A lot more unlocks than I expected.
The only sore point for me is the usual “Damn, imagine if that had been in at launch”.
Like with any good changes that have a progression woven throughout the entire game and unlock retroactively for us old rabbits, it’s like getting the lost chapters in the Director’s Cut, long after you watched the movie.
It’s nice and gives a bit of closure, but you’re not really immersed in that anymore, you finished the story beforehand.
For new players starting out this is great. For many of us veterans it’s a bit meh. Still, nice update, good unlocks. Now to wait for the crafting update and what they do with that.
This is basically my issue. It’s almost all stuff that should have been there at launch, playing catch-up without touching the most high-profile issues, and as someone who only plays with friends and never solo queues, there’s not much enticing anyone back to play if they’ve already dropped out or uninstalled.
To be fair, I’m not keen on that aspect and liked it also the least about VT1 and VT2. It’s a multiplayer game, the game environment is the least suitable for 90’s / 2000’s type puzzle gameplay.
You will try to figure something out and the rest of the team will immediately try and hush you along. “GOTTA GO FASSSST GOTTA GO FAAAAAAST!”
Anyway, this is one of those features enhancing progression and the feeling you get while you start playing and getting into it. Features of this type, like the story with the traitor and it’s plot-twist, they really need to be in right when the game releases.
The whole traitor twist for instance never landed because the character hadn’t even been assigned to any role and thus there was no personal investment for players. So when you got to the end, you just felt puzzled.
And this new penance feature is much the same in that regard. It feels good to unlock new things, see your progress, the character interaction. But it only works for immersiveness when you are with it from the start of the journey. Getting an introduction cutscene addressing you as “first timer - new recruit” when you’re essentially halfway done with the game is really jarring.
Only found one so far, right smack in the middle of a mission (shortly before the end of a segment), and it worked great. Braindead puzzle, but it required some attention so there was a risk and reward.
Quite liked it! Can’t speak for the others yet, but for a fun (and momentary) diversion, I really enjoyed this first one. And I am sufficiently soothed by the fact that I won’t be suffering through jump puzzles every mission like for some grims/tomes in VT2.
I dunno, it’s working for me right now, 1k hours in. I logged in and claimed literally half of the rewards, and I’ve got half of them left to earn.
The traitor story bit, sure, but then I’m not harmed by others having a more complete experience now. Now I’ve just got more carrots and more brain-juicing pings to compliment the gameplay I’m already (and still) obsessed with.
99% of them being throwaway frames and badges. The few actual cosmetics are just the data mined alternativ penance gear that has been there since release.
They need to release new maps and weapons. Some actual content. Not this fluff.
I’m gonna be honest, this and HD2 both get my brain to make the happy chemical by giving me a carrot to chase now. HD2 has the new enemies, I want to work my way up to earning that cool bolt-action rifle that just dropped, and the Galactic War. Darktide now has the loyalist Moebian cosmetics, some balance shifts that might make me try some new psyker and vet builds, and title-hunting plus map secrets.
And the Fallout TV show made me revive my old save from last year in order to continue rebuilding the Commonwealth…
im old i didnt come up on xbox these achievements and hunting them is just not something that interests me , but from what i saw it looked like it was done well
i did like the balance changes , they seemed to be going right direction
Someone putting in some arbitrary nonsense so some idiots can feel clever for a moment. They are always so bloody dumb.
And on top of that, I bloody hate the new gas condition. Ah well. Here I was hoping I might just be able to ignore the gas. But nope, its dividing teams, getting people cut off and killed. Forcing groups to wait for the gas to subside. It is again, arbitrary, with zero reward, and utterly irritating.
First time? But yeah, I like the changes, even if some I’m sure caused some NEW problems. I heard some disturbing rumours of even more problems with intensity / the AI director taking yet another day off.
Pretty much. This update isn’t my kind of update, but I can see the value in it. Lots of people do like chasing achievements, so I can see the new penance system improving the longevity of the game if Fatshark continues to iterate upon it.
The crafting update should have been out long ago. But hey, maybe the players who it brings back will be more likely to stay with a good penance system in place.
It’s really good. If the utterly tripe and worthless cosmetics weren’t enough, the game is also completely broken with seconds long stutters and hitches now.
But yeah, I like the changes, even if some I’m sure caused some NEW problems. I heard some disturbing rumours of even more problems with intensity / the AI director taking yet another day off.