So with all the GAF hype surrounding this game, calling it one of the biggest surprises of this gen and whatnot, I had to try it out. Almost six hours later, finishing it in just two sittings on normal difficulty, I have to say it fucking delivered!
The game starts out as a fairly standard, by the books squad based, third-person modern military shooter with a bald protagonist voiced by Nolan North. One can't get more generic than that right? It's true, based on gameplay alone, the game is nothing more than competent. It's doesn't have the best cover system or gunplay, there aren't any standout weapons, gadgets or tools within the game, no special enemies or boss encounters, the sand physics are no more than fancied up explosive barrels...the only thing that stood out to me a little bit, was the aggressive and dynamic AI.
Having played quite a few of these types of games this past gen, it does take some perseverence to get to the really good stuff before you get bored. A few chapters in, the game gradually starts evolving into something more than the sum of it's parts, into something quite special and unique.
The thing is though, it's really hard to explain what makes this game stand out so much, without giving too much away. It's all to do with the storytelling, which is truly something else and a real advancement for the medium as a whole. What I will say about it is that this is probably the first game which truly made me doubt my own actions and let me actively think about my own morals during gameplay. There's a certain scene in this game, and the fans WILL know which one I'm talking about, which brought up emotions that I've never felt before and in such a way that only a game could deliver. It was absolutely profound. As well, the main character has a true arc to him, still a unique trait for videogames, which gradually develops during the game and which has a very intricate link with you as a player and the plot as a whole. It's also Nolan North's best performance.
To everyone who hasn't played this yet, just go get it, for whatever platform. It's fairly cheap now anyway. I played the pc version, which looks very beautiful and seems very well optimized. Visually speaking, this is quite a beautiful game to look at in places. It really managed to surprise me and catch me off guard with it's natural looking sand effects, stylistic lighting, nicely decorated interiors and breathtaking vistas. I never expected the art direction to be so tight. Also, the soundtrack is amazing and implemented in a very special way during the game.
Protip: do NOT play the demo to get a good impression of the overall experience. It completely falls flat in that regard. As much gameplay as there is (cutscenes are all short and there are no QTE's to speak of), the experience here is all about the development of the story.
The game starts out as a fairly standard, by the books squad based, third-person modern military shooter with a bald protagonist voiced by Nolan North. One can't get more generic than that right? It's true, based on gameplay alone, the game is nothing more than competent. It's doesn't have the best cover system or gunplay, there aren't any standout weapons, gadgets or tools within the game, no special enemies or boss encounters, the sand physics are no more than fancied up explosive barrels...the only thing that stood out to me a little bit, was the aggressive and dynamic AI.
Having played quite a few of these types of games this past gen, it does take some perseverence to get to the really good stuff before you get bored. A few chapters in, the game gradually starts evolving into something more than the sum of it's parts, into something quite special and unique.
The thing is though, it's really hard to explain what makes this game stand out so much, without giving too much away. It's all to do with the storytelling, which is truly something else and a real advancement for the medium as a whole. What I will say about it is that this is probably the first game which truly made me doubt my own actions and let me actively think about my own morals during gameplay. There's a certain scene in this game, and the fans WILL know which one I'm talking about, which brought up emotions that I've never felt before and in such a way that only a game could deliver. It was absolutely profound. As well, the main character has a true arc to him, still a unique trait for videogames, which gradually develops during the game and which has a very intricate link with you as a player and the plot as a whole. It's also Nolan North's best performance.
To everyone who hasn't played this yet, just go get it, for whatever platform. It's fairly cheap now anyway. I played the pc version, which looks very beautiful and seems very well optimized. Visually speaking, this is quite a beautiful game to look at in places. It really managed to surprise me and catch me off guard with it's natural looking sand effects, stylistic lighting, nicely decorated interiors and breathtaking vistas. I never expected the art direction to be so tight. Also, the soundtrack is amazing and implemented in a very special way during the game.
Protip: do NOT play the demo to get a good impression of the overall experience. It completely falls flat in that regard. As much gameplay as there is (cutscenes are all short and there are no QTE's to speak of), the experience here is all about the development of the story.
