Dragon Age - A brief look at Origins

~There's no I in team~

So any American's woke up today with the opporunity to run down to a store and pick up and brand spanking new copy of Dragon Age II. I, on the other hand, awoke today with the opportunity to wait till Friday for my copy because over here in Britland we don't get our new releases until the titular end of the week. What this has also done, is let me finish the original Dragon Age in preperation for the second one, I'm sure most of you finished the game back in 09 when it actually came out. I got it that year too, having the attention span of a... well, a spanner, I only played through the human noble origin story before deciding the game was a boring mess. Skip forward a year and a half and here I am, salivaiting over the adventures my Hawke will have in the second entry to the series. Now, to state what this article is, this is not a review of the original Dragon Age, nor one for the second, because of the afformentioned silly scheduling. What this is, is me explaining why I think those that put the game down after an hour should pick it back up. Dragon Age isn't just a game, it's an experience. You have to treat it as such by putting the time in, and my God, time is the key word here.

Now, this is my first, and most important point. Companions, if you don't get far enough into Dragon Age to get talking with the people you'll come across in your quest, you're not going to like this game at all, the combat is a grind, and the central narrative is, as is commonplace in fantasy, Lord of the Rings, but again. The lore that controls these characters, and what they talk about is all extremely well thought out, and the characters are developed well too. In fact, some of my favorite momments in the game were when two companions of mine would strike up a conversation when we were running around the world. These conversations were generally pretty humourous, especially when i had the pessamistic Alistair conversing with Morrigan, essentially a realist whose a shapeshifter in my party. They hate eachother, and it was fun listening to their arguments, especially as Morrigan's straightforward approach to arguments won over Alistairs self pity and wit.


Of course, you can talk to these guys yourself, and the conversation system is fantastic for this. In Mass Effect you'll generally enter the game thinking "this character is going to be paragon" or "this time i'll be renegade", and then stick with the correct option for your allegience. This way the conversation, although thoughroughly entertaining, becomes very mindless, as you'll find yourself not even looking at the choices from time to time because you know what you're going to say. In Dragon Age, there is a list of options for your character to choose from, no indicators on wether the option will hurt or pleasure the person you're talking to. This means you have to get to know the characters to get on their good sides, and gives them a much clearer personality. Sure, they've put the Mass Effect system in DA II, but that doesn't stop you enjoying Origins for the system. Essentially, if you invest time into your companions, you'll come out wishing you had even more time with them, and you cannot fail to love Oghren.

Now that it comes to mind, I didn't play this game for the combat, the story, or the world... It's true, the graphics sucked for their time, and thats mainly reflected from the games 2005 start-up and lack of funding. But what I have realised by typing this article is that this game can sell on one aspect alone, it's characters, and the writing behind them. Dragon Age II's combat is much improved from Origins so they have that fixed, and the story looks to be more original also. If Bioware have kept the same depth for it's characters we could be up for a fantastic game this Friday, and I advise everyone to go pick it up, even if you're not fond of the changes. I also recommend you dedicate more time to Dragon Age Origins if you dropped it early on, as that game only gets better, presenting you with some tough choices. My only advice? No walkthroughs! Figure the characters and choices out yourself! This article may have been generally useless, but I hope I swayed some heads towards the original Dragon Age and perhaps towards the sequel.

Peace out!

-Serde

image credit: g4tv.com, thelowbudgetreview.wordpress.com

Can we go beyond Beyond Good and Evil?

...What happens next?

So in the economic climate that the industry finds itself in, companies only want to release games that will sell, and sell big. This is all fair, as, after all it is a buisness. But when you think about this generation compared to the previous generation you can't help but notice that there's alot more replication of popular games this time around. Call of Duty has had competitors up the arse since Call of Duty took the multiplayer crown from Halo 4 years ago, and there's no signs of that franchise, or any franchise's that have been born from the competition slowing down any time soon because there are big bucks involved.

However, I digress, back in 2003 Ubisofts Michael Ancel, the creator of the spectacular Rayman franchise brought us Beyond Good and Evil, a game I admit I never played, but nevertheless, it gained a cult classic status within the video game community because of it's character driven narrative and inventive gameplay mechanics. Build up for it's sequel has been gaining momentum over the past few years, since early 2008 when a teaser for the sequel was revealed. Sadly, since then no other information has come our way with the exception of some unclaimed in game style footage that looks like Jade, the series protagonist, running through the streets of a town being chased by some police. The short and sweet minute long piece of footage is undoubtedly stunning, but nobody has claimed it as their work, and as such, this footage could be fake. The key point is, Beyond Good and Evil 2 was announced 3 years ago, and we have heard nothing since. Yet, 3 years later, Ubisoft have released the original in HD on the XBLA service, as is the trend recently. There is no doubt in anybodies mind in this stage that the games sales will be the decider on whether or not Ubisoft goes forward with the franchise or not.

When I look around at the games we have gotten over the past few years, very few inventive titles come to mind that haven't been released on an internet service. Where are our imaginative and frivolous games? Apart from cash in's from films and terrible wii games that don't meet up to any sort of standards, i can see original IP's like Mini Ninja's for example that have tried to create a game that does not try to be a massive blockbuster, and is just doused in fun, mario as always helps with the imagination, but i can't help but feel i've had enough of him. Back in the last generation we had games like Under the Skin, where the protagonist would be an alien running around stealing people's bodies to try and achieve some sort of random objective, simillar to Stacking, but it got a retail release. What this generation needs is a sudden influx of inventive and creative games that get enough attention to get a retail release, I'm looking forward to Dragon Age II, Pokemon Black, White and L.A.Noire in the near future as much as anyone else, but i think Beyond Good and Evil 2 could be the game that brings back the trend of whimzical worlds for us to run around in, without God of War combat or a first person view. I'll be playing through the HD remake this week, and so far, i'm loving it. Good luck to the franchise, and look forward to my review!

-Serde

image credit: seanbajuice.com, enjoywiigames.com

Self-Conscious Gaming?

Self-Conscious Gaming?

Repercussions of Nintendo's Re-Branding.

Like most of my generation, my first console was purchased in the Nineties and was manufactured by a certain Japanese company known as Nintendo. As my introduction to the magical world of video games, I've always had a soft spot for Nintendo and everything that comes with it. Years and hundreds of hours of Mario, Samus, and Donkey Kong later, my love of the company has diminished, but, while I was puzzled by the Gamecube and cringed for the Wii, I've still held high hopes for the future of “hardcore” gamers with Nintendo consoles. With the announcement of 3DS details and the launch of the system looming on the horizon, though, I've been doing some thinking about Nintendo and more specifically on the question, “Why don't I want to play DS in public?”

I'd like to think that I'm a well-versed gamer: I've played my share of most genres, and I'm comfortable with my nerdy trivia knowledge of games past and present. If I play DS in public, though, I feel like I've got to show the screen to everyone around me just to try to convince them that I'm not playing one of the many movie tie-ins or kids' games that have been released for the handheld. Perhaps the very fact that my youth was punctuated by the Gameboy chime makes me think feel slightly childish while playing, and it doesn't help when games require me to pull out the stylus or blow into the mircophone. In the self-conscious world we live in, Nintendo seems to have fallen from the cool side to the less than cool side.

When you look at the sales numbers, the DS won the handheld console war with no questions asked, but while those numbers don't lie about the total sales, one has to wonder how many of those were sold to “actual” gamers. How many soccer moms and grandparents were lured in by Brain Training or Crossword DS? How many bright pink systems were sold to gradeschool-aged girls? If I had a nickle for every seven-year-old walking around with a DS, I might be a rich man. Nintendo has made millions by appealing to a new audience, but they've diluted their customer base to the point that there's no way that they can make everyone happy. The problem is that when the casual gamers don't see something interesting in the new system, they melt back into the teeming masses of non-gamers, while the unhappy hardcore will grumble as they play their Kid Icarus and assortment of remakes. Nintendo knows where the big money is, and they're going to go after it whenever they can.

It will be hard for me to pass up the 3DS when it comes out in a few months, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Nintendo is slowly but steadily moving toward the casual market, and those of us on the fringe are going to have to start moving one way or another. We'll either have to start playing those Brain Training games, or we'll have to move on to bigger and brighter things. It should be interesting to see how Nintendo will respond to Sony's announcement of the NGP, or what amounts to the PSP 2. Will Nintendo take this as the chance to win gamers back over with an experience that puts them back into competition with Sony's software support. I never though I would say this, but Nintendo has some catching up to do.

--Tom

Minecraft Makes a Million

Minecraft Makes a Million

Indie Beta Bags a Bunch of Builders

Seldom do independently developed games sell over a million copies, less frequently still, do pre-release versions of any game sell copies as profusely as did Minecraft, a game about construction, creativity, and world building. Minecraft, which entered its beta stage of development in late December, is, in my opinion, a fantastic achievement for the video game industry. While I have no problem with first person shooters, it's refreshing to see a first person perspective game whose focus is not on destruction, but on creation. Minecraft crossed the million-sold mark this past week.

Minecraft offers an open world for you to make your own by building whatever happens to strike your fancy. Like a simulated version of an unlimited supply of Lego blocks, its charm and versatility are both comfortable and daunting. Undertaking your castle, villa, or island can be quite the feat, but the rewards for bringing your creations into life can be one of the most satisfying in gaming today. You've got to be a self starter to really get into Minecraft, and while it may at first seem like this game might not be for everyone, there seem to be over a million people for whom Minecraft is a perfect fit.

The current version of Minecraft is available for purchase on the developer's official website: Minecraft.net. The Beta will cost you €20, which comes out to about $20 or £12, but if you're just interested in looking into the matter, you can play the classic version of the game for free. Classic Minecraft can be downloaded on the Minecraft website, and will allow you to build, but does not include many of the features of the paid version. The full game is, though, is under constant improvement and development, and is, dare I say, falling into place block by block. I look forward to seeing where the game will take us next, and it can do you no harm to take a look for yourself.

Visit the Minecraft Website

--Tom

Image courtesy of ZFGoku SSJ1

Sega finally announced the Dreamcast collection... Yay?

Okay, it's been 12 years since the dreamcast released, and 9 since the console fizzled out in the west. That's a fair time for a collective release of a consoles definitive titles wouldn't you say? Sure, it took till 2009 for the megadrive, but at least that had almost the best selection possible, 40 odd top quality games? It was glorious, and whats more, nostalgic. So when the rumour surfaced that a Dreamcast collection was impending impact upon the world, well, it was like a sneeze but better.

The idea of a Dreamcast collection is brilliant for a gamer such as myself who picked the console up for it's short life-span. The Dreamcast, whilst not the hit Sega was hoping for, is definitely one of the most iconic consoles in the buisness, even if it's to show manufacturers what not to do. The Dreamcast is a console in the same way that the Atari Jaguar was. They're developed in-between generations like a quirky middle child. They're slightly smarter than their older brother, but socially inept compared to the younger sister. Or in smarter terms, both consoles came out with double the hardware capabilities of the current generation, only to fall prey to the next generation that was about to swoop in anyway a year or so later with better tech.

The Dreamcast has some brilliant games, Sonic, Phantasy Star, Space Channel 5, Snow Surfers, Metropolis Street Racer, Toy Commander... There are so many games on the console that stood out in my childhood, even if I only played the demo, the Dreamcast was a haven for innovative idea's at the time because Sega was looking to provide something different and more engaging for their audience so the console would sell. I mean, I recall a game where you raced penguins around ice-caps, penguins who wore clothes too. I mean, that's my type of zany, and thats a type of zany I can get behind, and get behind it I did by buying the damn thing.

So as you can imagine, the Dreamcast collection is a dream (pun intended) for me, so many great titles on one disc would be brilliant, it would restore my faith in Sega as more than a publisher of great games, but a creator too...

But... Guess. Guess what's on this thing coming out next month, just guess! Guess how Sega have messed it up!

On the Dreamcast collection, there is the substantial sum of four titles. FOUR titles. To rub salt in the wound, these aren't even titles we haven't seen for years, no, they're the titles that are already on the xbla and psn services! At the end of February next month, we'll be seeing Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, Sega Bass Fishing and Space Channel 5: Part 2 all on one disc!

Sega... I'm only asking for a Dreamcast ultimate collection here... Please! That being said... I'll probably buy it anyway because i love those titles... Apart from Sega Bass Fishing... Who the hell wanted Sega Bass Fishing to be re-released anyway?

...Bloody Sega Bass Fishing taking up my Power Stone and Fur Fighters slot on the disc...

Roll on February 25th for the U.K. and Europe and the 22nd for the U.S. !

- Serde

Image credit: arstechnica.com and caratulas.info respectively

Top Five British Video Game Innovations

For Queen, Country, and Cartridge.
What have the Brits done for video gaming?

In the globalized world of video game industry, it's increasingly difficult to say that a game is from any given country, considering the decentralized and open marketplace that currently makes up the video game business. With developers working from studios in all corners of the globe, the days of “English” games or “American” games are over. Looking back on the history of gaming, though, our friends across the pond have provided us with quite a few innovations and great games. In honor of their advances, today, we count down the top five video game developments to come out of Britain.

5. Isometric 3D
   
   
   It may seem hard to believe, but there was a time when rendering in full 3D was a amazing thing. Yes, back in the stone age, in the year 1983, Ant Attack for the ZX Spectrum computer was the very first game to feature a fully rendered 3D game in an isometric perspective. While that might not seem like a big deal, if you think of the games that have followed in Ant Attack's footsteps, the game's import starts to come into perspective. Everything from Age of Empires to Diablo owes a debt of gratitude to Sandy White, the programmer behind this gem. It may not have lined his pockets, but Ant Attack certainly cemented his place in video game history.
   
   

4. Starfox on the SNES

“Wait,” you may be saying, “Starfox is a Nintendo game, right?” You would be correct; Starfox was developed by Nintendo, but it never would have been possible without a little British company called Argonaut. The SNES by itself would never have had the processing power to deliver the polygonal goodness of Starfox, it was only through the power of the Super FX processor chip created by Argonaut that Nintendo was able to release Starfox in 1993. Other games featuring incarnations of the Super FX chip include Doom on the SNES and Yoshi's Island. A number of games began development on using the Super FX chip and were then moved to the Nintendo 64, most notably, Starfox 2, which was nearly finished before it was scrapped with some of the ideas being transferred to Starfox 64. The Super FX chip was also nearly the host of what went on to become Super Mario 64. While the development was switched to the N64 early on, the idea is tantalizing enough as it is.

3. Rareware

Rare ltd., formerly known as Ultimate Play the Game and Rareware has developed and published some of the best games of the 1990's. Killer Instinct, Perfect Dark, Goldeneye 007, Donkey Kong Country, Banjo Kazooie, and Battletoads are all the from the minds of Rare, and if those games don't convince you of Rare's importance, I just don't know what to say. Though Rare may not have have done much in recent years, they were the kings of the Nintendo 64, and for that, they will never be forgotten.

2. Grand Theft Auto

DMA Design was a little Scottish developer until they released Lemmings in 1990, and while it was a big success at the time, Lemmings hasn't had the same amount of legacy as the game they released just a few years later: Grand Theft Auto. A top down shooter/RPG for DOS, PC, and Playstation that evolved into one of the biggest franchises of all time. Now known as Rockstar North, DMA (which stood for Doesn't Mean Anything) has gone on to develop the Manhunt games, every iteration of the Grand Theft Auto series, and Red Dead Redemption. Alternately brilliant and tasteless, Rockstar North continues to wow as one of the foremost developers
from the British Isles.

1. First-Person Shooters

What's this? Surely first-person shooters were the doing of Id Software, right? Wrong. While Id was behind the most famous of the early first-person-shooters, Wolfenstien 3D, Doom, etc., It was UK developer Core design that brought us one of the first games of that genre. Corporation is a game that predates the release of Id's shooters, and while it's hard to pin down exactly which game is the first in this billion-dollar style, Corporation is really the first to feature a recognizable first-person shooter gameplay experience. Without the efforts of Core design (which also developed the Tomb Raider series), the video game industry would certainly be very different today.

And that really goes for all games and all developers. The greatest of artists are the best of thieves, and as with other areas of art, each new game stands on the shoulders of the games that have come before it. As Americans, we might be apt to overlook the achievements of European game companies in favor of a focus on US and Japanese games. These are just a few of the thank you's we owe to other countries, if we weren't already too busy playing their games.

--Tom

The Best Multiplayer This Year - Part 1

So, what have you played the most this year? It's unlikely that you trawled through Final Fantasy XIII and a large plethora of J-RPG's so i'm gonna go out on a limb and say multiplayer. Going mano a mano against real people, just usually with guns.

There has been so many good multiplayer titles this year, but lets start from the top. Unfortunately i can only include games I've either played or heard a lot about, so some obscure titles possibly won't make it to the list.

January

MAG (Massive Action Game)


This is a game that really play's up to it's name. Intense 250 player online matches that seem like warzones, objective based missions that break people into teams inducing tactical play and... Well, 250 players, need i say more? I mean that's amazing. The only problem is, released back in January, you could have a tough time finding a 250 player game now with all the other quality titles that have come out this year.



February

Bioshock 2

To many this may just seem to be a tacked on multiplayer to enhance the overall experience. But the Bioshock multiplayer managed to bring a lot to the table, and all in a typically Bioshock like manner. Plasmids were included to help turn the tide of battle, Big daddy suits were available first come first served, and a sprawling narrative opened up of your character within the uprising before the original Bioshock as you played. Now that's just classy. Hopefully there's still players about so you can still experience the magic. Sorry, the adam *giggle and gafore*


March

Battlefield: Bad Company 2


I can't explain this multiplayer to you without the phrase "Holy Shit!" The aim of the game? Destroy the enemy teams pot's o' gold. How? By any means necessary, in this game, you'll get things done. Any structure is destructible, so an enemy in a tank is a real situation, you can't sit tight and hold for the best, oh no, you have to take that thing out before your base crumbles! I've never found a more intense multiplayer experience than the Bad Company series. The frostbite engine really does itself justice with the demolishing mechanics, this is FPS multiplayer at it's finest. Oh, did i also mention the class system is awesome, and the focus on team play really helps to get people tactical? It's just brilliant.

Fat Princess: Fistful of cake!


This game was brilliant on the Play Station Network last year, but the updated and refined PSP release just takes the cake... No pun intended? Please! The multiplayer is completely different in Fat Princess, although it can be summed up to a game of capture the flag, it's much much more! The enemy have your princess, and you have theirs. You both want your princess back, unfortunately for the kingdoms, the negotiator is out that day, so it's all out war on the other kingdom to get your princess back until he get's back! How do you stop the other team getting their princess back? By feeding her cake of course! The more you feed her, the fatter she gets, the fatter she gets, the harder she is to carry... It's a fantastic idea that includes resource collecting, classes and most importantly a heavy focus on teamwork! There is also the psn original Fat Princess which is by no means worse, pick up an entry to this series, you won't regret it.


Perfect Dark

Well what can you say? It's Perfect Dark! The N64 classic that highlighted the N64 as a multiplayer platform along with another certain title by the same company. This game defined console shooters, and deserves recognition for this, although the rezed up single player isn't as good as I remember, the multiplayer is still some of the best around. Hell, it's only 800 Microsoft-Points, why not grab it now?


April

Splinter Cell: Conviction


Two players max, sure. But you can't fault it. Conviction's multiplayer is solid, and not only contains a rich co-op experience that has a fantastic twist at the end, but also a plethora of modes to play with. One has you trying to take out the other player as stealthily as possible whilst guards patrol the map ready to shoot and kill whoever they may see. Another see's the player's working together to survive, yes, a horde mode, but still. The Splinter Cell formula gives these the spice of life, and since you only need a friend, there's no excuse not to try this one out!

Keep an eye out for part 2! (May-August)

-Serde

Image credit: 1up.com, Pocket-lint.com, Gamernode.com, modtv1337.com, bitmob.com, videogamesblogger, incgamers.com

Gameplay Vs Narrative

-What's the best focus of a video game?-

So we've had a good weekend. Fallout New Vegas and Vanquish have finally landed on shelves,
and I was lucky enough to pick them both up, and on playing Vanquish, I noticed something.

The plot, is not the main motivator in playing the game.

Now, this is an odd statement, I understand this, being that gaming is centralized around telling a story nowadays. But there's something about Vanquish that really brings a reality to light, single player campaigns are story centric these days, all sharing similar mechanics, which are used to display a story. You see, recently developers seem to be fighting to get a unique story in their game, rather than some unique mechanics. Back in the NES days your story could be shown in a single "cut-scene" of a monster taking a princess away from you. Then you'd be sent across the land fighting generic monsters like zombies and bats to get her back, but that was never a problem back then because you were playing a game.

Take Enslaved for example. It features mediocre platforming, and a set of incredibly frustrating battle mechanics. In fact, within the whole gameplay area, it contains nothing original. Your only motivation to play is to see what happens next, not because you're having fun with the new mechanic, but because you want to explore these two characters set before you. Now, call me crazy, but isn't that a bit off? Vanquish's story is simply "Russian terrorists have built a space city, and they're evil! Destroy them! Oh yeah, and you're in a robot suit!" from there on out, Vanquish includes action packed cut-scenes and some funny cliches, but never forms a plot that you'd want to follow, no, what you realize you're there for, is the gameplay. Throughout the game you're fighting the most generic of enemies these days: robots. However, this becomes a blast because of the set of mechanics you're given with which to do so. The game is astoundingly original for a game about a space marine, a concept that I think everyone believed was dead in the water. Which reminds me, Platinum games offered a similar experience in terms of originality with Bayonetta, a game that on surface looks like a re-tread of explored ground, but is in fact brimming with intelligent gameplay features, some would say the dodge mechanic is revolutionary within games right now.

There are extremes to this theory, like Heavy Rain, which is essentially a movie, and Noby Noby Boy, which is based solely around gameplay, and very unique gameplay at that. The former is bashed for not having any decent mechanics and not really being a game, whilst the latter is bashed for having no discernible objective. There are games like Fallout: New Vegas that balance game-play and narrative almost perfectly by having lots and lots of selections and mechanics for the player to take advantage of. The narrative is handled very well for a game by including many side quests and interesting locales which, to be discovered involve the gamer going off the beaten path and playing more. However, it's a very fragile balance, as previous entries from the developer have shown us. Fallout 3 had very impressive mechanics, but lacked a decent central narrative, same with Oblivion. It just poses a question. Would you rather there were games like Enslaved that focus mainly on narrative, or games like Vanqish that focus mainly on gameplay?

I know I'd rather go for gameplay, because that makes the title unique to the medium.

Image credit: www.Playstationlifestyle.net and www.gametestlab.com respectively

Civilization V - Demo Impressions

Civilization V - Demo Impressions
One more turn

I didn't know what I was getting into when I downloaded the demo version of Civilization V: I had heard many things about the Civilization series, but I had never played any of the games. I wasn't even sure whether or not I would enjoy playing it, although, looking back, that seems rather amazing. From my brief Rise of Nations phase to my love of tactical strategy RPGs, it almost seems like I was destined to enjoy Civilization. Many other gamers have felt the same way over the years , propelling the Civilization series to the pinnacle of the computer gaming pantheon. The demo gives a great feel for the game, and, unlike many other demos, does an effective job of convincing the consumer of the quality of the product.

As someone who hadn't played any turn-based strategy games of this sort, it took a little time to get used to the lack of abundance of units. In real-time strategy, you produce units fairly quickly and sending them out to die isn't much of a deal. In Civilization V, however, units will take a long time to come into being and once they're there, you won't want to take them lightly. Suicide missions are an enormous waste of time and energy, and I found my slash-and-burn RTS tactics being challenged at every turn. In this game, you'll want to shepherd units through as many conflicts as possible, and an experience-based leveling system that gives veteran units statistical bonuses helps to further incentive the process.

The game isn't a graphical wonder, per-se, but it's still very pretty. All of the units and environments are nicely detailed, and the cut scene shown while the game is starting up, looks fairly realistic. My one complaint with the graphics on the demo version, specifically, is that the other rulers have no animation on the negotiation screens. The full game does feature these animations, though, so this really only applies to the demo. The music in the game isn't anything special: it fits into the experience but doesn't do anything to make the game any better.

There are several goals to shoot for when playing Civilization V: you can try to take over the world with warfare or with your nation's sheer civic might. The demo with allow you to play the first one-hundred turns of a match, which is about a third of the length of a full match. You'll have the choice of three different nations to control: Egypt, Persia, and Greece. Each nation has exclusive units and statistical bonuses, but they all play in a similar way. The demo only includes one map, but the area consists of two separate land masses, and there are several different spawn points on each, so there's a bit of variety to be had in that department. All told, the demo provides enough content to warrant several play-throughs.

I highly recommend at least trying the demo. There's really no reason not to give it at least a go, and if the full game is as proportionately good as what I've seen of this demo, it's more than worth the asking price.

Download the Civilization V demo on Steam.
Download the Civilization V demo on Fileplanet.

It's a love/hate relationship... Enslaved: Odyssey to the west

Dear Enslaved.
Thank you ever so much for inviting me on that road-trip of yours this week. I do believe it was one of the best I've had in years, jostling between combat and climbing effortlessly is something i don't think many can achieve, in fact, i think it may be what draws me towards you. That and the subtle beauty of the way you make me see the post-apocalyptic Manhattan before my eyes. The lush greenery presents a sense of ambience over the events that may have befallen the unfortunate creatures caught in whatever event ceased normality. Indeed, i enjoy the sight-seeing the most. But what of the company? By Jove, that Monkey fellow and that Trip, they're a lovely pair! We had a rocky start, but we all came together soon enough. I'm aware that we're still traveling together, and i suspect romance is in the air between the two, oh yes... Indeed, that giant robot dog we saw forged a friendship i don't believe could be created in any other way. Those two may have their flaws, but don't we all as human beings? I suppose that Monkey is called what he is because he was very monotone before he met Trip. Luckily for us that's soon going to change i presume. Especially with all those "glitches" we've been seeing. The narrative we've shared so far has indubitably satisfied me greatly, and i look forward to what we shall see together next!

However.

Whenever i see one of those robots... Well, it just flips my flaps! I mean, the least you could do was have a camera that worked better than as if it were an epileptic patient mid-seizure during combat! Perhaps you could even make Monkey's evade move worth a damn by making the animation happen as soon as the bloody button is pressed! Then i wouldn't be hit every fucking fight because i hadn't seen a robot before the last shitty second and then had no time press the block button! Perhaps you could make the game seen a bit less fucking linear too! I mean, i can so jump down some places that "apparently" Monkey has some fucking issue's with! Christ, it comes to situations where i'm stuck in a room, running around like a fucking headless retard that's somehow still alive, blood pouring out in gallons, hoping, just hoping there's a fucking handhold monkey will jump onto somewhere! Not only does the camera usually deny this, but usually the objects so fucking small ant's are tripping on it, big ants to be fair. Which reminds me, Trips such a bitch! You tell her next time she say's "Go take em out! I'll be here where it's safe" I'm going to clobber her! Also tell her that if i ever hear "I'll perform a scan" again i think I'm going to have to nail her mouth shut! She's a purty lass, but she doesn't half rile me up! I haven't even mentioned how many times i've failed to live because the world looks samey throughout! FUCK THIS GAME! FUCK THI-

Let's just say it's a love/hate relationship.

-Serde - Full review of Enslaved coming soon.

Image credit: www.tothegame.com

The Other:M Rant - Round 1

I want to talk about a game that's been panned to shit, a recent game which i downright refuse to play. Metroid: Other M. The article will probably contain spoilers, but if I'm honest, you want to read them and realize whats happened here. Other:m is Metroid, but it isn't, it's a flop, but a success, it's shite, but also pretty decent. It's a rare case of a game that is going to sell solely on your opinion of it. We're not talking something like "Bullet Witch" here, and we're not talking Call of duty 6. This game is like a blank check, if you've been a fan for years, you may give it the benefit of the doubt and take as much as you can from the poor chump who dropped it. On the other hand, you may, like me, leave it there for someone else to pick up. Because it smells.

In my opinion, Other M is the single greatest tragedy in Nintendo's history, because... It can fuck off really. However, to form an actual argument. Samus has been in training for years, learning the in's and out's of chozo combat, and military combat i think was introduced in Other M, and then she went off and fought a whole planet of nasties, exterminated a whole race of nasties, then proceeded to blow the shit out of every other planet she saw with nasties on it. Until Other: M. You see, story is introduced, that means we need character development, right? Brilliant. So we have this gruff bounty hunter in a suit who's secretly hot, so we're talking something like Ripley from Alien here, the military woman. Oh, but wait, apparently all that has been forgotten, and we have replaced it ladies and gentlemen, with bullshit. Such as, Samus wants to grow her hair long, but! She's not allowed to because Adam said so! First of all, what a dick, second of all: does whoever wrote this story really think it's clever to show Samus' independence through the growth of her hair? "IT REPRESENTS HER FREEDOM FROM THE FEDERATION!" Brilliant, how deep and un-nerving, i look forward to more developments like- GASP! A woman crying and pissing herself because of a big dragon! Now, i have one statement about this. Would they have done this certain scene had Samus been a male character? NO! No they wouldn't have, do the writers have any concept of a character that develops through a series? Or for that matter, a woman? I mean, sure, i'd kinda accept it, if it were Samus' first time seeing the creature, but she's killed this thing what... 5 times? First time? No bullshit, she's in there with the missiles. The 6th time though? Son of a bitch, it's a dragon! What happened? Were Samus' lens's not quite in all those other times? Did she not realize what was going on!? And to make matters worse, she's saved by a token black guy! A TOKEN BLACK GUY. In Metroid!


Metroid: Other M has completely ruined the series in my opinion, a series from Nintendo that felt... Almost mature, an original series for it's span, something that was intriguing has been given a narrative that's so diluted, so childish that it just implodes upon itself, where's my in depth Samus Nintendo? Having daddy issue's and being saved by big burly men! Where's my mystery? Apparently out playing cluedo with a set of stereotypical twats! Where's the fun? Well, i've heard it is quite fun. But the worst thing, the absolute worst thing. Is that this narrative, is cannon, it exists within the Metroid universe. Remember that awesome Lil game Metroid Fusion? Remember how it had a cool, vague, and ever so slightly cheesy narrative about Samus discovering that the federation was breeding the very thing that was helping to destroy them, and the undertones it laid for the rest of the series? The political statement it made about the government being a bit evil just before it became the cool thing to do? It was clever. Now, explain to me the climax of this story. The big twist. Yes. The discovery of Metroids being grown by the feds. Brilliant, now, let's take a look at Other:M's big twist: The discovery... Of Metroids... Being grown by the feds... Hmm, dunno bout you but that sounds fairly similar. Very similar indeed. Oh wait, IT'S THE SAME THING! Did the guy who wrote this pop some pills just before the end and switch scripts? What happened? It makes the whole narrative of Fusion non-nonsensical, nothing in Fusion would happen if Other:M happened! The point of the game was to bridge the gap, not alienate the game even more from the franchise!

Saying this however, i definitely want me some more spunky short haired Samus. There WILL be more on this later! In round 2!

- Serde, will be back for round 2 in the future

Image credit: www.Ign,com and www.Gameplay.com respectively - Thanks for the images thar fella's!

Red, White, Blue, and Green?

Captain America: Red, White, Blue, and Green?
Can Captain America be successful in the modern world?

Watching the new Comic-Con footage for the upcoming Captain America game, you would be forgiven if you first think that the game is being developed by Rocksteady, the developer behind last year's Batman: Arkham Asylum. The similarities run deeper than the mere aesthetics of the games' dilapidated locales, extending to the “free-form” combat and the focus on acrobatics and cinematic presentation. Rocksteady is, however, hard at work on the sequel to Arkham Asylum, and the developer working on the title is a company called Next Level Games. Now, no one needs to be running around throwing out allegations of plagiarism, the guys over at Next Level Games are quick to admit that some of their design decisions were based on what had worked well in Batman, but can the things that worked for Batman translate to a Captain America game?

Perhaps the single greatest obstacle that Captain America has to overcome is his own nature. Cap is, in some ways, a relic of past propaganda, and the world has significantly changed since his debut. Batman is currently at the height of his popularity and the millions of copies that his game sold are partially a reflection of his current status at the top of DC Comics stable of superheroes. Batman reached acclaim by embracing the dark side of his nature, but Captain America by definition has little to draw from in that department. The character is based on nationalistic pride and, from what we've seen of the game so far, the game doesn't even try to tap into a dark mood. What the game reminds me of more than anything is the new Bioshock game. The only difference is that Bioshock is intentionally attempting to present its world as one of patriotic fanaticism, while Captain America seems to present that outdated view without the irony it necessitates.

To be fair, Arkham Asylum didn't plumb any new depths in storytelling either. The world of comics is particularly suited for story exhaustion: with new issues being published all the time, comic book writers have to struggle to come up with original ideas. At least Batman being trapped in Arkham is a plot that hasn't already been played out, Cap running around beating up Nazis who aren't actually called Nazis isn't very interesting. Captain America was introduced during the atrocities of the second world war and throughout the war, could be found beating the living daylights out of racial stereotypes. If the allies had a nickle for every Axis-of-Evil minion with a skull cracked by Cap's shield and fists, the war would have ended two years sooner.

It's hard to criticize a game that exists only as an alpha build, but I still question the feasibility of the game and, indeed, the film that that game plans to capitalize on. Perhaps it's not fair to compare the title to a game that is the best-reviewed superhero video-game of all time, but Captain America: Super Soldier will certainly have to do a lot to prove its worth. At this point, there's not a lot of information to go on, so all we can do is speculate, but the details will be revealed as we get closer to the July 2011 release date. What do you think about the future of Captain America? What do you think about the upcoming game? Let me know what you think in the comments section below.

--Tom

Image source: Marvel.com

It's what makes a game worth It's asking price.

So. I'm a fan. Yes, a FAN. A fan of a certain series that people shit on because of it's narrative, characters, and generally what it stands for. Yes, Naruto. This series is pretty much the forefront of the manga/anime surge that hit the west within the last 10 years, and I tell you what. I LOVE IT. But I digress back to the point I'm trying to make in this quaint lil article of mine. I recently read a review of the latest game to come from the Naruto series. Naruto Shippuden ultimate ninja Storm 2, or: Naruto [insert cool words here] 2. Oh dear. The review was positive, sure, it garnered a respectable 8 out of 10, which I'm glad to hear of course, but it was the reason it was marked down that caught my attention. A reason thats been widespread in reviews recently within the genre of fighting games...


The game was marked down for the fact that players had to UNLOCK CHARACTERS BY PLAYING THE GAME! I mean... Come on! What's the bad part of that? If the whole game were at my fingertips upon starting it up, I'd test each character out, pick one that looked cool and stick with them for the rest of my time with the game because I simply don't want to trawl through 40 or 50 characters to find one that suits me. The unlocking technique is far more fitting, as characters are slowly being introduced to me throughout my time with the game. So I can gradually look at what character does what and work them into my play-style if need be. This is a far better way to introduce the character roster to players, especially these days when many fighting series are reaching their 5th or 6th rendition and include umpteen bazillion characters with very little distinction between them, and let them all loose on you from the off. Take Tekken 6 for example. Sure, it has an impressive 40 odd character roster, but they all look the same, and most have some very similar attributes, I found myself gravitated to Kuma because he was a friggin bear in a sea of old men and 14 year old girls with DD's bounding around their chests. Had that game started with 8 characters and slowly introduced characters like... Well, more characters, perhaps I would have remembered some of them. I mean, not many people are going to remember past old favorites like Jin, Heihachi and Nina.

The point I'm trying to make here is that the process of unlocking characters is what makes a fighting game last, you're always adding to your roster, and with that, your skill-set. In fact, it's what makes a fighting game worth the money, there's more to play for to unlock everything, and i don't mean that image gallery bullshit. There isn't many people who strive to unlock that last picture in the concept art gallery, but say you'll give them a character that turns into a penguin and BY GOD they'll keep playing.

-Serde

Image credit: www.gamesradar.com,www.ps3chat.com respectively

A Bright Apocalypse

A Bright Apocalypse
The World In Transition

We're used to seeing the end of the world depicted in video games. The post-apocalyptic landscapes of games like Fallout, Borderlands, and Rage (among others) have been thoroughly traversed by millions of gamers, but seldom do we see alternatives to the windswept deserts of so many games. The recent release from Ninja-Theory, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, shows us another take on the classic “after the end” scenario.

The game follows two human characters who have been captured by the mechanized creations of mankind. These automatons are still acting on the orders given to them during a worldwide war that exterminated most of mankind over one-hundred-fifty years ago, and while rusting robots and crumbling cities may be familiar, what's striking about Enslaved is the brilliant color that saturates the game. Instead of dull and subdued cityscapes and slowly decaying buildings, the world of Enslaved is bursting with new life. In contrast to the desolation that we normally experience, Enslaved is a celebration of life.

That said, the life that is thriving isn't human. Perhaps that's why Enslaved is still unsettling: while not showing the end of all life, that's not really what humans are interested in. Humanity is intrinsically selfish, as are all species: we don't fundamentally care about the well-being of other animals except where it influences ourselves. The world of Enslaved may be thriving with life, but it's all life that has moved into the niche where we once lived. In a sense, we have been defeated in the fight for survival, humanity has not turned out to be a successful model for life. A world that has moved on is almost more affecting than an empty world: if we're the only ones unsuited for the world, there's no one else to blame.

There too are the mechanical creations of humanity that haunt the future that Enslaved portrays. Our civilization is not entirely forgotten, but it might have been better it it had. The only thing left for the world to remember us by is a legacy of war and destruction. The machines of our hate remain and continue to kill; threatening our future by continuing to follow the orders that we gave them. The game shines a light on the absurdity of war by taking it to the extreme. The petty hatred that we could once afford has backfired and now holds the possibility to cause our ultimate defeat.

In initial reviews for Enslaved have been positive, and sales numbers aren't in yet, but even if Enslaved isn't commercially successful, it may still have an influence on the way future video games portray the end of the world. Instead of fitting into the mold of other post-apocalyptic games, Ninja-Theory took a chance by making a colorful and visually interesting game. Whether or not they are rewarded for their experiment is yet to be determined, but it is already an important entry in the genre. Innovation is driven by experimentation, and a healthy genre will grow from creative inputs of different types. Don't be surprised if aesthetic and conceptual elements from Enslaved start showing up in the some of the grimmer games that are set after the end of the world.

--Tom

It's a love/hate relationship... Assassin's Creed 2

Ah, Assassin's Creed 2, how I love you. Ever since that pale fish woman broke me out of the futuristic Church at the start of the game you've kept that twinkle in your eye that keeps me on track as I drench myself in blood and allegedly spend more than 5000 florin's on whore's. Good old fashioned 15 century Italy eh.

Oh yes, you showed me how satisfying it could be to extinguish foe's mid fight by merely throwing small knives in their direction immediately before snatching an enemy's weapon and using it against him. You showed me how walking around a corner and seeing the road ahead full of guards, was not a thing of frustration, but a thing of joy. Ah, the options you presented to me, the weapons I could wield. To poison, punch or parry? To shoot, use a sword or sand? Or perhaps even throw my well earned coins to the ground so the starved masses could leap to the ground in anticipation of my next offering, like the mongrels that they are.

But wait. What's this? Ezio and I are happily jumping across roof's to our hearts content when I notice a viewpoint to our left. I stop pressing forward and turn it's direction, but apparently to no avail, as Ezio continue's onward, off the edge of the building, and into the sprawling street below with a thump. It was at this point that my eye's widened and I vocalized my feeling's on the matter: "What the FUCK Ezio!? You've done that like 50 odd times! I've STOPPED pressing the FUCKING button! Why is it you continue to run when i say stop!? Fuck you Ezio! FUCK, YOU!" It was after this I continued playing, only to experience the same situation mere minutes later.

You see, "Creed 2" it seems me and you have a problem here. I want you to do what I tell you to do, you however want to do... Whatever it is you want to do. I wish for Ezio to turn when I tell him to, not when you decide the animation you are presenting me with Ezio's model has finished, and he can then turn. No I must say, simply no. You see you have not simply cheated me out of quick travel with this, but also life. For I, on many occasions have fallen to my death because of this Bullshit. Oh yes. In fact, I do remember this quaint little tomb towards the beginning of the game where this scared little bitch of a guard ran his little arse off to tell his douche-bag friends about my breaking in. Of course the little fuck managed to scream his still little arse off to the aforementioned douches because of this perplexing need for you to finish your fucking animations.

Yes Assassin's creed 2, you make me run the wrong way, up the wrong wall or jump off an object of which i wanted to perch on. You little bitch you. It is as if you are built to make me fail, fall, die and then spit on my face, is it as if my very existence to you is somehow fucking puerile and you will me away so you can do whatever YOU want to do. So it leaves me at saying this: "FUCK YOU ASSASSIN'S CREED 2. FUCK. YOU!" Yes, it is the end for you and I! I hope you're happy!


...Then again, the fighting is bad arse. No, that "arse" is not a typo blogger you dick!

Let's just say it's a love/hate relationship.

- Serde

Image credit - www.pcgamehardware.com

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Cultural Acceptance of Video Games

There are pressures to tone down violence and other potentially offense content in video games. Many of these pressures stem from negative media attention and people like Jack Thompson who have made it their career to crusade against the free speech of game designers and developers. Those who fight for freedom of expression in this relatively young art form often speak of the day when video games will be seen as no different than television or movies, but is that really what the industry should be hoping for?

The gaming world was up in arms in 2007 when Rockstar Games' Manhunt 2 was edited to avoid the sales-ruining Adults Only rating from the ESRB. Self censorship is never a good thing, but, if the goal is to end up like TV and film, why should the video game industry care about a little thing like that? When master director Stanley Kubrick tried to release his film version of the Anthony Burgess novel A Clockwork Orange, he was forced to censor the film in order to avoid an “X” rating from the Motion Picture Association of America. When he tried to release the film in Britain, Kubrick was forced to withdraw the film from consideration, making it very difficult to watch the film in Britain for almost thirty years. Is this really the idyllic hope for the future of video games?

I may not be familiar with television censorship in the UK, but you can certainly find it alive and well in the States. The Federal Communications Commission has been authorized to levy a fine of up to $325,000 per offense for television stations that violate its standards of decency. This prohibitively large sum enforces yet more self censorship, this time in the world of television. What are video games supposed to learn from this form of media?

So then, what are video games going to model themselves after? The answer might be surprising: books. Anyone can go to a bookstore and purchase whatever sort of book they would like. Books require a similar time investment to that of a video game, and they are sold with a similar business model, but book publishers have never had a puritanical rating agency staring over their shoulder, forcing them to cut paragraphs and chapters out of their new release. Books may contain more sex and violence than games, and the effect may be greater due to the fact that books rely on the imagination much more than do video games.

In the end, video gaming is never going to be able to step out from under the thumb of oppressive, enforced limitations and de facto government censorship until it asserts itself as an art form. Freedom will not come in conforming to the system or in relenting to the media storm. Concerned parents need to realize that ratings are not a replacement for good parenting and that strict regulations are not only useless without proper parental involvement, restricting the free speech of game developers is a violation of fundamental artistic rights. The revolution may not be in film or television, it may not even be in books, but the lifting of oppression will happen. It's only a question of when.

--Tom

Picture Credit: www.amoeba.com

All Points Bulletin Shuts Down Its Servers

All Points Bulletin Shuts Down Its Servers
An MMO falls in the forest.

Chrono Trigger is a classic game; some would say that it numbers among the best games of all time. When re-released on the Nintendo DS in 2008, Chrono Trigger sold thousands of copies and was critically acclaimed as one of the best RPGs of the year. Critics were not, however, raving about another Role-Playing-Game that came out on the same month in 1995: The Realm Online. The Realm was one of the first massively multiplayer online games to be released, but despite breaking ground in this multimillion dollar genre, The Realm Online has fallen into an obscurity that is not uncommon for games of its type. At the end of the day, MMOs are one of the most transitory forms of video game entertainment on the market today.

The careful balance that online games must overcome has recently been exemplified by the closing of All Points Bulletin, an online game for the PC. If you haven't heard of APB, you may forgive yourself: it was only launched this June. In the short span of three months, APB ran its course and servers were disconnected on the 23 of September, leaving customers without a game to play. The developer, Realtime Worlds (the company behind the first Crackdown game), ran into financial trouble while creating APB and their assets are currently being prepared for liquidation. Those of us who were unlucky enough to pick up the game, which got poor to middle-of-the-road reviews from most outlets, were left with nothing but a worthless disc and an empty wallet.

This unfortunate circumstance highlights a key problem with the idea of the MMO. In a hundred years, someone can pick up a copy of Halo and, providing that there are any functioning Xbox consoles, can still play the single-player portion of the game. Online-only games, like APB, are limited the availability of other players and servers to host the game. In a hundred years, not even the enormously popular World of Warcraft will be functioning.

When Realtime Worlds put out All Points Bulletin, they needed a major seller in order to keep the company in the black: what they needed was a large group of first-adopters. The problem with this plan is that first-adopters tend to be burned when games fail or turn out to be unpopular; many people who have been first-adopters in the past, will wait to see if a game is a success before they purchase a new release. Now this strategy might be good for the individual, but things quickly spiral downward if a large number of people take this course of action. To illustrate, check out the figure below.



This construct is a classic Nash equation from the field of Game Theory, a portion of science dedicated to studying the way humans cooperate. In the situation above, it would seem like your best option would always be to wait for the game: you can always get it later if things work out, and if they don't work out, you haven't wasted any money. In reality, however, if everyone takes the optimal path, events will end up in the bottom-right corner, where businesses fail and people lose jobs. Sometimes, people stay in the top-left box, this outcome may be influenced by hype, quality, community, or any of a long list of other factors. In the end, though, the first box would probably have been better for everyone.

So, whose fault is it that Realtime Worlds had to close its doors? I'm afraid that not even game theory can lay the principle blame on anyone but Realtime Worlds itself. MMOs are constantly facing the Nash equations, and some of them win out. Starting up an online game is never going to be easy, but hinging the future of your company on the success of an online game is a recipe for disaster. Giving a game three months of support will never be enough time to let it show its true colors. APB is just another casualty in a fight for the subscription fees of the masses; rest in peace, All Points Bulletin. Sometimes it's not all fun and games in the video game business.

--Tom

Picture credit: www.guardian.co.uk

How Much Will the 3DS Cost?

How Much Will the 3DS Cost?
Some simple math and a price point.


Nintendo's recent announcement and subsequent media storm surrounding their new portable gaming console, the 3DS, have lead to both fan-boy delight and skeptical scoffing. The first big announcement came at E3, when the Big N first gave us a look at the 3DS. While the external design of the unit might not have changed significantly, it was clear from playable demos and in-game video that the system's processing power had been upgraded. Footage of upcoming games seem to show graphical capabilities that approach or rival the PlayStation 2.

All of this information was given out at the Nintendo press conference in June. What is new, however, is the news of the launch price point. On September 29, Nintendo released the intended Japanese price and launch date. The system will hit store shelves in Japan on February 23, 2010, and will set you back 25,000 Yen. For those of us who don't know the exchange rate, that translates into about 300 US dollars (200 British pounds). The 3DS may have similar capability to that of the Playstation 2, and it will, apparently, attempt to bank on those similarities by retailing for the same initial price that the PS2 came at nearly ten years ago. The 3DS may try to capitalize on a few commonalities, but it's certainly got its own message for the gaming world: get out of my way.

The Nintendo DS is the best selling game console of all time. You can hardly turn around without bumping into a child half your height whose eyes are focused intently on the back-lit dual screens. When the original DS was released in November 2004, it was a major success, selling over one million units in the first month. If launched at the equivalent price in dollars, the 3DS would be exactly twice the price of the original DS. Can the 3DS sell as many copies as the old DS when the price has skyrocketed? How much will the 3DS cost when it comes across the Pacific? An educated guess will either require a little math or skipping to the final two paragraphs.

The original DS sold for $150 in the States and 15,000 Yen in in Japan. The 3DS will sell for 25,000 Yen and an unknown amount of dollars. To make any assumptions about the American price, we'll have to assume that the ratio between the Japanese and American prices will be the same (quite the limitation, but there's little else to work with). First, we can determine the ratio of change between the Yen prices (15,000/25,000), the answer comes out to 0.6. Now, we can apply that ratio to the American price (150*0.6), our final amount will be the increase in cost, which turns out to be $90 dollars. So, based on these equations, the 3DS price will be 240 US dollars (or, about 150 pounds).

When the PSP Go debuted for $250, it was met with almost universal derision, can a new DS costing just ten dollars less expect anything different? The DS has an uphill climb, but it offers some good reasons not to give up hope: the 3D technology is likely to wow consumers and gamers are already salivating over the games that are set to make up its library. Maybe it will pull in the cash and maybe it won't, but Nintendo has a proven track record of reaching new audiences with innovative technology, and there's no real reason to doubt that the 3DS will be any different. Still, all of this is cold comfort to those of us who shelled out the extra cash for a DSi, the 3DS may sport many of the same features, but the rise of the new console will undoubtedly signal the obsolescence of the old.

What do you think? What price would you be willing to pay for the new Nintendo handheld? Are you planning to boycott the 3DS and wait for the “3DS Light” or equivalent? Tell us in the comment section below.

--Tom