View Full Version : Qs on a couple PS2 games
Is Project Eden any good? I see it all the time for cheap. How/what's it like? (similar games) Is it a good bargain or would I get what I paid for?
Also, how's Legend of Alon D'ar (sp?) Decent- or as bad as I've heard? Anything like Drakan: Ancients Gates? (excellent underrated, overlooked game IMO)
Thanks!
BigGeorgeJohnson
04-19-2005, 11:38 PM
Project Eden is a pretty good game, it's a action/adventure game that is very puzzle intensive. The gameplay is a mixed bag, you switch between 4 characters which can become tedius and frustrating. Overall I would say it's a decent game with a interesting atmosphere, not a bad pick up for 5 bucks.
Legend of Alon'Dar is a straight forward rpg with a lame storyline, even worse dialogue and uninteresting characters. But for some reason I found myself playing thru the game, but overall it's a waste of time and money.
geelw
04-20-2005, 01:21 AM
and on a less-biased note LOL
i second the project eden recommendation. it's an underrated game, you can grab three friends and play co-op, and the regeneration terminals scattered about make the game not as frustrating as one might think.
the game combines core's design skills in terms of the level layouts, which are giant environmental puzzles that you need to use to get all four team members to the end safely. there's a decent plot working here, with some good writing and a few funny moments in the dialog.
the game can be played in first or third person (switchable at any time), runs pretty smoothly, and gets a bit scary later on as things get a bit mutated and fierce with enemies changing into ugly monsters before your eyes.
pros: massive levels (core used textured polygon buildings for the backgrounds, and they go wayyyyyy up for hundreds of feet, lol), very challenging is spots, quite a long game, co-op multiplayer will be addictive if you find the right folks.
drawbacks: not so hot looking characters (excellent lighting, though!), the so-so deathmatch and racing mode, and if you don't like wry british humour, the ending may seem really bizarre. hell it IS really bizarre, period.
as for alon d'ar: it's not THAT terrible, lol. the plot IS the same old stuff (angry teen boy with strange birthmark gets his village moided by the big evil dude, goes on revenge quest, meets the usual suspects), but it's an american/euro production, so it's not anime-looking at all.
it takes about a few hours to get moving and survive the difficult combat, which is based on fatigue and timing and weapon weight. until you're up a few levels and train in a better weapon, you'll be bested by beasts over and over. as combat is in semi-realtime, you can get in one swing, but your weaponless monsters will attack 3, 4, and 5 times, causing a controller to go flinging. but if you're patient and position your player so he's facing one enemy at a time for a bit, you'll level up and can survive longer.
as more party members join, the game gets a bit easier, but the game also drops more challenging enemies on you (naturally). i still have a near-end game save on a memory card here. i think i sunk about 80 hours into the game after allwas said and done, and my party was pretty powerful by then.
it's not going to win any awards visually, but the game has some nice visual moments in the environments (i liked how some of the maps blend together- a nice looking forest gradually changes to a swampy area), which are a bit too clean, making the game look like it takes place in a a theme park (welcome to RPG world). there are a load of "find the item" quests, which are annoying, but net some nice gear. one interesting idea in a game full of them is the inventory system. the developers tried to make things realistic, so each player is limited to around 12 or so items, period. you'll need to trin and get good at a range of weapons and magics, so this makes choosing gear a big factor.
pros: combat is fun after a few hours, decent visuals, members actually change appearance depending on what skills you train them in, the game is looong, and co-op if you have a second player willing to put up with the hard parts.
cons: ho-hum plot (despite some nice locations to quest in), combat ridiculously challenging at first, some enemies are cheap, cheap, cheap. plot full of overheated rpg leftover cliches galore.
g.
So PE is kinda like X-Squad but puzzle-oriented...?
I got that on Ps2 Launch Day & had fun w/ it until I got to a cetain room on level 5(?) where several bosses MASSACRE you...
Got rid of it soon after.
Project Eden isn't all bad as a cheapie. I didn't spend that much time with it but I remember that there was something "weird" with either the character movement or the camera that I didn't like.
Legend Of Alon'Dar? One of my favorite RPGs, no question. Really deep and complex character customization. It isn't for a casual RPGer. That's the problem. You have to be the type of RPGer that will persevere and have the patience to see the game unfold. In other words, it's not a weekend rental game, which is what most people want. Make sure that you really like bigger RPGs.
I found a sealed Project Eden on eBay for a good price- then saw it used at GameStop for $5. Hopefully it'll arrive this week- looking forward to trying it!
Thanks for the input.
geelw
04-25-2005, 09:57 AM
So PE is kinda like X-Squad but puzzle-oriented...?
I got that on Ps2 Launch Day & had fun w/ it until I got to a cetain room on level 5(?) where several bosses MASSACRE you...
Got rid of it soon after.
ewwwww. x-squad, lol. forgot about that one. yah, i got to that same area and quit. eden isn't that cheap, lol. but there are some puzzles that involve getting past some heavy gunfire from turrets and guys that come into rooms when you least expect it.
you can't shoot civilians or each other- a cool thing the game works in as a subtle element of the weapons each agent has.
eden does stick to core action game tradition, though- some enemies take a zillion shots to kill, lol. thankfully, energy recharge stations (no ammo or health to collect on the ground!) are easy to find.
First impressions...
Wow, I didnt expect it so soon! Got it yesterday & I like it so far- impressive for an early title. I thought the opening movie w/ the falling teddy bear was kinda cool. The voice acting is quite good & the cyborg's voice sounds just like I'd hoped...is that weird?
The game reminds me more of Deus Ex (also by Eidos) than X-Squad. Good to hear there arent any "cheap spots".
geelw
04-26-2005, 10:25 AM
First impressions...
Wow, I didnt expect it so soon! Got it yesterday & I like it so far- impressive for an early title. I thought the opening movie w/ the falling teddy bear was kinda cool. The voice acting is quite good & the cyborg's voice sounds just like I'd hoped...is that weird?
The game reminds me more of Deus Ex (also by Eidos) than X-Squad. Good to hear there arent any "cheap spots".
yeah, the voice acting is good in the game. i like that amber (the robot) is a woman (or was) under that metal shell, so the voice is quite fitting. there's a decent walkthrough on gamefaqs if you get stuck, but definitely explore until you do. i think this is core's best game on the ps2, and one they should have concentrated on making some sort of improved followup (imagine xbox live or system link co-op play).
oh, if you feel the need to cheat for some reason, don't. i've heard that some copies of the game lock up in one level if you use codes, making the rest of the stage unplayable and requiring you to skip it entirely. if you do use a code, finish the game first, then use the level select and unlimited energy ones and send a flyer up as far as it will go just to see how much care core put into the buildings in the backgrounds. most developers would have used flat 2D art, but as i posted earlier, stuff you'll never go near is fullly lit and textured, and goes up or down for about a hundred feet or so... wild.
g.
Ooh, I didnt see the latest post BEFORE I "cheated". I dont often, but I could NOT figure out how to get past a fire w/ Minoko- I knew I had to get her in there since there's a terminal only for her. Of course the guide said to use the rover to move a switch- I'd forgotten about it, & w/ the scenario set up perfectly for it (fallen ceiling forming a ramp up to a grid)- I'm so stupid sometimes...
BTW, I really like how the rover & flycam work. The rover racer game is a nice little inclusion to the package.