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Croteam: Serious Sam is not simplistic photo

Serious Sam is hard. We all know that. But one thing it's never been considered is complex. You have a gun, you run around, and you shoot waves upon waves of slobbering monstrosities. However, if you call Serious Sam simplistic, Croteam may have something to say to you, like what studio founder Roman Ribaric said to us when we asked why the game's simplicity was so profound.

"Yes, simplicity is our thing. There are lots of players to enjoy that kind of gameplay. Seems that almost everyone played the original Serious Sam. And with Left for Dead 2, there is a huge base of players that like wandering around and shooting like crazy at the same time," states Roman. 

"[However] people seem not to realize how complex Serious Sam gameplay actually is. Most of the time you can hear them saying you just run and shoot or it's a brainless shooter. However, I would like to see them play on some higher difficulty than Tourist or Easy. Not to mention on Serious difficulty. I bet they would survive only for a few seconds there in some mid-sized fights with just 3-4 enemies on scene. If of course they use cheats, which they mostly do and then comment on easy, boring or not challenging and complex enough.

"Serious Sam is a game that requires precise movements, choosing the right weapon at the right time, knowing how many rockets or bullets can kill each specific enemy or wound him or interrupt his attack, so you can switch to other weapons and dispose of another bunch of enemies charging from behind and get back to the original enemy. Enemies do appear dumb, but in large numbers they are deadly if you are not careful or don't think quickly. Our game sometimes generates hundreds of enemies charging, shooting or flying from above. To further add to that situation, you are running at ten meters per second. So, it gets very hard to stay alive. However, once you master the situation, you then think that was pretty easy. You just needed the right combination of clicks, maneuvers, shots and weapons."

So there you have it. Serious Sam is pretty bloody strategic if you think about it. Let it never be said that the game is just a dumb shooter ever again. It shall be you who appears dumb for saying such a thing.

 








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16 comments | showing # 1 to 16
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Gestault's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/19/2009 22:08
Gestault
I think that's a fair description of how this, and I think many other, "dumb" shooters require layers of strategy for which they're not given credit. Combat strategy in action games is a skill and a talent, and I don't appreciate it when people who don't like that style of play label the entire genre as "stupid," and criticize other players for enjoying it.
D-503's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/19/2009 22:22
D-503
Simple yet sophisticated. And awesome!
Alfredo Terrile's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/19/2009 22:47
Alfredo Terrile
Now a good example of a simplistic shotter is modern warfare, even in the hardest difficulty is still easy and mindless
Demtor's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/19/2009 22:54
Demtor
Roman Ribaric speaks the truth. It is the EXACT same complexity as Doom 2. The formula of frenzied fast paced decisions in the heat of battle, however simple, results in creating a layer of depth that can be recognized by higher difficulty players. Serious Sam takes the idea of having waves of enemies, and cranks it to 11. I can't wait for SS3!!
10BobMarleys's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2009 00:31
10BobMarleys
Games that are fast paced and played mostly on instinct clear your mind like some kind of meditation. For some reason a lot of people call these "Mindless games" because they don't require a lot of conscious thought.
Devils Theory's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2009 01:15
Devils Theory
That is so true
KingSigy's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2009 02:25
KingSigy
I don't see how difficulty makes a game more complex. If anything, the just kicks you in the face more often, but you don't really need to change your strategy to win...you just have to aim faster.
idmmao's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2009 03:40
idmmao
I wouldn't call it stupid, but I'd still call it simple. Not that that's a bad thing, I appreciate the Serious Sam games for that exact reason, and will continue to do so. I think there's definitely a space for a straightforward FPS, especially with cooperative mode- sort of the party game of the FPS genre. I would like to draw a line between tactics and strategy, however, two distinct terms often mistakenly used interchangeably. There may be plenty of tactics, but nothing he mentions has anything to do with strategy, and indeed, Serious Sam games, like all linear single-player FPSs, are pretty strategy-free.
Also, any argument which relies on "X difficulty modes are not the real game, only people who complete it on Y difficulty mode have had the True Experience, and only their opinions are worth anything" is inherently ludicrous and condescending. It was stupid when people said that about halo 3, and it's equally stupid now. Memorizing how many bullets it takes to stun some particular attack on some particular enemy sounds insanely tedious, and I really don't think anyone should celebrate requiring you to do that to get the "true experience". If he really thinks that sort of OCD-level memorization makes it a better game, I'd challenge him to eliminate all difficulty modes that don't require it, and see how well his next game reviews and sells.
Volomon's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2009 09:07
Volomon
Still a dumb down shooter, all that is is muscle memory. Your eyes see X your hands do Y. There's really no thought process involved. It's just like going to the range you see civilian auto thought should be not to pull the trigger, you see bad guy w/gun you shoot them in the face and chest. Almost the same thing here, you see monster A you use B you see cluster of A you use B. It might be more complex but it isn't any higher up on the brain power chain. Even L4D requires more intelligence because of the random factor of teammates what they do can be random and what you do in response can either save you, them, or everyone. I haven't played L4D but I know enough of it to know it's not pure run'n'gun. There are elements of objectives, another complexity on top of teammates and I'm sure there is more.

Serious Sam probably takes no more brain power than it does to drive, and granted not everyone can drive, but it's still simplistic.
Malachi Constant's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2009 11:35
Malachi Constant
In multiplayer these simplistic games are unbelievably complex. When I first started playing Quake, I thought it was mindlessly put-crosshair-over-enemy-and-click, but once i stepped out of FFA and into duels, I was getting my ass handed to me despite having good aim and map knowledge. You have to think in two places at once, and plan accordingly. Sure there's a lot of map memorizing and muscle memory, but even if you have the best aim in the world, if you don't think, you will lose.
feedback's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2009 12:56
feedback
This post needs more SS3 news.
Darren Nakamura's Avatar - Comment posted on 12/20/2009 16:42
Darren Nakamura
It sounds like he misinterprets the word "simple." It's not easy, and that's not disputed, but what he describes isn't complex. There may be more to the game than initially appears, but it's still a pretty basic shooter. BUT THAT'S NOT A BAD THING.
sammiha's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/10/2010 03:10
sammiha
Memorizing how many bullets it takes to stun some particular attack on some particular enemy sounds insanely tedious, and I really don't think anyone should celebrate requiring you to do that to get the "true experience".
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sammiha's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/10/2010 03:12
sammiha
Memorizing how many bullets it takes to stun some particular attack on some particular enemy sounds insanely tedious, and I really don't think anyone should celebrate requiring you to do that to get the "true experience".
<a href="http://www.watch88.com">Replica Rolex</a>
smihtv41721's Avatar - Comment posted on 04/23/2011 01:21
smihtv41721
Very interesting article. Content has been written in very nice manner. I enjoy reading this kind of stuff. Thanks for sharing good knowledge.
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drew nikel's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/31/2011 06:50
drew nikel
Hey all you jerk offs that say this game is too "simple" or too "dumb" - you guys are all morons. I bet you never even touched this game, let alone played it on any difficulty higher than easy. No Strategy? No brains? Mindless shooter eh? How about you say that when you got Goro and 4 of his twin brothers shooting homing fireballs, a dozen goat corpses trying to pound your ass, 20 crazy ass headless kamikaze bombers... If you made it this far in the game you obviously know it takes about 4 to 5 missles to kill Goro - BUT WAIT!! You cant just pull out your missile launcher. You got a swarm of emenemies in your face and if you shoot a missile its going to discharge in your face killing yourself in the blast. WHAT ARE GONNA DO??? HUH? You cant just take out your biggest gun and start shooting. The game is too complex to let you get away with that. You're going to have to build a strategy, and you have to do it quick.
Oh wait, i'm so sorry, your right... This game is way too mindless and stupid. I mean these stages dont even have cover where I can run up to and hide behind and take a breather. How will I ever have a chance to create a strategy if i cant take a few moments to gather my thoughts? (sarcasm)
If you still think this game is mindless and simple how bout you guys STFU and go ahead keep sipping your latte or your frapachino, keep playing your pokemon or whatever rpg that you guys play. Keep playing _____ (insert random war based fps in blank) while enjoying your little headshets, "oh wow, I'm comminucating! just like in real war! Who wants to be the MEDIC? I DO I DO! OH WOW I get to go around healing my teammates! This game is so strategic!"
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