good
i enjoyed playing it but there were a few things i noticed that could be changed
-sprinting (makes running away from enemies just a little easier)
-show that a gun can only have 2 attachments (it would help to know this before buying attachments)
other then that, it was a good game
I'd give it an 8... but..
I got glitched 4 (or 5th, can't remember) level and couldn't move (walked over a cleared hole and couldn't get out. Didn't die.. had to close the game...) Other than that, the game was alright but lacked polish; see below.
Other than that, I'd say making level 3 easier was a lame decision. I cleared it in one go, no deaths, couldn't even use most of the items left around and I was only using the standard issue rifle. Game was fun-ish if a bit easy.
That said, a few upgrade options for something that wasn't a weapon would be nice; Say, stims so you're always sprinting/aiming, maybe better vision/lights, maybe a radar upgrade, armor, health, secondary abilities, weird attachments like grenade launchers. I feel like the game felt too "call of duty"y with it's upgrades. Double clips and so forth.
Also, maybe some options so you could instead sneak around the place instead of just ramboing it. I get that's the point, but offering other playstyles will increase positive review rate.
Epic.Should Make Another One With A Little Group Or Something
I really liked this game for one reason: the emphasis on the Horror aspect and the excellent atmosphere of the Outpost. I thoroughly enjoyed the sounds of my boots on metal, and the broken down machinery of Haven. It gave the game a very moody, honestly terrifying and heart-pounding feel, combined with that music.
The horror, however, quickly falls flat with the Owl People. Look, I understand that they're supposed to be a terrifying, "KILL IT WITH FIRE!" abomination that serve as the games primary problem, but they're just not scary. The growls and screeches are too generic, and the way they can cheaply gangrape me to death, without so much as an attack animation, just an unfair speed and hit-detection, makes them less scary, more annoying. Thinking on a scale of Ctulhu and the Cockroach, these guys are cockroaches.
That said, even though the enemies themselves are more annoying than terrifying (and if I might say, that end boss was laughably stupid), exploration and the logs make up for them. I enjoyed reading through the logs, and seeing the writing on the walls and the floor. I creeped myself out when I discovered the scroll down feature with the cryptic game tagline. Excellent way to creep out an inquisitive player, my good man.
On the subject of exploration, I would have loved more dead ends and optional zones with interesting temporary equipment and additional logs. The way the game is so compact and claustrophobic makes sense in context, and invites a feeling of dread that you cannot run away from these guys, but the place is just too interesting to explore, the logs so unnerving, and the dark corners too mystifying not to go into. The lack of real estate disappointed me.
The combat was also, for lack of better terms, piss poor. I felt that the system could have used a better, more tactical feel than just "Backpedal and Pump" till dead. It makes sense for these aliens to just clusterfuck me to death as I said earlier, but it is simply not enjoyable gameplay wise.
I have an issue with my tools of extermination, too. The menu was intuitive, a great way to check up on my weapons, but the lack of hotkeys brought me out of the action way too many times and the way they chew ammo is realistic, but unfortunately, not very fun.
The Haven Outpost Supply Network deserves special mention. I enjoyed the futurisitc interface and the hospital-like cleanliness compared to the decrepit state of Haven itself. The menus were a bit problematic with the close buttons, and I felt it way too easy to purchase a weapon by accident. You'd think a supply network for cash-strapped miners would have an "Are you sure?" prompt...
The story was minimal, but the dialogue and the hacking sequence with my Spotter was excellent. I would have enjoyed more dialogue and lines between I and my partner, and especially my spotter. Bits of lore or cryptic warnings would have been nice to read in between looking for the objective at the moment.
The story mode, unfortunately, feels like a slapped on feature. I noticed that the advanced weapons, unless one were very patient and skilled, would not be purchasable on my story mode budget, and I'm a stingy explorer who finds every spare credit I can get my hands on. It seems like the entire game was just supposed to be an Arena game, instead of a Survival Horror, especially since buying new weapons has no other purpose other than carrying more ammo, since all the weapons essentially do the same job and don't have many differences or specialized uses like a weapon againts armored enemies or more unique strains of bug.
So, in closing, excellent atmosphere. I would love to see a point and click game with such an atmosphere, because once you pull out the guns in Haven, all sense of Horror and Survival is lost to basic Arena strategy and grinding.
"The combat was also, for lack of better terms, piss poor"
Nah, you're being too subtle mate, not sure I know what's on your mind.
Excellent review, thank you. I could defend some points, but then I just slip into being yet another moaning dev bitching that "You just don't get my art".
I agree with some points, disagree with others, and that's what a good review should be.
If you enjoyed the game more than you disliked it, then I think we've done our job.
It's been such a massive learning process with this game and we've been spoilt with excellent feedback here that it'll help so much with O2. The next game will be better than this, and that is due to players like yourself taking the time to review the game in such detail.
Cheers.
REPETITIVE.