Blinkin' hell

google wrote:

Eugh. I want to play more of it. Is anyone else playing this maxed out on PC? Anyone a bit disappointed with the visuals?

The visuals do seem a bit bland compared to other games, but I haven't played enough yet to make a firm opinion.  It works but at the same time I want more from the graphics.

Dark Soldier wrote:

I want to play it once and get everything.

One of the things you get is fucking glorious. Seriously, this game reg, its your heaven.

If this is true... Hello.

I think there's some key sections later on that will change your minds about the graphics, especially in regards to sheer space and architecture (But definitely a good few small locations too)

Comparisons to BioShock make me very interested indeed!

Too many good games about

Any good then? Noticed someone on the FL playing this earlier.

Just left the sewers and forgot about the graphics completely.  very emmersive, seems absolutely class.   The little girl at the start was very bio shock in character design and graphics.  I do get a little freaked out by the tongues moving in the cut scenes.  Seems a little over the top and like a slug having fun at a disco, but that being said its not bad at all.  Its kind of a cross between a cellshaded look and a painting...  that doesn't make sense but I know what I mean.

Jimmy The Lips wrote:

Just left the sewers and forgot about the graphics completely.  very emmersive, seems absolutely class.   The little girl at the start was very bio shock in character design and graphics.  I do get a little freaked out by the tongues moving in the cut scenes.  Seems a little over the top and like a slug having fun at a disco, but that being said its not bad at all.  Its kind of a cross between a cellshaded look and a painting...  that doesn't make sense but I know what I mean.

I much prefer a stylised look over attempts at realism. This has a lovely art style - kind of a Half Life 2/Borderlands/Team Fortress 2, hybrid. Also reminds me of Guild Wars 2, which uses vivid colour so wonderfully.

Anyway, intial impressions are good, it certainly handles very well. Slick maneuvers, regardless of the level layout/terrain. Looking forward to unlocking some powers and zipping around like a supernatural ninja.

Don't really have time to sink my teeth into it this evening, but i'll post more (non-spoiler) impressions tomorrow night after a decent session.

Steam says I'm 3+ hours into it and I've just completed the first mission proper. 

Wow.

The amount of options open to you is a little overwhelming after the initial tutorial. What was initially a mission with a single objective quickly turns into an overarching story of multiple missions, objectives, secondary objectives all with multiple ways to solve.

Without spoiling anything, you're told to do Option A. But during the mission you find out that you're also able to perform options B and options C, with the caveat that Option C affects Secondary Objective B. 

So what was initially a fairly simple objective in that you're told to go here and complete that turns very quickly into a very layered experience with multiple avenues open to the player.

I started to get a little frustrated towards the end of the level as I was needing to go to bed but wanted to complete the mission before turning in. I thought I'd completed the main objective as well as a couple of other secondary objectives after 90 minutes of play only to find out there was another few secondary missions, secret rooms, additional items and extra lore to find. 

This is going to kill completionists!

tigerswiftly wrote:

This game sounds like a delight. I've been interested since the original trailers - the style and aesthetic both appealed immediately - but I haven't read anything whatsoever about it until now. I wasn't a big fan of Bioshock mechanically as it was far too clunky for me (though I loved the setting and opening hours). Just how similar is the combat?

Yeah, my Bioshock comparison may have been premature. It definitely feels like Bioshock in art style and tone but the mechanics are a mix of Deus Ex (the original) and Arkham Asylum. There is definitely some clunk to the game though. Because of the amount of items/abilities available to the player the game struggles to give him access to them all in a particularly streamlined way. You're constantly jumping into the quick menus to chop and change your abilities depending on the situation. This is no bad/difficult thing but it definitely drew away from the flow of the gameplay.

It really is a mix of many different games, Tiger. A single comparison is unfair to it or those it's ripping off. I see Half Life 2, Bioshock, Deus Ex, Batman, Fable, Metal Gear and a whole host of other games. It's not doing anything revolutionary from a gameplay perspective. It's biggest boon is the amount of options it presents. So if you want to run through in a Bioshock esque fashion shooting and blowing shit up as is your want, you're able to do that.

But if like me, you're more into creeping around, picking your targets and eliminating one-by-one then you'll have a lovely time too.

google wrote:

Moto70 wrote:

I could also do with a summary that's firmly based in reality and not pre-launch/honeymoon period hype...

Read my initial post a couple of pages back then.

Link to it if you could, this was why I posted what I did, because the pages were moving so fast and it was hard to find aything in all the posts...

Moto70 wrote:

google wrote:

Moto70 wrote:

I could also do with a summary that's firmly based in reality and not pre-launch/honeymoon period hype...

Read my initial post a couple of pages back then.

Link to it if you could, this was why I posted what I did, because the pages were moving so fast and it was hard to find aything in all the posts...

basically the initial art design reminded of Bioshock but on playing more it opens up and is a bit more like deus ex and skyrim but in a much cooler way.  I think this pretty much summarises it.  Its really nice, have played a bit more and its a keeper so far.

My Game account states that this was despatched yesterday. I have Friday off so will have some time to immerse myself in this.

three1ne wrote:

Urgh, Sainsbury's order page really isnt the post revealing of pages. No details whatsoever.

Keep the faith, they delivered Borderlands 2 on release day with no update to the order in my account details.

Jimmy the Lips wrote:

basically the initial art design reminded of Bioshock but on playing more it opens up and is a bit more like deus ex and skyrim but in a much cooler way.  I think this pretty much summarises it.  Its really nice, have played a bit more and its a keeper so far.

I hate, no, detest Bioshock, Deus Ex (the latest one) I found boring but Skyrim I fucking loved. 2 outta 3 ain't selling it to me...