Let's Battle Los Angeles!

[Brother None]

This riveting plot is only matched by the riveting gameplay.

 

[Sceptic]

Yeah it doesn't look very large on the screenshot. A couple of satchel charges and some incendiary grenades should still do the trick though.

No, it really is huge. Comparing to Independance Day, think of the big-ass ships that destroy all the cities with the giant laser beams, rather than the small ships that Will Smith dogfights with.

I mean, if they have the exact coordinates of a suspected CNC center and they could have bombed it (as they end up doing) in the first place why send in a ground team at all?

They didn't have the exact coordinates, they had a hunch that "it must be around here somewhere". In the real world they would've spent several hours combing the area before finding it, but since this is a corridor shooter you just follow the corridor. And I'm sure someone who knows military matters better than I can expand, but from I understand they need this green binocular laser thing focused on the EXACT target to get a precision strike. And they can't carpet bomb because, well, the plot says they can't (don't ask me how helicopters and the aircrafts that actually launch the precision airstrike manage to get there in the first place...)

This riveting plot is only matched by the riveting gameplay.

Trust me, the gameplay's even worse

 

[dextermorgan]

No, it really is huge. Comparing to Independance Day, think of the big-ass ships that destroy all the cities with the giant laser beams, rather than the small ships that Will Smith dogfights with.

If it's that big then why the need for precision weapons at all They'd be hitting the whole area with a volley of bunker busters.

And I'm sure someone who knows military matters better than I can expand, but from I understand they need this green binocular laser thing focused on the EXACT target to get a precision strike. And they can't carpet bomb because, well, the plot says they can't (don't ask me how helicopters and the aircrafts that actually launch the precision airstrike manage to get there in the first place...)

Well, aside from not needing a precision strike in the first place, land-based laser guidance isn't the only precision guidance system out there. Aircraft also paint targets with laser to guide the bombs and it's not like they don't know the territory, what with live surveillance satellite feeds showing individual aliens on the ground and all.

Meh, it's full of holes, this plot.

 

[GarfunkeL]

In the movie they can't do an airstrike because the aliens control the sky - hence they are shooting cruise missiles that are homing in to the laser target-finder. They almost get overrun by the aliens too. Doesn't justify why the aliens must bring their CnC thingy down to the ground instead of keeping it in the atmosphere or something.

 

[dextermorgan]

Or why not just radio to base to hit the parking lot on the corner of Lincoln and First and GTFO as cruise missiles are GPS guided. But I'm done nitpicking - bump and moar pls.

 

[Sceptic]

Doesn't justify why the aliens must bring their CnC thingy down to the ground instead of keeping it in the atmosphere or something.

Well it would be more visible in the atmosphere. In fact if it weren't for the sheer serendipity of the helicopter almost crashing due to the interference, or if that had happened before Nantz had discovered the alien aircrafts are unmanned drones, the Marines wouldn't have found the C&C.

Aircraft also paint targets with laser to guide the bombs

Yeah but the whole point of the exercise is that they can't get their aircrafts because the aliens control the airspace and-

...

Guys, are we seriously analyzing the plot of Battle: Los Angeles, the game of the movie?

 

[anus_pounder]

of discuss!

 

[DaveO]

So there's a choice between a crappy 2 hour or so movie versus the crappy 1 hour or so FPS. The problem is CHOICE!

 

[Sceptic]

UPDATE 6:

Wait... why are there pieces of the ceiling falling off?

RUN AWAY!

And in one go the game manages to answer both complaints raised on the previous page. Dextermorgan: as you can see it is far too big to just destroy with a small explosive. GarfunkeL: you wanted it in the atmosphere instead of underground, there it is.

I tell you, this game's so good that it can predict what you think will be plot holes and fix them accordingly.

Aaaaaaaanyway... this laser sighting thingie is pretty shit, if he can't point at something this big from a distance. So we move on trying to get closer.

Aliens!

More aliens!

And another air drone...

... with a conveniently placed rocket launcher nearby. Good thing too, because I'd been carrying the sniper instead.

Anyway we used the same "shoot when it's charging" tactic as before and make short work of the drone.

That's a hell of a lot of up and down for a linear corridor...

Santos, you and Imlay are holding the enemy off. Guerrero, you're on the radio! Wait for my signal! Everyone ready? Let's go!

And here we go for another round of protecting Nantz.

This time, however, we have the Humvee!

For the Grand Finale, this is the most boring segment of the game. The infantry can't really hurt either you or Nantz, so the only threat comes from the drones.

Remember that first drone that gave us so much trouble that we had to blow a gas station to get rid of it? Then things got easier with the next two, with convenient rocket launchers. Well it turns out all you really need is a big machine gun and you can bring them down by the dozens. Makes you wonder WHY the aliens are controlling the skies in the first place...

Also, since the drones are attracted to radio transmissions... shouldn't they be targetting Guerrero instead of Nantz?

Once again time compression thankfully intervenes. The wait is much shorter than this. Funny too, since in Hollywood movies 2 minutes usually go on for about 10 or more, but here it's over in less than one. Not that I'm complaining or anything...

One strike isn't enough, so more shooting and waiting for the next one.

Third time had BETTER be the charm!

Yeah, they couldn't even be bothered to make sure the snippets that Santos says are all unique.

INCOMING!

Good men gave their loves to protect the city. Los Angeles may be safe but we're far from victory...

We'll continue to fight back against alien invasion no matter how dangerous it becomes.

I don't know if I should thank you for watching me play this or whether I should demand you thank me for playing it in the first place, so let's just do both.

Thanks for watching

 

[Brother None]

Oh yeah. EPIC FINAL BATTLE BLOWOUT. Is a boring turret section. Go figure.

Remember that first drone that gave us so much trouble that we had to blow a gas station to get rid of it? Then things got easier with the next two, with convenient rocket launchers. Well it turns out all you really need is a big machine gun and you can bring them down by the dozens. Makes you wonder WHY the aliens are controlling the skies in the first place...

Huh. Just like the Mass Effect series.

 

[Luzur]

AMERICA FUCK YEAH THEY PROTECT THE AIR FROM DESTRUCTION

 

[GarfunkeL]

I think in the movie they kept hammering the thing with MRLS-rockets since air power was useless until its destruction. Still doesn't answer why they didn't keep it in lower atmosphere - you can have microwave-transmission from there and have LOS over a huge area and the aliens should have efficient enough Point-Defence systems that hitting them with missiles wouldn't work.

Oh well, I'm over thinking it. Thanks for sharing the pain, BRO!

 

[dextermorgan]

Truly terrible.

 

[Drakron]

Oh well, I'm over thinking it.

No, you are just thinking ... the reason they brought down the ship was because it was the only way for it to be destroyed.

There was no fucking reason why not keeping in space, none ... except if it was keep in space no way in hell could they hit, so instead of a Deus Ex Machina we have a Stupida Ex Machina.