Medieval Move: Deadmund's Quest
- Thread starter patsu
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Metacritic currently pegs it at 70 from 7 reviews, scores ranging from 80 to 50. Not bad really for an on-rails game. GT give it 66/100. Seems like a fun diversion, an integration of Sports Champions mechanics into a proper game, hurt mostly by lack of free movement limiting the experience to just combat. But as such, four 8/10 reviews including IGN is pretty positive!
Edit: It's not on EU PSN store.
Edit: It's not on EU PSN store.
I look forward to your impressions. Eurogamer just gve it 5/10! too repetitive. There doesn't appear to be any form of progression in game style (levelling, different weapon styles).
I tested it for about 10 minutes last night.
There is indeed a drift after you swing the controllers for a while. You'll need to recalibrate along the way.
The tracking is also accurate (sword swing, shield positioning, archery and grappling hook). But because of the drift, you'll find that you no longer point straight ahead (perfectly) when aligning the crosshair in archery.
The game story itself is pedestrian. Should have just focused on the action like the arcade House of Dead.
The tracking doesn't seem to use absolute positioning. So sword fights are more about heavy and fast swing. Subtle movement won't do any/much damage.
I can see the on-rail part limits the boss fights (Not as interesting as Sports Champion's gladiator game). The regular grunt fight can indeed be repetitive. I am still early in the game. Will probably wrap up this weekend with my kid.
Sports Champions is still their signature game. That one is amazing.
There is indeed a drift after you swing the controllers for a while. You'll need to recalibrate along the way.
The tracking is also accurate (sword swing, shield positioning, archery and grappling hook). But because of the drift, you'll find that you no longer point straight ahead (perfectly) when aligning the crosshair in archery.
The game story itself is pedestrian. Should have just focused on the action like the arcade House of Dead.
The tracking doesn't seem to use absolute positioning. So sword fights are more about heavy and fast swing. Subtle movement won't do any/much damage.
I can see the on-rail part limits the boss fights (Not as interesting as Sports Champion's gladiator game). The regular grunt fight can indeed be repetitive. I am still early in the game. Will probably wrap up this weekend with my kid.
Sports Champions is still their signature game. That one is amazing.
Played some more with my son. The story mode is strictly SP only. When old fart patsu plays the game, it's a walk in the park. When a 6 year old plays it, the game turns into a real adventure. He chose regular difficulty (Knight). I was hanging on to my pillow cheering for the kid in tears 
. We had to switch to Squire mode in Chapter 3.
The latter boss fights are more interesting and engaging. You also get more actions (throwing stars, turning wheel, drinking potion). The most fun part is probably throwing stars (ala disc golf). It's fast and _powerful_, makes the kid feels like a hero. So I'd say on-rail is probably a good choice since it simplifies the game.
The only real complain I have is I wish for a "jump to enemy archer" button. The archers are difficult for kids because they can't stabilize their aim. It would be great if we can let the player close in on them. Alternatively, make the zoom mode less sensitive so I won't get motion sickness when the kid tries to get a clear shot.
If you want MP, you have to play Battle mode (Arena combat). We played local co-op, but there is an online mode, which is intriguing (Think Sports Champions online).
I believe the game should have been on PSN. If possible, they should charge less. And then give us more weapons in DLC. I actually don't mind playing this with my son. He has been waiting for a Move game for a l.o.n.g. while now. Most of the Move games I own are for teenagers and adults.
. We had to switch to Squire mode in Chapter 3. The latter boss fights are more interesting and engaging. You also get more actions (throwing stars, turning wheel, drinking potion). The most fun part is probably throwing stars (ala disc golf). It's fast and _powerful_, makes the kid feels like a hero. So I'd say on-rail is probably a good choice since it simplifies the game.
The only real complain I have is I wish for a "jump to enemy archer" button. The archers are difficult for kids because they can't stabilize their aim. It would be great if we can let the player close in on them. Alternatively, make the zoom mode less sensitive so I won't get motion sickness when the kid tries to get a clear shot.
If you want MP, you have to play Battle mode (Arena combat). We played local co-op, but there is an online mode, which is intriguing (Think Sports Champions online).
I believe the game should have been on PSN. If possible, they should charge less. And then give us more weapons in DLC. I actually don't mind playing this with my son. He has been waiting for a Move game for a l.o.n.g. while now. Most of the Move games I own are for teenagers and adults.
My wife, son and I played the game over the past 2-3 days. We have not completed the game yet but I think we know enough now to answer the points above.
"too repetitive"
It is repetitive in the sense that you fight pirates over and over in Uncharted 1, Splicers in Bioshock, Covenants + Flood in Halo, pigs in Angry Bird. I don't think it's necessarily a fair complain. The bosses and grunts do vary. You get small, medium, big, bigger enemies. I can already see a giant enemy but we have not fought him yet. Some enemies can fly and are armed with machine gun, some charge with a sword and may carry a shield, some throw axe, some shoot arrows, some throw rolling/bouncing barrel of explosive, and more. Some enemy shields can be damaged. Some are made of steel. Besides shooting and melee, you will also encounter traps in at least one stage. You will need to avoid danger while the on-rail system platform you through the level. I have no idea what comes next.
"There doesn't appear to be any form of progression in game style (leveling, different weapon styles)"
Yes and no. I watched my son and wife play. Because this is motion gaming, you'll see the player improve and improvise pretty naturally along the way. They will learn to mix and match their moves to defend and attack when faced with multiple enemies. In fact, they are better than me in blocking projectiles and counter-attacking continuously. It's not that easy to execute flawlessly. So there is this sense of depth and progression for motion gaming.
In terms of items, you'll get sword, shield, bow & arrow, throwing stars, dynamite, grappling hook, milk (health potion) over time. I don't know if there will be more since we have not completed the game. In terms of action, you have turning a pulley/wheel, twisting a key, balancing on a log, dodging/avoiding certain danger in a platform level. For item progression, I did get improved sword and shield so far. The new shield I get recovers a little health whenever I deflect a hit successfully. The new sword is of course more powerful.
I thought the most interesting weapon was the throwing star. I was wrong. We got a dynamite yesterday. You cover the Move light ball to lit the dynamite, and then throw it.
I don't think this game is the Angry Bird of Move, but it is a good Move showcase. I don't consider EyePet a good game because I think there are too much fluff for kids there. I have little patience for it despite the fact that I
the tech behind it. Sports Champions remains the best. But I would recommend Deadmund to a family with kids and a gaming tradition.The thing I don't like or understand about Deadmund, and this applies to Little Big Planet too, is the steep difficulty up front for kids -- although to be fair, the game is rated for 10+ and my son is only 6. My kid threw the Move controller 3 times on the first night. Just like LBP, I had to calm him down and encourage him to persist. The good thing is... On the third night, he beat 3 more bosses on his own. My wife also get back to the game because she sees it as a mild form of exercise. The downside is we all ended up with a somewhat sore right arm.
The MP section. The invasion and guard modes are difficult. We could only clear 7 invasion waves so far. There is also the versus mode. My son wants to play versus mode with my wife, but we have not started.
While I may not like the game as much as Festival of Blood, Plants vs Zombies, Everyday Shooter or Flower or LBP, I am happy I got the game for my wife and kid.
EDIT: I forgot to say you can also power up your Captain's Sword once you fill a meter. So this is another dimension for leveling/progression.
It's available now for £20 on UK PSN. Sounds good value for a family game at that price.
