Serious Sam HD

[destx]

Holy balls, this is cool. Croteam and some other dudes are dusting off Serious Sam for re-release on their new engine with updated graphics. It's gonna be released on PC and Xbox 360.

From the Article:

cdv Software Entertainment AG is working with Croteam and Devolver Digital to bring Serious Sam HD for PC to retail and digital download in all worldwide territories excluding Russia. (wtf?)

Originally released in 2001, Serious Sam won numerous accolades including Game of the Year on Gamespot and Editor's Choice on IGN. Developed on Croteam's proprietary Serious Engine 3; Serious Sam HD stays true to the source material, as our hero takes on Lord Mental's forces across a variety of battlegrounds set in various ancient civilisations. The gameplay remains as intense as ever and the humour intact, all this in glorious high definition!

It'll be interesting to see how a modern engine can handles the ridiculous numbers of enemies in Serious Sam. L4D kinda-sorta did this, though it really wasn't on a Serious scale. I'm also hoping that co-op will stay intact, it'd be one hell of a fuck-up if they dropped that. Do you guys think it's shallow to re-release an old title with new graphics? It seems to be becoming a trend lately. At least it's more honest than releasing a 'sequel' every year I suppose. callofmaddenXIVsmackdown2011

Also pictures.

[Jello]

I'd rather they remade The Second Encounter, but I've always enjoyed the Serious Sam games, and I wouldn't mind seeing the graphics beefed up a bit. Although at the time they were certainly impressive enough, and the fact that you could go for 40 minutes without seeing a loading screen was nice. I'm just glad that Croteam is still around, I'd love anouther Serious Sam game.

[Craigs]

Jello said:

I'd rather they remade The Second Encounter, but I've always enjoyed the Serious Sam games, and I wouldn't mind seeing the graphics beefed up a bit. Although at the time they were certainly impressive enough, and the fact that you could go for 40 minutes without seeing a loading screen was nice. I'm just glad that Croteam is still around, I'd love anouther Serious Sam game.

second encounter? I think they are. The chainsaw pumpkin guy and skinless lizard thing are in one of those shots, and I'm pretty sure they were only in the second encounter.

[Technician]

Both the first and second encounter will most likely be made into one game like they did with the Xbox release.

[Jello]

Well then colour me pickled tink. I know for a fact that the chainsaw/pumpkin fellow was only in TSE, so if they're combining both the first and second encounter for 1200 MS points, I think that would be the best XBOX Live deal ever, considering I paid 30 bucks for each of them.

"Another incident of Mental wallowing in his infinite badness" Classic

[david_a]

I dunno, I got bored with the first game by the end (never played the second). The enemy design was for the most part really bad.

As far as "HD remakes" go, there does seem to be quite a few of these nowadays, although this is the first time I've seen an FPS. I would not mind a Shadow of the Colossus graphical update, although not at the cost of delaying Trico.

[Snarboo]

The original games have aged pretty well, so this seems like a good idea. It looks they're using the models from the XBox version of Serious Sam, which I haven't played, but added stuff like lives and a combos.

[exp(x)]

Hopefully coop is less buggy in this version.

[wildweasel]

I want more Sam dialogue. Sam 2 felt so empty by comparison, with Nettie stealing all the face time...

[Enjay]

Looks pretty sweet. Serious Sam was fun but those interminable scripted battles killed it for me. By the end of the Second Encounter, it was possible to play for minutes at a time and make no progress across the ground what so ever as unimaginative wave after wave ported in. I just found that dull and frustrating.

[Snarboo]

WildWeasel said:

Sam 2 felt so empty by comparison, with Nettie stealing all the face time...

I actually had to turn off her voice while playing the demo because it was so annoying. There were more problems with SS2 than her, though, namely that the graphic and level design wasn't much of an improvement over the original.

[TheeXile]

david_a said:
I dunno, I got bored with the first game by the end (never played the second). The enemy design was for the most part really bad.

What they really need to do is tune up the gameplay as well. I agree that the monsters had a fuckton of issues.

As far as "HD remakes" go, there does seem to be quite a few of these nowadays, although this is the first time I've seen an FPS. I would not mind a Shadow of the Colossus graphical update, although not at the cost of delaying Trico.

What they really need is to remake it with a real super secret added. One that'll drive people nuts again for another several years trying to find it. :P

[DeumReaper]

Definitely buying this, I never get bored of Serious Sam-type games.

[40oz]

Eww. Why are the animations of the monsters synchronized? (Look at the cyclops things in the last screenshot)

[Jello]

You've never seen two imps throw a fireball at the same time? Or played COD 4, killed two guys with a shotgun and seen them die the exact same way? The same enemy will have the same animations, and they will coincide at times, although I agree that it might not be the best choice for a promo shot. Still, after looking at the pictures, damn I will be buying this.

[exp(x)]

JohnnyRancid said:

Eww. Why are the animations of the monsters synchronized? (Look at the cyclops things in the last screenshot)

Oh come on; they move so fast in game that you're not even going to notice it.

[SFJake]

Some people in there don't know how to appreciate that kind of games, eh.

If you have never played this game with at least one other friend in coop, you are missing something. I strongly suggest you do it.

Seriously. That game is a classic, just because it does what its supposed to very well. It does gets boring fast alone, but murdering hordes of enemies and trying to survive just by the adrenaline of fighting so many of them, its pretty damn fun to do.

I never saw the need for a HD remix, but I guess I welcome it. The game already looked pretty damn nice, texture wise. The comparison screens are unfair, the original screenshots are probably on the lowest quality - looks much better when I play it. But its just the textures.

In any case, if you missed out and have at least one friend to play it, as long as it includes coop, DON'T miss your chance and PLAY IT when this HD remake comes out.

[Shaikoten]

Any Serious Sam game with coop is worth it. Seriously. That game is the most fun I've had playing through coop game, notably Second Encounter. And not just because you can do stuff like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHD6WfjC3iI

[exp(x)]

Shaikoten said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHD6WfjC3iI

Good times.

[deathbringer]

Didn't they turn it all cartoony and cel-shaded in later instalments? I just used to love shooting those one-eyed running things with the super shotgun and watching them skid backwards leaving a blood trail.