Cuhrayzee Games General FAQ

       

 

    DISCLAIMER: The answers provided in this FAQ are a result of several weeks of feedback from threads ? this is NOT one person’s opinion. The contents of the answers have been carefully considered and are made to be as informative as possible to minimize repetitive questions within the thread. You are free to voice any problems you have with this, but I ask that you do so with a polite sage in the thread as it falls under meta discussion. Ideally, you can catch me in the Steam group if you want to talk to me directly ? the group can be found in the OP. Alternatively, you can perhaps leave messages about it.

     

    WHAT IS CUHRAYZEE? WHAT IS THE DEFINITION?

     

    The answer to this short question is relatively long. First, let’s start with a history lesson. If you want to skip this history lesson, move to the asterisk (*).

     

    Before /vg/ was created, Devil May Cry and Bayonetta threads on /v/ would have an odd dynamic to them. The titular games were discussed in those threads, but people would also bring the opposite game into the opposite thread and would also bring games that were not popular enough to sustain independent discussion into the thread. For example, a DMC thread would contain people talking about DMC, Bayonetta, God Hand etc. As time went on, fanbases were happily merging and sharing threads originally intended for a single series. The creation of /vg/ facilitated the merging of fanbases so they could discuss the games that they love under one room.

     

    * The term ‘cuhrayzee’ basically exists to get rid of shitstorms. The genre of ‘hack ‘n’ slash’ is changing in the media to apply to games like Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, Ninja Gaiden etc, when the reality is that it applies to Diablo-esque games. Referring to this genre as ‘hack ‘n’ slash’ usually brought aggressive and unwanted debate. Other suggestions would be ‘beat ‘em up’, but that would mean discussing games like Double Dragon and Streets of Rage which don’t really belong. To combat this, we ended up using our own phrase which originates from Dante’s pronunciation of the word ‘crazy’ in Devil May Cry 3.

     

    And now comes the awkward part ? the definition. This is not a ‘solid’ definition as you will find that individual interpretation of ‘cuhrayzee’ usually brings something unique (e.g. some form of scoring system), but these are the regularly agreed criteria:

     

    - GAMEPLAY. It is absolutely necessary for cuhrayzee games to feature a fast, fluid and deep combat system. Gameplay is the main discussion point of games here; points of discussion can include (but are not limited to): mastering/learning advanced techniques, combo customisation/optimisation and weapon mastering/utilisation/set-ups. People can also receive general game advice such as learning the game, help with bosses, help with a certain section etc. It is also recommended for cuhrayzee games to be challenging and to encourage players to use skill and mastery of the combat system instead of alternatives (e.g. grinding).

     

    Basically, gameplay in cuhrayzee games should have enough depth to sustain discussion regarding it. Examples: Jump Cancelling in DMC, Dodge Offset in Bayonetta, developing character combos in Max Anarchy.

     

    - STYLE. Cuhrayzee games undoubtedly have an element of style to them. This style often comes in the form of badassery (although this is subjective) and even ludicrousness (e.g. dancing robots, boss battles with gorillas, reciting poetry before a boss battle). Cuhrayzee games more often than not don’t take themselves very seriously and are goofy, but there are exceptions to this (e.g. Ninja Gaiden).

     

    - DIFFICULTY. Although difficulty may vary from person to person, there's at least a general understanding as to whether or not a game will demand an above average sense of attention for success. This comes back to reflect on what makes the game appear truly deep, to both experienced and inexperienced players. This also helps get rid of discussion on games that don't apply, such as Kingdom Hearts. It's also another reason we don't consider DMC2 cuhrayzee, while it's generally agreed DmC barely scrapes the passing ground.

    Difficulty may come in several forms. For one instance, it may be well programmed AI. For other instances, it may be difficulty adapting to hectic situations, severe punishments, and so on.

     

    - THE LINK BETWEEN STYLE AND GAMEPLAY. As you will see, this is usually the deciding factor for whether a game is cuhrayzee or not. The style presented in the design and cutscenes of the game should be completely woven into the gameplay and vice versa. For example, if a game features cutscenes that are considered stylish, yet has a completely shallow combat system, the game will not be discussed in the thread. If the game lets you achieve the same level of style seen in cutscenes through a well-developed and deep combat system, this game will be discussed. The best example I can think of is the goal of Devil May Cry fans to be able to play as Cutscene Dante.

     

    WHAT GAMES ARE USUALLY DISCUSSED HERE?

     

    Games that are usually discussed in cuhrayzee generals can be found in the 'Cuhrayzee Games Recommendations' image. For reference, these are:

     

    - Devil May Cry series

    - Bayonetta series

    - Ninja Gaiden series

    - God Hand

    - Vanquish

    - Sengoku Basara series

    - Viewtiful Joe series

    - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

    - The Wonderful 101

    - Fairy Bloom Freesia

    - Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage

    - Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae

     

    We also occasionally discuss indie games which are relevant in their own ways. We also discuss coming attractions, and all of them can also be found in the recommendations image.

     

    ARE GAMES DISCUSSED BY PROXY?

     

    No. Just because several Clover Studio/Platinum Games titles are discussed here does not mean they all are, nor does this mean that it is Platinum Games General under a different name. The thread is for games judged to be appropriate given the above criteria. Games are not given an easy pass because they are made by certain studios - that is counterproductive.

     

    WHAT GAMES USUALLY AREN'T DISCUSSED HERE AND WHY?

     

    This is a collaboration of titles that are frequently asked about and rejected from the thread. I will try my best to explain why they don’t fit using criteria that has been catalogued from months of threads. In other words, please don’t shoot the messenger.

     

    - GOD OF WAR. This series is an example of a game that has style and is cinematic, but does not offer the depth of gameplay that people of the thread crave. I can assure you that this has been discussed during months of cuhrayzee generals and the same conclusion has been reached time and time again. In fact, there is an apparent consensus that we hate the series. Most of us do not hate it, we just do not feel that this is the appropriate home for it.

     

    - HEAVENLY SWORD. See above, with the added potential danger of Ninja Theory.

     

    - SUDA51 GAMES. This includes No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw and Shadow of the Damned. After God of War, these games are the most frequently requested games. The general consensus is that Suda51 games are made to be extremely stylish, but yet again, lack depth of gameplay to warrant and sustain discussion. Similar to God of War, I’ve seen people accuse us of hating the games/Suda51 ? we don’t.

     

    - DARKSIDERS (especially DS2). This is an odd case. The reason for it not fitting in is pretty similar to God of War, but Darksiders 2 is well liked in the thread. While it may not be discussed in the threads, you’ll find people who like it/are willing to talk about it in our Steam group.

     

    - ASURA’S WRATH. This game is a prime example of a title that is all style, very little substance. It will not see reasonable discussion here.

     

    - QUAKE/DOOM. These have been fairly recent requests. Quake has a dedicated general and would see a much healthier level of discussion there. As for Doom/those who still want Quake to be discussed here, I would like to remind them of the sort of environment they would be sharing ? they would be sharing with fanbases like DMC, Bayonetta, Ninja Gaiden etc. They seem pretty different when put together, so be mindful of the level of discussion you’re going to get out of sharing an environment with these fanbases.

     

    - SHMUPS/BULLET HELL. Please see their appropriate general.

     

    I THINK A GAME IS CUHRAYZEE. SHOULD I START TALKING ABOUT IT?

     

    Before you make a suggestion, I would like you to be mindful of a few things:

     

    - Games not discussed here.

    - The criteria listed at the beginning.

    - The fanbases you will be posting along with.

     

    If you’re still sure, go ahead and post about it. However, please do not say “Is x cuhrayzee?” and then just leave. We would love to hear about this game in greater detail, what makes it cuhrayzee and maybe see some examples of it in action.

     

    WHY ISN'T THE DMC REBOOT ALLOWED?

        -It was fundamentally created to stand against what made DMC great as both a series and action game, which quite the middle finger to the point behind the general

        -The Definitive Edition despite the load of changes still plays much like vanilla and still shares an extreme amount of remaining problems despite that

        -The game though arguably deeper than some of the lower tier titles on the list (mostly on the virtue of move count rather than significant properties, which already drags it quite the lot down to mindless button masher status), does not retain high executive ceiling in comparison to any of them. This is due to the simplicity of setup game (trivialized easily by the pull), lack of varying enemy physics (combo one foe, you've basically learned how to combo 90% of others), and the embarrassing casualization of Enemy Step (due to how big the hitboxes are meshed with the floaty physics.) These are all problems apparent even still in the Definitive Edition, and while you could argue the last point specifically for Bayonetta, the reboot requires Enemy Step as its main extension for combat depth, while Bayonetta does not exactly require it to function on advanced levels.

       

        -Lots of extra complaints otherwise

        http://pastebin.com/2FXP4B5t

 

    I THINK A GAME DISCUSSED HERE ISN'T CUHRAYZEE. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

     

    You may have to bite your tongue on that one. Games discussed in the thread and especially those in the recommended image are well liked, have a dedicated and helpful fanbase and firmly have a home in the thread. It is extremely unlikely that your feedback will change its position in the thread.