As a younger man, I played a lot of Quake. We are talking every expansion, every sequel until 4, and every expansion for the sequels. I loved the series. I was not able to get into Quake 4 quite as much as the others for some reason. I became a fanboy. I shy away from fanboyism these days, other than General Fanboyism, or just being a fan of games and media.
The problem that arose from this was Half-Life. During a time when I was a person who played a ton of first person shooters, I was also a Quake Fanboy. As a result, I missed out on Half Life. I tried to pick the game up in 2001 or so, but was unable to play much of it. The game was critically acclaimed, and I'm sure great for its time, but I was not able to really get into it. How sad for me.
Skip to 2009. I have really begun to enjoy games that Valve is putting out. Portal amazed me. That was an amazing exercise. I played through twice, once to do it, and then the second time to listen to developer commentary. I enjoyed Left 4 Dead, as I have said many times.
When Valve put the Orange Box on sale for $9.99 over the weekend, I could not resist. I am really beginning to enjoy Source powered games. I have had the Orange Box recommended by several friends. Thus, I bought it, and I started playing Half Life 2 Sunday evening. What a ride! The pacing is great for me. The action sequences have great music that helps get me pumped up. The story seems to be interesting. I studied the Wikipedia article on the original so that I could understand the back story so far. I am very much enjoying this game. I am looking forward to playing the episodes and joining the heaving masses in the wait for the next one.
24.4.09
Catching up...
So, I have an embarassing admission. In my younger days, I was apparently foolish enough to purchase Bloodrayne. The movie.
I know.
I played the video game, Bloodrayne, and enjoyed it quite a bit. I've since re-read some reviews, and thankfully, time has blurred some of the frustrations that I half remember when reminded. Interestingly enough, I played Bloodrayne on the Gamecube. I was a Gamecube owner, and that was my sole gaming console for most of the previous generation of gaming. So, when it was announced that Bloodrayne 2 wouldn't be making an appearence on the Gamecube, I was pretty upset.
Where is this going? Read on!
When I made the shameful purchase of the HORRIBLE Bloodrayne movie, it came with the PC version of Bloodrayne 2. At the time I didn't have a computer that could handle it, so I let it sit in the case. Then this month comes along. I've incurred some automotive expenses recently (no wrecks or anything) and as such I need to save a little money. I still have the video game itch to scratch though. The time was ripe for a revisit to the world of Bloodrayne.
I installed the game. Being used to the PC genre, I did a quick search for patches, and came across an unofficial patch, which added some graphical improvements to the game. Bonus! I started it up and began playing. The graphics were a bit dated, but much improved by the patch. The dialogue was a bit stilted in the cutscenes. I know that Bela Lugosi popularized the "I never drink... wine" turn of phrase for vampires, but does every piece of contemporary vampire fiction have to feature this "homage?" Anyway, I enjoyed playing the game. It was pretty short, maybe around 8 hours or so. But it was fun. If you read the reviews it has repetitive combat and some very oddball puzzles that often times I only solved by chance. It has all of these negatives, but still, I thought it was fun.
The strange thing about this game is that it seems to want to be taken somewhat seriously, but... BOOBS. I guess not just boobs, most of the female anatomy. The titular character runs around in skintight leather, with ample cleavage and a bare midriff. One of the primary enemies is a bondage queen, and the other is naked with artistic shading and moving tattoos. I know, I know, Vampires are sexy, it's part of the genre. To me it seems like there was a director or producer for the game with some great artistic vision and plot in mind, but the only people he could get to work with him were pubescent boys.
Now, I am such a geek that, given the flimsiest threads of story and hints of a larger worldspace, my mind somersaults into action creating a deep backstory and lavish surroundings in fictional works. This game was a bit strange. Throughout the whole game, the dialogue is pretty focused on what is happening in the here and now. As far as we can tell, this city that Rayne is in, is the whole world. Kind of a Matrix or Dark City kind of thing. SPOILER ALERT! But then, at the end, suddenly there is a big budget full motion video showing the vampires from another part of the world upset with events in the city. It also shows the Brimstone Society's current situation. The whole thing was very strange. Of course it set the game up for a sequel, and maybe that was the only point. I don't know.
I guess I have to put the Bloodrayne games up as guilty pleasures for me. They are certainly not great games. I'm sure that many would call them bad. But I found fun in them, and perhaps in some future installment we will get more than just an excuse to see a "hot" half-vampire slashing her way through mindless foes. And if you are very good Virginia, a movie not directed by Uwe Boll.
I know.
I played the video game, Bloodrayne, and enjoyed it quite a bit. I've since re-read some reviews, and thankfully, time has blurred some of the frustrations that I half remember when reminded. Interestingly enough, I played Bloodrayne on the Gamecube. I was a Gamecube owner, and that was my sole gaming console for most of the previous generation of gaming. So, when it was announced that Bloodrayne 2 wouldn't be making an appearence on the Gamecube, I was pretty upset.
Where is this going? Read on!
When I made the shameful purchase of the HORRIBLE Bloodrayne movie, it came with the PC version of Bloodrayne 2. At the time I didn't have a computer that could handle it, so I let it sit in the case. Then this month comes along. I've incurred some automotive expenses recently (no wrecks or anything) and as such I need to save a little money. I still have the video game itch to scratch though. The time was ripe for a revisit to the world of Bloodrayne.
I installed the game. Being used to the PC genre, I did a quick search for patches, and came across an unofficial patch, which added some graphical improvements to the game. Bonus! I started it up and began playing. The graphics were a bit dated, but much improved by the patch. The dialogue was a bit stilted in the cutscenes. I know that Bela Lugosi popularized the "I never drink... wine" turn of phrase for vampires, but does every piece of contemporary vampire fiction have to feature this "homage?" Anyway, I enjoyed playing the game. It was pretty short, maybe around 8 hours or so. But it was fun. If you read the reviews it has repetitive combat and some very oddball puzzles that often times I only solved by chance. It has all of these negatives, but still, I thought it was fun.
The strange thing about this game is that it seems to want to be taken somewhat seriously, but... BOOBS. I guess not just boobs, most of the female anatomy. The titular character runs around in skintight leather, with ample cleavage and a bare midriff. One of the primary enemies is a bondage queen, and the other is naked with artistic shading and moving tattoos. I know, I know, Vampires are sexy, it's part of the genre. To me it seems like there was a director or producer for the game with some great artistic vision and plot in mind, but the only people he could get to work with him were pubescent boys.
Now, I am such a geek that, given the flimsiest threads of story and hints of a larger worldspace, my mind somersaults into action creating a deep backstory and lavish surroundings in fictional works. This game was a bit strange. Throughout the whole game, the dialogue is pretty focused on what is happening in the here and now. As far as we can tell, this city that Rayne is in, is the whole world. Kind of a Matrix or Dark City kind of thing. SPOILER ALERT! But then, at the end, suddenly there is a big budget full motion video showing the vampires from another part of the world upset with events in the city. It also shows the Brimstone Society's current situation. The whole thing was very strange. Of course it set the game up for a sequel, and maybe that was the only point. I don't know.
I guess I have to put the Bloodrayne games up as guilty pleasures for me. They are certainly not great games. I'm sure that many would call them bad. But I found fun in them, and perhaps in some future installment we will get more than just an excuse to see a "hot" half-vampire slashing her way through mindless foes. And if you are very good Virginia, a movie not directed by Uwe Boll.
9.4.09
Aquaria and wide open spaces
I've put a few hours into Aquaria by now. The game is beautiful. The art is amazingly done and just a pleasure to see. The controls with the mouse are intuitive, and using the Xbox 360 Controller is pretty good as well. I have to play with the controller and mouse in tandem to use some of the menus, but that is not a deal breaker.
The only problem that I have is how open the game is. The rhetoric among gamers is that we want open worlds where we can explore and move around freely. But do we really?
The first night I played, I was able to progress pretty naturally through the first few portions of the contiguous world. Much like a Zelda game, you are kept from moving into areas you would be unable to survive in by the abilities you have. Acquiring new abilities frees you to explore more of the world. The progression was very smooth at first. I gained a song that let me move rocks, so hole covered by rocks were places I now needed to explore. Then things got tricky. I spent hours exploring the world of the game, and started to feel like I was getting nowhere. The game's creators have requested that people not make guides or FAQ's, and oddly enough, the internet seems to have obliged. I started to get frustrated, which is not a fun feeling at all. Finally, in some obscure blog I learned where I needed to go.
Exploration is enjoyable to a point. But there comes a time when if I am not feeling that I am progressing, frustration sets in. The beautiful new realms lose their lustre if I can't do anything new in them. I intend to get back to the game this afternoon, and I did enjoy it once I started progressing again. But wow, frustration is a strong emotion when you are trying to relax and have fun.
Perhaps we are too coddled by games right now. I recently played Portal, then replayed it with the commentary. That game is so smooth, and the guidance so subtle that you feel extremely clever for figuring out each puzzle. Then you play through with the commentary and realize that essentially, Valve has held your hand and guided you through the game step by step. It is a wild experience. Most games these days have a "linear" element that keeps you moving forward steadily. Am I spoiled by this now? Perhaps I am. Where is my joy of exploration?
Games are a study in psychology. Companies like Valve have honed their psychological tools to create intuitive environments that seem very free while at the same time guiding you along a track you must follow. Most successful games have the carrot and stick mentality. You see your reward and what you must do in order to get that reward. This has happened so much in recent times that playing a game like Aquaria leads to frustration. I'm not sure how I feel about this.
The only problem that I have is how open the game is. The rhetoric among gamers is that we want open worlds where we can explore and move around freely. But do we really?
The first night I played, I was able to progress pretty naturally through the first few portions of the contiguous world. Much like a Zelda game, you are kept from moving into areas you would be unable to survive in by the abilities you have. Acquiring new abilities frees you to explore more of the world. The progression was very smooth at first. I gained a song that let me move rocks, so hole covered by rocks were places I now needed to explore. Then things got tricky. I spent hours exploring the world of the game, and started to feel like I was getting nowhere. The game's creators have requested that people not make guides or FAQ's, and oddly enough, the internet seems to have obliged. I started to get frustrated, which is not a fun feeling at all. Finally, in some obscure blog I learned where I needed to go.
Exploration is enjoyable to a point. But there comes a time when if I am not feeling that I am progressing, frustration sets in. The beautiful new realms lose their lustre if I can't do anything new in them. I intend to get back to the game this afternoon, and I did enjoy it once I started progressing again. But wow, frustration is a strong emotion when you are trying to relax and have fun.
Perhaps we are too coddled by games right now. I recently played Portal, then replayed it with the commentary. That game is so smooth, and the guidance so subtle that you feel extremely clever for figuring out each puzzle. Then you play through with the commentary and realize that essentially, Valve has held your hand and guided you through the game step by step. It is a wild experience. Most games these days have a "linear" element that keeps you moving forward steadily. Am I spoiled by this now? Perhaps I am. Where is my joy of exploration?
Games are a study in psychology. Companies like Valve have honed their psychological tools to create intuitive environments that seem very free while at the same time guiding you along a track you must follow. Most successful games have the carrot and stick mentality. You see your reward and what you must do in order to get that reward. This has happened so much in recent times that playing a game like Aquaria leads to frustration. I'm not sure how I feel about this.
1.4.09
Aquaria
I am in the process of downloading the full game of Aquaria, and independent game from Bit Blot. I played the demo a while back and decided that I had to play the full game sometime. That time is now.
Well, when the download finishes. It is not a large one, by any means.
Indie gaming is something that I would really like to get more in to. It seems like the place to go for the real innovation in the field. The only problem that I have is that most people who talk about indie games use a sort of jargon that keeps new people like me from being able to figure out what is going on. Penny-Arcade's Greenhouse was my first good experience with Indie games. Otherwise I only hear about them when the gaming news sites mention one that is particularly notable.
I shall have to work on this.. When I finish Aquaria that is.
Well, when the download finishes. It is not a large one, by any means.
Indie gaming is something that I would really like to get more in to. It seems like the place to go for the real innovation in the field. The only problem that I have is that most people who talk about indie games use a sort of jargon that keeps new people like me from being able to figure out what is going on. Penny-Arcade's Greenhouse was my first good experience with Indie games. Otherwise I only hear about them when the gaming news sites mention one that is particularly notable.
I shall have to work on this.. When I finish Aquaria that is.
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