E.Y.E. - Review @ FiringSquad

Dhruin

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It's become apparent E.Y.E. is a little more MP shooter and a little less RPG but since we've covered it for so long, we might as well throw in a review. FiringSquad has the first critique we've seen and their score is a healthy 80%, although the price and the indie developer seem to have impacted that. A sample on the gameplay:
It’s a good thing there are so many ways to play, too, as the entire game basically boils down to killing a lot of enemy AI in huge, open environments. There are some basic objectives for eliminating specific enemies, placing, finding, hacking, or destroying items, investigating areas, and the like, but they’re really just excuses to explore the map and seek conflict. Whenever you leave the safety of the hub or home base within each map, you can basically fight a never-ending force of human, monster, and robot enemies, as they will continuously respawn all over the map in set intervals. This can make things rather hectic, especially if you’re going at it solo... I remember one mission in particular where it was a constant struggle to survive, let alone progress and complete objectives, even though I was using the .50-cal sniper rifle that usually kills in one shot. If you get caught out in the open by shock troopers with miniguns and/or a flying gunship with battle turrets, your only option is to run for cover because getting hit that much will prevent you from being able to return fire with any kind of accuracy.
In other E.Y.E. news, the official site apologises for bugs and says they are working on fixes:
We are thankful to the players who bought E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy for their multiple feedbacks, either for the bug reports or for gameplay suggestions. We are considering all of them, and we are currently working to fix all the issues and bugs you have encountered so far.
We want to apologize for the bugs currently afflicting the game. We thought we had beta-tested the game well, but it turns out we were wrong. We're going to do everything we can to fix all the bugs as fast as possible.
To give you 3 examples of major changes that we are going to make: we have noticed the real end is way too hard to get, we're going to change that because several players found it too frustrating. We're also going to change the Resurector system that often breaks the gaming experience in its current version. Also, the NPCs will have their vision angle decreased to encourage stealth, which is currently too difficult.
We'd like to thank you for your patience.
The Streum On Studio's team.
More information.
 
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I don't know about the less RPG part. I have been having a lot of fun with this one over the weekend. And it has a lot of RPG elements. It is brutal though since it does not hold your hands through a lot of things, for example, health kit has a chance to kill you on use, if you try to spam it very fast...

It is a buggy game, but I definitely recommend giving it a shot. The character customization via stats is really quite extensive in this game. And like all the good RPGs that I played in the past, I spent hours rolling my stats... :(

There isn't much loot to pick up either. But on the flip side, you get to participate activily in hacking "minigame" and you can be "counter hacked" by things that you are trying to hack, be it someone's brain, or a very smart door... :p
 
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The only RPG aspect is stats. If this is an RPG then so is Call of Duty.
 
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Stats that actually matters in game though. Like your "karma-like" stat which if you really low value of it, every time you resurrect you have a chance to suffer permenant wounds.

Also, this is nothing like CoD, this game if far from being a on-rail shooter.

Edit: I also don't remember CoD having any in game histories/back stories to pour through. Nor does it have dialog trees (along with some very "colorful" characters to talk to.) Finally, from what I read thus far, this game has multiple endings depending on your actions in game, whereas I am pretty sure CoD has just one ending. I could be wrong though, since I don't have any CoD games.
 
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I did not say this game played like CoD. I said the only RPG aspect of it is the same one in CoD.

And yeah, it has some dialogue stuff and "quests" in that MMO way, but nothing really involving. The main gameplay element is being dropped into arenas and shooting shit constantly.
 
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So I know that E.Y.E. is not the indie Deus Ex-like hybrid that most people (including myself) were hoping for, but bottom line, is it an enjoyable/worthwhile game to play in single-player? At the end of the day, is it fun to play, regardless of the lack of features that were hoped for?

I was thinking about pulling the trigger on picking this up despite the mixed reactions, but then I read about some issues that would turn me off, such as a lack of decent stealth mechanics when it comes to enemy A.I. (I'm never too thrilled about playing as a run and gun character). But this game still looks like it has that "hidden gem" type of potential, and I love the sci-fi/cyberpunk atmosphere that is pretty rare to come by, so I was hoping for some more impressions.
 
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I am not really enjoying it singleplayer. In fact I have moved on to other games already, maybe checking in if they do a good patch. The reasons are:

1) Respawning enemies. Every level is a massive arena you go through numerous times to flick switches and collect shit. The whole time enemies respawn constantly and at great number, meaning you have to constantly shoot stuff. You never get a break or a scripted moment, just shoot shoot shoot.

2) The missions are simplistic and not the focus. The focus is on shooting. The missions are Borderlands or MMO quality, go here and click, go there and click. The story can be good at times with some political intrigue, but it's thin as paper and presented only briefly before you are sent out to click on ten things. Side missions have no story what-so-ever.

3) Arena design. As said above the levels are large arenas. There is nothing to really discover or explore, you just walk from one end to the other and back again a few times to click all the mission things.

4) Save system. The game saves automatically, you never have control. You have 10 lives to beat a level and respawn right where you died. If you lose all 10 lives you restart the level (though you keep exp and items you obtained). It's a symbol of the multiplayer-focused design. Also dying can permanently lower your stats.

Those are the reasons I am not personally enjoying it. That said if you want a shooter like this then this one does a lot right. It has cool cyberpunk design, a much deeper character customization system than Borderlands, solid weapons and some PC exclusive hardcore.ness to it. There are things to like here. Make no mistake though, it's not an RPG and not a singleplayer game at heart.
 
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I see... Thank you for the detailed information DoctorNarrative, that was quite helpful. Sadly, this game just doesn't sound like it was meant for me, which is a disappointment considering that it has several elements that I would greatly enjoy if they were implemented in a single-player focused game with more meaning and context behind it. Unfortunately, some of those issues listed are big turn-offs - with the most egregious being the constant re-spawning of enemies for no apparent reason, lack of creative mission design, a heavy emphasis on multi-player, and an annoying save system. I'm still curious to see how the mechanics of the game work, but I'm going to hold out until it's on a big sale someday, or at least I'll wait and see if they improve the single-player portion of the game in a drastic way (which I probably shouldn't hold my breath for).
 
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If you're not mad about respawning enemies just go into the games menu and change reinforcement frequency to the lowest, and tick the "limit reinforcement" box. Given that you can change this I'd say its possible to remove any possibility of reinforcements coming altogether with a console command.

I was having an awfully hard time as a hacker as I had the difficulty up at hardcore and the reinforcements on intense. Things got a lot easier once I realised that I could pick up turrets and strategically place them to offer my dark alleyway some protection. Then bioclone yourself with the psi power and give them the command to "Go hunt!" (I'd also have liked a "stand your ground command" but hunting & "follow me" suffice.) That 2+ minute protective window you create is enough to hack 2 enemies, and if your in range of a special forces sniper then the real fun begins when hes hacked and offers cover fire. (Theres something satisfying when you successfully hack someone, and suddenly hear frantic firing in the distance and the enemy signals start disappearing one by one.)


I agree that the mission storylines are a bit shallow. Co-op gameplay masks this. To say the gameplay is focused on shooting isn't very accurate. It entirely depends on what character you are building. Hack enemies, hack turrets, spawn clones, deploy turrets, drive enemies insane, spawn monsters. The missions do have multiple ways to complete them, and ways for people to go undetected. Vents, ladders, or the front door. Its not as straight forward as "go here, do this, return, mission complete". Dialogue choices allow you to decide how to go about completing a mission. You can choose to bribe people or simply threaten them, spare someones life and gain a bit of money There are also some secrets in levels.

I concede that the save system is terrible, but the devs are soon patching the permanent serious injuries stat decreases out of the game. Though there are some researches available that heal/prevent these stat decreasing injuries. It is indeed a save system that was built around multiplayer. Its still pretty functional given that it saves at checkpoints in missions but its annoying being just short of the checkpoint and dying and having to start over.

Okay, breaking down what I'm trying to say as I could go on forever. The missions may look simple but can have multiple ways to complete them. Shooting isn't what the gameplay is focused on, but it can be if you want it to be. Dialogue Interactions with non-mission related NPCs are often shallow with dialogue choices resulting in the same outcome, whereas mission NPCs generally allow for meaningful choices to be made influencing how a mission is to be completed.

I got through the first level without having to kill anyone since the vent system allowed me to bypass them all. The designers actually created alternative paths that allows people role playing stealth/weak hacker characters to bypass the action and play the levels the way they want to. Sometimes to a huge extent, sometimes to just ladders at the back of a building. This is what makes me love the game, though co-op with a friend is infinitely better when you mix skills and having someone watch your back as you hack and amass a small army.
 
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If you're not mad about respawning enemies just go into the games menu and change reinforcement frequency to the lowest, and tick the "limit reinforcement" box. Given that you can change this I'd say its possible to remove any possibility of reinforcements coming altogether with a console command.

I have it on lowest. I am still constantly shooting things. The second map was like freaking Killing Floor.
 
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Hah that was mad alright, then probably worth a look for some people once it gets patched. My army got decimated once a huge squadron of allies arrived. "Why are they shooting at me?!! Oh sh** they're shooting at my hacked army not me.. they don't know they're hacked!"
 
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I did not say this game played like CoD. I said the only RPG aspect of it is the same one in CoD.

I feel that's not even close to being a fair comparison. While there's no question that EYE is partly a shooter - although a more RPG-oriented shooter than, say, Borderlands was - the character customization options are by no means limited to a few perks and weapon choices. Apart from the simple fact of there being a lot of independent variables on the stats screen, your choices can have a much more substantial impact on how exactly you go about the business of blowing people's brains out (as would be expected from any combat-oriented RPG). Gaining level ups is pretty essential, too, and the game even includes some prominent opportunities for XP grinding.

Ultimately, though, you do of course need to at least be a fan of regular shooters to appreciate EYE's particular mix of gameplay elements, and in general RPGWatch might not be the right kind of RPG community for this game.
 
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The only RPG aspect is stats. If this is an RPG then so is Call of Duty.

I think your trolling on this game is going overboard to be honest.I have only played for a limited time but the game has lots of important RPG choices to make.I would say the game has more depth in the RPG area than most modern action RPG's.
 
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I think your trolling on this game is going overboard to be honest.I have only played for a limited time but the game has lots of important RPG choices to make.I would say the game has more depth in the RPG area than most modern action RPG's.

He was far from trolling, he was giving an honest and fair critique of the game, focusing on both the positive and negative from his point of view. To some of us, "RPG" means more than just stat-building depth; it also means story mechanics, choice and consequence, and being able to have a legitimate impact on the game world. I interpreted the CoD comparison as an intentional exaggeration, not an insult or direct comparison, to get the point across that E.Y.E. is no Deus Ex when it comes to the aforementioned mechanics, with the "RPG" aspects of the game being limited to pure gameplay mechanics (as in, you level up to become a more proficient shooter/hacker/etc).
 
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He was far from trolling, he was giving an honest and fair critique of the game, focusing on both the positive and negative from his point of view. To some of us, "RPG" means more than just stat-building depth; it also means story mechanics, choice and consequence, and being able to have a legitimate impact on the game world. I interpreted the CoD comparison as an intentional exaggeration, not an insult or direct comparison, to get the point across that E.Y.E. is no Deus Ex when it comes to the aforementioned mechanics, with the "RPG" aspects of the game being limited to pure gameplay mechanics (as in, you level up to become a more proficient shooter/hacker/etc).

Exactly.

I also wonder how far along other people are. The intro sections make the game seem like much more of an RPG than it actually is. There is a good bit of dialogue and the environments are neat. Then you start really going through the game's levels and realizing they are just big multiplayer maps with respawning bots who have no AI. And you realize the story thins out to almost nothing. And you feel sad.
 
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That thread shows so well why I made a good decision by banishing myself from those forums, beside not be able to suffer anymore the bunch of haters wandering here.

If I had stick here I would have read that thread and would have ban that game from my focus.

And I would have miss one of the most fun game I have played that last decade.

That forum evolved to a sort of blind and tend be rigid on some restrictive point of view.

Still checking a little the news titles because that is still unmatched anywhere.
 
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I think the game is very good at what it is, I just don't think it's a real RPG or the kind of game I wanted. I never said it was a bad game.
 
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That thread shows so well why I made a good decision by banishing myself from those forums, beside not be able to suffer anymore the bunch of haters wandering here.

If I had stick here I would have read that thread and would have ban that game from my focus.

And I would have miss one of the most fun game I have played that last decade.

That forum evolved to a sort of blind and tend be rigid on some restrictive point of view.

Still checking a little the news titles because that is still unmatched anywhere.

Not trying to be a language pedant but when you say "that" thread and "those" forums, you mean this thread and these forums, right? RPGWatch?

You are entitled to do as you please with your time but if you don't add your voice, the rest of us only get one point of view. I'd be interested in why you think it's a good game (I haven't played it because of the feedback) but if you only hit-and-run, I have no choice but to ignore your post because I don't have enough context.
 
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I must admit that I almost always mix "this" and "that", too ...
 
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4) Save system. The game saves automatically, you never have control. You have 10 lives to beat a level and respawn right where you died. If you lose all 10 lives you restart the level (though you keep exp and items you obtained). It's a symbol of the multiplayer-focused design. Also dying can permanently lower your stats.
.

Thanks Doc, just finished DEHR and saw this on Steam. It looked interesting but something about the game play in the videos made me NOT pull the trigger. As far as the type of games I like to play, this looks like a clearance bin game. Something to check out for a weekend, not a month (my typical play time with an RPG).

As far a dying permanetly lowering your stats - I thought that played out with Wizardry 1 & 2. Oh well, I think I'm gonna change up my game play with something like Bastion - that looks like a weekend game I can enjoy.
 
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