That was the year it was: 2020

And so we come to the end of another year. And so Game Tumour will go into hibernation, only to emerge in the new year (unless of course there are some last minute surprises between now and the new year). 

It should be noted that this year has seen some milestones for this blog. Not only has it seen a full decade of existence - which, let's be honest, is a millennium in internet terms - but it should be noted that this post is the one thousandth post in this blog! 
Yeah I don't know how I did that either but this is major achievement: Granted this may be a dying medium but to come so far, even when other blogs tend to have a limited lifespan (or at least the one's I have seen) and are written by people who's interest and commitment tends to die off rather quickly, is something to be proud of. 

So to everyone who has seen this blog, who has been following it and who kept coming back to it, through periods of activity, stretches of nothing happening, through posts of both insightful observations and just utter nonsense, I want to say Thank You.
From the bottom of my heart Thank You.

As for 2020, it's become something of a cliché to deride 2020 as a seemingly never-ending year of disaster, where it seemed a challenge to say how things could get progressively worse. 
But it has seen something of a boom time for gaming. Because, after all, when Lockdown has you stuck inside your house, what else are you going to do? Well, personally I completed Borderlands 2, Rakuen and Wolfenstein 3d (at last!). I have upgraded both my gaming chair and the Retropie to the Raspberry Pi 4. I have said goodbye to ESO, was traumatised by Phasmophobia, and viewed the Space Australia that was the Borderlands Pre-Sequel. 
And I swear I have spent more time waiting for games to download than actually playing them. 

So where do we go from here? 

Well the way I see it, there are still plenty of more adventures to be had in this wonderful world that is gaming. So whilst my interest in this hobby and this blog may have quietened down in recent years, I am not prepared to give either up just yet. 

And with that, Game Tumour bows out for 2020.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope to speak to you all again on the other side of 2021...

In this corner...

 Here's something that came to my attention recently: Australian current affairs programme Four Corners is doing an investigation on gaming. Or, to be more specific, an investigation in seeing how gaming affects relationships and health (physical and mental). 

If anyone is interested in finding out more, please go here

Transferring over

 On Wednesday, I was watching the Gruen Transfer.
For those not in the know, it's a show on Australian TV which discusses advertising with how it works, the tactics utilised to sell a product.

And on this particular night, they finally discussed gaming.

I say finally because in my mind it has been a long time coming: There have been some brilliant gaming ads made in the past that would have been an inspired choice for Gruen to analyse - 'Michael' anyone? - but perhaps I should be grateful that it's happening. 

Truth be told, there wasn't a lot revealed that I didn't already know. But Russell sure looked awkward...

Selective memory

This week I have been looking back at past issues of CVG and having a major nostalgia trip. It is fun to see gaming of the early nineties being documented in such manner, especially when one considers how many games of that era still hold up today. 

Funny thing however is that I can't help but notice that many games of that era are overlooked. This is fascinating when one considers the games that have entered history in the years since: Final Fantasy 2 and 3 (4 and 6) never get a mention; the undisputed classic Super Metroid gets a score of 91%, 1993 goes by without any indication of something called Doom and the Lunar series, one of the highpoints on the Mega CD, are nowhere to be found.  

I suppose much of CVG is through a British perspective as it was the magazine's country of origin. And it is likely that many of the console games were handled in it's sister magazine Mean Machines (which I never read and therefore have no attachment to). But it is fascinating to see a) a history that has since proven to show a narrow view of the story and b) a perception that isn't from Japan or the US. 

How does the saying go: That history is written by the winners?

Playing Up

In the last post, I mentioned going through old editions of CVG (circa 1992). In one of them I found this tidbit:

Source (page 17)

True this was written in the wake of the Sony/Nintendo deal falling through but hindsight makes this too funny for words.

A Distinct Lack of progression

When I was a young lad in the early nineties, I was an avid reader of a magazine known as CVG (Computer and Video Games).
I can imagine that, having said that, many veteran gamers are now getting misty eyed with thoughts of nostalgia. It never fails to impress me how many people read this magazine back in the day and how many of them think highly of it years later. Granted the magazine in question had a very long shelf life (1981-2015) but for me, this was an important source of information in my tentative steps into the world of gaming. 

For this post, I would like to share with you all, something from the December 1992 edition. A reply to a reader's letter whom found a lot of Atari 2600 seemed more challenging when compared to the 16-bit era:

...Technical wizardry isn't necessarily a substitute for a good idea, and many of the games we're seeing today are substandard rehashes of ideas which are ages old. Why is this? Have all the good ideas run out? The simple answer is no. There are still plenty of good ideas out there, the the wrong people have them. 

I'll try and explain: in the old days a programmer would come out with an idea, sit down and bash out the code on his machine. He didn't have to work for anyone, didn't have to worry about so-called quality control and could work whenever he liked. That was how the all-time greats like Manic Miner were born. So what's gone wrong now? Computer game shave become such big business that programmers are forced to work in teams to compete, often writing specific projects dictated by software houses. These projects are dictated by business - will the game make money in the long run? - and very few people are prepared to to take any risks with the result that many good ideas are left on the drawing board. The upshot of all of this is what when a truly great game like Streetfighter 2 comes along everyone jumps up and down and makes a huge fuss, when there was a time when people were banging out brilliant software left, right and centre! 

At the end of the day, though, it's all up to you lot. If you go on buying the same old games the software companies will just go on producing them. If, however, you demand something decent then maybe the right people in power will take a long hard look at the future and realise that something has been lost. When was the last time ANYBODY wrote anything nearly as good as Defender?.... 

Unless you lot - the buying public - decides you want better more playable games you simply won't get them. Personally I'm sick to the back teeth of sub-standard licensed games and I for one am not going to tolerate it much longer. Start shouting for your games NOW! 

Source (page 48)

This may seem like a echo of the problems facing the current gaming industry but the thing is, this in 1992 - nearly three decades ago. It may be abused to think that such problems have grown to a monumental scale but they have. 

And the more things stay the same.....

When there's something strange...

 Recently I got talked into trying an early-access game that is doing the rounds on Steam: Phasmophobia.
And it seems that I am not the only one as this has been generating quite a lot of buzz on Steam, with it's use of atmosphere and horror as well as it's multiplayer aspect. Well, I'm certainly one for trying something new so here we go.....

What we have here are the players being a group of ghost spotters: They start by gathering equipment and then entering a supposed haunted location to find evidence of ghosts and other paranormal activity. It's a simple concept but whilst it's one thing to have an idea, it's another thing to make it work. 
And boy, does Phasmophobia make it work: The strength in this game is purely in the atmosphere and the building of suspense. I found myself being put at ill-ease upon entering the location. I felt a sense of relief upon leaving said location. I found myself dreading every small noise and unfamiliar sound. I found myself uncertain to enter any new location. I began to panic upon seeing signs of a threat approaching.

But if this is the reaction I get from an early access, imagine what reaction the fished product would inspire..

Lost Gold

One surprise that emerged from the 60 years of Sega, was a prototype of a new Golden Axe game that emerged for public viewing. It went under the name of Golden Axed (ha) and was available to play for a limited time). Being the Sega fan that I am, of course I took a shot at it. 

Given that this is a prototype, it is expected that this will be nothing less than a glimpse into game that may never will be. There's only one playable section, the whole thing runs for less than five minutes and are bugs abound. But as a glimpse into a Golden Axe game that never was, it is effective. It plays very much like it's arcade progenitor- only with more modern graphics - and the character designs are still retained. 
It is indeed frustrating that this all we're getting of a new Golden Axe (to say little of the behind-the-scenes dramas that came with it). There was indeed some potential but it won't be going anywhere. 
I for one would welcome a new Golden Axe game and it is exasperating that Sega is doing nothing with such an IP (as they have been doing with many of their other IPs).

But then again, perhaps no new Golden Axe has more appeal than a crummy new Golden Axe game....

Barring None

Last weekend, I visited a local gaming bar. Now this time, it was different to the one from last month as I was in a different city at the time. This time however, this was in a city with a larger population and no attendee restrictions (as far as I knew). 

So I head into the place. Once inside, I was greeted with neon lighting and some early eighties rock music. I see a bar and a whole line of pinball machines. What is surprising about the latter is that they are more current models with a complete screen - which was new to me as I recall pinball machines having small LCD screens. But here the screens are larger and cover more action? How times have changed. 

The bar served drinks (of course) and offered some cocktails with names lifted from various games (Ocarina of Lime? Bad Fur Day?). Obviously playing to the crowd.

But the real meat were the game available. There were some restored arcade games boasting the likes of Mortal Kombat 2, Streetfighter 2, Pac-Man, Galaxian, Space Invaders and others. There were even small booths that feature consoles with the Megadrive, SNES, P1 and the N64. Of course, all these weren't running on the original hardware: they were done up with some modern emulation tinkering. The credits on the arcades were infinite and the Megadrive games I played weren't running off an original console. 

There were a lot of people there and they provided the arcades with some use. And as the night wore on, the music changed to some 80s synth, including the TRON: Legacy soundtrack. 

So yeah, the bar was an interesting experience and I will certainly take a shot at a later date. I have no idea if all gaming bars are following the same template but it clearly works. 

Pushing Sixty

 This year marks sixty years of Sega. At time of writing, there are numerous details circulating bearing the Sega name (Sonic 2 going for free on Steam being one such example) and the artwork of the Sega games in my Steam account have been changed to reflect this.

It may be no challenge to sneer at Sega. They who dared to challenge Nintendo in the early nineties. They who had a pure fluke with the Megadrive/Genesis. They who had IPs that were few in great and countless in terrible. They who made some mind-boggling blunders in the mid-nineties. They who gave us Sonic the Hedgehog and his legions of clones. 

But I however spent my youth as more of a Sega fan than a Nintendo fan - call it an effect of being in country that isn't the U.S. Granted this meant that I ended up backing the wrong horse but it also means that I have a loyalty that just won't lay down and die. 

It may sound bizarre that I am more willing to give the time of day to Sega games than Nintendo games but that's the way it is. Would I rather go to the effort of digging up the gems on the Mega CD and the Saturn? I would - because it offers a history of gaming that is often hidden from the public eye. And, as is often the case, it's the losers who have the more interesting stories to tell. 

So here's to you Sega. Happy sixty years and hope you last for another sixty. 

The open gate

 And so it happens: Baldur's Gate 3 enters early access. I can now play the latest iteration to this legendary saga. Excited does not began to describe it....

That was until I realised that I have a super-huge download to get through on a crummy internet connection.

Zelda being the heroine

 As the Legend of Zelda games keep on being made, it is fair to say that they will keep building on the success of previous games as well as pushing the envelope as to what games can do (provided there is plenty left to do and all ideas haven't been exhausted yet). Yet even with such innovation, the PC will continue to be Link and Zelda will remain out of reach, regardless of how great the demand from the players to control her for once. 

But it remains unlikely to happen because, as dictated by the Triforce, Link represents courage and Zelda represents wisdom. Meaning that Zelda will forever by the type that won't get her hands dirty and Link will forever be guided by the PC because he can't be courageous anyway else. So it will be the same no matter how much Nintendo alters it - so we may as get used to it. 
Why the closest we have, thus far, to controlling Zelda was Sprit Tracks - and that was due to player demand - but even then she was reduced to allowing Link to handle the heavy lifting. 

So the 'Link = active and Zelda = passive' dynamic is effectively rock solid in that it doesn't seem likely to change. But can it? 
One possibility I saw mentioned somewhere online (I forget where) is that Link should have previously tried to defeat Ganondorf but failed. As such, he lacks the courage needed as befit the representation of the Triforce of courage. So when a PC-controlled Zelda encounters him, Link has no confidence and no sense of trust. So it is up to Zelda to give him a kick up the arse and get him back on track, so he can complete his own quest - a quest that is, of course, independent of Zelda's own and eventually converges in the final showdown.  

It could work but considering that Ocarina of Time pioneered this whole 'Zelda sets up path for Link to follow' formula I want to see such a journey play out. A journey that follows the Zelda formula but with less combat and more problem solving.

Could work....

Bethesda Buy out

 Perhaps the biggest (read most inescapable) news in the gaming world is that Zenimax has been bought out by Microsoft. Meaning a lotta gaming studios (Bethesda, id and others) has taken refuge under that (quite enormous) Microsoft Gaming umbrella.  

'tis a big move to be sure and will result in some IP exchanging hands. The only question is, what is going to happen next...

Barred entry

This weekend, i went to a gaming bar.

Now that gaming has well and truly grown out of it's niche interest and into the juggernaut it is, you see this type of thing a lot: A place where gamers can gather, interact, drink grog and play some games (although not necessarily in that order).

I was told of the place beforehand and instructed to turn up early so i don't get left out. But when I did show up at the opening hour, there were very few people there. 
Upon entry, I noticed a number of arcade games (Golden Axe, Galaga and TMNT among them). There was beer available and the staff were friendly.
But there were few in the way of other patrons - which was surprising as this was a Saturday evening. Therefore, one expected more numbers and more rowdiness but that was not the case. 

Still, at least i can say I have been to a gaming bar

Come on in the water's lovely

 I was going through some of my Steam achievements on Age of Empires 2 and came across this:

Cause for concern maybe?

Forever going backwards

Apparently the upcoming PS5 will not be backward compatible with the PS3, PS2 or PS1 (Source).

I will, however grudgingly, accept that the PlayStation is built from unique hardware that would be difficult to replicate but seriously, do Sony want my money or not?

810 Man

 Well it happened: On the weekend, I made it to Level 810 on Elder Scrolls Online. 

This means that, after so long, I have achieved the level cap and unlocked all the champion points for all my characters. 

So I've done it: I've achieved what I set out to do. I declared that I will commit some key gaming time to ESO for the sole purpose of getting to level 810 and I did it.

But now I face a new problem: Where do I go from here?

It has been observed that once you reached the level cap in ESO then that's it: The game is over and there's nothing left to see or do. And I do agree with that: In order to reach level 810, I went through countless dungeons and traversed through all available areas (all in correct chronological order) - only to come out the other side with a sense that there's no more places to visit. 

It also can't be ignored that ESO is, by far and away, the game I have sunk the most hours into. According to my Steam account it is the only game that boasts an investment of over a thousand hours. But that distinction has come because I have been playing ESO near exclusively - often at the expense of the other games in my collection.

Much like WoW before it. 

So perhaps it is fitting that with nowhere left to go, the time has come to move on. I guess there was a degree of finality and inevitability to ESO once I made it to level 810 but at least i can say that this time I ended this MMORPG on a positive note (as opposed to loss of interest (WoW) or bitterness (Star Trek Online)).

So to that end I should be grateful. 

Come to Australia / You might accidentally get killed

 So what happens when you complete everything in Borderlands 2? Well, you take a shot at the Pre-Sequel of course!

The Pre-Sequel is of interest to me: It was the final game by 2K Australia and as such, goes for an Australian setting. The music of the Vines features prominently in the opening cinematic and there's tones of Australian Accents and in jokes all around. Considering how much the Borderlands series indebted to the Mad Max movies, perhaps it is fitting that it would have an iteration built off of an Australian setting. 

The problem with this game being a prequel (as indicated by the title) is the same with any prequel: We know what's going to happen. So of the Vault Hunters available, it's difficult to choose between them due to knowing beforehand what fate awaits them in Borderlands 2. So I settled for the DLC character Aurelia because a) I knew next to nothing about her and b) sniper rifles and ice powers - what's not to like?

Which is ultimately a fancy way of saying she's the only selectable character that interested me. 

So here we go into the Pre-Sequel....

R.I.P. William English

R.I.P. William English

Return your logo

Through playing the Command and Conquer, I've noticed this logo being used (this instance from the loading screen):

Gee, when was the last time I saw this logo? I estimate it was sometime in 1991 - which is surprise to me since I thought that this particular logo was ditched in favour of the distinctive EA.
But then again, considering that the afore-mentioned EA has a whole lotta baggage attached to it, perhaps it should come to no surprise that this older logo has been resurrected.

The Tide is High

Could it be? A Warhammer 40,000 equivalent of Vermintide?

Original video located here. Accessed 29th July 2020

Apparently so. 

of course this is a trailer so it's too soon to have any concrete details but it would seem that the players would be controlling a group of Guardsmen - a far cry from what I thought would work in doing a Vermintide-esque setting (that being an Inquisitor and their retinue). 

Still, call me excited.

Todd you so

Original video located here. Accessed 27th July 2020

Not much i can say here except this made me laugh 

Benchtop

Recently, I caved into peer pressure and obtained Tabletop Simulator. 

I've heard some good things about this game. Sure replicating a tabletop game on a computer may not sound like much but what is particularity impressive is that many users have replicated their favourite games, thus resulting in countless add-ons. With such effort invested, something must be there right?

Well, the first thing I did, upon installation, was indeed have a look at the amount of games. And the rumours were true: There is indeed a monumental amount of games replicated. So much so, it is baffling to know where to start.

Although I am puzzled that there is a 2nd and 4th editions of Talisman available but no 3rd edition....

Commanding position

Of course I would buy the remastering of Command and Conquer. I would have to be a complete idiot not to.

From someone who grew up in the eighties, the original Command and Conquer was spoken of in terms of awe. It became one of those games that you had to own. In fact, i think I knew more people who had Command and Conquer than i knew people who had Warcraft. And of course, the only thing that could surpass Command and Conquer was it's successor Red Alert. 

Because I, at the time, was both broke and in possession of a crummy computer, I didn't play a lot of Command and Conquer. So playing it now, complete with modern resolutions, is a new experience. And it seems that it's aged remarkably well. Okay sure the intelligence of my units is woeful (even to the point that their marching right into the fire and ruining my chance of victory) but the rest of the game still holds up. And the music still rocks. 

So, how about remastering Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 then?

Strength of an Ox

Recently I just completed another play-through of Oxenfree, all for the sake of getting the one remaining achievement.

But during the credits, I noticed something I never did previously: In amongst the Special Thanks portion is the name Midnight Oil.

Clearly Night School studio have great taste in music.

Now I just stare

I want to see a deathmatch between GLaDOS and Eddie Vedder.

It would be interesting to see, at the end of it, who would be still alive.

Death on Black Wings

Recently I had a crack at Deathwing.

Given a long-standing interest in the Warhammer/Warhammer 40,000 universe(s), perhaps it was fitting that I should come across this iteration to the computer game adaptation library. That and it was on sale.

At first glance, one would think that this is another adaptation of the Space Hulk game. One may also think that this may owe a debt to Vermintide, in that you are one person against a whole horde of bad guys, fighting to an achieve an objective and leaving, and some moments of near panic.

That may be the case but for me, the opportunity to stomp around in Terminator class armor isn't one to be overlooked.

As this is undoubtedly based on the Space Hulk board game, the game is clearly playing to that strength: Enclosed areas inspiring claustrophobia, tensions arising from being swarmed by genestealers, and battling it out in Terminator class armour. Of course, I wouldn't know any of this having never played the original board game (you try getting a copy!).

And it's a lot of fun, what with fighting a swarm of xenos, moments where things get frantic, using the greatest weaponry allowed to the Adeptus Astartes and the desperation coming in when your guys start falling.

Also pleasing is the presence of additions in the form of Space Marine Librarians & Chaplains and Genestealer hybrids - all of which, if memory serves me correctly, have not been seen since the first edition of the original board game.

Of course, I am irate that you can't choose the space marine chapter you play as but you can't have everything.

The Silver Chair

Got one of these recently:

Like I needed any more indication of my gaming credentials.

Take me down to a paradise city

Recently I had the pleasure of casting another game from my Hall of Shame. And who’s the lucky candidate? None other than Rakuen!

 Original image located here. Accessed 14th June 2020

I first became aware of Rakuen through it apparently being a tearjerker that exceeds the legendary To the Moon. That sounded like a challenge to me so I took it! But upon obtaining the game I noticed something: This was developed and published by one Laura Shigihara – a name I recognised through her contributions to the soundtrack of the afore-mentioned To the Moon. Well, if she wants to take a stab at making her own game then good for her.

But perhaps the connection to To the Moon may be telling: There are numerous similarities in both games (both made in RPG maker, both sharing a staff name and both inspiring the waterworks) that separating them presents a difficult prospect. So the real question here is: can Rakuen stand up on its own two feet?

The answer is a resounding yes.

What makes this game unique for me is that it tackles a theme rarely approached by games: The PC is a child going on a journey accompanied by his mother. You don’t see many mothers in game (this is, after all, a medium where its users have frequently uttered the words “Awwww Ma-ummmmm!”) so this game is indeed trying something different. Perhaps that many gamers today are parents themselves that we are seeing a game where a mother plays a key role - moreso considering that the story presented in Rakuen is just as much the Mother’s as it is the Boy’s.

Being a story-driven game, the narrative is effectively carrying this game but never once does it crack under the weight. It is an indeed an emotional roller-coaster dealing with issues such as loss, regret, letting go and redemption. And the technical department is no slouch either: the graphics and world building are indeed beautiful and the music is truly unforgettable.

Clearly Laura made this game because she felt she had a story to tell. And so it would seem that it was the right call to make.

Slurping up

Latest Steam achievement count:

It's a better outcome than previous but for some reason, I find myself wanting a slurpie....

On this day...

Ten years to the day:

Yep, it was a full decade ago that this blog was created. 

Considering that technology moves at the pace it does, it is something of a miracle that this blog has lasted as long as it has. More so considering that platforms that rely on the written word are shunted aside for more visual based mediums (ie YouTube and Twitch).

It's even more astonishing that I have kept with this thing for as long as I have. Even though I have been running out of things to say with each passing year, I still manage to pump out some posts (no matter how much of them are just me rambling). 

It's fascinating to see how the world has changed since I started. Back in 2010, we were all waiting for Dragon Age 2 and were eager for Mass Effect 3 (funny how that all turned out). The seventh console generation was still going strong. There was increasing concern as to whether or not we would see Kingdom Hearts 3 and a remake of Final Fantasy 7. 

Personally the last decade has seen me try my hand at Xbox, discover MMORPGs and find out they are exactly the mountain of crack they were made out to be, sign up for accounts to both Steam and GoG, and finally take a red-hot go at making my own Raspberry Pi console. 

In short, I have challenged the frontiers of my gaming interests and pushed them back. It's been interesting to tread into territory that I previously would've shied away from. 

So where do we go from here? 

Well, the Hall of Shame continues to exist and as long as it continues to do so, this blog will still have purpose. Besides, after spending so long at ESO, I have a goal in mind, and subsequently, an endpoint. And as long as I continue to have something to say, I will keep at this blog. 

Sure there are other platforms I could use but as long as the frontiers waiting to be conquered, this blog shall endure. 

It's done so for a decade after all. 

So to conclude this post, i would like to thank everyone who has ever visited Game Tumour and who kept coming back. It is a pleasure that people have supported this blog in various forms and listen to my various ramblings, no matter how dumb or badly spelled they may be.  

From the depths of my heart: Thank you all

P.S.

I still can't believe that this post has been the most popular one I've produced. 

All Four You

My latest toy:

Raspberry Pi 4 anyone?

Double Dutch

Apparently the upcoming Predator: Hunting Ground will feature audio logs featuring Dutch from the first Predator movie. According to the developers it would shed some light on what Dutch did after the events of the movie and bring him back to the franchise after a prolonged absence.

Source

What, haven't these guys played the Alien vs Predator arcade?

Inflated

During my travels in cyberspace, I came across an old gaming catalogue. It as an Australian one dating back to Autumn (March-May) 1995.

From the looks of it, this catalogue was still in the 16-bit era. The SNES and the Megadrive are still going strong and there's no mention of PlayStation or even Windows 95 (here we have to settle for Windows 6.22).

But what I find intriging are two deals the catalogue have going:
One offer is a Megadrive, with a game, and a second controller for $199.95
The other is a Mega CD with two games and an audio CD for $379.95

Together, these deals make for $570.90

That may sound a lot but keep in mind this is in mid-1990s money.
That being said, if we adjust for inflation, the $570.90 becomes, in 2020 ......(wait for it)....



$1027.78


Needless to say, I am grateful to live in a world where the games I buy are available at such affordable prices

R.I.P. Keiji Fujiwara

R.I.P. Keiji Fujiwara

Polly want a cracker

Something that came to my attention recently:

Original video located here. Accessed 15th April 2020

This Polymega is news to me but.....I want one

Ratting it out

Recently I completed a second run-through of Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (FC). No reasoning beyond a) it's a great game and b) achievement hunting.
However in playing this game again I am reminded of one of the grips I have with it: I am following a very rigid path with little opportunity to deviate from. Thus it makes achievement hunting quite a challenge with so much stuff having the potential to be missed and the game becoming something of a battle between a player who wants to do their own thing and a DM who is furious that the player isn't going where they should be.

More recently however, I have been playing Vermintide 2 with the intention of leveling up so I can keep the pace with my gaming buddies. And in order to level up quickly, it seems that I need to grab so many collectables in each mission (ie tomes). And it suits me fine as I take a methodical approach to game playing and am willing to take the time to pick up certain details - which is subsequently at odds with the design of Vermintide which demands the player act fast and not hang around. As sch, Vermintide comes across as a battle who between a player who wants to do their own thing and a DM who is furious that the player isn't going where they should be.

Personally, finding similarities between Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky and Vermintide 2 is absolutely hilarious to me.

Where there's smoke

Last night, a recent clutch of newly-won Steam achievements led to this:

Cause for concern, perhaps?

Shut-In

I'm not one to talk about current events on this blog - that type of thing tends to look foolish five years or even ten years down the track. Yet in this case, an exception is to be made because it's too big to ignore: At time of writing, the world is held in the grip of the COVID-19 virus and, as such, has seen people being encouraged to stay home and out of danger.

But this in turn creates the environment to play games and to work on one's Hall of Shame.
I may not be the first gamer to realize that this pandemic would be helpful to gamers but hey - as the world is heading towards disaster, there's still some fun times to be had regardless.

Because I think we could all do with some right now.

Stationary

An announcement from Sony has been made that the upcoming PS5 will be backwards compatible with all PS4 software.

That's nice. So what about PS3, PS2 and PS1 software?

R.I.P. Kazuhisa Hashimoto

R.I.P. Kazuhisa Hashimoto

Up, up, down, down......

Tactical move

Here's another printed ad I remember quite vividly. This time, it's from the late nineties and from a game you may have heard of: Final Fantasy Tactics!

 Original image located here. Accessed 21st February 2020 

 It is interesting to compare this to the Ico advertisement that was discussed in an earlier post: Both contain little information about the game they're advertising and both are more intent on discussing the spirit of the game. Those bracketed headings ("or...") may look funny but they are indeed representative of the narrative in Final Fantasy Tactics. 
The use of humor in this ad is an odd choice considering how humorless the game actually is but, unlike Ico, I don't this game would be that hard a sell. After all, Final Fantasy 7 and 8 were big sellers so the brand recognition would well and truly be in place.

Labyrinthine

Here's a scan of a printed ad of Ico dating back to sometime in 2001:

Two things about this ad stand out immediately: One, it's a two page ad, and Two, there isn't a lot there to describe the game itself. The ratio of art and game information (ie screenshots) is way off. Sure the paragraph of text describes the game decently enough but everything else is vague.
Much like the game itself.

Still, the use of a two-page ad is surprising considering Ico's notoriety as a poor-seller. A two page ad says 'I am selling a big deal here' so someone at Sony's marketing department is clearly is trying to push the game. Still, I'll give them props for trying....

I will not deny that Ico may have been a hard sell so it is interesting that this ad is more akin to the spirit of the game rather than the game itself. A triumph of creating interest borne of confusion?

Lazing around

Here's another gaming advertisement I recall from the early nineties. A game entitled Laser Invasion that originally appeared on the NES:

 Original image located here. Accessed 17th February 2020

From what I could gather, this game was trying to merge three genres into one. Of course many games attempted such a move in the era and in this case, we have a flight sim, a gallery shooter and an early attempt at a first person shooter. It is incredibly ambitious - moreso considering that this is on the humble NES and at a time when the 16-bit era was already in full swing.

But this ad sticks out in my mind as it puzzled me: What on earth was a Helijet? Was it some weird hybrid of an attack helicopter and a jet fighter? The thing in the ad looks very unfamiliar to me - is it a real thing?

About Face

I have a fascination on seeing printed gaming adds from the nineties / early 2000s. They always have this quality to them about who can be the most amusing and who can have the most attitude (and thereby the most cringe-worthy). Therefore, it is interesting to look back at them as relics from the distance of twenty-odd years.

One ad I remember vividly is this one, for Gameboy / SNES game Faceball 2000:

 Original image located here. Accessed 19th February 2020

It is fair to say that is very much a product of the nineties: A Virtual Reality game! Use of language! However, what i can gleam from this, at least from a modern perspective, is this is a first-person perspective shooter and an early attempt at 'arena' shooters (currently popularized with the likes of Player Unknown Battlegrounds).

Recently I did try Faceball 2000 on the SNES and found all my assumptions were correct: This is indeed a first person arena shooter. Alas, it has not aged well: i found the things slow, clunky and the impression that this was a game that pushed the SNES to the limit (although not in a good way).
Still, I will give it credit for it's pioneering spirit.....

Bug Hunt

Recently I beat the Alien vs Predator arcade game for the first time.

It is an unusual thing to include an arcade game in the list of games I've beaten. This is due to arcade games being of short experiences (of 1-2 hours max) compared to that of modern games (hours of double/triple digits).
But in the end, Alien vs Predator has aged remarkably well. I recall being enthused about this game when I was a kid and I find, as a adult, it still kicks arse. It's one of the best brawlers of it's day, possibly ever, and a shining example of how to handle a licensed game (if only modern game developers took notice).

Funny thing: As is my understanding, this game was based on a Alien vs Predator movie that never got made. Needles to say, I'm sure glad we got the game.

Bordered up

To follow up from a previous post, I did a check on my Steam account and found that yes indeed, Borderlands 2 is the most owned game by the people on my friends list.

And it would seem for very good reaosn

Cross the Border

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of casting another game from my Hall of Shame. Clean up your desk Borderlands 2, you're out of here!

Original image located here. Accessed 7th February 2020

According to my Steam profile, twenty five of my friends have this game - so to say that it is one of the bestselling games of the last couple of years is an understatement to say the least.

But who would dare challenge a statement? From the view of the outside looking in, there has been much said about this game: It has plenty of personality, the combat is intense, there's some decent writing and colorful characters, there's a villain you'd love to hate, this game gets so much right that it renders it's predecessor obsolete.
For me, having played this game all the way to the end credits, I can safely say that everything I'd heard was 100% true. This game was a fun ride balancing humor, quotable lines, the atmosphere of traversing a ruined world and some truly intense battle sequences (least not the final boss battle).
One can always tell when a lot of passion has been put into getting a game together and this is indeed one such case.

Funny thing though: I did enjoy Borderlands 2 but that enjoyment came from playing with some friends. I can imagine that playing it by one's self would yield a different experience but, for some reason, I'm not about to try. No doubt such a move will challenge my enjoyment of this game but, at the same time, I know very well when one needs to walk away.

But ultimately, who would dare challenge this game's status? Not me that's for sure.

I must be getting soft in my old age.

We're Rat-rat-ratties

Recently I have been having a shot at Vermintide 2.

I've never played any of the Vermintide games - I barely knew anything about them beyond the name and the Warhammer connection - but a friend of mine gave me it as a present last Christmas. So I gave it a shot. After all, with a name like Vermintide, it would be a given that you would end up fighting a horde of Skaven right?

So we have a cooperative game where four people choose a character from a selection of five and go kill Skaven. And, as befitting the setting, they will attack en masse will bring along both Beastmen and Chaos Warriors along for the ride.
This may not be the first co-op game I've played with some buds but this is of particular note as there is a horde, and I mean a horde, of baddies coming in to be carved up - and in a variety of ways at that. As this is largely unfamiliar territory, I feel compelled to ask: are all co-op games like this?

At time of writing, I am currently seeing some success with the fire mage. I am also observing how closely the game is tied to the Warhammer universe (although I do have issues with the voice of the witch hunter).
But as this a co-op game, the game is dominated by the one guy who has played it a lot and is several levels ahead of the rest of us....

Out Came the Wolves

Happy new year! Happy new decade and the rest.
And what better way to start the new year than to announce another removal from my Hall of Shame:
Say goodbye Wolfenstein 3d!

 Original image located here. Accessed 15th January 2020

To view this game from the distance of nearly three decades presents an interesting case. It may be the grand-daddy of all first person shooters but there have been both countless of innovations to the genre and just as many technological advancements. So how does this game hold up?

Surprisingly well.

Sure there's not much to the game. Sure the 3d effect is all scaling trickery. Sure there is no narrative, only three guns and a level design that is completely bonkers. But ultimately, this game still maintains interest on several fronts:

• The level design may be insane but the mazes are compelling - enough to have me looking around every corner, wary of any baddies in hiding.
• The game is kind of tough - especially on hardest difficulty where health items are scarce and you find yourself wading through ammo clips.....
• I mentioned previously that Doom presents many an opportunity to go full desperado (ie you versus a room full of baddies) - unlike many of it's successors. But now, I think Wolf 3d does it even better than it's younger brother. 
• Its always impressive to use the gatling gun on a room full of baddies. However, now that I think about it, it does burn through ammo quickly - considering there are so many countless ammo clips around, was I being encouraged to use that particular gun?
• Some of the bosses are really tough. And fighting them becomes a tense affair. Which is quite the achievement for a game made in 1992. 

So in the end the original Wolf 3d, somehow, still holds up.
Who would've thunk it?