first nephilim protector god guy, where you first learn to use the angelic companion super attack
.
Since I started the level after that, every time I kill an enemy I get a really annoying .5 to 1 second frame rate hitch in the game. Is this normal? This is on a 360 Slim that's brand new, game is installed to drive, and other games work fine on it...
first nephilim protector god guy, where you first learn to use the angelic companion super attack
.
Since I started the level after that, every time I kill an enemy I get a really annoying .5 to 1 second frame rate hitch in the game. Is this normal? This is on a 360 Slim that's brand new, game is installed to drive, and other games work fine on it...
Holy christnuggets the requirements for G ranking must be pretty nuts. I just redid
the motorcycle
stage and felt like I nailed it, but only managed an S rank. I'm actually rank 50 on the leaderboard with that, only ~20 got enough for G. Cool that you can unlock more costumes though.
Alright GAF, the game is currently installing and I need to know what difficulty level to pick. I'm on 100% media and information blackout so I know almost nothing about the game and thus have avoided reading this thread.
Can I switch difficulty levels after my choice without penalty? That's all I need to know and I'll pick Normal. Otherwise it will be Easy because I am TERRIBLE TERRIBLE at action games, (I had to give up on Normal half-way through Bayonetta, for reference).
Edit: Okay I risked a google search and apparently I can't switch. Hmm, decisions decisions.
Holy christnuggets the requirements for G ranking must be pretty nuts. I just redid
the motorcycle
stage and felt like I nailed it, but only managed an S rank. I'm actually rank 50 on the leaderboard with that, only ~20 got enough for G. Cool that you can unlock more costumes though.
Still really enjoying this, but man, the framerate is pretty awful during some chapters.
It's not so much that it's low, rather, that it jumps between 30 and 60 fps constantly resulting in an unstable feeling game. Some chapters are perfect while others slowdown all the time. If they couldn't hit 60 fps, they should have limited it to 30.
I want to love this game so totally, its visuals and settings are stunning and the combat is pretty swish.
But it is filled with some of the worst game design ideas imaginable! The one that should get the most flack is these Ishtar Bones/ The Darkness 'special stages' tucked away in levels. Confusingly find one these collectables amid this labyrinth of platforms going upwards, or get to the top missing it and exit, to re-enter to find it.
But if you fall into the rising darkness just once by accident, instant unskippable BAD END Game Over, kicking you all the way back to the title screen. But thats not all, oh no, as an 'incentive' to keep playing, it plays a short clip of upcoming game stuff to get you to come back. Thats right, the game spoils itself, no way to skip it, of upcoming scenes and surprises.
It showed me clips from the motorcycle sequence. I didn't know there was a motorcycle sequence. Thanks for that, assholes.
Fuck whoever made this design call. I want to box his or hers stuff myself, and then chase them to the fucking parking lot.
For those that have finished the game, are Ishtar's Bones all important for a 'Good End' or are they just additional text and I can just read them on the internet later?
I'm on the third chapter now and I haven't seen any of those grading results screen pop up. Do they all come after you beat the game or something?
I'm dying a lot in battle, like once every other fight it seems. Something hasn't clicked for me just yet.
So far, I absolutely love the game. It's beyond beautiful and despite the different art designs in each world, I think overall that the droning synth music, one button fight mechanics, big sweeping camera angles and minimalist terrains make for a beautifully cohesive experience.
Anyone else find themselves wanting to punch the air so hard that it rips the fabric of space and lands on the face of the combat designer when a game's block and dash mechanics are implemented thus that half the time your character goes, "Sorry mate, couldn't be bothered, I was animating".
I have a hard time believing such an ancient mechanic as blocking, and one so essential to the very tired comb action genre has only one implementation that I can point to as having gotten it almost right, and that is in the God of War series. With the incredible soul crushing irony being that in God of War blocking is made obsolete by the even more competent rolling out of danger mechanic.
Holy cheezus crackers fuck this genre would be so much more enjoyable to play if the creators could get the simple idea of blocking or dashing out of harm's way right.
Anyone else find themselves wanting to punch the air so hard that it rips the fabric of space and lands on the face of the combat designer when a game's block and dash mechanics are implemented thus that half the time your character goes, "Sorry mate, couldn't be bothered, I was animating".
I have a hard time believing such an ancient mechanic as blocking, and one so essential to the very tired comb action genre has only one implementation that I can point to as having gotten it almost right, and that is in the God of War series. With the incredible soul crushing irony being that in God of War blocking is made obsolete by the even more competent rolling out of danger mechanic.
Holy cheezus crackers fuck this genre would be so much more enjoyable to play if the creators could get the simple idea of blocking or dashing out of harm's way right.
I wouldn't necessarily say this is a bad thing, the game is just very strict in that regard. There is definitely a rhythm to the combat in this game. I've been playing through Hard mode recently trying to get G Ranks and they really expect you to utilize each weapon's potential and perfect guard the fuck out of everything. The fact that you can perfect guard EVERYTHING in this game says volumes about its combat.
There might not be much too much to this game, but the flow of combat feels tight, to me anyway.
I wouldn't necessarily say this is a bad thing, the game is just very strict in that regard. There is definitely a rhythm to the combat in this game. I've been playing through Hard mode recently trying to get G Ranks and they really expect you to utilize each weapon's potential and perfect guard the fuck out of everything. The fact that you can perfect guard EVERYTHING in this game says volumes about its combat.
There might not be much too much to this game, but the flow of combat feels tight, to me anyway.
The flow of combat certainly sets the game apart from other contenders in the tired combo action genre. But the flow of blocking is rubbish in my opinion. I cannot count how many times I've gotten beat because I saw an enemy telegraphing me a gentlemanly notice of imminent powerful blow but I nevertheless was completely unable to avoid because I could not break out of a god damn long ass combo animation cycle to either block or dash out of the way.
Shit like that is just inexcusable in a type of game where one wrong move can have costly consequences.
I'll say it again God of War is the only game that gets that aspect right out of the gate.
The flow of combat certainly sets the game apart from other contenders in the tired combo action genre. But the flow of blocking is rubbish in my opinion. I cannot count how many times I've gotten beat because I saw an enemy telegraphing me a gentlemanly notice of imminent powerful blow but I nevertheless was completely unable to avoid because I could not break out of a god damn long ass combo animation cycle to either block or dash out of the way.
Shit like that is just inexcusable in a type of game where one wrong move can have costly consequences.
I'll say it again God of War is the only game that gets that aspect right out of the gate.
I'm pretty sure you can cancel into perfect guards whenever with both the Gale and Veil. When you are doing the guard break combo with the Gale you co absolutely R1 tap if an enemy Gale flings his shit at you. I've been doing it constantly for the past few days. Same with Veil, the R1 + [] into the continuous [] combo can not only be canceled through perfect guards, but can also be canceled by R1 + X back dashing. It's just incredibly precise and more strict than you would have imagined it to be.
I think the Arch is the most frustrating as far as blocking and perfect guarding. The guard break launches you into the air and when you are in the air you are mega vulnerable. The only time you can't guard is when you are in the air. It's regular 4/5 hit combo or whatever picks your character up off of the ground for a bit too so that's why you might be having trouble canceling out of shit. Like I said though, the other two weapons you can DEFINITELY cancel out of/perfect guard during combo strings. I've linked entire battle arenas together while perfect guarding getting 60+ hit combos.
The game might not be as free form as other games and while there isn't much to the combat, pulling off perfect guard combo strings feels nice when you get it down. I don't know, at least this game is trying to have cool mechanics. We don't get enough cool Japanese action games so being down on a game like this just doesn't feel right to me, personally. That's probably why I'm trying to defend it so much! There are far worse games out there that don't 'get it'. At least these ex-Capcom devs tried to make a cool, mechanically-driven action game. Capcom sure as hell isn't trying anymore!
Damn it, I do not know the names of the weapons, so this is going to be difficult. One of the weapons I hate the most is the long range one, which lets you dash but is pitifully weak. The only useful attack on it, and the one you are forced to use against many attackers is the one where you hold down the button and then tap to send all of your little dots in a arch which can be made into a combo that can be continued three times.
The last part of that combo is a bad, bad thing to get stuck in, the animation lasts forever, I am positive that you cannot cancel out of it with dash because I try, every single time that I am stuck in it and need to escape because someone is gunning for me, and it never works.
So that is just one example, as for your perfect guard cancelling strategy, well that is not an very optimal solution in my opinion. pulling off a perfect guard is very challenging especially as there is a lot of visual ambiguity as to the required timing, especially if the screen is cluttered by a couple of attackers grouping around, ready to attack.
I especially hate it when they gang up on you and one of them breaks your guard and then they just go to town. Either that or you block one but the other one gets you because you could not get away.
The best solution is to not have long uninterruptable animation cycles and instead of relying on just guarding rather give all weapons a dashing feature which instantly cancels out of your animation cycle and lets you get out of harms way like god of war.
Either that or at least have the decency to make regular guarding instantaneous by cancelling out of any animation cycle, that would be the second best solution. but having uninterruptable animations and forcing you to rely on split second guard timing, no, that is way too unreliable to be useful.
This is a problem by no means just isolated to El Shaddai though, I have the same problem with all combo action titles that I like, such as Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden etc. etc. which annoys the hell out of me and prevents me from really getting into the games and learning their play mechanics.
Gotcha. I actually forgot about the hold [] Gale combo. Yeah, the animation for that is mega long when he launches all the little arrows at the end of the string. I think that's considered a counterattack though and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you can perfect guard/cancel during any of those weapon attacks. It's there to attack through an enemy that is already in the process of wailing on you.
But yeah, I get it, that's your point though, all moves should be able to be cancelled. I guess stay away from the hold [] counterattack moves, lol! You'll probably have more fun with the combat because I hardly ever use those and I'm having a blast and kicking ass.
I thought it was terrible myself. Enemy, cutscene, repeat. Took next to no skill to get through it at all, didn't even "die" once. It felt tacked on and shallow.
Game's really wearing thin on me after chapter 9, just had to put it down for a while.
Just beat the game. What a wonderful experience. It's totally back-to-fundamentals old school arcade-like gameplay at its core.
The platforming can be devious and frustrating, as it was in the good old days, and I found it ultimately rewarding. Perspective was a bit of an issue on a couple of segments, though.
The combat is deceptively deep, and I really appreciate the mechanics of the 3 weapon system. The just-guard system is really worth figuring out and taking advantage of. Definitely not a game you can mash the attack button on, unless you want to end up very frustrated.
Of course, the visuals, soundtrack, presentation and imagination that went into the game design are something else. One of the few games that's more than once left me with a sense of wonder and awe at what I'm seeing and experiencing. I even love the enemy designs for their minimalism.
The premise of the story was very interesting, and I didn't have any problems following what was happening or understanding why it was happening. Fairly straightforward stuff in that regard.
Overall, it would have to be the most refreshing game I've played in a long time. It hit all the right notes with me, and I'm already getting set for another play through on hard, with the scoring system up. It's games like this that affirm why I love this hobby.
I'll post my thoughts in more depth once I've completed the game, but I'm on Chapter 8 right now and I must say - this game has one of the most godly soundtracks I've heard in a video game. Every composition fits like a glove, is memorable, is achingly beautiful in its own way; it's just top-tier stuff. Worthy enough to stand mighty in the upper echelons of all-time great video game soundtracks along with Final Fantasy VII, Klonoa: Door To Phantomile, Vagrant Story, Ristar, Shadow Of The Colossus, Silent Hill 2, etc. I really need to purchase the OST at some point.
A particular highlight - Chapter 2 with the
futuristic city bathed in red
. It sounds like the perfect fusion of Vangelis and traditional African chanting. So gorgeous.
Just got my copy in the mail. It takes me about ten days to get my packages where I'm located. Diving in tonight for a few hours and will be back tomorrow with thoughts. Glad to hear all the talk of the killer soundtrack. I for one love videogame soundtracks and thing sound goes a long way in making an experience awesome. Hell I've been playing Castlevania Lords of Shadow and forgot how wonderful the soundtrack is.
This game...is ridiculous. It is all over the place in terms of quality.
First, the
dancing
section is possibly the most absurdly hilarious moment in my 20 years of playing video games. I wanted to show my girlfriend this cool artistic game I've been playing and that's the next section that comes up. We were hysterical.
Some of the areas are gorgeously designed and presented, easily among the best I've seen ever,then some areas look like a remastered PS2 God of War game. Wildly, wildly inconsistent.
Some of the 3d platforming segments are incredibly frustrating due to the wonky camera and tough depth perception.
I don't want this to come off as an overly negative post. I'm truly enjoying the majority of the game; it's very refreshing compared to what's out. When it's great, it's great, but when it isn't...
Does anyone know if FRY's Electronics honors the $40 deal on their site? Or is it in-store only? I thought I heard from someone they got it at that price on the site. It's $60 everywhere else. Just thought I'd ask.
So I got all the way to what I presume is the third chapter, currently fighting what I would consider the first boss and wow this game is beautiful! The current battle taking place in the rain is just great looking.
Combat is growing on my but it definetly is taking some gettting used to. I keep forgetting what weapons outdo the other one. I know there is a item that helps you figure that out but can't tell when or where you use it. Guessing its just an instant item thats used when you grab it.
Aside from not knowing a damn thing about whats really going on other then I'm sent to kicking some ass for the lord. Good stuff. Def a memortable experience already.
Once I got used to the flow of fighting and taking weapons, it made the boss fights seem lame in comparison. Not really digging the one on one encounters as much.
Does anyone know if FRY's Electronics honors the $40 deal on their site? Or is it in-store only? I thought I heard from someone they got it at that price on the site. It's $60 everywhere else. Just thought I'd ask.
Completed it earlier and wow! Loved it! Though what did I miss, it seems the game was to have you kill seven angels. Did I miss something somewhere where they explained why I only fought certain ones?
* Liking a lot of battle system. Reminds me of Saints Seiya, because your amor goes shattering along the fight. Is very cool when you learn the nuances of each weapon. The shield weapon, for example, can defend almost all the blows against you. Very usefull to fight the bosses.
This game left me in awe with its visuals, most expectation defying mashup of levels ever.
Gameplay was a pretty lacking, but easily forgivable (albiet didnt do the score attack mode). The creative storytelling was really interesting in that it was based off of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Thumbs up overall for the GodHand 2.0 plot, breathtaking art direction, and a killer score.
slasher_thrasher21 said:
Completed it earlier and wow! Loved it! Though what did I miss, it seems the game was to have you kill seven angels. Did I miss something somewhere where they explained why I only fought certain ones?
one angel was eaten by a nephilim, one angel died in his shrine, and the boss angel died in the fall from heaven which is why his shrine was empty in the end.
this left only 4 to fight for enoch
one angel was eaten by a nephilim, one angel died in his shrine, and the boss angel died in the fall from heaven which is why his shrine was empty in the end.
this left only 4 to fight for enoch
After having had some time to distance myself from my first playthrough...I would have liked the game so, SO much more if the story was easier to follow...as well as the whole religious angle being more obvious.
After having had some time to distance myself from my first playthrough...I would have liked the game so, SO much more if the story was easier to follow...as well as the whole religious angle being more obvious.
(CNN) -- There's "God of War" and "Devil May Cry." "Kid Icarus" and "Battle for Asgard."
Plenty of video games use mythical gods or other characters and creatures from beyond to drive their stories.
But notably absent, at least among mainstream titles? The Bible. At least until now.
"El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron" (Ignition Entertainment) is based on the Old Testament figure Enoch, a man originally written about in the Book of Genesis who, according to the story, is taken to heaven without dying.
That one sucked! I don't even know how I got it. I just accidentally leapt off a platform, got it, was about to be consumed and quickly jumped to the top. Ahhh... Now I have that
special armour that nullifies damage
. I guess it'll be good when I play through the game again. Perhaps on Extra difficulty or something. Right now I'm probably just going to gear up for Tales of Xillia and wait for Xenoblade, though.
Anyway, I finally finished this off, and it was a great experience. I think the other guys in this thread were right in saying that this is more of a sensory experience than anything else. While the combat is not as intricate as, for example, Devil May Cry's, it relies on an RPS system of combat which pretty much gets the job done. You aren't forced to fixate yourself on getting high combos unless you're doing score mode, I guess... but rather, the sights and sounds are what they seem to have the player take in.
I guess accessibility is what counts? The control scheme is really easy to deal with and learn, particularly because a lot of things are assigned to two buttons (and you can configure this if you want). The game is quite forgiving, and the checkpoints, should you get a game over or have to recover, are well-placed for the most part, imo. The bosses were kind of fun sometimes, especially when you have to RPS your way through them (ex: the Chapter 6 boss). But when you learn their attack patterns, they become quite easy. And you will soon learn that guarding, guard breaking and stealing weapons are your friends. You cannot get away with simply mashing the buttons and trying to combo your way out of trouble.
The best part of the game is the different sets of artstyles. My goodness, the artstyle is just something to behold, enough to make me want to purchase the artbooks (I wish we got a sample artbook as a preorder bonus... but the full-colour manual is nice enough, I guess). Rather than playing for the narrative (though I had read a translation of the manuscript on which it was based before), what kept me going was seeing what sort of artstyle would be in the next level, or what sort of crazy insane stuff this game could put me through like Chapter 6's
Zanarkand/Midgar hybrid level
or Chapter 7's
FFX-2's WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU
boss battle. I liked it a lot. People who don't like that constant switching between scenery or
Chapter 4 is when this game really started to click with me. It clicked with me in Chapter 1 because the background art was gorgeous and I really loved the level of detail and the colour palette chosen for it. But Chapter 4's sidescrolling level design made me smile, and I thought
it was really darn cute
. I should really purchase the artbook one day.
The character designs weren't bad either. Lucifel is awesome. VA was great in this game as well (Jason Isaacs!). I should play it in Japanese next time. I heard the JP voices aren't bad.
I did have some issues with some of the platforming sections, though. Sometimes the areas to jump onto were small or sometimes you couldn't see them (I'm not referring to Chapter 4's delightful stuff because that was clearly intentional). I am referring to the fact that sometimes the camera was pulled back a little far, or sometimes you couldn't see platforms, or sometimes you could not distinguish Enoch from the rest of the scenery based on colour or how far the camera was pulled back. Chapter 10's final platforming section and my difficulties with it were kind of partially my fault, though. I was using Veil, so my jumps weren't feather-light like they should be. Though, even if you fall countless times, the game (well, Lucifel) will pick you back up to a close platform so you can try again rather than the last checkpoint. That's nice.
And the music kicks ass. Loved a lot of it. A lot of my favourites aren't up on YouTube (ex: A Floral Creation, Twilight Overture, Facing the Sanctuary, From Heaven Above the Bell of Hope Echoes), but there are a few I can still link... *HUGE SPOILERS* IN A FEW OF THESE LINKS - a few of the uploaders chose to put spoilers in the video images so don't watch 'em you don't want to be spoiled, yeah? Tragic Scream (Chapter 4 End Boss Theme) Flight of Darkness (Chapter 4 End Boss Theme 2) Echoes of the Gods (Overdrive Theme) Revelation (Chapter 6 Theme) A Mirror Reflecting Images (Chapter 10 End Boss Theme 2)
El Shaddai is one of those games that I'd treat like Nier (which I also loved to bits): it's a great game and tries a few interesting things as soon as you get to newer areas. But like Nier, I would not recommend it to just everyone. People looking for a heavy skill-based hack and slash that require pushing a ton of buttons aren't really going to find what they're looking for here, imo. But people looking for a sensory experience will definitely find something in here. I liked it despite a few of its shortcomings.
Dark Schala, I'm pretty much with you on everything you said. Though for me the game picked up on the boss of chapter 3 and then onward. Just so good. I honestly had way less of issues regarding platforming then I figured I would after hearing people talk about it.
I tried playing on extra difficulty the other day and only could make it to the third chapter. Once they started throwing the melee and long range guys into the fray I just would repeatedly get hit once and loose all my armor. I gave up then. Maybe one day I'll try it again.
Yes, because some of the things you have to get are out of the way, and some of them you wouldn't even think of. But you can come back to get what you missed after you beat the game (via Chapter Select and difficulty toggling). Some of the trophies you may not be able to even get until you're on a second playthrough because difficulties are added (Hard and Extra) and there are only so many destroyable objects and enemies to defeat in the main game. Plus there are a few trophies for score attack (unlocked after beating the game).
Start on Normal if you want to bag both the "beat on Easy" and "beat on Normal" trophies in one go.
Edit:
slasher_thrasher21 said:
Dark Schala, I'm pretty much with you on everything you said. Though for me the game picked up on the boss of chapter 3 and then onward. Just so good. I honestly had way less of issues regarding platforming then I figured I would after hearing people talk about it.
I tried playing on extra difficulty the other day and only could make it to the third chapter. Once they started throwing the melee and long range guys into the fray I just would repeatedly get hit once and loose all my armor. I gave up then. Maybe one day I'll try it again.
I found the platforming sections way easier with Arch equipped (for floatation), and probably harder with Veil. But sometimes it's hard to see where you're going if you're in a 3D environment in particular, or if the camera is pulled back too far/Enoch blends in with the background too much (but this might be due to my eyesight). But outside of that, the platforming was okay to me.
Thanks, man. I'm actually not quite sure which one(s) I have left to do. I think chapter 4 and maybe another chapter.
Made it through on hard and have to admit I dread te thought of taking on Extra. I don't think my skills are quite up there when it comes to just guarding. I think my next goal is tofinally rack up some Godly scores. I always manage to fall off somewhere.
Well, in case you need help tracking down the portals... (and this also goes for anyone else looking for them):
Chapter 2:
After you acquire the Gale and moving on a little, you'll find a rotating platform. Hop on and wait a bit. You'll see a platform to your right. Leap off when you're close to the platform and are lined up with it, and use the Gale Dash move (R1 + X/O) to close the distance and get onto the platform (you may need to double-jump and then use the Gale Dash)
Chapter 3:
After fighting Sariel for a bit, move on and go over the appearing blocks until you reach solid ground. You will notice an overhang above your head that forms the ceiling. You can actually jump up onto it, then follow the path to the Darkness stage.
Chapter 4:
After the third 2D Platforming section, you will be back on the floating platforms where you meet Lucifel again. You will have to fight a group of enemies. After you defeat them, a staircase will appear and Lucifel will appear on the upper-left platform. Don't go for the stairs yet. Run towards the camera (ie: run south, where you came into this place for the very first time), and the soul will appear to give you entry into the Darkness stage.
Chapter 5:
After you meet Ezekiel, go forward and you'll come to a tall structure. On the third tier, move right and you will notice that the floor wraps around to your right. Follow it around the corner and a soul will guide you to the Darkness.
Chapter 7:
Move forward like normal, but after you walk across the section of walkway that falls away under you, you will reach an area where Nanna will appear. Don't follow her yet, look to your left. You will see a bunch of small pools of water making up a tower and it looks like you can jump to them. Jump over to them (preferably with Arch I noticed) and climb to the top, where you will be able to enter the Darkness portal.
Chapter 10:
This is around the last area of Chapter 10 where you save with Lucifel and must then navigate the moving block path. Instead of going straight towards the final platforming section of that large tower, go left instead at the halfway point. You can see platforms you can jump on. Jump over to the long platform and the final Darkness stage will be opened
Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I feel like the game makes a great first impression and starts going downhill shortly after. Granted, I'm only about halfway through, but I'm having a real hard time trying to finish it.
I think my biggest problem is the combat. I'm not the most technically inclined when it comes to intricate combat systems, so the one button system worked for me. I just feel like the movement speed is too sluggish and it leads to so many missed swings.
Yes, because some of the things you have to get are out of the way, and some of them you wouldn't even think of. But you can come back to get what you missed after you beat the game (via Chapter Select and difficulty toggling). Some of the trophies you may not be able to even get until you're on a second playthrough because difficulties are added (Hard and Extra) and there are only so many destroyable objects and enemies to defeat in the main game. Plus there are a few trophies for score attack (unlocked after beating the game).
Start on Normal if you want to bag both the "beat on Easy" and "beat on Normal" trophies in one go.
Btw, am I missing something is there no possible way to load from your autosave when you get kicked back to the main menu? Can you only load manual saves?
Played the demo last night and I've decided to pick this up some time today. The art style and music are so good. Not too sure on the combat mechanics yet but the demo was promising.
