Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=1611https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5451Curiosity – What’s Inside the Cube? Is a multiplayer social experiment game that has players tapping away at cube blocks on a cube with the goal of trying to find out what’s inside of the cube. The game is developed by 22Cans, a new studio by Peter Molyneux. Every time a player breaks a cube, they receive coins that can be used to but tools to help players break more cubes in a shorter amount of time. What’s inside the cube will only be seen by one player, the player who breaks the last block. And whatever is inside the cube is supposed to be life changing. The game gives layers clues as to what is inside the cube with pictures in the outside of the cube. The developers have promised my game mechanics later on in the game, but as of right now, all players can do is break blocks. So far, there are 3 million people who play it and are breaking blocks. And even with this number, the developers have predicted that the center of the cube will be reached sometime late next year. The fact that only one person will know what is inside the cube is interesting, but the fact that there is little reward for the players makes it hard to continue to play the game. The odds of a player being the one player to “win” are huge, and make the mind-numbing action of breaking blocks boring and dull. The game has an interesting concept behind it, but so far it fails to deliver any reason for players to continue to player.Sun, 09 Dec 2012 22:39:06 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5451&iddiary=9751https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5450Angry Birds Star Wars is another Angry Birds game by Rovio Entertainment with a clever twist; the birds and pigs are famous characters from the Star Wars universe. This puzzle game has parts of the original Angry Birds and the newer Angry Birds Space. Some levels take place on planets where the gravity is unaffected and other levels take place in space, which affect the gravity and path of the birds. The core mechanics of this game are similar to the previous game with changes to the characters, settings, and the abilities of the birds. The game still revolves around angry birds getting back at the enemy pigs. The addition of the Star Wars universe is a refreshing addition to the series. It is so much fun to see a Luke Skywalker bird flying through the air towards a storm trooper pig and wielding a light saber. Some of the new abilities of the birds include light saber wielding red birds, a gun shooting Han Solo yellow bird, a powerful Chewbacca big brother bird, and force wielding Obi- Wan Kenobi black bird. Another new addition is that the birds now have the ability to still use their abilities even after they hit the obstacles. The game is ridiculously addicting and fun to play. It has fun sound effects that reward players who fling the birds towards the obstacles. The new take on the Star Wars characters are a fun addiction to the Star Wars universe.Sun, 09 Dec 2012 22:21:58 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5450&iddiary=9750https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5449This week I played Plants vs Zombies. This tower defense game by PopCap Games is not a recent game, but it is still fun to play through. The game has players fight off the invading zombies by planting certain types of plants that combat the zombies. To create these plants, players have to buy them with suns. To collect suns, players can grow them from sunflowers or by collecting them as they fall from the sky. The plants each have a unique ability that has advantages over certain types of zombies, for example the potato plant is great to be used against the zombies that can pole jump. There are several different environments that change the gameplay of the game. When it is nighttime in the game, there are no suns that come down from the sky. This lowers the amount of resources the players have available to make plants. To balance this out, there are certain plants that can grow at a lower cost of suns, or no costs of suns. There is also a level that has a pool in it that requires players to first build a place to put plants on the water before the plants can be placed. The game is fun for waiting in lines where you can put it down and pick it up again as need be. There is no story arc in the game, there is no definitive reason as to why plants are being used to kill zombies, but it is a nice, casual game to play if you're bored.Sun, 09 Dec 2012 21:54:22 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5449&iddiary=9749https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5377The Walking Dead game is a point and click RPG game by Telltale games. It takes place in the same universe as the comics and the TV series. The game is available on every platform, but I played it on the iPad. The game is a five-part episodic game where the player takes the role of a survivor as they battle for survival in the zombie apocalypse. The game takes the same theme from the Walking Dead series in which the zombies take the background. The game is more character orientated and less action based. The players have to make lasting decisions that will impact the outcome of the game. Some of these choices are as simple as giving someone an energy bar, or to deciding whether a young man or a little boy dies. The players have to make these choices in a limited time, as a timer is set to each choice. Sometimes there is no timer, but for the most part, there is one. This timer adds a level of intensity and stress that added to the dramatic story. It makes every choice seem vital, which in most ways, it is. On the iPad, there were a few control issues that made it hard to play the game. The first quick-time action sequence was near impossible because I was unable to look left or right in a timely matter. But after that sequence, the controls evened out and the game became engrossing. As a zombie game that has little zombie killing action, the game is fantastic. The story is so engrossing and intense; it feels like the player is playing through an episode of the Walking Dead. The point and click may not be the most exciting game type out there, but the story is so well written, that the player is on the edge of their seat wanting to know what happens next.Mon, 26 Nov 2012 20:41:58 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5377&iddiary=9674https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5376Mount & Blade is a PC game by Paradox Interactive is hard to classify. It is part RTS, part adventure, but mostly RPG. It is a really interesting mix. The game is open world where players can do whatever they want. If the player wants to rule the world, they can. If they want to be a powerful merchant, they can. If they want to be a feared bandit they can. The game has interesting battle mechanics. The player goes around and hires people to fight with you and when the player engages in battle, the player can only truly control your avatar. You can control where your units go in the greater scheme of the map, but during individual battles, the player can only fight for their own life. The game also includes a renowned meter, which is critical in the politics of the land. The more renown the player is, the more opportunity the player has for a fiefdom or other upper class options. The player has a great amount of control over how the player looks and acts. At the very beginning, the player is able to completely create how their character looks and they have the choice of the character’s background. The game is a great adventure RPG that has very different battle mechanics. Trying to gain notoriety and manage your troop’s makes hours fly by. The lack of overall story is a little disappointing, but the options to make history yourself makes up for it. The diplomacy aspect of the game allows players to choose which kingdom to represent or to attack, or to be completely neutral to. The game is a ton of fun to play. Some of the battles and missions are pretty repetitive, but overall it is a blast to play. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:54:25.)Mon, 26 Nov 2012 20:16:23 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5376&iddiary=9673https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5344Halo 4 is the newest Halo game developed by 343 Industries and it is probably the best one made so far. It has amazing graphics and the story is absolutely fantastic. The game includes some new features such as new enemies and new weapons that correspond to the enemies. Both additions are welcoming after 3 games with the same enemies and, for the most part, weapons. The new additions are well balanced within the game. The Promethean enemies are harder to beat than the Covenant, but instead of ruining the game, it just adds a new challenge. The game difficulty over all has increased; the Heroic difficulty in Halo 4 is comparable to a Legendary difficulty on any other Halo game. The new additions make the players rethink their set strategies. The AI is smarter and is able to anticipate player’s moves easier, making each time a player plays the game different. The game also has some new armor abilities, a carryover from Halo Reach that adds a little extra to the game. At some points, the armor abilities can make or break a mission. When players play the campaign on co-op, once a player dies, they are brought back with weapons that are specific to that level and to the enemies in that level. This is different from the standard assault rifle and pistol that is standard in the other halo games. The most original and new idea to come from this game is the Spartan Ops. Spartan Ops is a compilation of short missions that will be released each week that adds new levels and more info to the story. It is kind of like a tv series each week, but in video game form. The missions are relatively short, but hopefully as the rest of this season progresses, the missions themselves will get longer. Overall, the game is amazing. The graphics are unbelievable, the story is fantastic, and the game mechanics are as solid as ever. Even the music in the game is incredible as it paces the players along. Halo 4 is not the failure some were predicting from 343i, but rather, it is a true delight.Tue, 13 Nov 2012 16:56:25 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5344&iddiary=9632https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5305Bad Piggies is a new puzzle game by Rovio, the game developers of the wildly popular Angry Birds game. This game is a spin off that is based on the antagonists of the original Angry Birds game’s; the Pigs. In this game, players have to make a device that transports a pig to the end of the level safely. Players have a bank of certain materials they can use to make the device, including blocks of wood, soda bottles, wheels, umbrellas, and fans. As the game progresses and the levels become harder, players are given different materials to build with. The game also has the same rating system as Angry Birds; each time a player completes a level, they are given one, two or three stars, depending on their completion of the level. Each level has three different goals. One, being the easiest, is to get the pig across the finish at the end of the level. The second is usually to collect a star. The third is usually to complete the level in a certain amount of time, or to not use a certain building material. The game also has a sandbox mode where players use the materials they unlocked in the campaign to make machines to complete harder levels. Most levels unlock a new material, but not every level does. The size of the machine can also be greater in this sandbox mode, allowing players to use many more materials then in the campaign. The game is strangely addicting. There is more than one way to successfully complete a level, so each time through is different. Sometimes, the player can have a really terrible machine, but still end up completing the level by pure chance, such as the pig rolling into the finish as the destroyed carcass of the players machine tumbles along behind. Over all, the game is equally fun and aggravating. Some levels are a breeze, while others leave you pulling out your hair in frustration. It is a good game to jump into if your waiting in line or if you have nothing else to do.Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:35:11 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5305&iddiary=9592https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5284This week, I decided to take a break from my Halo marathon and play Minecraft. This game is an open-world sandbox adventure game that allows the players to play as they please. Players start with nothing and are thrown into a dangerous world with only one objective; survive. Players have free reign in a randomly generated world where they can interact with everything. Every block in the game is a resource the player can use to create or survive. Players have no set objectives, freedom is the key factor in the game; freedom to explore, to create, to play. The 360 version recently released an updated that added several new features to the game. The new version included a hunger bar, just like the PC version of the game. This meter tracks the player’s health in the game. Over time the meter slowly depletes itself and players are forced to find and eat food. If players don’t do this, their health meter is affected and they lose health. The new update also included randomly generated villages with pre built buildings, large underground fortresses, and most importantly, a creative mode. In creative mode, players have access to every block type and every object available in the game. There is no hunger meter, there is no need to struggle to survive. Players are only limited by their imagination. Players also have the ability to fly, which makes creating buildings so much easier to accomplish. The Xbox 360 version of Minecraft is very similar to the PC version. But as of right now, it is still behind the PC version in terms of features, enemies, tools, resources, and an end game. This most recent update has significantly reduced that gap. If the 360 game can be as in depth as the PC version, the game could be incredible.Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:02:14 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5284&iddiary=9567https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5257Halo Anniversary is the first game to be developed by 343 Industries. The game is essentially the same as Halo Combat Evolved, except for a few changes implemented by 343i. The game engine was replaced in campaign by the Saber3d engine from Saber Interactive and the Halo Reach engine was used for the multiplayer. The game also included online multiplayer. A neat feature in this game is the ability for players to easily jump from the old classic graphics of Halo CE to the new and improved ones by the click of a button. Activating the different graphics is seamless, and it even can help the player in playing the game. For instance, if the player is facing Elites with energy swords, the new graphics make it hard for the player to see the floating swords, but in classic graphic mode, the swords are easily seen. This game plays just like Halo CE, the core game mechanics were never changed. The game still boasts its dynamic AI that always makes the game different through each play through. It is still like the game that popularized FPS’s on consoles. The game makes use of weapon management and health packs. As players fight their way across Halo’s vast terrain, they must decide which kinds of weapons to take with them, long range or short range? UNSC or Convenant? Players also have to find health packs throughout the world to replenish the health of the Master Chief. In addition to new graphics, 343i added achievements and terminals to the game. The terminals give additional information about the Halo universe through supplementary cinematics. The addition of online multiplayer only gave players new maps to play on; it really did nothing for the game over all. Halo Anniversary is a game for the avid Halo fan that has always wanted to see what the first game would look like with better graphics. The game is still just as fantastic as it was back in 2001 when it was first released.Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:31:07 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5257&iddiary=9536https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5219This week, I decided to play an older game, but one of my favorites; Mariokart 64. This game is a racing game for the Nintendo 64 game console. In the game, there are four different kinds of game modes, Grand Prix, Time Trials, Versus, and Battle. The Grand Prix is the single player racing mode where the player plays against NPCs on a variety of different tracks. The Time Trial is where the player can practice racing on the tracks before racing NPCs in the Grand Prix, or human opponents in Versus. The Battle mode allows the player to fight other players instead of racing them. In the Grand Prix, the player races against NPCs through a wide variety of tracks. On each of the tracks, the player not only has to look out for the NPCs, but also different obstacles on the track itself. On one track, MooMoo Farm, the track is filled with holes that have little animals that pop out of the holes. If the player hits one of the animals, the player will spin out of control and lose time and ground. This game has an Agon type of play to it because of the Versus mode that pits human players against one another. This is the game mode I played the most. In both the Grand Prix and the Versus modes, the player not only has to control the car, but they also are able to attack other players using a variety of different weapons that are randomly selected for the player if they run over floating cubes on the tracks. These weapons can be shells that have different abilities, bananas that make other cars slip, and stars that can knock players out of the way if hit. The cubes also give the players power-ups such as temporary invincibility and increased speed. In the Battle mode, each player is given three balloons. The objective is to protect your balloons while trying to hit the other player’s balloons off with shells. The last player with a balloon left is the winner. The game has been around since 1997, but it is still an enduring classic that has filled many hours with fun gaming.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:35:36 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=5219&iddiary=9494