#surreal software

[nintendumpster]

[hardcore-gaming-101]

The Suffering

Back in 2002, designer Richard Rouse III pitched the idea for a new game that would take the action of Devil May Cry, the atmosphere of Resident Evil, and the immersive world design of Half-Life, telling the story of a single character as they discover who they truly are deep down. With the additional inspiration of horror films like The Shining, Surreal Software ended up making an action heavy horror game with Midway Games, one that could be see as Silent Hill with all melancholy and despair replaced with rage, violence, and uncomfortably reality in its subject matter. The Suffering has a strange role in the history of horror games, because it takes from dozens of sources to create something that doesn’t really fit with everything that came before it. It has the pulp and kitsch of the cheesiest of Resident Evil rip-offs, but it manages to create an absorbing atmosphere by embracing and exploring subject matter few horror games have ever touched, or at least touched so effectively. 

Read more...

[bizarrobrain]

The Suffering: Ties That Bind - PlayStation 2 ( 2005)

[richardrouse3]

In a shocking development, The Suffering & The Suffering: Ties that Bind have been re-released on GOG! They are now DRM-free (original never was on PC) and made to run on modern hardware (with some issues), but otherwise are exactly how we made them.

https://www.gog.com/news/release_the_suffering_the_suffering_ties_that_bind

Once upon a time, I remember thinking one measure of success was having a sequel made to one of my games. Now, 10+ years later, a new metric of success is having those games re-released.

I even did a nice Q&A about the design & intentions behind The Suffering, like why it’s set in Baltimore & why Torque doesn't talk.  Read it over here:  https://www.gog.com/news/interview_reliving_the_suffering_with_richard_rouse_iii

[shadowgamingofficial]

Wings, Steel, and Scaly Besties: Why Drakan: Order of the Flame is the Ultimate Power Trip - Shadow Gaming

Release Date: July 29, 1999 Developer: Surreal Software The RPG That Gave Us Real Wings Back in 1999, the gaming landscape was undergoing a

[thatdamnokie]

completely unnecessary horror mash-ups (25/?) - the lion king x the suffering

“the island is cursed.”

and he was innocent.

this was more than just a prison of stone and iron, this was hell.

“murder has soaked the land of this place far before this compound was built.”

simba swallowed; he remembered the legends.

“if you want to make it survive, you must remember who you are.”

mini mix: kendrick lamar, n95 + j cole, g.o.m.d. + tyler the creator, 911/mr. lonely

[bizarrobrain]

[miloscat]

[Review] The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (XB/PS2)

A surprise double book adaptation underwhelms.

I remember playing this back when we first got our Xbox, and judging it inferior to EA’s Return of the King game. As part of my current larger quest through various Tolkien games, I replayed it and feel even worse about it. But I was interested to discover that the game released on PS2 and PC is not the same experience as the Xbox version. They’re broadly similar, but the differences make all the difference in the world.

When the game was announced, it was an Xbox exclusive by WXP. Later in development a port was developed by Surreal Software, with various changes made. I’ll talk about the differences as they come up. The first thing to know about this game is it was made without the movie licence (although it certainly takes inspiration from choices made for the movies). This means it lacks things like Weta’s design work or Howard Shore’s iconic score, but allows it the much-touted faithfulness and inclusion of book-exclusive content.

Now I don’t so highly prize faithfulness to the source material in an adaptation; rather, I like them to take liberties and expand in interesting ways. You do get some of that here, like some little good-deed quests in the Shire, meeting an Orc-enthralled Ori in Moria (Xbox only), or the early appearance of a Nazgûl’s fell beast (which apparently can breathe fire) as part of the final boss in the newly-created climax... but it’s not much. It is pretty cool seeing Tom Bombadil, living trees in the Old Forest, and barrow-wights, but at the same time the game completely skips over Boromir’s death, which I thought was an odd choice.

As for how the game plays, it’s been described as an action-adventure, if that means anything to you. If you ask me the action is repetitive and bland, and the adventuring dull and unrewarding. You will swap between playable characters depending on the level: Frodo is super wimpy and has a Fable-style morality meter, which after the first level in the Shire kind of gets forgotten about as a mechanic (mess with your neighbour’s stuff and it goes down, do quests and it goes up) and persists solely as a “Ring meter” to limit your use of the overpowered artefact. Really you can ignore this whole mechanic for the entirety of the game. Also, he’s the only one who can jump in the PS2 version.

When Aragorn is unlocked the combat becomes more bearable, and Gandalf is an unstoppable killing machine with his array of flashy magic spells, especially since the game overloads you with mana-restoring miruvor. The battling is where the experience is most different between the two versions; it’s actually ok on PS2. You can’t charge your attacks but you have a finishing move, enemies go down easier, and your ranged attack is actually worth a damn (and not subject to limited ammunition). Other Fellowship members also accompany you more often and help out in fights, making it less of a slog of attrition.

Generally speaking the PS2 version feels cut down from the Xbox version. Much of the level design is the same but simplified, there’s fewer quests and a smaller inventory to mess with, and a number of enemy types are missing. But the streamlining actually makes it a stronger experience I feel, less tedious and better balanced. Plus it uniquely has a fun secret weapon on the last level: a gift from Gollum replaces Andúril with a supremely powerful fish. And that’s not mentioning the biggest difference of all. The Xbox game is just way too dark. It’s gloomy, grey, occluded, grim, dim, dim, dim! I think they worked too hard on the technical aspects of the lighting engine without considering the actual playability of visibility. On PS2 you can actually see what you’re doing! And with a more cooperative camera to boot.

The two games share a lot of assets, including Pippin’s remarkably irritating voice, but there’s odd changes. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas have new designs on PS2 (the latter’s Xbox model being recycled for Haldir), and Sam has both a new model and I’m pretty sure a new voice actor too. In all cases I actually prefer the Xbox models, although the PS2 Galadriel matches the FMV cutscenes better. On the other hand the returning enemies on PS2 also have new designs which I think are stronger, particularly the gnarly new troll variants.

Compared to the EA movie games focusing on being action brawlers, I appreciated having a bit more space here for a richer adventure, and for some slight elements of depth to the characters and world that the films necessarily had to cut. Also, I really appreciated being able to save and load at any time into unlimited save slots! Even so, it’s a clumsy, muddled game at the best of times... but if you are interested, I’d sooner suggest the PS2 and PC ports. Now, I wonder how the GBA release holds up...