Topic: Push Square Game Club Spooktacular: Resident Evil 4

I just defeated the Cyberdemon. Easily the best boss fight in the series to date, with proper phases, tells before he unleashes his attacks, etc. It threads the needle nicely between DOOM 3's mostly easy bosses and the impossible BS bosses in older DOOM games that force you to hug cover and take potshots around corners.

And I still have, like, 1/3 of the game left.

@Th3solution One recommendation I'd give, above all else, is to NEVER stop moving when you're in battle. That's basically the single most important aspect of DOOM: stuff is always in motion, and you're always a second or two away from a demon jumping on you, so stopping means dying.

Also, try to get in close when you're shooting demons. There's really no benefit to trying to pick off far off demons. Run up and shoot the ruddy %^&$#@%* as quickly as possible. That should help with aiming as well. Aiming at specific body parts isn't too awful important. You mainly just want to hit the things. The shotgun is really good in this respect at a close distance.

@Ralizah That’s really good advice. Thanks! It goes against all the habits I’ve formed in years of cover based shooters and action-stealth games where you try to keep your distance and pick people off from afar, with headshots being so heavily emphasized. Even the other FPS games I’ve played usually have some build that emphasizes sniping or stealth. I have rarely taken the ‘tank’ role, so I’m a novice at the playstyle of shooting and melee up close and personal and I kept wondering why I’m having such trouble hitting enemies from afar. It’s good to know that’s not the intended approach in this game. I think I’ll enjoy it since I’ve never really been particularly good at sniping and headshots anyways.

@Th3solution Yep, just don’t stop moving and strafing. Especially on the difficulty I’m on, the imps can murder me in a couple of seconds if I’m not careful!

@Th3solution It's one of the reasons the game so feels so different as it's all about movement and fluidity, rather than hiding behind cover and taking potshots. And having health and armour levels is more old school than regenerating health but also suits the play style.

Remembering to get chainsaw attacks for ammo and glory kills for health is crucial too, and you'll learn which weapons and mods you like. There is a mod for the heavy assault rifle for a scope which can be used for distance and precision shots but on the whole, precision is not what you need to worry about; just get those hits on target!

So, I beat the game, but I'm nowhere near done. There's still so much stuff to do: mission objectives to complete, secrets to find, weapon skills to unlock; and as I'm doing this, I'm replaying all of the levels on the harder Ultra-Violence difficulty setting.

The last level and final boss on Ultra-Violence are... something else. My eyes have watered so much when playing this. The combat is so fast, brutal, and rhythmic. And... is it synchronizing the sound effects with the OST, or visa versa? I swear to god, the cacophony of battle — guns firing, bones crunching, demonic roars — feels like it meshes perfectly with the music.

And the sound design in general is awesome. They may have retreated a bit from the more 'foreboding' vibe of 64 and 3, but it's still creepy when you're running around destroyed levels and can hear monstrous noises emanating from all around you.

I can see why this game is so loved.

@Ralizah Yeah the way the music and gameplay are tied into each other is awesome. There are a few vids on YouTube with the music producer Mick Gordon which I highly recommend, including a liver performance! Shame things soured between him and Bethesda after Eternal. On the plus side it means he is not potentially locked to X Box.

Quick question — do the different weapons all come naturally or are there some that are hidden off the beaten path.

I’m having trouble with the labyrinthine maps and muted environments so far. The maps are about as good as they can be for the 3 dimensional layers and pathways involved (reminds me of the holomap from Jedi Fallen Order) but it still makes it hard to plan a path. So far I haven’t got completely lost (still in the second level) but I’m pretty sure I’m missing parts of the map as I travel through and don’t want to miss out on a major weapon that I might only have one chance to obtain.

The environments have a lot of items (computer consoles, dead bodies, boxes and canisters, etc) and pick ups and collectibles have that glow but it’s subtle enough that I’ve walked right past things not realizing they can be interacted with.

@Th3solution You can get some weapons early through exploration but I think most weapons you’ll come across eventually.

@Th3solution

I know weapons are located in multiple places in this game in case you miss them on your first go. With that said, it's worth exploring as much as possible.

Also, there's a suit upgrade path that will, when maxed out, reveal every secret on the map. I HIGHLY recommend prioritizing that upgrade path for your praetor suit.

@nessisonett @Ralizah Thanks! I’m such a noob with this game, I appreciate the help.

So I’ve made it through the 4th level now in DOOM. It’s starting to come much easier for me, after a steep learning curve of reacquaintance with FPS controls and training myself to move and strafe better.

The game has become pretty fun in the process. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through this one, but I have like 5 different weapon options now, several mods, and have upgraded my ammo capacity and health.

I’ve had the most difficulty with the shield enemies. Any tricks on how to bring them down more easily? I’m using grenades and the grenade launching mod to the shotgun, but it still seems to take several hits to take his shield down and he’s only exposed for a second and then regenerates the shield again. I’ve had more luck just shooting and darting past him in hopes he’s stunned for a sec. so I can get one or two open shots at his back. That works mostly, so long as I don’t get swarmed by enemies in the process.

And any clues on doing the Master level upgrading to the weapon mods? I fully upgraded my launcher on the shotgun and it says something like get 20 direct hits to Imps for the Master upgrade - and I feel like I’ve hit tons of Imps with it and I’ve yet to register a single kill toward the upgrade. Is there something I’m not doing right?

@Th3solution on Eternal, plasma weapons eat through the shields. You can probably still use the chainsaw on them too. Alternatively, explosives from behind like grenades or the remote detonation mod on the rocket launcher (I’m sure that was in 2016..) and then hit them hard and fast when stunned.

... That weapon mastery was a bit of a pain to get @Th3solution.

As the challenge implies you have to hit the imps with the exploding round dead on (Hit them in the chest or whatever rather then be part of the blast radius) and even then I think it's a little devious on what counts towards it. Could just be I'm terrible at aiming of course but you'll get there sol! 😅

Glad to hear you're enjoying it too!

I know I'm a couple of days late but... You beat it already @Ralizah? Yooou... Really ripped and tore your way through the game huh?

Glad to hear you enjoyed yourself and DOOM 2016! Honestly I was a little worried I may have bigged it up a little to you when we've spoke about it a few times... I think you've come out of it appreciating it even more then I did lol 😄

@Th3solution Possessed Security demons are a right pain in the tush. A charged Gauss Cannon shot is the best way to deal with them, but, assuming you don't have that weapon yet, I think your current strategy will probably be on point. Direct an explosion near them to make them flinch/stumble, switch to the super shotgun, then flank them and shoot them at point blank range.

And yeah, like Foxy said, you want to get direct hits on the imps. If you're killing one and not getting credit, then it means you're killing them with splash damage.

Glad to hear you're starting to get on better with the game. DOOM games really do play nothing like other modern shooters, so, yeah, I imagine it requires some re-learning of habits forged by cover shooters at the like. Hesitation only leads to death, especially since you primarily regain health by killing demons.

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy You could say that.

I figured I'd probably enjoy it, but it really is a masterful action game that maintains almost every good aspect of previous DOOM games while fixing their problems. I would have appreciated some of DOOM 64's puzzle-y level design, I think, but the multi-layered levels filled with secrets and collectibles mostly make up for the lack of puzzles. As does the sheer, balletic grace of the platforming and action. I think the glory kill mechanic was a welcome addition; the battles get so hectic in this game that I appreciate having a second to figure out what I'm going to do as the animation briefly plays out.

I'll definitely be interested to hear what you have to say regarding DOOM Eternal then @Ralizah as I've seen and heard a few more divided opinions on that one regarding the gameplay changes and additions and the inclusion of even more platforming...

I assume you haven't touched the snapmaps or anything? I did try it but... It's a bit limiting and quite boring in all honesty

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy @Ralizah @Thrillho
Thanks for the advice. I’m just glad to know I’m not doing something wrong. I haven’t upgraded the rocket launcher for remote detonation yet. Perhaps I need to try that.

And I’m glad I’m not the only one who sometimes uses glory kills to take a split second breather during the pandemonium of a large fight. 😅

And I’ll try for more point blank shots on the imps and see if I can get that Master Level mod. I could’ve sworn I shot some straight in the chest, but maybe I was mistaken.

On a side note, I am surprised at the actual inclusion of a reasonably decent storyline. It’s not the deepest narrative in the world, but it has kept my attention and given me motivation to progress, which is all you really need to supplement the addictive gunplay.

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy I tried a few of the snapmaps when I played it before. It was a bit limited for me because I didn't have ps plus at the time but I do remember one that was like a room with instruments all around it and you could make songs...well at least noise...with them!

@Th3solution When it comes to the challenges, I don’t remember if 2016 lets you do this, but in Eternal I cheesed a few by finding spots with the necessary enemy type/numbers needed, killing them in the manner required, and then saving and quitting to the main menu.

The game would save the progress but reload from the nearest checkpoint so the enemies would be there again. It’s a bit of a pain but gets you the weapon bonuses quicker.

@Thrillho Challenge progress is definitely carried between deaths, so I assume the game remembers where you were in a challenge if you exit a level as well.

One thing I really, really like is that the game autosaves as soon as you pick up a collectible. No having to finish a level, like you would in many other games. Once you collect the thing, you're done. Although I've been finishing levels anyway, since this game is just so much fun.

I just finished the first trip to Hell. I think I prefer those levels and the outside Mars ones to the facility levels, the traversal feels a lot more open. I’m enjoying myself though, the combat’s great and I love hunting around for collectibles. I’m just annoyed I missed one of the runes!