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Game Dev Tycoon - Why So Addictive?

Drym Shyuan — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:05:00 GMT

It's been some time since I last blogged here in the GameInformer User Blog section. Yeah, been a while indeed. I guess I don't do as much writing as I used to anymore. Lack of ideas is one of the reasons, second is that there really isn't much to talk about. No resources = no new hardware; no new hardware = no new games to play. I do check what's going on here from time to time and this day I have a topic to write about - Game Dev Tycoon.

It's been some time since I played something "new". And quite recently I discovered Game Dev Tycoon, a kind of simulation/strategy hybrid (more commonly known as "tycoon"), where you create your own video game company and then build it up by creating games, getting money, researching new technologies, growing into a big firm and getting super-famous... OR going into total bankruptcy and losing everything.

Game Dev Tycoon was created by Greenheart Games and released on December 10, 2012. A lot earlier than I first heard about it. Now before I jump into all the good stuff that this offers, I'd like to bring out a major negative factor about the game (which the developers might have implemented deliberately). The game has practically no manual and there is no way to find out what is the best way to combine game types, topics, game systems and priorities during development stages either than using the classic "trial-and-error" method. This method might have worked back in the days of NES, where you had to punch walls in Metal Gear to find a hidden exit out of a prison and to locate some random doctor (I can't remember his name, something of a Russian origin. The game was 95% Japanese for me). But nowadays, people are not used to reading long walkthroughs and guides to complete a game. All the help has to presented for them in-game... tooltips and so on.

I did try and play it for several hours without any external help, trying to use common sense of what combinations would work and what not, but all the companies I made ran into dead end before I could even start hiring employees. But then I turned on Game Dev Tycoon's Wikia page and all my questions were answered. Thanks to the information I found there (oh there's a ton of information there), I was able to create a company, finish the game and still continue playing it till I get a 100% completion (all researches done, custom console built and so on... basically the endgame). And so, Entity Entertainment was born.

Here's my first AAA title: "Ultimate Warfare", which is a sequel to Space Warfare, which was a sequel to Total Warfare 2, which was a sequel to Total Warfare, which was inspired by Total War.

I think it took me around 10 hours (real-time) to get to the point where I am now with this company. The main game was finished about 7 hours in (30 in-game years). But it allowed me to still continue playing, which is good. I like that. I was able to research a lot of new technologies, upgrade my custom game engine, develop my first self-published AAA title and even open up technology division and started developing my own console (you can see it on the top left corner, it's called "Entity System").

So what's good about Game Dev Tycoon apart the lack of in-game guides and tooltips? EVERYTHING! I like absolutely everything else about the game. I've played several tycoon games in the past and I've liked most of them, but the indie hit of Greenheart Games just tops it all. The Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Transport Tycoon Deluxe, Zoo Tycoon - they are no match for this game. Even though I have both GDT and Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe installed, I like the first one a lot more.

So, what's the game all about then? I'll give you a quick look. Basically, you create your own company, make yourself a character and then start the game. At the first, you have nothing. You live in a garage, you have a basic computer and the year is somewhere in the 80s I think. Because the first two systems you can develop games on in the beginning of the game are PC and Game Dev Tycoon's version of Commodore 64 called "Govodore 64". Basically they've renamed every single console in the game and created a timeline that sort of matches the real world timeline - when the consoles were released and how popular they were and so on. Xbox is "mBox", Playstation is "Playsystem", GameBoy is "Gameling", Sony is "Vonny" and so on. It's quite funny actually. And by the way, you will see this "Informed Gamer" quite a lot in the game. You can only guess where it's taken from.

So basically you create your first game, get your first reviews, get your first fans and income and from there the game starts to slowly reveal itself to the player, step-by-step. With each game, you level up your company's skills and also your own and your employees skills. In brief, Greenheart Games have implemented a progression system in Game Dev Tycoon. You can improve the leveling up experience multiplier by using new topics for games, using great type combos (like Action and RPG) as well as great type-topic combos (City and Simulation for example), later on getting "Good Management" bonus by dividing the amount of work each employee has to do during the 3 development stages equally... and of course you get another bonus by matching the current trend (which is usually either "new topic", "some game type", "games for Young, Everyone or Mature").

And in the end, you can have up to 6 employees which you can train to become various specialists, a big office, a lot of developed games, fans, custom game engines and so on. Heh, you can even do some contract work and create technology for space shuttles or help in creating a detection system which detects alien activity around Earth (I was never able to complete that contract, it was way too hard). But since this is not a guide, I'm not gonna delve into details. That's for you to find out yourself.

In conclusion, I'd like to say that Game Dev Tycoon is definitely one of the best indie games I've seen this year (even though it was released in the end of 2012, it was introduced to me this year). I'd give this game a solid 9 out of 10. The game plays excellent, it's interesting and addictive and full of cool easter eggs here and there. The only things it lacks are in-game guides and tooltips, which you have to look for from the Internet.

With warm greetings from Estonia,
Drym Shyuan

Prof. Oak or: How I Learned to Love the Pokeball

Kflame210 — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:22:00 GMT

Pokemon is easily one of my favorite franchises in gaming. I could go on for hours about all the great moments I have had in just one of my many Pokemon adventures, but I won't. Instead this blog will be all about how I turned into the fan I am today. This is my origin story with the Pokemon franchise. Enjoy!

To begin this story, let's go back in time...

The year is 1998, a fine year of gaming. Blockbusters like The Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid and StarCraft are taking the world by storm. I on the other hand, could care less about those games. In fact, I probably didn't even know those games were back then. At the time I was only interested in one thing; my next console.

I had 100 dollars in my pocket. As I entered my local Toys R' Us I had my mind set on buying a Nintendo 64. All of my friends owned one and games like Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64 were games I wanted to own. I remember making my way towards the back of the store (where the games were sold) and seeing that Nintendo 64 banner. I was so excited and so ready to own the console I had to watch from the sidelines.

However, something caught my eye.

As I walked up to the Nintendo 64 box there was another box right next to it. It was none other than one of those awesome see-through GameBoy Colors. My seven year old brain couldn't figure out what to do. On one side there was the console that I had been wanting for a long time while on the other there was an awesome handheld. If it wasn't more my mom uttering a completely obvious statement, I might still be in that Toys R' Us. Luckily, as I mentioned, my mom gave me the brilliant piece of advice that "You can't play the Nintendo 64 on the road".

That was all I needed to hear, I decided to go with the GameBoy Color. But there was one problem; I needed a game for it. I was all set to buy Super Mario 64 along with the Nintendo 64 but I didn't know much about the GameBoy Color library. As I gazed over the selection two games caught my eye.

Those games were Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue.

Now at the time I had never heard of Pokemon. The show wasn't around yet and I wasn't really keeping up with gaming news so the Pokemon brand was completely foreign to me. But seeing a fire dragon and a turtle with cannons on his back easily got me interested. So after a second internal conflict on which version to get, I finally decided, I was going home with Pokemon Red.

From there I never looked back... Okay maybe I did.

You see, at the time, I was a very close-minded gamer. I only really played platformers when I was a kid and games like Final Fantasy confused me to no end. So as you may expect, Pokemon didn't come too easily to me.

While it didn't take me too long to get going with the combat, everything else I struggled with. Fans of Pokemon may think that catching Pokemon, using the Poke Centers and using types to your advantage are no brainers today, back then everything wasn't quite as spelled out. Maybe it was due to my short attention span or maybe it was truly a lack of information but all of those aspects listed above took me far too long to understand.

Back in 1998 it wasn't easy to solve videogame problems. Either you could go out and buy a strategy guide or you could go the social route and hope your friends have the answer. I decided to do both. I learned the basics from a bunch of kids at school and I bought, in my opinion, one of the best strategy guides of all time in the form of the Pokemon: Special Pikachu Edition Perfect Guide.

From there it was smooth sailing.

My Charmander and I blew through the eight gym leaders, took down the evil Team Rocket and made it the whole way through Victory Road. However what followed was the biggest challenge in my young gaming career. You see, at the time I didn't have the strongest party. I didn't really make it a point to grind and if I could avoid a fellow trainer I did. So when my level 45 Charizard had to stare down Pokemon who were a full ten levels ahead of him, I was screwed.

But after a very long and tedious training session, my team of Charizard, Zapdos, Rhydon, Vaporeon, Hitmonchan and Snorlax eventually took down the Elite Four. The second I took down Lance's Dragonite I was so ecstatic... Well until I saw what happened next. Little did I know, that jerk Gary was the current Champion and was just waiting for me to challenge him.

This battle took me a very long time and, in my opinion, it is still one of the hardest and best final boss fights in the history of gaming. His party seemed to counter mine in just about every way and I remember loading up a lot of saves until I finally got lucky. I still remember finishing off his stupid Alakazam with my Charizard and feeling so proud that I not only beat my rival but I did it with none other than the Pokemon that had been by my side from the beginning.

At the time this was one of the biggest accomplishments in my life. I earned all eight gym badges, I took down the Elite Four and I finally beat Gary and his smug ass once and for all. It felt amazing and it will always go down as one of my biggest gaming accomplishments of all time. However with the Elite Four beaten and myself as the Champion, I found myself wanting more. Luckily more wasn't far behind.

By the time I finished Pokemon Red it was right around June of 1999. Just a short 4 months later the next installment of Pokemon was released; Pokemon Yellow. With my new fascination of Pokemon, the show soon became a must watch for me and the idea of Pokemon game modeled after the show just shot up as my most anticipated game. As you may have guessed, I enjoyed Pokemon Yellow just as much as I did Red.

After that, it's all history.

Since Pokemon Red I have owned at least one game from every generation. After Pokemon Yellow I purchased Pokemon Gold which, to this day, is still one of my favorite games of all time. From there any Pokemon game released, whether it was a new adventure or a remake, would be in my possession in no time. Sure some games aren't as good as others but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a good time in each game and that Im not super excited for every future adventure I plan to start.

But I will admit, as a twenty year old man, I'm probably a bit too old for Pokemon. The games are undoubtedly geared towards children, but I don't care. Im not alone either. I know tons of gamers who are just like me who, despite being past the target age, can still have a blast journeying through Kanto. A great game is a great game and I believe Pokemon fits that description perfectly.

6 Games That Are Better at Night

Jeremy Sturgill — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:22:00 GMT

For the sake of full disclosure, I often feel that games are more emotionally impactful and physically challenging at night. However, there are certain games that have a specific ambience or sound design which are more impactful with the gleam of a bright North Carolina moon shining through the window. The genres and themes of these games will share similarities, but each one will bring its own strengths to your upcoming solo, midnight-gaming marathon. So, the next time your insomnia takes hold or you just want to load up on Mountain Dew at eleven o'clock at night-these games will provide hours of fun to keep you awake and then haunt your dreams.

Dead Space and Dead Space 2

What could be better at night then a tale of dismemberment and psychotic horror? Dead Space does these two things better than any other game on console. To say that Dead Space is made up of the things from nightmares is an understatement. Alien infections, reanimated human corpses, isolation in the midst of thousands of Necromorphs, religious extremism that defines the next step in human evolution as alien abomination, and the psychological ramifications of contact with alien technology are only a few of the horror elements that the narrative of Dead Space executes so well. So, the next time you are looking for a good video game scare, put in Dead Space and fight 'til the break of dawn.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

"Metroidvania" style games are not my forte, and I also have a limited frame of reference for games within this genre. However, no one can deny that as the setting for the game Dracula's castle is utilized to near perfection in Symphony of the Night. The diverse soundtrack frames the creepy beauty of the castle and produces an eerie ambiance that is still effective more than 15 years removed from the original release of this fantastic title. (If you, like me, missed the original version of SoTN on PS1, you can find it available on many platforms as a downloadable title. In my opinion, it is still definitely worth your time.)

BioShock

BioShock is a unique game. The narrative is driven through the use of audio logs and localized conversations with those directing you through Rapture. With a silent protagonist, the bulk of the narrative is communicated through the city of Rapture. The locations of Rapture combine for one of the most complex environments in gaming. A good wealth of jump scares and an environment which shows flashes of a once thriving city that was covered in the blood of civil war combine to create the perfect game to play at night.

Deadly Premonition

Deadly Premonition is weird. This game is my favorite 360 exclusive, but it is just so strange. With that said, the town of Greenvale sets the stage for a murder mystery that has one of my favorite endings of this generation. Deadly Premonition is certainly derivative, but for those willing to look past some major flaws, the inhabitants of this town and Francis York Morgan will endear you to solve the murders and restore peace to Greenvale even in the middle of a midnight rain.

Mass Effect 3

This may sound a little odd considering the games that have been included so far. Horror, madness, and fear have dominated the list to this point, but I want to take a moment to propose ME3 as the ultimate game to play at night. While not horror in the traditional sense, Mass Effect 3 revolves around the inevitability of death. You form bonds and make choices that you deem right for an entire galaxy that may not exist beyond the next moment. The weight of this pervades the entire narrative leading to a story that has one of the greatest emotional impacts in games. The narrative is a dark one but impactful for the way it portrays courage and resolve in the face of what seem to be insurmountable odds. When you play Mass Effect, it always feels good to realize that you are surrounded by the stars. A clear Carolina night sky does this more effectively than anything else I know.

I hope that you enjoyed this list. Do you also enjoy playing games deep into the early morning hours? Are there any games that you tend to save for late night gaming sessions? Let me know.

Top 10 Obscure DC Characters That Should Be In Injustice: Gods Among Us

thegodofwine7 — Sat, 18 May 2013 00:22:00 GMT

Injustice is a great game, with rock-solid mechanics, an expansive story mode, great alternative modes to extend the fun, and a heck of a cast. With the recent announcements of Lobo and Batgirl, it appears NetherRealm Studios is open to bringing new fighters into the arena. While there are plenty of well-known characters they could bring in (Dr. Zod will be next, calling it now!), here are ten characters that you may not have heard of that I think would make an excellent addition to the cast.

Is he peeing lasers?

Adam Strange: Although he has never received his own run, Adam Strange has been deeply involved in the DC mythos since 1959. First appearing in issue #17 of Showcase, Adam Strange has been mentioned on and off throughout the ages, and almost became a member of the Justice League, before an astute reader wrote in explaining that it would have been impossible for them to know about him, since most of his exploits take place on the planet Rann. Adam has a sweet jetpack that also fires lasers, carries a pair of blast guns (whatever those are) and can generate his own solid-light equipment. He could provide mobility and ranged combat in spades, and would make a great fit to the cast.

Pictured: Not Spider-Woman

Aura: She definitely isn’t the best-known DC hero, but Morgan DuBay, the model-turned-superhero known as Aura, would make an excellent cast memeber for Injustice. In addition to her superior hand-to-hand skills, which she proved as part of the Protectors, she has the ability to generate various color fields that have a variety of effects. Since she can basically do anything with her dazzling color display, NetherRealm could take her powerset in almost any direction, and she could provide a much-needed change of pace from the drab color palattes of most everybody else. Note: She is not to confused with the Raver version of Aura (alias Lindsay Wah). This chick is actually cool.

Time Trapper: Man, he looks awesome! Tell me you don’t want to play as that guy, even if all you know about him is that picture and the fact that his name is Time Trapper. Well, it turns out he brings the chops to hold his own in battle as well. Obviously, his powers all revolve around the manipulation of time. While he can’t technically alter events in the present, he can open up seperate “pockets” of time, and I’m sure the people who thought up Baraka can find someway to pull his skillset off. We need Time Trapper, consequences be damned!

Pictured: Not Batgirl

Nightshade: Originally created as a partner to Captain Atom, Nightshade had mostly been relegated to cameos before becoming a permanent member of the Suicide Squad. Nightshade has the power to manipulate darkness in a variety of ways, and can even morph into a 2D shadow version of herself. Tell me that wouldn’t be perfect in a video game, I dare you. She is a cool female character with an awesome moveset; I can’t think of any reason why she wouldn’t make a perfect addition to the roster.

Rama: Rama, based off the Hindu god of the same name, is probably the most ready-made for Injustice character on here. He has melee weapons in his giant axe and magical sword, he has a trademark bow that shoots flaming arrows for ranged combat, and he has god-level hand-to-hand combat skills. The best part about him, however, is his gift-wrapped super move. When damaged, Rama grows horns and two extra arms, heals himself and unleashes a blast that destroys everything in the immediate area. Yeah, he’s ready for the big leagues.

Oh yeah, he has a ghost horse also.

Gentleman Ghost: If there is one character from this list that I would pick if given the power, it would without a doubt be Gentleman Ghost. A perennial Hawkman and Hawkgirl (who is already in the game) foe, Gentleman Ghost can harness energy projection, is capable of teleportation and is even an expert marksman with his flintlock pistols. He’s perfect. He made an appearance on The Brave and The Bold once, and held his own in hand-to-hand combat with Batman and Deadman simultaneously. Oh, and I’m not sure I mentioned this, but he is a Gentleman Ghost. He has been around for quite awhile, but he has never really got the face time that he deserves. It’s time to change that.

You don’t want to know where he keeps the Heart of Darkness

Eclipso: First off, it should be noted that Eclipso is a personification of the Wrath of God. If that isn’t a sufficient resume to get on a fighting game, I just don’t know what is. Shall I tick off his powers? Okay: Super strength, super speed, super intelligence, power over weather, possession, energy manipulation, advanced sword skills with his unbreakable sword; I could go on, but what’s the point? He also carries around his trademark gem the Heart of Darkness, which allows him to shoot lasers out his eye and take control of whoever it comes into contact with. I smell a super move!

Chemo: Chemo may not have a lot of things that the other heroes have, like name recognition, a wide suite of powers or at least average intellect, but he can shoot out any volatile chemical he wants at any time, and is a worthy hand-to-bionic claw combatant. He aslo has regenrative powers, which should serve to make him a very durable fighter. Who cares if his name is maudlin, nobody knows who he is and he would probably be super hard to animate? I want him. Isn’t that enough to justify all the hard work with no assured payoff?

Gosh, look how cool he is…

Prince Evillo: 1) He has the greatest name of any comic character ever. It’s really no surprise he turned out to be a bad guy. 2) He wields a vast array of magical powers, giving him large versatility as a character. 3) He can siphon the evil from other bad guys and use it to turn good guys evil. How awesome is that? 4) HIS NAME IS PRINCE EVILLO. Wasn’t sure if I mentioned that. 5) In addition to his magical powers, he can grow horns that give him the power of hypnosis. Geez, he was created for this game! Please, NetherRealm, please make this happen.

Black Lightning: Created in 1977, Black Lighting was one of the first African-American superheroes to grace the pages of a comic book. Sadly, he doesn’t do much outside of the superhero norm. He is an accomplished martial artist who can fly and harness force fields, but who can’t these days, right? But he is called Black Lightning, he looks awesome and he saved Superman’s life once by acting as a human defibrillator. That has to count for something, right?

{Leviathyn}

If I were the CEO of Nintendo...

Apricot — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:18:00 GMT

If I were the CEO of Nintendo...

As you should know, Nintendo, one of the biggest companies in the video game industry, has recently been struggling to gain a foothold with their newest video game console, the Nintendo Wii U, and Nintendo is still recovering from their major financial losses that affected them for two years. Nintendo has made many flaws in the past as well as many flaws currently in many factors, which is why I'd like to imagine what would happen if I became the CEO of Nintendo. Don't get me wrong; Nintendo has made a large number of improvements over its course as a video game developer, and they even shaped up what is the infrastructure of the video game industry. Without them, the industry itself would be much dissimilar than what it currently is. Regardless of all of the benefits they brought to the world, I would like to focus on what I'd bring to the company if I became the CEO of Nintendo, whether it is fixing one of their flaws or bringing new additions that will strengthen the company.

(Image Courtesy of Nintendo)

Upgrade Hardware Power-Wise

If I were the CEO of Nintendo before the Wii U released, rather than releasing the Wii U with the specs it currently has, I would choose very powerful hardware to be under the hood of the Wii U while retaining the new innovation brought by the Wii U and more classic controllers. The hardware I'd choose would be either just as powerful as the PS4's specs or maybe even better, with the more PC-like architecture being present in the Wii U. On top of all of that, I'd also slap a reasonable price tag onto it. I'm aware that, if I did do that, it would already be very costly, but, in the long term, this is more beneficial than it is detrimental. Sure, the company would probably end up losing a lot of money in the beginning, like how Nintendo currently is with the Wii U's hardware and price, but, as time goes on, the cost for manufacturing this hardware will decrease because of the influx of newer hardware. Because of how powerful the Wii U would be, third-party developers would be very attracted to it, kind of like how many currently are with the PS4. This allows third-party developers to make the game run just as well or even better than the competition, leaving the Wii U being a viable option. For the Nintendo 3DS, although it isn't as powerful as the PlayStation Vita, it seems like it is pretty fine to me. I mean, the Nintendo 3DS is able to handle large-scale games with ease in glasses-free 3D, which I believe is pretty powerful. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and Fire Emblem: Awakening are very large-scale games that we've already seen run on the Nintendo 3DS with ease, so I don't think that the Nintendo 3DS really needs much more powerful hardware at the moment.

(Image Courtesy of Great Wall of China)

Deliver High-Quality First-Party Titles

First-party titles, games developed/published by Nintendo, are what truly define a Nintendo console, with high-quality titles that are exclusive to consoles by Nintendo. With the large number of intellectual properties (IPs) Nintendo has, the very talented staff Nintendo has, and the fact that Nintendo can create a completely brand-new IP, Nintendo can easily pump out some high-quality first-party titles that will be must haves. If I was the CEO, the first thing I would do is to get the staff at Retro Studios and Nintendo EAD to start developing some games from franchises we haven't seen in so long, such as Star Fox and F-Zero. Many people around the world, including me, have been clamoring for new titles from those franchises, so, obviously, this would be one of my first moves. I'd also keep production of Mario games going along with some new Zelda games. Plus, I'd have some of Nintendo's developers work on a new Metroid game and Donkey Kong game at some point. I'd release the Donkey Kong game on the Nintendo 3DS along with two Metroid games that release in conjunction: one 3D Metroid game for the Wii U (kind of like Metroid Prime) and one 2.5D Metroid exploration game for the 3DS, which would be similar to Super Metroid. To add to this, Intelligent Systems can be working on a new Fire Emblem game for the Wii U along with a brand-new IP altogether. Games like these would most certainly make gamers around the world happy and would make Nintendo's net profits skyrocket.

(Image Courtesy of FanPop)

Attract Third-Party Developers and Establish Excellent Relationships

Over the last 6 year, because of how powerful the Nintendo Wii was and its core focus on motion-based gaming, the biggest blow Nintendo has had is attracting third-party developers to their consoles to develop for them. At the moment, this doesn't seem like a problem at all with the Nintendo 3DS because of the large amount of third-party developers swarming over it, but the Nintendo Wii U is stuck in a huge rut when it comes to third-parties. In order to repair this issue, I would, firstly, make the Nintendo Wii U have more powerful hardware (more details above). Powerful hardware typically attracts more developers these days, so this would be my first move towards attracting third-party developers. Next, I would do exactly what Nintendo has been doing recently: give away free development kits. This may be costly in the beginning, but it would most certainly make developers want to pick one up and at least try to develop some high quality Wii U games. Afterwards, I would actually go with some experts from Nintendo and negotiate business about developing Wii U and 3DS games to third-party developers such as Electronic Arts, Capcom, Ubisoft, Konami, and SEGA. Electronic Arts currently despises Nintendo after the rejected Origin integration offer, but I would at least try to flip things, even if gamers haven't been very fond of them lately and they mostly have been developing sports games. Lastly, I would make an attempt to work with third-party developers in developing either cross games between two franchises or a brand-new IP. Nintendo has been trying to achieve this, as shown with Atlus and Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, but I would try and work with more third-party developers to much greater volumes. For example, if I negotiated with Capcom about an upcoming Wii U game that we could both work on together, I would definitely try and help Capcom develop a Mega Man game exclusively to the Nintendo Wii U, which brings me to my next point when working with third-party developers. When convincing them to develop projects for the Wii U and 3DS, I'd also try and get them to develop Wii U and 3DS exclusives, which can easily make hardware sales skyrocket with high-quality exclusives. Nintendo have started trying this, but I believe that they need to work with third-parties to create more Wii U and 3DS exclusives.

(Image Courtesy of Yacht Club Games' Kickstarter Page)

Attract Independent Developers to Develop for the Wii U and 3DS

Independent developers, lately, are becoming very crucial to a video game console/handheld's success and are being embraced by Nintendo and Sony (not so much Microsoft). Since Nintendo has already been doing an excellent job attracting independent developers, I don't really think they'll need to do much more to attract them on the Wii U. The Wii U has become a beehive for independent developers, as they are coming to the Wii U in swarms. Nintendo's only been making things better with their recently introduced "Web Framework" for independent developers to develop games for the Nintendo Wii U. The Nintendo 3DS, on the other hand, could really use much more support by independent developers, though. The Nintendo 3DS hasn't received nearly as much support from Nintendo when it comes to giving independent developers options for developing for the Nintendo 3DS. The first thing I would do to entice independent developers is to bring over the options available from the "Nintendo Web Framework" over to the Nintendo 3DS. This may not be possible due to some hardware restrictions, but, to me, it seems like this is possible. If it isn't, though, I would hand out free 3DS development kits to just independent developers so they can take advantage of the Nintendo 3DS. I would then provide seminars where independent developers may come and learn how to produce games using the 3DS development kits. In addition to all of this, I would do what Nintendo is currently doing and allow them to earn a bigger profit by developing for the Nintendo 3DS than the competition allows. Plus, I would most certainly be very friendly to independent developers, as well as third-party developers, and always give them help and advice whenever they need it. If Nintendo did take these measures, they would, undoubtedly, end up alluring independent developers into developing for the Nintendo 3DS, just like how many are with the Nintendo Wii U.

(Image Courtesy of JustPushStart)

Allow more Engines to Support the Nintendo Wii U

This would tie more into establishing third-party relationships and improving console hardware, but I would make sure to get more video game engines, such as Unreal Engine 4 and Frostbite 3, to support the Nintendo Wii U and to allow developers to create games with these engines that run flawlessly on the Nintendo Wii U. Some developers, like Electronic Arts, are claiming that engines, such as Frostbite 3, won't support the Nintendo Wii U, but I would make sure that Nintendo themselves test this and see if it really would run fine on the Wii U or if they weren't lying about it. If you add some evidence up, it seems like developers are lying about video game engines supporting the Wii U, especially when Electronic Arts claims that the Frostbite 3 engine supports the XBOX 360 and the PlayStation 3 but not the Wii U when considering that the Wii U is more powerful than the XBOX 360 and PlayStation 3. I would make sure to get the Wii U be supported by multiple of the latest and high-tech video game engines, which would help third-parties make creating video games/porting video games for/to the Wii U much easier than before.

(Image Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Unify Nintendo eShop Accounts and Include more Options in the Nintendo eShop

While rather new, the Nintendo eShop has become a very robust and lively service for the Nintendo 3DS, with great additions such as Pushmo, Dillon's Rolling Western, HarmoKnight, and more. On the Nintendo Wii U, the Nintendo eShop has just started finding its footing and is slowly building up momentum, especially with the help of independent developers. For the Nintendo 3DS, I would keep Nintendo developing Nintendo eShop games at the pace they currently are being developed and keep encouraging developers to develop games for the Nintendo eShop. As a new addition, I'd allow 3D videos to be available for purchase, sort of like how Nintendo offered 3D Halloween videos by DreamWorks on sale on the Nintendo eShop in October 2011. I wouldn't just let anybody make and release videos for it, though. I'd create relationships with companies, such as DreamWorks, for them to create videos that people can download onto their Nintendo 3DS. I may also experiment with making a music app for the Nintendo 3DS, which would allow people who are interested in buying video game music to be able to purchase video game music. I can try and implement these ideas into the Nintendo Wii U, too. For the Nintendo Wii U, though, the first thing that I'd need to focus on is getting Nintendo to develop games for the Nintendo eShop and release them rather soon for people to purchase. At the moment, there is a distinct lack of Nintendo-made games on the Nintendo eShop and that needs to change. As for brand-new options, I'd unify the 3DS and Wii U eShops in order to provide a much better experience. By unifying them, I can allow people to create one Nintendo eShop account where all of their data, such as credit card information and video game downloads, can be saved. This can be useful in many different ways. For example, if you lost your Nintendo 3DS that contains many retail games downloaded digitally, if you purchase a new one, you can link it to your Nintendo eShop account and download all of the retail games you bought digitally. You may also unlink the lost 3DS from your account in order to stop anybody from stealing games from your account if they find it. The new features and games I would add to the Nintendo eShop would definitely help Nintendo expand themselves digitally and give more options to many around the globe.

(Image Courtesy of Gamenesia)

Strengthen the Wii U and 3DS Virtual Console

When the virtual console was first announced for the Nintendo Wii years ago, it was a great idea that many around the world were, and still are, very fond of. The virtual console service just recently launched on the Wii U with mixed reception and has been released on the 3DS for quite some time. While there are already some great titles released on the virtual console for both devices, the Wii U and 3DS virtual console could really use more improvement. For the Wii U, I'm aware that it just recently started and needs more time before becoming amazing, but there are many games that Nintendo should add to the library that haven't been mentioned or look like will arrive. The first and foremost thing Nintendo needs to do is re-release some GameCube games on the virtual console. People around the world have been demanding for GameCube games to release on the virtual console, so this would be the first step into meeting demands for the Wii U virtual console. Nintendo needs to re-release games like Luigi's Mansion, Pikmin 1 & 2, Animal Crossing, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Metroid Prime, Star Fox Assault and Adventures, F-Zero GX, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, and more if they want it to be successful. Plus, highly acclaimed N64 games are required to make the virtual console a hit. We already know that N64 and GBA games are on their way, but we don't know what games are coming and when. To make the Wii U virtual console even better, Nintendo should partner up with SEGA and release games from SEGA consoles onto the virtual console; I would definitely try and get SEGA to agree to releasing games from the SEGA Dreamcast, SEGA Genesis, SEGA Saturn, and more onto the Wii U virtual console. For the Nintendo 3DS, it could really use some GBA games although they are coming to the Wii U. I'd start by releasing highly acclaimed GBA games like Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga on the 3DS virtual console. I'd also try and get more GameGear games onto the 3DS virtual console. It was a great idea for Nintendo to partner with SEGA and release GameGear games onto the 3DS virtual console, but there are only 3 GameGear games on the virtual console and there really needs to be more. More Gameboy and Gameboy Color games are required to make it successful, so I'd certainly release more games from those handhelds onto the 3DS virtual console. The Wii U and 3DS virtual console has great potential towards being remarkable, but Nintendo does really need to embrace it more, especially with GameCube and Gameboy Advance games.

(Image Courtesy of Nintendo Wikia)

Add New Services/Applications while making others Available Internationally

Since the Wii U and 3DS's launches, Nintendo has been partnering up with a variety of companies, including Netflix and Google, to deliver new services for the Wii U and 3DS while creating noteworthy applications. Although Nintendo is actively expanding upon the applications/services they provide, Nintendo will really need to come up with some more applications/services to their console and handheld. First, I would like to focus on the Nintendo 3DS. If I were the CEO of Nintendo, the first new application I'd bring to the 3DS is one that we saw in the Nintendo DS: Pictochat. Many gamers, along with me, were sad to see Nintendo let go of Pictochat with the Nintendo 3DS and really wish for its return. I'd bring back Pictochat for the Nintendo 3DS but enhance it to have a better interface, online capabilities, attachment capabilities, and more. Sure, Nintendo has already created Swapnote for the Nintendo 3DS, which is a very nice application, but Pictochat is an application that can add something completely different to the table: the ability to chat with your friends online in a chatroom. Nintendo could also use a YouTube application for the Nintendo 3DS, which allows you to watch YouTube videos, even videos that can be seen in 3D, on your Nintendo 3DS. If the Wii U has it, why can't the 3DS? Hulu Plus also needs to release on the Nintendo 3DS sometime soon, as that hasn't been released yet. Nintendo promised it to arrive soon back in 2011, so why hasn't it arrived yet? If I were the CEO, I would make sure that it makes its way to the 3DS soon. I'd also like to make Nintendo Video available internationally. For people who live in countries that don't support Nintendo Video, such as Brazil, it must be heartbreaking to not be able to watch the great videos made available on Nintendo Video, so why don't we make it available internationally for everyone to see?

For the Nintendo Wii U, it already has some pretty good services available, like Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, and Amazon Instant Video, but it's lacking in applications very badly. The first thing I would do with the Wii U is to transfer Swapnote and Nintendo Video over to the Wii U to remain alongside the 3DS versions. Swapnote can be optimized for the Nintendo Wii U to allow for message sending to friends, and it can even be cross-compatible with the 3DS version and allow for note sending from a Wii U to a 3DS or a 3DS to a Wii U. Nintendo Video should also invade the Wii U's eShop and be available for download. You can use Nintendo Video on the Wii U for the same thing that the 3DS version has: allowing you to see certain videos for a limited time. It would also be in HD and available internationally.

Along with all of these services and applications I would bring to the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Wii U, I would actively listen to feedback by people and fans alike to see what Nintendo should create for these devices. If you compile all of these ideas, the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS would include a very robust library of applications/services and can please gamers across the globe.

(Image Courtesy of TheMogBlog)

Improve Club Nintendo: Add Better Rewards & Adjust Coins you can Receive

If you're a Nintendo fan that frequently buys Nintendo products and third-party titles on Nintendo consoles, such as video games and consoles made by Nintendo, Club Nintendo might just be something you've already signed up for and are taking advantage of. Club Nintendo, if you aren't already aware, is a website you can sign up on where you can receive coins by filling out surveys for Nintendo-related products that you bought and receive cool rewards in return. While I enjoy Club Nintendo and love what it offers, Club Nintendo could really use more features and some better rewards. If I was the CEO of Nintendo, the first thing I would do with Club Nintendo is bring some European-only rewards over to North America. When you compare what North America has to what Europe has, North America doesn't have rewards that are as good. For example, Europeans are able to get Mario Kart 7 and Nintendo eShop Prepaid Cards while us at North America get greeting cards, notebooks, and pen cases. Sure, North America has some pretty sweet rewards, such as the giant Mii AR card, Animal Crossing Cards, Super Mario T-Shirt, Hanafuda Cards, and Game & Watch Ball, but it doesn't have as many or as good as the rewards that Europe has. For Club Nintendo, I would pretty much have every country/continent's Club Nintendo feature the same rewards, with maybe a few exclusives in each. For example, North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia would all have the same rewards on Club Nintendo, but each one of these Club Nintendos would host one or two different exclusives.

I would also adjust the prices of games offered for coins to make it fairer. For example, rather than charging 150 coins for a game like Punch Out!! on the 3DS, I'd charge 50 - 100 coins. Plus, the amount of coins you receive for games/consoles should be adjusted. I would change it so that you'd earn 170 coins for registering a 3DS, 200 coins for registering a 3DS XL, 300 coins for registering a basic set Wii U, and 350 coins for registering a deluxe set Wii U. It may be a bit generous but why not? Virtual console games would give you 5 coins for registering them and another 10 for the post-play survey, DSiWare would give you 10 coins for registering and another 10 for the post-play survey, 3DSWare would get 15 coins for registering and 10 for the post-play survey, and WiiUWare would get 20 coins for registering and 10 for the post-play survey. In addition, I would take user feedback and implement it into Club Nintendo to see what people want Nintendo to add by sending a user feedback survey to Club Nintendo members, let's say, every 6 months.

(Image Courtesy of Google)

Allow Let's Players on YouTube to Earn Money from Let's Plays on Nintendo Games

This decision by Nintendo is more of a recent and odd decision, but Nintendo has recently announced that they will earn all revenues from let's plays on games by Nintendo. If I were the CEO, I'd return the right of let's players to earn revenue off of games featuring Nintendo games, as it would be beneficial to Nintendo. I, along with many others, agree that Nintendo should've never done this and that they should fix this immediately. First of all, I'm aware that these are videos on Nintendo games and Nintendo has every right to do this because these are their games, but it seems more like they are "double-dipping" for revenues. Nintendo already received money from their games when their customers, the let's players, purchased them, so why are they "double-dipping" and attempting to earn more money off of their games from let's plays? If they allow let's players to continue to earn money off of let's plays, Nintendo will be able to earn more free advertising because of these let's plays. This free advertising may boost their revenues due to people who purchase Nintendo games after watching let's plays about them. Because of this new enforcement, it is currently unknown what will happen to let's plays, but it is most likely they will slowly diminish along with Nintendo's free advertising. On the let's players' side, some let's players even make a living off of let's playing Nintendo games, so, since Nintendo is enforcing this, they can potentially ruin many people's lives. As you can see, this is a major detriment to Nintendo's future and will give Sony and Microsoft the upper hand on free advertising and let's plays if they don't enact this on their games. I would most certainly put an end to this enforcement and issue an apology to let's players and Nintendo fans alike if I were the CEO of Nintendo.

If I were the CEO of Nintendo, these would be some changes I'd bring to the Japanese company in some form or another. While some of these changes that I'd make would be much harder to actually accomplish than it would to actually type up the idea, such as establishing third-party relationships or improving the Wii U's hardware, I'd, at least, attempt at these and try to change things for the better. Nintendo is already taking many strides in the right direction, but Nintendo still is neglecting to do many things that will benefit their future, which is why I would attempt to change things for the better if I actually could become the CEO of Nintendo.

Image of Satoru Iwata Courtesy of TopNews

I Love You Nintendo, But What's Going On?!

Jack Treese — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:28:00 GMT

Dear Nintendo:

You guys are a terrific company. Collectively, Nintendo as a company reminds me of that cool uncle with all the neat gadgets that always manages to find a way to make me smile. I'm sure there are still many opportunities for this to happen, but in the mean time there are some things you've been doing and things that have been said which make me question how things are going with you.

First and foremost, we all want to know exactly what happened to the "unprecedented partnership" that was supposed to occur between yourselves and EA. Now, it seems they've done a complete 180 by saying they have no Wii U games in development. Aside from the fact that this likely wasn't your decision, I think it's about time one of you should answer questions about what exactly happened. It's just a little weird that a publisher can go from nearly bowing down to the Wii U, to shying away from its development completely. What happened? Does EA simply hate you guys or something?

And I don't need to be a YouTube partner to understand that there's something strange about you stepping in to take advertising revenue from "Let's Play!" creators on the video site. While most of us can understand why you did that--after all, they are YOUR games being shown off--at the same time we can't help but be disappointed at the overreach. It's cool that you're not making these creators take their videos down altogether, but considering that your loyal fans have spent plenty of money on your consoles and games, how badly could it hurt you that these creators are making walkthrough videos available freely on the internet and making a negligible amount of money on the side--or in some cases, for a living--off of advertising revenue? In an age where microtransactions and online passes have become all the talk, this doesn't make you guys seem very gamer-friendly.

Those are the only major things that have me concerned for you right now, Nintendo. Between EA seemingly severing ties with the Wii U and taking YouTube ad revenue from other YouTube Partners that help other gamers finish your games, I'm a bit concerned for you right now. Who knows, maybe today's Nintendo Direct will at least temporarily help me forget about these things. And if someone at Nintendo is indeed reading this, take a look at five things I think you should take advantage of with your E3 presentations and showings. I know it's just another blog, but if you did any of those five things fans like me might not be as worried about your present situation.

I love you very much, Nintendo. I love having Nintendo consoles. I love playing on them. I love each new version of Super Mario, Zelda, Smash Bros., Kirby, and so on that gets released. I always have and will continue to support the Wii U as much as I can, not only because it's a terrific console, but because I don't want this to be your last console, Nintendo. I don't want you going anywhere anytime soon.

Sincerely,
Jack Treese III
Life-long fan, and aspiring journalist

You can check out today's Nintendo Direct live at 10AM EST / 7AM PST by clicking here. An archived version should be made available if you have to miss it.

The Console Wars: Resisting Conformity

The Destroyer — Fri, 17 May 2013 01:50:00 GMT

Let's start with a few statements, shall we? Each of the following is something I believe, and is my opinion, and (most likely, according to the internet) isn't yours:

Nintendo Wii was the best console last generation. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is decent, but not as great as everyone says it is. Shadow of the Colossus is the most overrated game of all time.

Let's not be gray.

Okay, so, I've said them, those are three statements I wholeheartedly believe. There were few titles that were put out on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 that I wanted to play, with most of them being on Steam anyways, and many titles on Wii (and still some titles I would like to try out) that I adored. I played Skyrim a few months after its initial release, and liked it, but stopped after the main story and doing a couple guilds because I didn't feel like immersing myself in a world I didn't care about. As for Shadow of the Colossus...well...I think my points were made clear there.

So, most likely, some of you have probably already stopped taking me seriously, or something along those lines, because I have these opinions that are, well, "bad" or "unpopular". You may have even scrolled down to the bottom and have commented in a rage-induced fury, based on my gaming thoughts. If you have, props to you, you support my argument, most likely, if you believe I am thinking in a way that is "wrong" and I have to think your way. I know that this topic is kind of overdone, but considering some things that have happened with me recently, I felt like tackling this idea of conformation and opinions.

For those who may be wondering, the idea of conformation is basically assimilation, or peer-pressure, in a way. When someone conforms to a group, they give up their own ideas and join that group of people who are all like-minded, usually in order to feel accepted and not be "weird", or something along those lines. While the pressure to conform to the masses is certainly not limited to the gaming world, it is very real in our own little part of the world. To clarify something, I want to say that not everyone tries to make others conform to themselves, nor am I naming anybody specific; I am talking about general examples in the industry as a whole, and I will give a couple examples from my personal life, but of course, no names.

I like this game VERY much...but you don't? Okay, bye bye Zero Escape!

First, let's tackle the idea of liking certain games. So, a couple days ago, this guy I know (who, is, by the way, the same person who said "the people who reviewed Resident Evil 6 badly aren't 'true fans') said that my top ten list of games was "biased". Excuse me, what? Is it suppose to be "not-biased", and my favorite games are suppose to be his, or possibly, the top ten according to Gamerankings or Metacritic? Am I suppose to conform to what he believes, because "that's right"? No, I shouldn't be doing this, I should be able to have my own opinion. Recently, I put out a piece about my problems with Shadow of the Colossus, which a lot of people didn't like, and said I had a "bad opinion", and many people disagreed (though thank you to those people who were open to my side) with me. Just because a game is popular, does that mean everyone has to like it? There are plenty of people who don't like Twilight Princess, Kingdom Hearts, or some of my other favorite games. Sure, I may disagree, but they can think what they want (okay, unless you claim Angry Birds is fantastic...that, well, I'm sorry, but no. :P See, conformity!), because that's how they feel. I felt like the bad controls I experienced while playing the ICO prequel marred any atmosphere/story in the game, and a lot of other people felt opposite. Alright, that's cool, you can like the game, just let me not like it.

That's not to say I'm not guilty-I've definitely tried to make someone else like a game that they were opposed to, and have told people that they can't like a certain game. I'm simply trying to point out an inherent aspect of our lives in gaming. Some may be more guilty of others, but I am not claiming I'm someone who is completely open to all ideas and opinions.

I like the one on the right the most. Too bad most don't, looks like I need to play PSN and Live.

Moving on to consoles, this one is kind of more apparent in the industry, and I've kind of already covered this. Even though I have somewhat, we can look at conformity specifically in depth. One way that this has started to emerge is people buying a 360 or a PS3 because that's what their friends bought. Even though I own a 360 now, and all of my friends are owners of that system (I have one because of my little brothers wanting to play COD and Madden...), I would rather have a PS3 because it has games I'd rather play than the exclusives on 360. I've seen similar comments from other people on the internet, on both sides of the equation, which begs the question of conformity; do you feel forced to buy a console because your friends are doing it? Also, I was once laughed at for playing a DSi at school, because of it being "kiddy". One, at the time, I was playing Ace Attorney, which isn't really a kid thing. Two, I have found more enjoyable experiences on that system, as with Wii, than I did with the more "mature" competitors, because of the games available on each system.

It's alright to joke about each system as being inferior to the others for things like Red Ring, Wii Waggle, and the PSN outage, but why do we have to make it seem like others aren't having as much as we are, because they're not conformed to who we are. Conformity seems to stem from the human mind, like otherization, in the sense that we want others to conform to us so that we feel better about ourselves in knowing that we are moving down the right path in life. However, what we really need to learn is that there's not some set path of right and wrong-the human mind can try and make it seem like that, but in reality, there are an infinite number of paths to success. However, they do all involve something important: being open, and courteous to others. Assuming everyone has to conform to you will get you nowhere.

Conformity is, like otherization, everywhere in human society, and will most likely not end soon, if ever. Like I said in the first installment, the best thing we as gamers, and as people in general, can do, is to recognize that to conform is to lose yourself, and to make others conform is to make them a different person. It's peer pressure, in a nutshell. There are legitimate forms of conformation, such as conforming to being non-discriminatory...and conforming to the idea of not conforming others to your own beliefs (har har), but the main idea of it is still something that shouldn't be done. If someone else feels differently, sure, they can, but they don't need to enforce their opinion down my throat. It's perfectly fine to say "I have X opinion, and this is why I think it's better", but it's not good to say "you have Y? Sorry, that doesn't cut it, X is much better, stop thinking like that". Let's have positive deliberations instead of heated arguments that end up in conformations, or violence. We are all different-embrace it, and embrace others.

We all want the same thing. It's just different. My way is just as good as yours, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. Besides, do we really want this?

Making the Arkham That Batman Deserves

Tim Gruver — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:23:00 GMT

With the slew of coverage and the brand new teaser footage from Arkham Origins, there's Batman gaming fever back in the air again. As a superhero fan, the prospect of another epic Batman title is something that I don't take lightly and this blog is dedicated to capturing what Batman's next best moves should be for his next adventure. Arkham City was my game of the year from 2011 and, with that in mind, I don my cape and cowl to give you my best assessments of what Warner Montreal's Batman entry will bring us and what suggestions I have for it. (*whew*) Okay, let's do this. To the Batcave!

Note: This Arkham Origins Analysis contains no spoilers for Batman: Arkham Asylum or Arkham City, so feel free to read at will.

The Origin Story

Arkham Origin's boldest move is certainly its move to Batman's beginnings, a place that I'm both confident and cautious about. On one hand, the prequel experience one that's hard on series to handle. They often struggle to tip-toe on canon, stomp all over it, or just provide meaningless backstories that fail to matter. These problems can be just as evident for Arkham Origins. Rather than seeing Batman deal with the ramifications of beating his villains, it just shows us going up against them all over again. Plus, what's a clumsier, less competent Batman got to offer? Just picturing him as a screw-up? It's things like this that make me feel that Batman's moving backward rather than forward isn't doing his journey justice and he might just end up on a conveyor belt of repeating experiences. On the other, they can explore more about a character and re-imagine a world in ways sequel won't reveal. Deep relationships of Batman's like those with Alfred as he's continuing to train himself and a younger Commissioner Gordon whose still trying to make peace with him are exciting to delve into. Personal connections with already announced villains like Black Mask and maybe being wise enough to include people like a pre-Two Face Harve Dent and Dr. Victor Freeze are just as entertaining. Others parts like seeing how Batman dealt and learned from mistakes could make him more human in a light we haven't seen him in before. It's these latter aspects that I hope Origins finds its calling with and it's what I'm counting on for this holiday season.

The Open-World

The "coolest" thing that Arkham Origins can deliver to me this cold fall is the open-world that Warner Montreal has raved about and from its description, it might promise the greatest success of the game. Arkham City mercilessly teased us with glimpses of the sparkling skyline of Gotham just right outside its walls, but according to Origins' designers, buildings like Wayne Enterprises and the Gotham Police Department will finally be accessible. Said to be about twice the size of Arkham City in full form, Arkham Origins' Gotham will reuse all the area of Arkham City plus the ritzier parts of the city beyond the other side of the island's bay. Merely revisiting old sections of Arkham City with a simple re-coating can't help but fee like a cheap rush-job on Warner Montreal's part, but the idea of gliding around newer experiences like glossier, richer parts of Gotham intrigues me. I've seen enough of the Gotham slums by now to feel a great urge to sneak around more of Bruce Wayne's friends' world rather than back-alley thugs' street corners. The surreal setting of the game's Christmas Eve celebrations sounds brilliant and the quality and detail of the art I've seen, like that above, impresses me that Warner might indeed have a good eye to quality. The company's announced "Wanted Mode" of tracking down and snatching lesser criminals with your detective skills sounds even better and I can't wait to hold guys over rooftops after a bank robbery and whisper "I'm Batman" in his ear before knocking him out whenever I darn well please.

The Tone

After Arkham City's end, there were heavy reports that Batman's prequel story would be going back to his Silver Age roots and thus possibly focusing on a goofier, campier Batman in days gone by, but Arkham Origins has evidently stayed clear of that prospect. Origins is very much a prequel to Arkham Asylum and not any other Batman mythos, and as a result, the same brooding, haunting atmosphere of the Joker's madhouse is here to stay. I can't say that I would be opposed to a silly Batman games just for laughs, but there's still so much more to explore with the Arkham universe that I feel it's only right to continue exploring the fascinating, darker world that Rocksteady laid out.

With that said, I'll also say that what Warner needs to further do is recognize the line that's drawn for most Batman stories. True, Batman relies upon a considerable amount of violence like any superhero game to tell his villains, but violence need not be the dominating theme. Batman's always been about a psychological terror and menace, but never a slasher-horror film reliant on blood and guts. Game director Eric Holmes has generally shot-down notions of gratuitously viscious elements being attached to Batman this time around and that Origins will most likely be the same T experience that its predecessors were, and for that I'm glad.

Villain Line-up

For me, the single best thing about the Arkham games was its stellar rogues gallery and it's in that aspect that Arkham Origins has a lot to live-up to. From all-star characters like Joker, Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, Joker, The Riddler, Joker, Rhas al Ghul, and, yes, especially Joker, Rocksteady helped to perfectly capture the essence of its rogues gallery, crafting unforgettable encounters that drew from both comic-books and the games' grounded, gritty realism. Taking that into account, Warner Montreal seems to be seeking something similar yet different. Not relying upon any number of known A-list characters, Warner is interested in focusing on more obscure, less developed Batman foes. We already know that, besides a younger Penguin, Black Mask, former childhood friend and arch-enemy of Bruce Wayne's will be in Origins ruling the streets as Gotham's most powerful crime-lord as well as Deathstroke's role as one of his eight assassins, but how will they stand up to the magnitude of the story? The game designers have already hyped Black Mask as a villain with deep meaning to Batman's past with an emotional connection that I appreciate, but at the same time, I'll miss the more fantastical flair of Arkham Asylum and City's villains. Whatever they appear like, they need to have personality, presence, and appeal in the vain that Rocksteady captured. Black Mask can be villainously grim, but does he have to be boring? Give him grand, comic-book scale schemes to beyond just swing'in dope on a street-corner and truly him host the kind of grand boss battles that the city can feel involved with as well. Just avoid the steroid-fueled, Hulk style smash 'em up battles. Those were weird.

On another note, according to director Eric Holmes, the story may further involve escapees from Arkham that have their own separate agendas for Batman in Origins (Joker?!) and'll remain in the shadows for now. Who knows? Maybe we'll get to see our Clown Prince of Crime after all. . .

A Note on Voice-Acting:

One development in Arkham Origins' announcements is that beloved Batman voice actor, Kevin Konroy, a personal favorite of mine, will not be returning as Batman's voice and neither will Mark Hamill for Joker, reportedly. Loving both of their superb work in past cartoons, games, and direct-to-video movies, I can say that I'll miss them a lot, but meanwhile I don't feel forever broken up about it. Obviously Batman's younger this time around and Kevin Konroy's gravelly, over-the-hill Batman wouldn't fly in a prequel story and, as far as is known, Joker's not present anyway. Further, to me, Batman's always been strictly a comic-book character with no true, live-actor basis to be inspired from, so adding another actor to the bazillion Batman veterans doesn't seem that big of a deal. To the new actor(s), I can only say that they need to capture what Konroy and others did: Batman's tough, gritty sensibilities along with his noble charm and wit. Otherwise, proceed.

The Combat:

One of the best gameplay elements to come out of Rocksteady's Arkham games was the flair and action of Batman's masterfully designed combat system, and it's only right to take it to new heights with Arkham Origins. As a prequel story, Warner Montreal made it clear that much of Batman's been given a clean slate as far as his skill is concerned. Younger and less refined, the company description of Batman's new combat seems to imply that Batman's still emerging fighting skills will make him less graceful and strategic than his older self's by Arkham Asylum, but that doesn't have to make it any less fun. Most likely, we'll see it include fewer gadgets, but a wilder and more brutal Batman would be all the better for intenser, more satisfying fights. A more interactive environment where you could just grab a chair or rip a pipe off the wall to bash the perp right next to you would be dandy and more of a "dirty fighting" mentality of sucker punches and fake-outs would be greatly entertaining. Whatever Warner Montreal adds, what they should make sure of is that they definitely keep what simply worked for Rocksteady. Keep the efficient, counter-attack system, keep up the huge number of enemies, and make the enemy AI more and more intuitive. On a final note, humorous features like big-head mode in Arkham City shouldn't be discounted either. Adding in "Bwams" and "Pows" in a joke-mode? Golden.

Travel

Warner Montreal made it clear that the new world of Gotham will be painstakingly huge, and with that kind of open-world comes a need for some fast transportation. They already stated the presence of the Bat-wing as your top method of fast-travel between points and, unfortunately, it'll simply involve a cutscene akin to using Assassin's Creed's catacomb entrances and there'll be no controlling it or the chance of a Batmobile. As a fan who dreamed of riding in any Bat-vehicle since he was six, that's a major bummer, but that doesn't rule out the possibility of a (*wink* *wink*) Bat-mobile story mission. If Batman's indeed traveling across Gotham frequently in-game, surely Batman's enemies would be privy to mess-him up, like Arkham Asylum's "Protect the Batmobile" sequence showed. Just gimme a single Need for Speed style sequence of racing down the highway to a story checkpoint shaking off clowns from my wind-shield and I'll be a happy Bat.

Gadgets

Another terrific feature of the Arkham games was in all the goodies that you exploited from Batman's utility belt and if Arkham Origins is a Batman game at all, there's surely some amount of toys that you're going to be treated with along the way. While it's highly likely that Origins' younger Batman has probably come nowhere near to inventing the items you have in your arsenal by Arkham Asylum outside of Batarangs and maybe a grappling hook, there's every chance that you could be making more. A Macgyver method of crafting your own devices from the environment with good old duct-tape and rubber bands would be an ingenious component to make you feel like a smart superhero as well as a bad-ass one and revisiting areas in the footsteps of Zelda or Metroid and give you a sense of discovery in exploiting newly unlocked areas.

Multi-player:

Lastly, the most mysterious and oddest feature Arkham Origins seems to be introducing is a "multi-player" mode. According to rumors and leaks, you'll be playing as any number of the in-game villains, Deathstroke, Black Mask, and supposedly Killer Croc included, trying to take down Batman as you compete against other opponents and the clock. I have no idea how successful this'll be implemented, but I do like the sound of finally getting my hands on actually controlling any of Batman's rogues gallery. I would be most concerned with the obvious an difficult need to balance villains' abilities (a.k.a realistically pitting Penguin against Killer Croc), but the idea has potential and if there's an even playing-field for the characters, then I'm all in.

Cross-overs?

Perhaps the greatest and most untapped potential within Arkham Origins is something outside of the Batman universe itself: the rest of the DC heroes gallery. Much of Batman's history has been being a part of a greater universe of characters and the chance of Arkham Origins connecting him to an early Justice League would be an enormous opportunity. Other heroes working together with Batman, in an unintrusive, sensible way that matters to the story would be amazing and only expand the Arkham universe into something At the very least, the subtle references like the presence of Daily Planet newspaper trucks on a Gotham Street corner or easter eggs like the blur of the Flash whizzing across the distance would be highly entertaining and a fun . On the other hand, having a post-credits, Nick Fury style scene of Martian Manhunter or Green Lantern arriving on earth to "recruit" Batman could be something to launch a Justice League game itself. At the same time, it's understandable that a Arkham Origins' first priority is being a Batman game. Using up precious time including any outside characters at the cost of developing Bruce Wayne's journey would be a risk, but it could be one that might pay-off given just the right treatment.

Will Arkham Origins be the game that fans deserve, or will it be the one that Gotham needs? Come this October, Warner Montreal's Gotham will tell us and I know that I'll be there. Tune in next time to this blog, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!

Star Trek Into Darkness Review - Boldly Going Where Few Sequels Have Gone Before

FinalFantasy1026 — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:01:00 GMT

**THIS REVIEW IS 100%** SPOILER-FREE**

When it was announced that J. J. Abrams would be directing Star Wars Episode VII I was a bit worried. I was not worried about Abrams being selected to helm one of cinema's most beloved franchises; I have supreme confidence in Abrams as a filmmaker. I was worried because, despite loving Star Wars, I also love Star Trek. The direction in which Abrams led 2009's Star Trek completely reinvigorated the Star Trek brand, a brand that had been left languishing since the cancellation of the Star Trek: Enterprise television series and the release of 2002's less-than-beloved film, Star Trek: Nemsis. With Abrams diverting his future attention to Episode VII, what would that mean for the future of Star Trek on film?

These questions still remain to be answered, despite Abrams hinting that filming Episode VII does not necessarily mean he will not be back in the director's chair for a third Star Trek film. The fact that so much remains a mystery about this franchise's future means that Star Trek Into Darkness could very well be Abrams' last Trek film.

Never!

Oh, what a shame that would be. Star Trek Into Darkness is an incredible experience.

Picking up some time after the events of 2009's film, Into Darkness finds the crew of the U. S. S . Enterprise much more closely resembling their roles from the original television series. Having gotten the origin story out of the way in the first film, Into Darkness is able to utilize these characters in a way that longtime Trek fans will find instantly recognizable. The plot centers around a bombing in London carried out by new villain John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), with the Enterprise crew being tasked with bringing him to justice. Giving away any more details of the plot would ruin the experience, so I will leave it at that.

The impeccable cast from the first film all return here and with a renewed focus on character development the actors are able to shine much more than they could in the first film. Where Star Trek often felt like "The Kirk and Spock Movie," Star Trek Into Darkness feels much more like an episode of the television series. Despite the fact that Kirk and Spock may be the two most important characters in the fiction, the show (especially The Next Generation series) was always great at finding things for all the characters to contribute and, most importantly, those contributions always made sense. Into Darkness accomplishes this task admirably. Every character gets ample screen time and is allowed to really make a lasting impression on the audience.

Everyone but these guys, thankfully.

Chris Pine once again channels Kirk's youthful recklessness but the events of the film temper that rash behavior to a strong degree; the character once again has a strong arc in that by the end of the film, Kirk has learned what it truly takes to sit in the captain's chair. Zachary Quinto perfectly portrays Spock once more as well; in my personal opinion, I think Quinto may be the best of the bunch in terms of resurrecting his role and making it feel familiar while also distinctly his. That said, Simon Pegg's Scotty might give Spock a run for his money, as Pegg easily harnesses his comedic sensibilities to make Scotty the eccentric character we know from the original series. Zoe Saldana has really owned her portrayal of Uhura almost in a way that the others have not; Saldana has turned Uhura into an incredibly strong female lead for this franchise, someone who can hold her own in the face of certain danger (which she does a couple times in this film). As Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Karl Urban seems permanently exasperated while somehow also managing to provide the film's best one-liners. Even John Cho (as Sulu) and Anton Yelchin (as Checkov) are given more to do this time around, a credit to the strength of the film's script.

The scene-stealer here, of course, is Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison. For those used to seeing Cumberbatch as the heroic Sherlock Holmes on the BBC's Sherlock, it is pretty wonderful to see Cumberbatch playing a menacing villain for a change. With that deep voice of his, he delivers his lines in such a way as to further advance the notion that he portrays someone that the general population would be wise not to mess with. Unlike the previous film's villain, Eric Bana's Nero, Harrison is also incredibly well-developed and becomes a real and (more importantly), believable threat to the crew. Hopefully this film raises his profile in the United States beyond the people who have devoted hours to watching Sherlock on the BBC and Netflix.

This is how you do a villain properly.

I would be remiss if I failed to discuss the script and why it is so strong. The story takes a few twists and turns that audiences may not (or may) be expecting, presenting the characters with challenges that they must overcome and then providing solutions that do not break from their historical behaviors. What I mean is that Scotty is still a wiz with machines, Uhura knows languages and communication, Spock is logical, and McCoy is a doctor, Jim, not a _______.

Speaking of callbacks and references, this film is stuffed full of them. Trek fans will see a lot in this film that either directly or indirectly references people, things, and events from Star Trek's history. Personally, as a Trek fan, I really appreciated seeing the references because they provided new context around elements that I love from the franchise.

The visual effects here are (unable to avoid the pun, sorry) stellar. The CG effects in space, as well as the ship animations, look incredible. One sequence involving a jump through space between two starships is particularly exciting from both a narrative and a visual standpoint. Of course, I love that the interior of the Enterprise is composed of actual, physical sets. Some of the interior locations we have not seen before (such as the area around the Warp Core) look really unique and stand apart fai. rly well from the source material. Of course, how could one talk about the visuals in a J. J. Abrams film without mentioning the lens flares? To be honest, the lens flares are far less rampant in Into Darkness than they were in the previous film; I did not even notice them for the first 45 minutes, before I remembered to watch out for them. Part of that has to do with their decreased prominence, I am sure, but most of it has to do with my being totally engrossed in the film.

Yes, yes it does, sir.

Of course, the film is not totally perfect. There are definitely a few plot holes that could be nit-picked about, such as the crew's sudden neglect of the first film's concept of trans-warp beaming despite it being mentioned (and put to use) by others during this very film. In the interest of avoiding spoilers I will refrain from going into further detail about plot holes; it's important to note, however, that they do not bring the rest of the film down.

J. J. Abrams' biggest success in taking on the Star Trek franchise is definitely how accessible he has made these films to non-Trek fans while still managing to deliver two films that Trek fans can embrace and enjoy. While many of the nods to the television show may go over the heads of the general audience, they are not exactly meant for them anyway. Despite a heavier focus on action than the television series, Abrams' films still manage to entertain audiences and bring Star Trek back to the big screen in supreme style. I truly hope that the next Star Trek film manages to live up to the high bar set by the two Abrams directed, whether he is behind the camera or not, because I would hate to see this franchise slide back into near-irrelevance.

As far as summer blockbuster's boldly go, it will be hard to clear the high bar set by Star Trek Into Darkness.

It's definitely better than, you know...watching the 1920s set to a hip-hop soundtrack, I guess.

Let me know what you all think.

5th games I play next pt.1

Juanolo — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:54:00 GMT

We are back once again for our fifth games I play next, and this time, the winner will be played the heck out of because I'm almost on Summer vacation. Thank god. Anyways, back to your choices. This time around, I've added new games, older competetors, games I haven't played, and a game that hasn't even came out yet. So lets get started. Here are your choices:

Bioshock vs. Bioshock Infinite

GTA IV vs. Red dead redemption

Uncharted 2 vs. Uncharted 3

Mass effect 2 vs. Mass effect 3

Borderlands vs. Borderlands 2

Far cry 3 vs. Max Payne 3

Far cry 3 blood dragon vs. The walking dead

Tomb Raider vs. Spec ops the line

God of war Ascension vs. God of war 3

Darksiders vs. Darksiders 2

Sleeping dogs vs. Saint rows the third

Assassin's creed 3 vs. Assasson's creed Brotherhood

Killzone 3 vs. Battlefield 3

Black ops 2 vs. Bad company 2

XCOM enemy unknown vs. Fuse

Metal gear rising revengeance vs. Batman Arkham city

Those are your choices. Hope they weren't to hard. Part 2 will be up either saturday evening or sunday morning. Remember you can also vote in Forums to male your votes count even more. Thanks for voting, and see you this weekend.

Looking Back on Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.

Ran88 — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:13:00 GMT

I, like most teenage boys in the early 2000s was obsessed with Grand Theft Auto. I spent many days both by myself and with friends exploring every inch of Liberty and Vice Cities. Not only did 100 percent both games, me and my friends frequently improvised our own fun in the games such as trying to run from one end of Vice City to another with a six star wanted level. Needless to say I was on board for whatever the next game had to offer. My excitement hit stratospheric levels when I read that the next GTA, dubbed San Andreas, was to take place across an entire state that included 3 cities plus vast countryside I between. The individual cities of the previous games were already huge and chock full of things to do so the mere thought of three of them packed into one city was dizzying. About a month after Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released to rave reviews, a sixteen year old me bought it expecting to be blown away. For the next several months I was.

It should be noted that I am revisiting San Andreas on the PC despite having originally played it on the Playstation 2. I still have my PS2 copy of the game but I don’t have a system to play it on. I did dust off my old PS2 while I was back home visiting my Mom and the first thing that struck me when I popped in San Andreas was how *** it looks. Even back then its graphics were subpar but now it looks downright repulsive. The character models look like a bunch of boxes taped together, the animation is spastic and the textures are all muddy. Worst of all is the draw distance with objects frequently popping in right in front of you. Sometimes it gets so fogey that for a split second I think that I accidently put in Silent Hill by mistake. This problem is remedied on the PC which has a handy draw distance slider that alleviates this issue. Also, being able to aim and shoot with the mouse is vastly preferable to dealing with the finicky lock on system that the PS2 has.

With the draw distance turned all the way up it becomes much easier to appreciate just how ambitious this game was. Even now its scale is impressive; in 2004 it was mind boggling. I remember thinking back then that even the first city, the Los Angeles parody Los Santos, could have stood toe to toe with Vice City and that was only a portion of what San Andreas had to offer. The first time that I ventured out into the surrounding woods I was enthralled. Nothing like this had been attempted in GTA before so I just drove around aimlessly on a dirtbike through the trees with the classic rock station blaring. There really wasn’t much going on in terms of gameplay but the world was so huge and open that I quite literally got lost in it. I had to consult the in-game map to make it back into the city to continue the story and it took quite some time to even get back to the highway.

The game is so large that it at times felt more reminiscent of Bethesda Softworks current gen epics like Skyrim and Fallout 3 than GTA. This feeling is further enhanced by the surprisingly deep character customization. Unlike any GTA before or since, San Andreas’s protagonist Carl Johnson has stats for everything from weapon skills to body fat. This in addition to the extensive clothing and hairstyle options really made me feel like the character I was controlling was MY version of CJ. One might think that this level of customization would detract from CJ ‘s role in the story but this isn’t the case. In stark contrast to the blank slate Claude Speed and the sociopathic Tommy Vercetti. CJ is a very well rounded and sympathetic character. He deeply cares about his family and that ultimately is what drives him through his criminal escapades. He’s cool witty and just a charming endearing guy which makes it much easier to connect with him even when the story has him mowing down large numbers of people. GTA IV’s protagonist Niko Bellic was even more sympathetic and well-rounded but I ultimately not feeling as connected to him because I wasn’t able to leave my mark on him to the degree that I was able to with CJ.

I’ve always loved Rockstar’s writing, in fact I’d go as far to say that Dan Houser is one of the best satirists out there right now. San Andreas certainly doesn’t fall much short on this front. I loved it at 14 but at 24 I appreciate it even more. A large part of that is because in the intervening years I had seen movies like Boyz n the Hood so I knew the genre tropes the game was lovingly spoofing in the beginning section of the game. Being an Italian kid from New Jersey, the mafia tinged stories of the previous two games were practically in my blood. The story of San Andreas to me however was more alien to me but the writing was so good that it didn’t take long for me to get sucked in. I remember feeling a genuinely shocked and hurt when Big Smoke and Ryder betrayed me because I had really grown to like them.

Prior to this the story is relatively grounded, albeit with larger than life characters. Afterward things go completely bonkers and I just loved it. Some of my personal favorites include torching a field of pot with a Peter Fonda voiced hippie, bulldozing an occupied porta pot into a hole and filling it with cement, breaking into a top secret military base to steal a jet back and an elaborate Ocean’s Eleven style casino heist. With this much variation there are bound to the duds like the infamously awful zero missions in which you pilot an RC plane and helicopter with super finicky controls. Overall though, the good missions vastly outnumber the bad, which is a not an easy feat to pull off in a game as big as this. Even more remarkably, despite these wacky escapades the story still maintains a modicum of coherence. This is largely because of Officer Tennpenny who chases you throughout the game. Voiced to perfection by Samuel L. Jackson, he’s as ruthless as he is crooked and the best villain the series has had to date.

The games sprawling and unfocused nature is a big part of why I love it so much. Detractors of this game often cite this as a negative and to be fair every single gameplay element that San Andreas attempts has been done better n other games. However, no other game has fused so many disparate elements into one package. San Andreas proves that sometimes, the jack of all trades master of none approach can work for a game. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the more grounded and focused Grand Theft Auto IV, I prefer San Andreas’s epic sprawl. This sprawl facilitated some great times with my friend’s goofing off in this games world, from driving various vehicles off the games mountain, to trying to land the largest planes in the game in the middle of a busy city street. The previews that I have seen for Grand Theft Auto V seem to indicate that Rockstar is returning to the same crazed ambition that made San Andreas so endearing with a colossal game map, three different playable characters and even the ability to explore the depths of the ocean. September 17^th can’t come soon enough

Metro: Last Light Review(PC)

Jon Gregory aka JMan240 — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:25:00 GMT

If there's one word to describe Metro: Last Light, that word is "better". It is a better game than its predecessor and a better shooter than its competition. Equal parts Crysis, Call of Duty, BioShock and Fallout, Metro: Last Light overcomes the problems that plagued its predecessor and straps on a gas mask to climb up, out of its niche. The result is easily one of my top games of the year.

Last Light, picks up where Metro 2033 ended and drops players right into the thick of a journey that they don't even know has already begun. Many story driven shooters suffer from fatigue, presenting the stakes up front and sending gamers on a flame-licked log-ride to one giant splash at the end. Based on the audience they attempt to appeal to, many trap themselves. They either sprinkle story over the top of gameplay or present so much exposition that they hope the player won't notice gameplay hitches. Last Light, however, strikes a much needed balance between the two.

A very good, but not quite great, story guides players through one of the most interesting worlds that video games have to offer. At its best the story jams together elements of survival horror, post-apocalyptic thriller, and military drama. At its worst the plot stumbles slightly over ambiguity. Although it buries some story elements in its codex-like Diary, the story is still understandable and enjoyable without that extra information - even if it does tuck away some excessively interesting tidbits. I never felt lost though, or as if I needed to read the Diary notes to grasp what was happening.

The story never needed to be as strong as it was though, thanks to its pairing with an absolutely pitch perfect environment. There are good looking apocalyptic environments, and then there is Metro: Last Light. The darkness of the metro is suffocating, and your flashlight does little to combat it. Tight corners branch into large areas before shoving you down a duct and doubling down and claustrophobia. The constant change adds an air of believability to the idea that the metros are a rough, dangerous place. Just getting to the next room can be difficult, requiring searches, makeshift solutions, and a handful of desperate encounters that mesh perfectly with the atmosphere before breaking through.

Metros are also, thankfully, much more varied this time around. I was thoroughly surprised when a half hour of tunnels opened into a large flooded metro and I was forced hold my ground against a pack of beasts as a fisherman brought his boat over to rescue me. The fleshing out of the world beneath the surface also presents opportunities for environmental storytelling. Settlements now feel lived in, although I was disappointed to only have the chance to thoroughly explore one. The setting now feels like a world instead of an excuse to make small levels, with little events happening perpendicular to your adventure scattered about.

In one instance, I found myself sneaking through a train car to save a woman from two armed men. Successfully accomplishing that, I shut off the lights as I worked my way out, and took down their friend who had come to investigate the silence. Further down the tracks, I found where those three men came from and cleared out the base as a woman screamed for help and the bandit leaders berated her. Upon confronting them though, I did not experience the same success as with the last encounter and the bandit leader, along with the captive woman, disappeared into the tunnels never to be seen again. It's these momentary choices, to stop and listen to someone's cry for help, to clear out an ambush or speed on through to the other side, that make the metros special in Last Light. They are where the last of humanity tells the last of its stories.

The surface is just as beautiful though and players spend more time up top in Last Light than in Metro 2033. Unlike the previous game, time spent on the surface is not a mad dash in the face of overwhelming enemy strength. Instead its often a slow and methodical trek through naturally hostile territory. The same new variance found in the tunnels is also found in the world above.

Swamps and ice fields, storms and sunlight, night and day. All in service of a world that actually feels like it has seen the scourge of nuclear war. The surface of Last Light's world is the first environment that I felt that way about, even the massive world of Fallout felt a little too orderly. Metro is chaos, the best kind of chaos. The proper path is almost never the first you see and getting to it usually requires ducking in and out of the ravaged Russian streets. Enemies often scamper about through the world as well, popping up here or there for a scripted sequence and even running in packs across the battlefield. Many of these packs can put up a hell of a fight, and Last Light makes it clear that a shoot on sight policy isn't always the best. It is truly impressive to see a game put so much effort into making its monsters a part of the world. When you are set upon by a pack of watchers it doesn't feel like a wave of enemies is being throw at you, because you've seen them scurrying about as you went.

Completing the trio of necessary elements, Last Light's gameplay also avoids slouching. Metro 2033's mechanics are probably most aptly described as obtuse. In a way that worked though. The visuals were rough around the edges, the world was rough around the edges, so why shouldn't it be a little rough around the edges in motion? Last Light takes a different approach though, cleaning up everything that was jagged and jarring about the previous title.

Although the threat of running out of supplies may be all but gone on Normal, the men and beasts that have survived in the hostile environment still pack a punch. Unfortunately, most of these men and beast are also very predictable, advancing in the same patterns and with the same numbers in almost every instance. Surprisingly, the least predictable segments were the on rails ones - which were occasionally literally on train rails. While the same "defend yourself while the lift arrives" mechanic appeared several times, roughly half were punctuated by a satisfying twist.

This fault is largely overshadowed by the weapons, and shooting the occasionally brain-dead enemies is honestly the most fun I've had shooting anything in a video game for the last few years. The same cobbled together guns make a return appearance, along with the ammo as currency system, and they feel great. Shooting is much tighter, and variations in how different enemies must be approached, along with balancing of your loadout for the situation at hand, add an active touch to an otherwise passive system. A few new items are sprinkled in, although I never came across the game's new night vision goggles, and an upgrade system is layered on top.

Upgrades aren't extremely powerful, but they can affect how you approach certain situations. They also present any interesting system of give and take. Do you spring for a new gun or attachment knowing that down the line you may have to abandon your weapon in favor of one that you actually have ammo for? I found myself confronting that situation more than once; in the worst case spending almost 300 bullets tricking out a rifle, only to realize after struggling through a few areas that it just wasn't worth keeping a loud, slow gun around while sneaking through the metros.

Some of the coolest weapons come in the last handful of levels, which, when grouped with a few other elements that crop up around the same time, makes it seem like the developers realized they would be wearing their audience thin with constant, repetitive combat. It's not that the encounters are bad, but rather that they feel samey. Late game tweaks change them slightly, but only really with the effect of making them play out faster.

Earlier segments unfold much like Crysis or Farcry, with players given the choice to be stealthy or go in guns blazing. Like those games, the reality is often somewhere in between. There were a few sections where I found myself restarting checkpoints like I would in a stealth game, but at some point that level of detailed stealth stopped be fun for me and I started shooting. I like that it gave me the opportunity though, because I truly had fun working my way through the environments, and the tension created by those situations really helped get me into the game as the story was just pulling away from the platform.

This the nuclear apocalypse though, and it's not without its troubles. The worst offender in the category of gameplay is the boss battles. They are something that, in practice, would have been better done without regardless of how good they seemed on paper or how admittedly cool the boss designs are. All eventually turn into a game of cat and mouse involving running, then turning, then shooting, and finally more running. A process repeated until the oversized enemy finally hits the ground. Most show off enemy types new to the series as well, which means no epic showdown with the flying Demons that terrorized Artyom in Metro 2033. These fights feel out of place, and they aren't alone.

Much of Metro: Last Light feels odd. It's a game trapped between console and PC, between next-gen and current-gen, between old and new approaches to games. Carelessly designed, arena based boss fights punctuate carefully laid out and directed levels. The game is much better optimized, running at the highest settings - bells and whistles like PhysX turned off - without much trouble on my stock EVGA 660Ti graphics card in 1080p, a feat that would probably be difficult to match in the hefty Metro 2033.

However, when presented with that same card sporting a mild overclock, Last Light suddenly becomes unstable. Crashing while running at a consistent 50-60FPS became an issue, especially in the rain soaked second trip to the surface, and I eventually had to unclock my card to proceed. For those not versed in PC tech, overclocking is like a tune up for a processor, and my card ran every other game I own, as well as EVGA's stress testing software, without a hitch at those settings. I was surprised to have it running fine out of the box, and even more surprised to encounter this oddity.

More immediately noticeable are the game's visuals and interface. Last Light is a gorgeous game, but it's clear that it is still tied to current consoles. Characters are outstandingly detailed, but occasionally give the impression that they are computer generated puppets instead of people. Textures look great, but every now and again one pops up that clearly should have had something replacing it in the PC version. The interface that Game Informer's PC based review called "convoluted" is actually very simple, it's just one that is clearly meant for a gamepad and was clumsily mapped to a keyboard. At its core, the game is meant to be played with a controller, but it is, at the same time, meant to be played on a PC where mouse and keyboard controls reign supreme. A handful of other less important issues, such as the game occasionally not displaying the loot icon before the weapon swap icon when looting downed foes, present hindrances that have no real reason to exist.

Metro: Last Light is a great game. It simultaneously presents what people loved about the Metro 2033, in a shinier, better performing, and better playing package. It offers something for standard shooter fans on the Normal difficulty level, while ramping up into a proper survival horror game on the higher ones. Better atmosphere than Fallout, better gunfights and set pieces than Call of Duty, the versatility in approach to combat of Crysis, and all the story driven goodness of BioShock. Last Light has its quirks, but is easily one of the most interesting shooters on the market, and one of the best games of the year so far.

Nintendo... sigh

BlackHeartedWolf — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:20:00 GMT

I don't blog on here often, but when I do, you better believe it's because I have something to say.

So Nintendo has claimed ownership of the LPs of various Youtubers. I know that a lot of people will see this and think "why should I care?" I mean after all it is technically their game and their property, so it should be making them money. More importantly, I guess that people will also ask "why do you care?" I'll get to the latter in a bit, but for now let me explain why this is really bad.

The issue here isn't the fact that they are claiming ownership of the games. The issue here is that they are claiming ownership of the way the people played the games, and the experience they had with them. This is a very dangerous precedent to set right now, with more and more people doing LPs and streaming games online.

I'd like to direct your attention to a site called twitch.tv for a moment. This is a site that a large number of streamers use to showcase their playthroughs of games past and present. A number of the streamers on there play Nintendo games and a few of them have gotten pretty famous for streaming their speedruns of Nintendo games. This ruling and decision by Nintendo will also no doubtedly affect these players as well, since they do the same thing as the LPers except they do it live.

Now again, I haven't really given you a reason to care about this, all I've done is show you the little guys who will be impacted by this decision.

I'd like you now to take a look at this, this, and this. I think we're all pretty familiar with GI and what these series are. Now then let's think for a moment how this decision affects them and other sites that cover games for a living.

Well for one thing now they no longer make any profit off of the videos because they are using content of a publisher. This means they no longer have any reason to make these videos as they are getting nothing out of them, which means less content for you to enjoy. This means that for these to work there has to be agreements made between Nintendo and the sites, which as with most things will be dictated by the larger sites like GI and IGN. Smaller sites will more than likely not be able to compete with such things, and as such if they are doing things like this they will be losing content/revenue from this.

Now obviously the above is speculation. It could be that this is not as bad as it seems. I will fully admit that could be the case.

However the fact of the matter is that this sets a precedent for more to come. This step is bad enough IMO. The last thing I want to see is developers/publishers who think that they have ownership of the experience of a player. I think that this move by Nintendo is the first step for them to say that.

I hope that we can nip this in the bud, before it becomes a real issue later on down the road.

Now I promised I'd say why I care about this so much, and here it is. Twitch.tv/loupinconnu That is my personal streaming channel. I love to stream games and I am doing a lot of casting/playing of Dota 2. I would like to eventually be able to make money from this as I do put a lot of work into it. I also eventually want to be able to put my videos up on youtube. In order to do that though I have to know that a developer will not come in and take my money from me for what is my work. They may have provided the canvas, but the art that is on it is from me.

I know that it's a lot of speculation, but please understand that this is really bad for a lot of people including yourselves. You don't want to see anything more come of this, you can trust me on that.

Thank you for reading,
Dave the "BHW"

Indie Adventures: Downfall

Andrew Ryan — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:01:00 GMT

Insert generic discussion about the state of the survival horror genre and how I despise modern attempts at them here. After that, remind yourself that I’ve been searching for indie games that could offer truly new and disturbing experiences; games to scare me half to death, and others to make me feel like a complete and total ***. Fun fun fun!

So, a recent title called The Cat Lady had grabbed my attention. I mean, just read the GOG.com discription and check out the Metacritic score. Pretty sweet right? If you then check out the tvtropes page, and the multiple fansites (!) that have already cropped up, you’ll have all you need to know that The Cat Lady is shaping up to be one of the most important indie releases in a while: a game that truly challenges the player and his perceptions of morality and ‘typical video game stories’, but still offers a beautiful and occasionally uplifting experience. Needless to say, I was excited. I couldn’t have dropped that ten bucks any faster

Problem is, Screen7 games had another title that I had always meant to try out but had never really thought seriously about it until I’d already purchased The Cat Lady. However, I didn’t make it a necessity that I play the first game until I heard about the continuity welding between The Cat Lady and their aforementioned previous title, Downfall. So, of course, I dropped ten more bucks to buy Downfall from Gamersgate (it wasn’t on GOG for some reason) and made it a point to play all the way through before I played The Cat Lady, despite my excitement.

So, Downfall. Yeah, I know: stop rambling and get to the point. Sure, I’ll bite.

You see, Richard and Alice disappointed me greatly. I was expecting the same from this. Turns out, it not only didn’t suck, but it exceeded my expectations at every turn.

Right from the beginning the story gets good and weird, with our ‘heroes’ Joe and Ivy Davis arriving at night in the rain at the aptly-named Quiet Haven Hotel. Ivy is suffering some sort of mental breakdown, and Joe just wants to get her to a doctor out of the rain. After they check in, however, the two begin arguing, and we immediately understand the implications: they’re thinking of splitting up. Divorce. A heavy-hitting theme introduced this early clued me in that I was in for one heart-wrenching ride, and boy was I right on the money.

Needless to say, the story is very interesting. The fact that it deals with eating disorders and marital problems means the game hits close to home and sometimes pushes the player into uncomfortably personal territory. It sometimes reads a bit too closely like something a thirteen-year-old NIN fan would write in their diary, but overall, it’s well-intentioned and does a good job of creating a disturbing atmosphere (in addition to the sweet music and creepy graphics) Moving on.

Is it scary, you ask? Well, yeah. It’s dark, surely, to the point where it’s plainly disturbing just thinking about the game, but there are some well-timed jump scares and some pretty cool moments that stand out as especially ‘creepy’.

The graphics are a huge plus for the game on the one hand, but they’re also one of the things that contribute to a general feeling of unfinished-ness. So, yeah, the backgrounds look sweet: dark, grimy, and gory. They contribute hugely to the atmosphere, and I really enjoyed the unique look. So much in fact that I was able to largely overlook the absolutely horrible animation quality and the gross-looking character sprites.

Spelling errors abound. “I can’t interact with the .” is a bug I encountered about four-thousand times, to the point where it stopped being funny. The characters sometimes move unusually fast across city streets and larger areas, to the point where it becomes quite silly. The puzzles are archaic and frustrating, and the mechanics are boring. The ending is abrupt and not nearly as unique or original as the developers might lead you to believe.

Difficult at times? Yes, but it was worth every second. It forces you to make hard decisions, and live with them. It keeps you guessing right up until the end. You’ll feel like a complete ***, and you’ll be uncomfortable most of the time while you’re playing. But that’s what makes it so great.

I highly, highly recommend Downfall. In a few weeks, I’ll let you guys know what I thought of The Cat Lady. Until then, play on, brothers.

"I Took An Arrow In The Knee" Will Never Be The Same

Kayla Herrera — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:03:00 GMT

Everyone's heard it, and if you haven't you've either been living in a cave for most of the last few years or completely untied to the gaming world. The famous phrase from Skyrim, "Took an arrow in the knee" doesn't quite mean what you think.

When I got the news of this phrase yesterday, my heart sank a little. The phrase from the game goes sort of like this: "I used to be an adventurer like you, until I took an arrow in the knee." Almost everyone took this as a ridiculous indication that he had been injured and couldn't go on with his ventures. The joke behind this phrase is the ridiculousness behind the injury. Who seriously takes an arrow to the knee and calls it quits on the life of adventuring? Thus, a joke was born.

Actually, sorry to break your hearts, but this infamous phrase is actually Nordic slang for "getting married." Ah, does it make sense now? He got married so he couldn't endanger the life of his family by going on with his adventures. Doesn't that just ruin it for you? I don't think I'll ever look at that phrase the same again...and I named a whole gaming blog after it...

OBJECTION! Defense Attorneys are Awesome!

XTrooper — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:13:00 GMT

When you think of what you want to play as, a defense attorney isn't what usually comes up. People are either playing as some beefy space marine, a gangster, or some fantasy adventurer. With Ace Attorney, Capcom proved that playing as an attorney can be a lot of fun. Especially when you get to point your finger.

I didn't really know what to think of Phoenix Wright at first. He had spikey hair and wore a suit. People liked Ace Attorney, so I decided to get a game. I went to a pawn shop to buy Trials and Tribulations, but somehow, SOMEHOW, I ended up with Justice for All (which wasn't cheap when I saw it for new). Coolest adventure game I've ever played (way beyond Pajama Sam). Sure, I got stuck a lot, but once I figured it out by trial and error or by checking online, the answer usually made sense. Last Thursday, I got the first game in the mail, and got to experience the story from the beginning.

The story is separated into five cases. Playing and completing each one unlocks the next case. The first one serves as a tutorial, and is pretty short (sadly). The rest can be pretty long.

Gameplay is separated into two phases: investigation and trial (except for the first case, which is only trial). While in investigation, you explore areas like a point-and-click adventure game. By talking to people, you can learn about important information. You can also present them pieces of evidence, which will either get a response or a response essentially meaning they have no clue what it is. You investigate until you get everything you need. Then comes the trial phase. You objective is to prove your client innocent of their crimes, and to do that, you'll need to point out the contradictions in witness's testimonies by presenting evidence that contradicts the testimony. Simple? Nope. It's not always easy to figure out which statement is the lie, so you'll have to press them for more information until they slip up.

There are two things that make this game shine: the story and the characters. I always was on the edge of my seat for the trials. I may have thought one thing, but it turns out it's another! The person I thought was the murderer, is really this person. It's amazing! The writing is superb, and the characters make it better. Some of them are serious, but others can be pretty comical. Larry Butz is an example of one of Ace Attorney's many comical characters. I mean, look at this guy!

The music is just as great as the story and characters. I was happy to hear my favorite ones in the courtroom kick in when I pointed out contradictions. I felt pumped! It's awesome! You should listen to it!

My one and only complaint: I wish there was more cases! I can't get enough of them! They're great! Can't Capcom give 10-20 cases in a game? :(

SCORE: 10

I think it deserves it. Can't make me think otherwise.

Overall: I enjoyed the game very much. I can't play to play Trials and Tribulations and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney.

Recommendation: If you have a DS (or even a 3DS), and are looking for a great game, I recommend picking this up. I strongly recommend it. It's the best adventure game I've seen on the DS, plus it would be a great start before the fifth Ace Attorney releases. The original would also be a great start as well, since it's a bit easier than what I played for Justice for All. Price wise: I bought it around $20. I would have bought it for $50 if necessary, and I wouldn't have regret it.

For my final words: If something smells, it's usually the Butz.

-X

Metro: Last Light Review: Out of the Shadows

Mike Mahardy — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:42:00 GMT

Metro: Last Light is a milestone for developer 4A Games.

Last Light's predecessor, Metro 2033, never garnered a huge following. It's considered a cult classic, driven forward by a narrative based on the book of the same name by Dmitry Glukhovsky. With Last Light, 4A Games is steering away from the canon of the novel's sequels, opting instead to create their own story.

That decision paid off.

Last Light is a paragon for video game narratives. It's ripe with characterization, direction and effect, but it doesn't sacrifice player agency in the process. It struggles to find a strong pace during the first few hours, as it leans a little too heavily on exposition, but its latter half builds to a climactic ending that lets gameplay and story compliment each other instead of detract.

Although you had a choice between two resolutions, Last Light picks up where the "bad" ending of 2033 left things: in a bid to save the remnants of the human race living in Russia's post-apocalyptic subway tunnels, Artyom launched missiles against the Dark Ones -- the supernatural race that threatened their sanctum. This left a wasteland where the Dark Ones' home used to be. Last Light's story explores several human factions' struggles for dominance over the others following the bombing.

There's a hefty dose of social commentary on racism and politics, all with supernatural undercurrents. Neither seem forced, and actually elevate the story to a better place as Last Light progresses. By the end, you'll discover ulterior motives and villainous plans that help the plot be about more than just survival.

All of this is contained within a living, breathing, believable world. The human stations scattered throughout the tunnels seem lived-in, the characters all seem real. I felt compelled to eavesdrop on any conversation I could, if not to learn more about the world then just to overhear Last Light's genuine dialogue. Each location is memorable in its own way, and I found myself pulled off the beaten path more than once on the way to each new objective.

You're channeled between set piece moments that provide variety along with spectacle. Before the credits rolled, I guided a car along a railroad lined with enemy soldiers, tiptoed through an abandoned city rife with booby traps, and fought off a giant mutated bear. These scenarios make up a fraction of Last Light's 12-hour duration -- it's a long campaign by today's standards, but the near-excellent pacing proves shooters can still aim for this length.

It's hard to label it merely as a shooter, though. The nuclear war that spawned the Metro series left little ammunition strewn throughout human outposts, meaning you'll have to scrounge for every last bullet below, and above, Russia's surface. Radiation forces you to wear a gas mask to avoid suffocation, and limited oxygen tanks give you one more thing to search for. The survival aspects of Last Light lend urgency to its slower moments, helped all the more by its believable world of swamps, tunnels and ravines.

While Metro 2033 had a similarly engrossing atmosphere, its gameplay mechanics held it back. Enemy movements were choppy, their sightlines were inconsistent, and they always seemed to know where you were once they found you, regardless of where you hid. The broken stealth mechanics almost demanded that every situation be turned into a guns-blazing approach.

The same can't be said about Last Light. I actually had a choice this time around. Not counting the situations where I was forced to kill, I opted to sneak around my human enemies every chance I could. This pacifism saved me precious ammo and supplies, but also let me take advantage of Last Light's stealth system.

For situations devoid of flying bullets and constant explosions, crawling through darkened corridors and quiet rooms is intense. Much of combat is about manipulating the lighting in Last Light's environments. Stay in the shadows, and you probably won't be spotted; waltz through the center of a bright room, and you probably will. You can even shoot light bulbs with your weapons and blow out lanterns to make each new area your playground. Last Light's stealth mechanics are consistent, meaning I rarely wondered whether a guard would see me or not, and if he did, I knew I could hide without some omnipotent AI guiding the guards to me.

Humans aren't the only enemies you'll encounter. Fighting mutated spiders makes you reverse your strategy and actually increase the lighting present, as the scampering creatures are afraid of light. Your flashlight is your best weapon against them: shine it on them long enough and they'll flip over, exposing their vulnerable bellies.

This manipulation of each area and its inhabitants pulled me even closer to the world of Last Light. As it progressed, I became more concerned with battling the environment instead of soldiers. I could have used all of my ammunition to clear a bridge of mutants, but I opted to sneak through a nearby train car, without any penalty to show for it.

While the variety in enemies, approaches and exploration never let boredom settle in, the same can't be said for the occasional feeling of frustration.

There are several difficulty spikes that stop Last Light's momentum. Throughout its first half, there aren't too many situations where you're actually forced to kill, aside from a few small encounters. About midway through, however, scenarios arise that can make your inventory disappear in a matter of minutes.

The first of these scenarios forced me to reload a checkpoint three times upon death. While the rest of Last Light isn't easy, this case was a result of me losing every last bullet and item I could use against the charging mutants. I finally made it through after a few lucky strikes with my melee weapon, which was a last resort. If I hadn't been scavenging so diligently up to that point, I don't know how I could have proceeded without restarting the entire level.

The unique currency system that carried over from Metro 2033, in which bullets used as currency can also be used for increased weapon damage, can be a godsend in those situations. Although they can only be used for certain weapons, the military grade bullets provide much more damage this time around, and also ignite your target. There is a tradeoff though, as using them means you won't have as much to spend on weapons and ammo in the next town. This isn't a huge deal on lower difficulties, as there is a variety of weapons lying around Last Light's environments, but the risk/reward factor increases when there are even less opportunities for scavenging.

Despite the short-term frustration, Last Light's difficulty spikes didn't keep me down for long. The post-apocalyptic Russian wasteland is a compelling environment, and the promise of much-needed supplies is just another excuse to explore it.

Metro: Last Light proves that gameplay and story don't have to compromise. Aside from a few bumps along the way, the two coalesce to form a compelling narrative set in a rich world, a world that elevates both to equal heights.

Metro 2033 was a cult classic; Metro: Last Light is a shining example.

Score: 9 out of 10

This was written for Gaming Nexus

Investment Tip 1. Experts are BS and it's a War out there.

bunnyking — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:10:00 GMT

While I was about to hit the hay, Cnn recently wrote a post about how Japan's economy had miraculously recovered and I couldn't resist on what global economics mean to a country.

JAPAN'S ECONOMY ROARS TO LIFE

2:06 am: Japan's economy kicked into high gear during the first quarter with annual growth of 3.5%. More

As you know Japan was hit by two really nasty forces of nature, the Tsunami's for one and the American automobile industry Also they had a bit of a recession going on. In other words Japan was weak. A lot of Toyota's manufacturing plants in Japan were destroyed but worst than that, the American Auto Industry went in for a kill and attacked their products as well.

They brought a huge lawsuit against Toyota to destroy or kill their auto manufacturing plants. If you remember just about 5 years ago Toyota had a serious lawsuit on their hands because the rugs on their cars where slipping underneath the brake pedals and stopping, stoppage from happening.

The first time I read this article I was laughing because of the ridiculousness of it. It was apparent to me America wanted to win this case and push their horrid SUVs in the place of economically sane and safe vehicles.

For me Japan recovering and sticking together isn't something new. It's something the west is finally catching up on. If you are a country in economic and financially dire situations, just pull it together.

Now this brings me to EA, Activision and Microsoft. They have pulled it together, they are working in conjunction to each other. I don't believe it is ethical, especially EA but yes they are a team.

It's too early to tell what will be happening and I can assure anyone investing in videogames can bet on any team and make a profit.

What I can tell you is that Japan, as of now didn't need any help to make Toyota the number one automobile manufacturer in the world. Also it would be very dumb of you to invest in the worst company in America long term. Look for the strongest product, and invest in that.

But really to each his own. Make your own decisions and 3% gain is no small number. Peace out!

Michael Pachter Be Damned!

Declaration of what will be. Episodic content, in a quiet environment.

bunnyking — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:44:00 GMT

First off I want to thank Fyt0127, I'm always afraid to post my stories and if you feel safe here so can I.

I am paranoid, I've had ideas about thing show up and seriously stare me down in the face and I can't do nothing about them existing because I'm the person that shared the ideas and the info. While I felt betrayed, it was my own stupid fault for posting things. But I think it doesn't matter now people on the web can find out who posted first easily.

1. I will be posting a weekly blog about how to invest in gaming and why you shouldn't listen to Michael Pachter. I want to prove that someone with 30 years of gaming experience knows more than an outsider and that investing is easy, and not a scary thing, you like a company, invest in it. I do need a title, so pls help out with this guys.

2. A demonically devious story, every 2 weeks. Fyt0127 is not afraid, and I shouldn't either. Thanks man, if *** goes down we can fight together, not afraid to put a story down on the net and not have it stolen. I appreciate your courage to be upfront and just roll with it.

That's all for this week since I have a wedding to attend to, but I am working on next weeks piece, not sure how a format like this will go but I am a fan of communitychannel and I believe porno/comment time would be a great spot for business and investing.

Still working out the format. Peace.

Art of Destruction # 3

The Destroyer — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:08:00 GMT

SPOILERS FOR THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU

Well, this has been a long time coming, hasn't it? Well, technically, Monado I and Monado III were meant to serve as iterations of this series, but this is the first in awhile that's actually a real entry of just random art. To give an update on my Shagohod project-I haven't done much lately, due to laziness, school things, and other conflicts. I'm hoping to finish it now by May 27th or so, to give myself some time. Yes, I know, that's about two weeks away, I'm sorry. I kind of hit a block of motivation, and have felt more like drawing as of late than constructing. After this week though, I'll be much less constrained time wise, and will be able to get more on track. It is about 60% done, so don't worry about me not having done anything. :P

So, let's get started with some new things, which, for the first time, are all actually done in the same style: good ol' Sharpie, with a bit of pencil shading as well. I've just been churning out these for the last couple of days, so, here they are.

Ace Attorney

Jin Yugami, the upcoming prosecutor from Ace Attorney-Dual Destinies

Phoenix Wright, as he appears in Ace Attorney-Dual Destinies

Apollo Justice, as he appears in Ace Attorney-Dual Destinies

THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU

Shiki Misaki, in her true form

Rhyme

Sho Minamimoto

Well, that's all I wanted to do for today-I am planning on doing some more characters from both of these games, and will probably have those up next week, hopefully along with the Shagohod, if everything goes as planned. As always, please put any comments/thoughts below, and happy blogging!

Review: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

chanceisshane — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:03:00 GMT

PREFACE

This is the first review I have ever written and am aware that my spelling and grammar can be a bit atrocious. Also, I do not like to tack numbers to reviews. If you are reading this and notice anything wrong or have any tips for me, then please tell me. I want to get into writing reviews and am willing to take any advice to learn what is and is not accepted. Thank you.

STORY

Much like the other Metal Gear games in the series, Metal Gear Rising's story tackles philosophies and criticizes norms of society as well as current events that could lead to devastating futures. However, this game contains the Platinum brand of insanity as a spice over the traditional Metal Gear flavor. Having said this, Metal Gear Rising's story is also more straight-forward relative to the Metal Gear Solid entries. There are still some branching into side-plots but they are much more easy to keep track of compared to Raiden's last playable entry, Metal Gear Solid 2. Also, much like previous Metal Gear games moral ambiguity is still present especially given one of the main focuses of the story is Raiden's questionable mental state as the game progresses.

GAMEPLAY

Combat, at its core, is actually quite simple in this game. However, this is one of those easy to learn but hard to master type of combat. Combos are easy to perform and many have a special attack such as a launcher, knock-back, or tripping move. The controls for each attack are bound to only two buttons: one for your sword and one for you special weapon or extra sword attacks if no special weapon is equipped. The special weapons each have a unique function: one for crowd control, one for stunning and closing distance, and one for power and charged moves that you cannot be interrupted from if fully charged. Swapping between these weapons does not happen in real time and have to be changed in a simple menu that resembles the item and weapon tabs in the Metal Gear Solid games. The only problem with this menu is that you have to be standing still to bring it up which means you have to find a break in combat to switch weapons.

Parrying and countering are also easy. To do both all you have to do is push the left analog in the direction of the attacking enemy and press the light-attack button. The timing will determine whether you parry or counter. When the enemy flashes red the opportunity to parry is available. The window is usually pretty large. However, if you want to counter then you have to parry just before the moment of impact which is a very small window but worth it. If you are thinking about tackling the game's hardest mode, Revengeance, then this becomes your most powerful tool. In this mode a successful counter can take half or more off of a boss' health in one hit. As for dodging there is a useful dodge-attack, called “Defensive Offensive,” where you dodge, with invincibility frames, and attack at the same time. This move is especially useful against enemy grabs which cannot be parried. The enemy flashes yellow to telegraph these attacks.

Now unto the game's free-cutting mechanic. When triggered the right analog stick controls the angle of the cut and flicks and swipes of the analog perform the cut. You can also use the sword and special weapon attack buttons to perform quick horizontal and vertical swipes respectively. Well aimed cuts on basic enemies or weakened advanced ones will open up the opportunity for a “Zan Datsu,” the main way to restore health and blade mode completely. During this animation Raiden is invincible and and the camera pulls cinematically on him. The transition can be a little disorienting at first but I found myself adjusted to it pretty quickly.

CAMERA

Speaking of the camera, it can be fairly haphazard at points. There is a lock on system that can help in some situations where it tends to jump everywhere and single out quick evasive enemies. But once you learn where the camera does not like to be you can avoid most of the problems. It does not like being near walls or corners. If you can stay away from those, then you should be fine. Although, in open area I find it fairs pretty well and is very manageable.

EXPLORATION

You will be getting around the majority of the environments using “Ninja Run.” This is very similar to Assassin's Creed's free running mechanic and the similarities extend to how finicky it can be at times. Although in Metal Gear Rising this seems to be tied to how fast you run rather than just weird glitch behavior or vaulting over something you did not intend. Sometimes questionable animations are chosen but I find that it does not impede much on the gameplay. For some boss fights you can even use this to dodge some bosses attacks.

LENGTH / REPLAYABILITY

Do not let what other people say about the length of the game. Some claim that it is only 6 hours long but many base that off of the “Total Play Time” statistic at the end of the game. However, this statistic does not take into account the cut-scenes and deaths/continues.

I find this game to be fairly replayable just in the difficulties alone. If you switch to one of the harder two modes, Very Hard or Revengeance, then the enemy layouts change and all familiarity you have with the environment changes. The behavior of the enemies and bosses also change besides health and attack boosts.

RECOMMEND?

Having only played two other Platinum games, Anarchy Reigns and Vanquish, I guess I do not have much say in the matter but this game feels like Platinum and if you are a fan of them I would recommend this game. Or if you have a good sense of timing and like a game where you have to learn enemy patterns and adapt, then I would recommend this game.

Should Companies be Spoiling Their Own Game? (SPOILERS)

Hist — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:11:52 GMT

Actually, no spoilers, but now that I have your attention.

I was reading Games Radar earlier today, and came across this interesting editorial by David Houghton: "Why Publishers Are Killing Their Games With Pre-Release Hype."

And it got me to thinking (Empty Chair: Uh oh...).

What is the proper balance that companies can take to hype their game while still not spoiling things for their players?

I think games media has generally done a good job of avoiding spoilers in their articles about games, unless it's clearly labelled as having spoilers. In fact, I don't even think they'll talk about the ending of Red Dead Redemption yet without a warning, despite it being a fairly old game (Houghton doesn't even mention it, just saying that a drunken friend told him what it was and he has never finished the game because of that). I know Game Informer is very cautious about spoiling games.

It's kind of hard to avoid that when the companies themselves are putting the information out there for all to see.

How many times have you heard (or maybe even you've said yourself) "I'm not watching any trailers or reading anything about (High-Profile Game) because I don't want any spoilers?" Companies are walking a fine line between getting consumers interested in playing their games and telling them too much. You get that with movie trailers as well, where it's often said 'the best parts of the movie are already in the trailers." But often they don't spoil the major twist of the movie. Sometimes, though, your game twist might be spoiled. Just a bit of gameplay footage may accidentally show something that consumers don't really want to see.

Maybe the gameplay footage shows you fighting somebody, and then when you pick up the game, that person is a friend at the beginning of the game? Wouldn't that make you stop and think? "Ok, looks like this guy's going to betray me at some point."

Houghton gives an excellent example of the Mexico trailer for Red Dead Redemption. I completely agree with him that it would have had much more impact if we had no idea that we would be going to Mexico for a major part of the center of the game. Sure, some of the gameplay footage could have shown Mexico, because without being identified as such, how would you know? It may just be a section of New Austin that you haven't approached yet. But this trailer was intended to whet your whistle for the new experience, and it became a player expectation instead of a surprise.

Companies are in a pickle, though. Just how much is too much to reveal? Games seem to be trying to emulate movies maybe a little too much. They're trying to sell the game based only on its story, and that's where you get into spoiler territory. How many story-based trailers do you need, really? Isn't gameplay supposed to be a major selling point in games? I realize that we all love game stories, and we're trying to increase the cache of games by making them mediums of art (Empty Chair: Do NOT go there!). But gameplay is important too, and I think game company hype should start concentrating more on gameplay and less on story.

They shouldn't ignore stories, of course. Stories are important. But if you start emphasizing gameplay too, you can have the same amount of trailers and hype and maybe, just perhaps, try to avoid story spoilers.

And come on, publishers. I know you are trying to reach out to fans directly and avoid the media filter, but do you really need so many trailers and "behind the scenes" videos and all of that?

Here's what Houghton had to say about Bioshock Infinite, which after finishing the game, I totally agree with (though I didn't actually watch any of these trailers, so it was actually all new to me):

"Take Bioshock Infinite for example. Despite Ken Levine’s pledge to not over-expose the game too early, between August 2012 and the game’s launch in 2013 we got 14 officially produced featurettes covering backstory, plot threads, entire character histories and story arcs, the skylines, the parallel universe mechanics, the later evolution of the civil war storyline, the Handymen, the Boys of Silence, the Siren boss fight and the Songbird. Simply, if you watched all of them pre-release, there was barely anything left by the time you actually got the game. And that’s not even taking into account the number of what would later turn out to be major environmental reveals lurking in the backgrounds of those videos. Or the raft of standard trailers we were delivered along the way."

Do we really need all of that? Who remained to be convinced by all of this? Who originally wasn't going to buy the game but then, after seeing all this crap, decided "hey, maybe I should check this out!" (Empty Chair: *reluctantly raises hand*)

Companies need to step back and take a look at their marketing practices. Otherwise, there will be more and more people who say "I'm avoiding all information about this game because I know I'll come across something I don't want to see." If that happens, what's the point of doing all of this in the first place?

If a trailer is put out in the wild and nobody watches it, does the game really exist?

*********

Was going to talk about how we as gamers feel about spoilers, but I think that will be another blog

Why Used Games are More Accessible

Josh Straub — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:05:00 GMT

One of the darker rumors surrounding Microsoft’s new hardware is that it won’t allow players to buy games used. While this is probably nothing more than speculation, it would be unfortunate to see Microsoft make this decision, because it would irrevocably damage the system’s accessibility.

I have given reasons why used games are important for game accessibility in brief in other articles, but in order to understand the issue fully, you really need to delve into the issue of why used games are inherently more accessible than new ones. There are two reasons, both are deeply embedded in the issue of financial accessibility.

First, used games are cheaper. For a lot of disabled gamers who are on limited incomes, the only way they can enjoy hot game titles is if they pick them up used. Also, the longer someone waits, the more likely they are to hear that a game is inaccessible. Therefore, it is not only cost effective, but also incredibly useful for determining a game’s accessibility if a player waits and decides to buy it used. For example, in my own gaming career, I was incredibly surprised when I heard how forgiving Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was. I had not originally planned on playing it because from all the footage shown at E3 and other conferences the game looked to require too many rapid button presses. However, as I shopped in GameStop for something to rate for DAGERS, the clerk told me how easy he thought the controls would be for my disability and sold me a used copy. So not only was I able to get the game at a lower price, because I waited to get a used copy, it came with a recommendation from a sales clerk who knew both the game and my physical ability. So there was much less of a risk when I purchased the game.

But the bigger issue is that used games typically have return policies that are much more lax than new games. A non-accessibility illustration of this was Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2. I had eagerly purchased it only to find out that it was not playable on my system. The bad news was, I was out sixty bucks because my hardware failed. When speaking in terms of accessibility, instances like this happen much more often. For example, Medal of Honor: Warfighter had so many barriers in it that I couldn’t progress past the fourth stage, no matter how hard I tried and even with the help of a friend. But because I bought the game new, there was nothing the sales clerk could do except apologize. By contrast, if I or players like me are able to buy games used (at GameStop, for example), there is usually an extended period of time in which the game can be played and returned without losing any money. As a result, players have the option to try games, and if a title proves to be inaccessible, they can simply return it for a full refund.

The bottom line is this: Buying a game when you have a disability is always a risk—one that many disabled people can’t afford to take very often. So when they do, they really need to have the option of buying used games so that the risk of buying a game that they physically can’t handle is greatly lessened.

For more articles on game accessibility, please visit DAGERS, or find us on Facebook or @dagersystem.

5 Games that Don't Absolutely Suck

John Wrek — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:50:00 GMT

(Oh, hello Vaas. Didn't see you there...)

Today's blog is going to be a little on the short side. This is because it is really nothing more than a list of five...sub-par games that actually don't suck (too much), as well as brief little descriptions as to why I think they don't utterly fail and deserve to die. Just for the heck of it, I'll even include the scores I would give the games, as well as some clinically proven to cheer you up satire. Your welcome. Trust me, you'll need it to make it through the mid-week doldrums. Anyway, let's get this party started...

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Number Five:

Dragon Age II

Before there was Mass Effect 3, there was Dragon Age II. Before there was controversy and complaint surrounding Mass Effect 3's ending(s), there was controversy and complaint surrounding Dragon Age II's...everything. Seriously. People complained about the entirety of the game, simply because BioWare tried to make it more "open" and appealing to console gamers, in stark contrast with the first game's more tactics based, traditional approach. Now, don't get me wrong- I was more than a little disappointed with the sequel, but it still did a number of things right. Story being chief among them. It might be a little dry and decaying around the edges, but I'd still say Dragon Age II is a fine and decent game. Fight me about if you want, but it's my opinion.

The Score: 7/10

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Number Four:

Fable III

As disappointed as I was with this sequel to a sequel, Fable III did a lot of things right as well- despite all of its DLC being absolutely abominable and utterly boring. The game itself was a nice upgrade in many ways to Fable II's formula, and the best thing about it was the further tailoring and tinkering with the gameplay. It finally seemed more fluid, even if it did try harder this time around to be an action-adventure game than the RPG that the other two games were. Despite genre changing and pointless story twists however, the game was overall a mild success for Lionhead, and I am interested to see if they will ever take on a supposed fourth one... I wonder how much time will have passed, and how industrialized the world will be this time around as well...

The Score: 8/10

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Number Three:

Crysis 2

Many people have complained, since Crysis 1, about the story line and plot of the series, stating that it doesn't make sense and therefore the games suck. This is insanity, as there are many games with stories that are either farfetched or don't make sense, and their gameplay more than makes up for it. The same can be said here with a few aspects actually. The graphics are beautiful, and as of yet only outmatched by its sequel- Crysis 3. The gameplay is phenomenal, fluid, and an adrenaline trip throughout the seven or eight hour campaign, and always in the frantic multiplayer matchups as well. Which, oh, by the way, was a new and well-received aspect of the fabulous game as well. It might be one of the weaker entries in an epic series, but Crysis 2 holds onto the standards set by its predecessor, and is only outmatched by Crysis 3 overall.

The Score: 8.75/10

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Number Two:

Assassin's Creed: Revelations

Assassin's Creed: Revelations is one of the most diverse Assassin's Creed games to date, as well as one of the most heavily criticized- surpassing even the hate for AC3's glitches and characters. Because of this, it is often under fire from players and the gaming industry alike, which is really a shame, because the game did many things right as well. Not only did it relocate Ezio to a new locale, give him completely new supporting characters, give him powerful new abilities, and create a fresh new plot, but it also made a character that would otherwise be stale and old-fashioned exciting and more believable. Bravo to the team at Ubisoft for stepping up when the normally working-on AC team was crafting AC3's tale. Bravo for filling their shoes and doing admirably in the face of adversity. It is because of you that AC3 was much more well received, and provided the series with a continued breath of fresh air and a chance for more greatness with Black Flag. Weird as that may sound.

The Score: 9/10

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Number One:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Yep, you guys probably knew this one was coming. I'm going to say this just for your benefit so I am taken seriously, but I am honestly not that big a fan of the modern Call of Duty series. Sure, I recognize that the series has done some great things, and I've enjoyed my fair share of CoD moments...but it just isn't doing anything for me anymore, as you'll see in my gradually decreasing review scores for the past three games. I recently (a month or two ago) did a nostalgic review on MW3, mainly to see how it had fared over the years, and it still held up alright overall. Granted, it isn't and wasn't perfect by any means, but it kept everyone's multiplayer palate sated, and it (finished?) continued the Modern Warfare story in an interesting way. Sure, it rehashed a lot of things from MW2, probably to help series newcomers, but it also had its fair share of new and pleasant surprises as well. For this reason, and because the gameplay is still pretty solid, I'd say that MW3, while not awesome, is nowhere near the bottom of the trash heap.

The Score: 8.5/10

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And with that, I leave you guys to your (hopefully) glorious day. Until the next time folks, I'll be signing off for now...

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