Portal 2 Review (PS3) – Bouncing off the walls…again.

This week’s review comes from long time friend, first time contributor Petey. I got a call early one morning about Portal 2 this and Portal 2 that. With so much enthusiasm, I had to capitalize on an opportunity to discuss what is essentially a great game and the follow up to Valve Corporation’s critically acclaimed 2007 release. So, without further ado, here are the words of Petey on Portal 2.

Taking place directly after the conclusion of the original, protagonist Chell wakes many years in the future since destroying the rogue AI unit GLaDOS who took over the portal testing facility. When she wakes, the facility’s once pristine appearance is now decrepit and overgrown.

As Chell and another character, Wheatley, move through the test chambers, GLaDOS is inadvertedly reactivated and puts the two through the paces as she rebuilds the facility. Wheatley tricks GLaDOS, trapping her core in another body, then becomes drunk with power and banishes both Chell and GLaDOS to an abandoned area of the facility deep underground. From here, the two characters must work their way back to the main chamber and take control from Wheatley.

The good
Having not played the first game, the concept really intrigued me. I love the idea of being able to access another room just by being able to point my Portal Gun (which by the way is the only thing you can see of yourself in your view) through a hole in the glass and opening a portal on a ‘white’ surface. You start off nice and easy just getting from one room to another, from down here to up or over there which can be as far as you can see.

The concept of using the portal to get to higher ground (source: Wikipedia. Yes I went to Wikipedia)

Some of the puzzles you need to solve are pretty easy, some are really hard and some are a little stupid; for the most part it's great. Challenges lay not only in picking the correct path, but firing out one portal, then another in mid air (on an angle no less) in order to build momentum and get you to distant, and otherwise inaccessible, areas of the testing grounds.

With a number of challenges presenting themselves, the game introduces gels with different properties to assist Chell with her journey. For example, the blue repulsion gel allows you jump further while the orange propulsion gel makes you run faster. A mixture of the gels and correctly placed portals will get you where you need to go.

The introduction of wormholes that are used to slowly get you from one side of the room to another puts an interesting spin on things and makes up for the very annoying gun turrets. Despite their frustrations, one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game is the challenge of getting around them, specifically, making them fall through the floor then the roof to the floor or on top of one of their own, ultimately leading to their destruction.

In addition, the voice acting of each character was also well done with the music providing great ambience for the game.

The bad
At times the game’s layout and design can be a little annoying as you only follow the one path laid out for you even though the game’s challenges are meant to occur by chance sometimes. You never get the opportunity to stumble upon something new and there is only one way to do each level. A little variety in design could’ve made this game much better.

Some of the challenges aren’t well weighted, with many challenges either much too easy or ridiculously hard. Albeit puzzle games are designed to stimulate the mind, working out what you need to do to move through the last door and finish each level can be a killer on the brain.

The ugly
The only truly ugly aspect of this game is one particular level that had me stumped. It’s near impossible requirement of having to destroy three turrets behind a glass wall kept me up at night. Once I worked out the resolution to the puzzle, I was far from impressed.

The verdict

8.0 All in all Portal 2 is a really good game. Simple in design yet very challenging, the mind bending concept and application is a brilliant way to capture the attention of gamers everywhere. Unlike a FPS or common puzzle base game, it truly pushes the boundaries and makes you think well outside the box to resolve the challenge.

Post-Scripts and Amateur Video

I'm not bringing anything new to the table today.  Some recent industry news had me thinking on some of our older posts, so it's time for some reflection..... and awful, amateur video.

The Man Vs The Fan: My First Impressions of Duke Nukem Forever
Dawson's impressions of DNF pretty closely mirrored my experience with the undewhelming return of "The King." I didn't find the game disappointing so much as there was no way - realistically - for 3D Realms, Triptych Games and Gearbox to deliver on over a decade of expectation. That being said though, it is near impossible to recommend the game to anyone; even the most die-hard Duke fan. Even with Play-Asia selling the game at under twenty dollars (US) last week, I'd still opt for the classic, Duke Nukem 3D on your platform of choice.

I'm still determined to finish it one of these days. Just so I can say that I conquered this ugly, buggy, and broken trip down memory lane. I'm not far in, but I did capture some footage of a glitch in progress. Please forgive the following:

• My questionable camera work
• My whiney voice

Worse still, minutes later and the situation still hadn't resolved itself.

I ran into this glitch minutes after loading my save. I didn't have the heart to sit through another loading screen, so I opted to finish up with From Dust.

Ageing Gracefully: The 3DS Virtual Console and Nostalgia's Warm Embrace
This was a timely piece. Weeks after this post and the trickle of classic portable releases slowed to whatever is slower than a trickle. Qix one week,  then Mario's Picross alone after that. One painfully-boring release after the next and my interest in the 3DS Virtual Console had flatlined.

After some grim financial reports from Nintendo and the situation is set to change.

Early adopters of the console will be gifted with twenty free downloadable games: ten NES games and ten Gameboy Advance games. I was also most pleased to hear that Metroid Fusion and Mario vs. Donkey Kong will be included as part of the deal. Those who come late to the 3DS party may not get free games, but they do get the console for a substantially-lower price. Anyone who logs onto the 3DS eShop before August 12 2011 will be eligible for the free games.

Source: Kotaku AU

Collector's Editions: Lots of dollars, not much sense
I just wanted to gloat about this: my lovely wife just pre-ordered the Collector's Edition of Batman: Arkham City for me. Because I love anyone who reads this blog, you can order it for sixty dollars less than the asking price at ozgameshop.com.

What do you think of my amateur camera work? I'm sorry, if that counts for anything. Hey, who wants to see some more awkward, amateur video of From Dust? 

From Dust Review (X360) - The gods control the elements, but can't reign in the people

I'll state this for the record: I have never enjoyed playing a god game, let alone any strategy game on a console. I've never played an instalment of the Populous franchise, and I didn't enjoy my time with Black & White. That makes the purchase of From Dust somewhat uncharacteristic for me, but I took the plunge on account of the striking art direction and - in all honesty - the fact that it's part of the Summer of Arcade promotion. In some ways the gambit has paid off, but shelve any illusions that From Dust is the first strategy game to work properly with a control pad. 

The Good
Breathtaking - From Dust is easily one of the most visually impressive Xbox Live Arcade titles available: from both artistic and technical perspectives. With awe-inspiring environmental effects, and a refreshing colour palette, players can literally shape the earth that their subjects tread on. The impact of the visuals is stronger still in the later stages, where you must protect a nomadic tribe from the combined threat of floods, volcanic eruptions, bushfires and tsunamis.

 Play it, you'll have a ball!

Man Vs Wild - The special abilities players are granted throughout the campaign are not only amazing to behold, but also enjoyable to experiment with. Using the "jellify water" ability, you can recreate some Old Testament stories by parting the sea and even stop a tsunami dead in its tracks. "Infinite earth" grants the ability to make mountains from nothing to impede the flow of flood and lava. Players are sufficiently empowered with planet-shaping traits to combat Mother Nature's unrelenting attack. 

Brain bender - Some of the final levels of the campaign are genuinely perplexing. The solutions that I employed - some of which I'm ashamed to admit were not my own - produced some grand visuals and a sense of achievement not found in the average strategy game.

More than your money's worth - From Dust may be priced at 1200 Microsoft Points, but there is more than enough content to justify the cost. The package includes a lengthy (read: it took me about eight hours) campaign that spans thirteen levels of increasing difficulty and thirty challenge maps that task players with completing objectives with a limited set of abilities. Unlockable "memories," also afford some replay value for those who appreciate the game's chaotic brand of disaster management.

The Bad
Quiet, I'm trying to think - Even when you know the solution, things don't always go as planned in From Dust. This on its own is understandable, but it's nothing short of painful with tribesman screaming at you repeatedly for help. The sound design lacks the depth and impact of the visuals, and you'll have heard every sound the game has to offer after fifteen minutes of sustained play.

Was it all a dream? - I'll try not to spoil anything, but the conclusion to the From Dust's story is far from satisfying.

The Ugly
The Lord commands you! - As glorious as it is to witness, From Dust suffers from some near-unforgiveable AI pathfinding issues. I can't count the amount of times that I had constructed two or more valid paths to an objective, only to have my subjects find a longer, more dangerous path or simply fail to acknowledge that one was available. Towards the end, this problem is even more apparent and frustrating. In some cases, my computer-controlled tribe created setbacks that - while easily remedied - led to another half hour of play. All of this could have been remedied if you could have some finer control over the tribe itself, but as it stands you can only tell them where to go; not how to get there.

 If you can't stand the heat, get out of God's kitchen!

One trick god-pony - As varied as the environments are, the way that you interact with them is ostensibly the same. I found the simplistic play mechanics to be exhausting towards the end, particularly when the land and people didn't always react in a consistent matter. When the game worked, I genuinely felt like a god. When it didn't, my anger knew no bounds; I would often drop lava on uncooperative villagers and swear like a sailor. From Dust made me a vengeful god on account of its sometimes cheap and repetitive gameplay.

The Verdict
Many could be sold on From Dust based on visuals alone. The game looks magnificent when players enact god-like abilities to battle Mother Nature's fury. It's gratifying when it all works as intended and you manage to stop potential disasters at the touch of a button. More often than not however, AI pathfinding issues and other inconsistencies serve to cheapen the experience. I recommend From Dust to any fans of the god game genre, just be prepared for controller-throwing levels of agony and frustration.

I Am N00b; Hear Me Mash

In terms of fighting games, my preferred brawler has always been Street Fighter. For me, nothing has ever come close to the style it exudes. Maybe it’s because it was my first ever real fighter, but I’ve never connected with others such as Tekken, Virtua Fighter or Mortal Kombat (the first two were great but then it just seemed to blend in to one big mess of the same thing but slightly tweaked).

The only problem I have with Street Fighter is that I’m not that good at it. Although I started playing it on PC at a young age during the early 90’s, that was the last I had played it… until recently.

After watching the anime series and movies numerous times over the last two decades, I decided it was finally time to put fist to face.

This is where the embarrassment begins.

Earlier this year I played Super Street Fighter IV. I heard it calling me from the other end of the video shop, enchanting me with its sweet siren song. As soon as I got home, it was in the Xbox and I was keen to start a path to glory. However, the path was a dead end.

It seems Ryu, the Wandering Warrior, cannot wander too far at the hands of a n00b. His journey often ended after 30 seconds and numerous “WTF?!?” moments. My record ‘arse on a platter’ knockout was nine seconds. That’s right – nine seconds. I was gutted and had to go for a long walk and think about what I’d done.

I dabbled with other players and seemed to have a little more luck with Sagat, but Dhalsim, Blanka, Zangief and Vega all offered poor results.

The game sat there, mocking me from a distance, until I returned it the next day with my head hanging in shame. It was one of those moments where you could tell strangers somehow knew what you’d done and were quietly laughing about it with their friends.

Thankfully Dutch came to the party and told me he had similar woes, with his win/loss ratio differing significantly between the Super and standard versions. Further searching confirmed this is a common result and I started to build my confidence. Maybe I could win more than one fight against a weak player…

Now that I can finally look Ryu in the eye, I bought SFIV for both the iPhone and 360 with much better results. Much like the UFC games, it’s not about mashing, but more about learning your character and knowing how to use them in battle. Ryu’s path is now looking a little longer and a little more respectable.

What are your greatest n00b moments?

Neon Wasteland: How to Break an Honest Heart

First of all, an apology to the Bitmob staff - particularly Dan "Shoe" Hsu who awarded me with the download that is the subject of this post - for ignoring a lesson from my childhood: when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me. Last month, I disclosed that I had assumed that I had to finish the Fallout: New Vegas' main quest line in order to have a chance of surviving the downloadable expansion, Honest Hearts. Upon deciding the fate of New Vegas however, I learned that there's no going back. It probably would have made sense to consult a resource like the Fallout Wiki, however I piggishly insisted on slogging it out alone.

 This conversation never happened!

So without further ado, my first adventure to Zion National Park.

It started out pretty rough; mainly because I couldn't find the NPC to start the quest that takes you to Zion. It was placed pretty clearly on my map, but in the middle of the night, a darkened cave entrance isn't overly obvious. Which is just as well, because without stumbling to the north of the Mojave Wasteland, I wouldn't have come across a small squad of aliens with ridiculously effective weaponry.

Equipped with some other-worldly hardware, I wandered around the Mojave until sunrise. Then I could see the gaping hole that evaded me during night hours. I wandered in and came across a wary group of travellers. I was told I could join them after lightening my pack. After two hours searching for this introductory quest, I'd now have to wander back to the New Vegas Strip to drop most of my gear. Fast forward fifteen minutes and I was back where I needed to be and ready to go.

Now for the frustarting part.

After initiating the first quest and watching a modest slideshow, my companions came under fire from some indigenous folk. Knee deep in the blood of newly-acquired friends, I fought back, killing all of the White Legs people who opposed me. I looted my assailants' freshly-fallen bodies and proceeded across a rickety bridge. Again I came under fire, this time from a unique NPC named Follows-Chalk. Heart still pumping from the assualt I had just survived, I switched to my alien firearm and reduced my opponent to a blue, chalky substance. To my surprise, I received notification that I had failed a quest and that another had been added, "Chaos in Zion." Bemused, I carried on with weapon drawn.

 Wrong place, wrong time.

The environment in Honest Hearts was uncharacteristically captivating. Indigenous art decorated cliff faces. Instead of the dreary browns, greys and pale greens of the Mojave Wasteland, Honest Hearts is home to earthy, red tones and rustic camp ground structures. A complete and necessary change in palette.

Despite the inviting, new location, I still found myself subject to an unrelenting assault from all of the Zion National Park's inhabitants: regardless of tribe or species. No matter how many locations I came across, not a single living creature was happy to see me. Surely this new expansion was not solely a survival-based affair? I began to question whether there would be any conversations or friendlies to encounter in this beautiful hellhole. Still, my enemies were no match for my recently-acquired alien blaster. Even the giant yao guai and cazadors were helpless against this other-worldly hardware.

The killing continued. I slaughtered Daniel, Walking Cloud, the Sorrows, Dead Horses and anything else that moved, until I finally reached the quest marker at the north of the map in Zion Canyon. I collected a map and was then instructed to return to the Mojave to complete the quest - and unbeknownst to me - the Honest Hearts expansion.

I watched another slideshow that described the carnage I had brought to this intriguing location. I had unknowingly flunked the downloadable quest, but still: what were the developers thinking, with a quest that could so easily be shrugged off course with some careless fire? Under assault almost the second I arrived in Zion, I could only assume that Follows-Chalk was another savage enemy.

There's that word again: assume. I was so busy defending myself from the frenzied attack of the White Legs tribe that I assumed Follows-Chalk would do me harm and because of that, Honest Hearts was almost completely lost to me.

 This dude looks evil, but I guess I shouldn't assume

Quest Design 101: Do not place an all-important NPC in the midst of a deadly firefight. A battle where one stray bullet can cancel out hours of potential questing.

Can you recall any other examples of broken quest design?

Bastion Review (X360) - Tell me how the world ends

When I first heard that former Gamespot editor, Greg Kasavin was abandoning journalism in order to pursue a career in game design I felt conflicted. One one hand, one of the few critics that I trusted (read: agreed with often) would no longer be offering their opinion for public consumption. On the other, someone who had spent over ten years assessing videogames would now be in the business of making them; seeing the flaws in a decade's worth of titles could potentially give him the insight to make a "perfect" game. Bastion may not be perfect, but it is one of the finest games available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Developer Supergiant Games' first effort catalogues the adventures of a hero referred to only as "The Kid," who investigates the catastrophic event known as "The Calamity."

The Good
Tale for the ages - Bastion's story starts off as fairly standard RPG fare: a lonely hero is tasked with finding items and survivors in an attempt to undo the damage dealt by an apocalyptic event. The use of a narrator, however, serves to develop the characters and events of the game as well as foreshadow every victory, loss and betrayal that players will experience over the course of the adventure. It is also genuinely affecting in its final stages. I don't think I've ever previously played an Action RPG with a memorable story, let alone one that had me in tears towards the end. This is a beautiful game in more ways than one.

The handmade tale - Bastion is a visual treat with hand-painted backgrounds and an assortment of enemies that are all animated expertly. With an isometric perspective and melee-centric combat, the game is initially reminiscent of hack-and-slash games from previous hardware generations. After a few hours though, players will have access to an arsenal of ranged and melee weapons, as well as "secret skills"  that add a layer of depth not usually found in an XBLA title. It may feel a little familiar to begin with, but in the end, Bastion is in a league of its own in terms of play and presentation.

 Every Bastion screenshot is worth a thousand words (992 to go)

Tell me how the world ends - While I have touched on this previously, the use of a narrator is a master stroke. The way Rucks comments on every event adds a level of suspense and intrigue that I've not felt since the original Bioshock. The commentary also evoked the odd smile when I was chastised for being careless in battle. Every idiosyncrasy is subject to Rucks' observations and Bastion is all the better for it.

Fight for freedom - Bastion's weapon and skill customization system is the most friendly that I've encountered in the genre. When you upgrade a weapon, you select from one of two buffs. If you find that the weapon isn't performing as intended, you can switch to the other perk at no cost. You can also choose to equip any combination of weapons that you've acquired; melee or ranged only, if you please. The freedom to switch your loadout - to the point where each weapon functions differently - is a refreshing change from the hack-and-slash norm. 

New Game Plus - It worked for Crysis 2, and it works for Bastion. I love being able to carry over weapons, upgrades and abilities for a second playthrough as it serves to cut out the repetition and still make for a rewarding experience. I'm half-way through my second crack at the campaign and am hoping to earn all two hundred available Achievement Points.

The Bad
Spoiler Alert! - While I did love the running commentary, there were a few times that it did serve to spoil the odd plot twist. That being said, a lot of the developments were somewhat predictable.

 Psst! It's hiding in the long grass.

Broadside of the barn - As much as I loved experimenting with each of the ranged weapons - and the melee weapons with ranged capabilities - most were just a little too fiddly for my liking. Often my aim would stray just to the side of my intended target, no matter what adjustments I made to the sticks. The Proving Ground challenge with the War Machete is one the most painfully-frustrating time attack challenges I've had the "pleasure" of playing through.

The Ugly
Justify my thug - Most of the Proving Ground challenges are more frustrating than they are fun. Almost all of them are time attack activities which are subject to the imprecise aiming controls described above. Further to that, most of them aren't worth attempting unless you've upgraded the weapon that is the focus of the challenge at least three times (out of a possible five).

 No games until you've finished your chores!

Easy Rider -Despite the depth in options for approaching combat, Bastion can be powered through  without much opposition. Throw in the right mix of upgrades and secret skills and some levels present little in the way of challenge. It should be noted that after a certain point, you can actually make the game harder by activating idols in the Shrine.

The Verdict
Bastion is one of the best XBLA titles available and a perfect start to Microsoft's "Summer/Winter (depending on where you live) of Arcade." With beautiful graphics, a moving, well-told story, and a refreshing level of freedom in terms of combat, Bastion is well worth 1200 Microsoft Points. Highly recommended, and be sure to have some tissues at the ready towards the end.

Bastion: Innovation in Narration

Bastion - the first offering from the Xbox Live Arcade’s “Summer of Arcade” promotion - oozes charm. Its visuals and isometric perspective hark back to classic RPGs like The Adventures of Alundra and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The combat system and other gameplay mechanics also appear to be reminiscent of Action RPGs released in the nineties. Innovation lies in the game’s sound design though. Not necessarily in the sound effects or the contemporary soundtrack, but in the use of a narrator. 

Other games have used them before, though not as comprehensively as Bastion. Previous instalments of the Fallout franchise have opened and concluded proceedings with Ron Perlman’s dulcet commentary, but his voice is notably absent throughout the action of each adventure. The narrator in that case sets the tone, but doesn’t maintain it. Supergiant Games’ first effort offers a new approach, with a narrator providing observation on most aspects of the player’s experience.

Bastion’s narrator, Rucks comments on almost every action the player takes. He will taunt you when you become careless and fall or take massive damage. He will remind you to heal yourself when you’re close to death. He will celebrate and detail the acquisition of new gear. He will lament your passing. 

For the first few minutes, I found this constant commentary distracting; almost annoying. About three hours in however, and this vocal chronicle of my adventure is essential. It elevates what is - in all honesty – a fairly standard, though beautifully-rendered hack-and-slash adventure to a thoughtful experience that I would recommend without hesitation. You need to listen to fully appreciate what Bastion offers, and how it differs to every Action RPG before it.

The way in which every deception, betrayal, triumph and shortcoming is reinforced provides a sense of warmth and guidance that can’t be achieved with the scrolling and boxed text normally associated with the genre. It also serves to develop the story at large. I can’t think of any game – RPG or otherwise – that tells players how they’re performing, what they need to do, and what’s happening in the game’s world as effectively as Bastion. Can this narrative strategy and sound design be applied to any game? Probably not, but the results could be hilarious if not inappropriate. 

Let’s start with a game like John Woo’s Stranglehold. I would invite you to provide a transcript to read over the action you’ll witness in the clip below.

Here’s my take:  

Inspector Yuen may have been a violent man – some would say, needlessly so – but if there was anything he enjoyed more than killing, it was grinding. Jumping on a rail and sliding; killing as many people as he could, as stylishly as humanly possible. He was doing that well this time. The rail had to end sometime, didn’t it? At least he found a cart to continue his dance of carnage. Time just seemed to slow down when those bullets flew and those bodies crumpled. So many bullets, but not enough bodies to make a good score this time it would seem. There will be others though, don’t you worry. Why is he jumping against that wall? Now he’s just showing off, isn’t he? 

Maybe that’s a little too lyrical for a game that allows players to shoot their opponents in the groin and watch as their victims fall to the ground in agony? Let’s try the technique on a game that is better suited to some exposition: Grand Theft Auto IV.

Niko loved to drive; and drive fast. So he did, on his newly acquired bike. It was a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky. He was listening to some light-hearted tune that reminded him of better days. If he had hair, you’d best believe it would be trailing behind him in the Liberty City sun. One thing you should know about our friend, Niko is that he did not much appreciate the law. Nor did he care much for paying hard-earned cash to abide by it. Either way, he had better slow down if he has any hope of avoiding certain death. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Few people would have called him a good man, but no one deserves to be thrown into the Liberty City deep like old Niko just was. 

Are there any games you can think of that would be richer with the inclusion of an all-seeing narrator? Have you got a transcript that you would like to share?