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Games that take away powers/ last level is the first level

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Some may disagree with me, but I love it when games do that:

A) Give you a shit load of health, powers and abilities in the beginning, only to have them taken away (ie. Metroid Prime, God of War II)

B) The very first level, is typically, a level that should be/is the final level in the game (ie MMX series, Mario RPG)

I think it's good design because gives the player incentive and reason to keep playing. It teases them and makes them more excited for what is to come. Thoughts?
 
Darksiders.

I think it's stupid if they give you ALL the powers and take them away, but if you start with like 50% of the powers, they get taken away, then you become an even bigger badass, that's fine.
 
Chrono Cross did this. I'll spoiler tag it just in case:

Serge was dreaming about a later part of the game, and you played that dream. And the characters in your team were randomly chose too.
 
The NFS Underground games do this.

*edit*

Chrono Cross love hell yeah...guy above me is my new favorite poster on GAF :D
 
So how will they do it with God of War III? Stripp him once again, that is the only concern I have about the game. Can't see how they can come up with another way to take away his powers, but I don't believe that we have full energy and magic from the start either.
 
Einbroch said:
Darksiders.

I think it's stupid if they give you ALL the powers and take them away, but if you start with like 50% of the powers, they get taken away, then you become an even bigger badass, that's fine.
Click to expand...

Well he was the one of the most powerful beings, so its kinda hard to make him even more powerful...
 
Ristlager said:
So how will they do it with God of War III? Stripp him once again, that is the only concern I have about the game. Can't see how they can come up with another way to take away his powers, but I don't believe that we have full energy and magic from the start either.
Click to expand...

If the game is serial, "abilitease" is pretty lame. I was pissed when my stuff was taken away in Metroid Prime 2. I mean, come on. AGAIN!?!? Wouldn't make sense in GoW III. If they ditch a few power-ups and weapons, I can understand (perhaps you didn't need them anymore, so you "forgot" or "tossed them aside")
 
The last 2 games I've played, Shadow Complex and Darksiders, both did this.

Now the worst case of 'abilitease' goes to Final Fantasy Tactics. You start the game as a level 12 squire or something. They could have given me something a little bit stronger than Throw Stone. :lol
 
Ristlager said:
So how will they do it with God of War III? Stripp him once again, that is the only concern I have about the game. Can't see how they can come up with another way to take away his powers, but I don't believe that we have full energy and magic from the start either.
Click to expand...

They should do a So Last Season for Kratos' powers carried over from GoW2.
 
Prototype.

i fucking hate this bullshit. hey look at your super awesome powers.
and now play the game for hours without being super awesome.
 
I haven't bought the full game yet, but I'm pretty sure that's what happened in the Bayonetta demo, which looked like it was from the start of the game.

Sho_Nuff82 said:
Did Symphony of the Night start this trend?
Click to expand...

No, it definitely did not.
 
Assassins Creed did this as well, I think its cool because it gives you a taste of the badassery that is to come.

Abilitease is the absolute best way to describe it.


Wrekt said:
The last 2 games I've played, Shadow Complex and Darksiders, both did this.

Now the worst case of 'abilitease' goes to Final Fantasy Tactics. You start the game as a level 12 squire or something. They could have given me something a little bit stronger than Throw Stone. :lol
Click to expand...

Are you sure? dont you just start out with a flashlight?
 
Prototype and Spider-Man: Web of Shadows have the exact same intro level.

...actually in a lot of ways they are the same game.
 
Aye, the Prime games are the best example of this, especially Echoes. Seeing all your weapon systems go offline was a 'damn youuuuu' moment for me xD

Force Unleashed?
 
KittyKittyBangBang said:
Assassins Creed did this as well, I think its cool because it gives you a taste of the badassery that is to come.

Abilitease is the absolute best way to describe it.




Are you sure? dont you just start out with a flashlight?
Click to expand...


It is a very short level at the beginning, when you have to shoot the helicopter. I believe you had all the powers then.
 
How has no one said Metroid Prime yet?

Green Scar said:
Aye, the Prime games are the best example of this, especially Echoes. Seeing all your weapon systems go offline was a 'damn youuuuu' moment for me xD

Force Unleashed?
Click to expand...
Shit. Beaten.
 
Last level is the first level... I'm not sure exactly what you mean.

I did enjoy how Planescape: Torment came full circle, as the portal to the Fortress of Regrets on the negative energy plane is right next to the slab in the mortuary where you first wake up... not sure if that's the same thing, but I loved it.


As for the other, I don't really like the abilitease; I understand why certain games do it as a matter of gameplay convention, but I don't like it when it's relied upon too much. Give us a new protagonist, or keep the majority of existing powers but expand upon the power suite. A minor nerf is acceptable, but starting over at square one is just silly.


For one example, the Mega Man series did a good job building on your hero's basic powers even though he obviously loses all the previous bosses attacks each game. The megabuster, the slide, Rush the dog, etc.


For another example, though, Samus Aran really needs to stop throwing away energy tanks and missile packs. Bitch, you're going to need those later, I promise. We just going to have to collect 'em all over again, and you always start out without any of them. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. Maybe she just sells them off each mission to pimp out that ship that she never actually uses to fight aliens.
 
I was just thinking about this on Mass Effect... seeing as how you reach lv 60 in ME1 and only lv 30 in ME2? How awesome would it be if you import from ME2 to ME3 and you begin @ lv 30 and they have a bunch of new abilities to acquire as you make your way to lv 60 in ME3?

Edit... I was thinking about something different. I just don't like being stripped of powers in sequels and starting over at lv 1.
 
Kulock said:
I haven't bought the full game yet, but I'm pretty sure that's what happened in the Bayonetta demo, which looked like it was from the start of the game.
Click to expand...

it's not like that in the final game. the demo just has you much more powered up than you would be if starting the game.
 
KittyKittyBangBang said:
Are you sure? dont you just start out with a flashlight?
Click to expand...
You start the game as a different guy. You basically just run across a street and fight the helicopter but you have missiles and stuff.

When you first get control of Jason you only get a flashlight.
 
I shed a tear when I got Bayonetta and realized you don't start with all the stuff you have in the demo... Not even the R1-punch move. I fucking hate playing DMC games before I get the R1-forward dash attack.
 
Erasus said:
Why is Aion on that list?:lol
Click to expand...
Because you play short missions (flashbacks) to when you were a powerful commander. The whole game is about you having amnesia and basically being "reborn".
 
Brobzoid said:
I shed a tear when I got Bayonetta and realized you don't start with all the stuff you have in the demo... Not even the R1-punch move. I fucking hate playing DMC games before I get the R1-forward dash attack.
Click to expand...

i was slightly miffed by not having the aerial dodge.
 
I enjoy it.

It's nice to feel all powerful in SOTN, and get a taste of what Alucard can do. I think it lends itself to designing a better first level as well.

In Prime, you are granted actual abilities that get taken away, but with SOTN, you are simply more powerful, and then you lose your items.

I would make a distinction between those two kinds of designs.
 
I HATE IT!!!

Its just like putting in cheat codes for all weapons for the first 5 minutes of a game.... Why let us see all of the ability if its locked through the game?

Stupid!
 
Einbroch said:
Darksiders.

I think it's stupid if they give you ALL the powers and take them away, but if you start with like 50% of the powers, they get taken away, then you become an even bigger badass, that's fine.
Click to expand...

Yes, Darksiders doesn't give you ALL powers available, only 50% like you said. Which is great that way.

Another one is Lufia.
 
I personally absolutely love the level at the top of Mt. Teapot in Wario Land.

You go through it as a normal level at first (level 10 iirc), continue through the next two levels, and then smash a switch block. The flying saucer/lid above the mountain then smashes down onto level 10, completely warping it. You then play through it again, encountering the area's boss at the end. Awesome.

Similar to quite a few stages in Wario Land 3, which change over time - and the very first area you enter (the temple), is the area of the final boss battle - which is again, very awesome.

Oh man, Wario Land 1 and 3 were absolutely incredible games.
 
Hate it, in ever form. I want to be surprised by what I'm getting, not underwhelmed in the very beginning and then throughout the whole game
 
ChackanKun said:
Yes, Darksiders doesn't give you ALL powers available, only 50% like you said. Which is great that way.

Another one is Lufia.
Click to expand...
Came here to say Lufia. Personally, one of the greatest opening ever (last maze, lvl 70 party, best equipment and spells, fighting the big bosses).

And the music, fucking brilliant.
 
Darksiders does this. I thought it was done pretty well, because they didn't give you everything, just a few of the powers you can use in combat.
 
Not really the same thing the OP is talking about, but Beyond the Beyond nerfed the hell out of one party member named Samson. Went from being an unstoppable badass to pretty much being one of the worst guys on your team. Just another kick in the junk from that terrible game. :lol
 
Sonic 3.

You start as SuperSonic and then Knuckles punches you in the nuts and steals all your emeralds.
You can't control Sonic while this happens though.
 
Breakdown does a bit of a twist on the whole thing:

The second to last level is the training room from the first level, and you lose all your powers.
 
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