The first crackdown had a great end-game twist where it’s revealed that the cops engineered and organized the grossly stereotyped gangs so they could engage in a fascist coup
7 Likes
I will keep playing til wallcrawling vehicles are a thing cuz that sounds fun. I don’t know about its development but Crackdown being free on XBLA, with its simple moon jump as back-of-the-box bullet point (like a variable the devs might crank up for lols after hours and eventually groom into gamehood), open world environment (an of its time super novelty), GTAttitude, and flexible studio-side-project-friendly mission structure are all charming in a loose-toy-in-the-cereal box sort of way that the narrative set dressing is not.
That twist ending makes total sense and I feel less bad for not finishing it but also interested in doing so to see how they handle it. Thematically, I haven’t seen anything that would make it less than groan-worthy but I did pick up on the signs of satire, like “Kills for skills, agent! Kills for skills!” and “Cleanse the streets of crime” or whatever it is they say when you initiate a mission. Whiffs of Verhoeven, filtered through too many group calls in the studio conference room. What, am I supposed to feel guilty for how fun it is to leg-launch myself over 12-story buildings? The Robocop sheen of the loading screen is something though. Not a bad thing to look at while waiting.
6 Likes
Of course you’re not supposed to feel guilty, the game’s satire is pitched as less in-your-face than robocop but it is still pure robocop at heart. It’s a funny game, and the funniness mostly comes from its fairly explicit mockery of cops rather than trying to guilt you over participating.
My favorite line, though, is if you accidentally run over pedestrian, I can’t remember it exactly but it was a very on the nose “Agent, we understand that the lives of these people doesn’t seem worth preserving, but try to drive more carefully”
7 Likes
I’m caught between overthinking and underthinking this game. It’s only the gameplay that’s made me laugh and that was the perverse (in the basement as a teenager with the cousin’s PS2 + GTA3) pleasure of like throwing a grenade into a minivan and watching the driver’s flaming body fly into a pedestrian who then ran away into oncoming traffic and caused a pileup so that one driver stepped out of their car and immediately off a bridge into the water some 100 feet below. The way you can brutalise and toss around civilians… is that part of the satirical schtick? I’m honestly wondering now about how well the tone and intentions permeate the gameplay. I’m going to play more. I think I did write it off and turn down the volume a bit too soon in the name of just jumping (which is still the best part).
2 Likes
The twist doesn’t justify the story or make it any good. No one here is saying that though.
Climbing the agency tower when you have found enough jump beans was the highlight for me.
4 Likes
im stubbornly refusing easy controls in ace combat 4, and i almost beat the second level…turning around is hard. pressing triangle constantly when all you wanna do to look at things after centuries of playing dual stick games where right stick is camera adjust always is hard. its hard. bombing things on the ground is NOT HARD, its just weird because all i want to do is afterburner climax stuff, but i like it when they say pickle, pickle!
i dont think ill ever beat this game but i might get past the second level someday
4 Likes
Still Plugging at Shadow of Tomb Raider. At the penultimate area and loving the bonus tombs. Then I just peaked at the main story and…destroying an image of Jesus was not on my Lara Bingo Card.
That crypt does rule though. The level designers and concept artist really went nuts. If I get real close to my 40 inch I can soak in all the detail but from my couch in the dark really hard to make all the stuff.
It’s weird I kind of like how tedious and boring all the NPCs are. That they are all overly wordy and Lara stands their like a dead Blender render.
Also have lolled at how FF7R clearly took some animation from this.
Crackdown is also interesting I think mainly due to it’s pedigree. It’s the creation of David Jones, who created Lemmings and the original Grand Theft Auto when he was with DMA before the Houser brothers moved in and it became Rockstar North after Vice City.
5 Likes
The thing I really appreciate about the game is looking at the vast expanse of architecture with all the beckoning collectibles on rooftop corners and having to figure out how to engage with the geometry to get them. I liked Grow Home for this reason. It even cropped up in the mostly awful Yooka-Laylee at the outer edges of the first stage, that feeling of “Am I meant go this way? Are these actual capital ‘P’ platforms?” This goes back to 3D Marios feeling overly curated etc. It’s what I love about urban hiking and enjoy having that sensation extended into virtual spaces.
Edit: Ah ok this guy was also involved in Body Harvest and Space Station Silicon Valley, niiice.
11 Likes
gifting this pile of games to my friend to enjoy on his 32” hdcrt. shilling sky odyssey as is my lot in life…!
24 Likes
always keep an extra copy of acfa on hand for friends and strangers
2 Likes
christ the story in kh 3d is godawful. the little monsters you collect are really good, i have a trex and a triceratops
i saw someone here a few months ago talking about Dragon Quest XI, would anyone want to share their thoughts on it? And also maybe say what some of your favorite games are? I recently finished this game and i’m interested in others’ perceptions of it
watching silent movies recently made me want to play gabriel knight 2 again
the unmoving cameras and painted set backgrounds, text dialogue and exaggerated acting that are like videogame animations always make me think of adventure games
hadn’t played it for a long long time. it’s still great. forgot how unknowingly important this was at the time I first played it to laying the foundation for watching twin peaks shortly after. the routine of waking up in a far off place that’s not your home every day, the investigation slowly opening up new locations, tape recorders, the woods. I like reading the paper every day and having to dig in my inventory for the car keys every time I want to use the car.
7 Likes
3 is definitely best in co-op with no expectations, it’s not nearly as fair or balanced as X
2 Likes
i played some zork for c64 and yeah, that game is real good
1 Like
I had a new album to listen to and 30 minutes so I loaded up Need For Speed and just drifted around the world. It was wonderful.
I ended up stopping and just staring at a static twilight jpeg with my car off. And then I backed up and had a real emotional experience with a digital recreation of an American gas station. Then I had to grab Lady Rude and show her driving through an american shopping center and she audibly went “oh carl’s jr.”
Neither of us have been to America for over a year at this point and it is clearly affecting us. That and never going outside.
Anyways I really miss driving a car and listening to music. Gonna be real different next time I do it with a baby in the backseat. Terrified. Scared. Jetlagged. No way I can just blast some Dragonforce or Hotelier.
10 Likes
I can confirm I got Carl’s Jr on the way back up the west coast a couple weeks ago after my emergency trip to America to stop going nuts
3 Likes