TerryTori K9 is an exclusively 2-player game, so I wasn't able to play it to its fullest extent. The only thing I can really comment on is the concept. Two dogs move around a map in real time to control territories. Those territories earn points per second for their owner, and the first to reach a certain number of points wins.
It seems like it could make for a really fun game. You can choose a certain special move before the match starts, each with effects like "prevent your opponent from taking your territory" or "stun your opponent," etc. They seem balanced enough to make the game enjoyable and tense. Of course, you'll have to play it with a friend to find out.
Tetragrams, on the other hand, is a one-player game, and a damn fine one at that. As its name sort of alludes to, the game is based heavily off Tetris, but is original enough for me to call it an homage rather than a rip-off. The idea is that there are certain polygonal shapes outlined on the board. Other shapes come in through a conveyor belt, and you have to place them so that the outlined shapes get filled in.
The big seller here is that the game is absolutely frantic. I, of course, forewent the tutorial, and was thoroughly confused by the time the "game over" screen reared its ugly head. There are so many different things going on at once...so much for the player to consider; yet somehow, it never gets so overwhelming that it becomes frustrating. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes (by the way, if anyone can guess what I was just foreshadowing, I will personal mail you a cookie of your choosing), I kept coming back stronger than before every time I lost. The difficulty curve is perfect and each loss only motivated me to keep trying to master the controls.
This is my favorite kind of game: simple, yet perfectly designed. I didn't come across a single flaw in its design (though, in fairness, that might just be because I wasn't able to play far enough to find one). For that, this game gets my seal of approval. That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay strategic.
Links
Woof Woof Piddle Piddle: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24635
Even More Shape-Related Death than Super Hexagon: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=25000
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Temporal Power Racing and Terra
Alright, so maybe I overreacted earlier. Yeah, the addition of 14 new games so close to the end of the year kinda screwed me up, but not THAT much. My schedule is relatively unchanged, though I'm going to have to do these "double the games, half the quality" type reviews more often.
Anyways, let's talk about these games quickly, because I'm tired and really looking forward to hitting the hay.
Temporal Power Racing is your standard F-Zero clone, so if you're into that kind of game, then yay for you. I found something you should totally try out. For the rest of us, though...eh. The game isn't poorly designed, but it seems a lot more frustrating than it has to be.
The basic setup is decent enough. The levels are littered with red and blue patches. You swap between red and blue by hitting the "z" button, and depending on what color you are when you go over a patch, you will either get a speed boost or be slowed to a near stop. It's one of those ideas that sounds pretty bad on paper, after all, it's just adding an unnecessary step to the racing, but it actually works out to be pretty fun, though it does nothing to alleviate the stereotype that DigiPen students approach gamemaking as "How can we remake Ikaruga today?"
The real problem with the game is the car design. Usually, in a racing game like F-Zero, where the different cars are afforded ranks for how well they turn, their max speed, acceleration, etc, the player can look at those ranks and interpret their car choice as "how do I want to win this race? Do I want to blaze past the rest carelessly or do I want to carefully maneuver around my opponents, etc, etc, etc." In this game, the question is "in which way would it be least frustrating to get absolutely piledriven into last place?" I'm not saying the game is too hard, it's just that the fast carts all have terrible turning and the carts that allow you to stay on the track are too slow to be competitive. This doesn't make for a challenge, it makes for frustration.
Still, though, the graphical style is interesting and the gameplay isn't terrible, so I'll still give it a reluctant recommendation. Now, then, let's talk Terra.
Terra confused me quite a bit at first. Firstly, there's no academic year listed next to it in the game gallery, leading me to believe that this game was conjured from some intemporal void that transcends time and space, like it's our gift from God or something. Actually, the game displays the Valve logo upon startup, oddly enough, so I guess it is a gift from God...Well, if so, it's a shame God didn't keep the receipt.
Okay, that was too harsh. Terra is actually not bad. Some might find it pretty damn good. The concept is original and creative: tilt the world using RMB to manipulate your surroundings in order to get from point A to point B. When it works, it's actually very fun. I ragequit after the second level, however, because of how easy it is to kill yourself in this game. One errant nudge could mean the difference between completing a puzzle and being squished against a wall, losing all your life in a matter of nanoseconds.
So yeah, the word of the day is "frustration," kiddies. Try to avoid it at all costs. These games didn't, and they suffered because of it. I can recommend Terra for its polished and professional look and TPR for its interesting "Mortal Combat meets F-Zero 64" graphical style, but otherwise, I am largely unimpressed.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay rewarding
Links
Big Words, Little Cars: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=434
Overused Latin Word: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=23877
Anyways, let's talk about these games quickly, because I'm tired and really looking forward to hitting the hay.
Temporal Power Racing is your standard F-Zero clone, so if you're into that kind of game, then yay for you. I found something you should totally try out. For the rest of us, though...eh. The game isn't poorly designed, but it seems a lot more frustrating than it has to be.
The basic setup is decent enough. The levels are littered with red and blue patches. You swap between red and blue by hitting the "z" button, and depending on what color you are when you go over a patch, you will either get a speed boost or be slowed to a near stop. It's one of those ideas that sounds pretty bad on paper, after all, it's just adding an unnecessary step to the racing, but it actually works out to be pretty fun, though it does nothing to alleviate the stereotype that DigiPen students approach gamemaking as "How can we remake Ikaruga today?"
The real problem with the game is the car design. Usually, in a racing game like F-Zero, where the different cars are afforded ranks for how well they turn, their max speed, acceleration, etc, the player can look at those ranks and interpret their car choice as "how do I want to win this race? Do I want to blaze past the rest carelessly or do I want to carefully maneuver around my opponents, etc, etc, etc." In this game, the question is "in which way would it be least frustrating to get absolutely piledriven into last place?" I'm not saying the game is too hard, it's just that the fast carts all have terrible turning and the carts that allow you to stay on the track are too slow to be competitive. This doesn't make for a challenge, it makes for frustration.
Still, though, the graphical style is interesting and the gameplay isn't terrible, so I'll still give it a reluctant recommendation. Now, then, let's talk Terra.
Terra confused me quite a bit at first. Firstly, there's no academic year listed next to it in the game gallery, leading me to believe that this game was conjured from some intemporal void that transcends time and space, like it's our gift from God or something. Actually, the game displays the Valve logo upon startup, oddly enough, so I guess it is a gift from God...Well, if so, it's a shame God didn't keep the receipt.
Okay, that was too harsh. Terra is actually not bad. Some might find it pretty damn good. The concept is original and creative: tilt the world using RMB to manipulate your surroundings in order to get from point A to point B. When it works, it's actually very fun. I ragequit after the second level, however, because of how easy it is to kill yourself in this game. One errant nudge could mean the difference between completing a puzzle and being squished against a wall, losing all your life in a matter of nanoseconds.
So yeah, the word of the day is "frustration," kiddies. Try to avoid it at all costs. These games didn't, and they suffered because of it. I can recommend Terra for its polished and professional look and TPR for its interesting "Mortal Combat meets F-Zero 64" graphical style, but otherwise, I am largely unimpressed.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay rewarding
Links
Big Words, Little Cars: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=434
Overused Latin Word: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=23877
OH GOD NO HELP ME PLEASE GOD WHY
So I got home today from a particularly abysmal day of school, checked the DigiPen Game Gallery and....huh...something's not right...
...wait a minute...
...oh God...
...did they?...yes....yes they did....
They added 14 more games...
.............................please help me...
So yeah, in a tragically ironic twist of fate, my seeing that left me with infinitely less motivation than I had when I typed that ever fateful "Dig" into my address bar. I'll try and get a review out tonight, but....damn. I was already running way behind schedule. I don't know how I'm going to deal with this...
Well...I've still got a month and a half. Maybe a kindly old demon will appear to me and offer me some more motivation in exchange for the other half of my soul. One can only hope...
Peace
...wait a minute...
...oh God...
...did they?...yes....yes they did....
They added 14 more games...
.............................please help me...
So yeah, in a tragically ironic twist of fate, my seeing that left me with infinitely less motivation than I had when I typed that ever fateful "Dig" into my address bar. I'll try and get a review out tonight, but....damn. I was already running way behind schedule. I don't know how I'm going to deal with this...
Well...I've still got a month and a half. Maybe a kindly old demon will appear to me and offer me some more motivation in exchange for the other half of my soul. One can only hope...
Peace
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Temple of the Water God
Presentation really goes a long way, doesn't it? I'm playing a very obscure game on my phone (more on that later...dun dun dunnnnnn), and I swear it has the potential to be big... like, Temple Run big... if only it were presented a bit more cleanly. Temple of the Water God understands this. It went with a very simple mechanic and very simple level design, but presented that simple game as best as it possibly could.
My first and greatest "wow" moment when playing this game came to me close to the beginning, when the sun in the background gleamed gloriously at my character and its surroundings, illuminating them with an almost supra-professional polish.
And speaking of supra-professoinal, props to the guys who worked on the music and sound editing for this game. It's nice to see that there are still people who take such seemingly insignificant parts of the game so seriously, and the effect is great in every sense of the word.
Now, let's talk gameplay. The mechanics are sort of similar to Snowfall's, except not designed to piss you off. You use one button to suck and another button to push...water, that is. You use this water to transport yourself from one area to the next, with the help of sea turles, jellyfish, and sharks, all of whom must be manipulated in slightly different ways.
The mechanics bring their share of frustrations and triumphs, but honestly that's not the most interesting part. Where the game really excels (other than the polish, of course), is in structure. The game is the perfect length for a relaxed yet dedicated play session and features a fair difficulty curve. In the game's climax, you're super powerful and you feel it. Yet, the game doesn't get easier as a result. The game was simply designed around your newfound superpowers, allowing you to reap the rewards of your labor while remaining challenged.
Temple of the Water God is a game that you can learn from, which makes it worth a play in my book. If you're starting out in game design and already have your mechanics and narrative planned out, but just need to know how to translate them into a well-rounded and well-polished experience, then this game has the answers for you. That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay wet.
Links
In the Name of the Water: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26713
My first and greatest "wow" moment when playing this game came to me close to the beginning, when the sun in the background gleamed gloriously at my character and its surroundings, illuminating them with an almost supra-professional polish.
And speaking of supra-professoinal, props to the guys who worked on the music and sound editing for this game. It's nice to see that there are still people who take such seemingly insignificant parts of the game so seriously, and the effect is great in every sense of the word.
Now, let's talk gameplay. The mechanics are sort of similar to Snowfall's, except not designed to piss you off. You use one button to suck and another button to push...water, that is. You use this water to transport yourself from one area to the next, with the help of sea turles, jellyfish, and sharks, all of whom must be manipulated in slightly different ways.
The mechanics bring their share of frustrations and triumphs, but honestly that's not the most interesting part. Where the game really excels (other than the polish, of course), is in structure. The game is the perfect length for a relaxed yet dedicated play session and features a fair difficulty curve. In the game's climax, you're super powerful and you feel it. Yet, the game doesn't get easier as a result. The game was simply designed around your newfound superpowers, allowing you to reap the rewards of your labor while remaining challenged.
Temple of the Water God is a game that you can learn from, which makes it worth a play in my book. If you're starting out in game design and already have your mechanics and narrative planned out, but just need to know how to translate them into a well-rounded and well-polished experience, then this game has the answers for you. That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay wet.
Links
In the Name of the Water: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26713
Telurica
Boy oh boy...I can't tell if I'm just in a rut lately or if this particular section of the game gallery is just completely insubstantial, but I am really running out of things to say. One of the easiest ways to get me to clam up and say nothing is to have me talk about something very simplistic. That's not to say simplicity is a bad thing. TEK was very simple in its design, but it still left a bigger impression on me than most of the games on the list. Telurica, however, is the most simple game I've ever played in every sense of the word. And yes, that includes non-DigiPen games, so yes, that includes Sumotori...
There are only 2 things you can do in Telurica, both of which are displayed for you at the beginning of each game: "Absorb! Destroy!" The game says, without cluing you in as to what exactly it means. Granted, I appreciate how the game used text to convey its mechanics, yet still let you figure them out for your own. The menu screen says "click to play," so you've already associated clicking with the action that makes things happen, so your first instinct is to click in order to absorb and destroy. Lo and behold, that's how you do it.
I'm tempted to say that there's no strategy with Telurica, but since I've come in dead last for every round I've played, it's probably more likely that I just haven't figured out the strategy yet. I'm not sure what else I can try, though. I know the principle mechanics, you bulldoze trees to increase your score multiplier and you vacuum their leaves to get points. Easy. The problem is that you can only see half of the map at any given time, and your character moves so slow that by the time you've cleared out one hemisphere, your opponents have already gotten busy racking up points in the next.
The most notable thing about Telurica really is its simplicity. Again, that's not a bad thing. It'll certainly keep you entertained for 5 minutes or so, so download it if you're bored. It's only 7MB, after all...That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay simple.
Links
Do the Thing: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=423
PS- I could've sworn I posted this yesterday...
There are only 2 things you can do in Telurica, both of which are displayed for you at the beginning of each game: "Absorb! Destroy!" The game says, without cluing you in as to what exactly it means. Granted, I appreciate how the game used text to convey its mechanics, yet still let you figure them out for your own. The menu screen says "click to play," so you've already associated clicking with the action that makes things happen, so your first instinct is to click in order to absorb and destroy. Lo and behold, that's how you do it.
I'm tempted to say that there's no strategy with Telurica, but since I've come in dead last for every round I've played, it's probably more likely that I just haven't figured out the strategy yet. I'm not sure what else I can try, though. I know the principle mechanics, you bulldoze trees to increase your score multiplier and you vacuum their leaves to get points. Easy. The problem is that you can only see half of the map at any given time, and your character moves so slow that by the time you've cleared out one hemisphere, your opponents have already gotten busy racking up points in the next.
The most notable thing about Telurica really is its simplicity. Again, that's not a bad thing. It'll certainly keep you entertained for 5 minutes or so, so download it if you're bored. It's only 7MB, after all...That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay simple.
Links
Do the Thing: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=423
PS- I could've sworn I posted this yesterday...
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
TEK
Video Games are often grouped with films and books in the category of "narrative media," which is fitting for the most part, but one of the things that makes video games so unique is that you don't need a narrative to have a good video game. Even in movies like The Expendables, where the story takes a backseat to the 'splosions and the fight choreography, there is still a reason why Terry Crews is blowing people to hell with an automatic shotgun. There is still a story. Sometimes, you don't want a story. Sometimes, you just want to be a robot killing other robots. No, I'm not talking about Transformers, because even that had a story, believe it or not. I'm talking about games like TEK
There are 2 game modes in TEK, "Gladiator" and "King of the Hill," the latter being far from aptly named because it plays more like a halfassed game of domination in [insert any FPS ever here]. Both modes had their ups and downs, but I found Gladiator mode to be more worth my time because there was an actual difficulty curve and it felt like I was getting closer to achieving my objective. Sure, in KOTH, there's a progress bar, but you're just fighting the same two enemies with the same weapon (because you were smart and picked up the insta-kill fire sword as soon as you saw it).
Anyways, what I really want to talk about is the mechanics. Literally the first thing I thought when I played The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (which I will defend to the bitter end as one of the top 3 best Zelda games of all time) was "boy, these mechanics would work great with a keyboard and mouse." If only I had known that somewhere between the years 2008 and 2009, that vision had already become a reality. TEK allows you to swipe your mouse across the screen to determine what angle you want to slice your opponents at...in theory.
Props for being innovative, but the mechanic just doesn't feel right. You'll have to fiddle around with the mouse for a full second before you get anywhere close to the angle you were after at first, which is a real bummer in the heat of battle. The slashing is so delayed, in fact, that the other mechanics being seamless is actually a bad thing. I know that sounds crazy, but hear me out: if the stabbing and blocking mechanics were as difficult to work with as the slashing mechanic, the gameplay would have at least been consistent and balanced. As it stands, though, not only is stabbing just as effective as slashing (or more so, depending on which sword you're using), there's literally no strategic reason for you to ever slash. Instead of manipulating the game mechanics to achieve a goal in the game, you're manipulating them to provide yourself a false sense of fun...which is never fun.
It might not seem like it, but I actually love TEK. It has its flaws, believe me it has its flaws, but it's still a solid game with an innovative mechanic with a lot of potential. This is definitely one of those games I would love to see updated. If it were, I might even pay to play it. That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay bloodthirsty
Links
Bloodbath...er...Oilbath: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=16268
There are 2 game modes in TEK, "Gladiator" and "King of the Hill," the latter being far from aptly named because it plays more like a halfassed game of domination in [insert any FPS ever here]. Both modes had their ups and downs, but I found Gladiator mode to be more worth my time because there was an actual difficulty curve and it felt like I was getting closer to achieving my objective. Sure, in KOTH, there's a progress bar, but you're just fighting the same two enemies with the same weapon (because you were smart and picked up the insta-kill fire sword as soon as you saw it).
Anyways, what I really want to talk about is the mechanics. Literally the first thing I thought when I played The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (which I will defend to the bitter end as one of the top 3 best Zelda games of all time) was "boy, these mechanics would work great with a keyboard and mouse." If only I had known that somewhere between the years 2008 and 2009, that vision had already become a reality. TEK allows you to swipe your mouse across the screen to determine what angle you want to slice your opponents at...in theory.
Props for being innovative, but the mechanic just doesn't feel right. You'll have to fiddle around with the mouse for a full second before you get anywhere close to the angle you were after at first, which is a real bummer in the heat of battle. The slashing is so delayed, in fact, that the other mechanics being seamless is actually a bad thing. I know that sounds crazy, but hear me out: if the stabbing and blocking mechanics were as difficult to work with as the slashing mechanic, the gameplay would have at least been consistent and balanced. As it stands, though, not only is stabbing just as effective as slashing (or more so, depending on which sword you're using), there's literally no strategic reason for you to ever slash. Instead of manipulating the game mechanics to achieve a goal in the game, you're manipulating them to provide yourself a false sense of fun...which is never fun.
It might not seem like it, but I actually love TEK. It has its flaws, believe me it has its flaws, but it's still a solid game with an innovative mechanic with a lot of potential. This is definitely one of those games I would love to see updated. If it were, I might even pay to play it. That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay bloodthirsty
Links
Bloodbath...er...Oilbath: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=16268
Monday, October 14, 2013
Ta-Ta Mahatta and TCubed
This is one of the most difficult reviews I've had to write. As I said yesterday, these things have to be treated more as first impressions than actual reviews. I wanted to play more of both of these games, but I just didn't have the time to play far enough to have anything meaningful to say. Regardless, I'll try.
Starting out with Ta-Ta Mahatta, this game has that "early n64" look to it. That sort of "we know how to make 3D textures but don't quite know how to make them appealing" aesthetic. I can't really explain it, but think of a game like Castlevania 64 or Bubsy 3D and then think of a game like Super Mario 64. See the difference? Yeah, Ta-Ta is in the former camp.
The game starts out slow but manageable with a few levels introducing you to the basic powers of each controllable TaTa. It's not a terrible tutorial, but it did get a bit laughable at times, like when the game made me push two blocks into two holes right in front of them and saying "no, seriously, you just solved a puzzle. Good job."
The real fun begins when you control more than one TaTa. You switch between them using "S" and use their unique abilities to traverse levels. The game's forte is definitely the level design. While linear and relatively straightforward, the levels facilitate a sense of accomplishment and they do make you think for a second or two.
The biggest flaw is that the game feels very unrefined, to put it nicely, and unfinished, to put it cruelly. This is most evident when one of your TaTas, whom you need in order to complete the level, dies. At this point, you would expect the game over screen to pop up, since you've effectively already lost, but it doesn't. You're just stuck in limbo until you find a cliff or an enemy to assist in your suicide. All-in-all, this game's not bad.
TCubed is much more difficult to review, mostly because I never make any progress because the game crashes every time you alt+tab out of it, which is something I'm conditioned to do every time I hear the Skype notification sound.
To me, the most notable feature this game has is a working save feature, which already puts it leagues above most of the games on this list in my book. The game does lose some points, however, for not allowing you to save at any time. Being able to save only at certain save points is a gameplay mechanic rarely pulled off well. The only game I can think of that uses it effectively is Dark Souls. In that game, it adds another layer of delicious tension onto every fight. In TCubed, it's just annoying.
There are a few things that I quite like about the game, such as the "waypoint" aiming system, which is a fantastic method of aiming your boomerang-like projectile once you learn how to use it. I'm also a fan of the "faulty memory" aesthetic, although it does have a tendency to interfere with gameplay and give the game a bit of an I Want to Be the Guy feel (that's not a good thing).
my verdict on this one is...well, I just don't have one. I have to play it more. Sorry to leave it like that, but I feel like I've only scratched the surface. For now, though, know that it was interesting enough to inspire me to play with it in my spare time.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay efficient.
Links
Breast Pun: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=537
Letter Numbered: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=484
Starting out with Ta-Ta Mahatta, this game has that "early n64" look to it. That sort of "we know how to make 3D textures but don't quite know how to make them appealing" aesthetic. I can't really explain it, but think of a game like Castlevania 64 or Bubsy 3D and then think of a game like Super Mario 64. See the difference? Yeah, Ta-Ta is in the former camp.
The game starts out slow but manageable with a few levels introducing you to the basic powers of each controllable TaTa. It's not a terrible tutorial, but it did get a bit laughable at times, like when the game made me push two blocks into two holes right in front of them and saying "no, seriously, you just solved a puzzle. Good job."
The real fun begins when you control more than one TaTa. You switch between them using "S" and use their unique abilities to traverse levels. The game's forte is definitely the level design. While linear and relatively straightforward, the levels facilitate a sense of accomplishment and they do make you think for a second or two.
The biggest flaw is that the game feels very unrefined, to put it nicely, and unfinished, to put it cruelly. This is most evident when one of your TaTas, whom you need in order to complete the level, dies. At this point, you would expect the game over screen to pop up, since you've effectively already lost, but it doesn't. You're just stuck in limbo until you find a cliff or an enemy to assist in your suicide. All-in-all, this game's not bad.
TCubed is much more difficult to review, mostly because I never make any progress because the game crashes every time you alt+tab out of it, which is something I'm conditioned to do every time I hear the Skype notification sound.
To me, the most notable feature this game has is a working save feature, which already puts it leagues above most of the games on this list in my book. The game does lose some points, however, for not allowing you to save at any time. Being able to save only at certain save points is a gameplay mechanic rarely pulled off well. The only game I can think of that uses it effectively is Dark Souls. In that game, it adds another layer of delicious tension onto every fight. In TCubed, it's just annoying.
There are a few things that I quite like about the game, such as the "waypoint" aiming system, which is a fantastic method of aiming your boomerang-like projectile once you learn how to use it. I'm also a fan of the "faulty memory" aesthetic, although it does have a tendency to interfere with gameplay and give the game a bit of an I Want to Be the Guy feel (that's not a good thing).
my verdict on this one is...well, I just don't have one. I have to play it more. Sorry to leave it like that, but I feel like I've only scratched the surface. For now, though, know that it was interesting enough to inspire me to play with it in my spare time.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay efficient.
Links
Breast Pun: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=537
Letter Numbered: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=484
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