Random Gaming Thoughts

[ExedExes]

One thing about those Darius Twin endings, there's like 3 or 4 of them and are totally random every time you complete it.

[Forlorn Drifter]

I'm not really feeling Hitman:Silent Assassin. It's good, for the time, but it feels clunky, and the AI seems really touchy about seeing you over long distances, especially in certain missions.

Plus, getting a Silent Assassin rating is an absolute bitch.

I'm going to jump into Contracts a bit later, which I've been told improves some of the issues I struggle with. If nothing else, I got Blood Money out of this pack, so my money has not been wasted.

[Ack]

I'm not really feeling Hitman:Silent Assassin. It's good, for the time, but it feels clunky, and the AI seems really touchy about seeing you over long distances, especially in certain missions.

Plus, getting a Silent Assassin rating is an absolute bitch.

I'm going to jump into Contracts a bit later, which I've been told improves some of the issues I struggle with. If nothing else, I got Blood Money out of this pack, so my money has not been wasted.

Silent Assassin is a fun game, but still a bit rough in the series(though an improvement over Codename 47). Getting the Silent Assassin rating is tough but doable. Believe me, I struggled through and pulled it off years ago.

Contracts is where the series really hits its stride and the high point for me. I liked Blood Money fine, but I felt Contracts fixed all of the problems of the original game and excelled in all the ways I needed it to. The other nice thing about Contracts is that once you play through it, there isn't any reason to go back to Codename 47.

Just remember, go in with syringes and piano wire. That's usually all you need.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Most underrated retro JRPG developers:

Micro Cabin
Produce
XTALSOFT
HummingBirdSoft
Quintet
Quest

[Forlorn Drifter]

But of course, a garrot and some nigh-nigh juice always fix the problem.

One thing I will say though, when it comes to stealth games, is that there needs to be a better trade off for killing/not killing enemies. Civilians shouldn't ever be killed, obviously, but I shouldn't be punished every time I kill random bad guy #27. I know he has kids and a wife and a mortgage to pay, but the bastard is in a secret organization run by weirdo scientist trying to make super cancer.

Like, for example, killing more enemies might bring in more security on other missions, but it allows access to a different route. On the other hand, killing fewer people might grant you more money. The lack of non-lethal options in most games is also a bit annoying.

Or, maybe have some low level enemies you can kill, but are preferred not to, mixed in with enemies you can kill with impunity. For example, try not to kill any cops, but the Yakuza are open game.

[Ack]

One thing I will say though, when it comes to stealth games, is that there needs to be a better trade off for killing/not killing enemies. Civilians shouldn't ever be killed, obviously, but I shouldn't be punished every time I kill random bad guy #27. I know he has kids and a wife and a mortgage to pay, but the bastard is in a secret organization run by weirdo scientist trying to make super cancer.

Like, for example, killing more enemies might bring in more security on other missions, but it allows access to a different route. On the other hand, killing fewer people might grant you more money. The lack of non-lethal options in most games is also a bit annoying.

Or, maybe have some low level enemies you can kill, but are preferred not to, mixed in with enemies you can kill with impunity. For example, try not to kill any cops, but the Yakuza are open game.

It depends on the stealth game. For the Hitman series, part of the point is just to kill the one person who is marked for death. You're not just an assassin, you're a ghost. Killing another person would leave too much of a trail. No one can know of your passing. If you had to kill someone else, that means you weren't good enough.

Meanwhile in a game like Tenchu, nope, kill everybody. You're devastating armies, humiliating enemies, and annihilating otherworldy scum. Kill all enemies and leave no trace of your passing. End the threat through use of the shadows. Also rice balls. I like to make a game of using only one rice ball to wipe out an entire map.

As for the likes of Metal Gear or Dishonored...do as you will. Your choice. You may pay for your decision later or not.

[marurun]

Beat Darius Twin using the floyd mayweather method. It doesn't matter if you hit a thing as long as you can dodge, dodge, dodge.

I really wanted to like Darius Twin, but for some reason it feels more like Darius Lite. Same for Darius Force. Why couldn't Taito manage a proper Darius game on the SNES?

This isn't to say it's a bad game. It just doesn't feel as much like Darius as I want it to.

Most underrated retro JRPG developers:

Micro Cabin
Produce
XTALSOFT
HummingBirdSoft
Quintet
Quest

I agree on Micro Cabin. Riglord Saga 1 & 2 were actually really good games if you could get past the graphics. I think Quintet and Quest are pretty under-appreciated, but not underrated. People who know who they are tend to give them full props. I have no idea who the others are : )

[BoneSnapDeez]

XTALSOFT - Early computer and FDS JRPGs like Lizard, Aspic, the Mugen no Shinzō trilogy, the Crimson trilogy, Kalin no Tsurugi, Curse of Babylon, Borfes to 5-jin no Akuma.

HummingBirdSoft - The Deep Dungeon games for FDS/Famicom, Laplace no Ma, various Lodoss War RPGs.

Produce - Brain Lord, THE 7TH MF'ING SAGA (and its resulting sequels).

[Flake]

People have it wrong. Triforce Heroes is great. It's everyone else that sucks.

[Forlorn Drifter]

And I've now played a bit of Contracts. Better, but it still feels a bit constrictive, and I really dislike how some missions give you so little time to grab a disguise before you get caught. It also seems like, on certain levels, the game has super sight.

The meat king level was fun though. Killing a fat man through a moon-roof with a silenced pistol is exquisite.

Now to try Blood Money, which I feel will fair much better. If I love this one and never get into the others, I will probably buy Blood Money stand alone, and weep at my unfinished trophies laughing at me.