Much like me without coffee on any given weekday, this game crashes on startup.
Links
meh: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=470
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Last Stand
Last Stand attempts to marry my favorite and least favorite genres, FPS and RTS respectively. Similarly to Base Invaders, it realizes that placing walls and waiting for your money to increase so you can plant towers to inefficiently deal with the problem at hand makes for a frustrating and boring experience, so it lets you jump right into the action.
Last Stand is a game of ideas, not of execution. That's not to say the game is broken or anything, but it's not as polished as it could have been if the development process were not ostensibly so enmeshed with experimentation and brainstorming. To me, that's a good thing. Innovation is the name of the game, if you'll forgive the pun.
There were a few design choices that made getting right into the action and plowing through enemies fun. First off, when dealing with a swarm of little enemies like the ones in this game, getting close to them is often excruciatingly frustrating. This game fixes that by making the enemies unable to attack you. It makes you feel a lot better about going in guns a'blazing, but doesn't remove the sense of threat, as you still have a base to defend. Also, you get more money from enemies killed by hand than by turret, so there is ample incentive to get in there and start shooting.
The RTS aspect is also done well. The tutorials pretty much tell you straightaway which turrets are the OP ones, so pouring all your money into laser turrets only to realize that they're about as effective as a barricade of schoolchildren with spitball launchers is a mistake for which you have only yourself to blame.
This game requires you to make quick decisions...and I mean QUICK decisions. Once you get into it, the game truly pulls no punches. In fact, the difficulty curve is the thing that made me stop playing. It's simply too steep.
My only other gripe with the game is that in trying to create both an RTS and a FPS, it loses what makes each genre great. Shooting enemies is unsatisfying because you'll never be able to take out a sizeable amount of them without relying on your RTS skills; and the RTS element is unsatisfying because you'll never have enough money to do anything without relying on your FPS skills. This kind of conflict is what demolishes any sense of flow.
All in all, it's a fun, unique concept matched with somewhat clumsy execution. Not unworthy of your time, but nothing to take your breath away. That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay schizophrenic
Links
Dual Personality, the Game: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=445
Last Stand is a game of ideas, not of execution. That's not to say the game is broken or anything, but it's not as polished as it could have been if the development process were not ostensibly so enmeshed with experimentation and brainstorming. To me, that's a good thing. Innovation is the name of the game, if you'll forgive the pun.
There were a few design choices that made getting right into the action and plowing through enemies fun. First off, when dealing with a swarm of little enemies like the ones in this game, getting close to them is often excruciatingly frustrating. This game fixes that by making the enemies unable to attack you. It makes you feel a lot better about going in guns a'blazing, but doesn't remove the sense of threat, as you still have a base to defend. Also, you get more money from enemies killed by hand than by turret, so there is ample incentive to get in there and start shooting.
The RTS aspect is also done well. The tutorials pretty much tell you straightaway which turrets are the OP ones, so pouring all your money into laser turrets only to realize that they're about as effective as a barricade of schoolchildren with spitball launchers is a mistake for which you have only yourself to blame.
This game requires you to make quick decisions...and I mean QUICK decisions. Once you get into it, the game truly pulls no punches. In fact, the difficulty curve is the thing that made me stop playing. It's simply too steep.
My only other gripe with the game is that in trying to create both an RTS and a FPS, it loses what makes each genre great. Shooting enemies is unsatisfying because you'll never be able to take out a sizeable amount of them without relying on your RTS skills; and the RTS element is unsatisfying because you'll never have enough money to do anything without relying on your FPS skills. This kind of conflict is what demolishes any sense of flow.
All in all, it's a fun, unique concept matched with somewhat clumsy execution. Not unworthy of your time, but nothing to take your breath away. That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay schizophrenic
Links
Dual Personality, the Game: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=445
Monday, May 27, 2013
Last Dessert
Sorry to disappoint, but I don't have much to say about this one. Here's the thing: I like it...I like it a lot, but I know I probably shouldn't.
I'm an RPG fan, that's no secret. Maybe that's why I don't really care that literally every single fight in the game (including the final boss) can be beaten by mashing the attack command. Granted, I played on medium difficulty, so maybe things would be different on the hard setting.
I don't know, something about this game just oozes charm. One of the overworlds is shaped like a sunny-side-up egg, the characters are all cute and lovable, and the whole thing is just a joy to play. Hell, I even like the fact that the fights come and go super quickly. It makes grinding bearable.
Yes, this game is flawed, so I can't give it my seal of approval, but just know that I had a blast playing it. It's a very short RPG, so if you have half an hour to spare and like RPGs, I'd suggest plowing through it.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay scrumptious.
Links
Great, now I'm hungry: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26143
I'm an RPG fan, that's no secret. Maybe that's why I don't really care that literally every single fight in the game (including the final boss) can be beaten by mashing the attack command. Granted, I played on medium difficulty, so maybe things would be different on the hard setting.
I don't know, something about this game just oozes charm. One of the overworlds is shaped like a sunny-side-up egg, the characters are all cute and lovable, and the whole thing is just a joy to play. Hell, I even like the fact that the fights come and go super quickly. It makes grinding bearable.
Yes, this game is flawed, so I can't give it my seal of approval, but just know that I had a blast playing it. It's a very short RPG, so if you have half an hour to spare and like RPGs, I'd suggest plowing through it.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay scrumptious.
Links
Great, now I'm hungry: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=26143
La Tortuga Rapida
This is another one of those online multiplayer-type games, so I can't really review it. From what I can tell, it's just Capture the Flag, so it probably wouldn't have won an points with me anyways. Oh well
Links
this: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=8725
Links
this: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=8725
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Knick-Knack-Knock
this gaem are hurt mai brain
*ahem*
Knick-Knack-Knock is a game in which you manipulate the environment in order to crush your enemies with blocks. It's a neat concept, so consider the first test passed. However, if there's one thing life in high school has taught me, it's that passing one test does not shield you from bitter failure in the long run.
I played this game twice. The first time, I ragequit on an early level because I couldn't figure out the controls. Then I started blogging angrily. I wanted to quote the game's instructions directly, so I fired it up again and was able to figure out the controls. Once I got that down, the game went from "saddening disappointment" to "inventive puzzle game" real quick.
Alright, let's do a good ol' analysis, shall we?
In terms of aesthetic, the game goes for a kind of pixel art-ASCII hybrid. I guess it's cute in its own right, but it kind of demands other design choices that infuriate me. For example, the music is just a 3-second loop that repeats over and over. If it were anything complex, the game wouldn't feel like something you could play in the 70s.
The gameplay is really where it's at. The controls are simple and intuitive with one really unique feature. The window that the game plays in actually behaves like it's a box that you can move around. By dragging the window around, you can manipulate the objects in the game. It's a neat way to break the fourth wall whilst enhancing the gameplay. This feature is the kind of thing that made me want to embark upon this blogging journey in the first place. Way too many of these games play it safe. I understand that these projects are a way of teaching students how to create games and therefore can't deviate too far from the standard formulae, but still.
For its smart level design and unique mechanics that genuinely caught me by surprise, this game gets my seal of approval (though I think it could've done without the pretentious visual style, but that's just me). Until next time, stay inventive.
Links
Name most likely inspired by a Banjo Kazooie level: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=18869
*ahem*
Knick-Knack-Knock is a game in which you manipulate the environment in order to crush your enemies with blocks. It's a neat concept, so consider the first test passed. However, if there's one thing life in high school has taught me, it's that passing one test does not shield you from bitter failure in the long run.
I played this game twice. The first time, I ragequit on an early level because I couldn't figure out the controls. Then I started blogging angrily. I wanted to quote the game's instructions directly, so I fired it up again and was able to figure out the controls. Once I got that down, the game went from "saddening disappointment" to "inventive puzzle game" real quick.
Alright, let's do a good ol' analysis, shall we?
In terms of aesthetic, the game goes for a kind of pixel art-ASCII hybrid. I guess it's cute in its own right, but it kind of demands other design choices that infuriate me. For example, the music is just a 3-second loop that repeats over and over. If it were anything complex, the game wouldn't feel like something you could play in the 70s.
The gameplay is really where it's at. The controls are simple and intuitive with one really unique feature. The window that the game plays in actually behaves like it's a box that you can move around. By dragging the window around, you can manipulate the objects in the game. It's a neat way to break the fourth wall whilst enhancing the gameplay. This feature is the kind of thing that made me want to embark upon this blogging journey in the first place. Way too many of these games play it safe. I understand that these projects are a way of teaching students how to create games and therefore can't deviate too far from the standard formulae, but still.
For its smart level design and unique mechanics that genuinely caught me by surprise, this game gets my seal of approval (though I think it could've done without the pretentious visual style, but that's just me). Until next time, stay inventive.
Links
Name most likely inspired by a Banjo Kazooie level: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=18869
Friday, May 24, 2013
Kitchen Khaos
Aside from this game's title's butchering of basic spelling, there is really only one egregious fault with it. It's multiplayer-exclusive. If you've read my other posts, you know that I'm an antisocial bum who doesn't have anyone but his technologically illiterate mother to play with. Actually, that's not entirely true. This time, I got my lovely girlfriend to try and play with me, but there was another problem. At the beginning of the game, it says "Xbox 360 controller preferred," but what it should say is "Xbox 360 controller required" because I couldn't get it to register my Logitech Dual Action.™ My girlfriend has some of those fancy shmancy Xbox controllers at her house, so maybe we'll go back and edit this review some other time.
oh well...until then, I guess.
Links
Kitchen Khaos: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24643
My girlfriend blogs too: http://vivalavidaconamor.blogspot.com/
oh well...until then, I guess.
Links
Kitchen Khaos: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=24643
My girlfriend blogs too: http://vivalavidaconamor.blogspot.com/
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Kisses
Before I begin, let me address two things. First, I at some point in the next week or two, I'm going to need to send my laptop to the repair shop. I might be able to use my old machine (if it still works) to update the blog, but there's still a chance that I'll be going dark for a couple days.
Second, some of you out there may be thinking, "What's he going to do now that games from the 2012-2013 academic year are pouring in and disrupting the alphabetical system?" Well, my plan is to first ignore the games from this year and, once I've finished with the other ones, go back and review this year's installments before the year's end (hopefully).
Alright, enough beating around the bush, let's get to Kisses (you should totally use that line on a date. Guaranteed success).
So I started up the game, got through a few menus, and screamed very loudly. The avatar that is supposed to represent you is the most horrifying thing mankind has yet to contrive. I'm not going to dwell on this, but let me just say that the uncanny valley called...
After that, I sat through a competent if boring tutorial during which I was instructed about the mechanics of the game. Essentially, it's resource management with a pinch of romance...just a pinch. See, the game seems to center itself around building up relationships with AI of the opposite sex (and hey, no love for the gay crowd? Eh, whatever). Building a game like that is fine as long as the player can actually get invested in the characters. Otherwise, it just gets boring. Ever wonder why there are so many dating sims out there based on popular anime? It's because those shows already made their viewers care for the characters, so all someone has to do to make a decent dating sim is to take those characters and make them smooch. Easy.
So, needless to say, I won't be giving any kisses to Kisses any time soon. Apart from the boring relationship mechanics, the entire game boils down to walking to a place to collect resources, going back to your igloo to refine them, and then consuming them. It's terribly formulaic and gets real tedious real fast.
I do have to say, though, apart from its less than stellar design, Kisses is damn amazing on the technical end. The textures are pretty impressive, especially since this was done in 2003. The framerate is solid and I didn't encounter any glitches. So there, a diamond in the rough.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay warm
Links
Anti-Climactic Foreplay with People You Don't Really Care For: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=525
Second, some of you out there may be thinking, "What's he going to do now that games from the 2012-2013 academic year are pouring in and disrupting the alphabetical system?" Well, my plan is to first ignore the games from this year and, once I've finished with the other ones, go back and review this year's installments before the year's end (hopefully).
Alright, enough beating around the bush, let's get to Kisses (you should totally use that line on a date. Guaranteed success).
So I started up the game, got through a few menus, and screamed very loudly. The avatar that is supposed to represent you is the most horrifying thing mankind has yet to contrive. I'm not going to dwell on this, but let me just say that the uncanny valley called...
After that, I sat through a competent if boring tutorial during which I was instructed about the mechanics of the game. Essentially, it's resource management with a pinch of romance...just a pinch. See, the game seems to center itself around building up relationships with AI of the opposite sex (and hey, no love for the gay crowd? Eh, whatever). Building a game like that is fine as long as the player can actually get invested in the characters. Otherwise, it just gets boring. Ever wonder why there are so many dating sims out there based on popular anime? It's because those shows already made their viewers care for the characters, so all someone has to do to make a decent dating sim is to take those characters and make them smooch. Easy.
So, needless to say, I won't be giving any kisses to Kisses any time soon. Apart from the boring relationship mechanics, the entire game boils down to walking to a place to collect resources, going back to your igloo to refine them, and then consuming them. It's terribly formulaic and gets real tedious real fast.
I do have to say, though, apart from its less than stellar design, Kisses is damn amazing on the technical end. The textures are pretty impressive, especially since this was done in 2003. The framerate is solid and I didn't encounter any glitches. So there, a diamond in the rough.
That's all I got for now. Until next time, stay warm
Links
Anti-Climactic Foreplay with People You Don't Really Care For: https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=525
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