A game that has been discussed to death, so I’ll try to keep this brief. Yes, the cover-based shooting (and reloading!) mechanics are still very much enjoyable. The story and world building are simple yet effective (I was surprised at how likable the characters are, even though they ooze early 2000’s macho energy including Marcus’ soul patch, Jesus Christ), the berserker sections are usually tense (although her AI can sometimes break), the weapons are very satisfying to use. To anyone who has missed this game for whatever reason, I still very much recommend giving it a try, not just as a milestone in game development history, but simply as a fun gaming experience.
I did, however, encounter a number of issues that I’m going to list below that prevented me from enjoying the game to the fullest. Bear in mind I was playing solo on hardcore difficulty, perhaps these issues are not as prevalent in other configurations:
sprinting is just plain bad - it takes forever between pressing the button and Marcus beginning to run;
it’s difficult to move your character around quickly - not an issue when you’re behind cover far from enemies, but when you find yourself amongst them there’s a low probability you will get out of the situation alive;
assigning sprinting, ducking behind cover and rolling to the same button should be a criminal offense;
some sections, like driving the junker, were clearly designed for co-op play - switching between the UV light and driving is extremely cumbersome;
AI of your companions turns them into morons that will jump out of cover and charge the enemy, getting shot and rendering himself useless - I am NOT leaving cover to pick you up from the middle of the battlefield (yes, I know you can give your companions simple commands, but when you don’t use them at all the AI should be able to exhibit some sensibility and at least shoot from behind cover);
using chainsaw is extremely unreliable, I died countless times just because the game didn’t think I was worthy of revving the engine for whatever reason, leaving me standing next to an enemy like a total idiot;
torque bow enemies, good God, I can’t recall the last time I was so annoyed by an enemy in a TPS;
the final boss design is simply lazy and disappointing.
I did, however, encounter a number of issues that I’m going to list below that prevented me from enjoying the game to the fullest. Bear in mind I was playing solo on hardcore difficulty, perhaps these issues are not as prevalent in other configurations:
sprinting is just plain bad - it takes forever between pressing the button and Marcus beginning to run;
it’s difficult to move your character around quickly - not an issue when you’re behind cover far from enemies, but when you find yourself amongst them there’s a low probability you will get out of the situation alive;
assigning sprinting, ducking behind cover and rolling to the same button should be a criminal offense;
some sections, like driving the junker, were clearly designed for co-op play - switching between the UV light and driving is extremely cumbersome;
AI of your companions turns them into morons that will jump out of cover and charge the enemy, getting shot and rendering himself useless - I am NOT leaving cover to pick you up from the middle of the battlefield (yes, I know you can give your companions simple commands, but when you don’t use them at all the AI should be able to exhibit some sensibility and at least shoot from behind cover);
using chainsaw is extremely unreliable, I died countless times just because the game didn’t think I was worthy of revving the engine for whatever reason, leaving me standing next to an enemy like a total idiot;
torque bow enemies, good God, I can’t recall the last time I was so annoyed by an enemy in a TPS;
the final boss design is simply lazy and disappointing.