Saturday will be hampered this weekend. I have overtime to do. There’s not bitterness, since there will be sweet overtime funds being syphoned from it. The only downside will be the lack of GTAIV time.
I was going to create an editorial/article about one of the key areas which I look for in a first person shooter, but I decided to just informally conduct it here.
So what do I like in a first person shooter? By far, the intimacy and the attention to detail sells it for me. Janky animations or uninteresting weapon models do a lot to deter me from fully enjoying the game, however I may continue to play it despite these caveats. Example? Half-Life 2. They don’t feel powerful nor animate in a way which convinces me that this is a sophisticated and powerful piece of weaponry.
On the reverse, I find myself enjoying otherwise lucklustre first person shooters simply because the gunplay is well executed. Black comes to mind. Sublte touches such as depth of field effects when reloading and high quality gun models go a long way — I like my guns prominently represented. I like gun porn.
The feedback of power is also a key component which not many games nail either. You don’t need blood splatter to provide the feedback, but a responsive animation system and well timed sound work go a long way. Destructible environments add a lot, but it isn’t the only indicator of weapon power feedback. Just because I can blow a hole in the wall doesn’t mean I am completely sold on the weapon’s power. I need the sound of power and the kick back of the gun model and the weapon’s recoil reflected on my reticle as well. It’s a tough balance to achieve.
It’s been awhile since I’ve played a game with exceptional gun mechanics, but after watching footage of Killzone 2, I believe I found my new Black. Don’t get me wrong, Call of Duty 4 and MGO/MGS4 have great gun mechanics, but those games don’t completely devote themselves to gunplay the way games like Black do.
Anyways, enough about guns.
This weekend will be devoted to GTAIV when I can. I’m very much engrossed with it. I’m probably going to start jotting down some impressions for my review as well. I think it’s about time to wrap it all up.
Have a good one, folks.
P.S – Check out this Metal Gear Retrospective. Watch the series humble beginnings and how it spawned one of my beloved franchises of all time.
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