This game is absolute ♥♥♥♥ RANT (Comming from a huge Painkiller fan)

[terry309]

So for those of you who don't know, Painkiller is what I consider to be the pinnacle of the FPS genre. It's a game that does so many things right that I can play it again and again and again. There are so many things that Painkiller does that should be a staple in the FPS genre and I picked up Hard Reset in hopes that it would bring me some of that.

So I realized that it was nothing at all like Painkiller and refunded the game... however I recently gave the game a second chance in order to judge it as a stand alone game now that I can pick up the redux cheap which comes with it.

Big mistake, I thought I could stomach it for £4.00 but even then it's not enough to warrant paying a single £1.00.

Now the first thing I notice about this game is that the visuals are top notch, everything looks nice and that's good but visuals aren't everything and this game makes that very clear. First of all the controls are just bad... very bad. The weapon swapping is needlessly complicated. While I do see what they were trying to do, I would have rather have had every weapon on the mouse wheel. Having to press keys to swap between energy and standard weaponary is a pain.

It's as if the game was trying to do so many things that it ♥♥♥♥ed itself. Why is it so hard to have all the weapons on the mouse wheel?

Add to all this the framerate... it's all over the place. Sometimes it's at 30, sometimes it's at 40, sometimes it's at 50 but I have never seen it at 60 FPS ever. It's so disorientating, especially with all the explosive environments everywhere.

Robots take the whole meaning of bullet sponges to a whole new level... and yes every single enemy in this game is some kind of robot. Even the small enemies take forever to kill, the assault rifle must be shooting cotton wool at the enemies because it seems to have absolutely no impact whatsoever.

If I were to compare this game with any other videogame it would be Vampire Rain. What a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ game that was... but so is this one. The enemies all move super quick and are a ♥♥♥♥♥ to take out. When they get close to you, they shread you to pieces... this is before we even get started on ranged enemies.

Now I could let this slide if the game didn't throw dozens of enemies at you at once. I get that you're supposed to shoot up the environments but relying on gimmicks such as that makes the entire game feel luck based. If enemies aren't next to an explosive, they are near impossible to kill, especially when you already blew everything up before-hand. As for the shooting, it's pretty much just spray and pray... and by pray I mean pray that they die. I can't tell if my hits are connecting half the time as enemies don't react to bullets at all, they are sponges in every literal sense of the word.

To add to this travesty, the HUD is ridiculous, there is no minimap and the radar you are given (when you unlock it) is right where your health is shown... who's idea was that? To make things worse you can't tell how many nano's you have unless you go into the menu and check your profile. This is such a nightmare.

Another thing that got on my nerves is the movement. You move so ridiculously slow it's ridiculous. Sure there's a sprint button but when will you ever find a reason to move forward in this game? All you do is back away from enemies who try to melee you as you spray bullets at them. That is the entire game. I'm not saying that other games haven't done it before, Serious sam did it but at least in that game the targeting cursor changed colour based on how much health an enemy has so you could calculate how long it would take to kill them. In this game you have absolutely no indication.

Another needlessly annoying thing is that the game constantly makes you press switches needlessly. I thought the point of these sorts of games was to be on the combat, not randomly walking around pressing switches. Nevertheless this game still follows the same conventions as Serious Sam and Painkiller in the sense that it's all about walking from one room to the next killing enemies as they spawn in.

It's clear that something is not quite right with this game... something went wrong during the development of this game and I don't quite know what it is. It's hard to believe that Flying Wild Hog were involved in Painkiller to begin with. Perhaps Shadow Warrior is better... who knows? However there is just no saving this game...

Someone please tell me, what went wrong here? What happened to this game? Why do I see so many positive reviews?

Edit: I played the redux and it's so much better than this, i'd call it a fun, if a tad flawed game, the framerate is still mostly 30 fps but the gameplay is so much better. This is how the original should have been. It was a mistake on their part to release it alongside this piece of ♥♥♥♥ if someone was stupidly curious enough to try the original first.

[AK47's For Everyone]

You said pretty much everything that was on my mind. I wouldn't even buy the Redux honestly, seems to me from reading and watching other opinions that it adds a few more problems than it fixes. Should have just been added in a patch rather than a whole new game.

Playing through this on Hard and i'm currently at that Parking Lot set piece in level 3 or 4 I believe where it throws two dozen of those red cyborgs which have Hitscan weapons, who run faster than you, who also have a killer unavoidable melee attack, on top of everything else exploding around you (where it feels like there still isn't enough of those objects to take them out with, and then it drops MORE of them after that wave is defeated). Think i'm on my 7th or 8th attempt and i've just had enough frustration honestly. I WANT to love this game, it feels like it should be doing everything right but there's just too many little things that bring it down.

[terry309]

Originally posted by m0rd:

You said pretty much everything that was on my mind. I wouldn't even buy the Redux honestly, seems to me from reading and watching other opinions that it adds a few more problems than it fixes. Should have just been added in a patch rather than a whole new game.

Playing through this on Hard and i'm currently at that Parking Lot set piece in level 3 or 4 I believe where it throws two dozen of those red cyborgs which have Hitscan weapons, who run faster than you, who also have a killer unavoidable melee attack, on top of everything else exploding around you (where it feels like there still isn't enough of those objects to take them out with, and then it drops MORE of them after that wave is defeated). Think i'm on my 7th or 8th attempt and i've just had enough frustration honestly. I WANT to love this game, it feels like it should be doing everything right but there's just too many little things that bring it down.

That's where I put down the game in the extended edition, played the redux and it was so much easier because you can press shift to quick dodge those attacks.

Plus they aren't hitscan, they're just very difficult to see, they're like a small white projectile but they are shot at a very high velocity.

The Redux makes it playable, that is for sure, whether it is good or not is up to discussion but the original is so bad.

If you really want to love this game, I think you'd best give the redux a go (it's only £3.75 right now and that's a reasonable price). The dodge button alleviates a lot of the problems the game has and the difficulty feels no where near as punishing.

[gullyDJ]

i got the redux - it is very good - they gave me the original with it. It does in deed suck and feels like a complete different game

[>< V ><]

Maybe it got good reviews because it's a good game?

Controls are fine. Mouse wheel weapon swapping is for noobs. I like the weapon mechanics, because I only need 6 keybinds for all the weapons instead of 10.

Framerate is fine, vsynced at 60 and it never drops below.

Big robots are meant to be tough. Everything else pretty much dies with one rocket or grenade. They throw a lot of robots at you because you're supposed to use the crowd control abilities of the weapons. If you just spam the assault rifle, you will die. Once you have the full arsenal, you can easily stun lock whatever you want until it dies. Stun with electric mortar, shoot a rocket, shoot a grenade. Trap again with gravity grenade, shoot a grenade, shoot a rocket. Stun with shock blaster, shoot a grenade, shoot a rocket. Cooldown will be done with electric mortar and do it all again.

If you're trying to play this game like Painkiller, then you are doing it wrong. You can't just go around shooting everything with the shotgun, you have to do weapon combos in this game.

The sprint is very useful, especially when going against Grenadiers and the Scarabs, to dodge their homing missles.

This game was a fun challenge to beat on Heroic difficulty, where dying resets the level. No luck required, no spray and pray. It's all about weapon combos and knowing how to deal with the various enemies.

I didn't buy redux, because they made it easier. If you can't beat the original on normal mode, then redux is for you.

[terry309]

Originally posted by >< V ><:

Maybe it got good reviews because it's a good game?

Controls are fine. Mouse wheel weapon swapping is for noobs. I like the weapon mechanics, because I only need 6 keybinds for all the weapons instead of 10.

Framerate is fine, vsynced at 60 and it never drops below.

Big robots are meant to be tough. Everything else pretty much dies with one rocket or grenade. They throw a lot of robots at you because you're supposed to use the crowd control abilities of the weapons. If you just spam the assault rifle, you will die. Once you have the full arsenal, you can easily stun lock whatever you want until it dies. Stun with electric mortar, shoot a rocket, shoot a grenade. Trap again with gravity grenade, shoot a grenade, shoot a rocket. Stun with shock blaster, shoot a grenade, shoot a rocket. Cooldown will be done with electric mortar and do it all again.

If you're trying to play this game like Painkiller, then you are doing it wrong. You can't just go around shooting everything with the shotgun, you have to do weapon combos in this game.

The sprint is very useful, especially when going against Grenadiers and the Scarabs, to dodge their homing missles.

This game was a fun challenge to beat on Heroic difficulty, where dying resets the level. No luck required, no spray and pray. It's all about weapon combos and knowing how to deal with the various enemies.

I didn't buy redux, because they made it easier. If you can't beat the original on normal mode, then redux is for you.

Unfortunately if all videogames were designed to cater to people like you, they would never make money.

Vidoegames are designed to be as intuitive and accessible as possible. Painkiller worked because it was just that.

Just because a meta community can adapt to it doesn't mean everyone is willing. Unfortunately for you, the meta community are a extremely vocal minority that makes up a small percentage of the consumer base. It is for this reason why Flying Wild Hog released the redux in the first place... because they know deep down that every single thing I mentioned in this post is 100% true.

[Ivar]

STFU you pansie.

[>< V ><]

Originally posted by terry309:

...words...

Genius, they wouldn't make a redux version if they didn't feel the original was a success.

The problem with players like you, is that you can't adapt. You think this game should be like Painkiller and be able to complete the whole game just running around with a shotgun. But you can't, you HAVE TO use the crowd control abilities the game gives you. That's one of the things that makes this game unique, that you have to crowd control, instead of just running backwards and strafing in circles.

If you think you can take on 20 robots with the assault rifle alone, you will die. This isn't Painkiller. However, if you use the gravity grenade, suck them all up and then throw a regular grenade, then you can kill them all in one shot.

It looks like you started the game on hard mode and then came to complain. Why not just play it on easy if you want it easy?

I'm telling you how to succeed against 20 robots, using 2 grenades that you can get almost immediately. I told you how to indefinitely stun lock all the robots (except the bosses) with 3 weapons. The only thing that remains, is for you to listen and learn.

[terry309]

Originally posted by >< V ><:

Originally posted by terry309:

...words...

Genius, they wouldn't make a redux version if they didn't feel the original was a success.

The problem with players like you, is that you can't adapt. You think this game should be like Painkiller and be able to complete the whole game just running around with a shotgun. But you can't, you HAVE TO use the crowd control abilities the game gives you. That's one of the things that makes this game unique, that you have to crowd control, instead of just running backwards and strafing in circles.

If you think you can take on 20 robots with the assault rifle alone, you will die. This isn't Painkiller. However, if you use the gravity grenade, suck them all up and then throw a regular grenade, then you can kill them all in one shot.

It looks like you started the game on hard mode and then came to complain. Why not just play it on easy if you want it easy?

I'm telling you how to succeed against 20 robots, using 2 grenades that you can get almost immediately. I told you how to indefinitely stun lock all the robots (except the bosses) with 3 weapons. The only thing that remains, is for you to listen and learn.

If you want to play that game, lets play that game. The problem with gamers like you is that you are so absorbed in a particular game that you are completely blinded to it's flaws and pass it off as a good game just because you're a masochist.

If the original was so brilliant like you said, why the hell did they change it? They changed it because they knew that the original game needed improvement. In a way, the redux itself is proof that everything you have just said to me right now is 100% invalid information simply because the redux adds more to the game and not only that, it makes the gameplay so much more engaging. The dash ability makes the game so much more fun because it improves the pacing of the combat.

The dodge function allows the player to actually avoid the large robot's charge attack effectively. Originally if you moved away you would still get hit by it but just take a little less damage. The fact that you mobe like a slug in a game with dozens of enemies on screen is a flaw in itself.

People like you make absolutely no sense, you refuse to buy a remaster of a game you love just because it's too easy? Seriously!? This is why I can't stand you people, you pass up a game just because it doesn't meet your own standard of difficulty and when a game does meet your own needs, you defend it righteously... even when it's the same exact game.

Claiming that I can't adapt is stupid because I enjoy the redux, that's called adapting. You're just making up BS now.

[-Dare Devil/x/]

-I liked the first game, I definitely didn't experience all the issues you are. *shrug*

[Red]

Check V's profile. Does it look like he is absorbed in just one game? He's played a crazy amount of FPS games and for good lengths of time. Quit attacking him, your arguments don't stack up.

I use crowd control abilities and the destructibles and it works great. I am impressed with this game. As it does manage to bring unique elements to the table. I gotta give a lot of credit to this studio who made their own engine, and have the guts to make new 'old school' shooters today.

[terry309]

Originally posted by Redhotjets:

Check V's profile. Does it look like he is absorbed in just one game? He's played a crazy amount of FPS games and for good lengths of time. Quit attacking him, your arguments don't stack up.

I use crowd control abilities and the destructibles and it works great. I am impressed with this game. As it does manage to bring unique elements to the table. I gotta give a lot of credit to this studio who made their own engine, and have the guts to make new 'old school' shooters today.

He's a metagamer, he seems to think that he is allowed to speak for everyone. I play all kinds of differrent types of games and I know bad game design when I see it and this is bad game design. There are no if's or but's, no justification, it is just bad.

I tire of the meta crowd thinking that they're better than anybody else just because they play the same game for hours on end doing meta ♥♥♥♥ and think that entitles them to speak for everyone as if they are the gospels of gaming. Just enjoy your meta and keep quiet.

[terry309]

Originally posted by AKBrahCadavraHokusPokusM4DieBus:

2 much contradiction for me.

...spawning next to me.....no reason to move forward.......cant see where im shootin at......prayin they die........

This Game is defintely on the edge of ..."Gamesnowadays", but i think it fits its style,..the AI is acting like Killerrobots, they get dropped and try to kill you from first sight, straight...., but,, they get placed everytime in the same place once you died and have to try again. My main critic..

Kinda like you metioned before, Doom, Painkiller,...such Gamestyle but with mainaspect on Killstreaks, with a bit more Storysequences the Game would give a whole other taste. And the Killstreakaward goes to Hardreset if i would compare to what ive played from PK, which feels a bit...empty, if i think about waves of ai´s on the first easier Levels. You shouldnt forget the Multiplayerfactor just by level design...

Just a mater of taste.

Woulnt wonder if Part 2 is not done yet cause they doing their job somewhere else...

I can't read that...

[Syncroniam]

You have garbage taste kid.

[IfeHearted]

I enjoyed this game. I didn't have any of the issues that were brought up in this thread. This isn't a run n' gun game designed for millenials who have no attention span. I have spent exactly zero time running backwards and shooting. Like mentioned above you must use gun combos to immobilize enemies and then destroy them. Find narrow passages and ambush them with a shotgun and grenades. A lot of big name AAA games get upgrades/patches constantly. Doesn't mean the original was crap.

[neighborlee]

Game was incredibly challeniging and I'm sure thats why it was made that way, but OP is 100% correct.

Most weapons are USELESS , because by the time you get enough ammuiition out there on robots, you're dead as a doorknob.

In a large # of cases .

There is NO way you can't back up, unless you only use the shotgun.

I don't like shotguns, so I chose the energy weapons , which when used with the surrounding architecture, works,,evnetually, but as OP noted, it almost wasn't worth the headache.

I can't even FIND many of the weapons, I know I have, as cycling , via MMB on mouse doesn't come even close to giving me all the weapons I know I purchased.

I'm not sure its worth much in its current form, but hopefully REDUX u s, as OP noted.

We don't, MOST ofu s, buy games to annoy us, as we all just want a little bit of fun.

Yes, some gamers get off on a huge challenge , to a degree I'm one of them, which is why I made it to the END at the arena, and no seeming way to win against PROFESSSOR dudely lol.

I checked keypress from ingame menu and I see absolutely no KEY press , 1 , 2 ,3 or anything else that has the key I need to access ALL of the weapons at my disposal.

I agree, this game was prob. intended for CONSOLE, where there are tons of buttons, not PC.

Fun enough,but designed very badly.

The ONLY reason, I tried this is it came with my GTX 950 2gb OC1 GPU, so I thought why waste the money and not at least try it.

Game me a few ideas, so it wasn't a total flop.

At least there was little to no blood/guts, but at the end of the day I much preffer regular old adventure games, where the mind is pushed instead of bullets, but at least here nothing 'human' died, so says we until robots ARE almost indistinguishable from US ;))

Thinking Irobot, or such o_0