- Joined
- Jun 18, 2018
- Messages
- 433
I was surprised there's no thread for these games. I played them both in the span of the last year, liked both more than Hollow Knight or Metroid Fusion (which I also went through in the same timespan), and could heartily recommend them to fellow Codexers. These are both very good games - if quite different from one another - that have great gameplay, atmosphere, and soundtracks. They are pretty cheap at this point, go on sale quite often, and are available on all usual platforms.
The games are quite different. The first is a bit more of a classical example of the genre. It sports a heavy, oppresive-yet-filled-with-wonder atmosphere of you needing to figure out what the hell is going on in a world seemingly governed by Nyarlathothep-like retarded gods and then try to return home. You get a vast array of guns, a nifty tool allowing you to alter the way the world around you works, and several mobility powerups doled out as you proceed through the game. The second game is very different - it tries to go for a hunter-in-a-strange-land approach, where you're mostly outfitted with melee weaponry, get a simple stealth system, and are encouraged to avoid unnecessary combat. The MC here is also somewhat more in control of their situation, and you meet other people, which gives off a less oppressive vibe. Their stories are distantly entwined but are perfectly playable as standalone games.
The only thing I disliked about these games was that they generally have a "correct" progression path, with very few situations where at-will exploration will net you anything other than non-critical power-ups. Still, I don't think I've yet seen a MV game where this wouldn't be the case.
I'd suggest going through the first game first - I loved its atmosphere, and I think it handles worldbuilding better by keeping the player in the dark for a bit longer. There's a straightforward, but nifty idea governing the AV-verse and the second part pretty much explains it all in the first hours of the game, which spoils some of the uncertainty and WTF moments of the first part.
The games are quite different. The first is a bit more of a classical example of the genre. It sports a heavy, oppresive-yet-filled-with-wonder atmosphere of you needing to figure out what the hell is going on in a world seemingly governed by Nyarlathothep-like retarded gods and then try to return home. You get a vast array of guns, a nifty tool allowing you to alter the way the world around you works, and several mobility powerups doled out as you proceed through the game. The second game is very different - it tries to go for a hunter-in-a-strange-land approach, where you're mostly outfitted with melee weaponry, get a simple stealth system, and are encouraged to avoid unnecessary combat. The MC here is also somewhat more in control of their situation, and you meet other people, which gives off a less oppressive vibe. Their stories are distantly entwined but are perfectly playable as standalone games.
The only thing I disliked about these games was that they generally have a "correct" progression path, with very few situations where at-will exploration will net you anything other than non-critical power-ups. Still, I don't think I've yet seen a MV game where this wouldn't be the case.
I'd suggest going through the first game first - I loved its atmosphere, and I think it handles worldbuilding better by keeping the player in the dark for a bit longer. There's a straightforward, but nifty idea governing the AV-verse and the second part pretty much explains it all in the first hours of the game, which spoils some of the uncertainty and WTF moments of the first part.
