It's difficult to ignore the chaos occurring about an hour up the road. Some people have lost everything (or just about everything) to a vicious torrent of water. A force which does not yield to reason. Games have served as a distraction to the media frenzy and panicked Facebook posts; but the likes of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Monday Night Combat have failed to effectively wrest my attention from the destruction seen in Brisbane and further north; and nor should it.
Bottom line is: I'm exceptionally lucky as the floods haven't reached the Gold Coast, and my thoughts go out to all those affected by the disaster transpiring as I write. Not that my thoughts will mean much to you if your car has been washed away or you've lost a loved one.
Why all the self indulgence? Just feeling a little guilty that my shit has remained untouched (thankful, mind you), while others have endured so much loss. Rather than ramble on; for those whose consoles remain dry and functional, let's talk Monday Night Combat.
First things first: MNC is no Team Fortress 2. Sure it features class-based combat across some interesting locales. The game also has a sense of humor that can incite the odd laugh (it has nothing on TF2, but still the visuals have some personality). What it's missing however is balance. With a solid connection, the melee-centric antics of the Assassin class can be frustrating. Throw some lag into the mix, and they become damn near unstoppable. Skipping across the map (often cloaked), these one-hit-killers are almost game breakers. The Gunner class also seems a little too effective for my liking. The Assault is your vanilla flavour, with a rifle and grenade launcher. For the moment it is my class of choice, even if it lacks real stopping power. The creatively named, Support class can fix turrets and heal players; and there are no points for guessing the function and loadout of the Sniper class. I'm yet to use the Tank, and am inclined to question their inclusion when you already have a heavy weapons guy in the Gunner. Regardless of your choice of class; if there is any lag, prepare to be dominated.
The central concept is strong enough to make me want to forgive the afformentioned faults: an inspired combination of third person shooter and tower defence, Monday Night Combat has the potential to eat up hours of my time. Players are tasked with guiding their team's bots to the opposition's Moneyball. If enough of your bots attack the Moneyball, its shield will drop and become vulnerable to attack (obviously, you then try to destroy it for the win). Player and bot kills earn you money which can be spent on a variety of abilities and support options. You can defend your own Moneyball by building and upgrading turrets, or by destroying enemy bot and players. If you're feeling selfish, you can choose to upgrade your own abilities instead of setting up a defensive perimeter. All the money in the world however, won't save you from the effects of lag. Even with a few upgraded towers, a player with a strong connection has (in my limited experience) almost always turned the tide.
I wish I went with the PC version, which sees release on January 24th; as I believe the odds of finding matches with playable connections would be slightly more favourable. Still, Monday Night Combat is well worth a trial. I doubt that I will play it for anywhere near as long as I have Team Fortress 2, but if you're looking for a solid team shooter, jump in!
Wednesday, January 12
Monday, January 10
Stealth and its Opposite
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, you have a few recycled assets, and some familiar gameplay elements. Sure the combat has been tweaked, and some truly brutal animations have been added; but on the whole, there is a lot here that anyone who has played Assassin's Creed II (or even its less polished predecessor) will have experienced previously. There are some new additions to the formula, but they either serve to make the game less difficult or are ill-conceived and cause quite a bit of frustration. Counter to that of course, you have a new (albeit, poorly paced) chapter in a truly compelling saga, with some arresting developments. I'm not going to discuss the multiplayer offering, as I have been unable to find a match. Apparently it's great, but I can't say for sure.
To give you an idea of one of the more flippantly-developed, new gameplay mechanics, there have been at least three occasions where stealth is either an option or a requirement. When it's an option, you can run with it and hope for the best. Apart from blending (which didn't help in the mission staged in a Borgia stonghold), and hanging from ledges (once again, not helpful in an interior environment), there aren't many other ways I'm aware of to remain concealed. In the one mission I played where being discovered results in mission failure; guards were patrolling in great numbers, and killing one of them would mean that the enemy would be alerted to my presence (at least theoretically) and I would be unable to achieve the secondary objective. I tried to sneak around, but there were no groups of civilians to hide amongst, and no cluttered mass of structures to move amongst. After failing the mission several times I turned to murder. Killing a guard did not incite the expected response: a few gathered around the body, talking excitedly as though they had discovered a bag of gifts. One crossbow bolt after another, my enemies seemed unperturbed by their impending demise. Rather than be detected and fail the mission (again and again), I resorted to killing every guard that littered the map.
For those of you that have not yet played Brotherhood, allow me explain why this homicidal rampage was frustration with a chaser of disappointment. For each mission in the most recent iteration of the series, players can complete secondary objectives in order to achieve "Full Synchronisation." Initially, I was excited at the prospect of completing these peripheral challenges, which often test speed and combat skill. The whole concept turned unattractive once stealth and the utilization of some of the more half-baked gameplay mechanics became the requisite for success. It has come to the point where I don't even look at the optional goals anymore.
I'm still enjoying Ezio's new adventure (Desmond, take him or leave him), and now it's finally starting to get interesting. Flawed new mechanics aside, this is still the same succesful formula with the same religious conspiracy which I find fascinating (almost essential).
What did you guys play this weekend? Anybody else started playing through Brotherhood? Does anyone care to?
Dutch note: To add insult to injury, please see below for a flawless playthrough off the section I just bitched about. Be warned, contains spoilers.
To give you an idea of one of the more flippantly-developed, new gameplay mechanics, there have been at least three occasions where stealth is either an option or a requirement. When it's an option, you can run with it and hope for the best. Apart from blending (which didn't help in the mission staged in a Borgia stonghold), and hanging from ledges (once again, not helpful in an interior environment), there aren't many other ways I'm aware of to remain concealed. In the one mission I played where being discovered results in mission failure; guards were patrolling in great numbers, and killing one of them would mean that the enemy would be alerted to my presence (at least theoretically) and I would be unable to achieve the secondary objective. I tried to sneak around, but there were no groups of civilians to hide amongst, and no cluttered mass of structures to move amongst. After failing the mission several times I turned to murder. Killing a guard did not incite the expected response: a few gathered around the body, talking excitedly as though they had discovered a bag of gifts. One crossbow bolt after another, my enemies seemed unperturbed by their impending demise. Rather than be detected and fail the mission (again and again), I resorted to killing every guard that littered the map.
For those of you that have not yet played Brotherhood, allow me explain why this homicidal rampage was frustration with a chaser of disappointment. For each mission in the most recent iteration of the series, players can complete secondary objectives in order to achieve "Full Synchronisation." Initially, I was excited at the prospect of completing these peripheral challenges, which often test speed and combat skill. The whole concept turned unattractive once stealth and the utilization of some of the more half-baked gameplay mechanics became the requisite for success. It has come to the point where I don't even look at the optional goals anymore.
I'm still enjoying Ezio's new adventure (Desmond, take him or leave him), and now it's finally starting to get interesting. Flawed new mechanics aside, this is still the same succesful formula with the same religious conspiracy which I find fascinating (almost essential).
What did you guys play this weekend? Anybody else started playing through Brotherhood? Does anyone care to?
Dutch note: To add insult to injury, please see below for a flawless playthrough off the section I just bitched about. Be warned, contains spoilers.
Friday, January 7
Level up – Platform Gaming
This week marked the return to work for many, including myself, and boy was I easily distracted. Unmotivated first-day-backers with nothing to do but delete emails were all over me, sharing details of our brief time off and discussing the finer points of the Family Guy Star Wars trilogy.
Soon the conversation turned towards gaming and the games of yesteryear that we played.
I mostly spoke of side scrolling platformers such as Commander Keen and the Apogee classics like Halloween Harry and Monster Bash; games that were essentially the same but with different characters.
By this I mean there was the protagonist (sometimes an established hero, other times unwillingly thrust into the position) who had to fight monsters/aliens/vegetables and save the planet. All this was done with what seemed like the simple combination of walk-walk-walk-jump-shoot-repeat.
Along the way, the hero had to collect something to help their journey and get home. In most cases it was hostages taken by the enemy, other times it was a name/word, jewels or other items of value.
Not only was the story simple to grasp, so were the controls. You could only move left or right with two additional buttons, generally jump and shoot. Quite basic in comparison to today’s games, which are often complete, free roaming 3D environments with multiple action buttons.
Take for example Crash Bandicoot. This 90’s classic was developed in a time when side scrolling platform games were evolving from 2D to 3D environments. I remember playing this with my wife. While she thoroughly enjoyed it, she became frustrated at the view and multiple buttons - a frustration which, at times, we all share. In contrast, when I gave her the controls to Sonic the Hedgehog, she left me for dead.
Even Disney/DreamWorks releases have changed significantly over the years. One of the more enjoyable movie adaptations was Disney’s Aladdin on the Sega Mega Drive; a far cry from the high res 3D worlds of Toy Story 3 and Kung Fu Panda.
Now, major release 2D side scrolling platformers i.e. sold in a box in a shop are pretty much limited to the Wii console and PC. While Xbox Live (and presumably PlayStation Network?) offers arcade games and demos, these titles are hardly major releases.
Despite continuing the side scrolling platform games with titles such as Donkey Kong Country Returns and New Super Mario Bros., I think what I find most impressive about the Wii is DLC from the Virtual Console which includes hundreds of vintage games from the Nintendo/Sega back catalogue.
Earthworm Jim, Boogerman, Super Mario Bros., Alex Kidd and so many more are just sitting there, ripe for reminiscing and reliving the virtual adventures of your childhood.
I noticed on Steam recently (I’m new to Steam and this will be evident in about two seconds) that you can pick up original Sega games like Altered Beast and Alex Kidd, and even more modern platformers like Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey.
As you can probably tell, I think this is a great concept, which ensures original arcade platform games are available for a new generation of gamers and are cheap enough (less than US$5) for account holders not to be too bothered.
While I’m not going to trade the 360 for a SNES any time soon, the 2D side scrolling genre of yesteryear seem to have a refreshing simplicity that I just don’t see anymore.
Have you played anything recently so old that is now feels new again? Have you discovered a 2D platform game worth the effort of downloading via the Virtual Console/buying?
Soon the conversation turned towards gaming and the games of yesteryear that we played.
I mostly spoke of side scrolling platformers such as Commander Keen and the Apogee classics like Halloween Harry and Monster Bash; games that were essentially the same but with different characters.
By this I mean there was the protagonist (sometimes an established hero, other times unwillingly thrust into the position) who had to fight monsters/aliens/vegetables and save the planet. All this was done with what seemed like the simple combination of walk-walk-walk-jump-shoot-repeat.
Along the way, the hero had to collect something to help their journey and get home. In most cases it was hostages taken by the enemy, other times it was a name/word, jewels or other items of value.
Not only was the story simple to grasp, so were the controls. You could only move left or right with two additional buttons, generally jump and shoot. Quite basic in comparison to today’s games, which are often complete, free roaming 3D environments with multiple action buttons.
Take for example Crash Bandicoot. This 90’s classic was developed in a time when side scrolling platform games were evolving from 2D to 3D environments. I remember playing this with my wife. While she thoroughly enjoyed it, she became frustrated at the view and multiple buttons - a frustration which, at times, we all share. In contrast, when I gave her the controls to Sonic the Hedgehog, she left me for dead.
Even Disney/DreamWorks releases have changed significantly over the years. One of the more enjoyable movie adaptations was Disney’s Aladdin on the Sega Mega Drive; a far cry from the high res 3D worlds of Toy Story 3 and Kung Fu Panda.
Now, major release 2D side scrolling platformers i.e. sold in a box in a shop are pretty much limited to the Wii console and PC. While Xbox Live (and presumably PlayStation Network?) offers arcade games and demos, these titles are hardly major releases.
Despite continuing the side scrolling platform games with titles such as Donkey Kong Country Returns and New Super Mario Bros., I think what I find most impressive about the Wii is DLC from the Virtual Console which includes hundreds of vintage games from the Nintendo/Sega back catalogue.
Earthworm Jim, Boogerman, Super Mario Bros., Alex Kidd and so many more are just sitting there, ripe for reminiscing and reliving the virtual adventures of your childhood.
I noticed on Steam recently (I’m new to Steam and this will be evident in about two seconds) that you can pick up original Sega games like Altered Beast and Alex Kidd, and even more modern platformers like Oddworld: Abe’s Odyssey.
As you can probably tell, I think this is a great concept, which ensures original arcade platform games are available for a new generation of gamers and are cheap enough (less than US$5) for account holders not to be too bothered.
While I’m not going to trade the 360 for a SNES any time soon, the 2D side scrolling genre of yesteryear seem to have a refreshing simplicity that I just don’t see anymore.
Have you played anything recently so old that is now feels new again? Have you discovered a 2D platform game worth the effort of downloading via the Virtual Console/buying?
Wednesday, January 5
In case you haven't played it: Windows Phone 7 Games Review Round-up - Volume 1 (WP7)
Despite my mixed feelings about my device of choice, there is already an impressive array of Xbox Live-supported Windows 7 games available for purchase. While most of them are currently available on the iPhone in some form, the lure of achievement points and some genuinely interesting, exclusive titles can allow for the WP7 to develop into a legitimate alternative to Apple's conqueror of worlds.
The Harvest - $9
Think of The Harvest as Diablo Future with touch controls. As one of three different character classes with differing durability, strength and range; players can plough through the four available levels in just under four hours with plenty of enjoyable Action-RPG grinding on offer. There is not sufficient depth to the action to warrant multiple playthroughs; but the strength in presentation alone will ensure that most would at least complete the game with the Scarab class (which is by far the most accessible). The boss fights are fairly entertaining, and often task players with using each of their special abilities to conquer pattern-based battles. The controls are responsive, and any errors would rarely result in death (or any great amount of damage for that matter), or any great amount of frustration. The Harvest doesn't provide much challenge, especially once you have kitted out your mech. Save for the first level, which is uncharacteristically difficult when compared to the rest of the experience; you should find yourself breezing through the game. Shallow, but flashy and involved fun (7/10).
Star Wars: Cantina - $4 (Available for $1.19 on iPhone)
Star Wars: Cantina is easily the least effective use of the Star Wars license in gaming history. In order to help your old friend, Robb: Nia Adea serves drinks at his cantina to pay back a sizeable debt. You will serve patrons of differing species and/or occupations, and depending on your speed you earn larger tips to attain daily earnings targets. If you don't serve customers fast enough, they may just decide to kill your other guests or alternatively die of thirst. While I did fail to attain objectives initially, once I got the hang of it, the game offers little-to-no challenge. After finishing the Career Mode, I played through multiple times to earn the 200 available Gamerscore points and never lost a customer or failed a subsequent playthrough. The game looks pretty enough, but the touch controls often fail to respond as required, leading to much frustration. You can upgrade the facilities to cater to specific customers, or increase the speed at which drinks are prepared; but ultimately Star Wars: Cantina is a shallow experience that will leave you looking for reasons to leave Tatooine (4/10).
Flowerz - Free
Flowerz is yet another Match Three game, that tasks you to match three to five flowers of the same colour in order to work through a quota of, well, flowers. There are some interesting mechanics at play, such as the shovel which allows you to move flowers to a more convenient space, and later on, certain flowers when cleared, will leave different coloured buds (depending on the coloured centre of the plant cleared) which adds another layer of strategy. From a presentation perspective, Flowerz is the quintessential free game; with modest looks and sound. The game often failed to precisely register my touch, which at times resulted in the loss of game-saving shovels and butterflies.While it definitely provides an experience worthy of its price tag, Flowerz is nothing new, and nothing memorable (4/10).
Bejeweled LIVE - $6.50 (Bejeweled 2 & Blitz available on the iPhone for $1.19)
Another Match Three game, but with a level of polish and depth that something of the likes of Flowerz fails to emulate; Bejeweled LIVE is beautiful and fiendishly addictive. Classic, Action and Endless modes each offer sufficiently different experience to warrant hours of sustained play. Be warned though, this game drained the battery of my phone like none other; with two hours of play eating over half of the battery power. The game features fantastic Leaderboard support, which has resulted in even more hours spent staring at my phone. While Bejeweled LIVE doesn't offer anything substantially different from its predecessors, it is easily one of the more refined WP7 games available at launch, and worth the investment (8/10).
Flight Control - $4 (Available on the iPhone for $1.19)
Fun, almost addictive puzzle game that almost anyone with an iPhone would have (and probably should have) played. Players are tasked with tracing landing paths for varying types of aircrafts, over several different airports (each with their own arrangement of landing strips) which are each subject to varying weather conditions and obstacles. Despite my best efforts, I have failed to develop the skill level required to post any exorbitant scores; but I have had fun nonetheless. I should note that I have not had any luck viewing Leaderboards populated with any scores other than my own, which is slightly disappointing. The game controls extremely well on my handest, with few errors in touch recognition. With simple graphics, compelling gameplay and inoffensive sound; Flight Control is a worthy addition to anyone's WP7 game library (7/10).
It is probably worth noting that I am bit of a snob when it comes to phone gaming. Apart from Bejeweled LIVE, none of the games I have played on my WP7 handset (or an iPhone for that matter) have provided an experience comparable to that offered on dedicated portable consoles (specifically the DS and PSP). That being said however, it's come to the point where I can't really afford to continue investing in said machines as the games are considerably more expensive. Maybe publishers can price content for consoles more competitively, so the PSP and DS can get a look in again (I stress that this is for me, I am under no illusion that these platforms can't survive without my patronage)? Then again, maybe pigs will fly?
Has anyone else picked a WP7 handset? What games have you been playing? Has everyone else got an iPhone?
The Harvest - $9
Think of The Harvest as Diablo Future with touch controls. As one of three different character classes with differing durability, strength and range; players can plough through the four available levels in just under four hours with plenty of enjoyable Action-RPG grinding on offer. There is not sufficient depth to the action to warrant multiple playthroughs; but the strength in presentation alone will ensure that most would at least complete the game with the Scarab class (which is by far the most accessible). The boss fights are fairly entertaining, and often task players with using each of their special abilities to conquer pattern-based battles. The controls are responsive, and any errors would rarely result in death (or any great amount of damage for that matter), or any great amount of frustration. The Harvest doesn't provide much challenge, especially once you have kitted out your mech. Save for the first level, which is uncharacteristically difficult when compared to the rest of the experience; you should find yourself breezing through the game. Shallow, but flashy and involved fun (7/10).
Star Wars: Cantina - $4 (Available for $1.19 on iPhone)
Star Wars: Cantina is easily the least effective use of the Star Wars license in gaming history. In order to help your old friend, Robb: Nia Adea serves drinks at his cantina to pay back a sizeable debt. You will serve patrons of differing species and/or occupations, and depending on your speed you earn larger tips to attain daily earnings targets. If you don't serve customers fast enough, they may just decide to kill your other guests or alternatively die of thirst. While I did fail to attain objectives initially, once I got the hang of it, the game offers little-to-no challenge. After finishing the Career Mode, I played through multiple times to earn the 200 available Gamerscore points and never lost a customer or failed a subsequent playthrough. The game looks pretty enough, but the touch controls often fail to respond as required, leading to much frustration. You can upgrade the facilities to cater to specific customers, or increase the speed at which drinks are prepared; but ultimately Star Wars: Cantina is a shallow experience that will leave you looking for reasons to leave Tatooine (4/10).
Flowerz - Free
Flowerz is yet another Match Three game, that tasks you to match three to five flowers of the same colour in order to work through a quota of, well, flowers. There are some interesting mechanics at play, such as the shovel which allows you to move flowers to a more convenient space, and later on, certain flowers when cleared, will leave different coloured buds (depending on the coloured centre of the plant cleared) which adds another layer of strategy. From a presentation perspective, Flowerz is the quintessential free game; with modest looks and sound. The game often failed to precisely register my touch, which at times resulted in the loss of game-saving shovels and butterflies.While it definitely provides an experience worthy of its price tag, Flowerz is nothing new, and nothing memorable (4/10).
Bejeweled LIVE - $6.50 (Bejeweled 2 & Blitz available on the iPhone for $1.19)
Another Match Three game, but with a level of polish and depth that something of the likes of Flowerz fails to emulate; Bejeweled LIVE is beautiful and fiendishly addictive. Classic, Action and Endless modes each offer sufficiently different experience to warrant hours of sustained play. Be warned though, this game drained the battery of my phone like none other; with two hours of play eating over half of the battery power. The game features fantastic Leaderboard support, which has resulted in even more hours spent staring at my phone. While Bejeweled LIVE doesn't offer anything substantially different from its predecessors, it is easily one of the more refined WP7 games available at launch, and worth the investment (8/10).
Flight Control - $4 (Available on the iPhone for $1.19)
Fun, almost addictive puzzle game that almost anyone with an iPhone would have (and probably should have) played. Players are tasked with tracing landing paths for varying types of aircrafts, over several different airports (each with their own arrangement of landing strips) which are each subject to varying weather conditions and obstacles. Despite my best efforts, I have failed to develop the skill level required to post any exorbitant scores; but I have had fun nonetheless. I should note that I have not had any luck viewing Leaderboards populated with any scores other than my own, which is slightly disappointing. The game controls extremely well on my handest, with few errors in touch recognition. With simple graphics, compelling gameplay and inoffensive sound; Flight Control is a worthy addition to anyone's WP7 game library (7/10).
It is probably worth noting that I am bit of a snob when it comes to phone gaming. Apart from Bejeweled LIVE, none of the games I have played on my WP7 handset (or an iPhone for that matter) have provided an experience comparable to that offered on dedicated portable consoles (specifically the DS and PSP). That being said however, it's come to the point where I can't really afford to continue investing in said machines as the games are considerably more expensive. Maybe publishers can price content for consoles more competitively, so the PSP and DS can get a look in again (I stress that this is for me, I am under no illusion that these platforms can't survive without my patronage)? Then again, maybe pigs will fly?
Has anyone else picked a WP7 handset? What games have you been playing? Has everyone else got an iPhone?
Monday, January 3
The Dutch Knight Returns (The Hangover)
Sorry, I've been reading a lot of Batman comics over the last few weeks.
If we're to ignore the fact that I've recently married, and I haven't written a thing because of the long (and much enjoyed) honeymoon, I'll cut straight to the chase: I'm not ready for 2011. There are still plenty of games from the years previous with which I am yet to properly engage. A gaming hangover as it were.
My plans for the next few weeks involve finishing Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. From there, my priorities are unclear. Do I finally finish Mass Effect 2? Do I delve into the thirty-something games I purchased during the Steam Holiday Sale? The point of this musing for you all, is that I probably won't be touching any games released this year until March, with the release of Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds.
Speaking of the Steam Holiday Sale, it's still going until approximately 4am Tuesday (AEST), so get on there and grab a bargain (you will have missed some of the more unbelievable daily specials, but there are still plenty of games going for little more than a song). Some of my picks included Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Edition, Command & Conquer 4: Tiberium Twilight, Left 4 Dead 2, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Tropico 3, Machinarium, Hitman: Blood Money, Crysis and Crysis: Warhead. All up I spent just over two hundred dollars, and have (arguably) enough games to last me up until the next end of year sale.
I hope that you'll stay with me until I'm ready for the new year. I've spent just over a month with a Windows 7 phone, and have some impressions to impart. I've also played through quite a few games for the WP7 OS; the problem of course, is that almost all of the games I've played have been released on the iPhone, but still cost more (in the case of Bejewled LIVE, the difference is over 5 dollars! I'm not going to argue semantics either. I know that Bejeweled 2 is available for IOS, and Bejeweled Live is on WP7: but they are the same freaking game).
What did you guys play over the holiday break? Did you miss me? Happy New Year!
If we're to ignore the fact that I've recently married, and I haven't written a thing because of the long (and much enjoyed) honeymoon, I'll cut straight to the chase: I'm not ready for 2011. There are still plenty of games from the years previous with which I am yet to properly engage. A gaming hangover as it were.
My plans for the next few weeks involve finishing Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. From there, my priorities are unclear. Do I finally finish Mass Effect 2? Do I delve into the thirty-something games I purchased during the Steam Holiday Sale? The point of this musing for you all, is that I probably won't be touching any games released this year until March, with the release of Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds.
Speaking of the Steam Holiday Sale, it's still going until approximately 4am Tuesday (AEST), so get on there and grab a bargain (you will have missed some of the more unbelievable daily specials, but there are still plenty of games going for little more than a song). Some of my picks included Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Edition, Command & Conquer 4: Tiberium Twilight, Left 4 Dead 2, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Tropico 3, Machinarium, Hitman: Blood Money, Crysis and Crysis: Warhead. All up I spent just over two hundred dollars, and have (arguably) enough games to last me up until the next end of year sale.
I hope that you'll stay with me until I'm ready for the new year. I've spent just over a month with a Windows 7 phone, and have some impressions to impart. I've also played through quite a few games for the WP7 OS; the problem of course, is that almost all of the games I've played have been released on the iPhone, but still cost more (in the case of Bejewled LIVE, the difference is over 5 dollars! I'm not going to argue semantics either. I know that Bejeweled 2 is available for IOS, and Bejeweled Live is on WP7: but they are the same freaking game).
What did you guys play over the holiday break? Did you miss me? Happy New Year!
Friday, December 31
In case you haven’t played it: Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction (Xbox 360)
As a long time fan of the Splinter Cell series, all I hoped was that Splinter Cell Conviction (SCC) was a significant improvement on the previous instalment, Double Agent. Thankfully, it was.
Cinematic and fluid, the story is told retrospectively through the eyes of Victor Coste, Sam Fisher’s long time friend and military companion. Coste is being interrogated by government agents in order to understand the events of the previous week, with game play unfolding as more information is revealed.
The game starts in Malta, with Fisher still mourning the untimely death of his daughter, Sarah. He is no longer associated with Third Echelon and is trying to live the quiet life. Fisher is soon presented with information about the events surrounding his daughter’s death and is lured back into duty once again.
In typical Tom Clancy style, this leads to a much bigger situation and results in a domestic terrorist plot within the United States.
Although SCC is a giant leap forward from Double Agent, it is still very different from the original game and the first sequel. Despite being a franchise about lurking in the shadows and being an effective and silent killer, the combat is much more full on and brought out of the shadows. There is a lot more unavoidable lighting and sometimes offers little to no effective cover to take out the waves of Black Arrow soldiers trying to find you (such as when outside the White House).
This was a major source of frustration for me due to the accuracy of weapons varying in different situations. Yes I realise this is an excuse used by someone who can’t shoot well, however, head shots from a distance were no problem; taking out enemies at close range was the issue. At times it took up to six rounds to drop an enemy. This was a problem that I faced too often and gave away my position too many times to overlook. As far as I’m concerned, a head shot is a head shot, and if I’m in range (according to the little red cross hairs), then the enemy should be dead instantly.
Furthermore, the AI was a little predictable, with enemies walking the same path every time, acting the same way when they discover a dead body (why can’t they be moved in this game? Aren’t I meant to be a covert operative?) and saying the same phrases whether there was one or multiple soldiers in the area.
New features such as the cover system and shadow identification system are both welcome additions but can be a hindrance at times. Apparently, take cover means to crouch. I spent most of the game crouching (and ultimately dying) because I’d take cover and then try to go elsewhere but be stuck crouching. Yes I should’ve pressed ‘crouch’ to correct it. Yes I should’ve learned after the first time, but I didn’t (and standing after taking cover should be a standard move). That said, Fisher does move quite quickly between cover and can effectively defend himself when in combat situations.
The new shadow identification system is an interesting idea. When you are in the shadows, you are invisible to enemies. To indicate this, the entire display turns black and white. In theory, this is a very cool feature – it is clear, simple and gives you the feeling of being submersed in darkness with a touch of film noir. In reality, it can prevent the identification of lights until it is too late and can get a little tired. In all honesty, it’s not that bad but it did get on my nerves at times. On occasion it even assists with the identification of traps, such as exploding BBQ’s or falling chandeliers, as they stay in full colour while everything else is monotone.
Outside of the minor issues, SCC is a great game. Its cinematic style is quite captivating and boasts helpful new killing features including a mark-and-execute system, improved stealth kills and an in-game points system to enable weapons upgrades.
The mark-and-execute system is a reward for hand-to-hand combat. Every time you sneak up on an enemy and kill them, you are given the ability to mark targets and take them out in a style befitting a professional killer. Some weapons are able to mark more targets than others and if you want to mark more enemies, all guns can be upgraded in-game.
This is done with points gained by performing tasks such as evading enemies after detection and executing stealth kills etc. This is a great incentive for players as all the moves are fairly simple and staples for survival within the Splinter Cell franchise. The stealth kills are fun to perform, with classic moves such as pulling enemies from ledges and dropping from an above pipe still proving to be entertaining.
8.0/10 - The fifth game in a stellar series, Splinter Cell Conviction is everything you expect from a Tom Clancy franchise. Challenging, visually appealing and well acted, it is one of the few games that makes me want to do better, rather than instil the feeling of having to do better. The storyline isn’t anything new however the method of storytelling (retrospective, cinematic style, flashbacks etc) creates an interesting flow of events. While some aspects of the game might be frustrating, they aren’t big enough to put down the controller and stop caring. Splinter Cell Conviction is a must have for any Tom Clancy or Splinter Cell fan, creating many hours of gaming in both the single player, co-op or multiplayer game modes.
Friday, December 24
A Patchwork Quilt
Patches have solved many a problem in the world of computers, providing a means of updating content, fixing bugs and making old games interesting again.
I’ve never been into the techy side of computers, only the pretty side. So in the mid 90’s when I received the DOS commands to modify and unlock the Australian version of Duke Nukem 3D, I was excited, anxious and scared that I was going to ruin my game and Dad’s computer forever due to a mistake in the code.
After enjoying Duke in all its unedited glory, I took interest in a CD of patches I bought with a PC magazine (these are the things we used prior to the Internet and all it’s free goodness). This opened up a world of game options for me and my friends.
One of the most memorable mods/patches was for Doom II, turning it into Simpson’s Doom. The game changed everyone into Simpson’s characters, with the space marine being portrayed by Homer.
As you shot your way through level after level, waves of characters such as Moe, Krusty and Barney would be taken out, each time crying out a renowned catch phrase. When Homer took damage, the expression on his face would change, as per the expressions of the original space marine.
Doom was modified by hundreds of people, with versions including Star Wars, Aliens and James Bond’s Goldeneye. This design aspect was included based on the number of players developing custom levels for previous first person shooters such as Wolfenstein 3D.
Today, most patches are just version updates or bug fixes, such as the recent Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit PC patch that solves the Quad Core CPU crash dilemma and weather effects. There are a multitude of games with version patches that are easily downloaded.
As a patch is essentially new programming information, one could suggest DLC from Xbox Live or PSN is the console’s way of providing patches and keeping up with the PC to ensure new games stay fresh.
Downloadable maps and weapons for Gears of War, Call of Duty or Halo 3 have added a new dimension to the multiplayer aspect of each game, while the Red Dead Redemption (RDR) patch helps prevent cheating and create a more civilised Free Roam experience.
I’ve never played RDR or used the patch, but as usual, its arrival has produced what seems like a fairly mixed reception. Some people love it while others feel it does little for the gaming experience.
What are your favourite patches, mods or DLC? Outside of provided tools such as Forge in Halo 3, have you ever taken the leap and created your own in game content?
I’ve never been into the techy side of computers, only the pretty side. So in the mid 90’s when I received the DOS commands to modify and unlock the Australian version of Duke Nukem 3D, I was excited, anxious and scared that I was going to ruin my game and Dad’s computer forever due to a mistake in the code.
After enjoying Duke in all its unedited glory, I took interest in a CD of patches I bought with a PC magazine (these are the things we used prior to the Internet and all it’s free goodness). This opened up a world of game options for me and my friends.
One of the most memorable mods/patches was for Doom II, turning it into Simpson’s Doom. The game changed everyone into Simpson’s characters, with the space marine being portrayed by Homer.
As you shot your way through level after level, waves of characters such as Moe, Krusty and Barney would be taken out, each time crying out a renowned catch phrase. When Homer took damage, the expression on his face would change, as per the expressions of the original space marine.
Doom was modified by hundreds of people, with versions including Star Wars, Aliens and James Bond’s Goldeneye. This design aspect was included based on the number of players developing custom levels for previous first person shooters such as Wolfenstein 3D.
Today, most patches are just version updates or bug fixes, such as the recent Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit PC patch that solves the Quad Core CPU crash dilemma and weather effects. There are a multitude of games with version patches that are easily downloaded.
As a patch is essentially new programming information, one could suggest DLC from Xbox Live or PSN is the console’s way of providing patches and keeping up with the PC to ensure new games stay fresh.
Downloadable maps and weapons for Gears of War, Call of Duty or Halo 3 have added a new dimension to the multiplayer aspect of each game, while the Red Dead Redemption (RDR) patch helps prevent cheating and create a more civilised Free Roam experience.
I’ve never played RDR or used the patch, but as usual, its arrival has produced what seems like a fairly mixed reception. Some people love it while others feel it does little for the gaming experience.
What are your favourite patches, mods or DLC? Outside of provided tools such as Forge in Halo 3, have you ever taken the leap and created your own in game content?
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