Savage 2 - any thoughts?

[wytefang]

Well I got to play some Savage 2 finally. I'd played the original, which blends team FPS action with a commander player who controls things via an RTS interface, and liked it, for the most part. So I was rather interested to see how this sequel turned out and I have to say I was somewhat disappointed - though I think the game does have potential.

First off, S2 Games, the developers of Savage 2, are an Independent developer and decided to self-publish this sequel via Digital Download on their site (good for them, I figured). However, despite having some amount of luxury in when they could decided to release the game, they've opted to just shove it out to the public, bugs, lag, and all, instead of really polishing it first.

There are several show-stopping bugs, including one during the tutorial and you'll find that particularly frustrating because S2, in all their glory, has opted to not provide any kind of game-manual or key-command sheet with the digital download. Oh, that is unless you purchase the Collector's Edition. Nice one, S2!

Aside from that offense, the gameplay is definitely ramped up in this sequel, however that's not to say it's entirely a good thing because the learning curve is pretty darn steep. Imagine a fast-action, more twitchy version of Guild Wars, with even more skills to master and understand, and you'll have some idea of how it plays. It actually reminds me a lot of Fury, the recently released action/PvP MMO from Auran, in that regard.

Unfortunately, it's all a bit much - particularly so without any kind of manual and with a tutorial that's broken halfway through.

It's not terribly expensive, which IS a plus (at $29.99 US dollars) and you have to imagine that the devs will certainly patch the game some more but all in all, I think it's not going to snatch players away from a really good FPS or a really good RTS. It's like it offers a mediocre experience in either category and never really blends things well enough to create a superior experience out of the parts.

Anyone else have any thoughts about this genre-blending game? If I had to rate it, I'd probably give it a 3 out of 5 or a 6/7 out of 10 (with the slant towards the 6).

[Jero]

Damn, I have this pre-ordered and didn't even know it had come out. Will let you know when I get back from NZ in 3 weeks.

[Deadfyre]

I played the 1st one for a while, still have the original cd and box someplace.

I have followed S2 for a while now, but they only offer a 5 hour trial off their website. That, and since its a new game, unpolished and un-patched, is enough for me to have passed picking it up yet.

I knew the 1st one had some bugs in it, and it didn't get interesting until it had been fixed.

Glad you just confirmed why I am glad I didn't order it yet.

[wytefang]

Well, I'm admittedly torn on this game. I can see the potential and I think that if you had a regular private group of friends to play this with or a LAN group, it could be pretty decent. The reason I say that is because of the learning curve and the fact that if you all jump in together, the game's complexity and frenetic pace will be mitigated more fairly.

Playing online hasn't been so hot - the majority of players are long-time Savage fanboys who've also been in the "beta" (I use quotes because the bugginess of the current build leads me to believe that the original "beta" was more like an "alpha" and that we're actually playing the "beta" now.) - so most of your opponents already know the ins and outs of Savage 2, making you the fresh fruit ripe for the plucking (so to speak). Not so fun.

Add to that fact that the pre-existing community is more worried about hyping their game or making themselves feel good about their pre-existing knowledge and experience with the game rather than helping newcomers, and you have the makings of an unpleasant online experience with Savage 2. Considering that it's an entirely online game, that's not such a good thing.

It really, REALLY annoys me that they (S2 Games) rushed this thing out the door when they didn't have to and secondly, that they have the nerve to only provide a manual if you purchase the Collector's Edition. Talk about crapping on your fanbase.

[Deadfyre]

Yeah, no manual is flipping incredulously silly.

Yet another pay to play beta.

Blah.

[wytefang]

But again, the fantasy setting and the premise (and promise) of good teamplay does hold a certain appeal with this game. But in the end, for me, it comes down to this question: "After my initial playing experience, which could be a few days of intense play or a few weeks of casual play here and there, do I want to go back and play it some more - does it occasionally call out to me like a Siren in Greek Mythology, to come play it?"

For Savage 2, the answer was, "Nah, not really."