Throwing down the Gauntlet

Another game I played last weekend was Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows.

Being a child of the eighties, I knew of Gauntlet. It was title that was held in high esteem, known for it's four-player action, it's use of sending out enemies by the swarm to fight and it's use of speech. Yet at the same time Gauntlet has a reputational for some oddball spinoffs (not least of which is the Atari Lynx version) that haven't quite succeeded in carrying a monumental legacy. Its for this reason that I haven;t given the series much thought in years.

That was until I was presented with Seven Sorrows: A PS2/Original Xbox game that a friend had on his 360. Upon playing it, it is immediately apparent that the familiar is present: The PCs of Warrior/Elf/Wizard/Valkyrie, the use of speech, the maze-like environment and the use of Zerg Rush before it was even called Zerg Rush.

I stress: My experiences with Gauntlet has been limited. I knew of the original game, I knew of it's reputation, I played the second game once and I even played the Lynx adaptation. So I have little to no attachment to the franchise. So what do I make of Seven Sorrows?

It's a lot of fun.
Seriously: It's great mowing through hordes of baddies, building up impressive combos. And there are moments of desperation in trying to find the all-too important health (Cheese!).

Does it live up to the legacy of it's namesake? Who cares?! This is great!

Warcraft is over if you want it

Well Blizzard have announced that they aren't interested in doing a remaster for both Warcraft 1 and 2 purely because they feel that the games are dated and "not fun" (Source).

I find this reaction somewhat puzzling from Blizzard. On one hand, they acknowledge their past works and have previously made them readily available (ie Lost Vikings and Blackthorne) but on the other hand, any game that's on the Battle.net launcher and isn't Diablo 3, World of Warcraft, Overwatch or Hearthstone, doesn't have a hope in hell.
The latter is a particular sore point for me: What, I can't use the Battle.net launcher to play other Blizzard games? Well then you're not much competition for Steam or GoG Galaxy then are you? Sorry but I like my Game launchers to, you know, launch games.

But I digress.
I maintain that there is value for games to be preserved and make them accessible, both for historical and educational purposes. After all, without preservation, history is but a fading memory. This is why I value GoG so much.
You'd think Blizzard might be better off handing off Warcraft and Diablo to CD Projekt but nooooooooo.....

Granted I will admit that Warcraft 1 may have aged the worst of the lot but I have played Warcraft 2 all the way through and still think highly of it - even when this was back in 2002 and everyone was going nuts for Warcraft 3. It has a lot of charm and a humorous tone that unfortunately Blizzard seems to have forgotten about (seriously, where were the bi-intelligent Ogres in WoW?).

But hey as long as Blizzard still keeps pumping out updates for WoW they can do whatever they want, amirite?

10 Best Intros of the 5th Generation

And here we are with this blog’s 600th post! Woot!
Well I did promise I’ll do a better job with my 600th post than I did with my 500th post so what do I have in store for today? Well I decided I’d do a follow up on one of my favorite posts in this blog. Remember the best intros of the fourth generation post I did? Well today we’ll be doing the best intros of the fifth generation!

To do a post like this presents a challenge and a half: My previous post lauded intros from the fourth generation largely through their ability establish mood, drama and intent largely through the limitations of the day – and having a particular attachment to that generation helped too. Not so with the fifth generation – with the increase of technology, more restrictions were broken down and the palette the game designers could work from grew bigger. But the removal of restrictions doesn’t always mean an increase in creativity. As such, I often find myself having little to no attachment to the games of fifth generation like I have to the games both before and once.

Nevertheless, a challenge has been set and it’s one worthy to rise up to. So here are my eleven best intros of the fifth generation.


11. Independence War (PC)

Let’s start this list with a game I’ve never actually played – hence it’s lowly positon on this list. It does seem unfair true but somehow I could not go past this intro.
And could I not? It may run for fifteen minutes making it easily the longest on this list but somehow it never feels like a chore to get through. Instead, a lot is established about the game and the universe it is set in. We see multiple planets. We see a conflict being set up. We see a background and history brought forth. We see political intrigue and the desperation with fighting a war. Indeed, I’ll go so far to say that this video does the whole establishing of its own universe so well that it puts a lot of modern games to shame.
Also pleasing is the look of this universe: It has a gritty look to it and some great lighting effects that really go a long way in establishing the mood of the game. This isn’t some gung-ho idealist space opera, this is a war being fought. Its more Babylon 5 than Star Trek and is all the better for it.
Actually, now that I watch this intro, maybe this game should be worth a look…


10. Lunar: Eternal Blue (Sega CD)

Okay so I’m cheating again here seeing as this game was originally released for the Sega CD but it was also released for the PS1 so it still counts!
Anywho, what I particularly like about this intro is the art direction: I ‘m impressed by the anime-esque character designs and the horrific image of a planet being bloodily destroyed by some demonic hands. But what really makes the intro for me is the place that Lucia is wandering through: We see wall carvings describing a story that is appears to be a mixture of both history and mythology. We see wars being fought, demonic beasts wracking destruction and instances of deities providing salvation.
Whilst I’m typing this from a relative newcomer (I’ve played both Silver Star and Eternal Blue but not long enough to complete them or form an idea about the game’s mythology), it is still impressive to see this ruined fortress and how it’s been abandoned by time. Also impressive is how it’s building on what appears to be clearly the game’s own mythology. Again, I haven’t the game enough but seeing this makes me feel inspired to play the game further and find out just what this mythology is. And that’s what a game’s meant to do right? Convince you to play the game it’s attached to? In this case it is a mission well and truly accomplished.

9. Metal Gear Solid (PlayStation)

If we could, for a moment, consider the landscape of gaming in a post-Sega CD world: Full Motion Video games have turned out to be a complete joke with pretentions to offering an experience akin to a movie – but instead presenting appalling acting and little to offer the ‘game’ side of things. CD storage suddenly looks significantly less appealing and the ‘movie experience’ looks best suited to staying with the movies.
That being said, Metal Gear Solid comes across as being a revelation. Finally, we have a game that actually has the look of a genuine movie (as opposed to something shot in someone’s backyard). The voice acting is superb. There are credits for both cast and staff members. And, most importantly, it still requires player participation – a balance that sounds absurd but works like a charm.
Unfortunately, with hindsight, it is sad that future Metal Gear Solid games continued going down the movie path with extended cutscenes that required little to no involvement from the player. But for one glorious moment, it all came together for the first Metal Gear Solid game.

8. Starcraft 2: Brood War (PC)

Whilst I may have shown some contempt for fifth generation graphics, I am somewhat lenient towards the PC crowd. Maybe it’s because I was using one at the time. Or maybe some of the graphics in that area hold up the best. Or maybe PC games have an ‘ageless’ quality to them largely due to the presence of the modding crowd.
But no matter: Let’s talk about this intro. Whilst I found the intro to the original Starcraft dull, this however is more compelling. It begins with the Terran marines fighting a losing battle through the Zerg and then goes onto to introduce two characters who become of key importance in the campaign ahead as well as their intent. So much of this works so well: The rain, the thunder and the mood of hopelessness that radiates throughout the intro. Also of particular note is the music that starts off with some rockin’ guitars, which had already been established as being tied to the Terran campaign in the original game, and then evolving into something operatic, as befit the UED campaign in Brood War. For any newcomer, seeing this intro makes one eager to have a shot at this campaign and find out who Alexei and Gerard are and just what they intend to do. Which is what any good intro should do.


7. Shining Force 3: scenario 1 (Saturn)

Again I’m cheating because this is another game I’ve never played. Yes I’ve played Shining Force 1 and 2 but not 3 – this is instead another game I am relying upon purely on the intro (as well as game footage on YouTube). But what an intro! This is packed to the gills with some great imagery, with the most significant being at the end where two swordsmen face off against each other in a fire-ravaged city as a giant mech approaches. The music is fantastic, certain characters are introduced and a lot is packed into this video to convey that things do indeed happen in the game attached to it. And with the presence of elves, centaurs, winged demons, magic spells, statues that come alive and steampunk this certainly ticks all the boxes for any fantasy aficionado.
Whilst I could’ve done without the inclusion of the sound effects, this is intro, like any intro, is designed to grab the player and to that end it succeeds with flying colors. Could it be enough to hunt down a Saturn, all three installments of Shining Force 3 and learning Japanese to understand all the dialogue? Some people have so one could say that this intro may have done plenty enough.

6. Tekken 2 (PlayStation)

I recall seeing this back in the day and the first thing that sprung to mind was; “I gotta get this game”.
I could end the story right there and then as it would sound very familiar and such a reaction is the exact thing an intro is made to do. The thing is, however, I wasn’t really impressed with the original Tekken (both in the arcade and the PS1 version), but seeing this intro was a key step in convincing me that the PlayStation may be worth a damn.
So what makes this intro so special? Well, compared to it’s predecessor it looks great: The graphics look pretty good, they are devoid of the ‘blocks’ that plagued fifth generation gaming graphics (they look dumb then and still do today). The character designs are superb. And the lightening effects are also a stand out - which astonished me back in the day as I didn’t think that thing would’ve been possible. 
As for the intro itself, we’re introduced to the characters, both old faces and new, and we see enough to establish their character and their role in the game. It may not sound like much but this intro does it so well that I’ve seen similar intros done for other games but they come across a pale imitation. So whatever this intro does, it does it right. 
(and I’ll rather have this intro than the one with Heihachi’s screaming mug any day).

5. Nights Into Dreams (Saturn)

It may be a short intro but within the space of forty-three seconds, the game’s intentions are established with ease. Bright colorful graphics? Check. A mood that is both mischievous and heroic? Check. A setting both over-worldly and grandiose? Check. Visuals that support the claims made in the title? Check. Indeed, I recall seeing this intro in the mid-nineties and I was hooked. So much so, I waited for well over a decade before I downloaded the HD remake of the game on XBLA.
Okay seriously: I’m always impressed by how this intro establishes so much within such a short space of time. Some may say it’s the limitations of the Saturn hardware but I feel this is a holdover from the previous gaming generation where developers had limits as what they could do – and subsequently had to work hard and work smart to navigate around such limits. And this intro shows signs of the developers putting in the same kind of hard effort.
And the fact that this was on the Saturn, a console now notorious for having some failures of games and a mishandled PR campaign, makes such effort worth it’s weight in gold.

4. Ghost in the Shell (Playstation)

I’ve certainly talked up Sega a lot in this post – and even I can’t deny that the fifth generation was not a good time for Sega. So, for the sake of balance, let’s talk about PlayStation.
Let’s not beat around the bush: I love me some Ghost in the Shell. I thought the original movie was great, I found Stand Alone Complex superb so it was somewhat inevitable that I would eventually track down this lost treasure.
Whilst not the sequel that many people longed for it was however a follow up to the movie and, as this intro indicates, it was true to the spirit of both the movie and the original manga. Plus you get to blow shit up as a tachikoma long before Stand Alone Complex came about (clearly the game was ahead of its time).
Without a doubt, the most striking thing about this intro is the quality of animation. One thing I recall distinctly from the mid-nineties is that with the increase in storage space offered by the CD-ROM, many game developers attempted to incorporate animation into their game, in an attempt to replicate Disney or even Don Bluth. This however felt like a game that truly walked the walk. The animation is incredible, easily on par with the movie and certainly exciting to watch. Indeed, whilst I may find the blocky graphics of many PS1 games hard to take seriously this however is a delightful surprise.

3. Soul Edge (PlayStation)

Remember what I said about how every fighting game that has an intro introducing every character is a pale imitation of the one in Tekken 2? Well Soul Edge doesn’t do anything to change that opinion but it has enough clout to stand proudly on it’s own two feet.
So what we have here is one of the most rockin’ intros ever. So where do I start? The theme music kicks arse; the singer, Suzi Kim, sings with a conviction that is entertaining; each and every character gets plenty of screen time and they appear multiple times (which is more that can be said of similar intros to other fighting games). And it is absolutely glorious from start to finish.
Also of note is that this intro holds up really well years later. Yes I’ve been critical of the lasting power of fifth generation graphics but this is one intro I can watch again and again and still find entertaining. Whilst my own experience with the Soul series is with the Soulcalibur 1 and 2 – both of which have a graphical quality that still holds up today - it’s nice to know the progenitor of the series still has something of its own to say and it still works years later.

2. Final Fantasy VII (Playstation)
All right, I admit it: This intro is nothing short of impressive. Yes I’ve been critical of Final Fantasy 7, yes I think FF6 is better, yes I’m put off by the fandom this game inspired but at the end of the day, one can’t deny this is intro is incredible.
Years later, this is still jaw-dropping to watch. It must be the zoom out of Midgar. Or it could be the graphics which still look great seventeen years later.
And with hindsight, one can see how this game made many people excited and pretty much made a lot of people forget about the NES and SNES incarnations of Final Fantasy. And considering the strength of it, one can see how such a recognizable scene was used as tech demo (but the less said about that better).


And my favorite intro of the fifth generation is…

1. Planescape Torment (PC)

In coming up with this list I had something of specific criteria: The success of an intro depended on a combination of how well it established the game in-universe, how it made me interested in a game, how it worked with the technology of the day, and how many times it made me rewatch it on YouTube (as you might imagine that last one may have been the deciding factor.
Thus, the video you see above this passage of text is the intro I felt fulfilled all these criteria.
Within this video a lot is established about the game and its universe. We are introduced to both the Nameless One and Deionarra. We also see locations that later prove to be of importance –and, as players of this game would know, it pays to pay attention.  We see key themes within the game being raised with the image of the Torment insignia and the army of zombies with fingers raised in accusation.
However, what I find most interesting about this video is what is known with hindsight because (SPOILERS) as anyone who’s beaten the game would know, it is never actually revealed what the first incarnation did that inspired him to seek atonement through immortality. Thus this video is pretty much the only clues we get. We see a woman (who clearly doesn’t share Deionarra’s appearance), a guy drowning, battles being fought and a glimpse of the Nameless One as a human. What does it all mean? We’ll never know and that, in turn, is a tantalizing detail that adds to this video’s mystique.
This intro adds so much to the game. Even after I’ve beaten the game, I’m still finding things if interest in the intro and seeing how it connects with the rest of this game – which is more than many other games can claim. It’s a unique intro and here at Game Tumour we celebrate the unique. So it gets the gold star from me.

So that’s it for the 600^th post! Thank you for taking the time reading it and here’s to the next 100 posts!
 

Its! My! Blaaaawwwwwwwwddddddd!!!

I once saw someone misread the title of the Starcraft expansion Brood War as Blood War

Some thoughts:
 - Well if it's war of course there's going to be blood spilt...
 - Its a war fought over blood? Hasn't the regular human being got enough of it?

Dead Heart

Recently I sat down and watched a compilation of the cutscenes to StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swam. Yes I know it’s not sitting down and actually playing the game but I’m a busy man and I’ve things to do. Besides previously I wrote about being unimpressed with the plot to StarCraft so what do I think of this new iteration?

Let me start off by telling you all some thoughts I have about Game of Thrones. Like every man and his dog, I’ve seen the TV series and I’ve been hooked. I have not read the books but, much like the actors in the TV show, I’m not about to start due out of fear as to what is going to happen to certain characters (although a lot of character death would be a likely outcome).  However, as it pays to keep an ear to the ground, I am aware that many people are unhappy with the more recent books, Feast of Crows and Dance of Dragons, only citing little to no plot developments and the flow slowing down to glacial pace. It is as of George RR Martin has written himself in a corner with no clear direction of where he’s going with the text.  True he managed to top the  beheading of Eddard Stark  with the now notorious Red Wedding but what can George RR Martin do now?

The reason I am bringing this up is that I kind of feel the same about StarCraft: The first game may have inspired a lot of rage in me but it was an emotional reaction – and certainly not the kind that will deter me from playing StarCraft in future. This in turn raises a question: What is there left to do in the StarCraft universe?

Let’s remind ourselves of the ending of StarCraft Brood War: Through Kerrigan’s machinations, the Zerg have triumphed over all their adversaries. The Protoss civilization is on it’s knees, Arcturus’ empire is similarly ruined and the UED is obliterated. In addition, Kerrigan’s actions indicated that she made an irreversible decision to discard her humanity completely. And it is well and truly clear that she was doing what she did for…well…… the pure pleasure of it.

I’ve never understood why people rally around Kerrigan with such passion: She is a sadist, a narcissist, a cold-blooded murderess and beyond any sort of redemption. Therefore, to try and provoke any sympathy for a genocidal monster is indeed strange and baffling.  And to go back to the Game of Thrones analogy, Joffrey is widely despised and has absolutely no moments of sympathy – which in turn makes it much easier to hate the little prick.

Therefore, coming into Heart of the Swarm, I can’t escape the thought that Blizzard have this character but no idea what to do with her.

I’m not sure if Kerrigan has a purpose in Heart of the Swarm beyond ‘Hey it’s me! Kerrigan! Yeah you know me, the psychotic bitch from the first game…’. Yes having her kick arse may please her fans but at the same time, she’s is presented in a sympathetic manner. Which comes across as undoing the ruthlessness that made her character so unforgettable in the previous game. Indeed it is strange to see Kerrigan, the self-proclaimed Queen Bitch of the Universe, worry for Raynor and lay all the blame for the atrocities she committed on Arcturus. This is the same character right?
Whilst the idea of revenge against Arcturus is an understandable motivation, Kerrigan however adapts a tunnel-vision approach to it. She’s so determined, I found myself questioning the sincerity of such an undertaking. This is, after all, the same character who, in Brood War, did what she did out of her own choice – I think we’re well past the point where justification for Kerrigan’s actions is no longer required.
It is also puzzling for Kerrigan to be placed in a underdog position when, again at the end of Brood War, she was lording over a massive army of Zerg. Thus Kerrigan being worried of Arcturus’ forces is baffling and absurd – she shouldn’t be afraid of what Arcturus can muster. And she pretty much proved it by destroying his forces completely.
If anything, Kerrigan’s mission seems awfully one-sided and thus difficult, for me at least, to invest any connection. But the one-sided nature is bizarre seeing as the original StarCraft presented a conflict from the perspective of all sides involved. Thus to go against the grain like this seems a regressive step for Blizzard. What, were they worried that making Arcturus anything but deplorable may lose player investment? Funny, I recall Arcturus being both charismatic and slimy, not being an evil sod just for the sake of ‘hey we need a villain here’. 

Honestly, did everyone in the Blizzard writing staff forget everything established in Brood War?

Now I can imagine Brood War Kerrigan killing Arcturus for the lols but I don’t get that impression with Heart of the Swarm Kerrigan. In fact, I really wanted either Raynor or Arcturus to call Kerrigan out on her revenge quest by asking what she would do after she succeeds but alas that never came about.

A missed opportunity if ever there was one.

In fact I think I’m seeing parallels to Kerrigan with Kratos from God of War. In the first game, Kratos had the motivation of revenge over something that was entirely his fault. Since then however he’s discarded whatever depth he had for killing anything that moves. And no one is really questioning this. Why? Well as long he keeps tearing shit up no one will complain. HOWEVER! When one has defeated anyone and everyone who opposes you, there isn’t much else left to do.

Which is exactly what the ending of Brood War proved.

From the looks of it, the storyline insofar of Starcraft 2 seems to solely be about Raynor and Kerrigan. Right off the bat this is a bad decision as the original StarCraft had many characters who each went through a character arc. So where is everyone else? The Protoss don’t seem to have done a lot during Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm and it will be their time in the spotlight in the upcoming third game.  And where the hell is Duran?
So does this fill me with hope for the third installment of StarCraft 2? No. If anything, I can imagine the plot of the third game will be resolve everything established thus far in a manner akin to a sprint to the finish line.

And chances are, that’s most likely what will happen.

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….

Character building

Recently I sat down and watched all the StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty cutscenes on youtube. Yeah I know that’s cheating when compared to actually playing the game but fuck it: I’ve got a laundry of list of games to play, and subsequently beat, so any time saved is worth it (or something). Besides I’m only in it for the story – all gameplay is probably best left to the nation of Korea.

So what did I think of the Wings of Liberty story? Well to begin with the characters: The StarCraft universe has certainly had its fair share of fascinating characters and here the roster is expanded. I liked Dr Ariel Hanson (why didn’t you stick with her Raynor?!), Nova was cool and I also enjoyed Matt Horner. Matt in particular is of note for I’d heard people think of him as  whiny bitch but that didn’t seem to be the case – just as well as he didn’t for he WAS the PC character in the first Terran campaign in StarCraft 1. Tychus was fun with his constant hulking presence but one gets the feeling he had a story that didn’t (or has yet to be) told. Gabriel Tosh too made for an interesting presence – although what is it with Blizzard and Rastafarians? The UNN news crew, Kate and Donny, were also fun to watch.
It’s just a shame that many of the familiar faces don’t seem be handled properly: Arcturus is a far cry from the political sliminess he exhibited in the first game being reduced with little to do. Kerrigan doesn't fare better doing nothing more than sneering as if it’s the only thing she can really do. Even Raynor seems nowhere near the depressed drunk he was originally made out to be. Indeed, one gets the feeling that the Blizzard writing staff have taken these characters as far as they could in the first game – therefore is there anything left for them to do now?

Still this is but the first installment of a trilogy. Considering Blizzard’s love for producing unpredictable narratives, it would be interesting to see how this would pan out. It is possible that some faces may reappear and some questions may be resolved – but then again they said the same thing about the Star Wars prequel trilogy and look how well that turned out.
But again the question: Is there anything left for these characters to do? Granted Duran has yet to reappear, there’s the possibility that Earth may make another move following the failure of the UED (to not do so wouldn’t make a lot of sense) and it be interesting to see the balance of power shift away from the Zerg (the victors at the end of Brood War). But somehow playing WoL there is a sense that the stakes have already peaked. If anything StarCraft 1 had its dinner and the members of the StarCraft 2 trilogy are left to fight over the table scraps.
Throughout the original StarCraft there was the underlying theme that the conflict between the three factions, Terran, Zerg and Protoss, is meaningless and the only way either of them will get anywhere is through the assistance of the one of the others. I can see traces of it in the WoL narrative but Kerrigan doesn’t strike me as someone who’d willing help – she’d rather force someone to help her.

Ultimately though, this is the first part of a trilogy – two more are, of course, on their way. Only time will tell how things will end up……

Beyond the Stars

Well a new game in the Starcraft 2 trilogy is upon us in the form of Heart of the Swarm. And the question I want to ask is....

...what will Blizzard have Kerrigan do this time around?

I've already spoken on how I felt cheated out of victory at the end of Starcraft 1 but I have to give Blizzard credit: With Kerrigan, they created a character that made such an impression. As a result she is written about by academics, makes popular character lists and she inspires defenders who will stand by the Queen of Blades as a knight would the Holy Grail. It's such a response that most writers can only dream of but it does place the Blizzard writing staff in a rather awkward position:

What is there left for Kerrigan to do?

She destroys Arcturus' empire, brings the Protoss empire to it's knees, obliterates the UED, cons help out of the the other characters only to betray them and consolidates her position as unchallenged ruler of the Zerg. That's quite a lot but what is there to do? After declaring herself 'Queen Bitch of the Universe' it's near impossible to imagine Kerrigan doing something decent and to keep on acting as a destroyer can only last for so long - like until the destroyer runs out of things to destroy.

Personally, I see Kerrigan being in the same boats as Kratos and Lara Croft in that they are characters whom are being handled by writers who have no idea what to do with them (though to be fair the new Tomb Raider game shows some degree of writers having a clear goal in mind). If anything, I believe all three characters could benefit with a mirror character.  You know, someone who does the same things the protagonist does to ultimately confront said protagonist with their actions. How would Lara react if someone else was hoarding artifacts to prevent an apocalyptic catastrophe? How would Kratos react if some sod challenged him over the murder of the sod's wife simply because she was in Kratos' way? And how would Kerrigan react if some other force was razing empires as well as making and breaking alliances on a whim?
In addition I still think my idea of the restored Sarah Kerrigan going out of her way to revert back to her infested state still has weight. After all, how awesome would it be that Sarah resents her previous/human state so much that she would rather stamp it out of existence completely? It would go a long way because a lot of time is spent having Infested Kerriagn acting in a ruthless/smug fashion that seeing her get angry or insulted would make for a worthwhile change of pace.

But alas I don't work for Blizzard so whatever ideas I have aren't worth jack.
Oh well....

The Uncanny Xcom

Another game I had a go at over my Christmas break was Xcom: UFO Defense. Not the recent remake (although I've heard a lot of good things said about it), but the original from way back in 1994.
I recall my high school years, 1994-1997, to be something of a golden age for strategy games. Everyone I knew played Civilization 2, Warcraft, Command and Conquer, Dune 2 and, eventually, Starcraft. Even Syndicate and Heroes of Might and Magic 2 had it's fans. But strangely, I can't recall anyone ever playing Xcom or, as it was known in Europe and Australia, UFO: Enemy Unknown (incidentally now that I think of it I'm not sure if this game was ever released in Australia).
I was only aware of it through being an Amiga owner and even then I thought it had a really bizarre  image for the box art:

Still, with absolutely no idea what to expect, I took the plunge and played Xcom: UFO Defense.
And to be honest I was really surprised: This was completely different from the strategy games I'd grown up with. The flow of time could be altered, resources weren't in easy reach and required proper management, solider deaths actually mattered and something was always happening - even if the player wasn't aware of it. It wasn't enough buying soldiers: I had to provide guns and amour as well as engineers to build it and scientists to discover it.
And the combat sections were indeed tense affairs with the aliens suddenly appearing, dreading that every shot might miss and the loss felt when a soldier died (for the record: I kept an Xcom tradition with naming all my soldiers after people I know).

One thing I found tricky was the handling of the income: As I found out, it takes a lot of money to establish a base and fit it out with the necessities required. But, of course, you're expected to have an eye on every location on the glove and if one nation isn't getting the necessary attention - most likely because you're trying get a base going to deal with potential aliens - they will cut their funding. And this will make the task of organizing the defense even more tougher. Indeed, far too often I would find myself sitting on my thumbs wondering what to do and even advancing the time to get to the monthly payout - only to find that something else was already happening beyond my notice.

Still this is indeed game that grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go. Sure it may have had it's slow moments but somehow, the accolades of the 'Greatest PC game EVAH' somehow seem justified.
Needless to say, I do feel excited to one day tackle the remake but, I suspect, it won't be for a while yet. Why? Because I'm far too busy playing the original!

Silent Bill

I find the idea of silent game characters a rather strange choice in gaming. Why build a world where everyone can talk and interact with other bar one? Why give character a face and a name but refuse to make the final jump in giving them a voice? I just find it odd that worlds get built with so much detail but one detail is missing with the player's entry point into said world not saying single damn thing.
In fact to have a Player Character silent when everyone else isn't does portray them in a rather puzzling manner. Do they have poor social skills? Do they have trouble interacting with the people around them? Are they shut-ins who spent many years of their life cut off from the rest of the world that they missed out on some vital communication skills?
If anything, the lack of voice in a Player Character doesn't really suggest anything about them: What they think, how they view the world around them and how they perceptive being repeatedly handed tasks to complete for the populace. The last point is of particular note: We know the scenario: The Player Character is given tasks by the populace in order to advance further in the game - but the PC accepts this without a second thought. But really how does he/she really feel about this? Would they get irate that no one can do things for themselves? Would he/she get annoyed that he/she's continually getting sidetracked from their main quest? I think Lenny Bruce said it best when he declared that: 'Take away the right to say "fuck" and you take away the right to say "fuck the government."'

Yet many gamers think otherwise - and as result, the likes of Link, Samus Aran and Gordon Freeman are continually thought highly of in gaming circles. The reason being is that because the character is silent, the gamer is free as they please to build their own opinion about them. I guess that argument has weight with one's personality being built up through one's actions rather than the words spoken - and previous attempts to make a personality (ie Legend of Zelda cartoon and Metroid Other M), have been pathetic to say the least. That may be the case but I refuse to accept the idea that the silent character is meant to be the eyes of the gamer in the game world. They aren't me: Why? Because they have an appearance and a name that I don't really have a say in. The characters I've played in both Baldurs Gate and World of Warcraft are mine because I made them and guided them through their
respective game worlds - whereas Link is....... well.... everyone's Link.

So yeah, for me playing a character who already has a name and face but no voice doesn't mean they are me in the game itself. If anything, the games that want to involve the player themselves are those that a) address them directly, b) make the player feel like they're making some kind of difference and c) remove any visual representation of the PC.
That being said I think the games that have done this best are Starcraft and Bioshock. Starcraft did so by having a well-written script with characters address the player directly - helped considerably by some solid voice acting - and really created the impression the player was making a difference. Bioshock also took a brave step by refusing to make any visual reference to the PC (apart from hands and a bit of arm) and through placing the player in situations that challenged linear gameplay.

So, if anything, building a character a face, a name but no voice strikes me as a little odd - like a runner that jumps numerous hurdles but then chooses to not clear the last one. If this is a character that's meant to represent me, the player, then why do I have a set name and appearance?

Times they are a-changin'

As Mists of Panderia rumbles ever so closer, the latest patch of WoW is let loose. Some changes have been made, no doubt to keep in line with the latest expansion, and to be honest? I do not like some of them. Granted such a response is atypical of a system that is in command of thousands upon thousands of users but some of the changes made are jarring and, in most cases, come across as unnecessary.

The biggest two changes for me are the Talent Trees and the glyphs. With the talent trees have disappeared – in its place is a far simpler system of selecting one particular skill every so often and other skills being implemented into the character class. Funny thing is, I actually sat down and plotted out a plan for my characters to take with their respective talent trees. Funnily enough such effort now feels redundant.

And the glyph system! I really enjoyed the glyphs but now the Prime glyphs have been dropped and all of the glyphs have had dramatic changes to their effects. Again this is cause for redundancy: I’ve spent a lot of time and money on obtaining certain glyphs for certain characters. I even had one of my characters, Naesandra, to make glyphs for an entire guild. It took a lot of hard effort on both accounts but now it seems it was all for nothing.

I’m not sure why these changes have come about. The glyphs and the talents trees were working just fine the way they were and Blizzard come across as trying to fix something that wasn’t broken in the first place. Indeed, it has been stated that WoW’s numbers have dropped dramatically and the once untouchable game is now looking like it’s running out of juice. Thus one would think Blizzard are trying to stay ahead of some potentially stiff completion (Guild Wars 2 anyone?). Granted I do understand the necessity of staying ahead of the competition in such a cut-throat business but why change that which didn’t need it? Why not fix something that was actually broken? I can think of several quests in the other expansions that were utter rubbish and could’ve well dome with some fixing.

But I think the biggest slap in the face was, for me, putting a lot of hard effort into this game and it ultimately didn’t matter one damn thing. I once made mention that I felt cheated by Blizzard by the ending of Starcraft but that’s nothing compared to this. Why, one would think that Blizzard are deliberately going out of their way to get people to hate them – which is never a good business model.

Still this patch does represent one more drastic change in a line of many in WoW’s evolution. Why, I started playing WoW with Cataclysm and have grown accustomed to the system that was presented within such a context. Therefore I can only wonder what WoW would’ve looked like in its original incarnation.….

Blessed are the Peace Makers

Last week I heard about a game called Peace Maker - a project done by a bunch of univeristy students that made it's way into a fully-fledged game. But what got my attention was it was billed as a strategy game where peace solutions were the only way to win. Now I like my strategy games having played both Starcraft and Civilization to death so hearing someone propose a new entrant to the genre where actual conflict is the quickest way to lose? That sound downright awful on paper but hey, if someone has the balls (or stupidity) to go against the grain than that's fine by me.
Another selling point is the fact this is a 'serious' game and working to convey a genuine point: The game itself is set in the Gaza Strip and aimed at bringing the Israelis and the Palestinians to a peaceful resolution. 'Inspired by real events' the game blurb proclaims. Well I'm all for games actually working to say something worthwhile (not to mention looking for ammunition to use against the anti-gaming crusaders) so my curiosity was piqued: I went to the Peace maker homepage and downloaded the game for myself.

Needless to say, I was not sure what to expect out of the final product.
To begin with, unlike other strategy games, the player does not assume the role of an army commander - no, instead the player's role is more akin to that of a politician. There are no armies to build up - instead it's a simple matter of making decisions and seeing how they play out. Again, it sure sounds like a concept that shouldn't work - but somehow it does. With each player turn, a decision needs to be made in order to progress - decisions such as construction projects and negotiations with the other factions. But what is interesting is just how these decisions work: The outcome of each decision is indeed unpredictable and there's no guarantee they will yield the desired result. More often than not, good new (e.g educational programs being implemented) walks hand in hand with bad news (e.g. people being killed by a suicide bomber). And if that isn't enough, each decision results in a reaction from the opposition and the world so maintaining a balance is trickier than it sounds.
 
I played the Palestinian campaign for my first play-through and achieved victory within the space of an evening. And I was impressed by how such a simple game can have such an effect on me as the player: Often I found myself bearing witness to some setbacks and thinking 'What Do I Do now?'. And the unpredictable nature of the decision outcomes often left me in a state of nervous anticipation/dread in seeing how they'd play out. And such was this effect that each small step of progression felt like a victory and winning was an ultimate triumph.
The game is billed as being inspired by real-life events and it shows with use of real-life footage and images. Indeed, I felt like I had learned a lot about the Middle East conflicts from the exeprience - perhaps more than any news program could ever hope to. And having played Peace Maker, it really seems that a peaceful resolution between the Israelis and the Palestinians can be possible - now if only the right people will listen....
Mind you, one thing Peace Maker makes clear is just how difficult being a Politician is when you have to please everyone and the rest of the world is watching. And for a gem to do that is indeed something.

So to wrap this up, I enjoyed Peace Maker and for a game to reach me to some degree of an emotional level is indeed an impressive feat. I have wondered in the past if peaceful solutions could work in a strategy genre, where guns and blood dominate, and it would now seem possible.
Needless to say, I've always wanted games to be able to convey ideas and possibilities beyond shooting people in the head so Peace Maker is indeed a step in the right direction.
Now if only more people would put down that  sniper rifle long enough to play it....

Forty Thousand and Two

Last weekend I finally got my computer upgraded (thanks Stephen!) so I finally got the chance to play some games that have been on my shelf due to them being beyond the capabilities of my last computer. So the lucky first would be the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series.

Now I've had a long standing interest in Warhammer (both FB and 40k) stretching back to my high school days so this, for me, is the closest thing to a 'real-life' representation (for lack of better choice of words): Finally after years of text and artwork, we have actual voices, buildings, and movement. Okay sure hearing all Eldar speak in monotone voices was a big surprise to say the least but, for a long-term fan, this was pretty good to see the universe actual brought to life - and, whilst not the first game to be based on the Warhammer universe, it was the first to actually treat it seriously.

Whilst this is not the first time I've played Dawn of War it is however the longest I've spent on it. The Space Marines are great (although the lack of Space Wolves is annoying), the Eldar are great (even if I find their monotone voices far too hilarious), Chaos is hilarious and the Imperial Guard aren't too bad either.
But as a RTS game, I will admit that Dawn of War is compelling: Having grown accustomed to the formula that gave rise to Warcraft, Starcraft and the Command and Conquer series, it's interesting to see things done differently. No resource gathering (which honestly was something I found quite tedious with the Blizzard/Westwood Studios trinity) but in it's place is claiming objectives. The leader attachment to squads is kinda handy and it is indeed welcome to see a focus on building actual armies as opposed to a small empire. Indeed, it is great to get the tedious elements of RTS get discarded in favor of actually building a force to go crack some heads. Of course this may not be first time such a thing has happened but it is a welcome change from someone who keeps surrendering to the siren call of Starcraft,

So yes, I like Dawn of War, as a fan of 40k and fan of RTS games. Now if you will excuse me, I must keep on crushing heretics in the Emperor's name...

31 Songs (no.3)

And welcome to part 3 of this ongoing series of video game music. Today, we head into the fifth generation. Now things are a little different than before: In previous posts, I made mention that I grew up with the games of the previous generations. But during the fifth generation of consoles, my interest in gaming was being directed away and I missed out on a lot - much of which was eventually rediscovered years later. Thus, this post is going to be based on looking through a past generation through a perspective both new and adult.
Will it make a difference? Let's find out...

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - Dracula's Castle

Well when you call your game a Symphony it’s kind of expected that the music be top-notch right? Well not only does Symphony of the Night achieve this goal but it surpasses it many times over.
Symphony of the Night is often considered one of the finest soundtracks ever made in the history of gaming and rightly so. Whilst many other soundtracks may age with time and technological advancements, Symphony of the Night is in a class of its own. It has a timeless quality that can proudly hold up some fourteen years later. And it certainly has a lot of variety and colour throughout, touching many styles and succeeding: Choral voices, classical pieces, rock guitars and even a dancey number – it may sound cluttered but somehow it works and even maintains the gothic horror mood that made the Castlevania series famous. In fact, I could say this is one of the few soundtracks that could actually work without the game: on it’s own it sounds dark, sinister and strangely beautiful. Much like Symphony of the Night itself.
Thus I, once again, am spoiled for choice when it comes to selecting one piece for the purposes of this list. Requiem for the Gods, Abandoned Pit, Lost Paintings and Heavenly Doorway are all beauties but I’ve decided to go with Dracula’s Castle. It is the first theme heard when the player enters the castle as Alucard and pretty much sets up the mood for what’s to follow. It’s nightmarishly scary but at the same time, wonderful.
You know, I recall playing Symphony of the Night at a friend's place and someone heard Lost Paintings and said: “That’s nice music”. And this was without looking at the TV screen. Sometimes moments like that can count for so much.


Chrono Cross - Unsealed Jewel

It seems that each time I do a post to this series I must, at some point, break my own guidelines. Yes this game wasn’t released in Australia, yes I never played it, and yes I’m basing this theme purely on what I’ve heard but damn is this a sweet theme.
For me, I have no idea what this song is implying: I don’t know what the singer is singing, I don’t know what context this is being used in the game (okay I do: it’s the ending cinematic) and I have no idea what the point, if any, is trying to be conveyed. But you know what? I don’t care. This is such a simple song and it works well. I love the singing, the guitar playing and the peaceful mood this song manages to project. And that’s the beauty of it: It doesn’t need the game to work for me. I can listen to this and still enjoy it without playing the game. And for a game theme to do that is indeed a substantial accomplishment – and an accomplishment that happens much rarely than one would realise.
In fact, as I found out, it’s quite nice to listen to when you go outside in the morning and watch the sun rise. It’s also nice to listen to when you wake up in the morning nursing a large hangover.


Command and Conquer - Act on Instinct

I must say I’ve always had a soft spot for the work of Command and Conquer composer Frank Klepacki. It's a great combination with the metal guitars and industrial beats – even to the point that when I play the previous Command and Conquer games now I’m still impressed that the music like this was still being made in the mind-nineties. It was as if someone decided that music in computer games was going to get serious and, years later, it would seem they were successful.
So what can I say about Act on Instinct? Well not a lot really: There’s a lot going on in this song with the bass, the pounding drums and the sound effects. But honestly what makes this theme for me is that four note keyboard part that appears halfway through the piece. It’s the dealmaker for me, even to the point that I rewind those parts of the song just here it again. Although I’m not entirely sure why I like to so much – but then again, there is the fear that if I try to explain it may not work in the same light ever again.
So yes, Act on Instinct is a rockin’ theme. And this must rank as one of the few game themes that can actually work outside the game: As I found out, this is actually a really good theme to listen to in the car.


Command and Conquer: Red Alert - Hell March

Die Waffen legt an!
Well it was hard to choose one piece from the repertoire of Frank Klepacki so I went with his other best known theme. And could I not? This is a theme with plenty of bite and perfect for charging into battle with guns blazing. Or behind the wheel of a tank.
This is pretty much a battle theme – even to the point of being shameless in its intent. It’s loud, powerful and pretty much just the thing to get one’s blood pumping. It may have been intended for a strategy game but it could work equally well for a shooter. Or a death match LAN. Open fire? Hell yes.
Everything here seems to work: The rumbling bass demands attention before the drums kick in and the guitars come charging in. And it must’ve succeeded so well because it’s been remixed for the Red Alert sequels
Now I’m not a big fan of metal music – I do enjoy it yes but I’m nowhere near the hyper serious fans that flock to it’s banner – But I have to say this works for me far more than a lot of metal bands I’ve heard. And all for a computer game no less! And if such a theme can cross such barriers then you know you’ve done something right.


Deus Ex - Opening Theme

Yes it’s another no-brainer but its inclusion is there for a reason. For one of the main goals for any opening theme is to pretty much establish the mood and establish a line of thinking that the player must abide to. And this theme is shining example of that principle. I hear this now and I immediately think cyberpunk, X-Files-esque conspiracies and saving the world from catastrophe – pretty much what Deus Ex is all about. I can picture all of this is achieved even without a single image being shown. In fact I bet you could play this to anyone without a prior knowledge of Deus Ex and they'll pick it up straight away. And if your opening theme can do that then you're onto a winner indeed.
I also like the orchestral arrangements and the pounding drums throughout. And let us not forget: At the end of the day is a pretty damn good tune.
Not much more I can say except, I must confess that nowadays I, unfortunately, can’t hear this song without thinking: “Put on a trenchcoat, and fight some conspiracies, Get experience and level up abilities…”


Final Fantasy 9 - Crossing The Hills

You know what? Of all the Final Fantasy games I’ve played, I would have to say that no.9 has the strongest soundtrack of all. And I’m not the only one: Nobuo Uematsu himself has even ranked no.9 as his favourite. So who am I to argue?
And once again I face the difficult process of selecting one track on a soundtrack that’s packed to the gills with gems. I love The Place I’ll Return to Someday. I love Awakened Forest. I love Freya’s theme. I love Burmecian Kingdom. I love You Are Not Alone!. Much like Secret of Mana, in the previous post, if I could the entire soundtrack on this list I damn well would’ve. But no, I’ve broken enough of my own self-imposed rules already so we must go with one. And the lucky winner is Crossing the Hills.
One thing I like about this, and this may sound kind of bizarre, is whilst this used as a world/journeying theme, it doesn’t sound anything like an atypical journeying theme. I wouldn’t associate this with exploring a world – I would think it more a theme to a storybook being read than a game.
And that’s what’s kinda cool about it. I mentioned in my best endings post that Final Fantasy IX does come across as taking the storybook approach – perhaps more so than it’s brethren – and this theme really is representative of that intent.
But this is just me rambling. Simply put: I like this song, I think it’s great so just listen to it and draw your own conclusions.


Metal Gear Solid - The Best is Yet to Come

Well seeing have I’ve spoken at length of the emotional impression Metal Gear Solid’s ending had on me having The Best is Yet to Come on this list shouldn’t come to a surprise to the regular viewer of this blog. But who am I kidding? It’s a great song and one of those rare songs that still sound great no matter how many times one hears it.
Mind you, Celtic folk isn’t something you’d hear in any video game at all, let alone a military drama but here it works. And as the title suggests, the Best is Yet to Come: Snake completed his mission and ultimately found himself and a new purpose in life and hearing this haunting tune only adds to that truth. The fact that it is accompanied by the footage of the Alaskan wildlife, where life truly does go on, only adds more to it.
But again, this is one theme that exists freely beyond the confines of its original purpose. I can hear this when I’m feeling low and it helps. For tomorrow is another day. The problems that came before are meaningless. Things can get better and every moment in this life counts. It may sound cheesy but to find a theme that can work without it’s accompanying game is a rare thing. But to find such a life-affirming theme in a video game is certainly an achievement in itself. Who would’ve guessed that video game music could do such a thing?!


Shining Force 3 - Scenario 1 opening theme

I’ve played the Shining Force games that came out on the Megadrive and I enjoyed them very much. But I have issue with the music: It sounds ghastly and has aged rather horribly. So much so I can barely listen to instead preferring to mute it and put on some Dragon Force.
Thus hearing this, the opening to Shining Force 3 (scenario 1) on the Saturn, comes largely as a shock: Instead of some Megadrive ditty, we get a full orchestral piece accompanied by the rapping of military drums. It sounds epic, heroic and more representative of the game, a strategy RPG, as a whole. The fact that this is playing during the opening cinematic – which features the unforgettable image of two warriors facing off against each other in a crumbling fire-ravaged city as a giant mech approaches – is the icing on the cake.
Indeed, listening to this theme now to me sounds like the composers finally had an opportunity to work beyond the technological restrictions previously presented to them and are relishing it for all it’s worth. As such whereas the previous Shining Force games have had soundtracks consisting of rather chirpy sounding little ditties, this, along with the rest of the soundtrack, sounds much more serious and indeed more befitting of an army fighting its way through countless battles. Indeed one feels that this is the soundtrack that the Shining Force games deserved all along.
Not much else to say but there have been many heroic themes throughout fantasy games but none of them can match this: More than anything that came before it, or even after it, this is the sound of an army marching to war.


Starcraft - Terran Theme 1

It’s the Korean National Anthem!
Okay seriously, much like the Command and Conquer themes, this is pretty much a battle theme, designed to get the blood pumping and create the mood of building an army, storming across the battlefield and annihilating anything stupid enough to get in your way. Whilst the first part, the orchestral arrangements that came with the UED campaign in Brood War, is impressive by it’s self, the real meat comes in the rock part. I love the moody bass and the guitar work but the real treat comes in the keyboard work (Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-Bah, Bah, Bah bahhhh!!!). In any case, this theme works as being many parts being put together to produce a compelling whole.
Of course the rest of the soundtrack to Starcraft is pretty cool in itself. But what I find particularly interesting is that this theme, and indeed the rest of the Terran music, is more akin to conventional music from a strategy game. Thus the themes to the Protoss and the Zerg are less about convention and more building a mood to go with the race in question. Thus the Zerg get themes with industrial electronics, squealing guitars and a sense of being evolved to destroy. And the Protoss get orchestral themes, a sombre mood and the sense that a once glorious civilisation is pretty much on it’s knees. It’s an unusual move for a strategy game but in my mind, makes it all the better for it.

So that's it for the fifth generation. Already, game music was evolving at an impressive rate and delivering some unforgettable tunes. So what can the sixth generation do? Tune in next week to find out...

Open Your Heart of the Swarm

Well what have we got here? Well golly me, if it isn't the trailer for the next installment of Starcraft 2!



Whilst I've never played Wings of Liberty (call it due to having a shit computer), I am aware of what happens in that Raynor is set out to retrieve Kerrigan's humanity and revert her from her infested state. And, by the end of the campaign, he achieves some degree of success.
However, judging from the above trailer, it seems that such effort has all been for naught as Sarah is gone forever and Infested Kerrigan is pretty much here to stay. Again, going from this trailer, this revelation would come about in one of the Terran labs as the game progresses.

But there is something about this that doesn't sit well with me. Whilst I may have criticized the ending of Starcraft before, I have to make a concession in that Kerrigan was actually a nasty villain. In the Zerg campaign in Brood War, I wasn't seeing Kerrigan's actions as part of a quest for vengeance - and as such, my perception of her changed into that of a sadist - doing all these terrible things just seemingly for the hell of it. And that indeed raised up the intimidation factor, indeed necessary for any villain, and left a greater impact.
That being said, this element of tragedy doesn't work for me at all. The story of Kerrigan's past doesn't mean anything at all as it diminishes the nastiness Infested Kerrigan eventually led to (and the fact that was established outside the game). As such the tragic element stinks of a cop-out.
Now there have been some tragic baddies in film, books and Shakespearean plays but they are all pre-planned stories and the audience has to sit and watch them play out - Whereas video games are more interactive and the demand participation from someone who has a say in how things flow. Thus, I don't support the idea of video game baddies being tragic: They are they to be mean, nasty, and give a sense of a goal worth working towards. By way of example, I don't give two shits about Sephiroth's background - his stabbing of Aerith is a good enough excuse to go and smash him in the face.

So do I think I could do better? Why yes I do. If I were in charge I would've done it differently in that Raynor eventually succeeds in restoring Sarah and eventually takes part in integrating her back to humanity. BUT! The memories of being an infested haven't been extinguished and subsequently haunt Sarah. HOWEVER! After witnessing the memories of what she did as an Infested, Sarah actually enjoys what she did. This, along with perceiving being a human as a worthless pursuit, prompts Kerrigan to actively go out to return herself to her Infested state thus ultimately undoing all Raynor's efforts and retaining her self-proclaimed status as Queen Bitch of the Universe.

Of course, this is all just speculation - based on a trailer.
How it effects the game, or course, remains to be seen....

Favourite Gaming Heroes

Well who would've thunk it? I've hit two hundred posts in this blog! Yay me! Well any feat is as good as any so to acknowledge this milestone, something special.
Last year I posted a length post about my favourite gaming heroines. Since then it’s become my most popular post on this blog. So what the hell – I may as well do a long post about the other side of the coin: My Favourite Gaming Heroes!
Admittedly, taking up this task is a lot harder than coming up with a list of favourite heroines – purely because there are a lot more candidates. Nevertheless, I eventually settled on heroes that I liked, were unique in their own way or established some sort of connection with. That being said, there may be some glaring exclusions (well at least in someone else's eyes) but in that case either a) the missing hero didn't make that much of an impression or b) I haven't played (or have yet to play) the game in question.

So here we go: My favourite gaming heroes. If I ever needed to get some people together to form a posse, these are the dudes I’ll call:

11 – Kratos (God of War)
I love this guy. At a time when Playstation games were defined by pretty-boy types (ie Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts) along comes a protagonist who’s completely different: Ugly, muscular and violent in a brutal unflinching method. Of course, such qualities would make anyone a detestable character but here it works: I don’t know why though - maybe it’s the fear that arguing with Kratos would probably result in one getting their head caved in.
Of course, part of the appeal is that the original God of War game benefited from great writing. Seeing the lead character commit suicide at the very beginning is a strong opening move and commands attention. And as the story progressed, decent motivation was supplied in the form of revenge. In addition, the fact that it was pretty much all Kratos’ stupid fault and the extraordinary lengths he had to go to undo it all made the narrative ever the more epic and compelling.
Sadly, in the subsequent sequels, Kratos has become less interesting. Without a decent motivation, Kratos now comes across as being a violent jerk just for the sake of it. Suddenly the striking first image we see of him (plummeting to his death) is forgotten and Kratos comes across as being a parody of himself: Being a kill-crazy, revenge-obsessed psychotic because that’s pretty much all he’s good at. But that isn’t true and, as a result, Kratos claims the lowly position on this list.
Still, if you need something big and ugly dead, this is the man to call.


10 - Auron (Final Fantasy X)
The Final Fantasy games have no shortage of heroes so choosing from them is a daunting task. So after much consideration, I eventually decided to go with Auron – I mean I could’ve gone with Cloud but that seemed too obvious.
Final Fantasy X may have Tidus as the main character and Yuna’s quest as the focal point, but it is still Auron who steals the show. And who can blame him? A hard-bitten veteran warrior carrying a blade as big as himself, a man of mystery and wisdom about the alien world that is Spira, a modern-day samurai who carries with him a huge bottle of grog and perhaps the only sane one in the entire party. What’s not to like?
Whilst there have been warriors of the noble/tragic vein in previous Final Fantasy games (Freya Crescent being one such example), Auron is perhaps the accumulation of them all – He is the sole survivor of Lord Braska’s party and taking the uncompleted mission onto the next generation through a promise made to both Braska and Jecht. He bares the burden of being a man out of time and one who won’t go until his uncompleted task is finally done. But with the task left undone, Auron has left a terrible trail in his wake: He openly defied a system and ended up being cursed and restless for his trouble. Whilst this is familiar fare for the ‘veteran warrior’ archetype, Auron pulls it off in away that is all his own. Not sure how he does it though: Is it his cool head in times of crisis? Is it his connection with Tidus that makes him the likely target to find what the hell’s going on? Is because his VA actually did a good job?!
Or maybe it’s because he can cleave through the monsters like a hot knife through butter.


9 - Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil 4)
I came into the Resident Evil games rather late: Although I knew of them, I never actually played them (although, admittedly, it wasn’t hard to identify Jill Valentine in her RE3 incarnation). Therefore, like a whole lot of other people, I only got interested in the Resident Evil series through RE4. So whilst Leon may have appeared in RE2 I honestly don’t care: No.4 is where he made an impression on me and that’s where he comes in with this list.
One of the golden rules for writing a story is never make things easy for one’s protagonist. And boy does Leon go through a whole lot of hell: Sure he starts off having to rescue the president’s kidnapped daughter but what he ends up doing is dealing with psychotic villagers, dealing with psychotic monks and then psychotic pirates. He has to contend with a potential love interest who knows more then she’s letting on, grotesque monsters that just won’t lay down and die, so many people who want to see him dead and, worst of all, a shrill little bitch who can’t do jack except whining and getting kidnapped. It’s a succession of increasing disaster that would break a lesser man but not Leon.
Thus I give credit to Leon: He’s a cop turned government agent. He carries around a case of guns and ammo that miraculously halt everything when he needs to change weapons. And he still goes through hell only to come out the other side still standing. Leon’s a hero worth cheering for every step of the way and definitely someone you’d want watching your back.


8 - The Prince (Prince of Persia Sands of Time)
As an aspiring writer, I can tell you one of the rules of writing a compelling character is something called a ‘resurrection’. The story begins with a character being presented but as the story progresses they go through various trials and tribulations – thus by the end they came out the other end as someone completely different and unable to return to the person they once were. Whilst there have been several gaming characters to undergo this process, the one I feel works best is the Prince from the Sands of Time.
At the beginning, I didn’t like the Prince at all. But as the game progressed, I found him growing on me. Through the progress of the game, it’s interesting to see how the Prince hardens through the various obstacles that come his way and how, as character, he evolves from a snobby prick. He is a capable fighter, an excellent story teller and, by the end, the journey really feels worth it. I particularly like the ending, how he is pretty much the only left who knew exactly what happened and he leaves Farah in a state of bewilderment.
Ultimately, I hold the Prince as a fine example of character development done right and perhaps the best example of the resurrection theory. Now if only other game developers will catch on….


7 - Armakuni (Last Ninja series)
I can imagine some of you young pups might be saying “Who?” at this point so allow me to explain: My gaming days began when I was a kid on the eighties with the Commodore 64 – and if you had a Commodore 64 you had the Last Ninja games. It was that essential game one needed (the Halo of it's day if you will) and for good reason. At the time (late eighties), it provided a then innovative mixture of action and adventure where a ninja traversed through a 3d isometric environment collecting items and weapons, fighting bad guys, solving problems and going through fiendishly difficult jumping sections all accompanied by a rockin’ soundtrack involving a C64 SID chip being pushed to the limit. Although mostly forgotten now, it’s hard to imagine many games existing without it (Tomb Raider comes to mind).
Which brings me to Armakuni, the titular character. The game manual revealed quite a lot about his motivations: His ninja clan defied the tyrannical shogun Kunitoki who responded by having then all killed in massacre at a sacred temple. Armakuni was the survivor (through not being at the temple for some reason) and he takes it upon himself to go out for revenge. And Armakuni must be extremely pissed off to do so. Why? His vengeance-filled eyes became the box art (see above), informing that this is a ninja who isn’t fucking around - and subsequently providing one of the most unforgettable images in gaming history.
And in the sequel things started getting weird with Armakuni and Kunitoki somehow being transported through time to modern day New York (?!?) where the ninja finds himself running the gauntlet with psychotic cops, homicidal motorcyclists and the dangers of the modern world.
Growing up with the Commodore 64, Armakuni was one of my heroes – he was smart, a capable fighter and his quest for vengeance was one worth following through with. The time-travel plot was odd to say the least but it was indeed compelling to see a warrior from the feudal era adapt to a completely alien environment. And hey, anyone who can make nunchucks out of the flusher chains found in women’s toilets (yes you read that right) deserves some credit.


6 - Zidane Tribal (Final Fantasy 9)
Well there’s always room for another Final Fantasy character.
Selecting Zidane for this list is more drawn from my own experience: of all the Final Fantasy games I’ve played, Zidane was the one who I had the greatest connection with. But I’m still not sure why this is so: Was he a character who’s actually likable? Did he win me over with his womanising and his humour? Was his romance with Garnet one of those rare gaming romances that’s actually compelling? Or was he a welcome change of pace following after the cheerlessness of Cloud and Squall?
No matter: I liked Zidane a lot and I found his adventures across Final Fantasy IX compelling enough to follow all the way to the end. Even for an old, grumpy gamer like myself I couldn’t help but like the thief and his chipper/plucky/never-say-die outlook on life. In the game itself, Zidane is the representation of Virtue. And whilst virtue is usually a formula for a wimpy, so-good-it’s-sickening type character, Zidane pulls it off so well you can’t help but cheer him on. It also helps that Zidane’s cheerfulness is balanced out with him bearing the burden of loneliness and the knowledge of what his purpose is. All of this makes for a fascinating character.
I think his character description in the game manual said it all: “You don’t need a reason to help people.” It’s a philosophy that many a game character may have followed but, IMHO, Zidane is the one who embodies it fully. Go the monkey boy!


5 - James Raynor (Starcraft)
As much as I resent the narrative of Starcraft I have must give at least some credit to the writers at Blizzard: They managed to create a universe and populate it with three very different races. Each one with their own personality, motivations and colourful characters who each have their own unique voice in the game.
That being said, out of the characters in the game, James Raynor has to be the most human - an obvious statement true but still an impressive feat in a game populated by hostile aliens. He is the guy who's giving it his all but all he does is come out the other side empty-handed. And that’s what makes him so fascinating. He tries to do the best for the human colonies but he’s persecuted for doing so. He sides with an idealistic revolutionary (Arcturus) who ultimately turns out to be a power-hungry prick no better than those in the Confederacy. He has an attraction towards Kerrigan who in turn gets corrupted by the Zerg and stabs Raynor in the back (multiple times). Raynor then sides with the Protoss only to get caught up in a civil war. He then joins the fight back against the Zerg and the UED only to have those he called friends and allies dropping like flies. And because of his past failures, he ends up hitting the bottle and being surrounded by various people who try to influence his line of thinking.
Yet in the end, it’s an impressive feat that Raynor manages to stay standing. Whereas any lesser man would’ve buckled and gone nuts, Jimmy Raynor somehow staggers onward. And give him credit: When the rest of the universe goes insane and everyone’s out for themselves, at least there’s someone putting himself on the line for so many others – more so when it yields little in return.
So yes Raynor works for me as a classic example of the thankless hero – and hey, if I saw him in a bar I’d buy him a beer ;)


4 - Vyse (Skies of Arcadia)
Back in 2000, when everyone was intent on arguing on whether or not Cloud could out-emo Squall, along came a breath of fresh air: Vyse, the star of the ace RPG Skies of Arcadia. Now I will admit that I have a soft spot for this guy. And how could I not? He certainly has a lot going for him: He’s courageous, witty and certainly able to keep a cool head in any crisis situation. He is hardly one to back down from a challenge – when faced with the impossible Vyse wouldn’t run – in fact seeing it as impossible would be more than enough reason to try it himself. In addition, Vyse has an adventurous spirit, and is an able commander of his own ship who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and lead from the front.
But what I get the most out of Vyse is indicated by the opening sentence to that last paragraph: It seems he was made out to be an open defiance to the moody anti-heroes popularised by SquareEnix. When trouble arose, Vyse wasn’t the type to sit around moaning or grumbling – no way, he was too busy taking a stand and finding his own path. When placed in a group of companions, Vyse didn’t act resentful or anything – no he made every effort to inspire his crewmates. And when he was deemed a criminal by the opposing tyrannical empire, Vyse was laughing every step of the way.
In short, whilst Vyse may not be as well-known as other JRPGs leads but there certainly is a lot to like about him. So much so, it made his journey through Skies of Arcadia one worth taking. And for me, Vyse is a strong enough lead to make good reason to hang onto my Dreamcast and Skies of Arcadia - I'm not one to replay JRPG's but Skies of Arcadia is a rare exception.
So yeah, Vyse certainly a captain I would follow – and anyone who can fight with a blade in each hand is a winner in my book.


3. Link (Legend of Zelda series)
Link! He come to town! Come to SAVE! The Princess Zel-Dah! Ganon took her away, now the children don’t play, but they will when Link saves the day – HALLUJEAH!!!!
*ahem* Well what can I say about Link that hasn’t been said before?
Well for one thing, Nintendo seem to be very good at building an everyman figure: The hero whom the player can latch onto and serve as their avatar in a world that’s waiting to be explored. Like stable-mate Mario, Link is an ordinary Joe who gets thrust into some world-spanning adventures and ultimately ends up saving the day. And it is indeed important to build such a connection between player and character - something a lot of game designers these days seem to forget.
Also kind of cool is that Link is something of pioneer: the child/youthful character who goes on an epic quest to save the world (or something). Along the way, he goes through various trials and tribulations but he doesn’t seem at all bothered at all – all he knows is that his quest is a noble one and worth seeing all the way to the end. Such a metaphor is taken to a literal sense in Ocarina of Time as Link starts as a child but ends as a young adult. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine the likes of Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Ico, that kid from Limbo, or even both the afore-mentioned Zidane and Vyse without Link.
Granted it’s a bit annoying that Link is a silent character – He has a face and a name so from the perspective of being a player avatar, as opposed to a character, it is kind of off-putting. As such I’ve often wondered what Link really felt being hailed as the Hero of Time and constantly being roped into doing various small tasks from one end of Hyrule to the other. He’s described as being humble in this adulation but to me he strikes me as being caught up in something whether he likes it or not. One has to wonder if Link ever stops and wonders ‘Do I have to do EVERYTHING?!?!?!?’ (or is it my job as the player to do so?).
But from a personal level, Link is my bridge to the world that is Hyrule: Through countless hours of exploring and adventuring, I actually felt a connection to the character like no other. I went with him on an adventure and I felt every blow, the delight of finding something new and the relief of solving a baffling problem. For a silent character he certainly has loads of personality than his more talkative brethren. In a way, Link is my buddy and a guy worth traveling with.
That being said, I like Link a lot and he still claims the number three position on this list. The fact that I’m willing to cosplay as this guy does indeed say a lot (pun not intended).


2. Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid)
Snaaaaake! Snaaake! Oooooh it’s a snnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake!!!!! (okay I’ll stop that now)
Those who’ve been following this blog will know that I’ve talked about Metal Gear Solid, Solid Snake and the emotional impact the game had on me so what more can I add? Well Snake is a capable fighter, intelligent and the best in the infiltration/sneaking business. He is the reluctant hero – one who knows all about doing right but being far from willing to actually do it. He may save the day true but mostly because he’s got nothing better to do.
But most importantly of all, much like the Prince, the Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 1 is another fine example of the character resurrection. He starts out without direction and in a state of resignation but by the end he comes out a completely different person determined to make his limited time on earth count – but whilst it may sound cheesy in text, in the game itself it’s pulled off in a manner that seems genuine, believable and not in any way that could considered false.
Really, the mark of a great character is when they leave an emotional resonance on you, the audience, or this case the participant. The only difference is whereas in a book or a movie the audience are watching a group of characters run through a course of pre-determined actions and events, a game presents a situation where the audience becomes an active participant and has a say in the way things proceed. Therefore, the participant can become more of an accomplice to the character, the journey they take and the actions they do. Whilst I may have built up such a connection with Link on several occasions, Solid Snake however is in a class of his own. His journey is much less saving the world than it is saving himself – and we went along with the whole odyssey to a point where it rubbed off on myself, the player.
So much so that in the days since whenever I’ve faced a problem or difficult decision there have been times when I’ve caught myself wondering: What Would Snake do? It may sound daft in theory but really if a character has made such an impression then you know you’ve done something right.


And my number one favourite gaming hero is….

1. John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)

Why? Because he’s John fucking Marston. That’s why.
Okay now let’s get serious: A relative newcomer to this list, John Marston still charges through to the top. So what makes him so special? Oh where do I begin? John Marston has to rank as one of the most compelling and well-realised characters ever in the history of gaming –a tough call considering his game was only released last year but damn, I have never seen a character make such an impression on me – and I doubt that I ever will.
Firstly, when gaming these days seemed confined to a rigid good/bad, black/white system, John Marston is a true grey: In his hands is a much wider and diverse morality system and enables to do has many goods things as bad things. Such a wide offer of options shapes his character and forms him into a compelling character. He may have moments where he’s a ruthless killer but other times he’s trying to do some good after so much time spent doing wrong – it’s that clash of personality that makes for a fascinating character.
Secondly, John has a substantial motivation: He’s trying to put his violent past behind him and try to be a decent father to his son Jack in raising him in a better world than John knew. But no matter how hard he tries, John can’t really bury the secrets of his past, no matter his assertions that anyone can change.
Thirdly, John is man out of time: His era of the Wild West is coming to an end and far too often is he comes across as an anachronism. Through the game, we see the world through John’s eyes and there is a whole lotta bad people and bizarre shit going on – thus challenging the idea whether or not the world is worth living in and whether John truly has a place in it.
Fourthly, this is a genuine adult character. Yes this is a father who’s trying to do the right thing by his son and wife but this is game that will be played by adults. And for the designers to realise that and take it seriously is a credit to them. I feel like I’m being taken seriously and the developers are using this canvas to say what they want. I mean, if I were to do type this out ten/eleven years ago, when I was in my late teens, the youthful characters, Link, Zidane and Vyse would’ve ranked higher. Instead they lose out to Mr. Marston.
And finally, John Marston strikes me as the type who doesn’t take shit from anyone. And I like that.
So hats off to John Marston. He may have only had one shot at making an impression but what an impression it was.

And that's my list of eleven best gaming heroes - the one's who've made their mark on me and for good reason. Hope you've enjoyed reading this list and a big thank you to everyone who has ever visited this blog over it's lifespan so far.
So here's 200 posts in this worthless corner of cyberspace!!!