Respawn Monday #16: Jean Fart Gas and Onimusha Goodness
Another busy week. I have a lot to share: not only did my Marvel’s Wolverine review launch once the embargo lifted, but I’m also playing Onimusha: Way of the Sword and visited Ubisoft Philippines for insight into the country’s first triple-A studio.
I’ll share my time with Ubisoft in the coming days, but first, the online chatter that has consumed Sony’s new PS5 exclusive, and Onimusha being a master class at delivering a satisfying parry system.
Some thoughts.
Stop Guiding Me, GAME!
Of all the things that are sticking out about Marvel’s Wolverine online, one of the weirdest is the player disdain for a gas trail showing the player the right way to progress. Jean’s fart gas, as now described by the vocal online community, started when Skill Up’s review criticized the game’s mechanic of guiding a player, a system that no one liked the moment it was shown in action in trailers and preview gameplay footage.
The mechanic is simple: thanks to Wolverine’s heightened senses, he can smell and track where to go, and that led Insomniac Games to make a guide system around Logan’s known abilities.
This ability is then used when the game wants to highlight something important. Interactable objects and collectibles will be highlighted by this gaseous marker, giving the impression that Wolvie can sniff out characters, objects, and other important items.
I never thought this was a bad idea, or an intrusive one. I didn’t feel annoyed or feel like it was watering down the experience. Other systems are doing a better job at doing that for the game, but the guide system? As I was reviewing the game, I barely thought of it as either a pro or a con. It just feels like a standard altered to fit the character.
But for those online, and for some reviewers, this is a major turnoff, which is a weird stance to have. It has become so heated and exaggerated that it feels like people might cancel their pre-orders because they are being forcefully guided by a system that can’t be turned off, despite the game having an impressive array of accessibility options.
To each their own on how they want to experience their game. But this is blown out of proportion, because if the studio magically caves and patches the game with the ability to turn off the mechanic, it’s very likely they’ll have a different criticism to focus on. This isn’t about inconvenience; it feels like genuine hate beyond the game in question. It runs deeper.
There are other complaints, some valid, while some can be described as nitpicking by those who have only watched, not played, the game.
Onimusha Parry is Very Effective!
On the other side, I’m playing Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Capcom’s latest title that revived a beloved franchise. So far, it’s nothing but fantastic, with one feature sticking out and being the source of the fun: parrying.
It’s simple, as it works like any other parry mechanic: press the parry button right before an enemy attack connects, and you deflect the blow, leaving the enemy exposed. The beauty of how Way of the Sword does it is that it feels like there’s weight in your parry. Fail to do it right, you simply get hit. Do it successfully, and you are rewarded with unique animations that occur.
It’s not a simple block animation. We see Musashi’s expertise with the katana on display through the parry system, as how he deflects also changes depending on where the attack is coming from. Either from the side or behind, the parry animation is lovely to see and hear, a burst of dopamine that builds especially when you pull off one parry after another.
The parry system shines even further during boss encounters, as it seems like the best form of defense to slowly chip away and eventually expose the boss for a massive damage dump. The amount of effort put into the parry animations makes these boss encounters feel more cinematic. Some animations are obviously scripted, but I like how i’m the missing piece in the choreography. Bosses are such a big highlight for the game, as they are challenging and satisfying to clear. It’s almost the same feeling as beating a near-impossible boss from a Soulslike game.
I’m not done with the game, but Capcom is on a roll. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is yet another entry that is doing rather well in critical reception and player impressions. With their success with Resident Evil: Requiem and their new IP PRAGMATA, it’s insane that one company was able to find success with a new entry from one of their flagship franchises, from an entirely new series, and from even a once-dormant one.
More soon as I’m also reviewing a game still embargoed and will share what i’ve learned during my visit at the Ubisoft Philippines office.
How was your weekend?
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Respawn Monday #14: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Beta and my Return to R6
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About the Author - Carlos Hernandez
Carlos Hernandez is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Too Much Gaming, where he writes about video games, reviews, and industry news. A lifelong gamer, he would do anything to experience Final Fantasy Tactics for the first time again and has a love/hate relationship with games that require hunting for new gear to improve your character.
Marvel’s Wolverine is a solid video game, and I enjoyed my time with it, but I left wanting more from both the game and the character. It succeeds at making you feel like Wolverine, even if the game surrounding that fantasy isn't always as compelling.