delete blog
delete blog
And low, on Karate day* I played video games.
And it was good.
So yeah, lets get through it…
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
A couple of months back I got to see one of the guys behind the game (Tameem Antoniades) talk in a BAFTA presentation about Enslaved’s design, aesthetic and inspiration. I was instantly caught up in the presentation- for one thing I recognised the mythologies behind it from a childhood TV show. And then there was Tameem’s overwhelming attention-grabbing on stage swagger. He appeared as an ‘Autor’ deeply engrossed in the finer elements of his creation. And/or slightly drunk. On like the cheapest wine.
CHILDHOOD TV SHOW LINK!
But he caught my attention none the less. If there’s anything that will catch my attention aside from playing video games, its someone that’s talking about video games as if it were important. It was clear that the team behind Heavenly Sword had put some heart into this game, its got character, a heart and a soul.
And upon playing it this Christmas I/they were proven right. Playing Enslaved, makes me feel like I’m in an 80′s Jim Henderson’s adventure film. Yup.
To continue, its bright visuals, tough guy/independent woman archetypes and animal-istic scary robots feel straight from the cells of an 80′s fantasy adventure. The kind of thing missing in modern day Cinema.
But here it lives on, in a video game. A third person adventure is something itself missing from modern day gaming, thanks to the blockbusters of Halo’s and Blops’es.
I’ve managed to get to chapter 3 thus far, which I believe is quite early on in the game. 3 being a low number is my biggest indication of this. And having only played so much, I am quite welcome to include this as a personal nominee for best game of the year.
The Unreal engine looks pretty and fresh as opposed to the grim and greys of its founding Gears. The combat flows like a God of War. And there’s a looming twist that smells like Assassin’s Creed.
At around £17 its a steal. Rent/ buy if you like cool things.
Goldeneye (Wii)
I’ve had mixed ideas about this game from day one. First there was the annoying ‘ZOMG GOLDENEYE, IZ COMING BACK’ E3 trailer, which was kinda annoying Nintendo. Don’t do that again.
And then there was the fact that it would not actually have the same maps and or levels as its original, muchly over used title name, N64 classic.
But then there was some cool stuff. I got to play a little multiplayer Golden gun mode at Gamescom and it was fun.
Then came the know how that the guys behind Dead Space: Extraction are behind Goldeneye too. I heart DS: Extraction.
And then Craig Harris gave it a 9/10.
So, yeah, expectations kinda. raised. a. little.
After a few hours of play however, I’m fairly undecided on it. The single player just doesn’t feel like it has any ‘umph’ to it. COD4 had ‘umph’ in its single player, The Darkness had ‘umph’ in its single player, Chronicles of Riddick. ‘Umph’.
There’s the odd moment of ‘hey look, I kind of recognise that dam from the original Goldeneye, if I tilt my head and squint and drink lots’ And then there’s the ‘ooooo, nice intro with a Diana Ross sound-alike ‘Goldeneye’ remix’ . But other than that I was mostly left with ‘hmm, there’s a guy to shoot, there’s another, and another, oh hey…a guy. shoot’.
Yup, it seems there isn’t much to do other then shoot dudes in the face, which I guess isn’t a bad thing for a FPS to do, but I wanted more.
Like a neat laser watch.
As for the online multiplayer to my surprise… it works. No lag, quick matchmaking, full 8 player games. And it’s fun. Reaching that ‘Goldeneye’ nostalgia feels a stretch however, and you’re left with just enjoying a decent multiplayer game. This once again, is not a bad thing for a FPS to do.
Further impressions needed before final comment.
IN OTHER NEWS…
I have finally decided to use my free EA online pass trial on Hot Pursuit. And boy did I get my bum handed to me. But the ride was fun whilst it lasted. I can’t decide whether or not it’s more fun to be a Cop or a street racer. I think a Cop.
Karate Day* The day after Boxing Day, which is the Day after Xmas Day. Known as the day to watch The Karate Kid or to commence in some sort of Karate with an elder sibling.
OLD IGN BLOG- http://blogs.ign.com/markB0SS
Log in to comment