I've been thinking about the fact this entire year that I've dumped so much money into games this year...just to be disappointed by them. There's nothing this year I could personally consider GOTY, but this game ended in my little "More Like This" thingy at the bottom of the page while I was looking for games. And watching the trailer...I have this incredibly strong and weird feeling that this is the actual true GOTY 2023. It just looks so uncompromisingly good.
Frick, how didn't I hear about this earlier, it's legit too fricking bad that I probably won't be able to get it this sale, on the last day of 2023..
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how do i unsubscribe from this blog
??? you just participate and talk about the videogame?? what's so hard?
well for one I would have to play the video game, that's too hard.
oh I see. I understand. my mistake.
Play it. It is the true GOTY.
>Melee combat game with contact damage
It sucked.
It didn't suck but I agree that being primarily short-range melee is a HUGE detriment to this style of game.
Even Zero in the MM games, who is primarily melee (at least in the ones I played), has a saber that has a bit of reach and gives you a little bit of breathing room. In GC, you have to be almost right on top of enemies for normal attacks, which feels clunky already and essentially guarantees you're going to take a ton of damage all the time, but on top of that there's no straight up HP item heal drops unless you specifically spec into that (and even then it's conditional) so it feels even worse.
Leaving enemy corpses laying around with inactive hitboxes also gums up your fast-read on any given second of gameplay since you have an extra sliver of attention left to constantly worrying about if you're touching something that's going to hurt you.
Just a bunch of weird design things that gum up gameplay.
Hard to justify doing all these things at once. Give me a blaster, or get rid of the corpses immediately, or give me health item drops, or make contact damage more forgiving, or I mean do SOMETHING. Even just making a regular shitter enemy not take 6+ hits to kill. It's not particularly difficult it's just clunky and annoying.
I definitely wouldn't get rid of the enemy corpses, grabbing and throwing them was the most fun I had with the game. But I think the combat feeling bad comes down to three main things:
1. You have an incredibly short range on your basic attacks without the chip to boost that range.
2. Your basic ground attacks move you forward as you use them, so you can punch yourself into an enemy's hurtbox.
3. Damaging enemies only disables their hurtbox on burst attacks, not normal attacks.
If any one of these three things was changed it would feel a lot better, but all three things in tandem makes it feel bad because you have very little leeway on dealing damage without eating shit for it, which wasn't a problem in MMZ. It's also a major issue with the upgrade where you can hit an enemy with a chain and then hold the button to dash into them and hit them again, where you're supposed to then bounce away from them, but half the time I'd just eat contact damage instead for no discernable reason. A move like that needs to be completely reliable or it's a complete liability to use.
I think a fair amount of the problems could be handled with some tweaks, or in a sequel. As GC is now, disabling contact damage outside of burst attacks might make the whole affair too easy, since you can already face-tank bosses pretty easily.
combat with basic enemies is like the easiest part of the whole affair (compared to completionism, platforming, bosses), unless we're talking trap-type garbage like energy roombas and popout cameras (which turns into platforming avoidance)
or did you miss the part where there is no charge attack, so you just have to NEVER STOP ATTACKING?
Gravity Circuit or Mega Man Zero? What do we think is better?
MMZ, easily.
y
If GC had 4 entries, each iterating on the gameplay and level design, it would be the undisputed GOAT. Seriously if you haven't played it go right now. It's only problems are short and simplistic levels, the mechanics are unimpeachable.
>Implying mastering the pixel-thin edge between life and death isn't the most sublime vidya art
Weak.
>and simplistic levels
compared to what? I don't remember ANY mega man games ever being particularly complex
>It's only problems are short and simplistic levels, the mechanics are unimpeachable.
The shitty story and almost entirely unlikeable cast are also a problem since they put so much focus on it. Also the mine hitboxes are fricked. But that's about it. I would like to see a sequel that integrates some stuff like the chain dashes into the basic moveset instead of being chips so they can do more with it.
I thought the story and characters were fine. They did what they were designed to do in that they gave context to the action and a bit to set the bosses apart. It's pretty inoffensive overall.
"Unlikeable cast?" In every Megaman X game that gave them lines, the Mavericks are generally dickasses that need slaying because their viewpoints are incompatible with the hero's. I don't see why you need to like these bad guys when you only speak to them for 5 seconds. If you mean Gravity Circuit himself, I don't see much of a problem with him. He's just a suitable hero figure with a job that needs doing. I will grant you that Kernel is a bit silly and I didn't need that, though.
The problem I have with GC's story is that it's more goofy than MM is and yet all the bosses are still super serious business all the time so the storytelling falls really flat. Kernel is someone you should care about but since he's just portrayed as comically incompetent you don't really give a frick at the end of the game. And of course the final missions have these massive fricking plot dumps that really wear things down. The nurse and Nega were the only characters I ended up liking at all.
It would've been better if they went all in on a serious story like with MMZ or leaned more into a light-hearted theme because as is it feels like it can't decide what it wants to be, and every stage boss encounter boiling down to "well Gravity, you got here, but now we need to fight and I can't tell you why" is just plain wearisome. At least Mega and Zero both knew why they were fighting even if every boss encounter still ended up with them refusing to surrender peacefully.
You know what? That's fair. I agree. It feels like they did a silly thing because they wanted even a little bit more distance from MMZ, but you shouldn't do what's wrong for a game just to distance yourself from a good game.
Gravity Circuit, solely for the fact that it isn't confined to the shitty tiny GBA screen that makes anything not immediately next to you impossible to see.
Right now MMZ2 and 3 are probably better games. But if they build on GC I'll have to wait and see.
That's just like your opinion man, and it's ok.
I mean, all this board is are opinions, but people go crazy like the "OMG ME LOVE JAPANESE DESIGNED WOMAN!" is the craziest most thoughtful and insightful opinion ever. I don't think it's a bad thing that I want to talk and inquire about this game because it stood out as interesting to me.
The grab mechanic is so fricking fun.
Are there any other games like this?
why does nobody want to talk about this game.
It's New Years Eve homie
what the frick does "simplistic levels" mean in a fricking mega man clone?
Give Anode Heart a shot anon. It's pretty decent.
Imagine the world of Digimon 1 combined with the rebirth mechanics of 2 and 1v1 Pokemon-ish combat and that's the game. I like the card game part of it a lot more though,kinda wish that part was more expansive also high key Cassette Beasts is MUCH better but it's a 2022 game.
Not being hostile, but what relevance does this game have to this thread? Might check it out
Not him, but OP is talking about his personal pick of 2023. That's basically an invitation to prove him wrong with other suggestions.
>He didn't play vengerful guardian moonrider and dredge dreams in the with house
Honestly I might play Moonrider because the music in Gravity Circuit is banger
so why is mega man zero better
it was good, I enjoyed it but it didnt blow me away or anything
better bosses, story, music and overall movement
>better bosses
eh, sure. inconsistent, but whatever.
>story
bruh
>music
never liked mmz music so idc
>overall movement
elaborate? are there any fans of both that would REALLY say MMZ movement is better.
Based on my last memory of MMZ the movement was fine sure, but it didn't look remotely as crazy fluid and varied as this game's trailer shit. Maybe I need to replay.
>never liked mmz music so idc
That's wild to me, personally. Boss design is Inti Creates' focus though so theirs being memorable is kind of a gimme. I like the ones in Gravity Circuit and can definitely see the inspiration from Gunvolt in particular.
>Gunvolt
oooh shit, I feel like I've heard of this one. is this the better game? than both MMZ and GC?
Gunvolt series is good but inconsistently so. Generally a game where Copen is playable is better than one where he isn't. Personally Zero 2 and Gravity Circuit are better than Gunvolt but if you like any of them you'll like them all.
Your mileage my vary. All of them have so many pros and cons that the ones you could like could be totally different from mine or anyone else's. I actually prefer playing Gunvolt over Copen, for instance, not many people do.
It's in my Top 3 and I think it would be my #1 if it stuck the landing better, but that last level was the worst level and that last boss was the worst boss and they're sandwiched between an odd lore dump. It's never bad but having the worst stuff right at the end despite the game peaking just two levels earlier with the Nega boss fight is a shame. Still an easy 9/10.
Man the third phase was Kino for the Nega Boss fight
Wish the game was just gameplay and no story stuff / menus
The menus are minimal but I did find the story very filler, especially towards the end. I really don't care about Nega's origin, just how great his fight is.
I was staring at a large list of 30 upgrades I could purchase and thinking "is this going to make the game too easy? was the game designed around me buying all of these - or was it an accessibility concession? would it be possible - maybe even funner - to just not buy any?"
In the end I just turned it off. I don't want to have to sit and think about this shit. I just wanna jump around and have fun.
There's achievements for beating stages/the game without taking various forms of upgrades so you could just go for each of those and minimize your decision making.
That's a massive overreaction to an optional upgrade system. Only look into buying upgrades if you're struggling, if you think you want a challenge. Dumb to just drop a game because two braincells accidentally touched.
What if some of the upgrades are actually really fun to play with?
Same with the story. We could say: "don't like it? just skip through it."
but maybe the plot gets really compelling halfway in... you never know.
Games tend to be at their peak when they're not spreading themselves thin.
There's a whole host of retro action games I could be playing that aren't trying to be a visual novel / RPG as well.
At least it's not like Zero where you're actively punished for using those upgrades.
>What if some of the upgrades are actually really fun to play with?
Then read the description? Maybe try them out?
Read through 30 upgrade choices and try to decide if these were supposed to be in the game, or were just accessibility concessions.
I bet you'd think Mario would be improved by adding a leveling system that grants you wider jumps, fire-spin, etc. plus deep story choices that impact the fate of side-characters.
If you think a game shouldn't have upgrades/sidegrades, you are literally asking for a lazier game. If you want to UNGA BUNGA your way through it without them, do it. But dropping the game because you saw options is just moronic. I can't excuse that.
>you are literally asking for a lazier game.
the effort spent on upgrades / narrative / translation could instead be focussed on level design, bosses, polished movement... the things that really matter.
Nothing lazy about that.
>Filtered because he had to think for two seconds.
I think the coolest bit music wise is how every stage intro jingle was modified to preview the music of the stage you're about to enter, and likewise for the boss theme.
Grabbing stuff and dunking it back at enemies was a really fun idea and I want to see more of it in a sequel.
Re "Simplistic Levels", I think the most tangible bit I can point to is how every level has some stretch where little to nothing happens while you're just asked to swing on the ceiling across a big bottomless gap.
The burst attacks concept is neat but instead of overwhelming you with a ton of choices it should have massively cut down on the number of chips and attacks, and just let you get upgrades when you defeat a boss. As it stood after a while it just became too much hassle to pick anything beyond the copy move and then comboing two punches with your starter burst forward punch attack.
GC was good but it was also just MMX, hard to be in love with it
It's closer to MMZ, honestly. Without the screensize problems. So that's a pretty decent win.
Okay, but how much money did you blow on them and what did you buy? If you buy AAA games, it's no surprise that you are disappointed.
Wanted to play it, but I didn't have the money
bump
High effort shill thread.
Gravity Circuit is competently done but I think I'm just done with this style of game, it feels like they exist only to jerk off speedtrannies. I dunno.
Most platformers these days focus on speed and fluidity in general. A game that is very clearly designed with speedrunning as the intended way to play is Bat Boy, there's a bunch of techniques you get that are optional basically only there to route your speedrun. Thanks for the Lucy gif though.
What does that even mean?
If you complain about contact damage in a retro styled platformer I am obligated to call you a caveman.
I don't complain about it in Mega Man or in MMZ because in those games it actually works.
It's good and a legit competitor to shovel knight in every respect, but the hookshot mechanic ruins it, especially in the Wily states.