Wednesday 29 December 2010

DW: Shadows of Vashta Nerada

Right off the bat, let me say one thing: I was far more impressed by this than I was by the previous adventures. There were a few moments where, in the middle of peril, I just stopped and had a look around the set and vistas they had built. Just... amazing.

Anyways, we start with being attacked by a shark... hey, just like in the Christmas episode! Man, if there were any other similarities, like being timed during Christmas, that would be... oh wait, it is during Christmas. Well done there.

As I said, shark! So we're off and running. The first section of the adventure is all "run down the corridor, play Simon Says to open the door, then repeat". We're in an underwater base, and it's pretty sprawling, and I wasn't sure where I was supposed to go. Still took a few moments to poke around where I could, see if there were some places I could go and, yes, pick up more cards, but quickly it was "shark! door! run!".

Once in the main part of the base, the next part of the adventure was... run around the corridors, being careful in different ways. This time we get some dialogue action as well, and another 'wire challenge', but still it was run around the corridors finding things.

After that, there's a huge change... we run around corridors elsewhere. Still with a little danger avoidance (or non-avoidance in one interesting bit), and then another obstacle run... Although this featured the Vashta Nerada, many parts of it could easily have been Cybermen or Daleks.

I did enjoy this more, these were better sets, a better story overall, but still there was a lack of the player being the one to actually do the important things. Most of those moments were cut away sequences. Go on, let us take control. The worst we can do it die (did that... twice, I think).

Thumbs up for the final episode (I think this is the final one). Finally got it right.

EDIT: Meant to add in, it's not perfect. I think I missed some dialogue in places, and when did the Doctor figure out what type of radiation it was? Also, the controls bugged out when I was controlling Amy around the divers (leading to another death). Dunno what was up with that. So there are some problems, but when I look out at the big sets... I can live with those...

[END]

3 comments:

evildicemonkey said...

It is the last one.
But they've commissioned a "second series". Hopefully they wont do the usual BBC thing and cut costs on the second series so we get an entirely different group making it; I'd like to see more from the same people to see how if they can build on their solid foundation.

Foo said...

Yep, the same group is making the second series. I really have to have a play with the first series - downloaded the first two when I was in the UK but never actually got around to installing them. Maybe that is what the holidays are for!

Jamas Enright said...

Just remember, you have to have the international version to install outside the UK, as there is no way of ever bypassing the check the UK version does. No way at all. Completely impossible. That's why none of us have played the games before it came out on Direct2Drive...