i cant stand the cringy-ness of this game. I would like to have such low level of shame / or high level of confidence.
Intro levels, how do you call it? story/cinematic parts? Completely not my cup of tea. Narrative in old fps ends for me when Im spawn into level, and no-one shoot at me till i move.
Music is good.
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Sjukob review is top notch, factual content, with nice text edit .
I especially agree about the melee character description:
1. close combat = get hurt. Need more hp regeneration.
2. melee = range 0. Need compensate this innate disadvantageous property, with something else. Or shooting is just better.
3. need pain animation on enemies. This apply in general to combat, not only range.
4. Mobility. If your attack range is 0, then you need to get close to targets.
this apply also to monsters. Melee opponents are not a thread, and can be easily ignored. Player out range them, and outmaneuver them because his smarter (utilize covers, can access places where monster cant) and faster. Even if monster(bosses) can insta kill player in melee it doesnt matter, if the attack has 0% to connect. So devs conclusion is they have to relay only on range hit-scanner to pose thread to the player.
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Improving AI is a serious task on its own. And Im not sure if its desired. I like killing multiple monsters, instead struggling with one. Because what advanced AI would do? It would try to hide the weakest monsters, to gang up, when player would be off guard (solving puzzle). I mean, still i would play the shit out of it, but i play some roguelikes, where goblins ASCI signs play hide and seek with you (that was annoying).
Still adding some new characteristic movement would greatly improve the quality of combats. f.ex. compare afrit behavior from hexen with gargoyle from heretic.
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Just because of random aftrit strafing from time to time, the combat with black imp is harder.
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Or monster could run away from player if he is low on HP. this alone create illusion of intelligent monsters.
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cheap stuff like hexen centaur block, stop being annoying by adding % for block to happen when monster see player, instead triggering every time, monster is hit by player. Then waiting for opening in monster is a nice feature.
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Player speed problem coming mostly from running at full speed backward, and shooting at hopeless melee monsters trying to chase PC.
I remember from my childhood how big decline of ambient I feel, at the moment I discover the running with Shift key (and then the CapsLock). Suddenly I was faster than projectiles, I could just run and ignore every monster.
So yeah, there should be no backward running. Dodging should be done by strafing.
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good properties to allow melee monster catch player, is charge . Like Lost Souls.
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This maneuver is utilize also in very limited form by Gargoyles. And heretic Maulotaurs.
a sudden acceleration of movement, when monster run in straight line, and catch the player, unless he strafe. Rendering the run backwards and shoot tactics less effective.
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Monster melee attacks are very easy to avoid, by just making little step backward.
to solve this the range of melee attack trigger, should be shorter, than melee attack range. This way player has less chance to escape the attack. And it allow to extend the time of telegraphing strikes (longer animation), without making it complete trivial to avoid.
moreover, in case of enemies focusing on melee, there could be added closer range for attack, when player receive extra damage, if he stand too close to striking monster.
contrary, if we have a monster that fight in distance, by adding a melee attack that is weaker, we incline player to go close quarter with specific monsters. The best example is mummy from hexen 2
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where if PC came closer Mummy stop shooting, and try to strike, which is easier to handle.
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melee attack could do something beyond removing HP. If attack is not 1-shotting player all time, he is more incline to come closer.
push player back.
Since in close fighting, you dont use covers, pushing each other back is a great way to incorporate map environment in melee combat. If PC or Monster can be push into lave, water, down, on spikes. Its also good way to give player chance to catch breath or survive if he come close to deadly monster, without instant quick-load.
stun.
In general remove some part of control from player, which is often deadly because nearby monster can kill player on spot.
F.ex. if you come close to Maulotaur in heretic, his strike would visually press player into the ground.
launch into the air
except obvious control lost, its a funny way to get access to unreachable mapplaces.