So, ever since the first FPS was born, players have constantly been given the option to dual wield their weapons, or use them "akimbo." I'm kind of on the fence about this gameplay mechanic, and here's why:
PROS: It's fun as fuck.
Who doesn't love scooping up a couple of pistols in L4D and L4D2 and going to town on the zombie masses, screaming bloody murder and profanities about their mothers? Plus, you look like a badass.
Take John Woo's Stranglehold for instance. You slide down banisters, jump tables, ride serving carts, and gyrate in the middle of the room systematically downing people with your "dualies." It's almost like an art form. Wet makes this mechanic even more beautiful when it allows you to target to enemies at once. Watch as you skid across the floor, in slow motion, clearing an entire room of people in a matter of seconds like your Angelina Jolie out of Wanted. It's a great time in games like L4D, and Wet where a major aspect of player enjoyment is the absurdity of it all.
But this leads me to the other side of the "fence..."
CONS - Part 1: Broken Realism
Modern Warfare 2. Oh, and I apologise for bringing it up. I know there is a million threads on it thus far, but it's such a good example.
MW2 is supposed to be a realistic representation of warfare. Or, so it's developers would have us believe. But nothing gets to me more than working through an entire campaign as a hardened, experienced, well trained Marine/SAS trooper than to suddenly find myself staggering through a market spraying bullets everywhere because I can't keep both my P90's steady. This suddenly begs the question as to what the hell my superior officers are doing? They go so far as to memorise callsigns should communications go out, but the second they see my ass flailing around two shotguns, arms fully extended outwards like a jackass, they compliment me on my fantastic skills as a Marine and let me carry on about my day?
Realism my ass.
CONS - Part Deux: It's cheap as fuck.
Akimbo Model 1887's in Multiplayer. Need I say more? At close range the Model 1887 can turn a person into pulpy oatmeal with just one shot. So give a man two of these, and suddenly he's clearing out buildings like he's John fucking Rambo. Sure, this relates back to my "PROS" which state that this can be fun as arse...and it is, but only if you're the one doing it. Getting constantly mowed down by the same fucker carrying akimbo shotguns gets pretty frustrating in a manner of seconds. Akimbo SMG's are balanced out by the fact that they're so inaccurate that you couldn't shoot yourself with them if you wanted to, but with a shotgun, the Model 1887 in particular, this isn't an issue. It's a single shot weapon, so recoil is no longer an issue.
----------
So, there it is. What do you all think? Agree? Disagree? Is it cheap, is it fun, is it realistic? Anything else that comes up when you think akimbo weaponry?
Does the word "akimbo" look sexy to you? Well, okay, I don't want that last question answered...
PROS: It's fun as fuck.
Who doesn't love scooping up a couple of pistols in L4D and L4D2 and going to town on the zombie masses, screaming bloody murder and profanities about their mothers? Plus, you look like a badass.
Take John Woo's Stranglehold for instance. You slide down banisters, jump tables, ride serving carts, and gyrate in the middle of the room systematically downing people with your "dualies." It's almost like an art form. Wet makes this mechanic even more beautiful when it allows you to target to enemies at once. Watch as you skid across the floor, in slow motion, clearing an entire room of people in a matter of seconds like your Angelina Jolie out of Wanted. It's a great time in games like L4D, and Wet where a major aspect of player enjoyment is the absurdity of it all.
But this leads me to the other side of the "fence..."
CONS - Part 1: Broken Realism
Modern Warfare 2. Oh, and I apologise for bringing it up. I know there is a million threads on it thus far, but it's such a good example.
MW2 is supposed to be a realistic representation of warfare. Or, so it's developers would have us believe. But nothing gets to me more than working through an entire campaign as a hardened, experienced, well trained Marine/SAS trooper than to suddenly find myself staggering through a market spraying bullets everywhere because I can't keep both my P90's steady. This suddenly begs the question as to what the hell my superior officers are doing? They go so far as to memorise callsigns should communications go out, but the second they see my ass flailing around two shotguns, arms fully extended outwards like a jackass, they compliment me on my fantastic skills as a Marine and let me carry on about my day?
Realism my ass.
CONS - Part Deux: It's cheap as fuck.
Akimbo Model 1887's in Multiplayer. Need I say more? At close range the Model 1887 can turn a person into pulpy oatmeal with just one shot. So give a man two of these, and suddenly he's clearing out buildings like he's John fucking Rambo. Sure, this relates back to my "PROS" which state that this can be fun as arse...and it is, but only if you're the one doing it. Getting constantly mowed down by the same fucker carrying akimbo shotguns gets pretty frustrating in a manner of seconds. Akimbo SMG's are balanced out by the fact that they're so inaccurate that you couldn't shoot yourself with them if you wanted to, but with a shotgun, the Model 1887 in particular, this isn't an issue. It's a single shot weapon, so recoil is no longer an issue.
----------
So, there it is. What do you all think? Agree? Disagree? Is it cheap, is it fun, is it realistic? Anything else that comes up when you think akimbo weaponry?
Does the word "akimbo" look sexy to you? Well, okay, I don't want that last question answered...
