And so, after nineteen years, Sony has finally ended tech support for the PS2, thus bringing the final curtain down on the console.
Source
Nineteen years. That is staggering to say the least - especially since this is a field that tends to move at the blink of an eye. Indeed, by the way of comparison it took nineteen years to get from Pacman to System Shock 2.
I've already made my peace with the PS2 but I still have give props to any video game tech that's lasted this long. They are nothing short of a rare thing.
Showing posts with label System Shock 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label System Shock 2. Show all posts
Friday, September 7, 2018
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
T-20
They say that nostalgia happens in chunks of twenty years. If that is the case, then the nostalgia goggles will be aimed at the the mid-to late nineties - also known as the Fifth Console generation.
I've said it once and I'll say it again: This was a great period for the PC Gamer with them being spoiled for choice with the likes of Baldur's Gate, Doom, Warcraft, Command and Conquer, Deus Ex, Plansescape Torment and System Shock 2 among others. Sure, there was some shlock when Windows 95 rolled around but once that nonsense was sorted out, there were some real games to be found. Sure there were some interesting things happening in the console camp but they have not aged well as their PC counterparts. I remember at the time, console games of this era were being marketed as 'cutting edge' but looking at them now, they have naturally aged the worst.
This in turn presents an interesting opportunity for someone keen on nostalgia: Take a brand, fix some glaring issues with it and you'll have a certified hit. Why do you think so many have been clamoring for a remake of Final Fantasy 7? When you have a hugely successful game you have a hit guaranteed purely on brand recognition - but when you fix some of the problems the critics have pointed out, you win on both a commercial and critical level.
I myself aren't really that interested on nostalgia as, for me, it stifles progress (how can you move forward when you have eyes on the past?). But I will admit, however grudgingly, that there's something to be said for making classic games readily available, accessible without dragging some aging tech out of the deepest corner of the bedroom cupboard and in a state of preservation.
That being said, has anyone tried to resurrect some of the lost classics from the Saturn? Someone must've played the likes of Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shining Force 3 - So surely they must've been hit with inspiration strong enough to make something similar so what they enjoyed two decades ago can be enjoyed by people of the present. If anything, I'd rather play a RPG that involves traveling across on a desolate, post-apocalyptic world with minimal NPCs atop a flying, customisable beast, encountering Moebius-inspired monsters and discovering lost ancient tech than a retread of Advent Children any day....
I've said it once and I'll say it again: This was a great period for the PC Gamer with them being spoiled for choice with the likes of Baldur's Gate, Doom, Warcraft, Command and Conquer, Deus Ex, Plansescape Torment and System Shock 2 among others. Sure, there was some shlock when Windows 95 rolled around but once that nonsense was sorted out, there were some real games to be found. Sure there were some interesting things happening in the console camp but they have not aged well as their PC counterparts. I remember at the time, console games of this era were being marketed as 'cutting edge' but looking at them now, they have naturally aged the worst.
This in turn presents an interesting opportunity for someone keen on nostalgia: Take a brand, fix some glaring issues with it and you'll have a certified hit. Why do you think so many have been clamoring for a remake of Final Fantasy 7? When you have a hugely successful game you have a hit guaranteed purely on brand recognition - but when you fix some of the problems the critics have pointed out, you win on both a commercial and critical level.
I myself aren't really that interested on nostalgia as, for me, it stifles progress (how can you move forward when you have eyes on the past?). But I will admit, however grudgingly, that there's something to be said for making classic games readily available, accessible without dragging some aging tech out of the deepest corner of the bedroom cupboard and in a state of preservation.
That being said, has anyone tried to resurrect some of the lost classics from the Saturn? Someone must've played the likes of Panzer Dragoon Saga and Shining Force 3 - So surely they must've been hit with inspiration strong enough to make something similar so what they enjoyed two decades ago can be enjoyed by people of the present. If anything, I'd rather play a RPG that involves traveling across on a desolate, post-apocalyptic world with minimal NPCs atop a flying, customisable beast, encountering Moebius-inspired monsters and discovering lost ancient tech than a retread of Advent Children any day....
Friday, June 3, 2016
Summertime Sadness
So i was browsing through YouTube and I came across something that caught my eye: A video of a Lana Del Ray remix with a thumbnail of SHODAN from System Shock 2. Thinking it was a remix of Lana Del Ray with SHODAN's voice I clicked on the video only to be disappointed that it wasn't what I thought it was.
But know i want to hear Summertime Sadness being sung by SHODAN:
"I-I-I-I-I got that SUMMERTIME Sadnessssssssssssssssssssss...."
But know i want to hear Summertime Sadness being sung by SHODAN:
"I-I-I-I-I got that SUMMERTIME Sadnessssssssssssssssssssss...."
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Guardians of the Galaxy
Big news has emerged with the announcement that the Last Guardian is set for release in 2016. This has come after years of delays and confusion.
And we have a video to go with it:
Make no mistake, that I'm a big fan of Team Ico's (two) games and this video is interesting from that perspective: Here, we have shades of Ico with a protagonist wandering through a crumbling fortress with a companion. And, at the same time, we see the monster-climbing mechanic lifted straight from Shadow of the Colossus.
Considering that Shadow of the Colossus was a much bigger seller than Ico, I suppose it would be unsurprising for Team Ico to go back and revisit that territory. But such a prospect mirrors the comparisons I found between System Shock 2 and Bisohock: It's the same game but with a different coat of paint. Whilst the Griffon-esque creature seems a far more effective companion than Yorda, one can't help but think that perhaps Team Ico may be running short of ideas - especially considering the long gestation time this game has been in.
But, of course, all of this is speculative: It's too early to call on this game when it has yet to be released.
If anything the real question here is: Could the Last Guardian be enough to sway me back to Sony? Only time will tell.....
And we have a video to go with it:
Original video located here. Accessed 17th June 2015
Make no mistake, that I'm a big fan of Team Ico's (two) games and this video is interesting from that perspective: Here, we have shades of Ico with a protagonist wandering through a crumbling fortress with a companion. And, at the same time, we see the monster-climbing mechanic lifted straight from Shadow of the Colossus.
Considering that Shadow of the Colossus was a much bigger seller than Ico, I suppose it would be unsurprising for Team Ico to go back and revisit that territory. But such a prospect mirrors the comparisons I found between System Shock 2 and Bisohock: It's the same game but with a different coat of paint. Whilst the Griffon-esque creature seems a far more effective companion than Yorda, one can't help but think that perhaps Team Ico may be running short of ideas - especially considering the long gestation time this game has been in.
But, of course, all of this is speculative: It's too early to call on this game when it has yet to be released.
If anything the real question here is: Could the Last Guardian be enough to sway me back to Sony? Only time will tell.....
Monday, June 8, 2015
System of a Down
Another game has been cast down from my Hall of Shame (and the first for 2015 too!). Goodbye System Shock 2!
Man oh man, has this game got a reputation and a half: the father of Bioshock, a complete reinvention (alongside Deus Ex) of the First Person Shooter genre, one of the scariest games ever made, one of the greatest villains ever conceived in gaming history.
And you know what? In this case the reputation is justified.
Okay so I may have been using a heavily modded version of the game, that resulted in updated graphics, reworked environments and high level textures but even such modifications can;t take away that this is a game dripping in atmosphere. There is real tension with danger lurking around every corner, there is dread invoked with the sound design and there is a real sense that this is survival horror done right (ie you're all alone and no one else can jump you & nick your gear).
However whilst System Shock 2 may be pushing sixteen years, it still stands as one of the toughest games I've played. Never mind the careful selection of skill allotment (it's been well-established that this game is unforgiving to a point that if you chose the wrong skills, you may find yourself unable to complete the game), I had to contend with weapon degradation, constant threats, never having enough ammo, and dying over and over again. Even the boss fight with the Many was a real nightmare - one that somehow made the eventual confrontation with SHODAN seem tame by comparison. That being said, I think I can now understand why Bioshock was made easier - and may have contributed to greater sales. Still, beating any tough game is certainly an achievement and that certainly was the case here.
Not much else except to say that System Shock 2 is a great game. And it is finally great to play it when it was lost in the legal limbo for so long.
Now, about No One Lives Forever....
Man oh man, has this game got a reputation and a half: the father of Bioshock, a complete reinvention (alongside Deus Ex) of the First Person Shooter genre, one of the scariest games ever made, one of the greatest villains ever conceived in gaming history.
And you know what? In this case the reputation is justified.
Okay so I may have been using a heavily modded version of the game, that resulted in updated graphics, reworked environments and high level textures but even such modifications can;t take away that this is a game dripping in atmosphere. There is real tension with danger lurking around every corner, there is dread invoked with the sound design and there is a real sense that this is survival horror done right (ie you're all alone and no one else can jump you & nick your gear).
However whilst System Shock 2 may be pushing sixteen years, it still stands as one of the toughest games I've played. Never mind the careful selection of skill allotment (it's been well-established that this game is unforgiving to a point that if you chose the wrong skills, you may find yourself unable to complete the game), I had to contend with weapon degradation, constant threats, never having enough ammo, and dying over and over again. Even the boss fight with the Many was a real nightmare - one that somehow made the eventual confrontation with SHODAN seem tame by comparison. That being said, I think I can now understand why Bioshock was made easier - and may have contributed to greater sales. Still, beating any tough game is certainly an achievement and that certainly was the case here.
Not much else except to say that System Shock 2 is a great game. And it is finally great to play it when it was lost in the legal limbo for so long.
Now, about No One Lives Forever....
Friday, June 5, 2015
The System is Down
Lately I've been playing a lot of System Shock 2.
This is an interesting game to approach on two fronts: Firstly it has a fearsome reputation in that is home to one of the greatest gaming villains (I am of course referring to SHODAN). And secondly, this is game I have come to to having played Bioshock, a game that has been made abundantly clear that it is the successor to System Shock 2.
It is that notion of System Shock 2 being a predecessor to Bioshock that is, to me, inescapable. I see so many similarities that it isn't funny. The weapons are the same, items are obtained via vending machines, there are turrets and security cameras everywhere, there are chambers that resurrect the player when they die, health and power-ups are provided via syringes, there's characters from both games running parallel to each other, there's hacking, weapon upgrades, cybermodules are ADAM, and Psionics fill in for plasmids.
Indeed, when comparing the two, one can't shake the feeling that Bioshock is just System Shock 2 with a new coat of paint (along with a steampunk aesthetic). And even then System Shock 2 started life as a completely different game before it was attached to the System Shock franchise for the sake of pushing sales.
Such is the similarities that I wonder if this is what gaming is going to be: a mere case of dusting off an old game and giving it a new coat of paint. I suppose that may make for an interesting solution to games that are lost to time and unable to played any more *coughPanzerDragoonSagacough* but at the same time, it does suggest that gaming progression is facing something of a standstill. I will concede that revamping an old game may be a way buck the system, generate interest in the father title and give new IP a fighting chance. But it makes me wonder how many people played Bioshock and then went to Steam to check out this System Shock 2 game....
This is an interesting game to approach on two fronts: Firstly it has a fearsome reputation in that is home to one of the greatest gaming villains (I am of course referring to SHODAN). And secondly, this is game I have come to to having played Bioshock, a game that has been made abundantly clear that it is the successor to System Shock 2.
It is that notion of System Shock 2 being a predecessor to Bioshock that is, to me, inescapable. I see so many similarities that it isn't funny. The weapons are the same, items are obtained via vending machines, there are turrets and security cameras everywhere, there are chambers that resurrect the player when they die, health and power-ups are provided via syringes, there's characters from both games running parallel to each other, there's hacking, weapon upgrades, cybermodules are ADAM, and Psionics fill in for plasmids.
Indeed, when comparing the two, one can't shake the feeling that Bioshock is just System Shock 2 with a new coat of paint (along with a steampunk aesthetic). And even then System Shock 2 started life as a completely different game before it was attached to the System Shock franchise for the sake of pushing sales.
Such is the similarities that I wonder if this is what gaming is going to be: a mere case of dusting off an old game and giving it a new coat of paint. I suppose that may make for an interesting solution to games that are lost to time and unable to played any more *coughPanzerDragoonSagacough* but at the same time, it does suggest that gaming progression is facing something of a standstill. I will concede that revamping an old game may be a way buck the system, generate interest in the father title and give new IP a fighting chance. But it makes me wonder how many people played Bioshock and then went to Steam to check out this System Shock 2 game....
Friday, March 14, 2014
Modding evolution
Just a little something I came across:
Baldurs Gate 2 takes up a size of over 2 gig
Baldurs Gate 1 takes up a size of under 2 gig
I play a heavily modified version of BG2 contained in a folder totaling 9.1 gig
Meaning I play a game where the mods take up more space than the game itself.
It is however not alone:
My System Shock 2 folder totals over 1 gig for a 357 mb game.
My Deus Ex folder totals over 4 gig for a 431 mb game.
My Planescape Torment folder totals over 2 gig for a 1.1 gig game.
My Freespace 2 folder totals over 4 gig for a 1.6 gig game.
It is interesting to note that all five of these games came from the same era - and all the modding is due to me bringing them into line with a lot of other modern games. Still, if I would rather play these games to the point that I'll seek out anything it make it so, then it says a lot about staying power.
Baldurs Gate 2 takes up a size of over 2 gig
Baldurs Gate 1 takes up a size of under 2 gig
I play a heavily modified version of BG2 contained in a folder totaling 9.1 gig
Meaning I play a game where the mods take up more space than the game itself.
It is however not alone:
My System Shock 2 folder totals over 1 gig for a 357 mb game.
My Deus Ex folder totals over 4 gig for a 431 mb game.
My Planescape Torment folder totals over 2 gig for a 1.1 gig game.
My Freespace 2 folder totals over 4 gig for a 1.6 gig game.
It is interesting to note that all five of these games came from the same era - and all the modding is due to me bringing them into line with a lot of other modern games. Still, if I would rather play these games to the point that I'll seek out anything it make it so, then it says a lot about staying power.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Seventh Heaven
And so the seventh generation of console gaming has well and truly rode off into the sunset. So where does this leave us? Well for me this may as a good a time as any to do a retrospective on this generation outgoing.
At first I had no interest in the seventh generation. At the time the seventh generation was dawning, I got off my arse and got a PS2. A bit late to the party true but I didn't care: I merely wanted to find out what the PS2 had to offer - as well as what I'd missed out on with the PS1. And the shaky start of the Xbox 360 confirmed the wiseness of this decision.
True I did eventually obtain a Wii but that was more for the Virtual Console than the actual games the Wii had to offer.
But it didn't take long before something came along that really piqued my interest. The game was Dragon Age Origins - and somehow it being marketed as a successor to the mighty Baldur's Gate was enough to warrant more investigation. And then, seeing a friend play Mass Effect 2 furthered my decision to fork out for a 360. It seemed a dumb decision to get yet another console when I had a PC, PS2 and a Wii but I don't regret it one bit.
Now. Do I have any favorite games from this last generation. Funny you should say that: I've got a top ten list prepared!
So here's my favorite games of the last generation all arranged in order of preference. All of these games I may have, at one stage or another, already talked about at length on this blog so I'll try and keep this brief.
10. Cave Story
It was made by one guy but damn what a labor of love this was. True the last boss may have prevented me for beating the game (otherwise this will be ranked much higher) but Cave Story has plenty of charm that puts a lot of triple A games to shame.
9. Braid
I found Braid bogged down by the pretensions towards artiness this game had. But then I remembered this game had fun puzzles, clever mechanics and a lovely art direction. Enough to save it? Damn right.
8. Dragon Age Origins
Say what you like about Bioware but somehow Dragon Age Origins feels like one of their last watermarks. True it is more enjoyable on the PC, with mods, than the Xbox, but there is still a lot going for this game with it's art direction, gripping plot and solid writing.
7. Bioshock
Before I played Bioshock I was feeling somewhat unhappy with gaming - but by playing Bioshock I got the kick up the arse I was needing. Compelling in it's narrative, inventive in it's ideas and a great game all round, Bioshock was all this and more. Now about System Shock 2....
6. Bastion
A lot of games seem to rely on spectacle and explosions - so any game that attempts the 'Less is More' approach is worth nothing less than my interest. Four characters, a glorious narration, and an art direction to die for, Bastion is nothing short of brilliant.
5. Spec Ops the Line
The slap in the face that military shooters needed. It's not a game I'd play for enjoyment but it's a game that is indeed worthy of my respect. It takes balls for a game to critique it's audiences and Spec Ops The Line has the biggest balls of them all.
4. Thomas Was Alone
If the seventh generation proved anything it's the time that indie games truly flexed their muscles. And Thomas Was Alone could well have been the best of the lot. It may have won me over on sheer personality alone but being a great game certainly didn't hurt either.
3. Rock Band 2
I hate to think how many hours i may have sunk into Rock Band 2 but I honestly loved every minute of it. The implementation of the music library was a masterstroke and I've gained a new appreciation for music I wouldn't have otherwise been aware of.
2. Mass Effect 2
Dragon Age Origins may have proven that the seventh generation my be worth my time but Mass Effect 2 truly sealed the deal. It seems to me that Bioware were taking the concept of the Dirty Dozen and putting into game form for the first time. And I personally wouldn't have it any other way,
1. Red Dead Redemption
Game of the generation? Hell yes. Beyond that I can't really think of much else to say about Red Dead Redemption. It's the game I got the most out of in the entire generation and it looks set to be a favorite in the years to come. Can something top it? Now there's a challenge to rise up to.....
So where am I at the beginning of the eighth generation? Anything but confident.
I'm serious: Nothing has come along that has really grabbed my attention. Indeed I have found, like most people, the seventh generation being truly defined by the presence of indie games on XBLA & Steam. And in particular I've found, much to my surprise, that many of them are more substantial than the games available on the shelves of EB Games. It is indeed telling that the only game I've truly gotten excited over in the past twelve months is The Stanley Parable.
But then again I have no patience for the eighth generation - not while my Hall of Shame continues to exist anyway.
At first I had no interest in the seventh generation. At the time the seventh generation was dawning, I got off my arse and got a PS2. A bit late to the party true but I didn't care: I merely wanted to find out what the PS2 had to offer - as well as what I'd missed out on with the PS1. And the shaky start of the Xbox 360 confirmed the wiseness of this decision.
True I did eventually obtain a Wii but that was more for the Virtual Console than the actual games the Wii had to offer.
But it didn't take long before something came along that really piqued my interest. The game was Dragon Age Origins - and somehow it being marketed as a successor to the mighty Baldur's Gate was enough to warrant more investigation. And then, seeing a friend play Mass Effect 2 furthered my decision to fork out for a 360. It seemed a dumb decision to get yet another console when I had a PC, PS2 and a Wii but I don't regret it one bit.
Now. Do I have any favorite games from this last generation. Funny you should say that: I've got a top ten list prepared!
So here's my favorite games of the last generation all arranged in order of preference. All of these games I may have, at one stage or another, already talked about at length on this blog so I'll try and keep this brief.
10. Cave Story
It was made by one guy but damn what a labor of love this was. True the last boss may have prevented me for beating the game (otherwise this will be ranked much higher) but Cave Story has plenty of charm that puts a lot of triple A games to shame.
9. Braid
I found Braid bogged down by the pretensions towards artiness this game had. But then I remembered this game had fun puzzles, clever mechanics and a lovely art direction. Enough to save it? Damn right.
8. Dragon Age Origins
Say what you like about Bioware but somehow Dragon Age Origins feels like one of their last watermarks. True it is more enjoyable on the PC, with mods, than the Xbox, but there is still a lot going for this game with it's art direction, gripping plot and solid writing.
7. Bioshock
Before I played Bioshock I was feeling somewhat unhappy with gaming - but by playing Bioshock I got the kick up the arse I was needing. Compelling in it's narrative, inventive in it's ideas and a great game all round, Bioshock was all this and more. Now about System Shock 2....
6. Bastion
A lot of games seem to rely on spectacle and explosions - so any game that attempts the 'Less is More' approach is worth nothing less than my interest. Four characters, a glorious narration, and an art direction to die for, Bastion is nothing short of brilliant.
5. Spec Ops the Line
The slap in the face that military shooters needed. It's not a game I'd play for enjoyment but it's a game that is indeed worthy of my respect. It takes balls for a game to critique it's audiences and Spec Ops The Line has the biggest balls of them all.
4. Thomas Was Alone
If the seventh generation proved anything it's the time that indie games truly flexed their muscles. And Thomas Was Alone could well have been the best of the lot. It may have won me over on sheer personality alone but being a great game certainly didn't hurt either.
3. Rock Band 2
I hate to think how many hours i may have sunk into Rock Band 2 but I honestly loved every minute of it. The implementation of the music library was a masterstroke and I've gained a new appreciation for music I wouldn't have otherwise been aware of.
2. Mass Effect 2
Dragon Age Origins may have proven that the seventh generation my be worth my time but Mass Effect 2 truly sealed the deal. It seems to me that Bioware were taking the concept of the Dirty Dozen and putting into game form for the first time. And I personally wouldn't have it any other way,
1. Red Dead Redemption
Game of the generation? Hell yes. Beyond that I can't really think of much else to say about Red Dead Redemption. It's the game I got the most out of in the entire generation and it looks set to be a favorite in the years to come. Can something top it? Now there's a challenge to rise up to.....
So where am I at the beginning of the eighth generation? Anything but confident.
I'm serious: Nothing has come along that has really grabbed my attention. Indeed I have found, like most people, the seventh generation being truly defined by the presence of indie games on XBLA & Steam. And in particular I've found, much to my surprise, that many of them are more substantial than the games available on the shelves of EB Games. It is indeed telling that the only game I've truly gotten excited over in the past twelve months is The Stanley Parable.
But then again I have no patience for the eighth generation - not while my Hall of Shame continues to exist anyway.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Stan the Man
This week I’ve been playing a lot of The Stanley Parable.
Like everyone else I came to this game through the some rather abstract descriptions of the game itself (that and everyone gushing about it). It seemed that everyone was recommending it but giving little to no explanation why. Well that’s enough to pique my curiosity so I picked up the game via Steam.
And I really enjoyed it.
Of course I’m going to keep up the trend via not going to give anything on this blog because doing so will most likely get me shouted down as ‘benefits of finding things out for yourself’ is the current trend on the Internet (I guess we can all blame Game of Thrones for that). But what I will say is that I think I enjoyed The Stanley Parable more than I enjoyed Portal.
I guess most of it can be attributed to my enjoyment of Portal being tainted with the ‘Cake is a Lie’ and ‘Still Alive’ jokes being run into the ground. This is not the case here: The rigidly little that has been revealed about The Stanley Parable beforehand has left me completely in the dark here and it’s worked wonders here. Thus there isn’t much more I can add here apart from giving credit to the narrator Kevan Brighting who really makes the game and delivers a VA performance to end all VA performances. In fact given a choice I would rather listen to the Narrator than GlaDOS (SHODAN was better anyway)
So in the end what The Stanley Parable proves is that there is indeed some value in allowing people to discover things for themselves. In fact I'm not sure how this game got greenlit by Steam but I'm certianly it did. I just hope nobody looks at The Stanley Parable the same way they did with the Companion Cube and sees a whole lot of marketing potential.....
Like everyone else I came to this game through the some rather abstract descriptions of the game itself (that and everyone gushing about it). It seemed that everyone was recommending it but giving little to no explanation why. Well that’s enough to pique my curiosity so I picked up the game via Steam.
And I really enjoyed it.
Of course I’m going to keep up the trend via not going to give anything on this blog because doing so will most likely get me shouted down as ‘benefits of finding things out for yourself’ is the current trend on the Internet (I guess we can all blame Game of Thrones for that). But what I will say is that I think I enjoyed The Stanley Parable more than I enjoyed Portal.
I guess most of it can be attributed to my enjoyment of Portal being tainted with the ‘Cake is a Lie’ and ‘Still Alive’ jokes being run into the ground. This is not the case here: The rigidly little that has been revealed about The Stanley Parable beforehand has left me completely in the dark here and it’s worked wonders here. Thus there isn’t much more I can add here apart from giving credit to the narrator Kevan Brighting who really makes the game and delivers a VA performance to end all VA performances. In fact given a choice I would rather listen to the Narrator than GlaDOS (SHODAN was better anyway)
So in the end what The Stanley Parable proves is that there is indeed some value in allowing people to discover things for themselves. In fact I'm not sure how this game got greenlit by Steam but I'm certianly it did. I just hope nobody looks at The Stanley Parable the same way they did with the Companion Cube and sees a whole lot of marketing potential.....
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.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Mod the Dragon
Here's something I came across recently: A list of worthwhile mods for Dragon Age.
I don't have Dragon Age Origins for the PC: My copy is for the Xbox. However looking at this list it becomes clear that I've been missing out on a lot of worthwhile material.
Now I do indulge in some modding for my PC games but they're for old games like Baldur's Gate 2, Deus Ex and System Shock 2. Thus for the longest time I've seen modding as something of a Catch 22: On one hand, modding is a method to give aging games a new lease of life and to elevate them to a level comparable to more recent games. But on the other hand, there lies the thought that if anyone can mod then one would find a lot of dodgy mods involving a) doing silly things or b) a level of poorly written content on par with fanfiction. Therefore, it then becomes something of a chore to find the mods that are well done and actually worthwhile.
Look at the list though it becomes clear that I've been missing out on a lot. Somehow I thought one couldn't possibly mod something as complex as a recent game- largely due to the resources. I mean, anyone can easily integrate a mod into Baldurs Gate as the necessary dialogue and exposition is all conveyed in text. Therefore for a game like Dragon Age, it presents a monstrous challenge considering the modders are without the resources that the game makers had - Somehow, it seems doubtful that the likes of Claudia Black will be willing to help out some no-name modder and, for me, having everything voiced electronically will break the immersion considerably.
And yet, judging by the list, some people are willing to rise to up to the challenge.
.
Thus it now becomes quite tempting to pick it up the PC version of Dragon Age Origins - but in doing so I'll be throwing away a lot of XBLA achievements and 130 hours of game time. I may recreate my Xbox Grey Wardens but they won't be the same. I can do the same things all over again but you can only that for so long before it gets tiring.
And there is the thought that if I'm committed to obtaining the best possible experience out of particular games then I deserve to ripped off.
I don't have Dragon Age Origins for the PC: My copy is for the Xbox. However looking at this list it becomes clear that I've been missing out on a lot of worthwhile material.
Now I do indulge in some modding for my PC games but they're for old games like Baldur's Gate 2, Deus Ex and System Shock 2. Thus for the longest time I've seen modding as something of a Catch 22: On one hand, modding is a method to give aging games a new lease of life and to elevate them to a level comparable to more recent games. But on the other hand, there lies the thought that if anyone can mod then one would find a lot of dodgy mods involving a) doing silly things or b) a level of poorly written content on par with fanfiction. Therefore, it then becomes something of a chore to find the mods that are well done and actually worthwhile.
Look at the list though it becomes clear that I've been missing out on a lot. Somehow I thought one couldn't possibly mod something as complex as a recent game- largely due to the resources. I mean, anyone can easily integrate a mod into Baldurs Gate as the necessary dialogue and exposition is all conveyed in text. Therefore for a game like Dragon Age, it presents a monstrous challenge considering the modders are without the resources that the game makers had - Somehow, it seems doubtful that the likes of Claudia Black will be willing to help out some no-name modder and, for me, having everything voiced electronically will break the immersion considerably.
And yet, judging by the list, some people are willing to rise to up to the challenge.
.
Thus it now becomes quite tempting to pick it up the PC version of Dragon Age Origins - but in doing so I'll be throwing away a lot of XBLA achievements and 130 hours of game time. I may recreate my Xbox Grey Wardens but they won't be the same. I can do the same things all over again but you can only that for so long before it gets tiring.
And there is the thought that if I'm committed to obtaining the best possible experience out of particular games then I deserve to ripped off.
Friday, April 19, 2013
The Duellists
Here's something I've been pondering on: One way of building an effective gaming villain seems to be the ability to taunt the player. It would seem that to attack the player on such a psychological level would enrage the player and inspire them onward to knock nine bells out of the villain - after all if a villains doesn't make the player want to punch their face in, then the villain isn't doing their job properly. As a result, taunting the player has built some truly unforgettable villains in the form of GLaDos and SHODAN.
But here's the thing: Taunting the player effectively places me in a position of powerlessness - I can't deliver any witty comebacks to the smart-arse who won't shut up. True that may be precisely the point but whilst I, as the player, may yell at the screen, I can't help but feel that something is missing with my comebacks having little effect. After all, if a villain can make me the player angry then it's only fair I should make the villain angry, right? Thus, somehow, being represented by a silent, faceless player character makes said PC come across as being a middle man in the unfortunate position of being caught in-between a battle of wits.
Anyone whose seen the movie Red Dragon would know the relationship between Will Graham and Hannibal Lector: Hannibal hates Will and is trying to attack him in various forms - but when Will refuses to give in to the good doctor, the angrier Hannibal gets.
It's a compelling scenario and one that could really do with being transplanted into a gaming scenario. Think about it! An evil villain determined to break a character, both in mind and body, whilst the player character isn't taking that shit lying down and has an array of comebacks - both verbal and physical. And of course with both characters growing angrier with each other, this will lead to, potentially, the mother of all final showdowns.
But this scenario seems unlikely as having the player character represented by a fully-realised character does take away the personable nature of the villains mental assaults - as it's the character being taunted not the player.
Of course, Portal had Chelle but some people awfully willing to forget that....
But here's the thing: Taunting the player effectively places me in a position of powerlessness - I can't deliver any witty comebacks to the smart-arse who won't shut up. True that may be precisely the point but whilst I, as the player, may yell at the screen, I can't help but feel that something is missing with my comebacks having little effect. After all, if a villain can make me the player angry then it's only fair I should make the villain angry, right? Thus, somehow, being represented by a silent, faceless player character makes said PC come across as being a middle man in the unfortunate position of being caught in-between a battle of wits.
Anyone whose seen the movie Red Dragon would know the relationship between Will Graham and Hannibal Lector: Hannibal hates Will and is trying to attack him in various forms - but when Will refuses to give in to the good doctor, the angrier Hannibal gets.
It's a compelling scenario and one that could really do with being transplanted into a gaming scenario. Think about it! An evil villain determined to break a character, both in mind and body, whilst the player character isn't taking that shit lying down and has an array of comebacks - both verbal and physical. And of course with both characters growing angrier with each other, this will lead to, potentially, the mother of all final showdowns.
But this scenario seems unlikely as having the player character represented by a fully-realised character does take away the personable nature of the villains mental assaults - as it's the character being taunted not the player.
Of course, Portal had Chelle but some people awfully willing to forget that....
Friday, February 15, 2013
Positively Shocking
I don't believe it: System Shock 2 has finally appeared on GoG. I never thought it possible but there it is.
Somehow I think this music appropriate:
Somehow I think this music appropriate:
Monday, April 30, 2012
You. Me. Outside. Now
Some gaming deathmatches I would like to see:
Kratos (God of War) vs Amaterasui (Okami)
Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7) vs Kefka (Final Fantasy 6)
Samus Aran (Metroid) vs Femshep (Mass Effect)
Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) vs Nathan Drake (Uncharted)
Kratos (God of War) vs The Master (Actraiser)
Morrigan (Dragon Age Origins) vs Morrigan Aensland (Darkstalkers)
Shodan (System Shock 2) vs GlaDOS (Portal)
Wander (Shadow of the Colossus) vs. James Sutherland (Silent Hill 2)
Vaan (Final Fantasy XII) vs. Vyse (Skies of Arcadia)
Aerith (Final Fantasy 7) vs. Nei (Phantasy Star 2)
Tifa Lockhart (Final Fantasy 7) vs. Taki (Soul Calibur 3)
Duke Nukem vs. Sonic the Hedgehog
Kratos (God of War) vs Amaterasui (Okami)
Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7) vs Kefka (Final Fantasy 6)
Samus Aran (Metroid) vs Femshep (Mass Effect)
Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) vs Nathan Drake (Uncharted)
Kratos (God of War) vs The Master (Actraiser)
Morrigan (Dragon Age Origins) vs Morrigan Aensland (Darkstalkers)
Shodan (System Shock 2) vs GlaDOS (Portal)
Wander (Shadow of the Colossus) vs. James Sutherland (Silent Hill 2)
Vaan (Final Fantasy XII) vs. Vyse (Skies of Arcadia)
Aerith (Final Fantasy 7) vs. Nei (Phantasy Star 2)
Tifa Lockhart (Final Fantasy 7) vs. Taki (Soul Calibur 3)
Duke Nukem vs. Sonic the Hedgehog
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Cheated by Blizzard
Now that Starcraft 2 is bearing ever so closer upon us all, I am reminded some years ago of this rant I posted on a forum. The rant in question was my carrying on about my dissatisfaction with the ending of the original Starcraft and how I felt ripped off by Blizzard.
Sadly, that rant has been lost to history but I can recall some of it. And seeing as Starcraft 2 is growing closer, I don't feel the fire has burned out - so what better time to add fuel to the fire?
My annoyance with Starcraft came with the ending: There's no denying it of course, Starcraft had one of the most well-realised plots ever conceived for a video game. It's just at the end of it I felt...well.....cheated.
Now, in all my years as a gamer, I know the feeling of elation and achievement upon completing a video game. And why shouldn't I? With gaming, you are going into a reality that someone else cooked up for you. You are playing by their rules and, as such, you expect a decent pay off in the end. After all, on of the key rules of fiction is that you must always play fair with your audience. Does anyone like having an ending that is of an ambiguous nature and/or ends on cliffhanger that may never be resolved? Of course not. You gave the game many hours of your life - it's no wonder that people continually rant about games (and TV series for that matter) that were great all the way through until the ending.
So what is my beef with the ending to Starcraft? Well, lets see: Arcturus's empire is in ruins, the UED is completely destroyed and the Protoss have fallen back to square one in rebuilding their empire - all of which you, the player helped build up. Several key characters are dead - one's who were on your side and were killed just as easily as issuing commands. And Kerrigan is in control of this sector of the galaxy - and you the player have been a destroyer just as easily as a builder.
Clever ending? Indeed. Satisfying? Not likely.
What annoys me is that the rug was pulled from underneath me. I have been building empires, getting connected with the characters and really felt like I was playing a major part of the narrative. And then what happens? I am then forced into destroying empires, killing characters and have my role as a plot mover, into a universe destroyer. And what have I accomplished in the end? A hollow victory (which, fittingly, is mentioned in the closing text before the credits).
So is that it? I gave Blizzard so much time and effort only to have everything I contributed towards come out the other side as meaningless? I contributed to Kerrigan's extensive plan for revenge for what (mind you, it may be interesting to see what she has up her sleeve for SC2)? Considering how difficult the Zerg missions in episode 6 are, are they even supposed to win? And don't give me that 'Kerrigan's tragic backstory' BS because, a) So what? b) Doesn't everyone have one these days? c) that was established outside of the game and d) this backstory was established in a book which, unlike a game, requires little in the way of participation.
So yes, I came away from Starcraft feeling used: I gave up the time to spend the Blizzard's universe and built up a hollow victory. It was at that point that the longstanding bond of trust between gamer and the game was broken: I was forced into a position of being deceived/powerlessness in a medium where the user is granted a large degree of freedom. Some may relate similar experiences in finding SHODAN posing as Polito, Aerith being stabbed by Sephiroth or the realisation that Wander's quest is nowhere near as noble as you would like to believe.
Still in the end, if a game inspired this much venom, then it must've been a pretty damn good game....
Sadly, that rant has been lost to history but I can recall some of it. And seeing as Starcraft 2 is growing closer, I don't feel the fire has burned out - so what better time to add fuel to the fire?
My annoyance with Starcraft came with the ending: There's no denying it of course, Starcraft had one of the most well-realised plots ever conceived for a video game. It's just at the end of it I felt...well.....cheated.
Now, in all my years as a gamer, I know the feeling of elation and achievement upon completing a video game. And why shouldn't I? With gaming, you are going into a reality that someone else cooked up for you. You are playing by their rules and, as such, you expect a decent pay off in the end. After all, on of the key rules of fiction is that you must always play fair with your audience. Does anyone like having an ending that is of an ambiguous nature and/or ends on cliffhanger that may never be resolved? Of course not. You gave the game many hours of your life - it's no wonder that people continually rant about games (and TV series for that matter) that were great all the way through until the ending.
So what is my beef with the ending to Starcraft? Well, lets see: Arcturus's empire is in ruins, the UED is completely destroyed and the Protoss have fallen back to square one in rebuilding their empire - all of which you, the player helped build up. Several key characters are dead - one's who were on your side and were killed just as easily as issuing commands. And Kerrigan is in control of this sector of the galaxy - and you the player have been a destroyer just as easily as a builder.
Clever ending? Indeed. Satisfying? Not likely.
What annoys me is that the rug was pulled from underneath me. I have been building empires, getting connected with the characters and really felt like I was playing a major part of the narrative. And then what happens? I am then forced into destroying empires, killing characters and have my role as a plot mover, into a universe destroyer. And what have I accomplished in the end? A hollow victory (which, fittingly, is mentioned in the closing text before the credits).
So is that it? I gave Blizzard so much time and effort only to have everything I contributed towards come out the other side as meaningless? I contributed to Kerrigan's extensive plan for revenge for what (mind you, it may be interesting to see what she has up her sleeve for SC2)? Considering how difficult the Zerg missions in episode 6 are, are they even supposed to win? And don't give me that 'Kerrigan's tragic backstory' BS because, a) So what? b) Doesn't everyone have one these days? c) that was established outside of the game and d) this backstory was established in a book which, unlike a game, requires little in the way of participation.
So yes, I came away from Starcraft feeling used: I gave up the time to spend the Blizzard's universe and built up a hollow victory. It was at that point that the longstanding bond of trust between gamer and the game was broken: I was forced into a position of being deceived/powerlessness in a medium where the user is granted a large degree of freedom. Some may relate similar experiences in finding SHODAN posing as Polito, Aerith being stabbed by Sephiroth or the realisation that Wander's quest is nowhere near as noble as you would like to believe.
Still in the end, if a game inspired this much venom, then it must've been a pretty damn good game....
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