Robocop Comparison - Easy and Hard mode.

https://youtu.be/f5AxVbeIRKE

Ok so for this week I thought I’d upload a video based upon comments I got from the Robocop Arcade review. Mainly to see and compared in arcades how the difficulty can affect the gameplay and the significant modifications it can bring about to the point that the game can be enjoyable, challenging or downright just sucking your cash straight out of your pocket. 

So this was the first level of Robocop Arcade, played through as both Easiest and Hardest. Just to emphasise the point, I put the health choices up and down for the respective difficulties.

From the start we can see there’s no significant difference in gameplay. Enemies are killed by punches just as readily as in Easy as they are in Hard. It’s not until we get to the motorbike that we see a significant difference in that Easy can kill the bike in two hits, while Hard can’t kill the bike and takes a hit. From here on, it gets awkward. 

Once we’ve drawn a pistol, we start to see that the enemies take double the hits to kill them and we may also notice that in Hard mode, the enemy’s shots are faster. Punching seems to be the preferred method of killing the enemies in Hard mode except where they’re out of reach and need to gunned down. Resulting in a lot more shots being needed.

The power up has a huge impact on Easy mode with it becoming a wave of death while in Hard mode it has to be used up close to be effective and even then, makes it about as powerful as the standard single shot in Easy mode. 

I recorded the game twice, and put the video side by side to show a comparison, it’s almost in sync up until the shooting starts, then you can see the huge differences between what is the Easiest setting and the Hardest setting. Now imagine you’re going from Arcade to Arcade and find Robocop in both, then to see on one you can progress fairly well and the other leaves a bitter taste in your mouth when you’re annihilated on the first level.

SCP - Containment Breach

Not as scary as Slender, but certainly more going on

For those that like Creepy Pasta (and I'm not talking about Conchiglie) or those that like the idea of being stalked by something that you can't realistically fight, or enjoy playing games like Slenderman and such, you might want to consider the up and coming development that is SCP - Containment Breach. A currently free game (as of writing) for people to download and enjoy the horror of being the sole survivor trying to escape a pseudo-supernatural force.

The guy on the left is a friend. He will help you. I'm trustworthy.

SCP, Secure Contain Protect is a community-run project of creepy pastas, or horror writings, involving bizarre and otherworldly entities supposedly being documents in a sort of scientifically realistic fashion. Ranging from mirrors that can access other dimensions, unkillable creatures from another reality, possibly God, stairwells that descend forever until a face floats its way up to you, doorways to mazes that change when the door is closed, infections that turn people clockwork, living plants, all possible flavour coke-machines, and a multitude of various monsters and creatures.

One of several locations that will stock equipment and essentials, blinking still at a premium.

This game features one such creature, SCP 173, which for all intents and purposes is a statue that doesn't move until it's not being watched, then it moves incredibly quickly and assaults with inhuman strength, anything it can get its grubby little hands on. As such, you have to avoid becoming one of these little victims.

Some areas are VERY dark and give rise to possibly seeing other SCP monsters roaming around.

You start off as a form of highly expendable person, thrown into high risk factors for the sake of throwing lives away and are confronted with trying to guide and manipulate SCP 173. Shit goes down, things get fucked up beyond all recognition (FUBAR) and you're left in the middle of chaos with an incredibly fast moving monster when you're not looking at it. It's very much like facing off against the Weeping Angels of Dr Who fame.

Ambient lighting and shadows give lend to a strong atmosphere in the game.

As per a lock down procedure, you've got a lot of locked doors that require key cards, traps and systems in place that stop SCP 173 from escaping but will also hinder you in the process. Also scattered here and there around the game are snippets of information relating to other SCP subjects as a happy nod towards the community driven entries. In your travels you will also come across other SCPs in various guises and some of which are just as deadly while others can be rather benevolent in helping you get through the game.

Sometimes it's too dark to see what's going on.

That said, having a near encyclopaedic knowledge of the SCP site isn't necessary but knowing of the most popular entries WILL be beneficial to your play through as you'll be able to identify and realise how to deal with various monsters and traps found within the game as you push towards your (as of the latest update) one of four endings.

One of the many containment cages, no you can't trap 173 in it.

As a game, it does create quite an effective level of suspense and atmosphere which is instantly broken and destroyed whenever SCP 173 glitches through a wall and snaps your neck before you realise it. On top of that, SCP 106 can easily spawn upon you and kill you almost instantly though the creepiness factor of some of the other SCP whose sole purpose of existence is to flit about within your peripheral vision, can be a little jarring at first and later just annoying but it keeps you pondering what's going on while ever mindful of the presence of SCP 173.

Almost everything in this game can kill you, including display monitors if they show a certain SCP.

It's still in development but for what it is, a randomly generated map setting, areas that can loop back on themselves and twist reality within the game so you're never sure if you're coming or go, monsters and creatures that can kill, help, hinder or delay you and an actual resolution to the game situation while exploring the underlying plot through reports and details, it's a promising looking series of developments that any SCP fan might want to consider while those with less of an understanding of the source material might want to skip this in favour of one of the other "ooh shit" scary games.