GreenWolf13 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 The GreenWolf Report: Main Thread can be found here. Hello, and welcome to a Special Edition of The GreenWolf Report. First of all, I'd like to apologize for the lack of a Report last Thursday and Monday of this week. I wasn't able to get the Report for last Thursday from the guest reporter who was writing it, and the Report for this Monday was delayed. Now, onto the Report. Today's Report moves away from the topic of Minecraft, and discusses First Person Shooter games, and more specifically, Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Because of the 1.4 update, I'll be releasing a massive Report going over the update, so I decided to do a Report on something not related to Minecraft. I normally don't play FPS games, as they usually have little to no story, boring gameplay mechanics, and almost always follow the "shoot everything in sight to win" mentality. Occasionally, there is an FPS game that distinguishes itself in some way, either by using innovative gameplay mechanics, or by focusing on story and plot. But usually, FPS games take the same form, that of a Castle Wolfenstein clone. If you've played one, you've played them all. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is very different from other FPS games, and distinguishes itself as an amazing game. The first thing that stands out when you play it is the story. Deus Ex: Human Revolution has an amazing story, with characters and plot twists that are both believable and enjoyable. This alone makes it different from normal FPS games, but the fact that your actions and decisions actually affect the plot and make an impact on the outcome of the game is what makes it shine. In terms of story and plot, and character interaction, Deus Ex: Human Revolution can't be beat. While the story is linear, it is what I call "branching" linear, where what you do can change the final outcome. The second thing that really sets Deus Ex: Human Revolution apart is the gameplay. While it is called a First Person Shooter, I think a more apt description would be a First Person Stealth Role Playing Game with a Focus on Combat and Puzzle Solving. The focus of the game is not the "shoot everything to win" objective of most FPS games. Instead, the objective is up to you. There are so many different ways to complete objectives, with combat being only one of them. Stealth and evasion are the biggest focus. Your objective may be to get to a room. Between you and the room is a hallway full of enemies. You could go in a shoot them all, but you could also crawl through an air duct to avoid them, or hack a security door to go through an empty hallway. While combat is an important part of the game, it is not the most important. You can get through the game without killing a single enemy, and there is even an achievement for it. Stealth and decision making play a role in combat as well. You can chose between knocking out enemies with a take down maneuver, or killing them with your weapons or a lethal takedown. All the while, you have to be aware of how much noise you make, and where other enemies are. If you don't want to bring every enemy in the game down on your head, it is advised to sneak around, taking enemies out one by one, then hiding their bodies where they can't be found. The game is very much a stealth based game with combat elements, instead of a combat game with stealth elements. Inventory management and customization are another big part of the game. Each item you pick up has a certain size, with larger sized items taking up more room in your inventory. Thus, you have to make choices about what weapons to use, and what weapons to not use. What you choose affects your gameplay massively. Certain weapons offer different advantages in different situations, so it's up to you to decide which ones suit you best. Most weapons can be upgraded in various ways, with some upgrades being weapon specific. The upgrades that a weapon can receive are important. Some weapons can be silenced, making them more popular with stealthy players, while others deal massive amounts of damage, causing them to be used by combat focused players. Customization isn't limited to just weapons. Your character is fitted with augmentations, which can be customized. You can upgrade an unlock augmentations using praxis points, which are a limited resource that have to be purchased using credits or earned by getting xp. Because praxis points are limited, you need to make choices about which augmentations will help you the best. Your choices here can affect the gameplay and the story in massive ways. The only downside to Deus Ex: Human Revolution is the boss battles. The boss battles are the only part of the game not developed by Square Enix, and it shows. While the rest of the game is very choice based, with the ability to either avoid enemies or kill them, the boss battles are unavoidable, and require you to kill the boss. And the bosses themselves are very limited. They are rather easy to kill with the right equipment and augmentations, being easier than some of the mid-game enemies that you encounter. In a game that is all about choices and alternative paths, the boss battles are very fixed. There are no alternative methods or choices, and it makes the boss battles very boring. What should be the climax of a game becomes the least exciting part. Overall, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is one of the best games made. It has beautiful graphics and cutscenes, an amazing story and plot, well developed gameplay mechanics and character customization, and an emphasis on player choices. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is one of those games that you can play again and again, and never get bored, and I highly recommend it. Square Enix has done a wonderful job, and I congratulate them on making such an amazing game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorcer Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 FPSRPGWAFOCAPS games are my favorite I really enjoyed this game and agree with most of what you said here. My only major issue with the game is the fact that killing people is underpowered compared to knocking them unconscious. You get less xp for killing with no downsides whatsoever. (The fact that their friends can wake them up has never come up in any of my playthroughs) It takes the same amount of time and produces the same amount of noise. There is really no reason to steal kill someone other than S&G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenWolf13 Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 FPSRPGWAFOCAPS games are my favorite I really enjoyed this game and agree with most of what you said here. My only major issue with the game is the fact that killing people is underpowered compared to knocking them unconscious. You get less xp for killing with no downsides whatsoever. (The fact that their friends can wake them up has never come up in any of my playthroughs) It takes the same amount of time and produces the same amount of noise. There is really no reason to steal kill someone other than S&G. Killing people does produce a tiny bit more noise than knocking someone out, but other than that, you're right. Killing someone is actually to your disadvantage, something that is unheard of in a FPS. It's one of the reasons I classify it as FPSRPGWAFOCAPS game (Try saying that ten times fast.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorcer Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Killing people does produce a tiny bit more noise than knocking someone out, but other than that, you're right. Killing someone is actually to your disadvantage, something that is unheard of in a FPS. It's one of the reasons I classify it as (Try saying that ten times fast.) That is what I was getting at, really, Killing should be either faster or quieter in order to balance the xp boost from just knocking people out. A great example is Dishonored, killing enemies is almost instant and can be done no matter where you are or what your stance is. Choking someone out however, takes longer, produces more noise (the person makes a small amount of constant noise by snoring). Plus there are perks that make the bodies turn to ash and become discoverable if they are killed. So there is a clear separation between the two and neither is really preferable. Also, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that. There. Ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenWolf13 Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 That is what I was getting at, really, Killing should be either faster or quieter in order to balance the xp boost from just knocking people out. A great example is Dishonored, killing enemies is almost instant and can be done no matter where you are or what your stance is. Choking someone out however, takes longer, produces more noise (the person makes a small amount of constant noise by snoring). Plus there are perks that make the bodies turn to ash and become discoverable if they are killed. So there is a clear separation between the two and neither is really preferable. Also, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that. There. Ha! You do have a point. But other than that, and the boss fights, I'd say that it is a great game. The boss fights are really the only thing that would keep me from giving it a 10/10. I'd say it has a rating of something like 95/100 or 93/100. Something in that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorcer Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 You do have a point. But other than that, and the boss fights, I'd say that it is a great game. The boss fights are really the only thing that would keep me from giving it a 10/10. I'd say it has a rating of something like 95/100 or 93/100. Something in that area. Oh shit, yah I forgot about the boss fights. they are terrible. honestly they made me sad because i spent the entire game being sneaky and subtle but then I got slapped with an unavoidable hastily implemented boss fight. Other than that and the kill/knockout thing it is a great game and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys FPSRPGWAFOCAPS games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenWolf13 Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 Oh shit, yah I forgot about the boss fights. they are terrible. honestly they made me sad because i spent the entire game being sneaky and subtle but then I got slapped with an unavoidable hastily implemented boss fight. Other than that and the kill/knockout thing it is a great game and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys FPSRPGWAFOCAPS games You should try The Missing Link DLC. The boss fight in that was developed in-house by Square Enix, and it is much better than all four of the boss fights from the main game combined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hushful Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 What is your opinion on games that are FPS, but have other elements thrown in? Specifically RPG or Sci-Fi elements and that actually have a *real* story not like the half assed one like in COD:MW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Munaus Posted October 23, 2012 Moderators Share Posted October 23, 2012 Will someone explain the "WAFOCAPS" part? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenWolf13 Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 What is your opinion on games that are FPS, but have other elements thrown in? Specifically RPG or Sci-Fi elements and that actually have a *real* story not like the half assed one like in COD:MW. It depends on the game. Some games do that really well, and they end up being good. The ones with real stories are probably the best, in my opinion, but it depends on the game. Most of the time, FPS games that have elements of other genres are okay, as they aren't straight up Castle Wolfenstein clones. The really good ones end up being like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, in that they become very popular and successful. One example that comes to mind is the Half Life series of games. The story in them is amazing. Will someone explain the "WAFOCAPS" part? with a focus on combat and puzzle solving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hushful Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I was thinking of games like Half Life, Mass Effect, Borderlands, and MechWarriors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenWolf13 Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 I was thinking of games like Half Life, Mass Effect, Borderlands, and MechWarriors. Half Life is definitely up there as one of the best games of all time. Mass Effect was a good attempt at making a good FPS, but the story just didn't quite cut it. Also, the DLC bullshit that Bioware pulled was unacceptable. I haven't played Borderlands yet, but I hear it is a good game. i've never heard of MechWarriors though. Is it any good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hushful Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Borderlands 1 and 2 are amazing. I have to disagree with the story comment on Mass Effect, but to each there own. I do however, agree with the DLC statement. As far as MechWarriors goes, have you been living under a rock?! (J/K) This is unacceptable! Educate yourself * immediately* in the amazingness of huge robots (called mechs) piloted by people blasting the shit out of each other in open field combat! Think Robot Jocks but like 100x more badass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorcer Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 You should try The Missing Link DLC. The boss fight in that was developed in-house by Square Enix, and it is much better than all four of the boss fights from the main game combined. I liked the DLC, but the price was a little bit high considering it only added a few extra hours of content. I also don't understand why they made it a separate "game"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenWolf13 Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 I liked the DLC, but the price was a little bit high considering it only added a few extra hours of content. I also don't understand why they made it a separate "game"... I know. It makes way more sense to buy the pack on Steam, as it includes all the DLC (which cost almost 20 dollars combined) and the game (which also is 20 dollars). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorcer Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I know. It makes way more sense to buy the pack on Steam, as it includes all the DLC (which cost almost 20 dollars combined) and the game (which also is 20 dollars). That is what i did, the price still felt to high. The way I see it the price/hour should be similar. You pay 1/3 of the price for much less than 1/3 of the game. Obviously it is stupid to expect that you would be getting that amount of content in DLC but the price should have been closer to that of the game (in terms of content) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakachu Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I preferred the killing method to non-lethal in my playthrough of the game. the tranq gun will never let you do things like this: in the image I was head shotting every guard that walked by, saw the body in that room, and came over to stand there looking at it. no alarm got raised and I cleared out the entire area of guards. it was also completely hilarious. "hey, a pile of dead bodies! what the heAAUGH" "hey, a pile of dead bodies!" etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorcer Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I preferred the killing method to non-lethal in my playthrough of the game. the tranq gun will never let you do things like this: in the image I was head shotting every guard that walked by, saw the body in that room, and came over to stand there looking at it. no alarm got raised and I cleared out the entire area of guards. it was also completely hilarious. "hey, a pile of dead bodies! what the heAAUGH" "hey, a pile of dead bodies!" etc. I must admit that is pretty hilarious... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay? Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Half Life is definitely up there as one of the best games of all time. Mass Effect was a good attempt at making a good FPS, but the story just didn't quite cut it. Also, the DLC bullshit that Bioware pulled was unacceptable. I haven't played Borderlands yet, but I hear it is a good game. i've never heard of MechWarriors though. Is it any good? Which mass effect are you talking about? All three of them were wildly different in terms of gameplay/story quality. 1 had the best story, but the gameplay was downright painful, 2 was the pinnacle of the series, with acceptable gameplay and good story, and 3 had excellent gameplay, and great story unless you beat it, in which case it turned to liquid shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwillb Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 The gameplay in Mass Effect 1 wasn't bad, it was just a lot slower. The UI system kind of sucked, though. I definitely agree that 2 was the best. After beating 3, though, I can't play any of them anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol_Rokks_Teddy Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 after all the hub-ub with the mass effect 3 ending (i still don't know what it is, i assume it has something to do with the reapers), i'm glad i never got around to acctualy buying it. I absolutely loved the first game because of the progression system, it was slow, and when you upgraded your stats you didn't always see results right away. There is such a huge contrast between the beging of the game, where shepard is so weak that a few bullets would take him down, and the end of the game, where shepard attains godhood. There was an ability called immunity, that would reduce the damage you recive to almost nothing (it was kind of like quantom armor). If you upgrade this to max, then the time it takes to cool down is shorter than the time it takes to where off, so as long as you remember to use it before it wheres off, you are basicaly indestrucable, and can even go toe to toe with krogans in a boxing match (this was my favorite thing to do in that game). It acctually took prtetty much the entire game to got to that point as well. In ME2 this was not the case, they had stipped the progression system bare, and left us with very room to expariment (sure you can reset your stats, but that's no fun). Then there was the story, holy shit was there ever a story! I mean "like wow, man, like wow" So in conclusion, I think that ME1 did "giant robot squid that can desroy plants wants to kill your mom and dad, so it's up to you to shoot at it and use space magic!" quite well. P.S. what ever happened to the rachni queen? I freed her in the first game but i don't remember ever hearing about it again. Edit: this turned out to be a much bigger rant than i thought it was gunna be. can you tell i really enjoyed that game? haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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