Straglehold = Another Bad PC Port

[Nyghtfall]

I just played about 10 seconds of the new Stranglehold demo, the latest 360 port for the PC. After discovering there's no way to tweak the graphics or resolution, I quit out and deleted the game.

Any PC game that doesn't let you tweak the graphics is instant material for the trash can, IMHO.

[MasterChief]

it's just a demo you silly goose :p:

the full version will allow you to tweak the resolution

[Nyghtfall]

I'm not just talking about the resolution. This thing doesn't even let you tweak the visuals - no AF, no lighting, or shader quality, nothing. You can modify the keyboard controls and mouse inversion, but that's it.

The BioShock demo didn't even let people enable FSAA. When the same held true for the retail version, I learned it was because of the UT3 engine. Stranglehold uses the UT3 engine.

[MasterChief]

http://blogs.ign.com/Strangleholdgame/2007/09/14/66268/

Says you should be able to tweak the visual settings as well, not sure what all that includes. As far as FSAA goes, most gamers don't even know what that is, let alone care about whether it can be enabled. Hardly enough reason to swear off the game entirely, methinks :p:

Still though, seems pretty stupid of them not to include those options in the demo.

[Nyghtfall]

A comment in response to that blog link you posted put it best:

You know, right now there are thousands of PC gamers that think Stranglehold is a quick hack job console port due to the demo being locked to one resolution and not having any graphics options.

Demos are what people use to decide whether or not to buy the game. Having a demo that's not representative of the quality of your final product it bad enough, but not even including so much as a readme to indicate that the full version has editable settings is insane.

You might as well have put a intro screen in the demo saying "Don't buy this game!" Honestly, who makes such a completely braindead move to release a PC demo where you can't change the resolution?

[Terry Penrod]

.

I've got to agree. The demo should have had a huge, bold warning right on the install screen that clearly states it does not have even the most basic user options to be included in the final retail game.

Missing something this simple is a really stupid mistake on the part of everyone involved.

Cheers, Terry

[pcfreak]

Yep you have my vote too Nyghtfall,

I have a decent graphics card and like the option of being able to ramp the visuals up or reduce them to my personal taste. I wasn't very happy when I discovered Bioshock omitted these options and I would certainly think twice about any other game which did the same.

I am fed up with lazy development and bad ports on the PC games front! There is so much potential within the modern PC that is not being fully utilised. Us PC owners have the best gaming platform available but how many games in the last year can you say are truly classics? I know I am going to get hit with Bioshock here, but even this game has it's flaws and once the wow factor has worn off, how many are still going to be playing in 3 or 4 months time?

Cheers,

Stuart

[Terry Penrod]

.

Haven't played Bioshock yet but there seem to be two huge shortcomings to this title compared to the best PC shooters of the modern era. Please correct me if I'm wrong but as far as I know, the game has no MP mode and no moddability. If this is true and since there are no genuine RPG components (despite what the publisher claims), then it also has very limited replay value.

Eqipment, health and/or weapon upgrades - disguised in part as psionic-type powers or not - along with a story do NOT qualify a title as a RPG. IMO it doesn't even qualify it as a partial hybrid RPG.

From what I can see, Bioshock is a pure FPS with a cool story plus some clever variations on weapons and basic skills that allow for a good degree of player freedom to choose tactics. An RPG though? Hardly.

However, for what it apparently is (an unmoddable, SP-only FPS), it evidently is quite good. So when time permits and when I get an urge to play yet another FPS, I'll probably get the game.

Cheers, Terry

[gorilla325]

totally agreed...this is a stupid way to release demo.

but bad console port? well it's yet to be seen. from what think is that at least, the camera control should be better than on the console.

[MasterChief]

A comment in response to that blog link you posted put it best:

Oh I agree that it was a very poor idea to release a demo that way, but like I said it only takes a little common sense to realize that the lack of any adjustment options whatsoever must just be a quirk of a demo that was rushed to release. Now, with that said, such a decision does seem to reveal a great deal of apathy on the part of the developers toward PC gamers.

The final game could very well end up being a half-assed port like you say, I just think at this point it would be foolish to write the whole thing off just because some doofus forgot to take 20 minutes to program in an option to adjust the resolution.

[Kalbrecht]

Haven't played Bioshock yet but there seem to be two huge shortcomings to this title compared to the best PC shooters of the modern era. Please correct me if I'm wrong but as far as I know, the game has no MP mode and no moddability. If this is true and since there are no genuine RPG components (despite what the publisher claims), then it also has very limited replay value.

Eqipment, health and/or weapon upgrades - disguised in part as psionic-type powers or not - along with a story do NOT qualify a title as a RPG. IMO it doesn't even qualify it as a partial hybrid RPG.

From what I can see, Bioshock is a pure FPS with a cool story plus some clever variations on weapons and basic skills that allow for a good degree of player freedom to choose tactics. An RPG though? Hardly.

However, for what it apparently is (an unmoddable, SP-only FPS), it evidently is quite good. So when time permits and when I get an urge to play yet another FPS, I'll probably get the game.

Cheers, Terry

Probably better for the Bioshock thread but...

Yep. You got that right Terry, except for one big problem. Irrational Games/Ken Levine went out of their way to say that Bioshock was a FPS, NOT an RPG hybrid.

I was dubious, and very worried about this to begin with. It DOES have a couple of issues - I still feel a good hybrid would have worked so much better in many ways.

But, in that context, it works absolutely BRILLIANTLY as an almost unique FPS. It's a slow-paced, thought/tactics driven FPS with a smattering of RPG style customisation - enough to feel like you're not just playing a cookie cutter character - matched to one of the best written stories in gaming (IMHO).

As to the absence of MP and mods? I can understand why they did it. They tried to make something special with the story and immersion. Allowing players to then muck around in there with mods and MP detracts from the overall power of the property. It's a game designed to immerse you in a quite singular vision and story. An MP mode would be tacked on.

[yummyzebra]

MP detracts from the overall power of the property. It's a game designed to immerse you in a quite singular vision and story. An MP mode would be tacked on.

My thoughts exactly, well said. Ive always preferred singleplaying to multiplayer anyway.