More_Badass
Member
Come on, there's no hype for this here? Haven't played an experience this tense or affecting since The Last of Us
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This War of Mine |OT| War, War Never Changes
- Thread starter Labrys
- Start date
orthodoxy1095
Banned
I actually just finished TLOUR two nights ago. It was my first play of that game. Should I pick this up?
More_Badass
Member
Well gameplay wise, they'll totally different. TLOU has a big focus on combat and the story revolves heavily around Joel and Ellie's relationship. In TWOM, combat and violence in general is a last resort. The game is slow and tedious, but in a good way, that really establishes the "we just need to survive another day" atmosphere. You grow attached to your group. And when you start doing bad things to keep them safe and healthy, you feel bad. Because the game is really good at environmental storytelling. You don't want to kill people or steal from them. But you'll have to.
Like TLOU, the game just has this grim bleak tone. It's not happy and it's not "fun", but it is engrossing and compelling and atmospheric. Scavenging is very tense, and also like TLOU, guns and ammo are a rarity.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
I'm definitely not expecting something mechanically the same! But your description of the tone and gameplay interests me.
Is there an actual storyline or timeline you play through?
More_Badass
Member
It's more of an emergent story dictated by your actions than an actual storyline. Basically, you trying to keep your group safe, keep them from getting demoralized, and just endure day by day and survive the war. The game is split into two phases: day (can't go out because of snipers, use the time to maintain your home, build, etc.), and night (when you select locations to scavenge)
So a "story" kind of emerges organically. It's winter and you need fuel and Joe is really sick, and you're low on supplies. You're weak and sick too but your group desperately need supplies. You can't risk scavenging an unexplored place because of your health and lack of good weapons. The only safe place with supplies is the house of that elderly couple, but you know if you steal from them, they won't make it through the winter. But you take their stuff because you have to, and while you were away, your place was raided, and now there's not enough food for everyone...
There is a timeline. The game progresses day by day, and winter can come and go, locations can change as time goes on, and so on.
Burger_Baron
Member
This game is so good. 4 hours on the game, day 21, haven't killed anyone who hasn't deserved it. Reading the other peoples experiences I guess I just got darn lucky. The coolest moment I have had was in the supermarket.
I love how this game puts almost every npc into some gray area where you must evaluate your every action based on your own morals and views and opinions. Do you kill a group of people who sells stuff that they have most likely stolen from other civilians? Or do you steal medicine for your friends from a running hospital that helps dying civilians? Or do you help your neighbour whos family member has been shot? Every action has a new risk, and everything you do can cost, or save, one of your group-mates.
On my 21st day,and winter has arrived. And I have a feeling that it is going to be a long and a cold one...
I was going there for scavenging with my fourth survivor, which was a female music-school student wielding only a knife. Place had danger-warning on the description. As I arrived at the supermarket, the place faded in abd I took a quick look on the layout. I started to approach the market, when suddenly I noticed a group of men standing on the entrace of the store. And they all were carrying guns. 1 of the guys was giving the other dudes orders, telling one of them to go up, and one of them down. I was hoping that they hadn't seen me, until the leader suddenly stopped giving orders and turned around and started walking towards me. As he was walking, I started to back down to the exit, hoping that I could make a quick exit and run back to the safehouse. While he was getting closer to me, and the other 2 standing still and warching me, I started to think of all the possible outcomes. "What if he slits my throat and instakills me? What if he knocks me out and holds me as ransom? What if, god forbid, they rape me and leave me to die?" As these scenarios rushed trough my head, the guy had finally arrived to me. This is it. I readied my knife, and was ready to strike, when suddenly, he says:
"I am pretty sure there is enough loot for both of us."
And the guy starts to walk back inside, and the other 2 dudes just start to look around.
And all that time I was like ...wow...
Shit was intense, and I was ready to knife that guy right there and then.
"I am pretty sure there is enough loot for both of us."
And the guy starts to walk back inside, and the other 2 dudes just start to look around.
And all that time I was like ...wow...
Shit was intense, and I was ready to knife that guy right there and then.
I love how this game puts almost every npc into some gray area where you must evaluate your every action based on your own morals and views and opinions. Do you kill a group of people who sells stuff that they have most likely stolen from other civilians? Or do you steal medicine for your friends from a running hospital that helps dying civilians? Or do you help your neighbour whos family member has been shot? Every action has a new risk, and everything you do can cost, or save, one of your group-mates.
On my 21st day,and winter has arrived. And I have a feeling that it is going to be a long and a cold one...
HundredEyeMonk
Member
Oh so tempted to buy this.
More_Badass
Member
My favorite moment so far was something more subtle. I was sneaking through a house early in my playthrough (sneaking feels really wrong and weird in this game. Like you don't belong) and there are two people living there.
Stuff like that really makes the people in the world feel like more than just NPCs and really makes hesitant and consider your actions
It's a man and a woman. I didn't know if they're friendly or not so I'm being cautious. I sneak upstairs, looting and examining stuff. Find the woman's diary, where she writes about how she saved the man and they became friends. Then the woman starts coming upstairs so I hide. She sits down and starts flipping through the diary for a bit, before heading back downstairs
Stuff like that really makes the people in the world feel like more than just NPCs and really makes hesitant and consider your actions
Ashtrax
Member
Just picked this up last night and had a quick play through.
I'm really impressed with the feeling of desperation that the situations put you into (even right from the very beginning), not in a panic like state, but where your basic morals are almost thrown out the door because of your survival instinct.
The minor dialogue that pops up right throughout help with that feeling as well. In one night scavenge,
Even though at first I didn't blink an eye at looting, I felt kinda bad straight after.
I'm really impressed with the feeling of desperation that the situations put you into (even right from the very beginning), not in a panic like state, but where your basic morals are almost thrown out the door because of your survival instinct.
The minor dialogue that pops up right throughout help with that feeling as well. In one night scavenge,
I decided to break into a room to loot some beds, and as I'm doing it, I hear a sobbing woman in the next room talking about their lack of supplies.
More_Badass
Member
I forgot how effective the teaser trailer was. Simple, but it just works
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH_tYB_Ntlg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH_tYB_Ntlg
JumpJeff84
Member
This looks pretty cool. I'll pick it up at some point for sure.
More_Badass
Member
Here are my full impressions of the game if anyone's interested
This killing/combat in this game is brutal. The actual mechanics are kind of clunky, but it just looks and feels brutal. Stealth killing with a knife isn't some fancy Splinter Cell throat slit; you take the guy down and just stab him a few times.
Very tense as well. Was clearing out the church of bandits, took two nights. The first to see how many people were there and get some glimpses inside when one would go in after patrolling. Second night, I got in, fumbled a stealth kill and sent a guy plummeting two stories off a ledge with a shotgun blast. Stabbed the guy that ran upstairs to investigate, and take his partner down with a few shotgun rounds.
This killing/combat in this game is brutal. The actual mechanics are kind of clunky, but it just looks and feels brutal. Stealth killing with a knife isn't some fancy Splinter Cell throat slit; you take the guy down and just stab him a few times.
Very tense as well. Was clearing out the church of bandits, took two nights. The first to see how many people were there and get some glimpses inside when one would go in after patrolling. Second night, I got in, fumbled a stealth kill and sent a guy plummeting two stories off a ledge with a shotgun blast. Stabbed the guy that ran upstairs to investigate, and take his partner down with a few shotgun rounds.
OpinionatedCyborg
Member
Beat it on my first try. Either I got quite lucky or the game, as I suspect/have heard, the game increases in difficulty after each time you beat it. I didn't kill anyone. At the first sight of trouble, I always ran (I think this may be a bit overpowered, but I am happy the game gives you plenty of time to escape dudes pointing machine guns at you). I kept everyone in the 'very hungry' range. I helped everyone, and somehow I was rewarded each time (I thought these were dice rolls). No deaths, barely any injuries.
I think I may have lucked into a few glitches; I kept raiding the detached house, and the cabinet behind the trader was almost always filled with lovely things. I never stole ALL of a group's food, even if they were bandits, and it seems like when I left cabinets half full those cabinets would be replenished later.
The hardest period was the transition to winter, and dealing with a loss of materials. I could have looted the old people, the villa, or the old man and his son, but I chose not to, so there were a few hairy periods when food and supplies were low. Even so, I'm not sure stealing or mudering them would've made life any easier as based on others' impression killing makes the game much harder.
Unlike what most have said, I found this game a lot of fun. Maybe that is beacuse no one died or became seriously ill, and I didn't harm anyone else to win. But I think it is because the gameplay is fundamentally fun. I am weird, though -- I thought Papers, Please was a fun game too.
What I liked the least:
- weird glitches where I couldn't click on a button. Sometimes waiting 30 seconds or scrolling would help
- the enemy AI is really dumb. You can shut a door in their face and they may stop following you. They turn from friendly to aggressive at a moments notice: one moment you're gingerly stepping forward to trade with them, and the next they are telling you to fuck off and die.
- it doesn't seem like the AI shoots at moving targets... so you can explore with reckless abandon and then press the "run your ass home" button and escape scott free
- I started breaking into an item in the hospital that wasn't labelled with the "stealing" icon, yet the doctor freaked out and called his minions to come shoot me. That's strange. So I come back a few days later with a different person, and his guards are still prepared to kill me before I even enter. How do they know I belong to the same group? Frustrating. This happened before I could scour the hospital at all.
- the item descriptions aren't always great. I was running low on wood, so I bought the hatchet in desperation thinking I might be able to chop up furniture in my house for wood. Thankfully, I could -- but I woudln't have been surprised if it was an item to destroy furniture blocking the way in room.
I think I may have lucked into a few glitches; I kept raiding the detached house, and the cabinet behind the trader was almost always filled with lovely things. I never stole ALL of a group's food, even if they were bandits, and it seems like when I left cabinets half full those cabinets would be replenished later.
The hardest period was the transition to winter, and dealing with a loss of materials. I could have looted the old people, the villa, or the old man and his son, but I chose not to, so there were a few hairy periods when food and supplies were low. Even so, I'm not sure stealing or mudering them would've made life any easier as based on others' impression killing makes the game much harder.
Unlike what most have said, I found this game a lot of fun. Maybe that is beacuse no one died or became seriously ill, and I didn't harm anyone else to win. But I think it is because the gameplay is fundamentally fun. I am weird, though -- I thought Papers, Please was a fun game too.
What I liked the least:
- weird glitches where I couldn't click on a button. Sometimes waiting 30 seconds or scrolling would help
- the enemy AI is really dumb. You can shut a door in their face and they may stop following you. They turn from friendly to aggressive at a moments notice: one moment you're gingerly stepping forward to trade with them, and the next they are telling you to fuck off and die.
- it doesn't seem like the AI shoots at moving targets... so you can explore with reckless abandon and then press the "run your ass home" button and escape scott free
- I started breaking into an item in the hospital that wasn't labelled with the "stealing" icon, yet the doctor freaked out and called his minions to come shoot me. That's strange. So I come back a few days later with a different person, and his guards are still prepared to kill me before I even enter. How do they know I belong to the same group? Frustrating. This happened before I could scour the hospital at all.
- the item descriptions aren't always great. I was running low on wood, so I bought the hatchet in desperation thinking I might be able to chop up furniture in my house for wood. Thankfully, I could -- but I woudln't have been surprised if it was an item to destroy furniture blocking the way in room.
Very curious about the game after watching a video Total Biscuit did on it. It really comes off as a true pure survival game and doesn't hide some of the gritty stuff even though it could be much worse. Still it looks like it is worth a good look and I plan to buy it down the road.
Glad to see it's listed highly on Steam too!
Glad to see it's listed highly on Steam too!
Messofanego
Banned
OpinionatedCyborg
Member
I don't get the reviews saying it isn't fun. If you like managing resources, making difficult decisions, and making plans A, B, and C in advance, you'll like this game. Again, maybe I'm not getting it because my run was mostly flawless. I helped my neighbors, they helped me, and I didn't resort to crime to survive. It was like the siege Sarajevo where everyone helped each other out during the daytime.
I think one of the keys to success is establishing your economy early in the game; the more things passively adding to your booty, the better. I went with moonshine first. 2 rainwater collectors followed by a moonshine still was really helpful throughout the game. Then I built a rat trap (at the end, I had 2 traps). At this point, I had a passive source of food and booze coming in. I built a herbal workshop next, so I could make cigarettes and other items to trade. Finally, towards the end of the game, I got a herb garden so I could make my own veggies. At this point, you're self-sufficient.
All 5 of my characters never went hungry for the final 10 or so days, no one was ever seriously injured because I kept 3 on guard at all times and I had 3 pistols, 2 shotguns, and plenty of bullets, and my house was totally boarded up.
I wish the game allowed you to defend yourself during raids. It would require different gameplay mechanics to manage multiple people at once, but I think it would be extremely tension filled trying to keep people out of your home or hide/fight them once they've broken in. I also think it would be cool if robbers came to your front door from time to time. It felt reckless to swing the door open to strangers during the day. For the first 20 or so days, I actually sent 2 people to do the door at all times because I thought there was a chance I would be attacked.
I think one of the keys to success is establishing your economy early in the game; the more things passively adding to your booty, the better. I went with moonshine first. 2 rainwater collectors followed by a moonshine still was really helpful throughout the game. Then I built a rat trap (at the end, I had 2 traps). At this point, I had a passive source of food and booze coming in. I built a herbal workshop next, so I could make cigarettes and other items to trade. Finally, towards the end of the game, I got a herb garden so I could make my own veggies. At this point, you're self-sufficient.
All 5 of my characters never went hungry for the final 10 or so days, no one was ever seriously injured because I kept 3 on guard at all times and I had 3 pistols, 2 shotguns, and plenty of bullets, and my house was totally boarded up.
I wish the game allowed you to defend yourself during raids. It would require different gameplay mechanics to manage multiple people at once, but I think it would be extremely tension filled trying to keep people out of your home or hide/fight them once they've broken in. I also think it would be cool if robbers came to your front door from time to time. It felt reckless to swing the door open to strangers during the day. For the first 20 or so days, I actually sent 2 people to do the door at all times because I thought there was a chance I would be attacked.
More_Badass
Member
Can anyone confirm this?
I didn't realize that
OpinionatedCyborg
Member
Yes. I started a new playthrough, and I had 2 new characters. Some of the locations are entirely new. For instance, in the first game I played there the central square was filled with snipers. In this one, it has traders. I don't know if it's totally, partially, or not random at all, but it appears things do change each time you beat the game.
I think it's worth full price. One complete playthrough will take 8 - 12 hours, and its pseudo rogue-like nature opens the door for replayability. I can't see myself putting in 40 - 50 hours like I did with FTL, and I don't think you'll see people investing 1000s of hours into this like they do with Binding of Isaac, but 20 - 30 hours might not be uncommon. It's fun.
The characters and scenarios seem mostly scripted rather than randomised but it's fine.
Amazing and very emotional game. I get a gut bunch when someone dies, really is terrible.
Loved that having lost the game you get wee comments in each victim. The game is pretty much about inevitability and never being secure.
Then I started a new game only it was winter. Got fucked. Is one of those games you can sink a day into and do the same again whenever.
Might be my GOTY.
Amazing and very emotional game. I get a gut bunch when someone dies, really is terrible.
Loved that having lost the game you get wee comments in each victim. The game is pretty much about inevitability and never being secure.
Then I started a new game only it was winter. Got fucked. Is one of those games you can sink a day into and do the same again whenever.
Might be my GOTY.
It does overly depend on randomness. And I don't quite understand the 'combat' system. Pull a knife on a guy, and my guy won't swing for whatever reason. Then, another playthrough. Same exact scenario, except this time the enemy has a shotgun and my knife wielding guy takes him out no problem.
Is there literally any way to loot the sniper zones without dying? Haven't quite figured it out. I tried blitzing with Pavle and he died.
Is there literally any way to loot the sniper zones without dying? Haven't quite figured it out. I tried blitzing with Pavle and he died.
Combat feels like it does have some randomness but these are not soldiers. I think it is just clicking on time; my bigger issue is the npc actions usually don't make much sense.
You can do the old; stand a top a ladder thing too.
For sniper alley you run between cover after each shot.
You can do the old; stand a top a ladder thing too.
For sniper alley you run between cover after each shot.
More_Badass
Member
1) Time your sprints when he stops shooting and hide behind cover (car, statue, etc.)
2)
People in the Steam discussions are saying that you can kill the sniper in another location (I believe it's either the Construction site or one of the hotels) but I'm not sure if that's accurate
More_Badass
Member
Also I believe waiting for the icon to fill means more damage or more likely to hit. I think that's just with guns though
Started playing this game a day ago. This game is... wow. This is exactly what people mean when they talk about the unique potential of games.
There's all sorts of deep moral and ethical questions that come to light through play, it's a complete flipping of the script versus the normally vague 'hoorah' gungho notion of military intervention we see in so many other games.
This game is really fucking special. I recommend it to everyone to give this game a try if you want to understand precisely what gaming has to offer the world.
There's all sorts of deep moral and ethical questions that come to light through play, it's a complete flipping of the script versus the normally vague 'hoorah' gungho notion of military intervention we see in so many other games.
This game is really fucking special. I recommend it to everyone to give this game a try if you want to understand precisely what gaming has to offer the world.
More_Badass
Member
Posted it early on the page, but the teaser trailer perfectly encapulates that.
Xamtheking
Member
This post in general
Also; all games should use real photos in their content. We know characters are being designed based on actors more and more; it's just so powerful really seeing these people.
It's actually something the industry has moved away from but this game champions emotions feeling rather than just 'showing' within the game engine.
It's actually something the industry has moved away from but this game champions emotions feeling rather than just 'showing' within the game engine.
Xamtheking
Member
The construction is linear, but your actions are not.
More_Badass
Member
It's linear in the sense that you always progress day by day, you always have the same home base, and the game has the same structure throughout (maintain and manage during the day, scavenge at night)
But besides that, there's a good amount of randomness and that in turn influences your own actions. Plus you're free to explore a number of different locations in whatever you order you want, and places can change throughout a playthrough.
It's a sim ultimately. Your characters will react emotionally to their actions (your). So if you decide to steal or kill they might get upset. This affects productivity and everyone's morale. I suspect they can kill themselves but I've never gotten that bad.
Usually trying to support the individual leads to everything else falling apart and more often than not the person breaking down is someone I relied on.
The openness and constraints come from the sim nature. Would not describe it as sandbox at all.
They can hang themselves. I always comfort the depressed person. If you have moonshine, they also get over it if you consume that.
Game gets pretty dark when you start having weapons vs people who don't, especially firearms.
Elitist1945
Member
God I want this game now. Anyone know if they're planning to release on XB1/PS4? I could get it on Steam (and will if I have to), but I prefer to play on consoles.
More_Badass
Member
I'm guessing that aren't any backpacks to create or find, right? Haven't seen any
So the only way to carry more stuff is to have a character who can carry more?
So the only way to carry more stuff is to have a character who can carry more?
Xamtheking
Member
Yeah
But they may be rolling out patches with new stuff
Trust me on this
You do NOT want to play this on console
More_Badass
Member
Ha, yeah. UI is designed for mouse and probably touchscreen, going by the big icons for everything
jediyoshi
Member
What would be the issue on gamepad? There's nothing particularly nuanced as far as reaction time or visual cues go. Huge chunks of the game aren't time sensitive whatsoever. All the actions are contextual. Slap direct control of the camera on the right stick, make the game's cursor gravitate towards icons and maybe give left/right movement over to buttons.
Xamtheking
Member
The combat system in this game would like to take you behind a dumpster and shoot you for not getting into cover fast enough and shooting back
Also, I feel a gamepad gets rid of the game's gravitas somewhat
jediyoshi
Member
Even under the worst circumstances I'm not seeing a scenario in which this is actually an issue mutually exclusive with using an analog stick. All the real time actions in this game are so squishy, melee combat may as well be a dice rolling mini game once you engage with someone. Again, unless you're purely thinking under the paradigm that the only way in which this game could be controlled is with a cursor, there are a million different ways to set up likewise control schemes to accomplish any of this. Hell, I see more issue with the existing combat system regardless of the input device as is.
Lactose_Intolerant
Member
You can start in winter and stuff like that. I've started with 4 people before.
More_Badass
Member
I do feel there's something about having to click on the person you want to hurt, when you finally cross that line, that wouldn't exactly translate to analog stick + button
Xamtheking
Member
Does anyone know if there is a time of day that the Trader can come?
Jesb
Member
Not sure if this is allowed, if not I apologize. If anyone here is interested I have a steam gift of this game. I'm looking to trade for something else either on psn or steam. Also have a $20 steam key looking to trade, will trade both for something decent. I posted this on the classifieds thread, but thought you guys might be interested to see it.
I stumbled across someone discussing this the other day and how they discovered it on GBs Quicklook. Immediately it sounded interesting and after a day I decided to purchase it on a whim (although I did look at the Metacritic and Gamerankings average) and went in totally blind. Had no idea on how you actually played, in fact I thought it might've been a third person game like that post apocalyptic game 'I am Alive'.
I started my first game last night at about 130am and 2hrs later after making it to Day 9 I lost my first survivor due to impatience, that and bringing a shovel to a gun fight. ;-) I love it, it's such a fresh experience after years and years of just playing console games (retail and the odd Indy). Reminds me of a mix of The Sims and (don't laugh) Little Computer People on the old C64 but I guess the latter because of how the house is set up.
Now I am here at Gaf and have a mix of surprise and disappointment that this thread is only a couple of pages long. This game really needs more attention.
I started my first game last night at about 130am and 2hrs later after making it to Day 9 I lost my first survivor due to impatience, that and bringing a shovel to a gun fight. ;-) I love it, it's such a fresh experience after years and years of just playing console games (retail and the odd Indy). Reminds me of a mix of The Sims and (don't laugh) Little Computer People on the old C64 but I guess the latter because of how the house is set up.
Now I am here at Gaf and have a mix of surprise and disappointment that this thread is only a couple of pages long. This game really needs more attention.
More_Badass
Member
Game was updated today
More_Badass
Member
D
Deleted member 20920
Unconfirmed Member
There's a new update that adds a new shelter and the ability to choose which group of survivors you start with, so long as you have played at least once.