Much of the past week has been devoted to revisiting a classic in the form of Doom. So what's the occasion? Well, thanks to a certain game reviewer, I have been made aware of a mod called Brutal Doom. I've had a crack at it and have been significantly blown away by how dramatically Doom has been changed by this mod. Even more impressive is that it was the work of one guy.
But really I cannot emphasize how different Doom has become with this mod: Mouse aiming; Better weapons; the necessity of reloading; A jump function (A JUMP FUNCTION!!!); Marine NPCs; Finishing moves and so much more that talking about it seems awfully redundant.
Indeed it is fascinating on how this mod gives this a game twenty one years old a new lease of life.
Now whilst I have, over the past few months, been indulging in the miracles that the modding community can provide, this is however not the first time I've tried a FPS mod. That honor would go to Navy Seals Quake. Has anyone heard of this? I played this in high school - within a year of Quake's original release no less - and was impressed by the changes made. This involved the demons replaced with human enemies, a reload function and more emphasis on tactical action rather than brainless shooter action.
And much like Brutal Doom, I found Navy Seals Quake so much an improvement over the original game that it wasn't funny. You see, I was unimpressed with the original Quake - I saw it as Doom but with a new coat of paint what with the Demonic enemies, Hell motifs and puzzling level design. Thus I couldn't understand why many people at the time were turning cartwheels over it. Thus, coming across Navy Seals Quake I, and many of my friends at the time, found it far more appealing. Indeed, it should be noted that Navy Seals Quake eschewed the then mindless action trends of FPS and adopted a more realistic approach to the genre - well before Half Life took that concept and ran with it.
My general approach to mods is that they offer new content (but even that is a challenge trying to find some quality in amongst the mud) and they offer to correct 'mistakes' (if you can call it that) that hinder the original game. Indeed, having played Brutal Doom I'm now wondering how the hell I managed to get by on the original - which goes to show that sometimes a new coat of paint isn't enough and sometimes repairs made also be required to renew interest in an old game.
If anything I would rather play Brutal Doom than the latest incarnation of the Call of Duty series any day.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
I will rue the day
Recently I had the pleasure of striking another game from my Hall of Shame. And which title is out on their rear end? Yet another indie/adventure/Steam game: Gemini Rue!
I find this game impressive on a number of fronts: Firstly it was the product of one guy. Secondly the art direction is simply staggering, with some truly beautiful backgrounds and some well-crafted environments. Thirdly, the atmosphere is superb what with being drawn heavily from the likes of Blade Runner and a suitably moody soundtrack. Finally the sense of immersion is compelling enough for me to finish the game all the way through.
But in spite of what I may have said about the plot, I do take issue with one aspect of it: What did Saiyuki and Six do before they were incarcerated? It is particularly infuriating at the conclusion for Saiyuki to have a change of heart. And it’s suggested the Six did play a part in the Gemini War but what was this role? Was he a deserter? Or a soldier that had gunned down hundreds?
Now I kind of like stories that don’t give straight answers as it invites the reader to draw their own conclusions. Indeed, I have enjoyed Ico and Shadow of the Colossus – two games that have thrived on presenting one half (or less) of a story while keeping the other half tantalizing out of reach. However I didn’t get that with Gemini Rue – I just came away feeling somewhat empty. I didn’t find the same sense of mystique I found within Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, I just found myself feeling empty. I don’t know if this is a fault of the story or if the game didn’t make that great enough impression, but somehow I didn’t find myself theorizing about what Saiyuki and Six did before their incarcerations. A true warning sign of anything.
Still in spite of my gripes, I did enjoy Gemini Rue and found much to admire. So it’s fine by me.
I find this game impressive on a number of fronts: Firstly it was the product of one guy. Secondly the art direction is simply staggering, with some truly beautiful backgrounds and some well-crafted environments. Thirdly, the atmosphere is superb what with being drawn heavily from the likes of Blade Runner and a suitably moody soundtrack. Finally the sense of immersion is compelling enough for me to finish the game all the way through.
But in spite of what I may have said about the plot, I do take issue with one aspect of it: What did Saiyuki and Six do before they were incarcerated? It is particularly infuriating at the conclusion for Saiyuki to have a change of heart. And it’s suggested the Six did play a part in the Gemini War but what was this role? Was he a deserter? Or a soldier that had gunned down hundreds?
Now I kind of like stories that don’t give straight answers as it invites the reader to draw their own conclusions. Indeed, I have enjoyed Ico and Shadow of the Colossus – two games that have thrived on presenting one half (or less) of a story while keeping the other half tantalizing out of reach. However I didn’t get that with Gemini Rue – I just came away feeling somewhat empty. I didn’t find the same sense of mystique I found within Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, I just found myself feeling empty. I don’t know if this is a fault of the story or if the game didn’t make that great enough impression, but somehow I didn’t find myself theorizing about what Saiyuki and Six did before their incarcerations. A true warning sign of anything.
Still in spite of my gripes, I did enjoy Gemini Rue and found much to admire. So it’s fine by me.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Pool one's resources
Today I want to talk about a game that I’ve played in the past and thoroughly enjoyed: Pool of Radiance!
I have previously made mention about this game but this time I will give it the full lowdown about my history with this game.
If, like me, you grew up in the age of the Commodore 64, you would know of a series referred to as the ‘Gold Box’. This series consisted of a series of Dungeons and Dragons-inspired games that took place in the same region of the Moonsea region of Faerun. This titles within this series included Curse of the Azure Bonds, Hillsfar, Secret of the Silver Blades and, of course, Pool of Radiance (there was also Heroes of the Lance, a game inspired by the Dragonlance Chronicles but the less said about that the better). The four games mentioned above all connected together to form a series with a connecting storyline (although Hillsfar was more of a side-step) with Pool of Radiance being the first one in the series.
Pool of Radiance was made in 1988 and showed a lot of ambition for the time. For starters, the entire game was built around the rules of Dungeons and Dragons meaning that matters like alignment, Thaco, and encumbrance had to be taken into account when playing. And when the game started, the player had to build a complete party of six warriors and guide them all throughout the entire game (and beyond…more on that later).
And once the game began, much of it was spent moving the party around environments in a first-person perspective. And when combat arose, the view changed to an isometric interface where the party of PCs could move and fight the enemies encountered.
Plotwise, the party found itself in the city of Phlan, a ruined city whose glory days were long gone and was overrun with monsters. One civilised area remained and it was ruled by the City Council who handed out quests and provided payment to party upon returning from a successful quest. It was therefore up to the party to take back the city of Phlan, block by block, and claim it for the council. And quests weren’t confined completely to the city area –later quests required the party head out into the wilderness to find allies or face down a particular threat.
For me Pool of Radiance was my gateway drug to Dungeons and Dragons (and dungeon crawlers). Whilst Pool Radiance may not have been the first attempt to replicate DnD in an electronic form, it was however one that made a large splash, introducing many people to it. Indeed, I recall spending many hours in front of my computer invested in this 8-bit game. Now I hear today about how many people have got into RPGs through the likes of World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy 7 and subsequently invested countless hours into it - but for me, such a similar experience came from Pool of Radiance and it fills a place in my heart that no other game can dislodge (seriously where else you defeat 100 kobolds with a single fireball?!).
The game wasn’t perfect however. There were only four classes, there was no level cap and combat required everyone involved to take a turn - meaning if you faced a horde of foes, each and every one in it had to take a turn making it very tedious very quickly. And the game’s economy was catastrophic, as in later levels the party found themselves weighed down with so much gold and little to spend it on. But ultimately the game had plenty of very good writing (for its day) and certainly had a whole lot of personality that many other 8-bit games can only dream of.
But one thing of particular interest was the character export feature. The sequel, Curse of the Azure Bonds, allowed characters from parties that had beaten the game to be imported over into this new game. This allowed the same party to be used against some tougher monsters. Now whilst this did allow for a head start and subsequently reduce the challenge offered, it was nice to see the same group of characters you’d grown attached to and show that they’re still being quite capable of kicking all kinds of arse. It was a great idea and one that no one has managed to replicate, or even better, since.
Recently, as in back in 2009, I managed to revisit Pool of Radiance with the DOS version. And this time I managed to complete it all the way through. I will admit it certainly has some appeal twenty one years since it’s first release and it was fun to see quests and areas that I was unable to see when I was a kid. I did take the same party into Curse of the Azure Bonds but sadly I wasn’t able to progress any further due to a software failure. It is indeed s shame and I hope, in future, the Gold Box series gets a proper reworking (are you reading this GoG?!).
So yeah Pool of Radiance was my first RPG I played and my first step into DnD. Since then I’ve played other RPGs but honestly it is hard to think any of them existing without Pool of Radiance (mind you there was that sequel/remake but the less said of that the better…). It was a game I loved and one day I hope to sit and play the series all the way through using the same characters.
And one last thought in parting: I recall many times playing Pool of Radiance in front my Commodore 64 in my bedroom whilst across the hallway my sister played Pearl Jam’s Ten album on her stereo. That may sound like a strange combination but whenever I hear Ten now I still recall, years later, fighting my way through a dungeon of monsters.
I have previously made mention about this game but this time I will give it the full lowdown about my history with this game.
If, like me, you grew up in the age of the Commodore 64, you would know of a series referred to as the ‘Gold Box’. This series consisted of a series of Dungeons and Dragons-inspired games that took place in the same region of the Moonsea region of Faerun. This titles within this series included Curse of the Azure Bonds, Hillsfar, Secret of the Silver Blades and, of course, Pool of Radiance (there was also Heroes of the Lance, a game inspired by the Dragonlance Chronicles but the less said about that the better). The four games mentioned above all connected together to form a series with a connecting storyline (although Hillsfar was more of a side-step) with Pool of Radiance being the first one in the series.
Pool of Radiance was made in 1988 and showed a lot of ambition for the time. For starters, the entire game was built around the rules of Dungeons and Dragons meaning that matters like alignment, Thaco, and encumbrance had to be taken into account when playing. And when the game started, the player had to build a complete party of six warriors and guide them all throughout the entire game (and beyond…more on that later).
And once the game began, much of it was spent moving the party around environments in a first-person perspective. And when combat arose, the view changed to an isometric interface where the party of PCs could move and fight the enemies encountered.
Plotwise, the party found itself in the city of Phlan, a ruined city whose glory days were long gone and was overrun with monsters. One civilised area remained and it was ruled by the City Council who handed out quests and provided payment to party upon returning from a successful quest. It was therefore up to the party to take back the city of Phlan, block by block, and claim it for the council. And quests weren’t confined completely to the city area –later quests required the party head out into the wilderness to find allies or face down a particular threat.
For me Pool of Radiance was my gateway drug to Dungeons and Dragons (and dungeon crawlers). Whilst Pool Radiance may not have been the first attempt to replicate DnD in an electronic form, it was however one that made a large splash, introducing many people to it. Indeed, I recall spending many hours in front of my computer invested in this 8-bit game. Now I hear today about how many people have got into RPGs through the likes of World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy 7 and subsequently invested countless hours into it - but for me, such a similar experience came from Pool of Radiance and it fills a place in my heart that no other game can dislodge (seriously where else you defeat 100 kobolds with a single fireball?!).
The game wasn’t perfect however. There were only four classes, there was no level cap and combat required everyone involved to take a turn - meaning if you faced a horde of foes, each and every one in it had to take a turn making it very tedious very quickly. And the game’s economy was catastrophic, as in later levels the party found themselves weighed down with so much gold and little to spend it on. But ultimately the game had plenty of very good writing (for its day) and certainly had a whole lot of personality that many other 8-bit games can only dream of.
But one thing of particular interest was the character export feature. The sequel, Curse of the Azure Bonds, allowed characters from parties that had beaten the game to be imported over into this new game. This allowed the same party to be used against some tougher monsters. Now whilst this did allow for a head start and subsequently reduce the challenge offered, it was nice to see the same group of characters you’d grown attached to and show that they’re still being quite capable of kicking all kinds of arse. It was a great idea and one that no one has managed to replicate, or even better, since.
Recently, as in back in 2009, I managed to revisit Pool of Radiance with the DOS version. And this time I managed to complete it all the way through. I will admit it certainly has some appeal twenty one years since it’s first release and it was fun to see quests and areas that I was unable to see when I was a kid. I did take the same party into Curse of the Azure Bonds but sadly I wasn’t able to progress any further due to a software failure. It is indeed s shame and I hope, in future, the Gold Box series gets a proper reworking (are you reading this GoG?!).
So yeah Pool of Radiance was my first RPG I played and my first step into DnD. Since then I’ve played other RPGs but honestly it is hard to think any of them existing without Pool of Radiance (mind you there was that sequel/remake but the less said of that the better…). It was a game I loved and one day I hope to sit and play the series all the way through using the same characters.
And one last thought in parting: I recall many times playing Pool of Radiance in front my Commodore 64 in my bedroom whilst across the hallway my sister played Pearl Jam’s Ten album on her stereo. That may sound like a strange combination but whenever I hear Ten now I still recall, years later, fighting my way through a dungeon of monsters.
Monday, May 26, 2014
The Cry From Afar
On the weekend I went to a LAN and, for the first time, had a go at the game Far Cry 2.
Didn't get very far though. Because as is often the case with me and first-person shooter deathmatches, I found myself getting shot regularly by people who actually knew what they were doing.
Funnily enough I did approach approach the Call of Duty deathmatch with the same approach and that actually proved enjoyable- perhaps largely that in spite of my inexperience, I actually had a fighting chance. But such a thing I could never find when playing Far Cry 2.
How fitting then that this post should come the same day I find out about a Doom mod called Brutal Doom that enhances the original Doom considerably. Needless to say I'm eager to get a hold of it...
Didn't get very far though. Because as is often the case with me and first-person shooter deathmatches, I found myself getting shot regularly by people who actually knew what they were doing.
Funnily enough I did approach approach the Call of Duty deathmatch with the same approach and that actually proved enjoyable- perhaps largely that in spite of my inexperience, I actually had a fighting chance. But such a thing I could never find when playing Far Cry 2.
How fitting then that this post should come the same day I find out about a Doom mod called Brutal Doom that enhances the original Doom considerably. Needless to say I'm eager to get a hold of it...
Friday, May 23, 2014
Faces to go with the voices
Something of interest I found recently:
Original video located here. Accessed 23rd May 2014
It has been said that voice acting is not the most glamorous occupation and much of the time being a voice actor is spent waiting for some work to show it's face. But still, it's still a field that sure has some beautiful people working in it.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Whats in a name?
Recently Bioware have revealed the most commonly used names for Commander Shepard in Mass Effect.
Of course the default names (John and Jane) were the most popular but beyond that:
(Female):
An impressive selection but none of the names were used to christen my Shepards. I went with the names Alana, John, Jeffrey and Elizabeth (can you guess the connection behind those names?!).
Mind you, I do wonder how popular the name Alan was for male Shepard....
Of course the default names (John and Jane) were the most popular but beyond that:
(Female):
- Sarah
- Kate
- Alice
- Jessica
- Alex
- Jack
- James
- Chris
- Alex
- Michael
An impressive selection but none of the names were used to christen my Shepards. I went with the names Alana, John, Jeffrey and Elizabeth (can you guess the connection behind those names?!).
Mind you, I do wonder how popular the name Alan was for male Shepard....
Monday, May 19, 2014
What did Jew Say?
On the weekend I had the pleasure of casting another game from my Hall of Shame - this time, it's the indie game wonder The Shivah.
As is often the case, I heard about this game largely through reputation: An indie game made by three guys? An adventure game based around a Jewish rabbi being a detective? Such a setup may sound bizarre on paper but somehow it sounds crazy enough to work. And that is enough to pique my interest.
So I went to Steam, found the game and played it all the way through - And what did I think of it?
Well for starters it is terribly short. But, as is often the case with adventure games, the game is saved by some superb writing. Indeed, the plot has enough clout to see it all the way through and Rabbi Russell Stone is a character that undergoes significant changes throughout to make him a compelling one. And the voice acting is good enough, for an indie game, to make the rest of the cast believable.
However what I find particularly interesting about this game is that it is a game that has some positive things to say about religion. This is indeed rare in gaming as religion is treated in gaming as either inspirations behind some truly lousy games (Super Noah's Ark 3d) or as the force opposing the PC (90% of all JRPGs ever made). That being said, I can't think of any game where the PC is a man of a religious faith who faces down corruption in his religion and, by the end of the game, learns something that restores his dwindling faith.
Does religion have a place in gaming? Well one would think so provided it's done right - and in that sense, the Shivah presents a convincing case.
Original image located here. Accessed 19th May 2014
As is often the case, I heard about this game largely through reputation: An indie game made by three guys? An adventure game based around a Jewish rabbi being a detective? Such a setup may sound bizarre on paper but somehow it sounds crazy enough to work. And that is enough to pique my interest.
So I went to Steam, found the game and played it all the way through - And what did I think of it?
Well for starters it is terribly short. But, as is often the case with adventure games, the game is saved by some superb writing. Indeed, the plot has enough clout to see it all the way through and Rabbi Russell Stone is a character that undergoes significant changes throughout to make him a compelling one. And the voice acting is good enough, for an indie game, to make the rest of the cast believable.
However what I find particularly interesting about this game is that it is a game that has some positive things to say about religion. This is indeed rare in gaming as religion is treated in gaming as either inspirations behind some truly lousy games (Super Noah's Ark 3d) or as the force opposing the PC (90% of all JRPGs ever made). That being said, I can't think of any game where the PC is a man of a religious faith who faces down corruption in his religion and, by the end of the game, learns something that restores his dwindling faith.
Does religion have a place in gaming? Well one would think so provided it's done right - and in that sense, the Shivah presents a convincing case.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)