Emergence: A good intro to the series?

[Crispy]

The poll is to measure just how well Ritual did with Emergence. Was it a good introduction to the series? Are there things that desperately need fixing before you buy the next one? Are you confident Ritual will be able to build on what they gave us with Emergence? Hell, does it even need improving?

Votes on a postcard to... no wait. Votes in the poll, stupid! :cheese:

And comments in the thread whether you voted or not.

P.S. If you haven't finished playing Emergence, save your vote until you've finished it :thumbs:

 

[Dowie]

Ive finished it, it was a great game for sure.

The only thing that annoyed me was the Sin Infantry with chainguns seem a tad overpowered, and you can't get there guns, but maybe that was the setting I was playing it on.

I would recommend it to any FPS fan.

 

[boglito]

I haven't quite finished it yet, but I am so loving it. I am looking very much forward to episode 2 and arena mode.

.bog.

 

[Lemonking]

I loved it, hope the 2nd one comes soon?

 

[Asuka]

It was great. I can't wait for EP2!

I loved it, hope the 2nd one comes soon?

6 months is target release.

 

[Asknoone]

It was ok. I look forward to them building upon it in Ep2.

 

[Przemek]

I didn't like it.
Motion capture is poor quality, lips movement and face mimics are nowhere near to HL2's.
And why do pistols in the future suck so much? I'd compare the magnum with doom3 pistol - it has a terrible rate of fire. All modern pistols allow you to shoot as fast as you can. Hell, Glock allows you to shoot the whole clip in one burst like an UZI
In Sin: Ep1 and Doom3 the pistol's rate of fire is terrible. I also don't understand why is the clip in magnum inserted on the wrong side of the gun. It cannot function that way - I know this is a sci-fi game and I should not expect realistic weaponry, but not absurd weaponry.
I also hate the railgun in the pistol

The enemies respawn - there are moments when they just teleport right before you. Or spawn in dead end areas I already been in and they couldn't get there in any possible way

Level design - it's not too good, feels a lot more linear than HL2 levels did. It's also too steril.

Performance - seems like level designers completely forgot about areaportals and occluders. This game runs terribly slow on my computer, while HL2 ran nearly perfectly. It also looks worse than HL2, I saw no improvement there

I will replay it tonight, though I don't think I'll change my mind

 

[nutcrackr]

I thought it was ok but I'm not entirely convinced enough to purchased #2. If they fix the difficulty system and show me something interesting for #2 then I might.

 

[Marius]

I loved it!

Very well done, gameplay is right on, and the gfx are stunning.

 

[auscrow]

Yeah the gameplay was great possably a bit hard but i finished it so it cant be that bad. Think the prices is slightly too high especially here in Australia is cost about $30 they need to drop the price to USD $15

 

[Victor2]

The only problem with this game are the Elite Sintek Chaingunners.

 

[Victor2]

Performance - seems like level designers completely forgot about areaportals and occluders. This game runs terribly slow on my computer, while HL2 ran nearly perfectly. It also looks worse than HL2, I saw no improvement there

I will replay it tonight, though I don't think I'll change my mind

I have no idea what aeroportals and occluders are but I agree with you on the fact that the game has a lot of stuttering and some serious slowdown from time to time. That needs to be corrected or I won't be buying episode 2.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

It was ok but i was really disapointed by it unless they really improve on it i won't be buying Ep2

 

[Reginald]

The only problem with this game are the Elite Sintek Chaingunners.

QFT. There was one point where I thouht if I sniped the weapon they would explode in one hit and I thought that was a great idea because it would provide a good bit of gameplay and would change the norm of headshotting.
But as it was they took three mid-range shotgun shots and two to the head close up. Which I thought was too much for anyone. Especially when faced with so many as it so often occurs.

 

[Mr. COWmaster]

I Thought it was a good intro. Yes it was hard at the end, but I'm sure they will create a solution to that problem.

 

[Insano]

I have no idea what aeroportals and occluders are but I agree with you on the fact that the game has a lot of stuttering and some serious slowdown from time to time. That needs to be corrected or I won't be buying episode 2.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=436890

"The upcoming patch will also address a level loading problem on some older video cards, the sound stuttering problems, and a few other minor issues."

 

[Asuka]

This is so weird. I never had any stuttering problems in Half-Life 2 or Sin. NEVER i have no idea what the big deal is with all these complants.

 

[Styloid]

Where is the option for "It was good but I'll hold off on Ep2 because I'd rather spend my money on Half Life Episodes"?

 

[UltimaApocalypse]

I loved it! Can't wait for Episode 2.

 

[Hypnosos]

It was great. But it can be better. I will for sure play E2.

 

[Krynn72]

The ending imo was crap. I just beat it, and it was such a non-cliffhanger ending. The gameplay was good, but I really couldnt care less about the story. And whats with that lazy ass girl? She got injected with the same stuff as blade right? And here is blade running around for hours on end with that stuff in him... and she gets injected, then 2 seconds later is too weak to fight? I think she just wanted to take a nap.

And I never had any problems with the difficulty, I turned it up pretty high, although not all the way. The chaingun guys were easy if you know how to fight them. I just used the magnum or submachine gun, shot them in the head twice and ducked behind a corner and listened for their gun to slow, then pop out again. Their guns have to wind up before shooting, so if you keep them winded down, they cant do shit.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

Why oh why!!

Why did they pull a Gordon Freeman on ol' Blade?

Half the fun of Sin 1 was to blow a guy to pieces with the shotgun and hear Blade say "Rest in pieces" or "I'm gonna make you my bitch!" Now you have to walk him through fire before you hear anything. He talked because it gave the game character. Now the game feels more empty.

 

[UltimaApocalypse]

The sound files for those are in the GCF's. I wonder why they were'nt in the game either.

 

[TonicBH]

Why did they pull a Gordon Freeman on ol' Blade?

Half the fun of Sin 1 was to blow a guy to pieces with the shotgun and hear Blade say "Rest in pieces" or "I'm gonna make you my bitch!" Now you have to walk him through fire before you hear anything. He talked because it gave the game character. Now the game feels more empty.

I have a gut feeling that they'll probably fix that in Episode 2.

 

[MultiVaC]

I think the general consensus is that Blade should talk again. The 'Gordon Freeman hero' doesn't really work for him. I do think that his dialogue should be brought up to 2006 standards though, because some of his old taunts made him come across as a bit of a jackass. I want him to have some comebacks to Elexis and Radek and tell Jessica what to do instead of being bossed around by her. JC was too serious as well, I miss him making fun of Blade and having Blade respond with a play threat.

 

[NeptuneUK]

ive not played the game yet
im hearing a lot about stuttering,is it a graphics memory issue? or system memory? remember its not the game that causes slowdowns its the machine running it.
you know what i did when my games were stuttering? instead of bitching about it i put some effort and money into solving a problem and made a new PC

I think the general consensus is that Blade should talk again. The 'Gordon Freeman hero' doesn't really work for him. I do think that his dialogue should be brought up to 2006 standards though, because some of his old taunts made him come across as a bit of a jackass. I want him to have some comebacks to Elexis and Radek and tell Jessica what to do instead of being bossed around by her. JC was too serious as well, I miss him making fun of Blade and having Blade respond with a play threat.

im wanting what this guy said!

The ending imo was crap. I just beat it, and it was such a non-cliffhanger ending.

ive not seen the ending or anything, but in its defence its not really an ending. it best not be TOO bad though!

 

[ailevation]

I've gotten to the part where we crash into the building, but a little more further than that... am I almost done?

The game feels like HL2 with different clothes on.

 

[Sparda]

I loved it, Can't wait for 2.

 

[Venmoch]

Dammit, I want to find out what happened to Jessica :frown:

 

[Sparda]

Dammit, I want to find out what happened to Jessica :frown:

I hope she dies. i don't like her she is bosy and a bitch.

 

[3ssence]

Well, i got the game a couple of days ago, and got into a couple of decent playing sessions, and finished it. Overall, i have to say i quite liked it. The action is great, and general feel of combat is nice and meaty. Maybe a touch short, but then again it is intended as just an episode, not an entire game. The ending, was ok, but tbh it was a bit generic. Having said, looking forward to the second installment, and i will probably play this through again at some point.

I found that using the grenades on the chaingun guys worked quite nicely, otherwise the magnum was probably the most useful in taking them down. I found that a few magnum shots to the head, followed by the magnum's secondary "railgun" shot usually took them down. Either way, as said earlier, listen for the sound of the gun spinning down before you pop back out to shoot them.

 

[drunkymonkey]

It was excellent. I fully enjoyed it.

Here's why.

Sin Emergence will be watched very closely by various developers trying to get into the whole 'episodic content' thing. The whole idea of 6 hours of gameplay at twenty quid a piece every few months is either an excellent prospect or a complete and utter disaster, depending on the way you look at it. But this review isn't about Steam; this review isn't about episodic content and the pros and cons. This review is about Sin Emergence, one of the most enjoyable and sexy FPS games I've ever played.

The game reeks of positive coolness. Straight from the main menu you're thrust into a rollercoaster ride that you don#t want to leave. It has a simply superb title song, that could be mistaken for something from a James Bond movie. Press 'New Game' and in the first ten minutes, there's been two pairs of delicious boobies thrust into your face. It should feel smutty, but thanks to Ritual's excellent style, it just feels 'cool.'

Coolness persists in this game, and at time you'll feel like you're in 1998 again, in a good way. The original SiN didn't shy away from swearing, blood and gore, and happily, this one doesn't either. The gibs are spectacular, and enemies tend to die in ludicrous ways, from the jet pack grunts that spin out of control and end up crashing into a wall, to the mini-gen wielding mercenaries that explode if you shoot their packs. Explosions are common in this game, and explosive barrels and grenades are abundant, and coupled with the prospect of gibs, are a mother watering feature.

While the story and dialog aren't quite up there with Half-Life 2 and MGS, it is still very competent, and you won't be cringing Resident Evil 1 style at the awfulness of it, mainly because there is no awfulness. Everyone, from the evil and seductive Elexis, who taunts you by flirting and making strange promises, to returning computer hacker JC, are all well presented. The only problem being that Blade himself doesn't talk much, and loses his hilarious trash talk with JC from the original. There's been an outcry from fans, so expect Episode 2 to have at least something.

Now, to the whole 'Is six hours worth it?' I really think so. while it never quite reaches the claims that 'shorter games give us more time to focus on the gameplay, which will be sublime,' (it doesn't really give the atmosphere and ingenuity that is Half-Life 2), it is one of the better shooters out there. At times it feels like a normal shooter, with the same guns (pistol, shotgun, assault rifle), and the same style grunts to maim, but at other times, it feels new, and exciting. The swearing is refreshing, as is the use of women (It doesn't get out of hand and into embarrassing proportions), the sheer violence of the game, and the humour. The humour ranges from jokes about the dangers of crates, the repetitiveness of pipes, and questions the machinery featured in FPS games, and how they normally end up killing at least somebody. There's also phones numbers dotted around the place, and you can call the sources of adverts using the in-game phones. It's a great diversion, only let down by the fact that Blade is usually mute, and doesn't possess the big mouth he had in the original SiN.

So, should you splash out and buy SiN: Emergence? I really don't see why not. It's different, and at the same time the same. It's gory, it's satisfying, the world and characters are presented pretty well, and it's funny. I recommend it.

88%

 

[Venmoch]

I hope she dies. i don't like her she is bosy and a bitch.

You are a cretin my good sir

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

Hopefully the next episode will add to the weapons, too.

 

[DrunkPanda]

does anyone know how many episodes will be released total?

 

[MultiVaC]

Nine.