Topic: Push Square Game Club Spooktacular: Resident Evil 4

@Ralizah The checkpoints are very strange. You keep collectibles but go back to a seemingly random area with no idea what’s been saved and what’s not.

@nessisonett It sucks, because the levels in this game are really long if you explore and go for all the collectibles. Easily the longest in the series to date. I don't understand why I can't just save somewhere and be done with it. Not everyone has hours to play games without the occasional interruption.

Tried Nightmare King Grimm a few times and Hollow Knight and it’s one of those ‘f**k off this isn’t even fun’ kinda bosses. Can’t really be arsed with it so might just go finish the game.

@nessisonett I think it’s one of those ones that is tough but fair. Admittedly, it took me a LOT of goes and I only just managed it!

Knowing when not to attack is crucial and using the “scream” ability when he uses the flaming poles is massively helpful.

I still get palpitations watching this back (spoilers I guess for those still playing)

@Thrillho Honestly, I just really hate bosses that can be over in a second if you make one mistake. The first Grimm was hard but I felt like I could do it. This just doesn’t feel like I could do it.

@nessisonett Yeah, I’ve said before on here that beating him was up there with beating any of the Souls bosses for me!

I wouldn’t bother with the Pantheons then to be homes as they are even more infuriating.

At least the final boss will seem a breeze for you now!

Well I beat Hollow Knight. I beat the final boss first time somewhat accidentally as I think there was a second form that I totally missed out on. Time to go back and try it again!

97% in 42 hours, 41 minutes. I might have to mop up that 3%.

And I just beat it again by accident. There really isn’t enough time to activate that second form.

@nessisonett If you mean to fight Radiant, I seem to remember the window being pretty generous.

(PS the game goes up to 112% completion... https://hollowknight.fandom.com/wiki/Completion_(Hollow_Knight) )

@Thrillho Ah. 112% is somewhat more than I thought. It’s a little annoying to leave it at 98% so I think it’s just the charms left to get in the base game and I totally missed Brooding Mawlek somehow. Plus the flower quest thing.

DOOM is the only game I’ve played that makes my Pro’s fan take off like a jet plane. It’s only when I die or it loads in the level for the first time. Just bizarre. I think I’ll play to the end of the Argent Tower then put it down for the week, to allow you lot to catch up!

@nessisonett And your Pro to land safely.

Just beat the game for the first time today. All the reviews were right. It is awesome. Extremely satisfying gorefest!

I finally was able to get enough time to at least start DOOM today. I have mixed feelings —

First of all, there are only a few types of games that I play only sparingly, and first person shooters are one of them. And horror games are another.

So it’s quite a shock to my customary gaming habits to even be playing this game. But it has come so highly recommended, nearly universally so, that I’m glad to have a chance to try it out. And I’m always trying to broaden my horizons and round out my gaming experiences with things that might be on the edge of my comfort zone from time to time. I really enjoyed REmake a couple months ago, for example, and I never thought I would have; So much so that I really look forward to playing RE2 in a few weeks.

So with optimistic blind hope I waltzed into the shoes of Doomguy and have had a bit of a wake up call after coming from several weeks of strict third person open world tactical action gameplay with Ghost of Tsushima. DOOM’s snappy movement, first person perspective, and shooting control scheme took some getting used to. My last FPS I played was Battlefront 2, and this feels a little different. I’m such a peasant at FPS skills that I had no qualms with playing on the easiest difficulty setting (“I’m too young to die” I believe it’s aptly called). Even on easy, I struggle at times. My aim is rubbish and I constantly get flanked by enemies because I can’t effing see behind me! Its maddening!

But I think I’m adjusting and I’ll be alright. As for the horror, so far it’s not too scary, but it is gruesome and bloody in over abundance. And I thought Ghost of Tsushima was gory. Beheadings, burned and charred prisoners, and impaled corpses have got nothing on exploding skulls and visceral splatter of bodily fluid and entrails with every kill. But the gratuitous violence still has a way of coming across almost comical, so it’s not too disturbing so far. This is my first ever Doom game, so it’s like seeing this all for the first time takes a little adjustment.

There is a really nice smoothness to the game’s control, and it looks pretty nice. Although it appears to function fairly well, the load times seem a little long for what it is.

These are very early impressions that I figured I’d record for amusement; I’ll certainly update as I progress.

I just defeated the Cyberdemon. Easily the best boss fight in the series to date, with proper phases, tells before he unleashes his attacks, etc. It threads the needle nicely between DOOM 3's mostly easy bosses and the impossible BS bosses in older DOOM games that force you to hug cover and take potshots around corners.

And I still have, like, 1/3 of the game left.

@Th3solution One recommendation I'd give, above all else, is to NEVER stop moving when you're in battle. That's basically the single most important aspect of DOOM: stuff is always in motion, and you're always a second or two away from a demon jumping on you, so stopping means dying.

Also, try to get in close when you're shooting demons. There's really no benefit to trying to pick off far off demons. Run up and shoot the ruddy %^&$#@%* as quickly as possible. That should help with aiming as well. Aiming at specific body parts isn't too awful important. You mainly just want to hit the things. The shotgun is really good in this respect at a close distance.

@Ralizah That’s really good advice. Thanks! It goes against all the habits I’ve formed in years of cover based shooters and action-stealth games where you try to keep your distance and pick people off from afar, with headshots being so heavily emphasized. Even the other FPS games I’ve played usually have some build that emphasizes sniping or stealth. I have rarely taken the ‘tank’ role, so I’m a novice at the playstyle of shooting and melee up close and personal and I kept wondering why I’m having such trouble hitting enemies from afar. It’s good to know that’s not the intended approach in this game. I think I’ll enjoy it since I’ve never really been particularly good at sniping and headshots anyways.

@Th3solution Yep, just don’t stop moving and strafing. Especially on the difficulty I’m on, the imps can murder me in a couple of seconds if I’m not careful!

@Th3solution It's one of the reasons the game so feels so different as it's all about movement and fluidity, rather than hiding behind cover and taking potshots. And having health and armour levels is more old school than regenerating health but also suits the play style.

Remembering to get chainsaw attacks for ammo and glory kills for health is crucial too, and you'll learn which weapons and mods you like. There is a mod for the heavy assault rifle for a scope which can be used for distance and precision shots but on the whole, precision is not what you need to worry about; just get those hits on target!

So, I beat the game, but I'm nowhere near done. There's still so much stuff to do: mission objectives to complete, secrets to find, weapon skills to unlock; and as I'm doing this, I'm replaying all of the levels on the harder Ultra-Violence difficulty setting.

The last level and final boss on Ultra-Violence are... something else. My eyes have watered so much when playing this. The combat is so fast, brutal, and rhythmic. And... is it synchronizing the sound effects with the OST, or visa versa? I swear to god, the cacophony of battle — guns firing, bones crunching, demonic roars — feels like it meshes perfectly with the music.

And the sound design in general is awesome. They may have retreated a bit from the more 'foreboding' vibe of 64 and 3, but it's still creepy when you're running around destroyed levels and can hear monstrous noises emanating from all around you.

I can see why this game is so loved.

@Ralizah Yeah the way the music and gameplay are tied into each other is awesome. There are a few vids on YouTube with the music producer Mick Gordon which I highly recommend, including a liver performance! Shame things soured between him and Bethesda after Eternal. On the plus side it means he is not potentially locked to X Box.