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Games that blow their wad in the first level
- Thread starter Phediuk
- Start date
The new God of War game. The opening was pretty cool then it kinda fell into "kill this named troll/giant for the umpteenth time" with an occasional boss fight every now and then.
How? The game doesn't really open up until a bit after you get your full party and that doesn't happen until like 30% into the story. In the beginning:
-You have access to only a select few Magicks and Technicks. This also makes Gambits more limited in scope.
-You only have one job.
-There are a bunch of enemies roaming around you are still severely underleveled for.
-There are only a handful of hunts available.
Once you finish
the Tomb of Raithwall
Green Hill Zone is like the 2nd-weakest zone in Sonic Generations because of how simple it is, only to be beaten out by Planet Wisp.
Not a single DOOM/Quake/HL joke yet. I am disappoint.
Came here for this, thank you.
Shadows of the Empire is a greaaaaat example, as listed above. So is Episode 1 Podracer, come to think of it. The first race is a note-for-note recreation of the film's racecourse. There was nowhere to go from there but downhill, since the game has no mechanics or interesting twists to speak of.
First half of ff12 was great. I should had read OPs post better. It said first level my bad.
That's a severely unfair assessment of the game, I have to say. This game came out in 1996, when the rulebook for 3rd person shooters wasn't even written, so it was anything but generic. Sure a lot of it might not have been that fun or just down right frustrating, but it was ambitious as all hell, trying to reinvent the wheel at every turn, and there were so many set pieces. It was like uncharted before uncharted existed. Space combat, jet pack battles, speeder bike chases, platforming on moving trains, under water levels all before most developers even had a solid grasp on 3D!
Let's do a really cool sequence about the battle of Hoth culminating in the player taking down an AT-AT walker with a tow cable!
Great idea! And how about after that?
Generic third-person shooter I guess?
Still blows my mind what these guys achieved with no one to guide them:
I think FF8 blows its wad with the whole battle of Balamb and Galbadia Gardens on Disc 2
Bloodborne (still a 10/10 masterpiece and arguable GOTG)
That's the #1 pick for me. I wish the rest of the game was as great as that area of Yharnam.
That's the #1 pick for me. I wish the rest of the game was as great as that area of Yharnam.
Oh yeah. This game too. I was in love with the first part. Then, the repetition set in. Such a disappointing game (still good though)
God of War 3 is one of the best examples. That game never reached those heights again.
This. The game never lives up to the epic scale of the opening. The rest of it just felt underwhelming by comparison.
another RPG: Final Fantasy 7.
I loved Midgar. the design, the pacing, everything. it felt tightly design, like those "they thought of how everything should be" kinda moments
then after that, it just felt like wheels spinning because they didn't know what to do outside of a base story idea. so they padded the game till they hit those ideas
I loved Midgar. the design, the pacing, everything. it felt tightly design, like those "they thought of how everything should be" kinda moments
then after that, it just felt like wheels spinning because they didn't know what to do outside of a base story idea. so they padded the game till they hit those ideas
Black back in the day had my favorite first level in fps, and I hated the rest of the game
Indigo prophesy also opens with alot of interactivity and falls apart. Actually ya know games that open with "verticle slices" always do this
Indigo prophesy also opens with alot of interactivity and falls apart. Actually ya know games that open with "verticle slices" always do this
I thought the opening level to Perfect Dark was the most adrenaline-pumping one in the game. Everything else that followed paled in comparison.
Great post. I feel the same way. Hit me really hard, and it happened again in part 3 as well.
MGS4's Middle East level was pretty much the centerpiece of the game, it goes from 5/5 and slowly devolves as it goes on, as far as levels go. I really wish we had another MGS experience like that first level, maybe Death Stranding will have a battlefield section like that
Sonic Adventure 2. Sonic kills some guys, awesome music plays, and then it's a high speed chase through city streets.
I would have agreed with this before the very end of the game. The middle was kind of blah. That one part in New Donk City was cool, I guess.
This gets my all time vote.
Honorable mention to MGSV best first 20 min ever, followed by the most disappointing shit I have ever had in a game.
Hell no, MGR is an example of a game that keeps blowing its wad endlessly and never lets up.
God of War 1 to 3 and even Ascension are pretty much like this. The biggest setpiece fights are always in the beginning. And I think it's a perfect way to really pull you into the action. There are enough amazing highs after those intros, but the intros are legendary.
Yeah, that fist fight was a good sign of what to come until it didn't. Even the big boss fights were repeated a lot.
Best level in Sonic Adventure: Not sure but it sure as hell aint the first level. Not even top 5.
Best level in Sonic Adventure 2: It's City Escape I'll give you that one.
Sonic Heroes: Lots of good choices. None of them are Seaside Hill.
Sonic 06: Probably Crisis City. Definitely not the first level
Sonic and the Secret Rings: Nah first level isn't even close to the best.
Sonic Unleashed: Rooftop Run? Cool Edge? Dragon Road? Regardless, it aint the first level.
Sonic Colours: Starlight Carnival? Aquariam Park? Quite a few choices and none of them are Tropical Resort.
Sonic Generations: Dude aside from Planet Wisp every level is better than Green Hill.
Lost World: Yeah it might be actually. Game made a good first impression.
Forces: Well every level was shit.
So no, I disagree with this assessment.
Brain fart... What's the game with 2B... (Googles...)
Nier autamata!
I played the demo, loved it. Played the game, obviously first level is the demo.. then the game turned more into an open world action rpg. . The demo seemed more if a linear devil may cry with shooter/bullet hell sections.
Set up the won't expectations for me.
Nier autamata!
I played the demo, loved it. Played the game, obviously first level is the demo.. then the game turned more into an open world action rpg. . The demo seemed more if a linear devil may cry with shooter/bullet hell sections.
Set up the won't expectations for me.
That's a good pick, though they did pull some pretty memorable stuff out for 1AU (Almighty mission).
The ultimate example of this is Nightmare Creatures for PSX.
Nightmare Creatures was a 3D action game where you progressed through linear levels defeating zombified, gory creatures risen from the dead by Aleister Crowley esque black magic, in a sort of 19th century, Victorian-era London. The ambiance of the first level was awesome, with detailed (for the time) alley ways, cemeteries, dungeons, and streets, with surprising enemy encounters. THe first level was released as a demo on a OPM issue or some official demo disc, and it was amazing. I patiently awaited the game, rented it, only to find that all of the subsequent levels were uninspired, boring, same enemy encounters, and ugly. They clearly put a lot of effort into the first level and almost none in the rest.
THe game has an amazing opening with detailed lore, great mood, excellent voice reading, a strong connection with history and a well thought out story. That shipped on the demo.
The intro for this game is so sick. The first level was great. The rest is terrible.
Nightmare Creatures was a 3D action game where you progressed through linear levels defeating zombified, gory creatures risen from the dead by Aleister Crowley esque black magic, in a sort of 19th century, Victorian-era London. The ambiance of the first level was awesome, with detailed (for the time) alley ways, cemeteries, dungeons, and streets, with surprising enemy encounters. THe first level was released as a demo on a OPM issue or some official demo disc, and it was amazing. I patiently awaited the game, rented it, only to find that all of the subsequent levels were uninspired, boring, same enemy encounters, and ugly. They clearly put a lot of effort into the first level and almost none in the rest.
THe game has an amazing opening with detailed lore, great mood, excellent voice reading, a strong connection with history and a well thought out story. That shipped on the demo.
The intro for this game is so sick. The first level was great. The rest is terrible.
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You forgot to mention that after the first level there is usually a bucket full of tedious crap that you will have to suffer through, before the games become mildly fun again. It doesn't help that all 3D Sonic games usually have about only 2-4 levels that are decent, buried under insane amount of tedium. The reason i said the first level is the peak is because the impression of the games usually is positive at the start, but it goes downhill afterwards, even if a few of the levels later on are enjoyable.
The games fail to sustain a consistent level of quality that the first levels sets all the way through.
that fight was basically a parry tutorial, it would have been the worst fight of the game if it wasnt for the Dragon.
And when he gets to Heaven
To Saint Peter he will tell
One more soldier reporting sir
I've served my time in hell
OP is BANG ON. The absolute best example there isn't a better one. What I just quoted? An opening forever etched in my gaming memory. An opening I've experienced many many times. Simply unforgettable. What a goddamn introduction to the PS2 for me. Surely I loved Medal of Honour Frontline, right?
Lol I literally remember fuck all about the game outside of that opening level. But that opening I played sooooo many times.
To Saint Peter he will tell
One more soldier reporting sir
I've served my time in hell
OP is BANG ON. The absolute best example there isn't a better one. What I just quoted? An opening forever etched in my gaming memory. An opening I've experienced many many times. Simply unforgettable. What a goddamn introduction to the PS2 for me. Surely I loved Medal of Honour Frontline, right?
Lol I literally remember fuck all about the game outside of that opening level. But that opening I played sooooo many times.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Mafia 3 yet. It has a fantastic opening with great energy, interesting characters and fun action moments, but then it goes completely downhill, as if another game company took over. I've never played a game that lost it's momentum so fast.
Oh, fo real?
I guess I'm in for a bad time as I just ledt Gormott for the first time.
I'm concerned people think flashy scripted sequences and qtes are better than the gameplay that some of the above games mention.
God of war 3? Opening act is flashy yet straightforward teaching mechanics, the boss it self is ok. Much better gameplay and fights later on.
God of war 4 opening stranger fight LoL. It's pretty much a flashy qte.
The optional bosses and twin brothers are way better than this.
I'm sure there's more examples.
God of war 3? Opening act is flashy yet straightforward teaching mechanics, the boss it self is ok. Much better gameplay and fights later on.
God of war 4 opening stranger fight LoL. It's pretty much a flashy qte.
The optional bosses and twin brothers are way better than this.
I'm sure there's more examples.