Posted August 03, 2010
Okay I must admit to being surprised to see this game here, especially since I thought it would've shown up here long time before.
It really looks just like a simple shooter, and that's really what it is. Unlike Painkiller though this game tends to have wide open areas, which is a blessing because you'll definately need to maneuver to stay alive.
Many people applaud this game for the Co-op which is great fun with a group. I know after playing Left 4 dead for half an hour with friends I was starting to suggest we all just dropped the game and played something more fun like Serious Sam.
But what people might have missed is the single player. Sure it's the same levels, but going alone makes the game a completely different beast, now you don't respawn if you die and just carry on, instead you go back to your last save. Hey there's no friends around to laugh at you as you get brutally murdered so why not. This turns the game into a surprisingly tactical game in the later stages as each enemy has weapons they're strong and weak against, so if you're faced with hordes of different enemies you'll also be utilising your entire arsenal. Once the game mixes up the enemies however you're required to think of the proper gun to use for the job, what would be most effective across the entire span of enemies rushing at you. I've had to replay a section several times only to try a different gun and breeze through the encounter, this is a thing which sadly never gets recognition.
Still at the core, it's a no brain shooter, react first, react and shoot some more, think later, usually if you end up having to load because you've once again been spread thin across the huge level.
Anyway I really love this game, so much that I went and bought the HD versions of both first and second encounter as they were released. They look nice, but unless you really care about the updated HD textures and models I'd go with this version because it is easier on the resources and I actually think some of the effects look nicer here where they seem to have cut some of the more awesome effects in the HD remake (I know I missed seeing the shadows being cast by skeletons in a foggy room in the HD version)
If you like FPS games. If you cry out for less realism, and if you have good reflexes and are quick to make tactical decisions, or you just want to play with friends and see who has the lowest deathcount, this is definately not a game to miss.
It really looks just like a simple shooter, and that's really what it is. Unlike Painkiller though this game tends to have wide open areas, which is a blessing because you'll definately need to maneuver to stay alive.
Many people applaud this game for the Co-op which is great fun with a group. I know after playing Left 4 dead for half an hour with friends I was starting to suggest we all just dropped the game and played something more fun like Serious Sam.
But what people might have missed is the single player. Sure it's the same levels, but going alone makes the game a completely different beast, now you don't respawn if you die and just carry on, instead you go back to your last save. Hey there's no friends around to laugh at you as you get brutally murdered so why not. This turns the game into a surprisingly tactical game in the later stages as each enemy has weapons they're strong and weak against, so if you're faced with hordes of different enemies you'll also be utilising your entire arsenal. Once the game mixes up the enemies however you're required to think of the proper gun to use for the job, what would be most effective across the entire span of enemies rushing at you. I've had to replay a section several times only to try a different gun and breeze through the encounter, this is a thing which sadly never gets recognition.
Still at the core, it's a no brain shooter, react first, react and shoot some more, think later, usually if you end up having to load because you've once again been spread thin across the huge level.
Anyway I really love this game, so much that I went and bought the HD versions of both first and second encounter as they were released. They look nice, but unless you really care about the updated HD textures and models I'd go with this version because it is easier on the resources and I actually think some of the effects look nicer here where they seem to have cut some of the more awesome effects in the HD remake (I know I missed seeing the shadows being cast by skeletons in a foggy room in the HD version)
If you like FPS games. If you cry out for less realism, and if you have good reflexes and are quick to make tactical decisions, or you just want to play with friends and see who has the lowest deathcount, this is definately not a game to miss.