I died a shitload of times, particularly on Ordrak, but I finally got around to it, a year or so after I initially purchased the game. What I found interesting is that this latest playthrough rekindled my interest in the game, and I quickly followed up with a sub-5 hour run (on easy) just to compare. I'm now planning on doing a slower, more meticulous run on normal and see if I can get down to the 100th floor of the dungeon. I've got to hand it to the developers, they put out a terrific, inexpensive game that's got a ton of replay value.
She's pretty bad-ass, right?
I used that gun (Hannibal's Mortar) for probably the last half of the game.
I'm a big fan of this helmet style, too. Yes, my pet 's name is Abe Lincoln.
I was a little bit of a latecomer to the Gothic series, having only recently played Gothic 3. I didn't actually beat it, which is partly my fault because life interrupted my play on this game, but also partly the game's fault because it was buggy and the best patch was produced by the community and is not an official Gothic patch. But I really enjoyed some of the gameplay, particularly the vastness of the world and some of the choice given as to how problems would be solved and when the player would tackle certain missions. I understand Gothic fans will probably say Gothic 1 and 2 were much better, but I haven't played them and at this point the graphics may be too dated for me to be able to get into them.
So, ArcaniA is very different in these areas. The world seems substantially smaller, and the game seems pretty linear so far. I am maybe 5 hours into the game, and it seems like there are levels, more or less, that encompass each area. In that level, you have a handful of side quests and a main quest that must be completed before you can move on to the next area. Each area is pretty self-contained; I haven't had to go back to a previous town yet. Further, there is very little of the map that isn't used for a quest. So there isn't much benefit to just exploring the world, which is something I really enjoyed doing in Gothic 3. You don't really seem to find any special hidden items or story points interspersed throughout the world. Every cave you find appears to be related to some quest or another, and built such that the end of the cave takes you back to the beginning of the cave. I understand the reason behind that last item (no one likes back-tracking), but it really hurts immersion for me. It's just hard for me to believe that every cave in the world is built more or less like a circle.
So the game is pretty, and the combat is a bit better than in Gothic 3, but the design of the game and the scope of the world seem a lot worse to me. And that has generally made me pretty disappointed with the game so far. I'm going to keep giving it a shot, but for now I'd say I regret getting it; I'd probably prefer playing Gothic 3 again.
I saw this game pop up for sale on Steam (less than $20 I think), and the trailer is kind of funny, so I was wondering if anyone had played it or seen a review yet. Let me know.
I was recently reminded of a picture I saw when I was traveling with my wife and a friend in Italy in the Spring. I think it was in Bologna, but we had been traveling for about a week and needed to wash our clothes. So we found a convenient laundromat and started to do so. Everything looked more or less like the laundromats I've used in the United States, except all the directions were in Italian, there was a vending machine that sold beer, and we found the an instructional image (attached below) placed prominently on the wall. I can only assume they've had trouble with people stripping their clothes off and washing them. Weird.
You'd think this would go without saying. 27 Comments
I finally got into the Dynasty Warriors Online beta late last night after trying (and failing) to log-in periodically throughout the day. I only played briefly, so I'll withhold most judgment for now. But I can say that the gameplay appears to be like every other Dynasty Warriors game I've played (and at this point, that's a lot). It makes you wonder if they're ever really going to upgrade their engine/graphics/camera. Here are some screenshots, in case anyone is interested.
So, people are spitting venom on JoWooD's decision to delay the U.S. release of ArcaniA: Gothic 4. Apparently, there were some delays impacting shipment of products to retail stores, and JoWooD was pressured to not release the game online prior to the game's release in brick-and-mortar stores. I can understand the reason behind JoWooD's decision, but I can also understand the anger some people are feeling about getting jerked around by release dates.
My problem here is a little unique. I am an American, but I am spending some time in Spain this year (I'll be here until Christmas or thereabouts). I had an issue with Steam initially not allowing me to purchase games (apparently it recognized my IP address as being European, but my credit card as American, or something like that). Steam worked with me very quickly to get that sorted out. But oddly enough, I generally have had to wait for European release dates (so when Civ 5 was released in the U.S. earlier than in Europe, I had to wait a few days). Not a big deal, and nothing I shouldn't expect. But when it came to this game, where (for once) a European release date was earlier than its U.S. release date, the system seems to be treating me as not European. I can preload, but I can't actually play the game.
What's making matters worse is that I submitted a ticket to Steam as soon as this happened, and it's been radio silence for over two days. No response, no "we're looking into it", nothing. I'd be fine if they just told me that because my situation is a little unique I get games released after they're released EVERYWHERE else. Just some kind of response letting me know where I stand. Steam's customer service was very prompt when it came to getting me to spend money with them; when it comes to fixing problems that don't impact their bottom line, the response time seems to be a bit less stellar. I guess I had been so satisfied with their platform for so long I expected a bit more out of them. Live and learn.
EDIT: And now, with no explanation whatsoever, I was given access to the game on Friday night, more or less splitting the difference between the US and European release dates. Weird.
I should note in starting off that my initial reaction to things that are good and pure is to destroy, so what follows may not come as a surprise if you know me. My team-killing tendencies are now well-established, and have been for most of my many years of gaming. This may have started back when I played co-op in Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers on the original NES (an underrated gem). There, I found the most satisfying part of the game to be arranging new ways for my partner to die. Whether that was by way of stunning him while an enemy was attacking or simply picking him up and hurling us both off the edge, I found this more fun than the as-designed gameplay mechanics. My tendencies didn't dissipate as I got older. Sometimes they lay dormant for a period of time, only later to surface violently and ruin an otherwise productive evening. I recall one time in high school playing Doom 2 cooperatively, and not being able to get through the first level because I couldn't avoid chain-sawing my teammate in the back as soon as he turned to fight enemies. When I initially got my Xbox360, I was banned from so many games of Perfect Dark Zero that I lost count. More recently, I have tried to do this when possible in Borderlands. Absent friendly fire, this is difficult but not impossible. My preferred method has been to get a passenger in my car, and then vault us both over the edge of some near-bottomless pit. This becomes progressively more difficult to do each time, but as a result each time is more emotionally satisfying than the last. I guess the long and the short of what I'm trying to say here is that I ruin things.
So when some of my friends started a Minecraft game (and for whatever reason, invited me along), I immediately started trying to think of way to destroy everything. Of course, enemies and damage were initially turned off, so I couldn't just go straight after my teammates, lure monsters to them, or try to push them off a mountain. What follows is an attempt to document my disease in pictures.
This is pretty close to the starting point. As you can see, my friends were nice enough to leave a line of torches guiding me from the spawn point towards their developments. They also threw in a number of signs to help me navigate an absolutely massive, polygonal world. Another helpful sign! As you can see, here they provided me with a load of raw materials and multiple crafting tools, the implements of their own destruction. Emerging from the inside of the mountain, I find that they have even provided a large welcome sign. Note the torches on the letters (that's called "foreshadowing"). Right at the top I find this nicely designed castle, complete with glass windows. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to effectively destroy something like this, so I am forced to move on. I follow a glass walkway to another part of the settlement. Its defiance of the laws of gravity infuriates me and steels my resolve. Finally! Something beautiful worth destroying! It's pretty dangerous to have that many torches attached to a wooden support beam, don't you think? Whoops, now how did that happen? Must've been the pig. This is starting to get out of hand. Oh, the humanity! Look at that smug little pig, just sitting there while the house goes up in flames! Not a care in the world! That's better, at least now it's showing some emotion. I may have had to hit him over the head with a pickaxe to get there, but it's a start. One last look at the devastation I've caused. Although something tells me I'm not done yet.... And finally, a reminder of the type of person my friends have to deal with. 22 Comments
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