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....