I played this game twice, and tried to get to the end twice, and in both times I just WALKED AWAY. The original was actually playable and beatable in comparison.
One moment it’s a shooter, then it becomes a driving game, then it becomes one of the earliest walking sims with long stretches of nothing, then a horror game, then a tactical shooter, and it wasn’t good at any of them - it was all just cobbled together. Valve would have had a much better game if they sold just Ravenholm, the only part that actually evoked strong feelings in me.
And by this point in time I can’t help but think the funny letter G guy is just a Mary Sue to glue the game together with very little character or substance besides “man in black”.
I firmly believe the only reason this game is “beloved” is the same reason that iPhones sell just because of the logo of the company that made them. (And also because of this game every fucking company that breathes has an online DRM launcher)
Fear by Monolith and its expansions on the other hand, they were so much better despite the aiming system being unintuitive in comparison to HL the 2. Everything just clicks. I just loved Fear. But I’m sure this won’t save me from “Ubisoft target audience” allegations.
I firmly believe the only reason this game is “beloved” is the same reason that iPhones sell just because of the logo of the company that made them.
It’s more nostalgia than branding. I’ll entirely agree that half life hasn’t aged great, but what’s important is the historical context. The games were groundbreaking for the time, especially HL2 with its physics engine and gravity gun. I remember playing it just days after release then being shocked and amazed at those different systems. There just weren’t many games with that level of polish tackling such a wide scope.
Just like with watershed TV/movie/music, it seems quaint and overhyped as their innovations become the norm.
I once saw someone somewhere comment that HL2 is actually a tech demo meant to show off the physics stuff. Which I wholeheartedly agree with, and even that didn’t win me over. The game doesn’t feel like a shooter meant to be enjoyed, rather it feels like Valve flexing its muscles only because they can.
Games like System Shock and Deus Ex are examples of “FPS” games with alternatives to shooting. Those kinds of games are completely my jam. I love to find a way to complete the whole level without ever firing a shot. The Deus Ex remake had an achievement for passing a level without ever being spotted in an unauthorized place, never setting off an alarm, etc. It also had one for completing a level without killing anybody. It took 5x as long, but I made sure to get both those achievements on every level.
I’m sure the id software crew knew what they were doing, and the market for demon-murdering FPS games is probably much bigger than the market for First Person Sneakers. OTOH, there are currently a glut of FPS murder games, so there’s probably a real niche for someone who’s willing to create a game where shooting is possible, and happens sometimes, but stealth and nonviolence is also an option.
I stopped playing Resident Evil 7 because I’d decided that the setting that I was on was too difficult and wanted to knock it down a level. It wouldn’t let me do that without restarting the game so I stopped playing.
I don’t understand why they made that decision at all.
Does sound like laziness. I get the impression it’s because some things change in the game depending on difficulty, like number of items, etc. So, it can’t exactly go back and turn the 3-ammo pile you picked up into 8 ammo.
I believe they could have done this between the easy and normal difficulties because there’s not much of a difference between the two other than health regen and numbers for you and the enemies. But two reasons I see that they didn’t.
Madhouse difficulty changes so much it really wouldn’t be possible for you to swap difficulties mid playthrough, so maybe they just ignored it for the other ones. Or, the reason I think is most likely, RE7 has adaptive difficulty. So even if you’re on normal and struggling, things will get nerfed or you will get buffed after dying a few times.
If you had the preorder bonus(?) it unlocks Madhouse from the start which I guess could be a trap if you’re not ready for it and pick it.
Nice we have been talking about the device in the retro gaming corps discord channel. Looks like a lot of fun. If my miyoo mini plus ever dies this will probably be my next handheld.
I was just about to say that I usually trust Russ will all my retro gaming handhelds, but I’ll gladly take a second opinion. Glad to see that you follow him as well and aren’t afraid to put your own thoughts out there. Nice work!
We regularly joke that Anbernic comes out with new devices every couple of months in every way shape and form factor. Not exactly a bad problem, but they often have issues with quality control. But if you get a refund and new device it usually works out.
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