Doom and Doom II: Hell on Earth are both renowned for the creativity they have fostered in amateur game-makers the world over. For over two decades, its creative community has remained highly active and engrossed, crafting content that, despite the age of the idTech 1 engine, still manages to astonish and astound. Perhaps the most recent example of the passion this community harbors can be found in Brutal Doom, a relatively recent and jaw-droppingly awesome addon for both the original Doom titles that adds more gore, more savagery and more kickass action to an already action-packed game. The mod is particualrly notable for its inclusion of melee executions, a feature which was so popular it made its way into the 2016 reboot of the franchise. Of course, while Brutal Doom does a lot to squeeze more out of the ancient engine it's built upon, and does a lot to revitalize the title it was creative for, it's still undeniably a mod for an old, old game. Not so with Total Chaos. Conceived as a survival-horror game by the modder 'Wadaholic', Total Chaos takes Doom II out of the two-dimensional realm and slathers it in gloriously detailed and lovingly-crafted visuals in a manner unseen since Team Psykskallar published their seminal work Cry of Fear on Steam. And like that equally terrifying tale of woe, Total Chaos doesn't just look pretty; it feels and plays amazingly too. The open alpha version (available on ModDB) offers a level of creative quality seldom seen in any modding community. In order to run it you'll need to download GZDoom, a source-port of the original, and a working Doom II '.wad' file, which you can just copy over from the game itself, which is available on Steam for just $5.99 (though if you look really hard I'm sure you can find another source). Also, it might be wise to download a front-end launcher like ZDL, which helps with loading and running custom content for the elder Doom games. No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Yes, this is all rendered in-game. Yes, this is the Doom II engine, known for it's 2-D sprites that burst into giblets in stop-motion. Based on my experience with the alpha, the creator seems to have taken quality nods from the Soulsborne franchise in terms of level development and gameplay, while mixing in thematic elements that bring to mind the harsh, unforgiving wilderness of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games. The player is fragile, easy to kill for even one enemy if caught unawares. The game encourages approaching foes one or two at a time, luring them around corners and side-stepping their attacks with the double-tap dodge mechanic.more powerful weapons have a limited usefulness, and will break, forcing a player to strategically plan their encounters even further. Hunger and sanity are both ever-present mechanics as well, along with a stamina bar tied to both. Combined with a clever interconnected level layout very much reminiscent of Bloodborne (complete with all manner of nooks to explore and deviously laid traps for the incautious), progression and pacing felt remarkably well-balanced. Of course it wouldn't be a proper horror game without atmosphere and a good story to boot. The initial setup offered by the opening info scroll is that you are part of a one-man investigation team sent into the bowels of Fort Oasis, a mining colony that went suddenly and disturbingly silent three years prior. While the current story offered by the alpha is somewhat sparse and delivered chiefly through notes and visuals, what there is has chilling implications for the fate of the former inhabitants, and smacks of a Lovecraftian nightmare waiting to be unearthed. As for the atmosphere, the music and soundscape provided are more than enough to have you jumping at shadows and creaks less than five minutes into the game. As if that weren't enough, if you don't keep an eye on your sanity, the auditory spookiness just gets better. Do you like spiders? How about really, really big spiders? How about spiders that look like they crawled out of a web spun in the far reaches of the Outer Darkness? No? Too bad. The visuals also complement things as well. Apart from being just downright astonishing, the vision of decay and abandonment Wadaholic has created is shockingly creepy. Garbage and graffiti cover the floor and walls, while lights flicker ominously in long corridors. Also, despite expectations, the color palate manages to avoid being too gray and dark, which speaks volumes for how much love and consideration was put into the creation of the level design. Too often mod makers just settle for a great big bottle of brown or a variation thereof and throw it at the wall textures like it's about to expire. Here, each area is relatively identifiable by its coloration and atmosphere, making navigation without use of the auto-map that much easier.
Of course despite its advantages, Total Chaos isn't perfect (though it comes damn close). The frame-rate sometimes experiences hiccups when enemies are performing their majestically smooth animations, and it couldn't hurt to add a few more notes to flesh things out (or maybe even some voice-acted recordings to find if Wadaholic feels confident enough). I also can't really comment as heavily as I'd like to on the effectiveness of the sanity mechanic, since I always kept mine in tip-top shape. Maybe that in itself is a problem too, because while I really enjoyed having to make trade-offs and use my items strategically, it just feels like some things should be rarer than others, yet somehow I always remained well-stocked to the point of running out of inventory space. Perhaps it would be interesting to have certain enemies drain sanity while fighting them, which would encourage more tactical application of certain items. Regardless of its shortcomings, Total Chaos is a masterpiece waiting to happen. If it came out for money on Steam, I would definitely buy it. As previously mentioned, the alpha is already available, and while there have been a few development stalls here and there, according to the man himself, the full game (or a beta at least) is set to release at some point later this year (hopefully around Halloween). Until then, I'll continue to enjoy what he's produced so far, and hope that the final product is as great as what this mere glimpse has led me to believe
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Good games based on the works of Lovecraft are few and far between, mostly because insanity and the unspeakable, mind-bending nature of the creatures in his mythos are hard to properly portray. The more successful examples of attempts to adapt his work include Penumbra, Bloodborne and Darkest Dungeon, all of which root themselves in the thematic elements of his work through an elegant blend of lore and gameplay mechanics. Inspired by these titles and the works of the man himself, Zoetrope Interactive, a newcomer to the indie scene, has announced its first project will be Conarium, a puzzle-focused survival-horror game which draws heavily on one of Lovecraft's longest and more famous works: At the Mountains of Madness. The game has already received a place in the Steam store, and is set for release in Q2 of 2017. Based on the initial teaser trailer, I was immediately hooked, given the SOMA-like 'questionable sanity' vibes given by the way that odd artifact wiggles and buzzes like an image on a TV screen. My interest was further enhanced when the protagonist was then transported to a strange ruin and ambushed by what I assume to be one of the Elder Things (if Zoetrope is indeed sticking to the established lore). According to what I was able to glean from the press kit, the game is set in a location near the site of the titular Antarctic expedition featured in At the Mountains of Madness, and possibly deals with the follow-up investigation that the narrator of the story warns feverishly against sending. The press kit has the following to say about the details: You, as Frank Gilman, open your eyes inside a room filled with strange, pulsating noises. Patterns of lights executing a Danse Macabre on the walls is presented by a queer device on the table. Having recalled nothing other than that you’re in Upuaut, an Antarctic base located near south pole, you find the place deserted and have a distinct feeling of something being terribly wrong. The more recent gameplay footage released by Youtubers like GameZine who were allowed to try a demo of the game seems to indicate a heavy focus on puzzle-solving and sanity-based horror, which is to be expected. It does seem heavily inspired by titles such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent, at least in terms of mechanics, but I have no issue with that, given my love of virtually anything that resembles that game. There also seems to be a high amount of production value as well. Environments are quite beautiful and will immediately make any Lovecraft fan think of the sunken cities and wind-torn ruins that seem to be favored by the alien civilizations of the Cthulhu Mythos, complete with cyclopean architecture and the odd tentacle. Of course, the most important element of any Lovecraftian tale is the plot itself. The gameplay indicates that the developers are aiming for a non-linear narrative, with flashbacks (or possibly hallucinations) featuring prominently as the protagonist goes from the belly of a steampunk one-man submarine to a cabin aboard a small sea vessel, then to the wasted ruins of a long-gone civilization. In my quest to know more (so often the doom of Lovecraftian protagonists), I was also able to dig up an interview with the game's 3D artist, Onur Samli, which sadly spoiled some of my hopes regarding the game's inclusion of certain features. On the subject of a sanity mechanic in the vein of Amnesia, he had the following to say. Actually, I can’t say the concept of perception exceeds the storytelling to become a major mechanic of the game. We’re strongly limited to the narrative design. We tried to incorporate such elements as a main mechanic but we quickly realized, being a team of three comes with its limitations That being said, I'm still excited. Onur's statement about the Zoetrope team's goal about telling a story is more than enough for me to go off of, provided it's a good one. Our sole desire is to convey a Lovecraftian story that players can immerse into and feel as if they are exploring secrets spanning from the modern world of 1950’s to what remains of an unfathomable antediluvian epoch when civilizations unknown to men arose and fell to ruin. While it might be Zoetrope's first outing into serious game development, I still have high hopes about what they might achieve. What do you think? Does it look worth it? What are your thoughts regarding their objectives? Let me know in the comments below! And in case you wanted to see the gameplay yourself, here's the trailer! Interview Quotes from Unwinnable.com
Ad Infinitum, a survival-horror game set in the abandoned trenches of a World War I battlefield, finally released its first full-length trailer. While it's not exactly much in terms of new content, and I'm honestly unsure as to whether or not it's all cinematic or not, it certainly looks creepy and impressive. In my humble opinion, WWI is perfect for a horror game, simply because of the sheer scale of death the player would be surrounded by, and because people don't give war enough credit for being crap-your-pants scary, even without supernatural creatures with super-long fingernails The trailer itself doesn't offer much to go on beyond offering a look at the atmosphere and teasing us with a creepy voice that gives me strong Amnesia vibes (though I'm quite alright with that). The press kit has the following to say about the game, which only strengthens my suspicions that the devs are aiming for a Frictional Games-style spooky-yet-thoughtful adventure: Ad Infinitum is an atmospheric single-player horror game, which puts you into a World War I setting experienced in a first-person perspective. You find yourself in the trenches of a forlorn battlefield where vicious creatures lurk in the shadows. Solve challenging puzzles to clear pathways and avoid deadly traps and sneak through a maze of trenches to hide from the manifested horrors of war. The surrealistic gameworld is based upon historical background information that is mixed with some fictional elements which all culminates in a subtle yet intense story. All of this sounds great, and very much in the vein of The Dark Descent, which is one of my all-time favorite horror titles, so I can safely say I'm pretty stoked. As for the details of the plot, while that last line is a bit vague, I've generally learned to trust indie developers more when it comes to writing a good story, as opposed to many AAA games which often settle for the lowest common string of cliches. They certainly seem to have the desired atmosphere down to a 'T', that's for sure My one potential gripe is that like so many other titles in the genre, StrixLab seems to be eschewing combat of any kind in favor of the 'run, hide or die' mechanics that have become pervasive in video game horror of late. This I learned from the press kit, which had the following to say: Since this is NOT a shooter in any way, you are forced to hide from and sneak around dangerous creatures and other deadly threats. Apart from stealthing you will be encouraged to explore the game world for goodies while also open new paths by solving puzzles. While I don't really have too big an issue with this, I would appreciate it if the devs would recognize that given their choice of setting, there's going to be an awful lot of guns lying around. Plus, the inability to fight back has become such an overused trope that it might be wise if more games to notes from Alien: Isolation in regards to giving the player some measure of deterrence against instant-kill monsters. Even Amnesia gave you the ability to throw things at the monsters to slow them down. It would do a lot to alleviate frustration from certain players who'd like to be into horror games but can't stomach being unable to resist in some fashion.
Aside from this, I do think that StrixLab has largely hit the nail on the head with their efforts to create a bowel-knotting vision of war-torn hell. I can't wait to see what else they have in store for us! With the hype still flowing hot in my veins, I was very excited to see that THQ Nordic had the sense to trot out some fresh content to help reassure fans who get suspicious when they see cinematic trailers (as they rightly should). It's always a good idea to show that you're more than just a really well-rendered cutscene when it comes to selling the idea of a game to potential players prior to release. Having watched the trailer myself, I had a few opinions to express, starting with their portrayal of Fury. Obviously they're aiming for an agile, quick-footed approach similar to Death from Darksiders II, which is fine by me, given that was my favorite installment of the series. This clashes a little with a statement made by Reinhard Pollice, Director of business and product development at THQ Nordic, who said: There is simply no team better qualified to create Darksiders III, beginning with our unpredictable and enigmatic hero FURY – a mage who is considered the most powerful of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Obviously, being a marketing guy, you can't take everything he says at face value, and that seems especially the case here. Dedicated fans will know that so far Fury has been a very sidereal character, getting little to no development in what supplemental media and lore we've been privy to. However, in what we HAVE seen, she's not exactly someone to be feared. In the prequel comic released around the time of the original Darksiders, she totally fails to restrain War during a murderous rampage by her fellow Horseman, which leads to Death having to step in and subdue his less-angsty brother. If they're serious about her power, then Gunfire Games would do well to try and dispel that image of inferiority right off the bat. In a series with big names such as War and Death, Fury needs to stand apart in terms of design, yet stand shoulder-to-shoulder in terms of how much of a badass she is. Thankfully their claims about her being a mage would seem to indicate they're on the right track. If their goal is to make Fury more of a glass cannon (high damage, low endurance) though, then they need to beef up her abilities, at least in terms of presentation. They could start with the whip, which visually and audibly pales in comparison to the Chaoseater or Death's dual scythes. Darksiders is an inherently 'metal' franchise, and as such, everything needs a certain level of 'oomph' to carry it off. Weapons and attacks should be brutal and visceral, yet her whip, even if it is apparently a bladed chain like in the announcement trailer, lacks the savagery of the weapons of Fury's fellow horsemen. Apart from this discrepancy, the trailer demonstrates that the devs have a pretty good grasp of the series' soul, with dungeon-crawling and Legend of Zelda-like maneuverability and combat both highly in evidence. Also of interest is that much like her brother Death, Fury doesn't appear to have a blocking move, meaning that combat requires fleet-footed dodging and a good awareness of the area around you. This is very promising, and hopefully is a sign that the creators have a firm grasp of the base mechanics, as well as an idea of where to go next. On another note, it looks like Gunfire Games is drawing on both of the previous installments in terms of art style. While Joe Madureira, arguably the 'father' of Darksiders visual identity is no longer on the team, his successors seem to know what they're doing. The ruined cities of Earth that War trod through are present, but combined with a brief shot of Ulthane and his vine-covered, stone-carved forge, hearkening back to the start of Darksiders II with its big semi-celtic totems and primal imagery. THQ Nordic have stated that like War's initial outing, the game will take place on Earth, though probably in the same time-frame as Death's quest to redeem his brother in red. The exact text of their statement is as follows: Return to an apocalyptic planet Earth in Darksiders III, a hack-n-slash action adventure where players take on the role of FURY in her quest to hunt down and dispose of the Seven Deadly Sins. The Charred Council calls upon Fury to battle from the heights of heaven down through the depths of hell in a quest to restore humanity and prove that she is the most powerful of the Horsemen. As a mage, FURY relies on her whip and magic to restore the balance between good and evil. The expansive, Darksiders III game world is presented as an open-ended, living, free-form planet Earth that is dilapidated by war and decay, and overrun by nature. FURY will move back and forth between environments to uncover secrets while advancing the Darksiders III story. While this would seem to suggest that we will remain chained to Earth in terms of setting, much like War was, this also leads me to hope that unlike the first Darksiders, the developers won't be so attached to a single color palate. Also, it provides an interesting insight into the story with regards to what it might be about. Both Darksiders and Darksiders II flirted with developing their characters in some fashion, but Darksiders III might take a more personal approach to how it conducts Fury's narrative. Will it be a case of her ego versus her desire to complete her mission? Given her opponents are the Seven Deadly Sins, that has the makings of some interesting character drama. I just hope if they do go that route they don't take it too far. Remember, these are the Four Horsemen, not weepy teenagers. So long as that distinction remains untarnished, I have no issues.
Back on the subject of the video, the footage sees Fury run around swinging from I-beams, chastising some zombies, demons and even a giant enemy crab or two. After opening a sealed passage and tracking down Beezlebub, a.k.a. Sloth, Lord of the Flies, there's a good old-fashioned multi-phase boss fight, which warmed my heart and lifted my hopes. It also seems like the devs have taken a note from Bloodborne in terms of accurately defining hit boxes, since I'm quite certain I saw Fury dodge under one of her foe's legs as nimbly and narrowly as that GIF that's out there of a person vaulting over a bullet in flight somewhere in Yharnam's sewers. The video ended with my hopes still high and my desire to play still going strong as Fury finished off the pustule-covered bug-beast. I'll keep you updated as more footage emerges. Take heart, fellow horsemen! Our journey has just begun! |
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