BCM426 - Blocking the backstop Sentinels

(7:35) Level 10 ('The Maw') on Heroic. While working on the last movie I became aware of what I now call the backstop Sentinels, and started having some fun with them. Here's the first dose of that, namely concerned with blocking them from reaching the passage, which is trivially easy.

Released May 11th 2020, gameplay recorded May 7th-8th 2020.

Commentary

00:02 (Checkpointing) As in the last movie I'm starting with some of the opening cutscene, but it's deliberately a different and briefer edit. Then the main footage shows me getting a convenient delayed checkpoint from which to have fun. The subsequent clips all used this set-up.

01:18 In this first example of blocking, I block a pair of Sentinels at the first bottleneck. As I move back I realise that they've become 'wedged', blocking each other - which reminded me of a couple of Marines at the end of BCM308. When I eventually destroy one, the other attacks and there's a comical end when I tag it.

02:25 This time one of the blocked Sentinels attacks. I'm a bit too casual about taking care of it, and get killed.

02:55 After destroying the first Sentinel with a tag, I block the second and it ends up square in my face. Nice view I thought.

03:21 Now an example with the other pair. Not that they behave any differently in regard to blocking. I carelessly take serious damage when I destroy the second one, and that leads to my death when tackling the other pair (not that I was taking the combat seriously).

03:56 Another wedge, but this time deliberate.

04:26 Here, I also get wedged in myself, and only get freed after destroying one of the Sentinels.

05:05 Yet another wedge, but this time using the second bottleneck.

05:41 I briefly get an underside view, before the Sentinel attacks.

06:05 I think I was trying for a wedge here, but the main reason for including this clip is for the comical ending. When I tag one of the Sentinels my escape is impeded for a second, with fatal consequences.

06:25 You can potentially get above one of the Sentinels, but it tends to be rather awkward as things are so cramped. I manage it here, but there were plenty of failures beforehand.

07:04 A novel view of wedged Sentinels from behind - and then a good comedy ending for the movie.

Closing remarks It was very easy to get good footage to cover this topic, and I was soon spoilt for choice in regard to candidate clips. That may be why it's ended up as a fairly chunky affair. At any rate, I was able to get the movie shaped up rather quickly, which made a nice change.

One of these Sentinels actually appeared in the last movie, but only briefly and distantly, in a corner of the frame around 1:48. There were also a few clips in which my tracker was indicating them; most notably around 1:21 when they spawned above me after I'd descended. But I avoided putting any focus on them, preferring to leave them for separate treatment - of which this is the first part. As I write, I already have parts two and three almost done, so keep watching. Especially for the next movie.

An incidental note. When the Banshee crashes into the ship as seen at the start of the movie, that's not pre-rendered footage the game is putting out. It's dynamic, and the explosion visuals and audio vary from play to play.