Every man has a breaking point, and mine is the DP move, the D-pad input used to perform Ken's Shoryuken uppercut in Street Fighter and similar moves in other fighting games. I've never been able to do it consistently. It's one of those moderately challenging moves that keeps me from enjoying fighting games, forever written down in a little tear-stained journal I keep sadly under my pillow, no matter how much I love thinking about them.
As I get older and my fingers turn to dust and my dreams of throwing Ryu like a sack of potatoes fade into the twilight, that wall just keeps getting higher. But at least I can still play and have fun with shooters, right? In shooters, all you have to do is press a button once and make things explode. Wait, Nightmare Operator, what are you doing? Nightmare Operator, no!
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Nightmare Operator is a third-person “action-horror” game where you play Misha, a hitman exorcist hunting down folkloric abominations in a low-polygon, low-resolution Tokyo. Misha has a nifty modular weapon with modules that deal different types of elemental damage and status effects. “Learning when your next shot will stun or freeze a Youkai is key to survival,” the Steam blurb says, and yes, I agree. I like modular weapons. I still remember Rogue Trooper fondly. But there's a difference: the game uses a Clutch system, where you “quickly switch between Weapon Modules using fighting game-inspired command inputs.”
Please, DDDistortion. I can understand Power Reload, but don't make me finger the Zangief Screw Piledriver to attach ice bullets. Judging by the newly released Tokyo Game Show trailer above, Misha also gets a parry and a melee counterattack. You'll need to “keep a cool head.” It's all very technicalUgh. And yes, there's also my old enemy DP's proposal in there.
The enemies themselves are a characterful bunch. They're inspired by yokai stories, but I don't know much about yokai, so I'll just interpret them in the clumsy jargon of a Clueless Westerner. You've got the Wizard Dog, who shoots X-shaped energy balls. There's also the Knife-wielding, Crooked-Faced Schoolgirl, who likes to sneak behind shelves and jump on you. The Flexible Neck Guy seems to like peeking around corners – he reminds me of those scurrying necromorphs from Dead Space 2. And let's not forget the Floating Cyborg Head, which charges up an energy beam that looks easy to dodge, but will probably be annoying when you're fighting a few ghosts.
It's an impressive roster, to be honest. And I'm sure the fighting game gimmick adds flair. I'm looking forward to hearing from our resident Tekkenite, Brendy, about how much fun it is to fight these creatures.
The game's PSX-style environments are wonderfully vibrant and dark, and full of cyber-90s details – glitchy holograms, stacks of boxy televisions broadcasting strange signals, the decadent glow of vending machines. There's a slice of casual hangout to wash down the exor-shooting. “In between missions, Misha and the gang make nomikai at a local izakaya in Quarantine City,” the Steam blurb explains. These sections will let players explore the archives from Nightmare Operator's corrupted world, interact with the denizens of Quarantine City, and drool over low-poly izakaya fare.”
It's reminiscent of chilling out in the back alleys of Yakuza Zero. Again, I totally agree with the concept, even if it's not quite up to my thumbs. Still, maybe if I played and mastered it, I could enjoy Street Fighter?