Extra Punctuation: A Hard Weapon Is Good to Find

[sukotsuto]

It's not just in guns - the overall "feel", as in the illusion of substance and weight behind your character and their actions without relying on your controller hardware giving that illusion via vibration, is itself something game designers really has to pay attention to.

 

[finc]

I always used to think the BFG 9000 in Doom was the most underwhelming weapon in the game. Especially when it didn't actually kill anything.

 

[Sansha]

I disagree on the count of Blood's shotgun. I thoroughly enjoyed the enormous amount of noise and power it vomited when using the alternate fire (default X key). The primary fire - one barrel at once - was a bit flimsy, but both at once - and all four when one has Akimbo - is between 'painful' and 'hellfire', and the familiar sound of the speed reload was a subtle delight. It doesn't have to be loud, it just has to sound right.

 

[Daemonate]

Yahtzee:

Little old game called Crimsonland by 10ton. Nab the shareware, and shoot some hot joy. Most satisfying shooting outside of DooM2 and Painkiller.

Also, Quake's Thunderbolt ('shaft') weapon surely deserves an honourable mention. The most visceral firing and impacting of any gun that doesn't technically blow things up.

 

[Anchupom]

I thought a good example of a good weapon was the pistol in BulletStorm.
It felt... Right.

 

[goldenheart323]

Dead Rising has very visceral sounds to its weapons.
The THUNK of the sledge on the hard floor and the WHICK of the golf club are the most memorable for me. Dead Rising 2 has really puny sounding attacks. I couldn't believe how weak the sledge sounded in DR2. I didn't enjoy killing zombies nearly as much. At times it even felt more like a chore than something to do for fun.

Most of the guns in Black on Xbox 1, (and PS2,) were pretty sweet sounding too. I guess that's why so many reviewers called it "gun porn".

 

[Voulan]

I nominate the Yithian Energy Cannon (or Lightning Gun) from Call of Cthulu: Dark Corners of the Earth. Just after 1:30 in the video.

Now that's a clear signal that you've become mighty.

 

[lowkey_jotunn]

Fallout 3: Railway Rifle.

Loved that thing. It shoots big metal spikes, with appropriate boom and recoil (not overpower, but enough to let you know it fired). If you hit an enemy square in the head,you can decapitate them and pin their head to whatever solid surface is in the line of fire, while the body slumps lifeless to the ground.

Plus, they put a little choo-choo sounds effect after the shot, for giggles.

Spoiler: Video

Pay special attention at the end, when he shoots the dead body, just for kicks.


A few other weapons in that game, particular the Tesla Cannon, had a VEEERY satisfying blast, recoil and effect. Especially when you were dropping helicopters outta the sky. *BOOM*


Other guns I can think of offhand with suitably awesome effects: The hand cannon and upgraded SMG from Mass Effect 2. Completely different ends of the spectrum, but awesome at both ends. The upgraded "Krogan Only" shotgun was less awesome, imo. At least from the perspective covered here. The chainsaw and rocket launcher from Doom 2 where winners. (you already mentioned the Shotgun) And who can pass up the Original Shotgun from Halo 1. Or a fully realized needler blast.

 

[beleester]

I'm going to nominate Fallout 3. Projectile weapons all have a satisfying "DAKKA!", which turns into a rumble of thunder when you use VATS and it goes into slo-mo. And the enemies react nicely, with blood spatters and the occasional head blown off by a well-aimed rifle shot. The one exception is the Minigun, which is rather lacking in gravitas for such a big gun and takes a while to bring down an enemy.

The energy weapons are also quite nice. They aren't quite as exciting, but they deliver a satisfying "SPLORT" when you hit, and they have a nice-looking big red beam and reduce enemies to ash on a critical. Definitely makes combat fun.

 

[Raideur]

Soldat. Tight controls, simple purpose. Intensely satisfying 2D gore and explosion/torso toss.

 

[Farther than stars]

Is it just me or does Yahtzee sound different in this article?

... sorry.

Well, at leas that's not as bad as "aural pleasure".

 

[Farther than stars]

Fallout 3: Railway Rifle.

Loved that thing. It shoots big metal spikes, with appropriate boom and recoil (not overpower, but enough to let you know it fired). If you hit an enemy square in the head,you can decapitate them and pin their head to whatever solid surface is in the line of fire, while the body slumps lifeless to the ground.

Plus, they put a little choo-choo sounds effect after the shot, for giggles.

Spoiler: Video

Pay special attention at the end, when he shoots the dead body, just for kicks.


A few other weapons in that game, particular the Tesla Cannon, had a VEEERY satisfying blast, recoil and effect. Especially when you were dropping helicopters outta the sky. *BOOM*


Other guns I can think of offhand with suitably awesome effects: The hand cannon and upgraded SMG from Mass Effect 2. Completely different ends of the spectrum, but awesome at both ends. The upgraded "Krogan Only" shotgun was less awesome, imo. At least from the perspective covered here. The chainsaw and rocket launcher from Doom 2 where winners. (you already mentioned the Shotgun) And who can pass up the Original Shotgun from Halo 1. Or a fully realized needler blast.

Spoiler: Video

You son of a... I'm on my first playthrough of Fallout 3 right now and I just spent all the time I was playing today trying to find a clutch to make that damn thing. I've exhausted all the vehicle places I can find and the junk vendors don't seem to stock them. I also stumbled on serveral new locations and completed several side quests all in persuit of one item. Don't tell me though, I still want to find it for myself, but at least now I know that the reward will be all the better for it when I do finally get it.
The Tesla Cannon sounds cool as well. I guess that'll use the Electronic Chargepacks I've been saving up all this time. And I've been sinking plenty of points into E-weapons, so that's great!
Also, if you want cool sound effects, you should listen to the TF2 weapons, because they are amazing. Personally I like the sounds of the Sniper's rifles, because you really notice how they incorporated the different uses of the weapons into the asthetics.
There's the regular, which sounds like a normal sniper rifle. Then there's the Sydney Sleeper, which fires its darts with a sounds like a tribal man shooting a dart through a piece of hollowed-out bamboo. There's the Huntsman bow, which Yahtzee pretty accurately described the sound of in this column. The Bazaar Bargain, which sounds like a powerful blast of thunder. And finally the latest Machina has a forceful metallic clank coming from its muzzle flash supressor. And they all make fantastic sounds in their own right.

 

[eddyshore6528]

This article made me think about a game i played a while back. Clive Barker's Undying. I found i always came back to the revolver whenever i could because the firing sound and the reloading mechanics just felt so right for the weapon. The shotgun in the game wasnt as satisfying , even though it had a both-barrel secondary firing mode.