AnimeSuki Forums

Ledgem · 2011-12-05, 23:41

I guess my hard-core gaming days are over, and now I find myself in the "casual gamer" category.

Anyone else playing this? I admit that I skipped the first one (although I may go back to it now), but felt compelled to get this one on its release day. Gameplay is fairly simple and consists of learning enemy patterns, reaction times, and reading enemy movements. Compared with the original Infinity Blade, weapons classes have been introduced - there's the "heavy" class (battle axes/hammers; no ability to dodge) and the "dual" class (two swords; no ability to block, it's pure dodging and parrying - this has become my favorite class). The graphics are gorgeous by any standard, and are made even more impressive given the hardware that they're running on. (I know, it's partly because the resolution is so low...)

Hard-core gamers might get tired of it quickly, but for casual gaming, it's fantastic. If I'm stuck waiting for 10-20 minutes during my day, I can just pull this out, take on a few enemies, and then put it away to continue later.

blaze0041 · 2011-12-06, 05:59

I bought the first Infinity Blade when on its launch day. For me, it got a little repetitive, but it definitely looked great, showing off the power and ubiquity of Unreal Engine 3, and I sometimes go back to it if I have the time... For me, the simplicity of the RPG elements are a big plus of the game.
I haven't played it in a while though. Heck, I don't think I have the motivation to even get the actual Infinity Blade.
The setting of Infinity Blade II, however, looks quite interesting. Perhaps I'll buy it once it goes on sale, or perhaps wait until after the year is over (funds depleted

).

Undertaker · 2011-12-06, 23:26

Exactly what is the game like?

I was interested in it before and every time I got sucked in by the graphic and the RPG tag, I was pushed away by the fact that people keep describing it as dungeon crawler RPG, the type I hate the most of all RPG...

Ledgem · 2011-12-06, 23:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertaker

Exactly what is the game like?

I was interested in it before and every time I got sucked in by the graphic and the RPG tag, I was pushed away by the fact that people keep describing it as dungeon crawler RPG, the type I hate the most of all RPG...

I'll admit that it's pretty simple and fairly repetitive. If you're looking for a game that you can sit and play for hours on end, this isn't it. I generally play in 10-40 minute spurts once or twice a day, and it's perfect for that.

There are two basic aspects to the game: the fight, and moving. Fights feel epic every time, even though what you're actually doing is fairly simple. If the enemy is swinging at you from the left, you swipe your finger from right to left to swing left and parry; if the enemy is swinging with a move you can't parry (such as a kick or a shield), you tap a space on the bottom left to either block (if you're using a heavy-class weapon) or dodge (light- or dual-class). In the beginning, nearly all enemies attack with single attacks that can be parried; I'm now level 27 and enemies are starting to chain attacks, including many of which can't be parried. It raises the difficulty. Dodge or parry enough and you create an opening where you can open up on the enemy for a few seconds before they "come to." In this manner there's a sort of pattern to each fight, and it's a bit of an endurance test.

After a fight, you're presented with a scene and possible paths to take. You can rotate the camera's view about the scene and collect any randomly spawned items (gold is a frequent spawn) or open chests. This is also the time when you would purchase new equipment, or swap between equipment that you already own. Otherwise, you choose your path, see your character moving (during which you can grab any other spawns that the camera pans across), and you're on to the next area. An enemy will then block your path, and you initiate the fight whenever you're ready. You can't go back, and you can't avoid fights (with the exception of two that I've come across - the fights seem to be optional).

Once you reach the end of a trail, there's generally a boss and/or an event that will kill your character. At that point you start the next "rebirth," which places you back at the very beginning (with all items, gold, levels etc. intact - note that dying to a regular enemy will give you the option of restarting from the point right before that fight, or initiating another rebirth). Enemies are randomized and have different weapons and move sets, so there's a bit of variety to keep things fresh. And while the scenes don't change, there are some different paths that you can take (this contrasts with the first game, which supposedly had a single, linear path each time).

The story is advanced slightly at each boss, but unless the ending reveals a ton of stuff, I feel as if we won't learn much during the game. It's a good story premise, but if you're buying this, it should be more about the gameplay than the story.

Hope it helps

k//eternal · 2011-12-07, 03:42

The first game actually had a few different paths, but with one exception they all led to the same endpoint, so the difference was mainly the types of enemies you were fighting along the way, the number of them, and the amount of treasure.

For those familiar with IB1, this game adds three new enemy types (not skins--as you know, several enemies that looked different in IB1 played identically. There are multiple skins of each of these as well), more bosses, of which some can now sling magic, a larger environment with somewhat more exploration (but don't kid yourself, it's not THAT large and you'll see it all fairly quickly), and new fighting styles.

You can stick gems onto your equipment, and often gem effects are enormous and overshadow your gear itself. Some of it's a little broken.

There's a bit more plot than in IB1, but it's presented rather poorly--to appreciate it fully, you'll want to pick up the book. Which, I might add, is surprisingly good, so it's hardly a loss to do so.

For those who haven't played the first game, I'd recommend picking that up before this. The game does go over some mechanics in the prologue, but assumes knowledge of others, and it's ultimately less confusing to have played the first.

2011-12-05, 23:41	Link #1
Ledgem Love Yourself Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Northeast USA Age: 38	[iOS] Infinity Blade II I guess my hard-core gaming days are over, and now I find myself in the "casual gamer" category. Anyone else playing this? I admit that I skipped the first one (although I may go back to it now), but felt compelled to get this one on its release day. Gameplay is fairly simple and consists of learning enemy patterns, reaction times, and reading enemy movements. Compared with the original Infinity Blade, weapons classes have been introduced - there's the "heavy" class (battle axes/hammers; no ability to dodge) and the "dual" class (two swords; no ability to block, it's pure dodging and parrying - this has become my favorite class). The graphics are gorgeous by any standard, and are made even more impressive given the hardware that they're running on. (I know, it's partly because the resolution is so low...) Hard-core gamers might get tired of it quickly, but for casual gaming, it's fantastic. If I'm stuck waiting for 10-20 minutes during my day, I can just pull this out, take on a few enemies, and then put it away to continue later. __________________

2011-12-06, 05:59	Link #2
blaze0041 a.k.a. Flammenkrieg IT Support Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Down under...	I bought the first Infinity Blade when on its launch day. For me, it got a little repetitive, but it definitely looked great, showing off the power and ubiquity of Unreal Engine 3, and I sometimes go back to it if I have the time... For me, the simplicity of the RPG elements are a big plus of the game. I haven't played it in a while though. Heck, I don't think I have the motivation to even get the actual Infinity Blade. The setting of Infinity Blade II, however, looks quite interesting. Perhaps I'll buy it once it goes on sale, or perhaps wait until after the year is over (funds depleted ). __________________ "Make sure you do a good job with your life's blueprint." - Kanna Makino

2011-12-06, 23:26	Link #3
Undertaker Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: U.S.	Exactly what is the game like? I was interested in it before and every time I got sucked in by the graphic and the RPG tag, I was pushed away by the fact that people keep describing it as dungeon crawler RPG, the type I hate the most of all RPG... __________________

2011-12-07, 03:42	Link #5
k//eternal do you know ベアトリーチェ様? Join Date: Dec 2003 Age: 35	The first game actually had a few different paths, but with one exception they all led to the same endpoint, so the difference was mainly the types of enemies you were fighting along the way, the number of them, and the amount of treasure. For those familiar with IB1, this game adds three new enemy types (not skins--as you know, several enemies that looked different in IB1 played identically. There are multiple skins of each of these as well), more bosses, of which some can now sling magic, a larger environment with somewhat more exploration (but don't kid yourself, it's not THAT large and you'll see it all fairly quickly), and new fighting styles. You can stick gems onto your equipment, and often gem effects are enormous and overshadow your gear itself. Some of it's a little broken. There's a bit more plot than in IB1, but it's presented rather poorly--to appreciate it fully, you'll want to pick up the book. Which, I might add, is surprisingly good, so it's hardly a loss to do so. For those who haven't played the first game, I'd recommend picking that up before this. The game does go over some mechanics in the prologue, but assumes knowledge of others, and it's ultimately less confusing to have played the first.