Ahh, Crusader No Remorse

[octavius]

It looks a bit like a proto Diablo?
How do the two games compare?

Ban octavius for insulting one of the best games ever made (AND I DON'T MEAN DIABLO)

That good, eh?
Weird that I've never heard of it before, although in my defense it has to be said that I didn't have a PC or followed the computer game scene much, back in 1995.

 

[Darth Roxor]

I always wished they did more games in that world than just the two. Why hasn't EA tried exploiting the nostalgia behind this series?

System Shock was set in the same world, I think Origin did alot of their stuff in the same universe

Yes, and supposedly so was Wing Commander.

But isn't that just speculation/running gag that's never actually been confirmed?

 

[Sceptic]

But isn't that just speculation/running gag that's never actually been confirmed?

Yes. Considering Ultima also supposedly takes place in that same multiverse (see UW2 and the Kilrathi). They're just easter eggs.

 

[Absalom]

They explicitly mention SHODAN and the whole she-bang in one of the newspapers, that's a bit more than a reference

Anyway at this point it's all silly fluff neway

 

[Darth Roxor]

(see UW2 and the Kilrathi).

Or:

 

[Dayyālu]

It looks a bit like a proto Diablo?
How do the two games compare?

Sigh. Do you want a serious reply? I'll bite the bait, so.

Crusader: No Remorse (and its sequel-expansion pack No Regret) are weird games, at least from a "modern" perspective. They're "isometric" shooters, built with a customized Ultima VIII engine.
First, gameplay. It's weird, with a lot of controls. Some people have difficulties with 'em: I do not, even using only the keyboard. You have a lot of control on stances and walking/running/sneaking. That said, most of the fights in Crusader are "positional", not "run and gun": you often choose a position and ambush your foes, or use your equipment or the enviroment to damage them. The enviroment is almost fully destructible, by the way: in some cases, even "glass" walls and the like.This means also that most of the problems can be solved with firepower: bored to hunt for keycards? Blast doors with explosives! Other than direct combat the game consist in "action sequences" to jump over/avoid traps and enviromental damage, keycard hunts and disabling traps.

It's completely different from Diablo. One is mindless clicking and class/equipment focus (sometimes fun), in Crusader you often have to think - what gun/equipment piece to use, how to relocate yourself, et cetera. The only thing similar to the two is the breather area. The Rebel base in No Remorse gave me some serious Tristram vibes. Don't know why.

If thou wish more crappy opinions (on weapons/balance/difficulty or whatever), ask. My opinion on buying it? It's worthy of your money.

And the music is awesome.

 

[otsego]

(source)


Somebody tell Zurovec and Vittek to turn to kickstarter, I still long for the day Crusader: No Mercy sees the light of day...
Oh, and tell them to bring Andrew Sega and Dan Gardopee along to make the music again...

 

[Darth Roxor]

Godfuckingdammit that's a flamethrower on that screen. And firing on the run.

FUCK.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Oh yeah, the game that was MADE for kickstarter.

 

[AngryKobold]

More of a memories thread than anything about a new game.
Why hasn't EA tried exploiting the nostalgia behind this series? From my understanding, it was successful financially and received acclaim.

Crusader had amazing interactivity. Player could blow up every single barrel he encountered. Everything else too. But now, it's 2013. Destructible environment is far beyond current computing capability.

For unknown reason there's a lot of franchises forgotten by EA. Maybe buried too deep. That's good. It's fucking good to not see EA shitting the market with grim jokes like Syndicate 2012.

 

[AstroZombie]

It looks a bit like a proto Diablo?
How do the two games compare?

Ban octavius for insulting one of the best games ever made (AND I DON'T MEAN DIABLO)

Thanks to octavius' thread necromancy I've found out about both these games and I'm definitely going to buy them from GOG, so don't be too harsh on him.

Edit:

There's no "new" tag because I checked out my library before taking this screen.

 

[Dayyālu]

For unknown reason there's a lot of franchises forgotten by EA. Maybe buried too deep. That's good. It's fucking good to not see EA shitting the market with grim jokes like Syndicate 2012.

In 2006, someone tried to resurrect it as a portable game or something. The project failed/was shot down (and good riddance, the screens and the video looked awful).

http://www.thegamingliberty.com/2010/04/crusader-no-remorse-2006/

What is the point? They got at least a new theme for it. And it's good.


Zombie, good luck. Start at Loose Cannon or No Remorse. The others are far too easy.

 

[iqzulk]

Ehhh. Tried this game (the Remorse one) twice. The first time I kinda lost interest right about midway (with the appearance of the guys who could oneshot-turn you into a decomposing skeleton with some kind of fancy ultra-mumbo-jumbo-gun) - not that I couldn't beat it, I just... kinda lost interest and haven't continued that savegame ever since.

The second time was actually not so long ago. It was a single ~3-4 hour session on a maximum difficulty (strangely enough it didn't feel all that different from my first "normal" experience at all). I got to the middle of that robot factory (3rd mission IIRC?) - and, again, haven't fired that savegame ever since.

I still hope to complete that game (and the semi-sequel) someday though.

Anyways, what absolutely kills this game, is extremely dull and repetitive level-design (and, I think, the lack of visual variety is more important here because, from what I can tell, the actual level layouts are pretty serviceable - and no, all the fancy kabooms do NOT make up for all the mindnumbing grey-brownness everywhere), this annoying custom to spawn enemies directly behind your back, and occasional cringeworthy "platforming" sections (and no, neither did I play Ultima 8, nor do I ever intend to). And, well, the clunky movement (edge interaction, glitchy autotargeting, etc.) as well, but that's obvious.

Of course, the music was pretty good (although, of all the tracker musicians, I'm not an avid fan of necros specifically - and an even lesser fan of Dan Garopee and the rest of fm [Five Musicians] "band"), the level layouts, as I've said, serviceable, the story - pretty twisty, and all the kabooms and destructibility - really impressive, but ultimately, I guess, there just wasn't enough reason for me to keep playing (or more like slowly clawing my way to the end of the game for 20-25 bloody hours).

Cybermage, on the other hand, was really awesome. First and foremost - because of the dense and clever level design (Bradley) and absolutely jaw-dropping situational/gameplay variety. Yes, it didn't have mooks awesomely running on fire and all the exploding pipes, but with this game I frankly had a fucking blast. And with Crusader I simply didn't.

Anyways, those were my two cents.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Anyways, what absolutely kills this game, is extremely dull and repetitive level-design

Play No Regret. Seriously. No Regret improves the levels immensely. It also improves a few other key factors, and adds some new movement controls. I only played No Remorse some 2-3 years ago, and I actually wasn't too fond of it, either. At least, in comparison to No Regret. No Remorse is still a good game, but if you ask me, there's no reason to play it over No Regret.

 

[iqzulk]

Play No Regret. Seriously. No Regret improves the levels immensely. It also improves a few other key factors, and adds some new movement controls. I only played No Remorse some 2-3 years ago, and I actually wasn't too fond of it, either. At least, in comparison to No Regret. No Remorse is still a good game, but if you ask me, there's no reason to play it over No Regret.

Hmm. Maybe I actually would. But won't there be, like, heavy story spoilers or something? Not that No Remorse seemed to be some "pinnacle of interactive storytelling" but the storyline really did seem moderately interesting.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Play No Regret. Seriously. No Regret improves the levels immensely. It also improves a few other key factors, and adds some new movement controls. I only played No Remorse some 2-3 years ago, and I actually wasn't too fond of it, either. At least, in comparison to No Regret. No Remorse is still a good game, but if you ask me, there's no reason to play it over No Regret.

Hmm. Maybe I actually would. But won't there be, like, heavy story spoilers or something? Not that No Remorse seemed to be "some pinnacle of interactive storytelling" but the storyline did seem moderately interesting.

Nah. No Regret is pretty much completely unrelated to No Remorse narratively. In theory it's a direct sequel and continuation of the events that end No Remorse, but the only things they have in common are basically two characters - the silencer and chairman Draygan. It doesn't even mention some of the cooler hooks that were left unresolved in No Remorse - the storyline is pretty much the only thing that No Remorse did better than No Regret. It had some mystery, plot twists, subterfuge, etc, while No Regret is basically "blow shit up till you're done, captain".

Also, No Regret has a Shepard so it's obviously the superior game

 

[iqzulk]

Nah. No Regret is pretty much completely unrelated to No Remorse narratively. In theory it's a direct sequel and continuation of the events that end No Remorse, but the only things they have in common are basically two characters - the silencer and chairman Draygan. It doesn't even mention some of the cooler hooks that were left unresolved in No Remorse - the storyline is pretty much the only thing that No Remorse did better than No Regret. It had some mystery, plot twists, subterfuge, etc, while No Regret is basically "blow shit up till you're done, captain".

Then I'll gladly play No Regret as soon as I have the possibility. Thanks for the advise!

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Such good games.
Fuck the haters.

 

[otsego]

Play No Regret. Seriously. No Regret improves the levels immensely. It also improves a few other key factors, and adds some new movement controls.

Follow this advice. Remorse is an awesome game, but definitely more suited to a new-comer as a 'I loved Regret... I want to play more/I want to know more about this universe" sort of game. Regret is essentially the same game with improved... well, everything. Weapons, movement, controls, assets, level design (It's very good, nay-sayers be damned).

Though cheesy, I even think the FMV scenes hold up to this day.*

Off to Youtube for another nostalgic trip listening to both games' soundtracks I spose.




* Admittedly a biased opinion as someone who grew up and loved the acted scenes from games like Wing Commander, Command and Conquer, and Crusader

 

[RK47]

SHUT UP VITTEK!
*BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM*
dundundundun
Main Menu
Female voice: Crusader, No Remose

New Game

Also: Det-packs to bypass shitty keycard hunts and PIN entry.
SO GOOD.

 

[skacky]

What I love in these games is how you can kill civilians in total impunity, and you can even get credits for that in No Remorse if I recall correctly. I think the controls have aged a bit badly but these two games are still a lot of fun.

 

[Astral Rag]

Great games.

And yes you can loot fallen civilians, in later levels you also encounter suits who do pull a gun.


"Don't shoot I'm unarmed."

*Takes spider bomb*

Spoiler

You can't loot cripsy corpses though, gotta love that attention to detail.

 

[Zewp]

I tried playing No Remorse today. The controls got the better of me. I feel ashamed now.

 

[Astral Rag]

I tried playing No Remorse today. The controls got the better of me. I feel ashamed now.

But seriously, can't you take some time to get used to the admittedly somewhat odd controls? I'm sure they'll become second nature after a level or two.

Seems like a silly reason to miss out on these fine, monocled games.

 

[Zewp]

I was actually hoping to try it with a controller next week because the control system seems tailored to analogue sticks, but reading this thread it sounds like there probably won't be enough buttons on a controller for all the controls.

I'll give it another try sometime, though.