Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
| The Rules | Discord Server | The Staff
Who told you about this place?

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Binary Domain review
Topic Started: Thursday Apr 26 2012, 02:59 PM (1,435 Views)
famicommander
Member Avatar
Wipe that face off your head, bitch.
[ *  *  *  * ]
Will merge this with the main topic after the game releases tomorrow. Anyway, here's my review of the game:

---

Binary Domain, a squad based tactical shooter from SEGA Team CS1, was released to little fan fare for PS3 and Xbox 360 in late February of this year. A PC version is destined for digital distribution services on April 27 and the retail channels in mid-May. This review is an evaluation of the Playstation 3 version of the game.

Team CS1 and eccentric director Toshihiro Nagoshi are most famous for their work on the Super Monkey Ball series, F-Zero GX, and the acclaimed Yakuza series of melee-based action games. Binary Domain is a third person shooter, so it is largely uncharted territory for the man recently promoted to Chief Creative Officer at SEGA.

The game’s basic premise owes much to science fiction films including Blade Runner and Terminator. The year is 2080 and the world has been ravaged by the combination of climate change, corrupt governments, economic turmoil, and war. Much of the planet is now flooded and significant portions of the population have been wiped out entirely. With a shortage of human labor available mankind began to rely heavily on robotics for the rebuilding effort. These new robots were produced by two main distributors: the American-based Bergen Corporation and the Japanese Amada Corporation.

At the genesis of the mainstream robotics industry the remaining world governments adopted a new version of the Geneva Convention. The part of this convention relevant to the game world is Clause 21, which banned research into the development of robots which could be mistaken for human as well as true artificial sentience.

To oversee the enforcement of Clause 21 the International Robotics Technology Association, or IRTA, was formed. A multinational organization employing standouts from the respective military forces and espionage agencies of its member states, the IRTA deploys what are known as Rust Crews to deal with potential hazards.

This is where Dan Marshall, the protagonist and only playable character in the game, comes into play. A former member of the United States Army, Dan and his friend and longtime partner Roy “Big Bo” Boateng are sent to Japan when the Amada Corporation is suspected of violating Clause 21. Japan has recently become an oppressive state hell bent on isolation and self-sufficiency not unlike modern day North Korea. As such, Dan and Bo are forced to infiltrate the city covertly. After a short (and optional) tutorial and a quick opening level in which Bo helps the player familiarize himself with the basics of the game the player is introduced to the rest of the Rust Crew. Charlie and Rachael are British and former members of the spy agency MI6, while Faye Lee is a special forces sniper from the Chinese army. The cast of characters grows and evolves as you move forward but these five are important throughout the game.

Dan and the rest of the Rust Crew are tasked with finding Yoji Amada, founder and head of Amada Corp, and bringing him back to Geneva to answer the charges being levied against him. The IRTA suspects that the Japanese government, and more specifically its Ministry of Homeland Affairs, could be in league with Amada. The validity of this claim is ambiguous by this point in the story, but it is clear that the Japanese government is not happy either way with foreign military action taking place on its soil without its notice or consent.

As the crew moves through the game they will mostly be fighting hoards and hoards of robots, some belonging to Amada and others to the Japanese government. The combat plays out like many other cover-based shooters but with a few unmistakable touches from Nagoshi. Characters may carry up to four weapons at a time. Two weapon slots are dedicated to the character’s main arm (Dan’s assault rifle, Faye’s sniper rifle, Rachael’s shotgun, etc) and their side arm (a pistol; you start out with a semi-auto but can find a fully automatic one to replace it later). Another slot is for interchangeable weapons which can be found in levels, taken from enemies, or purchased from stores. These include a fairly standard assortment of assault rifles, shot guns, heavy machine guns, etc. The final weapon slot is for grenades, and Binary Domain has a wide variety of interesting ones to choose from. There are frag grenades for dealing damage to groups, EMP grenades to disable robots, grenades which project holographic decoys to dsstract enemies, and tons of others to discover and choose from. Weapons are switched between in real time using the d-pad. There are also “heavy weapons” such as miniguns or stingers littered about some levels which do not replace your interchangeable weapons, but also cannot be carried indefinitely or switched away from. If you try to switch to another weapon you will always drop the heavy one.

Each character’s main weapon can be upgraded using CR, which is currency awarded by the game. You are given CR for each kill but you can accumulate more by killing enemies quickly, killing them creatively, and for dealing as much damage as possible before taking out an enemy. This is where Nagoshi’s influence starts to become clear. The robotic enemies will begin to tear away as your bullets connect with them. Armor starts coming off first and once you’ve dealt with that you begin dealing damage to the robot itself. You can blow off an enemy’s arm and cause them to drop their weapon, at which point they will pick it up with the other arm and continue attacking. You can blow off one of their legs and they will hop on one as they continue to pursue you. If you blow off both legs they start to crawl. The enemies truly are relentless and the AI is quite advanced. One of the more hilarious aspects of this mechanic is shooting enemies in the head. In most games a head shot is an instant kill, but in Binary Domain blowing off a robot’s head will cause it to turn and begin firing wildly at its allies. This will cause the allies to react and attempt to eliminate the threat, giving the player an opportunity to take out many as they are distracted. When they are not exploding for your amusement the robots can actually be quite formidable. They will take cover, flank you, try to separate you from your squad, charge when you throw grenades, attack with melee as you get close, and even protect more important enemies with their lives.

The CR can be spent on upgrading a weapon’s damage, ammo capacity, rate of fire, accuracy, and (in Dan’s case only) the special ability Shock Burst. The Shock Burst is an EMP projectile that can be used to destroy environmental obstructions or attack and temporalily disable enemies. It is activated by holding the R2 button and waiting for it to charge. The Shock Burst can deal large amounts of damage to groups or singular enemies, but at the beginning of the game you are limited to two uses before you have to find more Bosonic charges to refill them (the charges are often dropped by enemies). You can upgrade your Bosonic charge capacity with CR as well.

The player can take cover behind objects using the X button. The X button is also used for diving/rolling as well as jumping over obstacles, so occasionally the game can misjudge the context and execute the wrong move. This is not nearly as large an issue as it is in other cover systems like those found in Gears of War of Grand Theft Auto IV, but it did pop up from time to time. Melee attacks are dealt using the square button and circle is used as an action button. The triangle is used to focus on something when the game wants your attention, such as when a character is talking or showing Dan something elsewhere in the environment. The game will not take control of your view unless you press the button, so there is no risk of it taking your focus away from an important part in a battle. The L1 button is used to enter a more precise aiming mode (or recoil control for those familiar with Vanquish) and R1 fires.

The L2 button is used to bring up a series of context-sensitive commands. During combat you may tell your squad to charge, cover you, hold and wait, or attack at will using the d-pad. This mechanic is also used to reply to other characters during conversations. The menu-based command system can be replaced with your voice if you have a microphone. The game recognizes over 75 different phrases and the characters will react and respond depending on how you use them. This is a very interesting idea and it seems to work well in ideal conditions, but unfortunately if you have a thick accent, a low quality mic, or lots of ambient noise in the room it can become unreliable. Sticking to the basic buttons commands is more advisable.

The commands are important because they help determine the Trust System, which is possibly the defining mechanic of Binary Domain. Every character has their own level of trust with Dan. You can gain your squad mates' trust by performing well in battle, discovering strategies before they can be pointed out, reviving them when they take too much damage, and reading them well and giving appropriate responses during the game's few lulls in the action when you have time for conversation. Trust is lost for taking too long in battle, relying too heavily on your squad mates' assistance, friendly fire, and giving the wrong answers in conversation. The higher level of trust you have, the better your squad responds to commands. Certain major story elements are also greatly affected by trust levels. You can tell how much trust you have with each character in the game's pause menu screen. Some things that gain one character's trust may lose another's, so it is important to choose your actions and responses carefully and think hard about which characters to bring with you when given the option. The co-op AI is actually quite advanced for the genre. Your allies usually expect you to be the point man so they will rarely play “for you” like some of your squad mates in Call of Duty games, but they can usually hold their own in battle and if you understand what they are doing can be quite complimentary to your playstyle. My one complaint about the AI is they will occasionally walk into your line of fire, and if you hit them you’ll lose trust even if it was their fault.

The health system is based on the current standard of regenerating so long as you do not take too much damage in a given time. If you do take too much damage you will become incapacitated. At this point your team mates will ask you if you need their help. Only a med kit can get you back on your feet. If you have your own you can use it and tell your allies you don't need their help, but if you don't have one you have to accept theirs. If nobody on your squad has a med kit you will die after a spending too much time incapacitated. Your squad has the same health restrictions as you, so if you allow any of them to die the mission will be failed and you will have to start over. Med kits can sometimes be found in levels but are mostly purchased from kiosks scattered through each level using CR. ‍

Characters have the ability to use nano machines to enhance certain skills such as health, accuracy, med kit carry capacity, evasion ability, and other such things. To use nano machines you must find them in levels or buy them from the kiosks with CR. Each character has a small 2x3 square grid for their nano machines, and each nano machine has a set amount of squares it takes up. Higher level machines take up fewer squares and the player has to arrange them Tetris-style to make them fit. The machines can be equipped or unequipped at any time but are character-specific, so Dan can’t share with Faye and Charlie can’t share with Bo.

The graphics in the game are surprisingly good. The environments are quite varied and paint a vivid picture of the hellish world the game characters occupy. New Tokyo was built upon the flooded ruins of the old city, but only the rich and government-favored get to live on the surface. The players infiltrate the city via a sea wall and make their way to the surface through a series of underground slums, sewers, and other interesting areas. Dan and the Rust Crew witness the plight of the oppressed first hand and as the story unfolds it becomes clear that there are many different forces at work in the game, each with their own motivations and methods. The definitions of right and wrong, friend and foe, human and robot are constantly thrown into question and the player is often left to wonder as the plot is revealed in a manner that maintains suspense and doesn’t force the issue.

The character models and environments are nice looking but the effects are where this game truly shines. You can see almost every bullet that comes from any gun and the sense of visceral feedback that comes with tearing robots apart piece-by-piece is something that I have never seen done so well in a game. A very nice touch to the game is when there is thick smoke. When there is a large explosion or a piece of the stage collapses tons of smoke and dust will be thrown about. It will be so thick that you won’t be able to see anything except the glowing red eyes of the robots as they press through the fog attempting to kill you.

The Yakuza games are very well known for their attention to detail and Binary Domain definitely doesn’t disappoint in that respect.

The PS3 version of the game is subject to very occasional slowdown but it wasn’t anything that obstructed my enjoyment of the game. The lip synch for the cutscenes isn’t bad either.

The level design is for the most part linear, but there are sometimes branching paths and hidden areas that have ammo, med kids, weapons, or nano machines for you to grab so exploration is encouraged to a degree. The game is mostly designed around pushing you from one conflict zone to the next but the action is broken up nicely by mostly well-voiced cutscenes and exhilarating set pieces. Not every level has one but occasionally the game will put you into a scripted or on-rails segment. One level has you hanging out of a moving car destroying enemy robots and vehicles at blistering speeds while another has you taking control of some hacked heavy artillery from the enemy. There are a few quick time events in the game but as I recall the total count is less than five, and they are all well-spaced and make sense within the context of the scene.

One area that this game seems to do better than any other in the genre is the boss fights, though. Boss fights in Binary Domain are usually a grand affair that will take strategy, coordination, and lots of bullets to get through. Most bosses take the form of robotic animals, such as an enormous spider or a rampaging gorilla. Each boss usually has multiple weak spots that you have to take down to defeat it entirely. Sometimes your squad mates will point out things in the levels which can help you take out the bosses but other times you have to rely solely on your reflexes and pattern recognition skills. The bosses themselves are quite challenging on your first playthrough, so expect to be tossed around the levels by them and have plenty of med kits on hand.

The game comes to its conclusion after roughly 8-12 hours of single player game time. The ending can vary greatly based on how you treated your squad mates in the game but regardless of the path you took there are some poignant emotional moments and some lines that border on profound. Understand that “poignant” and “profound” are terms I rarely if ever use to describe a video game.

The game also has online multiplayer, including your standard death match and team modes as well as an Invasion mode, but there isn’t really a lot to sink your teeth into. The maps aren’t very inspired, there is some lag to be dealt with, there aren’t many people playing, and overall it feels like something that was tacked on so they could check another box on the pack of the packaging. This is definitely the most disappointing aspect of the game but you can tell the game was designed for its single player aspect. If you’re in the market for a good multiplayer shooter I would suggest looking elsewhere.

Binary Domain does have significant replay value, though. The trust system ensures that you play the game at least twice (if not more) to see every ending and there is an unlockable difficulty above the already challenging options provided. There are also hidden collectibles and a hefty list of Trophies/Achievements for those who like to hunt those down.

On the whole Binary Domain is a great third person shooting experience. It seemed to come out of nowhere early this year because SEGA hired monkeys instead of marketing guys, but this is a high budget and top tier effort from a world class developer. Nagoshi said that he had set out to tell an effective human drama through gameplay and while the game does rely on some cutscenes to get its message across, I would say that he succeeded. One sort of wishes that the multiplayer were either better or skipped entirely so that more resources could go to the already outstanding single player or perhaps a bit of marketing, but in a world where single player experiences are being relegated to four hour add-ons to multtiplayer-focused online affairs it is a breath of oldschool fresh air. I am not going to give Binary Domain a score but I do wholeheartedly recommend it to fans of third person shooters or anyone who enjoys Blade Runner and other related science fiction.
Denver Broncos: defending champs, 8-6, next game 12/25 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Colorado Rockies: 75-87, missed playoffs
Colorado Avalanche: 11-18-1, next game 12/20 @ Minnesota Wild
Denver Nuggets: 12-16, next game 12/20 @ Los Angeles Clippers
Colorado Mammoth: first game 12/30 @ Buffalo Bandits
Denver Outlaws: defending champs, first game 4/22 @ Charlotte Hounds
Colorado State Rams football: 7-5, next game Idaho Bowl 12/22 vs Idaho Vandals
Colorado State Rams basketball: 8-4, next game 12/22 vs Long Beach State 49ers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 11-7, lost West Division Semifinal
Denver Pioneers Lacrosse: first game 1/24 vs Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
#2 Denver Pioneers Hockey: 12-3-3, next game 12/30 @ Providence College Friars
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
whoozwah
Member Avatar
Is it live, or is it Dave-orex?
[ *  *  *  * ]
will move this to the game reviews sub forum in 1 week.
Realtime Last.fm feed. I have everything scrobbling to it.

Posted Image

It is possible to not understand without being confused.
It is possible to be inaccessible without hiding.
It is possible to be aware without being awake.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
NamelessFragger
Member Avatar
Veteran Member
[ *  *  * ]
famicommander
 
You are given CR for each kill but you can accumulate more by killing enemies quickly, killing them creatively, and for dealing as much damage as possible before taking out an enemy. This is where Nagoshi’s influence starts to become clear. The robotic enemies will begin to tear away as your bullets connect with them. Armor starts coming off first and once you’ve dealt with that you begin dealing damage to the robot itself. You can blow off an enemy’s arm and cause them to drop their weapon, at which point they will pick it up with the other arm and continue attacking. You can blow off one of their legs and they will hop on one as they continue to pursue you. If you blow off both legs they start to crawl. The enemies truly are relentless and the AI is quite advanced. One of the more hilarious aspects of this mechanic is shooting enemies in the head. In most games a head shot is an instant kill, but in Binary Domain blowing off a robot’s head will cause it to turn and begin firing wildly at its allies. This will cause the allies to react and attempt to eliminate the threat, giving the player an opportunity to take out many as they are distracted.

Sold me right there. Most shooters treat robots as just cosmetically different things to shoot, and body parts as different hitboxes which take more or less shots to inflict fatal damage. Very rarely do games try to rethink how you kill enemies these days, even a little.

I'll probably still wait for a Steam sale, I'll admit, since I don't have the magic power to pull money out of my ass whenever I feel like it, and $40 is not money spent lightly.
Edited by NamelessFragger, Thursday Apr 26 2012, 06:31 PM.
whoozwah
 
famicommander
 
Pokemans > some other thing that you ass ram
I don't ass ram anything so it's greater than nothing.

Jak
Thursday Aug 18 2011, 07:18 PM
I'm not posting in this thread. This seems ass ram a scam.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
famicommander
Member Avatar
Wipe that face off your head, bitch.
[ *  *  *  * ]
You might still be able to get 20% off by preordering from GMG:
http://www.greenmangaming.com/s/us/en/pc/games/action/binary-domain/

Really hoping the PC version sells better than the console version.
Denver Broncos: defending champs, 8-6, next game 12/25 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Colorado Rockies: 75-87, missed playoffs
Colorado Avalanche: 11-18-1, next game 12/20 @ Minnesota Wild
Denver Nuggets: 12-16, next game 12/20 @ Los Angeles Clippers
Colorado Mammoth: first game 12/30 @ Buffalo Bandits
Denver Outlaws: defending champs, first game 4/22 @ Charlotte Hounds
Colorado State Rams football: 7-5, next game Idaho Bowl 12/22 vs Idaho Vandals
Colorado State Rams basketball: 8-4, next game 12/22 vs Long Beach State 49ers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 11-7, lost West Division Semifinal
Denver Pioneers Lacrosse: first game 1/24 vs Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
#2 Denver Pioneers Hockey: 12-3-3, next game 12/30 @ Providence College Friars
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
famicommander
Member Avatar
Wipe that face off your head, bitch.
[ *  *  *  * ]
Oh, and here are the PC specs for those interested.

Minimum:
Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.66 GHz or AMD equivalent
NVIDIA GeForce GT220 (512MB) / ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT (512MB)
2GB RAM (XP)/3GB RAM (Windows 7 / Vista)
8 GB free hard drive space

Recommended:
Intel Core i5 @ 2.66 GHz or AMD equivalent
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 (1GB) / ATI Radeon HD 5750 (1GB)
3GB RAM
8 GB free hard drive space
Denver Broncos: defending champs, 8-6, next game 12/25 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Colorado Rockies: 75-87, missed playoffs
Colorado Avalanche: 11-18-1, next game 12/20 @ Minnesota Wild
Denver Nuggets: 12-16, next game 12/20 @ Los Angeles Clippers
Colorado Mammoth: first game 12/30 @ Buffalo Bandits
Denver Outlaws: defending champs, first game 4/22 @ Charlotte Hounds
Colorado State Rams football: 7-5, next game Idaho Bowl 12/22 vs Idaho Vandals
Colorado State Rams basketball: 8-4, next game 12/22 vs Long Beach State 49ers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 11-7, lost West Division Semifinal
Denver Pioneers Lacrosse: first game 1/24 vs Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
#2 Denver Pioneers Hockey: 12-3-3, next game 12/30 @ Providence College Friars
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kelton Smith
Member Avatar
Newbie
[ * ]
WELL GOD DAMN SON THATS A LONG ASS REVIEW! Also, those specs are beastly which means I won't be getting this game for a while.
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
NamelessFragger
Member Avatar
Veteran Member
[ *  *  * ]
I suppose for $32, I could do a lot worse, and I'm in a better financial position right now.

Only thing is, Steam's being a bitch with one of the keys right now, which has never happened before. It complained that I needed to own something else first, so I logically thought it was the multiplayer pack DLC pre-order bonus. So I registered the other key, and THAT turned out to be the multiplayer pack instead.

I guess I'll try registering what must be the main game key after it's officially released. (No, Green Man Gaming doesn't actually state which key is which on their page. Shame on them.)
whoozwah
 
famicommander
 
Pokemans > some other thing that you ass ram
I don't ass ram anything so it's greater than nothing.

Jak
Thursday Aug 18 2011, 07:18 PM
I'm not posting in this thread. This seems ass ram a scam.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
famicommander
Member Avatar
Wipe that face off your head, bitch.
[ *  *  *  * ]
No idea what the issue could be there. One of the reasons I don't go for DD.
Denver Broncos: defending champs, 8-6, next game 12/25 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Colorado Rockies: 75-87, missed playoffs
Colorado Avalanche: 11-18-1, next game 12/20 @ Minnesota Wild
Denver Nuggets: 12-16, next game 12/20 @ Los Angeles Clippers
Colorado Mammoth: first game 12/30 @ Buffalo Bandits
Denver Outlaws: defending champs, first game 4/22 @ Charlotte Hounds
Colorado State Rams football: 7-5, next game Idaho Bowl 12/22 vs Idaho Vandals
Colorado State Rams basketball: 8-4, next game 12/22 vs Long Beach State 49ers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 11-7, lost West Division Semifinal
Denver Pioneers Lacrosse: first game 1/24 vs Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
#2 Denver Pioneers Hockey: 12-3-3, next game 12/30 @ Providence College Friars
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
famicommander
Member Avatar
Wipe that face off your head, bitch.
[ *  *  *  * ]
Kelton Smith
Thursday Apr 26 2012, 07:29 PM
WELL GOD DAMN SON THATS A LONG ASS REVIEW! Also, those specs are beastly which means I won't be getting this game for a while.
The review didn't turn out quite as good as I wanted it to.

I wrote it over the span of a few days so it is a little big fragmented and poorly organized. Plus I was drunk/stoned for at least a quarter of it.

There's also a few typos/syntax errors but I don't know if I care enough to go back and fix them.

I didn't mention the banter between the characters, which is usually genuinely funny. Sometimes the dialog can be cheesy in a B-movie kind of way and during battle some characters (especially Bo) overuse some of their lines but overall it's still awesome.

But yeah, I was surprised at how long the review was when I posted it.
Denver Broncos: defending champs, 8-6, next game 12/25 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Colorado Rockies: 75-87, missed playoffs
Colorado Avalanche: 11-18-1, next game 12/20 @ Minnesota Wild
Denver Nuggets: 12-16, next game 12/20 @ Los Angeles Clippers
Colorado Mammoth: first game 12/30 @ Buffalo Bandits
Denver Outlaws: defending champs, first game 4/22 @ Charlotte Hounds
Colorado State Rams football: 7-5, next game Idaho Bowl 12/22 vs Idaho Vandals
Colorado State Rams basketball: 8-4, next game 12/22 vs Long Beach State 49ers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 11-7, lost West Division Semifinal
Denver Pioneers Lacrosse: first game 1/24 vs Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
#2 Denver Pioneers Hockey: 12-3-3, next game 12/30 @ Providence College Friars
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
FOXHOUND
Member Avatar
SG is BRO
[ *  *  *  * ]
Instead of trying the demo, I restarted ME1. :3
Spoiler: click to toggle
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
famicommander
Member Avatar
Wipe that face off your head, bitch.
[ *  *  *  * ]
Console version has been going on sale:
www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=binary+domain&x=0&y=0

38 bucks free shipping

I would say some 20-30 dollar sales will pop up sometime this summer with how much it bombed.

I think the PS3 version did fairly well in Japan so maybe SEGA can turn a profit if word of mouth gives it a bit of a tail and the PC version does okay. I would kill for a sequel but that probably will never happen.
Denver Broncos: defending champs, 8-6, next game 12/25 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Colorado Rockies: 75-87, missed playoffs
Colorado Avalanche: 11-18-1, next game 12/20 @ Minnesota Wild
Denver Nuggets: 12-16, next game 12/20 @ Los Angeles Clippers
Colorado Mammoth: first game 12/30 @ Buffalo Bandits
Denver Outlaws: defending champs, first game 4/22 @ Charlotte Hounds
Colorado State Rams football: 7-5, next game Idaho Bowl 12/22 vs Idaho Vandals
Colorado State Rams basketball: 8-4, next game 12/22 vs Long Beach State 49ers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 11-7, lost West Division Semifinal
Denver Pioneers Lacrosse: first game 1/24 vs Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
#2 Denver Pioneers Hockey: 12-3-3, next game 12/30 @ Providence College Friars
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
famicommander
Member Avatar
Wipe that face off your head, bitch.
[ *  *  *  * ]
Heads up for PC purchasers

The demo was apparently leaked on Steam. Apparently it runs good and looks good but they left aim assist on and 360 button controller prompts on by default. Don't freak out, you can change both as well as turn off voice commands in the options menu. Some of the guys online are saying the mouse controls are fine and others are saying they are sluggish. Might be one of those gamepad games or these guys might just be idiots. You can also get rid the black bars by turning off the autoscan correction. Seems like a total straight up port of the 360 version.

Not sure if this will even be an issue in the final version. Also wonder why the demo was never officially released. Could be that the demo is an old build or wasn't satisfactory so they didn't release it. Dunno.

The team that handled the port was also responsible for the Sonic Generations PC port, which was supposed to be pretty good.
Denver Broncos: defending champs, 8-6, next game 12/25 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Colorado Rockies: 75-87, missed playoffs
Colorado Avalanche: 11-18-1, next game 12/20 @ Minnesota Wild
Denver Nuggets: 12-16, next game 12/20 @ Los Angeles Clippers
Colorado Mammoth: first game 12/30 @ Buffalo Bandits
Denver Outlaws: defending champs, first game 4/22 @ Charlotte Hounds
Colorado State Rams football: 7-5, next game Idaho Bowl 12/22 vs Idaho Vandals
Colorado State Rams basketball: 8-4, next game 12/22 vs Long Beach State 49ers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 11-7, lost West Division Semifinal
Denver Pioneers Lacrosse: first game 1/24 vs Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
#2 Denver Pioneers Hockey: 12-3-3, next game 12/30 @ Providence College Friars
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
NamelessFragger
Member Avatar
Veteran Member
[ *  *  * ]
Well, shit. The KB+M controls are fucked up, which is a problem when I was hoping to play with proper mouse aim. Sometimes the mouse is responsive, sometimes it's sluggish when aiming...but whatever the case, you can't even use it in the menus. I haven't seen that done with a PC port since Saints Row 2.

I think the aiming problem is because it's applying the sensitivity curve that an analog stick needs to have any pretense of precision in a shooter to the mouse, which is very wrong for reasons that I shouldn't have to explain.

Another controls issue is the voice command system; it insists on a signal-to-noise threshold, but I would have preferred a push-to-talk option, especially seeing as I don't have a mute switch on my desk mic and my keyboard is quite loud.

Then there's the resolution settings. Running at 1600x1200 gives me a letterboxed 16:9 image, so when I set it to 1280x720, I get the same letterboxing on top of that, resulting in a really squashed image. What the hell? No other game does that.

Oh, and when you quit, make sure to fire up the Task Manager and check the running processes list, because sometimes the game doesn't actually quit.

At the very least, the game seems to perform fine on my computer, at least going by the initial intro sequence. I'll just have to make do with the X360 pad for now.

It also turns out the code I was having problems with was actually the multiplayer DLC pack. The other code was confusingly labeled, and I didn't notice Binary Domain itself showing up in my Steam account until this morning.

So, what about the game itself? It's actually more fun than I was expecting out of yet another third-person shooter. Blasting those robots apart piece by piece is more satisfying than usual, and then there's the upgrade systems. I just wish I had proper mouse aim, as usual, and the current implementation just doesn't cut it.
Edited by NamelessFragger, Friday Apr 27 2012, 09:46 AM.
whoozwah
 
famicommander
 
Pokemans > some other thing that you ass ram
I don't ass ram anything so it's greater than nothing.

Jak
Thursday Aug 18 2011, 07:18 PM
I'm not posting in this thread. This seems ass ram a scam.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
famicommander
Member Avatar
Wipe that face off your head, bitch.
[ *  *  *  * ]
Did you turn off aim assist and fix the button prompts?
Denver Broncos: defending champs, 8-6, next game 12/25 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Colorado Rockies: 75-87, missed playoffs
Colorado Avalanche: 11-18-1, next game 12/20 @ Minnesota Wild
Denver Nuggets: 12-16, next game 12/20 @ Los Angeles Clippers
Colorado Mammoth: first game 12/30 @ Buffalo Bandits
Denver Outlaws: defending champs, first game 4/22 @ Charlotte Hounds
Colorado State Rams football: 7-5, next game Idaho Bowl 12/22 vs Idaho Vandals
Colorado State Rams basketball: 8-4, next game 12/22 vs Long Beach State 49ers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 11-7, lost West Division Semifinal
Denver Pioneers Lacrosse: first game 1/24 vs Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
#2 Denver Pioneers Hockey: 12-3-3, next game 12/30 @ Providence College Friars
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
NamelessFragger
Member Avatar
Veteran Member
[ *  *  * ]
Yeah, I turned off aim assist completely with KB+M controls, of course. It still doesn't help the camera movement any. You'd know what I mean if you played a proper PC FPS and went back to this port.

Button prompts were also disabled. I question their "Shift" icon (which I set the run/jump over/take cover bind to, since the very first thing I do with any PC game is head straight to the controls menu and customize everything); it made me think that it wanted me to hit the up arrow key. Other than that, it's not the key icons that are a problem with the controls here.

As it stands, I have to play with the gamepad until the KB+M controls get all patched up.

Also, no mic. I really need a better, more sensitive mic right now. As it stands, the game has trouble recognizing my voice because it barely picks up anything from the mic to begin with. Using LB and the face buttons does work, but something feels wrong about it, like it's not the way the game was meant to be played.
whoozwah
 
famicommander
 
Pokemans > some other thing that you ass ram
I don't ass ram anything so it's greater than nothing.

Jak
Thursday Aug 18 2011, 07:18 PM
I'm not posting in this thread. This seems ass ram a scam.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
famicommander
Member Avatar
Wipe that face off your head, bitch.
[ *  *  *  * ]
Like I said in the review, the button commands work fine. They are what I used.
Denver Broncos: defending champs, 8-6, next game 12/25 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Colorado Rockies: 75-87, missed playoffs
Colorado Avalanche: 11-18-1, next game 12/20 @ Minnesota Wild
Denver Nuggets: 12-16, next game 12/20 @ Los Angeles Clippers
Colorado Mammoth: first game 12/30 @ Buffalo Bandits
Denver Outlaws: defending champs, first game 4/22 @ Charlotte Hounds
Colorado State Rams football: 7-5, next game Idaho Bowl 12/22 vs Idaho Vandals
Colorado State Rams basketball: 8-4, next game 12/22 vs Long Beach State 49ers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 11-7, lost West Division Semifinal
Denver Pioneers Lacrosse: first game 1/24 vs Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
#2 Denver Pioneers Hockey: 12-3-3, next game 12/30 @ Providence College Friars
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
NamelessFragger
Member Avatar
Veteran Member
[ *  *  * ]
I think it's just because there aren't any voices to go along with the button interface. Feels a bit jarring if you're used to hearing Dan speak up during cutscenes.

Anyway, it's certainly not the worst PC port I've experienced (*cough*Saints Row 2*cough*, and that has nothing on RE4 PC unmodded), but it could be better.
whoozwah
 
famicommander
 
Pokemans > some other thing that you ass ram
I don't ass ram anything so it's greater than nothing.

Jak
Thursday Aug 18 2011, 07:18 PM
I'm not posting in this thread. This seems ass ram a scam.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
famicommander
Member Avatar
Wipe that face off your head, bitch.
[ *  *  *  * ]
They licensed the port out to Devil's Details as the only teams at SEGA with PC experience are the PSO, Soccer Manager, and Total War teams. They did fine witb Sonic but that is a gamepad only title. Looks like they have no experience with mouselook.
Denver Broncos: defending champs, 8-6, next game 12/25 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Colorado Rockies: 75-87, missed playoffs
Colorado Avalanche: 11-18-1, next game 12/20 @ Minnesota Wild
Denver Nuggets: 12-16, next game 12/20 @ Los Angeles Clippers
Colorado Mammoth: first game 12/30 @ Buffalo Bandits
Denver Outlaws: defending champs, first game 4/22 @ Charlotte Hounds
Colorado State Rams football: 7-5, next game Idaho Bowl 12/22 vs Idaho Vandals
Colorado State Rams basketball: 8-4, next game 12/22 vs Long Beach State 49ers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 11-7, lost West Division Semifinal
Denver Pioneers Lacrosse: first game 1/24 vs Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
#2 Denver Pioneers Hockey: 12-3-3, next game 12/30 @ Providence College Friars
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
NamelessFragger
Member Avatar
Veteran Member
[ *  *  * ]
That could very well be the case.

Sonic Generations is a platformer with the occasional 3D segment, and thus I'd expect to play it on a gamepad, complete with analog movement control. Keyboard controls don't even cross my mind for most platformers. (Strangely, I Wanna Be The Guy and VVVVVV are some of the exceptions, but Super Meat Boy wasn't.)

Binary Domain is a shooter, so precise movement isn't as important as precise aiming, and that's where a mouse excels when input is handled properly. I just wish that was the case here; even poor ports like Saints Row 2 managed to get that right.

At least Devil's Details knows a thing or two about performance optimization on PCs, because I haven't had any obvious framerate problems on my Q6600/8800 GT system (four-and-a-half-year-old parts closer to minimum requirements!), even with the only graphics adjustments being resolution and shadow quality. If there's one thing I can't stand in shooters, it's low framerates.
whoozwah
 
famicommander
 
Pokemans > some other thing that you ass ram
I don't ass ram anything so it's greater than nothing.

Jak
Thursday Aug 18 2011, 07:18 PM
I'm not posting in this thread. This seems ass ram a scam.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
famicommander
Member Avatar
Wipe that face off your head, bitch.
[ *  *  *  * ]
I hope they get it patched up for you guys. Sucks that Japanese devs don't know PC.
Denver Broncos: defending champs, 8-6, next game 12/25 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Colorado Rockies: 75-87, missed playoffs
Colorado Avalanche: 11-18-1, next game 12/20 @ Minnesota Wild
Denver Nuggets: 12-16, next game 12/20 @ Los Angeles Clippers
Colorado Mammoth: first game 12/30 @ Buffalo Bandits
Denver Outlaws: defending champs, first game 4/22 @ Charlotte Hounds
Colorado State Rams football: 7-5, next game Idaho Bowl 12/22 vs Idaho Vandals
Colorado State Rams basketball: 8-4, next game 12/22 vs Long Beach State 49ers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers: 11-7, lost West Division Semifinal
Denver Pioneers Lacrosse: first game 1/24 vs Johns Hopkins Blue Jays
#2 Denver Pioneers Hockey: 12-3-3, next game 12/30 @ Providence College Friars
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Fully Featured & Customizable Free Forums
Learn More · Sign-up Now
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Game Reviews · Next Topic »
Add Reply