All of us screaming support from our corpses. One moment that stands out was Phill's desperate run to reach the end of a level, the rest of us dead, waiting for the elevator to arrive. Jim:: As we did on the Mall level, quite a bit. It's not always a linear path, and you can often choose to tackle different objectives, and take different routes. But it's worth noting that many of the levels are open ended. Jim:: Hmm, kind of a tough one, because it's generally: shout, burn aliens, and then either die, or complete the level. Tell a story from today's play, James Xavier Rossignol. John:: So we should describe our experiences. John:: And this is a small thing, but it makes such a massive difference that it loads the level before the lobby, so you go straight into it. Jim:: Yeah, that's my favourite kind of levelling. So a level 11 playing with a level 1 matters not a jot. And it doesn't make you better at the game. John:: There's no levelling trees, just new items unlocked. I was almost surprised to see it, but I guess I shouldn't have been. John:: And there's levelling up, getting you access to more weapons and items. Officer, Special Weapons, Medic, Tech, and those equate to some specific bits of equipment. And we should mention they have four classes, even though you don't need to take all four. How your four men are equipped really matters. Jim:: Yeah, it's one of those games where the loadout is one of the most entertaining aspects. And your flame thrower should compliment my minigun splendidly. If you bring the welding torch, I'll bring spare ammo. John:: It's so much fun chatting in the lobby, working out who should bring what equipment. Including a decent front end that's roughly based on Left 4 Dead, for co-op ease. There's a slight angle in the camera, there's more weapons, lashings if lighting effects, new enemies, the ability to dive and roll, clever equipment, physics puzzles. Jim:: Yeah, pretty much, it's just polished up. John:: So how does it compare to the original? It's still top-down four-player shooting of swarms of enemies. And Hexapodium was like, "I can't carry on - there's too much wee wee in my pants." But Phill Cameron was there, gibbering like a new-born baby. Jim:: Not that we panicked, because we are stone-cold logic-bots. John:: You're meant to be screaming and shouting and laughing. Playing it offline is missing the point, a bit, because this is meant to be the kind of game where you are hollering across voice-comms to panicking chums. There's no real single player, but you can play it offline, taking control of all four soldiers independently. Firstly, this game is free, so there's no reason not to try it. Valve making a free game in your genre must be a bit like entering a county fair chilli cooking contest, and finding out Anthony Bourdain is participating. Which is a shame, because that's a fairly entertaining game. Jim:: And, sadly for Team 17, it makes Alien Breed Evolution look a bit stiff and uninspired. And without four, it's not really worth trying. John:: But unlike Shadowgrounds and others, this is four-player co-op. Jim:: Yes, it's very much in that school of Oh-This-Is-Aliens-From-A-Top-Down-Perspective But I've played an awful lot of Shadowgrounds. I never played the mod, because mods aren't good enough for me. John:: I think it has something to do with the death of the Sun. A phoenix-like work of developmental magic. And now it seems it's back, with the same name, and all shiny and beautiful. It was amazing fun because it was so intense. Alien Swarm was a game I played at a LAN about five years ago. So it fell to Jim and John to dispense the only correct thoughts and opinions anyone should have. What better choice for a four-person blogging team to Verdict? Except that Kieron's on a plane, and Alec's locked in a cell deep underground. Alien Swarm is out! And free! A four-player co-op alien-shooting game.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |