Dipswitch Comics, "Confessions of a Gamer II: Brutal Legend"

[alienmastermind]

http://dipswitchcomics.com/dipbanner.jpg (http://dipswitchcomics.com/132)

Hump day, everybody, and here's a comic for you.

How many of you are actually playing Brutal Legend? I don't know if it was meant to be one of the bigger titles of the year, or if it's just the pedigree of the title that's sold it to me, but I have to say one thing: Tim Schafer's ability to craft witty dialogue and an interesting story haven't faded in the slightest.

(The previous wall of text has been removed at my hand, due to the fact that it kind of becomes redundant in the face of the review coming out today. Read the comic, and you can see basically what I think...Also, thanks to everyone who responded! I really appreciate the feedback!)

Well, we'll see you Friday with another comic.

Enjoy!

Dan 'Alienmastermind' Houser

[MosBen]

A couple things: first, what is Tim Shaefer's track record of bad game mechanics? Psychonauts was totally enjoyable, and I don't think I need to get into the Monkey Island games or Grim Fandango.

Second, I can see where the RTS stuff is coming from, but so far it seems really stripped down from your average RTS title. Granted, I just recently got my wings, and I'm not playing on a hard difficulty level, but so far I pretty much tell my guys to go to X and then I drop down and hack around a lot. So I guess what I'm saying is that so far I can see the RTS elements, but it doesn't *feel* like that much of an RTS because I am absolutely terrible at RTS games.

So far I have to agree that the game is totally fun. It's just got such a good sense of style and fun that it makes me want to keep playing, even if I'm not totally comfortable with troop management.

[Zero]

Where did he say bad game mechanics?

[Purple Santa]

Well um...I liked the comic :).

[crazyD]

You say RTS where you control the player character, I say brawler where you can create friendly troops for back up. It has elements of both genres, but I would say it is definitely more heavily a third person action game than a RTS.

There is no jump button, but there is also really no need for one.

I thought the mechanics were awesome, but then again, I thought the same thing about Psychonauts. I love it when games mix things up and give me something I'm not expecting, and both games delivered that in spades.

[alienmastermind]

A couple things: first, what is Tim Shaefer's track record of bad game mechanics? Psychonauts was totally enjoyable, and I don't think I need to get into the Monkey Island games or Grim Fandango.

Second, I can see where the RTS stuff is coming from, but so far it seems really stripped down from your average RTS title. Granted, I just recently got my wings, and I'm not playing on a hard difficulty level, but so far I pretty much tell my guys to go to X and then I drop down and hack around a lot. So I guess what I'm saying is that so far I can see the RTS elements, but it doesn't *feel* like that much of an RTS because I am absolutely terrible at RTS games.

So far I have to agree that the game is totally fun. It's just got such a good sense of style and fun that it makes me want to keep playing, even if I'm not totally comfortable with troop management.

Grim Fandango - Controls were a little screwy with higher end machines.

Full Throttle - This is where you may have gotten on the train a little late. If you didn't play this game's GODAWFUL motorcycle fight scenes, you'd be less impressed that Psychonauts worked.

Psychonauts - My issue with the game was the implementation of 'slippery' surfaces that made jumping and hidden extras nigh-impossible without extra time to perfect its wild jumping physics. It was an accomodation thing, more than a 'didn't like' thing. But Psychonauts was a big step in the right direction from Full Throttle, I 100% agree with that. And I'm playing through Psychonauts again for like the seventh time. But I'm also referring to the PC version where the menus and such aren't working with my awesome gamepad, instead requiring me to mouse over menu options. :(

What's really great, is that my opinion in real life mirror's Den's, and my suspected response to that opinion is approximated in the responses here. :)

Thanks for reading the comic, guys!

Alien

[crazyD]

What's really great, is that my opinion in real life mirror's Den's, and my suspected response to that opinion is approximated in the responses here. :)

Huh? No one is breaking out the crocs. Just respectably disagreeing and trying to start a discussion.

[Panthera]

Full Throttle - This is where you may have gotten on the train a little late. If you didn't play this game's GODAWFUL motorcycle fight scenes, you'd be less impressed that Psychonauts worked.

I think you misspelled AWESOME.

[alienmastermind]

Huh? No one is breaking out the crocs. Just respectably disagreeing and trying to start a discussion.

I suppose I'm used to the rest of the internet. :)

Actually, yeah, I figured some people would disagree, and here at the CoG, there's usually not much in the way of acrimony.

Oh, and the damaging the escorted thing was with the side flames on the Druid Plow. It can damage it.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Since I was kinda a jerk earlier on, I thought I'd actually put forth some constructive criticism.

I've certainly seen worse comics, but the flow of conversation in the first 2 panels is difficult to follow, and I really think you can do better than Tim Buckley-esque "VIOLENCE OUT OF NOWHERE" punchlines.

[alienmastermind]

Thanks for the crit, TFO. Man, I tell you what, I've got the same balloon flow problems I've had for a long time.

There's two levels to the joke, however, which calls back to an earlier comic where the father threatens the injury to Den for possibly blaspheming Tim Schafer. :)

Which is more of a joke for people who've read all the comics, I suppose, which makes it one of those jokes for two things.

But yeah, most times I can get the dialogue to fit and all, but this idea actually came up from a conversation I had with Spigot over the weekend about BL, and I didn't really script it out as fluently as I normally do.

AM

[alienmastermind]

I think you misspelled AWESOME.

We certainly disagree on this point, but I found the bike combat to not be up to the level of Road Rash for the 3DO, and because it was old-school CD-Rom it was hard to get hit detection to work like you'd expect from a console game.

The game itself, overall...story, characters, puzzles...B'DASS as all get out.

But, I didn't like the actiony bits.

AM

[Purple Santa]

But yeah, most times I can get the dialogue to fit and all, but this idea actually came up from a conversation I had with Spigot over the weekend about BL, and I didn't really script it out as fluently as I normally do.

AM

Spigot inspired this comic? You need to leave the internets a bit more often ;)

[alienmastermind]

There is no tube like the tube I call home. Which, actually, houses all my information sources.

I also like to collect ceramic cats.