martiniii
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Post by martiniii on Feb 8, 2014 13:28:42 GMT
I was tempted to use "Powerslave" as the thread title, seeing as that's the original name the game used, and the one which appears on my copy. But I think Exhumed is a much more fitting (and cooler) name, and since this is SS: UK... Anyway, I finally started playing this yesterday, have reached the Karnak Sanctuary, and am enjoying myself quite thoroughly. The look and feel of the game is most appealing; nothing like good old pulp adventure. Though I'm surprised that, after all that talk of inhuman terrors in the intro, your only enemies in the first two levels are jumping spiders and eagles. Not exactly threatening creatures. Fun to fight, though, even if it does make me feel like a bully. My favorite bit is how shards of pottery fly everywhere when you destroy a pot. I can't get enough of that. And like I suspect most people who play the game do, I got stuck the first time you have to blow something up. After nudging at every wall of the room, I backtracked through the whole level, looking everywhere for switches. Finally I returned, stared at those braziers for a minute, and then came that wonderful "Aha!" moment. I felt a bit stupid for not having tried that right away, but really, they don't look like the sort of thing you can destroy. The control with the analog pad feels wonderful, just so smooth and natural. Also, when it comes to ammo-less weapons, that machete is the coolest. (A close second place goes to the knife in Wolfenstein 3D.)
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NeoGeoNinja
Shadow Warrior
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Post by NeoGeoNinja on Feb 8, 2014 14:27:03 GMT
Yeah, Exhumed is a superb game. Really, really good. I've never gotten around to finishing it personally (if I'm honest) but have seen a good deal of the complexity of the later level designs and enemies to know how good it really is. Like you though, I can't say that I was particularly impressed with "fannying around" with little, annoying scorpion like enemies low to the ground (more than ONE shot??!) but the crows/eagles splatter in a satisfyingly enough manner
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Post by edwithmj on Feb 8, 2014 17:24:59 GMT
I think the spiders as you call them are Terrainians. The Saturn version is generally considered to be slightly harder than the Playstation version and has slightly different level designs and items (invisibility, all seeing eye). The team dolls are also in different locations. Once you've done the Saturn version, try the Playstation version too as it's like playing the game again!
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Post by xDerekRx on Feb 9, 2014 7:19:27 GMT
Powerslave/Exhumed a fantastic game.
The game itself as far as difficulty, imagination and level design make it one of the best classic FPS of the 90s. It realistically a Saturn FPS as its original design was for it. This is why it never was known too well in the PC FPS circles. Even the PSX version gets pushed aside as its more of a handoff port than anything else.
Ive been active in a few other threads talking about how much I like Labotomy software for their ability to get the most out of the Saturn in 3D games.
The slavedriver engine which I believe its called was masterful. The graphics are quite detailed and the environments have enough variety especially as the game goes along.
But the dynamic lighting is fantastic and something that even good PC games sorta lacked in those days. They used this engine to rebuild Quake and Duke Nukem for the Saturn which is why those two games play so well and IMO look so well. Tracking a fire ball down a hallway where you can see it glow against the walls as it travels is just something you didnt think possible on a console FPS back then.
The game itself has enough length, and difficulty as well. The later levels have some really challenging puzzles and ticklish laser dodging parts.
Add to that the secrets in this game are top notch. Finding all the team dolls is one of the best easter egg secrets of any game.
The only way youll ever get them all is by using a guide but some of them are so hard to get to that it takes time and alot of do overs.
For instance there is one later in the game where you have to dodge about 1000 trip wire lasers to access it. Ive never had to use so much patience and precision in my life. Think Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible times about 100.
The ancient egyptian setting is also very cool and fits with the sound as well. I have always been into that stuff so it helps.
I will admit as a rabid FPS fan at the age 12-14 when I had my Saturn, I could never find Powerslave. I was able to get Quake/Duke/Alien Trilogy but I guess at the age and with the internet/ebay not being very widespread yet, I never found a proper outlet to get it myself. I would always read the adds in my Gamepro about it and look at the pictures.
Finally as I got older in the 2000s I was able to finally play it and couldnt have been more impressed at what was pulled off here. Shame I never had it back in the day as I would have been in love with it just as much.
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NeoGeoNinja
Shadow Warrior
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Post by NeoGeoNinja on Feb 10, 2014 0:01:20 GMT
Derek... One of our very own members here (Aydan) is an Exhumed/Lobotomy fanatic, and actually managed to land an interview with the man himself; Ezra Dreisbach of Lobotomy Software. I think a read of the interview may offer even more, additional perspective, on how he/Lobotomy felt about programming for the Saturn (Exhumed and otherwise) and also suggests that PSX Exhumed wasn't a "handoff port" - but was developed separately: www.segasaturn.co.uk/dd/interviews/ezra_dreisbach.htmlAydan is probably a good person to discuss the quality and differences between the PS1 & Saturn versions of Exhumed, as PS1 Exhumed actually came after and included some differences etc vs Saturn version. I've played both the PS1 & Saturn versions and thought both ran and played wonderfully. An absolute masterclass in 32-bit FPS gaming - whatever the platform I'll see if I can get him 'in' here...
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martiniii
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Post by martiniii on Feb 10, 2014 4:45:37 GMT
Thanks for linking to that interview, Neo. I read it years ago, but it's nice to go over it again now that I've played one of the games being discussed.
Went through Karnak Sanctuary, and I see the game is showing some challenge now. I spent ages wandering around, wondering how I was supposed to get past that lava pool, before it finally occurred to me that I just might be able to jump over to that area with the key, even if it looked for all the world that I needed to go around. It was quite a shock when I found that my character's tiny little hop was indeed enough to carry him all the way to that ledge.
Sobek Pass was the real nightmare, though. Soooooo many instant death threats... It doesn't help that the jump button is less than responsive. The platform jumping is very unusual, too; it seems like the game basically allows you to grab onto any ledge you reach to pull yourself up. I can't think of any other explanation for why I can jump onto a ledge twice as high up as my maximum jumping height. After a few levels of platform jumping, I think I'm getting used to it, though. Having the map overlaid with the level graphics really helps, too. Nonetheless, it gives me that same thrill I get playing an NES-era game, where even a single misstep will force you to start the level all over again.
So after more than ten deaths, playing through those same opening enemies over and over, I reached the end of the level. Trouble is, I didn't have the transmitter piece yet, and as invigorating a challenge as it was, I sure didn't want to have to play through this level more than once. I immediately figured it had something to do with the platforms in the lava pit, and was just scoping out the best place to drop down, when... I slipped off the ledge. Started all over again. (Incidentally, I am a bit disappointed that there's no game over screen.) So I went and got the transmitter piece first, only to die twice more on the last bit of platform jumping. Finished it at last, with the transmitter piece, and believe me when I say I immediately restarted my Saturn afterwards just to backup that save to cartridge.
The mountain shrine was a lot more easygoing, though I racked up a few more deaths in the jump across the canyon. I like that they laid it a lot more heavy with the enemies. The omen wasps are cool, and pesky in the best possible way. And of course, you get to swim for the first time in this level. They did a wonderful job with the water's translucency and even the swimming physics. I could almost feel myself pumping my limbs through the water.
Back in Karnak, it took me forever to find the route which goes to the new exit, but I got there eventually. The life ankh seems rather overkill; even without it, I hardly ever saw my life bar go below 50%. I guess the game is going to be all about the platform jumping and puzzles from now on. Still, judging by what Ramses said, I've got the first boss to look forward to...
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Harold
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Post by Harold on Feb 10, 2014 12:40:44 GMT
Is this the game that has that interesting worms-like game as a bonus as well? Been tempted to pick it up a couple of times, especially since it doesn't seem too expensive.
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Post by MIK on Feb 10, 2014 14:07:39 GMT
Save this for when you have more time people as it's an hour long and worth the watch if your a fan. Enjoy!
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martiniii
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Post by martiniii on Feb 11, 2014 2:55:46 GMT
Is this the game that has that interesting worms-like game as a bonus as well? Been tempted to pick it up a couple of times, especially since it doesn't seem too expensive. I could be wrong, but I think what it is is that you need a save file from Exhumed to unlock the game in Duke Nukem 3D, and that the game itself is not on the Exhumed disc. Had lots of free time today so I cleared out three whole levels. Blowing up walls in the Amun Mines was fun. That was also the level where I got stuck for the longest time. Long after I had found the transmitter piece, I was still roaming the passages looking for a way to reach the level exit. At one point I was so at a loss for what to do that I tried diving into that pit in the faint hope that I'd survive the fall. Finally it hit me that if I had overlooked something, it was most likely in one of the two underwater sections. Very gratifying to find that I was right. I've been very good so far, never checking a walkthrough despite getting hopelessly stuck more than once, but the game probably deserves most of the credit for that. The environments are just so nice to look at that even wandering aimlessly through the same passages over and over for an hour is enjoyable. Nor is it that much of a bother to have to start a level all over do to a single miscalculated jump. It just makes the exhilaration all the greater when I pull it off right. Set Palace was cool, a real cliffhanger. Getting the transmitter piece was even easier than usual this time, though I do like that they're all in plain sight. Then Set Arena, and finally the first boss. It's a pleasant surprise that he actually puts up a fight compared to the other enemies. I actually died against him once.
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Post by xDerekRx on Feb 12, 2014 15:19:27 GMT
Death tank... its also included with Powerslave.
You have to collect all 23 team dolls to unlock. Its a fantastic multiplayer game. Collecting all 23 team dolls is a true challenge. A couple near the end, as I mentioned, are going to take ALOT of do overs.
However its easier to access the game in Duke Nukem. All you have to do is have a Quake save file on your system. OR you can blow up all the toilers in the entire game. When I was younger I had no idea how Death Tank suddently appeared in my Duke 3D menu until later I realized the Quake connection.
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Post by xDerekRx on Feb 12, 2014 15:40:25 GMT
Derek... One of our very own members here (Aydan) is an Exhumed/Lobotomy fanatic, and actually managed to land an interview with the man himself; Ezra Dreisbach of Lobotomy Software. I think a read of the interview may offer even more, additional perspective, on how he/Lobotomy felt about programming for the Saturn (Exhumed and otherwise) and also suggests that PSX Exhumed wasn't a "handoff port" - but was developed separately: www.segasaturn.co.uk/dd/interviews/ezra_dreisbach.htmlAydan is probably a good person to discuss the quality and differences between the PS1 & Saturn versions of Exhumed, as PS1 Exhumed actually came after and included some differences etc vs Saturn version. I've played both the PS1 & Saturn versions and thought both ran and played wonderfully. An absolute masterclass in 32-bit FPS gaming - whatever the platform I'll see if I can get him 'in' here... It was a nice interview. I think I read it somewhere back in the day. Perhaps another one. Ezra is still saying in the interview that the Saturn version was always running better. I wasnt aware he didnt code it, which to me makes sense as to why the Saturn version is alot better. At least to me. The PSX version is highly playable but its different in alot of ways. Lacking in others. You wouldnt have gone wrong playing that version. But like Duke Nukem IMO at least, the Saturn version of Powerslave is the definitive version. Certainly this is a Saturn forum so we have some bias. As a multiplatform gamer I can be honest. But I like giving Saturn its credit where due. That sorta funnels back to Lobotomy and why I think some of us really like them. We all know Sega could pump out some masterful first party games. But there werent many 3rd parties that could push the system. These guys did that and it was incredible to see. They thought it was a pain developing for the Saturn but they were a company that had enough passion and care to follow through with results. Even if the passion was for their own engine as opposed to the system itself. And thats the most glaring thing I got from the interview - that Ezra cared. No way a company could have programmed Quake , a polygon based FPS to run that well on the system unless they had someone that cared enough to figure out the work arounds. After reading the interview I think its even more of a miracle that the 3 games have such good framerates. The fact that they had to chop up walls into multiple polygons and shapes should have made things unplayable. If only Lobotomy could have emailed Rage software some tips while porting over Doom. You almost just wish there were a couple more companies like this at the time working on the Saturn. Id say Working Designs is the best example. Although mostly a publisher. I dont know their story as well but they treated the Sega systems very good. They are the one company that made the Sega CD and Saturn libraries very collectible and filled with enough RPGs to satisfy even despite the platforms being less profitable. Although you can almost blame Stolar for both sides here. On one hand he pushed RPGs away from the Saturn in the US, but on the other hand he pushed Working Designs away from the PSX in the US which allowed for the Saturn to at least have a handful of their games. Woulda been great if that guy stayed with SCEA.
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Post by xDerekRx on Feb 12, 2014 17:05:21 GMT
Save this for when you have more time people as it's an hour long and worth the watch if your a fan. Enjoy! Mik that was an incredible video. Never seen it before. Actually sat through the whole hour. Basically agrees with most of what Ive been saying about the company and the games it released for the Saturn. Makes you appreciate em even more. Didnt realize you guys in the UK didnt get Death Tank with Exhumed originally and that the PSX version completely lacked it until watching this vid. I love how the narrator/host even points out that getting the one doll where you have to navigate the laser maze is one of the most challenging things in all of video gaming! I hope you guys who are playing the game now attempt this. I still couldnt tell you how I actually did it. Probably 40-50 do overs.
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Post by MIK on Feb 12, 2014 20:56:00 GMT
Sweet. Yeah kinda goes without saying now you've watched it, a must watch for all fans and very well done as much as Aydan's interview. That hour goes by real quick too! When I get a bit more time I'll watch it again for a recap as it's been a while and I fancy another round. Indeed one of the best homebrew vid's I've ever watched on Youtube when it comes to games that interest me. I've beat Exhumed Saturn the once and collected all the dolls, using the Official UK Saturn magazine to locate the remaining dolls I never found, (Manx TT front cover). My most hated part was the under water section/level found in the later part of the game as that was harder than collecting any dolls to me. With the laser beams it's all in the fingers and good situational awareness goes along way, thanks Doom for that! So yeah, I don't ever recall the laser beams being an issue for me but that under water section almost put me off as time was of the essence and all I wanted to do was have a nose around before I committed my self to carry on with the level. Got there in the end lol.
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Post by xDerekRx on Feb 13, 2014 2:31:19 GMT
But MIK is that correct that Exhumed in UK didnt give you the Death Tank game once you collected them all? seems like an odd omission because the Japanese version called 1999 became a huge cult hit on the Saturn because of that game alone. And of course the US version had it. At least the UK versions of Duke and Quake were able to include it easily.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2014 3:33:41 GMT
Martinii, I'm glad you finally got this game! It's certainly something you would appreciate as it clearly shows and awesome thread, Exhumed/PowerSlave is a beautiful muse, you could sing praises endlessly! I played it for the first time in 2013 and it was refreshing to experience a FPS with a true level design after such a long time. It's definitely up there with Doom and Quake as one of the true gems from that era.
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