Games worth discovering

CLOUD GAMING - HEAVEN DUST 2 - YOU A CLASSIC HORROR FAN?

431 View2023-11-30

Game: Heaven Dust 2

Platform: PC

Genre: Zombies / Survival Horror / Puzzles

Released: Jan 6th 2022

Price: $11

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https://www.taptap.io/events/playfest2023winter

📅 Schedule
Dates: December 23, 12 AM PT - January 7, 11:59 PM PT.
Playfest Winners & Player Rewards Announcement: January 8, 12 AM PT.

MY TAPTAP CLOUD GAMING EXPERIENCE
Abhorrent and extremely irritating.

One aspect that set this game apart from others through Cloud Gaming was the user interface's of shooting with a weapon. The weapons serve almost no purpose due to the requirement of aiming with one's finger until it locks onto the creature, which severely restricts movement. Following that, you must release your finger from the target after pressing the gun icon which locks it in place.

When I say "Unoptimized" for the game service, I mean that while it is possible to play to some extent, you will not make significant progress due to the following issues.

To discharge, then press the mouse button icon. You have no opportunity to do any of this in the midst of the pressure; the game is essentially a quick-time event so treating it like a sequence of highly irritating combos was pointless.

Attempting to eliminate them all by gaining some distance was not feasible, unless they were not in motion. Their constant running prevented me from completing the first segment because there was no feasible way to handle hoards of zombies.

The rest of the user interface of the game was good, but this one is in dire need of significant enhancement. Bear in mind that this was not designed for mobile devices.

WHAT IS THE CLOUD GAMING EXPERIENCE?
TapTap will initiate this event following its launch on December 23, 2023 ending on January 7th 2024. Indie Developers have the opportunity to exhibit their work to the TapTap community where users are able to vote for the titles they enjoyed the most.
Those who are acquainted with the June-introduction of the Pocket Playfest should not find this particularly unexpected as it was a very well received event!

The unique aspect of this event is that these games have not been made available for mobile; therefore, you will have the exclusive opportunity to play them here first!

How it works
This format is a double tournament in which participants have the opportunity to play (2) games and vote on their preferred game daily for an entire week. The game that receives the most votes will advance to the championship round.

Rewards
You really do not want to pass up this opportunity due to the cumulative value of the prizes which include 5 grand totals of $1,000 each, in addition to a Steam Deck and 3 Elite Xbox controllers, are things that will be awarded. Absolutely insane!

Competing Games
While the complete list of games to be exhibited is unknown, specific games such as the one presented here will be among the limited number.

Global Event
Despite the fact that this is a global event, this service will only be accessible in the United States and Canada to guarantee that participants have an exceptionally seamless experience devoid of 400-500 latency.

Overview
It is unsurprising to observe that contemporary games continue to draw significant influence from iconic titles such as Silent Hill and Resident Evil. These classic games evoke a strong sense of nostalgia and, remarkably, remain highly engaging even in the present day due to their enduring design, which was specifically crafted to provide extensive hours and months of gameplay that was both challenging and fun.

Heaven Dust 2 is also included in the expanding collection of passion projects that pay homage to vintage games. Nevertheless, there are certain issues to consider when creating a game that is both excellent and addresses all the shortcomings of older games, particularly in terms of their puzzles and infuriating controls.

Graphics & Presentation
In contrast Heaven Dust 2 distinguishes itself through improved visual aesthetics, enhanced inventory management, refined controls, and overall good presentation. Returning to the previous discussion, however, there are instances in the game where a puzzle is presented to the player that is highly confusing and lacks logical coherence. These puzzles can be compared to the ones found in Resident Evil 3 and Silent Hill 3, which were notably bewildering and lacked the necessary explanations.

Although infrequent it's rare. I strongly believe that the developer has the capability to modify the visual elements inside the game in order to enhance the player's comprehension of the required actions, enabling them to advance through the game without experiencing unnecessary feelings of incompetence and exhaustion.

Gameplay / Combat
Although it is essentially inspired by Resident Evil and Silent Hill, they have eliminated the use of tank controls, resulting in controls that feel quite smooth and intuitive, though it still feels like it would suit a mobile device much more than keyboard and mouse which it will be coming to in the near future. Many puzzles can be solved by manipulating objects, locating crucial components, and solving problems, which provide a truly gratifying sense of accomplishment when done right.

You possess a wide array of weapons and equipment at your disposal to effectively defend yourself against the diverse range of zombies and creatures that will pursue you. Firearms such as shotguns, submachine guns, and pistols, as well as explosive devices like grenades and explosive barrels, are available to aid you in your survival.

I enjoyed the gameplay but found it quite sluggish in terms of the character's running speed and the delay in reloading guns, as if he was momentarily immobilized after lowering his weapon after firing and needed an extra second to compose himself.

Conclusion
If you have a genuine interest in the genre of Zombie Survival Horror, particularly the classics rather than the more recent additions, then I believe this might pique your curiosity, especially considering its affordable price. As soon as you understand where this game is going. The puzzles fluctuate from being frustrating to clever to downright boring. It is obvious that the game aspires to be like the classics, but there still feels like there is a lot for them to learn before they hit all of the right points.