SH4 - Worth buying now ?

[Einzelganger]

Hello all,

I've been playing SH3 for quite some time and have offcourse awaited the release of SH4 since work starting on it was confirmed.

My problem is this, i've read the reviews and the topics on this forum but it seems the game came with a lot of bugs, impacting game play among other things,and i can't really tell from what i've read so far if the past 2 patches have made a difference. The general trend of the reviews i've read seem to be, these are the problems but if you'll ignore a numbers of issues the game is well playable / enjoyable. I just can't get a clear picture on the state of the game.

What did you think after you've first got & played the game ? I don't really feel like buying a new game which has the numbers of problems i've read about, because after all ,i do want to enjoy myself with this. Is it perhaps better to wait for further patches to come along eventually ?

Suppose i'm just looking for the views of those with more playing experience then those reviewers who seem to have given it just a single spin.

[Engel]

depends..... if u want more eye candy then SH3, not being able to return to base by pressing ESC, do manual TDC without being able to use the "board tools" to determine speed, less options to upgrade your Sub, some bugs and "undocumented Features" then SH4 is for you.

IMHO SH3 in its current state with a good Mod pack is better then SH4. :dead:

Dont expect SH4 to be a total new and amazing improvement of SH3. The so-called Campaign is 80% the same as in SH3. "Go there...sink stuff" or "Go there...deliver an Agent or Troops or take a photo of a Harbor and while you are there...sink some stuff".

That doesnt mean its a bad game...not at all, but Its not a Improvement and in some parts its worse then SH3.

[John Channing]

Was worth it.

Is worth it.

Will be worth it.

JCC

[U-Bones]

There are things I am dissapointed about, but I would buy it again if my wife threw it away.
Please note that is a stronger endorsement than a simple I would buy it again. YMMV

[TDK1044]

Patched to 1.2 and modded, this game is already very enjoyable. It'll just keep getting better.

[AVGWarhawk]

All depends how you look at it. If you are ok with working with the game to get it to run, ok with bugs and are willing to let UBI correct these, then yes, it is worth it. I took the time to get it going, work around the bugs and enjoy this game very much. If these things are going to frustrate the heck out of you, then it just might not be worth your efforts. Some just do not have the patience...human nature.

[AJ!]

I would have to say wait a bit longer..... Another month or so would be a perfect wait :p By then the new patch will be well underway, if not finished and more mods will be showing up. Its up to you though :up:

[gg5056]

Its Work Great For Me. Like It Better Then Sh3.

Display Is Better, Now I Got A Geforce 7900gs Video Card.

[Omnissiah]

I didn't wait. I've already put about a bazillion hours on SHIV, and for me it's quite enjoyable. Yeah sure, there's a few bugs...okay, there's a lot of bugs. But patched and properly modded, the bugs and gameplay issues become mostly unnoticeable.



If there's other things you want to spend money on, then by all means wait a while...I'm sure that SHIV will be even better a few months down the road. But don't let the bugtalk fool you: it's a pretty darn good game right now.

[Greentimbers]

If you like Sub Sims, YES, buy it now.
I have had many hours on patrol so far, well worth the money IMHO

:D

[Brausepaul]

Wait for the next patch and the community's reaction.

[aanker]

To support the Dev's at UBI and to thank them - Yes, although it still needs work. Turn a blind eye to the remaining things and it is a good game. It made me go Manual TDC for the 1st time!

[Sulikate]

Patched to 1.2 and modded, this game is already very enjoyable. It'll just keep getting better.
I agree.

[SteamWake]

Wait for the next patch and the community's reaction.

Meh... I dont follow that advice. The "community" seems to be a bit... uhhh... bitter.

Go read the thread on SH4 commander in modding forum for a clear example of what these nasty attitudes lead to.

My take is that now that 1.2 cured a lot of the game stoppers and with the many mods available to you it is well worth the investment.

If 1.3 cures the radar and chronometer issues a good game will be even better.

[SUBMAN1]

Depends - it is a flawed masterpeice in my book.

[FIREWALL]

Simple Answer.

If your the Conservitive type : Wait for patch and posts. :yep:

If your a Devil may care type : Buy it and jump in and enjoy. :D

Whether it's better or worse than SH-3 is imaterial.
It's just another choice that's all.

It seems to me it's easier to play both then decide.
Then to always wonder what if.

[Camaero]

Worth every penny.

[FAdmiral]

First Install of SH4 - it is a flawed masterpeice, nothing works right !
Reinstall out of frustration - WOW, the game like it was meant to be.
80% of the bug posts here I have NEVER experienced with the reinstall.
I had about all of them with the first install. The moral to my story here is:
Installing the game or patches seems to flawed somewhere and my experience
seems to dictate that it was the install wizard that sets up the game files to
be loaded onto your HD....

JIM

[Einzelganger]

Thanks for your insights and replies to my question.

I'll get me a copy later this week (time, time it's all about finding time :doh: ) Given your answers and the fact i've survived SH3 aswell i think i can take the shot at it. Besides i like this kinda of thing too much anyway... but really, what i had read about it before did worry me a bit.

But what still gets me though is, the game just seems to get so much bad publicity from what i've seen myself. I can't help but feel that it's gonna hurt UBI when trying to get to those people that aren't already familiar with the SH series.

[Grey_Raven75]

I bought the game the day it came out and I've never once regretted the decision.

[AVGWarhawk]

But what still gets me though is, the game just seems to get so much bad publicity from what i've seen myself. I can't help but feel that it's gonna hurt UBI when trying to get to those people that aren't already familiar with the SH series.

I felt SH3 hurt as well. I bought SH3 and played for about 3 months. I got bored with it and shelved it. It had its bugs and game play was not what I call enticing. After two years I decided to load it again and stumbled upon GWX. That is all she wrote...hooked, lock, stock and barrel. My sneaking suspicions for SH4 look to much the same as SH3 developed. Only this time I will be around to watch our wonderful modders develop this game. Beery and Ducimus have circled the wagons already and are making splendid mod packages :rock: Others have made single mods that have greatly inhanced the game. We just need the Devs to clean up the serious bugs. I'm looking at years of fun to come with SH4

[Harry Buttle]

Personally I'd say that it is playable now if you use mods and are prepared to ignore some really quite serious bugs - ie if you have nothing better to do and have some money you really want to get rid of.

I'd wait for the next patch, I expect it will be quite some time off as there is still a fair bit to do.

Put it this way, SHIV was launched so early, that, if it was a Gato class, it would have sunk straight off the slipway - the devs have now raised it to the surface and have pumped it out, but there is still a pretty major refurb and refit to do before it is fit for a war patrol.

[SteamWake]

It really is a shame the bean counters rushed this product to the shelves.

Yes it got a lot of bad press, deserved it if you review on the out of the box experience. In the long run it will probably negatively impact sales. You hear me bean counters ? If the dev crew had been given another month or two your corperate pockets would be that much fatter. But hey... you got it to market in Q2 so thats all the really matters ... right ?

Reminds me of a saying in my line of work "Theres never time to do it right, but theres always time to do it again".