Great Style and presentation, gameplay is awful though

[zombiworkshop]

I have no idea why this has so many positive reviews. Been playing this for the last couple of days and hit a brick wall of frustration. The game is pure random chance whether you'll get killed or the level will let you just complete it. Collision detection is awful, aiming is awful, and the fact that offscreen enemies can kill you too - fk this game.

The presentation is excellent, the jazz drumming and how they appear to fluenty change with what's going on is amazing, but when you get to the last few levels on the docks - I can't make any progress. Guys appear out of nowhere, I get shot from offscreen, I turn around and there's 7 more guys - usually the ones with flamethrowers. Ive tried taking it slow, no luck - running through, no luck - and the amount of times I've died with no idea why? I've had enough - it was fun early on, but this isn't challenge any more, it's just random punishment. Not recommended at all.

[Phantom Spaceman]

It's easy to think that, because the gameplay is frenetic.

Grabbing enemies is important - the value of the enemies varies - some shot longer than others, some explode when you throw them. Sometimes, you dodge around a corner when pursued by an enemy and ambush them.

Finding cover is important. Stealth is important. You can get enemies to kill each other. Enemies do not pursue you endlessly. Learn how far they run.

Some objects burst into flame when you throw someone into them.

There is a level where bombs are dropping. They always drop near you - use that to your advantage.

If you are using an Xbox 360 controller, the second stick allows you to aim people you grabbed. You can even walk backwards.

There is plenty of strategy involved in this game. And it's episodic - you may get stuck on a level for a gaming session or two.

[do not uber]

Ape Out is deceptively complex for the type of game it is. The problem is that the game doesn't really:

(1) Lean you towards particular techniques (e.g. when to grab a limb instead of an enemy, baiting enemies to your corner, circling around flamethrowers)

(2) Explicitly break your bad assumptions (e.g. should I always be running towards the end? is there no way to prepare against enemies outside of my screen?).

[cryotherm]

It is easy to get frustrated at this game but i seem to have gotten better at it. I'm at the episode titled "Fugue" (playing on Harder difficulty now) and I always die outside, usually because I don't have enough time to grab an enemy; then a ♥♥♥♥ ton of them surround my cover, and then an enemy offscreen sees me and I try to escape just to get shot down. This game feels good to play in room-to-room areas but the only things you can hide behind here are rocks, and there's only so much you can do by grabbing one shotgunner, especially when multiple enemies surround you.

Of course you can minimize the amount of rng by playing strategically and cautiously, but random enemy spawns/types frustrates me to no end.

[cryotherm]

alright I beat the five chapter in Fugue on harder. I thought of one thing that the enemies all treat cover (as in they won't surround you and won't shoot). the metal door that you pull open! yeah, i basically just cheesed the level by taking that thing with me. i didn't get hurt once. i really want to pogchamp right now but i don't think steam forums have twitch emotes.

[zombiworkshop]

Hahahha, I have since completed the game, but doesn't stop the frustration. :)