I get what they are going for, it just feels cramped as I watch it.
I think the art style and the mechanics would have been more appealing in a fleshed out larger format.
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Codename: S.T.E.A.M. gameplay on Nintendo Treehouse stream
- Thread starter Busaiku
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I get what they are going for, it just feels cramped as I watch it.
I think the art style and the mechanics would have been more appealing in a fleshed out larger format.
No one doubted that Intelligent Systems wouldn't whip up something spectacular. Doesn't change the fact that it looks like crap.
This style makes me want to vomit but the game looks so fun! Man 3DS games really are hit or miss in the visuals department.
TheSlySoul
Member
Really do not get the hate for this game. It looks like a comic in motion. My only complaints is the obvious grids, but that is a nitpick at best. Bring on more original IPs!
Nah, just needs the waifu treatment.
Consider how Fire Emblem Awakening did. You never know.
broncobuster
Banned
Visual information is a tad muddled. Could use more colour to better differentiate the elements. I'm into the rest of it.
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
Wow that definitely reminds me of Valkyria Chronicles....with a really bad art style.
alfredofroylan
Member
"Enemy sighted"
Ah Valkyria, I miss you so much!!!
Ah Valkyria, I miss you so much!!!
Elfforkusu
Member
DoR is a bit of a fringe case since it was a pretty dramatic departure and never got a retail release in Japan... But yeah, the series consistently under-performing is probably not doing it any favors.
I had no idea
Why would such a fantastic game sell so little? Yes, Days of Ruin was a little darker and not packed with content, but it was still fantastic. Indeed, they need to give AW one more try...
chrominance
Member
Held judgement on the screens that came out. Now that I'm watching the footage, I'm still a little less excited than I was yesterday--the art style is too cartoonish for my liking, and I think I expected too much when I heard it was basically Valkyria Chronicles because I just find myself missing its aesthetic while I watch this.
That said, the gameplay looks solid. I think Intelligent Systems have made some interesting refinements to VC's basic template, especially the part where you can try out a movement before committing your AP to it. And even though I still don't believe the devs when they say they didn't really take inspiration from VC, I can at least see where the "map-focused gameplay" comment for VC came from. You're really supposed to get your cues from the third-person view entirely here, and the ability to experiment with your movement combined with complementary level design eliminates the need to refer to a map.
I'm still on board.
That said, the gameplay looks solid. I think Intelligent Systems have made some interesting refinements to VC's basic template, especially the part where you can try out a movement before committing your AP to it. And even though I still don't believe the devs when they say they didn't really take inspiration from VC, I can at least see where the "map-focused gameplay" comment for VC came from. You're really supposed to get your cues from the third-person view entirely here, and the ability to experiment with your movement combined with complementary level design eliminates the need to refer to a map.
I'm still on board.
Magicpaint
Member
Looks fun. I'm usually not a fan of strategy stuff but Intelligent Systems got me into Advance Wars and Fire Emblem. Looking forward to this; the art reminds me of Elite Beat Agents.
SteveWinwood
Member
It looks so much better in motion. Those screens made it look terrible.
Immaculate
Banned
still not a fan of the aesthetic
Eh, i mean like a strategy/action game, not turn based rpg. I've played bravely default and this doesn't even come close to reminding me of that
Throwaway123456789
Member
Over 130k the first two months in NA alone. Probably ~300k worldwide by now.
It was too different, I guess.
calc84maniac
Member
E.T. Go Home!
ArchedThunder
Banned
The game looks pretty good in motion. I REALLY hope they change the character designs though, over designed trash. They also need to change the art on the box because it's horrible and will probably negatively impact sales.
Why would you do that?
Member
You can rewind the live stream (definitely on YouTube, unsure about Twitch). They showed a lot of gameplay and two different cutscenes, one at the very beginning and one at the end of the discussion.
Riposte
Member
Thoughts (mostly considering faults, to counteract my initial hype):
One thing I'm worried about is that the game will play a very plodding pace. Moving and shooting feels slow here and watching an enemy attack multiple times, adjusting the target being knocked down each time, really isn't good. At the very least, I hope you can skip the special character attacks, because I didn't find them appealing (I wish they were either less comical or more... comicbook-y, like flashy action panels and stuff).
I think it's a little less of VC successor than initially thought. To be me it looks less shooting-centric and more turn-based in how things flow, if that makes any sense. Initially it seemed like it would be even more action centric, but actually, it seems less so than VC. This makes the slower pace more worrisome, because SRPGs can be really hampered by slowness and tedium.
One difficulty and no perma-death was already pretty concerning (when taken together), and now I've seen how little damage the player takes in the turn, it's making me wonder. Could be a demo or early game thing. The checkpoint mechanics seem really, really powerful (full health + extra turn to the whole team, everywhere). They mention the idea of expert players clearing the map in very few turns with them, but I think it would be best to see them as a handicap mechanic. Maybe the game will be designed so that everyone but hardcore players are expected to use them to the fullest, so hard mode is not to use them.
I think the art style is good and the environments (sometimes it really does feel like a 3D silver age comic) are quite nice for a 3DS game, but the character design is rather unfortunate (well, at least they are manly). It is also a 3DS game, which means it not the kind of tech that can pull off "3D drawing" as well as consoles have recently been able to. Music seems pretty great.
I'm mostly optimistic, but at the same time I don't think this will be a great game yet.
One thing I'm worried about is that the game will play a very plodding pace. Moving and shooting feels slow here and watching an enemy attack multiple times, adjusting the target being knocked down each time, really isn't good. At the very least, I hope you can skip the special character attacks, because I didn't find them appealing (I wish they were either less comical or more... comicbook-y, like flashy action panels and stuff).
I think it's a little less of VC successor than initially thought. To be me it looks less shooting-centric and more turn-based in how things flow, if that makes any sense. Initially it seemed like it would be even more action centric, but actually, it seems less so than VC. This makes the slower pace more worrisome, because SRPGs can be really hampered by slowness and tedium.
One difficulty and no perma-death was already pretty concerning (when taken together), and now I've seen how little damage the player takes in the turn, it's making me wonder. Could be a demo or early game thing. The checkpoint mechanics seem really, really powerful (full health + extra turn to the whole team, everywhere). They mention the idea of expert players clearing the map in very few turns with them, but I think it would be best to see them as a handicap mechanic. Maybe the game will be designed so that everyone but hardcore players are expected to use them to the fullest, so hard mode is not to use them.
I think the art style is good and the environments (sometimes it really does feel like a 3D silver age comic) are quite nice for a 3DS game, but the character design is rather unfortunate (well, at least they are manly). It is also a 3DS game, which means it not the kind of tech that can pull off "3D drawing" as well as consoles have recently been able to. Music seems pretty great.
I'm mostly optimistic, but at the same time I don't think this will be a great game yet.
I think it's less 'hard mode' that's not using them, and instead 'pursuing a high score'. I reckon that's the goal for expert players - save as many medals as possible.
Think of it as the strategy game equivalent of 1CCing a shmup.
Edit: And I'm responding from earlier in the stream at my end, and he's just spoken about also using spare medals to upgrade your arsenal.
Brawly Likes to Brawl
Member
A lot of people are really overreacting about the artstyle, from the comments here you'd think IS whipped up some amateur deviantart-tier designs for the game.
Uncle Rupee
Banned
This is way more interesting than a new advance wars, it's just the wrong art style
Guess what? IS's fan base is used to animu Fire Emblem art so of course they're not going to like Western comic book style. That's just how it is.
Has anyone posted this anywhere else? I can't believe I missed it.
All I've seen is Smash Bros 3DS and Reggie talking about it now. He's acknowledging the hesitation about the visual style.
Also I just want to say I was heavily opposed to Valkyria Chronicles based on art style alone and then I actually PLAYED the game and realized it was my favourite. I will buy it only based on gameplay alone and Intelligent Systems will deliver.
All I've seen is Smash Bros 3DS and Reggie talking about it now. He's acknowledging the hesitation about the visual style.
Also I just want to say I was heavily opposed to Valkyria Chronicles based on art style alone and then I actually PLAYED the game and realized it was my favourite. I will buy it only based on gameplay alone and Intelligent Systems will deliver.
Hibiki Kurosawa
Member
Really digging this! Love that there is no map and everything is discovered from the character's perspective. Also love the verticality of it and that it's grid based. Another great looking 2015 title! Can't wait!
Really not liking what they showed. The art isn't just off-putting, but it's also incredibly dull, which seems like it hits the game even harder with what looks like a plodding place. The enemies feel lifeless and don't seem particularly dangerous, so not only does the game seem slow but many of the actions don't look very important if the game is going to be highly forgiving.
Uncle Rupee
Banned
Probably showing an early / tutorial type mission...
Pyrrhus
Member
I liked Western comics, I like anime. But I don't like the way this game looks. This stuff's just not very well done. It's muddy and the stylizations in the art aren't appealing and fail at recalling the period and stylistic callbacks they said they were going for. This is like the flipside of all the Western pseudo-anime the otaku usually shit on.
Brawly Likes to Brawl
Member
I can understand not being into the western style art, but to say things like "it looks like shit" or "looks like a DS game/shovelware" is pretty hyperbolic, imo.
Umm Lin is the greatest waifu
Green Wiggly
Member
Cutscenes aside, I thought it looked pretty damn good during the live stream. Will most definitely pick this one up so I's can gets mah overwatch on.
Watching the video now and as I had figured already, it looks much better in motion. The environment itself looks rather lovely, and that's what I'm going to be seeing the most of, but the characters are a little hit or miss for me, and the enemies are even less impressive. But the gameplay itself looks awesome and watching any more is probably just spoiling me on something I know I'll be buying
Any way I can watch it? I missed it
You'll be able to catch up on that on Twitch as soon as they're finished for today, unless they put something on youtube first.
looks really good. Invoking Valkyria Chronicles name is a big expectation for me but I can see why from a gameplay standpoint. If I was to describe it I would probably say a mix of Freedom Force and Valkyria Chronicles. Yet another reason i'm still more excited for handhelds then consoles nowadays.