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The Official Stranglehold Thread (behold the power of Blu-Ray!)

Cardon said:
To those who have the game I was wondering if there are any vehicle sections in the game? In the debut article in Game Informer the devs said there would be vehicle portions but seeing as there hasn't been any footage, other than that on-rails part in the helicopter, I was wondering if aspect got drop.

yeah, the dropped the vehicle segments (sans Helicopter)....EGMlive talked about that this week actually...they essentially just wanted to make the game as "streamlined" as possible

...which is fine, as I wouldn't want a half-assed vehicle segment.....*looks at all the bad buzz surrounding Haze's*
 
Cardon said:
To those who have the game I was wondering if there are any vehicle sections in the game? In the debut article in Game Informer the devs said there would be vehicle portions but seeing as there hasn't been any footage, other than that on-rails part in the helicopter, I was wondering if aspect got drop.

Unfortunatly there is no other vehicle action aside from the helicopter.
Also I was somewhat worried the game was going to turn into a blow this up/plant this explosive type game after playing through all of level 2, but yes, after 2, there is nothing like that whatsoever. They do a good job of adding little variations through the game levels.

Also anyone else notice that near the last levels they quite making all stuff in the environments shine, some stuff does but its obviously toned down alot after the first few.
 

eshwaaz

Member
Thorhald said:
No, that level bothers me too to be honest :) The levels after the 2nd one are all awesome i guarantee.

That's great to hear - I'm glad I've got some good stuff to look forward to. Thanks for the reply.
 

Jirotrom

Member
slasher_thrasher21 said:
Unfortunatly there is no other vehicle action aside from the helicopter.
Also I was somewhat worried the game was going to turn into a blow this up/plant this explosive type game after playing through all of level 2, but yes, after 2, there is nothing like that whatsoever. They do a good job of adding little variations through the game levels.

Also anyone else notice that near the last levels they quite making all stuff in the environments shine, some stuff does but its obviously toned down alot after the first few.
yea, EGM said it was so they would stop holding your hand.
 

spwolf

Member
i dont usually play single player fps (or whatever genre this is), but call me pleasantly suprised... I like it.

i think slowdown mode and all the cool moves are pretty... cool.

i am definetly getting it, and it is completly out of the blue...

p.s. i love how linear it is, makes it playable for me....
 

TONX

Distinguished Air Superiority
AgentOtaku said:

Saw the review before i played the demo, and it got me kinda expecting less... but i thought the demo was freaking awesome! I'm definitely getting this game and getting Hard Boiled in HD. Hard Boiled has the best intro to a movie, EVER!.
 

TheFallen

Member
i get smoked on the third chapter, tons of guys shooting me up close with shotguns is not helping. I'm only playing on Normal :lol
 

mosaic

go eat paint
TheFallen said:
i get smoked on the third chapter, tons of guys shooting me up close with shotguns is not helping. I'm only playing on Normal :lol
That chapter is just "Bad Programming 101."

I get the frequest streams of guys coming out of the doors... but the instances where guys spawn out of nowhere is just WEAK. I died a couple times thanks to dudes spawing right behind me. Once I memorized the spawn points, it was much easier. That's a lame way to beat a level though.

The designs for each chapter are all over the place. This definitely isn't a polished or cohesive game. On the whole, I don't like it very much... I enjoyed the original Dead to Rights more. But a couple individual chapters nail it so well, that I'm holding onto the disc until I get bored of replaying them. I really liked the island/boats/chopper stage. The boss battles are also pretty sweet.

I'd feel guilty about not liking it, except I've given John Woo plenty of my money over the years from HK and US releases of his films. Good lord, I have three versions of Hard Boiled and two of The Killer!

Oh yeah... anyone else suffering frequent "disc dirty" resets with Stranglehold? I've had a dozen so far, and the disc looks marvelous.
 
Played the demo, it was okay... nothing that grabbed me (doesn't feel that polished to me, plus the gunplay felt a bit cheap).
I would have probably preferred the entire game being in Cantonese though with English subtitles. :D
Anyway, I will most likely still grab the CE for PS3 if I can find it at a good price (or if it somehow becomes rare I will try and get it early).
 

SapientWolf

Trucker Sexologist
I'm not going to get this game until someone mods in an arena mode (ala Max Payne 2). It was a huge oversight not to include one.
 
mosaic said:
Oh yeah... anyone else suffering frequent "disc dirty" resets with Stranglehold? I've had a dozen so far, and the disc looks marvelous.

Not that this is what is happening here, but I've heard that some devs will throw up dirty disc errors when the game has crashed, not because of any fault of the disc or the drive.
 

justjohn

Member
the funny thing about the demo. i played it once and really enjoyed it. i played it again and hated it so much i quickly deleted it.weird
 

McBacon

SHOOTY McRAD DICK
I like it

What annoys me is how the game stops you from jumping off stuff if you're in danger of hopping out the level, which is annoying as you're stood on a rail getting shot as you desperatly try to jump to a lower level. With no actual "jump" button, getting around is tough and laborious.

Also, the camera does not work well in small spaces, which drives me mad.
 
McBacon said:
I like it

What annoys me is how the game stops you from jumping off stuff if you're in danger of hopping out the level, which is annoying as you're stood on a rail getting shot as you desperatly try to jump to a lower level. With no actual "jump" button, getting around is tough and laborious.

Also, the camera does not work well in small spaces, which drives me mad.

the camera is annoying...but man do I find it easier to "control" it with the PS3 demo...
 

Xater

Member
McBacon said:
Also, the camera does not work well in small spaces, which drives me mad.

I think the perscpective overall is not the best choice. It's a bit too close to Tequila. Another thing Max Payne did better ;)
 
so yeah....still playin the PS3 demo


...been playin around with the "kicking up table" mechanic as well as lying down and rolling to make the firefights more interesting

still trying to find this "secret" Patrick Curry was talking about...

...*goes back to playing*
 

Kingpen

Member
I just cracked mine open and am on the 2nd level... I'll say this much... I will be keeping this game around just to pop in every little while to feel like a badass. The game is pretty good at what it does, which if you like the demo, you'll like the game. I'm glad I got mine for 40, but with what I have played, I would not have been too pissed if I paid full price.

I've never played a max payne, rise to honor type of game before though, so take that for what it is worth. I also really like John Woo/ CYF, so this game is great for me.
 

Feindflug

Member
Kingpen said:
I just cracked mine open and am on the 2nd level... I'll say this much... I will be keeping this game around just to pop in every little while to feel like a badass. The game is pretty good at what it does, which if you like the demo, you'll like the game. I'm glad I got mine for 40, but with what I have played, I would not have been too pissed if I paid full price.

I've never played a max payne, rise to honor type of game before though, so take that for what it is worth. I also really like John Woo/ CYF, so this game is great for me.

WTF mate? your avatar is 1.3mb? :|
 
I just tried out the PS3 demo and compared to the 360 demo, I actually think it looks a bit better, but the sound and controls are worse on PS3.

I dont get what the deal is, but aiming feels so off on the PS3 compared to the 360, I dont have this problem with Warhawk or Resistance.
 

sprocket

Banned
The game is fun the only problem with it is that you don't have to use the cool aspects of the game to get through it. You don't have to jump around everywhere or take cover. You just have to run around and shoot.

But its still a great game IMO.
 

Rolf NB

Member
The demo is giving me all sorts of Red Steel vibes. Which isn't a bad thing, I kind of liked Red Steel
except for the mundane sword fighting and shitty framerate
.
Encounters can get pretty disorienting with all the reinforcements coming in/respawning. It's irritating how you seemingly cannot move anywhere without sliding over tables 'n'shit. I'm also not a friend of those "body sensing" controls, it always makes me want to compensate and then I overshoot when the target is gone. Thanfully this can be configured (unlike The Darkness, gah).

Niggles and "almost theres" aside, I looks like it delivers the full next-gen Max Payne experience. Solid if not spectacular. Might want to pick up for cheap. Not a big enough fps lover to buy it at full price.
 

raYne

Member
sprocket said:
The game is fun the only problem with it is that you don't have to use the cool aspects of the game to get through it. You don't have to jump around everywhere or take cover. You just have to run around and shoot.

But its still a great game IMO.
What difficulty are you playing on? I'm guesing not Hard+, 'cause there's no way you're just running around and not using cover/moves at all.
 

Jirotrom

Member
raYne said:
What difficulty are you playing on? I'm guesing not Hard+, 'cause there's no way you're just running around and not using cover/moves at all.
yeah, I just beat it on Hard and I don't think I can handle playing it on Hardboiled. this game took me around 12 hours or so to beat it on Hard, it was crazy intense. The big "flaw" with the game is simply the camera. its just too close on chow and its always hard to know if someones on your 6. Ive died many a time because of this. That aside, it was a great ride.
 
AgentOtaku said:
so yeah....still playin the PS3 demo


...been playin around with the "kicking up table" mechanic as well as lying down and rolling to make the firefights more interesting

still trying to find this "secret" Patrick Curry was talking about...

...*goes back to playing*

I guess I should re-download the demo then.
I didn't really try different ways to play I just started diving when a lot of guys came near me. I did make sure to slide/smash all the fruit on the tables, but I remember thinking 'do people in china just leave melons on every table? Maybe this whole situation started from stolen melons. :lol

The PS3 badly needs the ability to make your own soundtrack... 'somebody's got to die, if I go you got to go...' kept playing in my head.
 

IzumiK

Banned
Anyone know of options for Canadians to get the Collector's Edition without adding too much cost like shipping or something?
 
IzumiK said:
Anyone know of options for Canadians to get the Collector's Edition without adding too much cost like shipping or something?

Buy it now through a US-import shop.

US dollar = Canadian dollar (at least I think so).

I paid $82 CDN for mine after tax through Play Asia.
 

IzumiK

Banned
Cold-Steel said:
Buy it now through a US-import shop.

US dollar = Canadian dollar (at least I think so).

I paid $82 CDN for mine after tax through Play Asia.

But there's shipping and possible duties. I wanted the CE for a 10 dollar Hard Boiled movie but it's getting more expensive. The price could probably end up the same as the BD movie when it comes out. =(
 
IzumiK said:
But there's shipping and possible duties. I wanted the CE for a 10 dollar Hard Boiled movie but it's getting more expensive. The price could probably end up the same as the BD movie when it comes out. =(

That includes shipping, duties on a product like this are really insignificant.
 

IzumiK

Banned
Cold-Steel said:
That includes shipping, duties on a product like this are really insignificant.

I got dinged 10 bucks or so on Gundam Musou import. "Gifts" or under 60 dollar items get in for free.
 

painey

Member
I just got this game today in the UK and heres my opinions (only done level 1)

+ Shooting people in the face is awesome
+ Killing people using the environment is very cool
+ The destruction on pillars you hide behind is very good, makes you have to move from cover unlike a game like, say, Gears of War when you can just hide behind any pillar or post with no threat
+ Havoc physics
+ Great animations, for instance i dived at a wall and Chow jumped up it and kicked off for extra propulsion.
+ Chow Yun Fat
+ Bullet dodging in slow mo

- Very easy, even on Normal difficulty.. far too much ammo/health packs
- Endless respawning is a pain.. its almost impossible to avoid being shot because they spawn from all around you
- Very un-fluid. You'd like to imagine you could clear a section in one fluid non stop shooting session, when in reality its more like "dive and shoot, get shot as you get up, dive and shoot, get shot as you get up, dive and shoot, get shot as you get up, etc"
- Graphics are quite jaggy, could use some more AA
- Stuff breaks too easily..walk into something slowly and it shatters, not great realism and even worse is that the sound it gives off makes you think there is an enemy close by, when in reality its just the cash register bouncing off a splintered box thanks to bouncy Havok physics.
- Enemies can get up real close and be very hard to aim at
- Story. I know John Woo films are always about the action over the story, but a 30 second opening cut scene was really dissapointing.

A good laugh so far, I think it will be alot more fun in a harder mode.
 
painey said:
- Very un-fluid. You'd like to imagine you could clear a section in one fluid non stop shooting session, when in reality its more like "dive and shoot, get shot as you get up, dive and shoot, get shot as you get up, dive and shoot, get shot as you get up, etc"
- Graphics are quite jaggy, could use some more AA
-

thanks for impressions

just wanted to address these two though

1. Like I said before about the fluidity of the combat...if all your doing is diving left and right and not purposefully making the combat interesting (deliberately sliding across tables slowy, using as many objects as possible in firefights, etc) , yeah I can certainly see how the combat can start to become redundant real fast. Max Payne had this issue as well because all you really could do was Bullet-time and dives....no interacting with environment really...Though they enhanced it a bit with MP2 with its "progressive bullet-time system"

2. As stated before in regards to Aliasing....as far as we know, UE3 doesn't do ANY AA. Certain UE3 titles like Gears of War, threw alotta post-processing to lessen to the lack of AA

Anyhow, is anyone else here starting to become a bit disconcerted about the complete lack of any real updated info on Hard-Boiled's Blu-ray release?

The title is coming out in 2 weeks and it seems like the studio hasn't gone out and demonstrated anything or showed it to anyone up to this point =/

I mean, its a pretty big deal....figured they would be showing it off or something
 

Kingpen

Member
I was a big supporter of this game but the sickness inducing level2 (fighting with the camera being so close while trying to position your guy along some 2x4 puzzles) and also a really cheap section in level 3 (protecting the band) have made me change my tune on this game.
It is going for tradebait on half life orange box today....
 

RichardAM

Kwanzaagator
painey said:
I just got this game today in the UK and heres my opinions (only done level 1)...

My copy arrived today too- as mentioned, level three is a complete bastard. I'm playing on normal and I had plenty of restarts.

I'm pretty much enjoying the game so far, but there are times where the camera can be an utter pest, especially in stairways and corridors. Live seems ok, but I don't think there's a lot of longevity in that mode at all, unless you're going after the achievements.
 

GrayFoxPL

Member
AgentOtaku said:
so yeah....still playin the PS3 demo


...been playin around with the "kicking up table" mechanic as well as lying down and rolling to make the firefights more interesting

still trying to find this "secret" Patrick Curry was talking about...

...*goes back to playing*

How do you kick tables? And what secret, what did I miss?

Played the PSN Demo 20 times. Even Hardboiled with auto aim off...

The game's second name is: "Uneven". Because it is in every aspect. Nice gfx, bad sound. Great character models, awful voices. Why english? If Rise to Honor did cantonese, why this can't? It ruins the overall feel. Some cool animations. "Cardboard world". Gameplay also isn't constant and the difficulty seem dependant on Tequilla bomb energy. When you die you loose it all and on areas like the "spawn camp" part it can make a difference between "5 min cake walk" and "1,30 h chore". I'm serious. Both times I was on Hard Boiled + aim assist: LOW. Once I had all tequilla energy the second time I got myself shot by first shotgun guy (had low health) and had to start with 0 TB and it was insanely hard to pass and lasted 1,30 h. Ofcourse I could camp in one place but I don't like the cheeze tactics :p.

My biggest gripe is that even if the game is packed with action and the level of destruction is eye popping, but it lacks "weight". You know what I mean? There's no "punch" in all of this. No impact. Everything in the world seems "lite". Too fragile. Like I mentioned - too "cardboard".

Still, Chow Yun Fat fan in me wants to get it. But it's too expensive right now...

better_tomorow_1.jpg


...And I can't affort that :lol .


BTW: Is online on international servers?
 

painey

Member
Kingpen said:
I was a big supporter of this game but the sickness inducing level2 (fighting with the camera being so close while trying to position your guy along some 2x4 puzzles) and also a really cheap section in level 3 (protecting the band) have made me change my tune on this game.
It is going for tradebait on half life orange box today....

you are right.. level 3 is insane. Protect the band is crazy because the enemies come at you from every angle and you have no way of seeing where they are apart from your injury signs and its so fucking slow to turn 180degrees.. i threw down the controller in anger.. how the hell are you supposed to do it on normal let alone hardboiled..
 

Cardon

Member
So there are protection/escort missions in the game? Wow, that sucks I guess. But does the game ever reach the crap factor of Dead to Rights 2?
 

Thorhald

Member
Cardon said:
So there are protection/escort missions in the game? Wow, that sucks I guess. But does the game ever reach the crap factor of Dead to Rights 2?

No there's no protection/escort missions.
 

JdFoX187

Banned
painey said:
you are right.. level 3 is insane. Protect the band is crazy because the enemies come at you from every angle and you have no way of seeing where they are apart from your injury signs and its so fucking slow to turn 180degrees.. i threw down the controller in anger.. how the hell are you supposed to do it on normal let alone hardboiled..
Jesus...it's not that hard. I beat it on my first try on Normal. The guys coming at you won't shoot the band. If any of the band members die, it's because you shoot them. And there are plenty of health packs and ammunition around the area. Just run along the edges of the area, where they all spawn. Memorize the spawn points and you're fine.
 
hey Gray

to kick up tables...go up to one and just hit L2

...and as far as "bad sound" is concerned, thats the fault of the actual PS3 demo itself. They essentially released a demo with the sound fucked up....don't expect it to sound muffled and "downsampled" in the final retail

and yeah, I agree with you that alotta aspects of the world should have more "weight" to them, but what can ya do ya know (^__^)
 
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