David Phillips at https://www.twitch.tv/davenscastle Thanks to him for pointing out that the z-word was a slur. I had never heard it in that context before, and I shall henceforth not repeat it.
Having said that, I have clearly underestimated the expansion by at least 2 hours. I thought we would finish tonight, but we’ll need one more recording session before we can wrap up. And I’m still not sure what I’ll be doing next.
From my experience, it appears that almost without exception, the boss fights are the least tense segments of a Resident Evil game, and this one is no different.
That’s not to say that the lack of tension is a mistake, but it is an interesting data point. Theoretically, seeing a major antagonistic force transform into a giant abomination should be scarier than facing a suit of armor with a parasite inside it. However, because that oversized monster comes in the form of a standard video game boss fight, the tension almost immediately leaves the room. All the conventions are there, and most players will instinctively know what they to do and where they need to aim. But that’s intentional because they’re a deliberate release of tension. We’ve been hounded by this enemy for hours. Now that he’s a boss fight, we know he’s vulnerable.
By contrast, the fight against the knights in a closed space with archers outside the room is a more tense battle. Same with most fights against hordes of generic mobs. They test our resources and tactical thinking in far more potent ways.
It is astounding what a difference a stronger weapon and a few upgrades can make to a run. What were once difficult foes become much easier to take down thanks to the Red9 and a good stock.
We’re coming up on the turning point that all Resident Evil games seem to have, where the resources and equipment are potent enough that enemies aren’t as threatening as they were in the early game. We stand a fighting chance against them and a good one at that.
Looks like we went and got ourselves infected. Lucky for us, we know the guy who can make us an inhibitor and buy some time… just as soon as we give him the ingredients.
Streamed at https://www.twitch.tv/newdarkcloud
David Phillips at https://www.twitch.tv/davenscastle And in case you were curious, the lime and the coconut are used to make a non-alcoholic cocktail.
This was admittedly not my best showing, but thankfully it’s all uphill from here. Sure, there will be archers, but they’ll be in formations that make them less painful to handle.
Things are looking pretty grim between the big evil mutant in our way and the complete lack of resources at our disposal. That said, we still have to make our way through this, so we’re in for a fight.
Currently, the most noticeable issue I have with Separate Ways is our extremely limited resource pool. Even in my original run of Resident Evil 4, I never felt like I was running on empty to quite the same degree as I am now. There are few things worse than facing a boss only to realize we have to scramble for ammo just so we have ways of dealing damage.
In all the Resident Evil games I’ve played on stream, I can’t recall ever having that issue before. Though resources can often be tight, especially in the early game, there’s always been enough healing and ammunition in the environment to replenish the reserves lost. Something is off in the way items are being distributed in this expansion, and in the context of the other games, it’s glaringly noticeable.
That said, drops usually grow more plentiful as the campaign goes on and we get access to better equipment, so perhaps our luck is due to change soon.
I don’t have an issue with going through the same zones that Leon had to in the original scenario, but I must admit that I dislike how much in these first few hours we’ve been doubling back through the same zones multiple times. I understand the Village map isn’t large, but there had to be an alternate route that didn’t have so much circling back.
Hopefully we don’t have this issue with the Castle.
We might have saved Luis from his tricky predicament, but he still owes us the amber we came here for. Let’s work with David Phillips to make sure he lives up to his end of our bargain.
It’s amusing to play through campaigns like this. When going through the original story, Ada gives the impression that she’s constantly watching and observing Leon, choosing only to act in moments where he needs tactical support.
As the star of her own separate campaign that takes place in parallel to his, the impression is much different. Rather than this super spy who chooses the exact moment to strike, Ada is more clearly off in her own little world getting her own missions and tasks taken care of. If she happens to be in the area, she’ll assist, but she’s not actively keeping tabs on Leon. It’s less that she’s spying on him and more that she just so happens to be in the right place at the right time coincidentally.
I don’t think that’s a fault. In a sense, that can be its own lesson in how perceived reality can often differ greatly from true reality. I just think there’s humor there that wasn’t in the original game.
As we ran through Resident Evil 4 (2023) with our good friend David Phillips, did you ever wonder just what Ada Wong was up to over the course of the adventure? Well, now’s your chance to find out. The Separate Ways campaign has finally made it to the 2023 remake, and we’re going to run through it.
I like the “super spy” vibe and tone Ada gives off in the initial few sections of her scenario. It fits nicely into the campy aesthetic that the series aims for, while still giving her a unique and flavorful identity separate from Leon.
And though I will have to fight inevitably, it’s fun to just avoid combat when possible and dodge as many enemies as we can in order to converse both time and resources. We’re off to a solid start. Hopefully, we can keep it up.
We still have a few events left, and another thirty minutes remaining on the clock for my stream. Why don’t we use the time to take care of any chores and discuss Jak X and PS2-era nostalgia?
Oh no. As it turns out, we still have to take care of the evil crime lord Mizo, who has been dogging us since the start of this adventure. The idiot stole the antidote, and there’s only one way this ends.
Streamed at https://www.twitch.tv/newdarkcloud
As fun as the game was, I can’t help but feel, after going through this story one more time, that it’s a little hollow. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, of course, since this was still the era where video game plots were just excuses for the gameplay. But coming from this studio, even back then, it can be a little disappointing.
We’re just not given a reason to get invested in the underlying crime story, so by and large we aren’t. It just exists in the background while I cackle about doing another Death Race.
Though the story is complete, join us for one last episode as we continue discussing Jak X while wrapping up the remaining events.
