Iron Brigade

[vimes]

Oh, I really like the background story; I hope it's properly used in the campaign... I'm actually surprised because their two core characters don't seem to really lend themselves to the manly-manly-MANLY satirical angle : a disabled scientist corrupting its wish to bring the world to him and a scientist who help the disabled; that's pretty rich stuff on its own, isn't it ?

[David]

You're turning into Kingz, Patters.

Personal attacks can fuck off.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Personal attacks can fuck off.

[MrHoatzin]

Of course, that was a personal attack at Patters. It is normal, natural even, for "Kingz" to be used acrimoniously, 'cause, you know, fuck that guy.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Of course, that was a personal attack at Patters. It is normal, natural even, for "Kingz" to be used acrimoniously, 'cause, you know, fuck that guy.

Well, you have been pretty abusive lately. You've even acknowledged it, too; Complaining that those who were offended were taking you too seriously... It's not what I would normally associate with you, however. It was a playful way of pointing out that Patters was being abusive.

[Snooglebum]

*singing* Angrrrryyyyy thuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmbbbssssss.

[Sno]

http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-ex-trenched/17-4162/

Guys, guys, guys...

I really want to play this.

Really, really badly.

[twmac]

Sold; am really looking forward to this game now.

There really is too much stuff coming out in the next 2 months that I want to buy.

[Erkki]

http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-ex-trenched/17-4162/

Yawn... 15 minutes in and they're still in the trench customization menu and talking about how things are assigned to controls. Show me the damn gameplay!

[edit]gameplay starts at around 25 minutes, for my fellow time-challenged thumbs.

[Sno]

Yawn... 15 minutes in and they're still in the trench customization menu and talking about how things are assigned to controls.

I found that all to be the most interesting stuff in the video, i guess you have to be a fan of mech games, heh.

[Erkki]

I found that all to be the most interesting stuff in the video, i guess you have to be a fan of mech games, heh.

Yeah, I guess because I never was.

[twmac]

Yeah, I am glad that they showed the customisation sections. That was really important to me as a mech fan, explaining the balancing between the different chassis was a good way to tick the box for the mech shooter fans.

So, sorry Erkki, this guy was preaching to the 'converted'.

[Sno]

I really like what i saw.

It seems like they're giving you a lot of interesting options to play with, and while none of it looks especially involved, it's probably the right level of depth for this game.

[Justin Leego]

A more accurate title for this game would be "Trenched: DoubleFine's Ode to Big Dog".

[Raff]

Delayed in Europe. Day ruined.

[Gwardinen]

Delayed in Europe. Day ruined.

I was just coming in to ask if anyone knew if it wasn't on XBLA in EU for a specific reason. Is it actually delayed or has it just not shown up yet?

[Raff]

It's fo' real.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-22-trenched-delayed-in-europe

[Gwardinen]

I'm seriously considering buying it with some of the money I don't have once it finally hits Europe. Do we have a Trenched posse ready for some multiplayer at all?

[Sno]

I've been playing this co-op with some friends, it is amazing. Instantly one of my XBLA favorites. Worried it'll be short though, blew through five of the missions really quickly. If it ends prematurely, i'm hoping there's at least hard-mode remixes of the levels or something.

After a few hours, my build is a heavy chassis with armored tripod legs, a cluster-munitions artillery cannon, a rotary automatic shotgun, and a giant two-slot flak cannon. My emplacement summons are less impressive, just average shotguns and field repair stations. (They cost me more to summon because of the heavy chassis too.) I'm basically tanking, letting other people run around worrying about managing the turrets.

Love the lobby system, being able to walk up to and inspect a buddy's Trench. Lots of dumb laughter watching people run around saluting eachother. (With analogue trigger control!) The player model is so stoic and lifeless, standing completely motionless while his right arm flails around wildly, it's the kind of bad that ends up being hysterical.

Edited June 23, 2011 by Sno

[Squid Division]

I like it a lot, but it is not easy. I've been playing coop and not any singleplayer - does it scale depending on how many players there are?

It's a competent enough mech game that I wish it was more than just tower defense.

[Sno]

I like it a lot, but it is not easy. I've been playing coop and not any singleplayer - does it scale depending on how many players there are?

Not easy? How so? How far in did you get?

As for difficulty scaling, the way i understand it is that it scales by how much scrap it gives you, so more players = less scrap for turrets.

It's a competent enough mech game that I wish it was more than just tower defense.

What do you mean, exactly? Just objective/survival missions without the defense aspect, or some kind of competitive element?

[Squid Division]

Not easy? How so? How far in did you get?

Well it's not hard - we've gotten at least a silver on the four or five missions we've done so far. It's about the perfect difficulty for the challenge for sense of accomplishment, I just expected more easy, get-you-used to the mechanics games. And you can't really sail through any of the missions either.

What do you mean, exactly? Just objective/survival missions without the defense aspect, or some kind of competitive element?

Yes and yes. Upping the damage/lowering the health for the trenches would probably provide a fairly fun competitive deathmatch mode. It's arbitrary and tangential, but I think it's more a credit to the way they've made mechs in the Brutal Engine. Plus it'd probably ensure that I keep playing the game for a long, long time.

[Karimi]

A more accurate title for this game would be "Trenched: DoubleFine's Ode to Big Dog".

I love this reference

[Sno]

Upping the damage/lowering the health for the trenches would probably provide a fairly fun competitive deathmatch mode. It's arbitrary and tangential, but I think it's more a credit to the way they've made mechs in the Brutal Engine. Plus it'd probably ensure that I keep playing the game for a long, long time.

Definitely can't agree with that, I don't think these gameplay mechanics and this balancing would make for a very good competitive game. I would rather have some kind of endless mode or something to cap off the experience.

Anyways, the game is apparently fifteen levels, and i made it through the first 10 in about five hours. (A lot of that time was spent trying to engineer lewd gestures with the analogue salutes.) Not at all awful for a fifteen dollar game, but the escalating equipment progression takes all the challenge out of the earlier stages if you go back to replay them, which is a bummer.

Had some small technical problems with the game, started hitching up every couple of seconds after a few hours, had to quit out to resolve it.

[ThunderPeel2001]

So... What's the verdict chaps? The best DoubleFine game since Psychonauts? Or is it on the same levels as Costume Quest and Stacked?