"Phil Cook" <phi### [at] nospamrocainfreeservecouk> wrote:
> And lo on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:25:29 +0100, bluetree <nomail@nomail> did
> spake, saying:
>
> > "Phil Cook" <phi### [at] nospamrocainfreeservecouk> wrote:
> >> And lo on Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:30:48 +0100, bluetree <nomail@nomail> did
> >> spake, saying:
> >>
> >> I still play SoulReaver. In ranking terms I put it on the same plinth
> >> as Deus Ex, System Shock and Baldur's Gate.
> >>
> >> SoulReaver 2 was more of a let-down for me
> >>
> >> I enjoyed Blood Omen 1, and 2 was fun if disjointed
> >>
> >> Defiance was a bit of a mixed bag for me, but it was enjoyable how the
> >> different timelines of the two characters linked up play-wise.
> >
> > That's true. I also like SoulReaver 1 more than 2 and it's the same with
> > playing-atmosphere of Blood Omen.
>
> To an extent SoulReaver spoiled a lot of games for me - level loading,
> transport loading; what are they? The fact that you can just travel
> around, that new areas you might not even have realised existed become
> accessible when you gain extra abilities, the whole Spectral Realm shift,
> and of course the storytelling; they're all still something that other
> games should be looking up to and trying to emulate.

Indeed.
And they really try, but put the accent on "try".
I haven't played Super Paper Mario, but I read something about it.
Shifting between 2D and 3D to elude barriers, finding hidden doors...
Ok, but there is no game, which really reaches SR standards. :-)

> > To be able to play both characters in Defiance helped a lot against
> > boredom, because you could develop "different" skills at Raziel and
> > Kain. Changing times and seeing the places intact and in ruins was very
> > fascinating.
>
> It gave a good feeling of depth across time, Prince of Persia: WW managed
> to catch it too.
>
> > I only get confused, when I tried to understand the whole story of the
> > series.
> > Because of time travels and paradoxes, which makes all things too
> > complicated.
> > ^^
>
> Don't we all :-) It's nice to have a story that doesn't try to hide the
> paradoxes though, but instead has the main story be a paradox (trying not
> to give too much away here). Even that offshoot BO2 adds a tang with a
> entire world of what if.

It also doesn't help, that the games publishing dates and their "true" order
don't fit.
I can't find the page anymore, but they made a "logical" (as far as paradoxes
are logical ^^) timeline and also ordered the games that way: BO, SR, SR2,
Defiance, BO2...
Difiance's open end let me hope of another part (perhaps to get a spiritlike
Raziel back (I started with that character, so I'd like to play it again :-)
)), but then playing BO2 a second time *after* Defiance, I could bury that
hope.

> > But I'm a big fan of it. It's really a pity, that it ends with Janos
> > Audron falling into the abyss.
>
> But that was BO2 and thus declared non-canon ;-)

I should search that special site again... ;-)

> > (What's with Raziel? :-) I started to play with
> > SoulReaver 1, the reason to buy it, was that its cover was glittering and
> > changing perspective (both worlds). After that game I began to love the
> > series and bought the other games.)
>
> I think at the time I was just looking for a game that wasn't a tired
> re-tread of Doom and Quake, or C&C and this stood out.

So you also acquired a taste after buying it by accident?

> > One thing would be great: A remake of SoulReaver 1 and BloodOmen 1 with
> > nowadays games graphics. *dreamlike*
>
> To be honest I think that's all they'd need - higher resolution textures
> plus bump mapping and a larger polygon count; the engine itself was fine
> if it could be modified to handle that.

Me too. Just a nice better looking environment for BO and SR... it's all they
need.

> Still my favourite thing to do - shift to the Spectral Realm close to a
> return point while holding a weapon then shifting back to the Material
> Realm and watching the weapon fall to the ground.
>
> Most shocking thing - shifting to the SR and watching a Slough or the like
> fade in right next to you :-)

LOL
I loved to set the other vampires on fire (don't think I'm savage!). Nice
walking matchsticks...
Better them than me!
And worst enemy? I hated the spirits of former pillar guardians.

bluetree

Post a reply to this message