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. 

Pissed Off

Oh no! He's pissing blood!!!!

Excessive

Well, here's a bit of news that quietly crept into the room: Apparently Final Fantasy X will be released on Steam, along with X2, complete with achievements and HD support.

Well I suppose this was somewhat inevitable seeing as many of it's older brothers climbed aboard the Steam train *badumtish* but I'm not enthusiastic - just cautious.

Don't get me wrong: I have fond memories of playing FFX. It was the first game I played on my PS2, at the end of a gaming drought, and I sunk many hours into it. I recall abusing the hell out of the sphere grid (my favorite part) and being really invested in both the plot and the characters. Okay, I will admit, with hindsight, that it does pale next to some of it's older brethren but FFX was a decent game.

However I still spent a lot of hours in this game. And to buy a new version of this game would mean to do it all over again. Remember that boss you found so irritating? Gotta do it again. Remember that careful planing you did with the Sphere Grid? Gotta do it again. Remember that difficult part you got past through sheer luck? Gotta do it again.
I've heard stories of people being so delighted at playing a beloved game a second time but strangely enough I've never had that: Usually it's a case of "Well, That's Done". Maybe it's because my approach to gaming is a thorough one but hey, I've played through both Mass Effect and Dragon Age Origins multiple times and you can only the same things over and over again before they get tedious.

Still, I have to admit that Steam achievements and HD support do look rather tempting....

That was the year it was: 2015

Well here we are at the tail end of 2015. The festive season is well and truly upon us so now is the time to step away from this blog and spend some time with family and friends - which is what we all should be doing around this time.
Therefore, this will be the final post for Game Tumour in 2015.

This year has been a quiet one: Its not just because I choose to scale back the amount of time and effort in this blog due to outside commitments.
No, much of my time has been invested in playing Star Trek Online. But if playing World of Warcraft has taught me anything it is too easy to fall in the trap that is common with MMORPGs: You find it is the only thing you play, the one thing you invest the most time in that the other games tend to get neglected and because you're continually investing money in this game you convince yourself to make the effort not to make the investment going to waste (WoW with the subscription, STO with Pay-as-you-go). But being in that trap doesn't mean you can escape from it.
Why, in the past week I've found myself moving away from Star Trek Online and enjoying an old favorite, Dragon Age Origins, again.

Still it's not all been bad news: I've knocked down more games off my Hall of Shame: System Shock 2, Curse of the Azure Bonds and some of the Leisure Suit Larry games.
Other highlights of 2015 have been:

• my delight at seeing the Gold Box finally make it's way to GoG
• Convincing a friend to play Divinity Original Sin and both going into it blind - and both of us finding it quite enjoyable
• Meeting Bajo and Hex
• In another coup for GoG, the arrival of the original Star Trek Adventure games!
• Obtaining a copy of New One Lives Forever (and defying the legal confusion preventing it's re-release)

So what can I take away from 2015? Well, I think the less time I spend on MMORPGs, the better. Yes they are time-sinks - hell, that's what they're designed to be! - but the amount of hours invested in a MMORPGs can really be better invested in working on some of the many games that I have left untouched.

You know, I've been playing a lot of Western RPGs these past few years that it's been quite some time since I last played, and enjoyed, a JRPG.
Therefore, I think I will, in 2016, play Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky...

So this concludes Game Tumour for 2015. Thank you to everyone who has visited this blog over the past twelve months and I look forward to speaking to you all again in 2016 :)

Dark as the Darkest Night was Diablo

Lets talk about Diablo for a minute.

With the passage of time, I find Diablo something of an oddity: It was a huge hit in it's day but now no one seems to talk about it a lot. Okay so maybe the game has, in the years since, been surpassed by many RPGs, and Blizzard have made other games, but I still believe this is more to this franchise than it's most recent iteration.

I first played Diablo in 2002 - where I got my copy of a friend. I was to reluctant to play it at first (largely because I knew of the big twist that happens at the end of the game) but within time, I played Diablo all the way to the end (with both the Rogue and the Warrior) and it was quite enjoyable. As an action RPG it was a lot of fun but in the terms of atmosphere and art direction, the game was unbeatable. It was indeed engaging to have this mood of dread creeping throughout the game - the type that no other game has done since (with the possible exception of Eversion).

In fact maybe that's what I got the most out of the first Diablo: It does Dark Fantasy really well. These days Dark Fantasy seems to be a tag used to describe fantasy set in less-than glorious settings (ie Dragon Age and Game of Thrones). But I however subscribe to the traditional description of Dark Fantasy in that it's the combination between the genres of fantasy and horror. And it's that niche that Diablo fills nicely. It's not just slaughtering demonic enemies and slowly descending into Hell: It is, again, the atmosphere. It is the increasing discomfort that resonates the further progression is made. It is, again, that feeling of dread that drips throughout the game itself.

But really, the strengths of Diablo as a Dark Fantasy is best viewed through the intro:

Original video located here. Accessed 11th December 2015

To me this is Dark Fantasy done right: The ruined buildings, the use of shadows, the foreboding  music, the monsters all accumulating to the scream at the end. Indeed, one can't not deny just how being constantly returned to that sword in the ground suddenly comes across as unsettling. Amazing how this intro is still compelling nearly twenty years later.
In fact i can just point tot that intro and say: "That's Dark Fantasy".

Which in turn makes me wonder why no one has ever done anything to match it. Sure anyone can use Dark Fantasy to describe certain fantasy settings but Diablo truly feels like a game that walks the walk. Perhaps no one has bothered to try an match it: because the first Diablo game it so well.

So have I bothered with the other Diablo games? No I haven't. I will admit that the afore-mentioned twist at the end of Diablo left me feeling cheated of victory that it was enough to put me off further explorations in the series. It may sound petty but I don't know: I spent all this time with this character so having them befall the fate that was handed to them does indeed feel like a rip off. But then again, maybe that is part and parcel of a Dark Fantasy.
I will admit that it would've been a cool idea to have the stats of the PC in Diablo being imported over into Diablo 2 (like in Mass Effect) but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Still, you can't say that the trailer to Diablo 2 broke from the Dark Fantasy template:

Original video located here. Accessed 11th December 2015

"....There's something dark within me now..."

Dragon Around

Recently I discovered that the arcade classic Dragon's Lair has been released (in a revamped format) on Steam, PSN and XBLA. So now would be a good time as any to talk about.

For those not in the know, Dragon's Lair was an arcade game originally released in 1983. It featured the player controlling a bumbling knight named Dirk the Daring going on a quest, through a castle, to rescue a princess, Daphne, from a dragon.
In it's day Dragon's Lair got a lot of attention on two fronts: Firstly, it made use of Laser Disc technology which made it more powerful than it's arcade peers. And secondly, it boasted full animation by the legendary Don Bluth. Thus the graphics and animation were beautiful to look at (and still do thirty plus years later) and looked like nothing else at the time.
However, whilst the animation was a key selling point, the game itself presented a challenge to the player: It was their job to guide Dirk through the castle but it did not involve controlling him directly. No, what would happen is that a scene of animation will play out and the player would need to tap in the right command (whether pressing the attack button or moving the joystick) at the right time. If they succeeded, the scene will move to next one but if they failed there would be a death scene.
So yeah Dragon's Lair was nothing more than a series of QuickTime events. And guess what? There were no prompts whatsoever: it had to be all worked out by the player through trial and error. That may sound brutal but keep in mind that the game itself was built around a grand total of twenty minutes worth of animation. As such a length would make for a short game, you don't want it to be easy now, right?

So how did this game play out? Well, here's a playthrough of the recent revamp:

Original video located here. Accessed 27th November 2015

Personally, when I was a kid I never got to play Dragon's Lair but I did know of it through reputation. Aside from the art direction, the animation and Princess Daphne, a lot of that reputation rested on the brutal difficulty and how it is never clear on what the player needs to do and when they need to do it. But considering that this was an arcade game and arcade games thrive on draining the change from the player's pockets, having an arcade game that is too easy is out of the question.
Whilst I was unable to play Dragon's Lair that didn't stop me from admiring it from afar. But the earliest impression I got from Dragon's Lair was this is a dark fantasy. Now, these days the phrase "dark fantasy" is used to describe fantasy set in a rather less-than-spectacular setting (ie Dragon Age) - I however subscribe to the traditional use of "dark fantasy" in that it is used to describe the genre hybrid of fantasy and horror (ie Diablo).
And strange as this may sound, I always associated Dragon's Lair as being something of a horror game. Maybe it was because the eighties was a golden time for fantasy/horror hybrids (ie Jim Henson's The Storyteller and Return to Oz). Or maybe it was that ominous opening screen to Dragon's Lair itself:

Original image located here. Accessed 27th November 2015

Needless to say, upon viewing that play-through posted above, for the first time, I was really surprised to see the game was actually quite humorous and made heavy use of slapstick comedy. I suppose that the use of humor may ease the player's frustration of failing a move but when you fail plenty of Dragon's Lair (which you will inevitably do) the humor becomes less humorous and more annoying.
And even mocking.

Years later, I have no interest in playing Dragon's Lair - yes it is not the dark fantasy I was expecting and yes I'm not keen in QuickTime events. But at the same time I will will admit an admiration for the game series. Because it is undeniable it has animation and art direction that most game artists will kill for. Plus it is trying something new and certainly looks unique for it's era. And if it's truly the exercise in animation that Don Bluth claims it is then it has achieved such a goal and it's done so with flying colors.

And then there's the sequel:

Original video located here. Accessed 27th November 2015

.......I.......I've got nothing.

Dawn of a New Dragon Age

Recently I completed a play-through of Dragon Age Origins on the PC.

No doubt about it: This game is a lot different on PC than on the Xbox 360. Sure there is the obvious benefit of the user mods that improve the graphics and make welcome additions, but I found the controls better on the PC,the interface better and even some of the achievements present something of a significant challenge.

But who am I kidding? Its the mods that seal the deal for me. And they are impressive to say the least. I'm staggered by some of the effort these people have gone to and the results are astonishing. Of particular note is the Dark Ritual mod, that actually built a complete cutscene from the ground up. I also enjoyed the Skip the Fade mod and the Extra Dog Slot.

Ultimately though, playing through Dragon Age Origins again didn't feel like a crummy experience. I don't feel like I was ripped off when I bought the game for a second time purely for the modding. I knew what was going to happen in the game but I didn't feel tired. I've been and done all these things for a few times but I was never bored.

Maybe a new coat of paint could be just the thing to revisit a game....

Between a rock and hard place

Following on from last Monday's post, I was reminded how, at the end of the Dragon Age Origins,  Wynne announces to the player character that she intends to travel the world with Shale.

An odd pairing indeed, but it sure makes for a road/buddy movie I would like to see

Hit the Road

Still plugging through Dragon Age Origins.

You know I still remember how my first playthrough of Dragon Age Origins turned out: My City Elf Rogue ended the game and decided to head off to further adventures accompanied by his romantic interest, Liliana, and tagalong Zevran.

I don't know about you but there's a road/buddy movie in there somewhere...

Re-Enter the Dragon

Now that I've been saddled with a temperamental internet connection, I have become disillusioned with the MMORPG thing so I've found my interest slowly drifting to someplace else.

The someplace else has, strangely, been revisiting an old friend: Dragon Age. But on the Xbox 360. No, I'm talking about the PC edition and a heavily modded PC version at that (that and playing Dragon Age Origins again is preparation for Inquisition).

Playing this though has been mind-blowing to say the least: The controls are better, the graphics are better and the party AI is better. Okay true much of this may be down to the presence of the mods correcting the mistakes of the original game, but I'm having a blast with the PC version of Dragon Age. So much so, I'm finding it difficult to realise how I ever got by on the 360 version.

Why don't you come join my party!

Here's something I've been pondering on recently: At what point did RPGs drop the player being in sole control of a party of adventurers?

Granted I can understand that RPGs are designed to be purely played through the eyes of a singular character and people would rather prefer an investment (both time and emotional) into one character rather than having such an investment spread across multiple characters. But I do miss the days when you can create a bunch of characters and take them across a journey spanning many, many hours of game time.
It's just like being a father guiding one's children: You create characters, you stay with them through thick and thin, you get worried when they get knocked out, you grind your teeth when there's this one guy who can't hit a barn door (there's always one) and you cheer when your dudes complete the game triumphant. They are six guys you created who each need care and attention to get anywhere and it;s your job to get them there.

I can't think of when the idea was dropped. Baldurs Gate may be last game I can think of that employed the traditional D&D six man party and even that had a structure that required participation from NPCs - well you could create a complete six man party but only one will be required to carry the narrative all the way through.
And whilst there have been party-based games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age and the Final Fantasy games they don;t really count because you have a selection of party members available - if you don't like someone you can not choose to use them. Its not the worse idea but there's something satisfying about having a character start out useless only to eventually turn out awesome.

Considering the processing power of gaming machines these days it does raise the question of whether this idea will be revisited. Both MMPORGers and Divinity Original Sin has proven that RPGs can work with multiplayer and people will eagerly embrace such an idea.
Besides, who wouldn't want to create multiple characters and go with them on every step through an incredible journey?

Dragon Aged

A new Dragon Age game is on the horizon but I'm not exactly thrilled. This may be a far cry from previous posts on this blog when I was excited about Origins and no.2 but I am older, wiser and wary of EA's handling of Bioware's IP.

The string of announcements that have come about Dragon Age Inquisition seems that somewhat desperate, as if someone looked at bigger games and are trying to replicate their successes. An open world with detailed environments - because Skyrim wasn't enough. And now it has multiplayer - even though Divine Divinity Original Sin proved how it could be done within an RPG environment.

These changes do not sit well for me: With these changes to Dragon Age will there be anything left of the original game? Because I felt Origins did indeed have a personality and identity of it's own - therefore this radical changes that are being promised seem more like a dilution - it makes me wonder what will be left of that original identity when the next game comes around.

Still at least Dragon Age Inquisition makes a a welcome return to the subtitle....

Jaded? Me? Never!

Another game has been cast down from my Hall of Shame. Goodbye…..Jade Empire!

It’s no secret that I love me some Bioware RPGs. Yes they all tend to be formulaic but they are compelling enough to see all the way through. And yet Jade Empire frequently comes across as being the lesser known middle child when compared to the likes of Baldur’s Gate, Star Wars KOTOR, Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
When playing this game I did get that impression but not in the way that one would expect. No, I found it the most difficult of Bioware RPGs. Remember how I mentioned previously that the advancements in the fighting styles are fixed and can’t be changed? Meaning that if you pick the wrong one, you’re stuck? Well that, in that sense, makes Jade Empire an unforgiving game: If you can’t progress then you have no choice but to start all over again – As I did.  That being said, I found the only way to success is to a) decide beforehand what styles you’ll use throughout the game, b) invest solely in those styles and c) most crucially of all, not spending all the style advancement points all at once. It prove successful but there were times when one particular style, the Jade Golem, maxed out turned to be a game-breaking one. Indeed, I found a maxed-out jade Golem, along with the focus sight, made the final battle so easy and so short it wasn’t funny.
I’ve never had this kind of problem with Bioware games since. Why even Jade Empire’s predecessor, Star Wars KOTOR, was more lenient. In fact, one common complaint I’ve heard against Jade Empire is that it is a short RPG – but considering the unforgivable nature of the game, perhaps it being short is merciful.

Still, I really enjoyed this game. It is indeed refreshing to pay an RPG set in somewhere that doesn’t resemble medieval Britain and to have the battles based around martial arts. I love the art direction, with the design of the game and a story with a plot twist I honestly didn’t see coming.

So yeah, Jade Empire is a winner in my book. Mind you, considering EA's love for brand recognition, it's kinda odd that a follow-up to Jade Empire has yet to be seen - but then again, perhaps it is best left that way

We live in a digital world

In recent years, it has become clear that downloading games have increasingly become a standard - Why would you bother with a physical copy when one can legally purchase and download games from many providers like Steam and XBLA?

I however am viewing such a revolution with a degree of caution. My beef is that is increasingly become compulsory: Sure I can buy a game from a store but what I am ultimately purchasing is not the install disc I was after. The actual installation, so it would seem, involves downloading some monstrously huge exe that seems far bigger than the actual disc would hold. So a physical copy is thus no more than an installation code.

I'm not entirely against digital download - far from it. I would gladly pay for a game that is of a small size (ie Limbo's 98.9mb space) as opposed to some leviathan that chews up a large amount of hard drive space and takes forever to download (ie Dragon Age Ultimate's 23+ gig space).

Speaking as a survivor from the 8 and 16 bit eras, I recall there was a sharp divide between Computer and Console gaming. And one of the major advantages for Consoles was it it didn't have to contend with the load times that plagued the Computer camp - instead it provided games instantaneously. This the advent of the CD era struck me as kinda odd as it introduced load times to Consoles and was, to me, a regressive step from the Consoles' draw-card.
The reason I am bring this up is that people have been talking up the instantaneous nature of digital downloading. But for me, instantaneous does not mean spending more time waiting for the download to complete than actually playing the game.

And if I'm spending more time waiting for the game to download than playing it  then something has gone very wrong

Best Gaming Romances

Well it's that time of the year: Valentine's Day! And what better way to acknowledge this event than to talk about some of my favorite gaming couples.
Some simple rules for this one: The only restriction is that I must write about the couples that somehow made an impression on me. Doesn't matter how big - If I remember a certain couple over any other than they shall be included in this list.

So here we go. In no particular order:

Hiro and Lucia (Lunar 2)

Original image located here. Accessed 14th February 2014

It seems unfair including these two in this list seeing I haven’t actually played all the way through this game but based on what I've played I actually found myself somehow invested in these two. On paper, this could be another couple that populate rom-com anime with Hiro being a cocky, devil-may-care type and Lucia could be another paperweight love interest  (Belldandy anyone?) but somehow I don't get that impression. I think it's largely due to Lucia being of considerable magical prowess. And hey, anyone who can decimate the baddies within seconds is fine by me!
But in all seriousness, I feel the pinnacle of this relationship is the fact that Hiro traveled all the way to the moon to be with Lucia. You can't beat going to such lengths like that.

Zidane and Garnet (Final Fantasy 9)

 

Original image located here. Accessed 14th February 2014 

There's no shortage of romances within the Final Fantasy series and the one between Zidane and Garnet could well be, to me, one of the best.
I think what makes this work the best for me is the idea that this is indeed a storybook romance. Now that could be a bad thing but it is told with enough heart and sincerity that any skepticism is tossed out the window. Yes it may take the same plot as Disney’s Aladdin with a thief hitting up with a princess who wants to see the world beyond her home palace, but you know what? I don’t really care.
What I do care however is seeing Zidane and Garnet’s romance play out. Aside from the familiar strengths as they both go on a massive world-spanning adventure and help each other out in combat, what really works for me is that they help each other in times of crisis. They become quite prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to help the other. And, as mentioned previously, I love in the ending cinematic Garnet throws her crown away before leaping into Zidane arms – sometimes little moments can count for so much.
But ultimately I think this relationship succeeds because it is completely devoid of any pretension.  It is not trying to be a grandiose, universe-shattering, in-your-face-Gone-With-The Wind, romance and, as a result, it is all the better for it. After all, if I remember Zidane and Garnet over some of the other Final fantasy romances then they must’ve done something right.

(warden) and Liliana (Dragon Age Origins)
 Of all the options for a romantic partner in Dragon Age Origins, Leliana strikes me as the strongest. Alistair’s awkwardness may endear him the female gamers but I’m not one of them. Zevran doesn’t appeal to me either as he comes across as wanting to bang anything with legs. And Morrigan is…well… yet another one of those snarky types that Claudia Black always seems to play.
This leaves us to the bard.
And for some reason the romance between Leliana and the warden was the one that stuck with me the most. Leliana’s confusing accent aside, what appealed to me was that actually seemed genuine. Compared to the other three romances, this romance actually seemed like two people who would see each other on a daily basis, fight back to back, and engage in activities in their down time. The two people may be a bunch of graphics accompanied by some voice acting but to me they seemed real enough and comparable to romances I have seen in real life. I like the acts of affection Leliana did and the words she said for my warden.
And at the end, both the warden and Leliana left together to see the world and somehow, it made me wonder what kind of adventures they would have – and special mention must go to this because rare is it that I complete game and find myself wondering what will happen next to the characters once the narrative in the game is wrapped up. After all, once the game ends so does the narrative it was trying to convey. But somehow what my Warden and Leliana had together somehow made enough impression to wonder what happened next – And something must’ve happened because Leliana showed up in Dragon Age 2! Needless to say, I am curious to see what happens next in the upcoming Inquisition…..

Link and Zelda (Legend of Zelda)


This is a couple that's already been covered in a previous post in this blog so there’s not much I can say that already hasn’t been said before.
This is indeed a challenging couple as there a few things working against them. Yes Nintendo won’t admit to this coupling. Yes it is a different Link and Zelda with each game. Yes the game time Link and Zelda share varies. But in the end, this couple is one that somehow doesn’t need questioning. Link is out to rescue Zelda. Is she worth it? Well she seems to be considering the amount of effort Link invests in his quest. And that is enough to make it engaging to me, the player.

Femshep and Thane (Mass Effect 2)
I’ve always felt that, in the terms of Mass Effect 2 romances, Femshep seems to get the best picks. That may sound strange coming from a heterosexual male but I felt that the romances Femshep has come across as more interesting and more engaging than those enjoyed by male Shepard. And Thane could well be the best of the lot.
So what makes the relationship between Thane and Femshep special? Most likely it is the tragic element: Thane after all has very limited time left which would make one think that pursing a romantic relationship would be the last of his concerns. Yet somehow, against the odds (and/or common sense) one can indeed blossom between him and Femshep.
The tragic nature of this relationship is thus perfectly illustrated at the subquest’s conclusion: Whereas Thane was facing death with an unbowed acceptance; he is now frightened by the prospect of losing Femshep. And like any relationship one needs to treasure every moment they spend together with the other person and such a notion is indeed at play here – with the added emphasis that the one of the people involved has a terminal condition.
And this is indeed the first time we actually see Thane not being his usual stoic self and it;s quite revealing. And of course it is only Femshep who sees it.  Guess she must've made quite the impression.
I haven’t gotten far enough in Mass Effect 3 to see how this relationship plays out afterward but I will always treasure that final moment Femshep and Thane share before the Omega Run.  No matter how many times I see it, it still kicks me right in the feels

John and Abigail (Red Dead Redemption)

Original image located here. Accessed 14th February 2014 

Funny thing about gaming couples: Traditionally, the romantic interest is usually the endpoint/reward for beating the game. It is therefore rare to see a couple whose relationship is already in progress and rarer still to see a couple actually married (Mr and Mrs Pacman anyone?). Thankfully, John and Abigail Marston is such an occurrence.
On paper this couple should not work: Abigail only appears in the last leg of the game – and whereas we, the players, had an entire game to get to know, and build a connection with, John, we have a very limited time to get to know Abigail. Indeed, much of the game, information on Abigail is based on both what other characters say about here and John’s determination to get his job done so he can return to her.
But however limited Abigail’s time is in the game, there is no doubt that she has a genuine bond with John. These are two people who have spent a long time together and get on like any other married couple – and I say that without any hint of sarcasm whatsoever (well as much as the typed text permits anyway). These are two people who have a working relationship and know each other better than anyone else. It is the kind of relationship that has been little seen in a game and one hopes to see more often - perhaps moreso now that gamers who grew up in the eighties are now most likely married?

Tidus and Yuna (Final Fantasy X)


This is another couple that has already been covered in another post in this blog.
Again, I certainly don’t want to repeat myself so there isn’t much else can say that hasn’t been said already. But I will say that in the years since playing FFX, this couple still resonates within my cold, jaded heart. It was a relationship compelling enough to follow through the entire game.
Also pleasing is that Tidus, the Player Character, isn’t the one going on a quest. It’s Yuna's quest instead. It’s a welcome change as, after other gaming romances, we now know what it’s like to walk in a partner’s shoes as they follow their beloved into hell and beyond. The things one does for love eh?

PC and Jahiera (Baldurs Gate 2)
And we save the best for last.
Yes I said this was in no particular order but honestly? I think the relationship between Jahiera and the PC in Baldurs Gate 2 could well be the best relationship ever conceived for gaming.
Firstly, the length. This romantic subquest is indeed the longest of those available in BG2 and so it should be. Like any relationship, it takes time and effort to make it work. I don't think any other game has actually dared to take such a serious look at in-game relationships ever since. It seems that any romantic relationship would consist of a handful of conversations and boom! Romance. But not BG2 and such gall to tell any romance like it really is indeed a ballsy one.
Secondly, it is fascinating to see Jahiera slowly open up to the player. We see her get over the death of her first husband and reveal a more empathetic and trusting companion hiding behind the mask of a grumpy tough-chick. It's a 'project' in other words and one that is indeed worth the effort.
Finally, this relationship is more interesting on a realistic level. Viconia's may be beset with tragedy, Aerie's may be idealistic, but the relationship with Jahiera strikes me more as a weathered tree. It may endure hardships, periods of separation and so many obstacles but it still endures. And if nothing on earth can end such a union then it surely must be as strong as steel.
Indee,d with such an approach to a relationship, one can only wonder why no one has tried to replicate it. But then again, perhaps they don't need to.

And that is my take on Gaming's Greatest Romances. Of course, my idea of what is the greatest gaming romances may be completely different from someone else's but this is my opinion and my blog so you just read it whether you like it or not XD

Anywho, I hope you've enjoyed this post and you all have a fun Valentine's day spent in the company of loved ones.

Scrolling Down

Well it happened: I paid up for a copy of Elder Scrolls Online. This is a move that didn't come easily and only after much persuasion from a close friend.
 
Purchasing Elder Scrolls Online has been a strange experience. For you see, ever since I've discovered GoG and Steam, I've discovered the benefits in having superb games readily available for download at decent prices. It has thus become a long time since I'd last walked down to the store and obtained a physical copy of a game. After all, why purchase something rubbish when there are so many better games readily availlable?
In addition, because of the afore-mentioned online providers, I've become suspicious of games costing more than $60.Why? Well, again, there are much better games readily available and at a better price.
And, thanks to the let down that was Dragon Age 2, I've treated pre-order offers with a similar amount of disdain. Because no amount of money you throw at it will make a lousy game better.

Thus the purchase of Elder Scrolls Online has been a move that breaks all three of the rules stated above. I've compromised some important values that are indeed worthwhile and gone against the grain of common sense.
Needless to say, Elder Scrolls Online had better turn out to be all that it's cracked up to be.

Seventh Heaven

And so the seventh generation of console gaming has well and truly rode off into the sunset. So where does this leave us? Well for me this may as a good a time as any to do a retrospective on this generation outgoing.

At first I had no interest in the seventh generation. At the time the seventh generation was dawning, I got off my arse and got a PS2. A bit late to the party true but I didn't care: I merely wanted to find out what the PS2 had to offer - as well as what I'd missed out on with the PS1. And the shaky start of the Xbox 360 confirmed the wiseness of this decision.
True I did eventually obtain a Wii but that was more for the Virtual Console than the actual games the Wii had to offer.

But it didn't take long before something came along that really piqued my interest. The game was Dragon Age Origins - and somehow it being marketed as a successor to the mighty Baldur's Gate  was enough to warrant more investigation. And then, seeing a friend play Mass Effect 2 furthered my decision to fork out for a 360. It seemed a dumb decision to get yet another console when I had a PC, PS2 and a Wii but I don't regret it one bit.

Now. Do I have any favorite games from this last generation. Funny you should say that: I've got a top ten list prepared!
So here's my favorite games of the last generation all arranged in order of preference. All of these games I may have, at one stage or another, already talked about at length on this blog so I'll try and keep this brief.

10. Cave Story
It was made by one guy but damn what a labor of love this was. True the last boss may have prevented me for beating the game (otherwise this will be ranked much higher) but Cave Story has plenty of charm that puts a lot of triple A games to shame.

9. Braid 
I found Braid bogged down by the pretensions towards artiness this game had. But then I remembered this game had fun puzzles, clever mechanics and a lovely art direction. Enough to save it? Damn right.

8. Dragon Age Origins
Say what you like about Bioware but somehow Dragon Age Origins feels like one of their last watermarks. True it is more enjoyable on the PC, with mods, than the Xbox, but there is still a lot going for this game with it's art direction, gripping plot and solid writing.

7. Bioshock
Before I played Bioshock I was feeling somewhat unhappy with gaming - but by playing Bioshock I got the kick up the arse I was needing. Compelling in it's narrative, inventive in it's ideas and a great game all round, Bioshock was all this and more. Now about System Shock 2....

6. Bastion
A lot of games seem to rely on spectacle and explosions - so any game that attempts the 'Less is More' approach is worth nothing less than my interest. Four characters, a glorious narration, and an art direction to die for, Bastion is nothing short of brilliant.

5. Spec Ops the Line
The slap in the face that military shooters needed. It's not a game I'd play for enjoyment but it's a game that is indeed worthy of my respect. It takes balls for a game to critique it's audiences and Spec Ops The Line has the biggest balls of them all.

4. Thomas Was Alone
If the seventh generation proved anything it's the time that indie games truly flexed their muscles. And Thomas Was Alone could well have been the best of the lot. It may have won me over on sheer personality alone but being a great game certainly didn't hurt either.

3. Rock Band 2
I hate to think how many hours i may have sunk into Rock Band 2 but I honestly loved every minute of it. The implementation of the music library was a masterstroke and I've gained a new appreciation for music I wouldn't have otherwise been aware of.

2. Mass Effect 2
Dragon Age Origins may have proven that the seventh generation my be worth my time but Mass Effect 2 truly sealed the deal. It seems to me that Bioware were taking the concept of the Dirty Dozen and putting into game form for the first time. And I personally wouldn't have it any other way, 

1. Red Dead Redemption
Game of the generation? Hell yes. Beyond that I can't really think of much else to say about Red Dead Redemption. It's the game I got the most out of in the entire generation and it looks set to be a favorite in the years to come. Can something top it? Now there's a challenge to rise up to.....

So where am I at the beginning of the eighth generation? Anything but confident.
I'm serious: Nothing has come along that has really grabbed my attention. Indeed I have found, like most people, the seventh generation being truly defined by the presence of indie games on XBLA & Steam. And in particular I've found, much to my surprise, that many of them are more substantial than the games available on the shelves of EB Games. It is indeed telling that the only game I've truly gotten excited over in the past twelve months is The Stanley Parable.

But then again I have no patience for the eighth generation - not while my Hall of Shame continues to exist anyway.

Padding out

Recently I obtained new device for my computer: A Gamepad.

Previously I've never seen the point of gamepads. I'd always thought they were the exclusive of the consoles. Maybe it's me growing up through the nineties but I always saw the consoles as the exclusive of action and sport games whilst PCs the place to go for adventure games, flight simulators and strategy games. And when these two exclusives try to mix, the end results tend to look fake and ill-conceived.

But I do indeed have some games which aren't available anywhere else, mostly off Steam, so there is some use for my Gamepad. And I would be interested to see if Dragon Age and Knights of the Old Republic would work with the Gamepad as it's what I used when I originally played them. Plus the Gamepad may also save my keyboard from a pounding (or significantly less of a pounding).

Mind you, as those who've been following my Ratpr profile would know, I haven't been giving my consoles much attention: These past few months have seen me use my PC exclusively. And purchasing a Gamepad, once a major difference between a console and a PC, one can't help but think that a major link between me and console has been severed. Coupled with my current lack of interest in the eighth console generation, one think my days as a console gamer are numbered...

Dragon Age Fail

Unfortunately my attempts to upgrade my Dragon Age games has come out rather badly.

You see I'd thought I'd be clever and buy the physical editions of DAO and DA2, thus bypassing EA and their Origin service. I mean I could've bought DAO on Steam but, as is my understanding, Steam isn't exactly friendly to mods.
So much for that move: DA2 worked fine in installation but I couldn't access the DLC - and the only way to do that of course is using a downloaded edition from Origin. And the DAO installer wouldn't heed the code I typed in - but it did recognise the code IF I'd be so kind and download it from Origin.

There is no words on earth that can describe this situation - although FAIL may be a good place to start. I'd heard bad things said about Origin and now it would seem they weren't kidding...

(please roll on GoG, you DRM-free wonder! All is forgiven!)

Back in Dragon

Well I did it: I bit the bullet and picked up Dragon Age 2 for the PC - not just because I want to play it but because of the modding opportunities that presented themselves.

So far I'm actually impressed: The mods I've installed have yielded a far better game than the one I'd grown accustomed to on the Xbox 360. The graphics are better, the character clothes are diverse and the controls are much more accessible. Of course, it is unclear which has been added through mods and which is included with the PC version but there is enough here to maintain my interest.

Could this be enough to make a 'decent' game rise up from the rank from 'kinda crummy'? Well, there's only one way to find out....