tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post8783259733726271423..comments2023-05-20T12:08:52.031+02:00Comments on In The Games Of Madness: Thoughts on Dead Space 2Frictional Gameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00278352641328669040noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-22810567740481847762013-04-13T22:14:12.625+02:002013-04-13T22:14:12.625+02:00So I came here from the Bioshock story and let me ...So I came here from the Bioshock story and let me say, I don't care if your game is a heart breaking work of staggering genius, I am not going to pay $60 for 5 hours. It simply is not worth it to me no matter what. Either drop the price or extend the game.MNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02649831883849533189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-35115762812970383212012-03-01T06:01:33.622+01:002012-03-01T06:01:33.622+01:00Dead Space 2 is my favorite game ever ind i agree ...Dead Space 2 is my favorite game ever ind i agree there can be cheap deaths like at the beginning when you have like no health and you are being attacked alotDead Space fanatichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12672469221686968641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-26770057444540086302011-12-01T01:26:23.690+01:002011-12-01T01:26:23.690+01:00Hi
Great review on dead space 2 enjoyed the read...Hi <br /><br />Great review on dead space 2 enjoyed the read through.<br />few things I would like to add is what is missing and like you said Repetition parts. <br />I agree the hack stations, vents was too many. I found the game way too easy on zealot, hardcore its the same as zealot just have 3 saves which is stupid.<br /><br />what they should have done is made it hard to play on zealot and only HARDCORE MORE ALIENS more bots adjustable AI, less save stations.<br /><br />a ESC key so we can skip the scenes <br /><br />some game tools like a SDK pack for custom mods, maps the game might live longer. <br /><br />kevinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-50442437501730757902011-03-16T03:35:52.822+01:002011-03-16T03:35:52.822+01:00I don't think it's a really fair assessmen...I don't think it's a really fair assessment of Dead Space 2 as a whole. I agree with some points, but I played both games end to end (as I was given them both for the PC as a gift from my brother) and found them both thoroughly entertaining.<br /><br />The shift in focus from more horror-driven aspects to that of gunplay could be compared to that of Ridley Scott's Alien & James Cameron's Aliens.<br /><br />EA and Viceral Games had sacrificed horror for a faster and more consistent pace. The 'cheap death' mentioned at the beginning never happened to me (although I was probably more in tune with how the developers intended the game to be played after just having finished the first one, even with the sluggish console port controls) so the entire game sort of shot past at break-neck speed, which I found very entertaining, if for different reasons to that of the first.<br /><br />Also, I didn't find that the story not being foregrounded was a problem, as since your motivations were personal, it makes you seem less like some schmuck that people keep telling to fix everything, and therefore there was a more clearly established sense of progress every time you complete a set objective, instead of having the goal posts moved as with the first one, and you didn't have to know about the personal lives of the guy whose legs you just shot off.<br /><br />In this aspect, I find that it's more suited to the situation of the game as a whole, for example I've recently started a game of Mass Effect and while I find it very engaging so far, the sheer volume of information is staggering at times. It detracts from the urgency of certain situations (such as saving the universe from pointy limbed, upside-down faced mutants with a chip on their ... um... anatomy) that would normally require the protagonist's immediate attention.<br /><br />I mean, imagine how you'd explain to little Timmy O'Toole why his parents had to sprout scimitars out of their necks and have at eachother in a mutant deathmatch because Isaac, the saviour of the universe, was too busy reading a datapad about some dead guy's back story to get off his ass and destroy some big alien statue.Sorex Archaeopteryxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06415355269193663940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-9764997517452508152011-03-10T23:10:55.259+01:002011-03-10T23:10:55.259+01:00What really breaks immersion for me is when the ga...What really breaks immersion for me is when the game blocks me from progressing, due to a really challenging boss battle, or a complex puzzle that I can't solve. I enjoyed Penumbra thoroughly, though I had to look up a walkthrough two or three times in Black Plague because I just couldn't figure out the puzzles. I stopped playing Amnesia: TDD entirely with plenty left because I got stuck at a puzzle and got tired of having to look up the answer in walkthroughs. It isn't fun to do that. Puzzles are supposed to be fun, but the puzzles in Frictional Games' titles seem to be the opposite: they're usually work. I think they've been getting progressively worse as releases pass... That's my personal opinion. I'd like to eventually get back to playing Amnesia as I do rather like the game, but a large part will be ruined by my need to cheat to get through it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-20210750074333628072011-03-02T11:42:29.529+01:002011-03-02T11:42:29.529+01:00I'm really enjoying this sequel; it has fantas...I'm really enjoying this sequel; it has fantastic atmosphere and great cinematic scenes (which are a good thing). I has me gripped so far and I recommend it to lovers of the prequel and SH genre.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-43828718785731078622011-02-23T16:37:46.440+01:002011-02-23T16:37:46.440+01:00Wasn't sure about getting this but after seein...Wasn't sure about getting this but after seeing how good it looks am going to. Even if the story isn't that good or involving, I can just about get by if there's a good enough atmosphere running through the game, and it looks like that's been done with this so will check it out.Sci-Fihttp://www.lastphoenix.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-81081629467699191962011-02-18T07:50:43.555+01:002011-02-18T07:50:43.555+01:00@Shuyin
The problem is, is that Dead Space 2 even...@Shuyin<br /><br />The problem is, is that Dead Space 2 even fails on some easily solvable problems, like the save points. Maybe EA wouldn't be so terrible if they stopped firing every employee after 4 years and hiring novice Diploma Factory graduates without giving them experienced employees to help them.Lance Burketthttp://segmentedreality.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-43797563345921601992011-02-17T05:52:04.903+01:002011-02-17T05:52:04.903+01:00Ironic really.. I had just beat Amnesiac and found...Ironic really.. I had just beat Amnesiac and found it to be one of the scariest and most memorable gaming experiences of my life. Sad that it was over, but wanting something similar I picked up Dead Space 1 on PC while it was on sale.<br /><br />It's a good game I suppose, but the sloppy console port-controls are inexcusable. That alone broke the game for me, especially after Amnesia did what it did with controls so well. I also didn't care for the constant over the shoulder camera. There are things I like; the limb severing mechanics, the discovery of audio logs that advanced the story, some of the scares are great but they never truly unnerved me the way that god forsaken water creature on ATDD did. And yes, the save game feature is a way outdated concept nowadays. <br /><br />Truth be told, I never ran out of ink ribbons on Resident Evil games.. <br /><br />Looking forward to your next game. Great review and I hope someone responsible reads the critique.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-52105808142383779822011-02-16T15:02:39.224+01:002011-02-16T15:02:39.224+01:00@Anonymous that posted on 10 February 2011 08:21
...@Anonymous that posted on 10 February 2011 08:21 <br /><br />"The point he was making was that it was a stupid introduction that lost all the tension, you're thrown right into the action and you can get slaughtered right away... trail and error ,, its not survival horror at its best, far from it." <br />You (and the author of this article) are wrong in that you think of DS2 as a survivel horror (which it isn't) and not as an action-horror (which it is). Not every game needs to be Penumbra or Amnesia.<br /><br />For the author: if you're playing an action game and you complain that the focus is on combat, than you're doing something wrong and/or nitpicking.Shuyinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08938593260188043182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-2698817158601698602011-02-15T10:39:00.077+01:002011-02-15T10:39:00.077+01:00""Writing a blog to try and make your ga...""Writing a blog to try and make your game look better than another game is sad. I had been keeping an eye on your game as I had planned to buy it as my one of my next adventures, but after this blog, I think i will pass.""<br /><br /> Thats obviously not the point of the blog, your only hurting yourself by not buying their game as it is an incredible experience. Playing the "You did this so im going to get you back by doing this" only makes you sound like a child.<br /> Frictional games openly admit their mistakes and the things they could have done better, in these blogs. So to say they write these to make their game look better is bullshit. <br /> Secondly- if you've read some of frictionals other blogs you would know they (Tomas?) often study the quality's which make games better into experiances. Like what makes a game immersive and how a good story is told, if its a horror game - how to make you afraid. Its only natural considering they like the horror genre to talk about another scary game and pick it apart. They are open with their players so they share these thoughts and study's publicly. -TaylorTaylornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-59705530309588139242011-02-14T17:19:12.990+01:002011-02-14T17:19:12.990+01:00If you can't beat a game without switching to ...If you can't beat a game without switching to easy, and if you can't figure out the controls of the last part are the same as the controls in every similar part of the game leading up to it, it's possible that video games just aren't for you.<br /><br />Have you tried just writing books?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-55916893909435014462011-02-12T13:46:19.587+01:002011-02-12T13:46:19.587+01:00I think the item hunt is required to some extent, ...I think the item hunt is required to some extent, because it extends the overall gameplay while rewarding the exploration instead of "filler" chapters or endless backtracking.<br /><br />My main gripe with Amnesia was that it was "scripted" much more than it was required. After the prison level the scare factor was decreased and the game became more predictable. Still I enjoyed it much, much more than DS1 and 2 together and it's among the best survival horror games I've played.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-13710737290570501112011-02-12T11:32:25.985+01:002011-02-12T11:32:25.985+01:00I think you missed the point of dead space 2. For ...I think you missed the point of dead space 2. For what it is, and was designed for, its amazing. <br /><br />Writing a blog to try and make your game look better than another game is sad. I had been keeping an eye on your game as I had planned to buy it as my one of my next adventures, but after this blog, I think i will pass.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-64425801485297138432011-02-12T07:40:26.360+01:002011-02-12T07:40:26.360+01:00Dead Space 2 is a significantly better game then a...Dead Space 2 is a significantly better game then anything Frictional has produced, especially regarding padding and repetition.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-70462099222512981452011-02-12T04:51:29.508+01:002011-02-12T04:51:29.508+01:00My only motivation to explore in ANY horror game i...My only motivation to explore in ANY horror game is items, I really could care less about the story at some points as long as I find goodies, but that can be a good thing. Sometimes in Amnesia, as soon as you pick up an item, it triggers an event where a monster tries to rape your face!Demonjack123https://www.blogger.com/profile/16822000634466844675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-58299236858883253332011-02-12T01:22:55.178+01:002011-02-12T01:22:55.178+01:00Amnesia actually had ALOT more items at first and ...Amnesia actually had ALOT more items at first and we removed much of this during the last half year of development. Still, I agree that there might be too much of items to pick up. <br /><br />It is a tricky situation though, since items can give an incentive to investigate closer at all. But at the same time, you do not want the item hunt to be the ONLY thing on the player's mind. <br /><br />Even though Amnesia is far from perfect, I hope most got a better experience regarding this than I did with DS2. <br /><br />In our next "super secret game" there will probably none of the normal item hunt kind of gameplay, but rather reward exploration in other ways. Will be interesting to see how it works!Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02945983378935089787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-31288228913631016312011-02-12T00:45:33.135+01:002011-02-12T00:45:33.135+01:00"Your main motivation to explore the environm..."Your main motivation to explore the environment is not to get deeper into the story or to enjoy the art, instead it is to search for goodies. Because the game constantly bombards you with items popping up and force you to pay attention to them (you will run out of ammo otherwise), this becomes the main thing occupying your mind. Everything else is simply pushed into the background, which is really a shame consider the epic set pieces and sometimes interesting background facts. In their effort to comply with "fun" gaming standards, the creators have actually let much of their hard work go to waste."<br /><br />***That's funny because I can say the same thing about how your motivation for playing Amnesia turns into a tinderbox and oil search. :) There must be a way to keep the same suspense about running out of lighting supplies without having to play the scavenger hunt game of having the player going into every room hunting in the corners and shelves and moving boxes and opening chests for tinder and oil.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-85605766309450775322011-02-12T00:22:54.080+01:002011-02-12T00:22:54.080+01:00Dead Space 2 - sucks, Amnesia - rulezzz !!!Dead Space 2 - sucks, Amnesia - rulezzz !!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-24864280707327630352011-02-11T17:33:47.560+01:002011-02-11T17:33:47.560+01:00For the most part I found the level design of Dead...For the most part I found the level design of Dead Space 2 too confined and boring. I expected that The Sprawl, unlike USG Ishimura will offer wider and more varied environments and not just a bunch of copy-pasted corridors. There were some cool places in the game, but still too little when compared to the massive number of "filler" areas and that was the reason why I didn't even bother to finish the game (the same situation as the first game).<br /><br />The biggest problem however was that the story and the setting were already too predictable because of their similarity with numerous other titles and that combined with the over relying on the cheap scares completely ruined the atmosphere more than the questionable design conventions. Cursed Mountain for example has some of DS's flaws, but the unique setting and the bigger environment variety makes for a much more interesting experience.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-42454395344493125312011-02-11T07:48:20.541+01:002011-02-11T07:48:20.541+01:00Oh and I gave Amnesia a 10 out of 10 in my review ...Oh and I gave Amnesia a 10 out of 10 in my review on my blog =D scariest game of 2010 and probably for many years to come, and Dead Space 1 was the scariest of 2008 if I am correct.Demonjack123https://www.blogger.com/profile/16822000634466844675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-35106266138346844572011-02-11T07:47:34.185+01:002011-02-11T07:47:34.185+01:00Haven't played Dead Space 2 yet so I cannot re...Haven't played Dead Space 2 yet so I cannot review it yet. But to add a comment you said about people exploring Amnesia for the story, I only explored the rooms I haven't been in ONLY FOR THE GOODIES!! true I cared about the notes but alot of the time I was looking for oil or tender or some other goodie like note. Now on to the saving function of Dead space, I do not think it should change since auto saving can really cause headache for people playing an ACTION horror game. Though I really wish they would have had some back tracking in the game (been watching LP's) since it's very easy to beat a game ios it is 100% linear since you do not have to worry about getting lost and walking into a death trap. As for the immersion I do not care how much ammo I have I am still scared shitless, due to the amazing atmosphere of Dead Space and I really do not want to have those things touching me, they are freaky! but honestly if you want them to change anything it would be best if you sent them your thoughts on the subject matter. Though remember this game is more ACTION horror than Amnesia is, so you really CANNOT compare the two. I am currently playing Dead Space for the 4th time and the environment and sounds really fuck with me! but so far in Dead Space 2 I have only received jump scares, sigh.Demonjack123https://www.blogger.com/profile/16822000634466844675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-10840835894832682552011-02-11T07:40:30.205+01:002011-02-11T07:40:30.205+01:00I played the first Dead Space and I was very disap...I played the first Dead Space and I was very disappointed. I didn't find it scary at all and by the sounds of things it hasn't much improved. The use of spatial non-diegetic elements in a horror game really show that EA don't know what they are doing.<br /><br />By the way, can we stop with all the anonymous morons that are stating the obvious about the industry and using that as a means of justification.Lance Burketthttp://segmentedreality.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-28590071351593881342011-02-10T20:29:52.025+01:002011-02-10T20:29:52.025+01:00The goal of a game being to be fun or to be art or...The goal of a game being to be fun or to be art or both doesn't really matter, what does matter is why. If its not based on what theyr ideas deem as something they really want to create and share but instead is of what they believe will sell, It will always always show. <br /><br /> sadly deadspace feels like this to me as do most games. <br />But still there are developers who still create what I could call "passion projects" and they turn out to be, sometimes lacking in places but still good experiances, very sincere and memorable. <br /> Other games might sell well but they probably wont be remembered as these games will, and well a good example- shadow of the colossus..<br /><br /> As for resident evil 4, I really love that game. The music and art design all create a very heavy world. You play as leon who is quite a good character in my opinion. the whole game just felt very good. I loved it.<br /><br /><br /> I agree with most of what you say tho there is one game which seems things like dieing when it wouldnt always help to further the story and having a story in the backround don't seem to apply. For they are wholely experience driven, and those experiences are the players to create. Demon's souls comes to mind. You die alot, its a very harsh world. But this doesn't take away from the experience as when you die your not going back in terms of plot. and if you didn't die and the demon's werent very unforgiving (yet manageable so long as you pay attention) the goals and world wouldn't feel as true to their weight.<br /> As for the story, Its not so much pushed into the background as it is just not told to you so much by the characters or books or notes. It seemed to me to be an atmosphere driven game which has a story but wouldn't stoop to explain it for then the plot would feel set up or injected into characters who should otherwise not know these things."<br /> The few characters in the game tell you what they know and what they dont know builds within your mind and the fog which surrounds the castle creates a world to put it all.<br /> not really sure how to describe that. <br /><br />The game felt to be very very much like art tho. I experienced many emotions while playing and perhaps this really depends on who you are and what you take from it, but I for one was a knight in a very alien world exploring with my sword and shield on not so much a quest as just a curiosity and maybe some destiny, in a dangerous landscape of traps and demon's. I liked it! not just because it was fun but because it was interesting and dark and I felt immersed. I think this is because It was a "passion project" and if it were made to please the masses that would show through too, and somehow give it a quality that would ruin it as it does so so sooo many games. Amnesia is so good because I know you guys really have these ideas for games that you love to bring to life and that itself brings it to life, Im happy people like you exist. <br />Good luck on your next game.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9193968969153274146.post-36121998858174546462011-02-10T17:56:09.114+01:002011-02-10T17:56:09.114+01:00Fun is subjective though.
Some like blowing off th...Fun is subjective though.<br />Some like blowing off the limbs of masses of critters, others like being thrown in a blood soaked closet while some hack-surgery zombie thing ravages the room while you're soiling yourself while yet another group enjoys watching fish constantly swimming around in their little bowl.<br /><br />You can't please em all, make it fun for the demographic you're aiming at. In the case of frictional games, that is likely the horror enthousiasts. The sims obviously is targeted at a completely different demographic. Make it fun for those you designed it for.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com