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Fallout New Vegas - Review

By ttocs November 2, 2010 1 Comments

Fallout New Vegas was by far one of my top anticipated games of 2010. I had the collector's preordered for months in advance and with the hundred + hours spent in Fallout 3, the game couldn't arrive soon enough. When the day came, I had off work and spent a solid 8 hours of gaming in the Mojave Wasteland before turning in for the night. The next day, before going to work, I decided to hop on and explore some while drinking my morning coffee. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it past the loading screen since my save file was corrupted. Without getting into that whole debacle, I eventually restarted the game, avoided the quest "Come Fly With Me" and have been save file corruption free since then.

Companions play a larger role in New Vegas

I bring up my save file issue because it's something that needs to be said in every review of Fallout New Vegas, the game is broken. If you are a Fallout fanatic like myself, this is nothing new to us. Fallout 3 had bugs galore and New Vegas is no different. I didn't experience any game ending bugs in Fallout 3 and have with New Vegas, but I have heard some people did experience big issues in 3. I just wasn't one of them. Bethesda has released one patch for the PC and Xbox 360 (not sure about PS3) but it didn't fix the big issues. It was mainly for fixing some texture issues and other graphical inconsistencies. All of the known issues are documented and accounted for and Bethesda is working on it. When will this come out, no one knows. But if you take your time in the game and save often with numerous save files, you should be able to complete the game fine. Just don't do the quest called "Come Fly With Me." I have over 50 saves right now since I create a new one every 20-30 minutes or so to not lose my data. I recommend you do the same.

OK, with that out of the way, I can get into the real review, so here goes...

Fallout New Vegas takes place a few years after the events in Fallout 3 and on the west coast, Nevada and it's Mojave desert to be exact. Vegas was relatively untouched by the bombs that fell during the war so much of the strip's buildings and structures are relatively untouched (except for weathering and wear). You play as a courier who delivers packages for people. In the beginning of the game you are caught by a guy in a striped suit and robbed before being shot in the head. A robot digs you up out of your shallow grave, takes you to the town doctor, and your story begins. After character creation and stat alignment, you set off to find out why someone tried to kill you and if wanted, exact revenge. With this simple premise, the story will branch out to numerous sub plots and characters each with their own charm and personality.

One of the best features of Fallout NV are the factions. In the world of Fallout NV, there are two main factions. The New California Republic (NCR) is basically a new military state government based out of California. They are moving into Nevada to secure Hoover Dam because of it's power capabilities (running water). Their opposing force is a band of slavers called Caesar's Legion. These guys come from the East and rape and pillage their way across the land. But, looks can be deceiving and they actually have a layer of complexity to them if you decide to check them out. They too are trying to control Hoover Dam and a large scale battle is on the horizon that you will be able to influence depending on who you side with. Along with the two main factions, there are a number of other minor classes that you can raise your standing with including The King's (Elvis impersonators who run Freeside), the Khans, White Glove Society, and many more. They each have their own hierarchical society and you can work with them or against them to meet or fail at their goals. Choice plays a huge part in Fallout games and NV is no different. Your choice in what happens plays a big role in how the world will turn out.

While you aren't from a vault, you can still wear the outfit

While Fallout New Vegas is an RPG at heart, it also has a combat system. If you aren't familiar with the mechanics, you can choose from a number of weapons and depending on the stats you choose each level and corresponding perks - small boosts to different aspects of your character you gain ever 2 levels - you can have varying success with each weapon. Most characters pick a weapon type and stick to it. For instance, I always go with rifles. As a result, I have a high gun and agility stat and my perks usually have to do with 2 handed weapon accuracy and extra action points since 2H weapons use more. You could go with a melee based character, energy weapons, one handed gun wielder, or even bare fisted. The choice is yours.

Another aspect of combat is the VATS system. VATS can be summed up by calling it a statistical auto shoot. By hitting a button, you bring up a screen that shows percentages over different body parts on your enemy. The stats have to do with your proficiency with the weapon, line of sight, terrain, etc. Depending on how many action points you have you can fire off multiple shots directed at whatever limb you want and then fire. The resulting explosion of body parts, especially with the bloody mess perk, never gets old - even after seeing it well over a couple hundred times since Fallout 3. If VATS isn't your thing though, a new feature, iron sights, has been added. This is the typical scope view in other FPS games and works well in Fallout NV. I find myself using both with harder enemies getting VATS treatment.

Something that people really loved about Fallout 3 but wasn't really prominent was the use of allies or companions. In Fallout New Vegas, they are a mainstay. You'll meet people throughout your travels who will agree to come with you and fight by your side. You can give them orders, have them carry your extra equipment, and talk to them and receive quests. It's a great addition and it works well, when it works. It's not exactly broken as much as it is buggy. Sometimes you'll move from one area to the next and your companion is nowhere to be found. Other times they won't attack and will randomly teleport back to where you found them. It doesn't happen a lot, but it does happen. There are a lot of companions in the game and you can travel with them all, but only one at a time. You may only have one humanoid companion and one robotic companion travel with you. The rest can hang out back in your hotel room at the Lucky 38 while they wait for you. Some of the companions are well voiced too with Felicia Day doing the voice work for one of my favorites, Veronica the Brotherhood of Steel Scribe. The companions really help out in a fight as well with most carrying their weight. All xp gained from their attacks even goes to you as well so don't feel shy to use them. Nothing but good could come from the arrangement.

Another new feature added into Fallout New Vegas is hardcore mode. In this mode, the game isn't as friendly as it would be in normal Fallout mode. For instance, using stimpacks in the regular game heals you instantly for X amount of health points. In hardcore mode, they heal over time. So, if you are in a firefight, you can't rely on that extra boost of health. You also need to sleep daily and feed your character or you will suffer the consequences. One good thing about this mode is that it can really be for everyone. You can play hardcore mode on the easiest difficulty setting and still get that hardcore experience without the punishing difficulty of a higher setting. Plus, there is an achievement for finishing the game using hardcore mode so this is good news for achievement hunters.

One thing I did notice in Fallout New Vegas more so that in Fallout 3 was the quality of the story. Even side quests are extremely well written and really make you feel that you are in this desolate land and exploring it first hand. The characters have life and depth and the voice work is phenomenal. In between missions, I find myself just randomly walking the wastelands with my companions looking for new places to visit and experience. The world feels so lived in while also being desolate that it just asks for exploring. This leads me to my next point - the graphics.

The Strip requires a credit check of 2,000 caps or a passport to enter

It's not hard to notice that the graphics aren't the best in a Fallout game. The engine is getting old now and it's starting to show it's age. That doesn't mean you can't be sucked into the story though, far from it. The graphics of this world do a good job supporting the story and making you feel that you are in a world where a war took place and the remnants of human civilization are clinging on for dear life. The skyline will darken in the evening resulting in the glow of New Vegas to be seen on the horizon. The ambiance of creatures unknown in the distance make the hair on the back of your neck rise. Enemies yell to their friends to let you know that you're impeding on their territory. All of this adds to the ambiance of the game world and it works well. Don't focus on the graphics as you would a Gears of War game, but rather take it for what it is, a supporting role to the story and gameplay - you'll feel right at home.

If Fallout New Vegas was completely bug free or at least close to it, there wouldn't be any questions about it - this would be the game of the year for 2010. It's a shame that technical issues that shouldn't have made it into release hold the experience back for most people. I've already heard of a number of people who traded in or sold their game after getting the game save corruption bug. It's not just a few either, the forums are full of people with these sentiments. But, for those of us who can look past the occasional graphics flare up or take measures to avoid save game corruptions, the result is an amazing feat of gaming that has an excellent story, lovable characters (including the evil ones), and a world which you can truly get lost in. Say goodbye to at least a hundred or so hours of your life as you tune in and get lost in the Mojave Wasteland.

1 Comments

First Impressions - Fable 3

By ttocs October 28, 2010 7 Comments

Fable has always been a series that I've followed over the years. I played and enjoyed the first when it was released on the original Xbox and played the second for God knows how many hours and loved every minute of it. With the release of Fable 3, I know that I'll be spending just as much time in Albion as I have in games past. So, after putting a good nights worth of time into the game and getting about 6 hours of gameplay in, what are my first impressions? Keep reading to find out.

The evil king, aka: your big bro

Fable is a rich universe that shapes a lot of it's style from British landscapes and British dark humor (think Monty Python.) The games always involve heroes and their rise to glory. This title is no different in that aspect. You begin the game as a Prince or Princess that lives within the confines of a castle in Bowerstone. Your father is the hero from Fable 2 and your brother is currently the king of the realm. He's an incredibly harsh ruler and after confronting him about his rules, he makes you choose between two impossible choices (seriously, it's pretty intense.) After this, you flea the castle with your butler and mentor and decide to start a revolution to bring down your tyrannical brother.

In case you weren't aware, Fable 3 is broken into 2 games so to speak. The first involves you ammassing a rebellion to take down your brother. The second - you take the throne and become king of Albion. When you recruit people to help you in the battle against your brother, you make promises to them so that they help you. When you become king and after these people help you, they are going to want you to stay true to your campaign promises. You can do either and the game will continue. When the credits roll, just like in Fable 2, the game isn't over. There's still a lot left to do in the world you created and even some quests become available after completion. So, be sure to stick around to check that out.

Fable 3 is a little different than the previous in the series in that it handles leveling a little differently. As you do deeds in the world or kill enemies, you earn guild seals. These are basically hero currency. At certain points in the game, you are transported to a walkway leading up to the castle. On this walkway, are a bunch of gates leading to chests. Each time you "level" you unlock a gate and have access to these chests. The chests contain things like greater attack power, better ranged power, more dyes for clothing, the ability to own a home, the ability to woo a partner into marriage, etc. These are things that were given to you in Fable 2, but in Fable 3 you have to work for them. I read an interview with Creative Director of Lionhead stuidios, Peter Molyneux and he said that the reason they did this was to not bombard the player with too many tasks to do at once. Instead, they are streamed over the course of the game letting you focus on each individually. I guess that's ok, but the only people it hurts are fans of the series. The first thing I do in replays of Fable 2 is buy up property to get my cashflow going. I had to wait to unlock it in Fable 3. If you are new to the series, you won't notice the difference.

A question that gets asked a lot about sequential games is if you need to play the previous games to enjoy this one. For a game like Mass Effect, the answer is yes. That includes the same characters and a continuing story. Fable is different in that the second game was 500 years after the first and this one is 50 years after the second. The hero in Fable 2 is referenced as your father in the third but besides that, you don't need to know much. Just know your father was powerful, people loved him, and he had a sprawling kingdom that he left to your evil brother. You on the other hand, get the power to be a hero - like your dad.

Fable 3 also has a multiplayer component, but I haven't tested it out yet. From what I know though, it's a lot better than Fable 2. For starters, you get to use your actual character in other people's games instead of a premade character. You get to bring back whatever you earn from someone's elses game to your game as well. Plus, you can marry your friend on Xbox Live if you so choose and even unlock two achievements - one for marriage and the other for having a kid together. There's going to be a lot of uncomfortable silences in the coming months between achievement hunting friends...

One thing I did notice in the game was some slowdown or lag in cutscenes and sometimes while running throughout cities. Never in the wild, only with a lot of people on screen. It's not a huge problem and definitely not a game breaker, just something I figured I'd mention.

Fable 3 has been nothing short of amazing fun since I started playing it. There is a sort of charm that the game exudes that makes it hard to not like it. There's so many other features that I haven't touched on that you need to experience to really enjoy. Like the job called "Lute Hero" which has you play a Lute - guitar hero style to earn money. Or the crazy things you'll hear people say in pubs or while walking around the street in response to something you just did. In the beginning of this month, I was crazy excited for Fallout New Vegas - now I can't stop thinking about Fable 3. I even went out and bought the new novel that takes place after Fable 2 and before Fable 3. The world of Albion is a great place to get lost in and I can't recommend this game highly enough. Even if you've never played a prior Fable, you owe it to yourself to at least check this one out. Action fans will find the combat to be a lot more welcoming to their crowd while RPG fans will continue to love the series for it's rich storytelling and humorous characters. The rich world of Albion awaits.

7 Comments

My New Found Love - The Nintendo DSi

By ttocs May 3, 2010 3 Comments

This weekend was a bit of a lazy one for me. I cut the grass, did some yard work, and played a ton of video games. Most of my gaming on Friday night was on the new SF stick I bought specifically for the SSF4, but on Saturday morning, I found out about a deal. The deal was through Gamestop where they would give an extra 25 or 30 bucks (can't remember which) on top of your trade in value for a console towards the purchase of another console. My DS Lite plays fine, but has been acting up recently and it seems like it's on it last leg (horrible charge times, screen dims randomly, etc.) so I decided to trade it in and get 70 bucks trade in value for it. I also traded in some older games I finished and was able to get the following all with trade ins - Black Nintendo DSi, Suikoden Tierkreis, Zelda Spirit Tracks used, Infinite Space used, and Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes. This was on Saturday morning. For the remainder of the weekend all I played was the DSi and these games. For me, that is so off kilter. I'm a console man - how could I spend all weekend playing a handheld?

When did the DS get so good? These games are phenomenal. I must have just played the DS as a novelty and never realized it could be capable of garnering my attention for su

ch long periods of time. I'm a console man, so for me to spend more than an hour playing a handheld, bah! Blasphemy! But that's exactly what I did. I

played it for the remainder of the weekend and had a blast. My absolute favorite out of the bunch is the Suikoden Tierkreis game, mainly because I'm an RPG fan, but the others are awesome (albeit tough - I'm looking at you Infinity Space.)

I've been looking around on the net today to get ideas of other top notch games that are out there. One title keeps popping up, The World Ends With You. I already bought it off eBay, so don't recommend it. It's coming! I'm definitely excited about picking that one up.

So, I now apologize to the Nintendo fans out there who always claimed the Nintendo DS was an awesome system that could compete with the big boys. It truly is. It's not going to compete in the graphics department, but the story in some of these games as well as the gameplay are top notch. I'm really looking forward to spending some quality time with my DSi and tearing through some truly awesome games.

3 Comments

Record of Agarest War - First Impressions

By ttocs April 28, 2010 32 Comments

Record of Agarest War was a title that was on my radar for some time, mainly through seeing it in magazine ads and on websites. I'm a pretty big fan of JRPGs so I was excited to see what AKSYS would bring to the states with this release. After picking up the limited edition yesterday, I've put in a solid 6 hours or so and I'm here to let you know what the game is like in the beginning. If you are on the fence about purchasing this title, you may use this as a guide to see if it will suit your taste (since there aren't many reviews out there for the game). So, without further adieu, my impressions...

Record of Agarest War is

The world map view

a Japanese SRPG (Strategy Role Playing Game). What this means is that you have a team of characters strategically placed on the battlefield and one by one you move them to a position and attack. The enemy will be doing the same. With Agarest though, they treat it a little different than the big boys (namely Disgaea). For starters, turns are broken into a couple steps. You begin your turn by moving all of your characters. When you are finished moving, you and the enemy move at the same time (so where an enemy is standing when you begin moving might not be where he is when you finish). After the movement phase, comes the action phase. You are given action points to do certain things. There are no free attacks, each attack will use points, as does using potions, and items. You can chose to bank points and do nothing that turn and use them for the next round, but you can never go above your maximum point count x2. Sometimes this is a good strategy on bosses, but on small mobs you won't need to do this. Another important part of attacking is that you can link up attacks depending on where you are standing in regards to other players. So, when you move, be sure to pay attention to not only the enemies position, but also where your teammates will be positioned. This all sounds a little complicated but there are some tutorials that taught it well.

So that is the quick and dirty description of the battle system (which in my opinion is the biggest part of a SRPG game). It's not the best, I'll be the first to admit, but I feel it's adequate. Disgaea does it better with obstacles and blocks, plus the maps in Agarest are pretty boring, but for some reason I had fun playing Agarest. The battles never lasted too long and I never felt I was at the end of a cheap attack by a computer. You can upgrade your characters individually after each level they receive, which is a welcome addition to any RPG fans playing the game. The system reminds me of Mass Effect where you have a couple different options and you receive a certain number of points per level you need to sink into each level of your character. As you level up you will unlock more skills and such. It's nothing revolutionary, but it works.

The lines between characters shows that a joint attack is possible.

The other draw of the game is the dating sim that is apparently present. I haven't encountered much of it since I'm still very early in the game. I have met on e of the girls you can woo and a decision I made to go around a fort instead of threw it made her like me a little more. I'm sure there will be more choices down the ro ad with girls who like different actions at different times. I doubt you can please them all. The story also ranges across generations. So, at the end of the first generatio n (first of five parts of the game) you will need to pick a woman to have a child with. This will then move into the next generation where new girls will be present and new characters to continue your journey. This was one of the major selling points for me in getting this game, so I'm excited to see how this works.

So, there you have it, my quick and dirty first impressions of Record of Agarest War. If you aren't a SRPG fan, avoid this game. If you are an SRPG fan and ha ven't played Disgaea 3, maybe you should start there to experience one of the best SRPG games out. This game is for the rest of us. We've played Disgaea, maybe it wasn't our thing and wanted something a little toned down, not as serious...maybe you like the dating sim aspect, whatever it is, there is a lot to like with Agarest. Unfortunately, there are also some things to not like and if you are one to be brought down by the small things, you may not like this game.

So, has anyone else picked up the game? What do you think of it so far?

32 Comments

A $20 Game Beats Out Blockbuster Titles

By ttocs April 19, 2010 24 Comments

Ever since I spent the $20 necessary to own the delightfully bad yet ultimately satisfying Deadly Premonition, I can't put it down. Hell, I can't even stop thinking about it. I sit at work right now thinking about whats going to happen next to Agent York and his town full of crazy last gen people. I'm not sure why I like it so much, but I have put everything else on hold while I continue to play the game. I have God of War, Final Fantasy 13, Splinter Cell Conviction...all of these games are secondary to Deadly Premonition. A $20 game that has the most God awful controls and driving sequences is my favorite game of 2009 (behind ME2 of course). I'm not exactly sure why, but I think I may have an inkling why this game is doing so well, not only with me, but with a lot of you out there.

For starters, the game doesn't take itself serious. Every chance it gets it almost reminds us that it's a B Game. By B Game, I referring to the B Movies of the 70's and 80's that were s

o bad they were good. A lot of zombie flicks were like this. Along with the constant reminders, it seems that everything in the game is so bad it's good. How is that possible? Well, it almost seems intentional. We have moved on as a video game culture from the clunky design of PS1 era games, but Deadly Premonition almost mockingly throws it back at us like a s tubborn toddler flinging mashed potatoes at his mothers grandfather clock - at first infuriating, but later hysterical. The bad parts all come together to form one cohesive unit and in the end, it ultimately works. That is the best way I can describe it without going long winded and verbose about the game.

I'll continue playing it because I'm dying to see how the story ends. The shallow characters I met in the beginning of the game are now becoming fully fleshed out about 3/4 of the way through and it's surprising to see how in depth their stories are - especially York's. His sad tale is told in a cut scene about halfway through the game which I watched not too long ago.

So, if you haven't picked up the game, be sure to do so. For $20, this is the best game money can buy.

24 Comments

Darksiders - First Impressions

By ttocs January 6, 2010 26 Comments

Darksiders was a game that wasn't really on my radar until about 2-3 weeks ago. While at work I was looking for some videos to watch while I ate my lunch and stumbled across some developer diaries and trailers on the game. After seeing the Zelda meets God of War gameplay, I was immediately intrigued. Two great game styles merged to form a game where you play as one of the four horseman of the freakin' apocalypse...premises just don't get better than that. So, on January 5th, I headed to my local Best Buy, picked up the game, and began playing. About 6-7 hours later, here are my initial impressions.

The reviews are correct, this is a game that relies heavily on Zelda like puzzles and means of travel. The boomerang in Darksiders is used in almost the same way it is in Zelda and the puzzles just scream Zelda in every way. The combat on the other hand is very God of War. Instead of leveling up your character, you level up your

weapons kind of like you would in God of War. The more you use it, the more powerful it becomes. Opening chests sends skeleton orbs into the air that are adsorbed into your body much like God of War also. If you are reading this thinking, "what a ripoff, they stole everything!", don't! The developers didn't steal anything, they simply lovingly borrowed it. It's almost like the developers are paying homage to the two game types. The puzzles are really fun to solve and the combat is amazingly addictive. I found myself running through levels before leaving just looking for more stuff to kill. It may not be their own ideas, but they did one hell of a job putting into play.

The other big draw for Darksiders was the art style. Comic book artist Joe Mad did a great job creating the warrior of the apocalypse with his exaggerated hands and feet, war horse, and humongous weapons. Each and ever enemy seemed to show off a little more of what the creative team could do and I looked forward to them all. I was really excited to hear that they are planning on possibly turning this game into a movie or a comic book series in the near future. I can honestly say, with the way this game looks that it would be awesome from a creative standpoint. The only issues I had with the graphics in this game was a little screen tearing during some moments in the game. One time it happened a lot in a hallway and then never again after that.

The story is pretty good, but basically just there as a backdrop. If you don't know already, you play War, one of the four horseman of the apocalypse, and you inadvertently set off the apocalypse by "answering the call". Only problem is the call wasn't made and now mankind is being wiped out because of it. So, you set out of a path of vengeance to find the Destroyer. Yeah, it's about as campy as you'd expect. No big plot points in what I played so far, but it's no bad. Not great, but not bad.

Like I said, I'm about 6-7 hours into the game and I'm loving it so far. The developers did one hell of a job mixing Zelda with God of War and it makes one interesting mix. If you were ev

er a fan of a Zelda game and you like some good old fashion button mashing, I recommend you pick this bad boy up. You'll thank me for doing so. It may not have multiplayer and when you finish the game you might not have much reason to play through it again, but it's worth you taking a look at it.

26 Comments

New Ideas Were Becomming Rare in Games, Hopefully That's Changing

By ttocs January 5, 2010 18 Comments

After work today, I'm heading to Best Buy to pick up a video game by the name of Darksiders. If you aren't familiar with the game, you play as War, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. War has unintentionally started the apocalypse and sets out on a path of vengeance to punish those who made him do this. Sure, it's

an absurd video game premise, but you know what? I like it! Why is that? Because it's different. It seems that we as consumers are becoming more and more complacent in the games we purchase. We don't like to take chances and instead by the sure bets. This past year has seen more sequels than any I can remember. Sequels aren't a bad thing per say, but what I would like to see is more originality. Thankfully, for every sequel we saw this past year, we also saw another new idea put forth in a video game. Hopefully this kind of mentality sticks around because before we know it, we're going to be playing Modern Warfare 17 and hating it...and when we begin to hate Modern Warfare games, then a sad time is upon us.

Looking back into 2009, I can think of a couple new ideas that really shook the gaming world. The first one that pops into my mind is Borderlands. Borderlands took

two things, than of themselves are pretty damn common, and infused them together to make something that was altogether new...an RPG FPS with a cartoony violent exterior. People didn't know what to do when they first saw the game but luckily the sales took off. People love playing co-op and Borderlands was the definitive co-op experience in 2009. The developers went out on a limb and created something that they thought was cool, and we got one hell of a game because of it. I'd like to see this happen a lot more. Sure, we'll see a Borderlands 2 in the future, but at least that sequel is based off of a unique idea that was part 1.

Video games don't have to create a brand new game design or mix two types of play styles together to create a unique idea. They can keep doing the sa

me thing they've always done and still do something different. Take Atlas for instance. This developer has been known to have hit or miss games since before I can remember. For every hit they put out, there's a stinker sitting next to it. But when the idea came out for Demon's Souls, I'm sure a lot of people thought it would be a stinker. Instead of making a new gameplay mechanic, the developers just made the game ridiculously hard. Let me clarify that...they didn't make it unfair, just tough. If you read my previous post you can see how I commended them for doing it since I feel video games are becoming too easy. By making a really difficult game, they brought a new idea into an already existent world and went with it. This is just another means by which unique ideas are coming back to the video game world.

I could go on and on about different games putting out new ideas, but the simple fact of the matter is that I'm at work and I can't. There's been a ton of them and I just

wanted to share my pleasure about it. Bayonetta is another game that comes out today that has some new and fresh ideas. For chrissakes the lead character wears her hair as clothing...you don't get much more strange or unique than that. Looking forward into 2010, I hope to see a lot more new ideas coming to the forefront of gaming. For every sequel that is released to big dollar spending, I want to see a new IP coming out right beside it with it's head held high. What about you guys? What were some of your favorite new idea's or unique gameplay designs that have come up in the recent past? Tell me about it in the comments.

18 Comments

Are Video Games Becomming Too Easy?

By ttocs November 2, 2009 11 Comments

A couple weeks ago I read about a new game that came out called Demon’s Souls. The game is for the PS3 and is developed by Atlus, one of my favorite RPG developers. The game is receiving amazing reviews with most being either a 90 or a 100, but some people are still complaining about it. Why are they complaining about it? Because it’s too hard. The game is making headlines throughout the internet because of it’s brutally hard difficulty. Before I get to that though, the premise of the game…Basically you play a guy who died and you’re trying to get back to the world of the living. It’s a hack and slash type game where you pick up loot, defeat monsters, level up, etc. Each level culminates into a big boss battle that is supposed to be pretty damn epic. Sounds awesome, right? Well, how do you feel about death traps? Traps set up to insta-kill you the moment you step near them like the spikes in old Mega Man games? What about no save points, save for one at the beginning of each level…no where else though? How about enemies that jump you at importune moments with a bunch of their buddies leaving you unable to do anything but die miserably? How about losing all your currency whenever you die, and then given the option to go back to you body to retrieve it, but if you die a second time, it’s gone forever. These are the things that Demon’s Souls is being applauded for and also chastised. In my opinion, I find it refreshing.

We, as a society of

gamers, have sort of de-evolved. Games nowadays are just way too easy to beat. Recharging hitpoints, save sports around each corner, you name it, we got it nowadays . I’m going to go back to the Mega Man series of my childhood because that was a game that caused me to break a couple different sets of NES controllers. Mega Man was a badass, but he could only take one “bullet” and he was destroyed. Knowing this made you calculate each jump, each shot, and each forward motion with t he utmost care to make sure you wouldn’t be replaying the exact same level 30 times. Sure, we had anger issues, but we were damn go od at video games. Somewhere around the time when the PS1 came out, this all went away. We traded hard games with feelings of accomplishment for safe games that we could finish in a weekend. The RPG genre continued down the same path as games before instead removing the hard factor and replacing it with the time investment factor. Recently though, even RPGs can be beaten in a weekend or so.

So, who do we blame for this or do we blame anyone at all? I think it’s due to the general surge in video game popularity that games are becoming so “mild.” Developers know that if they make a game so hard, people won’t play it. Honestly, I’m probably guilty of that too. I work 50 hours a week and in my time off, I don’t want to spend it tirelessly chipping away at a game. I want something fun that I can jump into, get about 2 hours of playtime in, and then jump out. On the weekends, I might have a 5 hour gaming marathon from time to time, but not always. Home duties, family, and other things always seem to poke their nose in and remove any semblance of free time I may have. So, that’s me, what about others though? What’s their excuse? Kids nowadays think FPS games are hard. Honestly, FPS games like Call of Duty and Killzone are probably one of the easiest. Sure, they are amazing fun to play, but your health recharges and you get enough firepower to take out a third world country. That’s not hard. Jumping from ledges as a little blue man in a metal suit while dodging balls of light flying at your damn face is hard. Don’t believe me? Go download that new Mega Man demo on XBLA or PSN. You’ll see.

Going back to the Demon’s Souls game, I’m honestly thinking about picking it up when it drops in price. Why would I do that when I just said I don’t have time to spend on hard games? Call it nostalgia. I miss tough games. I miss spending time on games. Most of all though, I miss the feeling of accomplishment you get from finishing a really hard level. I don’t subscribe to the theory that achievements and trophies are hard. Sure, some of them are, but most require only time (multiple playthroughs) and luck (kill 5 enemies at the same time with this weapon, etc.). That’s not hard. Clearing a dungeon full of skeletons that block, dodge, and regroup all while avoiding insta-death pits with no save spots is hard.

So, what do you guys think? I think they should bring back more of these games. Maybe have a resurgence of hard games. As the scores on metacritic show, people (well, game reviewers at least) like the hard games. Put out a few more and see how the people react to them. If the game you make is well designed and flawlessly executed, you’ll sell a shit ton of games regardless of how hard it is.

11 Comments

New Mass Effect Without Shepard?

By ttocs March 11, 2009 2 Comments

When I first heard about Mass Effect, it was a year before it's release. I was cruising around on the video game blogs out there and stumbled across a new game being developed by the minds behind KOTOR. KOTOR, up until the day Mass Effect came out, was my all time favorite video game. When Mass Effect finally came out though, that all changed. I found a game world that I truly got lost in. It had everything I love in video games, a great story, third person shooting, morality, choices, unlockables, love relationships, etc. This game was everything I had hoped for. There's something about making a character and living in the world. Mass Effect placed you directly into the world and threw species, technology, and diverse relationships amongst crew members right at you, one after another...and I loved ever minute of it. As soon as I finished Mass Effect, I went back to the main screen and started up a new game without hesitation. I can't say that about many games.

The novels were pretty good reads, but it's not the same as a Mass Effect 2. I don't think anybody thought there wouldn't be a Mass Effect 2, it was just a matter of when. Well, the wait is over and it looks like Mass Effect 2 will be coming out...eventually. Little is known about the sequel to my game of my lifetime, but one thing is fairly certain...Shepard is dead? That can't be. How could I die? I saved the entire Citadel, nay, the entire universe against the fate of the Reapers. I don't die...I thrive under these conditions. That's why I think this is just one of those game marketing ploys to get people hyped about a sequel. Most likely, the story will pick up with Shepard in dire straits and in need of an evac. Something went down, that was bloody to say the least, and Shepard is definitely down on his luck. I can't see them killing of this character after the two of you have been through so much. My guess? You'll pick up with him as the main character. I hope I am right.

Over the next few months, I'm going to be watching the video game blogs around the net very closely for more information on this game. Hopfully my theory will be correct and the fate of the universe will once again rest on the shoulders of Scott Shepard...yeah, I'm that vain, I named him after me.

2 Comments

Killzone 2 - First Impressions

By ttocs March 3, 2009 6 Comments

I'm an avid FPS fan. I think the only genre that matches my love of FPS is a good Western RPG (with the occasional JRPG thrown in). So, it's easy to see why I picked up Killzone 2 on the first day it was available. I was pretty excited about it, but didn't buy into the big hype train that has been rolling through internet land for some time now. So, after playing the game for a good 6-7 hours, there are a couple things I love and a few things I'm not too thrilled about. They are below.

Graphics: Wow. Just, wow. I knew the game was going to look good, but this game looks amazing. It's not evident at first either. When you see the characters talking, you think, "Yeah, they look good, but they aren't THAT good." It's not until you get into a firefight in the middle of a refinery type place and see buildings soaring overhead with flags barely visibly blowing in the distance. With bullets whizzing by, you notice the wall chip off where impact was made. This game scores an A+ in ambiance visuals. You can really get lost in this world.

Controls: I'm not too crazy about the controls. They aren't bad, you can definitely make due with them, but they aren't that great. I haven't put my finger on why either. Some people are saying it has to do with the reaction time the game takes to notice you pushed the analog stick. I don't know...but whatever it is, it needs to be looked into (which Guerrilla are currently doing). Don't let this hamper your enjoyment of the game though. You can definitely get through the game with the controls a little off. If you are a CoD FPS player, or a Left 4 Dead shooter fan, the change may be rough, as it was with me. Online is a little tough too. Plus, you may need to change the default control scheme. On default, L1 is melee and R3 is down the scope. I changed this so that they switched and it was more like a COD type setup. This is just personal preference though. With this change though, the one thing that is lacking now is cover. L2 is cover and L1 is scope now, so it makes for an awkward learning curve. But, you get over it. Also, there is a configuration to make it so you can either stay in down the scope mode until you hit a button, or until you release the button. That was helpful.

Gameplay: The gameplay is solid. Shooting the gun feels awesome and some guns are even fun to fire. You almost feel like you are really shooting a gun. When you shoot an enemy in the leg, they hobble, chest, they brace themselves back, the head, they die. It's very believable. Guerrilla made one hell of a believable game. The only thing they forgot to put in was memorable characters and a decent story. Like all the reviews are saying though, this is forgivable since everything else is so top notch. Also, why is my guy so damn short. When I see him in cutscenes, he's a big brute of a man like everyone else. Yet, when I am standing next to people, I could headbutt their chest. Not sure why that was done, but, like everything else, you get over it.

Audio: I know it's a warzone, but tone down the gratuitous cussing. Wow, that's a lot of F-Bombs.

Multiplayer: This is where Killzone is going to shine. I put in about an hour and a half with the multiplayer and so far it's great. Starting out, you can only pick one class and that's the basic grunt. You get either the scoped rifle or the Hellghast rifle but as you accumulate experience, you unlock other classes with the medic being the first class. The medic can revive downed teammates to being with. But, as you play with the medic, eventually you will unlock another badge that lets you toss out ammo packs. Same goes with all classes. Their primary badge is given to you at the start, but you can unlock something else of theirs and become that much more powerful. The engineer class looks like it might be my favorite as I love making turrets. As for the matches themselves, you join a game and then play. The match leader picks what games get played (deathmatch, search and destroy types, etc.) and you begin the first in the list. When the match is over, you aren't taken back to a lobby, instead, you continue walking around for a couple seconds until the next match begins...with you in the same spot you ended up in with the previous game. This is a brilliant method to multiplayer and I'm at a loss why this hasn't been done before (if it has, I didn't play that game). Overall though, multiplayer is going to be very strong with this game and people will be playing this for years. Easily.

If you own a PS3, get this game. It doesn't matter if you are a 360 fanboy, wii fan (sorry for you... ;), or otherwise...this game is good. I can't wait to see how Guerrilla plans to support the game over DLC. So, go pick this one up, kill some Hellghast, and I'll see you in the Warzone!

6 Comments

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