And so, the curtain comes down on another year.
So....2017....How about that eh?
2017 was, for me, mostly me rediscovering Elder Scrolls Online. A game that i originally approached with reluctance is a game that I have played near exclusively in 2017. The funny thing is that the thing that turned me around was a skill re-spec for my first/main character. Since then I've made a few more characters. All of which, I have approached with a particular plan in mind. Funny thing that: I approach with a plan, and subsequently a better grasp of what I'm doing and suddenly the game becomes a lot more enjoyable. Still, it's no different from me of nearly two decades ago building a plan to work in Civ 2 and Heroes 2.
Other highlights was seeing the Conquest series appear on GoG; beating Nights into Dreams, Conquests of the Longbow and KOTOR 2 - all of which have been a long time coming; Going to PAX and Trying out Alien Swarm.
But you know what? If we go be feel alone, 2017 seems like something of a slump. Nothing came out this year that really grabbed my attention. Maybe it's me living in a backwards flowing bubble, maybe it's me having played games for so many years that it becomes harder for something to stand out of the pack, but somehow one gets the impression that gaming has reached it's zenith: There are no more frontiers to conquer, no one beyond the Steam indie crowd is prepared to make any risks and everything seems to be recycled. Funny thing how a industry that has moved at a lightning fast pace has now hit a point that resembles stagnation.
I've heard whispers that we may be due in for a second Gaming Crash but maybe we could do with one, just to shake things up a bit....
Still we can only hope that 2018 is better....
Anywho, thank you for reading this blog and i hope to speak to you again next year.
Showing posts with label Star Wars KOTOR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Star Wars KOTOR. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Friday, September 22, 2017
Red Dead Redemption
And another game has been cast down from my Hall of Shame. Goodbye Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: the Sith Lords!
This is a difficult game to assess: largely because so much has already been said about it: The dramas this game had during development, the cut content that were eventually restored via the Steam release, the gamers who have given this game a frosty reputation gamers and have since warmed up to, the challenges this game has put to the Star Wars universe, the philosophizing present within a series not known for its subtlety.
I however played this game off of Steam and it’s through the lens of seeing a broken game restored that I have viewed this game.
And I saw a complete game. Okay, sure the ending may have been a bit abrupt but seeing how much effort has gone into restoring the lost content and how it has been applied into the original game, it is difficult to imagine how the originally released game went without it.
The game I played certainly looked complete. It had a clear beginning, middle and end. There were interesting characters, solid writing and depth that was unusual for Star Wars. It may seem like a re-tread of the first game in some ways but there was enough new content and the provision of a much different perspective that this game succeeds as a sequel.
Other than that, there isn’t a lot else I can say about this game: The characters are all well-written and memorable (favourites being Visas and HK-47), the writing is top-notch, and it’s a lot fun to play. Funny how games can be seen in a much different light given the passage of time and the meddling of modders. A fresh perspective on Star Wars that is lost following Disney’s ditching of the Expanded Universe? Sadly yes. Better than the sequel? You know I think it may well be.
It’s just a shame that the series ended here and sequel hasn’t been seen beyond the MMORPG.
One question though: Considering that I completed the game on the Light Side path, does that mean that The Exile can now be Force buddies with Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Anakin Skywalker? (sure they will all come much later but still….)
Original image located here. Accessed 22nd September 2017
This is a difficult game to assess: largely because so much has already been said about it: The dramas this game had during development, the cut content that were eventually restored via the Steam release, the gamers who have given this game a frosty reputation gamers and have since warmed up to, the challenges this game has put to the Star Wars universe, the philosophizing present within a series not known for its subtlety.
I however played this game off of Steam and it’s through the lens of seeing a broken game restored that I have viewed this game.
And I saw a complete game. Okay, sure the ending may have been a bit abrupt but seeing how much effort has gone into restoring the lost content and how it has been applied into the original game, it is difficult to imagine how the originally released game went without it.
The game I played certainly looked complete. It had a clear beginning, middle and end. There were interesting characters, solid writing and depth that was unusual for Star Wars. It may seem like a re-tread of the first game in some ways but there was enough new content and the provision of a much different perspective that this game succeeds as a sequel.
Other than that, there isn’t a lot else I can say about this game: The characters are all well-written and memorable (favourites being Visas and HK-47), the writing is top-notch, and it’s a lot fun to play. Funny how games can be seen in a much different light given the passage of time and the meddling of modders. A fresh perspective on Star Wars that is lost following Disney’s ditching of the Expanded Universe? Sadly yes. Better than the sequel? You know I think it may well be.
It’s just a shame that the series ended here and sequel hasn’t been seen beyond the MMORPG.
One question though: Considering that I completed the game on the Light Side path, does that mean that The Exile can now be Force buddies with Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Anakin Skywalker? (sure they will all come much later but still….)
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Last Exile
Lately I've been playing a lot of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: the Sith Lords.
And this is who I have for the Exile:
Granted this game may be a product of it's time but I find it odd that the players has to choose their player from a selection of pre-made faces. Taking into account the extraordinary range of customization options that proliferate in gaming today, it thus becomes hard for the player to come up with something unique - and not something that many other people would've done already.
Okay sure, Jade Empire did the same thing with pre-made characters but considering the setting of that game, you'd want a character that fits right in - something that will, naturally, go against the nature of customization - not to mention the tendency to challenge the rules that gamers tend to do.
That being said, this may not be the first Exile of colour in the history of the Sith lords but it;s one I've chosen. Why? I felt it was something different. Yes this may all seem contradictory so let me explain: One common complaint I've heard about Star Wars, or at least the original trilogy, is it's short on female characters and black characters - indeed, one gets the feeling that Rey and Finn in the Force Awakens was an attempt to address this.
So why not have a black Jedi? Why not have a person of color heading a group of misfits and cruise around in the Ebon Hawk, having adventures in the galaxy? Why not have a Jedi of colour who has significance that it makes the Jedi Council worried?
Why not have a person of color being the one in charge?
I mean, Star Trek (DS9) did it....
And this is who I have for the Exile:
Granted this game may be a product of it's time but I find it odd that the players has to choose their player from a selection of pre-made faces. Taking into account the extraordinary range of customization options that proliferate in gaming today, it thus becomes hard for the player to come up with something unique - and not something that many other people would've done already.
Okay sure, Jade Empire did the same thing with pre-made characters but considering the setting of that game, you'd want a character that fits right in - something that will, naturally, go against the nature of customization - not to mention the tendency to challenge the rules that gamers tend to do.
That being said, this may not be the first Exile of colour in the history of the Sith lords but it;s one I've chosen. Why? I felt it was something different. Yes this may all seem contradictory so let me explain: One common complaint I've heard about Star Wars, or at least the original trilogy, is it's short on female characters and black characters - indeed, one gets the feeling that Rey and Finn in the Force Awakens was an attempt to address this.
So why not have a black Jedi? Why not have a person of color heading a group of misfits and cruise around in the Ebon Hawk, having adventures in the galaxy? Why not have a Jedi of colour who has significance that it makes the Jedi Council worried?
Why not have a person of color being the one in charge?
I mean, Star Trek (DS9) did it....
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
The Handmaiden's Tale
Her facial expression says it all:
Damn Hutts.....
(note the light saber in her hand....)
Damn Hutts.....
(note the light saber in her hand....)
Friday, August 25, 2017
The Wrong Man For the Job
Screw an Obi-wan Kenobi movie, I want a Darth Revan movie :(
And make it a female Darth Revan while you're at it.
And admit it: You want one too
(Search your feelings, you know it to be true)
And make it a female Darth Revan while you're at it.
And admit it: You want one too
(Search your feelings, you know it to be true)
Friday, August 18, 2017
Monday, January 18, 2016
Days of the New Republic
Happy New Year everyone! And here we go again with another year of Game Tumour.
So what did I play over my Christmas/New Years break? None other than Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic!
Okay so yes I did get sucked into the hype over the new movie and yes it is in anticipation for giving the oft-maligned KOTOR 2 a look (and with the Steam release promising restored content and achievements how could I refuse?) but I made it a point to revisit KOTOR 1 due to several points of interest.
Firstly, I last played this game in 2009 on the original Xbox. This time I played it on Steam and with a better idea of what I was doing. Seeing as it's been seven years between drinks, it is interesting to see the game from such a perspective. And I can safely say that KOTOR 1 still holds up well - it's still fun and engaging and I even encountered some content I missed the first time around. And even with the knowledge of the big plot twist, it still comes across as well-orchestrated that you never really see it coming.
Secondly, I am playing this game when the ownership of Star Wars has changed hands to Disney - and subsequently slit the throat of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. This move is something I have mixed feelings about: On one hand, the EU was nothing short of huge and could be intimidating to newcomers - so scrapping the EU and starting again does invite a tightly controlled, and more coherent, continuity. But on the other hand, the end of the EU does mean that some quality material will be left by the wayside - and KOTOR being one of them.
Which is indeed a shame as KOTOR is easily one of the strongest entrants in Star Wars and could certainly show anyone working on the new continuity how it's done. It manages to achieve that difficult balancing act of being new and familiar - something that eluded the grasp of the prequels.
Thirdly, it is interesting to see this game now that Force Awakens has descended down from Heavens in a golden chariot. Much has been made that how this Star Wars has gone out of this way to have plenty of diversity in it's cast (not least Finn and Rey) but somehow that attention may have been better directed at KOTOR who did it first. There's no shortage of diversity in your companions (Bastila, Mission, Juhani and Jolee) but there is a real freedom being offered in who the PC is and how the player creates them. In fact, I find it funny how people rave about Rey being the strong female character that the Star Wars franchise needed when my character, Nicst Elhob, did it first.
In addition, the new Star Wars films have the unenviable task of being new and familiar at the same time. Whilst I did find Force awakens to be both enjoyable and an apology letter for the prequels, it still seemed to be leaning on the A New Hope a lot - at the expense of having something of it's own to say (hopefully Episode VIII doesn't fall into the same trap and be a retread of Empire Strikes back)- unlike KOTOR who again, certainly had something to say and within the context of the Star Wars universe.
And finally, KOTOR still represents the prequels that should've been. It's been said that there was a germ of an idea in them that sadly got overlooked. But that wasn't a problem with KOTOR: So Anakin Skywalker was truly The Chosen One who was meant to bring balance to the Force? So what - Nicst Elhob did just that. Yep, within the field of a RPG, I had the freedom to be precisely the Jedi I wanted to be. I got to make decisions that swung in the directions both good and bad. An why wouldn't I? This is an RPG, where the players are free to mould their character in the way they seem fit. Furthermore, the lack of a Mass Effect conversation reel yields no indication of how certain conversation responses will go over - therefore it becomes impossible to do a 'pure' light side character and, to me, makes the game better for it.
Personally, if I was charged with making a new Star Wars movie, or even a reboot of the prequels, I would look to KOTOR - because it got so much right it wasn't funny.
So what did I play over my Christmas/New Years break? None other than Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic!
Okay so yes I did get sucked into the hype over the new movie and yes it is in anticipation for giving the oft-maligned KOTOR 2 a look (and with the Steam release promising restored content and achievements how could I refuse?) but I made it a point to revisit KOTOR 1 due to several points of interest.
Firstly, I last played this game in 2009 on the original Xbox. This time I played it on Steam and with a better idea of what I was doing. Seeing as it's been seven years between drinks, it is interesting to see the game from such a perspective. And I can safely say that KOTOR 1 still holds up well - it's still fun and engaging and I even encountered some content I missed the first time around. And even with the knowledge of the big plot twist, it still comes across as well-orchestrated that you never really see it coming.
Secondly, I am playing this game when the ownership of Star Wars has changed hands to Disney - and subsequently slit the throat of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. This move is something I have mixed feelings about: On one hand, the EU was nothing short of huge and could be intimidating to newcomers - so scrapping the EU and starting again does invite a tightly controlled, and more coherent, continuity. But on the other hand, the end of the EU does mean that some quality material will be left by the wayside - and KOTOR being one of them.
Which is indeed a shame as KOTOR is easily one of the strongest entrants in Star Wars and could certainly show anyone working on the new continuity how it's done. It manages to achieve that difficult balancing act of being new and familiar - something that eluded the grasp of the prequels.
Thirdly, it is interesting to see this game now that Force Awakens has descended down from Heavens in a golden chariot. Much has been made that how this Star Wars has gone out of this way to have plenty of diversity in it's cast (not least Finn and Rey) but somehow that attention may have been better directed at KOTOR who did it first. There's no shortage of diversity in your companions (Bastila, Mission, Juhani and Jolee) but there is a real freedom being offered in who the PC is and how the player creates them. In fact, I find it funny how people rave about Rey being the strong female character that the Star Wars franchise needed when my character, Nicst Elhob, did it first.
In addition, the new Star Wars films have the unenviable task of being new and familiar at the same time. Whilst I did find Force awakens to be both enjoyable and an apology letter for the prequels, it still seemed to be leaning on the A New Hope a lot - at the expense of having something of it's own to say (hopefully Episode VIII doesn't fall into the same trap and be a retread of Empire Strikes back)- unlike KOTOR who again, certainly had something to say and within the context of the Star Wars universe.
And finally, KOTOR still represents the prequels that should've been. It's been said that there was a germ of an idea in them that sadly got overlooked. But that wasn't a problem with KOTOR: So Anakin Skywalker was truly The Chosen One who was meant to bring balance to the Force? So what - Nicst Elhob did just that. Yep, within the field of a RPG, I had the freedom to be precisely the Jedi I wanted to be. I got to make decisions that swung in the directions both good and bad. An why wouldn't I? This is an RPG, where the players are free to mould their character in the way they seem fit. Furthermore, the lack of a Mass Effect conversation reel yields no indication of how certain conversation responses will go over - therefore it becomes impossible to do a 'pure' light side character and, to me, makes the game better for it.
Personally, if I was charged with making a new Star Wars movie, or even a reboot of the prequels, I would look to KOTOR - because it got so much right it wasn't funny.
Monday, July 28, 2014
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
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
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
War is Over
So as a new Star Wars movie increasingly draws nearer and the nerds have their wallets out (as always), I recently found myself trying to get my copy of TIE Fighter working purely to enjoy one of the many games that escaped my notice the first time around.
I didn't succeed which is indeed a shame because I heard a lot of good things about this game - in the form of fighting for the Empire in the name of Lawful Evil and the presence of the legendary Grand Admiral Thrawn. I guess the mystique surrounding TIE Fighter will persist.
What is even more bothersome is that the Star Wars Expanded Universe has now had it's throat slit in the name of new movies on the way. And so TIE Fighter will most likely join the rest of the EU to die. Therefore it seems doubtful that TIE Fighter will ever get an appropriate re-release. I suppose it would be too much to ask that this game gets dusted off for Steam (like Knights of the Old Republic did) or something, which is indeed a waste as I bet lot's of people would like to play TIE Fighter - whether it be for the first time or the five hundredth time.
I didn't succeed which is indeed a shame because I heard a lot of good things about this game - in the form of fighting for the Empire in the name of Lawful Evil and the presence of the legendary Grand Admiral Thrawn. I guess the mystique surrounding TIE Fighter will persist.
What is even more bothersome is that the Star Wars Expanded Universe has now had it's throat slit in the name of new movies on the way. And so TIE Fighter will most likely join the rest of the EU to die. Therefore it seems doubtful that TIE Fighter will ever get an appropriate re-release. I suppose it would be too much to ask that this game gets dusted off for Steam (like Knights of the Old Republic did) or something, which is indeed a waste as I bet lot's of people would like to play TIE Fighter - whether it be for the first time or the five hundredth time.
Monday, November 25, 2013
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...
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...
Monday, October 21, 2013
Second Prize
Following on from the previous post, has there ever been a game I purchased a second time around? Why yes there have - and not just one. I'm sure I'm the only one who's purchased multiple games more than once but in some cases, not without good reason.
So here's a list of the games I purchased a second time - and some cases my reasons for doing so may make for fascinating stories by themselves:
Age of Empires
Had the original but seeing it on Steam was too good to miss (expect to see those words a lot ahead). Funnily enough I am still hanging onto the original disc seeing as Steam tends not to be kind to the modding community
Freedom Force
Got it on ebay but it didn't come with an install code. But then I saw it on Steam....
Dragon Age
In my previous post, I mentioned I was considering buying Dragon Age for the PC just to get my meat-hooks onto the mods available. But what would come as a surprise to some people is that my current version of Dragon Age Origins isn't the first: I got my first version of Dragon Age Origins second hand and Awakenings on the cheap. And then I found about about the Special edition....
So I got the special edition, with all it's DLC but to this day I'm still not sure if I saved any money from not buying the DLC on XBLA
Still one can't argue having all the DLC on a handy disc.
Half Life
In 2009, I was in Melbourne and I saw this in a store. I grabbed it and thought I was very lucky to get such a find. And then in 2013, I discovered something called Steam...
Pharaoh
I got Pharoah as a birthday present in 2001. Sadly, in recent years, the original disc disappeared on me so I got a new version. I was fortunate to find one in a Melbourne EB store for $10 - and this one had the Cleopatra expansion too!
Rock Band
I had a Wii at the time so naturally I'd download songs to use for it. But then I got a 360 and discovered that songs could be saved to the console's hard drive and utilized the songs from all the Rock Band games. So I got all the Rock Band games for the 360 and downloaded all the songs I liked a second time. A terrible lack of foresight true but at least I'm keeping certain musicians from going hungry.
Secret of Monkey Island
I managed to get this game working using Scummvm - only to go on Steam and finding the special edition/version.
Sonic CD
I got the Sonic gems collection on PS2 to play this - but then it reappeared on XBLA in HD graphics and with the original soundtrack restored.
Soul Calibur
Once again, it was nice in it's original format (Dreamcast) but to see it on XBLA in HD is even better (still bitter they dropped the Direct the Opening feature though....)
Stars Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Funny story: I purchased this game on the PC before encountering the Xbox and figure dit may be a better played on the console (stay with me). I played the Xbox version a lot but found, much to ym dismay that it wouldn't work on the 360. Solution? Download it on Steam
Xcom
Again: Had it on disc but then saw it on Steam
The GoG parade
Duke Nukem 3d, Baldurs Gate, Deus Ex, Thief 2, Rayman 2, Planescape Torment, Sim City 2000, Clive Barker's Undying, Fallout, Heroes 2, System Shock 2. Why buy them all again? Well I like that I have them all in digital format and they are continuously updated for modern OS by the tireless folk at GoG. Duke Nukem 3d is of special note: I had it on XBLA but then I saw a special event where GoG was giving it away for free for a limited time...
Looking back over what I've just typed, I can see a pattern emerging: If I've purchased games a second time it's largely down to two reasons: 1) a lack of foresight and 2) the game in question comes on a preferred format or system. The former can be dismissed as pure human error but the latter is more interesting: There is certainly a lot on offer for a digital format in that it is always in easy reach, it takes up less physical space than a boxed game (besides my 500g game hard drive isn't going to fill up itself) and, in the case of GoG and Steam, it's not going to disappear any time soon. And in some cases, sometimes it's better for some games to be played through gripping a console controller than bashing a keyboard. And at the same time, modded games can sometimes yield a greater experience than the restrictions imposed by a console game.
Still, once again, there is the thought that if I'm continually striving for the best than I deserve to be ripped off.
So here's a list of the games I purchased a second time - and some cases my reasons for doing so may make for fascinating stories by themselves:
Age of Empires
Had the original but seeing it on Steam was too good to miss (expect to see those words a lot ahead). Funnily enough I am still hanging onto the original disc seeing as Steam tends not to be kind to the modding community
Freedom Force
Got it on ebay but it didn't come with an install code. But then I saw it on Steam....
Dragon Age
In my previous post, I mentioned I was considering buying Dragon Age for the PC just to get my meat-hooks onto the mods available. But what would come as a surprise to some people is that my current version of Dragon Age Origins isn't the first: I got my first version of Dragon Age Origins second hand and Awakenings on the cheap. And then I found about about the Special edition....
So I got the special edition, with all it's DLC but to this day I'm still not sure if I saved any money from not buying the DLC on XBLA
Still one can't argue having all the DLC on a handy disc.
Half Life
In 2009, I was in Melbourne and I saw this in a store. I grabbed it and thought I was very lucky to get such a find. And then in 2013, I discovered something called Steam...
Pharaoh
I got Pharoah as a birthday present in 2001. Sadly, in recent years, the original disc disappeared on me so I got a new version. I was fortunate to find one in a Melbourne EB store for $10 - and this one had the Cleopatra expansion too!
Rock Band
I had a Wii at the time so naturally I'd download songs to use for it. But then I got a 360 and discovered that songs could be saved to the console's hard drive and utilized the songs from all the Rock Band games. So I got all the Rock Band games for the 360 and downloaded all the songs I liked a second time. A terrible lack of foresight true but at least I'm keeping certain musicians from going hungry.
Secret of Monkey Island
I managed to get this game working using Scummvm - only to go on Steam and finding the special edition/version.
Sonic CD
I got the Sonic gems collection on PS2 to play this - but then it reappeared on XBLA in HD graphics and with the original soundtrack restored.
Soul Calibur
Once again, it was nice in it's original format (Dreamcast) but to see it on XBLA in HD is even better (still bitter they dropped the Direct the Opening feature though....)
Stars Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Funny story: I purchased this game on the PC before encountering the Xbox and figure dit may be a better played on the console (stay with me). I played the Xbox version a lot but found, much to ym dismay that it wouldn't work on the 360. Solution? Download it on Steam
Xcom
Again: Had it on disc but then saw it on Steam
The GoG parade
Duke Nukem 3d, Baldurs Gate, Deus Ex, Thief 2, Rayman 2, Planescape Torment, Sim City 2000, Clive Barker's Undying, Fallout, Heroes 2, System Shock 2. Why buy them all again? Well I like that I have them all in digital format and they are continuously updated for modern OS by the tireless folk at GoG. Duke Nukem 3d is of special note: I had it on XBLA but then I saw a special event where GoG was giving it away for free for a limited time...
Looking back over what I've just typed, I can see a pattern emerging: If I've purchased games a second time it's largely down to two reasons: 1) a lack of foresight and 2) the game in question comes on a preferred format or system. The former can be dismissed as pure human error but the latter is more interesting: There is certainly a lot on offer for a digital format in that it is always in easy reach, it takes up less physical space than a boxed game (besides my 500g game hard drive isn't going to fill up itself) and, in the case of GoG and Steam, it's not going to disappear any time soon. And in some cases, sometimes it's better for some games to be played through gripping a console controller than bashing a keyboard. And at the same time, modded games can sometimes yield a greater experience than the restrictions imposed by a console game.
Still, once again, there is the thought that if I'm continually striving for the best than I deserve to be ripped off.
Monday, May 13, 2013
You can't please everyone
Recently I’ve been doing another playthrough of the mighty Baldur’s Gate 2. Yep, it still keeps calling to me with an eternal siren’s song – which is indeed a rare thing for many games to do when one has so many of them to keep track.
This time, however, this playthrough is different as I’ve included mods – not least is the one that combines BG1, ToSC and BG2 in one game. This is great for me – not only am I using ToSC for the first time but it’s fun to see a character grow over the course of a super-huge game. A time of writing I’m in the middle of the BG1 portion and, having conquered the ToSC regions, have made it to Baldur’s Gate itself.
Another one of the mods I’m using is one called ‘Virtue’ which takes into account the actions of the party and reputation. However having implemented the mod in the question, it effected the game already in progress. And suddenly, half my party members ended up walking out on me.
The members in question were Safina, Branwen and Khalid. The latter may come across as being surprising but the absence of Jahiera in my party may have something to do with it (but I’m not worried – if, of course, you know what happens to Khalid in BG2). But the departure of both Safina and Branwen is the accumulation of their disappointment over my actions. Being of neutral alignment, they did grumble a lot over my actions and the mod I installed gave them the excuse they were after to leave.
This in turn, is a good excuse for me to rant about the Good/Bad choices in game.
When it comes to gaming I’m far too used to be the good guy – As a child of the eighties I’ve played many games over many years where I’ve been presented with a problem and I must solve it. Such problem included saving the world/girlfriend or overcoming some antagonist. It’s a trope that was done to death in the sixteen bit era and having been exposed to it so often it’s now more like a programmed response.
And it’s still lasted long into my adulthood. As such I play a game now I expect to play the role of the hero - in fact, when presented with the option, I honestly can’t bring myself to be a baddie and do nasty things. So much so that whilst I’ve been a bad guy in games before like Mass Effect, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic and, to lesser extent Starcraft, I’ve felt like shit afterwards. And if the game stops being fun and enjoyable then that’s a danger sign if ever there was one.
I guess it comes with the freedom of choice – if you give the player the freedom they will do what they choose along with living with the consequences. It does indeed make a difference than a game that presents little choice alongside an emphasis on consequence (Spec Ops the Line anyone?). But at the same time there is little point in being a prick for the sake of being prick – by of comparison consider Red Dead Redemption: Yes you can become a Desperado but doing so makes John Marston’s insistence of putting his violent past behind him as somewhat insincere.
Yet with age comes experience and in my experience there is no such thing as a ‘pure’ hero. You simply can’t tell me that anyone can do so many heroic things with little effort and not have a single black spot to their name. Okay yes there is Superman but if someone has to Superman it may as well be Kal-El himself. No for me, the more realistic hero is the type that does the right thing but isn’t afraid to do something unorthodox and eschew falling over backwards to be an example for everyone to follow. Indeed, it is, to me, satisfying in the Avengers movie to have the irresponsible hero, Tony Stark/Iron Man, as the leader instead of the responsible one, Captain America.
Thus I like to play heroes that save the day but aren’t the type to take shit from anyone. By way of example when I play Mass Effect I take the Paragon path but I take Renegade choices whenever possible. For, as is often the case, there is no black or white, only shades of grey.
Which brings me back to Baldur’s Gate: My character is a paladin but taking this class has little to do with background or roleplay but more with the ruleset – fighters that can heal? What’s not to like? (The high charisma doesn’t hurt either) But to be a paladin means you’re confined to being Lawful Good and can’t really break from it. Of course, my choices are me going through the motions of being a gaming hero but, as it would seem, such choices don’t seem to sit well with the people around me – God only knows what would happen when I reach BG2 and am presented with the opportunity to romance Jahiera.
Still though, I do strongly believe that the Good/Bad paths are ultimately futile: There is no such thing as a 100% White and a 100% Black – for being somewhere in the middle is both realistic and far more plausible.
But of course, being a paladin means you can’t sip up even once. Oh well….
This time, however, this playthrough is different as I’ve included mods – not least is the one that combines BG1, ToSC and BG2 in one game. This is great for me – not only am I using ToSC for the first time but it’s fun to see a character grow over the course of a super-huge game. A time of writing I’m in the middle of the BG1 portion and, having conquered the ToSC regions, have made it to Baldur’s Gate itself.
Another one of the mods I’m using is one called ‘Virtue’ which takes into account the actions of the party and reputation. However having implemented the mod in the question, it effected the game already in progress. And suddenly, half my party members ended up walking out on me.
The members in question were Safina, Branwen and Khalid. The latter may come across as being surprising but the absence of Jahiera in my party may have something to do with it (but I’m not worried – if, of course, you know what happens to Khalid in BG2). But the departure of both Safina and Branwen is the accumulation of their disappointment over my actions. Being of neutral alignment, they did grumble a lot over my actions and the mod I installed gave them the excuse they were after to leave.
This in turn, is a good excuse for me to rant about the Good/Bad choices in game.
When it comes to gaming I’m far too used to be the good guy – As a child of the eighties I’ve played many games over many years where I’ve been presented with a problem and I must solve it. Such problem included saving the world/girlfriend or overcoming some antagonist. It’s a trope that was done to death in the sixteen bit era and having been exposed to it so often it’s now more like a programmed response.
And it’s still lasted long into my adulthood. As such I play a game now I expect to play the role of the hero - in fact, when presented with the option, I honestly can’t bring myself to be a baddie and do nasty things. So much so that whilst I’ve been a bad guy in games before like Mass Effect, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic and, to lesser extent Starcraft, I’ve felt like shit afterwards. And if the game stops being fun and enjoyable then that’s a danger sign if ever there was one.
I guess it comes with the freedom of choice – if you give the player the freedom they will do what they choose along with living with the consequences. It does indeed make a difference than a game that presents little choice alongside an emphasis on consequence (Spec Ops the Line anyone?). But at the same time there is little point in being a prick for the sake of being prick – by of comparison consider Red Dead Redemption: Yes you can become a Desperado but doing so makes John Marston’s insistence of putting his violent past behind him as somewhat insincere.
Yet with age comes experience and in my experience there is no such thing as a ‘pure’ hero. You simply can’t tell me that anyone can do so many heroic things with little effort and not have a single black spot to their name. Okay yes there is Superman but if someone has to Superman it may as well be Kal-El himself. No for me, the more realistic hero is the type that does the right thing but isn’t afraid to do something unorthodox and eschew falling over backwards to be an example for everyone to follow. Indeed, it is, to me, satisfying in the Avengers movie to have the irresponsible hero, Tony Stark/Iron Man, as the leader instead of the responsible one, Captain America.
Thus I like to play heroes that save the day but aren’t the type to take shit from anyone. By way of example when I play Mass Effect I take the Paragon path but I take Renegade choices whenever possible. For, as is often the case, there is no black or white, only shades of grey.
Which brings me back to Baldur’s Gate: My character is a paladin but taking this class has little to do with background or roleplay but more with the ruleset – fighters that can heal? What’s not to like? (The high charisma doesn’t hurt either) But to be a paladin means you’re confined to being Lawful Good and can’t really break from it. Of course, my choices are me going through the motions of being a gaming hero but, as it would seem, such choices don’t seem to sit well with the people around me – God only knows what would happen when I reach BG2 and am presented with the opportunity to romance Jahiera.
Still though, I do strongly believe that the Good/Bad paths are ultimately futile: There is no such thing as a 100% White and a 100% Black – for being somewhere in the middle is both realistic and far more plausible.
But of course, being a paladin means you can’t sip up even once. Oh well….
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
East vs West
Regular visitors to this blog would know that I’m something of a connoisseur when it comes to RPGs. So the big question then is: Which do I prefer out of Western RPGS or JRPGs?
Much like any tribe, it would seem that there is no overlap: It’s either one or the other. My experience has shown that people raised on Dungeons and Dragons think JRPGs are inane whilst people who grew up with Final Fantasy tend to have little to no time for anything else.
But if the logic of 'the first one is the best one' was true then I’d lump in with Western RPGs. I grew up playing Pool of Radiance on the Commodore 64 and it in turn got me interested in Dungeons and Dragons. It proved to be my gateway drug to fantasy and as a result, set me on a path to seek out familiar material – eventually leading to reading Fighting Fantasy, Chronicles of Narnia, Dragonlance and Lord of the Rings.
However that logic isn't always the case: You see what appeals to me about RPGs is more or less a replication I had when I was a child: Taking a group of heroes together and go kicking some arse in various forms: Visiting interesting locations, smashing the face in of anything dumb enough to stand in your way, growing stronger with each step, building a bond with the dudes in your party, and, well, saving the world (true many games of the era did that but only in RPGs did it present a time investment that actually felt like the effort was worth it). This may sound like nostalgia but ultimately any RPG whether from the East or West, seems to follow the same formula – it only becomes matter of how this formula can be utilized.
So what do I like about Western RPGs? I enjoy roaming around Tolkien-inspired environments, with quasi-medieval elements merged with huge monsters. I enjoy a high quality of narrative and writing that always accompanies Western RPGs. I like being an elf, complete with long hair and pointy ears. I enjoy making decisions that actually have an effect and shape the world around me. I like leading a large party of dudes (large party as in more than two) through one battle after another. I like storming into a final dungeon made to look like an extension of hell loaded with demons galore. I like seeing, and interacting with, worlds that had been from straight from the pages of Tolkien. If anything I like seeing the Dungeons and Dragons rule-set being replicated in gaming form.
That being said, is there anything I don't like about Western RPGs? Why yes: They all seem to drawing from Tolkien playbook that it gets really tiresome to see the same tropes used over and over again. Also if you, like, play enough Bioware RPGs you soon realize that they're all formulaic - come on: you can't tell me that Mass Effect, Dragon Age Origins and Stars Wars KOTOR aren't running on the same blueprint.Indeed, it is rare to see one break from the formula - and rarer still to see one do so successfully (as the fans of Planescape Torment will attest).
So what does the JRPG offer to me then? Well for a start they offer a lot on technical level: I love the use of bright colours that I wouldn't see otherwise in a Western RPG. I love seeing environments that are inventive in their design. I love being swept up in a continually gorgeous soundtrack. Anything beyond that? Well, I do like how many JRPGs treat their characters and put effort into writing for them. And say what you like cinematics in a JRPG you can't deny that they're done very well. And if anything I appreciate JRPGs for being (for most of the time) an antithesis for the gritty Tolkien-inspired Western RPGs.
So then, what don't I like about JRPGs? Oh where do I start? For one, I find they don't offer a sense of non-linearity - you go in a different direction than the one the computer wants you to go in and computer gets all sulky. For two, there is very little freedom on offer when compared to Western RPGS - you're not making lasting decisions, no you're just prodding a character along a predetermined route. For three, whilst JRPGs may look great on a technical level most of it comes at the expense of the actual game part of the game. For four (?) I don't like many of the enemies in JRPGs because, more often than not, they look stupid and have equally silly names that one wonders if they're there to be taken seriously. Finally, through playing numerous JRPGs, there is the realization that they're all trying to be Final Fantasy. And don't say they're aren't lest I call upon the bullshit police. I've seen attempts to replicate the formula that made Final Fantasy work in both the likes of Phantasy Star and Skies of Arcadia. And even then Final Fantasy originated as a variation on the DnD rule-set. In fact I can't think of any areas where the formula needed improving - which may account for why little has been done with the JRPG genre since.
So in the end what can I conclude from this post? Well I can say that I see these two forms of RPGs as beverages: Western RPGs are like a fine wine and JRPGs are like red fizzy cordial - both of them are nice but there's a time and place for each of them and they're not to be conusmed all at once.
Yeah lets go with that
Much like any tribe, it would seem that there is no overlap: It’s either one or the other. My experience has shown that people raised on Dungeons and Dragons think JRPGs are inane whilst people who grew up with Final Fantasy tend to have little to no time for anything else.
But if the logic of 'the first one is the best one' was true then I’d lump in with Western RPGs. I grew up playing Pool of Radiance on the Commodore 64 and it in turn got me interested in Dungeons and Dragons. It proved to be my gateway drug to fantasy and as a result, set me on a path to seek out familiar material – eventually leading to reading Fighting Fantasy, Chronicles of Narnia, Dragonlance and Lord of the Rings.
However that logic isn't always the case: You see what appeals to me about RPGs is more or less a replication I had when I was a child: Taking a group of heroes together and go kicking some arse in various forms: Visiting interesting locations, smashing the face in of anything dumb enough to stand in your way, growing stronger with each step, building a bond with the dudes in your party, and, well, saving the world (true many games of the era did that but only in RPGs did it present a time investment that actually felt like the effort was worth it). This may sound like nostalgia but ultimately any RPG whether from the East or West, seems to follow the same formula – it only becomes matter of how this formula can be utilized.
So what do I like about Western RPGs? I enjoy roaming around Tolkien-inspired environments, with quasi-medieval elements merged with huge monsters. I enjoy a high quality of narrative and writing that always accompanies Western RPGs. I like being an elf, complete with long hair and pointy ears. I enjoy making decisions that actually have an effect and shape the world around me. I like leading a large party of dudes (large party as in more than two) through one battle after another. I like storming into a final dungeon made to look like an extension of hell loaded with demons galore. I like seeing, and interacting with, worlds that had been from straight from the pages of Tolkien. If anything I like seeing the Dungeons and Dragons rule-set being replicated in gaming form.
That being said, is there anything I don't like about Western RPGs? Why yes: They all seem to drawing from Tolkien playbook that it gets really tiresome to see the same tropes used over and over again. Also if you, like, play enough Bioware RPGs you soon realize that they're all formulaic - come on: you can't tell me that Mass Effect, Dragon Age Origins and Stars Wars KOTOR aren't running on the same blueprint.Indeed, it is rare to see one break from the formula - and rarer still to see one do so successfully (as the fans of Planescape Torment will attest).
So what does the JRPG offer to me then? Well for a start they offer a lot on technical level: I love the use of bright colours that I wouldn't see otherwise in a Western RPG. I love seeing environments that are inventive in their design. I love being swept up in a continually gorgeous soundtrack. Anything beyond that? Well, I do like how many JRPGs treat their characters and put effort into writing for them. And say what you like cinematics in a JRPG you can't deny that they're done very well. And if anything I appreciate JRPGs for being (for most of the time) an antithesis for the gritty Tolkien-inspired Western RPGs.
So then, what don't I like about JRPGs? Oh where do I start? For one, I find they don't offer a sense of non-linearity - you go in a different direction than the one the computer wants you to go in and computer gets all sulky. For two, there is very little freedom on offer when compared to Western RPGS - you're not making lasting decisions, no you're just prodding a character along a predetermined route. For three, whilst JRPGs may look great on a technical level most of it comes at the expense of the actual game part of the game. For four (?) I don't like many of the enemies in JRPGs because, more often than not, they look stupid and have equally silly names that one wonders if they're there to be taken seriously. Finally, through playing numerous JRPGs, there is the realization that they're all trying to be Final Fantasy. And don't say they're aren't lest I call upon the bullshit police. I've seen attempts to replicate the formula that made Final Fantasy work in both the likes of Phantasy Star and Skies of Arcadia. And even then Final Fantasy originated as a variation on the DnD rule-set. In fact I can't think of any areas where the formula needed improving - which may account for why little has been done with the JRPG genre since.
So in the end what can I conclude from this post? Well I can say that I see these two forms of RPGs as beverages: Western RPGs are like a fine wine and JRPGs are like red fizzy cordial - both of them are nice but there's a time and place for each of them and they're not to be conusmed all at once.
Yeah lets go with that
Friday, April 6, 2012
Republic Relations
I haven’t had much to do with Star Wars: The Old Republic. I
saw the intro video and thought it looked silly largely due to a) one character
looking too much like John Marston and therefore very out of place and b) showing
a lot of ‘characters being improbably awesome’ sequences that plagued the prequel
trilogy. Besides, attempting to usurp World of Warcraft on the untouchable throne
of MMORPG? You would have to extremely insane or extremely confident - to the
point of being extremely insane.
Nevertheless, earlier this week I had my real first exposure
to Star Wars: The Old Republic in the form of a friend showing me some videos
showcasing some of the classes available. Thus I got to see the Imperial Agent,
Bounty Hunter and the Smuggler. And from what I’ve seen there is some degree of
appeal – I like how the Imperial Agent offered the role of a sniper. I love how
the bounty hunter seemed the offer both the tank role and gunning down dudes with
a second thought. And even the smuggler looked interesting with the offer of ranged
combat (even if, at one point, they end up looking like that out-of-place John
Marston clone).
But I don’t know about a Star Wars MMORPG. It’s not just the
idea that the only thing to usurp WoW is to utilize an even bigger geek franchise.
No – you see SWOTR is ultimately following the lead of the KOTOR in that it’s
set some time before the original trilogy of movies. I see some problems in
that a) how will this fit in with KOTOR? b) it is yet another reminder that the
prequels exist no matter how many people try to deny it and c) whereas WoW had
the Alliance and the Horde locked in an eternal stalemate, setting a Star Wars
MMORPG in the prequel universe doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. I mean we
all know what’s going to happen: The Republic will fall, the Empire will take
over and eventually the Rebel Alliance will rise up – hardly a set up that invites some
degree of longevity (as WoW’s continued existence has proven).
In fact, now that I think of it, I wonder why Bioware didn’t
set it after the original trilogy? I don’t know about the rest of you but I would
like to see the Star Wars universe once the tables have turned. I mean who wouldn’t
want to see the Alliance in power and how they handle it? Who wouldn’t want to see
the Imperial forces attempt to regroup and rebuild following the end of Emperor
Palpatine?
Still, despite my cynicism, I have to admit there is some appeal to Star Wars The Old Republic so it may be worth a look.....
Still, despite my cynicism, I have to admit there is some appeal to Star Wars The Old Republic so it may be worth a look.....
Friday, October 7, 2011
Going Backwards
These past few console generations have had success with reverse compatibility. And it makes sense: No one would buy a new console only to have nothing to use it so to use the same software from the last console on the new console is a smart move. Thus, through reverse compatibility, the PS2 was able to steam ahead of the Dreamcast (among other reasons) and Gamecube games still get some mileage on the Wii.
But here's what I want to know: Is any of the business people in the gaming industry, soulless bastards that they are, taking any notice? Sure it may ensure that people automatically upgrade to the new console without question (a smart business move to be sure) but it does place the rather awkward position that no one will be interested in the new stuff because they're attention is focused on the old stuff. Thus, both Sony's insistence on the PS3 being non-backwards compatible and Nintendo's dwindling interest for the Virtual Console makes sense. Now I've said time and time again that the Virtual Console really was a good idea but people like me who bought a Wii just for the Virtual Console may not sit well with Nintendo who, in the end, are trying to run a company.
There is indeed wisdom in the notion that a great game shall forever remain a great game: One only needs to see the 3D revamp of Ocarina of Time and the various HD reworkings that found their way onto the PS3. Thus it becomes clear that people will still gladly play the same thing again or, in my case, come across it for the very first time. So are the right people paying attention?
But the point I'm trying laboriously to get to is this matter of what will happen to the backwards compatibility. The ruthlessness in how the PS3 shuns it seems to a sign of things to come in that video game companies aren't really the type to dwell on the past.
However I do like the idea of games from obsolete consoles being available for download with the PSN, XBLA and the Virtual Console - this serves as a great method for both preservation and making them readily available. And this does seem to have lasting power - why even the Virtual Console has been announced to be workable with the Wii-2 and have Gamecube games on the way.
Of course, whilst a downloadable service is a good idea it does not mean every game will be considered. By way of example, I've enjoyed Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic but it does not seem available yet on XBLA - and whilst it may work on the 360, there is always the nagging thought that it may not for Microsoft's next console.
Ultimately, I like having these 'old' games being within easy reach but, if history has taught us anything, the technology is always moving at such an absurd pace that it is all-too easy for ideas to get discarded and forgotten.
So it would be interesting to see if the XBLA/PSN/VC, let alone it's contents, will have the power to last well into the future.
Can anyone imagine Halo, a decade-old game, being downloaded off the XBLA and enjoyed ten years from now?
But here's what I want to know: Is any of the business people in the gaming industry, soulless bastards that they are, taking any notice? Sure it may ensure that people automatically upgrade to the new console without question (a smart business move to be sure) but it does place the rather awkward position that no one will be interested in the new stuff because they're attention is focused on the old stuff. Thus, both Sony's insistence on the PS3 being non-backwards compatible and Nintendo's dwindling interest for the Virtual Console makes sense. Now I've said time and time again that the Virtual Console really was a good idea but people like me who bought a Wii just for the Virtual Console may not sit well with Nintendo who, in the end, are trying to run a company.
There is indeed wisdom in the notion that a great game shall forever remain a great game: One only needs to see the 3D revamp of Ocarina of Time and the various HD reworkings that found their way onto the PS3. Thus it becomes clear that people will still gladly play the same thing again or, in my case, come across it for the very first time. So are the right people paying attention?
But the point I'm trying laboriously to get to is this matter of what will happen to the backwards compatibility. The ruthlessness in how the PS3 shuns it seems to a sign of things to come in that video game companies aren't really the type to dwell on the past.
However I do like the idea of games from obsolete consoles being available for download with the PSN, XBLA and the Virtual Console - this serves as a great method for both preservation and making them readily available. And this does seem to have lasting power - why even the Virtual Console has been announced to be workable with the Wii-2 and have Gamecube games on the way.
Of course, whilst a downloadable service is a good idea it does not mean every game will be considered. By way of example, I've enjoyed Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic but it does not seem available yet on XBLA - and whilst it may work on the 360, there is always the nagging thought that it may not for Microsoft's next console.
Ultimately, I like having these 'old' games being within easy reach but, if history has taught us anything, the technology is always moving at such an absurd pace that it is all-too easy for ideas to get discarded and forgotten.
So it would be interesting to see if the XBLA/PSN/VC, let alone it's contents, will have the power to last well into the future.
Can anyone imagine Halo, a decade-old game, being downloaded off the XBLA and enjoyed ten years from now?
Friday, August 12, 2011
Degeneration (no.6)
And this serial continues.
As stated at the end of the previous installment, my interest in video gaming was waning – but it was not out of spite or anything. No: It was a natural progression of life. Other things were demanding attention, not least of which the real world, and I wasn’t in a position to ignore any of them.
But that’s not to say that I was completely ignorant of developments in the gaming world. I knew about the Dreamcast being the last hurrah for Sega. I knew the PS2 got off to a rocky start and I knew about Microsoft bringing a console of their own, the Xbox, to the table. I even had an Atari Lynx during this stage: Hey, it was cheap and, as befit this blog, I wanted to see if the grass was indeed greener on the other side.
But ultimately, the period of 2000-2005 was one where I parted ways with gaming. But little did I know that gaming wasn’t prepared to let me go. The connection was there and there was some potential for us to continue. All it needed was a catalyst.
And one such came: In late 2005, I stumbled across a list made by IGN on the Best 100 Games Ever Made. Through reading it, I saw a mixture of the recognised and the unfamiliar. I saw some titles I played and some that escaped my notice previously. And most of all, I was impressed that someone had sat down and fashioned such an official-looking list, providing substantial reasoning of each games’ selection and saluting the efforts of various pioneers.
Needless to say I was blown away – so much so, I actually made it my goal to track down every last one of them and play them. And thus, dreams were dusted off and raised from their slumber, opportunities that had passed me by the first time were now possible, and a world of brand new discoveries waiting to be found beckoned. A trigger had been set off and I plunged headlong into the sixth generation.
True it may have been at the tail end, when the seventh generation dawned but who the hell cares? I had returned to gaming and was prepared to savor every last moment. And what better why to kick it off was to return my gaze to a voice that called once before….
Playstation 2
As mentioned before, I knew the PS2 got off to a rocky start and wasn’t really that big of a hit. Funny how this baby is now recognised as the highest selling console ever.
As mentioned above, I finally made a goal in mind. This now presented the new problem of deciding which console, out of Playstation, Xbox and Gamecube, to get. With it’s extensive library, certain exclusives and it’s access to the PS1 catalogue, the winner was the PS2.
I recall the first game I placed into the system: Final Fantasy X. This was pretty much a return to console gaming after nearly a decade of absence. To be honest I had been away for so long I really had no idea what to expect – I had no idea what the graphics would be like (seriously!) or what advances had been made since the days of the fifth generation. Needless to say, what I saw was more akin to waking up from a coma. I was astonished that graphics had grown so spectacular. I was surprised that 3D gaming was actually playable and fun. Okay so maybe Final Fantasy X isn’t quite the best in the series but in any case, it was what got me back to gaming and, eventually encouraged me to seek out other entrants in the series (one has to start somewhere I guess).
I may have been a latecomer to the Playstation but I have many fond memories of playing my PS2: Appreciating the creativity that went into Resident Evil 4, being impressed with the inventiveness and brutality that went into God of War, the satisfaction of coming back to a boss in Final Fantasy X having levelled up extensively and knocking him flat, and, of course, completing Ico for the first time and, much to my surprise, having an emotional response.
I even hunted down some old PS1 games, granting me the chance to dust off some old favourites (Loaded, Darkstalkers, Raiden Project, Return Fire) and the opportunity to hunt some games that escaped me the first time around (Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy 7).
Interestingly enough, I also discovered how the PS2 could work as a social device. True going round to a friends place to play games is nothing new but when you’re the one who owns the console, you really see how it the social aspect works. Indeed, I remember when I went to a small LAN with my PS2: It was with a small group of people who had far better computers than my POS computer so I brought along the PS2 so I could be part of the fun. And indeed it worked a treat to have the other people queue up to fight each other on Soul Calibur 3. And was indeed gratifying to hear someone else see my playing through the inverted library in Castlevania Symphony of the Night and thinking the music was pretty cool. And finally, there has indeed great fun to have a bunch of friends around for an evening to have a bash at Singstar.
In a way, PS2 represented the destination of a journey: After leeching off other people, I finally had a console to call my own. I had discovered new wonders in a field I’d been away from for so long. And I discovered the power of the social element that can lie with owning a console. After years of having an interest in video gaming, a breakthrough had come like no other. Perhaps it was fitting that I should get my first console when I was well and truly into my adult years – and that console should be a Playstation.
So yes, the sixth generation was more or less the second coming with my gaming career. And as one journey ended another began….
Dreamcast
Remember in the introduction how I made mention of having an Atari Lynx? Maybe it’s the Australian in me, but I’ve always had a fascination for the underdog. You know, the guy who has a go. That, coupled with my previously-established love for Sega, may have counted for me owning a Sega Dreamcast.
I’m still not entirely sure why I got a Dreamcast. Maybe it was indeed favouring the underdog. Or maybe it was a last gesture for years of loyalty to Sega. Maybe it was case of going out and exploring in the hope of finding some hidden treasure. Or maybe it was, at that point in time, case of having far too much money and not enough common sense.
Say what you like about the Sega Dreamcast but there’s no denying that there was a time when Soul Calibur looked mind-blowing (even now) and Sega looked likely to recover from the disasters from the past. But, as we all know, it was not to be and Sega’s reign as a console developer had come to an end.
In retrospect, we can all whinge about the faults of the system (no third party games, too many arcade conversions, no DVD capabilities, online features being overlooked, poor marketing and the impending arrival of PS2) but in the end, there was no denying the Dreamcast was a potent game machine and the potential to be great. Sure that potential wasn't truly realised but at least Sega were trying new things. Sure there was no third party support but at least Sega were trying to build up new IP and doing things that messed with the formula. Sure the Dreamcast wasn’t the hit it should’ve been but nowadays people treat it a reverence not seen for other failed consoles (maybe having no one to blame for the console’s shortcomings helps considerably). True the Dreamcast may have been the death-knell for the once glorious console giant but I still have mine and it still gets used.
But let’s drop the pretences: At the end of the day was buying a Dreamcast worth it just to play Skies of Arcadia?
Damn right it was.
Xbox
As with the other entrants in the sixth generation, I came to the Xbox at a rather late point in the console’s life. For a long time I got a lot of mileage out of my PS2 (and Dreamcast) but I didn’t care much for the seventh generation as it happened around me.
Then, in 2009 I moved into a flat with my girlfriend, Kathleen, and she brought along her Xbox. Curious, I decided to buy some games to use on it.
Of course at the time, I was still giving my PS2 a lot of attention so time on the Xbox was limited. But that’s not to say it was enjoyable: I have many fond memories playing Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic and Sid Meier’s Pirates. It was also fun to have someone watch me play my games – sure gaming has long been a solitary experience so to have a second person paying undivided attention to my progression through a game is indeed a welcome change (of course I had no idea how Kathleen really felt about my constant swearing through Burnout 3 but still….)
And I think that what I got the most out of the Xbox: After years of playing games in my room by myself, I finally felt that gaming had finally become a social event. Previously, I’d played games against other people on consoles but the game, so to speak, had now changed. The PS2 may have made me aware of the fun involved with playing games in the presence of other people but the Xbox expanded upon it. Indeed, it is fun to see someone else show an interest in the game you're playing and suddenly you don't feel like you're the only person in the universe who's enjoying it.
When I jumped on the PS2 bandwagon, it was after years of absence – and coming back from that time away I’d grown astonished by what games were accomplishing from the days of the 2nd and 3rd Generations. Games were now being marketed as experiences, offering social commentary, challenges of the relationship between the game & the gamer and triggering emotional effects one never would’ve thought possible.
And I got all that and surprised that gaming could do that. But that was all by my own in my bedroom – so to have someone else along for the ride playing just as much attention as you (the gamer) is particularly sweet.
And to have gaming be a contributing factor to a romance is also kinda cool too.
So that’s my thoughts on the sixth generation. In the terms of my gaming career it was more or less a Second Coming – the return after years of wandering in the desert. And when I came back, I’d seen how gaming had evolved beyond entertainment value. I had seen how gaming had now grown as a social event and more importantly, I see gaming from the perspective of an adult: Indeed, it’s great spending your own money on consoles and games without having to badger/explain to one’s parents. It is fascinating how something you liked as a kid can evolve to a point where you can enjoy it as an adult and not look silly (and having a partner who thinks the same is also pretty cool too). And I’m always amazed just how many people have played the same games I have – even when I thought I was the only on Earth who’d heard of the game in question. I even loved striking up conversations over games and sharing both opinions and solutions.
If anything, sixth generation got me wrapped up in the gaming culture like never before. Gaming had finally become the norm and was now taken seriously.
So where do we go from here?
Towards the next generation one would think….
As stated at the end of the previous installment, my interest in video gaming was waning – but it was not out of spite or anything. No: It was a natural progression of life. Other things were demanding attention, not least of which the real world, and I wasn’t in a position to ignore any of them.
But that’s not to say that I was completely ignorant of developments in the gaming world. I knew about the Dreamcast being the last hurrah for Sega. I knew the PS2 got off to a rocky start and I knew about Microsoft bringing a console of their own, the Xbox, to the table. I even had an Atari Lynx during this stage: Hey, it was cheap and, as befit this blog, I wanted to see if the grass was indeed greener on the other side.
But ultimately, the period of 2000-2005 was one where I parted ways with gaming. But little did I know that gaming wasn’t prepared to let me go. The connection was there and there was some potential for us to continue. All it needed was a catalyst.
And one such came: In late 2005, I stumbled across a list made by IGN on the Best 100 Games Ever Made. Through reading it, I saw a mixture of the recognised and the unfamiliar. I saw some titles I played and some that escaped my notice previously. And most of all, I was impressed that someone had sat down and fashioned such an official-looking list, providing substantial reasoning of each games’ selection and saluting the efforts of various pioneers.
Needless to say I was blown away – so much so, I actually made it my goal to track down every last one of them and play them. And thus, dreams were dusted off and raised from their slumber, opportunities that had passed me by the first time were now possible, and a world of brand new discoveries waiting to be found beckoned. A trigger had been set off and I plunged headlong into the sixth generation.
True it may have been at the tail end, when the seventh generation dawned but who the hell cares? I had returned to gaming and was prepared to savor every last moment. And what better why to kick it off was to return my gaze to a voice that called once before….
Playstation 2
As mentioned before, I knew the PS2 got off to a rocky start and wasn’t really that big of a hit. Funny how this baby is now recognised as the highest selling console ever.
As mentioned above, I finally made a goal in mind. This now presented the new problem of deciding which console, out of Playstation, Xbox and Gamecube, to get. With it’s extensive library, certain exclusives and it’s access to the PS1 catalogue, the winner was the PS2.
I recall the first game I placed into the system: Final Fantasy X. This was pretty much a return to console gaming after nearly a decade of absence. To be honest I had been away for so long I really had no idea what to expect – I had no idea what the graphics would be like (seriously!) or what advances had been made since the days of the fifth generation. Needless to say, what I saw was more akin to waking up from a coma. I was astonished that graphics had grown so spectacular. I was surprised that 3D gaming was actually playable and fun. Okay so maybe Final Fantasy X isn’t quite the best in the series but in any case, it was what got me back to gaming and, eventually encouraged me to seek out other entrants in the series (one has to start somewhere I guess).
I may have been a latecomer to the Playstation but I have many fond memories of playing my PS2: Appreciating the creativity that went into Resident Evil 4, being impressed with the inventiveness and brutality that went into God of War, the satisfaction of coming back to a boss in Final Fantasy X having levelled up extensively and knocking him flat, and, of course, completing Ico for the first time and, much to my surprise, having an emotional response.
I even hunted down some old PS1 games, granting me the chance to dust off some old favourites (Loaded, Darkstalkers, Raiden Project, Return Fire) and the opportunity to hunt some games that escaped me the first time around (Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy 7).
Interestingly enough, I also discovered how the PS2 could work as a social device. True going round to a friends place to play games is nothing new but when you’re the one who owns the console, you really see how it the social aspect works. Indeed, I remember when I went to a small LAN with my PS2: It was with a small group of people who had far better computers than my POS computer so I brought along the PS2 so I could be part of the fun. And indeed it worked a treat to have the other people queue up to fight each other on Soul Calibur 3. And was indeed gratifying to hear someone else see my playing through the inverted library in Castlevania Symphony of the Night and thinking the music was pretty cool. And finally, there has indeed great fun to have a bunch of friends around for an evening to have a bash at Singstar.
In a way, PS2 represented the destination of a journey: After leeching off other people, I finally had a console to call my own. I had discovered new wonders in a field I’d been away from for so long. And I discovered the power of the social element that can lie with owning a console. After years of having an interest in video gaming, a breakthrough had come like no other. Perhaps it was fitting that I should get my first console when I was well and truly into my adult years – and that console should be a Playstation.
So yes, the sixth generation was more or less the second coming with my gaming career. And as one journey ended another began….
Dreamcast
Remember in the introduction how I made mention of having an Atari Lynx? Maybe it’s the Australian in me, but I’ve always had a fascination for the underdog. You know, the guy who has a go. That, coupled with my previously-established love for Sega, may have counted for me owning a Sega Dreamcast.
I’m still not entirely sure why I got a Dreamcast. Maybe it was indeed favouring the underdog. Or maybe it was a last gesture for years of loyalty to Sega. Maybe it was case of going out and exploring in the hope of finding some hidden treasure. Or maybe it was, at that point in time, case of having far too much money and not enough common sense.
Say what you like about the Sega Dreamcast but there’s no denying that there was a time when Soul Calibur looked mind-blowing (even now) and Sega looked likely to recover from the disasters from the past. But, as we all know, it was not to be and Sega’s reign as a console developer had come to an end.
In retrospect, we can all whinge about the faults of the system (no third party games, too many arcade conversions, no DVD capabilities, online features being overlooked, poor marketing and the impending arrival of PS2) but in the end, there was no denying the Dreamcast was a potent game machine and the potential to be great. Sure that potential wasn't truly realised but at least Sega were trying new things. Sure there was no third party support but at least Sega were trying to build up new IP and doing things that messed with the formula. Sure the Dreamcast wasn’t the hit it should’ve been but nowadays people treat it a reverence not seen for other failed consoles (maybe having no one to blame for the console’s shortcomings helps considerably). True the Dreamcast may have been the death-knell for the once glorious console giant but I still have mine and it still gets used.
But let’s drop the pretences: At the end of the day was buying a Dreamcast worth it just to play Skies of Arcadia?
Damn right it was.
Xbox
As with the other entrants in the sixth generation, I came to the Xbox at a rather late point in the console’s life. For a long time I got a lot of mileage out of my PS2 (and Dreamcast) but I didn’t care much for the seventh generation as it happened around me.
Then, in 2009 I moved into a flat with my girlfriend, Kathleen, and she brought along her Xbox. Curious, I decided to buy some games to use on it.
Of course at the time, I was still giving my PS2 a lot of attention so time on the Xbox was limited. But that’s not to say it was enjoyable: I have many fond memories playing Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic and Sid Meier’s Pirates. It was also fun to have someone watch me play my games – sure gaming has long been a solitary experience so to have a second person paying undivided attention to my progression through a game is indeed a welcome change (of course I had no idea how Kathleen really felt about my constant swearing through Burnout 3 but still….)
And I think that what I got the most out of the Xbox: After years of playing games in my room by myself, I finally felt that gaming had finally become a social event. Previously, I’d played games against other people on consoles but the game, so to speak, had now changed. The PS2 may have made me aware of the fun involved with playing games in the presence of other people but the Xbox expanded upon it. Indeed, it is fun to see someone else show an interest in the game you're playing and suddenly you don't feel like you're the only person in the universe who's enjoying it.
When I jumped on the PS2 bandwagon, it was after years of absence – and coming back from that time away I’d grown astonished by what games were accomplishing from the days of the 2nd and 3rd Generations. Games were now being marketed as experiences, offering social commentary, challenges of the relationship between the game & the gamer and triggering emotional effects one never would’ve thought possible.
And I got all that and surprised that gaming could do that. But that was all by my own in my bedroom – so to have someone else along for the ride playing just as much attention as you (the gamer) is particularly sweet.
And to have gaming be a contributing factor to a romance is also kinda cool too.
So that’s my thoughts on the sixth generation. In the terms of my gaming career it was more or less a Second Coming – the return after years of wandering in the desert. And when I came back, I’d seen how gaming had evolved beyond entertainment value. I had seen how gaming had now grown as a social event and more importantly, I see gaming from the perspective of an adult: Indeed, it’s great spending your own money on consoles and games without having to badger/explain to one’s parents. It is fascinating how something you liked as a kid can evolve to a point where you can enjoy it as an adult and not look silly (and having a partner who thinks the same is also pretty cool too). And I’m always amazed just how many people have played the same games I have – even when I thought I was the only on Earth who’d heard of the game in question. I even loved striking up conversations over games and sharing both opinions and solutions.
If anything, sixth generation got me wrapped up in the gaming culture like never before. Gaming had finally become the norm and was now taken seriously.
So where do we go from here?
Towards the next generation one would think….
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Time to wake up
I recently had another bash at Dragon Age Awakenings. Now compared to the other DLC and the game itself, I think this had the best writing for the whole Origins experience.
Now don't get me wrong: I found the original game to have some great ideas at work, excellent characterization and enough to keep me going on with it just to see what happens next (not to mention it lasted a lot longer than Awakening). But when you've been playing Bioware RPG's as long as I have, you realise that it does seem a bit formulaic. Come on, a guy wants to do something to ensure his dominance so you have visit a variety of locations to build a method of stopping him? How much difference is there between Loghain and Darth Maul/Saren?
But I digress: what appeals to me with Awakening is the player character going to the effort of rebuilding the Grey Wardens. In Origins, the Grey Wardens are treated with a mixture of awe and fear as these people are the only one's capable of stopping the Blight. As the game progresses, it's made clear the Grey Wardens are mighty in battle yet go through terrible lengths for their role of Blight-Queller.
But in spite of this, the Grey Wardens have fallen into disrepute in recent decades and are looked upon with an anachronistic eye - matters aren't helped with the the order decimated and two new recruits are the only one's remaining: Alister and the player character.
But it's this idea of 'once-noble-order-now-fallen-into-disgrace' that fascinates me - and which is pushed to the front with Awakening. Now that the Grey Wardens have lands and a keep from which to rebuild, the player character starts actively recruiting party members. But what does he/she get? A fugitive, a drunk, a disgraced noble, an exile, a doom-seeker, and a dead man. Far from being recruits to a noble order but to me that's what makes the plot to Awakenings so compelling.
Being an experienced gamer I'm used to RPG's being full of noble heroes who save the world just for (seemingly) the sake of it. But the party members are far from [Lawful Good] material - no, they are a bunch of misfits and losers who really have nowhere else to go - except an anachronistic order dedicated to killing Darkspawn. They are to rebuild this order - and even then the survival of said order isn't really assured....
And that's what makes Awakening compelling. It takes a convention of the RPG formula and does things differently. Indeed, messing with a formula can indeed bear fruit and I wonder why this wasn't taken further in the main game...
Now don't get me wrong: I found the original game to have some great ideas at work, excellent characterization and enough to keep me going on with it just to see what happens next (not to mention it lasted a lot longer than Awakening). But when you've been playing Bioware RPG's as long as I have, you realise that it does seem a bit formulaic. Come on, a guy wants to do something to ensure his dominance so you have visit a variety of locations to build a method of stopping him? How much difference is there between Loghain and Darth Maul/Saren?
But I digress: what appeals to me with Awakening is the player character going to the effort of rebuilding the Grey Wardens. In Origins, the Grey Wardens are treated with a mixture of awe and fear as these people are the only one's capable of stopping the Blight. As the game progresses, it's made clear the Grey Wardens are mighty in battle yet go through terrible lengths for their role of Blight-Queller.
But in spite of this, the Grey Wardens have fallen into disrepute in recent decades and are looked upon with an anachronistic eye - matters aren't helped with the the order decimated and two new recruits are the only one's remaining: Alister and the player character.
But it's this idea of 'once-noble-order-now-fallen-into-disgrace' that fascinates me - and which is pushed to the front with Awakening. Now that the Grey Wardens have lands and a keep from which to rebuild, the player character starts actively recruiting party members. But what does he/she get? A fugitive, a drunk, a disgraced noble, an exile, a doom-seeker, and a dead man. Far from being recruits to a noble order but to me that's what makes the plot to Awakenings so compelling.
Being an experienced gamer I'm used to RPG's being full of noble heroes who save the world just for (seemingly) the sake of it. But the party members are far from [Lawful Good] material - no, they are a bunch of misfits and losers who really have nowhere else to go - except an anachronistic order dedicated to killing Darkspawn. They are to rebuild this order - and even then the survival of said order isn't really assured....
And that's what makes Awakening compelling. It takes a convention of the RPG formula and does things differently. Indeed, messing with a formula can indeed bear fruit and I wonder why this wasn't taken further in the main game...
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
RPG Suggestions
I heard that Bioware may continue making RPGs but beyond the confines of a fantasy or sci-fi setting. That's not a bad idea - I mean why not? So many RPGs get the fantasy/sci-fi setting down so why not something else? With a bit of thought and creativity, anything can work.
How about a pirate RPG? I heard Sid Meier's Pirates! started out this way before it turned into the open-world game it eventually became known as. Why not dust off the original idea? Using the Mass Effect/Star Wars KOTOR model, I can see a pirate captain going on a ship with a crew, visiting islands to go on a main quest to find a buried treasure (or something). Along the way, the captain can do sidequests like doing things as a privateer (ie killing certain dudes) or exploring unfamiliar territory. As for character classes, I can see three types (again going with the ME model): Combat (swordplay), Cunning (lockpicking) and Gunner (firearms and explosives).
Or how about a western RPG? If Red Dead Redemption is anything to go by, there may be an audience for Sergio Leoni-inspired antics and certainly room for it the gaming world. Indeed, I would like see a western-based RPG having a character traversing across a world, killing dudes with antiqued firearms and exploring the world he lives in. I like the idea of getting a posse together and riding out into the great wild open righting wrongs and shooting people.
Of course, both the reference points I have mentioned above are both open-world games and such games do a lot and offer so much to the player. Perhaps that's why no RPG's have been attempted in either a pirate or western setting - perhaps they have nothing more to add to that which has already been done.
Oh well....
How about a pirate RPG? I heard Sid Meier's Pirates! started out this way before it turned into the open-world game it eventually became known as. Why not dust off the original idea? Using the Mass Effect/Star Wars KOTOR model, I can see a pirate captain going on a ship with a crew, visiting islands to go on a main quest to find a buried treasure (or something). Along the way, the captain can do sidequests like doing things as a privateer (ie killing certain dudes) or exploring unfamiliar territory. As for character classes, I can see three types (again going with the ME model): Combat (swordplay), Cunning (lockpicking) and Gunner (firearms and explosives).
Or how about a western RPG? If Red Dead Redemption is anything to go by, there may be an audience for Sergio Leoni-inspired antics and certainly room for it the gaming world. Indeed, I would like see a western-based RPG having a character traversing across a world, killing dudes with antiqued firearms and exploring the world he lives in. I like the idea of getting a posse together and riding out into the great wild open righting wrongs and shooting people.
Of course, both the reference points I have mentioned above are both open-world games and such games do a lot and offer so much to the player. Perhaps that's why no RPG's have been attempted in either a pirate or western setting - perhaps they have nothing more to add to that which has already been done.
Oh well....
Monday, May 16, 2011
If you're happy and you know it clap your hands
Recently it has been announced that Mass Effect 3 will cave into fan pressure follow the lead of Dragon Age and incorporate the potential for a homosexual romance sub-plot.
Personally I have mixed feelings about this announcement. By comparison I am more indifferent to the possibility for gay romance in Dragon Age but if other people liked them then I shouldn't complain. After all, how one takes upon the romance sub-plot is up to the player and if they do things differently to others then that's their way of playing the game in question and more power to them.
However, in the case of ME3, I can see some problems:
1) This is coming in with the third game - indeed rather late in the saga. Thus it seems absurd for a character to suddenly decide they are gay/bisexual. I have friends who are gay/bisexual and I can tell you that how they are isn't based on a decision - it's based on genetics. No one can change who they are and to have a ME character suddenly decide to change their preference of sexual partner just seems both weird and awkward.
Indeed, it was bizarre for Dragon Age to have Anders start off as straight (Awakening) to suddenly decide he likes dicks as well (DA2). And for a series such as Mass Effect, whose strengths lie in immersion, writing and being epic, this may seem something of an backward step.
2) Suddenly the group dynamic is changed: Suddenly, Shepard is now beating off people with a stick. This has already proven a problem: Why, in my last play-through of ME2, I wanted my Shepard to turn down any romantic advances - as I wanted him to remain loyal to Ash from the first game - but this was a challenge indeed. Similarly in Dragon Age Origins, there is too much opportunity for the characters to hit on my character. By way of example, I thought Zevran from DAO hitting on anything with legs was kinda exasperating at times - and apparently I'm not alone: I heard that some gay gamers actually took offense with Zevran stating his seeming obsession with sex totally misrepresenting as to what gays are like as people.
Thus to have nearly everyone hit on Shepard in ME3 is both unrealistic and kinda silly. So Shepard able to have anyone and everyone fawning at his/her feet? Pull the other one.
3) Honestly, I think Bioware are pushing their luck: Remember when they tried to romance sub-plot for the first time? In Baldur's Gate 2? That was innovative at the time and, as such, kinda cool: It happened over the course of many conversations that could happen during and in-between questing. Like any romantic relationship, it was something that happened over a long period of time and showed, through the limits of text and voice-acting, a growing attraction Aerie/Jahiera/Viconia have for the player. In contrast, it's far more easier to get in relationship in Mass Effect - no doubt inspired by the limitations of the dialogue wheel. Thus it is too easy to have acts of friendliness being taken as romantic advances - as if it was one or the other. Which, as a series taking pride in giving the player as many options and methods to do stuff seems kinda strange.
4) Most importantly of all, I see all this attention given to the romance in Mass Effect and to be honest, I call bullshit. For fuck's sake people: It is a sub-plot! It's not something you HAVE to do and it is entirely OPTIONAL! Seriously, why would people care about their romantic partner when THERE IS A MAIN PLOT INVOLVING SAVING THE UNIVERSE?!??!?!!?!?!
*pauses to get breath back*
Personally I enjoy Mass Effect for the epic nature, writing, immersion, exploring the vast universe before me and shooting dudes - the romance sub-plot is there as an added bonus. All of which is what the game sets out to do and achieves in spades.
Seriously, if people are so enamored of the romantic sub-plot it makes me wonder why Bioware don't go the whole hog and just make a dating sim!
Personally I have mixed feelings about this announcement. By comparison I am more indifferent to the possibility for gay romance in Dragon Age but if other people liked them then I shouldn't complain. After all, how one takes upon the romance sub-plot is up to the player and if they do things differently to others then that's their way of playing the game in question and more power to them.
However, in the case of ME3, I can see some problems:
1) This is coming in with the third game - indeed rather late in the saga. Thus it seems absurd for a character to suddenly decide they are gay/bisexual. I have friends who are gay/bisexual and I can tell you that how they are isn't based on a decision - it's based on genetics. No one can change who they are and to have a ME character suddenly decide to change their preference of sexual partner just seems both weird and awkward.
Indeed, it was bizarre for Dragon Age to have Anders start off as straight (Awakening) to suddenly decide he likes dicks as well (DA2). And for a series such as Mass Effect, whose strengths lie in immersion, writing and being epic, this may seem something of an backward step.
2) Suddenly the group dynamic is changed: Suddenly, Shepard is now beating off people with a stick. This has already proven a problem: Why, in my last play-through of ME2, I wanted my Shepard to turn down any romantic advances - as I wanted him to remain loyal to Ash from the first game - but this was a challenge indeed. Similarly in Dragon Age Origins, there is too much opportunity for the characters to hit on my character. By way of example, I thought Zevran from DAO hitting on anything with legs was kinda exasperating at times - and apparently I'm not alone: I heard that some gay gamers actually took offense with Zevran stating his seeming obsession with sex totally misrepresenting as to what gays are like as people.
Thus to have nearly everyone hit on Shepard in ME3 is both unrealistic and kinda silly. So Shepard able to have anyone and everyone fawning at his/her feet? Pull the other one.
3) Honestly, I think Bioware are pushing their luck: Remember when they tried to romance sub-plot for the first time? In Baldur's Gate 2? That was innovative at the time and, as such, kinda cool: It happened over the course of many conversations that could happen during and in-between questing. Like any romantic relationship, it was something that happened over a long period of time and showed, through the limits of text and voice-acting, a growing attraction Aerie/Jahiera/Viconia have for the player. In contrast, it's far more easier to get in relationship in Mass Effect - no doubt inspired by the limitations of the dialogue wheel. Thus it is too easy to have acts of friendliness being taken as romantic advances - as if it was one or the other. Which, as a series taking pride in giving the player as many options and methods to do stuff seems kinda strange.
4) Most importantly of all, I see all this attention given to the romance in Mass Effect and to be honest, I call bullshit. For fuck's sake people: It is a sub-plot! It's not something you HAVE to do and it is entirely OPTIONAL! Seriously, why would people care about their romantic partner when THERE IS A MAIN PLOT INVOLVING SAVING THE UNIVERSE?!??!?!!?!?!
*pauses to get breath back*
Personally I enjoy Mass Effect for the epic nature, writing, immersion, exploring the vast universe before me and shooting dudes - the romance sub-plot is there as an added bonus. All of which is what the game sets out to do and achieves in spades.
Seriously, if people are so enamored of the romantic sub-plot it makes me wonder why Bioware don't go the whole hog and just make a dating sim!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Lets talk about you and me
Just came back from a week away in Melbourne, attending the prestigious anime convention Manifest! Had a great time and the events I ran proved to be quite popular.
Also, I was staying at a friend's place where myself and my partner bore witness to her playing Mass Effect 2. Being familiar with Bioware's other RPGs, namely Baldur's Gate and Star Wars KOTOR, I was intrigued. My partner, who'd played Dragon Age Origins, was also keen. Indeed, now I have even more motivation to go out and get a 360.
Interestingly, the Bioware RPG tradition of having romantic sub-plot continues. However this, time something seems a tad different: Now the male characters face themselves with slim pickings.
Allow me to explain: In Baldur's Gate 2, the male player characters had a choice of three candidates for a romance sub-quest: Aerie, a waifish elf of good alignment and gentle characteristic; Jahiera, a half....elf being of a neutral nature and a crabby disposition; and Viconia, a drow....elf who was evil and favoured strength. Conversely, the female player characters had to settle for Anomen, an whingeing, whining, arrogant sod who doesn't have issues - no, he has lifetime subscriptions. It makes you wonder what the female player characters did to have such little choice.
Then came Star Wars KOTOR. There the party was smaller but there was till room for romantic sub-quests even if the choices were slim: the male player characters had the courageous Jedi Bastilla Shan whilst female player characters had to settle for the insufferable Carth! It makes you wonder, if Bioware were heeding the female gamer demograph at all.
But they must've becuase in Dragon Age Origins, female player characters finally had decent character to latch onto for a romantic sub-quest in the form of Alistair (and in some cases Zevran and Leliana). And Alistair is a very a good choice - or at least my partner thinks so. It makes for an interesting counter-balance as the male player characters may find themselves hitting on Morrigan - and with a sexy voice like that, how can one refuse? (even if she does put a bra on to have sex)
But noticing Mass Effect 2, there doesn't seem to much choice for a romantic partner for male player characters. Miranda? Didn't work for me with her disagreeable personality and for sounding like someone from Home and Away (or at least that's what my friend thinks). Tali? She has a weird voice from an equally weird headgear. Jack? Mmmmmmm.............Naaaaaahhhhh.
But interestingly enough, the characters I like in the Mass Effect party are those available for a romantic sub-quest for the female player characters. Namely Thane, Jacob and, of course, Garrus.
So it strikes me that the tables have been turned: Now the female player characters are spoiled for choice whilst the male player characters find themselves caught short.
Still, this assessment is based on impressions built from watching someone play Mass Effect. Thus, this is subject to change - I mean who knows? Maybe over the course of playing the game, my mind could change.
Also, I was staying at a friend's place where myself and my partner bore witness to her playing Mass Effect 2. Being familiar with Bioware's other RPGs, namely Baldur's Gate and Star Wars KOTOR, I was intrigued. My partner, who'd played Dragon Age Origins, was also keen. Indeed, now I have even more motivation to go out and get a 360.
Interestingly, the Bioware RPG tradition of having romantic sub-plot continues. However this, time something seems a tad different: Now the male characters face themselves with slim pickings.
Allow me to explain: In Baldur's Gate 2, the male player characters had a choice of three candidates for a romance sub-quest: Aerie, a waifish elf of good alignment and gentle characteristic; Jahiera, a half....elf being of a neutral nature and a crabby disposition; and Viconia, a drow....elf who was evil and favoured strength. Conversely, the female player characters had to settle for Anomen, an whingeing, whining, arrogant sod who doesn't have issues - no, he has lifetime subscriptions. It makes you wonder what the female player characters did to have such little choice.
Then came Star Wars KOTOR. There the party was smaller but there was till room for romantic sub-quests even if the choices were slim: the male player characters had the courageous Jedi Bastilla Shan whilst female player characters had to settle for the insufferable Carth! It makes you wonder, if Bioware were heeding the female gamer demograph at all.
But they must've becuase in Dragon Age Origins, female player characters finally had decent character to latch onto for a romantic sub-quest in the form of Alistair (and in some cases Zevran and Leliana). And Alistair is a very a good choice - or at least my partner thinks so. It makes for an interesting counter-balance as the male player characters may find themselves hitting on Morrigan - and with a sexy voice like that, how can one refuse? (even if she does put a bra on to have sex)
But noticing Mass Effect 2, there doesn't seem to much choice for a romantic partner for male player characters. Miranda? Didn't work for me with her disagreeable personality and for sounding like someone from Home and Away (or at least that's what my friend thinks). Tali? She has a weird voice from an equally weird headgear. Jack? Mmmmmmm.............Naaaaaahhhhh.
But interestingly enough, the characters I like in the Mass Effect party are those available for a romantic sub-quest for the female player characters. Namely Thane, Jacob and, of course, Garrus.
So it strikes me that the tables have been turned: Now the female player characters are spoiled for choice whilst the male player characters find themselves caught short.
Still, this assessment is based on impressions built from watching someone play Mass Effect. Thus, this is subject to change - I mean who knows? Maybe over the course of playing the game, my mind could change.
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