CM7: Wolfenstein, Dead Space: Extraction & Shadow Complex
Sinan Kubba and Joe DeLia discuss the trials and tribulations of the Wolfenstein reprise, the genre-bending thrills of Dead Space: Extraction, and the shrine to Metroid that is Shadow Complex.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:05 — 33.0MB)
I disagree with what Joe said about Shadow Complex being well designed and how once you’ve beaten the game you might as well get the rest of the items because they’re so easy to find. I found that marking where they are on the map took away a lot of the challenge. Furthermore, I didn’t find that there was much in the way of puzzles in the game. It was mostly just hitting the right barrier with the right item. As such, the whole collecting element felt more like padding than anything as it relied more on running back to previous areas with new equipment than it did close observation or puzzle solving. Even worse is that the items are by and large so useless that the’re no even worth finding. Not that I didn’t do a fair bit of collecting myself, but I generally felt stupid for doing so.
I agree that Shadow Complex isn’t challenging, and the puzzles weren’t particularly difficult, although there were a few hard-to-find collectibles here and there. I don’t think that’s to the game’s demerit, though. I really would disagree with calling it padding, since it’s effectively the second aim of the game, the first being to complete it. As someone who’s got 500 orbs in Crackdown, I applaud the help given to me to get 100% of SC’s items. Not knowing where to look in the vastness of Crackdown made getting those orbs painfully difficult to get. It was that I enjoyed Crackdown that much that I was able to get through it. I think maybe there could’ve been a few harder-to-get collectibles, but clearly Epic weren’t focused on making this game difficult. Think of it as a translation of Metroidvania games for the more quick-fix, accessible age of gaming that we are in now.
I’m a fan of amped up difficulty in games, but there is a huge difference between challenging and annoying. Had Shadow Complex not given hints about the locations of each item, it would a) annoyed the hell out of those who truly wanted to max out their character, and b) completely dissuaded those who were on the fence about getting 100%. It wouldn’t have been fun in the least…the way that they went was truly the only possible choice.
I can understand that. I guess I’m just less OCD about 100%ing my games. My arbitrary goal in Crackdown was to max out my jumping to level 5, which is actually just the same as level 4, but you get an achievement for it. And I don’t even care about achievements. It just gave me some goal that sounded fun to do, but was still within reason. All 500 though? You’re crazy, man.
Yeah, it wasn’t the best use of my time. But man, at least now I have something to brag about when it comes to the gamertag-waving contests. I may not have GamerScore, but I have 500 orbs biatch!
You are a better man than I….my 432 seems puny and inconsequential by comparison.