>>715177867 (OP)
It feels nice to know that someone who worked on the game has at least cursory knowledge of the predecessor. A lot of new entries in long running franchises feel like the designers have never even heard of the older games, at least to me.
>>715177867 (OP)
References in video games are usually fine and enjoyable. They're much better than references in films, where they just lazily copy a famous scene frame-by-frame or throw the Wilhelm Scream over it and pretty like it's some epic inside joke.
>>715177867 (OP) >game pays homage to one niche thing from previous entry in the series >completely shits on everything else >makes a complete bastardization of everything the series has been previously to the point it feels like a different game wearing the skin of a beloved franchise