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| Spoon 2573th Post
  
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|  "Re(2):Killer is Punchout" , posted Wed 5 Mar 08:00:  
Killer Is Dead feels very much like an extension of No More Heroes, what with the punch for breaking guard and the mechanics adjusted to take into account the removal of the Wii-mote.
I feel like MGSR is even more Punch-Out like simply because the enemies in it have flashes that cue the attack (just like Punch-Out!), but because the blocking mechanic in MGSR has both an active and a recovery period like a fighting game move/active parry (think Last Blade), doing the block immediately following all flashes doesn't always work. If the attack has a sufficient delay following the flash, it will hit you during the recovery period, and that recovery period isn't easily cancelled. This nuance is well-understood by the designers of the combat, with some of the bosses being set to mix attacks that need to have the block activated immediately versus ones which needs to have the block delayed slightly. Since there's no holdable defensive state, it forces the player to recognize quickly and pick the correct timing. Some attacks also cannot be blocked and must be dodged (which normally isn't much of a revolution), and which always somehow makes me think of Bald Bull and Super Macho Man, but in the context of a game where all defensive actions have a significant recovery period and so require significant commitment, it ups the intensity for the player.
I do agree that there are relatively few moves that Raiden has that zip him to an enemy. The Zandatsu state in particular is a contrast to other game's kill frenzy modes, because in those modes your reward for lots of killing is killing everything everywhere. Zandatsu rewards either timing (as a result of counters), precision (in boss fights where a forced Zandatsu is triggered by the boss) or correct positioning in the moment prior to the activation of Zandatsu. It's a different mentality.
Raiden in particular is a curious mash of great mobility (high-speed running with automatic "parkour", high speed jumps) with clumsy mobility (he often moves faster in short distances by attacking rather than by using directional movement). His basic sword has incredible power (Zandatsu being able to instantly kill enemies at full health) combined with a feeling of incredible weakness (flailing away at bosses with it often feels like it does barely anything!). The scissor he gets from Sundowner does more damage than any non-Zandatsu attack in the game, but its slowness and clumsiness makes it feel like a MonHun weapon (in the best way!). Mondo's movement is much more restricted in the play areas, what with not being able to freely jump or parkour to wherever he wants, and though most of the sword fighting in MGSR still takes place with enemies on a plane, just having that makes for a much more expansive and free feeling. Mondo's subweapons aren't bad, but they are very much subweapons: secondary things that have a particular purpose. They are still cool, and the hilarity of getting a giant drill arm from a girl as a thank you for a pleasant evening will never fade.
I really thought of Asura's Wrath once I got to the final battle of Killer Is Dead: a duel on the moon complete with the New World Symphony blasting?
[this message was edited by Spoon on Wed 5 Mar 08:05] |
| HAYATO 1180th Post
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| "Re(2):Killer is Punchout" , posted Wed 5 Mar 08:27
quote:
I recently beat Killer is Dead.
It's funny you should bring this up since I felt almost the exact opposite, that MGR had far super combat. But this is of course a completely personal thing and a matter of opinion.
I loved both games!! To me, both of them are masterpieces and I wouldn't like to be forced to choose between them...
Prior to playing KID, I was afraid I would get disappointed: it was my first Suda51 game and it looked pretty similar to the awesome MGS:R, which I had beaten not so long ago. Fortunately their mechanics were as different as their respective art styles.
MGS:R, with his frantic action pace, its hard sci-fi vibe and THE MOST AMAZING FINAL BOSS BATTLE EVER gave me the adrenaline rush I coveted. In fact, I liked it so much that I finished it twice in a row, something I rarely do nowadays.
KID got me with its oniric visuals, its charming characters and its surreal, film-noir plot instead. Its battle mechanics surely feel rougher than the MGS:R ones but, on the other hand, the combo system adds much more depth to the combat than Raiden's marrow-maiming slashes.
So in the end, I managed to enjoy two of the best action games of the past generation without feeling any sense of redundancy. I'm glad that I could appreciate both of them separately, without my mind stablishing uncalled for comparisons.
As a fun note, I should thank Suda51 for allowing me to reconcile myself with my childhood: as a teenager, I usually had recurring dreams of a beach of silver sand beneath violet skies, dimly lit by a humongous, white full moon. It seems I was not the only one!
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