Hammertime & Sickle - who's played the NA release?

[Fresh]

I heard this game went gold some time ago, but no one' s talking about it. What's up with that? Is it available in stores in the states? Anyone played it? When is the offical codex-review coming?

 

[Naked_Lunch]

I think it's coming out December 6th or sometime around there.

 

[Balor]

Well, if you want official review, you can have it:
This game roxx, buy it now .

Well, in fact, it is. While it may not be dialogue-heavy like P:T, but all choices (and not just actions, but inactions too, and more often then not) do play a great role there.
There are 4 completely different 'branches' in storyline (some of them branch off rather early, and make your gameplay experience completely different), a lot of other optional stuff.
It also has a rather believable storyline, nothing cheesy like Red Alert (yuck!), and it's quite engrossing. Also, nice humor, but not sure if it'll survive the translation.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

Also, nice humor, but not sure if it'll survive the translation.

The humor or the game?

 

[Balor]

That was also supposed to to be humor?
Well, humor of course. I doubt that translation, unless they'll use machine translation w/o correcting it may kill a game outright.

 

[ExMonk]

It is supposed to be in stores by Dec. 5. I may pick this up. It looks promising. Thanks for the summary Balor.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/664/664064p1.html

 

[Greenskin13]

Let's not rag on Red Alert. I'm pretty sure that game's storyline was intentionally cheesy, sort of like the whole "The Russians are coming!" idea. I loved the cutscene in Red Alert 2 when the American general has been ousted from Washington DC and is kept in a "secret location", then the Canadian flag drops across the screen.

 

[Deacdo]

I've been a little disappionted with the modding community for S2 (as in there doesn't appear to be one). I was hoping it was going to take off like JA2's. I don't really mind paying for a quality mod made in Europe/Russia (because of the translations issues)...but they better not be charging very much w/o providing some serious extras. I'm a big fan, not a sucker.

 

[Balor]

Hey, it might be a mod from the beginning (and, as a mod, it's free to d/l... in Russian, though ), but now it's a full-fledged game, only sharing same engine and (to an extent) setting with SS.

 

[Deacdo]

What is the difference between the "free" Russian download and the retail version?

 

[Balor]

Well, it feature only one quest branch (and only a few missions from it to boot), no engine modifications, no voice overs, etc.

 

[Fresh]

Balor, have those russian devs included anything that might be censored in the US? Like gruesome violence, sex, prfane language, etc?

 

[Balor]

Hm... gruesome violence - nothing more then usual SS decapitations and bodies being torn apart by exposions, but it's rather 'cartoony' and I doubt it'll be sensored.
Sex... well, there are hints, but nothing graphic .
For profane language... well, we have it, but not THAT obscene. Nothing you cannnot hear at school, at least, and even midler, I guess .

 

[Fresh]

Aight okay. Perhaps adult themes aren't really suited for the setting anyway.

 

[Atrokkus]

Nothing you cannnot hear at school

Hah, at school I can hear a full spectrum of obsceneties!

But it's largely irrelevant whether there are obsceneties or not.

Can't find money to buy it though, it's pretty damn big. Why do our publishers charge the game according to its disc-count, not the actual content?

 

[Balor]

Hmm, you want all games to cost 40-50$ no matter disc count like in other countries?
And it's not THAT big... and more then worth money spend on it.

 

[Fresh]

what are you talking about? Pretty damn big? It's extra expensive somehow?

 

[Balor]

Well, in Russia, games (not just pirated, but official jewels too) cost based on how many CDs (DVDs) they sport.
It's like 90 rubles per CD, and 200 per DVD.
Yea, it's about 3$ for CD, but since our salaries are like 10 times lower then in EU or USA when it comes to dollar vs ruble...
Anyway, since it's on 3 CDs, it will cost like 9$.
9*10 - 90$. Ouch .

 

[Deacdo]

Well, it feature only one quest branch (and only a few missions from it to boot), no engine modifications, no voice overs, etc.

Interesting. What are the modifications to the engine? I hope they kept the skin damage system.

BTW, how long is the game?

 

[Balor]

Well, modifications to the engine - means added complexity, for most part, like adding weights, AP costs to manipulate items, etc.
And how long... it greatly depend on your play style and difficulty.
For instance, if you'll play on easy and 'run&gun' - it's possible to complete the game in 5 hour or something. Yet, the experience will be completely different from taking more reasonable approach.
And, since there are like 4 different endings... well, I guess 30 hours or so for all is not altogether impossible.
Btw, there are some differences when you set overall difficulty above 3.0 (or something) - like a minefield where there was none, extra enemies, etc (not just what dragging those sliders imply).
I've played on 'nearly hard', yet the battles were quite challening.

 

[Deacdo]

Well, I hope they price the game reasonably. Right now it is at 40 USD, which is pretty high (take-2 is publishing it? Weird).

 

[Balor]

Well, I'm quite sure that it's worth it's price.
It may STARTED as a mod, but now it's a game many other should admire.
(Un)fortunatly, it's not aimed at casual audience, so I doubt it'll be a major bestseller, yet it's a very solid gave, with a VERY nonlinear plot, I cannot stress it enough.

 

[Pr()ZaC]

There's a new, JUICY dev Q&A right here:
http://www.worthplaying.com/article.php ... ad&order=0

 

[FrancoTAU]

This game almost sounds too good to be true after reading that worthplaying interview. Until proven otherwise, looks like Nival has another nice title.

 

[sabishii]

Just curious, how historically accurate is the setting?