E.G. Podcast 025: Summer Slump

This week, I fly solo again with a brief discussion on Ghost Busters, more iPhone games, and the problem with  the summer slump.

Games: Ghostbusters, iPhone: GeoDefense, Sally’s Spa, Assassin’s Creed

E.G. Podcast 024: Mobile Gaming

This week, we talk about mobile phone gaming in honor of the new iPhone 3GS

Games: Persona 4, Lost Odyssey, Dead Space, Infamous, Sly 1-3, iPhone games: geoDefense, Amateur Surgeon, Cooking Mama, MGS Touch, Rolando, Van Guard Storm, GoldRush, Flight Control

E.G. Review: Infamous

 

Lightning Strikes on the PS3

What I find interesting with this generation is the trend of choosing between good versus evil.  Although not an entirely new concept, morality has made a distinct presence in interactive entertainment. 

The problem is that “good versus evil” is a very simplistic way of presenting morality in gaming.  The Bell Curve Theory teaches us that few things are ever in the opposite extremes, and normality often occurs in between.  I like games that pay respect to that theory and honors the choice of choosing the normal path or the extremes.  Fallout 3 did an excellent job presenting morality by offering varying degrees of good, neutral, and evil. 

The core of Sucker Punch’s Infamous is morality but presented in binary choice-fashion.  This is where I find issues with the game.  As stated before, I find morality to be a complex issue of humanity that cannot be encompassed by “either this or that.”  There are plenty of gray areas.  I say that if you see the world in black and white, you are color blind.

In Infamous, you have to choose a path: good or evil.  You cannot stay neutral in Infamous’ world.  If you can, it must be a difficult task for sure, since I was unable to do so.  In Sucker Punch’s defense, Infamous is a game about a comic-like hero and a villain, a concept that rarely treads the gray area.

To quickly overview, Infamous stars an everyday Joe named Cole, a courier, who delivers, unknowingly, a bomb-like device that levels a good chunk of the fictional city of Empire and gives him super powers.  These powers grant him the ability to manipulate electrical currents and the inability to practice good hygiene.  His aversion to water certainly makes him the smelliest hero ever.

Infamous can be summed simply as an “open world platformer.”  You are free to explore the world; however, exploration will involve wall-climbing, jumping from ledges, etc.  If you have played Sucker Punch’s previous effort, the Sly Cooper series, you will see the evolution of acrobatic mobility in Cole.

The meat of the gameplay in Infamous is really how you move Cole throughout Empire City.  Cole often reminds me of classic super heroes who expertly roam the roof tops at night in search of evil doers.  To Sucker Punch’s credit, controlling Cole is a breeze.  Jumping is accurate, wall climbing is easy, and his overall movement is smooth.  What adds to the ease of control is the “stickiness” factor of Cole; Cole will automatically grab the nearest ledge, pipe, wall, etc.  The movement system is summed as “intuitive” and user friendly. 

There are some problems with system.  First, it’s almost too “sticky.”  There were times when I wanted Cole to jump over a ledge and ended up having him hang from it from the other side.  Second, sometimes Cole doesn’t register to grab a ledge, wall, pipe, etc. for whatever reason.  I understand the system isn’t perfect.  It certainly works more often than it doesn’t.  I would also note that it’s a system I would like to see in future platformers. 

Cole’s powers are interesting and very utilitarian.  His electrical powers are used in creative ways such as weaponry, travel, shielding, etc.  It seems that the only thing he can’t do is take a shower.  One an interesting note, I have been wondering what would happen if it rained; however, it never rains in Empire City.  I smell a conspiracy.

Many of his powers are very cool; however, many of them cannot be unlocked until much later.  As a result, although you may want to feel like a badass, you’ll have to wait much later to do so.  Once you do get all the powers, you get the feeling of being unlimited and completely awesome.  How you choose to play your character will have an affect on how you feel at that point. 

As stated before, Infamous works on a binary choice system.  You can work to be a Hero or be on the other side of the coin as Infamous.  If you play as a Hero, the people of Empire City will cheer you on, rise against the baddies, and respect and honor you.  If you play as Infamous, the people will fear you, hate you, police will gun you down, and to top it off, you will also look darker and more creepy.  Movies and dialogue will also change depending on how you play.  There are also special missions that are geared toward being good or evil.  As a result of these differences between playing as a Hero or Infamous, the game encourages a second play through and, as a result, it offers more game for your dollar.

Being an open world game, you get to choose what missions you will do and in what order.  One great thing about the missions is that there are plenty of check points, eliminating needless retries.  I thank you, Sucker Punch.  The problem with the missions is that some are copies of other missions.  As a result, there will be some repetition.  Overall, there isn’t a large variety of missions.  Thankfully, however, there are other distractions such as finding satellites through signal location and hunting for blast shards, energized pieces of earth that will earn you more “battery life.”

Visually, you won’t find amazing eye candy in Infamous.  It doesn’t help that it can only be viewed in 720p.  However, this doesn’t mean Infamous is ugly.  Simply put, Infamous looks good but not great.  Auditory-wise, the sound effects are what you would expect it to be, but the big winner is the score.  Very reminiscent of The Dark Knight, the score really adds to the ambiance of the game.

Story-wise, although not completely original, Infamous is interesting and engaging.  Bits of info are spread across the game, and things won’t really come together and make sense until the end where it throws in a cool plot twist.  Was it worth it?  I would say “yes.”  As for Cole himself, he is somewhat disinteresting as the protagonist.  If it weren’t for his powers, Cole would be a banal character.  Nothing about him screams special or interesting aside from the fact that he can shoot lightning from his fingers.  And that he can’t take a shower.  Again, hygiene is important people.  Cole is ultimately forgettable.      

The truth is that Infamous will not be winning Game of the Year from me.  The problem is that it doesn’t do anything revolutionary or new.  However, it does a lot of things right and a lot of things well.  When I wasn’t playing it, I wanted to play it more.  Although fatigue will set in during the second play through, the first time will be fun and well worth it.  It’s one of the rare PS3 exclusives certainly worth owning.

-jj

E.G. Podcast 023: E3 2009

This week, we talk dissect E3 2009!!!!

MS
Beatles Rock Band, Modern Warfare 2, FF13, Crackdown 2, L4D2, Splinter Cell: Conviction,  Forza 3, Halo 3 ODST, Halo Reach, Alan Wake, MGS: Rising, NXE additions, Project Natal.

Nintendo
New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Wii Sports Resort, Wii Motion Plus, Wii Vitality Sensor, The Conduit, Dead Space: Extraction, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Metroid: Other M

Sony
Uncharted 2, MAG, PSP Go, GT5, Agent, FF14, ModNation Racers, Motion Sensor, God of War 3, The Last Guardian

Others
Assassin’s Creed II, Red Steel 2, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Mass Effect 2

E.G. Impression: The Big Three Press Conferences @ E3

Microsoft

 It’s no secret that last year’s E3 was a cluster-fuck for MS.  At least for me, I felt MS was struggling with what their focus was.  Were they trying to appeal to the hardcore?  How about the casual?  Or were they trying to appeal to the casual-core?  Or is it really hard-casual?  It was all over the place. 

What a difference a year makes.  Simply put, MS seems to have their shit together.  They presented themselves as a confident, coherent, and matured gaming company.  Since 2001, MS had to struggle to make themselves a viable name in the gaming industry.  The Red Ring of Death Syndrome of their 360 systems did not help their reputation.  Nearly ten years of growing and learning has netted MS the experience to put their bid in for industry leader and have their critics take them seriously.  The MS conference has really demonstrated that the future is truly bright for the 360.

First and foremost, the software is the most important of any gaming conference, and MS delivered in spades.  Beatles Rock Band, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, FF13, Crackdown 2, Left4Dead 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Forza 3, Halo 3 ODST, Halo Reach, Alan Wake, and arguable the best of all, Metal Gear Solid: Raiden have all demonstrated a commitment to the hardcore.  I thank you, MS.

MS didn’t stop to impress with just the software lineup.  Improvements to the NXE was presented in the form of partnerships with Last.fm, Facebook, and even Twitter.  If that wasn’t enough, full HD movie downloads and LiveParty show a promise of streamlined multifunctionality.  These are announcements that prove MS has a clear view of what they want to do and who they are in gaming industry.

To cap it off, MS wanted to show their versatility by also appealing to the ever-growing casual market.  MS was correct in their summation that controllers are the barrier for most non-gamers getting into games.  Project Natal presented a plausible future in interactivity completely devoid of plastic peripherals.  Motion tracking and voice recognition opens a worlds of possibilities.  Furthermore, Project Natal shows the promise of truly bridging the gap between the casual and the hardcore.  “Impressive” is an understatement for me. 

I was a reluctant supporter of MS until I saw their press conference.  MS has the plan and the means to lead the industry to places unimagined.  I can’t wait.

Nintendo

I have made my peace with Nintendo.  My hopes for them to appeal to the hardcore in me have long been gone.  For the last couple of years, Nintendo has made it clear that the hardcore is no longer their core audience.  Their bank is fed from the casual, and, understandably, that is where their focus should be.

My expectations were very low for Nintendo.  As I watched the press conference, I saw what I expected: more pandering the casual.  What I didn’t expect is a flicker of hope for the hardcore in me.  The announcements of new Mario games and, the bomb, a new Metroid made up for the lack luster presentation that I have come to expect from Nintendo. 

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is impressive not only because the predecessor was impressive and that more of awesome is very much welcomed but also because it is the first time Nintendo as decided to a direct sequel of a Mario game on a single system.  As for Metroid, the fact that it is another reboot of the series in a mixture of 1^st and 3^rd person perspective is exciting.  However, the fact that this new Metroid is developed by a third party developer makes it more exciting.  The fact that this third party developer is Team Ninja makes this announcement explosive. 

Not to downplay the announcements of the Wii Motion Plus, DS software, the Vitality Sensor, etc. but these announcements were either already known, confusing, or simply boring.

Although Nintendo hasn’t shown a change in their focus on the casual, they did show that they have not forgotten about the hardcore.  For me, that is enough to keep me happy.

Sony          

The mighty have fallen.  Hard.  Sony had ruled the gaming space for nearly a decade and for two console cycles.  As a result, their third effort, PS3 had massive expectations laid on it right out of the gate.  So far, the progress report is not glowing.  Being 3^rd place is a fall from grace and a slap to the face.  E3 is the opportunity to show the industry that they still have what it takes to come back from Hell.  For the past three years, at least in my opinion, Sony had fallen short of the promise of a comeback. 

This year, although not a complete failure, is a few short steps back from what could have been for Sony.  Software-wise, there was not much to cheer for in my eyes.  There were plenty of non-exclusives that were impressive, but the exclusives were few in number or not shown at all.  Hardware-wise, PSP Go is one of the worst kept secret in the industry.  Furthermore, the design leaves a lot to be desired and the $250 price point doesn’t make it any more attractive.  As for the motion-controller, Nintendo should consider legal action for infringement.  Simply put, it paled in comparison to MS Project Natal and seemed more of a glorified Eye Toy. 

Sony didn’t deliver in my opinion.  It seems very likely now that PS3 will stay in 3^rd place for the coming year and Sony doesn’t have enough in them to pull themselves out.  Let’s hope I’m wrong.   

-jj

E.G. Podcast 022: Broken Steel Review, Infamous Impressions

This week, I fly solo and give a quick and dirty review of Broken Steel and an impression of Infamous.

E.G. Review: Fallout 3: Broken Steel

Don’t fix what ain’t “Broken”

“Conflicted” would be a descriptor apropos for how I actually feel about Broken Steel (BS).  As my review of Fallout 3 would mildly suggest, I love this freakin’ game.  So far, Fallout 3 has managed to have me log on 60+ hours, a feat worth noting for sure.  When the game “ended,” I naturally craved more.  Upon hearing of more content downloadable in the future, I couldn’t hold the excitement in.  On the other hand, I had the suspicion that Bethesda was placing limits on the game in order to justify more content in the future.  Oh who am I kidding?  That is the reason why they did it.

The biggest draw, for me, was the new level cap at 30.  This where the conflict begins.  Would I have bought the DLC if it weren’t for the new level cap?  While part of me says, “yes,” the other part completely disagrees.  I personally think Bethesda should have never instituted a level cap to begin with.  However, they needed to find a way to sell their additional content.  It’s the same model that made WOW such a booming success: earning XP through completing missions.  However, players have to pay a monthly fee to continue playing.  Fallout 3 isn’t an MMO and, as a result, cannot feasibly charge a monthly fee.  By capping the XP level, you give an artificial reason for players to come back to Wasteland of Fallout 3.

I personally think that the DLC is good enough for a purchase.  Although it is more of the same, it furthers the story in form of an epilogue.  Clean water is now available to the Wasteland and protecting it from thieves, profiteers, and raiders become inevitable missions.  Furthermore, although a big blow was struck to the enemy army, the Enclave, there is still much to do to secure a war victory.  A few notable additions are some nifty new weapons such as the Tri-beam Laser (very powerful) and another secret weapon specially made for you by the Brotherhood.  Other additions come in the form of enemies such as the Hellfire Enclave, equiped with powerful flame throwers, and new ghouls with increased defense and offense and regenerative abilities.  Some of the enemies, namely the new, powerful ghouls, are ridiculously hard to kill and not a welcome addition in my opinion.  I do like the fact, with the exception of the raiders, most enemies are increased in level and are more difficult to deal with, adding some welcomed challenge and, of course, more XP.

The BS missions are interesting and engaging.  The problem is that there isn’t much of them in this new DLC.  Although longer than first two, BS can be completed in 5 hours or so.  For ten dollars, you can decide whether or not that is a good deal.  A few more missions would have solidified BS as an outstanding purchase.  I felt wanting at the end really.  I finished the last mission of BS and thought to myself, “what’s next?”  I’m glad, however, that Bethesda has decided to release more DLC, keeping the fictional world of the Wasteland alive.  The prospect of seeing this world being rebuilt with the help of my heroic efforts makes me giddy with anticipation.

If it weren’t for the new nevel cap, I wouldn’t be recommending BS so highly.  Without it, BS is a worthy purchase if you are wanting more missions, more story, and don’t mind paying an additional ten dollars to do so.  For the rest of us, the new level cap is the real draw as sad as that may seem.  True but sad nonetheless.

-jj

E.G. Podcast 021: Fighting Games

This week, we talk about fighting games!

Games: Professor Layton DS, Braid, Castle Crashers, GTA: Chinatown Wars, Sega UGS, Up!, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, Quantum of Solace, Fallout 3: Broken Steel.

Fighting Games: Street Fighter series, Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct series, Tekken series, Virtua Fighter, Vs. series, Time Killers, Primal Rage, Clay Fighter, Guilty Gears series, Tekken 3

E.G. Analysis: Why We Play

It’s a question that we rarely ask ourselves. When we participate and engage in activities in which we enjoy, the obvious answer to why we do them is because “it’s fun.” I would like to imagine there being a deeper reason why we do the things we do.

Why do we eat? The obvious answer is to not starve, but I would like to think it’s to indulge your senses as well as feeding your stomach.

The reasons as to why we do certain things, I think, always come in two: the obvious reason and the deeper reason. Why do we work? I would hope the reasons would be to feel fulfilled and have sense of accomplishment aside from just making a living.

Why do we play video games? I think the answer is more complicated than it seems.

We could say simply that video games provide an outlet to invest our free time.  However, the same could be said of most hobbies.  Is there a deeper reason for why we play games?  The obvious answer is “yes,” however, what may not be as obvious is that there may be more than one universal reason why people play games. 

For the World of Warcraft player, experiencing a life not lived in the real world would be the deeper reason for engaging in the fantasy that WOW provides.  For fighting game players, it might be to experience an exhilaration of combat not possible in real life.  These two examples are indicative of one of the universal reasons why we play video games: role playing. 

Aside from the ability to role play, video games offer something else that really feed into our addictive side of our personalities.  To explain, I’ll use the example of puzzle players.  These people play to not simply flex their mind muscle but to also have a feeling of accomplishment.  For racing fans, wouldn’t coming in first or beating a record time be the reason why you would play in the first place?  These are examples of the accomplishments that help feed a need and want in all of us.

Games should have a goal or some sort of accomplishment that we can achieve in order to be called a game.  Speaking of achievements, there is a reason why so many are so-called “achievement whores.”  When you play a game on 360 and an achievement is unlocked, there is a sense of accomplishment, a sense of your time being worthwhile.

On a personal note, I play games to fulfill this want to do as much good for humanity as possible.  As a child, I always dreamed of being a super hero.  I always dreamt of being the one who would save the day.  Video games offered me the chance to be that hero.  I got to experience what it would be like being the savior of humanity.  Speaking of which, Fallout 3 actually designated me as “the last, best hope for humanity” right after I liberated slaves from a slaver camp.  The experience was exhilarating and a memory I will not forget.

Most modern games now offer a chance to be good or bad; however, I could never choose the evil route.  I appreciate the opportunity, but I cannot be a villain in any capacity.  A villain is essentially a sadist who cares nothing for other people and would enjoy seeing others suffer.  I have always been one with the bleeding heart and could never enjoy the suffering of others.  Again, I appreciate the chance to indulge whatever dark side I have, but I think I’ll pass. 

On a final note, I play games to fulfill a need to have a reason for doing something.  If I’m going to risk my life or the lives of others, I want a damn good reason for it.  I also have a need for structure and balance.  Any game that allows me to resource manage such as Fallout 3 has my gratitude.  Although games are meant to give you entertainment, I feel it helps us fulfill other deeper wants and needs.  For me, I don’t believe my mother when she says, “video games are a waste of time.”

-jj

E.G. Quitter: GTA: Chinatown Wars

Sometimes sadism isn’t worth the trouble.

Joystiq has come up with a brilliant idea called “Joystiquitter.”  Essentially, Joystiq found a way to “not” review a game they didn’t finish.  The ugly truth is that not all people finish games.  In fact, there are simply too many games that are impossible to finish either due to length, difficulty, or just being simply terrible. 

However, it wouldn’t be fair to give a game you didn’t finish or didn’t play enough an official review.  So in the interests in being fair, I decided to forego a normal review in lieu of something that is shamelessly ripped off from Joystiq: the E.G. Quitter.  Clever title, I know.

For the first E.G. Quitter, I thought I would talk about a little game titled, “Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars” (GTA:CW).  CW is the first, high-profile, M-rated game for Nintendo’s family-friendly handheld.  It’s been out for nearly two months and sales have officially been disappointing.  Some speculate the low sales were due to the actual M-rating.  Although highly probable, I would like to think it is simply because the game isn’t all that great. 

I’m in the minority here.  Take a quick look at an aggregate score for CW, and you will see how well received it was received critically.  I will try to refrain from sounding too “reviewy,” but I have to go against the grain here. 

I didn’t really enjoy the game.  I put in about four hours of gameplay, and, truth be told, enjoyed very little of that time.  One of the biggest thing that kept me from enjoying the experience was the camera view.  The top down look was too limiting and, at times, made me a little nauseous.  It is difficult to go to such a view when you are used to seeing things in full 3D, third or first person.  Could this be done in any other way?  Due to system limitations of the DS, I would presume safely that the answer is “no.” 

The other major reason I couldn’t keep on playing was a morality issue.  I knew what I was getting into when I bought this and other GTA games.  I kept telling myself that I can overlook the violence and sadism for the sandbox-type gameplay.  The problem is that with every new GTA, the violence and sadism kept increasing and permeating every square inch of the experience, and, as a result, it was harder and harder to ignore. 

I am a, at my core, a humanitarian.  Do not get me wrong: when it’s needed, I will bust a cap in an invading alien life form or asshole who had it coming.  However, deep inside, as cheesy as it sounds, I want to help humanity.  I cannot, as a result, ever play an evil side of a game that offers a morality choice.  I thought I could play GTA in a “nice way,” but it is simply not possible. 

In CW, the trademark blood shed is kept in tact.  However, to up the ante, Rockstar decided to add drug trading in the mix.  Due to my career choice and involvement with recovering addicts, this did not sit well with me.  I made the excuse that, if I could shoot people, I might as well sell drugs.  The problem is that, if I had to kill, it would be for a good reason whether it be to save lives or stop destruction.  There is little reason to kill in GTA other than to protect your interests.  As for selling drugs, there is not a good reason aside from making money.  I felt dirty in aiding people in feeding an insatiable hunger that would lead to their demise.   

I judge a protagonist’s worth by seeing how much good he can do for humanity.  For Huang, the protagonist who is really an antagonist in CW, he does more harm than good.  For that reason, I decided to stop playing.  I couldn’t finish the game.  I couldn’t stomach doing so.  Such is the case with CW.

-jj