About the Game (From the Steam Store Page)
Bastion is an action role-playing experience that redefines storytelling in games, with a reactive narrator who marks your every move. Explore more than 40 lush hand-painted environments as you discover the secrets of the Calamity, a surreal catastrophe that shattered the world to pieces. Wield a huge arsenal of upgradeable weapons and battle savage beasts adapted to their new habitat. Finish the main story to unlock the New Game Plus mode and continue your journey!
Prior Play Time
0 hours
Previous Experience
None. However, action rpgs are one of my favorite genres, so I'll probably get the hang of it pretty quick.
Expectations
I'll admit, they're pretty high. I know that's probably an unlucky thing to say, but I've nonetheless got a good feeling about this game. While I try not to look at a game's reviews before I play it, I couldn't help but notice that it's got an 86 metascore. Plus, it was given to me by my good friend Daniel, who does not generally have sadistic tendencies, and it was spoken of highly on my rpg.net thread.
However, aside from high hopes, I can't really say I have any specific expectations at all. "Redefining storytelling in games" means virtually nothing to me, and what few features I can suss out from the store description don't go particularly far in distinguishing it from other action rpgs I may have played. So, I kind of feel like I'm in for a generic action rpg with an interesting story.
And you know what, I'm cool with that.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Takedown: Red Sabre - 20/20 hours
I'm finally done!
I was right about finishing mission 3, but it was not a satisfying win. Most of the time, I was able to get one or two of the three objectives, but the third one was at the top of a staircase, guarded by an enemy who was able to kill me every single time. Then, one time, it didn't spawn. So, I was able to climb up there, shut down the satellite dish, and then make my way out. And then I died at the helipad. So I repeated the level a whole bunch more times until it happened again.
I suppose it's just the fickle finger of fate. "Of that day and hour no one knows. . ." etc. Perhaps it's realistic, but it's kind of a dubious design for a video game.
It weird how much I failed to get into this game. Usually, even if a game is notoriously bad, I'll get into it after a couple of hours. There's a kind of trance or focus that comes over me and I start to buy into the game's methods and goals. That didn't happen this time. I think it's because so much of my "progress" was dependent on chance. I never really felt a connection between my actions and the fate of my character. The margin of error was too thin. When I died, I never felt like I could have avoided it through superior play.
Call it sour grapes, if you will, but damn if my grapes are not super sour. Perhaps I'm blaming the game for my bad mood. I was in a bad mood while playing this game, yet correlation is not causation, and I can't say for sure that Takedown: Red Sabre is necessarily a bad game.
It was trying to create an experience, a world where danger lurks around every corner, and only great care and precise tactics can keep you alive. I can see the value in that. Attaining mastery. Overcoming impossible odds. Enduring hardship and failure. That is what being "hardcore" is all about.
I'm just not sure how enchanted I am with hardcore for the sake of hardcore. So, whatever charms Takedown: Red Sabre might have, they are lost on me.
Oh well, maybe next time.
I was right about finishing mission 3, but it was not a satisfying win. Most of the time, I was able to get one or two of the three objectives, but the third one was at the top of a staircase, guarded by an enemy who was able to kill me every single time. Then, one time, it didn't spawn. So, I was able to climb up there, shut down the satellite dish, and then make my way out. And then I died at the helipad. So I repeated the level a whole bunch more times until it happened again.
I suppose it's just the fickle finger of fate. "Of that day and hour no one knows. . ." etc. Perhaps it's realistic, but it's kind of a dubious design for a video game.
It weird how much I failed to get into this game. Usually, even if a game is notoriously bad, I'll get into it after a couple of hours. There's a kind of trance or focus that comes over me and I start to buy into the game's methods and goals. That didn't happen this time. I think it's because so much of my "progress" was dependent on chance. I never really felt a connection between my actions and the fate of my character. The margin of error was too thin. When I died, I never felt like I could have avoided it through superior play.
Call it sour grapes, if you will, but damn if my grapes are not super sour. Perhaps I'm blaming the game for my bad mood. I was in a bad mood while playing this game, yet correlation is not causation, and I can't say for sure that Takedown: Red Sabre is necessarily a bad game.
It was trying to create an experience, a world where danger lurks around every corner, and only great care and precise tactics can keep you alive. I can see the value in that. Attaining mastery. Overcoming impossible odds. Enduring hardship and failure. That is what being "hardcore" is all about.
I'm just not sure how enchanted I am with hardcore for the sake of hardcore. So, whatever charms Takedown: Red Sabre might have, they are lost on me.
Oh well, maybe next time.
Takedown: Red Sabre - 15/20 hours
It's hard to explain what playing this game is really like. That's why, back at hour 10, I made this video:
It's a pretty typical sample of my playing experience. Creep. Die. Repeat. I wound up beating the level after another 2 and a half hours. There was nothing particularly special about my last run. In the end, it was a matter of luck - the enemies spawned in a pattern that allowed me to see enough of them early enough that I only died three times rather than four.
I'm finding that the biggest part of playing Takedown: Red Sabre is managing my emotions. I have to be aware of and sensitive to the game's tension (because, while being careful won't keep you alive, being careless will kill you), but not get so into it that the frustration is overwhelming. And amidst all this, I also have to carefully manage my attention so that the tedium of repetition does not wear me down and cause me to quit.
You never quite realize how long five hours is until you have to relive the same three minutes a hundred times in a row.
Only a hundred more deaths to go. I'd lay the odds of me beating the third mission at around 50/50. Mission 4 is never going to happen.
It's a pretty typical sample of my playing experience. Creep. Die. Repeat. I wound up beating the level after another 2 and a half hours. There was nothing particularly special about my last run. In the end, it was a matter of luck - the enemies spawned in a pattern that allowed me to see enough of them early enough that I only died three times rather than four.
I'm finding that the biggest part of playing Takedown: Red Sabre is managing my emotions. I have to be aware of and sensitive to the game's tension (because, while being careful won't keep you alive, being careless will kill you), but not get so into it that the frustration is overwhelming. And amidst all this, I also have to carefully manage my attention so that the tedium of repetition does not wear me down and cause me to quit.
You never quite realize how long five hours is until you have to relive the same three minutes a hundred times in a row.
Only a hundred more deaths to go. I'd lay the odds of me beating the third mission at around 50/50. Mission 4 is never going to happen.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Takedown: Red Sabre - 10/20 hours
I will say this for Takedown: Red Sabre its sales pitch was not lying when it said it did not play like a typical shooter. I don't know how to put it, exactly, but it feels like it goes out of its way to avoid artifacts that would make it feel like a game. The HUD is minimal, showing only your currently equipped weapon and how much ammo remained (though if they wanted to go really hardcore with that, they could remove even that, and only show you how many clips you have - it's not like real guns come with a digital ammo display). You also, technically, get a health meter, but as far as I can tell, it is green when you have not yet been shot, red when you have been shot at least once, and in either event completely useless, because being injured doesn't impair you and being uninjured is absolutely no guarantee that you won't die from a single enemy gunshot.
One thing that is notably absent is a crosshair for when you are not looking down your weapon's scope. While watching a video online (I was looking for something to point me towards the biolab's mission objectives, because of course it doesn't have objective markers) I heard it claimed this was because the game was supposed to discourage shooting from the hip.
And that's when I realized me and Takedown simply have irreconcilable differences. What I want out of a shooter is a fundamentally game-like experience. I want to be an action hero. I want to move quickly from enemy to enemy and make progress through the level with checkpoints for when I screw up. I want to know where I'm going and what I'm supposed to do (seriously, the HQ mission tells you to "destroy all the external hard drives" but does not tell you how many there are or where to find them).
Takedown: Red Sabre is not like that at all. It is less a game and more a manifesto. "You will go slowly" it says. "You will die unpredictably from enemy fire," it says. "Areas that appear safe will not be safe," it says (and then goes on to mutter under its breath, "but deadly threats will not necessarily be visible from cover, even if you wait a long time, so progress will be impossible without occasionally exposing yourself to a headshot from halfway across the map"). With Takedown you will not be getting a "watered down" shooter experience.
And while I've always been a bit suspicious of the phrase "watered down" (it always seems to be used by people trying to make a virtue of their ability to endure pain and inconvenience), I can appreciate Takedown's purity. Or, at least, I could if it would at least make some concessions to the fact that I am a person trying to play a game. I'm not talking much. Statistics tracking would be a godsend. Ninety-nine percent of the time (no hyperbole, either, I've been playing for 10 hours, and have only finished one mission - the biolab), I am going to die without completing the mission, so it would be nice if I could establish performance benchmarks and track "high scores." Also nice would be the ability to move the camera after I die, so I can see what killed me and not wander into the same damned trap time and again (which, you'd think would not be a problem, except that sometimes you're ambushed in a place you absolutely have to pass through, and killed in less time than it takes to scan the environment and find the enemy whose killing you). Health expressed in percentage terms. Being able to switch between which squadmate you control, so as to use the best weapon for any particular situation.
However, I have a feeling that Takedown is simply not a well polished game. There are things, mostly minor inconveniences, that have no conceivable reason for being the way they are (except, perhaps, lack of time, money, and quality control). For example, while in a mission, you cannot check to see how the controls are mapped. You have to exit the mission and go to the options screen off the main menu to do that. (This is especially glaring during the tutorial, when the game instructs you to do stuff while giving no hint whatsoever about how to do it). Similarly, being able to customize your squad's equipment would be an important aid in mission planning.
So far, Takedown: Red Sabre is really making me appreciate Dark Souls. While I was playing it, it frustrated me to no end, and often made me feel like I was being punished for failure, yet I now realize, that while it was not ideal, it actually did quite a bit to gently nudge me in the direction of progress and keep up my interest during those sagging "now you die 50 times in a row without advancing the story" sections. It's a shame that I could only realize how much Dark Souls actually did for me by playing a game that doesn't bother.
One thing that is notably absent is a crosshair for when you are not looking down your weapon's scope. While watching a video online (I was looking for something to point me towards the biolab's mission objectives, because of course it doesn't have objective markers) I heard it claimed this was because the game was supposed to discourage shooting from the hip.
And that's when I realized me and Takedown simply have irreconcilable differences. What I want out of a shooter is a fundamentally game-like experience. I want to be an action hero. I want to move quickly from enemy to enemy and make progress through the level with checkpoints for when I screw up. I want to know where I'm going and what I'm supposed to do (seriously, the HQ mission tells you to "destroy all the external hard drives" but does not tell you how many there are or where to find them).
Takedown: Red Sabre is not like that at all. It is less a game and more a manifesto. "You will go slowly" it says. "You will die unpredictably from enemy fire," it says. "Areas that appear safe will not be safe," it says (and then goes on to mutter under its breath, "but deadly threats will not necessarily be visible from cover, even if you wait a long time, so progress will be impossible without occasionally exposing yourself to a headshot from halfway across the map"). With Takedown you will not be getting a "watered down" shooter experience.
And while I've always been a bit suspicious of the phrase "watered down" (it always seems to be used by people trying to make a virtue of their ability to endure pain and inconvenience), I can appreciate Takedown's purity. Or, at least, I could if it would at least make some concessions to the fact that I am a person trying to play a game. I'm not talking much. Statistics tracking would be a godsend. Ninety-nine percent of the time (no hyperbole, either, I've been playing for 10 hours, and have only finished one mission - the biolab), I am going to die without completing the mission, so it would be nice if I could establish performance benchmarks and track "high scores." Also nice would be the ability to move the camera after I die, so I can see what killed me and not wander into the same damned trap time and again (which, you'd think would not be a problem, except that sometimes you're ambushed in a place you absolutely have to pass through, and killed in less time than it takes to scan the environment and find the enemy whose killing you). Health expressed in percentage terms. Being able to switch between which squadmate you control, so as to use the best weapon for any particular situation.
However, I have a feeling that Takedown is simply not a well polished game. There are things, mostly minor inconveniences, that have no conceivable reason for being the way they are (except, perhaps, lack of time, money, and quality control). For example, while in a mission, you cannot check to see how the controls are mapped. You have to exit the mission and go to the options screen off the main menu to do that. (This is especially glaring during the tutorial, when the game instructs you to do stuff while giving no hint whatsoever about how to do it). Similarly, being able to customize your squad's equipment would be an important aid in mission planning.
So far, Takedown: Red Sabre is really making me appreciate Dark Souls. While I was playing it, it frustrated me to no end, and often made me feel like I was being punished for failure, yet I now realize, that while it was not ideal, it actually did quite a bit to gently nudge me in the direction of progress and keep up my interest during those sagging "now you die 50 times in a row without advancing the story" sections. It's a shame that I could only realize how much Dark Souls actually did for me by playing a game that doesn't bother.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Takedown: Red Sabre - 6/20 hours
Though it's not a label I would necessarily apply to myself, it's hard to deny that I am, in fact, a "hardcore gamer." After all, I once installed a Skyrim mod to enable me to die of frostbite. Yet, Takedown: Red Sabre proves the inadequacy of such categories. When it comes to first person shooters, I'm not at all "hardcore." I'm not even "softcore." I'm more "marshmallow core."
What I like is to play as Salvador in Borderlands 2, and be able to just hold down the trigger buttons while vaguely pointing towards the enemy until everything around me is dead. And it is a testament to my lack of skill at this particular genre that I sometimes die as Salvador. So, as you might imagine, Takedown: Red Sabre is like a nightmare to me.
The fault probably lies with me. This game is almost undoubtedly meant for SWAT nerds - people who are deep into the minutiae of small unit tactics, and who can appreciate the nuance of all the various ways in which you get unceremoniously shot in the head.
On the other hand, I have my doubts about how realistic a simulation this game really is. Of all the various SWAT related news stories I've heard over the years, I can't recall any particular instance where the heavily armed and armored professionals were ever routed by terrorists, criminals, or private security. Usually, the forces of order have these sorts of situations well in hand.
Of course, part of the problem might be that Red Sabre is not, in fact, a modern military or police force, and thus has ramshackle armor, substandard weapons, and useless intelligence. That would seem to match my experiences of the game, where even choosing the "heavy armor" loadout does nothing to prevent me from dying in one hit and where I lack even basic intel (such as floorplans for the buildings I'm infiltrating or estimates about the number of foes I'm likely to face). It seems a little unfair to me to expect me to deal with all sorts of disadvantages in the name of "realism" and then deny me resources real special forces are able to call upon.
Yet, maybe the problem is actually that I do have all the advantages of a SWAT team, and I just don't have the knowledge and training to make use of those advantages. That seems plausible, and in a way, it doesn't even bother me that much, except this game does nothing to teach you the skills necessary to survive. It just throws you into the deep end and expects you to thrive.
That's something I can't abide in a sim. "Realistic" games can be frustrating, but there is something rewarding about learning about an aspect of the world you wouldn't normally be able to experience. Yet if that realism makes the game too inaccessible, it is difficult to learn anything from it.
For me, Takedown: Red Sabre falls on the wrong side of the line. I don't feel like I'm starting to think like a hardened mercenary. I feel like I'm pointlessly dying again and again, like a damned soul being forced to relive the last day of his iniquitous life as part of the punishments of hell.
I think I'll have to learn to take myself less seriously.
What I like is to play as Salvador in Borderlands 2, and be able to just hold down the trigger buttons while vaguely pointing towards the enemy until everything around me is dead. And it is a testament to my lack of skill at this particular genre that I sometimes die as Salvador. So, as you might imagine, Takedown: Red Sabre is like a nightmare to me.
The fault probably lies with me. This game is almost undoubtedly meant for SWAT nerds - people who are deep into the minutiae of small unit tactics, and who can appreciate the nuance of all the various ways in which you get unceremoniously shot in the head.
On the other hand, I have my doubts about how realistic a simulation this game really is. Of all the various SWAT related news stories I've heard over the years, I can't recall any particular instance where the heavily armed and armored professionals were ever routed by terrorists, criminals, or private security. Usually, the forces of order have these sorts of situations well in hand.
Of course, part of the problem might be that Red Sabre is not, in fact, a modern military or police force, and thus has ramshackle armor, substandard weapons, and useless intelligence. That would seem to match my experiences of the game, where even choosing the "heavy armor" loadout does nothing to prevent me from dying in one hit and where I lack even basic intel (such as floorplans for the buildings I'm infiltrating or estimates about the number of foes I'm likely to face). It seems a little unfair to me to expect me to deal with all sorts of disadvantages in the name of "realism" and then deny me resources real special forces are able to call upon.
Yet, maybe the problem is actually that I do have all the advantages of a SWAT team, and I just don't have the knowledge and training to make use of those advantages. That seems plausible, and in a way, it doesn't even bother me that much, except this game does nothing to teach you the skills necessary to survive. It just throws you into the deep end and expects you to thrive.
That's something I can't abide in a sim. "Realistic" games can be frustrating, but there is something rewarding about learning about an aspect of the world you wouldn't normally be able to experience. Yet if that realism makes the game too inaccessible, it is difficult to learn anything from it.
For me, Takedown: Red Sabre falls on the wrong side of the line. I don't feel like I'm starting to think like a hardened mercenary. I feel like I'm pointlessly dying again and again, like a damned soul being forced to relive the last day of his iniquitous life as part of the punishments of hell.
I think I'll have to learn to take myself less seriously.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Takedown: Red Sabre - 2/20 hours
As predicted, Takedown: Red Sabre is chewing me up and spitting me out. I'm finding it less a "thinking person's shooter" and more of a "masochist with lightning reflexes' shooter." There doesn't seem to be a great connection between my actions and decisions and the outcome of my mission. Generally, taking it slow seems to have some benefit, except when the enemy one-shots me from across the room, or when my crosshairs are right on its torso, but my bullets seem to have no effect. And carefully searching room-by-room is completely unpredictable in its efficacy. Sometimes, the enemy kills me quicker than my natural reaction time (seriously, makers of Takedown: Red Sabre - there is a measurable delay between when a human being sees something and when they are able to react to it - if your enemies can kill me in less than 250 milliseconds, there is basically no point in my playing the game).
Other times, the enemies will miss me with their weapons, or hit and fail to kill me, so I'm guessing that the intent is to model the unpredictable deadliness of a real gun fight. Anyone could be killed at any time, and it's not always fair. I suppose I get it. Yet, that is one of the many reasons I am not an amoral mercenary in real life.
Speaking of which, I'm not sure who this "Red Sabre" organization is, but I'm pretty sure that, were this an action movie, they'd be the villains. The first mission I played told me that I had to stop some terrorists because "exposure of Neogen's bioweapons research would harm its image." Um . . . good?
So, there is one advantage to being terrible at this game - by leading so many of Red Sabre's elite force of enforcers-for-hire to their untimely deaths, you could say that I, the player, am actually the biggest hero of all.
Other times, the enemies will miss me with their weapons, or hit and fail to kill me, so I'm guessing that the intent is to model the unpredictable deadliness of a real gun fight. Anyone could be killed at any time, and it's not always fair. I suppose I get it. Yet, that is one of the many reasons I am not an amoral mercenary in real life.
Speaking of which, I'm not sure who this "Red Sabre" organization is, but I'm pretty sure that, were this an action movie, they'd be the villains. The first mission I played told me that I had to stop some terrorists because "exposure of Neogen's bioweapons research would harm its image." Um . . . good?
So, there is one advantage to being terrible at this game - by leading so many of Red Sabre's elite force of enforcers-for-hire to their untimely deaths, you could say that I, the player, am actually the biggest hero of all.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Takedown: Red Sabre - Initial Thoughts
About the Game (From the Steam Store Page)
TAKEDOWN is a thinking-person’s shooter; brutal, hardcore and deadly - like the real thing. Not for the faint hearted, Takedown requires you to bring your 'A' game - FPS fans looking for an ultra hardcore experience only need apply!
The player that takes things slow, aims carefully, and plans their moves right will overcome the player who runs in with guns blazing. Close-quarters battle brings the fight inside, as you would see SWAT teams or SOF units taking down small numbers of dangerous adversaries. Non-linear environments allow for multiple routes and tactics and add replayability.
In recent years, shooters have become homogenized. There used to be a wide range of different games to choose, from run-and-gun action titles to slow-paced tactical shooters focusing on strategy and tactics, but now most shooters follow the same model of big set pieces, regenerating health, linear levels, and “cinematic experiences.” The realistic tactical shooters with in-depth planning have almost entirely disappeared in recent years.
This game focuses on realistic weapons modeling, squad based play, in a close-quarters battle setting. To succeed in this game you need to take things slow, study your environment, and execute flawlessly. If you get shot, there are consequences. You won’t be hiding behind a wall waiting for your health to regenerate. If a team member goes down, you will have to assess the situation and reallocate team members if necessary to complete the mission. Don’t expect all of the tools and plans to be forced fed to you – it is up to the player to ensure their team is equipped and ready for the tasks at hand. With features such as realistic bullet penetration, accuracy, and recoil, choosing the proper weapons, ammunition, armor, and gear for the mission is up to you, so choose carefully.
Gameplay modes include single player, co-op, and competitive multiplayer. If you are a fan of old school shooters where thinking meant more than running and gunning or perks, or if you are just looking for something different in your shooter games experience, this is the game for you.
Prior Play Time
0 hours
Previous Experience
None, my friend Travis bought this game specifically to torment me. I'm not sure what I did to earn his ire, but I happened (despite my resolution to come into these challenge games "fresh") to look down at the reviews, and I'm sure this will be penance for whatever misdeeds I may have performed.
Expectations
Low. Rock bottom, in fact. The game lost me the second it said "thinking person's shooter," I knew I was in for a rough ride. If I may flatter myself for a bit - I like to think of myself as a thinking person. I've been know to deliver the occasional bon mot, and, in rare instances, even make a trenchant observation or two. However, shooters, for me, are where this all breaks down. I like the big set pieces and "cinematic experiences" Takedown: Red Sabre's store page so derides. And I love running in with guns blazing. Consequently, I am pretty bad at even a normal shooter. This one is going to kill me so many times.
I'm going to have to try and laugh at it. Otherwise, I might cry.
TAKEDOWN is a thinking-person’s shooter; brutal, hardcore and deadly - like the real thing. Not for the faint hearted, Takedown requires you to bring your 'A' game - FPS fans looking for an ultra hardcore experience only need apply!
The player that takes things slow, aims carefully, and plans their moves right will overcome the player who runs in with guns blazing. Close-quarters battle brings the fight inside, as you would see SWAT teams or SOF units taking down small numbers of dangerous adversaries. Non-linear environments allow for multiple routes and tactics and add replayability.
In recent years, shooters have become homogenized. There used to be a wide range of different games to choose, from run-and-gun action titles to slow-paced tactical shooters focusing on strategy and tactics, but now most shooters follow the same model of big set pieces, regenerating health, linear levels, and “cinematic experiences.” The realistic tactical shooters with in-depth planning have almost entirely disappeared in recent years.
This game focuses on realistic weapons modeling, squad based play, in a close-quarters battle setting. To succeed in this game you need to take things slow, study your environment, and execute flawlessly. If you get shot, there are consequences. You won’t be hiding behind a wall waiting for your health to regenerate. If a team member goes down, you will have to assess the situation and reallocate team members if necessary to complete the mission. Don’t expect all of the tools and plans to be forced fed to you – it is up to the player to ensure their team is equipped and ready for the tasks at hand. With features such as realistic bullet penetration, accuracy, and recoil, choosing the proper weapons, ammunition, armor, and gear for the mission is up to you, so choose carefully.
Gameplay modes include single player, co-op, and competitive multiplayer. If you are a fan of old school shooters where thinking meant more than running and gunning or perks, or if you are just looking for something different in your shooter games experience, this is the game for you.
Prior Play Time
0 hours
Previous Experience
None, my friend Travis bought this game specifically to torment me. I'm not sure what I did to earn his ire, but I happened (despite my resolution to come into these challenge games "fresh") to look down at the reviews, and I'm sure this will be penance for whatever misdeeds I may have performed.
Expectations
Low. Rock bottom, in fact. The game lost me the second it said "thinking person's shooter," I knew I was in for a rough ride. If I may flatter myself for a bit - I like to think of myself as a thinking person. I've been know to deliver the occasional bon mot, and, in rare instances, even make a trenchant observation or two. However, shooters, for me, are where this all breaks down. I like the big set pieces and "cinematic experiences" Takedown: Red Sabre's store page so derides. And I love running in with guns blazing. Consequently, I am pretty bad at even a normal shooter. This one is going to kill me so many times.
I'm going to have to try and laugh at it. Otherwise, I might cry.
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