I've now been using the Nintendo DS for some time. Yesterday, I played for close to four hours. This is mostly a note on ergonomics. Playing the amazing Advance Wars DS, I have absolutely no problem with ergonomics. With Animal Crossing, it becomes an issue after a prolonged stay in the virtual village. (Say, half an hour in my hands.)
But I've played a little GBA F-Zero on it, and it's so excruciating, you'd swear it was meant to inflict pain. I literally can't pass a single game without gritting my teeth in agony. Seriously, I'm not going to buy any straight-on action titles for the machine. Yes, Castlevania may warrant an extended test-run on a friend's copy... Then again, it's really not the ideal environment for those kinds of games, either.
But Advance Wars really does rock a lot. The campaign is ideally challenging - you'll make progress, but the highest ranks take some doing. The additional single missions are very challenging: I haven't been so thoroughly beaten in too long a time.
In totally unrelated news, we bought a Handan DVB-T 6000 digital receiver/HDD-recorder to replace the old VHS VCR. Installation was easy - and free and very able Finnish suport was available on the phone even at 20:57 when I had a problem! The image does seem a little worse than on our previous (non-recording) digital receiver, but otherwise it's swell. We've only tested the thing so far, but the menus seem easy enough and I'm having high hopes. I do think I'll be watching more TV in the near future, if only because it's so easy to "bookmark" shows for later viewing, without the need to manually enter showtimes and so on. It very much eliminates the need for a separate TV guide, too.
Not that there were too many choices in the matter. We weren't willing to pay more than 500€ for the thing (it was 427€), we had to get a twin-tuner model and it had to have a minimum of 160 gb of HDD space. There was a whopping two models to choose from, then, and one of them was getting consistently better reviews. We thought that we had to give up the chance to get data out of the machine, but they've actually added two-way connectivity as a software update to the USB channel. Cool.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
Mecha does the 360
I'm a sucker for mecha. That is, fictional Japanese machines of war, typically meaning giant humanoid robots wielding swords and machineguns. So Xboxyde's new images of the forthcoming Xbox 360 Gundam game have me positively excited. Xbox is sorely missing out on mecha. There's only the legendary Steel Battalion, but I don't have the kind of money to buy it. There is a handful of disappointing titles available, but nothing to match the Playstation's Armored Core and Gundam games.
This would be the second reason to get a 360. Last night we checked out Oblivion over at a friend's (med-spec) PC. It was sweet: just like Morrowind, only better. The advances didn't feel like major, it was still the same game, but suitably advanced. The graphical splendor was indeed impressive, but on the other hand the more realistic surroundings made the shortcomings of the gameworld's logical consistency only more grating. That was the first time we thought that maybe we should check out the 360.
Then there's Xbox Live Arcade, which sports the likes of Smash TV, Mutant Storm, Geometry Wars and whatnot. The "XBLA" has interested me from the get-go, but buying a brand new console just to play "old games" doesn't seem like a very smart thing to do.
With Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (I actually used to play in a Ghost Recon clan on the PC) and the new Japanese RPGs coming out, maybe this summer would see me buying a 360. But so far there have been really too few reasons to do so, especially since we don't have a HDTV telly.
This would be the second reason to get a 360. Last night we checked out Oblivion over at a friend's (med-spec) PC. It was sweet: just like Morrowind, only better. The advances didn't feel like major, it was still the same game, but suitably advanced. The graphical splendor was indeed impressive, but on the other hand the more realistic surroundings made the shortcomings of the gameworld's logical consistency only more grating. That was the first time we thought that maybe we should check out the 360.
Then there's Xbox Live Arcade, which sports the likes of Smash TV, Mutant Storm, Geometry Wars and whatnot. The "XBLA" has interested me from the get-go, but buying a brand new console just to play "old games" doesn't seem like a very smart thing to do.
With Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (I actually used to play in a Ghost Recon clan on the PC) and the new Japanese RPGs coming out, maybe this summer would see me buying a 360. But so far there have been really too few reasons to do so, especially since we don't have a HDTV telly.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Nintendo DS
We bought a blue Nintendo DS. I haven't been terribly excited about it before, but I am a satisfied customer, now. The plastic looks and feels a little cheap, it's not very ergonomic, it's really quite large and the second screen feels gimmicky. Nevertheless, the whole package does work. And buying one of the colored versions also makes it look a lot better. Personally, I would've preferred the pink one, but my wife wouldn't accept it.
I've known a long time that I must get a Nintendo handheld. We've been thinking about the Gameboy Advance SP, but the DS is newer and it plays the GBA games. What really landed the deal, for us, was Animal Crossing: Wild World. We both played AC on the Gamecube a lot, and this is simply a better version of the same vision. There is one problem, though: the controls feel a little awkward. I don't know if it's because I'm left-handed or what, but I can't find a satisfactory method to control AC for an extended period. Then again, it really is best in frequent but short sessions. The upper screen is almost useless. I think Wild World is the only game, to date, which I've bought on release.
In addition to Animal Crossing, I really wanted Advance Wars: Dual Strike. It kicks butt. I appreciate the challenge: I've already had to yield one mission and I haven't been getting straight S grades. It does some interesting things with the upper screen, but mostly it's redundant. The touch interface works fine, though you don't need it.
Games I'm looking forward to on the DS include the new Pokémon (Diamond/Pearl), the new handheld Zelda (Phantom Hourglass), New Mario Bros, Zookeeper and some Castlevania. Yes, mostly updates to previous GBA successes, but hey, whatever.
I haven't got around to checking out the Wifi abilities of the console yet, so more on that some other time. Looking forward to head-to-head Advance Wars. And crossing animals, of course! Imagine the babies of today: they won't recognize a cable when they grow up. Yes, we used need those on our controllers. Yes, they maimed people, lying around in livingrooms, creating deathtraps and unsolvable knots.
In geek-related news, they rolled out the new Coca-Cola Light. It's okay. I did prefer the old one. I would've loved to post a link to a cool Coke site, but disappointingly Coca-cola.com ain't worth a visit.
I've known a long time that I must get a Nintendo handheld. We've been thinking about the Gameboy Advance SP, but the DS is newer and it plays the GBA games. What really landed the deal, for us, was Animal Crossing: Wild World. We both played AC on the Gamecube a lot, and this is simply a better version of the same vision. There is one problem, though: the controls feel a little awkward. I don't know if it's because I'm left-handed or what, but I can't find a satisfactory method to control AC for an extended period. Then again, it really is best in frequent but short sessions. The upper screen is almost useless. I think Wild World is the only game, to date, which I've bought on release.
In addition to Animal Crossing, I really wanted Advance Wars: Dual Strike. It kicks butt. I appreciate the challenge: I've already had to yield one mission and I haven't been getting straight S grades. It does some interesting things with the upper screen, but mostly it's redundant. The touch interface works fine, though you don't need it.
Games I'm looking forward to on the DS include the new Pokémon (Diamond/Pearl), the new handheld Zelda (Phantom Hourglass), New Mario Bros, Zookeeper and some Castlevania. Yes, mostly updates to previous GBA successes, but hey, whatever.
I haven't got around to checking out the Wifi abilities of the console yet, so more on that some other time. Looking forward to head-to-head Advance Wars. And crossing animals, of course! Imagine the babies of today: they won't recognize a cable when they grow up. Yes, we used need those on our controllers. Yes, they maimed people, lying around in livingrooms, creating deathtraps and unsolvable knots.
In geek-related news, they rolled out the new Coca-Cola Light. It's okay. I did prefer the old one. I would've loved to post a link to a cool Coke site, but disappointingly Coca-cola.com ain't worth a visit.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Bookshelf: My War
Last night I finished Colby Buzzell's My War: Killing Time In Iraq. In case you didn't know, Buzzell was the US infrantry soldier stationed in Iraq who got in the limelight via his popular blog, CBFTW ("Colby Buzzell, Fuck The War"). The book details Buzzell's experience in the army, in Iraq and how it all went down with his blog.
Buzzell is a pretty good writer. A lesser author's recount of the whole army experience would likely be really very boring. If you've watched the same war movies as I have, you already know most of the cliched experiences he goes through. The guy himself is a walking cliche. However, this is precisely what makes the book interesting. It's not how exotic and memorable his story is, it's the other way around. The war isn't some epic story he has to tell: it's just day to day stuff, starring very casual people. It appears that the war doesn't even change him to any noticeable degree.
Recommended light reading.
Buzzell is a pretty good writer. A lesser author's recount of the whole army experience would likely be really very boring. If you've watched the same war movies as I have, you already know most of the cliched experiences he goes through. The guy himself is a walking cliche. However, this is precisely what makes the book interesting. It's not how exotic and memorable his story is, it's the other way around. The war isn't some epic story he has to tell: it's just day to day stuff, starring very casual people. It appears that the war doesn't even change him to any noticeable degree.
Recommended light reading.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Second Sight
Sometimes you can tell that the studio was really into their project. You can tell that Free Radical was enthusiastic about Second Sight. The game just radiates a good feel right from the get-go. Mostly it's just that they've bothered to take on the details. The first impressions are carefully constructed - you're in the game's world from the second you see the main menu. As a good example, the typography is top-notch throughout.
I tend to find stealth games frustrating, as your awareness of your surroundings is always hampered by lackluster sensory input. Second Sight fares no better, yet it's so charming that I keep at it. The chief woe is the camera - it's not hopeless, but I find myself constantly toggling between the fixed angles and the controllable camera. The controllable cam keeps banging itself on the walls, which is why you don't want to use it all the time.
The game sports some excellent controls. Close combat is one-dimensional and doesn't feel like anything, but the shooting controls are awesome. They seem to be built around the idea of making the firefights feel good, not "realistic". Metal Gear series, take note! Especially sniping is a joy. You really feel like a kick-ass soldier, taking down the enemies with excellent auto-aim, finetuning your shots effortlessly and making the combat more tactical. Your auto-aim only works when you let it work by taking your time to (auto-) aim, keeping still and targeting only stationary enemies or ones moving towards you. So you can't just run around blindfolded and let the auto-aim do the work for you.
Your protagonist sports psychic powers. Of these the projection and telekinesis abilities are the most fun. It's really too cool to distract guards by throwing stuff around telekinetically - and later, throwing guards around telekinetically.
I've played plenty of "cinematic" games, but Second Sight uses cinematic techniques exceptionally. Scenes are short and to the point and they're full of cool set-pieces. For instance, games are now going all out on creating destroyable scenery. This must be technically challenging. Second Sight has featured a couple of instances where the pillars or walls used for cover by the combatants erode very convincingly under fire - and that's all I need! You get the effect, the experience, in a straightforward manner. Nevermind how complicated or all-encompassing (not very) the underlying system is.
Top that experience-centric approach with fun gameplay and you've got a winner. I'm maybe one third into the game, but unless things become dramatically worse, this one's definitely recommended.
Oh, and it's visually great, too. The framerate never drops below absolutely smooth. The characters are designed in a charismatic comic book manner, making them feel much more convincing than the "realistic" identikit characters usually seen in "serious" videogames.
I tend to find stealth games frustrating, as your awareness of your surroundings is always hampered by lackluster sensory input. Second Sight fares no better, yet it's so charming that I keep at it. The chief woe is the camera - it's not hopeless, but I find myself constantly toggling between the fixed angles and the controllable camera. The controllable cam keeps banging itself on the walls, which is why you don't want to use it all the time.
The game sports some excellent controls. Close combat is one-dimensional and doesn't feel like anything, but the shooting controls are awesome. They seem to be built around the idea of making the firefights feel good, not "realistic". Metal Gear series, take note! Especially sniping is a joy. You really feel like a kick-ass soldier, taking down the enemies with excellent auto-aim, finetuning your shots effortlessly and making the combat more tactical. Your auto-aim only works when you let it work by taking your time to (auto-) aim, keeping still and targeting only stationary enemies or ones moving towards you. So you can't just run around blindfolded and let the auto-aim do the work for you.
Your protagonist sports psychic powers. Of these the projection and telekinesis abilities are the most fun. It's really too cool to distract guards by throwing stuff around telekinetically - and later, throwing guards around telekinetically.
I've played plenty of "cinematic" games, but Second Sight uses cinematic techniques exceptionally. Scenes are short and to the point and they're full of cool set-pieces. For instance, games are now going all out on creating destroyable scenery. This must be technically challenging. Second Sight has featured a couple of instances where the pillars or walls used for cover by the combatants erode very convincingly under fire - and that's all I need! You get the effect, the experience, in a straightforward manner. Nevermind how complicated or all-encompassing (not very) the underlying system is.
Top that experience-centric approach with fun gameplay and you've got a winner. I'm maybe one third into the game, but unless things become dramatically worse, this one's definitely recommended.
Oh, and it's visually great, too. The framerate never drops below absolutely smooth. The characters are designed in a charismatic comic book manner, making them feel much more convincing than the "realistic" identikit characters usually seen in "serious" videogames.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Writely, meet DOA Ultimate
Google bought a small Silicon Valley company, Upstartle, which brought their service Writely.com to the public eye. I hadn't heard about this before. I'm guessing Microsoft is cursing quite a bit right now. This steps clearly onto Microsoft Office's toes. Which makes one wonder why they haven't come up with an online solution like this.
I signed up for a Writely account immediately. Still, there's a nagging thought of how much of my information do I want Google to have? Up to now they've done a splendid job with it, though (613 MB of email and this blog).
In completely unrelated news, I played me some Dead Or Alive Ultimate at a friend's house the other night. I like DOA3 plenty, but Ultimate is so much better. The graphics are roughly the same quality; there's some trendy glow and some anti-aliasing and the arenas are more detailed, but that's about it.
However, the game system puts DOA3 to shame. No more cheap holds and throws. I managed to land something like one hold per three matches, whereas in DOA3 the one who attacks tends to be the one to lose, due to the easy holds. It's a fundamentally better experience now. An obligatory purchase for my Xbox shelf.
I signed up for a Writely account immediately. Still, there's a nagging thought of how much of my information do I want Google to have? Up to now they've done a splendid job with it, though (613 MB of email and this blog).
In completely unrelated news, I played me some Dead Or Alive Ultimate at a friend's house the other night. I like DOA3 plenty, but Ultimate is so much better. The graphics are roughly the same quality; there's some trendy glow and some anti-aliasing and the arenas are more detailed, but that's about it.
However, the game system puts DOA3 to shame. No more cheap holds and throws. I managed to land something like one hold per three matches, whereas in DOA3 the one who attacks tends to be the one to lose, due to the easy holds. It's a fundamentally better experience now. An obligatory purchase for my Xbox shelf.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Star Wars Republic Commando and a bunch of lesser games
A local supermarket was selling a bunch games for 5-15€. We bought eight of them. I haven't had time to sample them all yet (Second Sight and Knights Of The Old Republic II remain unopened) , but here are my first impressions on the lot I did get to try out already.
Conan, Spider-Man, Judge Dredd: disappointments to a varying degree. I was intrigued by all of these due to reviews in the usually very dependable Finnish magazine Pelit. We got the Gamecube versions. It should be noted that I was very consciously buying B-grade games. "Not great" can still be fun.
Conan (crappy official site, my apologies) opens strongly and I don't mind the basic graphics, but movement is clumsy and the camera can be a pain. The combat is all right, though, and the theme works well. If it weren't for Conan, I likely wouldn't play this much more, as there are vastly better third person action adventures available. My expectations weren't high, though, and as a "Conan game" it's okay.
It's cool that when you die, you appease your god Crom by dispatching a few enemies in the afterlife and then come back, all without using a "load game" spell.
Spider-Man I've played for a couple of hours. I was rather surprised by how difficult the game is: I couldn't get past level three or something on the normal difficulty, actually losing my nerve completely by how unfair the game was. (I never found Ninja Gaiden too difficult.) Going at it again on "easy", things were much more enjoyable. The camera is something of a plague and combat doesn't feel like much fun. But zooming and swinging around the levels using webbing is plenty of fun! It just that you're often pushed into tight confines, where the game is at its worst. But flying around as the Spider-Man is very much a childhood dream come true. Still, I was expecting much better camera, walking controls and combat. Maybe I mixed this with up the sequel, which got better reviews... oh well.
Judge Dredd - Dredd Vs. Death (I don't quite agree with the Eurogamer review, but it's the only decent link I can find) is a decidedly sub-par first person shooter, which so far seems to be remedied by a very strong licence. The shooting is dumb, the graphics are... disappointing, but it really does feel good to lay down the law as a fascist cop. There aren't too many games which give you the chance! You get to arrest unarmed civilians (smoking in public, holding a demonstration, spraypainting walls, that sort of thing) and blow up armed ones, along with fighting all sorts of mutants. They say the story and gameplay does pick up later, but for now, I'm content with a flawed version of being in Dredd's boots. Flawed Dredd is better than no Dredd. (Whoah, Dredd is a year older than I am!)
Then there's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. The last game in the series I've played, Tony Hawk's Underground, was a disappointment, although it seems I'm pretty alone with that opinion. I just didn't get excited about completing the moronic "story" missions, complete with missions requiring the use of the worst driving model in the history of videogaming.
Instalment #4 (being Underground's predecessor) is a superior game, at least based on how much more fun it's been so far, and I'm only in the first stage. The challenges are more worthy. Then again, if Horse is all the Tony Hawk's series is good for, I guess it doesn't matter which version you're going to play. But I'd appreciate it if the single player experience was worthwile, too.
As for the title in the post's subject line, Star Wars Republic Commando blew me away. It got mixed reviews when it came out and I can see where the less than eager reviews are coming from. But whereas Dredd is saved by the licence, Republic Commando is lifted to "awesome" from "okay". Without the licence, this would be an adequate squad-based shooter with seriously underpowered weapons. But integrated tightly with the Star Wars licence, the game becomes an engaging foray into the Star Wars sidelines. There's not a light saber to be seen, yet you're thoroughly inside the world. The game's opening is perhaps the best I've seen to date.
The game's been critiqued for how the teamwork is just tack-on. Yes, it's all done via hotspots, but those are in-game hotspots your hi-tech armor is pointing out to you. And it's not just for flavor: your squad functions much better when they're commanded. Yes, it's all artificial, but it works. The game does stutter a bit graphically, though, but the audio is top-notch and the commandos themselves are cool. Special kudos for the revival system, which makes the game over screen a rare sight. The constant bacta fills are a little ridiculous, though. (I mean, a bacta tank in every room? Come on.)
It's weird but cool that the best Star Wars moments are not in the movies at all - no, they're the videogames Knights Of The Old Republic - and now Republic Commando - and the animated series Clone Wars. Hell, I enjoyed my Star Wars pen and paper rpg campaign much more than the Episodes I-III. Oh, and I'm still looking forward to Lego Star Wars.
Conan, Spider-Man, Judge Dredd: disappointments to a varying degree. I was intrigued by all of these due to reviews in the usually very dependable Finnish magazine Pelit. We got the Gamecube versions. It should be noted that I was very consciously buying B-grade games. "Not great" can still be fun.
Conan (crappy official site, my apologies) opens strongly and I don't mind the basic graphics, but movement is clumsy and the camera can be a pain. The combat is all right, though, and the theme works well. If it weren't for Conan, I likely wouldn't play this much more, as there are vastly better third person action adventures available. My expectations weren't high, though, and as a "Conan game" it's okay.
It's cool that when you die, you appease your god Crom by dispatching a few enemies in the afterlife and then come back, all without using a "load game" spell.
Spider-Man I've played for a couple of hours. I was rather surprised by how difficult the game is: I couldn't get past level three or something on the normal difficulty, actually losing my nerve completely by how unfair the game was. (I never found Ninja Gaiden too difficult.) Going at it again on "easy", things were much more enjoyable. The camera is something of a plague and combat doesn't feel like much fun. But zooming and swinging around the levels using webbing is plenty of fun! It just that you're often pushed into tight confines, where the game is at its worst. But flying around as the Spider-Man is very much a childhood dream come true. Still, I was expecting much better camera, walking controls and combat. Maybe I mixed this with up the sequel, which got better reviews... oh well.
Judge Dredd - Dredd Vs. Death (I don't quite agree with the Eurogamer review, but it's the only decent link I can find) is a decidedly sub-par first person shooter, which so far seems to be remedied by a very strong licence. The shooting is dumb, the graphics are... disappointing, but it really does feel good to lay down the law as a fascist cop. There aren't too many games which give you the chance! You get to arrest unarmed civilians (smoking in public, holding a demonstration, spraypainting walls, that sort of thing) and blow up armed ones, along with fighting all sorts of mutants. They say the story and gameplay does pick up later, but for now, I'm content with a flawed version of being in Dredd's boots. Flawed Dredd is better than no Dredd. (Whoah, Dredd is a year older than I am!)
Then there's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. The last game in the series I've played, Tony Hawk's Underground, was a disappointment, although it seems I'm pretty alone with that opinion. I just didn't get excited about completing the moronic "story" missions, complete with missions requiring the use of the worst driving model in the history of videogaming.
Instalment #4 (being Underground's predecessor) is a superior game, at least based on how much more fun it's been so far, and I'm only in the first stage. The challenges are more worthy. Then again, if Horse is all the Tony Hawk's series is good for, I guess it doesn't matter which version you're going to play. But I'd appreciate it if the single player experience was worthwile, too.
As for the title in the post's subject line, Star Wars Republic Commando blew me away. It got mixed reviews when it came out and I can see where the less than eager reviews are coming from. But whereas Dredd is saved by the licence, Republic Commando is lifted to "awesome" from "okay". Without the licence, this would be an adequate squad-based shooter with seriously underpowered weapons. But integrated tightly with the Star Wars licence, the game becomes an engaging foray into the Star Wars sidelines. There's not a light saber to be seen, yet you're thoroughly inside the world. The game's opening is perhaps the best I've seen to date.
The game's been critiqued for how the teamwork is just tack-on. Yes, it's all done via hotspots, but those are in-game hotspots your hi-tech armor is pointing out to you. And it's not just for flavor: your squad functions much better when they're commanded. Yes, it's all artificial, but it works. The game does stutter a bit graphically, though, but the audio is top-notch and the commandos themselves are cool. Special kudos for the revival system, which makes the game over screen a rare sight. The constant bacta fills are a little ridiculous, though. (I mean, a bacta tank in every room? Come on.)
It's weird but cool that the best Star Wars moments are not in the movies at all - no, they're the videogames Knights Of The Old Republic - and now Republic Commando - and the animated series Clone Wars. Hell, I enjoyed my Star Wars pen and paper rpg campaign much more than the Episodes I-III. Oh, and I'm still looking forward to Lego Star Wars.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Rifts, Pathway To Glory, D&D Online
My N-Gage hasn't seen much gaming. Last evening I checked out the demo versions of Rifts: Promise Of Power and Pathway To Glory, the platform's famed "single good game". They've both been very good.
Pathway's production values and the level of general presentation are so high that you really forget that you're playing the game on a phone's tiny screen. Pathway feels like it's pretty much the best tactical game I've played, ever. I must see if I can secure myself a full copy from somewhere. I was delighted to have my squad wiped out in a few rounds on my first go!
Rifts is very much like the numerous Japanese "tactical rpgs" that are popular on the numerous Gameboy formats. It sports fine graphics, likeable audio, pretty well-written dialogue and an interesting world. You control an adventurer in real-time, from an isometric perspective, and fight your opponents, taking turns to do so.
I was delighted to notice that the designers have decided to retain much of the original game's overly complex themes and game system. It really does feel like Rifts. Also, it was refreshing to see that you have to work to get your first level of experience. I don't understand the Japanese method of piling XP levels on the player after every couple of fights - they just don't feel like they're worth anything, when you don't have to put up an effort in order to get them.
The original Rifts pen and paper rpg is a hopeless mish-mash of styles and themes, coupled with a train wreck of a game system. (It's got lots of fans, though, so they must be doing something right. For the rest of us, I've got one word: Splugorth!) I was very curious to see it licenced as a videogame, but hats off to the team for making it worth the trouble.
Dungeons & Dragons Online was launched. Apparently they've made D&D into a proper videogame. By the first reviews it seems that they haven't dumbed down the mechanics and that combat (of which there is plenty to go around) requires some skill on behalf of the player, requiring him to dodge and block in addition to merely clicking away at the foes á la traditional net roleplaying games (Anarchy Online, World Of Warcraft, what have you).
The game also requires you to function as a party and most of the quest content are proper dungeons. Most of the stuff one might like in a game of Dungeons & Dragons, edition 3.5, seems to be included. All of this is very cool. While there's still apparently no player-driven narrative or any of the other stuff that I'm really looking forward to in a net rpg, the proper implementation of the D&D ethos in digital form is really a welcome thing in itself.
The one thing I would miss, though, is a 20-sided die.
Pathway's production values and the level of general presentation are so high that you really forget that you're playing the game on a phone's tiny screen. Pathway feels like it's pretty much the best tactical game I've played, ever. I must see if I can secure myself a full copy from somewhere. I was delighted to have my squad wiped out in a few rounds on my first go!
Rifts is very much like the numerous Japanese "tactical rpgs" that are popular on the numerous Gameboy formats. It sports fine graphics, likeable audio, pretty well-written dialogue and an interesting world. You control an adventurer in real-time, from an isometric perspective, and fight your opponents, taking turns to do so.
I was delighted to notice that the designers have decided to retain much of the original game's overly complex themes and game system. It really does feel like Rifts. Also, it was refreshing to see that you have to work to get your first level of experience. I don't understand the Japanese method of piling XP levels on the player after every couple of fights - they just don't feel like they're worth anything, when you don't have to put up an effort in order to get them.
The original Rifts pen and paper rpg is a hopeless mish-mash of styles and themes, coupled with a train wreck of a game system. (It's got lots of fans, though, so they must be doing something right. For the rest of us, I've got one word: Splugorth!) I was very curious to see it licenced as a videogame, but hats off to the team for making it worth the trouble.
Dungeons & Dragons Online was launched. Apparently they've made D&D into a proper videogame. By the first reviews it seems that they haven't dumbed down the mechanics and that combat (of which there is plenty to go around) requires some skill on behalf of the player, requiring him to dodge and block in addition to merely clicking away at the foes á la traditional net roleplaying games (Anarchy Online, World Of Warcraft, what have you).
The game also requires you to function as a party and most of the quest content are proper dungeons. Most of the stuff one might like in a game of Dungeons & Dragons, edition 3.5, seems to be included. All of this is very cool. While there's still apparently no player-driven narrative or any of the other stuff that I'm really looking forward to in a net rpg, the proper implementation of the D&D ethos in digital form is really a welcome thing in itself.
The one thing I would miss, though, is a 20-sided die.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Baten Kaitos II
1Up has a preview of Baten Kaitos II. I quite like the original. I feel compelled to share my initial thoughts on the revised game system. Thank the heavens for RSS feeds - I would've never seen this story otherwise, since navigating 1Up is too much pain for not enough gain.
What really drove Baten Kaitos was the excellent game system. It really kept things fresh. I saw no real fault with it, which is why I'm skeptical about the changes they've incorporated. It's not all bad, though.
The game is a prequel to BK, being set fifteen years before the first game. The cast is different. I don't care, really: I don't remember much of why I was running around the beautifully rendered world in the first game, either.
They haven't touched the basics of combat, which is good. The way it worked in BK really kept things interesting even in the most mundane battles. There is one change I like right off the bat: no more separate card decks. So you only have to build one deck, which ought to keep things more manageable.
The magic gauge which enables the characters to use their most powerufl attacks is filled by using normal attacks. Hard to tell if this will be a good thing or not. I do think it sounds like a needless element. The original's system of enabling powerful attacks only when you had managed to string together a sizeable combo worked very well. That required forethought and skill, a gauge makes me think of mechanical repetition. At least the gauge is for the whole group.
Then there's the "relay combo system". The idea is that you can combo the characters together so that their attacks flow seamlessly through the party. This sounds good, provided that it isn't too easy to do. Successful relay combos grant you "Tech Points" which are another word for EXP (-erience points). The original's way of upping your level only by finding special cards wasn't satisfactory at all, so this seems like a good idea. And it should award skillful play.
What I'm not sure that I like are the new "equip" cards. They modify attacks and give you defensive properties, but they're in effect over multiple rounds. Also, there are no more defensive rounds, at all! Attack/defense used to bring a nice rhythm to the combat, but admittedly the defensive round was a little hit and miss. So now you don't get to defend: instead, you pick your defense beforehand and hope that it can deal with whatever's incoming. I'm a little worried that this might turn combat into a passive "waiting for my turn" -game, which the original never was.
What I know that I don't like is the way that the sequel lets you combine cards in shops. Combining cards during the battles is what kept things always interesting.
You won't see me complaining over the new quest log. It was a pain keeping tabs on where you'd met people in the game, since the original didn't feature any sort of log.
We know the visual and audio assets are in excellent hands - provided that the same team is working on them - and the less said about the JRPG stories, the better, so all thing told, this is a sequel I'm waiting for.
Although someone could please fire the English dub team.
What really drove Baten Kaitos was the excellent game system. It really kept things fresh. I saw no real fault with it, which is why I'm skeptical about the changes they've incorporated. It's not all bad, though.
The game is a prequel to BK, being set fifteen years before the first game. The cast is different. I don't care, really: I don't remember much of why I was running around the beautifully rendered world in the first game, either.
They haven't touched the basics of combat, which is good. The way it worked in BK really kept things interesting even in the most mundane battles. There is one change I like right off the bat: no more separate card decks. So you only have to build one deck, which ought to keep things more manageable.
The magic gauge which enables the characters to use their most powerufl attacks is filled by using normal attacks. Hard to tell if this will be a good thing or not. I do think it sounds like a needless element. The original's system of enabling powerful attacks only when you had managed to string together a sizeable combo worked very well. That required forethought and skill, a gauge makes me think of mechanical repetition. At least the gauge is for the whole group.
Then there's the "relay combo system". The idea is that you can combo the characters together so that their attacks flow seamlessly through the party. This sounds good, provided that it isn't too easy to do. Successful relay combos grant you "Tech Points" which are another word for EXP (-erience points). The original's way of upping your level only by finding special cards wasn't satisfactory at all, so this seems like a good idea. And it should award skillful play.
What I'm not sure that I like are the new "equip" cards. They modify attacks and give you defensive properties, but they're in effect over multiple rounds. Also, there are no more defensive rounds, at all! Attack/defense used to bring a nice rhythm to the combat, but admittedly the defensive round was a little hit and miss. So now you don't get to defend: instead, you pick your defense beforehand and hope that it can deal with whatever's incoming. I'm a little worried that this might turn combat into a passive "waiting for my turn" -game, which the original never was.
What I know that I don't like is the way that the sequel lets you combine cards in shops. Combining cards during the battles is what kept things always interesting.
You won't see me complaining over the new quest log. It was a pain keeping tabs on where you'd met people in the game, since the original didn't feature any sort of log.
We know the visual and audio assets are in excellent hands - provided that the same team is working on them - and the less said about the JRPG stories, the better, so all thing told, this is a sequel I'm waiting for.
Although someone could please fire the English dub team.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Eurogamer TV
My gaming site of choice, Eurogamer, has launched an interesting service, dubbed Eurogamer TV. Eurogamer is my favorite because they've kept a check on how much clutter the user can appreciate, because they write well (most of the time, at least), because they're Euro-centric and because there's a good overall feel to the place.
I know the other gaming sites (Gamespot, what have you) also host trailers and the occasional video review. The thing is, Eurogamer TV's layout is easy to read, they've collected all sorts of "specials", such as short developer interviews, and most importantly: they're using just Flash to display the content. No need for downloading video files, no additional plugins, no worries about video formats and players. I'm always interested in viewing game trailers, but I really can't be bothered to hunt them down from various sites, much less lose any sleep over Quicktime not working, again.
I had to add a few games to my waiting list because of Eurogamer TV. Lost Planet's mecha action seems sweet indeed, as does Hellgate London's demon vanquishing.
Update: yes, I know there are alternatives to Apple's own Quicktime player. I can't get the alternatives to work, either.
I know the other gaming sites (Gamespot, what have you) also host trailers and the occasional video review. The thing is, Eurogamer TV's layout is easy to read, they've collected all sorts of "specials", such as short developer interviews, and most importantly: they're using just Flash to display the content. No need for downloading video files, no additional plugins, no worries about video formats and players. I'm always interested in viewing game trailers, but I really can't be bothered to hunt them down from various sites, much less lose any sleep over Quicktime not working, again.
I had to add a few games to my waiting list because of Eurogamer TV. Lost Planet's mecha action seems sweet indeed, as does Hellgate London's demon vanquishing.
Update: yes, I know there are alternatives to Apple's own Quicktime player. I can't get the alternatives to work, either.
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