12 replies to this topic

[ChessRules]

This is on my "during first sale" list right now, but with so few releases out that I'm willing to buy at full price (Skyrim is a half-price purchase for me), I might just say "screw it" and buy Sam at full price, especially if enough people here have the game and are interested in co-op.  

For those who do have it, is it fun?  How is it compared to the others?  The post-release videos I've seen of it look amazing.

[Sean_Seanston]

Yeah, prolly gonna buy it before Christmas, or possibly for Christmas.

Surely, THIS cannot disappoint, eh?

*Waits for disappointment*

[ChessRules]

Well, caved and bought it during Direct2Drive's Black Friday sale.  I've been skimping on food spending the entire week in preparation for this weekend.  One can do surprisingly well on $2.50 a day, with the right places and the right situation.  

The pre-release footage had me really worried, but when I watched a few walkthrough videos on Youtube, I decided I had to have it.

I'll post impressions when I have time to play it.  Got lots of homework right now, as well as trying to scrape out the last 4000 words on NaNoWriMo with a sore wrist (curse you, raking leaves!)

EDIT: And now I'm leaking money because I loaned some to my brother to buy Battlefield 3.  Dangit!

Edited by ChessRules, 25 November 2011 - 11:23 PM.

[ChessRules]

Five levels in, and I'm having a blast.  

If the game's guilty of any flaw, it's starting even slower than The First Encounter.  First stage, you have to fight with just a pistol and sledgehammer.  Second level, you get the shotgun.  Fourth, the assault rifle and rocket launcher.  (Although I also got a hidden laser cannon).  It's a slower trickle of weapons than I'd like.  

On top of that, stage four has a really obnoxious gimmick, though the very end of the stage almost redeems the rest.  Almost.  There are fewer hordes in the beginning stages; by the start of level 5, I was having fun, but I wasn't blown away.  

Then came level 5.  The hordes became true Sam-level hordes, the level design got even more complex, more awesome weapons get introduced, and it all ends with a boss fight that probably counts as the most epic moment in the series yet (unless there are more to come in this game).
Pro: Yay, new weapon: remote charges!
Con: ...which you can only carry 10 of.  Aw.  

The level design has really improved; no longer is it a linear tunnel separated by large open chambers (although don't get me wrong, those chambers still exist here and there).  The city stages are designed like a sequence of nonlinear mazes, and health and armor is spread out in a way that rewards exploration, so if anything, the level design has become much more old-school, which I like.  Each level thus far except the first has had a boss at the end.  The first two, maybe three bosses are just introductions of regular enemies with more health, but they're done in a challenging way so it doesn't feel cheap.  

Old enemies return with new attack cues, and the handling of the controls feels great.  The melee works well without being useless or overpowered, and the sledgehammer is fun, although I don't really like how your view bobs when you use it when enemies aren't around.  Thankfully, when there's an enemy in your sights, Sam lifts the sledgehammer automatically and it becomes much quicker to use.  

All in all, if I didn't have so much homework I'd stay up all night to play this.  I feel like I got the better deal between my brother and I (my brother got Battlefield 3 for $30, I got Sam for $32).

Edited by ChessRules, 26 December 2011 - 12:00 AM.

[Sean_Seanston]

Yay. Good to hear.

Now watch as it probably gets worse reviews than MW3 across the board

EDIT: Also, I've been deliberating whether or not to get SS 1st&2nd Encounter HD for €4 on Steam...

I'll get it just to be safe . Never played the HD versions...

EDIT2: Then again, GameSpot's review says it's very buggy...
And no changes to gravity like there was... meh, screw it. If I wanna play an old game... I'll just play the original old game.

Edited by Sean_Seanston, 26 November 2011 - 09:31 AM.

[ChessRules]

EDIT2: YES.  Definitely the hardest final level out of the series.  That... was... glorious.  You know that statement I made below about missing being charged by Kleer?  Not anymore.  That final level delivers that in droves.

From level 6 onward, the level design becomes a lot more like the First Encounter, just with more complex structures and temples.  It could stand to have larger hordes, though, and I almost miss being charged nonstop by Kleer.  I'd advise those who that the difficulty of the first two was just right to play on Hard at first.  

Also, up until level 8, there's a shortage of ammunition for powerful weapons like the missile launcher.  That makes fighting the not-Mancubi substantially more difficult at first.  Heck, the game uses far, far more infantry-type enemies than medium or large sized enemies, but it's harder to take out larger enemies quickly with the rocket launcher because there's less ammo (again, until level 8).  

The levels have gotten really long.  I've been at level 8 for about an hour now.

EDIT: I take back the whole "easy" thing.  Rather, the game has a better difficulty curve than previous games.  I'm at the final level now, and don't have much to say except that it's substantially harder than previous final battles, with far less health powerups available (at least during the early sections).  Also, all levels since 8 have also been great, although I still hate space monkeys.

Edited by ChessRules, 27 November 2011 - 08:20 PM.

[iMess]

Me and my friends spent hours at lan parties doing co-op on the first SS. SS3 is on my 'to buy' list but i'm gonna wait for sales and play other games like RUSE more. I will bug you on steam for some Co-op

[ChessRules]

Hopefully it goes on sale during the Winter sale so that more people will buy this.  I've beaten the game on Hard so far, but I don't think I can manage it on Serious.  I barely scraped through some parts on Hard, particularly the last 3 levels.

[Sean_Seanston]

I'm getting it for Christmas

Pew Pew.

Hope to finish 1 or 2 games of the backlog before then though... probably wishful thinking.

[Sean_Seanston]

I have SS3 in my possession now

Gonna open the plastic soon and install. Yay.

[Dei]

Whooo! Pew pew!

[ChessRules]

Good to hear there's a retail version where you live.  

[Sean_Seanston]

Only got playing it about an hour ago.

So far I'm liking it. The Pistol has a nice... satisfying feel to it.

Definitely eases you into things alright. The first part was very slow and uneventful, and the first time I really felt like it was Serious Sam was when the first horde of Headless Kamikazes appeared
Running backwards while shooting and looking around frantically for an extended period of time = the essence of Serious Sam.

Inside the museum now. Found a few shells but still no Shotgun, ******. It certainly takes its time familiarizing you with things but I think it's going to be very good once it really gets going.