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....
Showing posts with label Skyrim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skyrim. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
A Few Good Games
And so, on last night's screening of Good Game, the list of 100 Best Games, as voted by the Australian public was released. And to the surprise of absolutely no one, Skyrim ended up on top.
Sarcasm aside, two of the three games I voted for made the list (Metal Gear Solid at 52 and Baldur's Gate 2 at 46) so that's not a bad effort.
What is worthy of note though is that, looking at the list, it is dominated by 7th generation and 6th generation games. Granted that may be a product of a large number of gamers younger than me casting their vote but it is kind of interesting that Skyrim comes out on top whilst Super Mario Bros, without question one of the most important games ever made, is relegated to the opposite end of the list.
No doubt about it: Gaming is a platform that is continually advancing at an incredible rate - thus there is something to said about a game having staying power. True Ocarina of Time may exemplify that notion through being at no.3, but many games of the previous generation have been relegated to the first half of the list.
Indeed, one can only wonder if a similar list is done up in thirty years from now - and whether or not Skyrim will still be the king. ......
Sarcasm aside, two of the three games I voted for made the list (Metal Gear Solid at 52 and Baldur's Gate 2 at 46) so that's not a bad effort.
What is worthy of note though is that, looking at the list, it is dominated by 7th generation and 6th generation games. Granted that may be a product of a large number of gamers younger than me casting their vote but it is kind of interesting that Skyrim comes out on top whilst Super Mario Bros, without question one of the most important games ever made, is relegated to the opposite end of the list.
No doubt about it: Gaming is a platform that is continually advancing at an incredible rate - thus there is something to said about a game having staying power. True Ocarina of Time may exemplify that notion through being at no.3, but many games of the previous generation have been relegated to the first half of the list.
Indeed, one can only wonder if a similar list is done up in thirty years from now - and whether or not Skyrim will still be the king. ......
Friday, March 7, 2014
Facing Oblivion
Recently I decided to have another crack at Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion.
Oblivion and myself have a love/hate relationship: Sometimes I like it and other times I feel frustrated with it. As such there are tremendous gaps in between playing sessions.
I guess it is the reputation of the game that has put me off: Yes this has been a big seller, yes it commands many fans (although many of them would've transferred allegiance to Skyrim), and its importance as being the progenitor of purchasable DLC can't be overlooked. That's a pretty big deal to say the least. If anything, if Oblivion was a person it would be, for me, a massive giant looking down at me like a little insect.
But no matter: I have played some more of Oblivion - however it didn't take long before I was reminded what put me off playing it previously: You see, my character died. But I tried a second time and I died again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again....
This however is a common trap i fall into with RPGs where I lose hit points quicker than I can get them back. Still, it's not much of reason to give up completely.
We'll meet again soon Oblivion, mark my words....
Oblivion and myself have a love/hate relationship: Sometimes I like it and other times I feel frustrated with it. As such there are tremendous gaps in between playing sessions.
I guess it is the reputation of the game that has put me off: Yes this has been a big seller, yes it commands many fans (although many of them would've transferred allegiance to Skyrim), and its importance as being the progenitor of purchasable DLC can't be overlooked. That's a pretty big deal to say the least. If anything, if Oblivion was a person it would be, for me, a massive giant looking down at me like a little insect.
But no matter: I have played some more of Oblivion - however it didn't take long before I was reminded what put me off playing it previously: You see, my character died. But I tried a second time and I died again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again....
This however is a common trap i fall into with RPGs where I lose hit points quicker than I can get them back. Still, it's not much of reason to give up completely.
We'll meet again soon Oblivion, mark my words....
Friday, January 24, 2014
Refutations to a Final Fantasy 7 remake
My crusade against a Final Fantasy 7 remake continues. It may not make a difference nor will it be heeded (or read) by the pro-camp but I will not be swayed otherwise. If the pro-camp won't shut up than neither will I. Hell, I'd sooner give SqueeEnix my money so they don't make make one.
But I'm not saying this just to be troll or anything: I genuinely don't want a remake of Final Fantasy 7. Yes I've played it. Yes I've enjoyed it. But the near tunnel-vision insistence that there should be a Final Fantasy 7 remake comes across, at least to me, like a mass of weak reasons and an insistence that it should be done thus it must be don.
So here is my attempt to refute a lot of the reasons why there should be a FF7 remake:
There was a tech demo...
And we'll stop right there.That infamous tech demo was made to show off the capabilities of the PS3 by running off some familiar footage in seventh generation graphics - and a now obsolete console at that! Just because there was a tech demo doesn't automatically mean there will be a new game ready in the wings.
In addition, if we go by the logic that a tech demo = new game, then where the hell is the Final Fantasy 6 Interactive CG game eh?
We have the tech!
If only it were that simple: Gaming tech has come a long way in seventeen years, even to a point where motion capture and fully voiced scripts are required. New gaming engines are bewing built and rebuilt on a regular basis. Obsolescence happens quickly in gaming. Simply put: The technology of 1997 simply can't be used to build a game of today. You'd need to start over from scratch.
True the release of FF7 on Steam now means access to a modern graphical revamp courtesy of the modders but such a prospect isn't really that simple: It can be done yes but, with the mod I saw, the files required totals to a colossal 20+ gig. And it will disable the Steam achievements and Cloud saves. This in turn proves that just because it can be done doesn't mean there won't be sacrifices - and suddenly SqueeEnix's use of the 'we don't have the technology' card seems to carry more weight than anyone is willing to give them credit for.
And while we're on the topic of modding, I recently saw a mod that could resurrect Aerith but the effect there means her standing around, little to no dialogue and her limit breaks reducing much of the game's challenge. Again: Is such a sacrifice worth the trouble?
Advent Children
Some say that this movie is indeed well-removed from the source material and I proudly consider myself part of this camp. Yes it was nice to see these familiar faces and seeing them with proper rendering, but that doesn't excuse the disconnect: The film lacks the much of the humour found within the game itself and seems intent on being nothing more than caving into fan demand. Even Cloud is an emo whinger & comes across as if the character arc/resurrection he went through in the game were all for nothing. It begs the question: Do you want a remake of FF7 or a game based on Advent Children? Because I'm seeing a lot of distance between the two.
SquareEnix are in trouble and they could do with the help...
Okay I will concede that this argument actually has some weight behind it but here's the thing: FFXIII was conceived as an attempt to recapture the magic that was FF7 and what happened? The game was disaster and split opinion like no other. In fact pretty much every FF game that has followed FF7 has split opinion inspiring both denounces and defenders in equal amounts.
So somehow using the 'SquareEnix is in trouble' card doesn't really work: They try to redo FF7 under a different name and the punters call foul. And when they try to make something different, the demand for the FF7 remake continues to persist!
Gamers certainly are a hard mob to please.....
It still holds up!
Funny, I recall FF7 had instances of humor and nonsense (Cloud breaking the fourth wall, the Cloud and Barrett date) that many people, and Advent Children, seem eager to forget. I recall the Honeybee mansion sequence that people seem REALLY eager to overlook. I recall minigames that seem both pointless and puzzling in their inclusion. And I recall Avalanche begin a terrorist group - something that would come across very awkward in these modern, post-9/11 times.
And of course, remove such instances will, of course, inspire outage by purists and arguments from revisionists. Indeed, it ultimately comes back to that question: is this the game you want?
It's the greatest RPG ever made.
That is, of course, a matter of opinion but, out of interest, have you played Planescape Torment? Baldur's Gate 2? Final Fantasy 6? Skyrim?.....
But I'm not saying this just to be troll or anything: I genuinely don't want a remake of Final Fantasy 7. Yes I've played it. Yes I've enjoyed it. But the near tunnel-vision insistence that there should be a Final Fantasy 7 remake comes across, at least to me, like a mass of weak reasons and an insistence that it should be done thus it must be don.
So here is my attempt to refute a lot of the reasons why there should be a FF7 remake:
There was a tech demo...
And we'll stop right there.That infamous tech demo was made to show off the capabilities of the PS3 by running off some familiar footage in seventh generation graphics - and a now obsolete console at that! Just because there was a tech demo doesn't automatically mean there will be a new game ready in the wings.
In addition, if we go by the logic that a tech demo = new game, then where the hell is the Final Fantasy 6 Interactive CG game eh?
We have the tech!
If only it were that simple: Gaming tech has come a long way in seventeen years, even to a point where motion capture and fully voiced scripts are required. New gaming engines are bewing built and rebuilt on a regular basis. Obsolescence happens quickly in gaming. Simply put: The technology of 1997 simply can't be used to build a game of today. You'd need to start over from scratch.
True the release of FF7 on Steam now means access to a modern graphical revamp courtesy of the modders but such a prospect isn't really that simple: It can be done yes but, with the mod I saw, the files required totals to a colossal 20+ gig. And it will disable the Steam achievements and Cloud saves. This in turn proves that just because it can be done doesn't mean there won't be sacrifices - and suddenly SqueeEnix's use of the 'we don't have the technology' card seems to carry more weight than anyone is willing to give them credit for.
And while we're on the topic of modding, I recently saw a mod that could resurrect Aerith but the effect there means her standing around, little to no dialogue and her limit breaks reducing much of the game's challenge. Again: Is such a sacrifice worth the trouble?
Advent Children
Some say that this movie is indeed well-removed from the source material and I proudly consider myself part of this camp. Yes it was nice to see these familiar faces and seeing them with proper rendering, but that doesn't excuse the disconnect: The film lacks the much of the humour found within the game itself and seems intent on being nothing more than caving into fan demand. Even Cloud is an emo whinger & comes across as if the character arc/resurrection he went through in the game were all for nothing. It begs the question: Do you want a remake of FF7 or a game based on Advent Children? Because I'm seeing a lot of distance between the two.
SquareEnix are in trouble and they could do with the help...
Okay I will concede that this argument actually has some weight behind it but here's the thing: FFXIII was conceived as an attempt to recapture the magic that was FF7 and what happened? The game was disaster and split opinion like no other. In fact pretty much every FF game that has followed FF7 has split opinion inspiring both denounces and defenders in equal amounts.
So somehow using the 'SquareEnix is in trouble' card doesn't really work: They try to redo FF7 under a different name and the punters call foul. And when they try to make something different, the demand for the FF7 remake continues to persist!
Gamers certainly are a hard mob to please.....
It still holds up!
Funny, I recall FF7 had instances of humor and nonsense (Cloud breaking the fourth wall, the Cloud and Barrett date) that many people, and Advent Children, seem eager to forget. I recall the Honeybee mansion sequence that people seem REALLY eager to overlook. I recall minigames that seem both pointless and puzzling in their inclusion. And I recall Avalanche begin a terrorist group - something that would come across very awkward in these modern, post-9/11 times.
And of course, remove such instances will, of course, inspire outage by purists and arguments from revisionists. Indeed, it ultimately comes back to that question: is this the game you want?
It's the greatest RPG ever made.
That is, of course, a matter of opinion but, out of interest, have you played Planescape Torment? Baldur's Gate 2? Final Fantasy 6? Skyrim?.....
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Reindeer Games
Here we go with another WoW caption.
Remember this? Well it was begging for a witty caption, so here's what my Facebook friends came up with:
Remember this? Well it was begging for a witty caption, so here's what my Facebook friends came up with:
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Game of the Year
Around this time of the year most gamers are looking back over the past twelve months and selecting their pick for Game of the Year. Not me though: As this blog is discovering games in my own time, the question is more: What games from this year did I actually play?
Well I liked Skyrim.
And Iron Brigade was pretty cool too.
Well that was easy.
Well I liked Skyrim.
And Iron Brigade was pretty cool too.
Well that was easy.
Monday, November 14, 2011
I believe I can fly / I believe I can touch the sky
Well Skyrim is officially upon us and Australia has the pleasure of it being released twelve hours before the US (HA!). So whilst I've been having a shot at Oblivion recently, I am aware of the Elder Scrolls series and, admittedly, it hasn't been difficult to ignore the build up. So I went around to a friend's place to see Skyrim for myself.
Well there's no way getting around it: I took one look at the graphics and I was completely blown away. Whether it was a vastly improved graphics engine than that in Oblivion or seeing the damn thing running on a HD TV, I can say without a doubt that this must be one of the bets looking games around. I like how the menus are more easily accessible and how the menu text is is presented in white against a black backing. Indeed, it seems that everything is so improved from Oblivion that it seems difficult to go back to.
So I sat down and had a go, using my own character and, surprise surprise, I pretty much did with Skyrim what I did with Oblivion: Far too much time wandering around the world and exploring as opposed to bonking some heads. But how could I not? I was really taken by this world and wanted to check it out. But I have to admit that the combat was kinda cool - I particularly like those mini-cut scenes that happen with a successful kill. It's a diversion but enough to break the gameplay/immersion factor.
Amusingly, my warrior tried to challenge a giant and was struck by a blow so hard, he was sent flying. Literally! Of course, if I were playing Oblivion I would've been frustrated with yet another death but here I couldn't stop laughing. Sure my character got plastered but it was a funny way to go.
What a sadist I am....
Well there's no way getting around it: I took one look at the graphics and I was completely blown away. Whether it was a vastly improved graphics engine than that in Oblivion or seeing the damn thing running on a HD TV, I can say without a doubt that this must be one of the bets looking games around. I like how the menus are more easily accessible and how the menu text is is presented in white against a black backing. Indeed, it seems that everything is so improved from Oblivion that it seems difficult to go back to.
So I sat down and had a go, using my own character and, surprise surprise, I pretty much did with Skyrim what I did with Oblivion: Far too much time wandering around the world and exploring as opposed to bonking some heads. But how could I not? I was really taken by this world and wanted to check it out. But I have to admit that the combat was kinda cool - I particularly like those mini-cut scenes that happen with a successful kill. It's a diversion but enough to break the gameplay/immersion factor.
Amusingly, my warrior tried to challenge a giant and was struck by a blow so hard, he was sent flying. Literally! Of course, if I were playing Oblivion I would've been frustrated with yet another death but here I couldn't stop laughing. Sure my character got plastered but it was a funny way to go.
What a sadist I am....
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