Retro Spectives – Détails, épisodes et analyse

But can it run Crysis?  This was the motto that surrounded every single PC build for literal years after the release of the game in 2007.  Crytek were not satisfied with what they had achieved with Far Cry in 2004, and decided to push graphical hardware to its absolute limits with their brand new and shiny game.  And boy, did they succeed, with a poorly optimised but breathtakingly gorgeous game.  Even better, there was an entire video game attached to this graphical showcase, promising open ended tactical engagements over massive levels, far removed from corridor brawling.

You have cool suit powers that switch between modes, on the fly weapon modification, and a wide array of guns (and vehicles) to wreak havoc on those pesky North Koreans.  And if there are aliens, well, the United States of kick ass will just have to murder them as well.  It seems like an incredible game on paper, even today when we have more open world games than you can shake a stick at.

But for all that Crysis is vaunted for its massive leap forward in graphical technology, just how good a game is it to actually play?  Are the suit powers really that interesting in the face of the many RPG systems that tend to overlap FPS games today?  And is fighting those aliens all its cracked up to be?  Is Crysis worth your time to play today, or is it better remembered?

On this episode, we discuss:

The Suit.

Crysis’s key feature is a powerful exoskeleton that lets you switch between 4 modes - Strength, Armor, Speed and Stealth.  Just how well does the game push these suit modes in terms of engaging gameplay?  Are they balanced, and more importantly, are they fun to use?

The Guns.

How fun is the gunplay in Crysis?  The game features a fairly typical roster of assault rifles, submachine guns and shotguns, but has weapon modification on the fly with a simple menu.  Does this do enough to spice up the gunplay and keep things interesting?

The level design.

Crysis features (mostly) semi-open world level design, with bespoke objectives.  Does this give you the freedom to approach them in the way you want, and does it maintain this philosophy for the entire run time of the game?

We answer these questions and many more on the 124th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!
 

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Crysis OST: Inon Zur

The original version of the game, available on GOG, will fail to start on modern operating systems (Windows 10+). 

This can be fixed using the below link, which James used for this 

https://github.com/ccomrade/c1-launcher

Do you know what the gameplay differences are between Crysis 1 and the remastered version?  Do you think that Crysis is better than the Far Cry games that came afterwards?  When are we going to play Far Cry 2?  

Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

If you would like to support the show monetarily, you can buy us a coffee here!

After their magnum opus that was Resident Evil 1, Capcom were not going to sit on their heels.  Coming out just two years after the first in 1998, Resident Evil 2 sought to have everything the original had and much, much more.  It connected its two character’s stories in far more meaningful ways, increased the size of each player's inventory (and their respectives arsenals) and had more cinematic and explosive moments to show the player.

And boy did it do well!  It received universal critical acclaim, with everything from its graphical fidelity to its voice acting considered above and beyond the original.  Many players consider this to be the best Resident Evil game to this day.

But in the wake of the 2019 remake, and a longform view of what eventually became of the franchise - is Resident Evil 2 really all that its cracked up to be?  Do more zombies and more action automatically equal a better game?  Does more inventory slots, disappearing corpses and a more linear cinematic progression bode well from a gameplay sense?  How does Resident Evil 2 compare to its other offerings, and is it worth playing today?

On this episode we discuss:

Story

Resident Evil 2 presents its story in a very interesting way - two overlapping but distinct perspectives in Leon and Claire.  Does this experimental storytelling work, and how invested were we in its fundamentally B grade plot?

Level Design

Resident Evil 2s police station brings back most of what made the mansion so incredible, with its distinct spaces and looping level design. How does it compare to the original, and how enjoyable is it when you move away from the Police Station

Survival

Resident Evil 2 takes away the need to burn corpses, gives you more ammo and gives you more inventory slots.  What impact does this have on the tension of survival, and how different is the focus on tactical exploration?

We answer these questions and many more on the 123rd episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Resident Evil 2 OST: Masami Ueda, Shusaku Uchiyama, Syun Nishigaki

Which Resident Evil game is truly the best?  What were your experiences like playing the original games back in the day?  Are there any other survival horror games that come close to this franchise?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

You can support the show monetarily on our Buy Me a Coffee Page.

Ensemble Studios blew the world away with Age of Empires way back in 1997.  It took a different approach to the RTS formulae than Westwood or Blizzard, and was rewarded heavily for it.  Being able to advance your entire civilization's technology level was a heady drug, and balancing the varied needs of your economy with a well rounded army was strategically engaging.  After releasing a sequel and pumping out a couple of expansions they decided to try to add something genuinely new to the formulae.

So just a few years later, in 2002, we got the spinoff Age of Mythology.  It was extremely well received on release - while the teching to later ages was still there, Age of Mythology expanded the role of heroes, added more factional diversity, had a wide range of mythical units to complement your army, and even added god powers that could make or break the tide of battle.  It seemed to just be Age of Empires++, a more fun and flavoured take on what made everything in the original great.

But does adding mythical units with no active abilities compare to the caster units in Starcraft?  Does the extreme focus on macroing an economy up with its slower pace combat make the game tedious?  Does Age of Mythology truly stand side by side with the other RTS giants, or is it fated to become a forgotten spinoff, just one game to litter the RTS graveyard?

On this episode, we discuss:

• Age of Mythology doubles down on the economic focus of Ensemble Studio games, adding faith as an additional resource alongside food, wood and gold.  Is it fun trying to optimise your economy, or does this come at the cost of more high octane battles?
• Many RTS campaigns suffer the issue of every mission boiling down to building a max population army, then attack moving into the enemy, destroying everything in your wake.  Does Age of Mythology succumb to this problem, or does it have a solution?
• How enjoyable is the combat of Age of Myhology?  Do the autocasting abilities of myth units and heroes allow for your to micro them effectively?  Does the relatively low lethality of units make fights exciting?

We answer these questions and many more on the 114th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Age of Mythology OST: Stephen Rippy, Kevin Mcmullan

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Pat guested on the Nostalgia Goggles Podcast to review and discuss Starcraft!

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Is Age of Mythology better than Age of Empires 2, or just different?  Are there modern RTS games that you have played that have eclipsed Starcraft 2 or Warcraft 3?  Which RTS game should we play next?  Come let us know what you think on our community discord server!

Next episode we’re doing our annual mailbag, so if you have any questions we’d love if you’d drop by!

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If you enjoy the show and want to support us monetarily, please check out our Buy me a Coffee Page!

Over the past year, the Retro Spectives Podcast has started to see a small community of gamers join up to our discord server.  We talk old video-games, new video games, and tend to get into a lot of arguments over exactly which ARPGS suck and why.

As we end this year, we thought it would be fun to open up our mailbag for questions from these users.  And they all delivered with some fantastic questions! We got to talk in depth about games and their mechanics, both from the show and 2019.  We got to revisit old arguments and even got into entirely new ones! Thanks to everyone who submitted questions, keep ‘em coming!

On this episode, we discuss:

• What are the worst opinions of both James and Pat according to the other person?  It took hours to narrow down from the available possibilities, but we got there in the end.
• Is there anything that games of the past used to do that new games no longer feature?  Were they changed for the better, or has something been lost in the process?
• How many times can Patrick mention Dark Souls in an hour and 40 minutes?  The estimated over/under is 10.

We answer these questions from our listeners, and many more on the 26th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!  We’ll see you in a fortnight to conclude our 2019 wrap up with our GOTY episode!

If you enjoyed the episode or wanted to submit questions for future episodes, then come and hang out with us over on discord  and for everything else, checkout our website at rsPodcast.net for all sorts of articles about the games we love and hate!

From Software is amongst the most critically acclaimed software developers of all time. Since 2009’s Demon’s Souls, they’ve released nothing but incredible titles and Dark Souls 2. But long before Hidtaka Miyazaki joined the company, From was mainly known for a completely different series: Armored Core.

First released in 1997 for the Playstation 1, Armored Core was an immediate hit, letting players fly around and destroy other enormous robots in short and intense bursts. But is it still a joy to play, with the advent of better control schemes and more refined graphics? Does Armored Core do its descendants proud in being a brilliant title?

On this episode, we discuss:

• Are you the bad guy? You work for a mercenary group called the Ravens, who accept contracts from all sides. Is any of the work you accept morally...dubious in nature?
• How well implemented is the customisation? Can you construct your mech in whatever fashion you choose, or are you railroaded into certain builds?
• Who designed this control scheme, and what's the easiest way to shoot them in the head? Spoiler: It ain’t in a mech!

We answer these questions, and many more, on the 25th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

If you enjoyed the show and would like to continue the conversation, feel free to head on over to our Discord which you can  find here or on our website. Thanks for listening!

Long before PlatinumGames was revolutionising the 3D brawler space with titles like Devil May Cry 3, Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, they worked on a title called Viewtiful Joe.  Taking cues from comic books, power rangers and superhero films, it's a cel shaded stylistic beat ‘em up that makes an average Joe the hero of its tale. Joe must use his movie inspired superpowers to kick ass, defeat evil and save the girl!

But how fun is it to play all these years later?  Has the 2D beat ‘em up genre been entirely eclipsed by its 3D brethren?  Is Viewtiful Joe still a Viewtiful game, or does it hide poor gameplay behind is panache?

On this episode, we discuss:

• How well does Viewtiful Joe implement its visual inspirations?  Is it a slapdash coat of paint to make it stand out, or does it go far deeper?
• Does the game have  a regular and enjoyable fighting 'rhythm’, or does the constantly replenishing power bar lead to a more stilted and unsatisfying experience?
• Does Viewtiful Joe deserve an Oscar for acting AND scriptwriting for fantastic scenes like this one?

We answer these questions, and many more, on the 24th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

If you enjoyed the show and would like to continue the conversation, feel free to head on over to our Discord which you can  find here or on our website. Thanks for listening!

On the 15th of November, 2001, the Xbox launched with a tremendous bang.  Not since Super Mario World for the SNES had a launch title been so well regarded.  Halo invented, and went on to define how console FPS games should be made - limited weapons, regenerating health, slight auto-aim - Halo made these the industry standard.  Halo was seen as a masterpiece - not just for its single player campaign, but for its fun couch co-op mode and competitive multiplayer.

But has Halo actually stood the test of time, 18 years later?  With a million sequels to its name, and the Masterchief Collection delivering a remaster of the games, is it just a nostalgic trip to visit the grandfather of console FPS?  Or does it stand up strong alongside its peers, and show the world that Halo is a true classic?  

On this episode, Patrick, James and special guest Cameron Boozarjomehri of the Sweating the Small Stuff Podcast discuss:

• How well implemented is the two-weapon system in Halo?  Is it needlessly restrictive and punishing? Or does it add to the strategic depth and tactical approaches available to you?
• How good is Halo’s level design?  Are it's inside areas just as strong as its outdoor ones?  Is its use of backtracking and reuse of assets a novel twist, or just boring and lazy?
• Will Patrick ever admit the benefits of a controller for an FPS, or will he continue to obnoxiously proclaim the superiority of mouse and keyboard?

We answer these questions, and many more, on the 23rd episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!  

If you enjoyed the show and would like to continue the conversation, feel free to head on over to our Discord which you can  find here or on our website. Thanks for listening!

Vagrant Story is one of the dark horses of the JRPG genre.  Its exposition-light storytelling is rooted in Shakespearean dialogue rather than adolescent chosen ones.  Its RPG systems are complex, but you have essentially zero control over character customisation. A rhythm mini-game forms the heart of its combat, but you’ll spend the majority of your time playing sorting through menus.  This is Vagrant Story, a mish-mash of genres and ideas, another game that defies easy explanation.

But does this all come together into an enjoyable whole?  Are Vagrant Story’s individual parts strong, and do they complement one another?  Has Vagrant Story stood the test of time, or was it a botched experiment, best left in the dungeons of the city of Lea Monde?

On this episode, we discuss:

• Vagrant Story’s plot is confusing and poorly explained.  Its characters rarely give useful exposition dumps to the player.  But is this a bad thing? Is the story more sophisticated and interesting when told in this way, or does it just lead to plot holes?
• The gameplay on display here is enormously complex.  There are many different damage systems that require deep analysis to even begin to understand.  You spend most of your time in menus trying to figure out what the most effective way to proceed is.  But doe complexity equal depth? Is Vagrant story a deep and interesting experience, or just a hard to understand one?
• Can James trick Pat into admitting that his dislike of Vagrant Story’s box puzzles means that Stephen’s Sausage Roll (the greatest game ever made - Pat) also sucks?

Find out the answers to these questions and many more on Episode 22 of Retro Spectives!

If you enjoyed the show and would like to continue the conversation, feel free to head on over to our Discord which you can  find here or on our website. Thanks for listening!

Back in the early 2000s, World War 2 shooters were in vogue.  The broader gaming audience had moved on from the more abstract settings of Quake or Doom, and were demanding real world locations, guns and lethality.  Call of Duty wasn’t the first, nor the last of these - but at the time of release it was praised for its bombastic, cinematic action-thriller feel. Before Half Life 2 or Far Cry, Call of Duty was the king of PC FPS shooters.

But how well does it hold up, all these years later?  With a staggering 15 entries alone in the Call of Duty franchise, can the original hope to compete with over a decade of (debatable) innovation?

On this episode, we discuss

• How well does Call of Duty tell its story?  Can its narrow focus on ‘soldiers in the trenches’ stand up to the globetrotting, world-ending spectacle of later Call of Duty games?
• Are hitscan based shooters fundamentally poorly designed when compared to projectile based ones?  To what degree can a skilled player overcome the sheer lethality of enemies versus repeatedly dying to random chance?
• Should Call of Duty strive for historical accuracy in its portrayal of historical events?  Or is it fine to pay homage to cinema (in this case, Enemy At the Gates), regardless of its historical authenticity?

We answer these questions, and many more, on the 21st episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

If you enjoyed the show and would like to continue the conversation, feel free to head on over to our Discord which you can  find here or on our website. Thanks for listening!

What happens when you fuse two different genres together? Sometimes you discover something special, like action-rpgs, which go on to become a dominant force in the industry at large. But there are other combinations that have struggled to reach that kind of prominence. Way back in 1992, Blizzard tried to make a side-scrolling puzzle/platformer called The Lost Vikings, a game where the player takes control of 3 vikings in turn, all with unique strengths and weaknesses. Only by working as a team can they overcome the many challenges in their way. Does this lead to a compelling gameplay experience, or is Blizzard right to have never remade this game, giving them only cameo appearances in other more successful titles?

On this episode, we discuss:

• Are difficult platforming and light puzzle solving a match made in heaven? Or do they have competing priorities that lead to a confused experience?
• Titles like Super Meat Boy and Celeste are covered with insta-death obstacles, but are usually 1 screen challenges. Is insta-death still fun on much larger levels?
• The Lost Vikings is yet another title without a music volume slider. Who figured out that there was a music mute button, and who suffered through 11 hours of pain?

We answer these questions, and many more, on the 20th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

If you enjoyed the show and would like to continue the conversation, feel free to head on over to our Discord which you can  find here or on our website. Thanks for listening!