LukasAri
2008
Ok so first thing's first: Unreal Engine 3 still looks absolutely fantastic in 2023, especially this game. Just goes to show the longevity of strong art direction :)
Coming back from Catalyst this game does feel slower by comparison at first, and I definitely had some Catalyst-muscle memory which caused issues in the beginning (due to the fact I had to use slightly different keybindings to what I would've preferred), but it doesn't take long to get back into the groove of things anyway. The story is pretty straightforward, especially compared to Catalyst's... thing. It's simple, it's nothing special on its own, but at least it's not bad. You're here for the parkour movement system anyway, which: it's good. I like it. Not gonna lie tho, it can get a bit clunky and almost trial-and-error at times, but 99.99% of the time it works the way it should and is heaps of fun. I will say Catalyst at least improved to some extent in this regard compared to the original Mirror's Edge. But I've never thought this was an outright "bad" game.
Now, I'm no speedrunner by any means and hold no delusions to the contrary, but every time I can keep a momentum, or even get from one point to another even slightly faster than the beaten path would've gotten me, I get to feel a fraction of the pride that many speedrunners no doubt live for, which is nice. Genuinely. I don't strive to be the best and fastest but the adrenaline and sense of accomplishment is real.
And, I'd be remiss not to mention the stellar soundtrack by Solar Fields, which I actually still listen to semi-regularly! None of it is bad. All of it is good. Fits the atmosphere and mood perfectly. Even my least favourite level has an absolute banger of an accompanying score (which is almost evocative in my head of certain Unreal Tournament tracks?? Probably coincidence, but cool nonetheless).
--
Favourite level(s): Flight, Heat, Kate, The Shard
Least favourite level: The Boat (edit: also FUCK that one section in Pirandello Kruger. If you know you know)
Coming back from Catalyst this game does feel slower by comparison at first, and I definitely had some Catalyst-muscle memory which caused issues in the beginning (due to the fact I had to use slightly different keybindings to what I would've preferred), but it doesn't take long to get back into the groove of things anyway. The story is pretty straightforward, especially compared to Catalyst's... thing. It's simple, it's nothing special on its own, but at least it's not bad. You're here for the parkour movement system anyway, which: it's good. I like it. Not gonna lie tho, it can get a bit clunky and almost trial-and-error at times, but 99.99% of the time it works the way it should and is heaps of fun. I will say Catalyst at least improved to some extent in this regard compared to the original Mirror's Edge. But I've never thought this was an outright "bad" game.
Now, I'm no speedrunner by any means and hold no delusions to the contrary, but every time I can keep a momentum, or even get from one point to another even slightly faster than the beaten path would've gotten me, I get to feel a fraction of the pride that many speedrunners no doubt live for, which is nice. Genuinely. I don't strive to be the best and fastest but the adrenaline and sense of accomplishment is real.
And, I'd be remiss not to mention the stellar soundtrack by Solar Fields, which I actually still listen to semi-regularly! None of it is bad. All of it is good. Fits the atmosphere and mood perfectly. Even my least favourite level has an absolute banger of an accompanying score (which is almost evocative in my head of certain Unreal Tournament tracks?? Probably coincidence, but cool nonetheless).
--
Favourite level(s): Flight, Heat, Kate, The Shard
Least favourite level: The Boat (edit: also FUCK that one section in Pirandello Kruger. If you know you know)
2005
good source port for modability
not vanilla-faithful however, but i don't care and neither does my boomer dad
not vanilla-faithful however, but i don't care and neither does my boomer dad
1995
First 3 episodes are good, clean fun
I figured by E4M2 the fourth episode was just having a lend of me so I just skipped the rest and moved on to Doom II (and therefore can't speak to the quality of the rest of Thy Flesh Consumed)
I figured by E4M2 the fourth episode was just having a lend of me so I just skipped the rest and moved on to Doom II (and therefore can't speak to the quality of the rest of Thy Flesh Consumed)
Gameplay itself is nice, clean fun. Super Shotgun is OP, I love it, and I liked the new enemies that were introduced as well (hearing an idle Archvile (or even worse, an alert one) definitely had me going "!!!!"). I went back to Doom 1 to trawl through the secret levels, which I'd missed on my first playthrough, and found myself missing the Super Shotty and the monster variety. Doom 2's worth it for that alone.
My favourite vanilla levels were probably MAP08 (Tricks and Traps) and MAP23 (Barrels O' Fun), oh and MAP31+MAP32, the Wolfenstein easter egg secret levels. But for the most part I actually do agree with a lot of gripes expressed in other reviews regarding the level design, which is where it loses half a star for me compared to Doom 1. As most of us know the development of this game was a little rushed - and it shows in places. I felt myself getting a little burnt out towards the end - not that I wanted to stop playing the game necessarily, more that I was wanting Doom 2's vanilla campaign specifically to just end soon. I think the lack of actual episodes like there were in Doom 1, rather just one big protracted thing with small intermissions but no explicit delineation between "episodes", also didn't help.
I like a good modding scene, and Classic Doom (1 and 2)'s is still going strong 30+ years on. I'm probably still gonna play Doom 2 to delve into some mods I have lined up and am excited to explore.
My favourite vanilla levels were probably MAP08 (Tricks and Traps) and MAP23 (Barrels O' Fun), oh and MAP31+MAP32, the Wolfenstein easter egg secret levels. But for the most part I actually do agree with a lot of gripes expressed in other reviews regarding the level design, which is where it loses half a star for me compared to Doom 1. As most of us know the development of this game was a little rushed - and it shows in places. I felt myself getting a little burnt out towards the end - not that I wanted to stop playing the game necessarily, more that I was wanting Doom 2's vanilla campaign specifically to just end soon. I think the lack of actual episodes like there were in Doom 1, rather just one big protracted thing with small intermissions but no explicit delineation between "episodes", also didn't help.
I like a good modding scene, and Classic Doom (1 and 2)'s is still going strong 30+ years on. I'm probably still gonna play Doom 2 to delve into some mods I have lined up and am excited to explore.