#95
Post
by Hellstorm Archon » Tue May 27, 2014 10:27 pm
Well, I've already finished the game on the Wyatt timeline, and I'm about three quarters through the Fergus timeline.
I have to say that although that this is a great game, it is far from perfect. Here's why:
Pros:
-The guns. They feel absolutely fantastic, as well as fun to shoot with. Although people are complaining about the weapon variety, I'm not too bothered about this, since I tend to see the different firing modes on the weapons as different weapons entirely (ex. The Marksman/Laser rifle combo, the Assault Rifle/Rocket Launcher combo, you get my drift.)
-Most of the maps. Although they are linear and a far cry from the open spaces of RTCW or possibly even Wolf09, they are reasonably so. The game really doesn't hold your hand too much, and you're free to go wherever in the arena you're currently in. I actually feel that this is a game that rewards exploration, rather than punishes it unlike most shooters of today. What further complements this is the diversity of the levels.
-The main components of the story. It's dramatic, but not without some satire, as well as some pretty funny moments. I know people are complaining that it's too grimdark, but that's just the Nazis.
-The art style. The dieselpunk elements and overall comic book aesthetic really help this game to stand out.
-The characters, particularly the villains. Blazkowicz's characterization was done beautifully, painting him as a war-torn veteran who's tired of the fighting. The other characters are memorable and multi-dimensional as well, particularly Wyatt and Fergus (and their counterparts that appear in the hideout). Deathshead was in top form here, I'm not going to lie. Frau Engel and her officer boy-toy also help in establishing one particular truth: Nazis were not the jackbooted thugs commonly found in most media, but rather the complete monsters who brutally murdered innocent people just for kicks.
-The soundtrack. It's definitely The Beatles meets Rammstein, and the game is all the more awesome for it. I know the RTCW score was pretty unforgettable, but I just can't say the same for Wolf09's score.
Cons:
-The supposed love interest between Blazkowicz/Anya. Like I mentioned before, sex scenes add nothing to a game and ultimately brought the game's pacing to a screeching halt. Admittedly, B.J. kind of gets to know Anya for the 14 years he's been catatonic, but this really shouldn't warrant a romantic subplot. In fact, the game's main story doesn't really take advantage of this subplot. I felt that this romance felt rather forced, and I guess this is why it doesn't flow as well as other components of the storyline.
-The rushed progressing through the second half. The first half was really excellent in introducing this oppressive atmosphere brought on by the Nazis' new rule over the globe and showed that resistance was nearly futile, whereas the second kind of just rushes through the rebellion process. The absolute worst of this is when Blazkowicz goes to the moon. There was next to no buildup, and this made it obvious that the game is unfinished, in a sense. Also, the ending is a sort of cliffhanger that just exists without any real rhyme or reason.
-The fact that there was cut content. I understand that it was a tumultuous three years to develop this game, but it could have been a lot longer. We could have seen more of the moon, we could have seen more of Berlin, we could have seen more of occupied London, and we certainly could have seen other occupied continents. Hopefully, an expansion pack should be on the way.
-The graphics optimization issues. I've heard of some rather nasty issues on PC, not to mention frequent pop-in and screen tearing on 360/PS3. The game still looks amazing on next-gen consoles and PC, but Bethesda is going to have to find a way to better optimize id Tech 5 for modern day usage, or they'll run into serious issues. id Tech 5 is already being hailed as the absolute worst of the id Tech line.
-This is kind of a midway point, but the difficulty. The game basically tells you this: "Can you take down the Nazi regime on your own? Fucking prove it." Although this is fitting enough, seeing how you're basically a one-man army, the difficulty can ramp up to ludicrous levels, especially under certain circumstances. For this, I feel that the shotgun(s) is/are ridiculously underpowered, as they can apparently shut down a guard robot with ease, but will barely put a dent in a rocket launcher trooper or a shotgun trooper. In most cases, I had to resort to the Assault Rifle/Rocket Launcher combo. Strangely enough, I was getting massacred in the "I Am Death Incarnate!" setting, yet I'm not having that many problems with the "Über!" setting.
I'd give this game a NEIN out of ten, if you know what I mean. I'm hoping to see more! Seriously, there could have been more, as I feel something is missing.
Also, this game has been out for some time, and people are still likening it to Ride to Hell. What.
By the way, how is this game performing financially?
A short poem
I dig, you dig, we dig, he digs, she digs, they dig.
It's not a beautiful poem, but it sure is deep.
