It's Easter n stuff...yaaaay.
Flip's Adventure can best be described as a very competently put together 2D platformer with a few fundamental flaws.
Let me get the praise out of the way first. As I said, it's very competently made. I say that because the presentation is beautiful. Color theming, high framerate, satisfying sound direction, etc. You'd be hard pressed to fine even a professionally made 2D platformer out there with objectively better presentation than this one.
That said, I think the team behind Flip's Adventure was a bit too eager to get a-programmin' and, as a result, made one major fundamental design contradiction that makes the game seem quite reminiscent of the Bubsy series. The level design and the control contradict each other. What I mean by that is that the level design is somewhat akin to Castlevania's level design in that it's all designed around the path you would take if you just tried to zoom through it. The challenge comes from the unexpected; the game demands that you think about what you do before you do it.
On the other hand, the controls are kind of similar to the controls from a Mario game. The jump is super powerful and you gather momentum as you run. Both the level design and control are nigh flawless on their own, much like perfectly made peanut butter and marinara sauce. Put them together, on the other hand, and you have a monstrous concoction that you'd feel guilty giving to a goat.
Okay, that was a bit harsh. Flip's Adventure is still very fun and is definitely one of the better freeware 2D platformers out there (yeah, I said it). That said there are just too many moments when my momentum forces me to slide into a wall of spikes or when my rocket jump is so powerful that holding it down for an extra quarter of a millisecond sends me careening into a wall for me to give it my seal of approval. Everything else about the game is very well done, though.
Well, I suppose I should probably mention the whole "achievement" part of the game. See, for every level, you get rewarded for completing a perfect run (no deaths), a speed run (with a very convenient little meter on the bottom left corner of the screen to tell you how much time you have left) and/or collecting an item (or puzzle piece) somewhere in the level. This is all fine and good, but I don't think it's even possible to get a speed run and not also get a perfect run. What's even the point of treating them as two different things if the clock doesn't reset when you die?
Ah, well. That's all I got for today. Until next time, stay pretty.
Links:
What's with DigiPen 2D platformers and the word "flip?": https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25439
here are some videos of Ego and Jontron talking about Castlevania and Bubsy, respectively:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aip2aIt0ROM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTAlr5raV2U
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Fling
This was another one of those "not real exe" things, but thankfully, I was able to find a download link on this team's personal website. This lead me to discover that Fling was made by the same people who made Bossinabox, which I found to be mostly functional and amusing if nothing else.
Well I'm glad to say Fling is a bit more complex than Bossinabox...a bit. The basic gist of the game is that you control a catapult and your goal is to destroy the other catapults that are trying to destroy you. If you have friends, they can play too. I don't, so I just used the computer. The flow of events is very natural. You start off flinging rocks haphazardly at trees to collect resources and get a feel for the control and soon enough you've locked onto your enemy and are bombarding them with rocks of different shapes and sizes.
You have a variety of different rocks to choose from, but honestly, I didn't find much of a difference in any of them. Some do more damage than others, so the only strategy this particular design choice allows for is "pick the strongest one that you have enough resources to use." To be honest, I'm glad they didn't design the game around different strategies, because I tihnk the beauty of this game lies in its simplicity.
To be honest, that's really all I got in terms of a review, and it wasn't even a review. More of a summary. I'm glad I don't get graded on these blogs, because any critical writing professor would tear me apart. Since I'm not trying to get into Harvard with this or anything, I feel comfortable in leaving my final thoughts at this:
Fling is a fun game with a very simple control scheme, decent graphical style and rewarding feel. It's kind of like Bontago in reverse. Instead of trying to build stuff from a distance, you're trying to destroy stuff from a distance. Fling is much simpler than Bontago, sure, but if you've played both games, you know what I'm talking about.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay on target.
Links
the broken one: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=596
The real one: https://sites.google.com/site/habibloew/games
PS- the soundtrack for this game is the Lord of the Rings soundtrack...huh.
Well I'm glad to say Fling is a bit more complex than Bossinabox...a bit. The basic gist of the game is that you control a catapult and your goal is to destroy the other catapults that are trying to destroy you. If you have friends, they can play too. I don't, so I just used the computer. The flow of events is very natural. You start off flinging rocks haphazardly at trees to collect resources and get a feel for the control and soon enough you've locked onto your enemy and are bombarding them with rocks of different shapes and sizes.
You have a variety of different rocks to choose from, but honestly, I didn't find much of a difference in any of them. Some do more damage than others, so the only strategy this particular design choice allows for is "pick the strongest one that you have enough resources to use." To be honest, I'm glad they didn't design the game around different strategies, because I tihnk the beauty of this game lies in its simplicity.
To be honest, that's really all I got in terms of a review, and it wasn't even a review. More of a summary. I'm glad I don't get graded on these blogs, because any critical writing professor would tear me apart. Since I'm not trying to get into Harvard with this or anything, I feel comfortable in leaving my final thoughts at this:
Fling is a fun game with a very simple control scheme, decent graphical style and rewarding feel. It's kind of like Bontago in reverse. Instead of trying to build stuff from a distance, you're trying to destroy stuff from a distance. Fling is much simpler than Bontago, sure, but if you've played both games, you know what I'm talking about.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay on target.
Links
the broken one: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=596
The real one: https://sites.google.com/site/habibloew/games
PS- the soundtrack for this game is the Lord of the Rings soundtrack...huh.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Flight
Flight is one of those "give me an A- and get out of my face" kinds of games. At least it was for me. If might not be that way for everybody, and I'll explain why later.
First off, though, let me do a quick overview. There are 2 game modes, "survive" and "destroy the targets" "Survive" is a bit broken because the only shots that have a chance of hitting you are the green homing ones and even those stand no chance against a simple circle-straffe maneuver. Yes, you will die eventually, but the process of getting there is just a bit lackluster. A bit more variety would have helped.
"Destroy the Targets" is a bit more fun in my opinion. The targeting reticule is a bit wonky but very helpful once you get used to it. I like the fact that the only challenge is personal alone, meaning there's no way to be beaten. This, of course, is not something to strive for in all games, but it certainly makes games a lot less stressful.
After that, my experience with the game was over. Some would call it anemic, some would call it neatly wrapped. Personally, I think it's both.
I feel like I'm being a bit too harsh with this game because I'm bitter about one minor design choice. Maybe it was required given the materials DigiPen students can work with, but why is the only way for me to play multiplayer to own an Xbox 360 controller? It's hard to explain, but I get the feeling that multiplayer is the crux of the game. After all, the levels that you create in the level editor aren't accessible in single player. Why, then, does my choice to buy a Logitech Dual Action controller somehow make me unworthy to play the game in its entirety?
Oh well. If the game doesn't let me play it, then I don't review it. This game is no exception, so it only gets half a review.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay complete
Links
Squawk: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=18593
First off, though, let me do a quick overview. There are 2 game modes, "survive" and "destroy the targets" "Survive" is a bit broken because the only shots that have a chance of hitting you are the green homing ones and even those stand no chance against a simple circle-straffe maneuver. Yes, you will die eventually, but the process of getting there is just a bit lackluster. A bit more variety would have helped.
"Destroy the Targets" is a bit more fun in my opinion. The targeting reticule is a bit wonky but very helpful once you get used to it. I like the fact that the only challenge is personal alone, meaning there's no way to be beaten. This, of course, is not something to strive for in all games, but it certainly makes games a lot less stressful.
After that, my experience with the game was over. Some would call it anemic, some would call it neatly wrapped. Personally, I think it's both.
I feel like I'm being a bit too harsh with this game because I'm bitter about one minor design choice. Maybe it was required given the materials DigiPen students can work with, but why is the only way for me to play multiplayer to own an Xbox 360 controller? It's hard to explain, but I get the feeling that multiplayer is the crux of the game. After all, the levels that you create in the level editor aren't accessible in single player. Why, then, does my choice to buy a Logitech Dual Action controller somehow make me unworthy to play the game in its entirety?
Oh well. If the game doesn't let me play it, then I don't review it. This game is no exception, so it only gets half a review.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay complete
Links
Squawk: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=18593
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Firestorm
For a lot of reasons, time actually not being one of them for a change, this is going to be my only post today, and it's going to be a short one.
I try very hard not to swear in these blogs in part as a personal challenge to myself. I must say no game has made that harder yet than Firestorm.
Anyone who's heard me talk about video games probably knows how valuable I think customization can be in a game. Just like any game mechanic, though, when executed poorly, it has the ability to completely destroy the gameplay experience. Such is the case in Firestorm.
You're given a crapload of credits and an overly confusing series of shop screens to customize the ship that you will throw into battle. Suffice it to say that it's simply much more efficient to use one of the premade (however terrible) ships for a deathmatch that lasts a maximum of maybe 2 minutes.
this game is roughly 90% customization and 10% battle. Unintuitive design and poor conveyance ruin the customization. Sticky, frustrating controls and direct interference from the customization aspects ruin the battle. All-in-all, not a very good game in my opinion.
Links
it hurts my brain: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=427
I try very hard not to swear in these blogs in part as a personal challenge to myself. I must say no game has made that harder yet than Firestorm.
Anyone who's heard me talk about video games probably knows how valuable I think customization can be in a game. Just like any game mechanic, though, when executed poorly, it has the ability to completely destroy the gameplay experience. Such is the case in Firestorm.
You're given a crapload of credits and an overly confusing series of shop screens to customize the ship that you will throw into battle. Suffice it to say that it's simply much more efficient to use one of the premade (however terrible) ships for a deathmatch that lasts a maximum of maybe 2 minutes.
this game is roughly 90% customization and 10% battle. Unintuitive design and poor conveyance ruin the customization. Sticky, frustrating controls and direct interference from the customization aspects ruin the battle. All-in-all, not a very good game in my opinion.
Links
it hurts my brain: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=427
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Fight Zone
It's late...I'm tired...time for a short review
Fight Zone is the first *competent* FPS game on this list. It's an arcadey free-for all deal similar to Unreal Tournament. Of course, the major emphasis is on customization, which makes this feel more like Eliminate Pro, but I digress.
If you've played any FPS against bots, you've played Fight Zone. There's just one thing slightly different: the customization. Before the round and every time you die, you get to choose which of your weapons will be most effective, how much ammo you have, how high you can jump, etc. Everyone has 100 points to divy up among these attributes as they please.
This mechanic is really what makes this game engaging. There are enough different strategies to keep this game from getting stale for quite a while. I think the thing that makes the mechanic most engaging is that leveling up one particular attribute could serve a variety of strategies. For example, leveling up jump height not only works for sniping because it allows you to get to high places, but also can be employed much differently for a rocket-jumping strategy. There's a lot of overlap between the strategies. Lots of room for tweaking. It's a very basic mechanic, but it works very well. I may be misusing this game design term, but it allows for a lot of depth with very little complexity (don't worry, I'll link the Extra Credits on it so you know what I'm talking about).
Over all else, though, I think the thing I like most about this game is that it's just fun. Look, I hate the new Call of Duty games as much as the next pretentious game analyst, but there's a reason FPS games are generally considered the most fun in the medium. There's just something about them that plays so well to the innate desire to conquer. That said, Fight Zone is the most fun I've had with a DigiPen game yet.
The game is fun, the mechanics are solid, and it's a potentially useful teaching tool for game design students. These three qualities give me no trouble at all in giving this game my seal of approval.
Links
bang pew kaboom: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=532
Extra Crediiit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVL4st0blGU
Fight Zone is the first *competent* FPS game on this list. It's an arcadey free-for all deal similar to Unreal Tournament. Of course, the major emphasis is on customization, which makes this feel more like Eliminate Pro, but I digress.
If you've played any FPS against bots, you've played Fight Zone. There's just one thing slightly different: the customization. Before the round and every time you die, you get to choose which of your weapons will be most effective, how much ammo you have, how high you can jump, etc. Everyone has 100 points to divy up among these attributes as they please.
This mechanic is really what makes this game engaging. There are enough different strategies to keep this game from getting stale for quite a while. I think the thing that makes the mechanic most engaging is that leveling up one particular attribute could serve a variety of strategies. For example, leveling up jump height not only works for sniping because it allows you to get to high places, but also can be employed much differently for a rocket-jumping strategy. There's a lot of overlap between the strategies. Lots of room for tweaking. It's a very basic mechanic, but it works very well. I may be misusing this game design term, but it allows for a lot of depth with very little complexity (don't worry, I'll link the Extra Credits on it so you know what I'm talking about).
Over all else, though, I think the thing I like most about this game is that it's just fun. Look, I hate the new Call of Duty games as much as the next pretentious game analyst, but there's a reason FPS games are generally considered the most fun in the medium. There's just something about them that plays so well to the innate desire to conquer. That said, Fight Zone is the most fun I've had with a DigiPen game yet.
The game is fun, the mechanics are solid, and it's a potentially useful teaching tool for game design students. These three qualities give me no trouble at all in giving this game my seal of approval.
Links
bang pew kaboom: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=532
Extra Crediiit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVL4st0blGU
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Fate
The first thing that struck me about this game is that it was made by Andrew Nack. The very same Andrew Nack who made Ethereal, a game that I found enjoyable but unfortunately had to compare to bLight, which had a bigger team behind it (meaning more than one person), due to the massive similarities in the playstyles of the two games. I'm not sure what else Mr. Nack did in his sophomore year, but creating two fully functional games all my yourself in the span of one schoolyear is definitely enough to earn my respect. That said, let's see what Fate can do.
This game is about bunnies. You must save the bunnies from drowning by getting rid of the coral obstructing their paths. Be careful, though, as the journey to the surface is a treacherous one. You are ranked by how many bunnies you manage to save, though if you get tired of trying to figure out a level and have already saved enough bunnies to move on, you can murder the rest of the fluffy little guys with the click of a button. Uh, hey...Watership Down called...
From a gameplay perspective, this is a solid puzzle game. It's not too long, has a reasonable difficulty curve, intuitive mechanics, etc etc. It's clear this Nack guy knows what he's doing. It Fate an incredibly engaging experience? no. Does it show potential to revolutionize the gaming medium any time soon? no. I don't think that's what this game was about. This game seems like an opportunity for a lone developer-in-training to show off his skills in programming and art direction, and in that case, it succeeds.
I did a bit of research and it turns out Andrew Nack has a grand total of 6 projects under his belt. You can bet I'm going to review them in sort of their own separate category, because my theory is that they are all attempts to push the skills of the individual rather than attempts to further the medium as a whole. And you know what? I respect that. Something hits close to home about a guy who deliberately chooses to engage himself with difficult and time consuming projects as a test of his own will before he can think about moving into really big projects (did I mention this is a blog?)
Well, if my theory is correct and all 6 of Mr. Nack's games show off this level of mastery in different sectors of game design and art direction, as Fate and Ethereal differed, then I'll be really excited to witness Mr. Nack's work in the future.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay inspired.
Links
Glub: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26416
This game is about bunnies. You must save the bunnies from drowning by getting rid of the coral obstructing their paths. Be careful, though, as the journey to the surface is a treacherous one. You are ranked by how many bunnies you manage to save, though if you get tired of trying to figure out a level and have already saved enough bunnies to move on, you can murder the rest of the fluffy little guys with the click of a button. Uh, hey...Watership Down called...
From a gameplay perspective, this is a solid puzzle game. It's not too long, has a reasonable difficulty curve, intuitive mechanics, etc etc. It's clear this Nack guy knows what he's doing. It Fate an incredibly engaging experience? no. Does it show potential to revolutionize the gaming medium any time soon? no. I don't think that's what this game was about. This game seems like an opportunity for a lone developer-in-training to show off his skills in programming and art direction, and in that case, it succeeds.
I did a bit of research and it turns out Andrew Nack has a grand total of 6 projects under his belt. You can bet I'm going to review them in sort of their own separate category, because my theory is that they are all attempts to push the skills of the individual rather than attempts to further the medium as a whole. And you know what? I respect that. Something hits close to home about a guy who deliberately chooses to engage himself with difficult and time consuming projects as a test of his own will before he can think about moving into really big projects (did I mention this is a blog?)
Well, if my theory is correct and all 6 of Mr. Nack's games show off this level of mastery in different sectors of game design and art direction, as Fate and Ethereal differed, then I'll be really excited to witness Mr. Nack's work in the future.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay inspired.
Links
Glub: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26416
Monday, March 25, 2013
Fat Boy Mint
These past few days, I've put on a little weight. My girlfriend is a girl scout, so needless to say, I've been stocking up on tagalongs lately. Plus, my mother is Italian, so she's under the impression that she needs to fatten me up. Even in my chubby splendor, however, not even I can hold a candle to the protagonist of this game.
Alright, time to cut the cutesy introduction. Let's get into the review.
I love this game. I would go so far as to call it one of the most fun 2D platformers I've ever played. It's not #1, mind you. Super Castlevania IV takes that place in my book, but still, I'd say it's top 10.
The visual style is comical and pleasant. The characters are lovable, the world is colorful, and it's just an all-around joy to look at.
The level design is nigh flawless (except for the last level), and the designers really seemed to have a firm grasp on what the mechanics of the game entail. Speaking of which...
The principle mechanic is what really sells the game for me. You can create mini black holes with the mouse button in order to get to point A to point B as efficiently as possible. This mechanic is fun, engaging, and intuitive. This is the kind of idea that people should build games off. Think of the mechanics first, then create a story and universe around them.
For all my praise, there are two things about this game that I don't like. The first is the sound direction. I have no problem with the music, but there are these little mushroom guys that charge at you and yell "jeronimo" in a really high pitched voice. Only think is, your black holes upset their paths, and every time this happens, they yell again. Trust me, this gets really annoying really fast. The second problem I have is the design of the final level. What happened? Up until then there were no cheap deaths whatsoever, but the last level is just a glorified game of Simon Says with a lot of bells and whistles.
Oh well. I still love this game and have no problem giving it my seal of approval.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay chubby
Links
Big Boned Breath-freshener: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25998
Alright, time to cut the cutesy introduction. Let's get into the review.
I love this game. I would go so far as to call it one of the most fun 2D platformers I've ever played. It's not #1, mind you. Super Castlevania IV takes that place in my book, but still, I'd say it's top 10.
The visual style is comical and pleasant. The characters are lovable, the world is colorful, and it's just an all-around joy to look at.
The level design is nigh flawless (except for the last level), and the designers really seemed to have a firm grasp on what the mechanics of the game entail. Speaking of which...
The principle mechanic is what really sells the game for me. You can create mini black holes with the mouse button in order to get to point A to point B as efficiently as possible. This mechanic is fun, engaging, and intuitive. This is the kind of idea that people should build games off. Think of the mechanics first, then create a story and universe around them.
For all my praise, there are two things about this game that I don't like. The first is the sound direction. I have no problem with the music, but there are these little mushroom guys that charge at you and yell "jeronimo" in a really high pitched voice. Only think is, your black holes upset their paths, and every time this happens, they yell again. Trust me, this gets really annoying really fast. The second problem I have is the design of the final level. What happened? Up until then there were no cheap deaths whatsoever, but the last level is just a glorified game of Simon Says with a lot of bells and whistles.
Oh well. I still love this game and have no problem giving it my seal of approval.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay chubby
Links
Big Boned Breath-freshener: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25998
Fast Racer
This "not real exe" business is starting to intrigue me. Why would DigiPen even host a completely dead link, let alone this many?
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=595
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=595
Sunday, March 24, 2013
F4RM
Yeah this was pretty much the worst experience of my life...
Ok, I don't want to be rude to the people who worked hard on this game, but it was just...so unfulfilling.
First off, pretty much the second after the tutorial ended, I lost and had to start all over. I did everything they told me to do, but I still failed very quickly. This isn't the kind of unforgivingly challenging game that justifies such a design trait, either. It should be a relaxing experience given the aesthetic they were working with.
Nothing about this game is engaging. Everything is told to you in text dumps, and...ugh, I can't even formulate complete sentences.
You know what? I'm ending the review here. Stay away from F4RM.
Links
why: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26140
Ok, I don't want to be rude to the people who worked hard on this game, but it was just...so unfulfilling.
First off, pretty much the second after the tutorial ended, I lost and had to start all over. I did everything they told me to do, but I still failed very quickly. This isn't the kind of unforgivingly challenging game that justifies such a design trait, either. It should be a relaxing experience given the aesthetic they were working with.
Nothing about this game is engaging. Everything is told to you in text dumps, and...ugh, I can't even formulate complete sentences.
You know what? I'm ending the review here. Stay away from F4RM.
Links
why: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26140
Eye on Earth
You know what I love about games? They're totally eco-friendly. Nobody has to chop down trees to create the lines of code that will one day become a video game. If only there were a game that celebrated this completely relevant and totally legitimate reason to love the video gaming medium. Well fear not, readers, because Eye on Earth does that and pretty much nothing else.
Eye on Earth is an RTS game with the only enemy being time. You are tasked with maximizing the energy-to-pollution ratio of two different parts of the world. You are given only a short time to do this, so you must work quickly and efficiently.
The graphical style is alright, I guess. Everything looks exactly like what it's supposed to, which is more than I can say for some games *cough* Empyrean Contrata *cough*
Actually, let's stick with the comparison to Empyrean Contrata. The two games go about conveying the mechanics of the game from vastly different angles. If you've read my Empyrean Contrata review, you know how much I loathe that game's "five-minute-text-dump" style of tutorial. Eye on Earth ambitiously does the exact opposite of that and throws the player directly into the game with no instruction whatsoever. I've always said that this is exactly what a game should be able to do. All things considered, Eye on Earth does a fairly good job of it. I say "fairly" because I've played the game four times and I still don't quite know how to optimally utilize all of the game's mechanics. I know that the big buildings and power plants are there for a reason, but I get the best results by just spamming trees everywhere.
I think the big take-away from Eye on Earth is that it is possible to let the player figure out the mechanics for himself or herself with no written instruction provided the basic mechanics of the game support player inquiry. Eye on Earth does a good job of that. It's short playtime and only slightly crowded GUI never deterred me from toying around with the buttons on my keyboard until I figured out how to play.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay green.
Links
Save the whales: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=403
Saturday, March 23, 2013
*sniff*
I was out literally all day. There was no possibility I was getting a review out today. Many apologies...I promise I'll do 2 tomorrow...er, rather...later today...
Sorry guys :/ I still love you though
Sorry guys :/ I still love you though
Friday, March 22, 2013
Explosive Dawn
Ok so I just got home (11:34PM at time of writing) and realized I didn't blog today so oops. Time for a lightning round.
Part of me is thankful that this game has the same problem that Constellations had. The menu screen looks great, but it's the only feature in the game, apparently. I click the buttons and nothing happens.
Well yay. Guess I get to sleep tonight after all. Until next time, stay explosive
Links
not a single explosion ever: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24655
Part of me is thankful that this game has the same problem that Constellations had. The menu screen looks great, but it's the only feature in the game, apparently. I click the buttons and nothing happens.
Well yay. Guess I get to sleep tonight after all. Until next time, stay explosive
Links
not a single explosion ever: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24655
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Exalted War
Man oh man I have no energy today. I need a nice, simple game that I can turn my brain off to...
Exalted War is just that. It's about as simple an isometric shooter can get, and I'm sorry to say that it's isometric viewpoint is pretty much the only outstanding feature. Other than that it's a lackluster shooter that reminds me of playing the Tanks minigame on Wii Play.
The visual style, sound direction and game feel are all very average. Well, maybe not so much the game feel. That's a bit frustrating.
Most of the frustration comes from the fact that your character moves too damn slow. It can really break up the flow of a game when it takes you longer to find the next enemy than it does to go to a bar and make an enemy.
Tortuously bad analogies aside, I do find the confrontations with the enemies to be quite engaging. The combination of the isometric view and the control scheme makes for some really intense firefights that require a mastery of the simple mechanics to get past.
As I said before, this game is lackluster. Find enemy, kill enemy, that's it. That doesn't necessarily make the game bad, but I get the feeling that the creators knew how formulaic it was, which is why they added weapon powerups, but then decided not to fix it, which is why they never implement the powerups. Now, to be fair, I only got up to level 2 for various reasons, so maybe they were trying to ease the player into learning the mechanics before hitting them with the more complex stuff, but I still feel like the levels I played weren't designed particularly well. The wall and enemy placement seems random, and the fights, while fun for their challenge, are formulaic.
Eh, that's all I got for now. I'm gonna go take a nap. Until next time, stay sharp, Tex.
Links
red circle splosions: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26005
Exalted War is just that. It's about as simple an isometric shooter can get, and I'm sorry to say that it's isometric viewpoint is pretty much the only outstanding feature. Other than that it's a lackluster shooter that reminds me of playing the Tanks minigame on Wii Play.
The visual style, sound direction and game feel are all very average. Well, maybe not so much the game feel. That's a bit frustrating.
Most of the frustration comes from the fact that your character moves too damn slow. It can really break up the flow of a game when it takes you longer to find the next enemy than it does to go to a bar and make an enemy.
Tortuously bad analogies aside, I do find the confrontations with the enemies to be quite engaging. The combination of the isometric view and the control scheme makes for some really intense firefights that require a mastery of the simple mechanics to get past.
As I said before, this game is lackluster. Find enemy, kill enemy, that's it. That doesn't necessarily make the game bad, but I get the feeling that the creators knew how formulaic it was, which is why they added weapon powerups, but then decided not to fix it, which is why they never implement the powerups. Now, to be fair, I only got up to level 2 for various reasons, so maybe they were trying to ease the player into learning the mechanics before hitting them with the more complex stuff, but I still feel like the levels I played weren't designed particularly well. The wall and enemy placement seems random, and the fights, while fun for their challenge, are formulaic.
Eh, that's all I got for now. I'm gonna go take a nap. Until next time, stay sharp, Tex.
Links
red circle splosions: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26005
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Ethereal
keepin it short again today, guys. Sorry, it's just a real busy week.
Ethereal advertises itself as an "offensive tower defense game" which reminds me straightaway of Derrfex, but really, that's an inaccurate description. It's a lot more like bLight. In fact its so much like bLight that I luckily don't have to waste time talking about the mechanics. I can just turn you over to my review of that game.
The only real differences are the gameplay and the graphical style. I don't like either of them quite as much as I liked them in bLight, but they're not horrible here either. This game goes for a more dark, mystic kind of setting. There's no real objective way to say which game's style is better, but I don't think anyone can really put together a case for why Etehreal looks better. Then again, this game was made by one guy, so I'll show some mercy.
Next, the gameplay. I think I actually prefer the basic strategies that Ethereal tries to employ to the ones employed in bLight. Every enemy has a distinct optimal strategy with which to beat them, whereas in bLight it really came down to spamming troops. However, the slippery controls make Ethereal feel kind of loose and uncontrollable, which leads to more frustration than contentment.
Yeah, this was a weak review, but I'm sorry. It's all I got for now. The reason I stopped playing Ethereal as early as I did is only because of my workload tonight. This review does't sell it, but this game is fun. It gets my seal of approval.
Until next time, stay mysterious.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26420
Ethereal advertises itself as an "offensive tower defense game" which reminds me straightaway of Derrfex, but really, that's an inaccurate description. It's a lot more like bLight. In fact its so much like bLight that I luckily don't have to waste time talking about the mechanics. I can just turn you over to my review of that game.
The only real differences are the gameplay and the graphical style. I don't like either of them quite as much as I liked them in bLight, but they're not horrible here either. This game goes for a more dark, mystic kind of setting. There's no real objective way to say which game's style is better, but I don't think anyone can really put together a case for why Etehreal looks better. Then again, this game was made by one guy, so I'll show some mercy.
Next, the gameplay. I think I actually prefer the basic strategies that Ethereal tries to employ to the ones employed in bLight. Every enemy has a distinct optimal strategy with which to beat them, whereas in bLight it really came down to spamming troops. However, the slippery controls make Ethereal feel kind of loose and uncontrollable, which leads to more frustration than contentment.
Yeah, this was a weak review, but I'm sorry. It's all I got for now. The reason I stopped playing Ethereal as early as I did is only because of my workload tonight. This review does't sell it, but this game is fun. It gets my seal of approval.
Until next time, stay mysterious.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26420
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Eskimo Joe
Hey look, a real review! Given the abnormally large work:time ratio I have tonight, I was tempted to save this for tomorrow, but hey, a guy's gotta procrastinate somehow...
Eskimo Joe is a run-of-the mill 2D sidescroller. As far as I could tell there were really only 2 things about it that made it unique/are worth talking about. One is good, one is bad. I guess it's a good day to be a reviewer.
Let's start with the good, just because I don't have much to say about it: the overall style. It goes for a kind of South Park-esque paper figures art style, which gives the game a fair amount of charm. The music is fitting and pleasing, the design is thoughtful, always exploring new ways to utilize the same mechanics, and the game feel is fine except for one thing...
Which brings us to the bad: the hit detection. God the hit detection is awful in this game. I've gone on record saying, when in doubt, one should make the hitboxes larger rather than smaller. I suppose I forgot to mention that this only applies to things that don't kill you. The hitboxes in this game are all huge all the time. Yes, this may come in handy when jumping on platforms, but there's nothing quite as irritating as jumping in the vicinity of a spikey death trap and being sent back to the nearest checkpoint. Of course it doesn't help that the spike-death sound effect is obnoxiously loud. This aspect of the game kind of reminds me of A Flipping Good Time, and ain't that just a blast from the past.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay slippery
Links
PROINK: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24640
Eskimo Joe is a run-of-the mill 2D sidescroller. As far as I could tell there were really only 2 things about it that made it unique/are worth talking about. One is good, one is bad. I guess it's a good day to be a reviewer.
Let's start with the good, just because I don't have much to say about it: the overall style. It goes for a kind of South Park-esque paper figures art style, which gives the game a fair amount of charm. The music is fitting and pleasing, the design is thoughtful, always exploring new ways to utilize the same mechanics, and the game feel is fine except for one thing...
Which brings us to the bad: the hit detection. God the hit detection is awful in this game. I've gone on record saying, when in doubt, one should make the hitboxes larger rather than smaller. I suppose I forgot to mention that this only applies to things that don't kill you. The hitboxes in this game are all huge all the time. Yes, this may come in handy when jumping on platforms, but there's nothing quite as irritating as jumping in the vicinity of a spikey death trap and being sent back to the nearest checkpoint. Of course it doesn't help that the spike-death sound effect is obnoxiously loud. This aspect of the game kind of reminds me of A Flipping Good Time, and ain't that just a blast from the past.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay slippery
Links
PROINK: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24640
Monday, March 18, 2013
Erebus
Sorry to say, but this is going to be another somewhat anemic review. Not because the game is broken or I can't figure it out. No, this review is going to be short because I don't want to spoil the experience.
What I can tell you is that this game is SCARY. I haven't played much of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but, for sake of reference, I was more scared during Erebus than I was during that game.
One thing that I love about Erebus is that I think it's one of those games that can be studied. I think there's a valuable lesson to be learned here about just how invested someone can get in a blank-slate character. Throughout the game, there are no details given about who you are or what you're doing. Compare that with Amnesia. In that game, the first words to be uttered are "My name is Daniel," followed by some more backstory. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but if there was ever a game to prove to us that it's unnecessary, it's Erebus. The only things you get in terms of written exposition are orange wall etchings. That means the game has to rely on its mechanics and design alone to convey the story. I admire that a lot in a game.
That said, I do think a few things are underexplained. A few motifs or set pieces will occasionally pop up out of nowhere and perhaps be called back to a few times, but they don't really have any implications for your character. Fair warning: what I'm about to say is very minimally spoilerey, but still spoilerey:
BEGIN SPOILERY TYPE THINGS
Let's compare the gooey jamlike substances from Erebus and Amnesia. In Amnesia, the player has no idea what the jam is, and as such may even be tempted to stand on it. If he does this, however, he takes damage. This strengthens the perilous mood the game attempts to set. The walls are covered in this jam stuff, meaning you as the player are literally surrounded...encased, even, by danger. In Erebus, the jam just kinda chills there. You can play with it all you want and it won't hurt you. This only ends up hurting the game by giving the player the thought that he or she might be invincible. After all, the jam is arguably the most threatening thing in the facility, and you can bounce about on it merrily with no repercussions. After that, all the player really has to do is ignore the scary sights and sounds to completely uproot the entire feel of the game. This may seem like a huge flaw, but I honestly don't mind it THAT much. The creators of this game were, I think, trying to see how much fear, or even just feeling in general, they could deliver with the minimal amount of substance. In that respect, Erebus passes with flying colors
END SPOLIERY TYPE THINGS
I encourage anyone who reads this to play Erebus. If you're up for a challenge, play it at midnight during a thunderstorm or something, but it works during the day as well. Fair warning: the ending may seem disappointing or lazy at first, but when you get to it, just think about it. Think about why they chose to end the game like that. Think about the visceral human fears the ending plays to on the most personal of levels.
This game definitely earns my seal of approval. That's all for now. Until next time, stay alive.
Links
Oh God, what's that?! https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24654
What I can tell you is that this game is SCARY. I haven't played much of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but, for sake of reference, I was more scared during Erebus than I was during that game.
One thing that I love about Erebus is that I think it's one of those games that can be studied. I think there's a valuable lesson to be learned here about just how invested someone can get in a blank-slate character. Throughout the game, there are no details given about who you are or what you're doing. Compare that with Amnesia. In that game, the first words to be uttered are "My name is Daniel," followed by some more backstory. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but if there was ever a game to prove to us that it's unnecessary, it's Erebus. The only things you get in terms of written exposition are orange wall etchings. That means the game has to rely on its mechanics and design alone to convey the story. I admire that a lot in a game.
That said, I do think a few things are underexplained. A few motifs or set pieces will occasionally pop up out of nowhere and perhaps be called back to a few times, but they don't really have any implications for your character. Fair warning: what I'm about to say is very minimally spoilerey, but still spoilerey:
BEGIN SPOILERY TYPE THINGS
Let's compare the gooey jamlike substances from Erebus and Amnesia. In Amnesia, the player has no idea what the jam is, and as such may even be tempted to stand on it. If he does this, however, he takes damage. This strengthens the perilous mood the game attempts to set. The walls are covered in this jam stuff, meaning you as the player are literally surrounded...encased, even, by danger. In Erebus, the jam just kinda chills there. You can play with it all you want and it won't hurt you. This only ends up hurting the game by giving the player the thought that he or she might be invincible. After all, the jam is arguably the most threatening thing in the facility, and you can bounce about on it merrily with no repercussions. After that, all the player really has to do is ignore the scary sights and sounds to completely uproot the entire feel of the game. This may seem like a huge flaw, but I honestly don't mind it THAT much. The creators of this game were, I think, trying to see how much fear, or even just feeling in general, they could deliver with the minimal amount of substance. In that respect, Erebus passes with flying colors
END SPOLIERY TYPE THINGS
I encourage anyone who reads this to play Erebus. If you're up for a challenge, play it at midnight during a thunderstorm or something, but it works during the day as well. Fair warning: the ending may seem disappointing or lazy at first, but when you get to it, just think about it. Think about why they chose to end the game like that. Think about the visceral human fears the ending plays to on the most personal of levels.
This game definitely earns my seal of approval. That's all for now. Until next time, stay alive.
Links
Oh God, what's that?! https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24654
Sunday, March 17, 2013
EPIGate
This is another one of those "NOT REAL EXE" things. This time, when I tried searching the web for "EpiGate Game" the first result said "When blogging under one's own name can be used against you." This kind of gives me the feeling that looking any further into this game is going to sent some sort of cabal of gangsters after my head, so for now, file this one under "broken."
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=593
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=593
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Epicenter
I just have no idea what's going on in this game. We've had games with bad conveyance here before, but this...
I just don't have any words. There is legitimately nothing to analyze in this game because nothing got accomplished. All I did was fly around in a biosphere at like 2 frames a second with an overly confusing control scheme and no direction whatsoever. Maybe this game actually has...oh, I don't know...content, but I have neither the time nor the willpower to find it.
Until next time, stay.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=443
I just don't have any words. There is legitimately nothing to analyze in this game because nothing got accomplished. All I did was fly around in a biosphere at like 2 frames a second with an overly confusing control scheme and no direction whatsoever. Maybe this game actually has...oh, I don't know...content, but I have neither the time nor the willpower to find it.
Until next time, stay.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=443
Friday, March 15, 2013
Empyrean Contrata
Well played, DigiPen. You almost got me. For the first time since AEscher, I had to google the meaning of one of the words in a game's title. Turns out the word "Contrata" isn't even English, though. Dirty trick, guys. Low blow.
Alright, now let's get into the game. Empyrean Contrata is a nightmare in every sense of the word. It must have been a nightmare to build and it's certainly a nightmare to play. It's one of those Civilization-esque games that just does everything wrong. I've never played Civilization, mind you. It just never appealed to me, so maybe this is how Civilization players like their games. I wouldn't know. My opinion, though, is that this game is a crowded, choppy, unintuitive mess.
Let's run down the issues, shall we? First off, the framerate is preposterously choppy. All the textures are very simple, so I don't see any reason for this. Plus, I ran this game with Fraps just for kicks, and it said it was running at an optimal 60fps, meaning this is an inherent problem with the game, not a problem with my hardware.
Next, along that same line, the visuals are messy and ugly. Even when you look at a unit from close up in the "units" screen, it just doesn't look appealing. It's a frothy mixture of pixels that are all just different shades of the same color, though I suppose this is necessary considering how far back the camera is. It's zoomed out so much that all the textures just kind of blend in with one another, creating a very convoluted combination of dark, ugly pixels.
Alright, that's enough on the visuals. Let's get to the real meat of the problem. The GUI. Oh, the GUI. This is the textbook definition of sensory overload. I'm almost at a loss for words. Just getting through the tutorial text takes like 5 minutes of mindless left-clicking, but you need to go through with it because otherwise you'll know what 0% of what's happening on the screen means instead of the required 5%. Even after the instructions are spoon-fed to you, everything is conveyed so, so poorly. This game would give Egoraptor a heart attack.
You know what? I can't even go into detail about how poorly everything is conveyed in this game. Play it for yourself and experience how truly clueless a game can leave you.
The only positive purposes I can ever see this game serving are as follows:
1) for some reason, you really want to deter someone from the video gaming medium as a whole, so you show them this game and they never look back.
2) you use it as a learning experience. A what-not-to-do guide if you will.
That's all I got for now. This game tired me out. Until next time, stay organized.
Links
adfhgaikjafadf what?: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25112
Alright, now let's get into the game. Empyrean Contrata is a nightmare in every sense of the word. It must have been a nightmare to build and it's certainly a nightmare to play. It's one of those Civilization-esque games that just does everything wrong. I've never played Civilization, mind you. It just never appealed to me, so maybe this is how Civilization players like their games. I wouldn't know. My opinion, though, is that this game is a crowded, choppy, unintuitive mess.
Let's run down the issues, shall we? First off, the framerate is preposterously choppy. All the textures are very simple, so I don't see any reason for this. Plus, I ran this game with Fraps just for kicks, and it said it was running at an optimal 60fps, meaning this is an inherent problem with the game, not a problem with my hardware.
Next, along that same line, the visuals are messy and ugly. Even when you look at a unit from close up in the "units" screen, it just doesn't look appealing. It's a frothy mixture of pixels that are all just different shades of the same color, though I suppose this is necessary considering how far back the camera is. It's zoomed out so much that all the textures just kind of blend in with one another, creating a very convoluted combination of dark, ugly pixels.
Alright, that's enough on the visuals. Let's get to the real meat of the problem. The GUI. Oh, the GUI. This is the textbook definition of sensory overload. I'm almost at a loss for words. Just getting through the tutorial text takes like 5 minutes of mindless left-clicking, but you need to go through with it because otherwise you'll know what 0% of what's happening on the screen means instead of the required 5%. Even after the instructions are spoon-fed to you, everything is conveyed so, so poorly. This game would give Egoraptor a heart attack.
You know what? I can't even go into detail about how poorly everything is conveyed in this game. Play it for yourself and experience how truly clueless a game can leave you.
The only positive purposes I can ever see this game serving are as follows:
1) for some reason, you really want to deter someone from the video gaming medium as a whole, so you show them this game and they never look back.
2) you use it as a learning experience. A what-not-to-do guide if you will.
That's all I got for now. This game tired me out. Until next time, stay organized.
Links
adfhgaikjafadf what?: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25112
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Empyreal Nocturne
Three day weekend...motivation depleting...almost gone...still haven't posted on the blog...must...hold...on...
Empyreal Nocturne is one of the most praised games I've come across so far, being the winner of the 2008 IGF student showcase. Let's jump right in and see if the prestige is deserved.
Remember a while ago when I said Descension was like Space Deadbeef on the ground? well this is pretty much that minus the ground, but with a third-person 3D perspective.
I'm real tired, so I'm going to pro-and-con this one.
It does genuinely feel good to destroy your opponents. Unlike Space Deadbeef and Descension, which use very hectic music loops and visuals, Empyreal Nocturne uses a very calming, grey-skies visual style and no music to speak of (which I'd normally complain about, but in this case it enhances the mood). It's a very Shadow of the Collossus-esque feel, which certainly isn't a bad thing.
Honestly there aren't really that many flaws with the game. I only have two real complaints. First, I don't know who on the dev team thought it would be a good idea to use "S" to dive down and "W" to pull up, but they clearly haven't played Starfox recently. It's backwards and disorienting, and it really breaks the flow. It's unchangeable, too, so you just gotta deal with it, junior. Also, I know they're trying to go with a solemn and quiet mood, but a tiny little sound effect to let me know when I've been hit would be nice. Maybe they tried that in an earlier build and found the sky darkening to be a good enough indicator of health (which, by the way, I love. I wish more games were creative about that kind of thing and didn't just resort to the 'let's make the screen grow red and pulsate' route.) or that hitsparks and sound effects would be too distracting. If so, I withdraw my critique, but it's still a little annoying to dodge enemy fire because it can get difficult to tell when you've been hit.
All-in-all, I liked Empyreal Nocturne. I'm not blown away by it, but it was a fun and interesting experience while it lasted. I'm feeling a bit generous today, so I'll give this game my seal of approval. Until next time, stay peaceful.
Links
ohmmmmm: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=382
Empyreal Nocturne is one of the most praised games I've come across so far, being the winner of the 2008 IGF student showcase. Let's jump right in and see if the prestige is deserved.
Remember a while ago when I said Descension was like Space Deadbeef on the ground? well this is pretty much that minus the ground, but with a third-person 3D perspective.
I'm real tired, so I'm going to pro-and-con this one.
It does genuinely feel good to destroy your opponents. Unlike Space Deadbeef and Descension, which use very hectic music loops and visuals, Empyreal Nocturne uses a very calming, grey-skies visual style and no music to speak of (which I'd normally complain about, but in this case it enhances the mood). It's a very Shadow of the Collossus-esque feel, which certainly isn't a bad thing.
Honestly there aren't really that many flaws with the game. I only have two real complaints. First, I don't know who on the dev team thought it would be a good idea to use "S" to dive down and "W" to pull up, but they clearly haven't played Starfox recently. It's backwards and disorienting, and it really breaks the flow. It's unchangeable, too, so you just gotta deal with it, junior. Also, I know they're trying to go with a solemn and quiet mood, but a tiny little sound effect to let me know when I've been hit would be nice. Maybe they tried that in an earlier build and found the sky darkening to be a good enough indicator of health (which, by the way, I love. I wish more games were creative about that kind of thing and didn't just resort to the 'let's make the screen grow red and pulsate' route.) or that hitsparks and sound effects would be too distracting. If so, I withdraw my critique, but it's still a little annoying to dodge enemy fire because it can get difficult to tell when you've been hit.
All-in-all, I liked Empyreal Nocturne. I'm not blown away by it, but it was a fun and interesting experience while it lasted. I'm feeling a bit generous today, so I'll give this game my seal of approval. Until next time, stay peaceful.
Links
ohmmmmm: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=382
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Edgy Rangy
You know that feeling you get when you look in the fridge and there are all these elegant foods from a party you had the night before? You got lamb chops, filet mignon, what have you, and you know it's all really delicious stuff, but for some reason you decide to reach for the lunchables and juice pouch behind the acai berry juice? Well if the DigiPen game gallery were a fridge, games like Dreamside Maroon would be small, not quite filling, but very elegant escargots; Crazy Cross would be the 32lb steak that you can't feasibly hope to finish till next December, and Edgy Rangy would be the lunchables. It's not elegant, it's not particularly tasty, and it doesn't quite fill ya, but for some reason it's just what you wanted.
I get the feeling that putting this game on my hard drive is going to lead to at least a few experiences much like the ones I have on occasion when starting up my Nintendo Wii. I came there to start up another intense session of Trauma Center: Second Opinion, but then I see Yoshii, which I bought on Virtual Console, and get the urge to waste a few minutes before wasting an hour.
In fact, Edgy Rangy is a lot like Yoshii, but not quite as stylized, not quite as challenging and not quite as intuitive. In essence, what I'm saying is it's not quite as good, but it does have a certain charm, to be sure.
Edgy Rangy is your typical block-stacking game. You try and stack 3 or more blocks of the same color to get points. Get enough points and you move on to the next level. The game comes with 2 modes, Classic and Relay. Do yourself a favor and go straight for Relay. Trust me, it's better. In relay mode, the blocks don't just disappear if you stack them appropriately, you get to farm them and eliminate them yourself with spacebar. It adds some much needed depth to the experience.
The little tray on which you stack the blocks moves far too slowly, and the game feel is unsatisfying as a result. The hitboxes are also a little imprecise, but easy to figure out once you get the hang of it.
This is a game that you will quit out of boredom, not because it got too challenging. After the third level, I'd say all the charm is gone. They try and spruce up the experience with bonus levels, but honestly they are just as monotonous as the main game.
Edgy Rangy isn't that fun and it certainly isn't anything revolutionary. At the very least, it's a good little appetizer that you can use to get yourself ready for the main course.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay simple.
Links
stackin blocks dum de dum: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24358
I get the feeling that putting this game on my hard drive is going to lead to at least a few experiences much like the ones I have on occasion when starting up my Nintendo Wii. I came there to start up another intense session of Trauma Center: Second Opinion, but then I see Yoshii, which I bought on Virtual Console, and get the urge to waste a few minutes before wasting an hour.
In fact, Edgy Rangy is a lot like Yoshii, but not quite as stylized, not quite as challenging and not quite as intuitive. In essence, what I'm saying is it's not quite as good, but it does have a certain charm, to be sure.
Edgy Rangy is your typical block-stacking game. You try and stack 3 or more blocks of the same color to get points. Get enough points and you move on to the next level. The game comes with 2 modes, Classic and Relay. Do yourself a favor and go straight for Relay. Trust me, it's better. In relay mode, the blocks don't just disappear if you stack them appropriately, you get to farm them and eliminate them yourself with spacebar. It adds some much needed depth to the experience.
The little tray on which you stack the blocks moves far too slowly, and the game feel is unsatisfying as a result. The hitboxes are also a little imprecise, but easy to figure out once you get the hang of it.
This is a game that you will quit out of boredom, not because it got too challenging. After the third level, I'd say all the charm is gone. They try and spruce up the experience with bonus levels, but honestly they are just as monotonous as the main game.
Edgy Rangy isn't that fun and it certainly isn't anything revolutionary. At the very least, it's a good little appetizer that you can use to get yourself ready for the main course.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay simple.
Links
stackin blocks dum de dum: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24358
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Ecliptic
Hey guys. For a multitude of reasons. I didn't really give Ecliptic the time it deserved. See, it's an RTS game, and as I've said before, I'm not a fan of RTS games. That combined with an unusually overbearing workload today and a general bad mood on top of a lot of factors lead me to quit the game after my first defeat, which came totally unexpectedly in the middle of the game where I thought I was doing everything right. Continuing would have caused frustration that I really don't need right now.
The problem I have with most RTS games is that they give me this worthless feeling like I should be helping the characters on screen rather than just ordering them to their deaths. A majority of the time, be it because of lack of virtual currency or resources or just waiting for x thing to recharge for y seconds, all I can do is sit back hopelessly and watch as my forces, my men, my only chances for success...are destroyed. Maybe this is a clever allegory for real life, but I play video games to escape from the monotony of the real world, not to revel in it.
See, this is why I liked Base Invaders so much. It let the player intervene without having to wait. It cleverly avoided generating that hopeless feeling through its game mechanics. Ecliptic, if anything, only accentuates the feeling more than other games by making no visible attempt to cover up the fact that all you can do is order men to stand in the line of fire.
Moving away from the tonal aspect of it, the game isn't that great from a design standpoint. The controls, while I appreciate their lack of need to explain themselves with some kind of map, don't give you the feeling that they're so inherently supposed to. What was the name of that feeling again? Um...oh yeah, CONTROL. Maybe if I had toyed around with it for longer I might have found some way to use the controls better, but I'm going to go ahead and fall back on the old "if the game doesn't intrigue me from the beginning, I'm not obliged to wait until it gets interesting" argument.
Aesthetically, it's okay...passable. I mean it's not ugly by any stretch of the imagination, but it advertises itself as having "cutting edge graphics technology." This isn't a very easy claim to substantiate when I can count the number of polygons on each character.
It's pretty clear that I was in a bad mood when writing this, so maybe Ecliptic isn't as bad as I think it is. All-in-all, though, I wouldn't recommend it even to RTS fans. If you are an RTS fan, chances are you've already purchased a Total War or Starcraft game and therefore have experienced far better than anything this game can muster up. There's nothing special about it. It's just another RTS.
That's all for now. Until next time, stay strategic.
Links
Total Wat, more like:https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25910
The problem I have with most RTS games is that they give me this worthless feeling like I should be helping the characters on screen rather than just ordering them to their deaths. A majority of the time, be it because of lack of virtual currency or resources or just waiting for x thing to recharge for y seconds, all I can do is sit back hopelessly and watch as my forces, my men, my only chances for success...are destroyed. Maybe this is a clever allegory for real life, but I play video games to escape from the monotony of the real world, not to revel in it.
See, this is why I liked Base Invaders so much. It let the player intervene without having to wait. It cleverly avoided generating that hopeless feeling through its game mechanics. Ecliptic, if anything, only accentuates the feeling more than other games by making no visible attempt to cover up the fact that all you can do is order men to stand in the line of fire.
Moving away from the tonal aspect of it, the game isn't that great from a design standpoint. The controls, while I appreciate their lack of need to explain themselves with some kind of map, don't give you the feeling that they're so inherently supposed to. What was the name of that feeling again? Um...oh yeah, CONTROL. Maybe if I had toyed around with it for longer I might have found some way to use the controls better, but I'm going to go ahead and fall back on the old "if the game doesn't intrigue me from the beginning, I'm not obliged to wait until it gets interesting" argument.
Aesthetically, it's okay...passable. I mean it's not ugly by any stretch of the imagination, but it advertises itself as having "cutting edge graphics technology." This isn't a very easy claim to substantiate when I can count the number of polygons on each character.
It's pretty clear that I was in a bad mood when writing this, so maybe Ecliptic isn't as bad as I think it is. All-in-all, though, I wouldn't recommend it even to RTS fans. If you are an RTS fan, chances are you've already purchased a Total War or Starcraft game and therefore have experienced far better than anything this game can muster up. There's nothing special about it. It's just another RTS.
That's all for now. Until next time, stay strategic.
Links
Total Wat, more like:https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25910
Monday, March 11, 2013
Echolight
I'll admit, I got a little worried about this game from the very moment I saw the two words "Singapore" and "Puzzle." Perhaps it's my deleterious American brain that renders me incapable of solving the simplest of puzzles, but the fact remains that I haven't had too much luck with DigiPen Singapore in the past.
Actually, beyond the whole "too hard to complete under my time constraint thing" I would say my experience with Echolight was...above average, to say the least. I may not be a very good puzzle critic, but from a game design standpoint, this game is very hit-or-miss, which is my favorite kind of game to nitpick.
Let's start with the flaws so we can end on a happy note. First off, the students who made Echolight seem to have skipped a few classes on proper tutorial design. Here's my theory on the subject: creating a tutorial is kind of like raising a child (in this case, the child is the player). It's true that you need some kind of structure to keep your kid within the realm of social acceptability. For example, you can't just let the kid do whatever he or she wants because he or she will soon realize that punching another kid in the face is an excellent way to obtain the lollipop he or she was previously holding. They need to know what's right and what's wrong in order to succeed. By the same token, you can't hold your child's hand too tightly, or they'll learn to hate the very idea of a structured society and devote the rest of their lives to bringing down the fabric of human civilization...erhm...or...in the case of video games, they'll just be really annoyed with the tutorial. Echolight takes the helicopter-parent approach and doesn't give you full range of the game's controls until it's showed you everything you need.
Everything else is really just a nitpick. The sound effect "you win" screen after each level doesn't really fit with the game's atmosphere, which hurts the flow a little bit, but there's nothing really in terms of core game design to complain about. That said, let's move on to the good stuff.
The level design is simple but good. It's a puzzle game, and every puzzle has a solution. More than that, though, the game has an open feel that not many puzzle games can pull off. It seems like every puzzle has more than one right answer, even if that's not the case. I didn't toy around with it enough to find out. I do know that the game trusts you to develop your own strategies, which is a big plus in my book. I nicknamed mine the "bulldozer" strategy because I eventually resorted to mashing the arrow keys in the direction I want to go so that the arrows I previously placed don't get in my way. I do this until I figure out what arrows need to be put where. The difficulty curve isn't insane and it rewards the player enough before hitting him or her with the really tricky stuff. The thing I like most about the game is the very concept. I've never seen anything much like it, and it's a bit too complex to explain here. The visual style is also pleasing to the eye. There's a definite kind of appeal that you get from gradually lighting up the world around you in a manner as festive as in Echolight.
All-in-all, I had fun with Echolight. If it weren't for the crappy tutorial, it would have easily gotten my seal of approval. If you don't have the patience to learn a new concept for a game, skip it. If you do, I think you'll find Echolight to be charming, innovative and fun. Until next time, stay shiny (I get to use that one a lot...I might just make it my sign-off).
Links
Rollin around at the speed of sound: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25438
Actually, beyond the whole "too hard to complete under my time constraint thing" I would say my experience with Echolight was...above average, to say the least. I may not be a very good puzzle critic, but from a game design standpoint, this game is very hit-or-miss, which is my favorite kind of game to nitpick.
Let's start with the flaws so we can end on a happy note. First off, the students who made Echolight seem to have skipped a few classes on proper tutorial design. Here's my theory on the subject: creating a tutorial is kind of like raising a child (in this case, the child is the player). It's true that you need some kind of structure to keep your kid within the realm of social acceptability. For example, you can't just let the kid do whatever he or she wants because he or she will soon realize that punching another kid in the face is an excellent way to obtain the lollipop he or she was previously holding. They need to know what's right and what's wrong in order to succeed. By the same token, you can't hold your child's hand too tightly, or they'll learn to hate the very idea of a structured society and devote the rest of their lives to bringing down the fabric of human civilization...erhm...or...in the case of video games, they'll just be really annoyed with the tutorial. Echolight takes the helicopter-parent approach and doesn't give you full range of the game's controls until it's showed you everything you need.
Everything else is really just a nitpick. The sound effect "you win" screen after each level doesn't really fit with the game's atmosphere, which hurts the flow a little bit, but there's nothing really in terms of core game design to complain about. That said, let's move on to the good stuff.
The level design is simple but good. It's a puzzle game, and every puzzle has a solution. More than that, though, the game has an open feel that not many puzzle games can pull off. It seems like every puzzle has more than one right answer, even if that's not the case. I didn't toy around with it enough to find out. I do know that the game trusts you to develop your own strategies, which is a big plus in my book. I nicknamed mine the "bulldozer" strategy because I eventually resorted to mashing the arrow keys in the direction I want to go so that the arrows I previously placed don't get in my way. I do this until I figure out what arrows need to be put where. The difficulty curve isn't insane and it rewards the player enough before hitting him or her with the really tricky stuff. The thing I like most about the game is the very concept. I've never seen anything much like it, and it's a bit too complex to explain here. The visual style is also pleasing to the eye. There's a definite kind of appeal that you get from gradually lighting up the world around you in a manner as festive as in Echolight.
All-in-all, I had fun with Echolight. If it weren't for the crappy tutorial, it would have easily gotten my seal of approval. If you don't have the patience to learn a new concept for a game, skip it. If you do, I think you'll find Echolight to be charming, innovative and fun. Until next time, stay shiny (I get to use that one a lot...I might just make it my sign-off).
Links
Rollin around at the speed of sound: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25438
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Echo
Oh how I love the feeling I get when the blog reaches another letter. Oddly enough, getting to "E" isn't the only milestone in my little project this time around. Echo is the first FPS game on my list. Make no mistake, though, Echo is not a typical FPS game. No, typically, FPS games are fun...
Ok, so there are a few things that I like about Echo. If you press "esc" it takes you to a kind of interactive options menu where you interact with nodes by shooting them. I wish more games would implement that. There's not even any deep reasoning for it. I just think it's cool.
Also, I like the way everything is conveyed. You experience things by doing them and it's not confusing. The game never feels the need to say "hey, listen. Jump on that plant." It trusts that the player will look at the plant opening with the little circley thingies coming out of it and infer that he or she is supposed to jump on it.
Too bad that's pretty much the extent of the stuff I liked about Echo. The rest of it annoyed me.
First off, I'd like to speak directly to all who hope to go into a career in sound mixing. Please don't make the sound effects so obnoxiously loud. They should be about as loud as the music. When you kill things in this game, they release a hissing sound that hurts my ears.
Also, the sight of shooting projectiles is so jumpy that it hurts my eyes. This isn't helped by the neon visual style. So far, my only senses left unscathed are touch, taste and smell. At least the control setup is comfortable (and I would find it very impressive for the game to harm my senses of smell or taste).
I also hate how the game wrestles control from you every 2 seconds. Again, I think it's good that the game trusts me to make inferences, but come on. Yanking the camera from me to show me some unexplained phenomenon that makes no sense to me and that I end up skipping anyway is just not polite, and this game does it every thirty seconds!
Ehh, I'm getting tired. One more rage point before I sign out for the day: I have no idea what I need to do to beat this game. As far as I can tell, the enemies spawn infinitely and there are no targets other than the enemies. It seems like the only ending to this game is a big fat "Lose" screen. That's not a bad thing, and in fact that kind of structure has vastly improved games like Missile Command (I learned that from watching Extra Credits. Have I mentioned I like those guys?). Thing is, Missile Command scores you. It gives you some kind of sense of accomplishment. Echo does not, and honestly, the rest of the game is way too vague for it to fall back on the "artistic statement" argument.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay bright.
Links
pew pew screeeeaaaaaaiiiiiieeeeieieeieiiiieeeeegh: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=18585
a much more entertaining thing that I alluded to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQJA5YjvHDU
Ok, so there are a few things that I like about Echo. If you press "esc" it takes you to a kind of interactive options menu where you interact with nodes by shooting them. I wish more games would implement that. There's not even any deep reasoning for it. I just think it's cool.
Also, I like the way everything is conveyed. You experience things by doing them and it's not confusing. The game never feels the need to say "hey, listen. Jump on that plant." It trusts that the player will look at the plant opening with the little circley thingies coming out of it and infer that he or she is supposed to jump on it.
Too bad that's pretty much the extent of the stuff I liked about Echo. The rest of it annoyed me.
First off, I'd like to speak directly to all who hope to go into a career in sound mixing. Please don't make the sound effects so obnoxiously loud. They should be about as loud as the music. When you kill things in this game, they release a hissing sound that hurts my ears.
Also, the sight of shooting projectiles is so jumpy that it hurts my eyes. This isn't helped by the neon visual style. So far, my only senses left unscathed are touch, taste and smell. At least the control setup is comfortable (and I would find it very impressive for the game to harm my senses of smell or taste).
I also hate how the game wrestles control from you every 2 seconds. Again, I think it's good that the game trusts me to make inferences, but come on. Yanking the camera from me to show me some unexplained phenomenon that makes no sense to me and that I end up skipping anyway is just not polite, and this game does it every thirty seconds!
Ehh, I'm getting tired. One more rage point before I sign out for the day: I have no idea what I need to do to beat this game. As far as I can tell, the enemies spawn infinitely and there are no targets other than the enemies. It seems like the only ending to this game is a big fat "Lose" screen. That's not a bad thing, and in fact that kind of structure has vastly improved games like Missile Command (I learned that from watching Extra Credits. Have I mentioned I like those guys?). Thing is, Missile Command scores you. It gives you some kind of sense of accomplishment. Echo does not, and honestly, the rest of the game is way too vague for it to fall back on the "artistic statement" argument.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay bright.
Links
pew pew screeeeaaaaaaiiiiiieeeeieieeieiiiieeeeegh: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=18585
a much more entertaining thing that I alluded to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQJA5YjvHDU
Duality
Duality is a first person 3D platforming puzzle game that focuses on solving puzzles by taking advantage of seamless dimensional rifts." You mean...portals? Oh dear, it's going to be one of those reviews, isn't it? I thought I had my obligatory "this game is trying to be Portal review with Crystaline. Well who knows, maybe this game will turn out to be original after all.
...nope.
Oh okay, fine, it's not exactly like Portal. It also features dual-world gameplay (hence the title) so yeah nothing really too original to be seen here. Oh well, just because the game's not terribly interesting doesn't mean it's not fun, right?
Well it's not boring, so that's good. The levels are largely linear, leaving little room for the player to get lost. The mechanics are functional and intuitive, the 3D world is really pretty and the music is enjoyable, especially when it fades from Dark World to Light World. That said, why am I not particularly enthusiastic about this game? It would be because there's simply not enough ingenuity or fun to be had to justify the little quirks about this game. The little things nipping at my heels would be perfectly acceptable if there was some sort of larger payoff, like if they were scraping the dead skin off my heels and making me look young again. But as it stands, they're just pesky little annoyances that I'd rather kick into the next dimension.
For one thing, the bridges that you have to make for yourself are conveyed very poorly. They're made out of glowing orbs that all form together to make one circular disk. The problem is that it's impossible to tell at first glance where one disk begins and the other ends, leading to several moments like this:
This one in particular tricked me into falling into the lake below, which instantly teleported me to the beginning where I had to undo all my progress just to redo it again in. Yeah, it's one of those games...
Another thing that grinds my gears is that in the third and final level, these moving portals are introduced. They are never referred to again and they're completely obnoxious. They don't add any level of challenge or depth, they just make you play the game at the game's pace, which is really annoying. Remember Super Mario 64? That game knew how to implement moving platforms. The player had to calculate the right moment to jump in order to progress. It was challenging and fun. The moving portals in Duality are neither of those.
And why is it that in the first 2 levels, the Light World's water turns into the Dark World's lava, but in the third level it's always water? This whole game just feels a bit unfinished. Not the broken kind of unfinished like Sonic '06, but the annoying "beta-build" feel that makes it seem like you're playtesting rather than playing.
Duality isn't terrible. It had potential to be cool, albeit not very original, but it blew it with clumsy design. The game as a whole isn't really that challenging. All the puzzles are very simple, even the last one. I was able to blow through all of them without even thinking, and I'm not usually very good at puzzle games.
Cool concept, sub-par game. That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay bipolar.
Links
more like Poo-ality...heh: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=11752
Saturday, March 9, 2013
DROP
Boy oh boy I'm tired. It's a good thing DROP isn't a very complex game, because my mind is in no shape to delve into the intricacies of the video gaming medium right now. Luckily, all I have to do is review a game about falling down a pit and avoiding stuff.
That's it. That's all there is to it. Simplicity is bliss, as they say, and if that's the case, this is the most blissful experience you're gonna get.
to be fair, you're also given a few shields that you can activate with LMB, which do enhance the gameplay experience. It's all about making split-second decisions, this game: "Do I use up a shield to keep my streak going or do I save the shield and try and move the mouse precisely enough to avoid this onslaught of obstacles?"
That quote is pretty much the entire review of the game in a nutshell. Essentially, I think what the creators of this game tried to do was to pack as much content as they possibly could into the smallest possible package, hence the achievements, streak bonuses, shields, variety of obstacles, etc.
It's a fun game, but there's not much to it. Yep, it's one of those games. It wasn't quite fun enough to get my seal of approval, but it's an amusing, low-intensity game that you can keep in your start menu to play while your YouTube video buffers.
Links
CANNONBALLLLLL: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24357
That's it. That's all there is to it. Simplicity is bliss, as they say, and if that's the case, this is the most blissful experience you're gonna get.
to be fair, you're also given a few shields that you can activate with LMB, which do enhance the gameplay experience. It's all about making split-second decisions, this game: "Do I use up a shield to keep my streak going or do I save the shield and try and move the mouse precisely enough to avoid this onslaught of obstacles?"
That quote is pretty much the entire review of the game in a nutshell. Essentially, I think what the creators of this game tried to do was to pack as much content as they possibly could into the smallest possible package, hence the achievements, streak bonuses, shields, variety of obstacles, etc.
It's a fun game, but there's not much to it. Yep, it's one of those games. It wasn't quite fun enough to get my seal of approval, but it's an amusing, low-intensity game that you can keep in your start menu to play while your YouTube video buffers.
Links
CANNONBALLLLLL: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24357
Friday, March 8, 2013
Dreamside Maroon
Oh lookie, another IGF game.
Hot damn this game was good. You may remember two days ago, when my partner in crime reviewed a game that advertised itself as a "poetic experience." If any game is deserving of that title, it's Dreamside Maroon (although it never advertises itself as such. Go figure).
I actually have a lot to say about this game, much of which I'm not going to be able to. For now, know this: I didn't play 100% of this game. Not even close. I played just enough to sample the mechanics and write a review.
The main premise of this game is that you are trying to travel to the moon by growing a vine toward it. While in reality this idea is about as ingenious as a cheese grater made of soap, things go surprisingly well for Aster, the game's protagonist.
Now, the word of the day is "exploration," and I have to say, I'm so glad I have this game to hold up as an example of the right way to go about exploration, the antithesis of Skyrim's succession of pre-paved paths under the false pretense of "exploration game." You are given all you need to have the best possible exploration experience: a primary objective (reach the moon), incentive to get off the beaten path (the poetry lamps that I'll explain later), and genuinely interesting environments to explore (every floating island, especially the shifting ones). Granted, the game lacks a bit in the third category, but I'll get to that in a bit.
First, let me talk about these poetry lamps. Along the way, you can light up lamps that do two things: give you fireflies and give you lines of verse. These lines of verse are combined into a poem that you can access at any time throughout the game. This appeals to two of the gaming aficionado's most prominent senses (at least in my opinion): achievement within the confines of game mechanics and exploration of the game's subtext. The fireflies appeal to the sense of achievement, because you need fireflies in order to save yourself if you fall into the depths of space. The poetry allows for a deeper examination of the game's themes and ideas as a whole, which makes people like me go nuts. I'm going to shove this game into the face of everyone I know so that I can have conversations about such things.
EDIT: I replayed the game, and it turns out the fireflies are completely unnecessary. They're just trinkets to be found. Thus, consider the last paragraph as a reflection on what I would have liked to write about the game if it had implemented design choices more to my liking.
Let me talk a bit about the technical side of things before going into what I didn't like about the game.
The controls are nice and fluid and do exactly what you'd expect them to (once you go into the settings and set "inverse y on camera" from "off" to "on"). The only mechanical issue I had a problem with was the fact that if you press "S" to dismount your vine, walking on it is very difficult and unruly, which is likely to send you flying into the depths of space. Granted, you can't die in this game, so it's not a huge problem.
That being said, there's no consequence for dying. I find this to be a mark of flawed design in general, but what really gets me is that it takes any sense of danger or challenge out of the game. The feeling of danger...the emotion that you could fail at any time...these are the kinds of moods that made Life of Pi such an amazing movie. If you knew for a fact that the kid and the tiger would stumble upon an island village of zoophiles and that Pi and Richard Parker would start a family and live happily ever after, the movie would be reduced to nothing but a visual rollercoaster (by the way, nothing of the sort happens in Life of Pi. Don't worry, I'd put 'spoiler alert' in front of a paragraph with legitimate spoilers).
Other than that, the worst thing I can say about this game is that it severely needs a skip feature. This is the kind of game that would encourage you to replay it multiple times because every play experience is different. You'll likely get a completely different poem every time, etc. Let me get right into the good stuff! Don't make me watch the same artsy slideshow that I've watched every time I boot up the damn game. And for cryin out loud, let me skip the credits! Or at least put my stats before the credits so that I can make a mental note of them before alt+f4ing past the credits myself. It's not that I'm not interested in who made the game, it's just that I already knew that by reading DigiPen's webpage, and I certainly don't need to see it more than once.
Despite this game's flaws (which were plentiful and pronounced), I had a lot of fun with it. I really thing this game is artistic rather than artsy, which is an important difference. Dreamside Maroon proudly joins my list of artistic masterpieces, right alongside Braid and Bastion. Sure Dreamside Maroon might be the little nerdy pipsqueak that the other artistic games pick on, but he's still in the club and real proud of it. It's miles above pretentious, artsy games like Douse in my opinion.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay poetic. I leave you with one particular line from Dreamside Maroon that stuck with me: "But as long as I am young and the world is not as it should be, I am forced to define it. An Idea. To share it with the world."
Links
Fly me to the moon: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=8715
Hot damn this game was good. You may remember two days ago, when my partner in crime reviewed a game that advertised itself as a "poetic experience." If any game is deserving of that title, it's Dreamside Maroon (although it never advertises itself as such. Go figure).
I actually have a lot to say about this game, much of which I'm not going to be able to. For now, know this: I didn't play 100% of this game. Not even close. I played just enough to sample the mechanics and write a review.
The main premise of this game is that you are trying to travel to the moon by growing a vine toward it. While in reality this idea is about as ingenious as a cheese grater made of soap, things go surprisingly well for Aster, the game's protagonist.
Now, the word of the day is "exploration," and I have to say, I'm so glad I have this game to hold up as an example of the right way to go about exploration, the antithesis of Skyrim's succession of pre-paved paths under the false pretense of "exploration game." You are given all you need to have the best possible exploration experience: a primary objective (reach the moon), incentive to get off the beaten path (the poetry lamps that I'll explain later), and genuinely interesting environments to explore (every floating island, especially the shifting ones). Granted, the game lacks a bit in the third category, but I'll get to that in a bit.
First, let me talk about these poetry lamps. Along the way, you can light up lamps that do two things: give you fireflies and give you lines of verse. These lines of verse are combined into a poem that you can access at any time throughout the game. This appeals to two of the gaming aficionado's most prominent senses (at least in my opinion): achievement within the confines of game mechanics and exploration of the game's subtext. The fireflies appeal to the sense of achievement, because you need fireflies in order to save yourself if you fall into the depths of space. The poetry allows for a deeper examination of the game's themes and ideas as a whole, which makes people like me go nuts. I'm going to shove this game into the face of everyone I know so that I can have conversations about such things.
EDIT: I replayed the game, and it turns out the fireflies are completely unnecessary. They're just trinkets to be found. Thus, consider the last paragraph as a reflection on what I would have liked to write about the game if it had implemented design choices more to my liking.
Let me talk a bit about the technical side of things before going into what I didn't like about the game.
The controls are nice and fluid and do exactly what you'd expect them to (once you go into the settings and set "inverse y on camera" from "off" to "on"). The only mechanical issue I had a problem with was the fact that if you press "S" to dismount your vine, walking on it is very difficult and unruly, which is likely to send you flying into the depths of space. Granted, you can't die in this game, so it's not a huge problem.
That being said, there's no consequence for dying. I find this to be a mark of flawed design in general, but what really gets me is that it takes any sense of danger or challenge out of the game. The feeling of danger...the emotion that you could fail at any time...these are the kinds of moods that made Life of Pi such an amazing movie. If you knew for a fact that the kid and the tiger would stumble upon an island village of zoophiles and that Pi and Richard Parker would start a family and live happily ever after, the movie would be reduced to nothing but a visual rollercoaster (by the way, nothing of the sort happens in Life of Pi. Don't worry, I'd put 'spoiler alert' in front of a paragraph with legitimate spoilers).
Other than that, the worst thing I can say about this game is that it severely needs a skip feature. This is the kind of game that would encourage you to replay it multiple times because every play experience is different. You'll likely get a completely different poem every time, etc. Let me get right into the good stuff! Don't make me watch the same artsy slideshow that I've watched every time I boot up the damn game. And for cryin out loud, let me skip the credits! Or at least put my stats before the credits so that I can make a mental note of them before alt+f4ing past the credits myself. It's not that I'm not interested in who made the game, it's just that I already knew that by reading DigiPen's webpage, and I certainly don't need to see it more than once.
Despite this game's flaws (which were plentiful and pronounced), I had a lot of fun with it. I really thing this game is artistic rather than artsy, which is an important difference. Dreamside Maroon proudly joins my list of artistic masterpieces, right alongside Braid and Bastion. Sure Dreamside Maroon might be the little nerdy pipsqueak that the other artistic games pick on, but he's still in the club and real proud of it. It's miles above pretentious, artsy games like Douse in my opinion.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay poetic. I leave you with one particular line from Dreamside Maroon that stuck with me: "But as long as I am young and the world is not as it should be, I am forced to define it. An Idea. To share it with the world."
Links
Fly me to the moon: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=8715
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Drake Savage Space Ninja
Remakes have a special place in video game history. Whether they're direct reboots, sequels with identical mechanics to their predecessors, or completely new IP paying homage to their more notable ancestors, remakes are rampant in all sectors of the video game medium.
Drake Savage falls into the third category, obviously, and I'm glad to say it's everything a remake should be. It uses the exact same controls as does Asteroids with one simple addition: instead of just fending for your life in space until you inevitably die, Drake Savage has set objectives for you to destroy (kind of like Sinistar, but without the terrifying monster or story appeal). As you whittle down their defenses with your special weapon (another innovation), they release more enemies to chip away at your health bar.
The only real con about this game is that there's really no narrative to be found, which I recognize isn't really a flaw, but I can't help but think it makes the game smell a bit of missed potential. After all, the game has already demonstrated its skill of conveyance by getting me to master the controls without so much as an on-screen button tutorial.
I am a huge fan of this game. Maybe it doesn't have a story and maybe it borrows most of its good aspects from an already popular game or two, but Drake Savage fulfills my two main criteria for a truly good game: It's fun to play and it provides a lesson for future game designers. This is a textbook "what-to-do" guide on making remakes. Anyone out there who feels like it's their duty to bring Space Invaders to the next dimension should play this game first. That way, the tragedy of Space Raiders will never have to happen again...*shivers*
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24671
PS- okay, I confess, I never actually played Space Raiders, but come on...
Drake Savage falls into the third category, obviously, and I'm glad to say it's everything a remake should be. It uses the exact same controls as does Asteroids with one simple addition: instead of just fending for your life in space until you inevitably die, Drake Savage has set objectives for you to destroy (kind of like Sinistar, but without the terrifying monster or story appeal). As you whittle down their defenses with your special weapon (another innovation), they release more enemies to chip away at your health bar.
The only real con about this game is that there's really no narrative to be found, which I recognize isn't really a flaw, but I can't help but think it makes the game smell a bit of missed potential. After all, the game has already demonstrated its skill of conveyance by getting me to master the controls without so much as an on-screen button tutorial.
I am a huge fan of this game. Maybe it doesn't have a story and maybe it borrows most of its good aspects from an already popular game or two, but Drake Savage fulfills my two main criteria for a truly good game: It's fun to play and it provides a lesson for future game designers. This is a textbook "what-to-do" guide on making remakes. Anyone out there who feels like it's their duty to bring Space Invaders to the next dimension should play this game first. That way, the tragedy of Space Raiders will never have to happen again...*shivers*
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24671
PS- okay, I confess, I never actually played Space Raiders, but come on...
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Douse (guest review)
And with this, I wish a very happy birthday to my bestest bud Luis. You may know him from the guest review he did a while ago. Well guess who's back? As a birthday gift, I'm letting him steal the spotlight once again. Without further ado, this:
Cool story, bro! Personally, I don't have the same opinion as my colleague here. I thought the game was anemic and pretentious and that the only thing it had going for it was the presentation, which was, let's not mince words, absolutely friggin gorgeous from start to finish. The aesthetic does not make the game, however, and once I looked past it, I saw nothing but a sub-par platformer with sticky controls. But hey, that's just my opinion. Plus, it's Luis's birthday, which makes his opinion like a million times better than anyone else's according to the laws of who gives a good gosh darn.
Thanks again for the review from the vastly more talented Luis Gomez. Check out his blog if you want some damn good quality stories. I ain't just saying that cuz its his birthday.
Hello again! I am once again commandeering the good ship Dean and Digipen, and intend to sail it straight into the depths of irrelevance. But before I do that, Douse.
Now, let me say this before I begin. I have (almost) never played a game where the story is the main, if not only, focus. I have never placed my hands on Dear Esther, I have never fired up The Walking Dead, I have never woken up the PS3 I don’t own to play a few minutes of Journey. But one thing I can do is respect a solid, engaging, engrossing game story, seeing as there’s so few that have one. It’s part of the reason why Bastion is basically my favorite game since ever. So I was thoroughly skeptical going into Douse. But enough of this rambling.
Douse is marketed as a 2D story experience, but mechanically is a bit more similar to a platformer. You play as a raindrop, using mystical raindrop powers given unto you by the god of Shut Up And Play, who walks through a forest bringing dead plants back to life. As you can probably tell, I suck at explaining these things.
Aside from that though, this story that I was mentioning. Now, you’re likely to say that there isn’t one. And in a traditional sense, yes, the game lacks a narrative in the traditional “characters and a conflict” sense. But it does convey an experience. It conveys the daily life of a magical raindrop goin’ about his business and helping regrow dead forest plants. And you know what? I like that. It’s fun, it’s engaging, and most impressively, it’s done without words. I felt connected to this little raindrop sprite.
This game has one of the best visual aesthetics I’ve seen in awhile. Everything is designed with this visually delightful pastel tone, and it's a blast to walk through. You bounce off of spiderwebs and mushrooms, you walk across leaves and branches and fallen logs. It's amazing just to go through, and it really made me sad when, fifteen short minutes after starting, I was told that the game was over. I wanted to see more of this world. I wanted to see a fully realized, extensive, explorable game world.
Musically, the game is fabulous. The world is permeated by this magnificently relaxing acoustic guitar track. But what really makes the music stand out is how it blends with the world. Bounce on a mushroom, spring from a spiderweb, soar through a cloud, you get a corresponding musical cue. When I first realized this, I was overjoyed. I spent a few minutes just bouncing from cloud to mushroom to spiderweb and back, trying to time everything with the in-game soundtrack. The last time I actually wanted to explore every nook and cranny of a game world and just mess with the mechanics was with Portal. That’s right, I just compared this little indie title to what Yahtzee called “the earthly manifestation of Christ.” Come to think of it, the only game I can remember doing something like this was Portal 2, when you step on an Aerial Faith Plate and are greeted by a corresponding electronic height-based crescendo, or when you go through the Excursion Funnel and get that relaxing-ass music that makes you feel like you’re swimming through a magical sea of happiness and friendship.
As for faults, there are two things that I am going to complain about. One is that it isn’t longer. Like I said earlier, I seriously want these guys to release a full version that I need to pay for and lasts for about an hour. Or two. Or three. Aside from that, the “hitboxes” on the plants are a bit wonky. Sometimes it takes just a tap with the mouse to let the rains fall and the plants grow, and other times I’m sitting here for thirty seconds waiting for the grass to realize that yes, that is rain and yes, please grow so I can keep moving and not feel guilty about leaving you dead.
All in all, Douse is awesome, and is definitely more deserving of some kind of IGF recognition than some of its peers.
Seriously, go play this.
So long and thanks for all the fish.
------------------------------------------------
Splish Splash: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25890
Cool story, bro! Personally, I don't have the same opinion as my colleague here. I thought the game was anemic and pretentious and that the only thing it had going for it was the presentation, which was, let's not mince words, absolutely friggin gorgeous from start to finish. The aesthetic does not make the game, however, and once I looked past it, I saw nothing but a sub-par platformer with sticky controls. But hey, that's just my opinion. Plus, it's Luis's birthday, which makes his opinion like a million times better than anyone else's according to the laws of who gives a good gosh darn.
Thanks again for the review from the vastly more talented Luis Gomez. Check out his blog if you want some damn good quality stories. I ain't just saying that cuz its his birthday.
Dougie Digger
Hey look, URL not found! Goodie, that means I get to go right into the special gift I had planned for today...stay tuned!
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=18530
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=18530
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Dots n Circles
Alright, time for a lightning round:
Dots n Circles is your standard "collect x avoid y" affair. Nothing about the game is very original, which is probably why I'm so lukewarm about it.
From a technical standpoint, the game is perfect. A+ worthy, I'd say. However, is that really what you play a game for? Do you really enjoy just playing a dumbed down version of Ikaruga that brings nothing to the table but an overused, glow-hockey aesthetic? I, personally, don't.
There's very little I can actually say about this game. These are the kinds of games I really hate reviewing. I'm not saying simplicity is a bad thing. In fact, I think simplicity is essential to successful game design in a lot of ways. One of the reasons I like Starfox 64 so much is because it's so simple. Just point, shoot and win. That game brought something truly special to the table, though. Memorable characters, original settings, and flawless game feel all worked together to reinforce the core experience. The bells and whistles in Dots n Circles don't really feel like they're an integral part of the game, rather that they were just kind of tacked on to make the game a tad more enjoyable.
Dots n Circles is not a bad game by any means, and it definitely shows off the skill that the freshmen who made it have in programming. My guess is that this is one of, if not the first project these guys worked on, and thus they were not focused on making a good game as much as they were focused on making a functional and fun game. It's nothing too praiseworthy, but it's not bad as a debut title. Check it out if you've got a few minutes to kill, but don't sweat it if you pass this one up.
Until next time, stay away from things that are different from you. Otherwise you'll turn into a black hole. True story; I learned it from video games.
Links
MY EYES!:https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24356
Dots n Circles is your standard "collect x avoid y" affair. Nothing about the game is very original, which is probably why I'm so lukewarm about it.
From a technical standpoint, the game is perfect. A+ worthy, I'd say. However, is that really what you play a game for? Do you really enjoy just playing a dumbed down version of Ikaruga that brings nothing to the table but an overused, glow-hockey aesthetic? I, personally, don't.
There's very little I can actually say about this game. These are the kinds of games I really hate reviewing. I'm not saying simplicity is a bad thing. In fact, I think simplicity is essential to successful game design in a lot of ways. One of the reasons I like Starfox 64 so much is because it's so simple. Just point, shoot and win. That game brought something truly special to the table, though. Memorable characters, original settings, and flawless game feel all worked together to reinforce the core experience. The bells and whistles in Dots n Circles don't really feel like they're an integral part of the game, rather that they were just kind of tacked on to make the game a tad more enjoyable.
Dots n Circles is not a bad game by any means, and it definitely shows off the skill that the freshmen who made it have in programming. My guess is that this is one of, if not the first project these guys worked on, and thus they were not focused on making a good game as much as they were focused on making a functional and fun game. It's nothing too praiseworthy, but it's not bad as a debut title. Check it out if you've got a few minutes to kill, but don't sweat it if you pass this one up.
Until next time, stay away from things that are different from you. Otherwise you'll turn into a black hole. True story; I learned it from video games.
Links
MY EYES!:https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24356
Distortion
yeah, this game certainly is a distortion. A distortion of the truth! Cuz it doesn't work...
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26139
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26139
Monday, March 4, 2013
Dig-n-Rig
eeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I could see possibly liking this game if I had a lot more patience than I do. Unfortunately, even if I weren't on a ridiculously tight schedule, I wouldnt have the patience to put up with Dig-n-Rig.
The whole game is about digging through the earth to find elements or something...see, that's the first problem. It's never really adequately explained why you're digging and rigging in the first place. This is just one of the many reasons this game is so unimmersive. It handles narrative very poorly.
before I get caught up in all the flaws this game has, let me run down some stuff that I didn't mind. The aesthetic has that "new-age NES" feel to it. You know the kind, where the pixels are still gigantic and the sound is composed of chiptunes but it's clear that those are stylistic choices rather than technological barriers? Yeah...that.
The game feel is actually not bad until you hit rock. Until then, you can just kind of gleefully glide through the dirt and collect resources, but once you get to the tougher rock, the game suddenly takes a hit right in the pacing, and the game feel suffers.
The conveyance in this game is also a load of crap on a cracker. Somehow, you're supposed to infer that you need to vacuum up the minerals you dig up with the "v" key and take them back to a conveyor belt with the "x" key. This wasn't even explained in the preposterous all-text exposition dump at the beginning.
all-in-all, play this game if you want something really dull and repetitive to turn your brain to jelly for a bit. Otherwise, pass.
Links
whistle while you work: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24629
I could see possibly liking this game if I had a lot more patience than I do. Unfortunately, even if I weren't on a ridiculously tight schedule, I wouldnt have the patience to put up with Dig-n-Rig.
The whole game is about digging through the earth to find elements or something...see, that's the first problem. It's never really adequately explained why you're digging and rigging in the first place. This is just one of the many reasons this game is so unimmersive. It handles narrative very poorly.
before I get caught up in all the flaws this game has, let me run down some stuff that I didn't mind. The aesthetic has that "new-age NES" feel to it. You know the kind, where the pixels are still gigantic and the sound is composed of chiptunes but it's clear that those are stylistic choices rather than technological barriers? Yeah...that.
The game feel is actually not bad until you hit rock. Until then, you can just kind of gleefully glide through the dirt and collect resources, but once you get to the tougher rock, the game suddenly takes a hit right in the pacing, and the game feel suffers.
The conveyance in this game is also a load of crap on a cracker. Somehow, you're supposed to infer that you need to vacuum up the minerals you dig up with the "v" key and take them back to a conveyor belt with the "x" key. This wasn't even explained in the preposterous all-text exposition dump at the beginning.
all-in-all, play this game if you want something really dull and repetitive to turn your brain to jelly for a bit. Otherwise, pass.
Links
whistle while you work: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24629
Descension
Hey guys. I'm going to be moving pretty fast for the next couple of reviews because there's a certain game that I want to review on Wednesday. Oh Dean, you and your wily ways
anyways, Descension is a boss fight that reminds me a lot of Space Deadbeef on the ground. For all 100% of you who don't know what Space Deadbeef is, here's a supplementary summary:
Ooh, look! A giant mechanical dragon that outguns you in every sense of the word and wants you dead. Here's a pea shooter, some powerups and a series of platforms. Have fun, sport!
The controls are fluid and every death typically seems like your fault, so the game is solid in that respect. Can't complain about the graphics or the aesthetic. It goes for that whole "neon dystopia" look, which I rather like. The experience is fun and tense till the very end, which will probably come sooner rather than later because the dragon is so hard to kill.
All-in-all, this game is kind of rudimentary. Nothing really stands out that makes this game a learning experience or a revolution in the medium, but it's just a fun way to pass a few minutes. Check it out if you're bored and looking for some pretty lights to occupy you for a few moments.
Until next time, stay shiny
Links
whoosh bang kapow pew pew: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24625
anyways, Descension is a boss fight that reminds me a lot of Space Deadbeef on the ground. For all 100% of you who don't know what Space Deadbeef is, here's a supplementary summary:
Ooh, look! A giant mechanical dragon that outguns you in every sense of the word and wants you dead. Here's a pea shooter, some powerups and a series of platforms. Have fun, sport!
The controls are fluid and every death typically seems like your fault, so the game is solid in that respect. Can't complain about the graphics or the aesthetic. It goes for that whole "neon dystopia" look, which I rather like. The experience is fun and tense till the very end, which will probably come sooner rather than later because the dragon is so hard to kill.
All-in-all, this game is kind of rudimentary. Nothing really stands out that makes this game a learning experience or a revolution in the medium, but it's just a fun way to pass a few minutes. Check it out if you're bored and looking for some pretty lights to occupy you for a few moments.
Until next time, stay shiny
Links
whoosh bang kapow pew pew: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24625
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Derrfex
Remember a while ago when I said tower defense games aren't really my thing? Well, it turns out that simple role reversal is not enough to persuade me otherwise.
Derrfex is the first tower offense game I've ever played. It's a clever concept. You need to figure out the best route to take in order to destroy your objectives with the fewest casualties. You're given a squad of 4 adorable woodland creatures, each with their own special ability.
I definitely know some people who would get a kick out of this game, but I just don't see the appeal. Games like this turn me off in general because I think of calculations that the player has to run the same way I think of grease on pizza. A lot of it can, if used responsibly, greatly enhance the flavor of the game, but only if the other ingredients warrant it. Okay, let me pull this back into the realm of sanity. See, I have no problem with games like Pokemon requiring me to run these calculations because I can play them at my own pace. Derrfex, however, forces you to keep up with it, which I find more frustrating than challenging.
I managed to get through the first level without too many broken bones, but when I laid eyes upon level 2, my brain took control of my fingers and forced them to strike alt+f4.
Try it if you're up for a challenging strategy game featuring a new twist on an old classic. It ain't for me, but I totally recognize my own bias here.
Links
animals with heavy weaponry creep me out for some reason: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26004
Derrfex is the first tower offense game I've ever played. It's a clever concept. You need to figure out the best route to take in order to destroy your objectives with the fewest casualties. You're given a squad of 4 adorable woodland creatures, each with their own special ability.
I definitely know some people who would get a kick out of this game, but I just don't see the appeal. Games like this turn me off in general because I think of calculations that the player has to run the same way I think of grease on pizza. A lot of it can, if used responsibly, greatly enhance the flavor of the game, but only if the other ingredients warrant it. Okay, let me pull this back into the realm of sanity. See, I have no problem with games like Pokemon requiring me to run these calculations because I can play them at my own pace. Derrfex, however, forces you to keep up with it, which I find more frustrating than challenging.
I managed to get through the first level without too many broken bones, but when I laid eyes upon level 2, my brain took control of my fingers and forced them to strike alt+f4.
Try it if you're up for a challenging strategy game featuring a new twist on an old classic. It ain't for me, but I totally recognize my own bias here.
Links
animals with heavy weaponry creep me out for some reason: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26004
Derelict
To be fair, this game isn't broken per se...
It's a multiplayer-only game and not too many people are playing Derelict at any given moment, so I got stuck for all eternity at a "searching for players" screen. Oh well. Looked like a cool game.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25913
It's a multiplayer-only game and not too many people are playing Derelict at any given moment, so I got stuck for all eternity at a "searching for players" screen. Oh well. Looked like a cool game.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25913
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Deity
Oh, man, finally! Not only a game that works, but a game that works well!
The most striking feature about this game is that it can be played using only the mouse, which leaves one hand free for sipping hot chocolate, instantly improving the play experience.
Deity isn't an incredibly long game, but it's long enough that if I were playing it on a weekday where I only have an hour at most to spare for this little project, I would have had to stop before the final level, which would have been a shame because this game is impeccably paced and the last level is very satisfying.
The basics of this game are simple. Teleport your way around, using torches and gargoyles as your conduits, to take down guards with the power of darkness and progress from level to level. Killing enemies head-on reduces your health by almost half, so stealth is a necessity. This game is, to me, just the right mixture of thinking to execution
The aesthetic of this game is kind of similar to that of League of Legends, but with a lot more emphasis on darkness (just like in Corruption, you play as an ambassador of darkness). In fact, this game as a whole kind of reminds me of League, only this game is actually good (okay, settle down. League is good too, it's just not my cup of tea). Mouse movement, stylized characters, particle effects and stealth gameplay make the similarities easy to notice. The real difference between this and League is that this is a PvE, singleplayer game, whereas League is not. I find this kind of gameplay to be much better suited for a singleplayer game, because it allows you to play at your own pace. I'd elaborate, but this would soon turn into a review of League, so in the interest of staying on topic, let's move along.
This is the most fun I've had with a DigiPen game in a while. Pacing, aesthetic, control, narrative, game feel...all of this is nigh flawless. I would say that the real selling point with this game is the atmosphere. It's the only game so far on this list that gave me that jarring feeling when I stopped playing it and I realized reality is still a thing. That's something not even many mainstream games can do for me. The last game that was able to pull that off was Spec Ops: The Line. Even though I was alt+tabbing in and out to chat with my friends while I was playing, I was still fully immersed in the experience, and that is a feat worth congratulations.
Actually, on that note, that's another thing I liked about Deity. Alt+tabbing is no big deal. A lot of these games make chatting on Skype or Facebook a nightmare, but Deity respects your right to screw around with something else and return to the game without much annoyance.
Mind you, this game's not perfect. There are a few conveyance issues, like the firey walls that instakill you even though you've had no trouble phasing in and out of fire beforehand. Come to think, the conveyance as a whole is kind of ham-handed. The mechanics of the game are presented by little illustrations of the mouse buttons right over the place where you are to press them. It doesn't affect the atmosphere too much, but still, I'd expect better from students who were ostensibly shown this stuff in a "what not to do" lecture.
The teleport move doesn't take you quite as far as you'd expect, leading to a few mildly irritating moments where I wanted to teleport just outside a lighted area that would hurt me, only to be plunged directly into the light.
All-in-all, Deity doesn't give me the most raw sense of fun out of all these games (Attack of the 50ft Robot still takes that honor), but I would wager to say it's the best experience overall. I can't do it justice with digital ink. It's a game that you've got to experience for yourselves. Deity definitely gets my seal of approval. Good work, Double++. Keep on rockin.
That's all for now. Until next time, stay evil.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24653
The most striking feature about this game is that it can be played using only the mouse, which leaves one hand free for sipping hot chocolate, instantly improving the play experience.
Deity isn't an incredibly long game, but it's long enough that if I were playing it on a weekday where I only have an hour at most to spare for this little project, I would have had to stop before the final level, which would have been a shame because this game is impeccably paced and the last level is very satisfying.
The basics of this game are simple. Teleport your way around, using torches and gargoyles as your conduits, to take down guards with the power of darkness and progress from level to level. Killing enemies head-on reduces your health by almost half, so stealth is a necessity. This game is, to me, just the right mixture of thinking to execution
The aesthetic of this game is kind of similar to that of League of Legends, but with a lot more emphasis on darkness (just like in Corruption, you play as an ambassador of darkness). In fact, this game as a whole kind of reminds me of League, only this game is actually good (okay, settle down. League is good too, it's just not my cup of tea). Mouse movement, stylized characters, particle effects and stealth gameplay make the similarities easy to notice. The real difference between this and League is that this is a PvE, singleplayer game, whereas League is not. I find this kind of gameplay to be much better suited for a singleplayer game, because it allows you to play at your own pace. I'd elaborate, but this would soon turn into a review of League, so in the interest of staying on topic, let's move along.
This is the most fun I've had with a DigiPen game in a while. Pacing, aesthetic, control, narrative, game feel...all of this is nigh flawless. I would say that the real selling point with this game is the atmosphere. It's the only game so far on this list that gave me that jarring feeling when I stopped playing it and I realized reality is still a thing. That's something not even many mainstream games can do for me. The last game that was able to pull that off was Spec Ops: The Line. Even though I was alt+tabbing in and out to chat with my friends while I was playing, I was still fully immersed in the experience, and that is a feat worth congratulations.
Actually, on that note, that's another thing I liked about Deity. Alt+tabbing is no big deal. A lot of these games make chatting on Skype or Facebook a nightmare, but Deity respects your right to screw around with something else and return to the game without much annoyance.
Mind you, this game's not perfect. There are a few conveyance issues, like the firey walls that instakill you even though you've had no trouble phasing in and out of fire beforehand. Come to think, the conveyance as a whole is kind of ham-handed. The mechanics of the game are presented by little illustrations of the mouse buttons right over the place where you are to press them. It doesn't affect the atmosphere too much, but still, I'd expect better from students who were ostensibly shown this stuff in a "what not to do" lecture.
The teleport move doesn't take you quite as far as you'd expect, leading to a few mildly irritating moments where I wanted to teleport just outside a lighted area that would hurt me, only to be plunged directly into the light.
All-in-all, Deity doesn't give me the most raw sense of fun out of all these games (Attack of the 50ft Robot still takes that honor), but I would wager to say it's the best experience overall. I can't do it justice with digital ink. It's a game that you've got to experience for yourselves. Deity definitely gets my seal of approval. Good work, Double++. Keep on rockin.
That's all for now. Until next time, stay evil.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24653
Dawn of Empires
Again?! Seriously??!!!?!
okay, this is getting a little ridiculous. This is like the 5th broken game in a row. These games may be making my job a hell of a lot easier, but I'd wager to say that they're making the blog a bit more boring.
This time, it said OpenGL2.0 is not supported on my computer. I'm running OpenGL version 4.2.0, so I assume I might be able to get this game to work if I played around with drivers and stuff, but last time I tried messing with my video card, I ended up blowing out my entire motherboard.
I don't know. I may not be technologically illiterate, but I can't figure this one out. I would assume version 4.2.0 would be compatible with programs that require version 2.0, but whatever. I won't question it.
Until next time, stay patient...One of these games is bound to work...
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=8723
okay, this is getting a little ridiculous. This is like the 5th broken game in a row. These games may be making my job a hell of a lot easier, but I'd wager to say that they're making the blog a bit more boring.
This time, it said OpenGL2.0 is not supported on my computer. I'm running OpenGL version 4.2.0, so I assume I might be able to get this game to work if I played around with drivers and stuff, but last time I tried messing with my video card, I ended up blowing out my entire motherboard.
I don't know. I may not be technologically illiterate, but I can't figure this one out. I would assume version 4.2.0 would be compatible with programs that require version 2.0, but whatever. I won't question it.
Until next time, stay patient...One of these games is bound to work...
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=8723
Friday, March 1, 2013
David and Goliath
Another day, another broken game. Seriously, what is it with this section of the game gallery? I do find it amusing how every broken game has its own unique way of announcing that it doesn't work. This time, the download screen informed me that it "Could not find David."
This filled my head with amusing thoughts of Goliath running around freely with no protagonist to stop him. What a travesty.
I'll try and get a legitimate review up today but as usual I can't make any promises. Sorry if my blog hasn't been all that entertaining recently, but hey, at least I'm not falling too far behind schedule.
Actually, on that note, I did the math and, under the assumption that I'm going to be blogging like a madman over the summer, I'm actually ahead of schedule. Leave it to well-made video games to give a guy some motivation (psst, society, this stuff works. Learn from it!).
I'm out for now. Until next time.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26003
This filled my head with amusing thoughts of Goliath running around freely with no protagonist to stop him. What a travesty.
I'll try and get a legitimate review up today but as usual I can't make any promises. Sorry if my blog hasn't been all that entertaining recently, but hey, at least I'm not falling too far behind schedule.
Actually, on that note, I did the math and, under the assumption that I'm going to be blogging like a madman over the summer, I'm actually ahead of schedule. Leave it to well-made video games to give a guy some motivation (psst, society, this stuff works. Learn from it!).
I'm out for now. Until next time.
Links
https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26003
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