About 4-5 hours in. So far, the weapons have some nice variety and it doesn't feel like five of the same thing with different skins. Characters have unique special abilities that set them apart, but are similar enough that it doesn't feel like you need to learn to play the game all over again for each one. You do need to get used to using the special abilities and switching weapons as you go through if you want to clear levels out. It takes a bit to figure out the progression sequence for equipment, but once you get it, it's pretty easy to work with. My only frustration thus far is you start out incredibly weak. If you want to try it out, get next to the idea you will die a bunch of times early on just trying to level up enough to be able to survive.
I remember playing this type of game when they first came out. What I'm glad to see is that the basic game itself is still intact and still as enjoyable. It's got a good range of enemies to encounter and while some feel a bit redundant, it never ends up feeling overly repetitive. Compared to later games, the range of treasures feels limited, but it is still rewarding to get some of the niftier items that become available later on. The remastering is very well done, with the graphics and sound being enjoyable additions to the base game mechanics. Two things end up detracting from it for me. The first is the way that the required experience for leveling up jumps exponentially. It makes it to where it feels like quite a grind to get the last couple of levels to be able to face down the final encounter. The permadeath aspect is also aggravating. You can spend a lot of time developing a character only to have him (or her) killed and, when the ressurection fails, you get to start all over again. I'm guessing that was added to make the game feel more challenging and high stakes, but for me it just adds a substantial level of frustration. Overall, this is worth picking up and playing.
Up front, this is a trash-mob equivalent of a bullet-hell game. In the beginning, you start out woefully underpowered and are likely to die frequently. As you collect money, you can buy enhancements that make you stronger, more resistant to damage, and likely to last longer. As you progress through the game, different characters can be unlocked. Each of them feels different, not just re-skins with minor cosmetic variations. There are also a TON of weapons, familiars, costumes and specials to unlock. It's worth knowing in this game you don't decide when you shoot/attack. Each of your attacks/weapons is on a timer and fires off once the cooldown period is complete. Some can be aimed while others fire off in their own directions. There's also a good variety of weapons and attacks that shoot straight ahead, fire off behind you, cover an arc, or fire off in a radius around you. All of them can be upgraded and as they level up they get stronger, faster, wider ranged, have more projectiles, etc. The music is something this old metalhead very much enjoyed. The only complaint I've had about it is that it's sometimes hard to tell where the edges of objects are, meaning it's easy to get stuck trying to move around the screen and avoid the hordes coming after you. In the earlier levels, when they're coming slower, it's not as big a deal. Later on, though, it can be a real problem. I haven't had it turn into an insta-kill yet, and part of that's from judicious selection of the upgrades that come along with leveling up. It's not enough to knock a full star off my rating, but it is something worth keeping in mind.
This is based on about 4 hours of play time, so there may be some things I haven't yet seen. I'll start with the two flaws, neither of which are catastropic. First, there is a LOT of wanderring back-and-forth. At first that's OK as the (relatively) safe area starts out small. As you level up, though, it gets bigger and the back-and-forth gets a little old. A fast-travel option would be nice, though I may not have seen it yet. Second, buying crates at the blacksmith to level up gear is totally random (at least at the lower level). That makes it frustrating when there's one specific piece you want to level and have to keep spending money hoping you'll get a bonus for that piece. Beyond that, it's a fun little game. The combat is challenging but by no means impossible. As you level up, the easier critters can be taken out with one shot, but the ones closer to your level require more thought, planning and timing. The spells are pretty easy to use, and you have the choice of which ones and when to spend gold to level up. Leveling doesn't take all that long, and the plethora of side quests makes that go even faster. The puns are plentiful and at least bring some grins, some laughs, and occasional groans. The characters are generally amusing and the story is engaging enough to keep me wanting to know what happens next. It's also easy to pick up and play for just a little bit or for longer sessions. Overall, it's a solid game and well worth the price.
I recently bought this as I'd been looking for something to play when I only have a few minutes and don't have time for a more in-depth game. The closest I can compare it to is Sympthony. In both games, the songs you pick to play are used to design the level and opposition. In Beat Hazard 2, though, the power of your weaponry will also be affected by the pace/beat/tempo/etc. of the music. In addition, you also get multiple ships to potentially buy and customize, which gives more variety and reason to keep playing. And, yes, as noted elsewhere, this is not a bullet hell game but rather a two stick shooter. Unlike Symphony, however, there's not even a thin pretense at a story or plot. You pick a track, start a run, and shoot at things 'til you finish or run out of lives. In some of the areas, however, the visuals get so intense and distracting it's almost impossible to keep track of what's around you or coming at you, making it little more than dumb luck to either survive or die. That and the fact that some of the ships that are made available are very clunky and difficult to fly, not to mention the lack of a tutorial, cost the game a star. If you're looking for something simple, quick and fun, this is a solid choice. If you're looking for any kind of character or storyline or plot, look somewhere else.
With over 60 hours of gameplay in, here's what I've seen so far: Pro's: - Lots and LOTS of room to explore, even with limited planet types. The different types of loot/resources that randomly spawn for each keep it interesting. - Base-building is overall nicely detailed and varied enough to keep it interesting over time, especially as new components get unlocked. - Combat isn't too difficult, but varied enough between dogfights, annoying sentinel robots and starships to give some good variety. The upgrades you can get for weapons do make a difference, and with some opponents you have to figure out how to soften them up in order to take them down. - The different races/factions have their own agendas and values, and building up good reputation with them does pay off. - Crafting uses a wide range of possible resources, as well as some things needing components you craft from other stuff. As you get farther into it, it seems like the most difficult/costly things you really only end up making to sell, but enough actually have some use to make it worthwhile for more than making a quick (or not-so-quick) buck. - The limited inventory system before the Beyond update was really frustrating, but that's now been fixed. Cons: - The worst by far are some of the bugs. Some are annoying and will close off a quest/storyline but let you keep playing. In my main game, I no longer receive the glyphs like I'm supposed to, which you need to operate the alien teleporters. Others will kill you outright, like landing on the wrong freighter and suddenly getting hurled into deep space and death. As a result, saving often is CRITICAL. - It does get more than a little grindy in places when you're having to run from one star system to another to collect the specific resources you need for your next quest/mission/project. Overall it's worth playing, though be warned the ongoing bugs do still make for frustration as you do so.
When I first picked Planescape up, I was hoping for something a little better than the original Baldur's Gate, which had been entertaining enough but also very frustrating in the recycled story and characters feel of the vast majority of the game. I knew nothing of the Planescape setting, other than it was based on Dungeons & Dragons, a favorite of mine since I was a kid. I was immediately hooked. The main character starts with no backstory because he woke from the DEAD. The question of who he is and how he got to be where and how he is follows through the entire game. Surprises keep turning up. When I finally finished the game, I remember feeling emotionally exhausted from how much the story had sucked me in and taken me on a truly epic rollercoaster of events. Unlike many other RPG's, Planescape has incredible replayability. It was the first game to really take the concept of limited paths seriously. Depending on your choices, some quests and groups will no longer be available to complete. As a result, it's easy to play through again and again, just to get to catch all the different possible side quests and ideas. It was also one of the best games ever at having multiple options for a ton of quests, often including those that don't require killing one or more other characters or creatures to complete them. It was also the first RPG that took the concept of alignment as something that was fluid and would change depending on the actions taken by the player. The main graphics look a little grainy these days, but I've found that quickly fades from my attention as I've been replaying it. It also does get a bit annoying that the screen area's fixed, but being able to scroll around adequately makes up for it. The cutscenes for some of the major spells are still amazing. Seeing a cosmic-level cannon fired by the robotic beings of the plane of Law still impresses. I'd been praying GOG would put this one out. just so I could play through it again. I've loved it so much, I bought a copy for my brother, just because he'd never finished it before and had missed out on an amazing adventure.
