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| by Timmy Walnuts | April 17th, 2009 - 1:57 pm
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The Xbox Live Arcade has continuously been releasing quality products that help fill the void between official Xbox 360 releases, even offering such classics that demand attention by all gamers alike. Some may stand the test of time, but most must suffer the curse of mediocrity. Some strive to meet that desire for simple addictions, while others vie for innovation in a merging of genres, and if you’re looking for an in-depth story, gripping and significant RPG elements all packaged nicely together in a puzzle game, then Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is not quite right for you.
However, if you’re into Bejeweled and any of its clones, or are a fan of puzzle games in general, then PQ:G may offer a refreshing twist for series veterans, as well as those new to the puzzling phenomenon.
As you begin your journey into Galactrix, you’ll be greeted by a less-than-lackluster story. Four mega-corporations (an allegory for the America’s economy, perhaps?) have gradually overtaken the entire universe as superpowers through their invention of and command over the LeapGates, a warp system utilized by the galaxy’s inhabitants. As a pilot atop his or her class, the protagonist you control will bring you through an atypical science-fiction fare, just as predictable as it is forgettable. Yet, even with the plot’s shortcomings and mediocre RPG elements, PQ:G produces a puzzle scheme similar to its predecessors, but with some tweaked game modes.
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| by Danny Internets | February 17th, 2009 - 10:58 pm
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Tonight at 12:01 am, just after midnight, the Dawn of War 2 open multiplayer beta will come to a close as Relic prepares for the game’s official release on Thursday, February 19th. War has been raging in the 41st millenium over Steam and Windows Live since the beta went live on January 21st to owners of Dawn of War: Soulstorm, then to the general public one week later. Relic reports that the numbers alone show that the test has been a smashing success; over 250,000 unique users have participated in the beta since its debut.
In a surprising demonstration of corporate transparency, Relic has also given the public access to some of the quantitative statistical data collected during beta testing. According to these figures, Relic has successfully met its previously stated goal of creating a game where individual matches can be played from start to finish in a more reasonable amount of time, unlike in Company of Heroes where team battles regularly took upwards of an hour to complete. It should be noted that retail multiplayer games will likely take longer due to improvements to the ranked game matching system scheduled for the zero-day patch–beta matches are probably artificially short because experienced players are often matched with lower ranking individuals, resulting in quick games where one player dominates the other.
For someone who personally (and regrettably) has very limited time to play video games, this shift in focus from hardcore to casual gamer is welcome, though I cannot shake the feeling that these shorter games lead to the popular belief that the game is shallow from a strategic (but not tactical) perspective. Much is stripped from the traditional RTS experience, base-building being the most obvious example, but with these omissions comes more subtle changes to the tactical depth of the game. A common complaint is that resource management is trivialized by DoW2, however I maintain that while resources are less important, the game instead introduces a new resource: your units. With the experience system (also borrowed from Company of Heroes), units become increasingly effective as they participate in combat; they can be reinforced without experience penalty, however death of the entire squad is permanent, making unit preservation one of the key tactics for successful competitive play. Further benefits of unit preservation include denying race-specific resource accumulation to the enemy, which increases only when infantry, vehicles, and buildings on the opposing side are destroyed.
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| by Timmy Walnuts | January 30th, 2009 - 1:27 pm
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Operation: Anchorage, set during the liberation of Alaska shortly before the nuclear fallout that shapes Fallout 3, has officially been available to the public for over 72 hours. Scouring message boards on a couple of different gaming sites, many gamers were finished with the simulation before I even woke up and “downloaded” (see: Why You Gotta Hate On Me) at 10 A.M EST. Aside from my hardware problems, I had Operation: Anchorage up and running with a character fresh out of the vault. I quickly entered Megaton and massacred the town for the measly amount of weapons, ammo and armor to hopefully be able to fend for myself against the Super Mutant Brutes attacking the Outcast’s base. Once successfully within the building, you learn of the Outcast’s motives, much like the Brotherhood of Steel preservation of technology, and they need your help in securing combat equipment sealed in an armory that may only be accessed by a PipBoy, and a PipBoy that has completed the Anchorage simulation. This is where your character comes in.
As you enter the simulation, you’ll find all of your equipment gone, and you’re left simply with a silenced 10mm pistol and ammo, winterized combat armor and accompanying helmet, a combat knife and a stealth boy. Because of this quest’s virtual nature, you may not loot corpses or interact with anything for that matter, unless if flashes red. Finding more equipment is fairly easy, as it lies around in set points, alongside both health and ammo dispensers. There are no stimpaks, no purified water, or foodstuffs. The first part offers a decent selection of weaponry, as well as allowing you to test out the Gauss rifle, which provides absolute devastation. Essentially an energy sniper rifle, the gauss rifle packs enough punch to knockdown your enemy on every successful hit, as well as nearly obliterating them in the process. Even at level 6, I was turning Brotherhood Outcasts into piles of ash with an energy weapon skill below 25.
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| by Timmy Walnuts | January 19th, 2009 - 12:15 am
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A Classic Returns
With such an onslaught of games this holiday season, it was very easy to get lost within the Capital Wasteland that was Fallout 3, frightening corridors filled with the lurking undead that was Left 4 Dead, or the quirky build-it-yourself platformer that was Little Big Planet. However, Square Enix delivers the final blow; one neatly packaged to fit right in your pocket, so prepare for complete reversion to your ten year old self. As anyone who has played the game in its two previous incarnations can tell you, Chrono Trigger has very few equals on the Super Nintendo, and has provided hours upon hours of time traveling adventure over the past 14 years. With its re-release on the DS, many fans, including myself, became overflowed with excitement and skipped down to GameStop with our hair in pigtails, butterflies in our stomachs, and skirts blowing in the wind. The hankering for a true sequel to the best selling, top rated Chrono Cross has been the desire of any fan of the series, no matter how small or large. Yet, Square Enix does not satisfy this hunger, but does offer a substitute, one which does not garner many complaints.
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Great Scott!
As you enter, or reenter the world of Guardia for the first time, you realize how truly impressive Chrono Trigger was for its era. Originally released nearly 15 years ago, CT’s effects can be considered archaic and will not help win over today’s visually obsessed youth. However, Square Enix’s sprite based graphics provide a nostalgic touch, as well as a certain impressiveness with beautiful, original scenery and surprisingly detailed sprites. But visuals are not why this game has transcended time. The gripping story, deep combat system, great soundtrack, plot related sidequests, and a dozen or so different endings allow this game, much like its cast of characters, to remain timeless.
Yet, if you are new to the world of Guarida, you will find innovations that continue to remain…well, innovative. Chrono Trigger, at first glance, plays like most console-style RPGs, wherein you take the role of a main protagonist, travel a world map, are joined by a distinct cast of characters, and vanquish the forces of evil, though, the way you go about these tasks is vastly different than most other RPGs. Chrono is not simply an attractive name; it does imply “time” and by association the time traveling action the player will quickly develop a liking for. It is in certain chosen points in time that you will meet the cast of characters and unfold the story at hand. Read the rest of this entry »
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| by Timmy Walnuts | January 15th, 2009 - 8:33 pm
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The Prince is revamped and returns for more acrobatic action, but does he compare to his royal lineage?
Have you ever wondered if an interactive movie experience would be possible to accomplish; more than just a “choose your own adventure” interaction that you may remember from Goosebumps when you were a kid? Well, with Prince of Persia, an answer to this question may not be far down the road.
As you first pop in the game, you’re greeted with a wonderfully and beautifully designed opening, introducing you to both the Prince and he’s new lovely leading lady, Elika. She proves to be a very unique companion, providing similar help to the Prince as Farah from the other Prince games, but to a much more, dare I say it, EXTREME (sorry, I couldn’t resist) level. She simply proves to your “guardian angel.” Missed that jump and you’re plummeting to your death? No you’re not, because Elika magically pulls you to safety. An enemy is about to deliver the final blow? Nope. Elika steps in and again saves your life, and this continues throughout the entire game. Why is this a bad thing, you ask? The game has omitted a sense of dying and has replaced it with your companion. Although Ubisoft Montreal attempted to recreate The Sands of Time’s time control feature, the absence of a “death screen” takes away from the overall experience of the game. It removes any strategic thought needed for jumps or combat, allowing the player to do whatever he or she may want without any real consequences, barring a 30 second backtrack.
However, because there is no death screen and, thus, no gameover, the game has a fantastic flow to it. Jumping from wall to pole, back to wall and into combat is amazingly fluid and swift, and provides a slightly mesmerizing show of visuals and acrobatics. Combat functions at the same fluid pace; allowing for multiple different combos with both sword and the Prince’s new medieval looking gauntlet, as well as Elika herself. Yet, combat is where this feeling that the game is on the fringes of an interactive movie. Button prompts are frequent, even stalling the game quickly to tell you to block an attack or to release you from an enemies grasp. This is a similar tactic we’ve seen in other games, yet here, the combat is not nearly as deep. At certain points, it feels like you’re watching cutscenes that require some Read the rest of this entry »
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