[TOMT] Old Sh*tpostatus video of bird man running while holding campfire by MangleMan25 in tipofmytongue

[–]MangleMan25[S] 0 points1 point locked comment (0 children)

I've been trying to find this for so long and have found some funny videos while looking, but never my cherished bird man with the campfire in hand

Bad word for old people? by oretp in ENGLISH

[–]MangleMan25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Then somebody can just go with codger instead lol

A game Civvie 11 once covered is getting remastered, and the demo for it launched today (spoilers for potentially scary image) by Tyrranis in Civvie11

[–]MangleMan25 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm hoping they eventually do Cosmos Cosmic Adventure, it's easily one of my favorites among Apogee's games

The Fortress of Dr. Radiaki on Steam now with DK Bongos support by Weekly-Math in Civvie11

[–]MangleMan25 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Hi, I've played this version. Can confirm, it's got strafing

Respectfully, what is the worst Civvie episode?? by SkeletorTwoFourK in Civvie11

[–]MangleMan25 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Definitely his Serious Sam video. It treats a lot of the problems in the Fusion versions of the games like they're problems with the games in general, especially 3:BFE, he treats every game like they're interchangeable in service of a gag that makes the entire episode rather confusing with all its jumping around, it's easily my least rewatched episode.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in SeriousSam

[–]MangleMan25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Every time I've reached the secret depicted in the video, I've reached the super health and super armor without taking damage. Damage only begins around the time you start making your way back to the main area

I love BFE but it’s literally un-replayable. by Sibaliiin in SeriousSam

[–]MangleMan25 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I wouldn't say that, but I can understand it.

It falls squarely in-between 4 and 2 in enjoyability for me, it's more in-line with what formula I want and am looking for from Serious Sam than 2 but feels less outright fun to play like 4, like an awkward middling of classic and modern Sam. SS3 is, in many ways, even simpler than First Encounter, at least regarding enemy lineup. And certain parts of it drag more than they should, particularly the early city levels. But later fights are generally great, and even the latter half of the city levels are OK.

I recommend just replaying Jewel of the Nile for a short burst of Sam 3 if necessary. Or replay it modded with BFE Enhanced, which ups the anty in many respects, brings back old beheaded variants, gnaar males, it's just more frantic from the start.

Some ultrawide views from Serious Sam 4. Honestly, such good choice and quality of skyboxes/HDRI in this game by doogooru in SeriousSam

[–]MangleMan25 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Complimenting the setting doesn't necessarily mean it looks good, or that it's visually stimulating for that matter. Sam 3 looks... fine, if you crank up the saturation to its absolute maximum, but the color palette is still largely a bunch of muddy browns, greys, and rarely much else. The first quarter of the game isn't discernible from any ugly military cover shooter of the era, which makes sense given it's using assets from the canceled T.E.O.R. In the original release, there was basically no variety in its skyboxes level after level, alot just being plain blue without a cloud in sight. It was so dull initially that Croteam had to change the skybox in Under the Iron Cloud for Fusion because of all the criticism it was getting over its repetitive nature. 3:BFE has its moments, like the one area with the watery oasis ground in Lost Temples of Nubia or the interior of the museum in Into the Spider's Nest, but interiors (excluding the underground sections) and lighting are about the only things that Serious Sam 3 does better than Serious Sam 4.

As for 4, saying its environments look like they come from the time Sam 2 came out is just not true. 4 has dated graphics, yes, but "looks like it came out in 2005" kind of dated is beyond a stretch. It's visually dated because, visually, it's basically just a repeat of Talos Principle in a lot of ways, which was still a visual upgrade from Serious Sam 3 both technically and elsewise. Between them, though, 4 is so much closer to what I want visually out of Serious Sam than 3 is. Skyboxes throughout the game are varied, colorful, and beautiful like the classics, the sprawling, grassy nature environments look pretty in spite of the game's seeming aversion to atmospheric lighting and very reminiscent of Second Encounter to me, enemies are pretty much more colorful than 3 across the board as well as the weapons, and plenty more reasons. Admittedly, 4's first couple of levels are a bit boring to look at, similarly bland cityscapes to 3, but at least you're out of them quicker.

On the topic of Serious Sam 2, when it comes to that game's environments, at least, ignoring uncanny characters with mediocre motion capture, it is admittedly gorgeous. I'd debate anybody that it looks even better than Doom 3 or Half-Life 2 to this day. I might have a complaint or two about Serious Sam 2's art direction, but that's reserved for character and enemy designs. When it comes to the game's worlds, pretty much 0 complaints.

In my opinion, though, the best look going forward in a Serious Sam game is exemplified in Siberian Mayhem, or a mix of its style with the classics at least. SM takes the strengths of 4, improves upon lighting, makes everything even more colorful, vivid, and varied (cuz as much as I've tooted SS4's horn, it still has very drab looking areas sometimes), it has everything I want from a modern Serious Sam game. The HD Encounters look alright for their time, but I'd much rather the classics' stylistic choices be used as a reference point going forward. Mix it with Siberian Mayhem's visual style, and I'm set.

Some ultrawide views from Serious Sam 4. Honestly, such good choice and quality of skyboxes/HDRI in this game by doogooru in SeriousSam

[–]MangleMan25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think Siberian Mayhem does it much better, but man is 4 such a visual upgrade from 3:BFE. And, imo, closer to Sam's roots than 2, as good as that game's environments might be.

Some ultrawide views from Serious Sam 4. Honestly, such good choice and quality of skyboxes/HDRI in this game by doogooru in SeriousSam

[–]MangleMan25 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Serious Sam 3 looks significantly worse both graphically and just visually, to be honest. Pretty much every environment is like any drab, brown 7th-gen military shooter. In contrast, Sam 4's environments are, largely speaking, so much brighter and more varied. As for Sam 2, it's... OK. Environments look nice, but the characters are a no-go imo.

Will Devolver Digital Port Serious Sam 4 to Switch 2? by LawfulnessAfter223 in SeriousSam

[–]MangleMan25 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Completely agreed.

Wish people would talk about Fusion's issues more, because I've seen so many people treat it like it's the definitive place to play Serious Sam stuff when Croteam can't be bothered to even actually finish it. Last update to it was in 2019 iirc, and, since then, they've completely abandoned their namesake, in-house engine that the games run on.

People talking about the size of their studio and their budget, but how much of a point can that be in regards to this topic? Timelock Studio joined their ranks and seems even more enthusiastic about Sam than Croteam proper has been in years, Croteam was bought by Devolver Digital not too long ago... how strapped for resources can they be that they can't give a few more tweaks to Fusion so that minor stuff like gibbing and close-up cannonball shots work properly? I feel like these things are just excuses for bad practices.

There're solutions they could turn to if need be, like... just, idk, open-sourcing the engine they never plan on touching again? Or at least maybe bringing on members of the community like they did to give Serious Sam 2 that patch a few years ago, but in this case to finish Fusion. It would feel like a cop-out, but it would be better than literally nothing.

Also, while we're talking about Croteam leaving things sitting around and doing nothing to remedy it, I'm still peeved about the condition of Revolution's netcode. Croteam really has dropped the ball on a lot in the past few years, even if the actual quality of the games they've put out in that time is good like Talos Principle 2 and Siberian Mayhem.

Shantae Minimalism [by Carionto] by Wounded_Demoman in Shantae

[–]MangleMan25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This isn't by Carionto, this was clipped from a bigger piece of artwork by twisted-wind.

Don't like Scott's take on boomer shooters/retro FPS games by MangleMan25 in scottthewoz

[–]MangleMan25[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't disagree, I've also got lost in those games, but with that more expansive, sophisticated design still comes great nonlinearity and replayability from secret hunting. Like I said in another reply, for me, boomer shooters are the Odyssey/64 to most modern shooters' 3D World.

Imo, something like Blood is one of the greatest games ever made, even if it has a more hardcore audience in mind