@murdoc_: I can't stand Call of Duty and yet I'm digging the hell out of this game. It does come down to the "feel" like you said, and I'm sure modern CoD has stolen enough mechanics from Titanfall at this point that they will seem similar at first glance. However, this is one of the best controlling shooters I've played in a long time - the sliding, wall-running, jumping, aiming... everything feels smooth and responsive. I highly doubt any other FPS of this ilk has achieved what Respawn have here.
Edit: holy shit I didn't realize they basically made an octagon 1v1 mode.
@huntad: Good point. I really shouldn't even care that such ubiquitous modes exist and should just ignore them. It reminds me of the tacked on multiplayer for Tomb Raider 2013 for instance; easily avoidable and totally unnecessary to the point that the developer didn't include it in the sequel.
Rockstar has done a few of their own takes on co-op I can think of. The free co-op missions they added to RDR were fairly basic like you said but a welcome addition as was the Undead Nightmare horde mode. I recall Max Payne 3 also had a wave based survival mode added eventually through DLC. I hope they can come up with some more interesting concepts with RDR2 similar to heists in GTAO. (I think someone already mentioned a train robbery which could be a cool idea).
@hunkulese: I probably could (should?) have gone more in-depth with examining each game's multiplayer (now that I think about it I hardly mention GTA Online), but frankly when it comes to the staple multiplayer modes like deathmatch, CTF, etc. that games have long since done to death, there's not much to point out beyond the fact that the controls make said modes not worth playing.
I'm not qualified to speak much about GTA Online in its current state. As much as I was eager to get into it at launch, the activities and free roam shenanigans could only sustain my interest for so long (and hey, guess what, your character still controls like garbage compared to a modern multiplayer TPS like Gears of War). I got tired of staring at the clouds during the egregious load screens and gave up when trying to setup a heist, but I assume they are missions prefaced with a brief cutscene in which you drive to a location and complete a task (not unlike the dull, repetitive mission structure that already existed in the game).
The main purpose of the blog was to show how Rockstar have yet to prove they know how to make a multiplayer as good as their single player, why it's essential for a game to control well in a multiplayer environment, and how it relates to RDR2's presumed multiplayer focus.
Clearly some people have had a much better time in multiplayer than I have, so I enjoy reading these comments.
@geraltitude: I never said they sucked at making money haha.
I must say I'm happy to see the love for Max Payne 3 here. I remember when it came out I spent a lot of time defending its merits against criticisms that it strayed too far from its Remedy roots, but alas that's a discussion for another day.
@pyrodactyl: Purely speculating based on their previous efforts with multiplayer (and why I'm not optimistic).
@bluefish: Thank you for bringing up the issues with the aiming. It's another major reason along with the movement that their games feel clunky online. The hit detection in Max Payne 3 wasn't good enough for free aim, while the hard lock would awkwardly snap to center mass (even when the target is behind cover) and, like everything on-foot in Rockstar multiplayer, always felt like you were fighting the controls.
@artisanbreads: Yeah, I played a lot of MP3 multiplayer with a group of people on the R* Social Club and I have to admit there were some pretty intense matches, and the potential was there for cool moments like someone diving off a rooftop in slow-mo while taking out multiple dudes in mid-air or sliding belly first down a stairwell.
I think “world immersion” is a good term for what you’re describing with the physics engine and gunplay. A pristine room in Max Payne 3 never looks the same once a gunfight ensues, to say the least.
I think Gears in general often gets misunderstood by the casual observer as being solely focused on hunkering down in cover and popping out to take shots a la Time Crisis. In reality it’s the way your character can slide into and through cover positions that creates a dynamic system of movement, which you can use to avoid being shot and to outmaneuver your opponent. It's almost like breaking a dude's ankles in basketball with a crossover.
@sravankb: I've given GTA Online multiple tries, but I’ve never stuck with it for long. There’s something very tacked-on about the menu at the top left and how it controls pretty much everything you do.
When I ask what are people even doing in GTAO, I don’t mean it in a rude way; I’m genuinely curious what activities they’ve found that keep them coming back for more.
I don’t think you’re alone in your position on Rockstar’s writing and sense of humor, by the way. It's rarely been laugh out loud funny to me (except for being a teenager listening to Chatterbox). Now it’s more of a tradition to expect silly puns and exaggerated parody. I still find their worlds to be unforgettable and a joy to simply be in.
I will say the writing has gotten better over time, with GTA V being a masterpiece IMO.
@artisanbreads: 8M players per week definitely means I am in the minority on that opinion, for sure haha. But I don't think it's uncommon to find the sentiment online from people who wish they had done Lost and Damned / Gay Tony style expansions for V instead of more GTAO stuff. (Maybe the game didn't need THE BENZ?)
Perhaps I wasn't clear when describing my thoughts on the controls. I think they work well in the context of solo play, but when I am facing a human opponent I need the controls to be responsive and tight. I am one of the biggest Max Payne 3 apologists and I sunk dozens of hours into multiplayer in its heyday (if you can call it that). But I won't twist the facts and claim that the game controlled well online.
I loved the sense of weight like when Max would hit the ground after a shootdodge, and for what it's worth I still think it's the best controlling game they've made. But after playing something as fluid as Gears of War, any other cover-style (multiplayer) shooter feels clunky to me.
Edit: I should also clarify that when I complain that games don't control as well as Gears, I'm not asking for every game to move and feel exactly like being a nimble, walking refrigerator who slams into concrete. Simply mimic the responsiveness that makes it so smooth to control.
There are rumors floating around that GTA V had single player DLC planned but now it's been reworked into multiplayer (going beyond the small item packs into something more like full city expansion).
I'm really curious to see how they juggle the future of GTA Online with an impending Red Dead release, and how much RDR2 is influenced by the success of GTA Online despite a seemingly large portion of the fan base wishing Rockstar would stick with a story focus.
I know there are 8M players per week in GTAO, but I don't understand what those people are doing with their time.
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