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Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 7:40 pm
by RyuHayabusa
Ok, now that Policenauts has finally been translated and we've gotten a chance to play through it, there is one question that is inevitable: Is it better than Snatcher? Both games are from Hideo Kojima and feature a similar style of gameplay, so comparisons are to be expected. Personally, although I thoroughly enjoyed Policenauts, I still prefer Snatcher. Perhaps I'm biased because I'm such a big Blade Runner fan and love the similarities, but I liked the storyline better in Snatcher. I also like the music a bit better in Snatcher too. Both are great games though. So, which game do you all prefer?

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:15 am
by akakak4747
Spoiler:
I enjoyed snatcher more. Felt more interactivy. Like that part where you are in the dark and u have the flashlight to look around was awesome.

When I play snatcher or policenauts it's a mainly a one time thing so i try to read and click as much things as possible first time through. Snatcher felt a lot fairly paced and the plot/action kicked in early and was there throughout the game.

Snatchers menus are a lot more basic and a lot less options to choose to read all the details. With policenauts the first scene took me 20-30 minutes to read every little thing and click on it. Throughout the beginning of the game where you pretty much visit all these new areas I would read everything to get the most out of it. 1st 6 hours I spent reading. I guess if your not a hardcore fan really wanting to know what happens in policenauts. All that reading will deter the majority of people from giving the game a fair chance. Policenauts felt like a soap opera to me at times. It was a good one though.

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:51 am
by Frogacuda
I think Policenauts felt more fully realized to me. Snatcher was so achingly derivative of Blade Runner that it didn't really feel like it was raising any of its own questions or themes, where Policenauts seems like a really thoughtful, well developed world with logic and science behind it that deals with things in its own.

Snatcher does feel a bit more open and challenging than Policenauts, which really doesn't even let you get lost of screw up, but the fact is neither are really compelling from a gameplay standpoint anyway. Like most Japanese adventures, they're driven by story and characters, and that's the point.

Policenauts also had the advantage of much higher production values, which helps to flesh out the world and make the characters shine, so that's a factor too.

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 5:14 am
by Silanda
I like both, but Snatcher edges it. As for the storylines, yes Snatcher did seem to be derived from movies such as Blade Runner and Terminator, but Policenauts wasn't entirely original either. It seemed to be a cross between Lethal Weapon and Coma, but set in space. The look of the facility on the moon in the PC-9821 version was ripped straight from Coma, as were certain storyline aspects.

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 5:34 am
by khmr33
I haven't beat Policenauts yet, but I think I like it more. Mostly because the system for gameplay is way more streamlined than Snatcher. Hopefully it doesn't spoil me too much when I try to go back to Snatcher.

It does make you wonder what Project S will be like. Killer7's movement plus Policenauts menus plus Snatcher's world and light-gun combat. Makes me want to go buy a Guncon3 just in case.

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:24 pm
by cacetete
snatcher has a better story but policenauts is bigger and has better gameplay.

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:53 pm
by RyuHayabusa
cacetete wrote:snatcher has a better story but policenauts is bigger and has better gameplay.
I'm not so sure that Policenauts is bigger. Policenauts is definitely more text-intensive and takes longer to play through, but I'm not so sure if Policenauts has more locations and things to do. I do agree that Snatcher has a better story.

One thing I was just thinking about. There is an inconsistency that I couldn't help but notice:
Spoiler:
There is a shoot-out scene on the moon when Ed and Jonathan are trying to get to the pod launcher and are ambushed by some Goddard units. Jonathan uses his recoil gun and some armor piercing rounds to take them down. Keep in mind that he's not using a lift gun, so how can he shoot that armored suits down like that. Wouldn't the moon's gravity be too weak to use his gun like that?

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:31 pm
by Frogacuda
RyuHayabusa wrote:
Spoiler:
There is a shoot-out scene on the moon when Ed and Jonathan are trying to get to the pod launcher and are ambushed by some Goddard units. Jonathan uses his recoil gun and some armor piercing rounds to take them down. Keep in mind that he's not using a lift gun, so how can he shoot that armored suits down like that. Wouldn't the moon's gravity be too weak to use his gun like that?
Not as long as he had his feet planted firmly on the ground and he had a good stance.

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 11:27 pm
by el_ash
All in all I love both games!
They are VERY similar, It just depends on what kind of storyline and dialog you liked the best to me really.

Policenauts was a really great game, But Snatcher to me had more "freedom" and humorous dialog, Eventhough Policenauts has a much higher production value and presentation.

I was also more into the "CyberPunk" storyline of Snatcher than Policenauts's more "Medical" themed plot.
(at certin time in Policenauts I felt like I was reading a medical Dictionary!...wich is both good and bad).

So Snatcher just barely tops Policenauts in my mind still.....but it's a close one! :mrgreen:

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 12:14 pm
by cacetete
RyuHayabusa wrote:
cacetete wrote:snatcher has a better story but policenauts is bigger and has better gameplay.
I'm not so sure that Policenauts is bigger. Policenauts is definitely more text-intensive and takes longer to play through, but I'm not so sure if Policenauts has more locations and things to do. I do agree that Snatcher has a better story.

One thing I was just thinking about. There is an inconsistency that I couldn't help but notice:
Spoiler:
There is a shoot-out scene on the moon when Ed and Jonathan are trying to get to the pod launcher and are ambushed by some Goddard units. Jonathan uses his recoil gun and some armor piercing rounds to take them down. Keep in mind that he's not using a lift gun, so how can he shoot that armored suits down like that. Wouldn't the moon's gravity be too weak to use his gun like that?
I say it's bigger because it has a lot of extra things to do with the interface being a pointer: you can point and examine anything, while in snatcher you are limited to the text interface. also, the game has a lot more arcade shootings, they are harder and better and bigger, there are little extra games like the bomb and purse stuff, and if you play both very fast, policenauts still lasts longer with it's 7 acts.
in this part you say wasnt he using ed's gun? don't remember it this is while the boss was retaining johnatans gun.

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:10 pm
by RyuHayabusa
I say it's bigger because it has a lot of extra things to do with the interface being a pointer: you can point and examine anything, while in snatcher you are limited to the text interface. also, the game has a lot more arcade shootings, they are harder and better and bigger, there are little extra games like the bomb and purse stuff, and if you play both very fast, policenauts still lasts longer with it's 7 acts.
Honestly, I thought the shoot-outs were pretty easy in Policenauts. I only died twice during all of them, and that's because I got hit by the semi during the motorcycle chase. I think the final shooting scene in Snatcher was far more difficult than any of them. Personally, I think Snatcher is just as long as Policenauts aside from reading all the text. All the reading really adds to the game's length.
in this part you say wasnt he using ed's gun? don't remember it this is while the boss was retaining johnatans gun.
Spoiler:
Ed gave Jonathan his gun back after he snuck it back from Gates along with Hojo's ID.

Project S

Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 8:41 pm
by JonnyTanna
khmr33 wrote:I haven't beat Policenauts yet, but I think I like it more. Mostly because the system for gameplay is way more streamlined than Snatcher. Hopefully it doesn't spoil me too much when I try to go back to Snatcher.

It does make you wonder what Project S will be like. Killer7's movement plus Policenauts menus plus Snatcher's world and light-gun combat. Makes me want to go buy a Guncon3 just in case.
What's the deal with Project S? Is it still even coming out? Last I heard Suda & Kojima haven't spoken since last year when they were both in a toilet at some convention.

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:55 am
by johnnythewolf
Frogacuda wrote:
RyuHayabusa wrote:
Spoiler:
There is a shoot-out scene on the moon when Ed and Jonathan are trying to get to the pod launcher and are ambushed by some Goddard units. Jonathan uses his recoil gun and some armor piercing rounds to take them down. Keep in mind that he's not using a lift gun, so how can he shoot that armored suits down like that. Wouldn't the moon's gravity be too weak to use his gun like that?
Not as long as he had his feet planted firmly on the ground and he had a good stance.
Spoiler:
I still found it a bit hard to believe that Jonathan could defeat single-handely several armored suits with his tiny recoil gun. I'm not a weapons expert, but I don't think armor-percing bullets could be that powerful. I also find it pretty ridiculous that Jonathan could wipe out a whole squad of AP troopers. After witnessing Redwood taking so many hits before finally going down, it's a bit absurd to think that only a couple of shots could do the trick with most of his colleagues. At first, I thought Jonathan was going to hijack a Goddard suit or something, which would have been awesome.
At least, in Snatcher, the shoot-out scenes made a little more sense.

Re: Project S

Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:04 pm
by khmr33
JonnyTanna wrote:
khmr33 wrote:I haven't beat Policenauts yet, but I think I like it more. Mostly because the system for gameplay is way more streamlined than Snatcher. Hopefully it doesn't spoil me too much when I try to go back to Snatcher.

It does make you wonder what Project S will be like. Killer7's movement plus Policenauts menus plus Snatcher's world and light-gun combat. Makes me want to go buy a Guncon3 just in case.
What's the deal with Project S? Is it still even coming out? Last I heard Suda & Kojima haven't spoken since last year when they were both in a toilet at some convention.
You'd need some "journalists" to actually ask when they get the chance rather than stroking Kojima's Metal Gear...

Maybe we should start a Snatchers development budget on Kiva or something.

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 11:48 am
by The Chosen
I loved both, but I think Policenauts improved on everything.

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 1:42 pm
by Project_Noah
I loved Policenauts but Snatcher will always be my baby <3

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:33 pm
by thisheat
Well...
Snatcher Is amazing, and it was probably the best $150 bucks I had spent to buy a complete copy. I loved every second of it!
Policenauts IS fully realized, and even though I have not finished it quite yet, I am leaning towards Policenauts. It's an exhaustingly awesome universe and it is still completely holds up today!!!
Gameplay is better, Music richer, Dialouge, on and on!
Another note.....MY GOD HOW LONG DID THIS TAKE TO TRANSLATE? FOR EVERY MOVE ON THE SCREEN THERE IS TEXT, WHAT A FANTASTIC DEDICATED JOB YOU GUYS DID...:)
So, yes I would say Policenauts. Playing on a modded PS1 truly is the way to go, though the emulation on psxe is just as incredible!
SO....MARC, SLOWBEEF,ART....Will we be getting the roundtable from you guys on the whole process? I would love to see what you guys have to say in depth. Plus a group photo to put faces to avatars :)
HEAT

Re: Policenauts VS. Snatcher.....which do you prefer?

Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:09 pm
by JOHN KONAMI
I don't think Policenauts is less derivative than Snatcher. Snatcher may steal Blade Runner's ideas, but as with both stories, the comparisons stop with their respective source inspirations at aesthetics. While Blade Runner is chiefly an exploration of existentialism, Snatcher is mainly a story about paranoia and trust. It's a high-tech Invasion of the Bodysnatchers.

As for preferences, while I am completely blown away by Policenauts, Snatcher is too hard to beat. The story is more dramatic, the stakes higher, the twists more disarming, plus I'm a sucker for horror.

But hey, Lethal Weapon in space. What more do you want?