Topic: RetroActive #9: Geist (Special Edition)

[Jonnyboy117]

LOL, RetroActive is taking over GameFly. Or else they only have a couple of copies.

gojira, it's really quite cheap for a used copy. If you can afford $6 on it, there is still time.

[gojira]

LOL, RetroActive is taking over GameFly. Or else they only have a couple of copies.

gojira, it's really quite cheap for a used copy. If you can afford $6 on it, there is still time.

I know, and I'd probably do it if I didn't just buy a 360 and a bunch of games.  Six dollars or whatever isn't much and I could definitely afford it.  It's just that I have way too many games right now that I need to play.  I've even put off my purchase of Muramasa which I planned on getting right away. 

[Mop it up]

Gamefly still rents GameCube games? That's pretty cool. If the service was cheaper then I might subscribe to it, but I'd rather use that money to actually buy games with.

[gojira]

Gamefly still rents GameCube games? That's pretty cool. If the service was cheaper then I might subscribe to it, but I'd rather use that money to actually buy games with.

They even still rent GBA games.  I found that using a service like Gamefly saves me money.  I'm the type of person who wants to play every game.  And when it comes to purchases, I still buy the AAA games I know I'm going to enjoy and rent whatever I'm interested in. 

[Rize]

I remember liking this at E3 '05, but I couldn't get into it at when I finally brought a copy home.  Some day I'll have to give it another shot... maybe if I break my legs and end up in a bed for a few months.

[NWR_DrewMG]

I got it via Goozex, but it's really taking forever to get here.  First guy who accepted the trade messaged me a few days later apologizing because he didn't really have it.  Come on, don't accept the trade if you don't have the game.

Now waiting for guy #2 to accept the trade. 

[Jonnyboy117]

Word of warning: we had to move up our talk with Jeff to Wednesday night (that's tomorrow!), so if you have any questions or comments for him, start posting those now.

[ShyGuy]

Ask him if he thinks most of the best tricks of the game are in the first few levels.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Unfortunately I cannot find my copy of Geist, but I have a couple of questions with him:

1. Geist had various polish issues. Was the game rushed, were their any significant problems in the development process?

2. Has he heard any news of a sequel? Were there any plans after the completion of Geist for a sequel?

3. What were the sales like for it?

4. What did he feel worked, and did not work in  the final product?

[Mop it up]

Ask him why it was titled "Geist" instead of "Poltergeist".

[ShyGuy]

Ask him if he thinks putting all the development time into the split screen multiplayer was worth it.

[GearBoxClock]

Hurm. I remember this had a  lot of fanfare, but didn't flesh out some of the more interesting aspects. The EB Games near my house has a copy for $5, I should pick it up.

Also, ask him what the finished product would have been like if it had more time to be developed and polished.

[Jonnyboy117]

The interview is long past and can now be heard in Episode 163. However, we'll talk about some of these questions on the next episode, as well as read aloud some of your comments on the game (so start posting your comments, please!).

[ejamer]

Geist is a game that I've wanted to try for a long time - the concept of possession to progress is great- but have never settled down to play because of reported issues with polish and gameplay.  This RetroActive playthrough is just the boot needed to actually buy and play the game!

----

About an hour in after starting last night, and my initial impressions are that Geist has great ideas but also some problems in implementation.

The initial FPS section felt awkward -- was my preference against dual-analogs just showing through? -- but after switching to an incorporeal body everything felt much smoother and gameplay was more puzzle-like.  The change of pace was enjoyable, and the broad goal (escape from the containment area) forced me to explore and experiment instead of simply leading me by the hand through each step of the escape.  If the rest of the game follows these lines and includes some creative or unusual puzzles, then Geist should be very enjoyable.

----

Have other people started playing?  And how far should we play through during this week?  The fewer spoilers posted the more enjoyable the game will be, so I'm hoping not to read too much until getting into the game.

[NWR_DrewMG]

Hey ejamer, I recognize you from the infendo comment threads.  I used to post over there as Andrew-MG.  Nice to see you over here at NWR.

I finally got my copy of the game in the mail yesterday and I played for a bit.  The game looks and plays above my expectations thus far, and I'm hoping to dig into the game some more this evening.  I only got to play the first 30 minutes or so. 

But so far, I'm impressed!

[GearBoxClock]

I got Geist recently, and I am glad I did. The puzzles make sense, although some of the layout could've been more intuitive. The possessions of non-humans are enjoyable, and the fact that some of the earlier sections allow for a semi-stealthy approach (pretend to be an enemy) is very enjoyable. The story is of decent quality, although I'm still very early in the game, and the voice acting is fairly good. I wouldn't classify it as horror, as much as First Person Action/Puzzle. Overall, this is a very enjoyable game.

[Jonnyboy117]

I'm getting close to finishing the story mode. Has anyone tried multiplayer? How does that even work, and is it fun?

[bustin98]

Yeah, I played multi-player, a long time ago. It has some fun elements to it, but its your basic stuff with some gimmicks. Its been so long that I guess I can't really comment too much on it. Sorry...

[gojira]

Got Geist from Gamefly today.  Initially I wasn't too impressed.  I don't really care for the FPS genre and I've been playing through the Metroid Prime Trilogy, so the game felt very clunky to me.  But once you became a ghost and start doing more of the puzzle stuff I got into it.  That being said, the game kinda reminds me of Mirror's Edge where I really tried to avoid combat when I could.  Maybe the dual analog FPS vets out there don't have the problems I do, but it just doesn't jive with my tastes.  There have been some great parts especially that bit at the beginning where you were being trained in the faux utopian type place.  Definitely looking forward to playing more.

[ejamer]

... That being said, the game kinda reminds me of Mirror's Edge where I really tried to avoid combat when I could.   ...

(Note: Only at the second boss so far, so not very deep in the game.)

I agree that combat just doesn't feel very smooth or interesting, and it's much better to avoid fighting whenever possible - at least initially.  But you can't avoid fighting forever.  Luckily, combat improved the further I got into the game as I began to mix fighting and possession in more interesting ways.

Initially I would possess a body and then play "normally" for as long as possible until being forced to jump into something else.  But that didn't take advantage of the unique gameplay for Geist and led to a disappointingly "ordinary" FPS experience.

Over time I've gotten more used to jumping in and out of bodies to help with combat - first by scouting out an area to see what's ahead, and later taking advantage of inanimate objects (grenades, explosive boxes, gun turrets) during busy combat moments.  Both the first and second bosses

I'm hoping the game will find more reasons to spend time in your incorporeal form as it continues, and place less and less focus on normal FPS action... so far it really hasn't lived up to it's potential, but has offered flashes of brilliance.

[Jonnyboy117]

I'm hoping the game will find more reasons to spend time in your incorporeal form as it continues, and place less and less focus on normal FPS action... so far it really hasn't lived up to it's potential, but has offered flashes of brilliance.

Keep playing. There is one entire chapter played in ghost form, and it is very cool.

[trip1eX]

Fun interesting game that was held back by the sub-standard production values. 

It's a bit like Red Steel in that regard.

[GearBoxClock]

I'm getting close to finishing the story mode. Has anyone tried multiplayer? How does that even work, and is it fun?

Ehh, I tried it against bots and with a friend. The multiplayer is fairly average. Its not bad, but it probably could've been better. I do have quite a bit of fun with some of it, but the capture the host mode... I don't enjoy it.

[gojira]

Finally finished Geist.  I have to say it definitely peaks in the middle.  The game already has wonky controls, but then on top of that you have to fight them even more so because of certain enemies introduced later in the game.  And at points during the final boss fight your control is altered as well.  Also you basically don't need to leave your body for the last couple of levels.  Outside the of the fight against the two creatures at once, the end of the game was a bit of a chore. 

Where the game really shines are the possession puzzles or fights that use possession in interesting ways.  The game has so much potential in that aspect.  For instance, I got to like some of the characters I possessed.  It would be really interesting if they expanded on that.

Ultimately despite not really enjoying the shooter parts I feel overall it is a very worthwhile game to play.  It has a lot of very interesting ideas.  The story is pretty good and I liked a lot of the characters.  It's unfortunate there hasn't been a Geist 2 to take the better parts and expand on them further. 

[Jonnyboy117]

I too just got to the end, though I haven't and probably won't beat the game. The first "final" boss is excellent, requiring all the skills (including strategic possession) that you've learned up to that point. The second and truly final boss is a massive pain, though. I don't even mind the fact that it plays differently from everything else -- my problem is how you're being pushed around on currents of ethereal wind, which makes dodging (or even seeing) sometimes impossible. I gave up after several attempts, convinced that I was playing it as well as possible and was only being defeated by bad luck or inability to fully control my character. That's the only part of the game that truly pissed me off, but at least it came at the end.