Nether - Total win or Ultimate Fail?

[LeoIvanov]

So, recently FrankieonPC has posted a video showing the official live action trailer for the game called "The Nether", which yet again brings a concept of survival in vast post-apocalyptic environment, with a twist from many successful zombie games that has been on the market already - DayZ, L4D2, The Last of Us...

 

 

The trailer directly leads us to another video - that one is from the Nether's early footage video, which is also posted as unlisted, so only people from certain link can watch it. (Which is pretty fine, IMO. Whoever is interested - can watch it, while others who are "sick" of zombie games can never even stumble on it).

 

 

The video shows the MASSIVE open world environment - SKYSCRAPERS followed with SKYSCRAPERS and tall buildings in a tight formation, wrecked, rusty cars, nature partially taking over what originally was it's property. Buildings with thousands windows, just waiting for a potential sniper to notice you and snipe you off for another bag of supplies. What could POSSIBLY go wrong, right guys? RIGHT?

 

Wrong. The game, as shown in early development video, brings the new type of enemies to the table - The Nethers. Those are demonic-like creatures that behave in a similar way to zombies, and are out there to eat your guts. AND IT'S FINE with me, what I do however HATE about it is that they've made them TELEPORT.

 

FREAKING - TELEPORT! Now that you think we've seen enough of bad zombie adaptations that make absolute no sense, or bring any sort of fear whatsoever (but instead - massive amount of frustration), we get this game. It is like taking a VERY FREAKING COOL concept, spend months of work on it and then THROW IT out of the window, let it smear in dirt and crash against the ground in tiny pieces, pick it up and put it back into the game.

 

Teleporting zombies/demons are NOT fun. They aren't just "not scary", they are more like "annoying as HELL". Even the voice who was promoting the game design said something along the lines of "Even if you you've set yourself up on that rooftop and think you're safe - you are NOT. They can teleport, and they are not out there to hug you." At that point I almost turned the video off. I can't stress myself enough over how a game that might potentially be THE BEST post-apocalyptic survival game, joining in lines with games like DayZ, Project Zomboid, State of Decay and the likes, suddenly takes an INSTANT U turn and just goes the wrong way.

 

Rant mode off, please - discuss.

[EnigmaGrey]

Eh, doesn't look as massive as first supposed -- the "gigantic" skyscappers seem to be just background images, for example (note how he stops racing towards them the moment he hits the fence) and many of the buildings don't seem to have innards.

Still, it is pretty and detailed.

If only it didn't have standard FPS combat.

[nasKo]

With a city like that, I don't think "normal zombies" would work that well.

Having them teleporting so you can't just hide in multi-story buildings isn't too bad since they're not really zombies.

I assume they'll have more kinds of monsters/demons, too. Maybe not all of them will be able to teleport.

I wouldn't call it neither win nor fail until the game is ready to show some more.

Phosphor Games seem to be a bit hit and miss? Dark Meadow was okay-good. World War Z was iffy.

We'll see?

[LeoIvanov]

With a city like that, I don't think "normal zombies" would work that well.

Having them teleporting so you can't just hide in multi-story buildings isn't too bad since they're not really zombies.

I assume they'll have more kinds of monsters, too. Maybe not all of them will be able to teleport.

 

It's obvious that the only reason such things would get implemented are not to deal with path-finding issues. Why the hell would we spend dozens of time having creatures follow certain path when we can teleport them to player?..

 

There is another kind of "danger" we are forgetting - those are real players. And you can get more than enough in a 7 story building, even if you stocked up real good, some shits are going to gather a group and FUCK -YOU- UP.

 

In an environments like this, I don't want all my concerns to be "oh shit, I need that particular demon not to notice me so it doesn't teleport behind me", because most likely that's what it's gonna end up being. I want people "sitting up in 7story tall buildings" for the safety (like any sane person would think), and the threat actually being outside. And you are FORCED to go outside on the street, because supplies - they deplete. You are going to starve, you are going to die, But you see that horde just outside your 7 story building... Not as safe as you imagined, heh?

 

Not just that, but a thought that there is your friend somewhere around this world also sitting on top of the Xstory building, watching in binoculars and looking out for your silouhette. Having to eventually move towards the area, sneak around rusted old cars, crawl in a high grass to avoid being seen by the deadly demonic creatures - SO MUCH potential for the best survival game, and it goes straight to hell with this "YO, there are some demons spawned on you so you don't get bored lol! Oh, a safezone, how do they hold off teleporting Demons? Uhm... OH LOOK, you can trade weapons here!..."

[ZedHead]

2:45 on the main trailer. WHO THE HELL HOLDS A SCOPE TO THEIR EYE LIKE THAT!?

[RegularX]

Dunno, hard to tell without hands on.  It could be annoying as hell, if the teleporting gets to be too much like cheating and makes running in any given direction a pain.  But it also might just remove that "I left the hoard behind that door" from the table.  Depends on if they've put reasonable restrictions on how it works or if the developers were just to lazy to do proper pathing.

[harakka]

Teleporting is a handy way to skip dealing with some pathfinding challenges

[Realmkeeper]

My first opinion - what a terribly annoying accent the female voice over had.

When the game's name, and main opposition are referred to as 'Nather's, and the event the survivors call the 'Calling', or 'Culling'?

 

Second opinion - it looks like a game to keep an eye on. Teleporting 'Nather's might just make that distinction between yet another post-apocalyptic zombie-esque survival game, and something a little different. From that footage alone, I thinks it's a bit early to form a reasonable opinion.

[zombo]

 

 

and the threat actually being outside. And you are FORCED to go outside on the street, because supplies - they deplete. You are going to starve, you are going to die, But you see that horde just outside your 7 story building... Not as safe as you imagined, heh?

 

This is also what I would like.

 

Also, I don't know why they call this a survival game. It's an action-FPS.

Exactly, and although they are not all FPS', that's generally what you actually get when AAA games claim to be "survival".  It's the same old story, that's the kind of gameplay most people want, despite them saying they want a survival game.  Most of these games, zombies or otherwise, just use the post apocalypse scenario as their setting and slap some light survival elements on top.  But even those elements are often just the same old contextual actions, having to reach a mission objective and push a button to get medical supplies so they can call it "survival", when those supplies could just as easily be anything else in some other setting like a "shield generator" or something in some sci-fi action game .  At best they might have a very light food mechanic where you have to down a snack occasionally .

 

I would really love to see a big budget game with a huge realistic looking post apoc world that bridges the gap between AAA so called survival games and what the indies are doing with games like PZ.  Unfortunately it's just not going to happen, it wouldn't sell enough, we all know that.  The closest we'll probably ever see will be something like State of Decay.  They were smart, they knew the market, and they stayed well on the traditional third person action side of the spectrum because that's where the big numbers are.

 

All we are going to get from the big players are basically core action shooter type games, with a post apocalyptic "survival" coat of paint thrown on them.

[LeoIvanov]

 

 

and the threat actually being outside. And you are FORCED to go outside on the street, because supplies - they deplete. You are going to starve, you are going to die, But you see that horde just outside your 7 story building... Not as safe as you imagined, heh?

 

This is also what I would like.

 

Also, I don't know why they call this a survival game. It's an action-FPS.

Exactly, and although they are not all FPS', that's generally what you actually get when AAA games claim to be "survival".  It's the same old story, that's the kind of gameplay most people want, despite them saying they want a survival game.  Most of these games, zombies or otherwise, just use the post apocalypse scenario as their setting and slap some light survival elements on top.  But even those elements are often just the same old contextual actions, having to reach a mission objective and push a button to get medical supplies so they can call it "survival", when those supplies could just as easily be anything else in some other setting like a "shield generator" or something in some sci-fi action game .  At best they might have a very light food mechanic where you have to down a snack occasionally .

 

I would really love to see a big budget game with a huge realistic looking post apoc world that bridges the gap between AAA so called survival games and what the indies are doing with games like PZ.  Unfortunately it's just not going to happen, it wouldn't sell enough, we all know that.  The closest we'll probably ever see will be something like State of Decay.  They were smart, they knew the market, and they stayed well on the traditional third person action side of the spectrum because that's where the big numbers are.

 

All we are going to get from the big players are basically core action shooter type games, with a post apocalyptic "survival" coat of paint thrown on them.

 

 

I can see how though Nether tries to appeal to both markets from their perspective - those hardcore zombie apocalypse fans (who almost tore DayZ, State of Decay sales) and Call of Duty ones (mostly kiddies who go "HEADSHOTLOL biTCH 360 NSOCPE") with those mildly stupid FPS implementations.

[nasKo]

Heh. Turns out it's another WarZ.

Same shareholders, same guy who trademarked it, same microtransactions+global inventory+safezones kaboozle.

I know when to stay away from a game and this one is ringing all of my alarms right now.

[Kitt Frostpaws]

*cough*The Last Of Us wasn't zombies*cough*

[RedKrypton]

Since I started watch Cinema Sins I really like to nippick games which have plothole or are illogical in some ways, so here are some "Sins":

1.

Altough the start of the apocalypse lies ten years back, cars are still burning.

1.

There are no interiors whatsoever. Did the nethers take them to their homes?

And if you say they rot away, I say it would take way longer and where are the intirior walls by the way?

3.

How did they invent these machines to keep the safe zone safe?

They said after the CALLING everything was different and nearly everyone got killed, so how could they have invented this technology?

Further if this tech wasn't there from the beginning, wouldn't they just all got killed by these demons or whatever? They can teleport to you at any time so how could they get to sleep, with out being killed?

4.

Why would there still be something to be scavenged 10 years after the *boring* calling? Do they still have 10 year old canned beans? And I haven't seen any crops being farmed, so do they eat the nethers?

5.

Metal bridges without maintainance don't hold 10 f*cking years.

6.

Teleporting demons/zombies/aliens!

7.

Where do they get ammo? Yes, they might have scavenged it, but after ten years there isn't anything to scavenge anymore. They would have to build their own ammo. So do they have a mine or something and a factory?

8.

Fuck it, it doesn'r matter, this game will, even if it a DM, sell a lot of copies it doesn't matter if it's bad. Peace the fuck out.

[lemmy101]

Yeah as nasKo says, this one is best avoided. It's VERY clear its the same deal as WarZ, the same minds behind it.

[Xydonus]

Ha! I find it funny that Rhinocrunch (that loud-mouth idiot who uploaded the WarZ is a Scam videos and waged war upon Hammerpoint) is reportedly loving this game...

 

Looks like he's been bitten.

[RedKrypton]

I just noticed it's from the same guys as INVESTATION: SURVIVOR STORIES better known as WARZ.

Maybe it will be better, but I won't throw any money at them for the time being.

With all the scam money they made with WarZ they maybe can make a better game than last time.

[RedKrypton]

Here are some new info about Nether from a guy from youtube named Psysyndicate:

[Headshotkill]

Heh. Turns out it's another WarZ.

Same shareholders, same guy who trademarked it, same microtransactions+global inventory+safezones kaboozle.

I know when to stay away from a game and this one is ringing all of my alarms right now.

 

DING DONG DING DONG!!!!

 

Men, SHIELD-FORMATION!!!!!!!!

[DrummerKidJack]

 

Heh. Turns out it's another WarZ.

Same shareholders, same guy who trademarked it, same microtransactions+global inventory+safezones kaboozle.

I know when to stay away from a game and this one is ringing all of my alarms right now.

 

DING DONG DING DONG!!!!

 

Men, SHIELD-FORMATION!!!!!!!!

 

GET TO THA CHOPPA

[Aftermath_FIN]

darn i was pretty silly and bought the game... Well it was midnight and I yearned some new post apocalyptic action so I was weak lol. Never tried WarZ and shoulda not tried this one either I liked the video though heh 

[Keepbro]

1. Make 5 minute long motion picture of your game in real life action

2. Release it on the net so as to get people to go "woooo"

3. Realise that you spent a big chunk of your development money on the video and now dont have enough to actually make said game worth playing

4. Make a small profit scamming suckers who buy your crappy game and take the absolute piss with micro-transactions and DLC.

5. Frantically cover your arse when the Internet comes for your blood

6. Start again at 1 with a new game

[LeoIvanov]

1. Make 5 minute long motion picture of your game in real life action

2. Release it on the net so as to get people to go "woooo"

3. Realise that you spent a big chunk of your development money on the video and now dont have enough to actually make said game worth playing

4. Make a small profit scamming suckers who buy your crappy game and take the absolute piss with micro-transactions and DLC.

5. Frantically cover your arse when the Internet comes for your blood

6. Start again at 1 with a new game

 

You forgot the part about making it free to play. (Cough WarZ Cough)

 

The fact that developers claim to have nothing with WarZ but are actually ex-developers of a cancelled project called "Project Awakening" that I sincerely liked makes me a little saddened that they chose to go WarZ's path*. Microtransactions in the game that already costs a good sum to buy is a bad decision....

 

 

*- I meant to say that they copied off WarZ's poor design and transaction decisions.

[Connall]

I still can't believe I pre-ordered WarZ. 

 

Ain't going to be making the same mistake again though! 

 

To be fair I don't like MMO's in general, I'm more of a singleplayer story sort of chap and the Nether doesn't really do anything for me. Just makes me think "Yep that's a game.". I don't like the increase of this MMO idea, in fact I was absolutely devastated when the devs behind the excellent Stalker series (which you should all play) decided to go the MMO route.