What are you currently playing? 4.0

[Spark Of Spirit]

So basically, you want Hitman. 

I've watched my father play the sequels... While they are better than the original mechanics-wise, they're still boring and terribly overrated games with not an ounce of creativity to them. They're the Uncharted of the adventure genre.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Well, something like the new Hitman game that's coming out seems right up my alley. I've tried previous Hitman games, like 2 and Contracts, and while they are good for what they are, they are admittedly WAY too hard for my level of stealth skills (that is to say, I downright suck at stealth games). I can appreciate the games being challenging for more hardcore players, and I usually like a challenge, but when it comes to stealth I prefer it be more about allowing player creativity than challenge, because as it stands the Hitman games are just way too hard and aggravating for me, and I'm not really patient enough to play stealth games that require the sort of perfection that those games demand. The new Hitman games seems a bit more friendly to casual players of stealth games, so I may give that one a try when it comes out.

[Foggle]

Just started RE 5. This game really feels like a downgrade, especially when coming directly off of 4, IMO. Sure, the graphics are better, but literally everything else about it is worse. A few examples:

1) The level design has no thought put into it at all. Nothing but narrow hallways and linear corridors, even when you're outside.
2) Sheva's AI is complete garbage and at times she actually seems to be dumber than Ashley. Even Ada in RE 2 is a better partner, and I don't even think what she has qualifies as AI.
3) The frame rate is horrible. I don't know how it is on the 360 or PC, but the PS3 version runs at around 30 FPS, often dipping into the low 20's. On its own, that's fine, it's still easily playable. Unfortunately, RE 4 runs at a smooth, steady 60 FPS and makes 5 feel extremely slow by comparison.

But my biggest beef with this game is how it's really nothing more than a carbon copy of 4, but bland instead of exciting. This is only really noticeable if you play the two in sequence, but it's pretty clear to me right now.

1) Almost all of the enemies are obvious re-skins of the ones from 4. This isn't actually a big deal, though.
2) One of the first things you do in the game is fight endlessly spawning enemies in a medium-sized village/shanty town arena until an invisible timer runs out. This is exactly the same as in 4.
3) The cutscene showing the protagonists standing in an empty street as the camera quickly pans out is lifted almost directly from 4.
4) The section where Kirk's helicopter follows you around and shoots enemies with rockets is ripped straight out of the level where Mike does the exact same thing in 4.
5) A large truck tries to ram you until you can stop it by making it explode... just like in 4.

I haven't even finished Chapter 2-1 yet and this is what I've noticed so far. This game just feels so halfhearted and soulless compared to RE 4. It's kind of like if Resident Evil 2 also took place in a mansion and some of the rooms and puzzles were the exact same as in 1.

[Foggle]

Serious Sam 3 is $14 on Steam this weekend (and the previous games are also 66% off). Meanwhile, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is $10 (and the DLC is also 66% off). Anyone with a gaming PC really should pick up one or both of these while they're on sale. Two of the absolute best games released last year.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Well, its not too bad if a sequel repeats some moments from previous games (well, not actually replays that moment, but comes up with something just like it in the context of the sequel itself) if its like an homage to the previous game. But there is a limit to how much you can take from a previous game before being an homage becomes copying and pasting what the previous game did.

A good example of doing an homage is how in NG2 you go back to the Hayabusa village which was where the first 2 levels of NG/B/S took place, but rather than ripping that whole level design off from the previous game it makes things interesting by changing the environment around a little (since there was a 1-year time period, story-wise, between the 2 games, sot he village looks a little bit different in some areas), and also allowing you to access parts of the village that were closed off in the first game.  I do really like how it keeps one fundamental little Easter Egg from the first game, though, in which the archer-post targets will give you yellow, blue, and red essence when you hit each respective one with arrows. That's a really nice nod to the first game that big fans like myself really appreciate.

[Foggle]

Well, its not too bad if a sequel repeats some moments from previous games (well, not actually replays that moment, but comes up with something just like it in the context of the sequel itself) if its like an homage to the previous game. But there is a limit to how much you can take from a previous game before being an homage becomes copying and pasting what the previous game did.

Definitely. I love little nods to earlier games in their respective series like the one in NG 2 you referenced. There's also a very cool homage to RE 1 in Code Veronica. It's just that 5 feels really insincere about such things and appears to be more of a cut and paste job than anything.

[Peanutbutter]

Right now, I've been playing Majora's Mask. I got Chrono Trigger on the DS last week, I've been playing the heck out of it. It's neat noting the different dialogue from the original. I also rented Twisted Metal from Gamefly, so I should be playing that very soon.

[talonmalon333]

The thing about RE5 is, well, RE4 sacrificed a lot of what made the series what it is, but it made up for that by doubling on the atmosphere... RE5, on the other hand, ditched even that. So what are you left with? Just a slow and forgettable third-person shooter.

[Foggle]

What's really sad is that originally RE 5 was going to bring back quite a few of the series elements that 4 ditched while still improving on that game's combat. Unfortunately, all that stuff went out the window when 5 turned into a co-op shooter.

I blame all the idiots bitching about the game being "racist" or whatever. I know Sheva was always supposed to be in the game, but there's no way you can convince me that she was originally intended to be your partner in forced co-op. By trying to appeal to the politically correct crowd's insanity, Capcom effectively killed RE 5's chances of improving upon 4.

People are always begging for playable betas of RE 2 and 4. I say fuck that, those games ended up being amazing anyway... I want a playable beta of 5.

[talonmalon333]

What's really sad is that originally RE 5 was going to bring back quite a few of the series elements that 4 ditched while still improving on that game's combat. Unfortunately, all that stuff went out the window when 5 turned into a co-op shooter.

I blame all the idiots bitching about the game being "racist" or whatever. I know Sheva was always supposed to be in the game, but there's no way you can convince me that she was originally intended to be your partner in forced co-op. By trying to appeal to the politically correct crowd's insanity, Capcom effectively killed RE 5's chances of improving upon 4.

People are always begging for playable betas of RE 2 and 4. I say fuck that, those games ended up being amazing anyway... I want a playable beta of 5.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILuP43jcaXw

That trailer makes it look like there was going to be more tension in the game, which would've made it harder to Rambo your way through it. The graphics were also better there, but that can be attributed to the fact that trailers are 100% visuals. But if we go back even further...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ymL5LXhHLY

... Seemed even moreso. Plus, Chris' character design was better and more realistic.

[Foggle]

I think this game is actually more disappointing the second time around. The few genuinely excellent levels are an absolute joy to play through, but the majority of the game is bland and tedious.

I think RE 5 is only really capable of scaring hardcore Resident Evil fans; I'm referring, of course, to the level where it literally turns into Gears of War. The game gives you an AK-47, implements a shoddy cover system, and pits you against enemy soldiers carrying guns and grenades. I have no words.

[Rynnec]

When I first got to that cover-shooter section, I was like "This can't be Resident Evil, can it?".

The game does the pretty tedious, so much so that I can't bring myself to finish the game with my cousin (much to his chagrin).

[talonmalon333]

I think this game is actually more disappointing the second time around. The few genuinely excellent levels are an absolute joy to play through, but the majority of the game is bland and tedious.

I think RE 5 is only really capable of scaring hardcore Resident Evil fans; I'm referring, of course, to the level where it literally turns into Gears of War. The game gives you an AK-47, implements a shoddy cover system, and pits you against enemy soldiers carrying guns and grenades. I have no words.

Thing is, it doesn't even succeed at being a generic action shooter, cause it still has that slow control scheme which only made sense in horror games (RE4 included 100%).

[Foggle]

Personally, I really like Chapter 4 of RE 5. Yeah, it's utterly devoid of horror elements and is basically Tomb Raider, but it's actually very fun and interesting, especially when compared to the rest of the game. The puzzles (though rudimentary) and traps really keep things exciting, though those Giant Majini are annoying as fuck. These levels would be a lot better without the silly forced co-op, but their overall design makes them feel like deleted scenes from RE 4 instead of the uninspired mess that the rest of this game turned out to be.

[talonmalon333]

Personally, I really like Chapter 4 of RE 5. Yeah, it's utterly devoid of horror elements and is basically Tomb Raider, but it's actually very fun and interesting, especially when compared to the rest of the game. The puzzles (though rudimentary) and traps really keep things exciting, though those Giant Majini are annoying as fuck. Those levels would be a lot better without the silly forced co-op, but their overall design makes them feel like deleted scenes from RE 4 instead of the uninspired mess that the rest of this game turned out to be.

I don't remember. My memory of RE5 is foggy. I only remember a few parts and most of the Wesker scenes, who was admittedly more awesome than ever in this game (at least, personality-wise).