diff --git a/src/content/rambles/deadlink.md b/src/content/rambles/deadlink.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1d4c92e --- /dev/null +++ b/src/content/rambles/deadlink.md @@ -0,0 +1,37 @@ +--- +title: "Deadlink" +date: "2024-03-24T02:10:59+01:00" +author: "$HUMANOID" +tags: ["Gamedesign", ""] +description: "Deadlink's combat is what Doom Eternal's should be" +draft: true +--- + +This is a followup of sorts to my [emergent gameplay](/rambles/emergent-gameplay) +ramble. + +So the other day, I picked up +[Deadlink](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1676130/Deadlink/), knowing that +its combat was allegedly a lot like Doom Eternal's. With this in mind, I was +pleasantly surprised to find out that Deadlink takes the good parts from Doom +Eternal's combat and builds upon them, while ditching the horrible restrictive +aspects. This means I'm not getting bogged down doing the one thing the games +tells me to do, instead I can happily fly though the arenas, shooting everything +in my path, largely without a care in the world. Or rather, that's how it feels. + +Where Deadlink succeeds- and Doom Etenral fails is the implementation of +weakspots. In Eternal, if you want to shoot a weakspot, you don't have much of a +choice but to switch to the machinegun or not-railgun; those being the only +precision weapons. In Deadlink, if you manage to shoot some poor dude's head +with a rocket launcher, the game will still give you the weakspot damage -- +despite normal enemies being able to withstand about a quarter of a rocket to +the feet at most. + +Another big mistake that Eternal makes is the tutorialising every restrictive +mechanic that it introduces, while Deadlink lets the player largely figure out +for themselves how the game works. The only things in Deadlink's optional +tutorial are an explanation on basic mechanics -- abilities, c-balls and how +ammo works. The rest is communicated entirely through visual design. Where Doom +Eternal introduces the Arachnotron and halts the game with a message saying that +you can shoot it's gun, Deadlink communicates just as much by having non-head +weakspots subtly pulse orange.