Talks on video game from TED

Here we have Shiny Entertainment's David Perry giving the usual spiel about the amount of money videogames are making and the changes since Pong. What's interesting would be how he focuses on the emotional and creative part of videogames that I feel will become an important and vital part of all future games.

-Watch for the "Evolution of" series in videogame genres
- Also presenting a student's take on how videogames impact our lives

Uncharted 2: Thoughts

Ok this one is up a bit late. But basically the things I liked about Uncharted 2.

First thing is the amount of inventiveness when it comes to level design.

1) For example, there is a stage near the end of the game where you have to fight a tank.
Unlike Solid Snake though, Drake can't carry 40 grenades, a RPG and 16 other weapons on him at all times. What he has though are enemies who do carry them. Why they need a tank or RPG to kill a single man is never explained (but that's another story).

In this stage, the player has to keep moving and killing enemies around the map, specifically looking out for RPG enemies. Once you have neutralised the enemies, you get their RPG and one or two rockets. Even players with bad aim will eventually reach an Ammo stash at the end of the level. This stage combines the climbing, shooting and weapon mechanics throughout the game into a cohesive, immersive and visceral single player experience.

2) Next up, we have trademark flourishes, Insomniac and Naughty Dog have had years to perfect their platformer franchises Ratchet and Clank, Spyro, Jak and Daxter and Crash Bandicoot. Each iteration brings about improvements to core gameplay ideas less explored in the previous. In Uncharted 2, the reverse Crash Bandicoot camera comes into play. A couple of times, Drake has to run towards the camera, ala Dr Jones in sequences that are short, not too frustrating and provide an interesting mix to the gameplay.

3) Moving stages are not really new, we have had them since early FPS', but this is the first time that a level like this has had me so impressed. Drake can climb in and out of a moving train, the enemies will follow him around and even try to flank him. All these combined with external obstacles like signal lamps and an attack helicopter make it a truly exceptional experience.

Even more, the level changes gradually from lush vegetation to a full blown blizzard within minutes as the train travels up the mountain. As the train gets higher, Drake starts getting colder and commenting on it. All these without a single load screen or install.

4) On top of that, Uncharted 2 features an extensive range of reward based unlockables. Play well and unlock anything you want, from Skins, to bonus features. This caters to casual players who are interested in the behind the scenes as well as players who will replay the game over and over again to get everything.

A Truly spectacular release.

Zuma's Revenge

Yet another addictive release from Popcap games.

Zuma's Revenge is a sequel to the immensely popular Zuma.


Nothing much has changed here, the gameplay is still the same, a player must shoot colored balls at a moving line of other colored balls, like-colored balls attract each other and 3 or more balls in a row will cause them to explode and give the player points.

What's New

Zuma's revenge now comes in higher resolution, interestingly enough, this makes it harder to play the game, as the player has to take a longer time to move the mouse and to observe the position of the balls.

Also added are different kinds of bonus balls, one gives you the power to destroy balls by shooting cannon balls, a lightning ball allows all balls of the same color to be destroyed.

There are also a couple more modes, including Iron Frog, a gauntlet of increasingly difficult stages with only one life.

Boss fights are also new here, while not particularly difficult or different, they provide a way to end off a chapter as well as introduce a storyline.


Verdict

While not as fun or fresh as Plants vs Zombies, Zuma does allow hours of casual or hardcore gameplay for people of all ages. The simplistic one button gameplay allows anyone to pick it up, while the level design and modes allow deeper strategies for those who wish to get more value out of their game

Trine

Trine is a puzzle platformer in the vein of Braid or Paper Mario.

The premise is good, 3 different people/classes, a wizard, a knight and a thief get melded into a single entity, they must then use their different skills to find a way to escape their situation.


Gameplay is simple left to right 2D scrolling with a mix of platforming and combat, the Knight can fight off monsters easily, the Thief can shoot arrows and use a grappling hook to swing across chasms, while the Wizard can create boxes and bridges out of thin air.

While the idea itself is good, the execution of Trine is a bit unpolished, levels begin to become repetitive half way through.

The Good

The graphics are good, whether inside a castle or in a forest, the art style reminds you instantly of a fantasy world in the twilight. The characters themselves are well animated.

The Bad

The levels get a little frustrating at times, not because it is difficult, but because the physics based engine makes it hard to maneuver tricky jumps and the Wizard's objects. These basic moves become a source of frustration instead of fun.

The voice acting while good is ruined by the one dimensional writing, the Knight is a slow witted lumbering hunk of meat, while the Thief is greedy for treasure, the Wizard, slightly subverted here is not only young, but a womanizer. The opportunities for chemistry or banter between the three of them are here, but never appear, instead you spend most of the levels in silence.

Verdict

Trine had a lot of potential, but fails to come up with anything interesting or engaging.

Tim Schafer talks about his Job Interview

20 years ago, during a recession not unlike the one with have now, a young Tim Schafer was looking for his first break.

After screwing up his initial phone interview (he pirated one of Lucasart's games), he decided to send in a rather creative resume and cover letter.


He got the job, Tim does add that you can only do this during the 80's though. I wonder if it'll work now, we'll see on May 2010.

Here's the link

Review: Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Asylum Developed by Rocksteady Studios

The last Batman game I played was Batman Returns on the SNES, it had well balanced gameplay, was challenging and gave me chills as a kid when I imagined the streets of Gotham. Now, more than 20 years later and a fantastic series reboot in comics and film, the videogame version has caught up. Batman:AA is as good as it gets.

30 second Summary

Basically a stealth action game, BAA is set on Arkham Island which houses the infamous Arkham Asylum. Gameplay is semi-linear as Batman explores the island to put a stop to Joker and his evil antics (always wanted to say that). Most of the game consists of exploration broken up with fights and stealth sections.

Story

The premise is simple, Batman captures Joker (again...) and takes him back to the revolving door of a mental asylum/prison Arkham, however it turns out to be a trap and the Dark Knight is stuck inside a looney bin with all the criminals he has locked away over the years. The player must explore Arkham, fight off the prisoners and stop Joker before he unleashes his sinister plan!!! (sorry couldn't help it)


Gameplay

BAA is basically a culmulation of all the good game ideas that have come before. From Zelda, Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid Series, Prince of Persia and platformers. A lot of game mechanics that worked for other games are combined into a solid gold package. More on that soon.

Exploration

Arkham Island consists of 3 main hubs that house a couple of stages each, buildings such as the penetentiary or a medical facility where the bad guys hide out. Most of the time, Batman is told where to go by Oracle on his Batphone. Certain areas are locked until the player obtains one of the cooler gadgets later in the game. Batman does start with a grappling hook which helps him get up to certain areas, escpecially useful for checking out the area for enemies. He also has an ability to glide. Movement is simple with a single button for running and jumping, as he approaches an area, he'll either jump across or glide after a few seconds. One gripe is that you need to hold on to the run/jump button to run instead of simply using the analog stick.

Combat

Every now and then, Batman will encounter troops of bad guys around the areas leading to a comic book styled beat-em up. The combat is fluid and intiutive, easy to learn but hard to master. There is a basic attack, which can be comboed, a counter parry, a stun with the batcape and the evade button. As the game progresses, the player can unlock Batarangs to use within combat and special takedown moves.
Essentially, it plays like the recent Prince of Persia, but with more enemies and trickier timing. When an enemy is about to attack, a flashing sign will indicate it, countering the attack chains the combo. Combos give the player more experience points, as well as leading to the bigger special moves. Technically speaking, the player could combo the entire crowd of over 10 enemies without being hit once until they all drop to the floor. Variations on moves also add to points earned. This allows for some pretty intense and viseceral gameplay.

Stealth sections

Of course, Batman isn't Superman, he relies on his ninja skills to do his work more efficiently. Occasionally, when you enter a room, it is filled with armed thugs, much tougher than the run of the mill variety, they hold a real threat if faced in a group. Here, the game allows you to use sneaking moves, stealth kills like dropping through a glass ceiling onto the unsuspecting thug or hanging someone upside down from a gargoyle. These sections rely more on wit and strategy
instead of rushing in and tanking the damage. Luckily, Batman has a something called Detective Mode, basically you can turn on his special Batvision in his hood and view everything through Batman's eyes.
It is deeply satisfying to go through an area MGS style and take out all the goons without being detected once. An interesting feature is that unlike MGS, they will know that someone is there but are helpless to stop it, the humorous dialogue by a the last remaining thug is pretty comical.

Boss Fights

The boss fights here are pretty varied, but not too challenging. Usually relying on God of War style mechanics, dodge and attack and repeat. The memorable one would be the Scarecrow fight which takes Bats back to 2.5D (no spoilers here). There are a couple of minibosses(venom powered thugs) where Batman takes on the equivalent of a minotaur in God of War. They usually have a lot of HP and are more tedious than challenging. Interestingly, you get to ride on their backs ala Wolverine on Blob in the recent game.

The Riddler

This is an optional sidequest which encompasses most of the game itself, Batman must find and solve 'riddles' scattered through Arkham, such as collecting hidden trophies, environmental visual puzzles and destroying Joker's toy wind up teeth all over the island. While most are not challenging, they provide a welcome distraction from the main storyline and fulfills people's need to collect stuff. Incidentally, it is possible to pick up a Secrets map in every area, this prevents most problems associated with collecting stuff in open world games, like the flags in Assassin's Creed or the presents in GTA.

Challenge Mode and DLC

To top off the story mode, are a bunch of rooms called challenges available from the main menu, after unlocking certain rooms, the player can go through a series of increasinly difficult trials, mainly combat and stealh sections. Scores are taken for flawless combos, not taking damage and variation of combos. This allows players from all over the world to vie for top spots on the leaderboards. With the addition of Joker as a playable character in the PS3 version. This mode is just the cherry on top of the cake. This also allows the devs to easily introduce some modes and rooms on DLC not available on disc.

Graphics and Sound

BAA uses the Unreal Engine, and it is pretty nice to look at, textures show a grim and gritty Batman not unlike those in the darker comics. Character designs are pretty amazing, from the syringes on Scarecrow's hands and making Killer Croc, a 12 foot tall scaly monster, look realistic. The lighting is dark and moody, while each area is extremely detailed, with nostalgic memobrillia or references to other Batman characters. This makes exploring the areas a joy in itself.

However, the baddies and various security guards tend to look a bit generic, but given the nature of their roles it is inevitable. Overall, it captures the essence of Arkham Asylum to a T.

One thing worth mentioning is the incredible quality of voice acting, most of the cast are from the animated series and Mark Hamill has an award winning performance as the Joker, every bad pun, lame joke is made to sound chilling.

Summary

Batman: Arkhamn Asylum is a must get for fans of action stealth games or Batman in general. Any casual players would find it easy to jump into the game as well. With secret collectibles tied to a B-story, Challenge rooms and future DLC. This is a complete package

Prototype Review

Prototype by Radical Entertainment

Prototype is next is a series of open world superhero games like Crackdown or InFamous, however, it has it's own distinctive visual and play style. Alex Mercer the protagonist has the power to consume people for HP, transform his arms into various weapons, he can also run up walls and glide as well as disguise himself as anyone. Powers and upgrades are plenty, and the Player can unlock these through getting XP from completing missions and side missions.


Story

Prototype stars Alex Mercer, a man who has amnesia, super powers in a plague infested New York City.

The story is told through cutscenes and flashforwards or flashbacks depending on where you stand. Most of the game is played as Alex tells it. To supplement the main
storyline, Alex can 'consume' or basically eat people with specific memories that help him piece together the sinister plot.

Review

While sharing many similarities to InFamous, Prototype stands out on it's own, in terms of gameplay, Alex has almost no range attacks, unless he hijacks a military vehicle, which the game seems to recommend. Prototype also uses a lot of gore, people spew blood the when they get cut up, a lot of blood goes everywhere as Alex consumes another creature. However much of it gets cartoony and unbelievable as it goes on.

Good
Playground style gameplay - Prototype is pretty simple, just go around killing stuff and blowing stuff up, relaxing mindless fun without the need to follow the story.

Different ways to complete missions - mainly either bashing through or using disguises to obtain military equipment

Free Roaming - Prototype almost does what Spiderman did years ago, swinging around and exploring was one of the highlights of the game, here Alex easily runs up buildings, hulk jumps and glides across the city, too bad the city textures look really bland and uninteresting


Bad

Loading Screens - are a No-no when it comes to open world games, it removes immersiveness and generally makes it feel more mission based. Prototype has one before/after every cutscene and mission

Wonky aiming system - the lock on system slows time down when you press the button, but since there are so many enemies around you at one time, it becomes really hard to pick the main enemy against all the other fodder.

Lack of focus - Prototype gives you many abilities, but the abilities don't really differentiate themselves, all attacks seem to work against most of the monsters, incidentally there's only one way to take down buildings and that is by hijacking military vehicles.

Enemies - Although Prototype is filled with many enemies, there's a question of when too much is much. You'll literally be surrounded by enemies when entering battle and sometimes you can lose up to 95% of your life in a single instant, with armour on and without knowing why. The game doesn't reward careful playing.

The monsters also don't have different weakness to your powers, basically the same attack that works on cannon fodder, works on stronger bosses and the military as well.

Poor storyline - While we can't fault the developers for sticking with a cliche storyline, they do try to tell it in a different way, getting pieces of it from missions instead of a linear narrative.

However, there is an irritating DNA/History montage before each cut scene, the cutscenes themselves are messy are purposely vague. While it's cool for awhile, having every single cutscene in this manner is extremely tiring

Cheap boss fights and missions - There are certain boss fights and missions that have the difficulty spike up considerably, however this is not due to the player not figuring out the move patterns etc. The boss might have tons of HP, even if you don't suffer a single hit, you'll take ages to wear it down.

Sometimes, the mission objectives have you repeating the same thing 3 or more times, go to point A fight monsters, checkpoint. There comes a point where repetition becomes not fun anymore

Crazy pedestrians - This one is just an AI rant, people/civilians run in front of your tank, when you are driving it, despite areas being closed down due to zombie outbreaks, there always seem to be tons of people walking around. This breaks immersiveness. InFamous does it the other way round, when there is an incident, people run away, leaving you to fight with the enemies. Here they just stand around like damsels in bad B movies.

Suggestions

Of course it wouldn't be fair to point out the weaknesses without offering suggestions.

1) The developers were on the right track with storyline events tied to consuming people on the streets.

- Add more side stories that tell what happened to the people in the city, rather than filling in the main storyline
- Use proper expository material more instead of the seemingly subtle pieces. Given that this is a zombie outbreak, government is evil type story and Alex acts mostly without remorse, there is no need for a subtle touch here. One technique used before was taking the pieces of a cutscene and adding to it as the game goes on until everything becomes clear.

2) Side missions that contribute to the story, destroying a base or a hive in Prototype is only temporary. While completing a similar objective in InFamous is permanent. Have Alex work for side mission only powers, help a doctor and the doctor will increase your health etc.

3) Focus the powers to the weaknesses of the enemies, Rock, Paper, Scissors style, claws for organics and hammers for metal etc. Weak points for the bosses, either obvious (glowing) like in Dead Space, or something which makes sense (e.g attacking the legs to fell the boss)