Recensioni recenti di ONE MAN, ALONE

I love this game. However, Team Fortress 2, as it exists in its current state is a game that I cannot recommend or deem as a fully functional product in good faith, as much as I would want to say "there's nothing wrong with it if everyone just plays nice".

At the same time, it feels like you cannot #FixTF2 without a full remake, not just an engine port. The source code was leaked years ago and floats around on the internet, said code is held together by duct tape, the team which wrote it went missing, and was never heard from again. Yet the chances of Valve remaking it and trying to address the many issues of their golden goose for online multiplayer games directly is slim to none as of now. So at best you can either deal with the issues of the old game or move on. And even with games like Counter-Strike, which did start receiving proper support and updates once more, the latest incarnation remains an incomplete, bot-infested live service slot machine.

Many point to Meet Your Match and Tough Break as the turning point where everything went wrong. Some say that Love & War was the last we got of old TF2 and that's where the rot began. Some even say it was the Mannconomy update. There is truth to all of these, but even a rollback to a pre-MYM state of the game would be far little too late by this point.

The reality of the situation is; the game is infested with tens of thousands of bots (around 70% of the reported players), suffers from major performance issues due to bloat (in part with the way cosmetics are handled), map design has been entirely left to volunteers, innovation (in the form of things like Territory Control and whatnot) from the developer directly is hard to come by, parts of the user interface and default settings are needlessly clunky due to other parts of the UX being altered in a patchwork fashion, niche and specialized features that have been hid behind these changes have been forgotten, offline bot tutorials and training maps aren't sufficient or up to date for years, the ingame economy its self is flawed (no refined metal sink for instance, and the game being free to play results in endless item inflation, as the barrier to entry is nil), most of the weapon balance changes have been questionable since 2015, the battle pass gimmick with MVM just isn't compelling anymore, and VAC doesn't do anything even against public cheats now for some reason despite being heuristics based like your old AV.

The game might be a hot mess right now, full of jank, but please for the love of god don't let it wither away like Unreal and Quake. You had Counter-Strike suffer nearly the same fate until their own gunhat update, which almost fizzled out until more updates were implemented (and even then it's still a mixed bag, with CS2's introduction and the engine port still being a beta with most of the content from the old game missing, and it has the SAME bot problem with farms being set up in Russia and China to run them, especially since the game is now Free To Play).

Also, if you're going to be putting a game on community content life support please make the community server browser the first and obvious choice in addition to live-service matchmaking as it once was.

And if this great one of a kind game is just going to be dead and buried artificially, please at the very least be a dignified death. Tear these bots down and implement the necessary ingame measures to prevent their return. If that requires something like going back to a non-F2P model, then so be it. But the people running these bots are out there. AND THEY HAVE NAMES!

I don't expect all this buzz on the internet including these reviews airing grievances to do much as before, but I might as well try to at least name something in the spirit of giving the developers mail on what the players think of the game. And I tell you, these reviews aren't telling anywhere near to the full story or list of potential problems with the game right now. It's just not possible to do off-hand sometimes.

Thanks, and have fun.

Aside from some map tweaks and new models, and a more responsive UI there isn't much I can complement CS2 for as of right now. The real issue is where it stands relative to Global Offensive right now, and how they've rather disingenuously drag n' drop replaced it with CS2, which is more or less a public beta now. As well as the things that have been lost as a result.

Let's start with features. Yes, I realize they had a self-imposed deadline to meet and that they can't crank out years worth of content (especially not for this level of graphical fidelity which has made map production more expensive than ever time and resource wise) but this still has to be pointed out. You decided to replace the game with something that is pretty much the same, yet entirely different, so don't be surprised people will compare to the two.

Here's some of the things we're missing;

- Many of the maps (core and otherwise)
- Game modes such as gungame (Arms Race), scoutsknives (Flying Scoutsman), battle royale (Danger Zone) and basically any war games
- Team Deathmatch (yes, I realize many likely preferred FFA but all must be pointed out)
- Short matches, unranked MM
- Community servers (especially with custom maps and plugins) absolutely crippled
- Most workshop maps are now basically abandonware
- No achievements, either because they wanted to avoid the impossible achievement situation following their removal of classic maps from the game or because they literally did not have time to implement them
- Original soundtrack for the game still missing tracks because the CS:GO music kit inherits this trait from the Panorama update

What's more, in addition to this there are basically zero new features added to the game. So paradoxically, whilst being on paper a totally new game that replaces the old one, it is more or less another OW2 situation albeit sugarcoated with some new graphics and an engine that's 10 years newer than the one it replaces. This is arguably more critical than some of the bugs which are present (expected with every new release, especially one as rushed as this but still).

As far as I can tell there are two noticeable issues right now;
- Some serious frametime pacing issues depending on the hardware or situation, not even anything to do with having old hardware
- The dreaded hitbox misalignment with the visual model issue that resulted in the CS:GO'd meme has returned in full force for some poses

There's probably more that I'm unaware of and which Valve is tirelessly working on to fix that I won't mention here. All in all, It is very apparent that this was a rushed and unfinished release that has just teamkilled the existing title. I believe in Valve (regardless if it is the old or new Valve) to grind out updates on a weekly basis to bring this game up to scratch as they have in the past, but until that's done they'll be in a lot of hot water and I'm not sure it'll cover everything. Especially since they seem so blindly focused on chasing the esports audience (money) just as with their precious skins.

As a matter of fact, that is partly the reason why this game now looks and feels as cartoony as it does now. Less so to "improve visibility" (it doesn't, the better lighting could do the same with the old art style), and more because it's supposed to be in line with the rather childish nature of the weapon finishes they've been making bank on since around 2015 especially, when they realized that it was more profitable to take that route as opposed to the initial camouflages and whatnot they had in the drop pool (damn them for removing those by the way) that were introduced in the gunhat update (Arms Deal). Also to fit in with their new vision for CS as an E-"Sport" with a game attached to it as opposed to a game first and foremost (where player model skins which used to be free much like sprays come into that god knows, who cares if it broke the game's art style even further as long as it made more profit).

I will always love Counter-Strike, but this was not the game I bought to play. A game I can't even play anymore if even if I wanted to. This is not the same as those terminal contrarians who always rage at every new installment of CS, there are genuine reasons behind every grievance here, now more so than ever. Several years worth that are bubbling up to the surface now.

The difference between Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and CS2/late CS:GO can be summed up perfectly by listening to their soundtracks, and comparing their respective trailers. It's no longer about Counter-Terrorists versus Terrorists, if I had to guess it's all about e'Sports' and skins now or whatever the hell they're doing now.

I really hope this game improves, because as of right now it was definitely not worth the wait ever since the question of "when are you going to release Counter-Strike 2?" was posed. There's probably more I've missed here but this is all I can say for now.

Good Things I've noticed;
- Parts of escape_01 and escape_02 are (somehow) a visible improvement over the original game's lightmapped environments when standing in some areas, looking at specific corners.
- You can run this on ultra settings if you use the ultra performance setting on DLSS 3.0 with something like a 3060 Ti @1440p, I guess.
- The remastered vanilla assets are good on their own. The updated GLaDOS & personality core models in particular are nice as are the brush textures.
- The RTX 4090 model placed about throughout some levels is a funny easter egg.

Bad Things I've noticed;
- Being based on the DX7 version of Portal, it's about as janky as it gets. The Portals themselves are an obvious downgrade looks wise in every respect, and stick out like a sore thumb from the rest of the environment which has otherwise been updated with 8192X texture maps just about everywhere. The dynamic lighting doesn't quite work right either.
- The Portalgun's viewmodel still has the unlit generic core glow, which gets really dark in the light.
- The lighting and texturing in the test chambers has been changed around a lot, negatively affecting the visibility/readability of the environment. The white concrete in particular has been given a shiny, almost metallic look which makes environments seem even darker than they should. If they had used Portal 2's textures like Alive & Kicking, it would have looked better.
- The art style is all over the place in the test chambers themselves, and somehow betrays the original game AND its sequel. Alive and Kicking Portal 1.5 as someone in TWP's server described it. Half P1, Half P2, and not cohesive at all.
- The exposure values in some rooms is really off. Sometimes it is too bright, sometimes it is too dark.
- The VRAM requirements are extraordinary if you don't use DLSS. Not helped by the fact they slapped an 8192X texture pack on just about everything. This is obviously just another part of NVIDIA's plan to further market the RTX 4090 with this glorified injection shader mod.
- All of the lights in the levels are fully dynamic, further impacting performance.
- They didn't bother fixing the lighting or the tree cards in the outdoor ending scene for whatever reason. In fact, I'm not sure if they even touched the levels themselves at all as of writing this review.
- The game is prone to crashing upon loading or alt tabbing. I've had the game crash numerous times when starting up the first time or during cutscenes. I also had it crash when landing on moving platforms with despawning nodraw brushes for some reason.
- Overlays don't seem to work. I could not use MSI Afterburner/RTSS nor Shadowplay to capture footage.


My overall judgement remains the same as during the initial reveal; not impressed. I wanted to like this so badly, but was still somehow disappointed even with the expectation of being disappointed.

Yet there may be still be hope for anyone willing to fix some of this stuff themselves at least, because under the right circumstances this CAN and COULD look fantastic. Some parts of the BTS areas come to mind, where they mostly just redid the assets without changing how the environment is set up. Some of those areas look just like real life AND aren't boring to look at the same time. However, with it still being based on the DX7 version of Portal, other limitations will likely prove to be a limitation in ways we cannot anticipate yet at this time.

So whilst being a cool tech demo in the literal sense, I'm afraid it still isn't a substitute for the original game in its functionality. Would I recommend this? For someone who has already played Portal, and has the hardware, yeah I guess so. Just for fun (if you're not being frustrated by the downgrades). But for a first time experience or replacement, hell no. When people say "this is how I always thought portal 1 looked like!" it just hurts my soul. Because outside of some INCREDIBLY specific situations, it literally is not. If you want play Portal the way it was meant to be played (TM) go play the vanilla game with mods/reshade instead or something. Or some version of the game running on an updated engine branch.

So yeah, I think that's about everything you should know about Portal with RTX (as of writing this). When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Still the most fun I've had in a single player game (given its unique replay value), I just wish it was longer. You don't realize just how short the game really is until after you complete it, even if you pace yourself to take in the immersive environments and all the memories you created by having fun in them in different times. If only they didn't can the sequel to the game in favor of Catalyst.

May god have mercy on us with whatever the RTX remaster as it was called brings to the table and whether or not it changes our perception of this experience in hindsight.

Source Filmmaker will test your patience, your creativity, your resourcefulness, and your sanity should you dedicate thousands of hours of your life to getting every last drop you can out of this program. It is perhaps the best window into the world of 3D and the nature of Game Engine's simultaneously for novice or intermediate artists. Should you dedicate yourself to the program, you will witness fascinating physical anomalies and inconveniences the likes of which most game environments have not seen before. Understandably, you will be afraid at times. That's just part of the fun though. Think of it, as a special achievement, to break the program and/or the engine in as many ways as you can, whilst finding new ways and charting previously unexplored territory along the road. If you can pull it off within the confines of Source Filmmaker, you can pull it off in Source.

Source Filmmaker is a treasure trove, an old school sandbox environment for aspiring artists.

The game took me about 3 or more hours to complete. Thouroughly enjoyed it all, has definitely improved since the last time people reviewed it so harshly. The visuals were a treat to look at, the environments retain their sense of atmosphere, the levels themselves never really feel too repetitive, each one offering it's own set of challenges, the puzzles were so fun that i'd argue the game could have used MORE of them, and the combat it's self was both challenging and satisfying. There's so much stuff here that i don't even know where to begin. I recommend this to anyone who likes Opposing Force or who maps for HL2, or even those who play Counter-Strike. It is really good to test your aim and combat skills.

The Combine artstyle was done brilliantly with the limited assets available, it had clever and transformative use of sounds from the other games. The lighting, the sound design, the coreography of the battles, and especially the puzzles and the 'living' aspect of the game was where it brought the Combine to life. The voice acting was also blended seamlessly into the Universe. The battles themselves were well coreographed and challenging. It would have been even more fun with some of the energy weapons from Opposing Force. The flashbacks were also a nice touch. And Hallways never felt repetetive at all. All of these environments were definitely memorable, but i think they can be even more so.

Nova Prospekt is finally presented in such a manner it was described in Half-Life 2. It exapnds on both the high security aspect of it, and the takeover of the facility by the Combine and fortifying it further, transforming it with their equipment. Yet it still distinctively remains and retains the feel of Nova Prospekt. The color palette also gives it a somewhat comforting feel, whilst still being iconically reminiscent of Eastern European establishments from that era. The whole place really gives you a sense of scale that HL2 never really did, it's far more grand. My only wish is that there were more views onto the outdoors environments, but i understand if this was omitted for performance reasons.

As for any issues, Unfortunately the Performance in relation to other HL games is not as good. Whilst it wasn't unplayable on my machine, on weaker systems it definitely would not suffice in framerate. I would definitely lend out a hand myself in optimising the maps, something in which i have experience with. I don't think the performance drops are due to the engine additions, rather the insufficient use of areaportals, hint brushes, and nodraw which drags down the performance substantially. I can't say for sure though. Also, Cubemaps sometimes cut off randomly in Combine levels, i suggest using less of them in those areas.

I also found that modifying the game to include the Wrench instead of the crowbar, and the Heckler & Koch Mark 23 with their assorted sounds. I also increased the pistol damage by 1, and the now wrench to 20 so that it becomes a very fun and viable melee option if you are out of ammo. And by blending the footsteps for concrete surfaces to be from HL2/OP4, and including grating sounds from BMS, that it alone was enough to improve the experience massively and sell the point that you are Adrian Shepard. You could perhaps go a step further and add in a slightly different viewmodel for the hands. I also suggest keeping the original HL2 font for the HUD. It looks much cleaner and in line. The game could also use more interactions with friendly characters, if it's possible.

That being said, I don't think i can cover nearly as much in just one single review, compared to making one own megathread or serever conversation to give in depth feedback and suggestions. I can definitely say the game has a lot of potential to be much better though. There's plenty of oppertunities here story wise and most importantly gameplay wise. The smallest change can make all the difference in the world. I will list some of the additions that would really bring up the game to the best it can be. I will also say i definitely look forward to helping Richard Seabrook with his project here in terms of mapping and ideas, as well as voicework.

Fun Game, Storyline is kept without plotholes, community test chambers allow players to easily share their creativity with the community.

Would recommend.