Just finished playing for a few hours. Haven't done too much yet.
- Probably the most story focused opening I've seen in an open world crime game of this type in a long time, most likely since Mafia 2. The first 90 minutes-2 hours are basically a montage of quick gameplay scenarios, traditional cutscenes, and documentary footage/interviews setting up the meat of the game. Very, very interesting storytelling style. Cutscenes are well done, easily a cut above any comparable open world games in cinematography and writing. Almost feels like the kind of flair that MachineGames gave Wolfenstein: The New Order. Performances are good, quickly establishing many characters and creating a nice energy right out of the gate.
- Combat mechanics are very snappy. Playing on medium with no aim assist, the few shootouts I've been in so far have been scrappy and physical. Guns have heavy recoil and hit feedback on mooks feels solid. The cover system is basic, but works how you'd expect, and cover swapping is very quick. No GTA awkwardness here. I haven't done nearly enough to judge the AI yet, so we'll see.
- Driving with the "simulation" option feels good. Cars shift their weight and can lose traction in a similar way to Mafia 2/GTAIV, but never to the point that it feels sloppy or loose. Damage modeling is weak though, which makes those big heavy crashes lose a little of their punch. I wish the cars had crumple zones similar to GTAIV, even if these 60s gas guzzlers were tough.
- I'm pretty sure some people are going to take issue with some of the daytime lighting, but I actually like what they're doing here visually. During the day the game has a baked, bleached look to it when you're facing the sun, almost like a "nostalgia" filter in a period film. I'm frequently reminded of the way sunlight works in Assassin's Creed Syndicate actually. At night it takes on a cooler hue with lots of lights and neon popping off the downtown areas. Very bloom heavy and hazy. Some ground/wall textures are a bit eeehhhh, but the overall art direction is strong. Great interiors, use of lighting, big chunky characters and vehicles, strong city design, etc.
- My only glaring negative right now is lack of HUD options. At the very least there should be a rearview mirror and speed gauge toggle, but I also want to turn off the mini-map sometimes. The screen is just needlessly surrounded by things when you're in a vehicle and have mission objectives.
I haven't gotten into the city takeover gameplay yet (the icons aren't even on the map), but I like it so far. Very story heavy upfront and lays a good foundation for the violence to come. I'm right on the cusp of the game opening up. Curious what the rumored day 1 patch will address. I already downloaded a 100mb update.
Also: Hood rolls/slides are great, and every open world game needs them
