COJ-2 Screen captures thread

[PZ]

Post your screen caps in the gallery and then link to the media in this thread.  ;)

[PZ]

Here are a few screen captures from my initial play through the first two chapters and the beginning of the third chapter.  The first two chapters center around the McCall brothers on the Confederate side in the Civil War.  You w@&k your way through various army encounters in which your weapons are pistols, rifles, dynamite, Gatling guns, cannon, and knives.  The mcCalls were a close-knit family, and when General Sherman's army threatened their home, the brothers went AWOL to help the family.  They made it to their plantation, but the blue coats killed their mother.

It looks almost like taking a scene out of "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly", even down to one of the characters.  Remember Lee VanCleef, "the bad" aka "Angel eyes"  Take a look at this fellow:
[smg id=956]

Then, there is a objective where you need to set dynamite and blow up a bridge - sound familiar you Clint Eastwood fans?
[smg id=943]
[smg id=945]
[smg id=957]
There was another scene where some fool courier told the McCall brothers that they needed to follow orders and not worry about their family home.  This was their unfriendly reaction.  In fact they told the courier that his gun would soon be placed where the sun don't shine:
[smg id=959]
You can ride a horse for quick transportation:
[smg id=958]
... or throw dynamite (quite effective)
[smg id=955]
... or lasso objects and climb/swing to them (only Thomas can do this)
[smg id=951]
... and buzzards have been known to eat your brethren.  Kill the buggars...
[smg id=950]
Evidently, the Colonel is quite incensed that the brothers disobeyed orders and wants to hang them for what he perceives as deserting, no matter how long it takes:
[smg id=948]
... you can also find attention to detail in the graphics
[smg id=953]
... as well as use a cannon to sink a boat:
[smg id=952]
[smg id=947]
After the Civil War, the McCall brothers needed to head west to escape the wrath of the Colonel, who still wanted to "hang 'em high".  The 3rd chapter began in a saloon on a rainy day out west.  Here is Thomas out of uniform and into cowboy duds:
[smg id=942]
... and Ray
[smg id=954]
The chapter opens with the brothers arguing over a girl, which unfortunately was the Deputy's daughter.  He (the deputy) was exceedingly angry at what one or both of the brothers did to his little girl, and called them out into the street:
[smg id=949]
... and ultimately Thomas (who I was playing at the time) had the pleasure of gunning him down in a fair fight
[smg id=944]
Finally, here is an example of the stats page.
[smg id=946]

[JRD]

SCREENSHOTS... WOO HOO....
Thanks PZ, geat description. I was really curious about that game and your post answers lots of questions.
I see how it flows, quite like "take this, go there, do this" , it takes you by the hand, which isn't exactly sand box style, but it still fun  ;)
The story seems to be very well tailored and characters also seems deep, which is great. As long as the storyline have a good pace and the shootouts are memorable (bullet time is there for a reason, right?) I don't mind with the "take this, do that" part.
Graphics and details also looks good, although shadows are not as sharp as in FC2.
But hey, if you played doom, today's graphics will always be jawdropping.
Good read and great pics my friend, keep them coming  :-X

[Art Blade]

wow, great w@&k, PZ! Way better than other picture reviews (elsewhere on the net)... because you're honest  ;D

[PZ]

Thanks guys - I'll keep posting as I explore the game.  You know how it is, you can't really determine much from what others do in the game and then tell about it, but it is better than nothing.  I just finished with a FC2 session on the PD3, and I must say that I still think that the graphics in FC2 are better and smoother.  Most of the videos and screen captures you see regarding COJ2 are of the short movie clips between game play sessions.  The in-game graphics are not as crisp and spectacular as in FC2.  One other thing - there might be a problem that already needs fixing.  When the battle becomes intense, the frame rate appears to be a bit slow which results in a slight "stutter" in the play.  Of course, I'm running the game maxed out, but I'm using a GTX-295 so I doubt that it should be over-worked.

[Art Blade]

haha, your system is great (no need for an i7 extreme, doesn't really matter with "normal" gaming) and is absolutely fit for every current game, and I dare say for the next games, too.

What you say about CoJ2 compared with FC2 is what I think of ArmA2 compared with FC2. Those Ubi Canada guys did an excellent job!

[JRD]

the frame rate appears to be a bit slow which results in a slight "stutter" in the play.  Of course, I'm running the game maxed out, but I'm using a GTX-295 so I doubt that it should be over-worked.

Hmm... it might be a driver issue  :( . Did you check the official site or other fan sites for driver info (althought its too early for that kind of issue to pop up in discussions on the net, but who knows?)?

On another note - graphics - I'd give up a bit of the eye candy for gameplay. Even if the graphics aren't the best, but you have a large area to explore, like in ArmA2 or OFP2, I still think today's games are incredible.
But I haven't seen shadows and fire like in FC2 in any other game

[Art Blade]

that reminds me... do you cast a shadow? (ArmA2: yes, and you see your feet if you look down while walking)

[PZ]

hmmm... not noticed if I cast a shadow - so far, the game play has been so intense that I rarely have time to look around.  You do feel rather rushed because you have a limited time to complete your objective before you fail your mission.  I'll look though.

Yes, someone else with a GTX-295 reported the same thing and a Ubi representative immediately replied with a request for additional information.  (It would be disturbing if the game is already beyond the capacity of that video card, especially considering that the graphics in FC2 are superior.)  Have not gone back yet to see what the results were, but I will.

As to fire - it is kind of cool in COJ2 - you can pick up the lit lanterns and throw them to create fires.  You can also shoot them to do the same.  However, the fire "eye candy" is not as good in COJ2.

[PZ]

that reminds me... do you cast a shadow? (ArmA2: yes, and you see your feet if you look down while walking)

Yes, here is a screen capture of my shadow, which I discovered moves just like I do - very detailed movement.
[smg id=1029]

[Art Blade]

 :) that does add to a game  :-X

[PZ]

Gunfight example...
[smg id=1027]

[JRD]

A nice touch to focus the image on characters and blur the background  :-X

[PZ]

Truly, and you have to move slowly from side to side as your opponent does the same, much like in the movies.  When your opponent blurs, he is not within the gunfight striking sphere - you need to move to keep him in focus.

[JRD]

Thats a good dynamic  :-X

How do you know when to draw?
Can you screw it being slow or is it simple to shoot him down?

[PZ]

Not simple - can be tricky, especially because your opponent is always fast.  You circle one another for approximately 30 seconds or so, then you hear a bell in a tower ring and that is your cue.  You move the mouse quickly toward your gun, sweep upward and aim quickly.  It's always an adrenalin rush.

[JRD]

Cool... you have to move the mouse and not only click it  8)

[PZ]

Yeah, kind of cute - as you're posturing with your opponent, you can move your hand closer to your pistol, but not too close or the game will move it away again (shaking your finger in a "no" motion) - you have to time it just right, so in the quick draw, you're actually using the movement keys and the mouse.

[Dweller_Benthos]

Finally getting into this game. The initial civil war levels kinda left me cold, not as interesting for some reason. Now that I'm "out west" it's a bit more fun. Though I'm enjoying the intermediate levels that are more open and let you wander around a bit. The actual mission levels don't appeal to me as much, they are essentially escort missions, where if you get too far from your brother, it just ends. Even though the levels themselves might be a bit more open, you can't wander off too far and try a different path, or you'll get too far away and that's it. At least that's how it's been so far, and I'm not too far into it yet.

So, some screenies for your enjoyment. I was fooling around with the bow & arrow, and tried to shoot the buzzards circling around. Wasn't as hard as I thought:

[smg id=1787 align=center]

As for stuff that's interactive in the environment, you can climb the barn roof and shoot the weathervane to spin it around. Can't really tell it's spinning here, but I had it going at a pretty good clip:

[smg id=1788 align=center]

[Art Blade]

:)  :-X

I can see you're getting some fun out of that game  :)

I like to read stuff like that, and the screenies are helping me to get an idea of what it looks like what you're experiencing there. Shooting birds out of the sky is something I try to do in every game that sports them, but not every game actually allows you to shoot them down. FC1 for example had flocks of parrots circling around, and they exploded in a red cloudlet with feathers tumbling down. Pity I didn't have a bow, then :) HitMan:BloodMoney also allows you to shoot seagulls down, well, they fall down like a stuffed bag.

[fragger]

I don't have a screenie of it, but during the Civil War part of the game there's a part where you have to take out some Yankee snipers in the woods. At one stage, while hiding behind a tree, I saw a big, well-detailed spider run around the tree trunk. Nice little touch, I thought.

[Art Blade]

can you squash the spider?  ;D

[fragger]

Don't know, Art, at the time I was too surprised to think of trying it. And if I had, running around the tree to get to it would have exposed me to one of those danged Yankee snipers ;D

[Art Blade]

hehe, I can understand that :) You know, that spider somehow reminds me of that silly line (young people these days seem to be fond of Chuck Norris jokes, they keep me posted up):

Chuck Norris doesn't eat honey. He chews bees.  ;D

Maybe you should try to snatch that spider next time around and chew on it. Who knows, perhaps it tastes of blackberries ;D ;D (Might want to shave it first, those are quite hairy beasts! Or you'll need something to floss, later)  ;D

[fragger]

Oh, stop! I'm an arachnophobe! You're making my blood run cold and giving me involuntary shivers (hmm, there's no emoticon for "horror")

I guess if you're a starving Confederate though, you'll eat anything ;D