Raptor: Call of the Shadows kicks ass! Usually mine.

After four days of dip in and out game play I've finally beaten Level 2 of Episode 2. They weren't lying when they said older games are harder. I don't know how people lived back when all games where this hard. I guess you had to adopt a "I'm here to play and if I'm lucky I'll make progress" attitude.
Modern game are often considered too easy. I think this has less to do with pandering to casuals and a change in the philosophy of what a game should do.
A modern game is played to be finished. The ending is something you are supposed to see so the game can be evaluated as a whole. An old game like Raptor doesn't care if you finish it The devs have got their money now you have to impress the game instead of the other way round.

It seems a little funny that when talking about hard old games that people always talk about Nintendo games when if Raptor is anything to go by it was true of PC games too back then.

So time honoured PC gamers from the days of the Apple 2 and my fellow retro nerds, do you miss this kind of approach to game design or do you think that games meant to be finished have their merits?

Thanks for reading.

Raptor is an anomaly. Your health is your money basically, so you need to be wary both about how much you get hit, and how much you spend. You can always cheat during the first level and be rid of such monetary woes, after which the game does become much easier.
Do compare Raptor with Tyrian, and see if Tyrian feels easier or harder. Or Xenon 2 if you can find it.

TBH, raptor is kind of easy in that you can grind for cash to afford the upgrades necessary to progress.

But, if you're not willing to do that, then it can be quite a challenge to finish.

Being free one this site I've played Tyrian quite a bit. I was loads easier but as it used the heath and regenerating shields modle that Halo used 10 years later I assumed Tyrian was the anomaly X)
Tyrian also has four guns as opposed to Raptor's two.

The things that really make Raptor hard for me are the enemies on the ground which you need to switch weapons for and the fact that I can't afford extra Phase Shields if I want to save up for the big weapons.

As a child of the 80's I think this sums it up. :D

1 Good to see you've got you third star back :)

2 You always know how to make me smile. Are you married?

Same with me and Tyrian 2000. I kept dying on the first level. X-P

I'm fine with grinding to earn money or XP, but I don't remember if that's possible in T2000.

raptor prob the easiest vertical shooter esp if you collecting those atomic bomb (??) the enemy is easy to memorize

The bonus levels could give you quite a bit of cash, though some of them required you to have decent weaponry, which usually meant they are almost impossible during the first playthrough.

No but I'm a guy and I'm strait. :D In the old arcades it seemed every shooter had an A-Bomb of some sort, different names and varying difficulty in terms of getting it, but still always there to eliminate EVERYTHING on the screen with one push of the button.

the different on raptor, item are easy to grind while on other based on luck so the shop/ between mission becoming his strength and weakness

I know that's not true because I've already played Tyrian which is leagues below Raptor in difficulty. Ditto Symphony even though it's a new game. Troll some where else.

grow up dude if you didn't agreed no need calling other troll

It not a matter of agreeing. You know I've played easier games in the genre but pretended otherwise to get a rise. You've been caught out. And telling me to grow up when you don't even use capitalisation or punctuation is a little hypocritical kiddo.

that grammar attack really cheap i'm out of here. but let me tell you if you meet me in face, i already stuck a broom in your mouth. this is not a threat.