E3 2011 Thread

[Foggle]

Kinect

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Don't get me wrong, I loved (and still love) Halo 1. The thing is, though... it doesn't really need a remake. The AI is still outstanding (plus I don't think the sequels really improved it at all), and it actually has the most satisfying shooting of any game in the series (IMO). The only real problems with that game were in the level design (Assault on the Control Room and The Library being the main offenders), which I doubt would be fixed in the updated version. Sure, updated graphics would be nice, but I feel like time would be better spent on making another sequel or working on a different project entirely.

If its just a straight HD port, then yes, but I do honestly think that they might actually put some effort into this one to make it a much better experience. As much as I love Combat Evolved, it could have used some improvement which IMO would have turned it from a very good game into a downright great game. I'm hoping that the remake could utilize those improvements. One of them would either be to entirely get rid of The Library to remake the entire level from scratch and actually make it....good, or at least not vomit-inducingly terrible. Honestly, I loved the rest of the game, and I could actually tolerate The Flood quite a bit in the rest of the levels, but my god did The Library push things too far; its a level that does so little yet aggravates me so much.

I can understand you not liking Hitman's stealth mechanics, as they're very different from other games in the genre and some of the earlier titles could occasionally feel broken (or, in the case of Codename 47, always felt broken).

I think its just the fact that it never made much sense to me. Like, in the very first level of Contracts, for example, I couldn't understand why disguising myself as one of the guards (or S.W.A.T. team or whatever they are) with bullet-proof vest and mask and everything didn't help me in the least (they still spotted me, regardless). I thought that maybe its because I was carrying a different gun than them but even when I found a replicated gun they still noticed me. Then I just tried sneaking around without getting seen, period, but then I always ended up getting spotted by some enemy from off-camera. I'm sure its a great game for those who can really master its mechanics, but I personally lost interest before too long since the logic of the gameplay didn't quite fit with my playing style at all. To be fair, though, I'm not into stealth games to begin with.

Gear 1 and 2 were great co-op games. I played some of the online beta for the new one at a friend's house and it was pretty solid, if not all that different (the bayonet attachment is awesome, though). Kinda' leery about the quality of a downloadable title, though.

The thing about the Gears of War series is that they are perfectly timed in their releases. I played Gears 1 and felt that it was a really, really fun blockbuster game experience (or a movie game as Desensitized would call it), in that it kept me entertained for its short but sweet campaign mode. Its not a game that I would really want to go back to more than once or at all after I beat it, but I certainly enjoyed my time playing through it. The 2nd game came out 2 years later and I was kind of in the mood for an experience like that again, and in that regard it didn't disappoint me with its campaign mode which was pretty much as good as the first game, and once again, it was fun to play through once; actually I did play it again with a friend and it was still fun for the most part, so I'll give it a little bit more credit for being fun to play through again, though I definitely won't go back to it for a long time, or ever, now. Now, as for Gears 3, its once again coming out at a time where I'm not too burned out on the Gears formula because I have had a long enough break from it that I can enjoy it if I play it now. So, I'll likely rent Gears of War 3 when that comes out and I'm sure that I'll have a blast with it playing through its story mode, but after I'm done with it I'll pretty much be done with it for good, which is why I like the Gears of War series but am not a fan of it, either, since its fun but doesn't stay with me or strike me as all that memorable that I want to play through it again.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

If they fix the later levels of Halo (by you know not having so much repeating level design and the fucking library's infinite loop of crap) and add in some 4 player co-op, I probably would spring for it. That's pretty much the only thing I didn't like from the first game that could be improved that I would love. Otherwise it's a great FPS. But it could use improvement in some areas that could make it perfect.

Have you tried Reach, yet? IMO, It basically does all of the things that a Halo game should do without including most of the issues that have plagued the series since the first game. Its probably the "best" Halo game in terms of gameplay mechanics, IMO (though the first game is still my favorite, if that makes any sense). Of course, if you're burned out on Halo then it won't change your mind about the series at all, but for what it is I thought it was a great entry in the Halo franchise and honestly a pretty good FPS in its own right. Also, it has no Flood whatsoever....I kind of feel that that speaks for itself....

[Spark Of Spirit]

I'm actually very interested in Reach. I still need to get around to it.

Kinect

[imghttp://img703.imageshack.us/img703/6821/d9bd4ef61b58fd4340329fe.jpg/img]

My friend coined the term 'Kinept'... You can use that if you prefer.

I don't really see the point of making rail shooters for series that AREN'T rail shooters, though. Just like I don't really want a Virtua Cop FPS.

[Foggle]

I just replayed the first level of Contracts a few hours ago, actually. You have to disguise as one of the patients from early in the level (not the dude with the tazer) and put your guns away, then run up to the dead SWAT guy and change into his uniform when no one is looking. Don't pull a weapon out after that where anyone can see it (not even one of their own SMGs... doesn't make sense, I know), and headshot them from behind with your silenced pistol when necessary.

I always thought Desensitized was talking about games like Black Ops (where the AI can literally finish entire levels for you while you watch) when he used the phrase "movie shooters."

[Spark Of Spirit]

Well, as I see it, you basically watch a set piece unfold that never ends until you hit the next 'mark' for the next set piece to begin, much like a Bay movie. The game isn't really dependent on how good you are at killing enemies (Fuck you MW1 and your fucking TV station from hell), just if you can hit the next mark to signal the end of the scene and begin the next one. The fact that the enemies don't really aim for you but at you, causing walls of instant death where reaction time is irrelevant is just a bad side effect to their 'gogogo' design mentality..

GoW reminds me more of a corridor shooter with some movie elements, and IIRC has actual AI, so it doesn't get as infuriating to play at times like say Killzone. Though I have yet to play 2, so for all I know they could have taken some COD inspiration like every other recent shooter.

Fun fact, GoldenEye for the Wii suffers from none of COD's movie shooter issues, has AI despite using the COD engine, stealth that works, and level design you have to navigate instead of muscle your way through. Why the COD games aren't more like that, I have no idea.

I like movie shooters, too. But they really are like a popcorn flick to me. One playthrough and I'm done for good.

[Foggle]

Can you provide any examples of movie shooters other than the non-numbered CoDs? Can't really think of any, surprisingly enough.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Well, while its nothing at all like CoD, the Uncharted games are pretty much the definition of movie games. They are almost purely made up of scripted events and AI is almost non-existent in those games. Are they fun games to play, though, yes....but just like other movie games, I'm done with them after just one time through (personally, anyways).

[Spark Of Spirit]

Not to say I don't mind set pieces, but I do prefer if you wouldn't play set pieces, but instead play through them with solid game mechanics. Like BioShock, Half Life, or Halo has things going on around you, but doesn't force you play through them a certain way or oops you died do it this specific way and do it again.

Well, while its nothing at all like CoD, the Uncharted games are pretty much the definition of movie games. They are almost purely made up of scripted events and AI is almost non-existent in those games. Are they fun games to play, though, yes....but just like other movie games, I'm done with them after just one time through (personally, anyways).

Yep, Uncharted is definitely one. Killzone would be another, Medal Of Honor (the recent one) and its ilk, too.

Not to say there's anything wrong with these games, but IMO, they're all flash and are rarely ever worth more than one playthrough.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Aliens: Colonial Marines will most likely be at E3.

After Borderlands and Duke Nukem, I await this with bated breath.

NO REGENERATING HEALTH PLEASE, IT WILL RUIN THE TENSION AND HORROR ASPECT.

[gunswordfist]

Halo 1 remake, GoW XBLA game, and a possible Alan Wake 2 announcement sounds like a solid E3 for MS. Give me a new Shadow Complex and a good SoXBLA and I'll give them a solid.

Besides Halo 1 remake, fuck those other games. Gimme Battletoads 4 and Jet Force Gemini 3. I wonder they still have the rights to Shadowrun and the rumored remake is being made. If so, they gimme that too.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Silent Hill Collection (2 and 3)
Metal Gear Solid Collection (Raiden Shitfest Boogaloo, 3 and Peace Walker)
Zone Of The Enders Collection (1 and 2)
New Contra game tease

All for PS360 announced at Konami's conference.

Not a bad day for a bad company. Three collections each with 2 good games and a brand new Contra game that hopefully isn't a 3D turd.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Sega's E3 line up

No new announcements, so here's hoping we get VC3 and it will be a great E3 for them. That's really the only thing missing from them that I want.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Halo 4, Halo CE Remastered, Ryse, Voice Search Feature and More All Revealed Early

So there's that.

By the way, I edited the title, I hope you don't mind! 

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Seriously, Microsoft, all I need is an announcement for Shadow Complex 2 and that'll be enough to redeem you from however crappy the rest of your E3 show might be. I mean, after all, didn't the first game sell really well (or in this case get a ton of downloads)?