This game is growing on me. I still sort of loathe the fact that there's no checkpoint system, because I think the game pulls just a little too much cheap one-hit-kill bullshit to justify that decision (I'm sick of being flattened by boulders rolling down stairs), but once you fall into a rhythm and get a feel for how the game works, it becomes ridiculously hard to put down.
I think the difficulty of the individual fights is actually perfectly fair. It teaches you to be extremely cautious, and you're usually fine so long as you're blocking a lot and aren't consistently charging into battle without getting a hold of your surroundings first. There have been a couple of times when I would rush an enemy and then get immediately sliced from behind by another enemy I didn't see. Or when I'd time an attack poorly, thus lowering my guard and taking a massive blow as a result. Combat's really fun, though, and the boosted challenge really makes it more satisfying when you overpower an enemy without actually taking much damage. Also, the bosses so far have been pretty rockin'.
Checkpoint system really does suck, though. I'd be okay with it if we weren't forced to put up with so many insta-kill scenarios that threaten to send us all the way back to the beginning of the level. Like when you're walking across an innocent-looking bridge and then a fucking dragon comes out of nowhere and torches you. Sometimes I get the feeling the game isn't so much testing my skill as it's testing how closely I'm paying attention. This kind of bullshit has no place in a game where the penalty for death is so high.
Still, I'm sticking with it, at least for the next five days until that one game I'm slightly excited about gets released. I definitely considered giving up at one point, and I'm glad I didn't.
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jiggs - January 21, 2010 (10:06 AM) that next game will be No More Heroes 2 ;) |
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honestgamer - January 21, 2010 (02:17 PM) I assume you weren't being literal with the boulder thing, since there are like three boulders in the whole game that can flatten you. Glad to hear that you're enjoying the game, though. To me, it's a case where the challenge really fits and improves the game. That's not usually the case for me, so I was glad to find myself loving the challenge as I worked through Demon's Souls. |
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Suskie - January 21, 2010 (04:09 PM) Three occasions is more than enough when it's killed me every time. And it falls into the "shit like that" category, where the game is occasionally obnoxiously difficult without really giving the player a chance. Trial-and-error gameplay can be a pain when there are no checkpoints. Like, I've had my fill of dragons at this point. I just completed that bit where you have to run towards the damn thing while it's breathing fire at you, and you've got to weave back and forth to dodge the predetermined path of the flame. Finally got it down, only to then get slaughtered by the phenomenally difficult boss. But hey, I'm enjoying the game. It's just... making me sweat a bit. Jiggs: Mass Effect 2, actually. Sorry. I am looking forward to Desperate Struggle since I liked the first game, though it's not one I'm going to run out and buy immediately. Even if it proves to be one of those sequels that fixes everything (and the original had plenty to fix), my wallet's starting to dry up. |
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