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Sep 24th, 2012 at 16:13:17 - Infinity Blade (iPd) |
Infinity Blade is an action game for the IPhone developed by ChAIR and Epic games back in December 2010. The player guides their warrior through a series of increasingly intense one on one duels until the player either triumphs or is killed.
The gameplay is brilliantly intuitive. The player swipes their finger across the screen to strike blows(think Fruit Ninja) or if they match the enemy’s swing they will parry the blow. There are also buttons on the screen that make you block with a shield or dodge left/right. If a player avoids being hit, there is a chance that the enemy will be momentarily stunned, allowing the player a quick flurry of hits before it can raise its guard again. This is easier said than done however: the player must be vigilant in watching the enemy. Some attacks will get around certain defenses. If you dodge in the wrong direction, you will get hit. If you try to block a particularly heavy attack, your shield won’t help. As the enemies get harder to kill, the duels get to be intense tests of player skill.
In addition to the player getting better at fighting, the player’s avatar will get better stats as they kill more enemies. Every kill gains experience, which works towards “mastering” weapons as well as leveling up. Whenever you master a weapon you get to add a point to your stats, and whenever you level up you get to add two. In addition, the player earns/finds “gold” over the course of their adventure, which can be exchanged for weapons/armour that increase your stats.
One of my favorite parts of the game has to be the simply told, but compelling story. The player plays as a nameless swordsman out for revenge against a figure known as “the God-King” who killed the player’s father (in what amounts to a tutorial level). Every time the player dies in the attempt (which will be numerous times as the player gains skill and stats), there is a cut scene that takes place twenty or so years later of a man swearing to avenge his father. This creates a simple cyclical storyline that really enhances the replay value, as well as inspiring a vengeful attitude.
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Sep 18th, 2012 at 00:37:11 - Space Marine (360) |
Space Marine is a third person shooter/action/adventure game developed by Relic, released for the xbox 360 last November. The player takes up the mantle of a genetically/cybernetically enhanced super soldier fighting off an alien invasion of a human world. Now while that is hardly an original concept, the execution of the game is in my opinion brilliant. The multiplayer and single player campaigns play and feel very different, so this entry will be about multiplayer.
When the game first released the multiplayer was a bit bland, having only a few game types that all boiled down to “shoot at people a bunch”. There has been some DLC since then, and multiplayer is now one of the most exciting parts of the game. Players customize their load outs and fight each other for objectives, or you can fight off hordes of enemies in a cooperative mode.
One of the things that make the multiplayer memorable is the way “classes” is handled. There are three core classes the player can choose from: Devastator, Assault, and Tactical. The Devastator class allows the player to carry heavy weapons, trading speed and flexibility for raw power. The Tactical class is a flexible class; giving the player the most options for weapons and other perks that let them fight. The third class is what is innovative, the Assault class features a “jump pack” that allows the player limited flight. The options for this class are aggressive, and based heavily around melee combat. The fact that some players can fly means that even those stuck on the ground need to be able to fight in three dimensions.
The maps you play on are built to accommodate these different play styles as well. Each one is decently sized and varied. There is usually a good mix of open space that lets the assault marines fly about, as well as a few high places to roost and recover health. But also has a more closed in, dense area for closer ranged fighting. For the devastators there are good spots to post up and snipe, as well as good fire lanes to protect objectives. There is always plenty of cover to duck and roll around for attackers to use on the approach as well as bolstering defenders. The environments themselves are at times as original as the game’s concept (read: not very). There is the obligatory sewer/factory map, storage yard, crumbling city ruins, etc. That said: the environments fit in very well with the grimdark far future they are meant to portray.
Despite the radical differences in each class, Multiplayer seems fairly well balanced. You start with the most rudimentary wargear and must “earn” better/different perks and weapons. In many games this gives the players who have played longer a huge advantage, but Space Marine handles this problem pretty well. Each time you die you are offered the chance to “copy” the class of the person who killed you. This lets new players try out a variety of different (and proven!) classes, and ensures that veteran equipment doesn’t overpower the wielder.
Another problem with games of this sort is a general lack of cohesion within the teams. Some people work together, but usually it’s just a jumble of bullets and explosions. This game suffers a bit from that, but it rewards people who work together. For example, one perk you can take allows people with a complimentary perk to respawn on your position. This sacrifices a bit of a player’s personal prowess for a more or less steady supply of backup, and makes for an interesting dynamic. Informal “squads” will form, with one man acting as a beacon for several of his allies. As a general rule, a group of average skill working together will do better than a skilled lone wolf.
At first glance, it’s easy to write off this game as some Gears of War clone. But after spending a little more time with it I found it to be a lot of fun. While it lacks a bit in variety, it still will consume an entire evening if mine every now and then because of the emergent gameplay.
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Sep 10th, 2012 at 17:24:19 - Kerbal Space Program (PC) |
Kerbal Space program (KSP for short), I discovered this odd little game beta back on Friday. It piqued my interest enough that I bought it, and it has since consumed a great deal of my weekend! It’s a constructive sandbox/flight simulation game in which the player flies aircraft and spacecraft of their own designing inside a small star system. The player is in charge of the space program on the planet Kerbin, an earthlike planet that is 600 Km in diameter. There are also two moons orbiting Kerbin, Mun and Minmus. All this is persistent too; you won’t ever see a loading screen! Still being in the beta testing phase, this game is buggy and unfinished feeling. Despite this, I would still say it is an enjoyable sim.
One thing that is most striking about this game is how realistic the physics are. Doing anything apart from simple up/down trips to space is very difficult. While I was sifting through the online forums that hold the KSP community I was initially shocked to see people talking about rocket science, real rocket science! The physics are so accurate that you need to on some level understand what is going on “behind the scenes” to be successful. This makes for an experience that is at times frustrating, but overall rewarding. The first time I intentionally got one of my spaceships into a stable orbit I felt seriously accomplished. I have not successfully made a landing on one of the moons, however I am getting the hang of controlling and manipulating orbits.
The GUI for constructing ships is pretty easy to get the hang of. You draw from a limited bank of parts from a side menu and snap your craft together like it was made of Legos. Simple enough to build a ship, but the nuances of proper design take a while to hammer out. Things like drag, fuel supply/routing, weight/thrust ratios, balance, staging, control systems, and crew safety systems have to be considered (or ignored if you are feeling lucky). The flexibility of the ship builder makes for some very interesting and creative spacecraft.
The game doesn’t have any goals or measures of progress currently, making it more of a sandbox/toy. However, there are a few things that can be seen as goals that lend the game some structure. For example, at first I was happy to see my rockets exit the atmosphere and bring the crew back alive, but now I am aspiring to land a craft on one of the moons. The two moons orbiting the planet each present an informal challenge to the players. Self-created goals can only carry a game so far however, and hopefully in future updates to the game there will be more substance to it. Currently there are a few things inside the game that aren’t fully fleshed out giving hints as to the future. For example, each part has a “cost” associated with it, but this doesn’t mean anything currently. There is also a “crew” tab in the construction menu that is currently empty. These suggest that there may be some elements of a management style game coming in future releases.
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fishspit has been with GameLog for 12 years, 2 months, and 18 days |
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