Last Video Game You Played?

ClarkDevlin

Yes, @Creasy47, I heard that, too. I'm also in the same place as you are in the game, yet to start playing the Parisian mission. But, I did watch a walkthrough gameplay, and I have to say, playing it in its most orthodox and chronological way, it's tad too short. That's why I asked. I'd rather we didn't have just one mission and a whole Act I (like the first act of the story) instead.

jackdagger

On my first Paris playthrough, I was exploring for about 4 hours before I even killed anyone. And I still hadn't been in every room. It's enormous.

That being said, I don't like the release model either. I feel like I'm going to be playing less than I normally would, just so I don't get sick of levels. If I wasn't such a crazy fan, I would've waited until next year when the disc comes out.

Creasy47

@jackdagger, agreed. The level is insanely massive, I spent about three or four hours playing, only having assassinated one target and just gotten to the second floor. I didn't even explore a majority of the exterior, nor a bunch of rooms on the first floor.

Agreed again; I don't care for it, either. I wish we had a full game right off the bat, hopefully other developers don't follow this plan.

ClarkDevlin

Thanks for the update, folks. We'll see what kind of quality this installment in the Hitman franchise will bring.

That said, I have just finished a video game that was reviewed very negatively by all the pessimist gamers like the IGN we see, nowadays. The game I played is very much like Hitman, in fact very very similar to the gameplay of Hitman: Blood Money, only with spies and politics instead of assassins and corrupt independent organization leaders.

Alekhine's Gun (2016):
I'll cut it to short. It's the third installment in the Russian-made Death To Spies video games, developed and published by Maximum Games. The original developers of the title, back when it was known as Death To Spies 3: Ghost of Moscow, were uncredited, as they were also the developers of the first two entries in the franchise. Unlike the previous ones, this game's present day is set during the Cold War (with a few flashback levels revisiting the World War II period).

The player assumes the role of a very effective, cold and ruthless KGB agent, Colonel Semyon Strogov, who assumes the covert identity of "Alekhine" (named after the chessmaster of the same name) and is confidentially sent to New York on a joint operation with a secret group that work for the CIA, led by an honest, patriotic but also a man you could reason with, named Vincent Lombardi. With no one to trust within the government, the small spy ring has to expose the conspirators who are endangering the life of President John F. Kennedy, with a potential rise of nuclear war tension yet again between Cuba and the USA.

The voice acting is mediocre. Some of the glitches in the game makes you scratch your head as hard as you can. Sometimes, the AI get to be stupid, depending on the difficulty you choose (the harder, the more impossible it gets). But, aside from these, Alekhine's Gun is a very good game. It could have been better. A lot better. But, being a suit-clad assassin similar to that of Agent 47 and bringing similar tools along to aid your performance as a silent and cold killer couldn't be more spectacular. There also are a few small features that might please the Bond enthusiast, such as an Aston Martin DB5 making a cameo, and an upgradable Walther PPK with silencer (can be detached beforehand, but not during a mission). Like Hitman, there are no health-packs, and no the health bar doesn't regenerate, either. You just have to rely on your assassin instincts.



Here's our beloved Aston. Sadly, it's inaccessible.



And here are two shots of our friend the PPK, with a traditional Rico Rodriguez outfit.

Risico007

007 legends (and a bit of Doom 2 No rest for the living)

One of these days I will sit down and write out what activision should of done because the level designs in legends are quite nice honestly. and if they put a bit more thought and did a few more controversial things casual gamers would of flocked to buy the games and we would still be having Activion release games. (which considering the now 4 year dry spell we are in I would take activision over no one any day heck I would Take EA back I have no problem fighting Le Chiffe in some sort of robotic card throwing super suit as a boss Honest I don't just make the bloody game)

ClarkDevlin

I agree @Risico007. The level layouts are very good in 007 Legends, and might as well I'd say a lot better than GoldenEye 007: Reloaded. Only the generic Call of Duty gameplay comes in the way of ruining it, like cutting into a First Person cutscene automatically, limiting your freedom of wandering around, pressing a button to help the player vault over an object or jump or perform an action (i.e. takedowns) that instantly puts you in self-functional position. I don't want the system to play the game for me, I want to perform all these actions by myself with utter freedom.

However, a fully action-oriented video game doesn't really suit the Craig era of the Bond adventures. Those belong to the Pierce Brosnan era of the Bond saga. The Craig Bonds should be in the vein of Metal Gear Solid or Hitman. Stealth-based with the option of getting into action mode (which wouldn't be recommended to the player). I think the game I have just finished and mini-reviewed above is the closest we've got to a faithful Craig Bond game to date.

Creasy47

@ClarkDevlin, even at the price it's at now ($50, the last time I looked), is 'Alekhine's Gun' worth it? I'll admit, it looked like fun, like a cheesy, slightly glitchy version of 'Hitman,' but still: fun. It might cure my 'Hitman' blues as I await new levels (once I've finished this Paris one, that is.)

ClarkDevlin

Wait for it till it lowers the price. But, it's as you described. A great game. But, it certainly isn't cheesy, the story is pretty much dark. The reason I bought wasn't only because it was a Hitman rip-off, but it was because of a Cold War themed spy thriller set in the early 1960s. I'm an addict of that element.

Creasy47

I probably would've grabbed it day one, but 'Hitman' was releasing a few days later, and with them being so similar, I figured it'd be best to wait on the former to drop in price instead. How's the combat/gameplay/AI/replayability? Those are some of my bigger focuses when it comes to buying a game. Do the levels seem expansive or unique? Is it something you'd see yourself replaying?

ClarkDevlin

The AI are somewhat unbalanced. Sometimes they are way too cautious, but other times they are too laid back. The disguise you put yourself into also helps. As for the map exploration, it's quite large. And some rooms, even though accessible, are just there for the sake of it. There are many great features in the game like lock picking and safe cracking. They don't necessarily have to lead you to the level's checkpoint (and by that I don't mean the game is built on checkpoint system, you can save the game whenever you like wherever you like). The game isn't linear in the slightest. Yes, I figure I'll be re-playing the game in three-to-six months time. It's like having a Hitman-style Fleming-esque James Bond game.

Creasy47

Can they "see" through disguises, like in 'Hitman: Absolution' and with certain characters in the new 'Hitman' game? Do these rooms ever have anything of use in them, such as level items, weapons, etc? Also, are the levels like 'Hitman' in that they're big areas where you have a set number of targets to kill?

ClarkDevlin

Yes, they can see through disguises and can get suspicious enough if they recognize you. However, the AI is bit of damaged when you are totally discovered any disguise you wear is useless. Especially in that one level when you have to infiltrate an Italian crime family's mansion.

And yes, many rooms have useful tools to help you throughout the level. Like a hammer, or bolt cutter, or poison, or additional weaponry, etc. Some rooms even have fresh clothes to put on, but I haven't noticed much.

Targets also move a lot like wandering between halls and different rooms, but you have a map to keep track of them. The map layouts are complicated.

Ed83

Been playing a lot of Elder Scrolls Online, NBA2k16, American Truck Simulator, and Civ 5. An odd mix, but each tons of fun in their own way. Thinking about getting Stardew Valley soon, has anyone tried this game?

Creasy47

But the level design/mission layout is completely centered around assassinating particular targets, correct?

ClarkDevlin

Creasy47 wrote: »

But the level design/mission layout is completely centered around assassinating particular targets, correct?

Correct! Or incapacitating them and dragging them with you into evacuation. And sometimes obtaining important stuff (like microfilms, or documents, etc).

Anthrax

A few weeks ago, I bought Mario Party 9, and completed it fully in like 3 days. It is an ok game, but compared to the previous ones that came before it, it isn't as enjoyable. I have yet to buy Mario Party 3 and I have high hopes for it, but I don't think it can beat 7 which is my favorite so far as well as my all-time favorite game.

Creasy47

Perhaps I would've been better off going with 'Alekhine's Gun,' as the release of 'Hitman' is nothing short of a trainwreck. At its absolute core, the game HAS returned to its original roots - that was my biggest gripe with 'Absolution,' that it went away from the formula of the old games. However, this launch cycle they're going with is a total mess, and the fact that they misled consumers with this 'online only' mode for the game makes it even worse, among plenty of other things. I really, really do hope that they listen to fan feedback like they've promised (hence the main reason for how the game is being released), because the game has crazy potential, as long as they can work on the technical side of things.

ClarkDevlin

Oh, then my assumption for Hitman wasn't any different, judging by the gameplay I've seen in a walkthrough video. I'm not much of a person to explore things and all when a mission awaits, I like a straightforward gameplay (non-linear) with lots of things to discover. What they did with Hitman so far is only making level maps as big and detailed as possible, whereas the story has very little amount of plot to be told. Only a couple of objectives: Kill two people. I really would rather I've more to do as an assassin and face more challenges than goof around and try on disguises that won't affect my mission.

And I hope, for their sake, the retailer version gets a full and original title like the ones that came before. What are they going to call the next one? The Hitman?

MajorDSmythe

So Hitman is online only?



If true, forget it. When I get around to picking up a PS4, I'll sit this Hitman game out.

I'm not a huge PC gamer, which would explain why I only have 3 pc games: Nightfire, Murder On The Orient Express & No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M.S Way. Every few months I like to restart one of them. SO lately I have been replaying...



I still have the original game for the PS2, and this sequel is every bit as good as the original.

ClarkDevlin

@MajorDSmythe, now you're talking! I am an avid lover of both the No One Lives Forever games. Not keen on its spin-off Contract JACK, though.

MajorDSmythe

I have never played Contract J.A.C.K, but I have seen other fans of the series that have played it, refer to it as an unwanted offspring of the NOLF games.

ClarkDevlin

It's exactly that. Just a generic shooter that doesn't do much. No stealth. Nothing. Just a generic shooter with reworked maps from NOLF 2. It feels like it's being made by a fan as a NOLF 2 modification.

Creasy47

While 'Hitman' CAN be played offline, there's no point, as none of your progress is saved. Thus, you could technically do everything, and the next time you're connected online, you lose all progress. This is a huge failure on their part. Plus, since it works off of their servers, the load times are ridiculous, so if you fail a certain part and had a save, or if you simply want to try a section a different way, then be ready for (on average) 60-90 second load screens. Hell, even checking out the map or challenges for the level takes five seconds each time, whereas in older games, one button press immediately pulled up a map (which was much better, more interactive, and a lot more detailed).

MajorDSmythe

Developers forcing players to go online to maintain progress... it's ideas like that which make me question whether I want to continue gaming into the PS4 generation. I do have plans on getting a PS4, but it's price, and the fact that I will use so few of it's functions, it isn't worth it at this point.

Creasy47

I've seen a lot of this idiotic/money-grubbing incompetency lately from developers that were once very well-trusted in my eyes. Even the likes of 'Grand Theft Auto V' are a joke at times due to the online portion: they've engineered the online in such a way that you're almost forced to pay cash in real life for the fake, in-game currency, in order to afford the higher end equipment, and all the while, they take so much money from you for everything: dying, haircuts, a simple t-shirt. I love video games, but this type of shafting from just about every developer out there these days gives me fatigue like crazy.

QsAssistant

The Division and Hitman are the last two I played. Hitman is honestly a great game. It's a throw back to the original gameplay, which is awesome. The only bad thing about it is that it's in episode form. Which means I have to wait another month before I can play more of it.

Creasy47

@QsAssistant, while it's a shame that we have to wait one month in between levels, do you not agree that the online only is an issue, alongside those long load times? Certainly those aren't "good" things to somebody.

Just managed to unlock all the trophies for both the "base" game (which is just the prologue/tutorials) and the 'Paris' DLC. Killing Novikov with a falling speaker was the last challenge I needed to hit Level 20 Paris Mastery, which awards you a gun (didn't see which it was; the images never load for the unlocked weapons you get) and (finally) the concealable ICA mine (was wondering how to go about rigging the camera to detonate in the Novikov interview).

jackdagger

I've been lucky because the Hitman server has only disconnected me once, and I've played the game for probably close to 10 hours by now. But still, the online thing is inexcusable. I'm hoping they'll listen to fans and change it, at LEAST so the game is more successful. It seems to be getting really low reviews, which isn't really fair because that doesn't reflect the game itself.
Also not happy that the PS4 update deleted my preorder bonus!

By the way, has anyone heard the James Bond reference? I think you have the best chance of hearing it if you approach the guard gate to the left of the entrance in the tux.

Creasy47

I had a weird streak mid-evening yesterday where I was disconnected ten times in a row from the main menu; happened to me at the very end of a mission later on, too, was so frustrating.

Agreed on the pre-order bonus deletion, I KNEW that I had entered a code for that white Blood Money suit and a few other things. Hopefully it's added back in ASAP.

The only Bond-related things I caught were the SF interrogation-like scene that we see in a cutscene, and someone named 'Janus' that everyone talks about, but nobody knows what he looks like.

jackdagger

Creasy47 wrote: »

The only Bond-related things I caught were the SF interrogation-like scene that we see in a cutscene, and someone named 'Janus' that everyone talks about, but nobody knows what he looks like.

The guards will sometimes say

"Okay, 'Mr. Bond', I'm afraid this area is off limits, even for you, so go find yourself a martini shaken not stirred somewhere ok?"

I'm sure we'll get the requiem pack back, it's just a matter of when. I never even got a chance to use my explosive ducky.