High Horse Audit 2011: Most Surprisingly Good Game of the Year

Have you ever bought a game without hearing or reading anything about it? I mean nothing, not even a bad review?

That happened for me this year. I picked up a game that I heard absolutely nothing about, and it turns out that I've still played it for longer than any game on a particular system. More on that particular game later, let's go over some other under-appreciated games first.

I've always been a huge fighting game fan, but the Dead or Alive series rarely tickled my fancy. Don't get me wrong, I love scantily-clad girls engaged in combat more than the next man, but the deceptively-deep fighting system has a pretty steep learning curve that I had been unable to master with any other instalment of the series. Through the Chronicle mode, I was introduced to each of the game's mechanics and I could gradually notice some variation in the techniques that I used (for a point of reference, I usually spammed kick combos with Tina in Dead or Alive 2 and 4). When I took the fight online, I felt confident in my abilities and even notched a few wins. If it weren't for the connectivity issues, sound direction and puzzling narrative (that runs throughout Chronicle mode), this would have been a real contender. As it stands, it's a great fighting game in its own right, and one of the best games available on the 3DS.

 GIRL FIGHT!!!

This wouldn't be a discussion about surprisingly good games without addressing the elephant in the room, Sonic Generations. I've been playing Sonic games since I was six years old, and it's been over ten years since I've been able to play an instalment of the series without enduring physical and/or psychological trauma. The latest iteration thankfully allows players to experience the best of both worlds:  2D levels that handle just as series aficionados would remember them to, and more thoughtfully designed levels with dynamic camera angles like the Sonic of modern ilk. It was far from perfect, but Sonic Generations was so unbelievably good (not great, just above playable) that I was nearly in tears.

Even with well-instructed girl-on-girl action and Sonic's return to form, there was one game that ambushed me with its understated brilliance. The most surprisingly good game of 2011 was Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars.

When I pre-ordered my Nintendo 3DS, I could choose between bundles that included either Rayman 3D or this undiscovered, turn-based strategy gem. Thankfully, I went with the unknown and found Shining Force for gun nuts.

To set the scene: apart from knowing it was a launch title (it had to be, it was included in one of the bundles), I knew stuff all about this game. I searched far and wide, and apart from the optimistic musings of an old friend, I had no idea what I was in for.

 More than meets the eye

The presentation may be a bit lacklustre, the narrative mild, and the inclusion of 3D questionable, but Shadow Wars is a great game. It's also the meatiest game on Nintendo's new portable, with a campaign that could easily absorb twenty hours of your time and challenge maps after that. I can remember times where the system's battery gave out without me noticing the red lights (and thus, how much time had passed). Customizable load-outs, different classes, and solid mechanics made for the most addictive and enjoyable game available at the system's launch. It may not have been the best game of the year or even the best on the 3DS, but it's well worth a shot. 

What game(s) surprised you this year?

The Demo Downlow: Sonic Generations (again!), Forza Motorsport 4 and NFS: The Run

Welcome to the second instalment of The Demo Downlow. In a bout of deja vu, I'll be reporting on another demo for Sonic Generations, as well as trials for Frostbite 2-powered racer Need for Speed: The Run, and Microsoft's automotive heavyweight, Forza Motorsport 4. All demos were played on the Xbox 360, this time around.

Sonic Generations
The latest demo for the Blue Blur's retro-themed platformer features a cleaner version of the Green Hill, Zone 1 shown in the first demo that surfaced in June. The camera keeps up with the action this time around, and the whole experience felt a little smoother; to the point where I'm actually looking forward to its release. Also present was a reinterpretation of this zone which featured the behind-the-back perspective that's featured in Sonic's recent adventures. To my surprise, it wasn't horrible. Don't get me wrong: enemy placement and the rigid camera led to inescapable contact with enemies, but it was still possible to regain momentum. When it was actually possible to evade enemies, the action was easy to follow when compared to the disastrous Sonic Unleashed, or even the slightly less horrible Sonic the Hedgehog (2007).  

The Verdict
Sonic Generations will be an interesting package to say the least. The levels designed with the old school in mind may actually be enjoyable, and - shock horror - the modern levels may actually be playable!

Forza Motorsport 4
I'm not a huge fan of racing sims: unless it's got karts or power-ups (Blur, anyone?), I usually find it hard to sustain interest in driving on the track. So with that in mind, Forza 4 shouldn't have stood a chance; but gorgeous visuals and a bevvy of difficulty options ensured that the demo was well worth the bandwidth. One track and three cars are available in the trial, and I was blown away by the cockpit views and lighting effects. Each vehicle handled differently - for those who know me, it's not fair for me to judge realism in the realm of driving - and I'm left wanting more. 

The scenic route

The Verdict
The indelible impression left by my three rides in Switzerland may have been enough to justify a purchase, a motion seconded by my wife after only one play through. This is racing at its most beautiful, and flexible.   

Need For Speed: The Run
Two tracks and two cars - one with the caveat of dragging your friends along for the ride - await those with the requisite time and hard drive space available. It's clear that the developers, Black Box are trying to create a cinematic feel with this latest instalment of the storied racing franchise; particularly in terms of the camera moves during the race. Initially, it was off-putting; particularly after the supposed realism of Forza 4. A few minutes and replays later, and I felt as though I was getting the hang of things. It looks and plays similarly to last year's effort, Hot Pursuit; however, without the fun found in takedowns and weapons. Things got a little muddy in the second track. Multiple avalanches without any great impact on the frame rate aside, the action looked unacceptably blurry. It's also worth noting that as per the intro, the action is powered by the Frostbite 2 engine that will be under the hood of the inevitable blockbuster, Battlefield 3. If this game is anything to go by, Battlefield 3 may not look so good on the 360 (or PS3).

Walk - don't run - for the latest Need for Speed game

The Verdict
Need for Speed: The Run felt a little too Hollywood for me. A lot of style with familiar substance.

What demos have you played recently? Anything to recommend?

The Demo Downlow: Sonic Generations and El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

Supervising my dog's convalescence made for a pretty rough weekend, but when he did finally sleep, I managed to fit in quite a bit of game time. I could dedicate yet another post to inFamous, as I have nearly completed an evil playthrough on Hard difficulty, but it's time my writing escaped from the sandbox. In between bouts of my powerfully-frustrating endeavour to experience Cole McGrath's adventure in its entirety, I fit in some portable retro goodness and multiple trials of two somewhat-disappointing demos. It's not like I expected anything much from Sonic Generations but El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is one of those games that the (gaming) media will be talking about for years to come. Expect to hear the words "cult hit," "sleeper hit," and "under-rated," thrown around with gay abandon when this Old Testament-inspired title is discussed in lists that typically appear on IGN and Gameinformer.  

Sonic Generations (Played on Xbox 360)
Sega is parading the Sonic Generations demo as a limited-time only affair, giving players twenty days to soak up the trial for what will be an inescapably-mediocre final release. The game - from what I can gather - is supposed to be some sort of Sonic retrospective; which is odd, given that most of the games in the franchise's storied, twenty year history aren't worth playing. My thoughts on Sonic's post Mega Drive adventures aside, the demo treats players to the Green Hill, Zone 1; the first level of the first ever installment of Sonic the Hedgehog. Rather than simply regurgitating classic examples of level design and platforming action with pretty, high-definition graphics, the developers instead opted to spoil a sure thing by introducing a lackadaisical camera and momentum-killing physics. The latter, found in Sonic 4: Episode 1, is one of the contributing factors to Green Hill, Zone 1's length being extended to two and a half painstaking minutes as opposed to the original which can be bested in forty seconds. Jumps always seem to fall shy of their intended targets, movement through loops often stops abruptly (even though I'm still pressing forward on my controller) and that afforementioned camera fails to keep up with the action. Sure there is only one instance where the camera actually has to move to track Sonic's movement up a looping track that traces a mountain, but it lazily stutters behind him. The only positive things I have to say about it is that thankfully, the original music has been retained and the action is far easier to track than it has been since Sonic's games switched to a third-person perspective from his first adventure on the Dreamcast.

Our childhood favourite is in another castle

As much as I hate to say it: it may be time we put the hedgehog down for good. In all honesty, the blue blur hasn't been in a good game since the early nineties (mid ninenties if you want to push it). I used to think Sonic Adventure and its sequel were something of worth, but they have not aged well. Sonic Generations does not look like it is set to break the trend that's been running for the majority of Sega's mascot's lifespan. 

The Verdict
Just over two minutes of mediocrity. Save some bandwidth and download the original instalment and its wonderful sequel instead. 


El-Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (downloadable via use of a  US Playstation Network account)
I know I'm being cynical, but be prepared to hear about El-Shaddai until the day you die. It'll be mentioned alongside Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Psychonauts and many others that were darlings with the critics, but didn't necessarily enjoy commerical success. It'll be thrown into any "Are Games Art?" argument you'll encounter after its release. It will haunt videogame journalism until the end; and it won't deserve to. Well it won't based on what I've played so far, that's for sure.

It plays similar to games like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta with fixed camera angles and mainly-melee combat. The difference with El-Shaddai however, is the arsenal at the player's command; instead of an inventory of devastating weapons, you procure them from your enemies after "purifying" them. Again, as per DMC and Bayonetta, you can perform dazzling combos that can be launched into the air with the proper input. It gets old pretty fast - in El-Shaddai's case -  on account of only being able to hold one weapon at a time. Further to that, I couldn't understand what the implications of the weapons' colour were. I found that after spamming attacks, my purified weapons turned brown; did that mean they were no longer effective? Truth be told, I like the unarmed attacks I could use before equipping anything; but I'm sure that those attacks wouldn't be effective against a great many foes.

Apart from the confusing combat, there's some uninspiring platforming set to some pretty impressive backgrounds. The jumping mechanics felt a bit stiff (once again, very much like DMC) but that wasn't really of much consequence given the simplicity of these sections. The reason that I'd possibly return to El-Shaddai is not the gameplay though, it's the visuals. They aren't particularly impressive from a technical perspective, but artistically, the game manages to tick a few boxes. Jumping across lashing waves didn't feel too fresh, but it looked freaking beautiful.

 Imagine waves crashing against a mass of floating rock

Finally, the demo affords players glimpses of El-Shaddai's seemingly nonsensical, religiously-themed narrative. Lots of finger clicking, people in suits, a denim-clad hero and an old man in transforming armour isn't making for anything coherent as far as the demo is concerned. That being said, it's not really selling me on the final product either.

 Are those True Religion jeans?

The Verdict 
Looks interesting enough, but with uninspired action and a seemingly-muddled narrative, El-Shaddai may only be memorable because of its distinctive visuals.

What demos have you guys engaged with recently? Were they for games that you're looking forward to?