Comments on: New Project Origin Trailers

By: DigitalSignalX

DigitalSignalX — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:04:42 +0000

FEAR fanboy as well. As bad as some of the horror FPS’s have been in the past, FEAR and it’s expansions were always above par.

By: Duoae

Duoae — Sat, 03 May 2008 20:42:57 +0000

I’m increasingly not liking the look of Project Origin. The first two trailers are fine but the mech trailer? It just makes me think of the section in AvP2 when you use the combat walker – which i felt was kinda tacked on to the gameplay. The art style of outside reminds me a bit of Red Faction 2 and the player character is a beefed-up guy with minimal armour (nothing on his Popeye-esque arms?) and a Ghost recon/Halo style HUD.

I just hope this game isn’t a piecemeal mish-mash of other games.

By: Alex

Alex — Sat, 03 May 2008 12:48:01 +0000

Of course, the effect still is the same, but I was a bit guttet that the AI was actually not smarter or too different from any other game.

That is interesting, I never thought about that. I wonder how the AI has been tweaked (if it has been) for the “new” more open environments.

The game doesn’t look that much better than FEAR, it’s true, but Monolith’s shooters have never really been about the graphics

Other commenters have already mentioned several Monolith games that have more interesting art direction (which I personally think is much more important than how well the graphics engine can create a sort of photorealism) – Tron 2.0, the No One Lives Forever games (never played Shogo myself). Tron and NOLF were by definition of their IP more colourful and, dare I say it, sassy, but they could’ve done more with the art design of FEAR, I feel, but it’s obvious that wasn’t were their priorities lay.

By: David

David — Sat, 03 May 2008 06:21:45 +0000

The game doesn’t look that much better than FEAR, it’s true, but Monolith’s shooters have never really been about the graphics (other than the original FEAR, which was pretty but also rather poorly coded). They’re more about the style and fun, which FEAR had in droves (fun, that is, shooting black-clad soldiers in office buildings and warehouses won’t win points for originality anywhere). Hopefully PO does more than the drab expansions for expanding the gameplay while still keeping the fun of the original.

Although with more open environments, it sounds like I won’t be able to enjoy as many slow motion shotgun headshots. Pity.

By: sbs

sbs — Sat, 03 May 2008 00:49:58 +0000

Alex: I thought so too, but then I read something about the fear AI that disappointed me a little.
It was about how they basically built the levels around the cover-system they built into the AI and not the other way around, so it was essentially just trickery.
Of course, the effect still is the same, but I was a bit guttet that the AI was actually not smarter or too different from any other game.

By: MeestaNob!

MeestaNob! — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:35:33 +0000

Looks good, but cant help but wonder “Why not just make Shogo?”

I remember playing the demo, it was a hoot. Could never find the full version though.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:26:21 +0000

Reply to C-N
Yep it really went all out to render a bit of grey and some insane looking rag dolls didn’t it. It isn’t the engine I’m complaining about its the staleness. Compared to NOLF or Shogo or Tron 2.0 the game is so darn miserable looking. At least Condemned managed to use it’s mundainity to make a top class bit of atmosphere without murdering your computer

By: Eric

Eric — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:10:48 +0000

Man, there sure are a lot of FEAR haters around here! To each their own, but FEAR is definitely one of my favorite FPS’s, and I’m really looking forward to this. Solid combat that lets the player be creative, and what are to me simple and well-designed environments are what I really loved, and it looks like those elements are coming back with more polish.

By: Alex

Alex — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:52:40 +0000

..and I bet a lot of people still can’t run it smoothly with all the settings turned up

You’re right there, but that isn’t necessarily a good sign.

Anyway, the real impressive thing about FEAR wasn’t the story, or the cheap scares, or the graphics – it was the AI. The AI really did manage to surprise me repeatedly.

By: C-N

C-N — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:47:03 +0000

I don’t believe people are complaining about the engine. FEAR was a real system-killer when it came out, and I bet a lot of people still can’t run it smoothly with all the settings turned up.

By: nakke

nakke — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:19:48 +0000

Open spaces?!? Oh no :S

By: Mooey Poo

Mooey Poo — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:05:26 +0000

I didn’t realise it’s essentially the same engine. I think they’ve slipped up there bearing in mind how much it was criticised, and it makes this basically another fucking expansion pack.