just labelling you unsolicited there, sorry  - if I'm wrong, just tell me to go F myself )

Now I have to say that this is mostly correct hahah damn I got exposed! But the actual answer is abit more tricky. Good - or at least functional - gameplay is mandatory, BUT not sufficient. Else I would be in love with the first Bayonetta game and...sadly I am not. I am more of an...uhm...atmosphere kind of guy? Does it make any sense? And a very finicky kind of atmosphere too, because TLoU has tons of atmosphere, but it's not my kind.

For instance I loved games like Cat Quest, Seasons after Fall, LA Noire because of their atmosphere and what they tried to sell. Sure, they are not at all the same, gameplay is nothing fancy but they sold me with their presentation and "the feels".

But I admit, I would always pick Devil May Cry over the aforementioned games (any entry except DMC2)

 

2 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

It was just that people didn't like having their perceptions of characters and narrative from the first one re-contextualised. Personally - I loved that aspect, and the more dour tone, but I don't think it's a coincidence that I also love The Godfather Part II more than The Godfather, for the same reason.)

That sounds a lot like God of War 2018 a game that I hold in VERY high regards. And why? Because Kratos did the biggest switcharoo ever -- he stopped being Kratos, or at least THE OLD Kratos, and MAN did I love that. It also was a point of grief for fans but eh I didn't like God of War 3 because of Kratos himself so I can't relate to the fans.

 

I also need to watch The Godfather at some point. I know the plot, some clips, but never watched from start to finish.

 

Whew honestly thanks for those tags, discovered alot more about myself today ? poor Naughty Dog studio won't make too much money with me.

[DrBloodmoney]

21 minutes ago, Copanele said:

Hahah prepare for this one I like that you mentioned The Last of Us because here's my takes:

• I platinumed AND 100%d The Last of Us.
• I thought it was a good game BUT  I wasn't very invested into it (here's my impression of the game btw)
• Best time I had when going "IT'S STEALTH BRICK TIME" as Joel on Grounded+

I never took part in the PSNP madness that was the launch of TLoU2 (damn, what a war that was ). But honestly I already knew I wouldn't play the game before the whole Tiger Woods reveal.

And yes, I will have to agree, at least the story is more spicy in part 2, it's not the textbook Little Red Riding Hood thing, THAT part got my attention but watching the game (and being spoiled of course, it was unavoidable)... mneh I wouldn't have a good time with it. But that is only because I wasn't too much into TLoU1 in the first place.

Am I a monster? IDK perhaps I did try to do a DMC brick combo on a Runner, I might be beyond saving at this point.

 

Haha, sorry - didn't remember you had done that one - yeah, that internet nonsense was a clown-shoe really - TLoU2 isn't eligible for Scientific Ranking yet (grounded still to go!) but when it is, I do know it will rank highly - and a lot of that is down to the story just just working on me.

I know I might sound like a  broken record on this, but I really think the fact that it is "The Last of Us Part II", rather than "The Last of Us 2" is not a coincidence. I think they knew exactly what they were doing with inviting a Godfather film comparison.

The second one's narrative is a two-part narrative, of course, but also really about confronting the players of the first game who worshipped Joel and loved Eliie, and forcing them to wrestle with their own feelings on the characters - taking them by the hand, and making them turn around, and see the stack of bodies left in their wake, and going "So, you really still think they're heroes?"

 

I don't know - it just got me - I spent ages worrying that they'd never be able to do anything good with the narrative, (I loved the ending of the first one, cutting to black in that last scene) - and was blown away at the balls they had to do what they did - and to pull a Kojima bait-and-switch with the trailer stuff, which is something I (as Kojima's biggest disliker / ignorer ?) never really got to experience the fervour around when he did it with MGS2.

 

 

Quote

Now I have to say that this is mostly correct hahah damn I got exposed! But the actual answer is abit more tricky. Good - or at least functional - gameplay is mandatory, BUT not sufficient. Else I would be in love with the first Bayonetta game and...sadly I am not. I am more of an...uhm...atmosphere kind of guy? Does it make any sense? And a very finicky kind of atmosphere too, because TLoU has tons of atmosphere, but it's not my kind.

 

Hey - an 'atmosphere guy' makes total sense - after all, we are both Souls fans, and atmosphere has to be the thing those games do best of all - and differently from any other game, so I totally know what you mean!

 

 

 

Quote

I also need to watch The Godfather at some point. I know the plot, some clips, but never watched from start to finish.

 

OH MY GOOOOODDDD.

 

Yes, sir, you really do. 

 

The whole trilogy. The first is incredible, The second one is, I think, one of the true greatest movies ever made - and while the third doesn't come close to measuring up, it isn't nearly the tyre-fire people say it is. (Actually, there is a new cut of it that came out this year, which is a genuine improvement, IMO)

 

I know the baggage that comes with "Great Classic movies" - people expect that the film will be exquisite, but not necessarily compulsive or enjoyable, but those moves aren't that - they're incredibly watchable, fun movies - that also happen to be powerhouses of cinema!

 

Edited November 24, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Yuber6969]

Congrats! Brutal difficulty looks ridiculous from the video you posted. I don't think I'd like this game lol.

[Copanele]

52 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

 

Haha, sorry - didn't remember you had done that one - yeah, that internet nonsense was a clown-shoe really - TLoU2 isn't eligible for Scientific Ranking yet (grounded still to go!) but when it is, I do know it will rank highly - and a lot of that is down to the story just just working on me.

I know I might sound like a  broken record on this, but I really think the fact that it is "The Last of Us Part II", rather than "The Last of Us 2" is not a coincidence. I think they knew exactly what they were doing with inviting a Godfather film comparison.

The second one's narrative is a two-part narrative, of course, but also really about confronting the players of the first game who worshipped Joel and loved Eliie, and forcing them to wrestle with their own feelings on the characters - taking them by the hand, and making them turn around, and see the stack of bodies left in their wake, and going "So, you really still think they're heroes?"

 

I don't know - it just got me - I spent ages worrying that they'd never be able to do anything good with the narrative, (I loved the ending of the first one, cutting to black in that last scene) - and was blown away at the balls they had to do what they did - and to pull a Kojima bait-and-switch with the trailer stuff, which is something I (as Kojima's biggest disliker / ignorer ) never really got to experience the fervour around when he did it with MGS2.

Well, now I have 3 remarks   because I saw something that made me chuckle:

1. "So, you really still think they're heroes?" - speaking of that, is Nathan Drake ever sorry for the carnage he leaves behind him in Uncharted? I can't believe that after all the stuff he went through in U1 his reaction at the end was "yahoo diamonds and this sexy blonde chick!And Sully". I swear he had the energy of Duke Nukem there ?
2. I have heard about that Part 2 thing in the title and if it's the case then...damn that's smart. I will give them that, it's very well thought!
3. So I am not the only one who doesn't really get along with Kojima's stuff. Again, mad respect for what he does, but maaaan his stuff irks me, it's the most anti-Copanele way of telling a story.

You know, the very bottom line (to save some for YOUR TLoUPII review after Grounded Mode+) -- I think I will ultimately play Uncharted 2 with the risk of really not liking it. Because I enjoy the discussions too much, to the point where I could add it as an entry for THE GOOD list

 

And YES I promise that at some point I shall watch The Godfather movies. From the clips I saw, I already love Michael Corleone's character (I mean, considering Al Pacino plays him....it's not a surprise, man is legendary)

26 minutes ago, yuber1234 said:

Congrats! Brutal difficulty looks ridiculous from the video you posted. I don't think I'd like this game lol.

Thanks! I can wholeheartedly say that, having an idea of what you play and what you enjoy, that NO you won't like this game at all May I play Persona 4 Golden if I am wrong ?

Edited November 24, 2021 by Copanele

[DrBloodmoney]

1 minute ago, Copanele said:

Well, now I have 3 remarks   because I saw something that made me chuckle:

1. "So, you really still think they're heroes?" - speaking of that, is Nathan Drake ever sorry for the carnage he leaves behind him in Uncharted? I can't believe that after all the stuff he went through in U1 his reaction at the end was "yahoo diamonds and this sexy blonde chick!And Sully". I swear he had the energy of Duke Nukem there

 

? - tell me about it - the difference between Joel and Nate Drake seems to be just we can't fathom the volume - reminded me of this: (around 0:50)

 

1 minute ago, Copanele said:

1. I have heard about that Part 2 thing in the title and if it's the case then...damn that's smart. I will give them that, it's very well thought!
2. So I am not the only one who doesn't really get along with Kojima's stuff. Again, mad respect for what he does, but maaaan his stuff irks me, it's the most anti-Copanele way of telling a story.

You know, the very bottom line (to save some for YOUR TLoUPII review after Grounded Mode+) -- I think I will ultimately play Uncharted 2 with the risk of really not liking it. Because I enjoy the discussions too much, to the point where I could add it as an entry for THE GOOD list

 

Haha - nice. Well, you never know - U2 is a great game, and does eclipse U1, so who knows, maybe it'll hit in a more positive way, even within the formula!

 

[Copanele]

Well, before starting U2, I had already decided on a game that I postponed for too long, Hitman 2 Silent Assassin, and from the very first sequences I was remembered of a piece of lore @DrBloodmoney, @rjkclarke

 

 

 

 

Apparently world's baldest assassin was created in Romania you're all welcome ?

(can't wait to use the Piano wire, been a long time since I played this game)

[Slava]

Yeah, watch (or even read) The Godfather, games can wait ?. It's a certified hood classic ?.

 

I think the modern Naughty Dog games are overrated. I played through TLOU, the plot and the story-telling were brilliant, and the game absolutely deserves the praise for them. In terms of tech it's amazing as well. But the gameplay didn't really impress me, especially the stealth part. And that's what I notice when I hear people describe what they love about TLOU - they never mention the gameplay. Yeah, it's decent, but there's nothing really worth praising. Now, I am also reminded of the gameplay in Uncharted (I watched playthroughs of the first three games back in 2010-2011) and after reading your review, I think the same thing. It's a solid 3rd-person cover shooter with cool set pieces, and that's it in terms of gameplay. Outside of combat, the game kinda plays itself. As mentioned above, the climbing mechanic, for example, is used as a decoration because the paths are usually very linear. You just jump to the next rock that conviniently sticks out of the wall (IDK about Uncharted 4 though, it probably gives more freedom to explore).

 

Uncharted 2 and 3 have the same gameplay core, but they get more creative with the set pieces. I'll allow myself to spoil one of the simplest ones because I just remembered what Adam Sessler of X-Play fame said about the second game. There's a chase level with multiple trucks, Nate is sitting inside one truck's cargo area and shooting enemies in other trucks while they all move. They also take damage and blow up, so Adam kept dying. Then he realized that he's supposed to jump into another trucks himself, and that moment was mindblowing to him in 2009 because cover shooters didn't really have anything like that before. This is just to give more context to what @DrBloodmoney said about what was impressive back then, but certainly not anymore. That said, the biggest moments should still hold up. 

 

When it comes to the story and comparisons with other media, I've heard people compare it to pulp adventure fiction. You know, the hundreds of old books where the charismatic main character goes to an "exotic" place, kills tons of people, saves the girl, and finds the treasure. All of that while joking around without any weigth of countless murders on his shoulders. If that's what Naughty Dog was going for, then they probably nailed it. Characters including Nate himself certainly don't care about the fact that he kills a small army of enemies ?. At the same time, Uncharted follows the steps of Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider in many ways. They definitely had an influnce. 

 

Edited November 24, 2021 by Slava

[Copanele]

No idea why I haven't pressed the "Submit Reply" button, sorry @Slava

 

On 11/24/2021 at 5:57 PM, Slava said:

Yeah, watch (or even read) The Godfather, games can wait . It's a certified hood classic .

Hah a movie to take priority before games now that will be a first for me. But yes I will seriously give them a go. I kinda know the plot (I am the world's worst spoiler avoiding person) but I still want to enjoy them.

 

On 11/24/2021 at 5:57 PM, Slava said:

I think the modern Naughty Dog games are overrated. I played through TLOU, the plot and the story-telling were brilliant, and the game absolutely deserves the praise for them. In terms of tech it's amazing as well. But the gameplay didn't really impress me, especially the stealth part. And that's what I notice when I hear people describe what they love about TLOU - they never mention the gameplay. Yeah, it's decent, but there's nothing really worth praising. Now, I am also reminded of the gameplay in Uncharted (I watched playthroughs of the first three games back in 2010-2011) and after reading your review, I think the same thing. It's a solid 3rd-person cover shooter with cool set pieces, and that's it in terms of gameplay. Outside of combat, the game kinda plays itself. As mentioned above, the climbing mechanic, for example, is used as a decoration because the paths are usually very linear. You just jump to the next rock that conviniently sticks out of the wall (IDK about Uncharted 4 though, it probably gives more freedom to explore).

 

Uncharted 2 and 3 have the same gameplay core, but they get more creative with the set pieces. I'll allow myself to spoil one of the simplest ones because I just remembered what Adam Sessler of X-Play fame said about the second game. There's a chase level with multiple trucks, Nate is sitting inside one truck's cargo area and shooting enemies in other trucks while they all move. They also take damage and blow up, so Adam kept dying. Then he realized that he's supposed to jump into another trucks himself, and that moment was mindblowing to him in 2009 because cover shooters didn't really have anything like that before. This is just to give more context to what @DrBloodmoney said about what was impressive back then, but certainly not anymore. That said, the biggest moments should still hold up.

From my point of view, the absolute worst part of the Naughty Dog games is the fandom and no I do not mean fans like good Doctor here, I mean the raging ones who go "crash bandicoot is the pinnacle of platforming you uncultured swine ENJOY IT OR ELSE" "TLoU has a triple oscar winning story, think otherwise and you're toast amigo" or the entirety of TLoU part 2, both sides! It's an issue that I find with most popular games lately, the fans are so obsessed in shoving their beloved game down your throat you end up losing 2-3 points of excitement for the said game.

Probably I would have enjoyed TLoU way more and admit it was a masterpiece and ranked it way higher up my preference list had I not heard "MAN THE STORY IS SO GOOD YOU WILL BUST 2NUTS/MINUTE EVERY TIME JOEL SPEAKS" every single time the game was mentioned.

 

I also am very cautious when going fan mode despite me LOVING some games to death - stupid Witcher 3 for example, which is my no.1 game of all time, I really avoid going raging fan mode about it simply because it's an European game, meaning you will have a janky ass time

Also for some reason Witcher 3 reminds me of STALKER. Not sure why I wrote this, but I wanted it out of my system ?

 

On 11/24/2021 at 5:57 PM, Slava said:

When it comes to the story and comparisons with other media, I've heard people compare it to pulp adventure fiction. You know, the hundreds of old books where the charismatic main character goes to an "exotic" place, kills tons of people, saves the girl, and finds the treasure. All of that while joking around without any weigth of countless murders on his shoulders. If that's what Naughty Dog was going for, then they probably nailed it. Characters including Nate himself certainly don't care about the fact that he kills a small army of enemies . At the same time, Uncharted follows the steps of Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider in many ways. They definitely had an influnce. 

 

OK I admit, from that point of view Uncharted nailed it. My favorite run was on Crushing difficulty when i unlocked unlimited ammo and 1 hit kills. Difficulty was Crushing, but not too Brutal and honestly infinitely spamming grenade launcher on the poor suckers was endless fun. You turn from a dumbass explorer with perfect hair into the most Commando person ever:

 

 

Ok, Uncharted has come and gone, time for me to write another review for a probably unexpected game that I started on a whim.

 

No. 161 - Catlateral Damage: Remeowstered

 

Platinum Name: Pawlatinum

Hardest Trophy: Photo Completionist

Difficulty: 2/10

Personal impression: 8.5/10

 

There's a certain type of games that I dub "relaxation games". This category contains stuff like Find the Differences, Find the hidden object, Scrabble or stuff like Cat Quest. Games that do not require anything from you except having a good time, but without insulting your intelligence, we do not talk about dressup games from old Miniclip. It's the type of games that make you go "man, what a shitty week I've had, no mood to go for that hard ass quest in Mass Effect, let's play something relaxing that turns off my brain".

 

Catlateral Damage does just that. I picked it up from Black Friday sales (or Indie sales? I never know) and decided to start it after a horrible work week which drained me of energy. It was the right choice, because this game is an absolute delight to play.

 

In Catlateral Damage, you are a cat. Your target is to create as much mayhem as possible, by knocking over objects, breaking stuff, scratching drapes etc. You have various levels and various objectives to accomplish. You have a certain energy bar which drains according to the actions that you make. Spreading mayhem rewards you with Treats that will allow you to buy certain upgrades (become faster, jump higher, more paw power). You also have to collect a certain number of pictures with actual cats in order to complete your collection.

And that's the entire premise of the game. And I loved it.

 

Normally I would have been eh about the game, but playing it in the right setting (me being stressed out of my mind ?) really helped! I actually loved going for the cat pictures, me being a cat lover. Spreading mayhem was endless fun and even my wife joined in for a couple of levels, her suffering from the same work fatigue. Funny how this little game managed to be so relaxing despite its simplicity. Yes, the game is nothing special, but I truly recommend it regardless if you want to have a legit good time with a clawed monster who aims to topple down an entire CD collection. Sure, the controls are abit iffy (it is an indie game) and the graphics are nothing special and some cats that you can select look like polygonal messes, but who cares, you're a cat and you break shit down. The age of humans is at an end. After one little nap.

 

Now that I am revitalized, it's time to go back to Agent 47's bald adventures in Hitman 2 Silent Assassin. Damn I forgot how good that game was.

 

THE GOOD:

- this game WILL relax you

- fun interactive levels

- the cats pictures are actually adorable

- this game has catnip and my god that's one crazy trip

 

THE BAD:

- you might not like it if you are not in the right mood

- not recommended for vicious dog lovers

- upgrading the cat actually downgrades your cat - your accuracy in jumping decreases

 

Recommendation: Cat Questa more in-depth gameplay and triple the fun, I'd say this one is a must play for anyone who likes to simply have fun with videogames. Definitely a hidden gem.

[Slava]

Sounds like this game perfectly captured cats' essense. They really do hate things being placed on the shelves, desks, and other surfaces. 

 

 

It must be nice to be in their perspective and do the same for a change, I guess ?.

 

34 minutes ago, Copanele said:

"crash bandicoot is the pinnacle of platforming you uncultured swine ENJOY IT OR ELSE"

 

uhhhh  ... You won't believe how often I held myself back from saying things like that, lmao. Growing up playing Crash, loving the shit out of these games on PS1, then seeing everyone online worship Mario 64 (Crash was not as popular in America as it was in Europe) and thinking that it looked shit - that was basically me 10+ years ago ?. Thankfully, I was not into fanboy wars even then. Now, I want to play every mainline Mario game and fill the blank space in my gaming life as a platformer fan.

 

Quote

It's an issue that I find with most popular games lately, the fans are so obsessed in shoving their beloved game down your throat you end up losing 2-3 points of excitement for the said game.

 

Actually, not wanting to play or watch something because it's being praised all over the internet is something that happens to me as well. I refuse to watch Squid Game for this exact reason, haha ?.

Edited November 27, 2021 by Slava

[FrediPy_]

On 24/11/2021 at 10:42 AM, Copanele said:

Now for the gameplay...it's around 30% platforming and 70% shooting and...to be honest that's the main flaw of the game. Although the gameplay itself works, with cover system, lots of weapons, smart enemies that don't just stand there, but actually cover, try to flank you, throw grenades and all that, IT'S TOO MUCH. Considering how many people you kill, Nathan Drake is the equivalent of Genghis Khan in terms of murders. Holy crap you shoot A LOT OF GOONS to the point where it's infuriating. Even Drake comments mid-fight "how many of you are there!".

Since you mentioned that you've thought about playing Uncharted 2, I have to say that this improves in the second game. I might be wrong because I played the originals ten years ago, but the impression I had at that time was the same as yours, too much shooting, a feeling I didn't have when I played U2. And I didn't even bother to finish the game in hard or crushing (brutal didn't exist back then) because I didn't care about trophies, but I already ended up tired of combat. I feel like the first Uncharted was just the foundation of what became a great game, U2 took the same formula and made something arguably mediocre into something brilliant, so I think you should at least try it! If U2 doesn't impress you, you can skip U3 ?

 

I doubt it's going to make the same wow effect now as it was ten years ago, but it might still hold as a great game.

 

And btw, I back that if you liked Guacamelee you should try Hollow Knight! Totally skip Path of Pain if you don't enjoy platforming, because it's really tight and really doesn't necessarily add anything to the game, but the rest of the "platforming" is standard metroidvania, with maybe some challenging bits but easily doable overall. 

[YaManSmevz]

On 11/24/2021 at 1:42 AM, Copanele said:

 

 

 

 

OOHH GOD GET IT AWAY!!!!???

 

That jeep sequence was horrific enough on Crushing, and then on Brutal I remember after a while just laughing every time I died because it had gotten so absurd.

 

Great job on the Uncharted review! Was a fun read. The story is definitely B movie material, but it's just so.. I dunno, inoffensive? Like Jerry Smith, oh-God-bless-him-he's-trying type of charm. I'd give it 7 "ooohh you son of a bitch"es out of 10.

 

On 11/24/2021 at 6:35 AM, DrBloodmoney said:

 

 

 

Dressed to Kill?

 

On 11/24/2021 at 7:57 AM, Slava said:

Yeah, watch (or even read) The Godfather, games can wait ?. It's a certified hood classic ?.

 

Facts?

[Copanele]

10 hours ago, FrediPy_ said:

Since you mentioned that you've thought about playing Uncharted 2, I have to say that this improves in the second game. I might be wrong because I played the originals ten years ago, but the impression I had at that time was the same as yours, too much shooting, a feeling I didn't have when I played U2. And I didn't even bother to finish the game in hard or crushing (brutal didn't exist back then) because I didn't care about trophies, but I already ended up tired of combat. I feel like the first Uncharted was just the foundation of what became a great game, U2 took the same formula and made something arguably mediocre into something brilliant, so I think you should at least try it! If U2 doesn't impress you, you can skip U3 

 

I doubt it's going to make the same wow effect now as it was ten years ago, but it might still hold as a great game.

 

And btw, I back that if you liked Guacamelee you should try Hollow Knight! Totally skip Path of Pain if you don't enjoy platforming, because it's really tight and really doesn't necessarily add anything to the game, but the rest of the "platforming" is standard metroidvania, with maybe some challenging bits but easily doable overall. 

At this point I really think I will give Hollow Knight a go before U2, just because I simply like that type of game more if I think about it. And if the controls are the same as in Guacamelee then yeah I might go for the Path of Pain. What I will truly attempt in that game is doing the ...Pantheon I think it was?...legit. I know glitching the game forever removes the entire joy (also Arcesius will hunt most definitely hunt me with a crossbow if I do that?) . I only understood that Pantheon is a boss rush so hell, Bloody Palace mode it is!

Anyway both of those games are on my radar and up in the priority list

 

8 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

 

OOHH GOD GET IT AWAY!!!!

 

That jeep sequence was horrific enough on Crushing, and then on Brutal I remember after a while just laughing every time I died because it had gotten so absurd.

 

Great job on the Uncharted review! Was a fun read. The story is definitely B movie material, but it's just so.. I dunno, inoffensive? Like Jerry Smith, oh-God-bless-him-he's-trying type of charm. I'd give it 7 "ooohh you son of a bitch"es out of 10.

Can I say that I actually had fun with the Jeep sequence? As mentioned, Nathan going ragdoll mode was SO FUNNY even if I died 200 times.

Of course when i got bored, I just activated super slowmo and did the damn thing. Brutal is hilariously unfair.

 

Now let's shock some people. I normally say that I will watch a movie and then immediately postpone it because honestly I am not a movie guy. But now I am in a vacation, visiting my parents and they have cable. So on the TV there was a particular movie and I promised I'd watch:

On 11/24/2021 at 3:31 PM, DrBloodmoney said:

OH MY GOOOOODDDD.

 

Yes, sir, you really do. 

 

The whole trilogy. The first is incredible, The second one is, I think, one of the true greatest movies ever made - and while the third doesn't come close to measuring up, it isn't nearly the tyre-fire people say it is. (Actually, there is a new cut of it that came out this year, which is a genuine improvement, IMO)

 

I know the baggage that comes with "Great Classic movies" - people expect that the film will be exquisite, but not necessarily compulsive or enjoyable, but those moves aren't that - they're incredibly watchable, fun movies - that also happen to be powerhouses of cinema!

 

 

On 11/24/2021 at 5:57 PM, Slava said:

Yeah, watch (or even read) The Godfather, games can wait . It's a certified hood classic .

I managed to watch the Godfather Part I on a random TV program. Holy damn you guys weren't kidding, this movie is awesome. I mean I could tell the movie was already awesome from the clips I've seen, but watching it from start to finish AND seeing how the actors perform....yep I totally understand all the praises. It goes without saying that Marlon Brando was my favorite, although I don't think I've ever seen Al Pacino play so viciously in a movie before either

I am also incredibly tired after watching it...wooowheee this was not a movie that you could leisurely watch. Guess all the Marvel movies slowed my brain lately ? I definitely need a break before attempting The Godfather Part II.

 

Bottom line: Thanks for the recommendation guys!

[FrediPy_]

13 hours ago, Copanele said:

At this point I really think I will give Hollow Knight a go before U2, just because I simply like that type of game more if I think about it. And if the controls are the same as in Guacamelee then yeah I might go for the Path of Pain. What I will truly attempt in that game is doing the ...Pantheon I think it was?...legit. I know glitching the game forever removes the entire joy (also Arcesius will hunt most definitely hunt me with a crossbow if I do that) . I only understood that Pantheon is a boss rush so hell, Bloody Palace mode it is!

Well, the Pantheon is harder (time-consuming) than the Path of Pain in my opinion, but each one feels hard in a different way. Path of Pain is more trial and error, as if you were to beat some hard stages on Celeste, whereas the boss rush is putting a lot of practice to beat the hard bosses consistently. The pantheon is the only thing standing between me and the plat, because I think that glitching also removes the joy to it, but it's certainly doable if you put enough dozens of hours ? and it's a boss rush, no platforming!

 

go play it

[Copanele]

Hah every time I say I play a game, I end up playing something COMPLETELY different and I don't even do it on purpose. For instance the following:

 

No. 162 - Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae

 

Platinum Name: Complete domination

Hardest Trophy: Top of her class clear Inferno Difficulty

Difficulty: 5.5/10

Personal impression: 7/10

 

So this game was recommended by someone by complete chance, something like "damn look how cheap this game is, and it also looks like DMC, you might like it". I never ever heard of this game before but since the words " cheap" and "looks like DMC" were thrown in the same sentence, I was sold Picked this up and I have to say, this game ain't that bad, despite being an indie!

 

Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae is an arena hack&slash to put it mildly. You control a warrior maiden Mika (black haired chick) who tries to save her best friend Suzuka (blonde chick) from her own sword that is corrupting her. How you do that: by slaying a ton of enemies while being dressed as a schoolgirl.

To be honest, story is just an excuse to whack monsters and go "nothing personnel kid" on Suzuka or...whatever other boss shows up. The game is just this: Wave x appears, slay them all to make the next wave appear, over and over until you reach the boss. The game is fairly short, you have only 5 levels in total, the first 4 levels having 5 waves each and a final boss while the final level has 2 bosses back to back.

 

It shows that this game is an indie project since the arenas and the enemies themselves are not that impressive. The entire game feels like Bloody Palace from DMC4 only that you don't have the enemy variety. You have only 4 types of enemies: suited dudes with helmets (different colors but basically the same thing), massive Gundam robots, orcs with axes (I think they are orcs?) and knights who love to dash at you and block every move you throw at them. So yeah I can say that the enemies and arenas are bland and there wasn't too much thought put in them.

 

The developers focused on 2 aspects: the combat and the bosses. In terms of combat...wow this game is pretty good! You learn all kind of skills, attacks, parries and cancels that would make daddy Vergil proud and motivated. Mika can use both hand to hand combat and sword attacks to inflict damage. All sword attacks deplete your Sword gauge(located under the health bar) and hand to hand combat replenishes your sword gauge. This is only in the beginning however, since once you unlock more upgrades you will end up using only sword attacks.

The neat mechanic of this game is the Zanshin technique. Inflicting enough damage on an enemy will make him pulse red and enter in a bleeding state. That's the perfect moment to press R2, Mika will sheathe her sword and make the enemy explode. The damage you deal with this attack depends on your combo counter, the bigger the combo the more damage you do.

 

Bosses are rather interesting also. They aren't anything fancy but they have a decent moveset and can really pack a punch. You can either go with the slow method of wailing at them until your fingers bleed (really, it takes quite a while to beat them via regular attacks) OR you can use the Flourish mechanic. Flourish is basically a riposte, hitting the enemy at the moment his attack connects with you inflicts absurd amounts of damage and can trivialize every boss in the game. The only problem is that the timing is very strict and a mistimed Flourish can lead to a sudden death from your part.

 

In terms of difficulty...this game is a tricky one. I am fairly certain that everyone could finish the game on Easy, Normal or Hard without breaking a sweat. It's the other difficulties, Very Hard and Inferno that are the true platinum breakers of this game. Basically this boils down to how good you are with your parries.

Very Hard is the equivalent of Dante must Die. Enemies have an absurd amount of health and can kill you in 4-5 hits. You have to constantly be on the move and master the Flourish for the bosses and the peskier enemies. It's more of a battle of attrition because damn it takes a while to finish this mode!

Inferno  however is the equivalent of Hell&Hell mode. The enemies are abit weaker, but you die in one hit. Luckily, you can save at the end of each wave, HOWEVER there's 2 specific waves that really drove me nuts. The knight enemies will block your every move and you can't really damage them consistently unless you use Flourish. One of these leves contained 15 knights that I had to parry and...I think I retried that level around 50 times or so it was brutal, not gonna lie. Compared to them, even the bosses were a walk in the park.

 

So yeah, nothing else to say about this game. Sometimes I wonder how do I even find them. Not gonna lie though, it was fairly fun, it did satisfy my inner DMC craving. Plus at that price it was worth it

 

THE GOOD:

- sick combat

- character models look actually good

- fairly short

- decent bosses

 

THE BAD:

- pretty much the entire game is fighting waves of enemies

- quite forgettable

- the knight enemies can be really cheap with their attacks

 

Recommendation: Devil May Cry 5 if by any chance you heard of Mitsurugi before DMC5, first of all - what is wrong with you?   and second of all, pick up DMC. Crazy good series...if you eliminate DMC2

 

 

[Together_Comic]

1 hour ago, Copanele said:

if by any chance you heard of Mitsurugi before DMC5, first of all - what is wrong with you?   and second of all, pick up DMC. Crazy good series...if you eliminate DMC2

 

If I've learned anything from Copanele, it is never, ever, play DMC2 ?

 

Congrats on the plat.  

1 hour ago, Copanele said:

Hah every time I say I play a game, I end up playing something COMPLETELY different and I don't even do it on purpose

 

I FEEL you on this!  Every. Single. Time. ?

[Copanele]

1 hour ago, Together_Comic said:

 

If I've learned anything from Copanele, it is never, ever, play DMC2 

 

Congrats on the plat.  

 

I FEEL you on this!  Every. Single. Time. 

Thanks! Days passed without mocking DMC2 : 0

Gotta reset that counter periodically!

[Yuber6969]

Nice job man; that was fast! Kind of sounds like poor man's Onechanbara lol.

[zizimonster]

15 hours ago, yuber1234 said:

Nice job man; that was fast! Kind of sounds like poor man's Onechanbara lol.

I guess @Copanele should play Oneechanbara, too. 

[Copanele]

9 minutes ago, zizimonster said:

I guess @Copanele should play Oneechanbara, too. 

I will play Ninja Gaiden series first before I jump into this bikini cowboy anime girl simulator

Else I will have a lot of explaining to do at home lol!

[Copanele]

No. 163 - Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

 

Platinum Name: Perfect Assassin

Hardest Trophy: Professional Mode Complete

Difficulty: 6/10

Personal Impression: 7.6/10

 

I actually started this game due to @rjkclarke's Hitman 2 SA Review (great review, go look it up ). I used to play these games in the past, replaying them now was the best thing to do, now that I have more knowledge and patience with videogames.

 

Now, for a bit of history: This isn't the first Hitman game that I played, I started with the very first game in the series, Hitman: Codename 47. That one was a PC exclusive and it was quite the ambitious game at the time, about a clone assassin called Agent 47 who is sent in various missions. Unfortunately it was also a very janky "european" game also, where the best levels were absolutely amazing and the worst levels were abysmal to play (most of the time you had to gun down the entire map in a very un-hitman like fashion in order to complete your objectives). I enjoyed Codename 47 at the time but I am glad they didn't remaster it. That game can't really be salvaged

 

Now, Silent Assassin improved on the first game in almost every aspect. In Silent Assassin you actually have a compelling backstory to Agent 47 who now is trying to find his place in the world. Game definitely looks more refined and with greater attention to detail, some areas simply being impressive if you consider the year this game was released. Agent 47 himself looks more refined and with more class, compared to his first iteration. You do feel more like a proper assassin hidden in plain sight, a thing that Ubisoft struggles to achieve to this day with Assassin's Creed.

The game is also accompanied by one of the best soundtracks ever, composed by none other than Jesper Kyd. The mad lad actually used the Budapest Symphony Orchestra and man, it shows! Even from the starting screen you are hit with that crisp quality sound that only an orchestra can do. Even after all these years I took my time with levels like Murder at the Bazaar because Jesper Kyd just nailed the atmosphere of each area. Russian levels DO feel like Russia

 

Gameplay-wise...the age of the game shows. I did have in mind the fact that this is a PS3 HD port of a 2002 game made by an European company (IO Interactive is from Denmark). For those who don't know, European games have that reputation of having some obscure or janky gameplay elements and they don't usually hold your hand when playing. Despite this being predominant in Eastern Europe companies (raise your hands those who played STALKER on hardest difficulty because it was easier than Easy difficulty), this "eurojank" term can apply to Western Europe as well, and Hitman 2 SA is no exception. All the levels take multiple times to approach and most of the time the "Run and Gun" option is the preferred method because sneaking in this game is downright abysmal. 47 moves at a snail's pace when sneaking and most of the time the guards just turn around and spot you because you are too slow to reach them and choke them. Given that these games have the best ragdoll physics in the game, it's really tough to resist the urge to blast everyone to bits and sneak around like a person with diarrhea searching for a toilet. But unfortunately you will have to sneak around if you want the shiny platinum because of the rating system and the difficulty.

 

The Rating System in SA is a thing of wonders. At the end of each level you are awarded a rating based on how well you performed. If you gun everyone in the level you will receive the glorious "Mass Murderer" rating, while if you killed ONLY the target you will get the "Silent Assassin" rating. For the platinum you will have to finish the game on Professional mode (hardest difficulty) AND finish 5 levels in a row with the Silent Assassin Rating for both a trophy and a special weapon. But honestly, it's recommended to go as Silent Assassin as possible because on Professional Mode you will die in 4-5 well aimed shots. Going guns blazing is really not an option unless you are a master marksman (and trust me, this game won't allow you to be one).

Silent Assassin rating is not only about killing the main target. You are awarded this only if you raise 0 alarms and fire at most one shot. For instance, if you kill one guard with one bullet, hide him so noone can find the body and strangle your target with the fiber wire (non-gun method) you are awarded silent assassin. BUT if you kill a guard with one bullet and the target with a second bullet you will not get the Silent Assassin rating despite not being detected.

 

This game REALLY is moody when it comes to proficiency. Thank god that you have to do this for 5 levels only because for most of them you will have to pray that the RNG factor won't suddenly kick in and have your cover blown. The core mechanic of all Hitman games is hiding in plain sight, which means Agent 47 can equip any suit he can find and try to blend in (except female suits - it's suspicious to see a menacing pale man in a skirt). You can have multiple weapons on you but only the small weapons can be concealed - such as your trusty Piano Wire, Anaesthetic, knives and small silencer guns. Agent 47 can disguise in almost anything, from a guard to a postman, a chef, a newspaper boy, list goes on.

You also have a detection meter, when you get too close to a guard or NPC they get suspicious and your cover gets blown. And this is where the problems arise: The detection meter has no apparent logic behind it. You can get near a guard and not be detected and the next second you are suddenly spotted from a km away by some random cook who decides to sound the alarm. I believe this is actually buggy because I replayed Temple City Ambush multiple times and in some runs I got around undetected while in others I had my cover blown the moment I got a disguise despite noone being on the street. It also doesn't help that the NPCs are erratic, follow no rule and decide to just stick with you only to hinder your movements. They also apparently have a way better detection level, they can instantly see if you are an actual guard or not.

 

The levels in this game are better than Codename 47(fuck Colombian missions in that game) but not all of them are good. Truly, the game shines in missions like Anathema, St Petersburg Stakeout, Basement Killing or Terminal Hospitality. I feel that the Russian and Malaysian levels are the absolute best in terms of quality and they really flesh out the absolute capabilities of Agent 47. But then there's the god-awful Japanese missions Hidden Valley and At the gates where...I have no idea what the developers thought with those missions. What you have to do is traverse a guard infested wintery wasteland from one point of the map to the other while there's sniper towers everywhere on the map. Your disguise helps you hide from the snipers only because the guards instantly detect you from km away despite you being dressed as a ninja, just like them. And most of the time they don't even come to identify you, they just open fire directly, alarming the entire ninja army.

The Motorcade Interception is another abysmal mission in Afghanistan where you have to sneak through a soldier controlled city with a massive sniper on your back and shoot the local Khan while he is arriving in a limo in the city. You have a very small window to do so, you need to find the correct route to sneak around and shooting the Khan alerts everyone so you have to escape to the Exit point in once piece while AK47 bullets fly above your head. This mission took me way more retries than normal, didn't even bother with Silent Assassin rating, I was just "Fuck it, just get me out of here".

 

But honestly, even these jank levels are what makes this game great for me. You NEED to replay these levels multiple times in order to learn their layout, unless you watch a guide on Youtube. You have so many ways to approach the target it's actually impressive. In Basement Killing you have to assassinate a notorious Malaysian hacker in a company filled with businessmen and guards, not unlike any modern company nowadays. You can disguise as a guard, you can cause a fire alarm and pose as a fireman, you can wait for the hacker to order a pizza and disguise as the pizza boy, there's so many options. This is the bread and butter of Hitman games and when they nail the atmosphere then damn this game is absolutely great.

 

A special mention for me is the final level Redemption at Gontranno. You have to save your friend in an Italian monastery, the place is crawling with elite agents and you start only with the Fiber Wire. You have no rating, no constraints, the shed with all your weapons is in the next courtyard guarded by more agents, target is simple: kill all agents to lure out the final boss and then kill the final boss. This level can be approached in any way you wish. It took me the most tries to complete it, it was vicious on Professional Mode, however it was probably my favorite level. Hardest part was of course killing one of the elites with the fiber wire then manage my resources until I reach the shed with my arsenal. Holy damn what a great ending level. After going through it Rambo style, I actually attempted it as a Silent Assassin, only with the Fiber Wire and man it was even better. This final level reminded me why I loved this series back then.

 

As final thoughts, despite me loving this game, I can't say I recommend it. The age shows its marks, game is mad clunky and unless you know the pre-2016 game releases and love this series to death you won't have much fun with it. But if you are willing to look past the old mechanics and overlook the jankiness you will discover one hidden gem that only 2002 gaming could produce.

I do plan to play all of them, following with Hitman Contracts. Hitman Contracts has better mechanics and redoes some great levels of Codename 47 so I really am looking forward to that one.

I haven't played anything past Contracts though so it should be a great new experience

 

I have to offer thanks here to @DrBloodmoney because his reviews made me remember "damn I used to like Hitman, those games were great at stealth!" and @rjkclarke because he finally motivated me to start the series.

 

THE GOOD:

- Agent 47 is one charismatic bald person

- multiple ways to approach the levels

- hidden in plain sight works here, unlike Assassin's Creed

- the music OH THE MUSIC. Jesper Kyd you are a genius

- ragdoll effects are brilliant, to the point you want to go in guns blazing

- Russian levels are absolutely brilliant

 

THE BAD:

- Japanese levels can go sudoku themselves

- you are at the mercy of the Detection meter

- sneaking makes Agent 47 the most inefficient assassin ever

- it's a 2002 game, it has not aged that well

 

Recommendation: Assassin's Creed Unity I like to recommend only the games that I've completed on my profile (would make no sense to recommend Thief The Metal Age), so I have to pick this one. It's not the best Assassin's Creed, but you have multiple ways to tackle a level, actual hiding in plain sight and ... the best parkour in the series bar none. If only the story was as great...