Endless Ocean for the Nintendo Wii is the type of game that is likely to have just two groups of critics. There will be those who fall in love with the game's sense of freedom, open-endedness, relaxing pace, and relative absence of objectives and rewards, and those who come away saying, "well, what the heck is the point?" - using varying levels of vulgarity.
The point of Endless Ocean is basically just...to chill out. This is a game about jumping on a sailboat and cruising out over blue waters, diving into the depths of the ocean and observing nature's beauty. It's really the videogame version of what one might wish for while they are shackled to the daily rat race of a 40-hour work week in a climate that more closely resembles the Arctic than the Pacific. One option even invites players to lay back in a lounge chair on the ship's deck and just "gaze at the ocean."
Most of your time with Endless Ocean will be spent underwater, navigating rock and coral formations while interacting with the various forms of sea life. You will also be able to go topside, where you can interact with your ship-mate, choose a new dive location, change equipment, examine the treasures you've discovered on the sea floor, make an album of the photos you've taken, read up and learn a few facts about the creatures you've encountered, and even train a few dolphin friends. E-mails that arrive via the ship's PDA serve as a gentle guide, suggesting new dive locations, alerting you to specific submarine events, requesting that you host one-on-one dive sessions, or asking for a few snapshots of certain fish. In the end, though, the choice of whether or not to make use of them is entirely up to you.
The freedom and simplicity of Endless Ocean also extends to its very manageable one-handed control scheme. Swimming is as easy as holding the B button and pointing in the direction you'd like to swim. You can touch and pet fish (which is pretty ridiculous, if you ask me) using the A button, and the item and options menus are accessed with the D-pad. There is very little to remember here.
As you explore, you will notice that the undersea vistas range from completely drab to arguably breathtaking, although one has to wonder why the technical end of the game's visuals wasn't improved beyond its current state. Even on the Wii, things could certainly be sharper, more detailed, and just plain better-looking. Zooming in on things provides a clearer picture, but the discrepancy between the zoomed and un-zoomed views seems a bit drastic. For a game that is almost 100 percent about the sensory experience, one would think that top-notch graphics would be a priority. As it stands, Endless Ocean does very well with art direction, but the joy of the dive is somewhat dampened by the unrefined graphics tech.
As for aural pleasures, the soundtrack is comprised of soft tunes selected to fit the game's low-key atmosphere. These few tracks work for a while, but soon become played out. You're bound to wish for the ability to pop in your own music to swim to, which the game so kindly allows you to do. Any mp3 files loaded via the Wii's SD slot are available as background music, although the game will only play one song (on repeat) at a time, rather than shuffling through the contents of the card. In my personal experience, I opted for some classical piano, which kinda made me feel like I was being sung a lullaby while getting a back rub and foot massage all at once. I guess I got the point, but I would have really liked it if changing tracks wasn't a manual affair.
That's about all there is to Endless Ocean. It is a sandbox, or more appropriately, a water-box experience. For what it set outs to accomplish, it is a definitely a success. If you are the kind of person who needs clearly defined, objective-based gameplay, stay as far away from Endless Ocean as is possible, but if you are looking for a bit of a break from standard fare, you might like to give it a try.
After having the chance to preview Penumbra: Black Plague, I was eager to dive deeper into the dark, Lovecraft-like tale and to play more with the pervasive physics-based game engine. After completing the game in its entirety, I must say it not only met my expectations, but far exceeded them. Penumbra: Black Plague is a phenomenal, one-of-a-kind videogame experience that should not be passed up.
Now that I've given my verdict in the very first paragraph of the review, I might as well work my way back and describe what the game is all about. Black Plague is a first-person horror adventure that operates in real-time. This is not your typical Myst clone...and it is not an fps.
Players interact with the environment almost entirely using the game's physics engine. Searching through dark rooms and corridors is as simple as mousing over objects and manipulating them as if your hand is actually penetrating the computer screen. Clicking on something takes hold of it, and dragging the mouse moves the object in 3D space. A drawer, for example, is opened not by simply clicking on it, but by "pulling" it out. Doors are similarly pushed or pulled open and closed.
Interactions become far more complex as the game wears on, of course, as untethered objects' abilities to be freely rotated and moved about create all kinds of possibilities. Creativity, inventiveness, and resourcefulness play a large role in Black Plague's puzzle-solving, while the game manages to avoid the ridiculous and impractical item usage so commonly seen in the adventure genre. Think Half-Life 2 -style physics-based puzzles, but more involved.
So Black Plaque manages to outshine even the great Half-Life 2 with its physics, but how does the game actually play? Well, it's a mixture of slow, careful, I'm-too-scared-to-look-around-this-next- corner sort of exploration and high-tension, holy-s***-what-the-f***-is-that-and-how-do-I-get-further- away-from-it-really-fast sort of gameplay. Oh, and did I mention there's no combat?
That's right, throughout the entire game, the protagonist does not physically engage in a single test of gladiatorial skill. This game is about survival - escaping/evading those who might do you harm. It makes for a far more frightening experience when you know that any enemy you encounter CAN AND WILL KILL YOU if you can't outrun or outsmart it. Just for the record, I'd be scared of these guys even if I had a pair of Uzis.
Without giving too much away, the baddies are an other-worldly race of collectively conscious creatures who have overrun a research facility in Greenland. The truth behind it all is revealed over the course of the game in one of the best plots I've encountered in quite some time. The many notes and computer files discovered throughout the derelict facility serve to further the player's knowledge, while the many interactions with a few key characters improve their understanding of the entire situation.
Possibly the greatest achievement of Black Plague is in its writing. The script never fails to both entertain and enthrall the player, and the game's final, overarching message is profound and well-delivered. I was truly impressed.
I have contemplated whether Penumbra: Black Plague is too esoteric of a videogame to score among the cream of the crop, because I'm not sure it will resonate with as much clarity for everyone else as it did for me. However, it's universally clear that when a game combines a compelling plot, great acting, innovative gameplay, and tremendous atmosphere all in one package (a $19.99 package, mind you), it can be described as nothing short of outstanding.
Well, that's what Penumbra: Black Plague is...outstanding.
I came into this week thinking that by today (or maybe Saturday), I would have written a column about love in videogames. It's a topic I've been meaning to address for some time now, and this seemed as good a time as any to finally get the show on the road.
Then I realized that yesterday was Valentine's Day, and although I'm all for love and romance, I am not into being told when to publish articles pertaining to a particular topic. Holidays tend to do that to people, as one can quickly surmise after noting the multiple "videogame romance" features that have undoubtedly found their way onto the internet this week.
No, I actually HATE being told what to do, and I hate being told WHEN to do it. That's why after sitting down to play Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles this afternoon, there was little question as to what today's column would bemoan. Capcom's latest "ZOMBIES-COMIN'-UP-THE-HELL-RIGHT-NOW!" -fest reminded me of a gameplay element that is simply not my style. That is, designated "save points."
If you've ever played a survival horror game, an RPG, or any of a number of other games, then you know the drill:
1. Developer designates a specific area where saving one's progress may take place, leaving the rest of the virtual world devoid of any game-saving apparatuses. 2. Gamer plays the game, and eventually has a desire to preserve his/her progress. 3. Player wastes time and energy wandering around in search of developer's saving doohickey, just to feel secure about moving forward.
That's the basic gist of the system, which is occasionally jazzed up to seem more functional, or cleverly masked to be discretely hidden from the spotlight. In either case, it is still an outdated and non-optimal way to record game data.
The Resident Evil franchise is notorious for using a rather draconian version of this lovely type of saving system, where players are required not only to be in the right place, but to carry the proper item used for saving. The Silent Hill series adopted a similar, though less cruel method, and many JRPGs now feature some sort of glowing crystal or futuristic DDR pad that must be activated in order to get anything written to your console's hard drive (or memory card).
The term "save points," to clarify, doesn't necessarily mean physical locations within a game world, so long as they are readily accessible. The major problem arises when a player is only allowed to save at a specific point in time. Often, the two go hand-in-hand, however, because that span of time happens to coincide directly with the trek required to reach the location of the next save point. In a linear sort of game (which comes rife with plenty of other criticisms, of course), the problem is exacerbated. Strung along from one save point to the next, players can be left feeling utterly helpless and completely in the dark. That's the way the content is supposed to make us feel, not the shoddy game design!
The point is, you can't save the game when you want to save the game, and that's a problem. People (no matter how much we may want to) do not live inside of our videogame worlds. There are other obligations we all have, and plenty of time constraints on most of our lives. Should something urgent ever arise during a game session, the answer is not as simple as, "ok, just let me find a save point before I quit." Sometimes the game loses that coin toss, the console gets turned off, and there goes an hour of your life. Of course the machine could be left on, but power surges, outages, and other interruptions are not exactly a gamer's best friend. Besides, why does the player need to create solutions for a problem that the developer should have remedied in the first place?
Further, and more importantly, the "save point" system has profound effects on the concepts of failure and consequences in videogames. When a player is doomed to repeat great spans of success before getting the opportunity to correct the singular failure that initiated that deja-vu-like cycle, the seamless videogame experience that gamers live for is destroyed. Re-trial of the task is spaced so far apart from the original failure that improvement in that area can only be minimal, in many cases. These situations promote reoccurring failure, rather than growth and progress. This can even drive players away from a game completely. Frequent saves (at the player's will), on the other hand, allow for the more frequent repetition of ONLY the failed challenge. Rehearsal such as this lends itself to greater chances for success, and curb the player's likelihood to feel discouraged and give up.
Some might argue that designated save points are important for certain genres, such as survival horror. In these games, they serve to increase the suspense and tension the player feels while exploring the game world. Clearly, that's a bulls*** defense of the gameplay mechanic, because the sort of fear alluded to in an argument such as that is a direct result of the way the game has been built, not the material from which it has been crafted. Like I said before, it is the game's content that should torment us, not its poor design.
Sometimes, a gamer just needs to jump in a car strapped with all manner of weaponry, then drive around blowing the crap out of everything else on the road - or off. The Twisted Metal series has always given players the opportunity to do just that.
Twisted Metal: Head On: Extra Twisted Edition for the PS2 is an updated port of the 2005 PSP game, with bonus content thrown in to persuade us all to forget that it is nearly three years old, originated on a handheld, and suddenly has no online play.
It's the bevy of extras that sets Extra Twisted Edition apart from the original Head On, acting as a sort of a gift package for fans of the series. Included is a developer commentary, videos cut from the original Twisted Metal, and the beginnings of an on-foot mode that was planned for the design of Twisted Metal: Black 2. What's more is that the game includes Twisted Metal: Lost, which is a collection of arenas originally created for that cancelled project, and is set up like an entirely separate game on the same disc.
Other than the bonus content and some minor tweaks, not much has changed since Head On's first appearance. The game follows the formula set forth by Twisted Metal 1, 2, & Black, where the malevolent Calypso holds a Tournament to decide...well, nothing. He just wants to see the combatants kill each other, then screw over the winner by granting them a twisted version of whatever it is they wish for as their prize.
In Story Mode, players choose from over a dozen cars, each with their own unique attributes and special attacks, then battle it out in a sequence of matches against multiple opponents. These take place at various arenas located all over the world. There is also Endurance Mode, where players must survive as long as they can against a steady flow of individual opponents, and Challenge Mode, which is basically a custom game where the player chooses his or her opponents and the arena they will do battle in.
In all cases, the battlefield is littered with various different types of ammo, which all seems to run out way too quickly in the heat of battle. It's not uncommon to have blasted an opponent with everything you've got, only to be forced to abandon your prey so you can re-arm yourself. Luckily, weapons respawn as if they've been injected with some sort of growth hormone between game sessions, so one rarely has to drive too far in a state of utter defenselessness.
The whole experience is quite enjoyable, especially if some friends stop by for a few rounds of multiplayer action (which is sadly limited to two players at a time). It evokes a surprisingly nostalgic feeling for those of us who have a history of driving the streets late at night carrying rocket launchers and wearing clown costumes - makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
When it's all said and done, though, I get a strange sensation, like I've just been wasting time. It's as if I should've been playing this game while riding a bus or waiting on line at the supermarket. Then it hits me - I'm playing a PSP game. From the low-end visuals that lack significant detail or aesthetic value to the average and unexciting audio to the loose controls shared by every car (although slightly improved), the game shows it's age and it's origin. Head On is a three year-old PSP game...
...but it's a fun PSP game, and only costs 20 bucks. If car combat is your thing, you might just want to pick it up.
The videogame industry is in it's adolescence, struggling to form an identity, to fit in, and to be accepted. I'm sure you've read something along those lines before, but it seems that the number of people who preach in favor of, and really work towards its growth are in the minority.
This is a difficult environment for us, the writers to operate in. We are always at risk of becoming disjointed and out of touch with our audience, because as we grow, our tastes mature. We become more mature, and in some cases, "jaded." Our experience shows itself, sometimes manipulating our words to cater only to those who are in the same late-stage fan-dom as ourselves. Are our tastes 'cultured'? Do we want more from our industry? Are we more ready for the next stage of development than others?
You see, as this industry is indeed very new, so too are entire WAVES of fans. They are already of a younger generation, with some different opinions about what really makes games. This means that our audience may not match our experience, and in some cases, our level of maturity (not just general maturity, but a refinement of taste, molded by experience) as we look at the products of the industry.
This is especially true of the online community (maybe even some of you reading this right now, but please don't take offense. I respect every one of you for your dedication, and the fact that you're even reading this). An older crowd - even as young as their mid-twenties - may not frequent online videogame publications with the same verve as the generally worry-free teenager. That could mean a full decade between some writers and some readers.
Will those writers who (at times) wish to very seriously discuss the things they are passionate about have to wait for the audience to catch up, in terms of maturity and experience? Many journalists have been playing videogames for 20 years now, and have witnessed, firsthand, the evolution of the industry. To put that in perspective, the PlayStation 2 era began just 7 years ago - about a third of that time.
So, I have been throwing around the word "mature," which is likely to turn some people off. I don't intend to say that a lack of maturity is a strike against someone, but that those individuals are still developing - developing their tastes and opinions. A fruit grows ripe with time, as does a gamer's outlook on the industry.
(Unfortunately, the "mature" rating of the ESRB has twisted the apparent meaning of the word, but that's not necessarily their fault, and is also a topic for a different discussion.)
Back to the relevant stuff: Take the movie business; It has been around for a long time - dating back to the mid to late 1800s. This is 2008. So about a century-and-a-half later, we want our medium to be on the same page as its predecessor? Of course it doesn't help, that the general public wants to constantly pigeonhole videogames as "kids toys." (That's where my proposal to rename these things comes into play.)
We, as writers (the "old-timers") can sometimes be like that overbearing father figure who pushes his eight-year old to be a competitive, flame-armed quarterback, practicing for the "big game" (which, incidentally, comes a decade later, or never at all) when all the kid wants to do is go play with his friends. I don't EVER want to be that guy, and I feel that our job as writers, journalists, etc. is to gently but firmly guide the industry in the right direction, and possibly help to enlighten some of our newest converts to some of the ideals of our community.
Videogames have the potential to surpass other forms of entertainment (movies) in every way. We are on our way, too. Believe that. We are just in our adolescence, and the transition requires a bit of time and effort.
I recently got the chance to sit down and try my hand at publisher Paradox Interactive's first-person horror adventure game, Penumbra: Black Plague. The little time that I had with the game definitely sparked my interest in getting my hands on a full retail copy of the game when it is released next week.
Black Plague is the sequel to last year's Penumbra: Overture, which was the first project undertaken by Swedish developer Frictional Games. That particular title was originally developed as a tech demo, and as noted in Kyle's review, may have been a little rough around the edges as a result.
Things seem to have been cleaned up a bit in Black Plague, though, in terms of visuals, gameplay, and storytelling. The developers also claim a longer adventure, which was a common target for complaints about the first episode.
So what is this game? Well, it is what one might get if they took a classic adventure game set somewhere inside H.P. Lovecraft's head and put it in the shoes of an FPS in real-time, then added a robust physics engine and stuck a Wii-mote inside of your computer's mouse. In other words, it's a fairly unique experience.
The big draw of Black Plague is that everything is done with the physics engine. To search a room, you grab and pull and swing and twist various boxes and drawers and doors and levers with a click-and-drag mouse action. This is meant to immerse the player in the game world, making their actions correspond more directly to the protagonist's. The developers want the player's real hand represented in the game's virtual space. Heck, even combat appears to be accomplished by swinging your mouse back and forth to bludgeon enemies.
Combat is not the focus here, however. This game is an adventure at its core, and survival is usually dependant on one's ability to avoid conflict. There is even a stealth system that rewards players for getting into the shadows (granting better vision) and punishes them for looking at their predators (possibly alerting them to your presence). The aim in this game is to solve puzzles in unique and intuitive ways using the game engine, and to let the story unfold before you - without peeing your pants.
Like I said earlier, I look forward to playing Penumbra: Black Plague in it's entirety, and should have plenty more to say about it next week. The game will be released on February 12th, and will be available for download at Gamersgate.com for the bargain price of $19.99.
Ever since the release of the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, high seas plundering has become all the rage. Much to the chagrin of ninjas everywhere, the swashbuckling scoundrels have invaded American pop culture like never before. Heck, there are at least 3 major Facebook applications related to them.
With Flying Labs Software's Pirates of the Burning Sea (PBS for the purposes of this review, and for the retention of my sanity), the motley bunch have taken the leap into MMORPG territory, and the results are fairly impressive. In a world full of me-too fantasy-themed level grinds, this game really shines as something unique, not only in terms of subject matter, but also in its gameplay and design.
In the beginning, PBS is much like your typical MMORPG; you pick one of four "careers," each with different strengths and weaknesses, as well as one of four national alignments. Then you customize the gender and appearance of your captain (though many end up looking very similar to one another), and off you go.
Players will still find themselves carrying out menial tasks for various locals in the early goings, as they become familiar with the mechanics of the game world, but soon the depth and complexity of the game reveals itself, and you just start to 'get it.'
At some point, my own Captain Bloodwater began to question why he would be taking orders from just about everyone who happened to have exclamation marks floating over their heads, doing their bidding for a few carrots here and there. Once I stopped accepting anything but those quests involving good old-fashion pillaging and plundering (and the quests that advanced the story), I found that the game's pace quickened and became more interesting and enjoyable. Ditching any sort of grind certainly makes the game world more inviting.
Adding to the early problems with PBS is the fact that its learning curve is about as steep as the back of a Uhaul truck, so a few gamers will likely be turned right off before getting to the real meat of the game. That main course happens to be a deep economic system, complete with land-purchasing, construction, inter-colonial trade, alliances, and large-scale conflicts that are entirely player-originated. PBS is very much about world-building, besides just playing around inside of one.
Within that world, the main focus for many players will likely be on questing and naval combat (including plenty of PvP). Quests are unfortunately not as varied as one might hope, and often induce a deja vu -like sense of reality. Ship combat...is fun. It is also very simple to jump into, yet complex enough to allow for plenty of different degrees of mastery. Players learn a load of skills as they gain levels, granting new abilities for use during battles. Couple that with the many types of canons, ammunition, and other ship enhancements, and the game winds up with a wide variety of possible combat strategies.
My personal favorite course of action is to batter the ship, raking it of its crew, and then board, cutting down the enemy captain in vicious hand-to-hand combat. The only problem with that is the cumbersome nature of swashbuckling. By comparison, this is far less refined that other parts of PBS.
The user interface, too, is somewhat awkward, especially the quest and map windows. When many quests are in queue, finding specific ones is a bother. It would be nice if there was a column displaying the location (island name) of the next goal. That would also allow players to organize by island, and easily cover everything they have to do in a given location. As for the map, it seems to be the sort that a heavily inebriated magical cartographer would create in his spare time to dish out to unassuming newbies on April fool's day. It jumps around and zooms as if possessed, and is hell to manipulate and navigate by. And don't get me started on the trips between islands, because I may have to leave this review to prepare a full seven course meal... just like I did while waiting to arrive at many of my in-game destinations. ZzZzZz...
PBS's production values are not terribly impressive, leaving me generally unaffected by whatever I could see or hear at any given moment. The seascapes can be pretty, thanks to the sky and water reflections, but the water itself is repetitive, plain, and somewhat ugly, and the music and sound effects throughout the game are quite repetitive. On the technical side, the seamless windowed mode is very stable, and great for multitasking.
Pirates of the Burning Sea does some things right, and some things wrong. It features a depth of gameplay not often found in typical MMOs, and while its steep learning curve may turn off a few gamers early on, eventually things fall into place and one gets the hang of things. Ship combat gets better and better, players can get into a sort of questing groove, and working to influence the shape of the virtual world becomes highly engaging. The incentive to play and grow as a character jumps way up, and you have a winner on your hands.
There comes a time in everyone's gaming career when they are compelled to sit down and play a throwback adventure game about a superhero-gone-civilian attorney who constantly ends up accepting cases to which he has some sort of intimate connection. For me, that time is today, and that game is Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law for the PSP.
This "game" is based off of the Adult Swim cartoon of the same name (which I had never heard of until now), and borrows its play style from the popular Phoenix Wright series, also published by Capcom. I might hesitate to actually classify Birdman as a game, however, because it feels more like a collection of cartoon episodes, prodded along by a little bit of player interaction.
The narrative is very linear; players are only responsible for clicking on everything clickable on their way from point A to point B. There is some free will in choosing which area to visit next, but unless actions are completed in a particular sequence, the story goes nowhere. Really, most of the experience is comprised of watching cut scenes and adding some feedback when prompted.
Engaging in conversations, gathering evidence, and presenting Harvey's case are all accomplished via a simple menu system. Episodes follow the general formula of gathering evidence from various people and places, and finishing things off with a courtroom victory (or loss, if you present the wrong evidence at the wrong time). There is little difficulty in winning these cases, though, as long as the player is attentive to what's going on. The clues are all there, and are relatively transparent.
It all works, though. The game is actually quite enjoyable, even if it boils down to just riding out the story (which I guess makes sense for a TV-to-videogame adaptation). The writing is excellent, and pokes fun at itself, Capcom, and anything else it has the opportunity to joke on (be sure to pay attention to the episode-ending credits). It is sure to squeeze at least a few laughs out of whoever gives it a spin.
The acting is top-notch. Most of the cast comes directly from the TV show, and they deliver as solid a performance as a gamer could ask for. Combine that with vibrant and detailed cartoon animations, and Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law turns out to be quite a sharp little production. Fans of the show, especially, should eat it up.
I'd recommend a rental of Harvey Birdman, mostly due to its very short length (4 hours or so) and its utter lack of replay value (the few unlockables are almost nominal). Although it is the gameplay department is just about absent in this one, it is still very entertaining, thanks to a colorful cast and great writing.
The year 2007 was an incredible year for the videogame industry. I'd even be willing to go out on a limb and say that it was one of the best ever. Needless to say, 2007 had many great games, but 2008 may very well be set to top it. As a matter of fact, this article started as a list of just about 30 titles. I can't begin to tell you how much difficulty I faced trying to narrow it down to only a third of that, but I probably would never have completed the task without setting some requirements.
1) Unless the game has been distinctly labeled as a 2008 release, it didn't make the cut (or else you know Resident Evil 5 would take the number one spot).
2) The second requirement was imposed late in the article-writing cycle, not only to make things easier on myself, but also because I thought it'd make for a more interesting, less predictable list of games. Original IP only; No sequels! That's right, there go all of my "safe" answers like Metal Gear Solid 4, Final Fantasy XIII, GTA IV, or Super Smash Bros Brawl. Not even Star Wars was exempt from this mighty ban.
Anyway, get your own weapons ready (preferably flamethrowers), because I'm sure each and every one of you will find some reason to hate me over the course of the next couple of pages. Ready...aaaaaannd...GO!
10) Army of Two (360, PS3) -
I've said it before, and I'm sticking by my story; cooperative play enhances the gaming experience in nearly every situation. EA's Army of Two shows that at least somebody agrees with me. The game is based entirely off of tandem combat and obstacle navigation, making players rely on each other much more than your standard co-op game. Gone are the days when a shout of "cover me" or "I'll take the left" encapsulates the entire tag-team strategy. In Army of Two, the team must act as a unit...or fail. As a bonus, interactions between the leading duo can be pretty funny, even in the game's somewhat grim setting.
9) Saboteur (PC, 360, PS3) -
Pandemic Studios have certainly shown the gaming community that they know how to deliver open-ended gameplay in a sandbox of warfare. Although Pandemic's Mercenaries 2 (a sequel) has been hogging the spotlight as of late, it's their OTHER 2008 offering that has landed on today's countdown. Set during WWII, Saboteur tells the tale of Sean, an Irish race car driver and general tough guy seeking revenge on a particular group of Nazis. The stealth action will take players from the city of Paris to the coastline, and into the mountains of Germany on a free-roaming tour of Europe. Film noir and pulp action influences are evident throughout, and the war serves only as a backdrop to a completely original story, so don't worry about playing the same old WWII game yet again.
8) Dark Sector (PC, 360, PS3) -
We all loved Gears of War, right? How about Resident Evil 4? I though so. Dark Sector is a third-person action game that borrows heavily from these two triple-A titles, sporting an over-the-shoulder view in a dark and gritty world, and even using Gears' pop-and-shoot gameplay mechanics along with plenty of context-sensitive actions. Digital Extremes has worked arm in arm with Epic Games in the past (Unreal Tournament 2003, 2004), so it stands to reason that Dark Sector would be influenced by their masterpiece. In Dark Sector, players will have a small arsenal of firearms at their disposal, along with the powerful glaive - a boomerang-like blade that not only minces enemies to pieces, but can also be imbued with various elemental properties to inflict even more damage or solve environmental puzzles. Add to that some stealth elements and huge boss battles, and you've got a winner on your hands.
7) Left 4 Dead (PC, 360) -
Turtle Rock Studios has a vision. That vision is to take the near-perfect competition found in Counter-Strike and apply it to cooperative zombie warfare. Left 4 Dead pits a team of four players against an ocean of zombies who are just dying to munch on your gray matter. It's up to these survivors to protect each other long enough to escape the outbreak. Additionally, four other players can join in as beefed-up, commanding members of the zombie hordes. This is a game of true survival, with limited ammo, creepy locales, and a massive amount of enemies. It's like Dawn of the Dead...on the Source engine...with co-op...and counter-op. Need I say more?
6) White Knight Story (PS3) -
White Knight Story wowed gamers with it's beautifully rendered scenes and nearly flawless animation when its debut video was shown at the 2006 Tokyo Game Show. Since then, only a few new pieces of footage have made it into the spotlight, but everything about this game screams, "play me!" The combat is especially refreshing, and seamlessly blends real-time action with pre-defined tactics while maintaining a new-yet-familiar RPG feeling. This all comes as no surprise, of course, considering JapanStudio and Level 5 (Rogue Galaxy, Dragon Quest VIII) are behind the project.
5) LittleBigPlanet (PS3) -
Speaking of refreshingly original games, LittleBigPlanet is really unlike anything I've seen before. Aside from how wonderfully stylish the game looks, it also presents gamers with new ways to approach the games we play. Not only do players have a variety of methods by which they can physically interact with their environment (woohoo for physics!), but the game is actually a miniature game creation studio, allowing players to design and share content with others over the Playstation Network. This game has the potential to be endless, and it's all about fun.
4) Dead Space (360, PS3) -
The survival horror genre has seen a large amount of growth over the past few years, expanding into new settings, new subject matter, and even new realms of gameplay mechanics. Everyone seems to want a piece of the survival horror pie, and EA is offering up Dead Space - a deep space sci-fi fright-fest. The development team is taking the the concept of fear very seriously, researching horror movies and making sure to run the gamut of ways to scare people. They want gamers to be afraid to play. The protagonist is an engineer with no combat training, and the vessel on which the game takes place isn't exactly overflowing with weaponry. This is going to be a bit of a challenge; custom-built tools of war are surely in order. On top of everything, the game features top-notch visuals that bring the situation to life, and will quite possibly bring nightmares to your slumber.
3) Brutal Legend (360, PS3) -
It's hard to imagine that a game put together by Tim Schafer and his team at Double Fine Productions could be anything but incredible. They did, after all, create the surreal and captivating Psychonauts. Well, these wild imaginations have run wild once again, grabbing Jack Black and a handful of rock idols along the way. In Brutal Legend, roadie Eddie Riggs finds himself in an open world of all things heavy metal. The elder metal gods have created a place where spiders "spin guitar strings out of silk, and if you chop a tree down the cross-sections are perfect tires, and there are V8 engines growing underground. ...all these things are just waiting for you to discover." Of course, humanity has been enslaved by demons, and Eddie is charged with building an army against them. You can bet that the cast will be colorful, and the tasks will be insane. It's got that Schafer magic, and that's enough to land on my list.
2) Prototype (PC, 360, PS3) -
Another open world game, this time set in New York City, Prototype tells the tale of anti-hero and amnesiac Alex Mercer (the Prototype), the Infected (a mutant race that has invaded the city), and the U.S. military (you know them...sortof). Little else is known about the details of the game's story, but as for gameplay, Radical Entertainment is claiming "more gameplay per square foot than you've ever seen." Mercer is a total badass - a shapeshifter with the ability to "consume" human victims in order to increase his powers. These include turning his hands into giant blades, armor-plating his skin, assuming the form of other individuals, and acrobatically navigating the city like no human being could ever hope to do. The city itself will evolve as the game progresses and the mystery of the whole situation unfolds, making for a truly dynamic experience.
1) Spore (PC, Mac) -
Oh, Will Wright... Casual gamers and uber-nerds alike have all found reasons to absolutely adore him. From SimCity to The Sims to Sim-anything-else-you-can-imagine, Will was there to show us the way. His newest project, Spore, is what one might call an "evolution sim." Players act as grand puppeteers, guiding organisms up through the generations, eventually taking control of entire societies, and even worlds. The game features a massive amount of procedurally generated content, from the creatures that populate the game universe, to the very place itself. Furthermore, Wright has dubbed Spore a massively single player game, because as players progress, their creations will begin to show up remotely in other users' worlds. They become AI-controlled parts of those other players' games, tagged with their creators' information. It is quite an interesting concept - something Spore just seems to be full of.
Well, there you have it. Amidst all of the big-name sequels and heavy hitters coming in 2008, there is still a wealth of original content on the way. There is a lot to look forward to this year, and hopefully I've even been able to introduce you to a few lesser known titles. Feel free to make comments, ask questions, throw cans, spew venom, or what have you. I will be here to receive it all.
This is an open letter to all videogame publishers. You see, I need your help. I've been having trouble lately formulating opinions and analyses of your products, and my reviews are suffering from a terrible case of truth and original thought.
Unfortunately, the other videogame websites I used to "borrow" my review scores and ideas from are apparently being frequented and subsequently regurgitated by a plethora of other online publications. Rather than following the trend, and becoming a needle in a stack of needles, I have decided to seek an alternative method of producing my reviews.
I'm going straight to the source.
Publishers, please tell me how to review your games. Tell me not only what features, gameplay modes, options and the like are included (because I have trouble locating all of those things when navigating the games' menu screens), but also tell me how the game should be played and how to critique it. Heck, why not just send me a range of about ten percentage points in which my final review score should fall?
That would be incredibly helpful to me. All of that information could be bundled together in what would be called a "reviewer's guide" or something to that effect. I could certainly use a neat little guide to reviewing your games -- a library of handbooks, specific to each and every one.
Also, it would be great if you would directly contact me after my reviews have been published, just in case you feel I've missed anything. We can always discuss things, and maybe you can even help to make my reviews BETTER! Then we'll both be happier. :-)
We really need to communicate, because until that happens, all you're going to get is my 100% honest, unbiased opinion and analysis -- and you may not always like that.
Silent Hill: Origins could just as easily have been called Silent Hill Jr. It is a portable rendition of the series' horror-styled gameplay, and is inferior to the other games in the series in most ways. This is not to say that the game is horrible, because it will certainly offer at least some entertainment value while, say, waiting for a bus or flying from Myrtle Beach to San Francisco. It just lacks that special something that previous Silent Hill games have had to offer - it's bland.
The game takes place in the lovely town of Silent Hill, where a trucker named Travis Grady is waylaid by the sight of a burning house after almost hitting a pedestrian with all 7 tons of his 18-wheeler. He rescues a young girl from inside of the inferno and takes her to, of all places, the Silent Hill hospital. Sucks to be him.
From there, the game follows a rudimentary and predictable path around the town, through various locations such as the hospital, sanitarium, theater, and motel. Actually, that's all of the major sections of the game, right there. The game is unusually short, clocking in at just under 4 hours, and players are led from one portion to the next as if on a leash.
Each area is set up as an isolated "level" of the game, with no freedom to leave once entrapped by the madness within. Remembering that this is a portable game, and may not be played all in one sitting, however, that may not be a bad thing. It keeps players focused on the task at hand, which must be completed in order to progress.
Otherwise, the game feels very much like the older Silent Hill games, but with a weaker story. It does little to up the ante in terms of narrative and underlying meaning, which is very unlike the most recent games in the series. Until Origins, each game has been an improvement in that area.
Origins features the usual third-person perspective with semi-static camera angles and camera-relative controls, which, in this case, is more frustrating than before. The camera shifts cause an endless battle between the game, the player, and the control stick. On multiple occasions, players will find themselves walking back and forth between two screens, struggling to move in the proper direction. This is not necessarily a problem with the system, but more with the specific sequences of camera angles.
The combat system is the same familiar setup, featuring a protagonist that remains stationary to attack, and then runs away when enemies draw near. For the less-than-impressive boss fights, the strategy is shoot, turn, run, turn, shoot, etc.
There are a few new features, however, such as a button-prompt mechanic that is triggered when Travis is grabbed by an enemy, and breakable melee weapons. The button-prompts resemble a watered-down version of the God of War style, and add a bit more excitement to the combat. It'd be nice if they were more prevalent, though. As for the weapons, they are really just an annoyance. Players end up collecting dozens of blunt and bladed objects that are very weak and break much too quickly. I understand the desire to create a more in-depth inventory and combat system, but this particular method just doesn't work. The melee weapons in older Silent Hill games were much more enjoyable to use, and Origins players are somewhat forced to stick to firearms once they're available.
The game's strongest points are in its presentation. Origins is a beautiful PSP game, full of real-time dynamic lighting and shadows, large and detailed character models, and interestingly designed environments. The only thing I would ask for is a greater variety of enemies to fight. The sound design is excellent, and creates a perfect atmosphere for this type of game. Music kicks in and ramps up at just the right moments, sound effects act as clues to certain goings-on in Travis' immediate environment, and ambient noise is just plain creepy. Even the voice acting is good.
Despite its attractive veneer, Silent Hill: Origins doesn't have a whole lot to offer. It is short, cumbersome, and fails to engage the player as he or she might like it to. It seems somewhat dated, but isn't necessarily bad. I think the term "blah" aptly describes it.
I was having a bit of fun the other day looking up terms on Urbandictionary.com, and I decided it would make for an interesting column if I started looking up videogame terms to pass on to you, the GN faithful. Eventually, it just turned into "name a game and pick the most disparaging/humorous definition of said game" - which isn't really so bad.*
Here's what I found during my quest (entries left unedited for extra entertainment value - beware of extreme profanity):
Video games: 1 - The only thing that's fun to do anymore.
PS3: 1 - sony playstation 3, it was released @ E3 2005, looks like a fridge door with dildos as controllers 2 - An over priced George Foreman grill, enough heat and space to cook food for a 3rd world country plus it costs as much as a 3rd world country...
Wii: 1 - Wii (pronounced "Wee") is the name for Nintendo's new console to be released in 2006. The soundalike word wee is also a euphemism for urinating. Nintendo had always insisted they would become "number one", and now they are. 2 - A repackaged Gamecube with motion controls. Formerly known as the Levorution 3 - To change a cool sounding product into a name that sounds like you have to go to the bathroom 4 - XBox 360's little white bitch
Xbox 360: 1 - Basically Microsoft's next big fat console that allows blood-thirsty players to play blood-filled killing games. Will emulates incredible details and graphics of death, mutilation, blood, infiltration, conspiration, explosion, planet novas, killing and prostitution. 2 - A junky fucking game system that isn't worth a penny. It breaks easily, horrible graphics, the graphics are blurry, junky look, shitty-ass controls, sucks like the xbox. PS3 rules! Xbox 360 sucks ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3 - The suckiest Next-Gen console Ever. 4 - The Game console pwned by the PS3 and Wii.
MMORPG: 1 - Many Men Online Role-Playing Girls. 2 - A treadmill that makes you fatter. 3 - A mans mistress 4 - Relationship killer.
Leeroy Jenkins: 1 - Doing it Leeroy Jenkins Style. Meaning to do something so bloody wild that youll be talked about for months because it was bloody insane.
World of Warcraft: 1 - A good fun alternative to life. 2 - crack, in CD-ROM form. 3 - The most highly addictive game ever played. It will consume your soul and poison your water supply.
Halo: 1. without this game most guys would spend most of their time masturbating 2. code word: group, all male, masturbating. 3. electronic circle jerk, multiguy mission.
Halo 3: 1 - If idle hands are the devil's tools, then the Halo franchise should be delaying armageddon for decades to come. 2 - A gift probably from heaven, programmed by god himself. Though Playstation 3 fag boys...sorry, "fanboys" may say it sucks, they are just disappointed that their console will not be able to handle it. With all it's cool features, halo 3 will make gaming history. On Sept 25th the earth itself will shake from the awesomeness of halo. I look forward to laughing at the PS3 fans on that day.
Metal Gear Solid: 1. a game that is too fucking cool for words to describe.if you havnt played it then you cant realy say you've had life experience when applying for a job.
Final Fantasy: 1 - a highly addictive drug. 2 - the video game series that used to be for video game geeks but now is now unfortunately enjoyed by all, including the people that used to beat me up for liking these games 2 - The RPG plague and should be ingorned and it will go away. 3 - some gay game that all the gay ass nerds play and they suck balls
Guitar Hero: 1 - A game played at Best Buy as a way to pick up chicks who dont realize that no skill from playing the real guitar is required. 2 - A video game on the Playstation 2 and the lazy man's alternative to actually playing the guitar because they are either too lazy, impatient, or simply lack the talent. 3 - DDR for your fingers. Has spawned an obsession over the entire country. 15 year olds who have never touched a real guitar consider it to be the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Mario Kart: 1 - A drunk college student's favorite pastime.
Mario: 1- A fat and short plumber that the only way he can get laid is is to save the princess from Bowser. He eats shrooms to grow higher. To give an example of how much he wants to get laid: hes willing to bust bricks with his head. But you, have a better chance of getting laid if you stay big, so don't get hit or you'll shrink. 2 - Self absorbed, self centered, one-upping douche. See also Jackass
Luigi: 1 - A pimp-ass motherfucker who always gets outstaged by his short, fat brother,
Zelda: 1 - Absolutely, beyond a doubt, no questions asked, the GREATEST GAME OF ALL TIME EVER CREATED ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH! Anyone who hates Zelda sucks at life completely. 2 - The hoebag princess from The Legend of Zelda series that does absolutely nothing and screams a lot.
Silent Hill: 1 - an insanely scary game designed to make boys and girls defecate as soon as they are exposed to it. its fucked up. 2 - A game is nice and quiet then out of no where OMFG SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF YOU.
Tekken: 1 - see gay. 2 - more like a shit videogame. 3 - The pimpest game there is. Anyone who says "OMG TEH VIRTUA FIGHTAR!" is either an anime fanboy japanophile cockshit or one of those fighting game uber nerds who study framerates and whatshit. 4 - Its the mojo that keeps you alive 5 - virtua fighter is fucking gay and tekken is nothing like street fighter. its the best fightin game out on the market to this day and if you dont like it you can suck a dick. Easily beaten but not easily mastered
Virtua Fighter: 1 - VF = Better graphics, physics, GAMEPLAY, REPLAYABILITY, LASTABILITY!!! Teken = Better ways to mash buttons, better flashes, better CHEAP factor. 2 - Virtua fighter is a game for American wannabe jap nerds that think gay bullshit is better just for the fuck of it. Well it ain't. Hope you learned your lesson Bitch.
Street Fighter: 1 - A story about RYU's serious ego problem. 2 - The source of all school violence. That and DOOM.
That's all for now. I think I will do this again one day with different games (hopefully ones that are just as loved/hated as the ones listed above). Hope you all enjoyed that as much as I did.
*Disclaimer: The definitions in this column in no way represent the feelings of the author. If you would kindly direct your torches and pitchforks elsewhere, that would be greatly appreciated.
I knew that my luck would have to change someday. After reviewing Zack & Wiki, Super Mario Galaxy, and Assassin's Creed, I found myself staring into the beady little eyes of Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Zombie Ninja Pro-Am (ZNPA). This game regrettably contains neither zombies nor ninjas, and the only redeeming quality for this mess of a game are the non-gameplay portions of the disc's content.
If you are not a fan of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, then there is absolutely no reason to ever play this game. I happen to enjoy the cartoon, so I managed to siphon a fair amount of enjoyment out of the game, mostly from the four episodes of the show (one never-before seen) that reside in the Extras section, and the between-level cut scenes (which play out like another episode).
As for the game itself, it boils down to a sub-par golf game, a crappy beat-em-up, and an atrocious golf cart racer all rolled into one. The story that attempts to unify this strange combination is that Frylock receives a letter of acceptance into a golfing club and Master Shake takes control of the entire situation, stealing their neighbor Carl's car and heading out to play the most bizarre round of golf one could imagine.
Everything in ZNPA is as simple as can be. Players have the choice of a wood, two irons, a wedge, and a putter, but normally the point is just to hit the ball as far as possible without going off-course. After each shot, Shake and Frylock have to trek to the ball's resting place, fending off an onslaught of nearly every character from the series. The next shot can only be taken once every foe has been defeated, which can be quite the task sometimes. The methods by which these hostiles are dispatched are largely ineffective, from Shake's wild golf club flailing to Frylock's slow and inconsistent eye blasts. This is arguably the worst part of the game, but actually makes up the majority of it.
Occasionally, players will find themselves racing golf carts around a particular course, trying to grab boosts and bazookas in hopes of finishing first. This is done while enduring poor controls and the most frequently repeated lines of dialog ever experienced. On second thought, maybe this is the worst part of the game.
The graphics in ZNPA are not good at all. It's almost pointless to discuss its shortcomings in terms of frame rate, pop-in, textures, lighting, models, and the like, because the game is many generations behind the times, technically. The best parts of the entire presentation are the voice performances during the game's story segments. If one could extract these and put them all together in one continuous video, it would be more worthwhile than actually playing the game. At least it's possible to view them again in the Extras section.
My take-home message is this: do NOT buy this game if you aren't a big fan of the show. There is absolutely nothing here for you. If you do enjoy the show, still do NOT buy it. Rent it for the few hours it takes to experience the game and watch the included episodes, then don't think about it ever again.
I will be the first to admit that Assassin's Creed is not exactly the game that I anticipated it to be. What I expected was the best thing since the advent of the home game console, but what I got was simply an innovative blend of gameplay concepts, stunning graphics and sound, a stellar plot, and a few hampering issues thrown in for good measure.
The game is about the assassin Altair and his mission to eliminate a number of powerful and influential figures, as prescribed by the leader of his brotherhood. The story is of course much more in-depth, but to avoid spoilers, it can be described as a heavily-themed two-tiered plot, with twists, revelations, and moral questions that make the gamer really think, even after the game has been turned off. It is one of the better narratives that I have encountered in the videogame world in some time, with a great ending that leaves things open for more.
At first glance, the game appears to be a high-flying, fast-paced, free-roaming festival of action, but players will soon come to realize that Assassin's Creed is much the same as any other stealth-based videogame - it requires patience, planning, and precision for a player to be successful. Because the game's action scenes are so pronounced, however, the portion of the game that falls in between story segments and the execution of targets (the information gathering phase) can feel slightly less exciting in comparison.
Between climbing towers, eavesdropping on conversations, picking pockets, rescuing oppressed citizens, and helping your assassin brothers, there is always something to be done in the sandbox that is Assassin's Creed, and the more time you take to immerse yourself into the cities, the more fun it becomes. The game does its best to let the player figure out just how to proceed, especially later on in the game. Only the most basic advice from Altair's confidants hint at where to seek out information, and players are left to engineer the demise of his next victim, piece by piece. It is a rewarding process, but going through it multiple times can leave players wishing for a little more variety in the available missions.
Leading up to its release, Assassin's Creed's biggest draws were the climbing and combat systems, both of which are controlled by Ubisoft's new "puppeteering" control scheme. Controlling Altair is meant to mimic manipulating a marionette. Each face button on the controller corresponds to a particular part of his body, and all of his actions are carried out via the appropriate limb. In combat, the weapon hand attacks, the off hand grabs foes, and the feet dodge enemy steel. While navigating the environment, the feet make acrobatic leaps and propel Altair up walls. The empty hand grabs hold should he lose his grip, and his head allows him to view his surroundings more clearly.
To add to this, the control scheme is divided into "low profile" and "high profile" actions, creating an easy distinction between actions like brushing aside a member of the crowd and laying him out with a forceful shove. High profile actions are obviously more likely to alert nearby soldiers, and doing so requires Altair to run, jump, and climb until he is out of sight - and then hide until he is forgotten.
Coupled with "free running" is Altair's incredible penchant for climbing. He can climb just about any surface in the game, so long as there are proper hand and footholds in the architecture. He even reaches and steps specifically to the viable holds, and his ability to leap for the next in a series of grips is influenced heavily by what sort of support is beneath his feet. It would be difficult to make Altair's methods of vertical navigation any more realistic than this.
Visually, Assassin's Creed is simply beautiful. The middle eastern cities in which the game takes place are recreated in such painstaking detail - from high-resolution surface textures to dynamic light and shadow work, accurate representation of real world architecture, scenic vistas, etc--that one can almost place him or herself in that setting. The animation is top-notch, smooth, and lifelike. There is never a time when players might say, "that looks mechanical."
The cinematography, too, is at times unmatched. Cut scenes offer gamers a variety of captivating camera angles, which, if a button is pressed at the appropriate moments, change periodically. Many portions of the game use a focus effect that plays off of the "bird of prey" theme, blurring the field of view at its perimeter while leaving the focal point crisp and clear.
Assassin's Creed does have occasional issues, however, such as texture tears (which occur primarily at the screen's edge), and the odd misplacement of a few fallen foes. These bugs do little to detract from the overall visual experience.
The game's audio is equally as impressive. Aside from Altair's sometimes mechanical delivery, the voice performances do very well to draw the gamer into the turbulent era of the Crusades. There is consistent chatter from everywhere along the city streets, adding to the feeling that Assassin's Creed is truly alive, and the sound effects never feel forced or overdone. What's best is that (aside from those fucking beggars), the soundscape is not intrusive upon the game's beautiful score.
Assassin's Creed introduces so many new and interesting gameplay elements and ideas that it certainly had the potential to be one of the best videogames of all time. However, the fact that the game is the maiden voyage of many different ships restricts it from achieving the perfection that it could very well have been. It may even be better thought of as the foundation for future games to build upon and achieve those lofty goals. Regardless, the final product is still an excellent piece of work, even with its few problems. I can't see the justice in any serious gamer NOT playing this game.
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