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Denver, 4:26 AM
Mon Nov 30
12 posts in the last 24 hours
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09/12/09
But Halo is FAR from being an original story:
[en.wikipedia.org]
It takes ideas from there, among a plethora of other things, which I won't, and maybe even can't due to not knowing them all, possibly list. Sure, a lot of games do that, but Halo really makes it more obvious. Instead of a nod to other science fiction works, you get pretty much a clear copy-and-paste with a touch of originality just to make it all fit together. It's nothing special, nor ground-braking.
Bottom line is though, Xbots will suck it all up and digest it, shitting out money afterwards and wondering if it was really worth it. And the general consensus to this day among most is, that Halo 1 was alright, and the rest were... Well, let's not mention them.
09/13/09
09/12/09
"It says here you've got Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 reserved for next week, too."
"Yep."
"And then Halo: ODST after that."
"Uh-huh."
"NBA 2K10 and Brutal Legend are a week or two after."
"Right. Is that everything on my list?"
"I think so, yeah."
"Great, I'd like to preorder Scribblenauts and Wet then, also."
My wallet, she cries.
09/12/09
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09/12/09
Opinion: That would make a great selling point, wouldn't it? New story + new hero = You'll love it!
Point 2: This is a different Halo game that you're used to, but it's still the great underlying stuff that...uh, roughly 25 million people have enjoyed over the past few years.
Opinion: Uh oh! He's entered Morhaime territory! If you can't think of reasons of your own that makes your own game appealing to the potential masses of gamers who have never played Halo, just do what the CEO of Blizzard does. Use big numbers to hopefully wow your audience. It's not the game that matters, it's how many people that bought the previous games.
Point 3: We've got two new weapons. You like the Halo 1 pistol? It's back again. This new magnum is a beast at taking down grunts with headshots.
Opinion: So, it's technically 1 new weapon and 1 old weapon brought back. And nothing spells awesome more than the very first weapon you start out with in the game than a magnum you can aim at someone's head. Lasers? Rocket launchers? Fusion pistols? Portal guns? Next thing you know he'll be talking about how great your fists are at punching people in the face.
Point 3: We've got a brand new four-player cooperative game mode 'fire fight'. Super fun over Xbox live.
Opinion: What is fire fight? Don't know. But what we do know is that it's super fun over Microsoft's trusted Xbox live server!
Point 4: The Halo breach multiplayer Beta.
Opinion: That does make for a great justification on a game, doesn't it? A beta for a multiplayer scenario. NOT the multiplayer scenario itself, but the fact there's a Beta of it going on right now and it will be rendered totally obsolete when the game comes out.
Point 5: And 24 new maps for Halo 3!
Opinion: Best point in the entire 30 second duration because he doesn't brag about it and it leaves you thinking how special these maps can be. Unfortunately he screws it up because he didn't say it quickly enough to meet the justifiable time.
Big red X justified? Totally. :)
09/12/09
09/12/09
09/12/09
"Brian Crecente approved this comment"
...Really?
09/13/09
09/13/09
09/12/09
09/12/09
Either way, I don't play halo multiplayer, so I'm not sure if I'm willing to buy this for €45. Maybe once it drop to €30 I'll get it.
09/12/09
09/12/09
People like Halo enough to want to pay money for more. MS + Bungie like money and game making enough to want to make more.
They make the game. People buy the game.
Everyone happy.
Who cares if they're making it for money or not. If they make a good game, I will buy it.
09/12/09
09/12/09
09/12/09
$60 is a lot to ask, though, for a collection of recycled multiplayer maps and a campaign that's shorter than the game that came before it, I honestly think.
09/12/09
09/12/09
09/10/09
However...
Gabe Newell has made explicit promises about what will be added to Left 4 Dead as DLC, and not all of these have yet come to fruition (Crash Course fulfils some of them, but not all). So as neat as L4D2 looks, I'm holding out until they make good on their promises for L4D1. Otherwise companies will just get in the habit of promising all kinds of stuff for their games and never coming up with the goods (The Peter Molyneux Model)
Is that what people want? a whole gaming industry filled with Peter Molyneuxes because we didn't hold people to their promises?
09/10/09
You set the bar high with TF2 Valve. Probably too high. That doesn't mean we won't call you on trying to lower it.
09/10/09
09/10/09
you say five levels isn't impressive, as though this is just some run of the mill FPS. you even say so while conceding that they have merits. L4D isn't about capturing flags, protecting "hills" or jumping around and killing people for points. it literally is in a genre all its own. there's nothing "like" L4D. those five levels each have several entirely different parts that you'll be playing for at least a few minutes each, and are all about survival. why is that not good enough for a sequel for the game? and at least PC players get mods, us console guys have to stick it out until we are handed whatever valve gives us.
four new characters is plenty, the fact that they all control the same balances the gameplay. not to mention that most games where you control avatars that are substantially different in what they bring to the table don't have them banter with each other in the fashion they do in L4D. the game's situation is personalized in that respect.
again, this isn't TF2 where if you lose a spy, he respawns in seconds, you can change your class, or someone else can replace him. when you die in L4D, you're gone for a while. and if you had some special talent that is crucial to getting through certain areas, the group is lost without you. how hard would it be to find a fair game in L4D if everybody wanted to be bill and zoey, so the others are usually left to the cpu?
I'm not even gonna continue this wall in regard to weapons, etc. you get the point. people pay for new games in older series that offer less in the way of new content all the time. I am unaffected by the quick turnaround for this game, I'm almost 33 years old, I've seen other companies do a lot worse.
09/10/09
Apples vs. Oranges of gameplay acknowledged, the amount of support each title has received is a fair point of comparison- at least I have yet to hear a compelling argument as to why it shouldn't be- and the balance does not add up equally. TF2 has received multiple new weapons, maps, modes and gameplay tweaks while L4D has received bug fixes, one new mode, one new level (which only works on survival), no new weapons, and nothing in the way of extras (like new costumes for survivors. Not a big deal, but every little bit makes a difference).
While I don't agree with the boycott movement, because I know damn well I'll end up buying the game at some point, I believe fans have a right to express their disappointment with Valve because we hold them to a higher standard. Other companies produce quick sequels everyday and I don't bat an eye because it's what I've come to expect from them. They are mere mortals though, and that fact escapes me at times.
As a last note, I only griped about the characters because Faliszek pitched them as if they were a justifying feature -something that sets this title apart from it's predecessor- when they are really just different skins and voice clips; things which could be incorporated to the first game without much trouble.
09/10/09
09/11/09
09/10/09
So then L4D2 has more content than L4D?
Aaaaaaaand why are people complaining that it's a sequel?
09/10/09
To compound these facts, Valve have been using the same engine since 2004 and have been essentially printing money off mods of Half-life 2 and it shows. Textures and lighting simply don't look as good as games running UE3 or Cry Engine 3. Don't get me wrong the game play is what matters most but it's hard to justify spending $50 or $60 for a a game that's not as good as it could be. Another problem people have is how L4D is being handled in comparison to Team Fortress 2 which had a lot more content and was only $20 on top of which has been getting regular content updates. "Where are those updates for L4D?" is a question a lot of players are asking.
A separate issue I have is Valve abandoning VAC basically not having ongoing deterrence to cheaters using aim-bots. I love counter-strike but there's rampant cheating going on in the game.
Don't misunderstand me, I'm not opposed to paying for L4D2, I just refuse to pay full price for it. I'll be waiting for it to go on sale for $29.99. However, I still have problems with L4D's hit detection when playing as infected and until I know that's resolved I won't bother with L4D2. Problems clipping through the survivors when pouncing as a hunter, boomer juice not covering all the survivors because one player got in front, or not being able to drag survivors as smokers through common infected or over railings. It's hard enough to coordinate with random people as it is. These problems require more luck than skill which is a problem when the whole idea is supposed to be based on teamwork.
I know a lot of this sounds like bitching, I'm just giving you the answer to why people are complaining.
09/10/09
09/09/09
I picked up Left 4 Dead a week after my friends got it. This removes any ability to find stuff out the fun way. All you get is people telling you not to do something, and why. Just like watching a movie with someone telling you everything thats going to happen five minutes before it happens.
Going based on that experience, the five campaigns in L4D2 will give someone like me 7 hours of playtime. For $50. It gets worse when you factor in the cost of L4D1. $100 for 11 hours. As opposed to a fighting game, or an arena or more competition style game, it is terrible for the money.
There is less detailed content in it than Half Life 2 Episode 2. And less overall than DFBHD: Team Sabre. As far as content/dollar it seems like crap.
Then, I'm curious where the demand was for the game that they decided to pursue it instead of making L4D1 better. It's similar to releasing a Portal 2. Everyone loved the first, but the vast majority are content enough to not give a crap until news comes out. How this got such a quick turnaround while people still ask where Counterstrike 2 or Episode 3 is is beyond me.
It's kind of odd though; this is the first console generation where people can set up an actual platform, and the first PC generation where publishers can tell them to shove it and do it their way. But, instead of setting up a platform, make as much money as you can off of relatively inexpensive map packs, edits, and changes while working towards the goal of making the sequel for the next console generation three times as good as the current game, developers are releasing nonsense like Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero 57, Left 4 Dead 2, Tony Hawk Pro Skater We Ran out of Numbers, and Madden 2009.
Anyway, sorry about the rant. I wanted to make it a lot longer, and miss a lot less logic holes, but this is way too long for a comment section as-is and I don't feel like proof-reading.
09/09/09
09/09/09
09/09/09
09/09/09
then add $7 for new infected
then another $7 for new weapons and characters and we get a total of
$49.00 Oh hey look at that! I guess this is DLC then huh.
09/09/09
Melee weapons
3 new special infected.
worth $49.99 (PC) and $59.99 (xbox 360)?
you decide.
Me? I have no doubt it will be just as fun to play as the first game. But with MW2, GT5, U2, and a slew of other games coming out this fall/next spring, I'll pick this up when steam offers 50% off sale.
09/09/09
09/09/09
Even Valve doesn't refer to the specific maps, but instead the overarching campaign. They're sequential, reference each other, and are meant to be played in one setting.
09/09/09
I just wanted to make the point that L4D2 is competing with a lot of big titles this Fall and for me I only have enough money for the top 3 on my top 5 games i'm looking forward to, this will have to be put on the backburner