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Author Topic: The Best Games That Never Were  (Read 2782 times)

Jace

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Re: The Best Games That Never Were
« Reply #15 on: 24 Feb 2014, 09:29 »

.........................)o)
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Iwan Terpalen

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Re: The Best Games That Never Were
« Reply #16 on: 24 Feb 2014, 09:39 »

Half Life 3
In my headcanon Half-Life 3 got released, but in two parts, erroneously labeled "Portal" and "Portal 2."
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Jace

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Re: The Best Games That Never Were
« Reply #17 on: 24 Feb 2014, 09:49 »

I was going to say Mirror's Edge 2, but it sounding like that is actually happening now. So  \o/
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Samira Kernher

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Re: The Best Games That Never Were
« Reply #18 on: 24 Feb 2014, 10:03 »

For number 1: KotOR III, Star Wars 1313

For number 2: SWG. KotOR II. TOR.

Star Wars seems to have no end of these.
« Last Edit: 24 Feb 2014, 10:06 by Samira Kernher »
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Saede Riordan

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Re: The Best Games That Never Were
« Reply #19 on: 24 Feb 2014, 10:15 »

I was going to say Mirror's Edge 2, but it sounding like that is actually happening now. So  \o/

Yeah and it looks beautiful.
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Esna Pitoojee

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Re: The Best Games That Never Were
« Reply #20 on: 24 Feb 2014, 13:19 »

For the second category, I would suggest C&C Renegade.

First, to understand why it failed, you have to look at how C&C Renegade was developed. The player was to take the role of a commando from the original Command and Conquer - powerful in its own right, but particularly vulnerable in others. The early versions of the game reflected this: Gameplay was as much about tactically picking which fights to take and how to take them as it was about straight-up shooting. I hate to make the MGS comparison, but it felt like a somewhat more shootey version of that game.

Unfortunately at some point they decided that no, they needed a straight-up explode-'em-all shooter - with tanks exploding, helicopters being shot down, and enemy troops dying by the dozen. The graphics engine also went through an inexplicable change which - aside from seeming to lower the quality - left enemies and allies alike wearing almost comically-brightly-colored jumpsuits rather than the more reasonably-colored camo that had been displayed previously.

The response was to add an entirely new style of gameplay. If the battles were to be huge, then resources would have to be the limiter: They set up a system where players received resources with which new equipment, upgrades, and vehicles could be purchased; resources were awarded for taking down enemy troops, buildings, securing objectives, etc. If player choice couldn't be about stealth vs. brawn, it could be about choice of weapon and tool for the fight.


And then they failed to use it in half the game. What remained was a painfully repetitive single-player that didn't use any of this tactical choice. You could lug around every weapon in the game at once, although only a handful were used on account of being hilariously broken.

Multiplayer still kept with the tactical choice concept, and remains surprisingly fun - the ability to reconfigure your team on the fly, including vehicle options, was very enjoyable. Unfortunately, the multiplayer UI was also tough to figure out - and so well hidden I've met a fair few people who didn't realise the game even had a multiplayer option.

tl;dr - developers change the game concept repeatedly, then fail to use their star mechanic in half the game - and hide the better half so well people missed it entirely.
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Lyn Farel

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Re: The Best Games That Never Were
« Reply #21 on: 24 Feb 2014, 13:52 »

I was going to say Mirror's Edge 2, but it sounding like that is actually happening now. So  \o/

I am reserving my final judgement on this one. Considering the level of the first one, they have way more to lose than to add... I especially fear that they try to "battlefield it" quite a bit and completely lose what made the first one what it was.
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Elmund Egivand

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Re: The Best Games That Never Were
« Reply #22 on: 26 Feb 2014, 21:38 »

For the second category, I would suggest C&C Renegade.

First, to understand why it failed, you have to look at how C&C Renegade was developed. The player was to take the role of a commando from the original Command and Conquer - powerful in its own right, but particularly vulnerable in others. The early versions of the game reflected this: Gameplay was as much about tactically picking which fights to take and how to take them as it was about straight-up shooting. I hate to make the MGS comparison, but it felt like a somewhat more shootey version of that game.

Unfortunately at some point they decided that no, they needed a straight-up explode-'em-all shooter - with tanks exploding, helicopters being shot down, and enemy troops dying by the dozen. The graphics engine also went through an inexplicable change which - aside from seeming to lower the quality - left enemies and allies alike wearing almost comically-brightly-colored jumpsuits rather than the more reasonably-colored camo that had been displayed previously.

The response was to add an entirely new style of gameplay. If the battles were to be huge, then resources would have to be the limiter: They set up a system where players received resources with which new equipment, upgrades, and vehicles could be purchased; resources were awarded for taking down enemy troops, buildings, securing objectives, etc. If player choice couldn't be about stealth vs. brawn, it could be about choice of weapon and tool for the fight.


And then they failed to use it in half the game. What remained was a painfully repetitive single-player that didn't use any of this tactical choice. You could lug around every weapon in the game at once, although only a handful were used on account of being hilariously broken.

Multiplayer still kept with the tactical choice concept, and remains surprisingly fun - the ability to reconfigure your team on the fly, including vehicle options, was very enjoyable. Unfortunately, the multiplayer UI was also tough to figure out - and so well hidden I've met a fair few people who didn't realise the game even had a multiplayer option.

tl;dr - developers change the game concept repeatedly, then fail to use their star mechanic in half the game - and hide the better half so well people missed it entirely.

Yeah, the game's multiplayer is the only saving grace. It's a bona fide Command and Conquer experience, except instead of being the Commander hovering up in the sky wielding the mighty Cursor-Of-Commanding, you play the soldiers who once danced to the tune of the Cursor-Of-Commanding.
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Gottii

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Re: The Best Games That Never Were
« Reply #23 on: 03 Mar 2014, 11:44 »

For Number two:  Kotor 2.  What it could have been haunts me.  And Master of Orion 3.  It was not a game.  It was a betrayal.
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Myyona

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Re: The Best Games That Never Were
« Reply #24 on: 04 Mar 2014, 06:19 »

Hostile Waters - Antaeus Rising 2.

Hostile Waters is without a doubt the best single player RTS game I have ever played. Gameplay much a like my childhood favorite, Carrier Command. You got a carrier and you got different islands to invade; what units you will use and tactic you will employ is your choice alone. The variation in missions is amazing for a RTS game and the you will not be bought off with redundant units or modules. Most amazingly; the allied AI (which you install in your units) is not stupid at all. The story is compelling and hints towards a second game. Sadly, it never came. :(

My only hope is my brother, who now works in the game industry. He got his eyes on a remake of Transartica which would also be one of my favorites.
« Last Edit: 04 Mar 2014, 06:24 by Myyona »
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