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Feb 7th, 2008 at 19:28:21 - Devil May Cry 4 (360) |
Gamelog Entry #2
GAMEPLAY
After playing for another hour, I became more accustomed to the Exceed system, which is part of the main character's fighting style. His sword, the Red Queen, allows him to rev the blade to increase speed and damage with timed presses of a button. One thing I noticed was that the game has a lot of backtracking. I found myself traversing the same areas multiple times. The developers made it such that the backtracking wasn't too confusing. Often, there were messages stating that a new path was available in the area which prevented me from getting too lost. After going through most of the game as Nero, the story switched to the perspective of Dante, the protagonist of the previous games. Having since gotten used to Nero's combat abilities, I found myself disoriented and confused with the different set of abilities. After a little while, the new controls set in and were simple to remember and simple to pull of combo attacks.
A few things I found annoying were some of the enemies. Some of the varieties of monsters are just a pain to deal with such as an electric demon that is impervious to melee attacks until many rounds from my firearms. Even after that, it turns red and tries to suicide bomb me.
DESIGN
The developers did an outstanding job in level pacing and variation. The settings of the levels were gorgeous and breathtaking, in particular the snowy castle and the lush jungle areas. One thing that the developers could have improved was the shadow effects. The problem is most noticeable in the jungle areas from the shadows cast by the trees. The shadows just look very sub-par and take away from the rest of the superb visuals.
One of the new additions to the combat system, the Exceed System, greatly deepens the already intricate combat system in this game. For new players, the exceed system can be ignored but with more experienced players, it adds a new layer of skill. The perfect timing needed to pull of combos with the Exceed System add to the skills necessary to master this game.
Another thing the developers further improved from previous games was the equipment management system, which makes the fighting more fluid by allowing the player to change melee weapons, guns, and fighting styles on the fly. For example, a player using Dante can start off with a few slashes from a sword, continue with some fire from the dual pistols, Ebony & Ivory, and then instantly follow up with a rocket launcher and hand to hand combat. This system allows for some truly amazing combos that would not have been possible in the previous games.
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Feb 7th, 2008 at 17:13:59 - Devil May Cry 4 (360) |
Gamelog Entry #1
SUMMARY
Devil May Cry 4 is the fourth installment of the popular Devil May Cry series that began on the Playstation 2 seven years ago. The player takes control of Nero, a newly introduced character, for the majority of the game and for the last third of the game, reprises the role of Dante, a half demon devil hunter. The game focuses on stylish combat against multiple enemies by using various firearms and melee weapons. As with the majority of its previous incarnations (the exception being the mediocre Devil May Cry 2), Devil May Cry 4 is known for its difficulty.
GAMEPLAY
The first thing that came to my mind when I first started playing Devil May Cry 4 was a sense of familiarity. The artistic style is similar to that of its predecessors with a dark gothy ambiance. Although the fourth installment of this series does not bring too many new innovative gameplay ideas, it has further improved on its combat system and of course its graphics engine. One new feature I found interesting was the introduction of "Proud Souls", which are basically the in-game currency for purchasing weapon and skill upgrades in addition to the standard red orbs of demon blood which has become a staple for the series. Instead of having one single currency for both weapon/skill upgrades and for item purchases, the game separates the two so the player can better manage resources. Red orbs are rather plentiful and are dropped by dead enemies and from breaking various objects in the surrounding areas like chairs and tables. Proud souls on the other hand, are rewarded for finishing a mission. Depending on the grade given, the amount of souls received increases or decreases.
One of my favorite things about the Devil May Cry series is the use of amazing in-engine cutscenes to show the plot of the game. The game is filled with outrageous fight scenes and corny dialogue that has become synonymous with the series. As expected for a hack and slash action game, the plot is not particularly deep, but it was written well enough to keep me interested in what was happening to the characters.
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Feb 7th, 2008 at 17:18:34.
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Jan 25th, 2008 at 00:08:47 - Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) |
GAMELOG ENTRY #2 Classics:Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
GAMEPLAY
After continuing to play this game, I noticed a few unique choices the developers made. While wandering around the countryside, there is little to no music being played. The only audible sounds are the wind howling, your horse's footsteps, various ambient noises. This choice really enhances the feeling of being alone in a vast empty world. In contrast to the lack of music while exploring, when a battle with a colossus is initiated, epic orchestrated music begins to play, which further enhances the mood.
As the number of colossi I faced increased, I noticed how each of the behemoths required a unique strategy to take them down. One of the battles that stood out in particular was colossus number three. This monstrosity weilds a large pillar of stone like a sword. The first time through this game, I was baffled. I noticed that after doing a vertical swing, its sword stayed down in the ground for a short period, which allowed me to run up the length of it and grab onto its furry arm. Unfortunatly, I did not notice that it wore a stone bracelet that prevented my character from climbing up its arm to its weakpoint. It was after a half hour of scratching my head when I noticed that I would have to make the colossus hit the stone circle in the middle of the platform to destroy its bracelet. This unique strategy really adds to the depth of the game and is an excellent implementation of a near perfect mix of puzzles and of action. Another good example of this is one of the later colossi that involves interaction with parts of the environment in order to break the armor covering its back and expose its weakpoint.
DESIGN
The games straightforward story, amazing score, innovative boss battles, and well implemented controls combine to create one of the Playstation 2's best games. The designer's choice of a noticeable lack of loading screens while traversing the countryside and during boss battles gives the game a very cinematic feel. The only loading screens that I noticed are the ones after a players death or when first loading the game. In fact, gameplay is rarely interrupted by messages and screens popping up. There are a few exceptions of course such as the message asking the player if he would wish to save and player initiated actions like bringing up the world map.
The overall visual design of both the colossi and the architecture give a unique feeling of being in a completely different time period and location. Both remind me of old aztec ruins and various other old temples and ruins. Further reinforcing this is the use of a language that the developered made up. Another point this brings up is the possible correlation to team ICO's earlier game entitled "Ico". Characters in both games appear to speak the same language and the settings of both games are stylistically similar. There is also a possible connection in the stories of both games though I will not spoil what it is exactly. I really like it when developers create games with subtle stories that connect to other projects that they have done, either through the story or just references. This really adds another layer to the games plot and creates an unforgettable experience.
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Jan 24th, 2008 at 22:58:46 - Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) |
GAMELOG ENTRY #1 Classics:Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
SUMMARY
Shadow of the Colossus is a strategic action game for the Playstation 2. The game involves a young man and his faithful horse on a quest to ressurect a young woman with the help of a god-like entity. In order to fulfill this task, the man is given the task of slaying 16 large beings called colossi. The entire game consists of 16 epic boss battles with the task of traversing a huge map on horseback to get to the location of each colossus.
GAMEPLAY
The first time I started playing SotC, the introduction cinematic blew me away. With the already then aging hardware of the Playstation 2, team ICO (the developers) managed to create an amazing engine that is capable of rendering breathtaking landscapes, intricate ruins, and monstrously detailed colossi. Hours can be spent just wandering around the map on horseback and exploring the gorgeous scenery and climbing the various temples (that denote savepoints) and structures scattered around the map.
As for the actual fighting, the game focuses on the task of finding a way to mount each of the unique creatures and stab its magical weakpoint to take it down. Each colossus has multiple weakpoints that each hold a fraction of the colossi's health. When one point it completely destroyed, another appears on its body. There is a catch however. The weakpoints are invisible until the player reflects sunlight off of his magical sword onto the area of the point, which reveals it for a short period, or if the player is extremely close to the point, which reveals it indefinitely until the player gets too far away or if the point is destroyed. The colossi themselves vary in size and behaviour. Some are two legged, some are four legged, some soar high in the sky, some are towering behemoths, and some are only slightly bigger than you. The developers did an amazing job in creating so many unique creatures.
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Jan 24th, 2008 at 23:29:52.
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Koruwa has been with GameLog for 16 years, 10 months, and 9 days |
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