Here's a patchwork collection of thoughts and observations I've had over the past few days:
1. It's far more difficult to be romantic and thoughtful when nearly every waking moment of your day is mapped out for you by the simple act of caring for children. My wife and I did our best to celebrate Valentine's Day today, even though neither of us had the time or opportunity over the past couple of weeks to get out and do anything for the other, to the point that we didn't even exchange cards. It sounds horrible, but it's really not. We've talked about it, and we're both alright with the situation. It's safe to say that the level of chaos that has enveloped our lives may preclude some simple rituals that were easier to accomplish in years past, and it seems observing this day properly is just one in a long list of casualties. Never fear though; I love my wife, she loves me, and we'll still be here for many years to come.
2. The passage of time can feel warped in many different ways, based on your personal perception. For example, there are days that feel as if they are never going to end, and just an hour can feel like an eternity. In the midst of a stretch of days like this, though, it's easy to look at the calendar and go, "Wow, 3 months have passed already?! Where did the time go?" It's a phenomenon that is hard to truly appreciate until you've experienced it.
3. While researching options to make our living room electronics more compact and kid-friendly, I made the startling discovery that the manufacturer of our 42" plasma display (Fujitsu) extricated itself from the HDTV market in late 2007. For some reason, I was incredibly chagrined to find this information, and I feel like I have a sad little orphan in our living room. It makes me want to give it a hug and say, "It's alright. You have a safe and happy home with us." It also means that I had absolutely no luck in finding manufacturer- standard side mount speakers for the unit. Bah.
4. My children can go from incredibly sweet, adorable and caring angels to evil, selfish and destructive little monsters in the span of a single breath. Which, by all accounts, makes them your typical two-year-olds. Go figure.
5. My plan to execute the gaming project I discussed a couple of weeks ago is alive and well, even if I haven't been writing about it. Since my last post on the subject, I've fired up at least one game that qualifies for the project, and possibly a second. When my schedule and sleep level is sufficient to produce text worth reading on the subject, they will appear here. Until then, know that I'm stealing some time here and there to play games, but it's not regular or long.
Showing posts with label Observations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Observations. Show all posts
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The One Where I Talk Too Much About Myself
NaBloPoMo, Day 14. Fighting off exhaustion and lack of a good topic, a cluttered mess falls out of my head into the blog. I truly apologize to anyone reading this, as the recent posts have veered off from the original mission, to discuss all things video games. Bear with me as I try to get back on track.
For the past few weeks, a lot of my head space (that not wholly consumed with the acquisition and enjoyment of the iPhone) has been preoccupied with rather heavy topics. Even though the product may not bear up to it, I've really enjoyed putting time into writing and posting to the blog, so much so that there's a tickle in the back of my mind which would have me explore the possibilities of using writing to somehow earn some extra money on the side. That would be great: doing something I like to do and get paid for it! Sadly, the big problem lies in the fact that many, many people aspire to the same thing, and most of those people have the education (let's just say that possessing an engineering degree and trying to break into a writing or journalism field isn't the best angle of attack), experience and talent which I lack. Understanding all of that, my little daydream of using an outlet like this to generate an income will have to wait.
A bit of my head space has also been directed to ways to improve my current craft, as an instrumentation and controls engineer for an environmental engineering firm. I've been mulling around a lot of ways to improve the design process and delivery standards, and there are a lot of half-formed ideas bouncing around. To create a list of these would benefit only me, and would drive the rest of you to click away from this page in boredom. Rest assured that it's a great list and, if implemented properly, would revolutionize the I&C design team. There might be some hyperbole in that last statement, but probably only a dab.
The problem I have, and one that's plagued me for as long as I can remember, is that I can't seem to keep my brain focused on one task long enough to complete it, before it careens off in another direction. You would figure that this would be frustrating and annoying, to go through life like this, and you would be right. This blog, for instance, probably does a great job at illustrating my point. If you were to go back and look at all of the things I've set out to do, and how many of them I actually do, you'd be appalled at the completion percentage. In a single, concise statement, I can sum up most of my adult life: I Lack Followthrough. Hopefully this isn't going to come out sounding too pretentious, but if I could train my brain to focus on one task or project at a time, see it through to completion with attention to detail and proper review each one deserves, I would be a far more successful person than I am today.
What do I do about this? There's the rub...I just don't know. If anyone reading this has any ideas, I'm all ears. Clearly, this behavior demonstrates a shocking lack of discipline on my part, and maybe that's where I need to start. It will require further research to understand my options, which isn't going to happen tonight. My eyes are starting to blur, and I'm going to be driving back to my hometown tomorrow night, starting around 9pm. We should reach our destination around 3am or so, which tells me I need to get some sleep. This post, though, will serve as my reminder to actually take the time to figure out what I can do about the issues that haunt me.
To those of you who've made it this far, through all of this navel-gazing and introspection, thanks for continuing to read. My hope is to get back to other topics, starting tomorrow. Until then, stay safe and be well!
For the past few weeks, a lot of my head space (that not wholly consumed with the acquisition and enjoyment of the iPhone) has been preoccupied with rather heavy topics. Even though the product may not bear up to it, I've really enjoyed putting time into writing and posting to the blog, so much so that there's a tickle in the back of my mind which would have me explore the possibilities of using writing to somehow earn some extra money on the side. That would be great: doing something I like to do and get paid for it! Sadly, the big problem lies in the fact that many, many people aspire to the same thing, and most of those people have the education (let's just say that possessing an engineering degree and trying to break into a writing or journalism field isn't the best angle of attack), experience and talent which I lack. Understanding all of that, my little daydream of using an outlet like this to generate an income will have to wait.
A bit of my head space has also been directed to ways to improve my current craft, as an instrumentation and controls engineer for an environmental engineering firm. I've been mulling around a lot of ways to improve the design process and delivery standards, and there are a lot of half-formed ideas bouncing around. To create a list of these would benefit only me, and would drive the rest of you to click away from this page in boredom. Rest assured that it's a great list and, if implemented properly, would revolutionize the I&C design team. There might be some hyperbole in that last statement, but probably only a dab.
The problem I have, and one that's plagued me for as long as I can remember, is that I can't seem to keep my brain focused on one task long enough to complete it, before it careens off in another direction. You would figure that this would be frustrating and annoying, to go through life like this, and you would be right. This blog, for instance, probably does a great job at illustrating my point. If you were to go back and look at all of the things I've set out to do, and how many of them I actually do, you'd be appalled at the completion percentage. In a single, concise statement, I can sum up most of my adult life: I Lack Followthrough. Hopefully this isn't going to come out sounding too pretentious, but if I could train my brain to focus on one task or project at a time, see it through to completion with attention to detail and proper review each one deserves, I would be a far more successful person than I am today.
What do I do about this? There's the rub...I just don't know. If anyone reading this has any ideas, I'm all ears. Clearly, this behavior demonstrates a shocking lack of discipline on my part, and maybe that's where I need to start. It will require further research to understand my options, which isn't going to happen tonight. My eyes are starting to blur, and I'm going to be driving back to my hometown tomorrow night, starting around 9pm. We should reach our destination around 3am or so, which tells me I need to get some sleep. This post, though, will serve as my reminder to actually take the time to figure out what I can do about the issues that haunt me.
To those of you who've made it this far, through all of this navel-gazing and introspection, thanks for continuing to read. My hope is to get back to other topics, starting tomorrow. Until then, stay safe and be well!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Random Observation about the Digital Era
This, the 13th day of my NaBloPoMo experiment, finds me musing about the ability for individuals to proliferate media in this day and age.
If you're reading this blog, then you're quite aware that I am the proud new owner of an iPhone. Downright giddy, actually, but that's not the point. While happily perusing the Apps Store, and wondering what should be loaded onto my new slice of electronic heaven, a realization dawned on me. To be truthful, an ember of this realization has been smoldering in my brain for a while, but it erupted into a brilliant clarity today. This incredible, amazing, and completely written and talked about by many others realization is this: there is an enormous magnitude of avenues for a person to project themselves out into the public consciousness.
Take my new iPhone, for example. Some of the applications I've downloaded over the past 24-48 hours include Audioboo, a way to record bite-sized chunks of audio and then upload them to the Internet, where they can be then consumed by others or broadcast to other Internet portals; Twitpic, an app to post photos to my Twitter feed; Twitvid, similar to Twitpic, but for video files; Twitterific, so I can read the 'tweets' of all the people I follow in Twitter; and a Facebook app, which should be self-explanatory. All of these applications have a very distinct commonality, which is they allow the user (in this case, me) to broadcast their media to the Internet. The irony is not lost on me, by the way, that the very blogging website I'm using to discuss these applications performs an identical function.
What it all adds up to is an almost mind boggling ability for people to be heard nowadays. Before the rampant spread of viable, inexpensive Internet access, the ways and means for people to be published, heard, seen or read really were much more limited. This new ability to 'broadcast' yourself is absolutely incredible, and as with nearly everything in real life, there are upsides and downsides to this new paradigm. Tool around on the Internet for five minutes and you can, and most likely will, be exposed to some brilliant examples of video, pictures or prose, but you will also be bombarded by the most heinous dreck and drivel. There are some people that shouldn't be allowed such free access to express themselves (maybe I'm one of them!). Before, when it was difficult to get something published on a large scale, and nearly impossible to have your voice heard by a global audience, much of what we see now would not come to light. Now, even a monkey can post something to Youtube with only a little help, society is bombarded with cute cat videos, horrible karaoke renditions, and people doing unimaginable things to themselves, all in the name of a short window of Internet fame.
Having said all of that, I don't want to remove the ability for people to be read, seen or heard. To me, it feels like a necessary evil to suffer through the deluge of garbage to possibly find the hidden gem, a true talent struggling to be discovered. Even I have aspirations of turning this outlet into something more than what amounts to a digital diary, but they are held firmly in check due to family and professional commitments. Taking away my 'chance' to be discovered would be disheartening. Who knows? Maybe someday, after learning on the fly, and honing a style that appeals to people, maybe I could produce something that gets me discovered. The chances are admittedly slim, but for me, and for many out there, that slight chance is all it takes to continue to write, take photos, generate video, perform music, make art...The list goes on and on.
There, I feel like I've rambled long enough for today. As always, if you have any comments or thoughts on this topic, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!
If you're reading this blog, then you're quite aware that I am the proud new owner of an iPhone. Downright giddy, actually, but that's not the point. While happily perusing the Apps Store, and wondering what should be loaded onto my new slice of electronic heaven, a realization dawned on me. To be truthful, an ember of this realization has been smoldering in my brain for a while, but it erupted into a brilliant clarity today. This incredible, amazing, and completely written and talked about by many others realization is this: there is an enormous magnitude of avenues for a person to project themselves out into the public consciousness.
Take my new iPhone, for example. Some of the applications I've downloaded over the past 24-48 hours include Audioboo, a way to record bite-sized chunks of audio and then upload them to the Internet, where they can be then consumed by others or broadcast to other Internet portals; Twitpic, an app to post photos to my Twitter feed; Twitvid, similar to Twitpic, but for video files; Twitterific, so I can read the 'tweets' of all the people I follow in Twitter; and a Facebook app, which should be self-explanatory. All of these applications have a very distinct commonality, which is they allow the user (in this case, me) to broadcast their media to the Internet. The irony is not lost on me, by the way, that the very blogging website I'm using to discuss these applications performs an identical function.
What it all adds up to is an almost mind boggling ability for people to be heard nowadays. Before the rampant spread of viable, inexpensive Internet access, the ways and means for people to be published, heard, seen or read really were much more limited. This new ability to 'broadcast' yourself is absolutely incredible, and as with nearly everything in real life, there are upsides and downsides to this new paradigm. Tool around on the Internet for five minutes and you can, and most likely will, be exposed to some brilliant examples of video, pictures or prose, but you will also be bombarded by the most heinous dreck and drivel. There are some people that shouldn't be allowed such free access to express themselves (maybe I'm one of them!). Before, when it was difficult to get something published on a large scale, and nearly impossible to have your voice heard by a global audience, much of what we see now would not come to light. Now, even a monkey can post something to Youtube with only a little help, society is bombarded with cute cat videos, horrible karaoke renditions, and people doing unimaginable things to themselves, all in the name of a short window of Internet fame.
Having said all of that, I don't want to remove the ability for people to be read, seen or heard. To me, it feels like a necessary evil to suffer through the deluge of garbage to possibly find the hidden gem, a true talent struggling to be discovered. Even I have aspirations of turning this outlet into something more than what amounts to a digital diary, but they are held firmly in check due to family and professional commitments. Taking away my 'chance' to be discovered would be disheartening. Who knows? Maybe someday, after learning on the fly, and honing a style that appeals to people, maybe I could produce something that gets me discovered. The chances are admittedly slim, but for me, and for many out there, that slight chance is all it takes to continue to write, take photos, generate video, perform music, make art...The list goes on and on.
There, I feel like I've rambled long enough for today. As always, if you have any comments or thoughts on this topic, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Sunday Thoughts
Day 10 of NaBloPoMo! Unbelievably, especially to me, the streak is still alive and kicking, although today's post was difficult to come up with. Sundays, as they are usually wont to be, do not provide many blogworthy topics, so I dug a bit deeper for this one. The thought, as many of those I have, started down one path and went in a direction I couldn't have foreseen. Hope you enjoy it.
I'm not quite sure when it first happened, or how many times afterward it occurred. At some point in my childhood, probably when denied the opportunity to do something that I wanted to, or didn't have the money to buy something I just couldn't live without, my young self thought, "Boy, I can't wait until I'm able to buy whatever I want and do whatever I want, without having to ask anyone!" Now, this wasn't a thought unique to me. It's quite possible that every young person thinks this thought, or some variation thereon, during their formative years. It refers to that mythical time in their lives when the stars align and they can do whatever they want, whenever they want.
At some point in my own life, this might have been a reality. My soon-to-be wife and I did live together in relatively modest accommodations for a time, both earning professional salaries, prior to being saddled with the debts we now struggle to pay. There were no sleepless nights making sure our children got to sleep, no mortgages (or second mortgages) to pay, no fears that we aren't doing the right thing to raise our kids. Not to sound cliche, but life really was simpler then. The big problem with that situation is this: we didn't know it! If I could go back 10 years and tell the younger version of me anything, it would be to appreciate those times and not to take them for granted, because they would soon change, and never be the same again.
Let me be clear on this one point: I wouldn't trade my life for anything, because I'm proud of what we've accomplished as a family. It's just that I would want to impress upon my earlier self to not waste a second of freedom, and to enjoy those freedoms of youth and careless abandon, to the fullest. There are so many things I now realize that I thought about doing, but never did simply because I always thought there would be time later. The earlier me could never have come to grips with the amount of responsibility, worry, joy, concern, fear, doubt, and love that having children would bring. Even as I struggle to be an individual, and maintain my own hobbies and interests, it's clear that those come second to the needs of my children and family. The moment those beautiful little creatures sleeping above me in their cribs and bassinet took their first breaths, my purpose in life became one of protecting, nurturing, teaching and guiding those little souls, simply to have the opportunity to be the best people they can be. That awesome responsibility is something I wasn't prepared for, and couldn't honestly fathom until it was thrust upon me.
Going back to my very young self and the wish for unlimited money and freedom, I'm sorry to say that it really didn't happen, and if it did, I guess I blinked and missed it. What I can say is that I have something far better. I have the unconditional love and adoration of small children. Even now, I'm stunned by the fact that my kids think I walk on water, and it will hopefully be some time before they realize I can't. By my estimation, that's worth trading unlimited freedom for any day.
I'm not quite sure when it first happened, or how many times afterward it occurred. At some point in my childhood, probably when denied the opportunity to do something that I wanted to, or didn't have the money to buy something I just couldn't live without, my young self thought, "Boy, I can't wait until I'm able to buy whatever I want and do whatever I want, without having to ask anyone!" Now, this wasn't a thought unique to me. It's quite possible that every young person thinks this thought, or some variation thereon, during their formative years. It refers to that mythical time in their lives when the stars align and they can do whatever they want, whenever they want.
At some point in my own life, this might have been a reality. My soon-to-be wife and I did live together in relatively modest accommodations for a time, both earning professional salaries, prior to being saddled with the debts we now struggle to pay. There were no sleepless nights making sure our children got to sleep, no mortgages (or second mortgages) to pay, no fears that we aren't doing the right thing to raise our kids. Not to sound cliche, but life really was simpler then. The big problem with that situation is this: we didn't know it! If I could go back 10 years and tell the younger version of me anything, it would be to appreciate those times and not to take them for granted, because they would soon change, and never be the same again.
Let me be clear on this one point: I wouldn't trade my life for anything, because I'm proud of what we've accomplished as a family. It's just that I would want to impress upon my earlier self to not waste a second of freedom, and to enjoy those freedoms of youth and careless abandon, to the fullest. There are so many things I now realize that I thought about doing, but never did simply because I always thought there would be time later. The earlier me could never have come to grips with the amount of responsibility, worry, joy, concern, fear, doubt, and love that having children would bring. Even as I struggle to be an individual, and maintain my own hobbies and interests, it's clear that those come second to the needs of my children and family. The moment those beautiful little creatures sleeping above me in their cribs and bassinet took their first breaths, my purpose in life became one of protecting, nurturing, teaching and guiding those little souls, simply to have the opportunity to be the best people they can be. That awesome responsibility is something I wasn't prepared for, and couldn't honestly fathom until it was thrust upon me.
Going back to my very young self and the wish for unlimited money and freedom, I'm sorry to say that it really didn't happen, and if it did, I guess I blinked and missed it. What I can say is that I have something far better. I have the unconditional love and adoration of small children. Even now, I'm stunned by the fact that my kids think I walk on water, and it will hopefully be some time before they realize I can't. By my estimation, that's worth trading unlimited freedom for any day.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Hmmm...
Strangely enough, after waiting for the better part of a year for Dragon Age to finally be released, I can barely convince myself to play it. I don't know if it's the fact that I've been busy with work or that I've been extra tired when the opportunities to play have come up, but whenever I go to fire it up, something always keeps me from doing so. Another factor could be what feels like a very heavy and depressing storyline. After playing Borderlands and some Torchlight, shifting gears into the Dragon Age universe feels, well, dreary. It's not something that's particularly invigorating to me, when I feel like I could fall asleep at the keyboard.
I did start it up long enough to complete my original choice for an origin story, and as some reviews and commentaries on the game have pointed out, there are decisions in this game that, regardless of the choice you make, leave you feeling as if you just chose between kicking a puppy or throwing a kitten against a wall. Obviously neither of these options are appealing to me, but I had to pick something, so I did. I'm sitting here rather deflated and bummed out about my choice, but that could be a side effect of being in a 7-hour meeting for work today and having no mental reserve left for serious thought or contemplation. I'm intrigued about what will happen next, but I don't feel like moving the story forward this evening. Guess I'll have to digest this game at a glacial pace. Expect to see my post about completing the game sometime in 2011. :)
I did start it up long enough to complete my original choice for an origin story, and as some reviews and commentaries on the game have pointed out, there are decisions in this game that, regardless of the choice you make, leave you feeling as if you just chose between kicking a puppy or throwing a kitten against a wall. Obviously neither of these options are appealing to me, but I had to pick something, so I did. I'm sitting here rather deflated and bummed out about my choice, but that could be a side effect of being in a 7-hour meeting for work today and having no mental reserve left for serious thought or contemplation. I'm intrigued about what will happen next, but I don't feel like moving the story forward this evening. Guess I'll have to digest this game at a glacial pace. Expect to see my post about completing the game sometime in 2011. :)
Monday, November 2, 2009
Gaming Anxiety
The title of this post isn't a life threatening condition, or an ailment that can be diagnosed, but simply a description of a feeling I've experienced a lot. The best way I can describe the condition is 'the buildup of intense feelings (pressure, dread, trepidation) experienced during a session of playing video games.' Trying to come up with the best way of fleshing out this idea led me to describe it using anecdotes from my own personal experience, which I'll share now.
One of the first times I truly experienced gaming anxiety was while playing through Bioshock. In this case, I think there were a multitude of factors that combined to create this particular version of gaming anxiety: the combination of the macabre setting and narrative; the mix of psychological 'terror' (i.e. hearing movements or voices somewhere, but not knowing when the owner of the voice would try to end my life) and 'jump you in your seat' scares; my relative inexperience with the FPS genre, creating real tension as I learned the controls; the fact I played the vast majority of the game at night in a poorly lit basement on a large TV with good surround sound. All of these contributed to the fact that I couldn't play this game for long stretches before my nerves would feel raw and frayed, I would be jumping at the slightest noise, from the game or within the house, and I would feel genuinely overwhelmed and shut the game off. It wouldn't be until the next day that I could start another play session, after all the perceived dread and excess adrenaline had drained away.
A second, and rather intense, case of gamer anxiety came about because of my desire to play through Half-Life 2. In particular, I vividly remember having a lot of trouble playing through the Ravenholm section of the game. The well-crafted atmosphere of the game, in addition to the enemy encounters and multiple 'jump in your seat' moments made it particularly difficult for me to deal with this part of the game. After that, I was always on the edge of my seat, waiting for the 'jump' moment in the excellent guided experience that Valve created, which added to the overall tension. Reflecting on this particular setting after completing the game, I did realize that it was one of my favorite segments, regardless of how I felt while experiencing it.
The next time I remember experiencing gaming anxiety came during my experiences with Fallout 3. In this case, the feeling of hopelessness, isolation and despair created by the good folks at Bethesda really got me thinking, with the added condition that my play sessions always occurred at night in the dimly light corner of the basement, adding to the overall ambiance of the situation. After an hour or two of adventuring, exploring old buildings and being jumped multiple times by enemies hidden around corners, all the while soaking in the atmosphere of the environment, I would have to stop playing and purge that experience with some lighter fare. Often I would need to read a book, watch something on TV or simply have a conversation with my wife, all of which needed to be about a lighter topic than what I'd been dealing with in the game. There were some nights when I wouldn't properly decompress after a game session, and those nights were often plagued by dark dreams or fitful sleep.
The latest experience I've had with gamer anxiety comes in the form of Borderlands. In this case, my lack of FPS skills combined with the game's atmosphere seem to be the biggest contributor to the intensity of the feelings I have after the game has been turned off. In fact, last night was a night where I didn't sleep that well, mostly because I didn't properly decompress after an almost 2 hour game session. That experience was the genesis for this post.
Not all games affect me in this manner. During a period in my life when I had far more free time, countless hours were spent playing round after round of golf in Tiger Woods PGA Tour '04 and '05 on the XBox and PS2. As a kid I could wile away entire days on NES games like Romance of the Three Kingdoms or Wizardry. I couldn't even begin to account for the time I spent playing the original Everquest, first in '99 - '00, and then later in '03 - '04. Nowadays, though, whenever I try to play a game with intense narrative and/or setting, or (more often) involving the first-person perspective, I succumb to the buildup of tension and anxiety and feel the need to step away for a bit and decompress.
Has anyone else experienced this? A cursory search on the internet provided no other relevant material, but if you're out there and have dealt with anything such as this, your comments, experiences, thoughts or observations are more than welcome.
One of the first times I truly experienced gaming anxiety was while playing through Bioshock. In this case, I think there were a multitude of factors that combined to create this particular version of gaming anxiety: the combination of the macabre setting and narrative; the mix of psychological 'terror' (i.e. hearing movements or voices somewhere, but not knowing when the owner of the voice would try to end my life) and 'jump you in your seat' scares; my relative inexperience with the FPS genre, creating real tension as I learned the controls; the fact I played the vast majority of the game at night in a poorly lit basement on a large TV with good surround sound. All of these contributed to the fact that I couldn't play this game for long stretches before my nerves would feel raw and frayed, I would be jumping at the slightest noise, from the game or within the house, and I would feel genuinely overwhelmed and shut the game off. It wouldn't be until the next day that I could start another play session, after all the perceived dread and excess adrenaline had drained away.
A second, and rather intense, case of gamer anxiety came about because of my desire to play through Half-Life 2. In particular, I vividly remember having a lot of trouble playing through the Ravenholm section of the game. The well-crafted atmosphere of the game, in addition to the enemy encounters and multiple 'jump in your seat' moments made it particularly difficult for me to deal with this part of the game. After that, I was always on the edge of my seat, waiting for the 'jump' moment in the excellent guided experience that Valve created, which added to the overall tension. Reflecting on this particular setting after completing the game, I did realize that it was one of my favorite segments, regardless of how I felt while experiencing it.
The next time I remember experiencing gaming anxiety came during my experiences with Fallout 3. In this case, the feeling of hopelessness, isolation and despair created by the good folks at Bethesda really got me thinking, with the added condition that my play sessions always occurred at night in the dimly light corner of the basement, adding to the overall ambiance of the situation. After an hour or two of adventuring, exploring old buildings and being jumped multiple times by enemies hidden around corners, all the while soaking in the atmosphere of the environment, I would have to stop playing and purge that experience with some lighter fare. Often I would need to read a book, watch something on TV or simply have a conversation with my wife, all of which needed to be about a lighter topic than what I'd been dealing with in the game. There were some nights when I wouldn't properly decompress after a game session, and those nights were often plagued by dark dreams or fitful sleep.
The latest experience I've had with gamer anxiety comes in the form of Borderlands. In this case, my lack of FPS skills combined with the game's atmosphere seem to be the biggest contributor to the intensity of the feelings I have after the game has been turned off. In fact, last night was a night where I didn't sleep that well, mostly because I didn't properly decompress after an almost 2 hour game session. That experience was the genesis for this post.
Not all games affect me in this manner. During a period in my life when I had far more free time, countless hours were spent playing round after round of golf in Tiger Woods PGA Tour '04 and '05 on the XBox and PS2. As a kid I could wile away entire days on NES games like Romance of the Three Kingdoms or Wizardry. I couldn't even begin to account for the time I spent playing the original Everquest, first in '99 - '00, and then later in '03 - '04. Nowadays, though, whenever I try to play a game with intense narrative and/or setting, or (more often) involving the first-person perspective, I succumb to the buildup of tension and anxiety and feel the need to step away for a bit and decompress.
Has anyone else experienced this? A cursory search on the internet provided no other relevant material, but if you're out there and have dealt with anything such as this, your comments, experiences, thoughts or observations are more than welcome.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Sick Day (and more Borderlands)
In between gulping down Alka Seltzer, sleeping most of the day and hiding the basement while my lovely and patient wife watched the kids so I could try to fend off the cold that's coming on, I played a bit more Borderlands today. Not too much, mind you, as I felt guilty about playing when i should have been resting or at work. Nonetheless, I succumbed to the temptation and jumped in for a bit. Between a little while today and an hour or so last night, the hunter I started is now level 13. There's a lot to like about the hunter, but he really makes for a somewhat difficult solo character. His primary weapon proficiency (sniper rifles) is good only for the first few shots, as nearly all the enemies charge directly at you once alerted to your presence. The secondary weapon proficiency I can have (revolvers) may just now be coming into play, as the first revolver in my game just dropped. That will warrant some experimentation and adventuring.
The game really has shifted into a higher gear. The main storyline, as well as at least one sidequest, has me going to the Arid Hills. These aren't your father's Arid Hills, filled with lots of very fast, very tough skags that cause me fits to try to take down before becoming dog chow. It's clear that the strategies that have worked up to this point will need to be 'tweaked', which is code for 'throw them out and start again'. I'm determined to make this work, however. There's a lot of satisfaction to be gained from a successful headshot with a sniper rifle and I'm not ready to give it up just yet.
One of the few upsides about being sick at home was being able to spend a bit of extra time with the kids, who are also coming down with the same cold. It never ceases to amaze me that, aside from being a bit more grumbly or just plain tired, they have the same cheerful disposition they exhibit when completely healthy. Me, I'm miserable, and I'm not afraid to let anyone know it. Those little ones, aside from constant runny noses and a quicker trigger for frustration, are just as happy and curious and loving as always. There are days when I wish my life were as simple and innocent as theirs...
Happy early Halloween to all those who will be celebrating it tomorrow, and be safe!
The game really has shifted into a higher gear. The main storyline, as well as at least one sidequest, has me going to the Arid Hills. These aren't your father's Arid Hills, filled with lots of very fast, very tough skags that cause me fits to try to take down before becoming dog chow. It's clear that the strategies that have worked up to this point will need to be 'tweaked', which is code for 'throw them out and start again'. I'm determined to make this work, however. There's a lot of satisfaction to be gained from a successful headshot with a sniper rifle and I'm not ready to give it up just yet.
One of the few upsides about being sick at home was being able to spend a bit of extra time with the kids, who are also coming down with the same cold. It never ceases to amaze me that, aside from being a bit more grumbly or just plain tired, they have the same cheerful disposition they exhibit when completely healthy. Me, I'm miserable, and I'm not afraid to let anyone know it. Those little ones, aside from constant runny noses and a quicker trigger for frustration, are just as happy and curious and loving as always. There are days when I wish my life were as simple and innocent as theirs...
Happy early Halloween to all those who will be celebrating it tomorrow, and be safe!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Five Things I'm Pretty Sure I Think (Tuesday Edition)
It's another edition of everyone's favorite catchall! Yet again, I toss out five random topics that have been bouncing around in this head of mine, as a form of navel-gazing or simply to get them out of my head and clutter up the Internet a bit more.
1. The Canton, MA arm of the Columbia Falls Grants are now the proud owners of a minivan. To accomplish this feat, there has been a relative flurry of automobile dealing going on. Over the past 4-5 weeks, we have (a) sold our 2007 Toyota Corolla S, (b) sold our 2002 Toyota Highlander Limited, and (c) purchased a 2008 Toyota Sienna LE. From the previous sentence, you can correctly infer that we are both a Toyota family and an expanding one, as the van was needed to fit the inevitable third car seat. One thing you might not infer is that we are completely sick of the auto buying/selling process, and hope to not have to partake in it for some time. The purchase of the minivan does have its upsides, as it puts the twins in the 3rd row bench seat, which will make it more difficult for them to pelt Mom and Dad with french fries. I can also now affectionately refer to our vehicle as the 'family boat.' :)
2. It was a fantastic showing for the Patriots this past Sunday, returning to 2007 form against the hapless Tennessee Titans, 59-0. Brady had 380 yards and 6 touchdowns...after one drive in the third quarter. Needless to say he finished the game on the sidelines sipping hot cocoa and watching Brian Hoyer get some experience under actual game conditions. It's not absurd to think that the Pats offensive unit experienced more pressure in practice the week leading up to the game than during it. Now, let's hope that this was not just a fluke game against a terrible opponent, and that this is just Brady returning to pre-knee injury form and the rest of the team starting to click, not that this week will be any test either. They'll face the pitiful 0-6 Buccaneers in London before having a bye week.
3. Taking far longer than it should have, I finally finished Final Fantasy PSP, with liberal use of online FAQs and guides. At first, I felt bad about having to rely on them to make my way through a game that's older than my brother (who's 21, by the way), but it dawned on me that the game design was obtuse in such a way that it encouraged far too much aimless wandering. Sadly, with the amount of free time I now have, I'd prefer to spend it pursuing a concrete goal, and the guides allowed me to stay focused and finish the game. My party, a Knight, Red Wizard, White Wizard and Black Wizard, were level 46 by the end, and even then faced a tough test in defeating Chaos. Now it's on to Final Fantasy II, also on the PSP, which should be a bit more interesting for me, as I've never experienced this game before (I'd completed Final Fantasy back on the NES, many many moons ago).
4. Hanging my head in shame and defeat, I will admit to the fact that Arkham Asylum was shipped out yesterday (via Goozex trade) without actually being completed. After several failed attempts at the Joker fight, somewhere around 10-15, I had no desire to go back and try again. The overall game experience itself was still positive, but the design of the final battle still boggles me, and feels like a letdown after the high quality displayed by the rest of the game. Maybe someday I'll rent it and finish the game and the remaining Riddler challenges, but not right now. The game has been converted to 1000 Goozex points, which will help me net another few titles in the near future.
5. Last, but most certainly not least, the wife and I enjoyed a rugrat-free extended vacation last week, when my parents so graciously offered to take them off our hands. We met in the middle (we live 6 hours apart), transferred the precious cargo, and each party enjoyed a different experience from Friday evening to Wednesday afternoon. My wife and I reconnected as a couple (read: we didn't kill each other), and my parents soaked up some grandkid time. The kids probably benefitted the most, as they were able to spend time with people who weren't beaten down by life and the grind of parenthood, but were energetic, excited and ready to spoil them rotten. I took some time to indulge my gaming hobby, at one point playing for 4 hours straight with no guilt or neglecting of family duties. It will be some time before this happens again, but I certainly appreciated it.
1. The Canton, MA arm of the Columbia Falls Grants are now the proud owners of a minivan. To accomplish this feat, there has been a relative flurry of automobile dealing going on. Over the past 4-5 weeks, we have (a) sold our 2007 Toyota Corolla S, (b) sold our 2002 Toyota Highlander Limited, and (c) purchased a 2008 Toyota Sienna LE. From the previous sentence, you can correctly infer that we are both a Toyota family and an expanding one, as the van was needed to fit the inevitable third car seat. One thing you might not infer is that we are completely sick of the auto buying/selling process, and hope to not have to partake in it for some time. The purchase of the minivan does have its upsides, as it puts the twins in the 3rd row bench seat, which will make it more difficult for them to pelt Mom and Dad with french fries. I can also now affectionately refer to our vehicle as the 'family boat.' :)
2. It was a fantastic showing for the Patriots this past Sunday, returning to 2007 form against the hapless Tennessee Titans, 59-0. Brady had 380 yards and 6 touchdowns...after one drive in the third quarter. Needless to say he finished the game on the sidelines sipping hot cocoa and watching Brian Hoyer get some experience under actual game conditions. It's not absurd to think that the Pats offensive unit experienced more pressure in practice the week leading up to the game than during it. Now, let's hope that this was not just a fluke game against a terrible opponent, and that this is just Brady returning to pre-knee injury form and the rest of the team starting to click, not that this week will be any test either. They'll face the pitiful 0-6 Buccaneers in London before having a bye week.
3. Taking far longer than it should have, I finally finished Final Fantasy PSP, with liberal use of online FAQs and guides. At first, I felt bad about having to rely on them to make my way through a game that's older than my brother (who's 21, by the way), but it dawned on me that the game design was obtuse in such a way that it encouraged far too much aimless wandering. Sadly, with the amount of free time I now have, I'd prefer to spend it pursuing a concrete goal, and the guides allowed me to stay focused and finish the game. My party, a Knight, Red Wizard, White Wizard and Black Wizard, were level 46 by the end, and even then faced a tough test in defeating Chaos. Now it's on to Final Fantasy II, also on the PSP, which should be a bit more interesting for me, as I've never experienced this game before (I'd completed Final Fantasy back on the NES, many many moons ago).
4. Hanging my head in shame and defeat, I will admit to the fact that Arkham Asylum was shipped out yesterday (via Goozex trade) without actually being completed. After several failed attempts at the Joker fight, somewhere around 10-15, I had no desire to go back and try again. The overall game experience itself was still positive, but the design of the final battle still boggles me, and feels like a letdown after the high quality displayed by the rest of the game. Maybe someday I'll rent it and finish the game and the remaining Riddler challenges, but not right now. The game has been converted to 1000 Goozex points, which will help me net another few titles in the near future.
5. Last, but most certainly not least, the wife and I enjoyed a rugrat-free extended vacation last week, when my parents so graciously offered to take them off our hands. We met in the middle (we live 6 hours apart), transferred the precious cargo, and each party enjoyed a different experience from Friday evening to Wednesday afternoon. My wife and I reconnected as a couple (read: we didn't kill each other), and my parents soaked up some grandkid time. The kids probably benefitted the most, as they were able to spend time with people who weren't beaten down by life and the grind of parenthood, but were energetic, excited and ready to spoil them rotten. I took some time to indulge my gaming hobby, at one point playing for 4 hours straight with no guilt or neglecting of family duties. It will be some time before this happens again, but I certainly appreciated it.
Titan Quest
I currently find myself dabbling with Titan Quest, a nice-looking Diablo clone released a few years ago by Iron Lore Entertainment (a now-defunct developer, sad to say). My journey to this game is not typical of others. There's no stories of playing countless hours in Diablo II multiplayer for that one rare drop. Actually, there's almost no Diablo II involved in this story at all. Having spent a fair amount of time playing the original Diablo on the PSOne, but not following the franchise further, I did purchase the Diablo II battlechest and loaded it onto my PC. Unfortunately, every time I've tried to sit down and play through it, the low-res graphics just look muddy on my newer monitor and cause me to not want to play it, even though the underlying concepts, mechanics and (most important of all) loot-whoring are all there. With that being said, the game still sits on my hard drive, and there's a faint hope that these negative feelings will fade and I will stick with a playthrough, if only to experience what countless others have.
This brings me to Titan Quest. The game was only $5 during a recent Direct2Drive promotion, so it could be fairly characterized as an 'impulse buy' on my part. Having read so many positive reviews and comments about it since it's release in 2006, the expenditure seemed safe and justified. I was immediately struck by the stark contrast between this game's graphics and those of Diablo II. The clear increase in visual fidelity and overall 'lightness' of Titan Quest's setting really won me over, but would the main draw of these games, the loot system, quench my thirst for unabashed loot-whoring?
I'm happy to report that it has, at least so far. I'm currently near the beginning of Act VII, somewhere around 10-12 hours in. My conqueror (warfare/defense masteries) has served me well up to this point, and the plot and setting keep me coming back. The endless mouse clicking to kill enemies, mixed in with some hot key presses on occasion, can get repetitive at times, but it's the loot gathering that steals the show here. Clearly the game is meant for multiple playthroughs and extensive multiplayer sessions, as the truly rare items drop infrequently enough to realize that accumulating a full set of one of the named rare armors would take significant time. The only fear I have for this game is that it will get lost in the shuffle of the two new releases I've been waiting all year for, Borderlands and Dragon Age: Origins. Those and the fact that my wife is going to give birth in a month to our third child. :)
Until then, though, I will most likely be found in the basement, clicking away on my mouse, hunting for the next rare drop. Or until the wife needs me to drive her to the hospital...
This brings me to Titan Quest. The game was only $5 during a recent Direct2Drive promotion, so it could be fairly characterized as an 'impulse buy' on my part. Having read so many positive reviews and comments about it since it's release in 2006, the expenditure seemed safe and justified. I was immediately struck by the stark contrast between this game's graphics and those of Diablo II. The clear increase in visual fidelity and overall 'lightness' of Titan Quest's setting really won me over, but would the main draw of these games, the loot system, quench my thirst for unabashed loot-whoring?
I'm happy to report that it has, at least so far. I'm currently near the beginning of Act VII, somewhere around 10-12 hours in. My conqueror (warfare/defense masteries) has served me well up to this point, and the plot and setting keep me coming back. The endless mouse clicking to kill enemies, mixed in with some hot key presses on occasion, can get repetitive at times, but it's the loot gathering that steals the show here. Clearly the game is meant for multiple playthroughs and extensive multiplayer sessions, as the truly rare items drop infrequently enough to realize that accumulating a full set of one of the named rare armors would take significant time. The only fear I have for this game is that it will get lost in the shuffle of the two new releases I've been waiting all year for, Borderlands and Dragon Age: Origins. Those and the fact that my wife is going to give birth in a month to our third child. :)
Until then, though, I will most likely be found in the basement, clicking away on my mouse, hunting for the next rare drop. Or until the wife needs me to drive her to the hospital...
Thursday, October 15, 2009
My Thoughts on Dollhouse
I like Dollhouse, but I don't love Dollhouse. It makes sense, of course, that I would like it. What's not to like about beautiful people, such as Eliza Dushku, Dichen Lachman, and Miracle Laurie, having the opportunity to be all different types of people in outrageous situations, and often kicking ass at the same time? Toss in the fact that the show is created by Joss Whedon, a pop culture and geek icon, and it's the perfect recipe for a great TV show. If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend finding the first season on DVD (it's currently airing the second season on Fox, Friday nights at 9pm EST) to catch up. I also recommend that you stop reading this now, because everything I discuss from here on out is definitely spoiler territory, and won't make a lot of sense unless you've been watching the show.
With all that said (here I come to the fly in the ointment of this whole conversation), I'm having a tough time throwing myself behind the show and the direction being taken in the second season. There are so many great characters and opportunities that they seem to be missing. Let's start with the likes in this second season, in bulleted form and in no particular order:
If there's anyone out there who is watching Dollhouse as well, and has opinions on this, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear more from fans and where you feel the series is heading. You can be sure I'll be watching until they take it off the air!
With all that said (here I come to the fly in the ointment of this whole conversation), I'm having a tough time throwing myself behind the show and the direction being taken in the second season. There are so many great characters and opportunities that they seem to be missing. Let's start with the likes in this second season, in bulleted form and in no particular order:
- Paul Ballard. I wasn't sure where the writers would take him entering this season, after all that transpired at the end of the first season. However, considering his position and the ability he's shown in the situation, it's hard not to root for him, even with the understanding his intentions are to bring down the Dollhouse. It's also interesting to watch him struggle with his feelings for Echo, even as he tries to remain detached and professional. There are a lot of options for them to take at this point, and they all appear promising.
- Echo, specifically that she is retaining the knowledge of all of her assignments. This particular twist was probably inevitable, considering that Echo had all of her previous assignment personalities pumped into her brain at once in last season's finale. There are several directions where the writers could take this, not all of them good. I hold out hope that they are building up to something interesting with this turn of events.
- Dr. Saunders and Topher. Even though the interaction lasted basically a third of an episode, it's intriguing to think where that relationship could go, and I hope it is explored further later in the season. This is, of course, assuming that Dr. Saunders comes back, since she decided to go for a joyride and hasn't returned.
- Mellie. Miracle Laurie's character made a brief appearance in the second episode, as her original personality. I hope that they somehow bring her back onto the ranch and have her as an active again, and soon.
- The entire 'remote wipe' debacle of the third episode. It's understood when watching a show such as this that you have to check your disbelief at the door, but when they pulled out this stunt in the third episode, even I had to groan. It might not have been so bad if they didn't reduce the result to the ridiculous scene at the nightclub.
- The lack of an obvious recurring subplot. The first season of Dollhouse had Alpha's shadow over the organization at all times, culminating in the season-ending two part episode. The only storylines introduced so far that have the potential to become larger are the chances that Ballard will figure out a way to take down the Dollhouse, and Echo's self-awareness. While both have potential to become greater than they are right now, neither seem to have the same haunting quality as Alpha in season 1. While the writers took great pains to make the viewer feel like Alpha could rear up and wreak havoc at any moment, that thread hasn't appeared in the episodes so far, which leaves me feeling like this season is just a bunch of relatively disjointed encapsulated stories. More common thread and strong undercurrent of a story, fewer ridiculous one-off stories.
- Not enough Boyd. It's disappointing to me that they went to such great lengths to develop the Boyd character as Echo's handler, to then relegate him to a 'back office' position in the Dollhouse. He is strong enough as a character, and the actor clearly has enough to pull him off, to devote more screen time and story to the previous "I hate what the Dollhouse stands for, but I'm going to work for you anyway, while I come up with a way to bring you down." Ballard picked up that mantle and has run with it admirably.
If there's anyone out there who is watching Dollhouse as well, and has opinions on this, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear more from fans and where you feel the series is heading. You can be sure I'll be watching until they take it off the air!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Five Things I'm Pretty Sure I Think
Here's another installment of the Five Things I'm Pretty Sure I Think:
1. Psyched that the Patriots won this week against a very tough Ravens team, but I was disappointed in the officiating. The roughing the passer penalties were just ridiculous, and that's coming from someone who's team benefited from the calls. It's a shame when (arguably) the outcome of the game was affected by questionable calls. It's far better to win or lose based on talent and execution, as opposed to needing the ref's whistle. Here's to hoping the frequency and accuracy of these calls improve.
2. Haven't yet completed Arkham Asylum, because of my frustration with the final boss battle. Considering how great the game to this point has been, the tone of this encounter just doesn't fit with the rest of the story and atmosphere. This probably isn't the case, but considering that the mechanic is very similar to other boss battles (the swarms of thugs to fight through) and that the tone feels out of step with the rest of the narrative, this particular sequence feels rushed and not very polished. I'm going to give it another shot this evening, and hopefully put it behind me. Definitely looking forward to going back through and solving the Riddler challenges.
3. Finally moved on from being 'stuck' in Final Fantasy PSP (just plain stupidity on my part, nothing else), and made good progress over the weekend. Sitting at level 30, having completed the class change quest, getting the airship, and now moving on to lighting the other three crystals. After this, I'll move on to Final Fantasy II PSP, in an incredibly slow but dogged attempt to complete all the major numbered Final Fantasy games, with the notable exception of XI, the MMO entry. I just received an e-mail from Goozex that Final Fantasy III DS is in the mail. I own IV already (on GBA), I have requested V through Goozex, and have VI on SNES. I also have other games for the PSOne and PS2, but I do have some holes to fill in the catalog.
4. I started Dragon Quest V on DS a couple of days ago, before being consumed again by Final Fantasy. This game has a lot of promise, just from the couple of hours I've put in already. The game displays a refinement from its predecessor, which I played and thoroughly enjoyed, and the combat mechanics 'feel' good. I'll have more to say on this one as I progress further into it.
5. Though I don't normally talk about it here, work has been an absolute bear over the past few weeks, cutting drastically into my time for anything else. I think there's a light at the end of the tunnel which is encouraging for me, considering my 20-month old daughter's favorite phrase appears to be, "Bye Daddy!" Makes me proud and sad at the same time. One of my goals is to be there with them every morning when they wake up, and be there to help read stories and put them to bed every night. It makes putting in the extra hours at work a challenge, but I hope the results will be kids that know and love me, and see me as a part of their lives, instead of an outsider looking in.
That's all for now. Talk to you all again soon. I'd love to hear from you (if there's anyone out there reading this), so please leave comments if you feel so inclined.
1. Psyched that the Patriots won this week against a very tough Ravens team, but I was disappointed in the officiating. The roughing the passer penalties were just ridiculous, and that's coming from someone who's team benefited from the calls. It's a shame when (arguably) the outcome of the game was affected by questionable calls. It's far better to win or lose based on talent and execution, as opposed to needing the ref's whistle. Here's to hoping the frequency and accuracy of these calls improve.
2. Haven't yet completed Arkham Asylum, because of my frustration with the final boss battle. Considering how great the game to this point has been, the tone of this encounter just doesn't fit with the rest of the story and atmosphere. This probably isn't the case, but considering that the mechanic is very similar to other boss battles (the swarms of thugs to fight through) and that the tone feels out of step with the rest of the narrative, this particular sequence feels rushed and not very polished. I'm going to give it another shot this evening, and hopefully put it behind me. Definitely looking forward to going back through and solving the Riddler challenges.
3. Finally moved on from being 'stuck' in Final Fantasy PSP (just plain stupidity on my part, nothing else), and made good progress over the weekend. Sitting at level 30, having completed the class change quest, getting the airship, and now moving on to lighting the other three crystals. After this, I'll move on to Final Fantasy II PSP, in an incredibly slow but dogged attempt to complete all the major numbered Final Fantasy games, with the notable exception of XI, the MMO entry. I just received an e-mail from Goozex that Final Fantasy III DS is in the mail. I own IV already (on GBA), I have requested V through Goozex, and have VI on SNES. I also have other games for the PSOne and PS2, but I do have some holes to fill in the catalog.
4. I started Dragon Quest V on DS a couple of days ago, before being consumed again by Final Fantasy. This game has a lot of promise, just from the couple of hours I've put in already. The game displays a refinement from its predecessor, which I played and thoroughly enjoyed, and the combat mechanics 'feel' good. I'll have more to say on this one as I progress further into it.
5. Though I don't normally talk about it here, work has been an absolute bear over the past few weeks, cutting drastically into my time for anything else. I think there's a light at the end of the tunnel which is encouraging for me, considering my 20-month old daughter's favorite phrase appears to be, "Bye Daddy!" Makes me proud and sad at the same time. One of my goals is to be there with them every morning when they wake up, and be there to help read stories and put them to bed every night. It makes putting in the extra hours at work a challenge, but I hope the results will be kids that know and love me, and see me as a part of their lives, instead of an outsider looking in.
That's all for now. Talk to you all again soon. I'd love to hear from you (if there's anyone out there reading this), so please leave comments if you feel so inclined.
Monday, September 28, 2009
(Nearly) Final Arkham Asylum Thoughts
After a hellish couple of weeks working far more than desirable, I carved out some time on Sunday to sit down and experience more Arkham Asylum. The pacing continued to be fantastic, and I really enjoyed the fact that, if I wanted to, I could meander through the environments after clearing them to search for the Riddler challenges. The combat, while at times aggravating if I lost my timing, was a lot of fun when I got the rhythm down, countering at the right time and keeping long combo chains alive. It was easy to appreciate the way the developers doled out the story and kept me interested in what was happening throughout the game. Overall, I can say, I've truly enjoyed it.
There is one particular aspect of the game that I wanted to highlight, and that's the sequences involving Scarecrow. Even though they were quite similar in mechanic, I enjoyed the buildup to each one (through the use of hallucinations on Batman's part), and the maneuvering through strange dreamscapes while avoiding the giant Scarecrow's gaze provided a nice break from the rest of the game's scenery and strategy. I particularly enjoyed the fake 'system glitch' and subsequent reimagining of part of the game's original intro sequence; I found it to be clever and well-done. For some reason, even though these sections of the game used the same movement mechanics as the rest of the game, I found them to be more entertaining than some of the other sections. It could be that they were just more bright and colorful than the rest of the environments, and just the aesthetic changed my perception. Regardless, I count these sections as some of my favorites...
Now, I can't say this is a game without flaws. While the Killer Croc lair section of the game was inventive and mildly entertaining, it felt a bit too strung out and overly long, and it is one of the very few areas of the entire game that felt, well, gamey to me. If Croc really is an amphibious beast, and just as comfortable under the water as above it, why did he have such a hard time finding me? I mean, I'm no part crocodile, part human homicidal maniac, but I certainly feel that I would have zeroed in on Batman a lot faster than he did, especially after getting hit in the face by batarangs every time I popped out of the water. I would have made damn sure that I was close enough to Batman to just reach up and rip his arms off before he could throw anything at me. In this game though, Croc kept popping up just far enough away to get knocked off the floating platforms by a batarang. The whole segment felt a bit too contrived and didn't fit in very well with the rest of the experience. This observation could also be clouded by the fact that the final portion of this area was incredibly anticlimatic. Maybe Batman wouldn't have stood a chance in pitched battle with Croc, but at least make it more interactive and less sudden than what does occur.
The relative lack of variety in the boss battles was also disappointing. I don't have the total count of boss battles in front of me, but it felt like the vast majority of them involved one or two Bane-type characters with or without waves of extra normal thugs to muddy the waters. Don't get me wrong, the first experiences with them were challenging and fun, but after dealing with them several times, it became rather rote and uninspiring. I haven't yet tackled the game's truly final encounter, although there is a twin Titan battle just before it, but it appears to be more of the same with possibly some slight variation.
My last criticism of the game, and I may be the only one to have this criticism, is that it really irked me how none of the game's iconic villains actually died in this game. It seemed a bit too obvious that the developers were making sure that any and all of these supervillains could (and probably will) make an appearance in the future. It aggravated me on the same level that a movie does, when it clearly wants to leave the story open for a sequel, in case the movie makes enough money to warrant one. Overly dramatic 'death' sequences abound in this title, where Batman never really sees any of his named villains perish. At first, it seemed obvious to me that because there was no real resolution with these villains that they would appear later, but after several super baddies were defeated but not eliminated it was clear that this was the order of the day. Granted, it's good to keep options open for future titles, and most likely DC didn't give the developer license to kill a major villain, but still...After the first 3 or 4 of these, it felt incredibly contrived.
Again, even with these criticisms, Arkham Asylum is the frontrunner for 'Game of the Year' right now in my book. It is a great package of action, exploration, collection and story. I may pop in with any leftover observations after I finish the last boss battle, but for all intents and purposes, I'm nearly done with Batman for a bit. I'll probably try a few of the challenge levels, just to get a feel for them, but they're not really calling out to me. I'm not good enough at the game's combat to excel at the combat sequences, and probably not resourceful enough to be able to quickly dispatch enemies in the predator levels, so the appeal isn't there, but I'll try them nonetheless.
And with that, it's off to finish my lunch and get my head back into work. Leave a comment if you have thoughts on Arkham Asylum, as I'd love to hear them.
There is one particular aspect of the game that I wanted to highlight, and that's the sequences involving Scarecrow. Even though they were quite similar in mechanic, I enjoyed the buildup to each one (through the use of hallucinations on Batman's part), and the maneuvering through strange dreamscapes while avoiding the giant Scarecrow's gaze provided a nice break from the rest of the game's scenery and strategy. I particularly enjoyed the fake 'system glitch' and subsequent reimagining of part of the game's original intro sequence; I found it to be clever and well-done. For some reason, even though these sections of the game used the same movement mechanics as the rest of the game, I found them to be more entertaining than some of the other sections. It could be that they were just more bright and colorful than the rest of the environments, and just the aesthetic changed my perception. Regardless, I count these sections as some of my favorites...
Now, I can't say this is a game without flaws. While the Killer Croc lair section of the game was inventive and mildly entertaining, it felt a bit too strung out and overly long, and it is one of the very few areas of the entire game that felt, well, gamey to me. If Croc really is an amphibious beast, and just as comfortable under the water as above it, why did he have such a hard time finding me? I mean, I'm no part crocodile, part human homicidal maniac, but I certainly feel that I would have zeroed in on Batman a lot faster than he did, especially after getting hit in the face by batarangs every time I popped out of the water. I would have made damn sure that I was close enough to Batman to just reach up and rip his arms off before he could throw anything at me. In this game though, Croc kept popping up just far enough away to get knocked off the floating platforms by a batarang. The whole segment felt a bit too contrived and didn't fit in very well with the rest of the experience. This observation could also be clouded by the fact that the final portion of this area was incredibly anticlimatic. Maybe Batman wouldn't have stood a chance in pitched battle with Croc, but at least make it more interactive and less sudden than what does occur.
The relative lack of variety in the boss battles was also disappointing. I don't have the total count of boss battles in front of me, but it felt like the vast majority of them involved one or two Bane-type characters with or without waves of extra normal thugs to muddy the waters. Don't get me wrong, the first experiences with them were challenging and fun, but after dealing with them several times, it became rather rote and uninspiring. I haven't yet tackled the game's truly final encounter, although there is a twin Titan battle just before it, but it appears to be more of the same with possibly some slight variation.
My last criticism of the game, and I may be the only one to have this criticism, is that it really irked me how none of the game's iconic villains actually died in this game. It seemed a bit too obvious that the developers were making sure that any and all of these supervillains could (and probably will) make an appearance in the future. It aggravated me on the same level that a movie does, when it clearly wants to leave the story open for a sequel, in case the movie makes enough money to warrant one. Overly dramatic 'death' sequences abound in this title, where Batman never really sees any of his named villains perish. At first, it seemed obvious to me that because there was no real resolution with these villains that they would appear later, but after several super baddies were defeated but not eliminated it was clear that this was the order of the day. Granted, it's good to keep options open for future titles, and most likely DC didn't give the developer license to kill a major villain, but still...After the first 3 or 4 of these, it felt incredibly contrived.
Again, even with these criticisms, Arkham Asylum is the frontrunner for 'Game of the Year' right now in my book. It is a great package of action, exploration, collection and story. I may pop in with any leftover observations after I finish the last boss battle, but for all intents and purposes, I'm nearly done with Batman for a bit. I'll probably try a few of the challenge levels, just to get a feel for them, but they're not really calling out to me. I'm not good enough at the game's combat to excel at the combat sequences, and probably not resourceful enough to be able to quickly dispatch enemies in the predator levels, so the appeal isn't there, but I'll try them nonetheless.
And with that, it's off to finish my lunch and get my head back into work. Leave a comment if you have thoughts on Arkham Asylum, as I'd love to hear them.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Five Things I'm Pretty Sure I Think
(Title is a modified version of the fantastic segment in every week's Monday Morning Quarterback column from SI's Peter King, who is one of the best, and most prolific, sportswriters I've ever seen).
Here are a few of the things I think about during the course of an average week. The subjects may vary, based on whatever is going on, but the common thread is this: if my brain were to devote as much time to useful pursuits as it does to useless knowledge, questions, fantasies, etc., maybe I would have contributed something useful to society by now. But, since I don't, you're stuck with this...
1. Listening to the Out of the Game podcast today, Jeff Green mentioned that World of Warcraft's gaudy subscriber number of 11 million. Is this number the number of paying customers of the service? Does this number include lapsed subscribers, such as myself? Does this number include the ridiculous number of trial accounts set up by people who never subscribed, or those accounts set up by gold farmers for the sole purpose of spamming ads for their services? Maybe that information exists somewhere, but I'm fairly certain it's not available for public consumption.
2. Is there such a thing as 'too many games coming out'? As a father of two, and soon to be three, there just aren't enough hours in the day to sleep, eat, work, spend time with the family, do chores, and experience all of the games that interest me. As an example, Braid is only $5 on Steam this weekend and I should buy it. It was one of the best games of 2008, and I still haven't tried it yet, which makes me sad. I like to think of myself as up on all things video games, but because of time constraints, I don't often get to experience what I listen to or read about firsthand.
3. I don't like first person shooters. There, I've said it. Now all I have to do is keep repeating it, so I don't convince myself that the Next Big Thing(TM) will be the one that I like. There are so many games I've bought and played, only because everyone in the gaming world was raving about them. Halo 3? Check. Played a little bit of multiplayer with coworkers, and sucked. Didn't get past the first mission in single-player. And yet I still feel guilty for some reason that I don't like it more. CoD4? Fortunately haven't spent the money on it yet. Left 4 Dead? Got it from Goozex a few weeks ago, thinking that I would play it with friends, and so far it hasn't found its way into my 360. It's time for me to realize that it's ok to not like the genre, and that it doesn't make me a bad person.
4. I may have screwed myself out of about 7 hours of progress in Final Fantasy. After releasing the earth crystal from the Lich, I immediately went to the Earthgift shrine, and currently have a save game (my only savegame for this adventure, sadly) on the deepest level of this dungeon. The problem with this scenario is that all of the exits appear to be guarded by boss creatures scaled for at least 10 levels higher than my current level (24). Does anyone know if I can leave this place, or am I stuck here and have to start over? If I have to start over, it probably will spell the end of my quest to complete this particular game, since I don't have the time or patience to go through all of this again.
5. As I'm sitting here writing this, I probably should be getting back to Arkham Asylum. Still haven't touched it since midweek last week. Also, I finally got Lost Odyssey in the mail from Goozex. When I played it the first time, it was on a whim from Gamefly, I enjoyed it enough to put it on my Goozex request list and send back the Gamefly copy. Now I can continue on with that story, which was entertaining enough for me to want to know what happens.
Well, that's all for now. Hopefully I'll get the chance to watch some football (it is the opening weekend, after all) or some Red Sox baseball (second game of a doubleheader vs. the Rays), but the wife is playing a mean round of 'Flip TV', so that may not happen. See you next time!
Here are a few of the things I think about during the course of an average week. The subjects may vary, based on whatever is going on, but the common thread is this: if my brain were to devote as much time to useful pursuits as it does to useless knowledge, questions, fantasies, etc., maybe I would have contributed something useful to society by now. But, since I don't, you're stuck with this...
1. Listening to the Out of the Game podcast today, Jeff Green mentioned that World of Warcraft's gaudy subscriber number of 11 million. Is this number the number of paying customers of the service? Does this number include lapsed subscribers, such as myself? Does this number include the ridiculous number of trial accounts set up by people who never subscribed, or those accounts set up by gold farmers for the sole purpose of spamming ads for their services? Maybe that information exists somewhere, but I'm fairly certain it's not available for public consumption.
2. Is there such a thing as 'too many games coming out'? As a father of two, and soon to be three, there just aren't enough hours in the day to sleep, eat, work, spend time with the family, do chores, and experience all of the games that interest me. As an example, Braid is only $5 on Steam this weekend and I should buy it. It was one of the best games of 2008, and I still haven't tried it yet, which makes me sad. I like to think of myself as up on all things video games, but because of time constraints, I don't often get to experience what I listen to or read about firsthand.
3. I don't like first person shooters. There, I've said it. Now all I have to do is keep repeating it, so I don't convince myself that the Next Big Thing(TM) will be the one that I like. There are so many games I've bought and played, only because everyone in the gaming world was raving about them. Halo 3? Check. Played a little bit of multiplayer with coworkers, and sucked. Didn't get past the first mission in single-player. And yet I still feel guilty for some reason that I don't like it more. CoD4? Fortunately haven't spent the money on it yet. Left 4 Dead? Got it from Goozex a few weeks ago, thinking that I would play it with friends, and so far it hasn't found its way into my 360. It's time for me to realize that it's ok to not like the genre, and that it doesn't make me a bad person.
4. I may have screwed myself out of about 7 hours of progress in Final Fantasy. After releasing the earth crystal from the Lich, I immediately went to the Earthgift shrine, and currently have a save game (my only savegame for this adventure, sadly) on the deepest level of this dungeon. The problem with this scenario is that all of the exits appear to be guarded by boss creatures scaled for at least 10 levels higher than my current level (24). Does anyone know if I can leave this place, or am I stuck here and have to start over? If I have to start over, it probably will spell the end of my quest to complete this particular game, since I don't have the time or patience to go through all of this again.
5. As I'm sitting here writing this, I probably should be getting back to Arkham Asylum. Still haven't touched it since midweek last week. Also, I finally got Lost Odyssey in the mail from Goozex. When I played it the first time, it was on a whim from Gamefly, I enjoyed it enough to put it on my Goozex request list and send back the Gamefly copy. Now I can continue on with that story, which was entertaining enough for me to want to know what happens.
Well, that's all for now. Hopefully I'll get the chance to watch some football (it is the opening weekend, after all) or some Red Sox baseball (second game of a doubleheader vs. the Rays), but the wife is playing a mean round of 'Flip TV', so that may not happen. See you next time!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Happy Labor Day!
As any good American did, I celebrated Labor Day...by going to work. It makes sense, right? At least it was only for a few hours, and it allowed me the opportunity to escape the bedlam of the house and gather myself and my thoughts after a LONG, draining week of family drama, culminating at my brother-in-law's wedding on Saturday. It's over now, and the only hope is that things will settle down from here on out. There's trouble on the wind, though, which may cause this to be more than a one-time incident. Time will tell, and it may not be a pretty story. At least there were some attractive ladies in formal wear there, enough for me to deem the event worth attending. You have to take the little victories when they come...:)
Because of the wedding and the visit to my mother-in-law's house on Sunday (so my wife could see some of her family staying there before they departed for home), I haven't spent a lot of time with the electronic entertainment this weekend. When I could, I grabbed some time with Arkham Asylum, and in the evenings after going to bed I would wind down with some Final Fantasy PSP. Batman continues to impress, and I'm seriously considering buying this one, as it looks to have some replay value. Final Fantasy PSP is just a nice trip down memory lane, except for the fact that I played the original version of this game too long ago to really remember. :)
As I sit in the basement, sipping a Cap'n and Coke, I wish everyone a great holiday and hopefully your long weekend was much less stressful and drama-filled than mine was.
Because of the wedding and the visit to my mother-in-law's house on Sunday (so my wife could see some of her family staying there before they departed for home), I haven't spent a lot of time with the electronic entertainment this weekend. When I could, I grabbed some time with Arkham Asylum, and in the evenings after going to bed I would wind down with some Final Fantasy PSP. Batman continues to impress, and I'm seriously considering buying this one, as it looks to have some replay value. Final Fantasy PSP is just a nice trip down memory lane, except for the fact that I played the original version of this game too long ago to really remember. :)
As I sit in the basement, sipping a Cap'n and Coke, I wish everyone a great holiday and hopefully your long weekend was much less stressful and drama-filled than mine was.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Family Drama
What is it about large gatherings of family (weddings, funerals, etc.) that cause such drama to occur? My wife's family should be celebrating the wedding of the last sibling to get married, but instead the drama is flying. Makes me wish I could just run away from it all.
I guess it's like the old saying, " You can pick your friends, you can pick your seat, but you can't pick your friend's..." Oh wait, wrong saying. You know what I mean.
I guess it's like the old saying, " You can pick your friends, you can pick your seat, but you can't pick your friend's..." Oh wait, wrong saying. You know what I mean.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Arkham Asylum Thoughts
Was up way too late last night playing Arkham Asylum, and for good reason. The game just keeps you moving forward. I'm not sure if I can put my finger on what's drawing me in so much, as I'm typically not very good at this style of game. The combat feels fluid, even though I know I'm not taking advantage of half of the available moves and combos. The choreography of the combat, the visuals, the fluid way your Batman character moves from punching one goon in the face to swinging an elbow to catch another goon coming up behind you...It all melds together into a beautiful, smooth violent ballet. In the hands of someone with more skill it would be a masterpiece, worthy of Baryshnikov. With me, well, it's probably after school recital material, but since it's playing out in my living room and no-one's watching but me, I can pretend. :)
I particularly enjoyed the sequence involving Scarecrow in the morgue. The drug-induced fantasy scene, where you had to maneuver through a bizarre terrain, avoiding the Scarecrow's gaze to get to a Bat signal light to defeat him, was a lot of fun, and a nice setpiece to contrast with the rest of Arkham. I won't mention how many times it took me to get it right (somewhere around 6-8), but even factoring that in, I couldn't help but smile the entire time.
Probably the most surprising thing to me is how much I'm enjoying the stealth action sequences. The design of this, while pretty unrealistic, gives me a sense of what it is to be Batman. Sitting on top of one of those ever-present gargoyles, watching gun-toting goons wander around below me, I get a thrill as I determine the perfect moment to pounce. With a light swoosh, I glide down with a vicious kick to the head of an unsuspecting baddie, wind up a ground strike and quickly fire my grappling hook to ascend back into the shadows of the ceiling before his buddies can figure out where I went. It's this particular part of the game that, I feel, really embodies the Batman seen in the comic books and the movies. Add to that the fact there is a real sense of urgency to this, because one bad guy with a gun can dispatch Batman pretty quickly, and it adds up to me enjoying a stealth mechanic for the first time in a while.
The one downside to this entire concept is that the AI of the goons leaves some to be desired. In one particular sequence, I took down two consecutive goons below one specific gargoyle, mostly due to the fact that the room geometry allowed that location to be somewhat isolated from view of the rest of their compadres. After each takedown, the remaining baddies would run over, look at their buddies unconscious on the floor and wonder aloud where I was. The first time this occurred, I could understand their confusion, as I might have swooped away in any direction. But when the second goon fell mere inches from the first, wouldn't one think about investigating the entire area, including looking up at the gargoyle where I'd been sitting the entire time, watching this ludicrous scene play out? Oh well, this is a minor quibble in a sea of what has been an overall fantastic experience.
One thing I do appreciate, which I touched on in my last post, is how the story of the game is conveyed. I haven't tired yet of having Joker pop up on random monitors throughout the asylum to taunt me and point me toward his next overly dramatic and ridiculous trap. Add to that Oracle popping in on occasion to update important strategic info, and the game continues to give me information to further the story without breaking the immersion of the surroundings. Hopefully the quality of this delivery maintains throughout the experience...
On a shorter note, before really delving into Arkham Asylum I did manage to complete Shadow Complex. This is a game that I'll definitely revisit soon, as I'd like to claim 100% completion at some point. It feels doable for me, even considering the time constraints I play under. Oh, and I'd like to be able to say I completed it in a difficulty higher than 'casual.' :)
I particularly enjoyed the sequence involving Scarecrow in the morgue. The drug-induced fantasy scene, where you had to maneuver through a bizarre terrain, avoiding the Scarecrow's gaze to get to a Bat signal light to defeat him, was a lot of fun, and a nice setpiece to contrast with the rest of Arkham. I won't mention how many times it took me to get it right (somewhere around 6-8), but even factoring that in, I couldn't help but smile the entire time.
Probably the most surprising thing to me is how much I'm enjoying the stealth action sequences. The design of this, while pretty unrealistic, gives me a sense of what it is to be Batman. Sitting on top of one of those ever-present gargoyles, watching gun-toting goons wander around below me, I get a thrill as I determine the perfect moment to pounce. With a light swoosh, I glide down with a vicious kick to the head of an unsuspecting baddie, wind up a ground strike and quickly fire my grappling hook to ascend back into the shadows of the ceiling before his buddies can figure out where I went. It's this particular part of the game that, I feel, really embodies the Batman seen in the comic books and the movies. Add to that the fact there is a real sense of urgency to this, because one bad guy with a gun can dispatch Batman pretty quickly, and it adds up to me enjoying a stealth mechanic for the first time in a while.
The one downside to this entire concept is that the AI of the goons leaves some to be desired. In one particular sequence, I took down two consecutive goons below one specific gargoyle, mostly due to the fact that the room geometry allowed that location to be somewhat isolated from view of the rest of their compadres. After each takedown, the remaining baddies would run over, look at their buddies unconscious on the floor and wonder aloud where I was. The first time this occurred, I could understand their confusion, as I might have swooped away in any direction. But when the second goon fell mere inches from the first, wouldn't one think about investigating the entire area, including looking up at the gargoyle where I'd been sitting the entire time, watching this ludicrous scene play out? Oh well, this is a minor quibble in a sea of what has been an overall fantastic experience.
One thing I do appreciate, which I touched on in my last post, is how the story of the game is conveyed. I haven't tired yet of having Joker pop up on random monitors throughout the asylum to taunt me and point me toward his next overly dramatic and ridiculous trap. Add to that Oracle popping in on occasion to update important strategic info, and the game continues to give me information to further the story without breaking the immersion of the surroundings. Hopefully the quality of this delivery maintains throughout the experience...
On a shorter note, before really delving into Arkham Asylum I did manage to complete Shadow Complex. This is a game that I'll definitely revisit soon, as I'd like to claim 100% completion at some point. It feels doable for me, even considering the time constraints I play under. Oh, and I'd like to be able to say I completed it in a difficulty higher than 'casual.' :)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Arkham Asylum, and the Weekend That Was
I've gotten only a little bit of time to play games this weekend, thanks to family commitments and trying my hand at some minor home projects, but that time was well spent trapped in Arkham Asylum. From what I can tell so far, all the hype and internet love is justified. The game's aesthetics are incredibly appealing, I really enjoy the combat mechanics and slowly getting a grip on the stealth mechanics, but what I've really enjoyed so far is how the game advances the plot. It's hard to get tired of the Joker's insane ramblings over the intercom, Harley Quinn's videos, or even Oracle's popping in over the radio on occasion to keep ole' Bruce up to date on the happenings. The story itself is one that I can really appreciate and get behind, and I look forward to discovering all the different surprises that are in store later on.
Still working my way through Shadow Complex, and contemplating if I should try to get 100% completion on this playthrough or simply finishing the game and starting a second attempt. Like a wuss, I played this one on casual, but will obviously bump up at least one difficulty level, and possibly two for the next attempt. The one thing I can't seem to get that could cause some frustration is getting the last weapon, located near the last boss (I think). It involves activating a lever, which opens a door and me rushing back to try to get to that door before it closes again. If anyone has a suggestion about how to accomplish this, I'm all ears.
Other than not having much time to play games, it was a great weekend overall. Not being lucky enough to have the handy gene passed down from my dad, I managed despite that fact to replace a bathroom light fixture without dying tragically with my foot in a sink and my hands wrapped around live wires. Hey, I take the small victories where I can. In the 'I can't get this time in my life back' category, the wife and I watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Even knowing how badly this movie was panned when it came out, I really wanted to like it, if only because it was another Indy movie. Alas, it was more hokey and unbelievable than even I could handle. Seriously now, an alien skull? C'mon...
Still working my way through Shadow Complex, and contemplating if I should try to get 100% completion on this playthrough or simply finishing the game and starting a second attempt. Like a wuss, I played this one on casual, but will obviously bump up at least one difficulty level, and possibly two for the next attempt. The one thing I can't seem to get that could cause some frustration is getting the last weapon, located near the last boss (I think). It involves activating a lever, which opens a door and me rushing back to try to get to that door before it closes again. If anyone has a suggestion about how to accomplish this, I'm all ears.
Other than not having much time to play games, it was a great weekend overall. Not being lucky enough to have the handy gene passed down from my dad, I managed despite that fact to replace a bathroom light fixture without dying tragically with my foot in a sink and my hands wrapped around live wires. Hey, I take the small victories where I can. In the 'I can't get this time in my life back' category, the wife and I watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Even knowing how badly this movie was panned when it came out, I really wanted to like it, if only because it was another Indy movie. Alas, it was more hokey and unbelievable than even I could handle. Seriously now, an alien skull? C'mon...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Fallout 3 (some more)
Revisited my on again, off again relationship with Fallout 3 this week. For some reason, no matter how many times I think that I'm finished with this game, the siren song of unexplored areas calls me back. This time it was to fully explore the Point Lookout map. In completing the main storyline of the game, I basically followed the yellow brick road and bypassed the tantalizing arrows for new locations on the compass. The ridiculous enemy difficulty (seriously, how many hillbilly mutants that look like they watched way too much "Deliverance" can take multiple plasma rifle shots to the head without going down? Geez...) turned me off to just wandering around the map, seeing what there was to see. After a few weeks away, I got the itch to give it another shot...
This time I loaded for bear. Realizing that I was saving the condition of all the uber powerful special weapons for nothing, I grabbed the gauss rifle and the Fat Man, and made the trek through the swamp. I wished I'd grabbed a screenshot of the pair of creeper legs that were left upright and minus the rest of the body after a near-direct mini-nuke hit. And, exploring some of my relatively newfound sneaking abilities, I discovered that I could blast apart creepers with one sniper shot from a gauss rifle while hidden. i can't imagine what was going through their minds as their buddies vaporized around them. "Gee, uh, um...Doh!"
It's probably an inevitability that I'll get Mothership Zeta at some point, once the call of the completionist draws me in once more, but for the time being, Fallout 3 is safely back in the recesses of my interests.
This time I loaded for bear. Realizing that I was saving the condition of all the uber powerful special weapons for nothing, I grabbed the gauss rifle and the Fat Man, and made the trek through the swamp. I wished I'd grabbed a screenshot of the pair of creeper legs that were left upright and minus the rest of the body after a near-direct mini-nuke hit. And, exploring some of my relatively newfound sneaking abilities, I discovered that I could blast apart creepers with one sniper shot from a gauss rifle while hidden. i can't imagine what was going through their minds as their buddies vaporized around them. "Gee, uh, um...Doh!"
It's probably an inevitability that I'll get Mothership Zeta at some point, once the call of the completionist draws me in once more, but for the time being, Fallout 3 is safely back in the recesses of my interests.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Shadow Complex
I had the opportunity to play this some more last night and, at least for me, the game is living up to the pre-release hype. One of my favorite games of all time is still Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and this game borrows heavily from that game's design philosophy, along with Super Metroid. I'm going to hang my head in gaming shame and say that I haven't spent much time with Super Metroid, and after this experience it's clear I'll be finding a copy of that in my near future.
The graphics are great, the action is a lot of fun (without being difficult to pick up and play), and the story is believable enough to make me want to know what happens in the end. For a collectophile like myself, there are many weapon and health upgrades to search for and collect, some involving backtracking through already explored areas.
I've embedded the E3 trailer for the game, to give anyone not familiar a flavor of the game.
I dare say that, if the game continues to impress me the way it has, I may actually start up a second playthrough, which is unheard of in my gaming world. If you're playing (or already played) this, feel free to leave a comment in chat.
Also, I found this post on Jostiq that discusses a bit about Metroidvania games and provides a link to a picture history of other games that use similar mechanics. I was impressed to see several NES games, which I had played and enjoyed.
The graphics are great, the action is a lot of fun (without being difficult to pick up and play), and the story is believable enough to make me want to know what happens in the end. For a collectophile like myself, there are many weapon and health upgrades to search for and collect, some involving backtracking through already explored areas.
I've embedded the E3 trailer for the game, to give anyone not familiar a flavor of the game.
I dare say that, if the game continues to impress me the way it has, I may actually start up a second playthrough, which is unheard of in my gaming world. If you're playing (or already played) this, feel free to leave a comment in chat.
Also, I found this post on Jostiq that discusses a bit about Metroidvania games and provides a link to a picture history of other games that use similar mechanics. I was impressed to see several NES games, which I had played and enjoyed.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monkey Island Final Thoughts
I'd love to be here, professing my undying love for Monkey Island, pining away for LucasArts to greenlight a remake of the second game. This reaction feels right, considering the outpouring of support the game has received from the enthusiast press, and how much the game is revered by those who played it when it was originally released. I want to fall in line with these people, who've forgotten more about games than I'll ever know...
But I can't. While the writing was spot on, even laugh out loud funny at times, and the voice acting in the remake was perfect for the script, the adventure game mechanic just didn't do it for me. This has the feel of a medium that overcame technical limitations back in the early '90s, which doesn't fly as readily here in twenty-aught-nine, when we can have 3D spectacles like Crysis and Bioshock, or 2.5D fare such as Shadow Complex. Take a script such as this, package it with game mechanics and an experience that utilizes today's tech, and...you have Brutal Legend. Maybe. That's the buzz going around, and Tim Schaefer, who worked on Monkey Island, penned Brutal Legend as well. Here's to hoping.
Anyway, in the eyes of video game snobs, I'm now one to be shunned, because I don't hold what clearly is a classic in the same regard as they do. However, I feel this is yet another example of how strongly nostalgia can impact one's opinion of things. We all have these feelings about something, whether it be a book, a movie, an experience, something. Our strong feelings that we experienced years ago continue to color our perception of the thing, long after everyone else has moved on.
But hey, that's why the retro game market continues to flourish, right? If you have an opinion on this, I'd love to hear it.
But I can't. While the writing was spot on, even laugh out loud funny at times, and the voice acting in the remake was perfect for the script, the adventure game mechanic just didn't do it for me. This has the feel of a medium that overcame technical limitations back in the early '90s, which doesn't fly as readily here in twenty-aught-nine, when we can have 3D spectacles like Crysis and Bioshock, or 2.5D fare such as Shadow Complex. Take a script such as this, package it with game mechanics and an experience that utilizes today's tech, and...you have Brutal Legend. Maybe. That's the buzz going around, and Tim Schaefer, who worked on Monkey Island, penned Brutal Legend as well. Here's to hoping.
Anyway, in the eyes of video game snobs, I'm now one to be shunned, because I don't hold what clearly is a classic in the same regard as they do. However, I feel this is yet another example of how strongly nostalgia can impact one's opinion of things. We all have these feelings about something, whether it be a book, a movie, an experience, something. Our strong feelings that we experienced years ago continue to color our perception of the thing, long after everyone else has moved on.
But hey, that's why the retro game market continues to flourish, right? If you have an opinion on this, I'd love to hear it.
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