Followed this one for a five years. Finally played it in June 2024.
The non-combative approach to gameplay is just great. For someone starved for a good stealth game (after that ghastly Dishonored experience), Innocence was simply delicious to play. There were times I got stuck but it just needed a bit of lateral thinking and noticing obviously missed cues in the environment and the game just flows from point to point with no distractions.
In some sections of the game, mostly expositional bits, the Sprint is disabled but that's okay for a first play through. Repeating will be a problem but that is for later.
As someone who enjoyed (and still enjoys) reading James Herbert Rats Trilogy, especially Domain, there was something extra satisfying about watching rats in their thousands scurry around.
Steam told me that I had just finished 11 hours of play time and all I could think was "Aww, game is going to end soon." On my next game exit, I immediately wish listed Requiem.
And then Chapter XVI - Coronation. Such a pity that Innocence fell prey to the current gaming mores.
The entire game is about avoiding confrontation whenever/wherever possible. Always trying to think how to cross an arena without being seen or at least the enemy going into a neutral state while you stay in hiding.
The entire 11-1/2 hours of gameplay is just butchered in the final boss fight. A typical triple-stage run and gun boss fight with environmental hazards in a constricted arena.
After 13+ attempts, shut down the game, uninstalled.
Why do developers do this.
An absolute gem of a game ruined by the final boss betraying all the rules the game laid down leading up to that point.
What a shame.
I am going to watch all the boss fight videos in Requiem before even thinking of buying that.
Sigh. 11-1/2 hours of unalloyed joy turned into controller-chucking frustration.
Why, Asobo, why?
