XBLA Catch-Much: Farewell to XBLA

Sent you a FR, Staats.

I was really turned off by the developer videos. They were trying way to hard to be cool and it didn't help that a majority of the gameplay I saw was of what is probably the most boring class in the game (the tank). Then, I watched Giantbombs quick look and was sold. This game actually looks pretty fun when real people are playing it.

I will be playing this most of the evening. I'm going to spam friend requests to the people that said they will be on tonight, feel free to do the same to me.

I hate assassins.

Nevermind. I see MNC has its own thread.

Staats wrote:

Aside from committing that all too common error in FPS -- the inclusion of a sniper rifle -- it seems pretty solid.

Seriously. Haven't developers ever played games on a "no sniper" server and seen how much more entertaining they are for everyone but the people who only like to snipe?

I'd barely given Monday Night Combat any thought until stumbling upon Simon Parkin over at Eurogamer giving it a 9/10.

The game demands its players to organise themselves effectively, deciding who is going to cover which bot path, and on what element each member is to spend their money on. If a multiplayer version of Plants vs. Zombies combined with Gears of War's Horde mode sounds appealing then rest easy: you're home.

Very Intriguing. Anyone have any impressions of single-player?

I'm also curious to how well this'll play with random XBL teammates, as I'd hate to only be able to play if other gwj'ers are around.

Wokavan, check out the Catch-All.

The game plays well with randoms, because teamwork with your bots is built in--there are clear avenues to cooperatively make pushes on.

I linked the catch-all in the gigantic original post also.

Thanks!

ClockworkHouse wrote:
4xis.black wrote:

Quick question: Assuming I was some kind of crazy person who has never played Symphony of Night, would that be worth buying instead of this new one? (Or at all, in 2010?)

Yes. It's always worth it to buy Symphony of the Night.

Good call. Bought it, played all the way through it.

wokavan wrote:

I'd barely given Monday Night Combat any thought until stumbling upon Simon Parkin over at Eurogamer giving it a 9/10.

The game demands its players to organise themselves effectively, deciding who is going to cover which bot path, and on what element each member is to spend their money on. If a multiplayer version of Plants vs. Zombies combined with Gears of War's Horde mode sounds appealing then rest easy: you're home.

Very Intriguing. Anyone have any impressions of single-player?

I'm also curious to how well this'll play with random XBL teammates, as I'd hate to only be able to play if other gwj'ers are around.

Single-player is pretty poor. It's there, but it feels a bit hollow. Things get set up pretty naturally, though of course it's much more coordinated with GWJers.

Carrot is right, though, the bot dynamic helps players coordinate what they should be doing.

I played me some hydro thunder using my wheel! OMG that is intense!

Sku Boi wrote:

I played me some hydro thunder using my wheel! OMG that is intense!

I just use a controller, but I think Hydro thunder is a blast.

I'm picking the Lara Croft game up when it comes out. I've really liked the last few Tomb Raider games, so I am curious about this direction for the game. It looks like fun, though.

Jayhawker wrote:

I'm picking the Lara Croft game up when it comes out. I've really liked the last few Tomb Raider games, so I am curious about this direction for the game. It looks like fun, though.

After finally watching some footage and seeing its twin-stick stylez I can't wait. Couch co-op has been the phrase of my summer and LC looks like the perfect cure for FIFA whoopin' blues.

Anyone have any comments on Lara Croft so far? Anyone finish it yet? I'm curious about the total play time.

Jeff-66 wrote:

Anyone have any comments on Lara Croft so far? Anyone finish it yet? I'm curious about the total play time.

Only comment I've got is on the demo, which I *really* enjoyed. Planning on sitting down with the wife at some point and if she likes it, then it's a purchase for some conjugal couch co-op action.

I've heard nothing but good things about Lara Croft XBLA, so I'll likely be picking up the game tonight.

I understand that there are 14 levels that take 30-45 minutes each. However, each level has a set of challenges that encourage multiple playthroughs (speed runs, skull collecting, hidden powerups, etc.).

Aaron D. wrote:

I've heard nothing but good things about Lara Croft XBLA, so I'll likely be picking up the game tonight.

I understand that there are 14 levels that take 30-45 minutes each. However, each level has a set of challenges that encourage multiple playthroughs (speed runs, skull collecting, hidden powerups, etc.).

Thanks! that sounds fantastic for a $15 game. I'm in.

Jonman wrote:
Jeff-66 wrote:

Anyone have any comments on Lara Croft so far? Anyone finish it yet? I'm curious about the total play time.

Only comment I've got is on the demo, which I *really* enjoyed. Planning on sitting down with the wife at some point and if she likes it, then it's a purchase for some conjugal couch co-op action.

It's a rare game that clicks for both the missus and I, but this is one of them!

I was impressed with how the assymetric co-op works, and also impressed with how differently the game plays SP vs. MP, even to the point of some of the puzzles working slightly differently with 2 players.

The first half of Lara Croft was fantastic. Expect for a few nitpicking things, it was all i could have hoped for. Then in the second half they made a terrible design decision that is just killing this game for me. The game had a great pace where it would shift between puzzles/platforming and combat sections. It was fun exploring the levels and the puzzles and then stopping that for a few mins to fight hordes and then back to the next puzzle sections, etc. Then they add enemies that are can't be killed. You can knock them down for a few seconds dry-bones style, but they just keep getting up. It's terribly annoying. They can also jump long distances. So you knock 2 or 3 of them down and then are trying to figure out a lever puzzle or get a big rolling ball into place and they just keep attacking you non-stop. It totally destroys the pacing and enjoyment. I hope there is a super weapon later on that kills them for good.

IUMogg wrote:

Then they add enemies that are can't be killed. You can knock them down for a few seconds dry-bones style, but they just keep getting up. It's terribly annoying.

Spolier'd just in case someone else wants to figure it out, but you don't need a super weapon.

Spoiler:

Just use your bombs when they are down. Or any other weapons and goes boom!

Shank is kinda awesome.

It's like the Brock Samson game I've wanted for ages but never thought I'd get.

durinstorm wrote:
IUMogg wrote:

Then they add enemies that are can't be killed. You can knock them down for a few seconds dry-bones style, but they just keep getting up. It's terribly annoying.

Spolier'd just in case someone else wants to figure it out, but you don't need a super weapon.

Spoiler:

Just use your bombs when they are down. Or any other weapons and goes boom!

Ah. I was wondering why they would randomly die in later levels. I guess it wasn't random.

I did end up finishing it and besides that one frustration it was excellent.

Shank was a pretty mixed experience. For a game that is supposed to be focused on combat, it has some pretty iffy mechanics. Floaty movement, inconsistent recovery time, and frustrating mixup between block and dodge, along with other problems, spoil an otherwise enjoyable combat system. They need to polish Shank's movements a bit more, otherwise players will be fighting against the controls more than they do against the enemies on screen. I'm not sure I'm happy with this purchase.

Yeah, I'm enjoying Shank, but there are definitely some problems. The block/dodge mechanic needed some serious tightening up: you can always tell this is the case when you die and find yourself thinking, "Oh yeah, I'm supposed to block sometimes, huh?" If you're going to bother having a defensive mechanic in this sort of game at all (and you don't really NEED it; plenty of great beat-em-ups have thrived on the "best defense is a good offense" philosophy), you should make it matter and make clear which situations require you to defend.

Likewise, the "Prince of Persia Lite" platforming bits can get a little frustrating. Has anybody in the history of video games ever found it fun to go through a series of jumps, miss the last one, fall down to the bottom and then have to start all over again? The traversal mechanics aren't nearly deep enough to make it rewarding when you actually get it right, so the game would've been better served by either nixing those bits or else simply making them unfailable so that you can get your kicks out of seeing your dude flip around like a monkey, get through them, and get back to the fun bit, which is the wholesale murder of Hispanic thugs.

I'm putting this in here, because lots of what I'm reading points to Dead Rising Case Zero as an XBLA title:

Coming August 31 2010:

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A unique and stand alone piece of content, Dead Rising 2: CASE ZERO will introduce players to the main protagonist, Chuck Greene, and game play features of Dead Rising 2 ahead of its release. Available exclusively to Xbox 360 owners via Xbox Live, Dead Rising 2: CASE ZERO is set two years after the Willamette incident chronicled in the original Dead Rising and three years before the action of Dead Rising 2.

Chuck Greene’s idyllic life was shattered during the Las Vegas zombie outbreak. His wife was killed and his young daughter, Katey, was bitten and infected. Now he has fled Vegas with Katey and must find more doses of Zombrex for her to ensure the zombification process does not become complete. He must also avoid military check points or else, given the strict quarantine regulations in force, risk losing his daughter.

In need of fuel and looking to stock up on supplies, Chuck and Katey stop at the small desert town of Still Creek, where all initially seems as peaceful as its name suggests. But shortly after their arrival a containment zone is breached and the undead begin to shuffle into town. To make matters worse, someone steals Chuck’s truck so now they have no way to leave. With Katey needing a shot of Zombrex very soon, Chuck has no option but to search Still Creek’s zombie infested streets for the drug, and a way out of town.

In Dead Rising 2: CASE ZERO, just like the full game, Chuck will be able to use his handyman skills and a roll of duct tape to combine two items to create powerful combo weapons. Not only do these combo weapons make killing zombies easier and a often a lot more gruesome, they have the added benefit of earning Chuck additional Prestige Points which in turn result in quicker levelling up.

During his search for Zombrex and a new ride, Chuck will be able to explore the streets and stores of Still Creek, encountering Survivors, unbitten humans that Chuck can choose to save or leave as a zombie feast before taking on a Psycho, one of the signature bosses of the Dead Rising series.

Players purchasing Dead Rising 2: CASE ZERO will not just be rewarded with a piece of unique and compelling content that will deliver gripping gameplay and bridge the story between Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2, but those who then go on to buy Dead Rising 2 will be able to carry over character attributes earned such as Player Level, to a maximum of five, Prestige Points alongside skills, Combo Cards and a number of alternate outfits.

GameFeast 2010?
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Sonic Adventure is coming September 15 for $10. The rest of GameFeast 2010 has been announced as well:

9/29: Hydrophobia, $15
10/6: Comic Jumper, $15
10/13: Pinball FX2, FREE (sort of), purchase individual tables
10/20: Super Meat Boy, TBA

Hydrophobia is a game that's been in development for quite awhile now. It was originally billed as a survival-horror game, but it looks like they've shifted the emphasis to more environmental navigation and cover-based combat. The game's big selling point is its technology. It has a pretty solid dynamic fluid engine for flooding areas and the like, and they're using some sort of procedural generation technology to pack more content into an XBLA-size game. Here's a developer walkthrough recorded at some convention or another:

It doesn't look as good as the tech demos released when the game was first announced, but what does?

I'm curious to see what they've come up with and what they've scaled back when shifting this from, presumably, a AAA retail title to an XBLA release.

Tomb Raider is excellent. I don't normally replay single player games, but the mechanics of Tomb Raider are so approachable and enjoyable that multiple play-through's rarely feel like a chore. In fact, I've been playing and replaying every new level until I could obtain most of the achievements before moving further into the campaign.