Having succumbed to the vast amount of gushing in the video game corners of the Internet, I'm giving Minecraft a shot. Typically I'm not a very creative person, preferring instead to follow a predetermined path with maybe a few branching options here and there. I love RPGs that allow me to have control over how my party is constructed while guiding me on rails through the story. Especially now, where I get far too little sleep and my free time is precious, I appreciate a game taking me by the hand and leading me through a satisfying experience.
With all of that being said, Minecraft is a completely opposite experience. This game has no story to speak of, other than what you as the player create. You spawn in the middle of a randomly generated world with absolutely nothing on your person, and are expected to figure out what to do. The version of the game I'm playing (Alpha release, single player Survival) has you gathering resources during the day and scrambling for shelter at night, because that's when the bad guys come out to get you.
Instead of trying to describe the game in words, I found a fantastic YouTube video, which walks you through your first day in Minecraft. It's a bit long, but definitely worth it if you're at all interested.
Showing posts with label PC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PC. Show all posts
Friday, September 17, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Random Thoughts, Sunday Edition
I figured I'd drop in for the annual update of this blog. It would be disingenuous to try to come up with a bunch of excuses, so let's just skip that part and move on, shall we? :)
- Really enjoyed watching the first game of the Patriots season this afternoon. All 3 facets of the team (offense, defense, special teams) contributed to the 38-24 win over the supposedly ferocious Bengals. It was great to see Brady throwing to Welker again, and I'm excited and nervous at the same time to watch the young defenders grow up on the field. The youth movement on defense is something that's been needed for a few years now, but with youth comes growing pains. All in all, I expect the offense to be fantastic and the defense to show flashes of greatness. Should be an entertaining season if nothing else.
- Also really enjoyed spending a fun and stressful weekend with the family. We transitioned the twins to toddler beds on Saturday night, and the best way to describe what's transpired is an adventure. It's tough to keep them in bed, and also to convince them to sleep. I foresee a bunch of rough nights over the next week as we work with them to understand they need to both stay in the bed and actually sleep. Come to think of it, I probably should stop at the store on the way home after work and pick up some more coffee; we're gonna need it.
The baby (she's not really a baby anymore, but I don't want her to grow up too fast) starting really crawling and pulling herself up on things last weekend, so she spent this weekend practicing all over the living room. Gone are the days when we could sit her on the floor with some toys and go do chores in the kitchen. Now we really have to pay attention or we'll come back to the living room and she'll be gone. :) It's a lot of fun to watch her explore her surrounding and discuss them with us. We're going to have our hands full with that one, I'm sure of it.
- My free time has been spent playing a lot of Torchlight. Though I bought the game shortly after its release last year, the arrival of the baby distracted me from really putting time into it. On a whim I went back to it last week, and have put 10-12 hours into it. As all of the glowing reviews said back at its release, the game is a fun Diablo-clone, made by a group of developers who made the first Diablo. The game has a certain spirit and atmosphere that makes it fun, and the character development, skill trees and (most of all) loot collecting have me coming back time and again. Since this game is resource light, I have it installed on both my home and work computers, which allows me the ability to sneak a level or two in during my lunch breaks. The fact that my character progress is saved in the Steam Cloud lets me play the same character both at work and home, making it even easier to progress in the quest. Definitely a must buy for Diablo fans.
- Work has been incredibly busy the past couple of months. I've stepped into an interim management position, overseeing three other colleagues, as well as stepping up to begin training as a project manager in earnest. In addition, the technical oversight of multiple projects for an incredibly challenging client has been given to me. Long story short, there's no shortage of things for me to do when I get to work in the morning. Honestly though, it's a welcome change as I felt a bit stagnant before seizing these opportunities. The biggest thing to look out for with the new responsibilities is to not bite off more than I can chew and start missing deadlines. That's the worst possible thing I could do at this point. I'm working on learning the strengths and weaknesses of the people I oversee and how best to work with them, so that they are busy and doing what they want to do without overloading them.
Well, that's enough of a brain dump for tonight. Hopefully I'll be back soon to do this again, as I really enjoy it. Sleep and free time willing, I'll see you all soon!
- Really enjoyed watching the first game of the Patriots season this afternoon. All 3 facets of the team (offense, defense, special teams) contributed to the 38-24 win over the supposedly ferocious Bengals. It was great to see Brady throwing to Welker again, and I'm excited and nervous at the same time to watch the young defenders grow up on the field. The youth movement on defense is something that's been needed for a few years now, but with youth comes growing pains. All in all, I expect the offense to be fantastic and the defense to show flashes of greatness. Should be an entertaining season if nothing else.
- Also really enjoyed spending a fun and stressful weekend with the family. We transitioned the twins to toddler beds on Saturday night, and the best way to describe what's transpired is an adventure. It's tough to keep them in bed, and also to convince them to sleep. I foresee a bunch of rough nights over the next week as we work with them to understand they need to both stay in the bed and actually sleep. Come to think of it, I probably should stop at the store on the way home after work and pick up some more coffee; we're gonna need it.
The baby (she's not really a baby anymore, but I don't want her to grow up too fast) starting really crawling and pulling herself up on things last weekend, so she spent this weekend practicing all over the living room. Gone are the days when we could sit her on the floor with some toys and go do chores in the kitchen. Now we really have to pay attention or we'll come back to the living room and she'll be gone. :) It's a lot of fun to watch her explore her surrounding and discuss them with us. We're going to have our hands full with that one, I'm sure of it.
- My free time has been spent playing a lot of Torchlight. Though I bought the game shortly after its release last year, the arrival of the baby distracted me from really putting time into it. On a whim I went back to it last week, and have put 10-12 hours into it. As all of the glowing reviews said back at its release, the game is a fun Diablo-clone, made by a group of developers who made the first Diablo. The game has a certain spirit and atmosphere that makes it fun, and the character development, skill trees and (most of all) loot collecting have me coming back time and again. Since this game is resource light, I have it installed on both my home and work computers, which allows me the ability to sneak a level or two in during my lunch breaks. The fact that my character progress is saved in the Steam Cloud lets me play the same character both at work and home, making it even easier to progress in the quest. Definitely a must buy for Diablo fans.
- Work has been incredibly busy the past couple of months. I've stepped into an interim management position, overseeing three other colleagues, as well as stepping up to begin training as a project manager in earnest. In addition, the technical oversight of multiple projects for an incredibly challenging client has been given to me. Long story short, there's no shortage of things for me to do when I get to work in the morning. Honestly though, it's a welcome change as I felt a bit stagnant before seizing these opportunities. The biggest thing to look out for with the new responsibilities is to not bite off more than I can chew and start missing deadlines. That's the worst possible thing I could do at this point. I'm working on learning the strengths and weaknesses of the people I oversee and how best to work with them, so that they are busy and doing what they want to do without overloading them.
Well, that's enough of a brain dump for tonight. Hopefully I'll be back soon to do this again, as I really enjoy it. Sleep and free time willing, I'll see you all soon!
Friday, February 5, 2010
One of THOSE Days
Overall, today was not a bad day. The vast majority of what transpired was good to great. The kids were happy to see me when I came home, and I spent a fair amount of time chasing them around the house. The littlest daughter had some cozy time in my arms, as we chatted and wandered the first floor, trying to get her tired little eyes to close. For the most part, work was bearable and, considering this was my group's monthly meeting day, I even managed to be productive for most of the afternoon.
I'm not going to rehash it here, but I had a conversation with a person in another office that was incredibly disappointing. Even now, just thinking about it sends a fresh wave of depressing feelings over me. At some point I may talk about it in more depth, but as there's still a lot of personal sorting out of the actual meaning and ramifications of the conversation that needs to occur, I'll leave it at this brief mention.
One other upside from the day is that my wife and I watched Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog together tonight. I'll be the first to sheepishly admit that this was the first time I've seen it completely. For some reason, I watched the first act and part of the second, had to stop and just never went back. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining experience, and it's not hard to see why the Internet went crazy over it when it first hit the scene back in 2008. Neil Patrick Harris is incredible and truly steals the show, Felicia Day is perfect for her role, and Nathan Fillion plays the 'I'm a hero and a douchebag' to a T. The music and lyrics are fantastic, and even my wife (not immersed in the Internet culture) laughed all the way through. If you, like me, somehow missed this when it first made the rounds, you owe it to yourself to catch up now. You won't be disappointed.
As I'm working on this post, I have Beyond Good and Evil downloading and installing in the background. I've decided this will be the second game in the Game Project. This is a game I've heard nothing but great things about, but for some reason just haven't sat down to give it a try. I'll post my initial impressions after giving it a shot later tonight or over the weekend.
I should also mention that I finally worked my way through Mass Effect Galaxy on the iPhone. While the story was mildly interesting, the control and combat were a bit difficult to really get a feel for, and I never truly felt in control. The narrative was incredibly linear, but it did serve to introduce some characters and backstory for Mass Effect 2. All in all, I'm not disappointed that I spent the money for it ($1.99), and as an added bonus, I will log in with my EA.com account to get whatever special DLC is available for finishing the game.
That's all for tonight. The events of the day have left me a bit uninspired, so I'm off to find some good feelings and get my mind off everything. Take care and have a great Friday!
I'm not going to rehash it here, but I had a conversation with a person in another office that was incredibly disappointing. Even now, just thinking about it sends a fresh wave of depressing feelings over me. At some point I may talk about it in more depth, but as there's still a lot of personal sorting out of the actual meaning and ramifications of the conversation that needs to occur, I'll leave it at this brief mention.
One other upside from the day is that my wife and I watched Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog together tonight. I'll be the first to sheepishly admit that this was the first time I've seen it completely. For some reason, I watched the first act and part of the second, had to stop and just never went back. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining experience, and it's not hard to see why the Internet went crazy over it when it first hit the scene back in 2008. Neil Patrick Harris is incredible and truly steals the show, Felicia Day is perfect for her role, and Nathan Fillion plays the 'I'm a hero and a douchebag' to a T. The music and lyrics are fantastic, and even my wife (not immersed in the Internet culture) laughed all the way through. If you, like me, somehow missed this when it first made the rounds, you owe it to yourself to catch up now. You won't be disappointed.
As I'm working on this post, I have Beyond Good and Evil downloading and installing in the background. I've decided this will be the second game in the Game Project. This is a game I've heard nothing but great things about, but for some reason just haven't sat down to give it a try. I'll post my initial impressions after giving it a shot later tonight or over the weekend.
I should also mention that I finally worked my way through Mass Effect Galaxy on the iPhone. While the story was mildly interesting, the control and combat were a bit difficult to really get a feel for, and I never truly felt in control. The narrative was incredibly linear, but it did serve to introduce some characters and backstory for Mass Effect 2. All in all, I'm not disappointed that I spent the money for it ($1.99), and as an added bonus, I will log in with my EA.com account to get whatever special DLC is available for finishing the game.
That's all for tonight. The events of the day have left me a bit uninspired, so I'm off to find some good feelings and get my mind off everything. Take care and have a great Friday!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Game Project #1 - Red Faction: Guerrilla
This post didn't start out as what it ended up being, the first entry of 'The Project,' but I'm glad it did. Hopefully it spurs me on to other games, and topics...
Revisited Red Faction this evening for a bit, and discovered that I can get it to play at a reasonable framerate by dialing down most of the settings and playing in windowed mode. Most of the time, I wouldn't be happy about playing in such a 'neutered' state, but with this game high quality graphics take a backseat to the destruction. Fortunately the havoc you can wreak comes through loud and clear, regardless of what video card resides in your computer.
I've played probably 45 minutes to an hour of the game, long enough to complete one mission, one guerrilla action, as well as demolish 5-6 EDF controlled targets not associated with any mission. During this time, I messed around with the remote charges and the sledge hammer as my primary weapons, and briefly toyed with the rifle and the pistol. It's pretty clear that the shooting mechanic plays second fiddle to the destructible environments, as I far prefer to go into a fire fight swinging my hammer wildly. Killing an EDF soldier with the sledge hammer feels incredibly satisfying, as if there's actual weight to the weapon. Not only that, but there's the added bonus of damaging nearby buildings and structures with a missed hammer swing, which should help contribute to the overall goal of demolishing the target.
Speaking of demolishing, I have never played a game where the destruction felt so good. During the tutorial mission, I spent probably 5 minutes or more destroying the starter building from the inside out. Even though the walls, ceilings and other structural elements break away in 'gamey' chunks, it's the sum of the parts that really shines here. I watched a building teeter back and forth like a wobbly top before folding under the weight of the second floor (I had nearly wiped out the first floor). As it crashed to the ground with a groan and flurry of dust and debris, I couldn't help but smile and think, "I did that." At that moment, I think I discovered what caused so many people to enjoy it when it first was released last May. Giving the player total control of the mayhem is a genius move on the developer's part. There's just enough story to provide a framework to the demolition, but it's not complex or in your face to have to think too hard about it. Just go and trash stuff, and you're most likely going to succeed at this game.
Long story short, as what can be considered the inaugural entry in my Game Project, I would recommend this game to anyone, whether it be on the PC or console. It also seems that I could jump in and out of this game while playing other games, and not feel lost or need to 'catch up' on the plot, which could add to its longevity in my gaming rotation.
Now, at some point I'm going to have to define the parameters of this Game Project in more depth than my original speculative post, and that should happen over the weekend. In the meantime, I'm going to dig through the archive and choose the next target to install and experience. Hopefully it will be as fun as this one.
Revisited Red Faction this evening for a bit, and discovered that I can get it to play at a reasonable framerate by dialing down most of the settings and playing in windowed mode. Most of the time, I wouldn't be happy about playing in such a 'neutered' state, but with this game high quality graphics take a backseat to the destruction. Fortunately the havoc you can wreak comes through loud and clear, regardless of what video card resides in your computer.
I've played probably 45 minutes to an hour of the game, long enough to complete one mission, one guerrilla action, as well as demolish 5-6 EDF controlled targets not associated with any mission. During this time, I messed around with the remote charges and the sledge hammer as my primary weapons, and briefly toyed with the rifle and the pistol. It's pretty clear that the shooting mechanic plays second fiddle to the destructible environments, as I far prefer to go into a fire fight swinging my hammer wildly. Killing an EDF soldier with the sledge hammer feels incredibly satisfying, as if there's actual weight to the weapon. Not only that, but there's the added bonus of damaging nearby buildings and structures with a missed hammer swing, which should help contribute to the overall goal of demolishing the target.
Speaking of demolishing, I have never played a game where the destruction felt so good. During the tutorial mission, I spent probably 5 minutes or more destroying the starter building from the inside out. Even though the walls, ceilings and other structural elements break away in 'gamey' chunks, it's the sum of the parts that really shines here. I watched a building teeter back and forth like a wobbly top before folding under the weight of the second floor (I had nearly wiped out the first floor). As it crashed to the ground with a groan and flurry of dust and debris, I couldn't help but smile and think, "I did that." At that moment, I think I discovered what caused so many people to enjoy it when it first was released last May. Giving the player total control of the mayhem is a genius move on the developer's part. There's just enough story to provide a framework to the demolition, but it's not complex or in your face to have to think too hard about it. Just go and trash stuff, and you're most likely going to succeed at this game.
Long story short, as what can be considered the inaugural entry in my Game Project, I would recommend this game to anyone, whether it be on the PC or console. It also seems that I could jump in and out of this game while playing other games, and not feel lost or need to 'catch up' on the plot, which could add to its longevity in my gaming rotation.
Now, at some point I'm going to have to define the parameters of this Game Project in more depth than my original speculative post, and that should happen over the weekend. In the meantime, I'm going to dig through the archive and choose the next target to install and experience. Hopefully it will be as fun as this one.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
It's Fun Getting Stuff Cheap
This is it! The last day of January, and I've made it, with a post every day. It's a great feeling to know that I could set a goal and achieve it, because successes like that are hard to come by these days, given family and work commitments. If you're reading this, thank you for doing so, I certainly appreciate it.
There's nothing more fun than getting something for less than its perceived value. Now that I'm on a fairly strict budget, one that I'm struggling to stick with, my ability to go out and buy the latest electronics and video games has decreased dramatically. I'll be honest, if there weren't a tangible benefit to the household, in the reduction of the overall monthly cell phone bill, I would not have the iPhone right now. As was discussed when I originally took the plunge, there was a long wait in between when I originally wanted the iPhone and when I was finally able to justify the acquisition.
The same goes with video games. When it was only my wife and I here in the house, I didn't put much thought into going out and picking up the new releases as they came out, as well as investing in the newest consoles. Now, since my first priority is and should be my children, I've done my best to restrict my gaming purchases to those that will provide me with good value for my money. I bought Fallout 3 the day it was released, spent $50 for it, and proceeded to milk that game for all it was worth. Over 85 hours of play for that $50 is a far more efficient use of my hard-earned money than any movie I could see.
1 movie (at the theaters): 2 hours, ~$12 = $6/hour of entertainment
1 video game: 85 hours, $50 = ~$0.60/hour of entertainment
With results like that, it's hard to argue that I got my money's worth.
Which brings me to my latest 'compulsive' buys. During this weekend, Steam had the Freedom Force: Freedom Pack on sale for $2. Since I have heard great things about these games, I figured that $2 is an extremely small price to pay, so I bought them. Also on Steam, the X-Com: Complete Pack (five X-Com games) were also on sale for $2. Five games for $2? That was also a no-brainer and went into the virtual shopping cart as well. So, for a grand total of $4 I bought seven games. Granted, these are games that are some years old, but most are still well reviewed and discussed, and these are also games and concepts that don't rely on cutting edge graphics to communicate their quality. I feel pretty comfortable with this expenditure.
Just before coming to this site to write this post, I happened to visit Cheap Ass Gamer, the first time in quite a while, actually. It was an innocent visit, just to see what 'all the cool kids' were spending their money on. There on the front page was an announcement that Direct2Drive had a sale on Red Faction: Guerrilla for only $5. This is a game that I downloaded and tried the demo on the 360, and really enjoyed. It's on my list to get through Goozex, but it currently trades at (in virtual currency) around $30, so to see the game (granted, it's the PC version) this cheap is pretty exciting. As I'm writing this, the game is downloading to my hard drive.
Why am I telling you all of this? Mostly because I'm so excited to find so much gaming goodness for such little monetary outlay, but also to broach the subject of digital distribution. This is a topic for its own post, as there are so many facets to discuss, but one thing is certain: it can be of great benefit to both the distributor, the developer and the consumer when utilized properly. I can point to an earlier post where I bought games that I wouldn't have considered otherwise, simply because they were on sale. For the foreseeable future, these sales will be the primary source of the games that I play, because they provide the best value for the money that I probably shouldn't be spending on my entertainment.
There's nothing more fun than getting something for less than its perceived value. Now that I'm on a fairly strict budget, one that I'm struggling to stick with, my ability to go out and buy the latest electronics and video games has decreased dramatically. I'll be honest, if there weren't a tangible benefit to the household, in the reduction of the overall monthly cell phone bill, I would not have the iPhone right now. As was discussed when I originally took the plunge, there was a long wait in between when I originally wanted the iPhone and when I was finally able to justify the acquisition.
The same goes with video games. When it was only my wife and I here in the house, I didn't put much thought into going out and picking up the new releases as they came out, as well as investing in the newest consoles. Now, since my first priority is and should be my children, I've done my best to restrict my gaming purchases to those that will provide me with good value for my money. I bought Fallout 3 the day it was released, spent $50 for it, and proceeded to milk that game for all it was worth. Over 85 hours of play for that $50 is a far more efficient use of my hard-earned money than any movie I could see.
1 movie (at the theaters): 2 hours, ~$12 = $6/hour of entertainment
1 video game: 85 hours, $50 = ~$0.60/hour of entertainment
With results like that, it's hard to argue that I got my money's worth.
Which brings me to my latest 'compulsive' buys. During this weekend, Steam had the Freedom Force: Freedom Pack on sale for $2. Since I have heard great things about these games, I figured that $2 is an extremely small price to pay, so I bought them. Also on Steam, the X-Com: Complete Pack (five X-Com games) were also on sale for $2. Five games for $2? That was also a no-brainer and went into the virtual shopping cart as well. So, for a grand total of $4 I bought seven games. Granted, these are games that are some years old, but most are still well reviewed and discussed, and these are also games and concepts that don't rely on cutting edge graphics to communicate their quality. I feel pretty comfortable with this expenditure.
Just before coming to this site to write this post, I happened to visit Cheap Ass Gamer, the first time in quite a while, actually. It was an innocent visit, just to see what 'all the cool kids' were spending their money on. There on the front page was an announcement that Direct2Drive had a sale on Red Faction: Guerrilla for only $5. This is a game that I downloaded and tried the demo on the 360, and really enjoyed. It's on my list to get through Goozex, but it currently trades at (in virtual currency) around $30, so to see the game (granted, it's the PC version) this cheap is pretty exciting. As I'm writing this, the game is downloading to my hard drive.
Why am I telling you all of this? Mostly because I'm so excited to find so much gaming goodness for such little monetary outlay, but also to broach the subject of digital distribution. This is a topic for its own post, as there are so many facets to discuss, but one thing is certain: it can be of great benefit to both the distributor, the developer and the consumer when utilized properly. I can point to an earlier post where I bought games that I wouldn't have considered otherwise, simply because they were on sale. For the foreseeable future, these sales will be the primary source of the games that I play, because they provide the best value for the money that I probably shouldn't be spending on my entertainment.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Lost for Thoughts
Once again, today's blog update is a whole lotta nuthin'...but I'm not sure anyone is even reading. If you are, I applaud you, as you're truly a warrior, struggling through my drivel.
Not much is really happening in my world these days. Work has settled back into the usual routine after the holidays, while I'm struggling with a project that just won't seem to go away. Today was particularly troublesome, because for some reason I was experiencing difficulty getting my head around exactly all of the little outstanding details that need to be nailed down before Feburary 12th. I think I have my head around what needs to occur, and tomorrow should go more smoothly. Also, the number of projects that I am assigned to work on has certainly increased, which bodes for a productive spring.
After a couple of weeks away, I dug back into Trine for about an hour or so tonight. There's a lot to enjoy about the game, and the more I play it, the better it gets. The physics engine is quite good, and the ability to bounce back and forth between the three distinct characters creates so many options for solving the myriad of environmental puzzles thrown at you that there's probably no way to play it the same as anyone else. For the level I completed tonight, I started to utilize the Magician and his ability to create planks and crates, and teaming that with the Thief's ability to jump and grapple. The Knight is always handy for cleaning out the skeletons.
Lately, I've also been trying to take more pictures and video with the iPhone and publish them to my Twitter feed with Twitpic and Twitvid, respectively. Understanding that I'm an engineer, which severely cripples my creative ability from the start, it should be obvious that these forays into visual media are quite stiff, crude and rudimentary. It still feels like such a novelty to be able to take a picture, and within a couple of minutes have it posted to Twitter and Facebook. Given the right opportunities and vision, these could be great tools to build or expand your online presence. While I know the stuff I'm producing now isn't great, I'd like to think that with some time and practice I'll learn a few more things and find some interesting subjects for the pictures and video. Once again I'm amazed at our ability today to broadcast ourselves to the world, and in the right hands amazing results can be had.
Tomorrow I think I'll discuss something that's bothered me for some time, option paralysis. It affects me most in my game playing habits, but it manifests itself in such a way that really is aggravating. Most likely it won't be incredibly interesting, but it may be cathartic for me to explore and discuss it in the open. Until then, take care and have a great night!
Not much is really happening in my world these days. Work has settled back into the usual routine after the holidays, while I'm struggling with a project that just won't seem to go away. Today was particularly troublesome, because for some reason I was experiencing difficulty getting my head around exactly all of the little outstanding details that need to be nailed down before Feburary 12th. I think I have my head around what needs to occur, and tomorrow should go more smoothly. Also, the number of projects that I am assigned to work on has certainly increased, which bodes for a productive spring.
After a couple of weeks away, I dug back into Trine for about an hour or so tonight. There's a lot to enjoy about the game, and the more I play it, the better it gets. The physics engine is quite good, and the ability to bounce back and forth between the three distinct characters creates so many options for solving the myriad of environmental puzzles thrown at you that there's probably no way to play it the same as anyone else. For the level I completed tonight, I started to utilize the Magician and his ability to create planks and crates, and teaming that with the Thief's ability to jump and grapple. The Knight is always handy for cleaning out the skeletons.
Lately, I've also been trying to take more pictures and video with the iPhone and publish them to my Twitter feed with Twitpic and Twitvid, respectively. Understanding that I'm an engineer, which severely cripples my creative ability from the start, it should be obvious that these forays into visual media are quite stiff, crude and rudimentary. It still feels like such a novelty to be able to take a picture, and within a couple of minutes have it posted to Twitter and Facebook. Given the right opportunities and vision, these could be great tools to build or expand your online presence. While I know the stuff I'm producing now isn't great, I'd like to think that with some time and practice I'll learn a few more things and find some interesting subjects for the pictures and video. Once again I'm amazed at our ability today to broadcast ourselves to the world, and in the right hands amazing results can be had.
Tomorrow I think I'll discuss something that's bothered me for some time, option paralysis. It affects me most in my game playing habits, but it manifests itself in such a way that really is aggravating. Most likely it won't be incredibly interesting, but it may be cathartic for me to explore and discuss it in the open. Until then, take care and have a great night!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Defense Grid: The Awakening
The sixth installment in my quest to 'win' NaBloPoMo has me talking about a particular game, and wondering more about its genre.
Tonight provided the opportunity, after putting all three kids to bed, to load and try Defense Grid: The Awakening, yet another one of my budget buys during the massive Steam sale that ended this past weekend. Considering that my only other tower defense gaming experience to this point is Plants vs. Zombies (PvZ), I was interested to see if a more traditional tower defense game would interest me.
I'm happy to say that the initial returns are positive. Only having time to squeeze in the first 3-4 missions, before being summoned for baby cuddling duty, it was an interesting experience, especially in comparison of the two. In PvZ, the resource is sunlight, generated by units built by the player, with a small amount randomly appearing in daylight stages, thus giving the player a direct influence over the factor limiting the amount of units you can create. The resource in Defense grid, cleverly called "Resources," is generated by destroying enemies, so there is a bit less control by the player over the amount of resource available in a single mission. The friendly and enemy units are both occupying the same path in PvZ, whereas the towers and aliens in Defense Grid do not actually come in contact. In PvZ, the enemy can destroy friendly units, while the towers in Defense Grid are invincible. In PvZ, the enemies march in a straight line, from the right side of the screen to the left, while the paths the aliens take are more winding. These differences allow for two distinctly different strategies and mindsets the player must have to succeed.
The enjoyment I've had playing these two games makes me wonder what other games I've been missing in the tower defense genre. If you're reading this and you have any suggestions as to games I should try, please let me know, as I'm interested in seeing what else is out there. One game that comes to mind is Pixeljunk Monsters, which is the big tower defense game on PSN. Another one I've heard decent things about is the South Park downloadable game on XBLA. Please, if you know of others, I'm all ears.
On another note, I did use some Christmas fun money to buy an XBox 360 wired controller for my PC. This should allow me to play Braid in a less clumsy manner, and I've also been saving a copy of Assassin's Creed until I had a game pad to play. There are just some games that play better with an analog stick.
That's all for now. Hopefully I'll have a meatier post for you tomorrow.
Tonight provided the opportunity, after putting all three kids to bed, to load and try Defense Grid: The Awakening, yet another one of my budget buys during the massive Steam sale that ended this past weekend. Considering that my only other tower defense gaming experience to this point is Plants vs. Zombies (PvZ), I was interested to see if a more traditional tower defense game would interest me.
I'm happy to say that the initial returns are positive. Only having time to squeeze in the first 3-4 missions, before being summoned for baby cuddling duty, it was an interesting experience, especially in comparison of the two. In PvZ, the resource is sunlight, generated by units built by the player, with a small amount randomly appearing in daylight stages, thus giving the player a direct influence over the factor limiting the amount of units you can create. The resource in Defense grid, cleverly called "Resources," is generated by destroying enemies, so there is a bit less control by the player over the amount of resource available in a single mission. The friendly and enemy units are both occupying the same path in PvZ, whereas the towers and aliens in Defense Grid do not actually come in contact. In PvZ, the enemy can destroy friendly units, while the towers in Defense Grid are invincible. In PvZ, the enemies march in a straight line, from the right side of the screen to the left, while the paths the aliens take are more winding. These differences allow for two distinctly different strategies and mindsets the player must have to succeed.
The enjoyment I've had playing these two games makes me wonder what other games I've been missing in the tower defense genre. If you're reading this and you have any suggestions as to games I should try, please let me know, as I'm interested in seeing what else is out there. One game that comes to mind is Pixeljunk Monsters, which is the big tower defense game on PSN. Another one I've heard decent things about is the South Park downloadable game on XBLA. Please, if you know of others, I'm all ears.
On another note, I did use some Christmas fun money to buy an XBox 360 wired controller for my PC. This should allow me to play Braid in a less clumsy manner, and I've also been saving a copy of Assassin's Creed until I had a game pad to play. There are just some games that play better with an analog stick.
That's all for now. Hopefully I'll have a meatier post for you tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Top 10 Games of the Past Decade: The Top 5
Day 5 of NaBloPoMo brings the conclusion of my decade top 10 list.
As I bring my 'top 10 games of the decade' list to a close, it was hard not to notice the common thread that wove its way through the games in the top five. All of them, in their own ways, created an atmosphere that stuck with me long after finishing the game. Each one created a world that I wanted to keep returning to, directly in conflict with my gaming ADD personality. It's this atmosphere and personality which caused them to transcend any mechanical flaws or shortcomings, propelling them to the top of my list. And with that, the conclusion...
5. Half Life 2 (PC) - Not being a first person shooter fan, I tried playing this game at some point in 2005, and didn't get very far before moving on to other games. Upon revisiting it in 2008, and vowing to pay more attention to the experience than the game mechanics, it's not a stretch to say I was blown away. This is a well-crafted, tight, evenly paced game that continually pulled me along for the ride, introducing memorable NPCs (Alyx Vance being at the top of that list), weapons that allowed for some creativity (the gravity gun), level design which keeps the player moving forward even if they don't realize it, and a story that means something. Even playing the game 4 years after its initial release, the graphics were crisp and conveyed the atmosphere of the settings. My particular favorite segment in the game, even though it caused me no end of jitters and jumpy moments, was the time spent in Ravenholm with the headcrab zombies. That area oozed atmosphere, and the inclusion of the 'reverend' tending to his 'flock' made it all the more entertaining.
4. Portal (PC) - This game should not be called a game at all; it should be referred to as an experience. Expertly crafted, cleverly written, simple mechanics used in creative ways, and not artificially drawn out, more games should take their cues from this one. You're a human lab rat in a series of experiments overseen by a maniacal, sarcastic computer, given only a portal gun to solve the challenges in each room. Clocking in at just over 3 hours, it's long enough to be able to experiment with enjoy, but not so long you're wishing it was over. The game also contains one of the most overused game quotes in history (The cake is a lie!) and an incredibly appropriate final song (Still Alive) which I still catch myself humming from time to time. I can't recommend this game enough to fans of any gaming genre. It's worth experiencing for yourself.
3. Bioshock (360) - There are many memorable scenes from this game. One that most people having experienced it would cite is the major plot twist about 70% through the game, but I would actually choose another one. The initial bathysphere ride from the surface down to Rapture, complete with Andrew Ryan's movie narrating through the descent, does more to set the scene than any other game that comes to mind. Even though I'm not a fan of first person shooters, I worked my way through this game purely to experience the story. Ken Levine and his team created such a haunting location for this bizarre take on Ayn Rand's work that it was hard not to get sucked in. The use of audio tapes and directions from an unseen 'helper' on the radio only emphasized the surreal setting. The game mechanics backed up the fantastic narrative, with competent shooter mechanics fused with light RPG elements of character customization. The morality of the game, conveyed by the audio tapes, conversations with survivors, and the major moral choice forced upon the player, serve to enrich the narrative and deepen the despair conveyed by the city under the sea. Yet again, it's something worth experiencing for yourself.
2. Mass Effect (360, PC) - Taking inspiration from great science fiction of the past 3 decades, Mass Effect combines it all into an epic story spanning the galaxy. The conversations between your character and the NPCs throughout the worlds, the situations you and your companions are placed in, the overarching politics behind the story, they all factor into a moment in my gaming history that I truly treasure. I can't forget the sense of urgency and anticipation as I pushed through the last area on my way to what proved to be the final encounter of the game, and all of the other moments, large and small, that contributed to that sequence of events. I enjoyed this game so much that I've played through it twice now (that's definitely saying something for me, considering the relative constraints on my time) and enjoyed the second time as much as the first. This game has been described as a 'space opera,' and I couldn't agree more. Bioware, the developer, has indicated that this would be the first entry in a larger story arc, following the traditional '3-act structure' made popular in our cultural lexicon by the original Star Wars trilogy. The second 'act' comes out late this month and you can be sure I'll be snapping that up as soon as possible.
1. Fallout 3 and DLC (PC) - Finally, to the game I feel deserves the top spot in my list. During the weeks leading up to this game's release, I was very excited. Having dabbled in the first game when it was released in 1997, I couldn't wait for a version utilizing 10+ years of game design innovation and graphical fidelity upgrades. I'm happy to report I wasn't disappointed. Set in the post-apocalyptic DC area, it didn't have the most cheerful of settings. In fact, it can be best described as "desolate and depressing." That didn't stop me from diving headfirst into the story, and ultimately creating my own. The story missions provided progress and milestones; I provided all of the story in between. Having spent over 100 hours wandering through the wasteland, I feel that the stories that I made, by exploring all of the structures, caves, landmarks, etc., piecing together stories of people long since gone, being ambushed by raiders and radioactive monsters alike, far outshone the narrative laid out by Bethesda. In every sense of the phrase, this game embodied the journey and not the destination. Fortunately for me, Bethesda released 5 chunks of downloadable content to extend my journeys in the wasteland and surrounding areas, and I enjoyed them immensely. If you can deal with the depressing atmosphere, there is a great game in there, and worthy of "The Best Game of the Decade" moniker, at least in my estimation.
Well, that wraps it up for me. I'd love to hear your comments, arguments, discussion or otherwise about my choices. Even more so, I'd love to hear about the games I've left off this list that you feel should be there. Thanks for reading!
As I bring my 'top 10 games of the decade' list to a close, it was hard not to notice the common thread that wove its way through the games in the top five. All of them, in their own ways, created an atmosphere that stuck with me long after finishing the game. Each one created a world that I wanted to keep returning to, directly in conflict with my gaming ADD personality. It's this atmosphere and personality which caused them to transcend any mechanical flaws or shortcomings, propelling them to the top of my list. And with that, the conclusion...
5. Half Life 2 (PC) - Not being a first person shooter fan, I tried playing this game at some point in 2005, and didn't get very far before moving on to other games. Upon revisiting it in 2008, and vowing to pay more attention to the experience than the game mechanics, it's not a stretch to say I was blown away. This is a well-crafted, tight, evenly paced game that continually pulled me along for the ride, introducing memorable NPCs (Alyx Vance being at the top of that list), weapons that allowed for some creativity (the gravity gun), level design which keeps the player moving forward even if they don't realize it, and a story that means something. Even playing the game 4 years after its initial release, the graphics were crisp and conveyed the atmosphere of the settings. My particular favorite segment in the game, even though it caused me no end of jitters and jumpy moments, was the time spent in Ravenholm with the headcrab zombies. That area oozed atmosphere, and the inclusion of the 'reverend' tending to his 'flock' made it all the more entertaining.
4. Portal (PC) - This game should not be called a game at all; it should be referred to as an experience. Expertly crafted, cleverly written, simple mechanics used in creative ways, and not artificially drawn out, more games should take their cues from this one. You're a human lab rat in a series of experiments overseen by a maniacal, sarcastic computer, given only a portal gun to solve the challenges in each room. Clocking in at just over 3 hours, it's long enough to be able to experiment with enjoy, but not so long you're wishing it was over. The game also contains one of the most overused game quotes in history (The cake is a lie!) and an incredibly appropriate final song (Still Alive) which I still catch myself humming from time to time. I can't recommend this game enough to fans of any gaming genre. It's worth experiencing for yourself.
3. Bioshock (360) - There are many memorable scenes from this game. One that most people having experienced it would cite is the major plot twist about 70% through the game, but I would actually choose another one. The initial bathysphere ride from the surface down to Rapture, complete with Andrew Ryan's movie narrating through the descent, does more to set the scene than any other game that comes to mind. Even though I'm not a fan of first person shooters, I worked my way through this game purely to experience the story. Ken Levine and his team created such a haunting location for this bizarre take on Ayn Rand's work that it was hard not to get sucked in. The use of audio tapes and directions from an unseen 'helper' on the radio only emphasized the surreal setting. The game mechanics backed up the fantastic narrative, with competent shooter mechanics fused with light RPG elements of character customization. The morality of the game, conveyed by the audio tapes, conversations with survivors, and the major moral choice forced upon the player, serve to enrich the narrative and deepen the despair conveyed by the city under the sea. Yet again, it's something worth experiencing for yourself.
2. Mass Effect (360, PC) - Taking inspiration from great science fiction of the past 3 decades, Mass Effect combines it all into an epic story spanning the galaxy. The conversations between your character and the NPCs throughout the worlds, the situations you and your companions are placed in, the overarching politics behind the story, they all factor into a moment in my gaming history that I truly treasure. I can't forget the sense of urgency and anticipation as I pushed through the last area on my way to what proved to be the final encounter of the game, and all of the other moments, large and small, that contributed to that sequence of events. I enjoyed this game so much that I've played through it twice now (that's definitely saying something for me, considering the relative constraints on my time) and enjoyed the second time as much as the first. This game has been described as a 'space opera,' and I couldn't agree more. Bioware, the developer, has indicated that this would be the first entry in a larger story arc, following the traditional '3-act structure' made popular in our cultural lexicon by the original Star Wars trilogy. The second 'act' comes out late this month and you can be sure I'll be snapping that up as soon as possible.
1. Fallout 3 and DLC (PC) - Finally, to the game I feel deserves the top spot in my list. During the weeks leading up to this game's release, I was very excited. Having dabbled in the first game when it was released in 1997, I couldn't wait for a version utilizing 10+ years of game design innovation and graphical fidelity upgrades. I'm happy to report I wasn't disappointed. Set in the post-apocalyptic DC area, it didn't have the most cheerful of settings. In fact, it can be best described as "desolate and depressing." That didn't stop me from diving headfirst into the story, and ultimately creating my own. The story missions provided progress and milestones; I provided all of the story in between. Having spent over 100 hours wandering through the wasteland, I feel that the stories that I made, by exploring all of the structures, caves, landmarks, etc., piecing together stories of people long since gone, being ambushed by raiders and radioactive monsters alike, far outshone the narrative laid out by Bethesda. In every sense of the phrase, this game embodied the journey and not the destination. Fortunately for me, Bethesda released 5 chunks of downloadable content to extend my journeys in the wasteland and surrounding areas, and I enjoyed them immensely. If you can deal with the depressing atmosphere, there is a great game in there, and worthy of "The Best Game of the Decade" moniker, at least in my estimation.
Well, that wraps it up for me. I'd love to hear your comments, arguments, discussion or otherwise about my choices. Even more so, I'd love to hear about the games I've left off this list that you feel should be there. Thanks for reading!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Top 10 Games of the Past Decade: Bottom 5 Edition
Day 4 of NaBloPoMo finds me aping the Player One Podcast's latest episode, focusing on the hosts' top 10 games for the years 2000-2009. I enjoyed listening to it so much, I thought I would take the time to compile my list and share it here.
Well here it is, another useless list for your reading pleasure. This is my stab at naming the top 10 games of the decade, filtered through my experiences, games played, systems owned and interests. I'm fairly positive that this will be one of the more offbeat lists you'll read on this topic, as I lost most of 2000-2004 playing MMO's and not actually owning a console. This definitely colors my choices, as you'll see. On to the list...
10. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (DS) - For me, this game came out of nowhere, because at the time of its release, I had never played Bejeweled or any of its numerous clones and knockoffs. The personal draw for me came from the RPG trappings and the promise of simple yet addictive game mechanics attached to all aspects of the game. On these two promises, Puzzle Quest delivered in spades. From my best guess, I probably sank 20-30 hours into the adventure, from working through the story quests, to capturing towns, creating new items, training mounts, learning new spells, and everything else the game offered. The DS touchscreen provided the perfect input method, as using the stylus to choose and swap gems couldn't have been more intuitive. I keep hoping for another experience of this type to capture the same magic (Galactrix, Gyromancer), but so far none have lived up to the original.
9. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 (PS2) - Now wait, stop rolling your eyes. While thinking about this list, I was shocked as to how many fond memories I had of this particular game, just one of many iterations in an admittedly fantastic sports franchise. There have been many games since that improved on the mechanics, the graphics, and the overall feel, but none of those will hold the same place in my heart as this one. This fact is due to the method in which I experienced it, and that was with friends. At the time of this game's release, I was living with a couple of buddies from work, and one of them owned the PS2 and this game. Before long, we had all created golfers, and would spend our evenings passing the controller around, watching each other play rounds against computer opponents, or engaging in links warfare between ourselves. Simply sharing the trash talk, the disbelief at an incredible shot or bounce, and enjoying the game for what it was, will have this game holding a special place from here on out. I tried to recapture the magic with later versions of the game but, after moving out of that apartment and not having anyone to share the experience with on a regular basis, they couldn't hold a candle to the '04 version.
8. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (360) - The first game I bought when I picked up my 360, this game gave me everything I could have wanted and more. When the dust settled, I had sunk more than 140 hours into the game, and didn't even complete the main storyline! There were just too many sidequests, too many DLC addon packs to explore, too many distractions for me to focus on the what amounted to completing the game. The graphics were admittedly a bit muddy and the character models left a lot to be desired (there wasn't an attractive person to be found in that world), but these shortcomings took a backseat to all of the things that you could do. By the time I finally had my fill and drifted away from it, my character had completed the quests for all five of the guilds in the land and had explored nearly every structure, cave, building, etc. to be found. If only I had taken the time to complete the main story...
7. Everquest (PC) - This game, and others like it, is one of the reasons that my list doesn't contain many games from the earlier half of the decade. While I was not consuming individual games at the pace I attempt to now, my gaming time was more than occupied by this MMORPG, the first king of the hill before being dethroned by World of Warcraft. While I never saw any of the endgame content, I thoroughly enjoyed making character after character and working my way through their early development, only to start yet another race and class to see what they had to offer. My gaming ADD, and the fact that I did my absolute best not to let MMO gaming rule my life (you can ask my wife how well I did with that) never afforded me the opportunity to see the large raids or be a part of a large guild. Nevertheless, the memories created in that time still cause me to smile.
6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC) - During the holiday season of 2003 my brother-in-law, who was living with my wife and I at the time, asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I had been hearing about a new Star Wars game that was getting great reviews, so I asked him for that. The game turned out to be KOTOR, and it really opened my eyes to what a single-player RPG could be, with the backing of an incredible license and the right developer putting everything together. The visuals, the combat, the moral choices (albeit very binary and not affecting the outcome of the story at all), the companions, and the story wove a tapestry that I just couldn't pull myself away from. All told, my playthrough took me somewhere around 40 hours, and when it was over I wished I could play it again without knowing all of the plot points and twists. The genius of the approach Bioware took with this game lies in the fact that they set the story so far removed from the events of the movies that they had the ability to create a fantastic narrative free of the shackles of the movies' history. I absolutely loved the tactical combat, and the fact that I had a lightsaber. It was my 6 year old self being able to live out his dream (well, almost).
Tomorrow: my top 5 games of the decade.
Well here it is, another useless list for your reading pleasure. This is my stab at naming the top 10 games of the decade, filtered through my experiences, games played, systems owned and interests. I'm fairly positive that this will be one of the more offbeat lists you'll read on this topic, as I lost most of 2000-2004 playing MMO's and not actually owning a console. This definitely colors my choices, as you'll see. On to the list...
10. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (DS) - For me, this game came out of nowhere, because at the time of its release, I had never played Bejeweled or any of its numerous clones and knockoffs. The personal draw for me came from the RPG trappings and the promise of simple yet addictive game mechanics attached to all aspects of the game. On these two promises, Puzzle Quest delivered in spades. From my best guess, I probably sank 20-30 hours into the adventure, from working through the story quests, to capturing towns, creating new items, training mounts, learning new spells, and everything else the game offered. The DS touchscreen provided the perfect input method, as using the stylus to choose and swap gems couldn't have been more intuitive. I keep hoping for another experience of this type to capture the same magic (Galactrix, Gyromancer), but so far none have lived up to the original.
9. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004 (PS2) - Now wait, stop rolling your eyes. While thinking about this list, I was shocked as to how many fond memories I had of this particular game, just one of many iterations in an admittedly fantastic sports franchise. There have been many games since that improved on the mechanics, the graphics, and the overall feel, but none of those will hold the same place in my heart as this one. This fact is due to the method in which I experienced it, and that was with friends. At the time of this game's release, I was living with a couple of buddies from work, and one of them owned the PS2 and this game. Before long, we had all created golfers, and would spend our evenings passing the controller around, watching each other play rounds against computer opponents, or engaging in links warfare between ourselves. Simply sharing the trash talk, the disbelief at an incredible shot or bounce, and enjoying the game for what it was, will have this game holding a special place from here on out. I tried to recapture the magic with later versions of the game but, after moving out of that apartment and not having anyone to share the experience with on a regular basis, they couldn't hold a candle to the '04 version.
8. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (360) - The first game I bought when I picked up my 360, this game gave me everything I could have wanted and more. When the dust settled, I had sunk more than 140 hours into the game, and didn't even complete the main storyline! There were just too many sidequests, too many DLC addon packs to explore, too many distractions for me to focus on the what amounted to completing the game. The graphics were admittedly a bit muddy and the character models left a lot to be desired (there wasn't an attractive person to be found in that world), but these shortcomings took a backseat to all of the things that you could do. By the time I finally had my fill and drifted away from it, my character had completed the quests for all five of the guilds in the land and had explored nearly every structure, cave, building, etc. to be found. If only I had taken the time to complete the main story...
7. Everquest (PC) - This game, and others like it, is one of the reasons that my list doesn't contain many games from the earlier half of the decade. While I was not consuming individual games at the pace I attempt to now, my gaming time was more than occupied by this MMORPG, the first king of the hill before being dethroned by World of Warcraft. While I never saw any of the endgame content, I thoroughly enjoyed making character after character and working my way through their early development, only to start yet another race and class to see what they had to offer. My gaming ADD, and the fact that I did my absolute best not to let MMO gaming rule my life (you can ask my wife how well I did with that) never afforded me the opportunity to see the large raids or be a part of a large guild. Nevertheless, the memories created in that time still cause me to smile.
6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC) - During the holiday season of 2003 my brother-in-law, who was living with my wife and I at the time, asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I had been hearing about a new Star Wars game that was getting great reviews, so I asked him for that. The game turned out to be KOTOR, and it really opened my eyes to what a single-player RPG could be, with the backing of an incredible license and the right developer putting everything together. The visuals, the combat, the moral choices (albeit very binary and not affecting the outcome of the story at all), the companions, and the story wove a tapestry that I just couldn't pull myself away from. All told, my playthrough took me somewhere around 40 hours, and when it was over I wished I could play it again without knowing all of the plot points and twists. The genius of the approach Bioware took with this game lies in the fact that they set the story so far removed from the events of the movies that they had the ability to create a fantastic narrative free of the shackles of the movies' history. I absolutely loved the tactical combat, and the fact that I had a lightsaber. It was my 6 year old self being able to live out his dream (well, almost).
Tomorrow: my top 5 games of the decade.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
New (to me) Game Impressions
Today is day 2 of NaBloPoMo, and I don't want to give up just yet. Seriously, could I even look at myself in the mirror if I couldn't post on my blog for 2 consecutive days? Probably not, so here is the latest effort.
Having spent some money over the past few days on games from Steam during their big holiday sale, it came time to actually install the games on my computer and test drive my purchases. Here are my impressions from the games that were installed at this point in time: Braid, Osmos and Trine.
First, let's talk about Braid. It's the first game installed and played, and the one I spent the least amount of time with. Not because of anything involving the atmosphere, the graphics, the story or the challenge, because all of those aspects were just as advertised by the gaming press. The problem I'm dealing with right now is the PC control scheme, which involves the keyboard. At this point, I don't own a PC gamepad, and, strange as it may sound, this is the straw that might break that camel's back. The best analogy I can come up with to liken my experience of playing Braid with the keyboard is to try to play the first Super Mario Bros. with the keyboard. It's doable, sure, but is it fun? Acknowledging the fact I'm human, I don't want a somewhat artificial struggle with the controls to color the experience with a highly regarded game in a negative light. I'll certainly revisit this one after picking up a decent game pad.
Next, to touch on Osmos. Essentially an atmospheric puzzle game in the vein of fLOw, but with a failure state that fLOw didn't, it possesses a charm and aesthetic that's hard to ignore. The Green Pixels review describes the game better than I ever could. Having only spent a minimal time with it so far (20-25 minutes), I can safely say that I'll be coming back to it, most likely at a time when I could use a breath of fresh air or something to help me relax. Also, since I picked it up during the Steam sale for $1.99, I consider it a fantastic buy.
Finally, Trine. This is the game that piqued my interest the most, mostly after playing through most of the Steam demo earlier in the year, but not buying the game at that time solely as a financial decision (I do have a family to support, as much as the inner child in me may not want to admit). It's easiest to describe this game as a physics-based puzzle-platformer that allows you to freely switch between 3 different characters at will. What's not to love? There's great voice narration and character voices which are used to flesh out the story, and the keyboard and mouse controls work in this instance. I've worked my way through the intro level and the first level so far, which means I have a long way to go. It's not often I say this, considering the constraints on my gaming time, but I can definitely see myself completing this game.
If you read my earlier post talking about what I've bought from the Steam sale so far, you'll notice that these games represent about 30% of what I've purchased, so there's still some work to do to sample all of the new purchases. My impressions on these will follow in the next few weeks, unless some other shiny penny distracts me. I'm similar to a crow in that respect, in that I can't resist the urge to get wrapped up in something new when I have plenty of things (in this case, video games) to keep me occupied already in my possession. Maybe that's another challenge to work on in 2010, to stop being distracted by other things and keep my focu...hey, wait! Is that a new Mass Effect game coming out soon?
Having spent some money over the past few days on games from Steam during their big holiday sale, it came time to actually install the games on my computer and test drive my purchases. Here are my impressions from the games that were installed at this point in time: Braid, Osmos and Trine.
First, let's talk about Braid. It's the first game installed and played, and the one I spent the least amount of time with. Not because of anything involving the atmosphere, the graphics, the story or the challenge, because all of those aspects were just as advertised by the gaming press. The problem I'm dealing with right now is the PC control scheme, which involves the keyboard. At this point, I don't own a PC gamepad, and, strange as it may sound, this is the straw that might break that camel's back. The best analogy I can come up with to liken my experience of playing Braid with the keyboard is to try to play the first Super Mario Bros. with the keyboard. It's doable, sure, but is it fun? Acknowledging the fact I'm human, I don't want a somewhat artificial struggle with the controls to color the experience with a highly regarded game in a negative light. I'll certainly revisit this one after picking up a decent game pad.
Next, to touch on Osmos. Essentially an atmospheric puzzle game in the vein of fLOw, but with a failure state that fLOw didn't, it possesses a charm and aesthetic that's hard to ignore. The Green Pixels review describes the game better than I ever could. Having only spent a minimal time with it so far (20-25 minutes), I can safely say that I'll be coming back to it, most likely at a time when I could use a breath of fresh air or something to help me relax. Also, since I picked it up during the Steam sale for $1.99, I consider it a fantastic buy.
Finally, Trine. This is the game that piqued my interest the most, mostly after playing through most of the Steam demo earlier in the year, but not buying the game at that time solely as a financial decision (I do have a family to support, as much as the inner child in me may not want to admit). It's easiest to describe this game as a physics-based puzzle-platformer that allows you to freely switch between 3 different characters at will. What's not to love? There's great voice narration and character voices which are used to flesh out the story, and the keyboard and mouse controls work in this instance. I've worked my way through the intro level and the first level so far, which means I have a long way to go. It's not often I say this, considering the constraints on my gaming time, but I can definitely see myself completing this game.
If you read my earlier post talking about what I've bought from the Steam sale so far, you'll notice that these games represent about 30% of what I've purchased, so there's still some work to do to sample all of the new purchases. My impressions on these will follow in the next few weeks, unless some other shiny penny distracts me. I'm similar to a crow in that respect, in that I can't resist the urge to get wrapped up in something new when I have plenty of things (in this case, video games) to keep me occupied already in my possession. Maybe that's another challenge to work on in 2010, to stop being distracted by other things and keep my focu...hey, wait! Is that a new Mass Effect game coming out soon?
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Steam Sale Impulse Buys
Not only is this the holiday season, a time of merriment, gift-giving, time with family and friends, and the opportunity to spend some time away from work (it is all of these things), but it's also the time for the huge Steam sale. Tons of games, old and new, and ridiculously discounted prices. So far, i've picked up:
- Trine
- Lucas Arts Adventure Pack (2 Indiana Jones games, Loom, and The Dig)
- Braid
- Osmos
- Indigo Prophecy
- Oddworld Pack (including Oddyssey and Exodus)
I check back every day to see if anything new pops up that I just can't live without. Hopefully it will end soon, because I shouldn't be buying the games I have (even though I've only spent about $20 total). If nothing else, this should set me up for a while with gaming goodness, not to mention the fact that I've been hesitant to dive into Dragon Age: Origins because I don't have the time to commit to a real playthrough. It's a good time to be a gamer, just not so good for one that doesn't have a lot of time!
- Trine
- Lucas Arts Adventure Pack (2 Indiana Jones games, Loom, and The Dig)
- Braid
- Osmos
- Indigo Prophecy
- Oddworld Pack (including Oddyssey and Exodus)
I check back every day to see if anything new pops up that I just can't live without. Hopefully it will end soon, because I shouldn't be buying the games I have (even though I've only spent about $20 total). If nothing else, this should set me up for a while with gaming goodness, not to mention the fact that I've been hesitant to dive into Dragon Age: Origins because I don't have the time to commit to a real playthrough. It's a good time to be a gamer, just not so good for one that doesn't have a lot of time!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
My Top 5 Games of 2009
Jumping back into the blogging thing, and onto the bandwagon of the innumerable 'best' and 'worst' lists that inevitably appear at this time, I've decided to put together my list of 'Top 5 Games of 2009.' This list is compiled with the understanding that I simply didn't have the time and/or money to really delve into the incredible amount of quality games that appeared on the scene in twenty-aught-nine.
So, without further ado, here are my choices for the 5 best games I played in 2009.
5. Retro Game Challenge (DS) - There's nothing I enjoy more than being reminded of the carefree days of my youth, rabidly consuming all of the NES games I could get my hands on. Retro Game Challenge scratched that itch incredibly well, with 8-bit style games, fused with 2+ of game design evolution. The developer's understanding of what makes a great game coupled with the desire to evoke the 'golden years' of gaming produced a loving trip down memory lane, even though none of these games existed back then.
4. Batman: Arkham Asylum (XBox 360) - I chronicled my journey with this game in some detail in previous entries in this blog. Multiple game mechanics, smooth melee combat, impressive visuals, and doing justice to one of the most maligned franchise licenses in gaming history makes this game worthy of anyone's year-end best list.
3. Shadow Complex (XBox Live Arcade) - This game stirred up a tempest in a teapot when it was released, because of the beliefs of the game's lead writer, but looking beyond this will find you looking at a game that plays like Super Metroid, powered by the Unreal Engine. Need I say more?
2. Plants Vs. Zombies (PC) - I arrived late to this party, but boy am I glad I came. Simple tower defense game mechanics made challenging and interesting, all wrapped in a well-written, genuinely funny and cute shell continues to suck precious time out of my day. The additional puzzles, challenge, and survival modes, combined with the expensive items in the store to save up and buy, give this game some serious legs.
1. Borderlands (PC) - Very good FPS mechanics, Diablo style loot system and a paper-thin story you forget about 5 minutes in? The perfect recipe for my top game of 2009. I sunk 30+ hours into this game, and enjoyed every minute of it. The need to find the perfect gun, and then when you find it, wanting to find the next perfect gun kept me playing for a long time. If Gearbox, the developer, can find a way to include more story into the inevitable sequel, it will be a monster.
Honorable Mention: Fallout 3 DLC (PC) - Another hit of my favorite gaming drug from 2008? Yes please. Wait, 5 more hits? Most definitely! The addition of the 5 DLC packs to Fallout 3 pushed my total game time to over 100 hours in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. I could talk about this game for hours, and regale you with stories of exploration and discovery. That's a good thing, because the original ending (and essentially its removal with the third DLC pack, Broken Steel) makes this a case of 'the sum of the journey is greater than the destination.'
So there you have it, my modest 'best of' list for the past year. 2010 is shaping up to be even leaner than 2009, considering that I now have 3 little ones vying for my attention, but I'll never give up the dream of enough money to pay for my gaming habit and enough time to play the games I want. It doesn't hurt to dream, right?
So, without further ado, here are my choices for the 5 best games I played in 2009.
5. Retro Game Challenge (DS) - There's nothing I enjoy more than being reminded of the carefree days of my youth, rabidly consuming all of the NES games I could get my hands on. Retro Game Challenge scratched that itch incredibly well, with 8-bit style games, fused with 2+ of game design evolution. The developer's understanding of what makes a great game coupled with the desire to evoke the 'golden years' of gaming produced a loving trip down memory lane, even though none of these games existed back then.
4. Batman: Arkham Asylum (XBox 360) - I chronicled my journey with this game in some detail in previous entries in this blog. Multiple game mechanics, smooth melee combat, impressive visuals, and doing justice to one of the most maligned franchise licenses in gaming history makes this game worthy of anyone's year-end best list.
3. Shadow Complex (XBox Live Arcade) - This game stirred up a tempest in a teapot when it was released, because of the beliefs of the game's lead writer, but looking beyond this will find you looking at a game that plays like Super Metroid, powered by the Unreal Engine. Need I say more?
2. Plants Vs. Zombies (PC) - I arrived late to this party, but boy am I glad I came. Simple tower defense game mechanics made challenging and interesting, all wrapped in a well-written, genuinely funny and cute shell continues to suck precious time out of my day. The additional puzzles, challenge, and survival modes, combined with the expensive items in the store to save up and buy, give this game some serious legs.
1. Borderlands (PC) - Very good FPS mechanics, Diablo style loot system and a paper-thin story you forget about 5 minutes in? The perfect recipe for my top game of 2009. I sunk 30+ hours into this game, and enjoyed every minute of it. The need to find the perfect gun, and then when you find it, wanting to find the next perfect gun kept me playing for a long time. If Gearbox, the developer, can find a way to include more story into the inevitable sequel, it will be a monster.
Honorable Mention: Fallout 3 DLC (PC) - Another hit of my favorite gaming drug from 2008? Yes please. Wait, 5 more hits? Most definitely! The addition of the 5 DLC packs to Fallout 3 pushed my total game time to over 100 hours in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. I could talk about this game for hours, and regale you with stories of exploration and discovery. That's a good thing, because the original ending (and essentially its removal with the third DLC pack, Broken Steel) makes this a case of 'the sum of the journey is greater than the destination.'
So there you have it, my modest 'best of' list for the past year. 2010 is shaping up to be even leaner than 2009, considering that I now have 3 little ones vying for my attention, but I'll never give up the dream of enough money to pay for my gaming habit and enough time to play the games I want. It doesn't hurt to dream, right?
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. :)
Friday, November 6, 2009
My Mea Culpa re: Dragon Age
So I'm only about an hour and a half into Dragon Age: Origins, for several reasons.
1. Tuesday evening (the day the game was available) saw me doing a lot of necessary housework to help my very pregnant wife. Instead of sitting down to play at 7pm or so, it turned out I was free to play around 9pm. That allowed me enough time to get my character (Raist, a human mage) to the point where he's been confronted with what (I think) is a very important decision. Since I don't do very well on not enough sleep, I decided to call it a night.
2. It was at this point I stopped playing and started thinking about how I would respond to the question. The gravity of the situation, and the apparent ramifications for both paths, seemed to be so weighty that I actually discussed them with my wife as we settled into sleep. I felt that her extensive experience with fantasy novels and the fantasy setting might lend to a different perspective on the decision. At this point, I think I've determined the path I'm going to choose, but it gives me no pleasure to make the choice.
3. While driving back from a jobsite and listening to a gaming podcast, the Borderlands conversation got me excited enough to jump back to Pandora for a while. Gaiden is now level 24 and has unlocked the New Haven area, with all of the quests and challenges to go along with it. After my latest adventure, it's clear that I need to get some Corrosive weaponry, because there are a lot of beasties with armored heads that love to charge me, and it would be nice to have something to weaken that.
4. My gaming ADD is kicking in even more, as I'm fighting the urge to buy Torchlight and load that onto my work PC. Since it can run on just about anything, it would be a great way to kill lunch hours.
All in all, it's not a bad thing, but there's some inherent guilt to not have more time invested in the game. Tonight is Friday night, so I'll try to stay up a bit later than usual to make some progress.
(If you're wondering why I feel guilty at all, it's because I like to try to keep up with the gaming community as a whole with some select releases, and it just so happens that all 3 of the game releases that I'm interested in this holiday season all fall within a 2-3 week span. There are worse problems to deal with.)
1. Tuesday evening (the day the game was available) saw me doing a lot of necessary housework to help my very pregnant wife. Instead of sitting down to play at 7pm or so, it turned out I was free to play around 9pm. That allowed me enough time to get my character (Raist, a human mage) to the point where he's been confronted with what (I think) is a very important decision. Since I don't do very well on not enough sleep, I decided to call it a night.
2. It was at this point I stopped playing and started thinking about how I would respond to the question. The gravity of the situation, and the apparent ramifications for both paths, seemed to be so weighty that I actually discussed them with my wife as we settled into sleep. I felt that her extensive experience with fantasy novels and the fantasy setting might lend to a different perspective on the decision. At this point, I think I've determined the path I'm going to choose, but it gives me no pleasure to make the choice.
3. While driving back from a jobsite and listening to a gaming podcast, the Borderlands conversation got me excited enough to jump back to Pandora for a while. Gaiden is now level 24 and has unlocked the New Haven area, with all of the quests and challenges to go along with it. After my latest adventure, it's clear that I need to get some Corrosive weaponry, because there are a lot of beasties with armored heads that love to charge me, and it would be nice to have something to weaken that.
4. My gaming ADD is kicking in even more, as I'm fighting the urge to buy Torchlight and load that onto my work PC. Since it can run on just about anything, it would be a great way to kill lunch hours.
All in all, it's not a bad thing, but there's some inherent guilt to not have more time invested in the game. Tonight is Friday night, so I'll try to stay up a bit later than usual to make some progress.
(If you're wondering why I feel guilty at all, it's because I like to try to keep up with the gaming community as a whole with some select releases, and it just so happens that all 3 of the game releases that I'm interested in this holiday season all fall within a 2-3 week span. There are worse problems to deal with.)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Anticipation
Currently, I'm sitting at work, trying to stay focused. There are forces against me, though. Those forces consist of the fact that I have Dragon Age: Origins preloaded on my PC at home, and it officially becomes playable at 3pm EST. The stack of drawings I need to review and edit? They hold no joy or interest for me. The e-mails I need to write? They don't hold a candle to the thought of playing a new Bioware RPG. Even the latest gaming obsession I find myself hooked on, Borderlands? It's going to have to take a backseat to DA:O, as all the cool kids are referring to it.
(Oh, and if you're wondering, I am really looking forward to the birth of our third child in a couple of weeks. It's just that thinking about, and getting excited about, video games is one way that I attempt to stay sane throughout all of the madness. Let's just say that 21-month old twins and a very pregnant and tired wife to come home to every day is not a good recipe for calm and peace. A video game that I can turn on and off as I wish, regardless of the potential gaming anxiety it may cause, gives me an illusion of control in the chaos that my life has become. I guess that's what 3 kids under the age of 2 will do for you.)
I now return you to your regularly scheduled day.
(Oh, and if you're wondering, I am really looking forward to the birth of our third child in a couple of weeks. It's just that thinking about, and getting excited about, video games is one way that I attempt to stay sane throughout all of the madness. Let's just say that 21-month old twins and a very pregnant and tired wife to come home to every day is not a good recipe for calm and peace. A video game that I can turn on and off as I wish, regardless of the potential gaming anxiety it may cause, gives me an illusion of control in the chaos that my life has become. I guess that's what 3 kids under the age of 2 will do for you.)
I now return you to your regularly scheduled day.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
More Borderlands
After 11 or so hours of playtime, my hunter (named Gaiden, because I had a copy of the DS game Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword on my desk while thinking of a name) is now level 21 and has completed a few quests in the Dahl Headlands. He's settled into a routine of using a sniper rifle, revolver and shotgun in a 3-weapon rotation. The sniper rifle has fire-elemental power (x3), which is great for added damage on fleshy beasts and raiders. The revolver has explosive ability (also x3) and a zoom feature, which is almost as effective as the sniper rifle at range. There's nothing more fun than headshots with a Dirty Harry gun from 90 yards. The shotgun is effective for really close range combat, meaning keeping skags at bay when they charge me.
One thing this game does very well is make you keep searching for that perfect gun. Every drop from a raider, every gun chest, every undigested bit of loot from the belly of a skag could be the ONE, the weapon that makes it all worth it. I've visited areas multiple times, just to try my luck at getting a decent drop. Right now I feel pretty comfortable with the loot I have, but I'm always on the hunt for a better shield. For some reason I have a requirement for healing in my shields, which doesn't roll around all that often, so I'm hoping for some luck in a drop or a vending machine soon. It must be said that I have transfusion grenades that, if used properly, could take the place of the healing requirement, thus allowing me to use a different type of shield. Too many bad experiences with no healing leaves me hesitant to pull the trigger on that one, but we'll see.
While I'm writing this, Dragon Age: Origins is downloading in the background. Between that and Borderlands, not to mention a copy of The Witcher I haven't yet started up, my winter is shaping up with lots of RPG goodness, in several different flavors. Last year at this time, my free time was consumed in Fallout 3, and this year looks like my attention will be split. It's a good thing, though, to mix a bit of high fantasy into my gaming, as Borderlands and Fallout 3, even though the stories are very different, share a somewhat similar 'feel'. The raiders in both games are reminiscent of each other, and the settings are similar (desolate, not a huge amount of variety, run down buildings, an atmosphere of civilization's decay), although Fallout 3 is a bit grittier than Borderlands, probably due to the art style.
One thing this game does very well is make you keep searching for that perfect gun. Every drop from a raider, every gun chest, every undigested bit of loot from the belly of a skag could be the ONE, the weapon that makes it all worth it. I've visited areas multiple times, just to try my luck at getting a decent drop. Right now I feel pretty comfortable with the loot I have, but I'm always on the hunt for a better shield. For some reason I have a requirement for healing in my shields, which doesn't roll around all that often, so I'm hoping for some luck in a drop or a vending machine soon. It must be said that I have transfusion grenades that, if used properly, could take the place of the healing requirement, thus allowing me to use a different type of shield. Too many bad experiences with no healing leaves me hesitant to pull the trigger on that one, but we'll see.
While I'm writing this, Dragon Age: Origins is downloading in the background. Between that and Borderlands, not to mention a copy of The Witcher I haven't yet started up, my winter is shaping up with lots of RPG goodness, in several different flavors. Last year at this time, my free time was consumed in Fallout 3, and this year looks like my attention will be split. It's a good thing, though, to mix a bit of high fantasy into my gaming, as Borderlands and Fallout 3, even though the stories are very different, share a somewhat similar 'feel'. The raiders in both games are reminiscent of each other, and the settings are similar (desolate, not a huge amount of variety, run down buildings, an atmosphere of civilization's decay), although Fallout 3 is a bit grittier than Borderlands, probably due to the art style.
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!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Borderlands Impressions
Sometime around the middle of last week, the somewhat dangerous habit I've tried to quell known as 'impulsive game buying' reared its ugly head and convinced me to pre-purchase Borderlands on Steam. I'd been following the game for some time, prior to its major artistic change from more realistic to 'Concept Art', but considering that I will soon be attempting to guide the lives of three little children, the thought of actually consuming the game had been banished. Unfortunately (for my wallet) the impulse to have the shiny new toy and be able to relate with all the media buzz that has been generated by its release got the better of me, and here we are. As background, the following impressions come from a total playtime, over the past two evenings, of approximately 3-1/2 hours, while my character (a soldier) stands at level 10, and beginning the quests that will allow him to leave the starting town.
It has to be said that the tutorial section of this game was done with some character. The little robot that greets you as you get off the bus, Claptrap, possesses a charm that makes me smile whenever I see him (although I could do with a few less repetitions of his standard 'I'm standing next to the Bounty Board and need to sing and dance every time the character comes near' animations and voice). The game lays out the basic controls and mechanics in a way that feels relatively natural, while using it to lay the groundwork for some of the early quests. So far, the nameless woman who appears in your character's 'mind', giving you advice and talking about Pandora doesn't grab me. There must have been a different way to tell the story, rather than this.
Overall, the aiming and shooting mechanic feel crisp and responsive, although I have been frustrated at times when I miss a target that clearly is in the middle of my sights. It's moments like these that underline the fact that while it looks like a first person shooter, sounds like a first person shooter and may even smell like a first person shooter, at it's core the game is an RPG with better than average FPS mechanics grafted on top. This fact apparently hasn't bothered too many people, but to me it occasionally feels like Fallout 3 without the option of its VATS mode. Ever so frustrating are the times when an enemy is running toward you, your crosshairs are dead center on the target and you can see bullets ricocheting all around them, with the occasional hit. I've emptied entire clips trying to take down a charging skag, with an approximate 50% hit rate while the target never left my targeting reticle. It is a fault I am willing to forgive for a while, knowing that eventually my RPG skills will come into line with my meager FPS skills and everything will feel more natural again.
The RPG underpinnings of the game seem to be (from the short time I've interacted with them) fairly satisfying. Skill trees allow for some customization of your base character to better suit your playstyle, while the weapon proficiencies increase the more you use that particular style of weapon. Basically, in a manner similar to the Ratchet & Clank series, the more stuff you shoot with a particular class of weapon, the better you get with that weapon. Because I haven't had that much time with the game, I don't think I have the full feel for what all of the skills do, nor have I settled into a playstyle yet. Even though I chose the soldier class, the way I've been approaching battles leans more toward the hunter class. It may not be long before I start again and give Mordecai a chance, to see if his strengths fit more into line with my playing habits.
I won't waste time on the graphical presentation as it has been discussed and dissected ad nauseum. The overall visual effect makes me happy, as it does give a comic book feel to a game that could have been yet another muddy, depressing world in the vein of Fallout 3.
Oh, the guns! Even with my relatively meager experience in the world, the loot-whoring side of me has reveled in the amount of guns that are dropped. The system to procedurally generate the individual stats and bonuses allow for a nearly infinite variety of weapons, which makes picking up the loot that's dropped a lot of fun, because you never know when the gun with just the right bonuses is going to appear and make your character the talk of the wasteland.
Overall, my initial impressions of the game are pretty positive. I hope to spend a bit more quality time with the game, before my free time is reduced. I'd like to check back in later with some more advanced discussion after some time to really understand the mechanics and game better. If you have any thoughts, feel free to leave a comment.
It has to be said that the tutorial section of this game was done with some character. The little robot that greets you as you get off the bus, Claptrap, possesses a charm that makes me smile whenever I see him (although I could do with a few less repetitions of his standard 'I'm standing next to the Bounty Board and need to sing and dance every time the character comes near' animations and voice). The game lays out the basic controls and mechanics in a way that feels relatively natural, while using it to lay the groundwork for some of the early quests. So far, the nameless woman who appears in your character's 'mind', giving you advice and talking about Pandora doesn't grab me. There must have been a different way to tell the story, rather than this.
Overall, the aiming and shooting mechanic feel crisp and responsive, although I have been frustrated at times when I miss a target that clearly is in the middle of my sights. It's moments like these that underline the fact that while it looks like a first person shooter, sounds like a first person shooter and may even smell like a first person shooter, at it's core the game is an RPG with better than average FPS mechanics grafted on top. This fact apparently hasn't bothered too many people, but to me it occasionally feels like Fallout 3 without the option of its VATS mode. Ever so frustrating are the times when an enemy is running toward you, your crosshairs are dead center on the target and you can see bullets ricocheting all around them, with the occasional hit. I've emptied entire clips trying to take down a charging skag, with an approximate 50% hit rate while the target never left my targeting reticle. It is a fault I am willing to forgive for a while, knowing that eventually my RPG skills will come into line with my meager FPS skills and everything will feel more natural again.
The RPG underpinnings of the game seem to be (from the short time I've interacted with them) fairly satisfying. Skill trees allow for some customization of your base character to better suit your playstyle, while the weapon proficiencies increase the more you use that particular style of weapon. Basically, in a manner similar to the Ratchet & Clank series, the more stuff you shoot with a particular class of weapon, the better you get with that weapon. Because I haven't had that much time with the game, I don't think I have the full feel for what all of the skills do, nor have I settled into a playstyle yet. Even though I chose the soldier class, the way I've been approaching battles leans more toward the hunter class. It may not be long before I start again and give Mordecai a chance, to see if his strengths fit more into line with my playing habits.
I won't waste time on the graphical presentation as it has been discussed and dissected ad nauseum. The overall visual effect makes me happy, as it does give a comic book feel to a game that could have been yet another muddy, depressing world in the vein of Fallout 3.
Oh, the guns! Even with my relatively meager experience in the world, the loot-whoring side of me has reveled in the amount of guns that are dropped. The system to procedurally generate the individual stats and bonuses allow for a nearly infinite variety of weapons, which makes picking up the loot that's dropped a lot of fun, because you never know when the gun with just the right bonuses is going to appear and make your character the talk of the wasteland.
Overall, my initial impressions of the game are pretty positive. I hope to spend a bit more quality time with the game, before my free time is reduced. I'd like to check back in later with some more advanced discussion after some time to really understand the mechanics and game better. If you have any thoughts, feel free to leave a comment.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
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...
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
