The interwebs are screaming that this is a hint at the announcement of the PS4. Given that it is in less than a month and that details are incredibly scarce I highly doubt its true. If it is, they have ran an incredibly tight ship over there at Sony with almost no leaks. Regardless, seeing this and reading about the potential next Xbox, I have to say... I'm not ready for this. I am more than happy with this generation. It is still constantly improving and has not yet grown stale. For once in my wife I'm saying "slow down technology".
Thursday, January 31, 2013
99% sure this isn't true, but...
The interwebs are screaming that this is a hint at the announcement of the PS4. Given that it is in less than a month and that details are incredibly scarce I highly doubt its true. If it is, they have ran an incredibly tight ship over there at Sony with almost no leaks. Regardless, seeing this and reading about the potential next Xbox, I have to say... I'm not ready for this. I am more than happy with this generation. It is still constantly improving and has not yet grown stale. For once in my wife I'm saying "slow down technology".
Dead Island Review
I recently picked up Dead Island for pretty cheap to play with some friends from work. Most of them are Call of Duty loyalists but one night we decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to give Dead Island the old college try. I was apprehensive, and a little bias going into it - Dead Island came out when I still worked video game retail and I remember all the disappointing personal reviews I heard, how many traded-in/returned copies we had, and frankly, I already had an amazing zombie game in my life, Left 4 Dead. Could anything really replace L4D in my heart? (Spoiler Alert - it doesn't). Admittedly, I'm not finished with the game, as we're playing in a group through the story, but I have dumped about 15 hours into it over the last week and gotten a pretty good view of where things are going.
Dead Island really separates itself from Left 4 Dead with it's "realism". I put that in quotes because it still takes creative liberties with gameplay, but it is more grounded: Zombies will physically restrain you, you have a stamina meter that needs to be recharged after doing just about anything, and your flashlight depletes energy, causing you to need to pick and choose your "dark" moments. Weapons will degrade the more you use them, so repairing and upgrading them is a constant thought in the back of your head. The realistic side of things didn't click with me at first, but it's more a learning curve than anything.
Visuals aren't bad. Not great, but not bad. The zombie lose limbs and skin, show visible fire damage, etc. As a result of this "layered" damage system, the regular humans look weird. Its not intentional, but it reminds me of stop-motion animation where you can actually see the fingerprints of the animator on the puppets. It's almost like they were made out of clay by a really talented giant. Fortunately this really isn't noticeable in the combat because of all the profuse blood flow. Also, I have yet to see it get dark outside... inside combat gets creepy, but it's always sunny on the beach.
The combat is clearly where the developers put all their eggs. Taking place on a resort island, they had the decency to realize that it wouldn't make much sense to put a weapon room and stockpiles of ammunition in every closet. Weapons are found - rakes, poles, baseball bats... morning stars (see what I mean about creative liberties?) These can be improved with items found throughout the world at workbenches, located in the safehouse areas. The combat is tactile and fairly real. First person melee combat always makes me feel weird, but Dead Island overcomes it fairly well. Hit detection seems solid. The better your character, the more accurate they become with targeting. Not unlike aiming in a FPS, you need to "aim" your swing and the cross hairs represent that. A solid crack with your flaming baseball bat can sometimes create a very satisfying headshot. (I have heard that later in the game firearms get more common. I'm interested to see how the story develops to justify this, but one of the characters is a firearms expert, so I hope the guns show up soon.)
Speaking of the story, don't bother. It's only a means to drive the gameplay. The characters are half thought through. The writers attempt to add feeling and emotion to the scenario to compliment the more "realistic" side of a zombie apocalypse, but it's all overdone and laughable. In order for true emotion to occur, the player needs to "be" their character, and to me, my character is only a list of stats. The player is the classic silent protagonist, so even simple conversations are weird. It doesn't matter though... you'll skip through all the dialogue to get to the quest info screen and decide if it's worth your time to retrieve someone's necklace from a hut for $500 and a car battery. Did I mention that the reason you get do do all these mundane chores for everyone is because you have an immunity to the zombie virus? How convenient.
Really the only thing that surprised my about Dead Island so far, is how much of an RPG it is at the base levels. The leveling up is done through skill trees, rules for critical hits and elemental damage apply to combat, and the meaningless quest grinding is pushing JRPG levels here. It implements all these elements well, and does a fairly decent job of burying them amidst gameplay, but its still there, rearing its ugly head at unwanted times - my weapons aren't strong enough, but as soon as I find new ones, repair them, level them up, add some fire and nails, I've leveled up again! The game scales up the baddie difficulty and my weapons are back to being subpar.
Theres this thing about RPGs that I've never understood. If everything scales to my level, why not just keep me at one level? What's the point of making everything cost more if the game is just going to give me more money after every battle. Proportionally, everything costs the same, its just bigger numbers. (My level 1 weapon does 1 damage to a level 1 zombie rewarding me with $1 = My level 10 weapon does 10 damage to a level 10 zombie rewarding me $10) Is this just a really misguided math lesson? The game doesn't event try to find a happy middle ground when two different leveled characters are in the same game - a level 5 zombie will look and play like a level 15 zombie to a level 15 character.
At the end of the day I like Dead Island, but it doesn't do anything any better than the games where it stole its main concepts from. Borderlands (which came out 2 years prior) nailed the looting system. Left 4 Dead captured the cooperative aspect better. I'd like to say the weapon construction is unique, but that is only a functional gameplay aspect if you are good at looting the gear you need to do it. I don't actually get to design any of the weapons - they're just made out of things I find. My desire to play the game really only comes from seeing what new weapons the game designers thought of... that and the blood lust of smashing zombie heads open.
I'll enjoy my time with it, then see if I can't my work buddies to cave and pick up Left 4 Dead.
Dead Island really separates itself from Left 4 Dead with it's "realism". I put that in quotes because it still takes creative liberties with gameplay, but it is more grounded: Zombies will physically restrain you, you have a stamina meter that needs to be recharged after doing just about anything, and your flashlight depletes energy, causing you to need to pick and choose your "dark" moments. Weapons will degrade the more you use them, so repairing and upgrading them is a constant thought in the back of your head. The realistic side of things didn't click with me at first, but it's more a learning curve than anything.
Visuals aren't bad. Not great, but not bad. The zombie lose limbs and skin, show visible fire damage, etc. As a result of this "layered" damage system, the regular humans look weird. Its not intentional, but it reminds me of stop-motion animation where you can actually see the fingerprints of the animator on the puppets. It's almost like they were made out of clay by a really talented giant. Fortunately this really isn't noticeable in the combat because of all the profuse blood flow. Also, I have yet to see it get dark outside... inside combat gets creepy, but it's always sunny on the beach.
The combat is clearly where the developers put all their eggs. Taking place on a resort island, they had the decency to realize that it wouldn't make much sense to put a weapon room and stockpiles of ammunition in every closet. Weapons are found - rakes, poles, baseball bats... morning stars (see what I mean about creative liberties?) These can be improved with items found throughout the world at workbenches, located in the safehouse areas. The combat is tactile and fairly real. First person melee combat always makes me feel weird, but Dead Island overcomes it fairly well. Hit detection seems solid. The better your character, the more accurate they become with targeting. Not unlike aiming in a FPS, you need to "aim" your swing and the cross hairs represent that. A solid crack with your flaming baseball bat can sometimes create a very satisfying headshot. (I have heard that later in the game firearms get more common. I'm interested to see how the story develops to justify this, but one of the characters is a firearms expert, so I hope the guns show up soon.)
Speaking of the story, don't bother. It's only a means to drive the gameplay. The characters are half thought through. The writers attempt to add feeling and emotion to the scenario to compliment the more "realistic" side of a zombie apocalypse, but it's all overdone and laughable. In order for true emotion to occur, the player needs to "be" their character, and to me, my character is only a list of stats. The player is the classic silent protagonist, so even simple conversations are weird. It doesn't matter though... you'll skip through all the dialogue to get to the quest info screen and decide if it's worth your time to retrieve someone's necklace from a hut for $500 and a car battery. Did I mention that the reason you get do do all these mundane chores for everyone is because you have an immunity to the zombie virus? How convenient.
Really the only thing that surprised my about Dead Island so far, is how much of an RPG it is at the base levels. The leveling up is done through skill trees, rules for critical hits and elemental damage apply to combat, and the meaningless quest grinding is pushing JRPG levels here. It implements all these elements well, and does a fairly decent job of burying them amidst gameplay, but its still there, rearing its ugly head at unwanted times - my weapons aren't strong enough, but as soon as I find new ones, repair them, level them up, add some fire and nails, I've leveled up again! The game scales up the baddie difficulty and my weapons are back to being subpar.
Theres this thing about RPGs that I've never understood. If everything scales to my level, why not just keep me at one level? What's the point of making everything cost more if the game is just going to give me more money after every battle. Proportionally, everything costs the same, its just bigger numbers. (My level 1 weapon does 1 damage to a level 1 zombie rewarding me with $1 = My level 10 weapon does 10 damage to a level 10 zombie rewarding me $10) Is this just a really misguided math lesson? The game doesn't event try to find a happy middle ground when two different leveled characters are in the same game - a level 5 zombie will look and play like a level 15 zombie to a level 15 character.
At the end of the day I like Dead Island, but it doesn't do anything any better than the games where it stole its main concepts from. Borderlands (which came out 2 years prior) nailed the looting system. Left 4 Dead captured the cooperative aspect better. I'd like to say the weapon construction is unique, but that is only a functional gameplay aspect if you are good at looting the gear you need to do it. I don't actually get to design any of the weapons - they're just made out of things I find. My desire to play the game really only comes from seeing what new weapons the game designers thought of... that and the blood lust of smashing zombie heads open.
I'll enjoy my time with it, then see if I can't my work buddies to cave and pick up Left 4 Dead.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Hitman HD Trilogy
It's finally been released.
It's a series that is celebrated for many reasons from the great character in Agent 47, to it's amazing attention to detail, tough difficulty and to it's huge amount of possible kills.
To me this game is extra special because my recently passed brother got me into it when he got Hitman 2: Silent Assassin on his PS2.
Please enjoy the videos below. The first is the HD release trailer and the second was my favorite game trailer for many years. I still love the way the trumpets crescendo when 47 pulls the Silver Ballers out of their case.
Fucking outstanding.
It's a series that is celebrated for many reasons from the great character in Agent 47, to it's amazing attention to detail, tough difficulty and to it's huge amount of possible kills.
To me this game is extra special because my recently passed brother got me into it when he got Hitman 2: Silent Assassin on his PS2.
Please enjoy the videos below. The first is the HD release trailer and the second was my favorite game trailer for many years. I still love the way the trumpets crescendo when 47 pulls the Silver Ballers out of their case.
Fucking outstanding.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Fez
Fez is awesome.
I picked this game up during the XBL Christmas sales. I had never even heard of it until I read many different websites' "Top 10 Games of the Year" lists, and sure enough, Fez was on almost every one of them, commonly claiming a spot in the Top 5.
Fez is a puzzle-platformer in the same category as other downloadable hits like Braid and Limbo. It lacks Braid's time-altering mechanics (and pretentiousness) and Limbo's grit and grime, but makes up for it with a vibrant style and the ability to rotate the entire world. This is a 2-D world, but with 4 different sides, if that makes any sense. By pulling the Left and Right triggers, you rotate the entire world one-quarter turn. Stages are very vertically-oriented, involving a lot of climbing and rotating the world so that different platforms "change" position on the screen, further allowing your ascent. This made for some really fun and challenging gameplay. Sometimes you will also have to turn platforms, raise and lower water levels, line up ladders, etc. Later stages had some "timed" wall climbing, where you only have a certain amount of time to climb and rotate before panels begin flipping and you lose your grip. There are also some bomb sections where you'll have to rotate the world in snyc with the explosion to keep it going. Here is the launch trailer with some gameplay footage to kind of give you a visual of what I'm trying to explain.
One thing I love about all these different aspects of the game is how none it is really spelled out for you. The game will tell you how to rotate a platform or that you can pick up a bomb and either throw it or drop it, but that's about it. It doesn't hold your hand at all and I really appreciate that.
Puzzles in this game can get straight-up baffling at times, which I also really like. Half the time, I'll leave a room without even realizing there was a puzzle in that room. The only reason I DID know was because of the map. The map has a key that will tell you what's in each room: bits, cubes, treasure chests, key-doors or puzzles. A great example of what I'm talking about is a very simple room with what appears to be a throne in it. I got the bit sitting on the throne, then left and looked at my map. There was (and still is) a ? on my map next to that room, meaning I can do SOMETHING in there. I have no idea what, and I love it.
There is also some type of "code" in this game that I haven't figured out yet. Hell, there are probably multiple codes that I need to decipher. I feel like I'm close to one because I've found a room with a panel that lights up in different "shapes" when I perform different actions. If I jump, a square shape lights up on the panel. If I look right, a certain shape shows up. If I rotate the world left, different shape. And it's always consistent. There are signs in the world sometimes with these shapes on them, but my problem now is that I can't form some of the shapes with my available actions. I don't know how to make those other shapes, but when I find out it's going to be epic.
There is not really a "story" to speak of. There is a giant cube (the hexahedron) that shatters into bits, and you must collect the pieces to put it back together. You find out eventually that the hexahedron consisted of 32 Cubes and 32 Anti-Cubes. You can find entire cubes all at once, or tiny bits. 8 bits=1 cube.Gathering any combination of 32 Cubes or Anti-Cubes will allow you to finish the game, but getting all 64 will most likely unlock the full, true ending. At least that's what I'm guessing. The simple story doesn't bother me in the slightest, because the gameplay and challenge are so solid and satisfying.
I think it took me about 8 hours to find the minimum 32 cubes to "finish" the game. I'm guessing at least double that to get actually get everything. A stellar game for $15. An absolute steal for me since I picked it up at 50% off. This game is excellent and I highly recommend it. Look out for it on sale again. Or don't.
I picked this game up during the XBL Christmas sales. I had never even heard of it until I read many different websites' "Top 10 Games of the Year" lists, and sure enough, Fez was on almost every one of them, commonly claiming a spot in the Top 5.
Fez is a puzzle-platformer in the same category as other downloadable hits like Braid and Limbo. It lacks Braid's time-altering mechanics (and pretentiousness) and Limbo's grit and grime, but makes up for it with a vibrant style and the ability to rotate the entire world. This is a 2-D world, but with 4 different sides, if that makes any sense. By pulling the Left and Right triggers, you rotate the entire world one-quarter turn. Stages are very vertically-oriented, involving a lot of climbing and rotating the world so that different platforms "change" position on the screen, further allowing your ascent. This made for some really fun and challenging gameplay. Sometimes you will also have to turn platforms, raise and lower water levels, line up ladders, etc. Later stages had some "timed" wall climbing, where you only have a certain amount of time to climb and rotate before panels begin flipping and you lose your grip. There are also some bomb sections where you'll have to rotate the world in snyc with the explosion to keep it going. Here is the launch trailer with some gameplay footage to kind of give you a visual of what I'm trying to explain.
One thing I love about all these different aspects of the game is how none it is really spelled out for you. The game will tell you how to rotate a platform or that you can pick up a bomb and either throw it or drop it, but that's about it. It doesn't hold your hand at all and I really appreciate that.
Puzzles in this game can get straight-up baffling at times, which I also really like. Half the time, I'll leave a room without even realizing there was a puzzle in that room. The only reason I DID know was because of the map. The map has a key that will tell you what's in each room: bits, cubes, treasure chests, key-doors or puzzles. A great example of what I'm talking about is a very simple room with what appears to be a throne in it. I got the bit sitting on the throne, then left and looked at my map. There was (and still is) a ? on my map next to that room, meaning I can do SOMETHING in there. I have no idea what, and I love it.
There is also some type of "code" in this game that I haven't figured out yet. Hell, there are probably multiple codes that I need to decipher. I feel like I'm close to one because I've found a room with a panel that lights up in different "shapes" when I perform different actions. If I jump, a square shape lights up on the panel. If I look right, a certain shape shows up. If I rotate the world left, different shape. And it's always consistent. There are signs in the world sometimes with these shapes on them, but my problem now is that I can't form some of the shapes with my available actions. I don't know how to make those other shapes, but when I find out it's going to be epic.
There is not really a "story" to speak of. There is a giant cube (the hexahedron) that shatters into bits, and you must collect the pieces to put it back together. You find out eventually that the hexahedron consisted of 32 Cubes and 32 Anti-Cubes. You can find entire cubes all at once, or tiny bits. 8 bits=1 cube.Gathering any combination of 32 Cubes or Anti-Cubes will allow you to finish the game, but getting all 64 will most likely unlock the full, true ending. At least that's what I'm guessing. The simple story doesn't bother me in the slightest, because the gameplay and challenge are so solid and satisfying.
I think it took me about 8 hours to find the minimum 32 cubes to "finish" the game. I'm guessing at least double that to get actually get everything. A stellar game for $15. An absolute steal for me since I picked it up at 50% off. This game is excellent and I highly recommend it. Look out for it on sale again. Or don't.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Max Payne 3 - Brief Review
I've never been so torn on any game in my life. It's astoundingly excellent and amazing while making me want to take an x-acto knife to my wrists.
Great action with fucked up controls courtesy of Rockstar. Sometimes the controls would break: roll wouldn't work, get trapped in cover, crouching was spotty and one time I wasn't able to shoot my fucking gun.
Somewhat messy story with lots of acronyms that left me confused.
Lots of cinematics that hide loads that I actually enjoyed. They were really well done.
Lots of visual stuff going on with effects. It worked and didn't annoy me like I expected it to.
Seemingly endless run of baddies that left me wondering if I'd killed the world yet.
Great voice acting with an awesome yet absolutely flawed character.
I loved that Max, after using pain pills in the previous 2 games to heal, is now addicted to them. Every time you pick them up in the game he'll always mumble some kind of justification to use them. Awesome.
The attention to detail in enemies, levels, guns and Max was second to none.
The last 6 years of gaming have trained me that almost all shooters take place in hot, barren shit holes. Max Payne was always a WONDERFUL treat because you fought in nitty gritty shit hole New York. In Max Payne 3 you leave New York and a large chunk of character of the game went with it. Some of the best levels in the game are flashbacks that take place in New York. I'm sorry, but this game needs to be kept in the city.
Arguably the greatest soundtrack of any game I've ever heard.
All in all I'm really glad I got this game for 20 bucks as opposed to 60. It was amazing and frustrating all at once.
I just wish that Rockstar didn't get their grubby mitts all over it and muck it up.
8/10
Great action with fucked up controls courtesy of Rockstar. Sometimes the controls would break: roll wouldn't work, get trapped in cover, crouching was spotty and one time I wasn't able to shoot my fucking gun.
Somewhat messy story with lots of acronyms that left me confused.
Lots of cinematics that hide loads that I actually enjoyed. They were really well done.
Lots of visual stuff going on with effects. It worked and didn't annoy me like I expected it to.
Seemingly endless run of baddies that left me wondering if I'd killed the world yet.
Great voice acting with an awesome yet absolutely flawed character.
I loved that Max, after using pain pills in the previous 2 games to heal, is now addicted to them. Every time you pick them up in the game he'll always mumble some kind of justification to use them. Awesome.
The attention to detail in enemies, levels, guns and Max was second to none.
The last 6 years of gaming have trained me that almost all shooters take place in hot, barren shit holes. Max Payne was always a WONDERFUL treat because you fought in nitty gritty shit hole New York. In Max Payne 3 you leave New York and a large chunk of character of the game went with it. Some of the best levels in the game are flashbacks that take place in New York. I'm sorry, but this game needs to be kept in the city.
Arguably the greatest soundtrack of any game I've ever heard.
All in all I'm really glad I got this game for 20 bucks as opposed to 60. It was amazing and frustrating all at once.
I just wish that Rockstar didn't get their grubby mitts all over it and muck it up.
8/10
Monday, January 21, 2013
Winter Gaming
I'm not sure who is buying what this Winter, but Microsoft has this deal going. You'll get 1600MSP/$20 for each game you pre-order. This is definitely where I will be making my Gears: Judgment purchase.....FACT!
Friday, January 11, 2013
SUPER DUPER TRIPLE REVIEW: Sleeping Dogs, Spec Ops: The Line, Binary Domain
This past week has been good to me as I've finished 3 excellent games. Below are very brief reviews of each.
Sleeping Dogs
Hands down my favorite sandbox game of all time. Ever. Great story that tears you between loyalty to friends and the job. Some truly cringe worthy moments in here of brutality.
A sandbox game that doesn't compromise in almost anyway. Great shooting and melee combat that's fun and rewarding. Good physics and great driving.
It does pull from every great sandbox game ever made, but it does everything that they do, but does it better. This game is everything a sandbox game should be.
One of the select few games that gave me a tinge of sadness to see it end. That the journey was over and the story complete. I really hope they make a sequel to this game.
9/10
Spec Ops: The Line
Holy fuck. A modern 3rd person military shooter that has an amazing and convuluted narrative where you never really know if you're the good guy or not.
Throw in some moments that make you feel like a fucking monster and some excellent voice acting and a couple squad mates that mentally breakdown with and you've got the most compelling shooter I've ever played. Period.
2012 GOTY to me.
9/10
Binary Domain
A random game, I know, but it was a lot of fun. Over the top action with fun bad guys, tons of robots!!!!
Great action and some memorable characters. The enemies were a ton of fun because they blow apart in interesting and very visual/reactionary ways.
It does fall apart on a handful of boss fights that were just dumb as fuck. Instant knock downs with slow recovery time make the fights a bit of a chore at times.
Creepy humanoid/robotic moments and interactions in here.
Great game that you should be able to pick up for cheap.
8/10
Sleeping Dogs
Hands down my favorite sandbox game of all time. Ever. Great story that tears you between loyalty to friends and the job. Some truly cringe worthy moments in here of brutality.
A sandbox game that doesn't compromise in almost anyway. Great shooting and melee combat that's fun and rewarding. Good physics and great driving.
It does pull from every great sandbox game ever made, but it does everything that they do, but does it better. This game is everything a sandbox game should be.
One of the select few games that gave me a tinge of sadness to see it end. That the journey was over and the story complete. I really hope they make a sequel to this game.
9/10
Spec Ops: The Line
Holy fuck. A modern 3rd person military shooter that has an amazing and convuluted narrative where you never really know if you're the good guy or not.
Throw in some moments that make you feel like a fucking monster and some excellent voice acting and a couple squad mates that mentally breakdown with and you've got the most compelling shooter I've ever played. Period.
2012 GOTY to me.
9/10
Binary Domain
A random game, I know, but it was a lot of fun. Over the top action with fun bad guys, tons of robots!!!!
Great action and some memorable characters. The enemies were a ton of fun because they blow apart in interesting and very visual/reactionary ways.
It does fall apart on a handful of boss fights that were just dumb as fuck. Instant knock downs with slow recovery time make the fights a bit of a chore at times.
Creepy humanoid/robotic moments and interactions in here.
Great game that you should be able to pick up for cheap.
8/10
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Journey - Review
Salad and I have a long running joke about Journey. Well, really it's just spitting hatred and eye rolling at it whenever the occasion arises, which is pretty often. Honestly, I think most of our annoyance of the game is less from the game and more from gaming journalists that won't shut up about it.
It's common to see in reviews that many people that play the game just "won't get it". It seems so pompous and holier than tho that it pretty much got catapulted to the top of my shit list.
Add in the fact of the glowing reviews for Flow and Flower, 2 games that suck massive amounts of ass as they are both just the game "Snake" with really pretty packaging, and you can see why I'd be very unlikely to be kind to another game from THATGAMECOMPANY.
With the holiday season literally on top of us I told Salad that if Journey went on sale I'd buy it and play it. That day came yesterday. Below is my review:
I was wrong. I was wrong and I'm sorry.
For those that don't know, Journey is a very simple game. You're what appears to be some sort of nomadic desert person that is going from Point A to B. Always in the background is your destination, a large mountain with a bright beam of light shooting out of it.
You can jump/fly with one button and "chirp" (I don't really know a good way to describe it) with another. Holding down this chirp long enough releases a louder and different in tone chirp that will activate certain things.
The game is beautiful. I don't know what else to say, but that. There's several moments where the sun reflects off of the sand in the most amazing way and the sand moves in a manner that makes it look like an ocean more than anything else. It sounds lame I know, but I was quite blown away a good number of times. The game also lacks any HUD whatsoever so it's stripped down to just the game.
The music is stunning and fitting. It is subtle and beautiful and puts the correct mood and ambiance in the situation.
The real meat and potatoes of this game came from somewhere I didn't expect it to. Co-op. What?!
I'm a purist. I prefer (except GOW, Borderlands and RE5) to play all my games solo the first time, but I knew that I wouldn't have the option to here. So I just decided to see what happens.
I'd gone into the game with some knowledge that you'll play with others. You won't know when or where or who. You won't have the option to not play with them. You won't even be able to talk to them. They'll just....be there. Nameless. Damn near voiceless. This is where the subtlety of the rather genius gameplay came into focus.
I was in a rather large area when all of a sudden I noticed the right edge of my screen had a white glow on it. I turn to see another person running towards me chirping. 2 things struck me here. In game body language was going to be huge and proper chirping will be key and also that his chirp was different than mine. It sounded different and it even looked different. This was so simple, but really drove home that we're all individuals!
We walked around picking up some things to pick up. When we ran next to each other we glowed very bright and when we did large chirps next to each other it would power up the other person's jump power. Co-reliance is set in my mind now.
I could tell this person was new to the game like me. They didn't seem to know precisely what to do at every moment either. We found ourselves waiting for each other and chirping to get attention to look at certain things. It was....awesome. Here's a guy that may call my mom every horrible name in the book in CoD, but in this game I felt like a kindred spirit with this person. As we patiently work through puzzles and chirp to power up.
Later in the game it shows co-dependence. It's a freezing section as we near the summit and we have to walk almost on top of each other to burn bright and not freeze to death! It was beautiful having these moments.
No talking. Just the common struggle of climbing and relying on each other to get there.
I beat the game in 1 sitting after a little under 2 hours. I'm telling you right now that I'm glad the game was so short. It wouldn't work if it couldn't be done it one sitting. Jumping in and out would not only ruin the journey (sorry), but it would also break this connection I had with my partner. We were in this together.
I'm an emotional person and enjoy a strong bond and this game really drives that home.
After I beat the game it showed me that I had actually played with 4 different people! They are:
gambelQ
XKillerMexicanoX
HYMATARY
DarKest_Dragon
I don't know if they felt the same way I did or how many times they've all played the game, but I felt connected to each one of them even though I didn't know who they were or that there were actually 4 different people.
What game can make you say that?
Bottom line. The game deserves to be played. With the holiday sale on PSN now you need to get the game and play it tonight. It's its own thing and something that even a jaded gamer needs every now and again.
It's common to see in reviews that many people that play the game just "won't get it". It seems so pompous and holier than tho that it pretty much got catapulted to the top of my shit list.
Add in the fact of the glowing reviews for Flow and Flower, 2 games that suck massive amounts of ass as they are both just the game "Snake" with really pretty packaging, and you can see why I'd be very unlikely to be kind to another game from THATGAMECOMPANY.
With the holiday season literally on top of us I told Salad that if Journey went on sale I'd buy it and play it. That day came yesterday. Below is my review:
I was wrong. I was wrong and I'm sorry.
For those that don't know, Journey is a very simple game. You're what appears to be some sort of nomadic desert person that is going from Point A to B. Always in the background is your destination, a large mountain with a bright beam of light shooting out of it.
You can jump/fly with one button and "chirp" (I don't really know a good way to describe it) with another. Holding down this chirp long enough releases a louder and different in tone chirp that will activate certain things.
The game is beautiful. I don't know what else to say, but that. There's several moments where the sun reflects off of the sand in the most amazing way and the sand moves in a manner that makes it look like an ocean more than anything else. It sounds lame I know, but I was quite blown away a good number of times. The game also lacks any HUD whatsoever so it's stripped down to just the game.
The music is stunning and fitting. It is subtle and beautiful and puts the correct mood and ambiance in the situation.
The real meat and potatoes of this game came from somewhere I didn't expect it to. Co-op. What?!
I'm a purist. I prefer (except GOW, Borderlands and RE5) to play all my games solo the first time, but I knew that I wouldn't have the option to here. So I just decided to see what happens.
I'd gone into the game with some knowledge that you'll play with others. You won't know when or where or who. You won't have the option to not play with them. You won't even be able to talk to them. They'll just....be there. Nameless. Damn near voiceless. This is where the subtlety of the rather genius gameplay came into focus.
I was in a rather large area when all of a sudden I noticed the right edge of my screen had a white glow on it. I turn to see another person running towards me chirping. 2 things struck me here. In game body language was going to be huge and proper chirping will be key and also that his chirp was different than mine. It sounded different and it even looked different. This was so simple, but really drove home that we're all individuals!
We walked around picking up some things to pick up. When we ran next to each other we glowed very bright and when we did large chirps next to each other it would power up the other person's jump power. Co-reliance is set in my mind now.
I could tell this person was new to the game like me. They didn't seem to know precisely what to do at every moment either. We found ourselves waiting for each other and chirping to get attention to look at certain things. It was....awesome. Here's a guy that may call my mom every horrible name in the book in CoD, but in this game I felt like a kindred spirit with this person. As we patiently work through puzzles and chirp to power up.
Later in the game it shows co-dependence. It's a freezing section as we near the summit and we have to walk almost on top of each other to burn bright and not freeze to death! It was beautiful having these moments.
No talking. Just the common struggle of climbing and relying on each other to get there.
I beat the game in 1 sitting after a little under 2 hours. I'm telling you right now that I'm glad the game was so short. It wouldn't work if it couldn't be done it one sitting. Jumping in and out would not only ruin the journey (sorry), but it would also break this connection I had with my partner. We were in this together.
I'm an emotional person and enjoy a strong bond and this game really drives that home.
After I beat the game it showed me that I had actually played with 4 different people! They are:
gambelQ
XKillerMexicanoX
HYMATARY
DarKest_Dragon
I don't know if they felt the same way I did or how many times they've all played the game, but I felt connected to each one of them even though I didn't know who they were or that there were actually 4 different people.
What game can make you say that?
Bottom line. The game deserves to be played. With the holiday sale on PSN now you need to get the game and play it tonight. It's its own thing and something that even a jaded gamer needs every now and again.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - Review
Holy fuck.
So I've been waiting to play these until all 5 episodes launched because I'm not a patient person. If a really interesting story is happening that I'm really into the last thing I want to do is wait a month to figure out what happens next.
Episode 5 just dropped this week so it was time to dig into Episodes 1 and 2 that were "free" gifts from PSPlus a long time ago.
In case you don't already know it takes place around Atlanta, just like the show and comic, and it starts at outbreak. The game is basically a point-and-click adventure in a 3d world. It's a heavily story driven (but NOT heavy handed) game that does an astounding job of sucking you into it's world.
Never in my gaming life have I ever felt the stresses that came with this game and I mean that as very high praise. The game has some incredibly tense moments where I found myself moving to the front of my seat with my skin crawling and actually yelling, "Fucking move!"
Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. Before this game the hardest decisional moments I've ever seen in games were in Mass Effect 1 when I had to pick who to let live and who to die and in Heavy Rain there were some difficult moments, but seeing as to how most all decision were based on doing something terrible to save my child they weren't tough.
This game has some very hard decisions. The astounding thing is that they flesh out the characters really well....astoundingly equally well and then shit hits the fan and you've got to choose. The tension gets racked up to 96 because you have about 5 seconds of time to choose. In Mass Effect I remember taking around 10 minutes to weigh every option and decide what I wanted. Here it was just 2 very bad options with less time to decide than it takes to get a quick sip of your drink.
The dialog is also surprisingly strong. You have multiple options and ways to respond to any dialogue and I've been very happy with the options. I've been projecting myself onto the protagonist and playing how I'd react in real life. The result is powerful, shocking and jaw dropping.
Several times I made split second decisions that felt right in the moment, but then I had instant regrets.
The best part is there isn't a good checkpoint system to reload if you change your mind. It's keeping my playing honest and true. I fucking love it.
I beat Episode 1 in around 2 and a half hours and there wasn't a moment that felt wasted or useless. Every exchange added something of value to the story.
At the end you're rewarded with a trailer for Episode 2 and holy balls....I can't wait to play it.
The most impressive thing about this so far is that I can already see the huge ripple effect that my decisions could be possibly making. Who I sided with in an argument. Who I helped save and how that person was related to someone else and how it helps or strains that relationship. The game carries each and every horrible choice you've made into the next episode and I can see already that I'll pay dearly for one of them.
Honestly, I couldn't recommend this game any higher. Even if you're not a Walking Dead fan get it. It's an amazing story told in a convincing and moving way. The point-and-click works really well on a console controller.
If you're into the show or comics you'll be rewarded with seeing some of the cast from the show in the game.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but just get the fucking game. Go to your gaming rig of choice and pay 5 dollars and play it. Now.
So I've been waiting to play these until all 5 episodes launched because I'm not a patient person. If a really interesting story is happening that I'm really into the last thing I want to do is wait a month to figure out what happens next.
Episode 5 just dropped this week so it was time to dig into Episodes 1 and 2 that were "free" gifts from PSPlus a long time ago.
In case you don't already know it takes place around Atlanta, just like the show and comic, and it starts at outbreak. The game is basically a point-and-click adventure in a 3d world. It's a heavily story driven (but NOT heavy handed) game that does an astounding job of sucking you into it's world.
Never in my gaming life have I ever felt the stresses that came with this game and I mean that as very high praise. The game has some incredibly tense moments where I found myself moving to the front of my seat with my skin crawling and actually yelling, "Fucking move!"
Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. Before this game the hardest decisional moments I've ever seen in games were in Mass Effect 1 when I had to pick who to let live and who to die and in Heavy Rain there were some difficult moments, but seeing as to how most all decision were based on doing something terrible to save my child they weren't tough.
This game has some very hard decisions. The astounding thing is that they flesh out the characters really well....astoundingly equally well and then shit hits the fan and you've got to choose. The tension gets racked up to 96 because you have about 5 seconds of time to choose. In Mass Effect I remember taking around 10 minutes to weigh every option and decide what I wanted. Here it was just 2 very bad options with less time to decide than it takes to get a quick sip of your drink.
The dialog is also surprisingly strong. You have multiple options and ways to respond to any dialogue and I've been very happy with the options. I've been projecting myself onto the protagonist and playing how I'd react in real life. The result is powerful, shocking and jaw dropping.
Several times I made split second decisions that felt right in the moment, but then I had instant regrets.
The best part is there isn't a good checkpoint system to reload if you change your mind. It's keeping my playing honest and true. I fucking love it.
I beat Episode 1 in around 2 and a half hours and there wasn't a moment that felt wasted or useless. Every exchange added something of value to the story.
At the end you're rewarded with a trailer for Episode 2 and holy balls....I can't wait to play it.
The most impressive thing about this so far is that I can already see the huge ripple effect that my decisions could be possibly making. Who I sided with in an argument. Who I helped save and how that person was related to someone else and how it helps or strains that relationship. The game carries each and every horrible choice you've made into the next episode and I can see already that I'll pay dearly for one of them.
Honestly, I couldn't recommend this game any higher. Even if you're not a Walking Dead fan get it. It's an amazing story told in a convincing and moving way. The point-and-click works really well on a console controller.
If you're into the show or comics you'll be rewarded with seeing some of the cast from the show in the game.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but just get the fucking game. Go to your gaming rig of choice and pay 5 dollars and play it. Now.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Rut of a Lifetime
I've been gaming since I was very little. My first gaming system was an Atari 2600 followed shortly by my amazing and still loved Coleco. I've owned consoles from every generation since. There's not really a genre I wouldn't play (unless you count SimCity as a genre which in that case you can just go fuck yourself). I love RPG, shooters, puzzles, horror, adventure and plenty of smaller download games like Limbo and Castle Crashers. Bottom line is that I love games.
I'm also in the rut of a lifetime as far as gaming goes. I've gone through spurts where I'm overly "blah" about most all games I own. Tons to play and no desire to play them, but this is worse. In most rut times I will play just for the sake of playing. I may hop between 3 games within an hour to try and find something that I'm not bored with, but now I just feel no desire to play.
The other night I hoped onto 360 looking to shake things up and even though it was fun to play with the guys I was bored with the game within minutes and ready for something new.
I have at least a dozen games I haven't even touched yet and for a while all I could play was Mass Effect 3 and now I don't even want to play that anymore.
I need a wake up call. A game to bitch slap me back to what I love about games. Maybe it's the new, and apparently awesome, Dishonored. Maybe it's a replay of an old game I loved that's been rereleased with a ton of new content and has a new coat of paint with the updated Rage Engine in Doom 3 BFG or maybe it's going back to Pandora in Borderlands 2. Possibly it's donning the suit and tie as the greatest and scariest game character of all time in the new Hitman as Agent 47.
I miss the excitement that games used to bring. Or maybe I'm just getting old.
I'm also in the rut of a lifetime as far as gaming goes. I've gone through spurts where I'm overly "blah" about most all games I own. Tons to play and no desire to play them, but this is worse. In most rut times I will play just for the sake of playing. I may hop between 3 games within an hour to try and find something that I'm not bored with, but now I just feel no desire to play.
The other night I hoped onto 360 looking to shake things up and even though it was fun to play with the guys I was bored with the game within minutes and ready for something new.
I have at least a dozen games I haven't even touched yet and for a while all I could play was Mass Effect 3 and now I don't even want to play that anymore.
I need a wake up call. A game to bitch slap me back to what I love about games. Maybe it's the new, and apparently awesome, Dishonored. Maybe it's a replay of an old game I loved that's been rereleased with a ton of new content and has a new coat of paint with the updated Rage Engine in Doom 3 BFG or maybe it's going back to Pandora in Borderlands 2. Possibly it's donning the suit and tie as the greatest and scariest game character of all time in the new Hitman as Agent 47.
I miss the excitement that games used to bring. Or maybe I'm just getting old.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Welcome back to Pandora
Borderlands 2 is out and the reviews in general have been more than favorable. In fact, the only truly negative review I read (forwarded by a friend) basically says "BL2 would be better if it were COD..." I'm not going to spend a lot of time reviewing the same things most reviewers tackle, but I will talk about what I enjoy about it and for those who have played a decent amount of the first game, what changed.
As I've described to so many people, the original Borderlands scratched an itch that I didn't even know I had. I've always had a slight aversion to RPGs, but Borderlands showed me that it wasn't the strict elements of RPGs that turned me off, but the combat. Genre blending is a bit of a newer trend in the game industry and the folks at Gearbox really struck a wonderful chord creating a game that throws together shooters and RPGs. Games like Bioshock, and even Mass Effect were great, but I don't think the marriage of the two genres was complete in those. Those games were awesome in their own right, but they tended to lean on one side more than the other.
That simple yet in depth formula continues in BL2. Part first person shooter, part MMO style RPG, part Diablo loot hunting... BL2 delivers on all the familiar fronts from the first game. The cartoonish cel-shaded style returns which is an appropriate fit for over the top, psychotic world. It feels like a bit of a cop-out, but it's easy to say that if you liked the first game, BL2 is a safe bet.
Things that have changed:
- Character customization has gotten better than just simple color selection, but I'm still a little surprised that there isn't more specific customization. Basically you get to choose between a head and a body type (which also dictates the color scheme), all revolving around the general theme of your class. With the crazy amount of guns in the game all with unique stats and characteristics, I would have expected individual clothing pieces to be swapped, changed, etc., but it seems that Gearbox doesn't want to hand that over to players for some reason.
- In general, I've found more loot on the ground than I have in chests, which is a switch from the first game. Very rarely in the first game would I find anything of value from downed baddies, but now, all the good stuff seems to be coming from them... The game drops rarer loot when you play with friends and have more people in your party, so that might be contributing to this trend. I really liked finding chests, waiting for it to open, then being surprised by what was inside... this still happens, but definitely not as frequently as before.
- The naming system for weapons has varied somewhat, which is confusing. Every gun in the first game was randomly generated, given a unique name (usually including numbers and characters) based on what the gun did. A modder could create his own weapon and it would have a unique name due to the specific attributes contributed to it. Now the naming system is all a word based system and you need to read the specific stats or descriptions to discover the subtle (and sometimes important) differences. For example, relatively early in the game a character gives you a special weapon called the Teapot. Everyone in our party received the same weapon, with the same name, but all of the stats were slightly different. One did more damage, one had deeper mags, and one fired 2 shots per round at a cost of accuracy. I don't mind the new naming system, but by the end of my run with the first game I was able to identify some of my favorite weapons just by their description and if looting for weapons, I could tell just by the name if the gun was worth looking into.
- The new quest organization system is really elegant. Similar to the first game, active/completed quests are prompted in their own menu, but now quick travel screen will let you know if an area you are considering travelling to has any active quests. "While you're there..." will let you know what else you could do in an area if you're just passing through. Not groundbreaking stuff, but definitely more streamlined than before.
- I'm only about halfway through my level cap, but the story so far is better. Many of the jokes and character interactions do hinge on having previous knowledge of the first games characters (including DLC) but it is still fun regardless. Without spoilers, it's just a better story that is told in a more cohesive fashion than previously. It doesn't make sense at times, but let's face it... Borderlands isn't the type of game you play for engrossing narrative. It helps drive the gameplay, but the gameplay is so intrinsically addictive you could play with the story off and still have a good time.
- The jump in / jump out has been drastically improved. From the home menu you can see all of your friends who are playing, what class they are playing as, and their level. (very similar interface as Halo Reach) Scrolling over them will let you know how close of a match you would be if you joined in with them. XP is then rewarded appropriately, but I don't know if it adjusts based off of rank or not. As best I can tell, everyone gets the same XP, but it appears to be scaled back for someone who is ranked significantly higher than the game's host. This makes it fair for other players who aren't as far in the game, or for players who want to help their buddies catch up but don't want to be super overpowered. Whatever they did, it works.
- Badass Rank is new, replacing the gun proficiencies from the first game. Instead of using weapons frequently and becoming more proficient with them (reload speed, recoil, etc), in game "badass challenges" will award you Badass Rank and Badass tokens to redeem for skill bumps. Want more health, or get more recoil reduction? Apply the tokens appropriately. Badass challenges happen all the time, totally unprompted, so you get many tokens to spend. I get the idea that Badass Rank will get very high due to many play throughs... AND Badass Rank follows your console profile, not the character, so once you get Badass, you stay that way with all of your characters.
- On a similar note, Claptrap now offers a special safe where you can share weapons and items found between your profiles. Found a gun that would be great for another character/class you have? Save it there, then pick it up later. Cool idea.
This post ran a little longer than I thought it would, like many things I write... congrats if you made it this far. I'm obviously a big fan of the game and could recommend it to just about anyone, especially if you enjoyed the first game.
XBL Rewards
Just in case anyone is interested:
http://rewards.xbox.com/
You get some pretty miniscule discounts and gifts on birthdays (I'm guessing avatar stuff) but it's free to sign up. Might as well.
http://rewards.xbox.com/
You get some pretty miniscule discounts and gifts on birthdays (I'm guessing avatar stuff) but it's free to sign up. Might as well.
Friday, September 14, 2012
WiiU Announcement Thoughts
This is just kind of a general rambling and disjointed thoughts piece, but what are your feelings on the WiiU since they finally unveiled price and release date?
I think the damn thing is too expensive.
I think the gamepad will be a huge battery sucker. Sure the processing is actually being done by the WiiU, but the size of the controller along with the large screen and other components for movement have to be a killer on the battery. My Vita gets around 4hrs max on a charge and that gamepad can't be too much more than that, but I could be wrong.
One thing that 360 and PS3 controllers have in common is face button placement. The buttons are located above the right stick. The buttons on the gamepad and gamepad pro are below?! What the fuck? Nice big fuck you to muscle memory and is another fine example of Nintendo ignoring game norms and it's hard to think that they would have chosen this accidentally.
32GB internal memory? Who the hell thought that was a good idea? Salad and I were talking about the 20GB 360 and laughed at how impossibly small that is by today's standards. It just further shows Nintendo's complete lack of belief in online play, dlc and the future of digital only games.
Bayonetta 2 as an exclusive is a big deal and was a huge surprise to me. I think it's about as dumb a move that could've happened for a game with such a niche market, but oh well...maybe some people like to not earn more money.
Will I be getting one? Ever? No. There's no need to. Besides the built in screen on the controller there's nothing this thing will do that my PS3 or 360 can't do already and more than likely do better. My Vita lets me remote play outside of my home or on my couch so in that regard it's already beaten the WiiU before it's launched.
Do I think the system will sell? Absofuckinglutely it will. It's Nintendo. If Nintendo puts it out people will buy it. It's the equivalent of Apple for video games. No matter what they do their products sell.
Do I think the system will be left in the dust in another year? Totally. The WiiU will be just as antiquated as the Wii when the next PS and XBOX roll out.
I guess all in all I just don't get the point of this system. It seems like a catchup game on Nintendo's part that is bound to just keep them further out of the loop of gaming beyond Nintendo first party titles.
Truthfully, I hope this thing bombs. If for no other reason than to show Sony and Microsoft that doing what Nintendo has done will make you lose in the end.
Rant done.
I think the damn thing is too expensive.
I think the gamepad will be a huge battery sucker. Sure the processing is actually being done by the WiiU, but the size of the controller along with the large screen and other components for movement have to be a killer on the battery. My Vita gets around 4hrs max on a charge and that gamepad can't be too much more than that, but I could be wrong.
One thing that 360 and PS3 controllers have in common is face button placement. The buttons are located above the right stick. The buttons on the gamepad and gamepad pro are below?! What the fuck? Nice big fuck you to muscle memory and is another fine example of Nintendo ignoring game norms and it's hard to think that they would have chosen this accidentally.
32GB internal memory? Who the hell thought that was a good idea? Salad and I were talking about the 20GB 360 and laughed at how impossibly small that is by today's standards. It just further shows Nintendo's complete lack of belief in online play, dlc and the future of digital only games.
Bayonetta 2 as an exclusive is a big deal and was a huge surprise to me. I think it's about as dumb a move that could've happened for a game with such a niche market, but oh well...maybe some people like to not earn more money.
Will I be getting one? Ever? No. There's no need to. Besides the built in screen on the controller there's nothing this thing will do that my PS3 or 360 can't do already and more than likely do better. My Vita lets me remote play outside of my home or on my couch so in that regard it's already beaten the WiiU before it's launched.
Do I think the system will sell? Absofuckinglutely it will. It's Nintendo. If Nintendo puts it out people will buy it. It's the equivalent of Apple for video games. No matter what they do their products sell.
Do I think the system will be left in the dust in another year? Totally. The WiiU will be just as antiquated as the Wii when the next PS and XBOX roll out.
I guess all in all I just don't get the point of this system. It seems like a catchup game on Nintendo's part that is bound to just keep them further out of the loop of gaming beyond Nintendo first party titles.
Truthfully, I hope this thing bombs. If for no other reason than to show Sony and Microsoft that doing what Nintendo has done will make you lose in the end.
Rant done.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Halo 4 thoughts
This came to the front of my mind as 3N3MY and I were messaging back and forth a couple of days ago. He told me he saw screenshots of some of the new enemies in the game, and that they looked like "shit." While I respectfully disagree, that's not the point. The point is, the hype machine is kicking into top gear now as we're less than two months away from the next chapter in what is undoubtedly Microsoft's biggest franchise.
This video was released about a week ago by 343i, the developers of the game. Give it a look and make sure to bump the video quality up to HD and listen with some good speakers or headphones.
The game screams, "I'm really polished!!!" As it should. A new composer has been hired and from what I've heard, is giving Halo a brand new sound. Sound effects have been completely overhauled. MoCap and facial recognition have been implemented. In the video at the 5:10 mark, note the improvement in the faces and how they no longer look like they're carved out of silly putty or a potato sack. Seemingly, 343i will overlook nothing, as they've even left off the little armor plates on Chief's trigger fingers for increased "tactile sense." I just thought that was a cool little touch. They also talk quite a lot about deepening the relationship between Chief and Cortana and making Chief more relatable. I sincerely HOPE that they can accomplish it but I will only believe it when I see it for myself.
Anyway, all of this is to say.....what is it we frequently complain about in certain other games? Thoughts like "the engine is exactly the same" and "there's no improvement in any area over x or y." This game just looks to be leaps and bounds ahead of any of the prior games in the series (and most other games) just from a production standpoint. I haven't even gone into the gameplay aspect. It's just a feeling that I NEVER got from watching anything that Bungie did on any of the other games. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe they just didn't publicize it as much. We frequently joke that Bungie basically screwed around for about two and a half years and then started working on their next game for release six months later. I don't get that feeling at all with this one, and I hope it turns out to be as awesome as it looks.
This will be my first/last/only post on Halo 4 as I'm going to attempt to "go dark" on it in the next two months, not watching any more videos or any of the hype. I want to go into it knowing no more than I do at this time. Peace out.
This video was released about a week ago by 343i, the developers of the game. Give it a look and make sure to bump the video quality up to HD and listen with some good speakers or headphones.
The game screams, "I'm really polished!!!" As it should. A new composer has been hired and from what I've heard, is giving Halo a brand new sound. Sound effects have been completely overhauled. MoCap and facial recognition have been implemented. In the video at the 5:10 mark, note the improvement in the faces and how they no longer look like they're carved out of silly putty or a potato sack. Seemingly, 343i will overlook nothing, as they've even left off the little armor plates on Chief's trigger fingers for increased "tactile sense." I just thought that was a cool little touch. They also talk quite a lot about deepening the relationship between Chief and Cortana and making Chief more relatable. I sincerely HOPE that they can accomplish it but I will only believe it when I see it for myself.
Anyway, all of this is to say.....what is it we frequently complain about in certain other games? Thoughts like "the engine is exactly the same" and "there's no improvement in any area over x or y." This game just looks to be leaps and bounds ahead of any of the prior games in the series (and most other games) just from a production standpoint. I haven't even gone into the gameplay aspect. It's just a feeling that I NEVER got from watching anything that Bungie did on any of the other games. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe they just didn't publicize it as much. We frequently joke that Bungie basically screwed around for about two and a half years and then started working on their next game for release six months later. I don't get that feeling at all with this one, and I hope it turns out to be as awesome as it looks.
This will be my first/last/only post on Halo 4 as I'm going to attempt to "go dark" on it in the next two months, not watching any more videos or any of the hype. I want to go into it knowing no more than I do at this time. Peace out.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD Review
I am going to start this review by admitting that i am a HUGE fan of the Tony Hawk series ever since its release in 1999. Whether it was seeing how many goals i could achieve in the 2 minute time frame or playing split screen games of horse with my friends i have put many hours into the series and because it all started with thps 1 the game holds a special place in my list of all time favorite games.
Over the past 13 years the series seems to have hit an all time low and the newer games never really lived up to the first 4 games in the series. Sure the graphics were updated but the newer games failed to capture the same magic of the first 4 games in the series... That is until now...
Tony hawk pro skater hd was just released last week and it marks the return to a time before slow-motion focus meters, million point combos, and terrible over the top storylines... Tony hawk pro skater hd is basically a remake of the first and second games in the series with little done to change the gameplay. There are only 7 levels in the game (3 borrowed from thps1 and 4 borrowed from thps2 with more from thps 3 &4 hinted at as dlc) but the levels have received a huge graphical overhall making this game easily the best looking thps experience to date. Its nice because the levels feel fresh enough to warrant a return but also feel familiar enough that ull be right at home playing them.
The gameplay is exactly like the first 4 games in the series which means in each level u will be given a 2 minute time limit and a list of goals to complete before the timer runs out. These goals range from landing specific tricks in specific spots and earning certain scores to finding hidden objects scattered throughout the level. You can also customize your skaters stats with money received for completing each goal and purchase new skateboards and special tricks.
The sound track for the game is pretty decent sporting 14 songs total (7 from thps1 &2 and 7 new ones) i was a little disappointed to find that there is only 1 song though...
I played a couple online matches and it seemed pretty solid over all.
While i would say the game is worth every penny of the $15 cover price i do have a few issues with the game. My first gripe is the omission of split screen multiplayer... All the other games in the series had it so why cant this?! I loved playing the older ones on split screen and honestly how hard could it be to add it in there? Also there is no "HORSE" mode... I was shocked that they didnt add it in there since it is easily the best mode out of the entire series multiplayer.
The game itself is extremely fun to play and does a great job of capturing the essence of the first tony hawk games. Throughout my time spent with the ps3 version i only noticed a few frame rate issues and a few instances where my commands weren't recognized by the game but these instances were few and far between. Whether you are a huge fan of the series looking for a ride down memory lane or a total noob to the series tony hawks pro skater hd is a great game and i would have no problem recommending it to anyone.
Remote Play
I know I sent a text to most of you last night with a pic of my Vita "running" Shadow of the Colossus. Sony has released patches for Ico, SoTC and God of War 1 and 2 to do this.
What came as the biggest revelation to me was that this remote play won't only just work while you're directly connected to the PS3 locally, but it actually allows you to play your PS3 from anywhere that has a decent wifi with no lag. This is revolutionary.
What I thought I would have in the beginning was a WiiU type device. I could play my PS3 games on my couch while my wife watched her shows. I had no idea that this would actually open the opportunity to literally play my PS3 from almost anywhere.
The Vita's forward thinking design with the back panel allows it to be broken into 4 quadrants so you still have L2, L3, R2 and R3 and it works surprisingly well. I'll admit that getting used to holding the Vita in such a way that you're not hitting them accidentally will take some getting used to, but still it's an amazing technical feat.
Not only can I now play the 9 different great Vita only games I have, but I'm (especially down the road when this is made available to more and more games) able to play, potentially, any game in my PS3 library.
This blurs the line between handheld and console all the more. Sure the Vita isn't technically playing the game as it's just receiving the streaming info from the PS3, but it's a leap toward the future that gaming is most certainly headed. The Vita and PS3 are just the first powerhouses to make it happen with legit games that aren't Bejeweled or Snood or fucking Peggle.
I realize that this post probably wreaks to high heaven of fanboyism, but seriously....this is awesome stuff and is a glimpse to the future of where games can go.
What came as the biggest revelation to me was that this remote play won't only just work while you're directly connected to the PS3 locally, but it actually allows you to play your PS3 from anywhere that has a decent wifi with no lag. This is revolutionary.
What I thought I would have in the beginning was a WiiU type device. I could play my PS3 games on my couch while my wife watched her shows. I had no idea that this would actually open the opportunity to literally play my PS3 from almost anywhere.
The Vita's forward thinking design with the back panel allows it to be broken into 4 quadrants so you still have L2, L3, R2 and R3 and it works surprisingly well. I'll admit that getting used to holding the Vita in such a way that you're not hitting them accidentally will take some getting used to, but still it's an amazing technical feat.
Not only can I now play the 9 different great Vita only games I have, but I'm (especially down the road when this is made available to more and more games) able to play, potentially, any game in my PS3 library.
This blurs the line between handheld and console all the more. Sure the Vita isn't technically playing the game as it's just receiving the streaming info from the PS3, but it's a leap toward the future that gaming is most certainly headed. The Vita and PS3 are just the first powerhouses to make it happen with legit games that aren't Bejeweled or Snood or fucking Peggle.
I realize that this post probably wreaks to high heaven of fanboyism, but seriously....this is awesome stuff and is a glimpse to the future of where games can go.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Counter Strike: A Read for the Uninitiated
I know some people shit their pants when we link to other sites on this one, but this quick read on the appeal of Counter Strike is both funny and spot on.
Best quote: "Shooting that sniper’s prone corpse, I was basically cutting off his dick so I could keep it in a jar of vinegar, along with all the others, like that Assyrian king way back when."
Get this game and a keyboard and mouse. Let us play as men. Or at least as manly as guys pretending to play war can be.
Best quote: "Shooting that sniper’s prone corpse, I was basically cutting off his dick so I could keep it in a jar of vinegar, along with all the others, like that Assyrian king way back when."
Get this game and a keyboard and mouse. Let us play as men. Or at least as manly as guys pretending to play war can be.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
George Lucas hates you.
George Lucas has ruined Star Wars. This is sort of a common accept fact at this point. There are so many things that we could submit as evidence here. There are plenty of hilarious songs and honest (albeit, weird) commentaries that all illustrate the point well enough. Why are there so many kids in the prequel movies? Why did Lucas feel it necessary to have Greedo shoot first/at all?
I would like to talk about a very specific grievance - The Force.
As a kid who grew up on a healthy does of the original trilogy, the Force was always an interesting concept. I, like many of you, probably spent more than a healthy amount of time staring at a fixed object, concentrating on it, hoping to make it levitate. It wouldn't be as impressive as lifting an X-Wing from a swamp, but I believed that if I could focus hard enough, or understand the Force well enough, then maybe, just maybe I could do it.
The Force is a mystical power, something to be both understood and felt. Let me support this with some quotes.
"The Jedi are extinct, their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that's left of their religion."
"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."
"... I've never seen anything to make me believe that there's one all-powerful Force controlling everything. 'Cause no mystical energy field controls my destiny. It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense."
"The Force be with you, always."
For all practical purposes, the Force was like a god, or a spirit that was everywhere. It was something that couldn't be proven or seen, something that couldn't be quantified by any other standard... It was truly something special.
This all changed with the prequels. In Episode 1, we get to see a glimpse of a young boy who would someday rule the galaxy with a cruel fist - Anakin Skywalker. The force is so present in this small child that immediately the Jedi nearby can feel it's presence... So they decide to go and measure it.
Wait. What? They measure it? How is that possible? Midi-chlorians, you say? That's what the Force is made of? As I sat there in the theatre, I felt crushed and a little bit disappointed. How could something like the Force be explained as easily as a micro-organism in the blood stream? Yoda didn't really have anything special to be able to lift Luke's ship from the depths of Degobah... he just had really awesome blood stats!
Stepping outside of this, and giving myself more than a few years to be upset and confused, I finally began to see what and why this sort of happened. As crazy as it sounds, I think it has a lot to do with the secularization of our culture. Religion isn't as common in people's lives as it was 30 years ago, and apparently this has had an influence on Star Wars. I'm personally kinda sad about this. Star Wars was different from other things out there... the Force was something bigger than myself, something that I desperately wanted to be a part of. Knowing how the Force works makes it... accessible - I just wasn't born with the right blood. I mean, I could be a Jedi, but really, I'm not genetically fit to make it happen.
(Side note: to see this trend continue, look at the differences between the original Indiana Jones movies and the new one)
Lucas just keeps trying to cover all of his tracks on this too. It isn't just the quantification of the Force, but also how it works out. I'm thinking of a horrifying scene in Episode 2 where Count Dooku and Yoda are going at it with force lighting and energy balls... awesome stuff. Then...
"It is obvious that this contest cannot be decided by our knowledge of the Force... but by our skills with a lightsaber."
WHAT?! The skills with a lightsaber are more important than the knowledge of the Force!? You've gotta be kidding me. The whole original trilogy is about the Force, and the way it is the most powerful... well, force in the galaxy. Lightsabers were a weapon of the Jedi, but the Force is what gives a Jedi his power! (That's actually almost a direct Obi-wan quote, listed above!)
My only real question for George Lucas in this, is why? It's not like Star Wars wasn't popular or making money. I was halfway grown when I started watching them, and Return of the Jedi came out long before that. And it's not like releasing the originals, in their original formatting (dialogue, effects, sound, etc.) wouldn't make money - heck, it would make them billions. I'd even let them borrow my original VHS copies to enhance them off of, just so there wouldn't be any accidental additions.
Leave them alone, George... just leave them alone.
I would like to talk about a very specific grievance - The Force.
As a kid who grew up on a healthy does of the original trilogy, the Force was always an interesting concept. I, like many of you, probably spent more than a healthy amount of time staring at a fixed object, concentrating on it, hoping to make it levitate. It wouldn't be as impressive as lifting an X-Wing from a swamp, but I believed that if I could focus hard enough, or understand the Force well enough, then maybe, just maybe I could do it.
The Force is a mystical power, something to be both understood and felt. Let me support this with some quotes.
"The Jedi are extinct, their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that's left of their religion."
"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."
"... I've never seen anything to make me believe that there's one all-powerful Force controlling everything. 'Cause no mystical energy field controls my destiny. It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense."
"The Force be with you, always."
For all practical purposes, the Force was like a god, or a spirit that was everywhere. It was something that couldn't be proven or seen, something that couldn't be quantified by any other standard... It was truly something special.
This all changed with the prequels. In Episode 1, we get to see a glimpse of a young boy who would someday rule the galaxy with a cruel fist - Anakin Skywalker. The force is so present in this small child that immediately the Jedi nearby can feel it's presence... So they decide to go and measure it.
Wait. What? They measure it? How is that possible? Midi-chlorians, you say? That's what the Force is made of? As I sat there in the theatre, I felt crushed and a little bit disappointed. How could something like the Force be explained as easily as a micro-organism in the blood stream? Yoda didn't really have anything special to be able to lift Luke's ship from the depths of Degobah... he just had really awesome blood stats!
Stepping outside of this, and giving myself more than a few years to be upset and confused, I finally began to see what and why this sort of happened. As crazy as it sounds, I think it has a lot to do with the secularization of our culture. Religion isn't as common in people's lives as it was 30 years ago, and apparently this has had an influence on Star Wars. I'm personally kinda sad about this. Star Wars was different from other things out there... the Force was something bigger than myself, something that I desperately wanted to be a part of. Knowing how the Force works makes it... accessible - I just wasn't born with the right blood. I mean, I could be a Jedi, but really, I'm not genetically fit to make it happen.
(Side note: to see this trend continue, look at the differences between the original Indiana Jones movies and the new one)
Lucas just keeps trying to cover all of his tracks on this too. It isn't just the quantification of the Force, but also how it works out. I'm thinking of a horrifying scene in Episode 2 where Count Dooku and Yoda are going at it with force lighting and energy balls... awesome stuff. Then...
"It is obvious that this contest cannot be decided by our knowledge of the Force... but by our skills with a lightsaber."
WHAT?! The skills with a lightsaber are more important than the knowledge of the Force!? You've gotta be kidding me. The whole original trilogy is about the Force, and the way it is the most powerful... well, force in the galaxy. Lightsabers were a weapon of the Jedi, but the Force is what gives a Jedi his power! (That's actually almost a direct Obi-wan quote, listed above!)
 |
| It just makes me so... like this. |
My only real question for George Lucas in this, is why? It's not like Star Wars wasn't popular or making money. I was halfway grown when I started watching them, and Return of the Jedi came out long before that. And it's not like releasing the originals, in their original formatting (dialogue, effects, sound, etc.) wouldn't make money - heck, it would make them billions. I'd even let them borrow my original VHS copies to enhance them off of, just so there wouldn't be any accidental additions.
Leave them alone, George... just leave them alone.
(Credit for this blog post title to 3N3MY's classy comic-con t-shirt)
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Counter Strike: Global Offensive
Counter Strike is a game I've always been very interested in really sinking my teeth into. It's a game that's long been held as the greatest competitive FPS of all time. Right up there with the ranks of Quake 3 and Unreal 2004.
With a minimalistic approach in regards to map count, game modes, weapons and loadouts it puts all the emphasis on practice and patience.
I got Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS) for the PS3 this past Tuesday when it released. I got it because, as stated, I've always wanted to get into CS, but also, on the PS3, you can play with a mouse and keyboard. Something else I've always wanted to do with a competitive shooter.
So I got the game and I'll admit it takes some getting used to. What team does what objective and how the maps work as well as what weapons to purchase as well as what gear to focus on. It's a bit of a steep learning curve at first and in my first 3 matches of playing online I was struggling. I could tell that there's a really good game in here, but needed to work to get good at it. It's obviously not a hop and and rock the shit out of it type game. It's very old school.
I went to Target and bought the cheapest mouse and keyboard I could. I plugged them into my 2 usb ports on my PS3 and was astounded at how instantly and well they worked. I can manipulate all in game menus with the mouse and keyboard. It literally feels just like a pc game.
I spent the next couple hours playing with bots to familiarize myself with the game modes and maps as well as get back into the mouse and keyboard groove.
TJ and I played for a good 2 hours online last night and I must say that the game is simply awesome.
It's 5v5 with only 5 or 6 maps and 4 game modes. I can honestly say that out of all the maps there's not one I don't like. It's pretty interesting and a testament to the games staying power with how well the maps work. They truly appear to be perfectly balanced. How many shooters nowadays ship with 10-15 maps and you end up hating half of them? I know I do. In this game....they just....work.
In this game you earn money to purchase guns and equipment to use in the next rounds. If you die in the following round you're dead until the following round. If you live through the round you start the next round with all your equipment intact. If you die....you have to purchase everything over if you have enough money. It's a really neat mechanic that makes your choices matter and really makes you want to play well because when you die you lose more than just a man. Also, there's no auto aim or aim assist. If you miss it's your fault.
My only real gripe with this game is that headshots are super king in it. And I mean super king. Many times you'll be unloading into a guy and your aim is spot on and then you'll get dropped in an instant. Even when crouching and firing and small bursts it can still seem hit or miss. I don't think it's a fault of the game, but just another way that it really makes you work for your kills. There do seem to be "stand out" guys in most games so it's not like the game is broke. It just truly rewards skill.
This hasn't really been a review, but more of an urging for you guys to consider getting this on PS3 and possibly get the mouse and keyboard. The game plays really well with a dualshock, but it just feels in a whole other league with a mouse.
It's a game TJ and I area already putting a lot of time into.
P.S. This was written very rushed so forgive if it's disjointed and not organized coherently.
With a minimalistic approach in regards to map count, game modes, weapons and loadouts it puts all the emphasis on practice and patience.
I got Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS) for the PS3 this past Tuesday when it released. I got it because, as stated, I've always wanted to get into CS, but also, on the PS3, you can play with a mouse and keyboard. Something else I've always wanted to do with a competitive shooter.
So I got the game and I'll admit it takes some getting used to. What team does what objective and how the maps work as well as what weapons to purchase as well as what gear to focus on. It's a bit of a steep learning curve at first and in my first 3 matches of playing online I was struggling. I could tell that there's a really good game in here, but needed to work to get good at it. It's obviously not a hop and and rock the shit out of it type game. It's very old school.
I went to Target and bought the cheapest mouse and keyboard I could. I plugged them into my 2 usb ports on my PS3 and was astounded at how instantly and well they worked. I can manipulate all in game menus with the mouse and keyboard. It literally feels just like a pc game.
I spent the next couple hours playing with bots to familiarize myself with the game modes and maps as well as get back into the mouse and keyboard groove.
TJ and I played for a good 2 hours online last night and I must say that the game is simply awesome.
It's 5v5 with only 5 or 6 maps and 4 game modes. I can honestly say that out of all the maps there's not one I don't like. It's pretty interesting and a testament to the games staying power with how well the maps work. They truly appear to be perfectly balanced. How many shooters nowadays ship with 10-15 maps and you end up hating half of them? I know I do. In this game....they just....work.
In this game you earn money to purchase guns and equipment to use in the next rounds. If you die in the following round you're dead until the following round. If you live through the round you start the next round with all your equipment intact. If you die....you have to purchase everything over if you have enough money. It's a really neat mechanic that makes your choices matter and really makes you want to play well because when you die you lose more than just a man. Also, there's no auto aim or aim assist. If you miss it's your fault.
My only real gripe with this game is that headshots are super king in it. And I mean super king. Many times you'll be unloading into a guy and your aim is spot on and then you'll get dropped in an instant. Even when crouching and firing and small bursts it can still seem hit or miss. I don't think it's a fault of the game, but just another way that it really makes you work for your kills. There do seem to be "stand out" guys in most games so it's not like the game is broke. It just truly rewards skill.
This hasn't really been a review, but more of an urging for you guys to consider getting this on PS3 and possibly get the mouse and keyboard. The game plays really well with a dualshock, but it just feels in a whole other league with a mouse.
It's a game TJ and I area already putting a lot of time into.
P.S. This was written very rushed so forgive if it's disjointed and not organized coherently.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Shadow of the Colossus Review
Retro review? Does a game from the previous generation of consoles count?
I have really mixed feelings on this one.
Short review: cool bosses, great music, terrible story, awful controls, busted camera, a boring world, and a sucky hero. I'll just take these one at a time to flesh this thing out.
-There are sixteen colossi to defeat in this game. They vary in size, shape and difficulty. They have different weak spots all over their bodies. You must climb all over them hitting the spots, all while being swatted and holding on for dear life. There's a nice variation. Some have clubs, some fly, some are heavily armored, some require you to use your horse just to keep up, some require you to get creative with the environment. Each colossi almost seems like a gigantic, moving puzzle that you must defeat to move on. Bringing down one of the bosses is extremely gratifying once you accomplish it. Sometimes these battles will last as long as thirty minutes as you try to figure exactly what to do next........or frustratingly get thrown off and plummet back to the ground.
-The world is oddly silent until you come across one of the colossi. The music stirs to life along with each creature, ramping up significantly when you finally manage to climb onto the beast. The tunes vary from one boss to the next, but each theme is very heroic and fitting, considering the task at hand.
-Story? What story? You ride your horse into a massive temple, set your dead girlfriend on an altar and speak to a disembodied voice. You plead with it to bring your woman's soul back from the dead. In order for this to happen, you must roam the land, find and defeat sixteen colossi.
-This is a big one. The controls in this game are monumentally awful. I had to make various adjustments in the menu before I could even begin to play. I had to change look sensitivity, invert the x AND y axis. You run extremely slowly, almost like you have a broken ankle. You seem to have no agility, which is a huge detriment considering you have to climb all over these hulking, squirming colossi to succeed. The jump is really floaty yet difficult to control. Jumping away from a platform while hanging onto it proves to be quite a chore. Also, it took an average of three attempts to simply just get onto the horse. "Jump" and "get on horse" are both the same button, so I would typically set myself up in the proper position, hit the button and instead of getting on the horse....I would jump past it like an A-hole. I didn't discover until about three-quarters of the way into the game that I could hold R1 ("Grab") to assist in getting onto the horse. A little in-game tip might have been useful there. And while I'm talking about the horse, IT has awful controls also. The "steering" on it is terrible and good luck if the camera forces you into a corner (more on that later). While it's certainly faster than going on foot, I never got the sensation of traveling really fast. It's more like a contented trot than a purposeful gallop.
-I HATE the camera on this game. In the thick of combat, it insists on staying right on you. It rarely pulls back to give you a great perspective. It will also "wander" on its own, which proved to be the most frustrating for the flying colossi in the desert. I'm riding the horse trying to fight with the camera so I can actually SEE the beast on the right side of the horse, instead of rotating around to look at NOTHING on the left. Also, when you're riding through the barren land, the camera is always positioned almost at ground level, making it very difficult to see where you're going. This means that you cannot see if a cliff or any sort of drop in terrain is upcoming. Really, really annoying and frustrating.
-The world in this game is a "forbidden land." It definitely creates a sense of isolation, but also a sense of boredom. There is NOTHING to do in this huge world except fight the colossi. I discovered later that there are some collectibles in the game, which actually kinda frustrated me. There are tiny lizards you can shoot to upgrade your "Grip" meter (how long you can hold onto the colossi) and fruit to extend your health bar. I had no idea these even existed. I don't like when games hold your hand for everything, but maybe a little tip to just let me know these things existed would have been pretty nice.
-This game gives me no reason to care about what this character is going through. We see none of his history with this woman. Why should I even care what he's trying to do? Why do I want to bring this person back? I feel like I'm just going through the motions here. Going through the motions with terrible controls. This brings up kind of a sticky point, though. How often do we really even care about what we're doing in games? I mean, this plot is quite similar to every "Mario" game in existence (save the Princess!) but....but....I like playing Mario games! I didn't like playing this, and I hate to boil it down to something so simple, but it really comes down to the controls. I like playing games with great controls. I can forgive sloppy storytelling or butthole characters or boring worlds if I get clean, fun gameplay, and Shadow of the Colossus just doesn't have it.
This game is.....colossally overrated. Zing!
I have really mixed feelings on this one.
Short review: cool bosses, great music, terrible story, awful controls, busted camera, a boring world, and a sucky hero. I'll just take these one at a time to flesh this thing out.
-There are sixteen colossi to defeat in this game. They vary in size, shape and difficulty. They have different weak spots all over their bodies. You must climb all over them hitting the spots, all while being swatted and holding on for dear life. There's a nice variation. Some have clubs, some fly, some are heavily armored, some require you to use your horse just to keep up, some require you to get creative with the environment. Each colossi almost seems like a gigantic, moving puzzle that you must defeat to move on. Bringing down one of the bosses is extremely gratifying once you accomplish it. Sometimes these battles will last as long as thirty minutes as you try to figure exactly what to do next........or frustratingly get thrown off and plummet back to the ground.
-The world is oddly silent until you come across one of the colossi. The music stirs to life along with each creature, ramping up significantly when you finally manage to climb onto the beast. The tunes vary from one boss to the next, but each theme is very heroic and fitting, considering the task at hand.
-Story? What story? You ride your horse into a massive temple, set your dead girlfriend on an altar and speak to a disembodied voice. You plead with it to bring your woman's soul back from the dead. In order for this to happen, you must roam the land, find and defeat sixteen colossi.
-This is a big one. The controls in this game are monumentally awful. I had to make various adjustments in the menu before I could even begin to play. I had to change look sensitivity, invert the x AND y axis. You run extremely slowly, almost like you have a broken ankle. You seem to have no agility, which is a huge detriment considering you have to climb all over these hulking, squirming colossi to succeed. The jump is really floaty yet difficult to control. Jumping away from a platform while hanging onto it proves to be quite a chore. Also, it took an average of three attempts to simply just get onto the horse. "Jump" and "get on horse" are both the same button, so I would typically set myself up in the proper position, hit the button and instead of getting on the horse....I would jump past it like an A-hole. I didn't discover until about three-quarters of the way into the game that I could hold R1 ("Grab") to assist in getting onto the horse. A little in-game tip might have been useful there. And while I'm talking about the horse, IT has awful controls also. The "steering" on it is terrible and good luck if the camera forces you into a corner (more on that later). While it's certainly faster than going on foot, I never got the sensation of traveling really fast. It's more like a contented trot than a purposeful gallop.
-I HATE the camera on this game. In the thick of combat, it insists on staying right on you. It rarely pulls back to give you a great perspective. It will also "wander" on its own, which proved to be the most frustrating for the flying colossi in the desert. I'm riding the horse trying to fight with the camera so I can actually SEE the beast on the right side of the horse, instead of rotating around to look at NOTHING on the left. Also, when you're riding through the barren land, the camera is always positioned almost at ground level, making it very difficult to see where you're going. This means that you cannot see if a cliff or any sort of drop in terrain is upcoming. Really, really annoying and frustrating.
-The world in this game is a "forbidden land." It definitely creates a sense of isolation, but also a sense of boredom. There is NOTHING to do in this huge world except fight the colossi. I discovered later that there are some collectibles in the game, which actually kinda frustrated me. There are tiny lizards you can shoot to upgrade your "Grip" meter (how long you can hold onto the colossi) and fruit to extend your health bar. I had no idea these even existed. I don't like when games hold your hand for everything, but maybe a little tip to just let me know these things existed would have been pretty nice.
-This game gives me no reason to care about what this character is going through. We see none of his history with this woman. Why should I even care what he's trying to do? Why do I want to bring this person back? I feel like I'm just going through the motions here. Going through the motions with terrible controls. This brings up kind of a sticky point, though. How often do we really even care about what we're doing in games? I mean, this plot is quite similar to every "Mario" game in existence (save the Princess!) but....but....I like playing Mario games! I didn't like playing this, and I hate to boil it down to something so simple, but it really comes down to the controls. I like playing games with great controls. I can forgive sloppy storytelling or butthole characters or boring worlds if I get clean, fun gameplay, and Shadow of the Colossus just doesn't have it.
This game is.....colossally overrated. Zing!
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