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[Preview] General: Shadow Realms: Hands-on with Evil
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
In his first report from Gamescom, Gareth Harmer goes hands on with playing an evil Shadowlord in Bioware’s brand new modern-day RPG.
Read more of Gareth Harmer's Shadow Realms: Hands-on with Evil.
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Comments
"Creative Director James Ohlen also explained that there would be a “BioWare-quality story,” with cinematic storytelling that includes game-impacting choices."
Translation:
"The standard Bioware formula of pre-scripting every possible choice a player can make in the game, as well as its consequences, in order to give the player the illusion of "making meaningful choices", without actually doing so." For a recent example, see also: The Old Republic.
I mean seriously, is anyone buying that nonsense anymore? The 'illusion' lasted only as long as it took people to get through all variations on the stories/missions in TOR, and then they realized that the game was not as deep or multi-faceted as the hype had indicated. And yet here's EA/Bioware, attempting to pull the same wool over the same eyeballs, yet again.
The only MMO I can think of on the horizon that can even make a claim of attempting a truly dynamic story-driven player experience is EQN, due to the new story-bricks system they're employing, among other things (e.g. tribes of orcs moving to a new location if the one they're in becomes too unfriendly to them, etc). And even SOE's claim should be taken with a grain of salt until they prove they can actually pull through on their claims... especially when Smedley is involved in any capacity - the guy knows how to say "just the right thing" to get people interested/excited, yet so seldom ever follows through.
Story bricks seems wasted because EQN doesnt look like it will be any deeper then guild wars 2 when it comes to story.
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Gotta love the game industry
Take completely failed Hellgate combine it with bit of Secret World , add Left 4 Dead versus mechanic , and call it revolutionary rebirth of D&D (?!?!)
I see uninspired generic crap that only EA can shovel.
Well, like I said.. it remains to be seen. However, in concept, it allows for a much more open and diverse experience for each player, because the world will (again, supposedly) react to player actions.
In the standard Bioware approach, the player has a pre-defined set of choices to make, each with a pre-defined outcome. The player has no real impact on that. Every player will have the same choices, and making those same choices will have the same outcome. Every time. Every possible choice and outcome is pre-determined and pre-scripted.
In a story-bricks approach, like EQN, the players' choices ultimately will have an impact, because the world will react dynamically to those choices and actions. NPCs will react differently based on a given character's actions, and a player may or may not be offered a certain quest or storyline based upon their standing with that NPC and/or their faction. No two players should ever have the same experience. No two characters, played by the same player, should ever have the same exact experience. Again, that's if all we've been told is actually true, and not just a bunch of hyperbole hitting all the right notes, to get people to buy into it.
And anyway, since EQN is an "unknown" to us at this point, we can only go based on how it's been explained and presented (by SOE and the Story Brick developers themselves).
With Bioware, when they say "Bioware style storytelling", we know exactly what that means.
So, knowing what we do about either project at this point, and knowing nothing else for certain, EQN is actually looking to create a truly dynamic setup with meaningful choices.
I'm not sure where you get that first bit from. The D&D feel comes from the 4 vs 1 mechanic, not from the modern fantasy setting used. Hellgate London had its own issues that caused Flaship to sink. In terms of feel, I'd put it closer to Evolve than the L4D versus mode.
The comparison with TSW is a fair one though - they're both LAS/action combat, and they're both modern fantasy, although TSW is about a hidden underworld that already existed, while Shadow Realms is about an alien invasion through arcane means.
That said, it's about BioWare filling that third genre. They already have Dragon Age for high fantasy and Mass Effect for Sci-fi fantasy, so this is a case of the studio wanting to build a new IP around a genre subtype they're not already hitting. That said, they certainly have a lot to prove.
Currently playing: WildStar, Guild Wars 2, EVE Online, Vain Glory.
I'm not too sure if I'll be in to this, especially not convinced yet with the "Shadow Lord" part. I'd definitely be interested in playing if the latter had some really intricate mechanics to allow him to change the environment etc. But possessing mobs and throwing bombs? I dunno bout that.
Evolve sounds more immediately interesting with the clearly unique ability sets and mechanics that the monsters have in that way.
Still, gameplay is the selling point with this, I'll withhold my judgement till I see more of that
What I've seen of it right now looked a bit too hack&slashy for me as well as too bright and glowy. For a setting like this I'd much prefer a dark gloomy backalley feel.
Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!
It gets to a point where you have to finally say "screw off EA" enough is enough: SWTOR, BF4, Sim City 2013, Madden 2014.
This is the 'Dungeon Master' MP mode from Neverwinter Nights with updated (yet dumbed down) combat and a modern day setting. That's it. It's nothing new to the genre, and certainly nothing new from Bioware.
I did laugh at the 'Bioware quality story' bit though. Without Drew Karpyshyn at the helm, Bioware's writing department is dirt average at best.
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Gabe Amatangelo as Design director and and James Ohlen as Creative director. Only guy missing is Daniel Erickson in order to have the full trio of people who single handedly destroyed 200 mil.$ project called SWTOR and then blatantly lied to consumers how everything is just fine and working as intended.
Yea, I'm buying this for sure...NOT.
I said it to ESO I'll say it to you. YOU NEED MORE ABILITIES! How is anyone supposed to feel as if they are reacting to a situation with no tools to really react with?
Controller can use tons of abilities if your ui doesn't suck. This game could be good but I'm starting to see the inner fail. Why are all these Bioware games so freaking shallow these days? I really hope they reconsider and add some depth.
So in story bricks an NPC will react one of certain amount of ways depending on which way you chose. I'm not sure how that is any different that anything else.
His reaction is still the result of many flow chart results.
At least the way I saw it described in a comment above,
your so cool and counter-everything.
Yes blame it on consoles even though its PC exclusive and even when MOBAS and lobby based multiplayer also began on PC. PC have been doing lobby based multiplayers even before consoles had internet connection.