Issue 100 On Sale Now!

[Eli Vance]

The fact its got a mp is making me a little skeptical. But I do hope theres a decent amount of unlockables with the sp.

[Johnny Shoulder]

Red Dead and GTA 4 had MP but still had a lot to offer SP wise. It's Rockstar, it will be fine.

[The-Marb]

Can't say. Just that disappointment won't factor. It's old school in more ways than one.

Damn you and your secrets Mr Howdle!

(excellent news about the second point though)

[Dan Howdle]

Not sure how it's depressing to give easier options to people.

As long as I can play it the way I want to I'm happy*

Depressing as in going straight on hard means the game is only going to get one playthrough.

What if how you want to play the game conflicts with the experience? I mean, gameplay difficulty re-inforcing the story and heightening the experience overall.

Nah-uh. Not one, but two unlockable difficulties beyond hard. Hardcore, and Old School.

Hard is just an apparatif. Considering the game is 3xCOD length on hard - did I just say that? Oops - that's quite a lot of game. Kept me busy for two weeks with no MP. Like someone else said here, it's Rockstar, and they pretty much Vs-up what everyone else is doing and do their own thing. A bit like Valve, gawd love 'em.

In addition to the difficulty modes, there's also Arcade mode, with either legging it through the game score attack style (with your friends scores to beat displayed on-screen), or speed-running it in a mode called New York Minute; you start with only a minute and you have to complete the game with time added for headshots.

Yes, I completed this game two and a half times so far and only one of those times was for the sake of review.

In answer to your second question it scales with the skill of the player, doesn't it? If the level is unchallenging, cut-scenes will seem too close together; that's just one example. So play it on hard and they won't. If you're an unskilled player (total noob) put it on normal and use soft lock; the pacing will be the same because you're awful at it. It scales. The same applies to all other aspects of the game. The worst thing you can do is approach it as a skilled, experienced player and make it too easy, because yes, you will spoil it for yourself.

[Tom909]

Considering the game is 3xCOD length on hard

Oh no, it's finally happening. COD is now so ingrained in the industry that the press are even measuring the length of new games in CODs rather than good 'ol fashioned hours.

Makes me shudder to think what's next... Games which are 2xCOD in difficulty? A 0.5 COD music score?

[Dan Howdle]

Considering the game is 3xCOD length on hard

Oh no, it's finally happening. COD is now so ingrained in the industry that the press are even measuring the length of new games in CODs rather than good 'ol fashioned hours.

Makes me shudder to think what's next... Games which are 2xCOD in difficulty? A 0.5 COD music score?

The same thing happened to Jamaica as soon as open world games strated to be made, and it happened to Wales as soon as they started chopping down rain forests.

The reason CODs are a better measure than hours is that I might get through COD in ten hours, it might take you five. Chances are that will translate to other games as well. 3xhow long it took to complete COD gives you YOUR likely time of completion for Max Payne 3. See?

Smarter than you think.

[Tom909]

Always thinkin' you are Dan... Always thinkin'

[Eli Vance]

Nah-uh. Not one, but two unlockable difficulties beyond hard. Hardcore, and Old School.

Hard is just an apparatif. Considering the game is 3xCOD length on hard - did I just say that? Oops - that's quite a lot of game.

In addition to the difficulty modes, there's also Arcade mode, with either legging it through the game score attack style (with your friends scores to beat displayed on-screen), or speed-running it in a mode called New York Minute; you start with only a minute and you have to complete the game with time added for headshots.

In answer to your second question it scales with the skill of the player, doesn't it? If the level is unchallenging, cut-scenes will seem too close together; that's just one example. So play it on hard and they won't. If you're an unskilled player (total noob) put it on normal and use soft lock; the pacing will be the same because you're awful at it. It scales. The same applies to all other aspects of the game. The worst thing you can do is approach it as a skilled, experienced player and make it too easy, because yes, you will spoil it for yourself.

Thanks for the heads up.

Nice to see 'New York minute' making a return. That was a right laugh on the original.

I wasn't really thinking about player skill levels and pacing, tbh. I was thinking how in some games going on a higher difficulty can enhance the overall experience. I mean, whereby in-game environments and character circumstances - situation take on a completely different feel.

[stikboy78]

i'm confused. the games reviewer in that free paper thingy the metro gave sniper elite v2 4 out of 5 stars and said the AI was excellent..... who do i trust???

[ClownTrousers]

Once again not available anywhere. Perhaps the shite distribution influences the dips in circularisation.

On the other hand ye all write for GamesTM and it's excellent this month.

[Dan Howdle]

i'm confused. the games reviewer in that free paper thingy the metro gave sniper elite v2 4 out of 5 stars and said the AI was excellent..... who do i trust???

Them. They is a proper newspaper. We's just some Xbot shitrag.

[ClownTrousers]

Didn't games TM give it 7 out of 10?

[stikboy78]

i actually played about an hour of sniper eilte v2 earlier tonight and quite enjoyed it. i'm sure the slo mo bullet time will become tiresome but at the moment i'm loving seeing bullets pierce skulls, hearts legs etc at the moment i would give it 8 out of 10 but this may degenarate over time, we'll see.