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[Claptrap]

I played the PS4 version at gamescom and it looked great!
As to the gameplay complaints, I kinda sucked at the game, died a lot, but there was not enough time to get used to all gameplay mechanics.

 

[Omega]

I'm pretty sure the Alien is pre-loaded into certain areas as you enter them, so even if you thought you outsmarted the Alien and left it behind in the last section of the level, walk into the next section and it somehow made it there ahead of you. This is particularly noticeable if you walk into a new region and then back into the old one. First you'll see the Alien in the new section, then it'll be back in the old section of the level before you even round the last corner.

looks like i'll be skipping this

 

[Cave Johnson]

So basically, they can spot you easily.


Having watched Alien again recently, this is basically how the alien acted/appeared out of nowhere in the final act.

If that's the way how the developers are basing their mechanics on then it's no wonder we have frustrated previews like these. There's a difference between an effective mechanic and a cheating one, so far SEGA has decided to shorthand the experience with this.

 

[dlauv]

That gametrailers video made me genuinely jump.

Spoiler

The alien was running above him on the grate then ran off, and he was below the grate in the ducts, fiddling with his motion tracker. He went into a vent and the tracker was detecting from different sides and then in front of him. He paused, nothing was showing up at all, but it was smokey and the DOF was blurring, then out of that, the gigantic alien is crawling at him at a speed that isn't fast so much as hopeless considering the player's speed. It was great.

 

[Net_Wrecker]

Highlights some of my fears with this game. In concept its a great idea, but the execution can end up feeling artificial or "cheap" very, very easily, especially over the course of multiple hours where the tricks start to become apparent.

 

[FleetFeet]

The first two minutes of the CVG comparison are very strange, with the washed out look, but the final minute or so it seems to be corrected. It looked much better once that was fixed.

 

[Smackodon]

I've been wary of this game since it was first unveiled, so finally seeing some disappointing previews isn't surprising. It's a decent idea for a short, $20 game, but not some big full price game with DLC content like they're developing.

 

[thehillissilent]

The more I think about it, the more I think that they should let a human control the alien in some sort of mutliplayer mode where they are always stalking the player. The reason I say this is because people are already seeing how the AI works in this game, which sounds disappointing.

 

[ChawlieTheFair]

So, alien has the sense of smell and is always near us?

Still not problem for me. But lets see how will campaign play out, will it become boring or too extended.

Isn't this exactly what they said? I'm almost positive the devs said it tracks you by "smell"

 

[LoveCake]

There is another video here from the same event with PC & PS4 in game footage & the differences are the same as in the CVG video, they switch from PC to PS4 in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGpwonNgFSY

That cannot be what they are releasing on the PS4, there is something clearly not right with it, we need to dig deeper.

 

[Cave Johnson]

Isn't this exactly what they said? I'm almost positive the devs said it tracks you by "smell"

Wasn't there a preview where one of the players hid behind the locker and the Alien was up close in the sight grills only to move away when it suspected the player wasn't there? If it tracked by smell then hiding in a locker doesn't make any sense gameplay or narrative wise. There's no mechanic they've noted that you can cover up your scent. On the other hand, the "awareness" cue they've noted is through sound.

 

[Currygan]

not surprising at all. It definitely sounded too ambitious. It's sad to see those who believed in it with another disappointment in their hands

 

[Jito]

People in here "game sounds hard, WILL NOT BUY". Guess most of you aren't survival horror / horror fans anyway by the sounds of it, you'll be missing out.

 

[Riposte]

What if they said "Ah, but there is more than one alien"?

 

[jacksepticeye]

Kind of disappointing if the Alien is always on your ass like that. It's tense at first but I could see it getting very annoying later in the game.

Also the people in here trying to explain WHY the Alien knows you're there, it's a game and still needs to feel fair and balanced. It doesnt have to make perfect sense

 

[dark10x]

Dunno if better AA is responsible for this kind of picture quality difference though:

It's clear that the PS4 was set to RGB limited but their capture equipment was set to RGB full.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

Clearly there is something wrong with the PS4 footage. Wrong settings on TV, PS4, or issue during recording.

Anyway, I played it at EGX Rezzed and thought that it was fun + scary at the same time. Looked gorgeous - I was in the "PS4" queue, which actually meant a PC with a X360 controller l o l...

I hope it doesn't suffer the same fate as CM.

Also, to those saying that the alien is frustrating, I think it's supposed to be incredibly difficult.

 

[EL CUCO]

looks like i'll be skipping this

Eww. That's incredibly cheap. I can smell the 6-7/10's from here.

 

[sajj316]

It's clear that the PS4 was set to RGB limited but their capture equipment was set to RGB full.

This is what I suspect as well. I'll wait for a DF article with full comparison.

 

[derExperte]

I've never played a good Aliens game. I won't hold my breath.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_versus_Predator_(1999_video_game)

And the second one. Was scary as can be when playing as a marine, it's almost impossible to top that.

 

[ldcommando]

Dat rubberband A.i.
All that trouble just to be hit by a blue shell near the finish line.

 

[Azure Wolf]

I've never played a good Aliens game. I won't hold my breath.

2 you should check out:



http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/Aliens_(1990_video_game)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_vs._Predator_(arcade_game)

 

[Spineker]

Creative Assembly struggling with A.I, who would've thought.

 

[EGM1966]

Quite a few previews were very positive on gameplay so I'm not going to assume the worst yet - particularly when it's not clear if this was artificial build for games how or not.

As for teleporting Alien I expect that TBH. They're trying to capture the feel of the first film - the Alien has to stay somewhat close to you for this to work.

Sure in reality if you manage to sneak off then it would be clear run to escape with the Alien deciding to putter about one bit of the station while you're elsewhere - but that would make for a shit film and a shit game.

Going to take full reviews to get real idea of how well the artificial balance (bringing Alien into section of station you're on) works with realistic balance (your ability to dodge it / trick it / hide) and get to the next section or narrative goal I'd say.

 

[jacksepticeye]

Quite a few previews were very positive on gameplay so I'm not going to assume the worst yet - particularly when it's not clear if this was artificial build for games how or not.

As for teleporting Alien I expect that TBH. They're trying to capture the feel of the first film - the Alien has to stay somewhat close to you for this to work.

Sure in reality if you manage to sneak off then it would be clear run to escape with the Alien deciding to putter about one bit of the station while you're elsewhere - but that would make for a shit film and a shit game.

Going to take full reviews to get real idea of how well the artificial balance (bringing Alien into section of station you're on) works with realistic balance (your ability to dodge it / trick it / hide) and get to the next section or narrative goal I'd say.

The problem is the movie isnt hours long with dozens or so encounters. You cant really compare them. Its all well and good to capture that feel but after a while it becomes exhausting and tedious to deal with AI like that.

Amnesia had the same issues towards the second half, it stopped being scary and became formulaic and frustrating

 

[Haunted]

It mirrors what Brad and Jeff from GB said about it, it seems like the gameplay balance isn't quite there yet.

We all praised the videos and screens for nailing the atmosphere and look, and that's a great first step, but it's delicate with horror games. Since immersion is key, it's easy for a small thing to mess up your whole setup. In this case, it seems bad AI leading to harsh (and sometimes unclear) fail states seem to be the culprit.

 

[EGM1966]

The problem is the movie isnt hours long with dozens or so encounters. You cant really compare them. Its all well and good to capture that feel but after a while it becomes exhausting and tedious to deal with AI like that.

Amnesia had the same issues towards the second half, it stopkped being scary and became formulaic and frustrating

That's the challenge they have. Given they're trying to capture feel of the film not sure what you would compare it to.

I agree the real test is can you take that kind of artificial tension and sustain it over duration of say 8 hours? I'm not sure and of course after a while being chewed up is going to wear off in impact.

My point was really that to have any hope of maintains tension and threat there will have to be some cheating with AI and mechanics.

 

[Owwari]

Great, just what we all needed, rigged PC vs console footage.

 

[FaustsBoon]

Dat rubberband A.i.
All that trouble just to be hit by a blue shell near the finish line.

The wife and I have been playing a lot of Wii U Mario Kart together, and your analogy is the most timely and perfect way to make me, "nope" this game purchase.

Nothing feels worse than a "game" cheating, especially when they can't be bothered to elegantly hide it behind a better "curtain".

 

[7DollarHagane]

I had a feeling this one would be a stinker.

It probably needed that delay to 2015 like a lot of games got but they probably figured with the release schedule drying up it was their chance to be featured this holiday.

If they delayed to early 2015 they're running into a lot of big competition as well, at a time when games sell less on average.

 

[345triangle]

It also cheats. I'm pretty sure the Alien is pre-loaded into certain areas as you enter them, so even if you thought you outsmarted the Alien and left it behind in the last section of the level, walk into the next section and it somehow made it there ahead of you. This is particularly noticeable if you walk into a new region and then back into the old one. First you'll see the Alien in the new section, then it'll be back in the old section of the level before you even round the last corner.

i don't really know how the game would be possible without this being the case. how else could it maintain any kind of coherent narrative at all? maybe there are better ways to paper over the gaps, but it's unrealistic to expect a singular AI to form the basis of the entire game.

it's not like alien the movie explained exactly how the alien made it to each scene.

 

[Wind's Howling]

Did people truly expect an AI that would live its own life in the game? If that were the case some people would have playthroughs where they barely make contact with the Alien. You need to have parts where the alien basically transports to your hub because the tension needs to be there.

 

[Tybolt]

I'm not too well-versed in this game's mechanics, what's with the huge stall each time a door opens with a little low-pitch humming? Does it stop to load that much, or is it something the player's doing off-screen like using some kind of scanner?

 

[Magic Mushroom]

What I played at Gamescom didn't feel cheap at all, but then again, I only played for ten to fifteen minutes or so.

 

[Carlius]

cant wait to play this on very hard. gonna be amazing

 

[Shinta]

Just based on the quotes, it sounds like they're frustrated because they suck at the game.

That's always my first explanation until I actually see otherwise. Reviewers are notorious for blaming a game when they can't keep up in a short time.

 

[Hubb]

Regarding the gameplay, I noticed something similar in The Last of Us. If you hid behind cover and hadn't been spotted, enemies would hover around your location and slowly track directly to you. This would be all right if the AI was checking behind other cover or in other locations, but they gravitate immediately in your direction. It was really off-putting for a game that touted choice in gameplay.

I'm hoping this game doesn't suffer the same problem seeing as how there's only one enemy.

That isn't how the AI in TLoU works.

 

[DieH@rd]

Just based on the quotes, it sounds like they're frustrated because they suck at the game.

That's always my first explanation until I actually see otherwise. Reviewers are notorious for blaming a game when they can't keep up in a short time.

Gametrailers vid is best so far, plus they said that demo defaulted to hardest difficulty.

My friend played the demo on Gamescom, and he confirmed that alien is ALWAYS close to you on that difficulty.

 

[whatevermort]

looks like i'll be skipping this

So how would you rather it was handled? You can trap the alien in the first part of the game and then never meet it for the rest of the duration? It's one alien. It will have to respawn in different areas to keep the threat up.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Hmm, the extended IGN demo seems to show very little in terms of frustration. They emphasis player choice a lot, seems possible that's what caught the PCW crew off guard?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6wCHHXSXRA

 

[scitek]

Dunno if better AA is responsible for this kind of picture quality difference though:

No, that's whomever made the video not knowing how to properly set up the video capture hardware for the PS4 video.

EDIT: How did they actually go through with editing this together and everything and not think twice about it? There's no reason the two should look different when it comes to gamma like that. Ridiculous. And I can't find a job at one of these places.

 

[Pops Maellard]

That doesn't sound frustrating at all.

 

[Yoday]

Outside of the gamma being out of whack the two versions look identical to me. Even the AA seems to be pretty similar with the PC version possibly having a very slight edge.

 

[gofreak]

I had an impression that this would be a kind of sandbox-y thing where it was just you and the AI on a level playing field. But I guess there's going to be 'controls' to help massage you down the story path. That might be alright if it's not too blatant or doesn't feel too cheap, but we'll see. I've had really high hopes for this so hope it's good.

 

[jacksepticeye]

That's the challenge they have. Given they're trying to capture feel of the film not sure what you would compare it to.

I agree the real test is can you take that kind of artificial tension and sustain it over duration of say 8 hours? I'm not sure and of course after a while being chewed up is going to wear off in impact.

My point was really that to have any hope of maintains tension and threat there will have to be some cheating with AI and mechanics.

Well that's the thing, it shouldn't be about maintaining tension for hours on end, that's exhausting and you run out of ideas fast.

The best horror games pace themselves well with lulls to bring down that tension and reset yourself.

I just hope this game doesn't throw it's bag of tricks at us in the first 2 hours and the rest is all too predictable

I had an impression that this would be a kind of sandbox-y thing where it was just you and the AI on a level playing field. But I guess there's going to be 'controls' to help massage you down the story path. That might be alright if it's not too blatant or doesn't feel too cheap, but we'll see. I've had really high hopes for this so hope it's good.

Sandbox environments tend to lead to less scary experiences, at least pure open world types. Horror is best done in a linear fashion

 

[Shin-Ra]

This is what I suspect as well. I'll wait for a DF article with full comparison.

They don't always get it right either.

There are some differences though, like the "Genetic Storage" sign missing from PS4 at the start, but the only logical conclusion for that is the PC's running a newer build with those extra assets added.

 

[LowParry]

It's way too early to dismiss the game. Every player will have their own experiences. From frustrating hard to super easy. I personally am getting the game so I will lend my opinion when the game comes out. I tend to trust more of what people say here on GAF than previews or reviews.

 

[EGM1966]

Well that's the thing, it shouldn't be about maintaining tension for hours on end, that's exhausting and you run out of ideas fast.

The best horror games pace themselves well with lulls to bring down that tension and reset yourself.

I just hope this game doesn't throw it's bag of tricks at us in the first 2 hours and the rest is all too predictable



Sandbox environments tend to lead to less scary experiences, at least pure open world types. Horror is best done in a linear fashion

I'm just guessing but given there are human/android threats and possibly environment threats I'm guessing over the total game they'll use those to change the pace.

Having you always juggling the Alien would indeed be very hard to keep fresh and sustained.

Hopefully there will be extended sections of threat will Alien then more downtime with other lesser threats or some exploration.

 

[op_ivy]

Halfway to the objective, I come around a corner and find the Alien waiting for me. I die. I restart from my last save point. I hurry back to the cutscene trigger—the ceiling light falls down, the Alien comes out of the ceiling, I hide under the gurney, it walks off, I walk off. This time I'm caught trying to mess with a door's access panel. I die. I hurry back to the cutscene trigger—the ceiling light falls down a third time, the Alien comes out of the ceiling, I hide under the gurney, it walks off, I walk off, I die, I hurry back to the cutscene trig—you get the idea.

all of my fears

 

[Tertullian]

Yeah, that's too bad. The Alien's mechanics and AI really needs to be absolutely top notch for this to work. I'm afraid it's going to be a bit like playing Left 4 Dead: the special infected seem scary and unpredictable for the first 2 hours, then you realize that their behavior, mechanics, spawn points, and such are entirely predictable and not really all that sophisticated.