It's difficult to evaluate this game because you basically have to judge it as two games. Single player and co-op playthroughs could not be any more different.
Let's start with this: if you are getting the game with playing online or local with a friend in mind, you will have such an amazing time. As a multiplayer game it is great. There is real teamwork going on, managing each other's inventory. You get seperated and have to cover each other. This is where the game shines.
If you are getting this as a single player game, it is SO BAD. oh my God. It is a terrible game. None of the intended mechanics work because Sheva's Ai ruins everything.
This is common knowledge if you are familiar with the game, but it really needs to be emphasized how she ruins every single mechanic.
You can't give her any weapons with ammo. Give her a machine gun with 2 clips? She will empty out all of it in 30 seconds into a wall. Or into one zombie. So already you can't operate efficiently because you can't have your other character with a reliable weapon to cover you. So you have to carry all the weapons, maybe she carries the ammo. She wastes your healing items right away. If you take just a few hits, and you want to save your full heal for later, she will chase you until she can use it on you. You also have to babysit her health bar and heal her when she eventually stands out in the open and takes damage.
She does not help you or interact with you at any moment that's notable in the game. The puzzle near the middle is the biggest example, it's this big room that takes time and with team work you can get it done faster.
The ai is so awful that they knew she'd make the room a nightmare. So she refuses to help you during any point in the puzzle.
I kid you not, there is a platform the devs just threw into the level, JUST so they can put Sheva somewhere where she won't get in the way. They knew how bad it was. And it still released this way.
The game as it is, is quite fun! You have set pieces that work quite well. But the story is almost incoherent and nonsensical. And most of the bosses are just annoying.
The presentation however is something remarkable. The color palette can be dull, but the animations, cutscenes etc are all top quality and billing here. It feels like a really high budget action film 90% of the time.
While it is entertaining, the game has existing self baked problems that are then magnified by the ai partner. So I think that in total encompasses too much of the game to give it a high score. I thought it was fun overall, but I never really want to replay it again.
Let's start with this: if you are getting the game with playing online or local with a friend in mind, you will have such an amazing time. As a multiplayer game it is great. There is real teamwork going on, managing each other's inventory. You get seperated and have to cover each other. This is where the game shines.
If you are getting this as a single player game, it is SO BAD. oh my God. It is a terrible game. None of the intended mechanics work because Sheva's Ai ruins everything.
This is common knowledge if you are familiar with the game, but it really needs to be emphasized how she ruins every single mechanic.
You can't give her any weapons with ammo. Give her a machine gun with 2 clips? She will empty out all of it in 30 seconds into a wall. Or into one zombie. So already you can't operate efficiently because you can't have your other character with a reliable weapon to cover you. So you have to carry all the weapons, maybe she carries the ammo. She wastes your healing items right away. If you take just a few hits, and you want to save your full heal for later, she will chase you until she can use it on you. You also have to babysit her health bar and heal her when she eventually stands out in the open and takes damage.
She does not help you or interact with you at any moment that's notable in the game. The puzzle near the middle is the biggest example, it's this big room that takes time and with team work you can get it done faster.
The ai is so awful that they knew she'd make the room a nightmare. So she refuses to help you during any point in the puzzle.
I kid you not, there is a platform the devs just threw into the level, JUST so they can put Sheva somewhere where she won't get in the way. They knew how bad it was. And it still released this way.
The game as it is, is quite fun! You have set pieces that work quite well. But the story is almost incoherent and nonsensical. And most of the bosses are just annoying.
The presentation however is something remarkable. The color palette can be dull, but the animations, cutscenes etc are all top quality and billing here. It feels like a really high budget action film 90% of the time.
While it is entertaining, the game has existing self baked problems that are then magnified by the ai partner. So I think that in total encompasses too much of the game to give it a high score. I thought it was fun overall, but I never really want to replay it again.