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...
Thursday, March 7, 2013
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
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