SmokeAndMirrors

Metal As Phuk.
And yes, it is actually metal as ****.
Basically, if Deathgasm was a 2-D oldschool RPG.
Complete with amazing humor and an 8-bit metal soundtrack.

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"Like whispers in the dark..."

The Batlord

Can someone explain to me why concept art is a video game unlockable? Has anyone in the history of the world given half a **** about searching for secrets to get concept art?

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MicShazam

Unlockables are a stupid concept in general tbh

The Batlord

They can be fun depending on the unlockables but I do not understand the prevalence of concept art unlockables.

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MicShazam

Give me all the features up front! If they're not important enough that I don't miss them, I don't care about them at all.
So yeah, screw the concept artwork stuff. I've seen a lot of video game concept artwork and it's rarely interesting. It's just **** they've already got lying around, so it's easy to implement as unlockables.

windsock

This is the first time I've bought a video game in what seems like forever, mainly out of intrigue of its driving/exploration mechanics. It's a neat little title with some cool environments and aforementioned mechanics, but goddamn is it a bitch to get through. Basically the loose (insofar) plot of the game is you and your Turkish-German uncle are driving through East Berlin to Istanbul after the fall of the Iron Curtain (circa 1989) in your piece of **** 'Laika', a out-and-out jalopy that has problems and breakdowns what seems like every 5 minutes.

The car itself is the subject of the game, as you micromanage almost every part of it, from different parts of the engine to the tires. It really emphasizes "micro", as for instance you need to make sure you have a good oil mixture when gassing up the Laika, as to decrease wear on the engine. It's all very accurate and interesting at times to manage these numerous different facets of your car...and is also an enormous pain in the ass other times.

Your travels also present different mechanics as well, as you need to maintain a consistent income in order to pay for parts and gas and whatnot. To do this, you can attempt smuggling banned goods such as wine and tobacco through the borders of towns. These goods often earn you quite a bit of cash, but you can also be fined if caught by the Papers, Please-esque border security. This same security can also fine you for destruction you cause during your trips, obviously by crashing into things (which can be very easy sometimes cause the driving is often slippery).

Overall this is a pretty cool game, if not a bit frustrating. It was cool enough to make me ignore Mord when he was trying to talk to me in Plug, so it's obviously worth something.

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RYM
Last.fm

The Batlord

I'm about costume unlockables though. If it makes the game more novel without affecting gameplay then it's cool. Kept me playing Dead or Alive 4 longer than I should have been playing it. You simply can't have enough slutty Christie skins.

Or those Arkham game collectibles that give you audio files for the villains. Those were hella fun especially if you were a fan of Batman: The Animated Series.

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MicShazam

I shamefully admit to having given no small portion of my life to unlocking slutty DOA stuff.

The Batlord

But srsly Arkham patient interview tapes are amazing. Even the Riddler gives good comic book porn, because of course he does even if no one who isn't a Batman: The Animated Series junkie recognizes the voice actor's brilliance or the super fun possibilities of his psychotic OCD.

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SmokeAndMirrors

IKR?
We have Google Image Search for that. I think it's what developers must do as a prize or token when they're out of other ideas for unlockables. Like filler material, basically. I DID dig the concept art for Fallout 3 though. Some concept art is cool, but yeah, we have Google for that.

Oh, and while we're on the topic of unlockables: **** Paywalls.

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"Like whispers in the dark..."