What Are You Playing?

What are you going to do? Are you going to start your own faction or help another one? Or maybe just bring chaos to every faction?
The usual strategy I go with is to side with someone else for a while until I've captured a bit of land and then rebel, but I might just give myself more of a challenge this time around and start a faction from scratch.

How about you, are you playing Bannerlord?
 

Fancypantaloons

Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas.
The usual strategy I go with is to side with someone else for a while until I've captured a bit of land and then rebel, but I might just give myself more of a challenge this time around and start a faction from scratch.

How about you, are you playing Bannerlord?

That's a nice strategy. You should name your character Gaiseric and build that empire up!
Right now Bannerlord is a bit expensive (South America's economy going to hell), but a friend of mine shared his Steam library with me, so I got a chance to test it. My PC does not meet the requeriments, it runs poorly, so now I know where to put my money.
 
That's a nice strategy. You should name your character Gaiseric and build that empire up!
I've done role-play runs of historical figures before, but never with Berserk characters. Even for the Golden Age arc, Mount & Blade's world is way too rudimentary and lacks that fantastical element, so it probably wouldn't feel right; maybe I'll try it eventually with a fantasy mod, or in hopefully soon enough in Bannerlord where you can at least have a more unique appearance.

Right now Bannerlord is a bit expensive (South America's economy going to hell), but a friend of mine shared his Steam library with me, so I got a chance to test it. My PC does not meet the requeriments, it runs poorly, so now I know where to put my money.
Seems like we're in the same boat. The game is still in early access though, so there's no rush. If it could wait for eight years, it can wait a while longer.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Sony will be able to flex that muscle hard with the PS5.

Yeah, if they improve the hardware to be on par with PC, it could be really big. I mean, 5 million HMDs at $200-300 is big already.

I'll make you a list, but certainly nothing will be of quite the same caliber.

Well, as you know, I finally got a taste of my own VR of that caliber in...

Half-Life: Alyx the last couple nights. HMD hooked up fine, very naturally. Steam was a little more troublesome; had to download the WMR app for Steam, and was having some trouble getting anything going in Steam VR (it wasn't nearly as intuitive at setting you up). Sometime after 1am I said fuck it and just launched Alyx, which left me standing in a gray ruin for 5 minutes before checking my screen to see a crash error, which happened a couple more times until I realized I needed to restart the whole VR program. It was around this time I got that sinking feeling this might not be my night, or the game might never run at all, but I tried again and the next time it fired up, no problems! I think all my fucking around getting it started might not have had Steam VR in the most stable condition.

Then it was just the much happier problem of figuring out what the hell I was doing in-game. Was able to move around continuously ok, got disoriented once on the street, but I really see what you mean about needing room as I bumped into my boundaries quite frequently and felt like I got "off center" pretty fast. I bumped my chair, which I forgot to push under the desk, bumped the controllers into each other a couple times, but nothing major, I'm mainly concerned about damaging the equipment, particularly the controllers. I didn't use the wrist straps but can see the danger as I threw cans and shit over the balcony. My first feeling of VR accomplishment was going from limply dropping something I tried to toss to whipping shit across the room (I hope that has combat/stealth applications =). With unboxing and first time setup I didn't really get to play for more than a half hour the first night, which was probably a good introduction to just the basics like looking and moving around properly.

Last night was much better though, I got to put in a couple hours and find my footing, do some gunplay, gravity gloving, physical VR hand-eye puzzles and other unexpectedly cool shit. It even looked better as I think I was wearing everything more comfortably. I still bumped the controllers into each other, into my headphones putting stuff in my backpack (I'm waiting until I hit myself in the face frantically reloading =), into the floor reaching down, it was enough to make me consider where I would get replacements. But the most impressive moments were just geeking out interacting with the environment, breaking windows, being surprised I could put on a random face mask and hard hat, grabbing a bucket and turning it upside down to dump everything and collect the useful items inside (I started trying to grab and move the items manually inside the bucket and realized I could do more =). Even examining old VHS tapes in a cabinet was interesting (to me lol). Needless to say, in the end, around 2:30am, I could hardly put it down.

Doom (2016) - Started replaying this one a couple days ago to compare to Doom Eternal, kept replaying it because it rules. This one is more different from Eternal than I'd remembered, a more traditional modern FPS campaign, more serious, more horror, more like Doom 3 than I thought, and a little more variety in your MO because you're not so dependent on glory kills. As a matter of fact they aren't that useful! It would've been interesting if they'd done "Doom II" in this more straightforward style rather than going for a doubly frenetic and wild Doom revival that is...

Doom Eternal - Got some missing upgrades in my campaign and thought about doing my own DIY NG+ replaying the individual levels at higher difficulties and collecting everything, but just started another campaign. The fun of that made me think this one might have some classic Doom replay value after all. It should also be noted these games and HL: Alyx couldn't be more contrasting FPS styles; in this one you're constantly running and attacking full speed, mowing down enemies like a god, whereas in Alyx you're methodically exploring, experiencing, every nook and cranny of the environment and any little enemy, especially the little ones actually, can pose what feels like a significant threat.

Witcher 3 - Started Hearts of Stone a few days ago in my spare time (there's a lot more now as you can tell =), where I slayed a giant killer frog in the sewer that was really a prince, was captured by his guard and was being taken overseas to be executed by their king, was freed by a sorcerer that caused a shipwreck in a Faustian bargain where I need to grant wishes to his enemy, who's immortal because I cut his head off and he's fine, and now I'm attending a wedding possessed by that enemy's brother's ghost to show him a good time... whew! What I'm trying to say is Witcher 3 DLC is going for it, and this isn't even the good one, apparently.
 
Last edited:

Guts

Black Swordsman
Mainly Blade n Sorcery with two Berserk mods :

The hitbox of the Dragon Slayer is risky, some NPCs are cut in 5 by taking a single blow, which can be funny told like that, but in order to dismember at will in this game, you need a very good skill, it's absolutely not intuitive.

I also installed a mod integrating the infinite gauntlet from Avengers to make fun of NPCs, I laughed a lot and uninstalled it.
 
Finished Nioh 2 (1.5) and...meh. It was fun in some parts, I'll admit, especially with coop. The combat system itself is pretty thrilling (even though you've already experienced it if you played the original). But everything else was average at best.

I'd give it a 6/10 (would have been a 7 like Nioh 1 but one boss made me take a whole point off because of how cheap it was). It also gets the "most environmentally friendly game" award for how recycled it is. Not sure why it took 3 years to release when most of what they did was copy-paste from the first one.

Not recommended for folks who played the original. Unless you really enjoyed it and want more.

---

I'm 4 hours into Resident Evil 3 and...

The difference between Mr. X and Nemesis is the difference between RE2 & RE3; one is dark, mysterious and scarier than it is a practical challenge to you, whereas the other is a relentless, in-your-face assault, but of course you're appropriately equipped to fight back. I don't know that they'll keep the scares of RE2 intact because RE3 and CV are really when Resident Evil became more of an action series to begin with. I mean, these zombies are going to be a lot less scary when you're fucking shooting up exploding barrels or power generators to blow up or electrocute them en masse. It's still good, and an appropriate escalation, but just not the same as you trapped in a dark, narrow corridor with three zombies between you and the exit.

What I really love about RE2 and 3 though are the more normal environments, the best parts to me weren't the gothic elements of the police station or the high tech secret labs but the streets, businesses, hallways, desks, classrooms, administrative offices, etc. RE3 is loaded with a wide variety of actual locations like a restaurant, gas station or local newspaper, plus a really weird gothic clock tower and high tech waste disposal plant. =)

...this statement is spot-on.

Nemesis is definitely not another Mr. X. His chases are their own style of scary, even though it does get irritating at times.

I'm enjoying all the locations and their variety too. I reached a part in a hospital during my last session and loved every second of it. I was never a big fan of the weird gothic elements or secret labs or any crazy locations in other REs either, so I appreciate the more grounded approach of this game.

Only downside so far? It's probably pretty short. I've heard it's only 6 hours long, and although I don't know how it ends, I feel like I'm approaching some sort of conclusion 4 hours in. Hope it's a little longer than that, but we'll see. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for anyone who played the original and doesn't want to spend 90 bucks on a relatively short game.

I like it a lot so far, though it still hasn't dethroned RE2 for me at this point.
Yeah, it definitely mixes things up so if previous iterations didn't offer you something this one might. I would also recommend trying Doom 2016 if you haven't, it's a little less crazy and more straightforward.
Will give it a look. I think it was on sale on PSN last time I checked.

Maybe after RE3 is done, I'll jump into this one.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
It also gets the "most environmentally friendly game" award for how recycled it is. Not sure why it took 3 years to release when most of what they did was copy-paste from the first one.

Hold on, we've got another contender, and they did this one in little over a year...

Nemesis is definitely not another Mr. X. His chases are their own style of scary, even though it does get irritating at times.

Resident Evil 3 was ultimately a bad time for me, and particularly the Nemesis, because it was not at all what I expected, which, in Nemesis' case, was basically the last game's Mr. X on steroids. That was the original Nemesis' function too, moreso than the original Mr. X. Instead, here he's largely relegated to plot sequences, set pieces and boss fights like Birkin, so instead of him freely hunting you constantly throughout Raccoon City, which we'll get back to, you either run from him in short set sequences or you fight him as a boss. Easy enough in both cases; you certainly won't have the tension and unease of Mr. X pursuing you. Botching Nemesis was not a good start to remaking RE3: Nemesis. =)

I'm enjoying all the locations and their variety too. I reached a part in a hospital during my last session and loved every second of it. I was never a big fan of the weird gothic elements or secret labs or any crazy locations in other REs either, so I appreciate the more grounded approach of this game.

Another sore spot if you're a fan of the original RE3; pretty much every location, save the Hospital, which was much smaller and among many locations, has been cut! In the original game, from the beginning to the end, the setting was the city, all of it, particularly the streets. In this version you just travel to a few different big indoor locations that seem like recycled assets from RE2.

Only downside so far? It's probably pretty short. I've heard it's only 6 hours long, and although I don't know how it ends, I feel like I'm approaching some sort of conclusion 4 hours in. Hope it's a little longer than that, but we'll see.

If they'd at least somewhat faithfully remade it like RE2, the game would be at least twice as long. That's how much they cut. Even what's in is so straightforward and perfunctory it's ridiculous, like compare the last couple of hours of this game to RE2 remake. It's not even half the rooms or puzzles and you could sleepwalk through it, and that had two campaigns.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for anyone who played the original and doesn't want to spend 90 bucks on a relatively short game.

I wouldn't either, but not because the experience will be all too familiar, but painfully compromised. I hate to say it, but I think this... adaptation, as it were, sucks. It was little questionable things at first that I could rationalize, changing the order of the plot and environments or cutting others, but the changes just got bigger and bigger and the game seemingly smaller and smaller.

It's all relative though, on metacritic this game is scoring in the high 70s or low 80s but with damning user scores (the true RE3 fans! =) between the mid 5s and 6s, whereas RE2 was in the high 80s or 90s with user scores to match. Objectively, it's still a fun game for the most part, but exhaustingly derivative of this particular RE formula (it needed a Nemesis that would shake things up like the new Mr. X did, which was basically Nemesis, again, it's crazy how they mucked this up), and it makes my issues with the RE2 remake look really minor.

Unlike that one, aside from the characters, this one is almost unrecognizable as RE3. It really is like they changed almost everything, literally skipped over or cut outright most of the original game's events and locations, and I don't really know why other than this was cheaper/easier than recreating those, because it's a lot of missing content being replaced by much less or not at all.

I guess a year later was too soon for a true effort, but it also seems like the game developers are taking the term "remake" to literally mean making a game again as a different game. It really feels like it was made with all the care of those RE2 "2nd Runs." Actually, comparing it to the RE2 remake is insulting to the apparent care taken in realizing that game, even if it fell short of recreating the magic of RE2. This is now basically just a ripoff of the RE2 remake, recycled locations and everything. But this is basically Jill's 2nd Run DLC, featuring Nemesis chase cutscenes, for $59.99. To be fair, RE2 remake had already cannibalized the ammo creation and Nemesis mechanics from RE3. At least they made Carlos cooler, though. =)

Anyway, I guess it doesn't matter if people just want to keep slamming this formula, I certainly have indulged it, but it really feels like a lazy regression after RE2 and a painful one if you have any fondness for the original RE3, which this actually bears little resemblance to; like, literally 15% of it is from RE3 and the rest is gone or been replaced by shit that feels like it's just recycled from RE2 (sewers, RPD, Kendo's, labs).
 
Last edited:

XionHorsey

Hi! Hi!
Love Nikki has still eaten me . I've spent more money on this mobile game than any other one. Granted, they were gift card credits I get from surveys and cashbacks, but still...I've spent quite a bit.

Also, Borderlands 3 is back in the forefront with that new DLC that I love and consider it the third best. It's Lovecraftian horror and it's quite well made.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Getting back to the positive for me, I've been playing Half-Life Alyx every night until the early morning, which has quickly become my favorite game of the year for the extreme immersion and interactivity. I could just fuck around in this interface all day like a simulator, but then it's got a AAA game attached to it!

On the technical side I had some heavy chop during a big firefight a couple nights ago with some heavily armored dudes, but fortunately no amount of slowdown will make me motion sick apparently so I just powered through, but that forced me to really optimize my PC for VR performance and it's been smooth sailing in every skirmish and lighting situation ever since (all the dynamic lighting during the flashlight sequences can be taxing, on my PC and me).

Hell, the hardest part of the whole game was throwing a grenade through an air shaft because Windows Mixed Reality tracking is tough for throwing and there's a learning curve anyway according to Aaz. It's throwing overhand that's the problem, I basically whip everything sidearmed to get any sort of distance, but it's not good for either precision or height. I've since gotten the hang of it, at least for combat purposes. At first I wondered if I'd ever get it and even had to build a little junk tower to get me as close to dropping it in that shaft as possible. Alternative solutions. =)

Speaking of which, I also figured out a way to crash the game consistently, the only time it has since I first started. So, your backpack only carries ammo and resin (weapon upgrade material), but your wrist pockets can carry one additional object of any kind (healing syringe, grenade, etc), so if my pockets are full I'll just carry extra items for as long as I can in both hands, which is annoying, but then I thought I could make it easier and carry even MORE in a box or bucket, like my own little portable inventory chest! This was great as I collected all sorts of excess grenades and healing items in my little crate, that is until I wandered far enough, tried picking up a grenade from my box, and promptly crashed the game, and every time I tried thereafter. That's about the time I also learned don't try to save while holding a grenade in your hand when the button you press to pull up the menu also pulls the pin. :guts:

I love bullshit like that, though only if there's a good game built around the mechanics. Gives me a reason to try and exploit them! I'm actually a little disappointed in their ammo and weapon upgrade "hiding" spots. They're clearly pulling their punches because I'm looking under and around everything but they mostly just place them on shelves or open boxes, "What's the point of throwing vases, looking under pillows and underneath appliances then!? I'm trying to get immersed here!"

Though, the real game changer, the power up I wish I'd saved all my resin for in the first place because I'd probably have saved 200 rounds of ammo by now is the LASER SIGHT. I immediately started making pinpoint shots on various small targets and thinking the rest of the game was either going to be very easy or get really hard if I'm to actually need this. It was that or a grenade launcher upgrade for the shotgun, which seemed pretty underwhelming by comparison. I was in the Doom Eternal mindset expecting more of a weapon mod where my ammo could now be grenades but it was more like you could carry one extra grenade you didn't have to throw (though Aaz swears it may be the best upgrade for the precision with which you can blow dudes up). Anyway, the laser sight combined with the burst fire upgrade on the pistol or assault rifle (I got both =) is a whole new ballgame, and I was going to get the extra ammo clip for the pistol to make it more viable but now I'll consider the grenade launcher after all.

Currently I'm past the third boss encounter and still making my way to the enemy's base, but I had to quit because it was 3am and I actually had to do stuff for work before bed. But yeah, I'd stay in-game all night if I didn't know baby was going to be waking me around 9am. Great game.
 
Last edited:
Well, I finished RE3...at 8 hours of gameplay (and that included me just messing around and exploring every nook and cranny).

I enjoyed it for what it was - a lot, actually - but it didn't leave nearly the same impact as RE2, which I still fondly remember a year later. This one felt..like a DLC tbh: fun, fast, and then you move on. It should have at least been sold at half-price imo.

Visually and technically, it was stunning. The RE/DMC engine is probably my favorite currently existing engine. The rest - plot, soundtrack, atmosphere, etc. - worked well enough for what this game was going for.

Without comparing it to RE2, and without being a fan of the original, I'd give it a solid 8/10.

Hold on, we've got another contender, and they did this one in little over a year...

:ganishka: True, but trust me, Nioh 1.5 gets this award anyway. Maybe because it's a 50+ hour game of recycled material vs a 6 hour game, but yeah I was less bothered by the recycling in RE3.

Resident Evil 3 was ultimately a bad time for me,...

That's unfortunate, but I totally get it. I'm grateful I wasn't a fan of the original, otherwise I would have been in the same boat, since the points below are particularly damaging.

...and particularly the Nemesis, because it was not at all what I expected, which, in Nemesis' case, was basically the last game's Mr. X on steroids. That was the original Nemesis' function too, moreso than the original Mr. X. Instead, here he's largely relegated to plot sequences, set pieces and boss fights like Birkin, so instead of him freely hunting you constantly throughout Raccoon City, which we'll get back to, you either run from him in short set sequences or you fight him as a boss. Easy enough in both cases; you certainly won't have the tension and unease of Mr. X pursuing you. Botching Nemesis was not a good start to remaking RE3: Nemesis. =)

I eventually noticed that too. Part of the reason Mr. X was so memorable is the fact that he was mostly unscripted. I remember thinking if I lingered too long in a certain area, Mr. X would eventually show up, so that added a lot of urgency and tension. I'm not sure if that's how RE2 worked, but that's the experience I had and it's sorely lacking in RE3.

I suppose they went for the scripted approach for Nemesis because of the game's level design. In other words, instead of a centralized location like the police station that you would explore again and again, you have a series of unrelated small areas strung together in the plot. It wouldn't have made much sense to have an unscripted Nemesis chasing you around in these, so they just relegated him to plot-points.

Of course, I'm not saying that to justify their approach, at all. Especially if we look at the below point about the setting.

Another sore spot if you're a fan of the original RE3; pretty much every location, save the Hospital, which was much smaller and among many locations, has been cut! In the original game, from the beginning to the end, the setting was the city, all of it, particularly the streets. In this version you just travel to a few different big indoor locations that seem like recycled assets from RE2.

I looked up gameplay footage of the original and boy you're right! There was so much potential in there and some locations I would have been thrilled to see rendered in the new RE engine. They surely would have had so many options, like making the setting open-world-ish or implementing intricate level design like the ones you see in From Software's games. It would have been a huge leap from RE2's police station to the whole of Racoon City.

I still enjoyed what we got, but man, such wasted potential! They should have taken their time to remake this one instead of rushing it out in one year.

If they'd at least somewhat faithfully remade it like RE2, the game would be at least twice as long. That's how much they cut. Even what's in is so straightforward and perfunctory it's ridiculous, like compare the last couple of hours of this game to RE2 remake. It's not even half the rooms or puzzles and you could sleepwalk through it, and that had two campaigns.

There were puzzles in the RE3 remake? :ganishka:

Yeah, this game wasn't particularly challenging. I died 6 times overall, and only 2 of these really counted. As for the "puzzles", there were just 2 of them iirc, and they were kind of silly. Gone are the days where you get genuine brain-teasers in games...

I wouldn't either, but not because the experience will be all too familiar, but painfully compromised. I hate to say it, but I think this... adaptation, as it were, sucks. It was little questionable things at first that I could rationalize, changing the order of the plot and environments or cutting others, but the changes just got bigger and bigger and the game seemingly smaller and smaller.

It's all relative though, on metacritic this game is scoring in the high 70s or low 80s but with damning user scores (the true RE3 fans! =) between the mid 5s and 6s, whereas RE2 was in the high 80s or 90s with user scores to match. Objectively, it's still a fun game for the most part, but exhaustingly derivative of this particular RE formula (it needed a Nemesis that would shake things up like the new Mr. X did, which was basically Nemesis, again, it's crazy how they mucked this up), and it makes my issues with the RE2 remake look really minor.

Unlike that one, aside from the characters, this one is almost unrecognizable as RE3. It really is like they changed almost everything, literally skipped over or cut outright most of the original game's events and locations, and I don't really know why other than this was cheaper/easier than recreating those, because it's a lot of missing content being replaced by much less or not at all.

I guess a year later was too soon for a true effort, but it also seems like the game developers are taking the term "remake" to literally mean making a game again as a different game. It really feels like it was made with all the care of those RE2 "2nd Runs." Actually, comparing it to the RE2 remake is insulting to the apparent care taken in realizing that game, even if it fell short of recreating the magic of RE2. This is now basically just a ripoff of the RE2 remake, recycled locations and everything. But this is basically Jill's 2nd Run DLC, featuring Nemesis chase cutscenes, for $59.99. To be fair, RE2 remake had already cannibalized the ammo creation and Nemesis mechanics from RE3. At least they made Carlos cooler, though. =)

Anyway, I guess it doesn't matter if people just want to keep slamming this formula, I certainly have indulged it, but it really feels like a lazy regression after RE2 and a painful one if you have any fondness for the original RE3, which this actually bears little resemblance to; like, literally 15% of it is from RE3 and the rest is gone or been replaced by shit that feels like it's just recycled from RE2 (sewers, RPD, Kendo's, labs).

Ultimately, whether it's budget issues, laziness, unfaithfulness, streamlining for modern audiences, or any combination of reasons, this game is a great example of wasted potential. They could have had a possible GotY contender, and a game that may have even been better than something like the Last of Us Part II (assuming that will turn out good to begin with) for example.

Here's hoping this doesn't become a trend. They should have taken a page out of Shadow of the Colossus 2018. Now that was a faithful remake...

Despite all that, I'm still on board for yet another remake. On to Final Fantasy VII next!
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
I eventually noticed that too. Part of the reason Mr. X was so memorable is the fact that he was mostly unscripted. I remember thinking if I lingered too long in a certain area, Mr. X would eventually show up, so that added a lot of urgency and tension. I'm not sure if that's how RE2 worked, but that's the experience I had and it's sorely lacking in RE3.

That's actually how Nemesis worked in RE3 originally, whereas Mr. X was completed scripted in the original RE2. Mr. X's purpose was to mix things up since you had already completed one playthrough. So the police station was changed (you clearly were visiting the place after someone else), and Mr. X was erupting out of walls to crank up the stress. It was great. But Nemesis though, he was relentless, he followed you room to room while slurring STAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSS. That was a completely different experience, and the first time an enemy could open doors in the series. It also meant you kind of had to fight him off to give you some breathing room (since he stayed knocked out for a bit), but that also ate a lot of ammo so it wasn't an easy choice to make. Plus he had some serious firepower.

The problem here is that the developers completely leeched RE3's concept for their RE2 remake, so they didn't have much left for an RE3 remake. That's honestly too bad because in the process they screwed up what made the two-scenarios system great in RE2. In the end I was disappointed with their RE2 remake, and I'm a pretty huge fan of the original game. I was going to buy RE3 without really thinking about it, but Griff's feedback saved me the trouble. I'll get it in a few years when it's on sale for $5.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
The problem here is that the developers completely leeched RE3's concept for their RE2 remake, so they didn't have much left for an RE3 remake

Patching features in from other games to enhance a remake doesn’t strike me as a problem. That’s just pulling all the stops out and incorporating proven ideas to make a great game. The problem is NOT innovating in the sequel to patch the hole they made.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Patching features in from other games to enhance a remake doesn’t strike me as a problem. That’s just pulling all the stops out and incorporating proven ideas to make a great game. The problem is NOT innovating in the sequel to patch the hole they made.

Agreed, although looking back at RE2 I think a case could be made for carefully scripted Mr. X events versus relentless pursuing. Honestly I still think they should have mostly reproduced the original game 1:1 with better graphics and controls. Most of the changes felt like downgrades to me.

Anyway, to talk about what I'm actually playing, I finished Doom Eternal last night. Took about 30 hours to finish the campaign with all items and missions in Ultra-violence. I liked the game a lot despite some flaws. Great gameplay, amazing set of weapons and mods, stunning environments and OST. It's kind of a remake of Doom 2, and it frankly does it justice.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Without comparing it to RE2, and without being a fan of the original, I'd give it a solid 8/10.

Like I said, minus my original RE3 baggage, it is objectively fun gameplay, it's just well worn at this point and really lacking compared to PSX RE3 or even RE2 remake. The Carlos segments annoyed me most because I think they were supposed to be even more action-oriented but felt more punitively, at least to your ammo, lazy because they'd always result in some variation of, "Here's a dozen zombies in front of you in an enclosed space and more coming; guess how you have you to solve this problem?"

I suppose they went for the scripted approach for Nemesis because of the game's level design. In other words, instead of a centralized location like the police station that you would explore again and again, you have a series of unrelated small areas strung together in the plot. It wouldn't have made much sense to have an unscripted Nemesis chasing you around in these, so they just relegated him to plot-points.

Well, there were specific times and places when Nemesis would be unleashed on you or not, kind of like the new Mr. X when he arrives or you leave the station. You would basically know Nemesis was hunting you because they'd usually establish he was in the area and there was specific atmospheric music and sound cues for this too, so you had to deal with it somehow by either getting away from or fighting him. So, they could have managed him similarly here if they didn't want him just randomly showing up or on your ass all the time, but I think that would have been cool if he was just always out there and could strike at any time or from any place, even if my nerves wouldn't enjoy that.

I looked up gameplay footage of the original and boy you're right! There was so much potential in there and some locations I would have been thrilled to see rendered in the new RE engine. They surely would have had so many options, like making the setting open-world-ish or implementing intricate level design like the ones you see in From Software's games. It would have been a huge leap from RE2's police station to the whole of Racoon City.

I still enjoyed what we got, but man, such wasted potential!

Yep, this could have really been the ultimate RE game, and I wasn't even expecting them to do anything so dramatic as make the city a truly open place to explore, which would have been cool, and I wouldn't have minded them augmenting it like adding the sewer sequences or removing RPD because we literally just did that to death, but what I didn't expect was for it all feel smaller than the police station!

I mean, there was hardly even any unique enemy variety in this game. OG RE3 had its own variation of the Licker, which was weakened and basically relegated to one sequence in this one, as well as other insectoid monsters or bosses that were cut.

There were puzzles in the RE3 remake? :ganishka:

Yeah, this game wasn't particularly challenging. I died 6 times overall, and only 2 of these really counted. As for the "puzzles", there were just 2 of them iirc, and they were kind of silly. Gone are the days where you get genuine brain-teasers in games...

Once you get to the generic lab, another departure from the original which had a super skuzzy waste disposal plant instead (Umbrella's nasty bio-weapon garbage =), you're basically tasked with exploring two paths and then the game's basically over. Some finish, at least RE2 had some shit for you to do once you got there and there were new and increasingly dangerous amounts of monsters. This one had some zombies wandering around off their leash like it might as well have been the first area in the game.

Ultimately, whether it's budget issues, laziness, unfaithfulness, streamlining for modern audiences, or any combination of reasons, this game is a great example of wasted potential.

I haven't bothered to research it, but it was hard not to come to the conclusion this was either concurrently developed by a secondary team and/or hurriedly put together after RE2 hit. Feels like a derivative or lesser ripoff of the last game, not the next step by the makers of it.

They could have had a possible GotY contender, and a game that may have even been better than something like the Last of Us Part II (assuming that will turn out good to begin with) for example.

Possibly, but unless it was better than RE2 I don't know. As it stands, unless Last of Us II is really a kissing simulator it's going to kick the shit out of this mini-game. I roll my eyes at "Naughty Dog quality" like anyone else, but at least I know their failings won't be for lack of effort. I'd rather a company be up their own ass, like ND or Valve, but sincerely try to deliver on those pretensions than what sometimes happens with Capcom, great as they are, where they immediately become complacent after a success or shamelessly take advantage of a market opportunity by following up a popular product as quickly and cheaply as possible.

Here's hoping this doesn't become a trend. They should have taken a page out of Shadow of the Colossus 2018. Now that was a faithful remake...

Yeah, that was faithful and a lot of fun and basically gave you options on how much you wanted to modernize the look or controls, but you could essentially experience the original as you remembered it or for the first time. Otherwise, it's to the point now where game remakes are more like film remakes or adaptations that can be completely different from the original in every way. Like, you can't even recommend these to someone if they want to try the game, they have to play the original anyway, which arguably defeats the purpose. If you want a new take on the same concept, that's called a sequel or reboot. This is basically like a reboot and reinterpretation of RE3 specifically, weirdly, no more a remake of the original than Doom (2016) was.

Despite all that, I'm still on board for yet another remake. On to Final Fantasy VII next!

Well, for that one they might add 85% of stuff not found in the original, but I doubt they'll be cutting that much. But again, it's not actually a remake off FF7, but a completely different FF7 game or reboot of the FF7 brand or "franchise." FF7 (2020). I don't know where the line will be drawn, but eventually what were traditionally remakes in gaming will more broadly be defined as "remasters" to note it's essentially faithful to the original content, not a completely new interpretation, even if it's not technically a remaster but made from scratch.

I was going to buy RE3 without really thinking about it, but Griff's feedback saved me the trouble. I'll get it in a few years when it's on sale for $5.

I'm actually rooting against its success at this point, just to send Capcom the message pulling this crap isn't worth it.

Patching features in from other games to enhance a remake doesn’t strike me as a problem. That’s just pulling all the stops out and incorporating proven ideas to make a great game. The problem is NOT innovating in the sequel to patch the hole they made.

Ding! Ding! Ding! And the worst thing was they created an expectation by upgrading the Nemesis mechanic with Mr. X and instead of incorporating Nemesis in a compensatory way they just set him as a story monster. In a weird but truly fundamental way RE2 2019 is the better RE3 remake. This should have been a DLC campaign for that game, much how I used to joke RE3 is the third RE2 disc, except it really had A LOT more to offer on its own as well as being a great companion to that game. I still would have been disappointed we didn't get the real deal, but at least it would have been somewhat appropriate. Couldn't charge $60 for that though.

Honestly I still think they should have mostly reproduced the original game 1:1 with better graphics and controls. Most of the changes felt like downgrades to me.

Like the zapping system in RE2, they didn't even incorporate an equivalent to the "Live Selection" aspect of RE3, it's own self-contained version of the zapping system to anyone unfamiliar, to give the campaign some choice and variety. They literally can't seem to make them like they used to.

I finished Doom Eternal last night. Took about 30 hours to finish the campaign with all items and missions in Ultra-violence. I liked the game a lot despite some flaws. Great gameplay, amazing set of weapons and mods, stunning environments and OST. It's kind of a remake of Doom 2, and it frankly does it justice.

Yeah, some cognitive dissonance caused by the story aside, it all comes together in the end to be a pretty awesome Doom II revival.
 
Last edited:

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
I'm actually rooting against its success at this point, just to send Capcom the message pulling this crap isn't worth it.

But what about the CV remake? :troll:

I don't know where the line will be drawn, but eventually what were traditionally remakes in gaming will more broadly be defined as "remasters" to note it's essentially faithful to the original content, not a completely new interpretation, even if it's not technically a remaster but made from scratch.

I think that's basically already the case today. "HD remaster" vs "remake". I've seen games labeled that way several times.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Four hours into FF7 Remake. Really enjoying it so far, surprising me every few minutes with its fresh direction. There are little moments when it recreates in minute detail scenes you’re familiar with, and it feels extremely surreal, given the graphics makeover. Then they veer off course in a way that expands what was already there, so the original feels like an abridged version of events

I think it’s safe to say that this is a real “remake” in that they are mixing up events a bit, lending focus to unfocused areas with what seems like the intent to broaden the story in different ways. Whether that amounts to a truly great story, or an excuse to chew scenery for additional time is unknown, but I’m excited to find out, so that’s good.

Combat isn’t recognizable at all from the original but I’m really enjoying every encounter. There’s a solidly distinct feeling between each character. What they bring to the table is no longer relegated to their limit breaks, which was always something that bugged me in the original.

My main gripe is the overly exaggerated character animations in cutscenes. It’s just ... too “anime.” Despite this, the voice performance overall is good, and I’m pretty picky about that. Barret comes across as overbearing, but it’s just the opening reactor. Once you emerge, you start getting a better sense of how they’re giving him multiple facets. Cloud is flat. But Cloud is flat, so that’s spot on.

Excited to get deeper in.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
But what about the CV remake? :troll:

Well, it definitely wouldn't be anything like the original, so good? With our luck that's the one they'll put effort into again now that they got this "out of the way."

I think that's basically already the case today. "HD remaster" vs "remake". I've seen games labeled that way several times.

Yeah, it's just odd to call something a remaster, especially with the "HD" moniker as if they just updated the resolution and some textures, when it's actually a total reporoduction. =)

Four hours into FF7 Remake. Really enjoying it so far, surprising me every few minutes with its fresh direction. There are little moments when it recreates in minute detail scenes you’re familiar with, and it feels extremely surreal, given the graphics makeover. Then they veer off course in a way that expands what was already there, so the original feels like an abridged version of events.

I'm not as far in because I'm not the enthusiastic FF7 fan anymore that you are now. I'm more of a Half-Life guy these days... The world truly is turned upside down! =)

Anyway, I agree about the surreal nature of seeing these familiar events and scenes rendered so differently and in such high fidelity. They're apparently creating all these individually detailed buildings without reusing assets in the backgrounds etc, which explains the size. My favorite moment might have been when, after Reactor 1, Cloud is running down some fire escapes and the camera zooms out and is distant enough it gives the feeling of running around in the original. I was pleasantly surprised since I'd gotten used to the more modern look, but yeah, it's weird.

If I have reservations or misgivings so far it's that it has the opposite extreme of the problem of RE3, in that they're adding so much it's becoming something almost new, and it seems made for people already intimately familiar with the details of this story, which is everyone I guess, as a jumping off point. So you can't walk five feet sometimes without Cloud having a meaningful flashback, or vision, or literal ghosts showing up... It makes for pretty awkward introductions for the characters, and steps on all the revelations and mystery, particularly where Sephiroth is concerned (in the original you know him more by name and reputation until you're leaving leaving Midgar, when the world and story both open up). Maybe it's just me.

On that note, I also find some of the dialogue and voice acting pretty baroque and clunky so far (that goes for the musical direction in these moments too, it can be distractingly complex). Everything is dripping with meaning before there's any internal logic established for it to do so. Characters can't just meet and say hello, have a normal, casual interaction. It's like this is supposed to be Biblical or Shakespearean, but of course for Square it sort of is, "THOU ART WITNESSING THE MOMENT CLOUD DOTH MET AERITH!" Yeah, in the original they just bump into each other like people on the street do, whereas this was weird as fuck. Cloud was always flat as you say, but like a standoffish person is, not like this, this is like a joke, he reminds me of the SNL parody of Iceman from Top Gun, "Get away. I'm dangerous." I just wish it was a little more normal and genuine, like the "abridged" version. =) That way the characters could have a little more character and not just be ideal projections of themselves or some archetype like poor Jesse. The exception to this is Barret, he gets to cut loose and so he's been my favorite so far.

Basically, when I'm in the gameplay portions fighting or running around downtown Midgar or the slums, I'm in a sort of nostalgic awe and disbelief, it's very cool and exhilarating, and more than I'd ever imagined, but then I question that once I see how this approach extends to the less superficial aspects and particularly the story elements. These could be my own growing pains and dissonance with this compared to the original though. I'm looking forward to seeing how all this grows and expands, they've already made the story so much more complex, or convoluted, I haven't really wrapped my head around all the new shit that's going on and what other changes it will mean, or if it's just an extra layer of BS, but it all seems thematically appropriate like they're really trying to make this something special to live up to the game's reputation, and the presentation the definitive, like, "FF7 The Feature Film" experience. Or maybe it's "The Netflix Series." =) I just hope it ends up more in line with the Resident Evil 2 remake in this regard, which for all my issues of faithfulness was a pretty undeniably top notch production and immersive presentation, and not Advent Children, which is definitely a danger. I'd hate to find out definitively that everything I liked about FF7 was all in my head and with perfect clarity it turns out Cloud, Aerith, Sephiroth et al were supposed to suck all along. =)
 
Last edited:

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Color me unexcited after this last farmed out half-effort. This game doesn't even need to be remade, and already has been half a dozen times as it's the one all these games are being remade into. I guess we won't need to wait for RE5 to see ouroboros because this snake is already eating its tail.

Yep, comes across as a plain cash grab.
 
Looks like they're going straight to Resident Evil 4: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/resident-evil-4-remake/

Sorry but this article gives really no concrete sources to back up their claim. It makes too many statements with no sources at all. They’ve been working on it since 2018? Really? I’m tired of all these GAMING RUMORS being muttered around the internet for clicks. They quote that same guy that claimed Konami is working on multiple silent hill projects and was talking with Sony about selling the rights of silent hill, MGS and castlevania. Yeah OKAY. I’m not saying that a RE4 remake won’t eventually happen. But not this soon. Here I am waiting patiently for them to expand on Jakes ending in RE6....
 
Last edited:

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Sorry but this article gives really no concrete sources to back up their claim. It makes too many statements with no sources at all. They’ve been working on it since 2018? Really? I’m tired of all these GAMING RUMORS being muttered around the internet for clicks. They quote that same guy that claimed Konami is working on multiple silent hill projects and was talking with Sony about selling the rights of silent hill, MGS and castlevania. Yeah OKAY. I’m not saying that a RE4 remake won’t eventually happen. But not this soon. Only reason they did RE3 the year after was because of all the reused assets. If it does come out as early as 2021, than it seems the RE2 remake and DMCV were just a bright glimmer before capcom takes another nose dive. It would make more sense for them to do RE8 first. Or maybe do something with Jake after RE6.

I can't attest to this article's sources, but it's been widely shared by people who tend to know what's up, which is why I posted it here. Also, if you read the article, they actually say RE8 will come out first (2021) while the RE4 remake would be out in 2022 at the earliest.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I can't attest to this article's sources, but it's been widely shared by people who tend to know what's up, which is why I posted it here. Also, if you read the article, they actually say RE8 will come out first (2021) while the RE4 remake would be out in 2022 at the earliest.

Actually it's about ethics is games journalism. Yeah... I'll be interested in RE8 when it comes out if they put in the effort they did for VII and RE2, but after the latter they're already showing they aren't taking these remakes seriously.

As for now, I'm partying like it's 1999:

Half-Life Alyx - My weapons are highly upgraded at this point so I'm not having trouble cutting anything down, even antlions or heavy troopers. There was a pretty intense sneaking and puzzle segment where combat is not an option, but it was fair and not cheap or discouraging. Now I'm in the home stretch, and have a decent idea what my actual objective is going to be, but I took last night off because I've been playing it every night since I got it until like 4am and needed to catch up on sleep before the final run. Gotta keep my immune system up. =)

Final Fantasy VII - I got more into the nitty gritty of the sidequests, which made me miss repetitive combat and reminds me more of tutorial villages in a Zelda game or something: find little girl's cats! I do like Cloud's understandably unenthusiastic attitude that mirrors my own, "This sucks," "Screw this." But now that I'm loaded on items, gil and materia I'm ready to move on.


I was also replaying the original Half-Life with the intention of playing Half-Life 2 after Alyx, but most of that time has gone to FF7.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom