1/17/2024 0 Comments Serious sam dIt may not be for me, but I can respect others enjoying this interesting piece of culture. Otherwise I don't entirely know, but I'm honestly happy it did. So how did this underdog franchise win? Well, it most definitely shines more in co-op. I also love that cannon balls have a small bounce if you fire while jumping. In fact, the minigun, laser gun and cannon are just the "I don't feel like doing this right now" guns. So it is a thought out and crafted experience in the end. The variety in weapons of mass destruction is where things even out. I don't want to give the impression I thought the devs were dumb. Obviously the large enemy number and complexity is integrated into the game design. Like I say, game pacing is just whack here. The hardest fights are just before the final boss or about 3 levels ago. If this were a child, I'd have given up on him in infancy.Īfter all that, most bosses, including the final, are a bigger disappointment than I am. You just can't quite spit it out and keep repeating the same 2 syllables over and over again. I thought I was playing Groundhog Day the game when I fought my 50th arena of 500 bulls or kleers and nothing else, despite mastering the tactic for that fight 10 levels ago. Instead, they rely cheaply on the same few encounters. So nothing new is introduced to the gameplay loop for 70% of the game. That's tiring enough, but all the enemies barring boss-types are introduced in the first 3-4. Levels begin a reasonable length, but eventually increase to marathon levels. That fact is made worse by the pacing in this game. I understand that kind of dumb fun works for people and I don't begrudge them. And that's all the difficulty settings really do. There aren't as many stars in the sky as there is crap on the screen at some points. Stun-locking only happens with a couple of enemies, and only in high enough numbers so I can give it a pass since that's inherent in their gameplay design. This game presents all of these to varying degrees. Gaming pet peeves of mine include stun-locking, bullet-hell level of dangers in non-bullet-hell games, and difficulty which simply increases enemy count, health and damage. The core loop relies on run-and-gun mindless action, which usually means the devs hoped the simple mechanics and waves of viscera will carry the entire game. Regardless, this is where it loses me and will likely lose many others. It's the early 2000s approach of gameplay first. The resolution and menus don't scale well to modern systems, but that's why they released the HD versions. It's basic geometry tailored to create a functional battle arena rather than look interesting or accurate. I love ancient Egyptian aesthetics in games, but not much is really done here with it. But hey, Sammy is an improv kinda guy.Īrt-wise, the game once again reflects the time and inspirations. I have no idea what our goal is in travelling back in time. We're losing a war against an alien empire and Sam travels back in time to stop it. Some scrawling text at the beginning and cheap one-liner at the end. In so many ways this game parodies its predecessors, DOOM and Duke Nukem. Nothing hysterical, but a few good lines that truly reflect the early 2000s absurdist comedy culture in the games industry. It does just that and adds a few punchlines in for good measure. So narratively, all we're asking for here is slight context for the gameplay. It isn't intended to be a philosophical space opera. I played it again just now and I did not enjoy myself nearly as much. I played this game a lot when I was younger and had fewer games to play, and it was great. I genuinely believe it's an interesting case study. Why has this strange cult classic had the staying power that better games failed at? I'm not saying this to reproach the game or fans. ![]() Serious Sam which is a franchise I've now ran out of grandiose statements to make about.Īnd I play this game and I wonder why. Serious Sam which, despite being relatively archaic in culture and design, has survived to this day. Serious Sam which has had a lasting legacy, not on the gaming industry but on the fans. Now that that's out of the way let's talk about a unique franchise called Serious Sam.
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