So after giving it a few days, I thought I'd sum up my feelings about this game. Didn't want to do it right away as I could have been affected by the post completion buzz on Sunday.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this title. It took me about 9 hours to complete on hard and I enjoyed every moment. Now before I get started, I should point out from the off that I knew in advance (and had a gut feeling) that this would not be a typical game so my expectations were not that of the next gears of war or Uncharted, so maybe the fact I knew what I was letting myself in for is why I enjoyed this more than many others did?
It is clear to see the amount of effort Ready at Dawn put in to the engine as the level of detail in the environments and characters is among the best I've ever seen. The music is also up there with the best I have experienced, so much so that I will be buying the OST come pay day, currently have the free dynamic PS4 theme installed because of the fact it plays some of the music.
The story seems to have been criticised by many, but I found the one contained in the game to be extremely gripping. There is so much that RaD can do going forward, either with sequels, prequels, side storys etc, and what they touched upon in this game makes me want so much more. Yes the ending doesn't tie up all the loose ends, but then I'm viewing this as more like the first instalment in a long running (hopefully) series so it doesn't bother me.
The cast of characters interested me the most. I found Galahad to be a strong and likeable lead, and Sir Percival and Marquis de Lafayette added to the strong supporting cast. Issy started as a decent strong female character whose character I started to dislike the more I progressed. Plus she fucking breathes through her nose really loud in two scenes! The voicework for them is also up their with the likes of The Last of Us as the best in game imo.
Gunplay is great fun, and some of the Tesla weapons are rather amazing, it's just a shame they aren't used much, though the story does clarify the fact they're newly developed, hence why the average rebel isn't carrying them. Some of the set pieces are great. notably the ones in Chapter 5 and Chapter 8.
Now I'm not going to pretend like this is a perfect game. Infact I'd hazard to even describe this as a game tbh, more an interactive movie with gameplay in certain areas, so like a modern day Dragons Lair.
For some this focus on cinematic experience over traditional third person shooter is a detriment, but for me it made the experience that more enjoyable. I sat back an enjoyed the sometimes lengthy cutscenes, and I was invested so much in the world that RaD constructed that even the forced walking and talking sequences could not bore me. It allowed me to breathe in the world so much more than holding down the run button would, in fact, even in areas where you can run I never did.
Another negative is that the basic lycan encounters are a bit weak, with a simple tactic of "stand with your back to the wall, press x when they're close and gun them when they're at a distance" dispatching them. The boss level Lycans are well done QTE events though.
Overall, I fucking enjoyed the hell out of this experience, and I'm not gonna trade it in either because I'm already itching to replay it. I'm also hoping their is some DLC on the horizon as the lore and the world has so much to give that it would be criminal not to.
