Alex79uk wrote:The 'open world' was a complete illusion
L.A. Noire isn't an "open world" game though. It's essentially a point and click adventure, but without the point and click (much like Heavy Rain). Anyone who was expecting a GTA/RDR-type game was a bit foolish really, as it was never billed as being that.
Leon - I seem to be an exception here as I loved both L.A. Noire and Heavy Rain. Go figure.
LA Noire did a stunning job of recreating the zeitgeist of LA in the 50s. Heavy rain is good for one play through (at best) and brilliantly captures how to be a fucking appalling parent.
How about an El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron podcast? Seems Sean from Joypods a bit of a fan, and having just picked the game up my initial 3 hours have been a wee bit lovely. Definitely recommend it if you are that very special kind of wierd and you love a bit of Jewish "mythology".
FollowMyRuin wrote:Heavy rain is good for one play through (at best) and brilliantly captures how to be a fucking appalling parent.
FollowMyRuin wrote:How about an El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron podcast? Seems Sean from Joypods a bit of a fan, and having just picked the game up my initial 3 hours have been a wee bit lovely.
It's like you read the collective C&R hive-mind. Listen to the new podcast, out very soon, for details.
Not sure the open world was an illusion. It was more free than Mafia II, and for me, offered a rather impressive, believable and far more detailed than it ever gets credit for, environment. That's a studio that was given a project that was far too ambitious, required far too much unique work and released under too tight restrictions (both in terms of finance and time.)
There's many things to be negative about, there's a lot to be positive about and, as we all know, people are all the more willing to dish out criticism than positives. It actually pisses me off because anyone who has ever been involved in anything like games design, knows how much goes into elements of it and I lost count of how many times I spotted unique models, one off layouts, buildings that could be entered and explored that had nothing to do with storylines uptil or after that point.
Sure it overplayed some elements, facial animations were, at times, completely over the top, but it did set a benchmark for future games to match, offered some excellent voice work (from some rather excellent Television actors), a narrative that flowed, multiple storylines that took place (and made sense) alongside the mainline in the world you're in and, in terms of driving, it's a much better experience than either Saints Row III (frame rate) or Grand Theft Auto IV (frame rate, sloppy handling, dreadful swooping camera) and had great character control and shooting. It also had a very good sound team involved (something all too often ignored about many games -- it's also kindly ignored for games that don't do a good job too.)
I don't want to make it a comparison between LA Noire and Heavy Rain, they are different games, one is a more direct game in how it delivers a story (meaning it should deliver a better paced, better delivered and more complete story) and the other allows a lot of freedom and relies on the players level of directness and observed ness to pace the storyline. Both do some good things, both do some bad things, but neither feels like the other.
That said, I could talk all day about either as I find both interesting subjects for discussion. Particularly LA Noire, which is why it was one of the first games I added to the discussion spreadsheet when we started Cane and Rinse and Heavy Rain had been added and removed numerous times, but I feel enough time has passed from previous discussions of it for ours to feel uninfluenced and (hopefully) fresh.
FollowMyRuin wrote:How about an El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron podcast? Seems Sean from Joypods a bit of a fan, and having just picked the game up my initial 3 hours have been a wee bit lovely.
It's like you read the collective C&R hive-mind. Listen to the new podcast, out very soon, for details.
I've just posted on the other thread.
If we were to do a HotD show it would be all four games and the amazing Typing of the Dead (plus a brief slagging off of Overkill)!
Not sure whether I ever played the fourth game. I know 1 and 2 used pistols in the arcade, 3 was a pretty cool shotgun, wasn't 4 an automatic rifle? If I did play it, it was only ever once or twice. Not sure Overkill even got an arcade release did it?
Bit late now I'm sure with the revelation of the updated show list however I like to recommend 'Bully' / Canem Canis Edit? A game ironically about avoiding bullies for the most part.
FollowMyRuin wrote:Bit late now I'm sure with the revelation of the updated show list however I like to recommend 'Bully' / Canem Canis Edit? A game ironically about avoiding bullies for the most part.
I can't imagine why this wasn't on the list! I've now added it, and I'll be pulling for this show to happen at some point - my favourite Rockstar game.
It's been on and off the list several times. The reason we shied away from it was that two other podcasts had gone to town on the game already (Rebel FM Game Club and Last Save Loaded), but enough time has passed now I think.
ratsoalbion wrote:It's been on and off the list several times. The reason we shied away from it was that two other podcasts had gone to town on the game already (Rebel FM Game Club and Last Save Loaded), but enough time has passed now I think.
Ah, that must be it. Now that you mention it, I do remember the discussion over other podcasts covering it. Here's hoping for an announcement of the persistently, vaguely rumoured Bully 2 to make for a perfect time to revisit the original.
FollowMyRuin wrote:Bit late now I'm sure with the revelation of the updated show list however I like to recommend 'Bully' / Canem Canis Edit? A game ironically about avoiding bullies for the most part.
I can't imagine why this wasn't on the list! I've now added it, and I'll be pulling for this show to happen at some point - my favourite Rockstar game.
Way to give the game away on your feelings James! Pfft.
I'd love for this show to happen, saw a friend had played it on Saturday and got a little pang of happiness about it.
ratsoalbion wrote:I've just posted on the other thread.
If we were to do a HotD show it would be all four games and the amazing Typing of the Dead (plus a brief slagging off of Overkill)!
