*disgruntled groan*
I'm running on empty here as it is, folks. The last thing I needed was something like this. There's literally nothing to say about it. I think all I can do is describe the mechanics because nothing about it is good and nothing about it is bad it's so painfully average.
I will say one thing, the game is awfully generous. After I spent 10 minutes plowing through it, it promptly informed me that I was in fact "the best player ever." Not that I disagree, but I don't think this game really had enough material to make such a judgement.
Anyway, all you do is go around picking up blocks and throwing them at other blocks. That's it. That's literally it. I have nothing else to say. The only thing that makes this experience palatable is that "another one bites the dust" and I'm one step closer to completing the catalog. That's not what a game should be about. A game should be about making me laugh and smile and forget about the miserable existence we all share (jk I totes love the world n stuff).
eh, that's all for now. Sorry this review wasn't very substantive...
Links
something: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26150
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Audyssey
Please...a moment of silence.
A moment of silence for all the potential that was lost with this game...oh, the humanity. Oh, what woeful whereabouts be the world we wander.
I'm going to describe this game to you all, and I absolutely guarantee that you are going to want to play it. Audyssey is a puzzle-platformer in which you must traverse the levels by using your power to control sound. That means you get to jump around, collect stuff, and interact with the environment. The kicker is that every time you do any of those things, a unique sound is played. That's right, we may have finally married the concepts of puzzle games, platformers and rhythm games in beautiful polygamist harmony. If only the game didn't commit the mortal sin of all games. It pains me to have to say this again, especially after I've already noted how old it was getting, but why in the name of all that is good would there be
NO
DAMN
SAVE
FEATURE!!??!!?!?!!?
The game pulls of narrative really well. It's water-color slideshow opening reminds me of Braid in a very good way. It moves you. It makes you feel for the characters...gives you a purpose...only to have all your progress wiped the second you X out or the game crashes (which happens way more often than I'd like.
In addition, the music thing doesn't even work too well. They tried to implement a concept similar to that of Bit.Trip Flux (which is a terrific game to any who haven't played), but the reason it worked in Bit.Trip Flux is because it could guarantee that an action you performed to initiate a sound effect would always happen at a specific time, thus forming one cohesive song. In this game, however, the nature of platforming means that you could very well pick up a collectable or jump at the slightly wrong time and the entire song crumbles like a Jenga tower on a railroad track.
This game just makes me so angry! The controls are floaty, so you're bound to slip off a platform to your death every now and again. Gameplay this frustrating would be totally excusable if I was allowed to ragequit and come back to it later, but as I said before, there's NO GODDAMN SAVE FEATURE!
It's really a shame because I want very badly to see the resolution of this game. Unfortunately, it's just not worth it. The amount of frustration I'd have to bear and the time I'd have to waste to beat this game all in one go is just unreasonable. This game had everything! The graphics are nice, sound direction competent, controls passable, concept flooring...all it needed was this one teeny tiny thing and it would have been a fantastic game. That's right, I said it. Fantastic! The gap between utter crap and fantastic is as simple as a save feature.
*sigh* I'm done. I can't deal with this game anymore. I'm gonna go play some Attack of the 50ft Robot to cool down. I like that game because the infinitely spawning enemies means infinitely spawning toys in my sandbox of horror, so take that, Luis!
Now that I've left you all wondering who this Luis character who may or may not be responsible for potentiallymeaningful.blogspot.com, I'll bid you adieu.
Links
a bigger disappointment than my physics grades: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24675
A moment of silence for all the potential that was lost with this game...oh, the humanity. Oh, what woeful whereabouts be the world we wander.
I'm going to describe this game to you all, and I absolutely guarantee that you are going to want to play it. Audyssey is a puzzle-platformer in which you must traverse the levels by using your power to control sound. That means you get to jump around, collect stuff, and interact with the environment. The kicker is that every time you do any of those things, a unique sound is played. That's right, we may have finally married the concepts of puzzle games, platformers and rhythm games in beautiful polygamist harmony. If only the game didn't commit the mortal sin of all games. It pains me to have to say this again, especially after I've already noted how old it was getting, but why in the name of all that is good would there be
NO
DAMN
SAVE
FEATURE!!??!!?!?!!?
The game pulls of narrative really well. It's water-color slideshow opening reminds me of Braid in a very good way. It moves you. It makes you feel for the characters...gives you a purpose...only to have all your progress wiped the second you X out or the game crashes (which happens way more often than I'd like.
In addition, the music thing doesn't even work too well. They tried to implement a concept similar to that of Bit.Trip Flux (which is a terrific game to any who haven't played), but the reason it worked in Bit.Trip Flux is because it could guarantee that an action you performed to initiate a sound effect would always happen at a specific time, thus forming one cohesive song. In this game, however, the nature of platforming means that you could very well pick up a collectable or jump at the slightly wrong time and the entire song crumbles like a Jenga tower on a railroad track.
This game just makes me so angry! The controls are floaty, so you're bound to slip off a platform to your death every now and again. Gameplay this frustrating would be totally excusable if I was allowed to ragequit and come back to it later, but as I said before, there's NO GODDAMN SAVE FEATURE!
It's really a shame because I want very badly to see the resolution of this game. Unfortunately, it's just not worth it. The amount of frustration I'd have to bear and the time I'd have to waste to beat this game all in one go is just unreasonable. This game had everything! The graphics are nice, sound direction competent, controls passable, concept flooring...all it needed was this one teeny tiny thing and it would have been a fantastic game. That's right, I said it. Fantastic! The gap between utter crap and fantastic is as simple as a save feature.
*sigh* I'm done. I can't deal with this game anymore. I'm gonna go play some Attack of the 50ft Robot to cool down. I like that game because the infinitely spawning enemies means infinitely spawning toys in my sandbox of horror, so take that, Luis!
Now that I've left you all wondering who this Luis character who may or may not be responsible for potentiallymeaningful.blogspot.com, I'll bid you adieu.
Links
a bigger disappointment than my physics grades: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24675
Monday, January 14, 2013
Attack of the 50ft Robot!
Holy Physics!
you know, sometimes after a long day of school, work, what have you, you just want to plop down on the couch and destroy things. That's exactly what Attack of the 50ft Robot lets you do.
The word of the day is catharsis, folks. Honestly, I could end the review right there. That's the one word to describe this game. It doesn't weigh you down with a plot or overly complicated hub world or anything. It knows that you just want to see buildings crumble at your feet; and with a wide variety of attacks that still maintains simplicity and ease of use, the gameplay is fresh and will certainly last you until you've calmed down and are ready to start studying for that Latin test tomorrow (gulp).
In terms of Graphics, there's nothing to complain about. Honestly, this is probably the prettiest game on the list so far in terms of 3D. I guess that if they had colored in all the textures this game might have run at the pace of Aporkalypse. Luckily (I guess), the whole game is presented in black and white (with the occasional red laser beam) with a mild film grain effect, which I assume was meant to pay homage to that movie from the 1950s with the remarkably similar name.
Sound is ok. The music just an orchestral loop of Toccata and Fugue that goes with the 1950s movie theme. Nothing to dance to but nothing too grating. SFX can get a bit annoying when repeated ad nauseam, but honestly it's nothing worth critiquing.
Control is solid. The robot does exactly what you want it to do pretty much all the time.
And that's really all I can say about this game. Honestly, if anyone out there is searching for the perfect game to ram through in 10 minutes after work or something to run in the background that you occasionally alt+tab into while your Youtube video is loading, look no further. This game is straight up fun and relaxing. I give it my seal of approval.
Links
catharsis: the game: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=8728
you know, sometimes after a long day of school, work, what have you, you just want to plop down on the couch and destroy things. That's exactly what Attack of the 50ft Robot lets you do.
The word of the day is catharsis, folks. Honestly, I could end the review right there. That's the one word to describe this game. It doesn't weigh you down with a plot or overly complicated hub world or anything. It knows that you just want to see buildings crumble at your feet; and with a wide variety of attacks that still maintains simplicity and ease of use, the gameplay is fresh and will certainly last you until you've calmed down and are ready to start studying for that Latin test tomorrow (gulp).
In terms of Graphics, there's nothing to complain about. Honestly, this is probably the prettiest game on the list so far in terms of 3D. I guess that if they had colored in all the textures this game might have run at the pace of Aporkalypse. Luckily (I guess), the whole game is presented in black and white (with the occasional red laser beam) with a mild film grain effect, which I assume was meant to pay homage to that movie from the 1950s with the remarkably similar name.
Sound is ok. The music just an orchestral loop of Toccata and Fugue that goes with the 1950s movie theme. Nothing to dance to but nothing too grating. SFX can get a bit annoying when repeated ad nauseam, but honestly it's nothing worth critiquing.
Control is solid. The robot does exactly what you want it to do pretty much all the time.
And that's really all I can say about this game. Honestly, if anyone out there is searching for the perfect game to ram through in 10 minutes after work or something to run in the background that you occasionally alt+tab into while your Youtube video is loading, look no further. This game is straight up fun and relaxing. I give it my seal of approval.
Links
catharsis: the game: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=8728
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Atmosphere
Back in my A Flipping Good Time review I noted that the game's title sounded a bit hubristic but this game took the liberty to name itself after one of the most important aspects of game design. With a name like that, this game better damn nigh drown me in its immersion. It's a good thing they didn't call this Conveyance: The Game because starting the game up was one of the most confusing experiences of my life.
For a game made in the 2004-2005 academic year, the graphics are quite pretty and stylized. The lack of shading does make the game as a whole look very loud, but oh well. That's just a nit-pick.
One thing that really kills me is the sound direction. As far as I can tell, there's only one track that plays throughout the whole game, which I wouldn't mind if it was actually pleasing to listen to. Unfortunately, it's just an obnoxious chord progression on an overly distorted electric guitar.
The main concept of this game is that you must blend three elements together to create an entirely new element (because that's how chemistry works) with attention to magnetism, weight and radioactivity, which all help you race the newly created element. The tracks themselves are lackluster except for the two main gimmicks that give the game its challenge.
The first of these gimmicks are branching paths, each to be handled by elements exhibiting certain properties. For example, one path may be a narrow metal bar that magnetic elements can cross with ease while another may be a dark area that radioactive elements can shine their way through. My gripe with this concept is that when creating your element, you are pretty much limited to emphasizing one property (maybe 2 if you only fill the bars midway), so this isn't really choice to freely explore the levels as much as a linear path and two dead zones. If that sounded a bit confusing, just play the game and see for yourself. It's tough to put it into words.
The levels are also littered with powerups, which are amplified by how many of each type you collect etc etc. It's a very simple powerup system that any gamer is very familiar with by now.
Overall, the game is fun if a bit frustrating. It definitely has replayability, at least until you figure out that magnetism is the only property worth investing in and are able to zoom into 1st place every time. However, it just doesn't bring anything new to the table. being able to customize your vehicle in order to adapt to the tracks is a very basic concept in racing games.
TL:DR- nothing special but nothing horrible. Just another racing game.
Links
it- https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=487
PS - no, the atmosphere is not done very well in this game but really who cares about a game's title? (I do).
For a game made in the 2004-2005 academic year, the graphics are quite pretty and stylized. The lack of shading does make the game as a whole look very loud, but oh well. That's just a nit-pick.
One thing that really kills me is the sound direction. As far as I can tell, there's only one track that plays throughout the whole game, which I wouldn't mind if it was actually pleasing to listen to. Unfortunately, it's just an obnoxious chord progression on an overly distorted electric guitar.
The main concept of this game is that you must blend three elements together to create an entirely new element (because that's how chemistry works) with attention to magnetism, weight and radioactivity, which all help you race the newly created element. The tracks themselves are lackluster except for the two main gimmicks that give the game its challenge.
The first of these gimmicks are branching paths, each to be handled by elements exhibiting certain properties. For example, one path may be a narrow metal bar that magnetic elements can cross with ease while another may be a dark area that radioactive elements can shine their way through. My gripe with this concept is that when creating your element, you are pretty much limited to emphasizing one property (maybe 2 if you only fill the bars midway), so this isn't really choice to freely explore the levels as much as a linear path and two dead zones. If that sounded a bit confusing, just play the game and see for yourself. It's tough to put it into words.
The levels are also littered with powerups, which are amplified by how many of each type you collect etc etc. It's a very simple powerup system that any gamer is very familiar with by now.
Overall, the game is fun if a bit frustrating. It definitely has replayability, at least until you figure out that magnetism is the only property worth investing in and are able to zoom into 1st place every time. However, it just doesn't bring anything new to the table. being able to customize your vehicle in order to adapt to the tracks is a very basic concept in racing games.
TL:DR- nothing special but nothing horrible. Just another racing game.
Links
it- https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=487
PS - no, the atmosphere is not done very well in this game but really who cares about a game's title? (I do).
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Astrobunny
Oh boy oh boy was it ever a hectic weekend for me. Sorry for the brief hiatus. I'll try to resume as close to a regular schedule as humanly possible.
So, today's game was called Astrobunny. I'll be honest, I didnt get a whole lot of time to play it, so I didn't experience all the levels, but I think I played enough of it to get the basic grasp of the levels.
This game is all about the principle of circular motion. You know, that thing that you thought you knew in physics class until you take the midterm and immediately feel the desire to abandon all hope? Or maybe that was just me...Anyway, you play as a wonderfully stylized space rabbit navigating your way around planets, using their gravitational fields to propel you from point A to point B. It's a quite fun arcadey title and the first one on this list that was actually able to bring a genuine smile to my face. I definitely recommend giving it a shot.
The gameplay is solid, the aesthetic is fluid and the controls are easy to understand. I have to say, what really sold me on this game was the music. The track that's played while storming through the main levels is really just a joy to listen to and certainly makes the experience that much better.
This game is great. I don't think anyone would deny that. However, as I mentioned in earlier reviews, the reason I wanted to play through the Digipen catalog is because I felt there would be no better way to really explore the use of games as an artistic medium. As much as I love Astrobunny as a fun time waster, I think I can actually say it's contributed something great to the value of games as a whole. Maybe just being a really fun game is all it needs. Maybe it doesn't need a narrative. Maybe I expect too much from a school project that was probably only made to get a good grade in some class.
The one thing this game did make me think of is the whole idea of gamifying education. Check out the Extra Credit on that if you haven't already. Really interesting stuff. I'll include the links below. Anyhow, it teaches a basic principle of circular motion (that of tangential movement in absence of a centripetal force) in a way that doesn't feel like school. It feels like playing a game. Personally, I think I'm going to show this game to my physics teacher and get his take on its use as a teaching tool. There could be a lot to learn from a game like Astrobunny. These kinds of things are what make me love games as a medium in the first place. If we can use this arcade-style school project to teach even a portion of physics at the 11th grade level in a way that is both fun and effective for students, the possibilities of contributions from games to society really do seem endless.
Wow, that rant was quite tangential, if you'll forgive the pun. I'm going to sign off now before I start talking about the place of philosophy in level design or something. I hope what I've said has made you curious enough to check out this game. I genuinely do think it provides something to think about. And if not, it's just a really fun time. This game gets my seal of approval.
Stay beautiful and tell your cousin I say hi.
Links
the game: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26066
Extra Credits on Gamifying Education.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuDLw1zIc94
So, today's game was called Astrobunny. I'll be honest, I didnt get a whole lot of time to play it, so I didn't experience all the levels, but I think I played enough of it to get the basic grasp of the levels.
This game is all about the principle of circular motion. You know, that thing that you thought you knew in physics class until you take the midterm and immediately feel the desire to abandon all hope? Or maybe that was just me...Anyway, you play as a wonderfully stylized space rabbit navigating your way around planets, using their gravitational fields to propel you from point A to point B. It's a quite fun arcadey title and the first one on this list that was actually able to bring a genuine smile to my face. I definitely recommend giving it a shot.
The gameplay is solid, the aesthetic is fluid and the controls are easy to understand. I have to say, what really sold me on this game was the music. The track that's played while storming through the main levels is really just a joy to listen to and certainly makes the experience that much better.
This game is great. I don't think anyone would deny that. However, as I mentioned in earlier reviews, the reason I wanted to play through the Digipen catalog is because I felt there would be no better way to really explore the use of games as an artistic medium. As much as I love Astrobunny as a fun time waster, I think I can actually say it's contributed something great to the value of games as a whole. Maybe just being a really fun game is all it needs. Maybe it doesn't need a narrative. Maybe I expect too much from a school project that was probably only made to get a good grade in some class.
The one thing this game did make me think of is the whole idea of gamifying education. Check out the Extra Credit on that if you haven't already. Really interesting stuff. I'll include the links below. Anyhow, it teaches a basic principle of circular motion (that of tangential movement in absence of a centripetal force) in a way that doesn't feel like school. It feels like playing a game. Personally, I think I'm going to show this game to my physics teacher and get his take on its use as a teaching tool. There could be a lot to learn from a game like Astrobunny. These kinds of things are what make me love games as a medium in the first place. If we can use this arcade-style school project to teach even a portion of physics at the 11th grade level in a way that is both fun and effective for students, the possibilities of contributions from games to society really do seem endless.
Wow, that rant was quite tangential, if you'll forgive the pun. I'm going to sign off now before I start talking about the place of philosophy in level design or something. I hope what I've said has made you curious enough to check out this game. I genuinely do think it provides something to think about. And if not, it's just a really fun time. This game gets my seal of approval.
Stay beautiful and tell your cousin I say hi.
Links
the game: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26066
Extra Credits on Gamifying Education.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuDLw1zIc94
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Ascension
Alright, alright. As busy as I've been lately, I wouldn't feel right leaving my nonexistent audience with only that last cop out review for the entire day. The next game on my list is self-advertised as a "battle platformer." This alone made me want to play it, as images of merilly bouncing off opponents' heads in one of those co-op Mario games immediately filled my mind. Combine that premise with the soulful originality stereotypically associated with indie games and I'm sold. Much to my delight, the game handles very similarly to Super Meat Boy. In fact, the characters look similar to Meatboy as well, so the best way to think of this game is "Super Meat Boy with no budget."
Really my only gripe with the game is that there's no singleplayer mode. Go multiplayer or go home, apparently. Problem is, once I go home, I'll need a game to keep me company; and this game could have made great fun all by my lonesome. Oh well, I won't fault the game for lost potential because it might also mean lost pretension. Maybe the game just wouldn't have worked as a singleplayer game or maybe the designers only wanted to deliver a fun friend v. friend experience. If that's the case, they succeeded. Give this game a go. I'm pretty sure you won't be disappoint. It's still nowhere near the Nitronic Rush level of game that made me want to do this list in the first place, but it's a fun time-waster.
Links
Ascension: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24637
Really my only gripe with the game is that there's no singleplayer mode. Go multiplayer or go home, apparently. Problem is, once I go home, I'll need a game to keep me company; and this game could have made great fun all by my lonesome. Oh well, I won't fault the game for lost potential because it might also mean lost pretension. Maybe the game just wouldn't have worked as a singleplayer game or maybe the designers only wanted to deliver a fun friend v. friend experience. If that's the case, they succeeded. Give this game a go. I'm pretty sure you won't be disappoint. It's still nowhere near the Nitronic Rush level of game that made me want to do this list in the first place, but it's a fun time-waster.
Links
Ascension: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24637
Army of TD
well this will be the easiest review I've ever written because I don't even have to say anything. This game's download page brought be to a 404 page, so as far as I'm concerned, this game just doesn't exist, which is a shame because the title got me kind of curious. What the hell is TD and why does it need an army? Oh well, I'm still considering this a totally legitimate review. Why? Because screw you, that's why.
Have a nice day :)
Links:
maybe it'll work for you: https://download0.digipen.edu/GameGallery/gamedownloads/8170001477/Army%20of%20TD_Setup.exe
Have a nice day :)
Links:
maybe it'll work for you: https://download0.digipen.edu/GameGallery/gamedownloads/8170001477/Army%20of%20TD_Setup.exe
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