I mentioned at the end of last year I was having a shot at playing the Lunar RPGs. So how have things gone with that since?
Disappointingly I'm afraid.
I played Lunar: the Silver Star and made some decent enough progress. I was enjoying this RPG a lot but then I hit a wall: I got to the point where Kyle was supposed to join my party but I could not find the sod anywhere. I looked all over Nanza but I could not find one single trace of him. So, being unable to progress further, I had to abandon playing Lunar: the Silver Star (if I've done something wrong can someone tell me? I want to beat this game dammit!).
Which was shame because I was enjoying the game a lot - I loved the music and was fascinated by the setting where a moon, supporting life, encircled a barren planet (very much the reverse of the Earth and it's Moon).
But I was still keen to check this series out - so I jumped straight into the sequel Lunar: Eternal Blue. A risky move one might think seeing leaving Silver Star incomplete may result in missing something but this series had my interest so I was not prepared to give up on it just yet.
To begin with, things got off to a promising start with this gorgeous intro:
Naked anime chicks aside, I loved the use of music and the art direction in this intro and certainly made a good case to see what lay on the other side.
So I played Eternal Blue and found much to admire: The voice acting was both fun and not calamitously horrific, the battles were great, the grind didn't feel like grind, the music was superb and the anime cinematics were compelling enough. Okay sure I couldn't shake the notion that I'd missed out on something through not completing the first Lunar game but I was still having fun with Eternal Blue nonetheless. And I must give a special mention to Lucia who was both cute and able to cast spells that could decimate the baddies in seconds.
But alack and alas, Eternal Blue ended up being another abandoned game: A software failure kept recurring at a particular point and, much like Silver Star, I was unable to progress any further. Frustrating yes but there's not much I can do about it.
Nevertheless, despite my frustrations (however out of my control) with the Lunar series this is indeed one series I would like to return to future and see if I can complete it. Although both Lunar games have been abandoned, I can say that what I did play of them revealed a personality, epic sweep, superb presentation and a lot of heart gone into it's making.
We will meet again Lunar series, make my words.....
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Hey hey! We're the Monkeys!
Well if you beat Secret of Monkey Island you may has well beat Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge.
Once again, this was a game I was previously aware of but never got around to playing. But even from an outsider's perspective I could see the game itself seemed a lot more darker than it's predecessor. Screenshots revealed a very different character sprite for the protagonist Guybrush and even the box art took a more sinister direction, far removed from the more colorful Monkey Island 1:
I recognized the voodoo doll being made in the likeness of Monkey Island 1 Guybrush but it took me awhile before I realized that that is indeed Monkey Island 2 Guybrush in the background. Obviously from the word go, Monkey Island 2 isn't game that's fucking around.
So I picked up Monkey Island 2 through a sale on Steam (yes I'm on Steam - more on that in a future post) in the form of the Special Edition. I booted it up for the first time, took one look at the revamped graphics and immediately switched it to the classic version.
So what did I think of Monkey Island 2? Well I'm impressed: the game certainly feels bigger and there's a lot of gorgeous environments to explore. The puzzles weren't frustrating - or at least alleviated through the autosave feature. The voice acting (for special edition) is very well done - I particularly enjoyed the very evil voice of LeChuck provided by Earl Boen. The references to Star Wars were also fun too. All in all, Monkey Island 2 certainly looks and acts like a true sequel in taking the original and expanding upon it in various ways.
And there is the ending. Controversial in it's day, that is until the arrival of Monkey Island 3, I'm absolutely perplexed by it. Okay, the effect is softened with the knowledge that Monkey Island 3 exists but, from the perspective of someone who came twenty years too late to the party, the ending itself is abrupt, anticlimactic and downright puzzling. I do indeed feel cheated out of my victory and the thought that it was intended all along doesn't sit well with me.
Grumbling aside, I certainly found a lot to enjoy with Monkey Island 2. Yes I've been playing the best that the Adventure game genre has on offer but I think Monkey Island 2 may be the best of the lot.
So where to next? Monkey Island 3 one would think....
Once again, this was a game I was previously aware of but never got around to playing. But even from an outsider's perspective I could see the game itself seemed a lot more darker than it's predecessor. Screenshots revealed a very different character sprite for the protagonist Guybrush and even the box art took a more sinister direction, far removed from the more colorful Monkey Island 1:
So I picked up Monkey Island 2 through a sale on Steam (yes I'm on Steam - more on that in a future post) in the form of the Special Edition. I booted it up for the first time, took one look at the revamped graphics and immediately switched it to the classic version.
So what did I think of Monkey Island 2? Well I'm impressed: the game certainly feels bigger and there's a lot of gorgeous environments to explore. The puzzles weren't frustrating - or at least alleviated through the autosave feature. The voice acting (for special edition) is very well done - I particularly enjoyed the very evil voice of LeChuck provided by Earl Boen. The references to Star Wars were also fun too. All in all, Monkey Island 2 certainly looks and acts like a true sequel in taking the original and expanding upon it in various ways.
And there is the ending. Controversial in it's day, that is until the arrival of Monkey Island 3, I'm absolutely perplexed by it. Okay, the effect is softened with the knowledge that Monkey Island 3 exists but, from the perspective of someone who came twenty years too late to the party, the ending itself is abrupt, anticlimactic and downright puzzling. I do indeed feel cheated out of my victory and the thought that it was intended all along doesn't sit well with me.
Grumbling aside, I certainly found a lot to enjoy with Monkey Island 2. Yes I've been playing the best that the Adventure game genre has on offer but I think Monkey Island 2 may be the best of the lot.
So where to next? Monkey Island 3 one would think....
Friday, January 25, 2013
Want to know a Secret?
Guess what? Another game has been cast down from my Hall of Shame! Yep, Secret of Monkey Island has taken sail!
Seeing as I’ve been playing a lot of point and click adventure games over the past few weeks, playing Secret of Monkey Island was almost inevitable. And how can I avoid it? It’s consistently regarded as one of the kings of the genre and more or less inescapable. Thus it places me in a rather curious position: I’d heard of the Secret of Monkey Island games back in the early nineties but it is only now that I’ve finally gotten around to playing them. Thus I play as a complete newbie and don’t have twenty years of nostalgia to blind me.
So what did I think of it?
Well, my experience playing Secret of Monkey Island can be summed up in the word: fresh. Now I understand humor isn’t easy to pull off in games as the jokes can get old rather quickly but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. Twenty three years on and this game is still funny with some laugh-out louds moments. In fact I’m really astonished: It’s not just the great writing but how well it’s lasted through the years since. The absurdity of the games is always razor sharp and never once becomes stale. I particularly enjoyed the climax and, being a newbie, I can see some connections that may have emerged within the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (of course both that and Secret of Monkey Island were inspired by the ride at Disneyland). In fact I’m kinda surprised that considering the humor in this game that they’ve all managed to escape been run into the ground through internet memes (looking at you Portal!).
Indeed, it’s fun to come across something that many of my gaming comrades discovered years before. And having played Secret of Monkey Island, I can see the adoration is justified.
Not much else to say except that I certainly look forward to checking more of this series….
Seeing as I’ve been playing a lot of point and click adventure games over the past few weeks, playing Secret of Monkey Island was almost inevitable. And how can I avoid it? It’s consistently regarded as one of the kings of the genre and more or less inescapable. Thus it places me in a rather curious position: I’d heard of the Secret of Monkey Island games back in the early nineties but it is only now that I’ve finally gotten around to playing them. Thus I play as a complete newbie and don’t have twenty years of nostalgia to blind me.
So what did I think of it?
Well, my experience playing Secret of Monkey Island can be summed up in the word: fresh. Now I understand humor isn’t easy to pull off in games as the jokes can get old rather quickly but that doesn’t seem to be the case here. Twenty three years on and this game is still funny with some laugh-out louds moments. In fact I’m really astonished: It’s not just the great writing but how well it’s lasted through the years since. The absurdity of the games is always razor sharp and never once becomes stale. I particularly enjoyed the climax and, being a newbie, I can see some connections that may have emerged within the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (of course both that and Secret of Monkey Island were inspired by the ride at Disneyland). In fact I’m kinda surprised that considering the humor in this game that they’ve all managed to escape been run into the ground through internet memes (looking at you Portal!).
Indeed, it’s fun to come across something that many of my gaming comrades discovered years before. And having played Secret of Monkey Island, I can see the adoration is justified.
Not much else to say except that I certainly look forward to checking more of this series….
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The Uncanny Xcom
Another game I had a go at over my Christmas break was Xcom: UFO Defense. Not the recent remake (although I've heard a lot of good things said about it), but the original from way back in 1994.
I recall my high school years, 1994-1997, to be something of a golden age for strategy games. Everyone I knew played Civilization 2, Warcraft, Command and Conquer, Dune 2 and, eventually, Starcraft. Even Syndicate and Heroes of Might and Magic 2 had it's fans. But strangely, I can't recall anyone ever playing Xcom or, as it was known in Europe and Australia, UFO: Enemy Unknown (incidentally now that I think of it I'm not sure if this game was ever released in Australia).
I was only aware of it through being an Amiga owner and even then I thought it had a really bizarre image for the box art:
Still, with absolutely no idea what to expect, I took the plunge and played Xcom: UFO Defense.
And to be honest I was really surprised: This was completely different from the strategy games I'd grown up with. The flow of time could be altered, resources weren't in easy reach and required proper management, solider deaths actually mattered and something was always happening - even if the player wasn't aware of it. It wasn't enough buying soldiers: I had to provide guns and amour as well as engineers to build it and scientists to discover it.
And the combat sections were indeed tense affairs with the aliens suddenly appearing, dreading that every shot might miss and the loss felt when a soldier died (for the record: I kept an Xcom tradition with naming all my soldiers after people I know).
One thing I found tricky was the handling of the income: As I found out, it takes a lot of money to establish a base and fit it out with the necessities required. But, of course, you're expected to have an eye on every location on the glove and if one nation isn't getting the necessary attention - most likely because you're trying get a base going to deal with potential aliens - they will cut their funding. And this will make the task of organizing the defense even more tougher. Indeed, far too often I would find myself sitting on my thumbs wondering what to do and even advancing the time to get to the monthly payout - only to find that something else was already happening beyond my notice.
Still this is indeed game that grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go. Sure it may have had it's slow moments but somehow, the accolades of the 'Greatest PC game EVAH' somehow seem justified.
Needless to say, I do feel excited to one day tackle the remake but, I suspect, it won't be for a while yet. Why? Because I'm far too busy playing the original!
I recall my high school years, 1994-1997, to be something of a golden age for strategy games. Everyone I knew played Civilization 2, Warcraft, Command and Conquer, Dune 2 and, eventually, Starcraft. Even Syndicate and Heroes of Might and Magic 2 had it's fans. But strangely, I can't recall anyone ever playing Xcom or, as it was known in Europe and Australia, UFO: Enemy Unknown (incidentally now that I think of it I'm not sure if this game was ever released in Australia).
I was only aware of it through being an Amiga owner and even then I thought it had a really bizarre image for the box art:
Still, with absolutely no idea what to expect, I took the plunge and played Xcom: UFO Defense.
And to be honest I was really surprised: This was completely different from the strategy games I'd grown up with. The flow of time could be altered, resources weren't in easy reach and required proper management, solider deaths actually mattered and something was always happening - even if the player wasn't aware of it. It wasn't enough buying soldiers: I had to provide guns and amour as well as engineers to build it and scientists to discover it.
And the combat sections were indeed tense affairs with the aliens suddenly appearing, dreading that every shot might miss and the loss felt when a soldier died (for the record: I kept an Xcom tradition with naming all my soldiers after people I know).
One thing I found tricky was the handling of the income: As I found out, it takes a lot of money to establish a base and fit it out with the necessities required. But, of course, you're expected to have an eye on every location on the glove and if one nation isn't getting the necessary attention - most likely because you're trying get a base going to deal with potential aliens - they will cut their funding. And this will make the task of organizing the defense even more tougher. Indeed, far too often I would find myself sitting on my thumbs wondering what to do and even advancing the time to get to the monthly payout - only to find that something else was already happening beyond my notice.
Still this is indeed game that grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go. Sure it may have had it's slow moments but somehow, the accolades of the 'Greatest PC game EVAH' somehow seem justified.
Needless to say, I do feel excited to one day tackle the remake but, I suspect, it won't be for a while yet. Why? Because I'm far too busy playing the original!
Monday, January 21, 2013
Gotta take a miracle
In recent weeks I've been busy with working on my Hall of Shame. So much so, I felt I'd worked up enough karma points to justfy buying another game.
So what did I get?
And they say there's no such thing as miracles.
So what did I get?
And they say there's no such thing as miracles.
Friday, January 18, 2013
On the Road Again
Recently I had the pleasure of striking another game from my Hall of Shame (they're falling like bowling pins!). This time it was Sam and Max Hit the Road.
Those who've been following my progress on my Hall of Shame would note that I've been playing a lot of adventure games. Nothing wrong with that: Point and Click adventue games is something that has eluded me in the past so it's great to sit down and play through some of them. Now normally, the genre I play the most (at least according to Raptr) are RPGs - and adventure games really come across as something of an antithesis: Whereas RPGs are serious, PaCAs are fun and witty; whereas RPGs are loaded with action, PaCAs don't; whereas RPGs are mostly confined to fantasy/scifi settings, PaCAs are a lot more inventive with their settings. And whereas RPGs demand a lot of hours on the player PaCAs take a much lesser amount of time investment.
And ultimately after playing so many RPG's, playing a PaCA comes across as a breath of fresh air - and it makes me enthusiastic again to play games and jabber on and on about them.
Anywho, about Sam and Max. If anything this game surprised me - but not for the reasons one would think so. You see, looking at the box art of the game, one will notice a Parental Advisory sticker that has been incorporated into the artwork:
Recognizing the image I went in expecting to see crude humour - the likes one would find on South Park - but with Sam and Max this was not the case. (of course now I look more closely at the 'sticker' and find it is indeed a parody).
Of course it would've been obvious to have some crude/offensive humor in a game featuring some goofy looking critters in some bizarre juxtaposition (looking at you Conker's Bad Fur Day!) but again, this was not the case.
What I did get was indeed one of the funniest games I've ever played. There are some real laugh out-loud moments (with particular favorites being the Dinosaur park and the Frog rock) that are egenuinely funny. Now humour is a very tricky aspect to handle in gaming as it can trip and fall on it;s face very easily but that doe snot seem the case with Sam and Max: The humor is genuine and natural and never once feels forced - which in gaming doesn't come as often as one would think. Indeed it could've gone all so wrong, as indicated by the previous paragraph, but it didn't. It sounds like an impossibility but here it worked a treat.
So yeah I really enjoyed Sam and Max - they were lots of fun and bursting with both personality and hilarity (I'm still trying to common-parlance the fact the Sam has the same voice actor who does Disney's Goofy). The world they inhabited was kooky, bizarre and great to get around.
So all in all, this game is another winner for LucasArts. Yes I've been saying that lot with the Adventure games I've been playing but with games boasting quality like this, why would I bother with the rubbish?
Those who've been following my progress on my Hall of Shame would note that I've been playing a lot of adventure games. Nothing wrong with that: Point and Click adventue games is something that has eluded me in the past so it's great to sit down and play through some of them. Now normally, the genre I play the most (at least according to Raptr) are RPGs - and adventure games really come across as something of an antithesis: Whereas RPGs are serious, PaCAs are fun and witty; whereas RPGs are loaded with action, PaCAs don't; whereas RPGs are mostly confined to fantasy/scifi settings, PaCAs are a lot more inventive with their settings. And whereas RPGs demand a lot of hours on the player PaCAs take a much lesser amount of time investment.
And ultimately after playing so many RPG's, playing a PaCA comes across as a breath of fresh air - and it makes me enthusiastic again to play games and jabber on and on about them.
Anywho, about Sam and Max. If anything this game surprised me - but not for the reasons one would think so. You see, looking at the box art of the game, one will notice a Parental Advisory sticker that has been incorporated into the artwork:
Of course it would've been obvious to have some crude/offensive humor in a game featuring some goofy looking critters in some bizarre juxtaposition (looking at you Conker's Bad Fur Day!) but again, this was not the case.
What I did get was indeed one of the funniest games I've ever played. There are some real laugh out-loud moments (with particular favorites being the Dinosaur park and the Frog rock) that are egenuinely funny. Now humour is a very tricky aspect to handle in gaming as it can trip and fall on it;s face very easily but that doe snot seem the case with Sam and Max: The humor is genuine and natural and never once feels forced - which in gaming doesn't come as often as one would think. Indeed it could've gone all so wrong, as indicated by the previous paragraph, but it didn't. It sounds like an impossibility but here it worked a treat.
So yeah I really enjoyed Sam and Max - they were lots of fun and bursting with both personality and hilarity (I'm still trying to common-parlance the fact the Sam has the same voice actor who does Disney's Goofy). The world they inhabited was kooky, bizarre and great to get around.
So all in all, this game is another winner for LucasArts. Yes I've been saying that lot with the Adventure games I've been playing but with games boasting quality like this, why would I bother with the rubbish?
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Fit for a King
Another post, another game struck down from my Hall of Shame. Once again, it was something I played over my Christmas break: Kings Quest 6.
Once upon a time, Sierra had a substantial reputation for their Adventure games. They had several series that featured over numerous installments and enjoyed much success during their heyday. I myself never really bothered much with them. Yes I played about two installments of the Leisure Suit Larry (keep in mind I was ten/eleven at the time), and I had seen the first Police Quest being played but was largely unfamiliar with the Sierra adventure games.
In the years since, time has not been kind to the Sierra adventure games with most of them being dismissed for obnoxious difficulty, game-killing puzzles (one slightest slip up and it's game over), cheap deaths and solutions to problems that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. Still I was interested to take a look so I may as well try one of the best: King's Quest 6.
Now coming into Kings Quest 6 I had absolutely zero knowledge about the series beforehand - thus leaving me with little idea as to what to expect. And the first thing that struck me about this game was that it was genuine attempt to build a fairy tale within game - something that doesn't happen very often. Okay so the Super Mario and Zelda games may have taken their inspiration from fairy tales whilst Braid and Shadow the Colossus seek to deconstruct them, but for me King's Quest 6 feels genuine in it's attempt to present a prince going around a fantasy world to rescue a princess.
But at the same time, one feels this was trying to deconstruct the fairy tale genre whilst celebrating it. Thus the prince, Alexander, comes across as committed to his quest to the point of tunnel-vision that one starts questioning his mental state. Likewise the princess, Cassima, is revealed to be practical and hardly the type to sit around waiting to be rescued.
In fact a lot has to said for the writing: The characters are well written and likeable, there are some interesting allusions to other fairy tales, the puzzles actually make sense, the humor is well handled (ie the Chess Piece queens) and the climax is actually really exciting.Okay the amount of deaths were stupid but the setting and characters that inhabited it were compelling enough to see me through.
Also, I particularly enjoyed the voice acting - I'm still trying to wrap my head around Alexander being voiced by the same guy with did the Beast from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. And special mention must go to that guy who voices Saladin - He's great!
But I'm not quite sure what to make of the ending theme though ("Girl in the ToWAAAAHHH!!!").
Now considering Sierra's reputation this game didn't cause an epiphany to inspire me to check out more Sierra games. Still, I enjoyed it a lot and its fun to see a genuine fairy tale in gaming - I mean you can't keep shooting zombies forever....
Once upon a time, Sierra had a substantial reputation for their Adventure games. They had several series that featured over numerous installments and enjoyed much success during their heyday. I myself never really bothered much with them. Yes I played about two installments of the Leisure Suit Larry (keep in mind I was ten/eleven at the time), and I had seen the first Police Quest being played but was largely unfamiliar with the Sierra adventure games.
In the years since, time has not been kind to the Sierra adventure games with most of them being dismissed for obnoxious difficulty, game-killing puzzles (one slightest slip up and it's game over), cheap deaths and solutions to problems that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. Still I was interested to take a look so I may as well try one of the best: King's Quest 6.
Now coming into Kings Quest 6 I had absolutely zero knowledge about the series beforehand - thus leaving me with little idea as to what to expect. And the first thing that struck me about this game was that it was genuine attempt to build a fairy tale within game - something that doesn't happen very often. Okay so the Super Mario and Zelda games may have taken their inspiration from fairy tales whilst Braid and Shadow the Colossus seek to deconstruct them, but for me King's Quest 6 feels genuine in it's attempt to present a prince going around a fantasy world to rescue a princess.
But at the same time, one feels this was trying to deconstruct the fairy tale genre whilst celebrating it. Thus the prince, Alexander, comes across as committed to his quest to the point of tunnel-vision that one starts questioning his mental state. Likewise the princess, Cassima, is revealed to be practical and hardly the type to sit around waiting to be rescued.
In fact a lot has to said for the writing: The characters are well written and likeable, there are some interesting allusions to other fairy tales, the puzzles actually make sense, the humor is well handled (ie the Chess Piece queens) and the climax is actually really exciting.Okay the amount of deaths were stupid but the setting and characters that inhabited it were compelling enough to see me through.
Also, I particularly enjoyed the voice acting - I'm still trying to wrap my head around Alexander being voiced by the same guy with did the Beast from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. And special mention must go to that guy who voices Saladin - He's great!
But I'm not quite sure what to make of the ending theme though ("Girl in the ToWAAAAHHH!!!").
Now considering Sierra's reputation this game didn't cause an epiphany to inspire me to check out more Sierra games. Still, I enjoyed it a lot and its fun to see a genuine fairy tale in gaming - I mean you can't keep shooting zombies forever....
Monday, January 14, 2013
Down the Line
Last week I cast another game down from my Hall of Shame. This time it was Spec Ops The Line.
Hooooo boy is this a game difficult to talk about: it's not just the spoilers but the repercussions this game has on the player. I went into Spec Ops the Line expecting a big slap in the face of all the shooters that are plaguing gaming at the moment and, needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.
So what did I come away with from this game? Well I found a lot to admire - however much of it comes from the execution than the game itself: I like the setting, I like the writing (THE WRITING!!!), I like the voice acting (was Dubai where Commander Sheridan ended up?!), I like the feeling of unease as the game progresses, I like the use of symbolism, I like the handling of the relationship between player and player character, I like the passages of text that appear during the loading screens, I like the use of emotional depth in a genre not known for it and I like the fact that Yager had the balls to call out on both the shooter genre and the people that play them.
In fact as I played Spec Ops the Line I was reminded of a proposal I once put forth - of course it's doubtful someone at Yager took notice but it's always nice to know that someone else in the world thinks the same as you,.
But therein lies the problem: This game maybe trying to say something about shooter genre but it doesn't seem likely the message will be heeded. I myself enjoyed Spec Ops the Line but I'm not into shooters and therefore not the person this game was made for.
If there is one thing I've learned about gaming culture is that people play games for fun and to unwind - of anyone were to present a game to convey or point and for educational purposes, they will be met with the something resembling absolute contempt. If Yager were trying to raise a mirror to the people who play shooter games, then it's a lost cause. Why? Because based on my experience, the shooter gamers are quite passionate and/or need to kill fifty dudes in order to get it up. So to tell them what they're doing would result in downright hostility. Thus it should not come to any surprise that Spec Ops the Line, apparently, hasn't been that big a seller.
Ranting aside, I enjoyed Spec Ops the Line and the risks it took with the genre and gaming in general. What would be interesting to see if anyone else takes notice and how the genre will be effected by a post-Spec Ops the Line world....
Hooooo boy is this a game difficult to talk about: it's not just the spoilers but the repercussions this game has on the player. I went into Spec Ops the Line expecting a big slap in the face of all the shooters that are plaguing gaming at the moment and, needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.
So what did I come away with from this game? Well I found a lot to admire - however much of it comes from the execution than the game itself: I like the setting, I like the writing (THE WRITING!!!), I like the voice acting (was Dubai where Commander Sheridan ended up?!), I like the feeling of unease as the game progresses, I like the use of symbolism, I like the handling of the relationship between player and player character, I like the passages of text that appear during the loading screens, I like the use of emotional depth in a genre not known for it and I like the fact that Yager had the balls to call out on both the shooter genre and the people that play them.
In fact as I played Spec Ops the Line I was reminded of a proposal I once put forth - of course it's doubtful someone at Yager took notice but it's always nice to know that someone else in the world thinks the same as you,.
But therein lies the problem: This game maybe trying to say something about shooter genre but it doesn't seem likely the message will be heeded. I myself enjoyed Spec Ops the Line but I'm not into shooters and therefore not the person this game was made for.
If there is one thing I've learned about gaming culture is that people play games for fun and to unwind - of anyone were to present a game to convey or point and for educational purposes, they will be met with the something resembling absolute contempt. If Yager were trying to raise a mirror to the people who play shooter games, then it's a lost cause. Why? Because based on my experience, the shooter gamers are quite passionate and/or need to kill fifty dudes in order to get it up. So to tell them what they're doing would result in downright hostility. Thus it should not come to any surprise that Spec Ops the Line, apparently, hasn't been that big a seller.
Ranting aside, I enjoyed Spec Ops the Line and the risks it took with the genre and gaming in general. What would be interesting to see if anyone else takes notice and how the genre will be effected by a post-Spec Ops the Line world....
Friday, January 11, 2013
Braid Damage
Earlier this week I had the satisfaction of striking another game from the Hall of Shame – this time it was Braid. But what made this victory particularly satisfying was for two reasons: a) it was the endpoint after numerous frustrations and b) the achievement for completion of the game was enough to reach the ten thousand mark in my XBLA achievement total. Whilst Specs Ops the Line may have contributed heavily to this goal, beating Braid was enough to cross the finish line (that and saying both games in the same sentence makes me laugh).
So about Braid: To be honest approaching this game has always carried a weight of intimidation: It is one of those games that has lauded with praise so much that one would think there may not be a lot left to say about it and saying something different may come across as treason. So did I think of Braid?
Well I enjoyed it: There is indeed a lot going for this game that certainly deserves the praise. The game mechanics are clever and inventive, the music is great, the puzzles creative and the art direction mind-blowing. All of which sound like great but, as there always seems to be, a problem raises its head. You see, many people regard Braid as the go-to game for the ‘Games as Art’ proposal but I’m not getting it. Where Braid works for me is a deconstruction of the whole ‘rescue the princess’ gaming trope and it there it works best: Thus adding all this stuff about the atomic bomb seems …well…unnecessary. To me it comes across as tacked on, convoluted and dropping an actual good idea. In fact the title of ‘Art Game’ continuously bestowed upon Braid seem more a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card so its problems won’t have to be explained – but I’m not so easily fooled.
Still I did enjoy Braid and am glad to have played it.
As a side note though, I am now imagining Tim being drinking buddies with Wander from Shadow of the Colossus.
So about Braid: To be honest approaching this game has always carried a weight of intimidation: It is one of those games that has lauded with praise so much that one would think there may not be a lot left to say about it and saying something different may come across as treason. So did I think of Braid?
Well I enjoyed it: There is indeed a lot going for this game that certainly deserves the praise. The game mechanics are clever and inventive, the music is great, the puzzles creative and the art direction mind-blowing. All of which sound like great but, as there always seems to be, a problem raises its head. You see, many people regard Braid as the go-to game for the ‘Games as Art’ proposal but I’m not getting it. Where Braid works for me is a deconstruction of the whole ‘rescue the princess’ gaming trope and it there it works best: Thus adding all this stuff about the atomic bomb seems …well…unnecessary. To me it comes across as tacked on, convoluted and dropping an actual good idea. In fact the title of ‘Art Game’ continuously bestowed upon Braid seem more a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card so its problems won’t have to be explained – but I’m not so easily fooled.
Still I did enjoy Braid and am glad to have played it.
As a side note though, I am now imagining Tim being drinking buddies with Wander from Shadow of the Colossus.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
PS2 Hearts Beat as One
The big news of recent weeks is Sony ceasing production of the PlayStation 2. Yep after twelve years, the PS2 has been retired leaving behind a library of highly-regarded games and the status of the great selling console ever. Admittedly, it is a disappointment that the PS2 few short (of two years) of claiming the title of longest lasting console from the Atari 2600 but ya can’t have everything.
I purchased my PlayStation 2 in early 2006. I still remember the moment quite accurately: Going into Target and handing over so much money for a silver streamlined PS2 console and three games (Final Fantasy X, Gran Turismo 3 and Grand Theft Auto 3). In the time since, my PS2 was a loyal companion – it inspired many nights of late gaming (due to day spent with my University studies at the time).
It showed me many a game, many of which I was unaware existed.
It woke my interest in gaming up from a coma.
It inspired me to seek out games on the PS1 that I’d longed to play but was unable to at the time.
It introduced me to friends such as Ico, Kratos, Amaterasu, Solid Snake and Zidane.
It went with me to LANs and was the basis of many a Soul Caliber 3 bash.
It even followed me to Melbourne.
It was used extensively by both myself and Kathleen in our apartment.
It even got use when faced by stiff competition in the form of a Wii and an Xbox 360.
It came to represent the sixth generation for me – which has since proven to be a tough act to follow
Although my PS2 has been rather dormant in recent months, I can safely say there is still life in the old dog yet: It still works fine, I still have some games to complete and the occasional use of the Sonic collection is always fun.
Still even if the PS2 has been discontinued, the damn thing has done much to contribute to my interest in gaming and a permanent place in my gaming history is assured. It’s time may have ended but it’s existence will forever be appreciated.
R.I.P. Sony PlayStation 2
I purchased my PlayStation 2 in early 2006. I still remember the moment quite accurately: Going into Target and handing over so much money for a silver streamlined PS2 console and three games (Final Fantasy X, Gran Turismo 3 and Grand Theft Auto 3). In the time since, my PS2 was a loyal companion – it inspired many nights of late gaming (due to day spent with my University studies at the time).
It showed me many a game, many of which I was unaware existed.
It woke my interest in gaming up from a coma.
It inspired me to seek out games on the PS1 that I’d longed to play but was unable to at the time.
It introduced me to friends such as Ico, Kratos, Amaterasu, Solid Snake and Zidane.
It went with me to LANs and was the basis of many a Soul Caliber 3 bash.
It even followed me to Melbourne.
It was used extensively by both myself and Kathleen in our apartment.
It even got use when faced by stiff competition in the form of a Wii and an Xbox 360.
It came to represent the sixth generation for me – which has since proven to be a tough act to follow
Although my PS2 has been rather dormant in recent months, I can safely say there is still life in the old dog yet: It still works fine, I still have some games to complete and the occasional use of the Sonic collection is always fun.
Still even if the PS2 has been discontinued, the damn thing has done much to contribute to my interest in gaming and a permanent place in my gaming history is assured. It’s time may have ended but it’s existence will forever be appreciated.
R.I.P. Sony PlayStation 2
Monday, January 7, 2013
Take a Straight Line
For Christmas my brother got me a new game for my 360: Spec Ops the Line. You might have heard of this: Spec Ops the Line has been creating a stir in the gaming community through it being a deconstruction of the shooter genre. That was my first impression at least and being rather sick and tried of shooter games & the 'must kill fifty guys to get it up' players that flock to them, I thought having game that would challenge it all would require a lot of balls. Well, apparently someone at Yager had the balls so that is worthy enough for my attention. Mind you, my brother noted of my 360 games, with the presence of Bishock, Mass Effect, Gears of War, Halo and the Orange Box, a preponderance of shooters so would Spec Ops the Line be an upset of this?
Well, I like my shooters to be Doom: Fun, exciting and unafraid to place the player in desperado situations against near-impossible odds. That being said I have little to no time for Call of Duty, Battlefield and the like as I find their rigid seriousness/self-importance unappealing beyond basic familiarity. Thus one would I think I would be perfect for Spec Ops the Line.
Well the first thing that struck me about Spec Ops the Line was the use of the menu music: Jimi Hendrix's famous rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Then there was the unnerving sight of my XBLA name included in the opening credits - obviously this is a game that isn't fucking around.
At time of writing I had made it to Chapter 4 and already some signs have been detected of the game's deconstructive intentions: The shouts made by characters during the fighting, clues made out via the intel drops, use of sixties metal music, and being led on in a linear fashion. There have already been some unsettling moments but not enough to put me off completely. Sure the gameplay may be a bit broken but somehow one suspects that may have been the point...
So I will continue playing Spec Ops the Line and it would be interesting to see what happens next...
Well, I like my shooters to be Doom: Fun, exciting and unafraid to place the player in desperado situations against near-impossible odds. That being said I have little to no time for Call of Duty, Battlefield and the like as I find their rigid seriousness/self-importance unappealing beyond basic familiarity. Thus one would I think I would be perfect for Spec Ops the Line.
Well the first thing that struck me about Spec Ops the Line was the use of the menu music: Jimi Hendrix's famous rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. Then there was the unnerving sight of my XBLA name included in the opening credits - obviously this is a game that isn't fucking around.
At time of writing I had made it to Chapter 4 and already some signs have been detected of the game's deconstructive intentions: The shouts made by characters during the fighting, clues made out via the intel drops, use of sixties metal music, and being led on in a linear fashion. There have already been some unsettling moments but not enough to put me off completely. Sure the gameplay may be a bit broken but somehow one suspects that may have been the point...
So I will continue playing Spec Ops the Line and it would be interesting to see what happens next...
Friday, January 4, 2013
Bass in the Place
And we're back.
Welcome to 2013 everybody. The world didn't come to an end (in your face nay-sayers!) and a whole new year has opened up before us all. So lets not muck around - time to go back to work.
So what did I do during my Christmas holidays? Well I took the time to work on my Hall of Shame and had the pleasure of striking another game from it: Goodbye Beneath a Steel Sky.
During the nineties, whereas other kids had a Nintendo or a Sega (or eventually a PlayStation), I however had an Amiga. It was through being an Amiga user that I became aware of Beneath a Steel Sky. I saw some screenshots and it getting excellent reviews from critics who were acting like they'd just found a gold mine underneath their house. Of course I had little access to Amiga games at the time so I never got to play it - until recently, of course, through my good friend Good Old Games where it was available for free. Yeah, a game you wanted to play being made for free - such an endpoint for a journey begun eighteen years ago.....
Anyway, with high expectations behind this game how did it turn out?
Well quite good actually.
From my early impressions with the game, stemming form my Amiga days, I gathered a sense that Beneath a Steel Sky was set in a scifi universe ruled by a totalitarian dictatorship - at the time I'd never heard such a scenario in a game before and I was keen to see how it would play out. Very well as it turned out: I liked the setting of this world and how the oppressive nature of the setting is gradually established as the game progresses (note the message accompanying the game over screen). Like all adventure games I've been playing, the backgrounds were beautiful to behold and, impressively, were drawn by comic artist extraordinaire Dave Gibbons.
But what I found particularly puzzling is the setting being located in Australia. Now I'm all for Australia being a setting for a game - and a sci-fi setting at that - but it is strange to see an Australian setting where everyone speaks in British accents. But the Australian setting does have moments of hilarity to the Australian resident with the totalitarian government and having a revolutionary group operating out of Hobart (!!!!!).
Another aspect that left me scratching my head is the humorous moments. Now with the setting described above, one would think the game would be grim and dour. Not so: there are a lot of nutty characters and witty dialogue. Its an odd choice but there are times when it seems like the humorous moments seem strained and seem to have got lost whilst on the way to a completely different game (the courtroom scene springs to mind). Granted such moments may add to the idea that everyone's gone insane but to make the humorous moments come across as off-putting. Indeed, it makes me wonder how much Adventure games rely on humor - if anything the inclusion of humor sweetens the deal of having to solve baffling problems whilst the absence of it could prove to be fatal to the game itself (The Dig anyone?).
Still, I enjoyed playing Beneath a Steel Sky. I enjoyed the setting and exploring the world before me and it did lead to some memorable moments (the scene in the cathedral being one). I liked this game and am glad to have (finally!) played it. It's just a shame it ended when it did because I would've liked to have seen more of the world presented in this game.
And sequels have been granted to less deserving games... >:(
Welcome to 2013 everybody. The world didn't come to an end (in your face nay-sayers!) and a whole new year has opened up before us all. So lets not muck around - time to go back to work.
So what did I do during my Christmas holidays? Well I took the time to work on my Hall of Shame and had the pleasure of striking another game from it: Goodbye Beneath a Steel Sky.
During the nineties, whereas other kids had a Nintendo or a Sega (or eventually a PlayStation), I however had an Amiga. It was through being an Amiga user that I became aware of Beneath a Steel Sky. I saw some screenshots and it getting excellent reviews from critics who were acting like they'd just found a gold mine underneath their house. Of course I had little access to Amiga games at the time so I never got to play it - until recently, of course, through my good friend Good Old Games where it was available for free. Yeah, a game you wanted to play being made for free - such an endpoint for a journey begun eighteen years ago.....
Anyway, with high expectations behind this game how did it turn out?
Well quite good actually.
From my early impressions with the game, stemming form my Amiga days, I gathered a sense that Beneath a Steel Sky was set in a scifi universe ruled by a totalitarian dictatorship - at the time I'd never heard such a scenario in a game before and I was keen to see how it would play out. Very well as it turned out: I liked the setting of this world and how the oppressive nature of the setting is gradually established as the game progresses (note the message accompanying the game over screen). Like all adventure games I've been playing, the backgrounds were beautiful to behold and, impressively, were drawn by comic artist extraordinaire Dave Gibbons.
But what I found particularly puzzling is the setting being located in Australia. Now I'm all for Australia being a setting for a game - and a sci-fi setting at that - but it is strange to see an Australian setting where everyone speaks in British accents. But the Australian setting does have moments of hilarity to the Australian resident with the totalitarian government and having a revolutionary group operating out of Hobart (!!!!!).
Another aspect that left me scratching my head is the humorous moments. Now with the setting described above, one would think the game would be grim and dour. Not so: there are a lot of nutty characters and witty dialogue. Its an odd choice but there are times when it seems like the humorous moments seem strained and seem to have got lost whilst on the way to a completely different game (the courtroom scene springs to mind). Granted such moments may add to the idea that everyone's gone insane but to make the humorous moments come across as off-putting. Indeed, it makes me wonder how much Adventure games rely on humor - if anything the inclusion of humor sweetens the deal of having to solve baffling problems whilst the absence of it could prove to be fatal to the game itself (The Dig anyone?).
Still, I enjoyed playing Beneath a Steel Sky. I enjoyed the setting and exploring the world before me and it did lead to some memorable moments (the scene in the cathedral being one). I liked this game and am glad to have (finally!) played it. It's just a shame it ended when it did because I would've liked to have seen more of the world presented in this game.
And sequels have been granted to less deserving games... >:(
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