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God of War III: Demo Impressions Thread

K

krae_man

Member
Anyone else think they had to press circle 5 times durring the QTE's since the circle button appeared right next to the combo meter?

Plus, they need to have Kratos put his weapons away and pull them out and not have them just magically appear in his hands or on his back(especially when going to open chests.
 
D

DMeisterJ

Banned
krae_man said:
Anyone else think they had to press circle 5 times durring the QTE's since the circle button appeared right next to the combo meter?

Plus, they need to have Kratos put his weapons away and pull them out and not have them just magically appear in his hands or on his back(especially when going to open chests.
Click to expand...

Meh, that animation would be a waste of time. Seeing how much you change weapons and open or use stuff. In God of War, I'm just trying to get to the next point when I can hurt something, unlike most other games when you want some reality in the animation system for the sake of being more life-like.

I like to consider the weapons magically appearing part of his powers. I mean, the motherfucker can sprout wings right? He can't make some weapons appear?
 
L

Lord Error

Insane For Sony
One small but impressive looking thing: When you're in the dark caves, try grabbing the enemies with O and then killing them with one of the melee moves. You can only see a bit of what's happening, but you can see blood very clearly. Kinda... poetic moment, shall I say.
 
K

krae_man

Member
DMeisterJ said:
Meh, that animation would be a waste of time. Seeing how much you change weapons and open or use stuff. In God of War, I'm just trying to get to the next point when I can hurt something, unlike most other games when you want some reality in the animation system for the sake of being more life-like.

I like to consider the weapons magically appearing part of his powers. I mean, the motherfucker can sprout wings right? He can't make some weapons appear?
Click to expand...

I dont mind the instant changes when changing weapons in mid battle, it was the chests tha bothered me. They could easily add a "put the blades away" animation to the open the chest animation. The chests take a few seconds to open so just take that time out of the "opening" time so the total length of time it takes from pushing R1 too the chest opening remains the same.
 
S

SolidSnakex

Member
Might as well post this here, here are some questions that an animator for GoW3 answered

GamePro Screens-These screens are from a newer build than E3. To be honest the game looks better in the current build.

Trailer-Can't say when the new trailer will be out, but there will be a new one when we are ready to show you guys something cool.
Click to expand...

Atlantis/Hades- I cannot talk about details when it comes to locations of the game but you guys are right about "depths".

Voice casting for GOW3 on IMDB- Voice actors change all the time so nothing on that list is final or accurate.

Trivium song- Sweet band, awesome song, not in the game. We will stay true to original GOW soundtrack. The will be a seperate Metal Soundtrack which should be really awesome!
Click to expand...

Making of Documentary- Yes, we are making one. If you bet the GOW3 demo from the Distric 9 bundle you will unlock an exclussive making of GOW3 documentary.
Click to expand...

Enemy Variety- We will have a nice a variety of enemies. We are actually having a hard time getting them all placed around the game.
Click to expand...

How long is the game?- About 10 hrs for hradcore gamers, 20 for casual.

Game Cover- None of the game covers shown so far are the final and oficial covers.
Click to expand...

http://elanimador.blogspot.com/2009/11/some-answers.html
 
B

BeeDog

Member
This will be one bad-ass game. Definitely my most eagerly awaited game currently; sorry GT5, but you piss me off too much at the moment. :p
 
M

magus

Member
Hey guys. Is the demo still available for sharing? I want to try it please. Send me a PM if you would be so kind. :D

Edit: Nevermind. I added myself to the queue on the other thread.
 
K

keyrat

Member
Ok, so I've played the demo twice now and I had fun both times, more on second playthrough. I'll probably play again soon, though here's what I thought:

The framerate is a little jarring in the beginning, and I do notice it hiccup a bit. I normally don't mind when framerates dip in intense action, but it does bother me when I'm just walking along. I notice this after the first fight and rounding the corner that it pans and stutters. Still, it's an old build and I think we can expect the framerate to be on par with the first 2 games, which was more often closer to 60fps than 30fps. The flying part at the end really shows off how much better the game looks running way closer to 60fps.

The gameplay hasn't changed much, but I do really like the new weapon (lion gloves or w/e). It feels like I'm playing an old-school brawler ala Double Dragon or Final Fight. I really enjoy beating up on the skeletons with fists instead of at a distance with the chains. I also thought the riding of the cyclops worked well.

Even though I beat it with ease, I thought the flying harpies thing felt a little detached, as if I wasn't in full control. The second play through it felt a little better, but I think this could be perfected a bit more.

One thing that I think is missing is environmental interaction. I don't expect the whole scene to be destructible, but it would make it feel a little more next-gen if there was some type of destruction caused by the player or by enemies when fighting normally. Maybe a stone falls off the wall or something; it would make it feel a little more evolved.

Overall, though, it's fun as hell and looks great. I'm going to go play it again.
 
D

Deleted member 30609

Unconfirmed Member
the visuals during the tunnel scene are just outstanding.
 
L

Liabe Brave

Member
The Eurogamer analysis says the framerate fluctuates but there's no tearing because of v-sync. Forgive my ignorance, but I thought v-sync eliminates tearing by constraining framerate only to divisibles of the display's refresh rate (i.e. 60, 30, 20, etc.) How can the game run at 54fps (or any other "off" rate) if v-sync is on?
 
T

TTP

Have a fun! Enjoy!
Liabe Brave said:
The Eurogamer analysis says the framerate fluctuates but there's no tearing because of v-sync. Forgive my ignorance, but I thought v-sync eliminates tearing by constraining framerate only to divisibles of the display's refresh rate (i.e. 60, 30, 20, etc.) How can the game run at 54fps (or any other "off" rate) if v-sync is on?
Click to expand...

I think it either does that or adds judder/stuttering or whatever you call it (which is the case with GOW3 demo).
 
T

torontoml

Member
Really enjoyed it, but I think I may have to adjust some screen settings to get the best look out of the game, still looked really good though. Played great just like the last two, just gotta figure out all the moves though.
 
J

JustAnotherOtaku

Member
Finally got it downloaded and installed (thanks Woodsey1982! :D ) and had my first play through. In a word, amazing. Exactly what I'd want from an HD GoW. Although the end of the demo is a massive cocktease! :lol Roll on March! :D
 
J

jiggles

Banned
FormerShirts said:
What's good about it?
Click to expand...

Outside of the great aesthetic, the way it goes between 3 very different behaviours as you take out each of the beasts that make it up is just awesome. It starts by trying to snap at you with the serpent tail, so you lop that off. Then the lion takes control and starts lumbering around slowly breathing fire at you, so you stab the shit out of it. That leaves just the goat, which darts about quick, going in for sudden strikes with quick retreats. So you rip off its fucking horn and fuck it through its goddamn brain.

All that awesome from a single enemy. I think I'm in love.
 
L

Liabe Brave

Member
TTP said:
I think it either does that or adds judder/stuttering or whatever you call it (which is the case with GOW3 demo).
Click to expand...
Okay, I guess I misunderstood. I thought v-sync was just one way to eliminate tearing, at the expense of causing a drop from 60 to 30fps, or from 30 to 20, with no steps between. My impression had been that stuttering, or "slow-motion" a la Ninja Gaiden II, were other methods of eliminating tearing with different drawbacks. Like I said, I'm not too technically savvy.
 
Z

Zen

Banned
So I've been playing around with the demo a little bit, and I figured I'd post some impressions and constructive criticism that will never be read by Sony Santa Monica ever.

Overall: I like it but have issues that prevent me from being blown away.

So right off the bat, I will say that the games graphics are great, even in this outdated E3 build, and there were moments where I felt truly badass and was really invigorated by the whole thing.

Things that could be improved that I don't really care about because it's an old build
- Variable Framerate - Not really a big deal, but a constant 60FPs would be nice
- Animation - It will obviously improve, and while I'm not holding out for things like animation blending, I do hope they improve past a certain metric. As they are right now, they feel a little PS2 ish. Obviously some are better than others!


Things that could be improved that I do really care about

Combat system
Controls

Sort of the same thing really.

My issue with the E3 build isn't so much anything to do with technical performance, it's the approach taken with the combat system and controls. The combat system can feel a little cumbersome and needlessly restrictive. What I mean is that for things like weapon switching, you can't switch mid move, you have to wait for the animation to finish! The combat system could greatly be aided by adding in some move canceling.

As for being restrictive, The bow needs to be able to be used more dynamically and not lock you down to the ground.

- Make R2 also a modifier button just like R1 so we can Icarus Wings from the Bow stance and be able to maximize bow use while in the air if we so choose.

I'm not saying you should be able to shoot while jumping from the ground, but you should be able to use the Icarus Wings high jump/launcher (even if it interrupts the bow stance) and roll without having to take your finger off on R2, even if the Bow roll would be some kind of variant of the Cestus roll.

Something I like to do is Icarus Wings jump into the air, fire my bow off rapidly and L1 Triangle as a finisher. To do that I have to juggle buttons to an unnecessary degree.

Another tweak I'd like added is the ability to use the Chain of Olympus rolling controls.

Helios: Having to press L1 to use the search light function is unnecessary, why not just activate it when we use the right stick?

Is there some weird lag for the R1 Circle range grab for anyone else? It seems to take two button presses of circle sometimes for it to trigger, usually because Kratos is busy doing the block animation from my having pressed L1. Again, some things shouldn't have to wait on animation. The worst thing that happens is when you block, Kratos completes the block animation, does an exposed grab animation and then does the proper range grab.

Overall I liked it, but the combat system needs to be opened up a bit and made easier for the user to just do what they want to do, a la Bayonetta.
 
F

FormerShirts

Member
Zen said:
So I've been playing around with the demo a little bit, and I figured I'd post some impressions and constructive criticism that will never be read by Sony Santa Monica ever.

Overall: I like it but have issues that prevent me from being blown away.

So right off the bat, I will say that the games graphics are great, even in this outdated E3 build, and there were moments where I felt truly badass and was really invigorated by the whole thing.

Things that could be improved that I don't really care about because it's an old build
- Variable Framerate - Not really a big deal, but a constant 60FPs would be nice
- Animation - It will obviously improve, and while I'm not holding out for things like animation blending, I do hope they improve past a certain metric. As they are right now, they feel a little PS2 ish. Obviously some are better than others!


Things that could be improved that I do really care about

Combat system
Controls

Sort of the same thing really.

My issue with the E3 build isn't so much anything to do with technical performance, it's the approach taken with the combat system and controls. The combat system can feel a little cumbersome and needlessly restrictive. What I mean is that for things like weapon switching, you can't switch mid move, you have to wait for the animation to finish! The combat system could greatly be aided by adding in some move canceling.

As for being restrictive, The bow needs to be more adaptable and not lock you down to the ground.

- Make R2 also a modifier button just like R1 so we can Icarus Wings from the Bow stance and be able to maximize bow use while in the air if we so choose.

I'm not saying you should be able to shoot while jumping from the ground, but you should be able to use the Icarus Wings high jump/launcher (even if it interrupts the bow stance) and roll without having to take your finger off on R2.

Something I like to do is Icarus Wings jump into the air, fire my bow off rapidly and L1 Triangle as a finisher. To do that I have to juggle buttons to an unnecessary degree.

Another tweak I'd like added is the ability to use the Chain of Olympus rolling controls.

Helios: Having to press L1 to use the search light function is unnecessary, why not just activate it when we use the right stick?

Is there some weird lag for the R1 Circle range grab for anyone else? It seems to take two button presses of circle sometimes for it to trigger, usually because Kratos is busy doing the block animation from my having pressed L1. Again, some things shouldn't have to wait on animation.

Overall I liked it, but the combat system needs to be opened up a bit and made easier for the user to just do what they want to do, a la Bayonetta.
Click to expand...

Do you mean the combat system is cumbersome and restricted in regards to weapon switching only? Because canceling is a HUGE part of the player's infrastructure.
 
N

nelsonroyale

Member
The sections near the end of the demo are stunning...overall, this feels better than the first two games... I don't really get some of the animation complaints. The fluidity of the blades of chaos is excellent
 
S

SPACECADET

Member
just played the demo for the first time. never played god of war a day in my life, but this was amazing. the flying part got really intense. also looked beautiful, the area in the cave where you use the head lamp to shine light looks especially good
 
O

Opus Angelorum

Member
Opus Angelorum said:
I'll post longer thoughts later but I'm not as impressed as some people seem to be, not much at all actually considering the heritage.
Click to expand...

I've played the demo half a dozen times now, and feel that I can comment with enough authority.

Pros

- Atmosphere/Music, a great sense of foreboding helped particularly by the score
- Lighting, in the cave section only (see Cons)
- Skybox, absolutely beautiful
- Scale, this is how it should be done...Insomniac
- Gore, not quite clear enough due to the level/speed of violence but brutal nonetheless

Cons

- Lighting, very flat looking in the more open areas which is not helped by some poor textures
- Fighting, overall combat mechanism feels outdated despite the new additions
- Animation, just doesn't quite look right and the collision detection seems off
- Visuals, the art style is good but the assets are not as detailed/aunthentic as expected
- Framerate, I understand it's a demo however the lack of consistency really hurts the clarity and smoothness of the image
- Controls, general combat is sound however the Icarus Wing controls feel very sloppy/awkard
- Level Design, this is a feature of the franchise that I've always had an issue with. It all feels very wash, rinse and repeat (other games suffer the same affliction)

The game is solid. However considering the developers and the history behind the franchise, I expected much more. I think it's more a compliment to other developers that the God of War series appears (going by the demo) to have lost it's shine.
 
N

nelsonroyale

Member
Opus:

There were always series that outcompeted GoW in terms of battle system in my opinion. But what action series outcompetes this in terms of visuals. DMC4? Bayonetta? HS? None of the above look as impressive as GoW... Artistically I do find Bayontetta interesting, and there is a crazy amount of stuff going on...but technically it average at best.

Agreed with lighting being somewhat flat in the open section, or contrast is just not attuned properly. Detail, however, is generally excellent...it is very evident when the camera is zoomed in at least
 
2

2real4tv

Member
Textures are definitely not its weakest point we need to put this in prespective and post pics of similar action games like this and then talk about low rez textures. Don't agree with the con's on lighting either was great all around imo....some lack of shadows could be better.
 
S

SmokyDave

Member
I'm amazed that some people seem to be disappointed with the graphics in this early demo. Maybe it's because I started with the VIC-20 and the 2600 but I am yet to be disappointed with the graphics in any next-gen game, let alone one that is so obviously top-tier.

Must suck for some of you guys that are never satisfied.
 
Z

Zen

Banned
FormerShirts said:
Do you mean the combat system is cumbersome and restricted in regards to weapon switching only? Because canceling is a HUGE part of the player's infrastructure.
Click to expand...

Not completely though I'm miss using the term canceling. I'd rather have you be able to stop the animation mid frame if hit hit the weapons switch, and a 2nd press of on the DPAD for which ever weapon you are already on should return you to the Chains. I guess, with regards to the weapon switching I should say that you should be able to interrupt the animation of the previous weapon.

Aside from that did I say something that was unclear? I think I've highlighted how the combat system in general can be considered kind of wonky in places.
 
S

Swag

Member
Played the demo a couple days ago, it's so good. My friends were so amazed at how much gore there was :lol , I really like the combat and the way the weapons feel especially the Cestas. When I punch someone it really feels like they're being punched.

Story related question :
Why is Kratos fighting the Titan, thought they were allies? I didn't read the thread :[
 
Z

Zen

Banned
I think God of War II makes it clear (between the lines) that the Titans are using Kratos and plan to betray him as soon as they can. Athena repeatly warns Kratos and there are even some lines from Gaea that hint at it.
 
T

theignoramus

Member
Opus Angelorum said:
it's more a compliment to other developers that the God of War series appears (going by the demo) to have lost it's shine.
Click to expand...
Based on your intimate experience with a half year old demo.
(That's your idea of 'speaking with authority'? You'd make a fine games journalist.:lol )
the assets are not as detailed/aunthentic as expected
Click to expand...
What does this mean? Tell us about your standards of 'aunthenicity'.:lol

poor textures
Click to expand...
Compared to which games?
 
D

Deleted member 30609

Unconfirmed Member
really, dude? you're going to respond to a well articulated, measured post with three sentences worth of drivel and some emoticons?

good luck with that.
 
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