Demon's Souls Inspires Next Gears of War

[Karloff]

Demon's Souls Inspires Next Gears of War

Bleszinski wants Gears of War: Judgement to kill you lots.

If you happen to be the kind of gamer who thinks that modern shooters are linear, quick-time-happy snoozeathons, take heart: CliffyB agrees with you. What's more, he's taking steps to make sure that Baird and Cole Train's next adventure, Gears of War: Judgement, won't be anything like that. Apparently Bleszinski's been playing a lot of Demon's Souls recently, and he's taken his cue from that game's sharp difficulty curve. Epic Games latest Gears of War is to be challenging in the same way, and for the same reasons.

"It's okay to die a few times in a game," says Bleszinski, adding "if this game doesn't make you sweat, we haven't done our jobs." There is some merit in making things a little easier on the player in order to grow an audience, but the time has come for a change in direction. Games like Demon's Souls make the player work for their achievements, and the same should apply to Epic Games upcoming shooter.

Bleszinski's been playing 4-player co-op Judgement just to see what it's like, and has been pleasantly surprised by how challenging it can be, even for the man who knows Gears of War better than anyone. "I really have to hunker down and focus," he claims, "and if my buddies aren't reviving me, and we aren't working as a team, you're going to die."

There will be as many surprises in his shooter as there are challenges. Bleszinski says everyone should have a unique experience, "which is interesting and cool, as opposed to, 'I came around the same exact corner and saw the same exact plane crash, the same exact enemies." There will still be a casual mode for those who just want to play through the story, but every mode other than casual will plunk the player knee-deep in carnage - and make him sweat for his successes.

Gears of War: Judgement is due in 2013.

Sources: Eurogamer [http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-12086-Cliff-Bleszinski--%22Games-Have-Become-More-Linear-and-Easier%22.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter]


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[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

Hopefully he remembers WHY demon's souls was so awesome.

Because it was possible to see every trap coming and prepare for it, if you were careful and observant enough.

If a game is just unfairly hard, it's not fun. Demon's souls was fair.

At least it's still fair where I'm at. I've only died twice, and each time I deserved it. I got cocky. I wasn't careful. I bit off more than I could chew, and my dinner bit me back.

That being said, I am interested in this.

 

[Ickorus]

I've never seen a shooter that is both fair and hard, normally when you turn the difficulty up all that happens is you get less health and your bullets replaced with nerf darts where enemies get more health, more powerful weapons and an aimbot and wallhack.

I'll be watching this with interest, if it's any good I might even buy it.

 

[Don Savik]

Cliffyb being......smart?

The coming apocalypse is showing itself in many signs this year........

I liked Gears of War 3, it was a well polished game. Probably the smoothest gameplay for cover shooters so far. Horde mode and beast mode are freaking amazing, even more so than the actual multiplayer. Entire campaign coop too. Overall I think it was a great triple A game with lots of content, even if its seen as the dumb bro game.

Hopefully taking all that knowledge and adding.......Dark Souls....can spice things up in the right direction. Not saying Gears is bland (oh god I can feel the flames) but change is good.

 

[wooty]

So the next gears will actually be challenging? and good?

Hmmmm, theres a saying involving the words "proof" and "pudding" that springs to mind here.

 

[Warachia]

Hopefully he remembers WHY demon's souls was so awesome.

Because it was possible to see every trap coming and prepare for it, if you were careful and observant enough.

If a game is just unfairly hard, it's not fun. Demon's souls was fair.

At least it's still fair where I'm at. I've only died twice, and each time I deserved it. I got cocky. I wasn't careful. I bit off more than I could chew, and my dinner bit me back.

That being said, I am interested in this.

Were we playing the same game? I remember several instances where traps were impossible to see until you walked into them, in the fire level, in a really narrow corridor (where you couldn't turn the camera) there were bottomless pits just past 90 degree turns, there were wisps (that explode when you get to close) around 160 degree turns, in the castle area rogues could pop out of little passages you couldn't see and backstab you instantly, if you didn't know those traps were there you always fell into them, and how about some parts where you need to take fall damage to get to a specific area? Or the game deleting all of your progress when you died twice? And then there is the boss of the fire level, if you are a melee user you are screwed, either spend ten hours trying to luck out and somehow whittle him down, or spend six grinding souls for magic upgrades.

Back to the topic, I really hope he just doesn't take demon's souls' difficulty, I thought the reason a lot of people liked it was also because the combat was new and fun, and the atmosphere was great.

 

[ThunderCavalier]

I've never seen a shooter that is both fair and hard, normally when you turn the difficulty up all that happens is you get less health and your bullets replaced with nerf darts and enemies get more health, more powerful weapons and an aimbot and wallhack.

I'll be watching this with interest, if it's any good I might even buy it.

Oh god, so much this.

I have a compulsion to try and get most sane Single Player Achievements in games (Speed Reader in the Library of Anniversary is one of the insane ones, and Multiplayer achievements usually require an ungodly amount of luck or boosting), and the one thing I absolutely dread is trying to do these games, particularly shooters, on their hardest difficulty. Rather than have the AI be slightly more competent, devs seem to believe that the best way to extend difficulty is to have them shoot more, do more damage, and replace all of your weapons with a rock and a stick.

 

[Something Amyss]

I don't know about Gears 3, but Gears 2 was significantly easier, to the point I lost interest before I got a bunch of the GS points. Boredom makes a gamer work for their achievements, too.

Ramping up the difficulty would be nice, though I fear there might be a lesson not learned.

Hopefully he remembers WHY demon's souls was so awesome.

I doubt it.

Cliffyb being......smart?

I'd hold up on that until we see the final product.

Keep in mind this is an industry that constantly seeks to imitate the success of other titles without looking into what makes them work in the first place. Hell, the imitation of Gears' cover system is a pretty good example of just that.

 

[jollybarracuda]

Alright, color me interested. If any company can make a tough-but-fair shooter i'd say it's People Can Fly, so i'm holding out hope it lives up to his words.

 

[VladG]

Well, at least this has managed to light a tiny tiny spark of interest for GoW.

Do this right CliffyB, and you'll have yourself a hell of a game. Certainly one that will kick all the same-y monotonous shooters in the teeth. Fail, and you'll further reinforce the idea that you are the root of all evil in shooters today. (well... you and Bungie)

On the other hand here comes the cynicism avalanche to snuff it out when I think back to Bulletstorm. Man, you couldn't have buggered up that idea harder CliffyB...

 

[Don Savik]

Cliffyb being......smart?

I'd hold up on that until we see the final product.

Keep in mind this is an industry that constantly seeks to imitate the success of other titles without looking into what makes them work in the first place. Hell, the imitation of Gears' cover system is a pretty good example of just that.

Yea, but difficulty isn't really a tangible thing. You can't "steal" someone's difficulty. Cover systems are an actual game mechanic that can be iterated on though.

But Gears monsters have weak spots already (something that separates them from generic military enemies) so I don't know what he could possibly add. I think the enemy variety is really good in Gears of War to be honest.

 

[Nomanslander]

Cliffyb being......smart?

That's not that surprising. I've always considered Cliff one the smartest dumb guys in gaming. Or another words, he has the ability to pick up on more complex matters, but in the end he won't quite understand them correctly. He's pretty much the type of guy that will try to use words line "ironic" or "esoteric, but he'll imply what's ironic the same way Alanis Morissette did, and he might think esoteric is another word for exotic....lol

 

[Daaaah Whoosh]

In a game where all you do is pop up from cover to shoot bad guys who are also popping up from cover, I don't know that making the experience more challenging is actually a good idea. Give me a game with more than one way to approach the fight, and I would welcome some difficulty, but Gears isn't the kind of game where I usually have to think about how to fight the next enemy.

 

[SilverBullets000]

Eh, just give me the option of who I want to play as during the single player campaign and I won't give a damn. You have no idea how tiered I got playing as Marcus during 1-3, even if I did enjoy the game's mechanics.
Also keep multiplayer bots, please. That was a good idea, and I wish more games did that.

 

[FantomOmega]

I've never seen a shooter that is both fair and hard, normally when you turn the difficulty up all that happens is you get less health and your bullets replaced with nerf darts where enemies get more health, more powerful weapons and an aimbot and wallhack.

I'll be watching this with interest, if it's any good I might even buy it.

Got that right! They better take care in getting the difficulty right.
Can anyone still remember Call of Duty World at War Veteran mode? (I had the PS3 ver.)
That shit was TERRIBLE, the worst goddamned experience in my life as a gamer in terms of "artificial difficulty", let me elaborate;

Enemies know where your head (AI don't aim anywhere else) is even behind wall a 100 yards away

Your AI ALLIES don't get shot unless programmed beforehand to make it cinematic, like me trailing at LEAST 10 feet behind a group of 20 allied solders only to be the first and ONLY person to get shot at

One or two bullets to the head WILL kill you, you'll spend almost ALL of your time healing behind cover when moving forward just a few feet which brings me to..

Grenades, the end...
What, you want a better explanation? have you ever thrown back over TEN thrown grenades back to the enemy in a ROW and just after trowing what you think is the last one ANOTHER grenade falls at your feet or you outright get buried in four grenade indicators surrounding you at the SAME TIME. Sad thing is that there was only three enemies left but no fucking trow animation to show WHO the hell are flinging these things!! EVERY single enemy seem to have at least 60 grenades at hand and aren't afraid to use them more than "bullets"!

I got the platinum trophy but I did NOT have any fun getting it and swearing to NEVER play this game again, EVER

 

[WaysideMaze]

I really can't see this working. Gears appeals to a very wide audience, you can see that just from its sales.

You suddently start trying to get into the DSouls niche, and a lot of the people that play gears simply won't be able to keep up.