LP Update/Comment Thread

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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

Post by IskatuMesk »

I am willing to approach it objectively and neutrally as I have all other games, but current youtube demonstrations have been nothing but hysterically bad. The future will tell what the verdict shall be.

/e

In other news, due to increasing file space issues I've been forced to remove redundant backups for many video projects. Thankfully, off-site backups do exist still.

/e 2

Dmc5 recordings are finished. Back to wc3. Finished vanilla Undead campaign and working on Orc.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

Post by ArcCain »

That went fast.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

Post by IskatuMesk »

There was basically nothing to do.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

Post by ArcCain »

It will be interesting to hear your thoughts on DMC5, although I can already imagine what you'll have to say.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

Post by IskatuMesk »

Putting together the review is perhaps the most difficult part of the project because there's so many things to tackle.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

Post by ArcCain »

Yeah. I've been thinking about it a lot since I beat it. It is probably the most polarising game I've played since forever. Some parts made me feel like nothing had changed since 3 and 4, in a good way, but other's really dragged me down and made me question what they were thinking. I'm currently playing through for a second time on SOS so as to get a better grip of it. I feel like there is a lot of good things in it, in terms of gameplay, but a lot of bad when it comes to the writing and soundtrack which sucks since 3 showed that DMC can have good story and music on top of gameplay.

Edit: Even though 5 is far easier than 3 and 4 some 'game journos' are having trouble with it and can't get anything higher than a D in ranking. Even when Capcom went and childproofed the game for beginners they can't play it.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

Post by IskatuMesk »

The gameplay is probably the worst in the series overall, really - only worse than DMC4 by extent of lacking turbo. It's all the same bland telegraphic bosses and mindless, passive trash that are there only to bloat game length. The only highlight is vergil - but it's a gimped vergil at like half the speed of dmc3 at the best of times.

I didn't mind the soundtrack myself but it's not DMC. Not that DMC's soundtrack was ever consistent to begin with.

It's not Conan level bad, but it's no DMC2.

/e

I forgot how bad Warcraft 3's campaign is. Holy shit.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

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My issue with Vergil outside of his reduced speed is that his devil trigger lasts forever and doesn't regenerate his health. I'd have preferred if it was more like 3 and I feel like giving him double ganger takes away from the fight since it can easily be killed and only serves to distract you.

As for enemies being more laid back I do not know. I tend to abuse the camera, keeping only one or two enemies on screen, since they are more aggressive when you can see them. The problem for me when it comes to 'is it difficult' is that I've gotten decent enough at the series that normal mobs no longer pose a threat to me anyway so long as I keep them CC'd or separated. However I can agree that there are some pretty slow attacks with clear tells, however the tells are not bad so long as they are done right. I do not know if they get faster/more aggressive on higher difficulties so I'll have to get back to you on that. They do however give you way too many gold orbs with ways to easily earn more which does suck the challenge out of the few bosses that pose a threat.

My biggest issue with the game was not the combat however but the awful pacing and level design which do feel like filler in several cases. Vergil's return should have been no later then the mid way point, not the third to last mission.

Over all it feels like they played it a bit too safe with 5. They went with an undercooked story that is told in the most horrible way, brought back a lot of old enemies and weapons to please fans and made the game easier. Right now everyone are still on the hype train, praising the game as the best DMC, but people's opinions will probably change over time. Maybe.

That being said I still think they got some things right, even if it is wasted potential, and comparing it to DMC2 is a bit much, even as a joke. It is nowhere near as bad, just easy. Sadly, being better than 2 isn't saying much.

Edit: Since I'm playing through the game on higher difficulties I'll avoid cheating with the camera to see if it makes the mobs more aggressive.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

Post by IskatuMesk »

Oh, there's countless times enemies are on screen doing absolutely nothing. The camera doesn't mean anything, they are simply scripted to stall for anywhere from 5 to 10+ seconds at a time.

The level design is pretty cookie cutter god of war. DMC never had amazing level design, but 3 was definitely the strongest of the set until the later missions.

The fact I was able to blaze through this game, me of all people, really should tell everything - but it's how I go through it that will really challenge your faith in homeopathy.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

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DMC 3 and 4 had it so that the AI would avoid attacking you when off screen save for a few monsters who's attacks were signalled with audio cues. That is why I suspected they might use a similar system in 5.

Honestly though I didn't mind the later part of 3. It is the weakest part of that game but running back up the tower is fairly fast and gives us time to breathe between Vergil 2 and 3. And yes, I been taking note of some strange AI behaviour. Sometimes they stall for long periods of time whilst they at other times seem to be pretty aggressive. I do not know if this is their attacks syncing up or not but it could possibly have something to do with the style ranking.

Capcom has been pushing dynamic difficulty for a while now where the game adjusts to how well you do. RE2 Remake uses this a lot where both you and your enemies damage is based on when you last took damage, how many bullets you have left etc, along with some other things. The game supposedly feeds you more ammo/health when you are low and less when you are well stocked for example. I suspect that they might have done something like that for DMC5 where the enemies become more aggressive the higher your style is but I have not checked it out yet so I can't say for sure.

If that is true though it means that good players will simply outpace the AI and never be hit whilst the bad players will keep being cuddled since the game would hold the enemies back. If RE2 RE is anything to go by Capcom are probably more interested in selling an 'experience' rather than a challenging game.

Edit 1: Starting to see reviews that point out the flaws of the game instead of just gushing over it.

Edit 2: Something that I was going to mention but forgot was how they bloated Nero's and Dante's move lists for New Game +. Some might not have an issue with it but it feels a bit much when you no longer have space on your controller to comfortably bind stuff. Also, the whole thing with the Dante Sword and SDT along with the new style made me sigh in disappointment as they felt very much out of place for DMC. They also gated some moves to the new sword for no real reason so it is just better than Rebellion or Sparda.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

Post by IskatuMesk »

No, there's no point in dmc5 that the AI changes. Only DMD might lower a few stalls but that's it. I sit on S/SS quite a lot, especially with V and at points with dante, and it doesn't change anything. It's just a casual game for the phone market.

The only experience Capcom managed to push with DMC5 is an overwhelming example of why deferred rendering belongs in the gutter.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

Post by ArcCain »

I am sad to hear that.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

Post by IskatuMesk »

DMC5 will be complete in the foreseeable future. I'm going to create a special video to go with the series to address the DMC series in general and discuss some of the directions all of the games did wrong, some they did right, and why dmc5 is such a spectacular failure of a sequel. I suspect I'll end up repeating a few subjects covered in dragon's dogma since that's also Itsuno's countless blunders made plain, but addressing some of the stuff in a straight up review is just too difficult for me to word out.

If anything, consider it a preparation for the onslaught of ranting that the side 2 conclusion of the wow series will be.

Meanwhile I am nearly finished Reign of Chaos and will begin TFT soon.
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

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So I got started on Dante Must Die in DMC5 and can say that enemies do get a bit more aggressive though stalls still happen. Bosses seem to get some new moves, or at least preform them faster, such as Goliath who's swipes now has a decent chance of hitting you if you stick to him too much--that is unless you manage to stay at his back since he has no way to reach you there even in DMD. Artemis finally proved to be a challenge as her attacks actually did damage and she moved about a bunch more in addition to shooting more and having a scream that knocks the player off her. Still wasn't too hard though since I entered the fight at about a third of my health without optimal arms yet suffered only one death. All enemies now have DT like they have in the rest of the series which makes them into massive damage sponges. This only really makes the bosses harder so far since they get tougher the less healthy they have whilst ramping up in speed. Sadly this is something most bosses did on normal in 3, even if it was less intents as on higher difficulties. To have to go to DMD to get this out of the game is a bit sad since they could have put some of this stuff in Sons of Sparda which only really ups the enemies damage and changes their spawns.

Also, side 2 conclusion of wow? What have I missed?
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Re: LP Update/Comment Thread

Post by IskatuMesk »

Haven't missed anything yet. The rant series will eventually have conclusion videos for all three major sections of it. Side B will have an enormous sperg on Blizzard and related subjects. Side A is going to be a HPBDSMF-style remix of PR material. Side C is sort of up in the air. I hope to finish it in summer.
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