I expect it’s in the graphics section for the same reason persistent corpses are: the more models you render onscreen, the more performance suffers. It’s just that, because live enemies increase your risk, it also affects difficulty.
I’m aware of Starcraft 2 pros who whittle down graphics options because the simpler models/lack of shadows make it easier to identify troops and issue commands quickly, providing competitive advantage. But then we’re moving into multiplayer, which is a whole different ballgame.
And yay @Thraeg. Thank you for supporting my plea to be allowed to play the cool parts of my games even if I suck at them.
I bought this because it’s 10tons and all of there games are good, even the match3 clones. I played this, and then I read Tom’s article.
And I definitely have to agree about 10tons phoning it in with the level design here. The balancing is all over the place. One levels will be manic, and yet the next one will be a cakewalk where you’re just spawn killing the fish monsters.
The feeling of “they’ve not bothered to playtest this” isn’t helped by the fact that a lot of the difficult is “meta”. There’s the famous max-number-of-enemies slider. Then there’s also all of the crystal upgrades which completely change things. A given level is much easier if you have 5 teleports instead of 3. But even in-level a the difficulty can be dramatically shifted by an early gauss weapon and a ‘extra barrels’ upgrade. Or by a tommy gun and some explosive barrels.
What I find strange is that Crimsonland didn’t have this problem at all. Each level there seemed to be tailed to drive the player towards a specific strategy. It was a rare-case where the first gun spawned really sucked and you’d prefer to remain with the pistol. Remember the one with the gauss rifle and lines of people? Or the one with the command leading troops? Or Spideroids?
Where’s the spideroids level in Tesla vs Lovecraft? Instead what we seem to get is a hundred different levels lasting 3 minutes each, all of varying difficulty.
(And I definitely think a comparison between TvsL and Crimsonland is valid – they’re fundamentally the same game by the same people, only one is 3d, has a different theme, and has the welcome addition of some buildings on the battlefield)
ps: I just want to point out that I kept pressing ‘R’ thinking it was reload. And I also kept wondering what the mechanic behind the locked weapon was. e.g. Did that happen if you were hit by a certain enemy projectile? I managed to last for 2 minutes with just the starting pistol in survival mode, which I’m quite impressed by.
This was released yesterday on Switch, and maybe some other consoles, too. Has anyone tried it yet? Did 10tons take a stance on the game’s difficulty, or is it still up to the player to fiddle around with the graphics slider on the options screen?
I don’t see another 10tons thread, but this one has 10tons in the header, so I’ll put this here. Let’s see if they can set the genre back 20 years this time.
10tons just announced the next game of theirs I’m obligated to purchase.
Dysmantle is an open-world action RPG where you can ruin everything. You can break more than 99% of the objects you encounter in the game world. Breaking stuff (aka. ruining everything) is just one aspect of the game though. As it is an open world action RPG, it also has the regular RPG elements such as fighting, leveling up, crafting better gear, building, farming, gathering, cooking, exploration, harvesting and so forth!
Apparently, the game will be a B.F.E.S.B.C.H.F.S.F.C.:
Words attached to bullet points:
You need to find a way to escape the wretched island . But before that, enjoy the bittersweet apocalypse.
Break over 99% of all objects for materials with the right tools. No barrier will stop you.
Fight with (or run away) nasty and vile creatures of the post-apocalyptic era.
Explore the handcrafted open world and uncover its mysteries.
Survive . Clear areas of monsters and claim it as yours.
Build outposts to establish your presence.
Craft permanent weapons, tools, outfits, and trinkets.
Hunt dangerous game or tame them for your post-apocalyptic zoo ranch.
Farm exotic plants and reap the rewards as crop gets ripe.
Solve puzzles above ground and underground in the Tombs of the Old Ones
Fish cunning scaly things under the watery surface.
Cook delicious recipes for permanent stat and ability upgrades.
Explore the ruins of the past and discover technology from the hitech era. Gain technological advantage against the hostile environment. Or go deeper and recover the ancient lost knowledge from the hidden tomb chambers of the old ones. Acquire materials with almost magic-like properties and use them to craft insanely powerful gear.
The permanent destruction was some of the most rewarding stuff in their best game Neon Chrome. Totally sold.
If this actually had a strong guiding line through it, it honestly sounds really cool, but I fear it’s much more player driven like most crafting games, and I just totally lack the motivation to ever push myself through them.
I’m not so sure. They reference puzzles, mysteries, forgotten tombs, etc. I have a feeling there may not be a major story front and center, but that there will be bits and pieces as you try and discover how to escape the island.
Then there’s this tidbit:
You will not be fighting just to maintain the status quo . This IS NOT a game about starving. You won’t be constantly looking for a tasty cockroach to fill your over-metabolic stomach while waiting for the unavoidable bliss that is death. You will never die of hunger . You will get more powerful, and unlock permanent upgrades . The world is a dangerous place, and you may take a few steps back once in a while, but eventually you will thrive .
This makes me think they are going for a survival feel, but it isn’t really a survival game per se. I’m thinking more Crashlands than Don’t Starve.
That’s fine by me. I hate games with a hunger mechanic.
Same here. I don’t really like survival games, but I loved dragon quest builders. It has many of those elements (including hunger) but the emphasis is different. I want a game that focuses more on exploration and resource gathering than simply staying alive. Sounds like this might fit the bill in that regard.
Yes, thank you. If I have to eat once in a blue moon to keep my health meter from dropping, fiiiiiine.
Farming? Really? Farming?
In!
-Tom
Are you digging it?
Might be their motto at 11bit. I hold a disproportionate contempt for those guys, which is a feeling I don’t like. Probably because of the wasted potential.
The former 🤪
This is also coming to Switch, XB1, and PS4
TESLA VS LOVECRAFT IS FANTASTIC
I picked this up during the Lunar sale and it has been my #1 got-to PC game ever since. It does absolutely everything right for me. From the return to monster blobs, to the kick-ass perk & weapon combinations available, to EPIC perks and weapons, to the upgradeable “Inventions,” I absolutely love this game.
TESLA VS LOVECRAFT IS FANTASTIC
I’ve been playing 10tons games ever since discovering Crimsonland a couple years ago, and although I’ve been enjoying their subsequent twin-stick shooters, I’ve been missing the enemy swarms present in that first game. And now with TvL, they’re back.
- I love that the action is closer-in.
- I love the art style (even the throughout the menus and description pages).
- I love some of the game-breaking combinations of weapons and perks that can be had. It’s like suddenly equipping a fully upgraded Diablo 3 armor set at its best, where certain combos just completely change how you play the map.
- I love Sara Lee Oven Fresh Dutch Apple Pie.
- I love how significant the upgrades feel in the invention panel, and especially how there are ways to earn crystals much faster once you’ve run through the default map and start on a higher difficulty.
- I love the damn soundtrack of all things. It’s so perfect for this game. It’s a crazy-cool mish-mash of epic dub-step, classic horror-themed music, videogame technofun, and helps really set the mood without being intrusive in the least.
- I love the basic theme of science vs horror. And I appreciate the choice of characters that bring each of these things to the front lines.
- And I super love just how many different goals there are in this game compared to other twin-stick shooters. It gives me purpose and keeps me from just wandering around the map willy-nilly until I’ve shot everything there is to shoot. While in the middle of blasting the hordes, I’ve got to prioritize my collection mech parts, crystals, weapons, abilities etc. Picking this stuff up is normal for these types of games, but giving me the option of running for mech parts vs running for Invention upgrade crystals (in the perfect game you’ll have the time and freedom to do both), it really does help each attempt feel different, and each collectible serve more of a purpose than mere immediate gratification.
- I love that repeating certain maps will help you gain experience vs certain monster types, which will help you do more damage to them the more of them you kill (in addition to earning invention upgrade crystals) so it gives purpose to picking and choosing your battles, but rewards you for doing so no matter how poorly you might perform on any one run.
TESLA VS LOVECRAFT IS FANTASTIC
I’m not as into the Hotline Miami style of games (which I liken Jydge and Neon Chrome and other games to), so this right here is a great return to form for one of my favorite indie developers. And I love how they keep managing to cram in more weapons and skill diversity to make me feel like a superhero in these games, even when AAA action games are short on action and repeatedly bungle the creation of interesting and effective upgrades, loot, and synergies.
I had totally forgotten about this game until your post, @kerzain. Loving playing it again! Seems like they’ve changed some things and rebalanced a bit since Tom’s review.
My only sort of complaint is that it seems hard to do much more than hold the monsters back when on foot. There’s just too many of them to make progress. Feels like a holding action until I get all the mech parts to actually clean up the board. Going to keep playing for sure.
Mmm interesting, will see if I can check it out later.
Yeah this is on sale on GOG at the moment, only a few quid and well worth picking up