Infinity Blade - more hype than substance

Discussion in 'General Game Discussion and Questions' started by helmania, Dec 29, 2010.

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  1. helmania

    helmania Well-Known Member

    Dec 18, 2009
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    Hello all,

    Couple of months back Epic released Epic Citadel in the app store and wowed us to no end. It seemed like finally amazing graphics were possible on iDevices and we couldn't wait for the full game to come out. Soon enough several weeks ago, Infinity Blade arrived in the app store.

    I wasted no time downloading as I was excited to see what the future of iOS gaming would be like. Well, after having the game for several weeks now and the eye-candy effect has worn off, I can honestly say, Infinity Blade is just another mini game which brought nothing new to iOS but a pretty package.

    The game is short, it's on rails (if that is Chair's ideal way to navigate a character on IOS, well, no thanks) even though Chair said it wasn't, and it's very repetitive. Yes the bad guys do get stronger as you go up in bloodline but in the end, you are fighting the SAME bad guys, in the SAME angles, at the SAME locations, watching the SAME finishing moves, over and over and over again. At least Chair could have allowed us to perform a variety of finishing moves, but sadly, no.

    All in all, if Infinity Blade was done by Gameloft with typical crappy low polly GL graphics, it would be just another new release in the app store. But because it's been showing up in Apple commercials long before release, it's a god app.

    As far as updates go, I personally would prefer they figure out a way to take off the training wheels and let us actually WALK and EXPLORE the castle. I wouldn't mind my character being able to strafe around my opponent during battle either. Standing in ONE SPOT to battle doesn't seem very realistic or sensible. I understand the game is pushing iDevices to their limits - then again so is RR2 and firemint manages to include a full racing game with it, not a mini game. IB is just like Rage, a pretty RESTRICTIVE package you can't really appreciate because you are not allowed to. Sadly it may end up just like Rage for me, DELETED if I become too bored with it. If future updates will be like the last one; adding more swords, helmets, and shields to me doesn't bring anything new. I did the SAME things with the new items as I did with the old ones. Also, how far should this character development go? Are we supposed to drain items for the sole purpose of leveling up or will there be any meaning to items other then a way to level up?

    When multiplayer is added, will they take out the IBlade or will everyone be forced to use it in order to win a fair fight? As if that will be the case than having all the other swords will undoubtedly be pointless. I guess time will tell.

    So far, the only game I have on my iP4 that I truly feel gives me a full experience every which way is GTA:CTW. Too bad Rockstar refuses to bring retina, multitask, chatter and multiplayer support to the iphone version. CTW is actually more fun for me than GTA4 ever was on my 360.

    IGN gave IB Game of the Year, do you agree?

    I'm not entirely sure what should have been GOTY, but I feel IB is too short, too repetitive, too restrictive to win. Graphics alone doesn't make a great game.

    What do you think?
     
  2. Teknikal

    Teknikal Well-Known Member

    Oct 26, 2010
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    I tend to agree it's overhyped I'm sure most game engines could make an extremely good looking game if it's on rails and as short as IB. Without the levelling it would be boring after the first 15 minutes.
     
  3. McCREE

    McCREE Well-Known Member

    Aug 26, 2010
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    i love infinity blade. i think it's brilliant in every possible way and it will only get better with updates.

    if my phone was my only gaming release, it's possible i would prefer games with more substance but because i use my phone for casual gaming more often than not, the pace of infinity blade is absolutely perfect. playing a game like aralon is usually a disappointment because it tries to do on a phone what can really only be fully realized on a larger platform and thus feels a bit rough around the edges. infinity blade, on the other hand, can really only exist on the device it was conceived and/or built for. it's extremely polished and the developers did a wonderful job of incorporating the touch screen into the game.

    yes, i absolutely agree that IB should be the game of the year.

    the only other game that comes close is real racing 2. between the two, it's a toss up for me.

    funny how you don't like either.
     
  4. dannythefool

    dannythefool Well-Known Member

    Dec 16, 2010
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    I think it's overhyped as a game, even somewhat as a tech demo. The problem with rails IB style is that essentially, you get the same degree of freedom as in games with pre-rendered screens. Even ten+ year old Myst offers more freedom with better graphics. It's nice to see this engine run on my iPad but I wonder if the device is really as powerful as they say when they have to introduce arbitrary restrictions like not even being able to look everywhere to make it work. To me this just makes it look like a lot of stuff has to be pre-computed, e.g. I bet a lot of the lighting in IB would stop working if you turned a little farther than the game currently lets you turn. I even wonder if it maybe prerenders a panorama view for every spot where you can go instead of rendering live as you move. And this means the engine is useless for free roaming 3d games, which is where the rest of the gaming industry has moved on to since Myst.
     
  5. helmania

    helmania Well-Known Member

    Dec 18, 2009
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    I have my issues with RR2 where I feel like firemint missed the mark in certain aspects. However, I never said anywhere I didn't like neither games in reference. Pointing out flaws doesnt equal dislike.

    Thanks for your comment!
     
  6. McCREE

    McCREE Well-Known Member

    Aug 26, 2010
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    dude, i could pull a half a dozen posts out of the RR2 thread that CLEARLY express your distaste for the game. hell, one of them is on the second last page right now...
     
  7. McCREE

    McCREE Well-Known Member

    Aug 26, 2010
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    #7 McCREE, Dec 29, 2010
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2010
    what makes you think the limitations lie in the device or the engine?

    i think the limitations are only limited by what the developers choose to include in the game.

    the game would break if you looked farther than you can look? what does that even mean?
    your neck would break if you could look farther than you can look, too...is that a limitation?
    i mean...i guess it is, but...

    all i'm saying is that if you could look farther in the game, chances are there would be graphics there...but you can't, so why bother?

    why does it matter how the environments are rendered if their attributes don't affect the gameplay?
     
  8. helmania

    helmania Well-Known Member

    Dec 18, 2009
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    Yes, I have a problem with the low frame rate and lag of RR2 as well as the not so-well-thought online system which can make the game frustrating at times. A lot of people here find stuff in Aralon that is frustrating to them, but that doesn't mean they hate it.

    I like to express what I hate about a game I obviously like. When I don't like a game however, you'll never find me talk about it here because I simply delete it from my device after the first 10 minutes. Such has been the fate of Nova2, BF:BC2, and Dungeon Defenders just to name a few. So yes McCree, I complained about a lot of things in RR2, but no where will you find the line "I hate this game" or similar.

    Your state of mind seem to make you unaware that someone can dislike many aspect of a game they like in general. It's ok to complain about something you like.

    thanks for your reply!
     
  9. helmania

    helmania Well-Known Member

    Dec 18, 2009
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    Deep down, I feel like the reason the game may be on rails is because Epic's engine isn't quite ready for prime time yet. Epic Citadel runs at a very low frame rate on iP4 and that is with no characters on screen at all.

    But at the end, if placing the game on rails was a design choice rather than a needed compromise, shame on Chair!
     
  10. McCREE

    McCREE Well-Known Member

    Aug 26, 2010
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    really?
     
  11. Hmar9333

    Hmar9333 Well-Known Member

    Jul 11, 2009
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    You know, I don't like you helmania, but I stongly do not disagree with your post, if that makes sense ;)

    (Your main post, that is)
     
  12. helmania

    helmania Well-Known Member

    Dec 18, 2009
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    #12 helmania, Dec 29, 2010
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2010
    All of your efforts only prove me right. All the quotes you pulled resonate one thing very clear, I DONT LIKE THE LOW FRAME RATE and laggy unfair online system in the game.

    Find me a quote where I said "I dont like this game" or "I hate the game as a whole".

    Please let's not go off tangent. Keep this about IB.

    Thanks

    PS. We agree to disagree : )
     
  13. Vovin

    Vovin 👮 Spam Police 🚓

    Nov 28, 2009
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    Oh well, another whiner joined the forums.
    As if the last 268 weren't enough.
     
  14. McCREE

    McCREE Well-Known Member

    Aug 26, 2010
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    infinity blade is what it is. it doesn't claim to be anything more.

    why you're 'shaming' anyone is beyond me. if you're disappointed that you can't go fishing in infinity blade, go buy aralon.

    the game functions perfectly for what it is. because it doesn't live up to your expectations sounds like a problem for you, not for chair.

    perhaps your foundation of knowledge about the game prior to its release was a little shaky and you expected the world. anyone that paid attention knew this was more like fruit ninja than it was a deep, intricate RPG. if you feel slighted, it's your own fault.

    i'll say it again...this game was never touted as anything more than what it is, and for what it is, it is spectacular. if your expectations weren't met, perhaps you should reevaluate your expectations instead of whining about why orange isn't green.
     
  15. Der-Kleine

    Der-Kleine Well-Known Member

    What Low framerate? RR2 runs perfectly on my iPod Touch 4! I can understand why you don't like the online multiplayer, I don't really like it either, but there is a pretty good singleplayer carreer...
     
  16. helmania

    helmania Well-Known Member

    Dec 18, 2009
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    Tell me McCree, do you work for Chair or Epic?

    Are you related to them in any way, shape, or form?

    I'm asking because I can't seem to understand why on earth you are here taking a friendly post about IB so personal like I just insulted your mother.

    Look dude, if this post was praising IB as the greatest game of all time I'm sure you would like it. Well it's not and that is that. But this topic IS NOT insulting IB either. Just calling it what it is; an over hyped mini game with pretty graphics. Nothing for you to take so personal I trust.

    I like GTA:CTW and there are people here who hates the game. Just because I like it doesn't mean someone else can't hate it or should not dislike certain aspects of it. It also doesn't mean the people who dislike it don't have the right to express that.

    I wasn't insulting your wonderful game McCree. Just like you I have the right to post on this forum about anything I please. This is NOT to you personally but I find it very juvenile when individuals can't partake criticism well regarding something they like. I own an iPhone4 and love it. Some of my friends think the iPhone sucks, should I take that personal McCree and cut the friendship?

    I'm sure you see where I'm going with this so please just stop. I'm glad you love IB, I like it too. I would like it better if it wasn't just another mini game.

    thanks for your reply and let's move on from this! ;)
     
  17. dannythefool

    dannythefool Well-Known Member

    Dec 16, 2010
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    I can't be certain of course, but the game makes it look like it. Sure, the devs chose to not put in certain features, but there has to be a reason why they chose to do that, and I don't think it's making the game better because it doesn't make the game better if you get less freedom than in a decade old games.

    Conversely, if they really do think that it makes the game better, there is no good reason to use the Unreal engine. You can do the same with much less sophisticated technology and get a lot better looks that way too.

    What I meant is that since the game always only lets me turn a little to either side, the engine might be incapable of rendering the 3D game world from other angles with the same good looks.

    I'm not saying that this has to be the case, only that the 3D experience delivered by the engine is, due to this limitation, worse than that delivered by Myst. Any panoramic photo viewer in a web browser can deliver more freedom than IB and much better graphics.

    The difference is that in real life, the engine is capable of rendering the game world from any angle. In IB, there is nothing that suggests the engine could do the same. I can't move freely, I can't even turn around fully, I can certainly not see any other side of an enemy than the front (remember Doom on PC where they always looked at you because they were just flat sprites? IB doesn't offer any hint that it isn't doing the same). Everybody just assumes the engine can do real 3D because it's the Unreal engine and it can do that on a PC, but everything in IB actually points to it being unable to do so on an iPad or iPhone if you want the world to look as beautiful as it does in IB.

    I'd be happy if they proved me wrong of course. I like beautiful games :)

    It matters when you hype your game as a tech demo for a 3D engine and then it turns out it does less 3D than games that don't actually use a real 3D engine.

    From a gameplay point of view, it doesn't make a difference, of course. But if you think graphics don't affect gameplay then this is like any other arcade slash-and-move-forward title that I ever played, so the game is still over-hyped.

    It'll also be slightly annoying for licensors when they discover that they won't get IB style looks from the engine without giving up a lot they're used to getting from 3D engines on the desktop...
     
  18. McCREE

    McCREE Well-Known Member

    Aug 26, 2010
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    you started the thread and asked for our opinions. that's what i'm giving you.

    i don't know why you think i'm taking your opinion about infinity blade as some sort of personal attack. i don't think that at all. i'm just giving you my thoughts...which you asked for, remember?

    it just seems to me that you never have anything positive to add to any situation you're involved in here. you're always complaining. it seems like you rub a lot of people the wrong way and frankly, i think you enjoy it.

    you started this thread with a four paragraph diatribe about your problems with one of the most well received games on the platform. you knew what you were getting yourself into...

    now you're saying move on...it's laughable.

    are you going to move on? now that you've stated your opinion, are you done with this thread? with this conversation? nope. you'll keep going. you come back to all your little projects with new things to whine about, just like clockwork.

    see, i don't care much about infinity blade and what other people think about it. i think its AWESOME and really, that's all that matters. i am starting to realize a pretty strong dislike towards you and your methods, though. it's because of this that i'm still commenting here, with my opinion. you deliberately create these powder keg situations for some sort of personal amusement and i think it's pathetic. some might say i play into it by taking the bait, but why does it have to be bait? why can't it just be a meal.

    here's another quote:

    yeah, i have the balls to call it as i see it, too. and i'm calling you out for what you are...a pathetic little troll disguised as some sort of video game forum robin hood.

    get over yourself.
     
  19. McCREE

    McCREE Well-Known Member

    Aug 26, 2010
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    #19 McCREE, Dec 29, 2010
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2010
    i appreciate everything you're saying. you make some very good points.

    that being said, they're all based on your presupposition that this was the only way the game could be made as opposed to the way they chose to make the game.

    it's an enormous difference, and like you say yourself, you can't be certain.

    so why not just take it for what it is? why speculate about all of these compromises that you assume were taken?
     
  20. helmania

    helmania Well-Known Member

    Dec 18, 2009
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    Once again you manage to prove me right. Do you take everything in life this personal?? Are you that shallow that you are willing to go off on people over some dumb video game???

    There's no bait here just plain immaturity. You wasted your time (and mines) getting this "meal" and your claims are unfounded. If I'm a troll, why am I not in the Aralon thread trolling? My hatred for GL is well known, why am I not in the NOVA thread trolling? I hate EA as well, so why haven't I start "TROLLING" in the BF:BC2 thread yet?

    You really need to start making some sort of sense here as this is going beyond lame and bizarre.

    But I'm really done replying (wasting time) to you man. I won't feed your pointless and contradictory rants any longer. Looks like lunch time is over!!!
     

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