But who is your duckling syndrome?

Phrase Karl Johnson At the very beginning Grand Theft Auto San Andreas In some way, she came out a prophetic. Players (especially the generation of zero schoolchildren) do not stop returning to this wonderful and breakthrough game to this day. What is so attracts there? Is it really a matter of a banal duckling syndrome – the idealization of children’s memories. Or there is all this something More?
I decided to take the courage to try to answer the question – Was the games really better? It may not be straight to answer, but to make the most deep and as objective (as far as it turns out) analysis. And the way for this was chosen just the perfect!

I have created a large list of games that are considered to be cultivated by many, or just excellent. And which for some reason I did not pass before. This list begins in 1996 and ends with our modernity. After passing a certain number of games, we will make one thesis, the purpose of which is to bring us closer to the answer to the question whether the games were better in the good old days? At the same time, let’s see how all this Oldskulshchina is played for the first time in 2021?

I’ll make a reservation right away – yes, I’m not a particularly active commentator. I like to read, listen. But I do not break into discussions, and I am not often going to tell me something with the spirit. I read the site and watch the channel, including Twitch and Stopkek constantly, and there are already six years. Therefore, may the rage of the laws of Halperia will not fall upon me, and may I have mercy on the sinful malt, and will not deprive me of clits for life. Let my kungur eternal over the eternal. Amen. Or round. Here you yourself choose.

Well. Enough in -wraps and deviations. Let’s start. Today we are talking about such high -profile games as Resident Evil (1996), Resident Evil 2 (1998), Metal Gear Solid (1998), Driver 2 (1999), and Silent Hill (1999). You can imagine? For life I tried, probably, hundreds of games. But somehow I did not come. Correct. Let’s go!

(1996) Resident Evil

Platform – PS1 through the PSX 1 emulator.13 and with a gamepad from PS4. The most classic picture, without smoothing and improvement

The game meets us the most amusing cinematographic intro in the style of trash b-movie. Where the costumes of the characters look cheaper than some simple cosplayers, where funny raids are used for frightened scream, and where the credits are menacingly increasing on the final frame.

However, as soon as it comes to gameplay, the game is changing sharply. It becomes leisurely, atmospheric. In some way, one might say, even book. Yes, the impressions are somewhat similar to enjoying the book. I attribute to such games something like “rustle”, “Syberia”, “Darkness with”, etc. 2D asses are made well and regularly create the impression of a large mysterious mansion. At the same time, they allow you to issue an excellent, by the standards of PS1 and 1996, leaving in honest 3D only characters, enemies/allies and some objects. Sounds and music also work well for the atmosphere and artistic style.

I forgot to make screenshots by the first part of RE. I had to steal from the Internet so as not to leave dry text.

The game makes you look for new clues to open the next room, forgetting about countless backing, and taking the whole head to solve the next puzzle. The game carefully works with these very puzzles, without making them too complex, but forcing you to be proud of yourself for a good guess how to successfully combine the found item with what lies in your box.

The character’s inventory is strictly limited, which adds realism and adds to the Horror genre Survival. In order to avoid an inadequate number of backtracking, you need to think well what to take with you, and what will most likely need.

What is bad? Obvious things for gaming 90s. Oak control and funny scenario. You can’t say much about the first. Often, the character simply thinks for a very long time not allowing him to evade the enemy in time. After the shot, remaining in place of a critically long time. This makes fights with bosses extremely difficult to pass, if you do not use Save state (preservation at absolutely any moment of the game).

Although the first meeting with a tyrant contrary to expectations during the Katsen, it turned out to be very simple. The enemy is slow, and is placed with several shots from Magnum.

About the second (script). The plot itself is good. We are well superiminated in mystery. Here we are like in the old mansion, but gradually we will find out more and more about secret experiments in the superho of the modern laboratory. Yes, this is a banal. But still with taste made. Decorations are not perceived by cardboard. Due to the fact that we are not demonstrated by many actors-the fantasy is free to finish what she likes more. And it’s good here. However, the script itself, or rather dialogs, is of course a comedy. Conversations in the style of “UU, the big and strong Chris Redfield, save me, and I will obey you” – this is all very fun and perceived at the level of the initial screensaver.

I liked the Resident Evil in 2021. She cannot boast of steep special effects, animation and a bunch of opportunities. And just this simplicity and focus on the game process captivates. The player is not overloaded with a million little things. Having reached the understandable and drawing gameplay, the player over time ceases to notice bad graphics and a weak script. Hence the first thesis appears, which will fall into the “Code of Theses”, which covers this cycle, and trying to answer the same question.

1. Simplicity, understandability and focus on the game process still make us return to the old games.

(1999) Driver 2

Platform – PS1 through the PSX 1 emulator.13 and with a gamepad from PS4. The most classic picture, without smoothing and improvement

We will not put two “residents” in a row. We’ll interrupt the second “rod”. How can I characterize this game? “Hell car”!

Many called the first mafia a difficult game. Because of this, in the Rome, classical complexity is considered hardcore. However, for me personally, the first mafia was not particularly complicated. But the second “Driver” is bl ** b, inadequately complicated game! Instead of a thousand words, I will demonstrate a short moment.

And this happens constantly. In no way depends on the player

Here you are perfectly passing a mission without a single error, but you are already flying to a ditch from randomly drunk car in front. Perhaps this is the problem of the emulator, they say, at a frame rate of 25, not 50, Span was more predictable. But I don’t think it’s true.

I counted three main flaws. The first is named above, the second is the drawing range. You see, the designers of the game painted quite interesting and diverse Chicago, Havana, Las Vegas and Rio de Janeiro. Each of the named cities has its own attractions, central streets and even all sorts of authentic lanes. However, it is very difficult to discern them due to just a nightmare range of a drawing in one or two at home in front of you. I understand that all the fault of the weakness of the first PlayStation. But the fact still remains a fact. Perhaps a decrease in the size of the cities would relieve the system, or some other cunning gamed-design decision could help.

The third drawback is the implementation of walking. With even the most smooth turn of the steak, Tanner is spinning almost 90 degrees instantly. Because of what, when changing the car, you first need to make a circle of honor around it, in order to just get into the driver’s door finally finally.

Now about the virtues. And surprisingly, they are very strong. The strongest dignity is the genre, and work with it. This game is a rather diverse car action. In one mission, we have a simple pursuit of another character. In another mission, a bomb is on our car, and we cannot lower the speed below the given mark. In another mission, we need to overtake the train, jump into the car that is on the rails and drive it away from the train rushing behind us. Next, we need not to catch up, but hide. Then they ask us to follow (yes, the mission of surveillance is boring, true). Then catch up with the subway. Then run away from captivity, trying to find a way out of a blocked island. And so on, and so on. I, as a big fan of racing, are terribly sad that the genre of car action just somehow disappeared. And why in 1999 it was possible to make Driver 2 with such diversity, excellent physics and stylistics. And now the maximum that we are offered is Fast & Furious Crossoads, to which they clearly forgot to give toilet paper.

Another advantage that I have already caught partially is https://captainmarlincasino.uk/ physics. It is not perfect, but cars have weight, the suspension plays, and in general they are felt quite honest. And that the main thing is very suitable for playing on car militants of the 70s.

The game also has a good plot for the genre. Perfect stylistics. The desire to make an immersion in the criminal world of America is the most similar style of films of the 70s is felt. And this is definitely a plus too.

Game videos are carefully stripped. It can be seen that the developers thoughtfully worked on the general entourage and presentation.

Did I like the game in 2021? In general, yes. If not for such idiotic complexity and adequate walking, it would be good in general! This is an interesting automobile action that confidently holds you at the gamepad, preventing you from getting bored with the diversity of missions and stylishly executed by Katszen. To take out some thesis out of it. Only sadness that this genre can now be said does not exist. And so, it’s rather just a story about the first impressions of Driver 2 in 2021 for those who went this game once long ago, and love it.

(1998) Resident Evil 2

Platform – PS1 through the PSX 1 emulator.13 and with a gamepad from PS4. The most classic picture, without smoothing and improvement

The second “abode of evil” is still the same game as the first part, however, in view of the clearly grown budget, and a little evolving gaming industry – it added as. First of all, as a kitszen and script. Video inserts with living actors here replaced CG rollers with a completely intelligible directorial work and some kind of acting. The music, although in the first part, was quite good, here it became even more expressive and atmospheric. The scenery also became more diverse. True, there are some questions to them that we will touch later.

Of course, Katsets, with professional directorial work, immediately give out a much more serious approach of developers to the game.

However, one of the main shortcomings has not gone anywhere – all the same oak control. Of course, the local bastard bastard, tyrant, approaches the hero at such a speed that he has real chances to die from old age sooner. But other monsters begin in the game. For example, Lizuna is already much more agile, and without the ability to dodge them, we will not have a chance to avoid damage. And the tyrant itself is closer to the end of the game to become much more nimble. Like his colleague, William Birkin.

The game added to the characters. In addition to Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, who are protagonists, and for one of which (well, or both in turn) we are destined to play, there are still secondary ones (like Ada Wong or the Little Daughter of the Glavgada, Sheri) and third -stage (like a police chief, a dying policeman, William Birkin with his wife, and t. D.). Subsequently, the plot and the universe became more voluminous and dramatic.

Small cute detail. If you stop, during the tasks with Sheri, she will approach the Claire and take her hand.

Now about the questions to the scenery: I did not quite understand why the police station is full of puzzles and secret passages, like a tomb, or a mysterious mansion from the first part. Perhaps I missed something, and perhaps the gamemeracers of those times were not very steamed, and simply created what they need to maintain the genre.

I am not a big fan of Pavukov, but local octopuses for some reason touch me. They have a very cool tiger painting, and a funny clatter.

Resident Evil 2 in 2021 I definitely liked. To say, something new will not work out as a result, since this is almost the same game as the first part, but with the formula of the perfect sequel: more, better, more colorful.

(1998) Metal Gear Solid

Platform – PS1 through the PSX 1 emulator.13 and with a gamepad from PS4. The most classic picture, without smoothing and improvement

I would have to live in some tightly brewed tank, so as not to hear about a name like Hideo Genievich Kojima. Playable Teaser to an unnecessary Silent Hills was the second horror in principle, which strained me quite strongly (the first was Dungeon Nightmares 2). It’s just that I was always drawn to any horror, and now the horrors are not able to catch up with Sasassens. Except for two above. Of course, I twitch the scamers, but, I think, you will agree with me that screamers are not a horror.

However, the genius became by no means known horror stories. Glory was provided to him by the Metal Gear series. I know that it began with the 2D games of the end of the eighties, but I decided to join the Great with the more popular Metal Gear Solid.

And honestly, I thought where to start for a very long time. Therefore, I decided to go in order of impressions. The first thing that attracted my attention was more modern management. Snake, unlike Chris Redfield, or Leon Kennedy, goes to where the player’s stick is directed. The character does not need to first twist around its axis, and then go straight. After two Re, I even got used to it for some time. However, in general, it is much more convenient and faster. What has already gone plus.

The plot immediately gave the plot simply a scattering of dialogs. Giving it to understand that the authors of the game initially had a completely different approach than most competitors. They sought to create a large and rich story. And running in advance I will say that they succeeded. For 1998, this is extremely impressive.

The plot and script is probably the strongest part of the first Metal Gear Solid. Although, other aspects in it are in perfect order. The graphics by the standards of PS1 are very good, given that the locations are quite large, and at the same time drawn in honest 3D without obvious problems with the drawing range and without artifacts. Level design, despite the fact that adventures are waiting for us at a closed military base, quite diverse and does not allow us to get bored or get lost. The choice of weapons is just as wide and all types of weapons we will almost certainly find where to apply.

The variety of situations is also pleasing. I am not a fan of the Stealth Exchance genre. Although I went through several parts of Hitman, the first and second parts of the last restart me was tired that this is not a particularly entertaining game, but a very meticulous simulator of an inconspicuous killer. I’m not saying that it’s bad, just a genre is not mine. But MGS is also Stlas-Examine, also generates various situations where you have to fight with bosses, meet different types of opponents and technology, meet curious characters, and solve not particularly sophisticated puzzles.

But God, how amusing us our colleagues cry, especially the female when we die. Surely this is an imprint of Japanese culture. In Japan, loneliness, especially among adolescents (the main audience of video games in those days) is a very common problem. And most likely, such plaintive cries were created with the aim of creating a sense of sorrow and importance for someone, which will be more to the game. But this is only my theory.

Probably, known for the fourth wall on the modern gamer, it probably does not work like it in 1998. The question automatically arises why the colonel speaks of the action button and the Select button, and the psycho mantis moves your controller and talks about your memory card? However, these chips still amuse and add a little more diversity and my own style of what is happening. Also, the mechanic of the battle with Psycho Mantis was amused. To win over which you need to switch the controller to another slot. Although how I had to guess about it myself is unknown.

While we are enjoying gameplay, we are welling even more plot. Cyber ​​Ninja is actually an old friend and at the same time opponent of our hero – Gray Fox. And our assistant Naomi, in fact, is not our assistant, but the sister of Fox, who got into our office in order to avenge us for the death of his brother. Our other assistant, an instructor, is also not an assistant to us, but our identical brother is a Liquid Snake, who instead of deactivation of metal gyra frauds us to activate him and accept a fight against a giant nuclear robot.

How did I get furious in the final battle against Meti Gir Rex … I could not avoid his attacks and now and then died, until I suddenly found a solution at all by chance. It turns out that you just need to run between his legs and not catch his eye. After a short search, the walking tank freezes for a while. Here you need to aim at a stinger in the area of ​​the chin, shoot and repeat the procedure several times. And I already thought how I would burn, telling about this battle.

Here, there is an extremely strong dramatic moment, where Gray Fox confesses that he killed Naomi’s parents in the war, and that trying to atone for his sins, he took care of her as a sister. Contrary to the fact that Naomi wanted to kill Snake, he does not tell her the truth. And he simply says that Fox loved her and asked not to grieve about him and move on.

After the final battle, a real game occurs. Liquid Snake did not receive a scratch, having survived the explosion of a metal gyra in his cockpit. Solid Snape in a fight drops him from the fragments of the death machine. From a height from which, as the liquid himself spoke, do not survive. Solid Snape and his new girlfriend, Meril flee from the base. But the recessive blonde brother, by some miracle, is completely unharmed chasing us in a jeep, until it finally dies from Foxdai. Or does not die? Let’s talk about this by reaching 2001.

Well, did I like the original Metal Gear Solid in 2021? Definitely, yes! Of course, the plot is strange. With all these supernights like a raven or Gray Fox;with a communicator on the basis of nanomashi, and with some overflows by a philosophical scenario sometimes. But this, as I understand it, has already played the second part – a certain feature of the series. And in general you enjoy it. You are entertained by all this game and at the same time it does not roll on some kind of farce, the level of games for “analysis of flights”.

Gameplain game is diverse and not skimp on game situations, both a classic battle with a boss helicopter and a sniper duel, turning off the chillers with a controlled rocket, a fight with a huge walking robot, or evasion of all kinds of traps, tracking cameras and ordinary opponents.

I am extremely glad that right now I got to the first Resident Evil and Metal Gear Solid, since they just presented the “very feelings from childhood”. Where the visual is rustic, but the fantasy turns on, and almost all the attention is paid to the gaming process.

(1999) Silent Hill

Platform – PS1 through the PSX 1 emulator.13 and with a gamepad from PS4. The most classic picture, without smoothing and improvement

The latest game today will be the first part of the other legendary series from Konami – Silent Hill.

The outstanding series begins with how the hero, named Harry Mason, along with his little daughter on the way into the cozy town of Silent Hill, gets into an accident, and waking up that it will not work out, the town is shrouded in thick fog and completely empty, and his beloved daughter is not visible anywhere. The game does not load us with excess Katsen, menus or even interface. Only fog, only a mysterious town, and only our hero. And this is addicting. Even in 2021. Even with such graphics.

Pleasing to work with sound. The competently verified stereo accurately indicates to us the location and remoteness from the enemy, and the set of sounds and musical accompaniment create a unique atmosphere.

The fog fulfills the task and carefully hides the city of the city from us, which in fact occurs almost in our nose. We do not notice it and even more like to a quiet hill.

But as soon as we encounter opponents, the same problem appears as in Resident Evil. And here she is even sharper. Management in the fighting is not just oak, it is stone. Delays in waving and during shots are very long, and opponents’ attacks are not always the same, which does not allow to calculate this for a long time correctly. Therefore, we constantly get damage when it would seem easy to avoid it.

Noisy nerves especially act, which are simply better to avoid, since they very quickly run the hero to the ground and cause significant damage.

Separate story – final boss. I could not overcome incubus, although I tried very long and differently. He just beats the character with lightning, which are vanshot, and from which it is impossible to dodge. I even read guides how to kill him. It did not help. Perhaps I caught some bug, or just handwritten. It is not known for certain. I watched the final katssen on YouTube.

The game has an excellent artistic style, the scenery of both “normal” and alternative silent Hill, look natural and filled with details. The plot also copes with its task – it keeps in suspense and perfectly supports the aura of mystery and anxiety.

However, the script is on the contrary, in some places a fairly stupid. Harry does not pay any attention to the fact that the doctor, who is the first living person in the city, is suddenly busy and should go somewhere. Does not offer to hold together, since the town is filled with monsters, and none of them behave as if they are at least a little scary in this place. And in general, the whole scenario. They only indirectly make it clear that the heroes notice that something terrible is going on. Otherwise, replicas just move the plot. Compared to the MGS passed before this – there is no script here roughly.

But the game was not going to take it. She takes already mentioned artistic style, music, a plot that a quiet hill unfolds around our characters, an atmosphere, and a sense of loneliness in a complete mysteries of a foggy city.

This game fully deserves its cult status. After all, it, first of all, is very interesting to play. Play, study, recognize, and be surprised. Of course, even in 2021, I really liked it, and makes it look forward to when it comes to the continuation (the spoiler, at the time of writing this paragraph, I already passed the second part).

Silent Hill is more than a horror. The game is not very terrible, but we still live all the horrors that happen in the path of our hero with him. And this feels a large robot, and the soul embedded by the developers.

The result of the first part

Resident Evil (1.2) Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill were amazing games for me. Driver 2, in view of the still significant problems with the balance of complexity, is only a commendable. These games are happy to play with pleasure even completely without reference to children’s memories.

Are they better than modern games? No. And no worse. Unless they are only outdated in technical. They captivate their simplicity and how the developers were creatively tried to compensate for the weakness of game systems by the artistic style. However, if we take the same cult representatives of our time, it is clear that although they come out less often, and may have problems at the start, often give no less pleasure from the game. It’s too early to draw conclusions, whether the games were better before (at least from my bell tower).

And with you was Dimike (read Dimaik), shared his first impressions of your favorite old games. If the moderators do not ban me, next time we’ll talk about the Resident Evil 3 (2000), Burnout (2001), Silent Hill 2 (2001), Max Payne (2001), Return To Castle Wolfenstein (2001) .

Well, and you tell in the comments what games you like to recall from time to time. It is really interesting to read. And also do not hesitate to poke my nose in the fact that I played incorrectly in some or all at once from the presented games.