When my wife suggested I start this blog a month ago, this was the kind of game I was looking forward to reviewing. Torchlight is exactly the kind of game I wanted to spend my time playing. If I was going to buy a game this month, it would be Torchlight.
This game is beautiful. Even on the lowest resolution setting, the visuals were wonderfully clear. Artistically, it looks like a wonderful mix between Diablo II and D&D Temple of Elemental Evil, with TF2 character styling. There's a lot in common between Torchlight, Diablo and, in some ways, WoW. Some people criticize the game for this reason, but I don't see it as a bad thing. Runic took what works and polished it, and the user interface is at and almost mirror shine. You may wear out the left-click button on your mouse, but that almost comes standard with the action-RPG subgenre. The inventory problem that runs rampant in this sort of game has been solved in a very interesting way with the introduction of a pet/familiar system that is actually good! The variety in pet choices is very, very limited. You can have a dog or a cat. That's it. When I saw the cat option, I was a little skeptical, because the pets are advertised as co-combatants and beasts of burden, and I wondered how much use a housecat would be in either of those roles, but it turned out to be a rather intimidating lynx/bobcat thing.
The coolest part about these pets is not only their separate inventory and subsequent ability to carry items for you, but the option to send them to the surface to sell the things in their inventory. This comes in extraordinarily handy when you find yourself mid-quest and out of town portal scrolls. True, you lose the pet and their added firepower while they barter with the townsfolk for you, but you may continue questing uninterrupted. That factor alone increases the flow exponentially and makes the game seem much less grindy than the games it is often compared to. One of the strange things about the pet system is their reaction to fish. You may feed fish to your pet, which transforms them into a different animal entirely. I was almost reluctant to feed my pet for fear of the ethical ramifications. Does poor Spot really have a choice in this? What am I doing to him? Who am I do play god with my beloved Spot? But the fish make Spot more powerful, so I decided that it was better for his overall welfare to increase his survivability than worry over his genetic stability. Another nifty thing about the pets is the amazing AI. Your pet fills the role you need it to fill automatically. If you are a tank, the pet runs crowd control for you so you don't get swamped. If you're a dex monkey, the pet tanks the strongest enemy while you take out the minions. And it does this automatically!
High fantasy with an almost spaghetti-western soundtrack make a great game I would recommend and even require for anyone claiming to be a gamer. Even the casual gamer can enjoy it in half-hour spurts or through the sleepless nights. At $9.95, this game is well worth the money. Go pick it up. This is not a request.
Do the right thing, people. Play indie games. There are kittens.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Strange Attractors 2
I will admit, I’ve been pretty self gratifying recently. Tuesday I reviewed an RTS, and today is yet another of my beloved physics games. I promise, an FPS is in the future, but I need your recommendations. Combat Arms seems a tantalizing morsel, but MMOs don’t lend themselves well to reviewing. Imagine I am the unblinking eye of Sauron, searching the lands for the precious thing; a decent FPS. Even Sauron needs a little help from his friends sometimes. Go forth, my orcs. Find me a shooter worthy of Mordor. If you happen to find some hobbits and a gold ring in your search, those are mine too.
Strange Attractors 2 is, to be brief, refreshing and infuriating all in one. I’ve never seen such a simple game use it’s simplicity as a factor in its difficulty. In that, Ominous Development has created one of the most original and creative downloadables I’ve played in a long while. The game controls are comprised of two buttons. That’s it. The point is to navigate your spacecraft through a series of rooms, collecting stars as you go. It’s always stars. They never explain why you’re collecting stars, but they are necessary to your advancement. There are no engines in this craft. You control gravity. The problem, of course, is that there is no leveled use of said gravity. Gravity is either on or off, and the speed you attain is directly related to how close you are to an object and how large said object is. You may also toggle “anti-gravity” which drives you away from objects at the same relative velocity as the normal gravity pulls you toward them.
The reason I chalk the simplicity of the controls toward the games difficulty is how limiting and out-of-control gameplay is. Having no directional influence on your craft’s travel can get frustrating, but it forces you to think with gravity, as it were (to steal a Portal tagline). Manipulation of gravitational forces as a propulsion mechanism is very difficult to predict, but because of that, success is thoroughly gratifying. Using chains of pushes and pulls to orbit larger obstacles or send smaller objects crashing into you to create momentum creates the closest feeling to vertigo I’ve ever experienced in a game. You should also monitor your speed very closely. Faster is not always better in this game. When timing and positioning are crucial, it becomes very easy to inadvertently send yourself hurtling across the map.
The demo is very short. I only got about ten minutes of play-time out of my first run through, and that was with a complete lack of aptitude for the game. I chalk this up to the very reasonable price of the full version. Later on in the main game, however, you are introduced to Ominous’ warped sense of humor. Astronauts are unfortunate, doomed creatures in this world. Fodder for cheap giggles at their grisly ends, they accept their role in the game with near gleeful willingness.
Strange Attractors 2 is worth a look. At $10 over Greenhouse, it’s a low-risk game with a decent payoff. Mind-bending puzzles and decent graphics, merged with a spectacular concept and some cathartic chuckles add up to a game well worth the price. If you have a mind to buy a game, and only want to spend around 10 bucks, snap this one up before Ominous figures out their mistake and raises the price.
I know this was another short one, but I’m on vacation, and my wife is bugging me to let the work be. Forgive me for not visiting, San Francisco friends! Do the right thing, people. Play indie games. Revitalize the California state economy.
Strange Attractors 2 is, to be brief, refreshing and infuriating all in one. I’ve never seen such a simple game use it’s simplicity as a factor in its difficulty. In that, Ominous Development has created one of the most original and creative downloadables I’ve played in a long while. The game controls are comprised of two buttons. That’s it. The point is to navigate your spacecraft through a series of rooms, collecting stars as you go. It’s always stars. They never explain why you’re collecting stars, but they are necessary to your advancement. There are no engines in this craft. You control gravity. The problem, of course, is that there is no leveled use of said gravity. Gravity is either on or off, and the speed you attain is directly related to how close you are to an object and how large said object is. You may also toggle “anti-gravity” which drives you away from objects at the same relative velocity as the normal gravity pulls you toward them.
The reason I chalk the simplicity of the controls toward the games difficulty is how limiting and out-of-control gameplay is. Having no directional influence on your craft’s travel can get frustrating, but it forces you to think with gravity, as it were (to steal a Portal tagline). Manipulation of gravitational forces as a propulsion mechanism is very difficult to predict, but because of that, success is thoroughly gratifying. Using chains of pushes and pulls to orbit larger obstacles or send smaller objects crashing into you to create momentum creates the closest feeling to vertigo I’ve ever experienced in a game. You should also monitor your speed very closely. Faster is not always better in this game. When timing and positioning are crucial, it becomes very easy to inadvertently send yourself hurtling across the map.
The demo is very short. I only got about ten minutes of play-time out of my first run through, and that was with a complete lack of aptitude for the game. I chalk this up to the very reasonable price of the full version. Later on in the main game, however, you are introduced to Ominous’ warped sense of humor. Astronauts are unfortunate, doomed creatures in this world. Fodder for cheap giggles at their grisly ends, they accept their role in the game with near gleeful willingness.
Strange Attractors 2 is worth a look. At $10 over Greenhouse, it’s a low-risk game with a decent payoff. Mind-bending puzzles and decent graphics, merged with a spectacular concept and some cathartic chuckles add up to a game well worth the price. If you have a mind to buy a game, and only want to spend around 10 bucks, snap this one up before Ominous figures out their mistake and raises the price.
I know this was another short one, but I’m on vacation, and my wife is bugging me to let the work be. Forgive me for not visiting, San Francisco friends! Do the right thing, people. Play indie games. Revitalize the California state economy.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Multiwinia
So I will be on vacation in Sacramento through the weekend. For those of you out there wondering, I plan my vacations around family events; that's why I'm going to "vacation" in Sacramento. Friday's post will still be up, but that one, as this one, will be posted in the evenings. I get better traffic in the late evening anyway.
In 1995 this game would be FANTASTIC! That was what I kept thinking as I played through the demo for Multiwinia, an inventive RTS from Introversion Software. The trailer there explains the game basics, and it stays fairly true to the concept. Their tagline "Survival of the flattest" doesn't seem to apply, but then again, maybe that becomes more of a factor in the full version. Two of the three game styles available on the demo are the most commonly played types of games in the whole genre; King of the Hill and Capture the flag. The third, Rocket Riot, was a unique take on the defense aspect of the strategy genre. Capture resource points to fuel the rocket, then fill your rocket with guys, but don't let the enemy attack your rocket, because it could catch fire and you lose fuel. This game mode, along with the challenging enemy AI made for a refreshing, if utilitarian take on my favorite aspect of gaming.
Units are spawned periodically from spawn points, which vomit them out like bad Thai food. The units are two-dimensional stick figures, which do your basic bidding, but aren't afraid to run away from battle if there isn't an officer around or they don't have the clear advantage. The lack of an attack function is pretty nice after a bit of play. It's free of the normal nearly stressful micro-management synonymous with the genre.
In order to get to the packing I've been neglecting (procrastination, GO!), I will simply leave it at a recommendation. If you can't afford the $14.95, the demo at least is worth a playthrough.
Try it here
Do the right thing and all that. I'M A LIBERAL! (Cue maniacal laughter) "tax and spend, tax and spend..."
In 1995 this game would be FANTASTIC! That was what I kept thinking as I played through the demo for Multiwinia, an inventive RTS from Introversion Software. The trailer there explains the game basics, and it stays fairly true to the concept. Their tagline "Survival of the flattest" doesn't seem to apply, but then again, maybe that becomes more of a factor in the full version. Two of the three game styles available on the demo are the most commonly played types of games in the whole genre; King of the Hill and Capture the flag. The third, Rocket Riot, was a unique take on the defense aspect of the strategy genre. Capture resource points to fuel the rocket, then fill your rocket with guys, but don't let the enemy attack your rocket, because it could catch fire and you lose fuel. This game mode, along with the challenging enemy AI made for a refreshing, if utilitarian take on my favorite aspect of gaming.
Units are spawned periodically from spawn points, which vomit them out like bad Thai food. The units are two-dimensional stick figures, which do your basic bidding, but aren't afraid to run away from battle if there isn't an officer around or they don't have the clear advantage. The lack of an attack function is pretty nice after a bit of play. It's free of the normal nearly stressful micro-management synonymous with the genre.
In order to get to the packing I've been neglecting (procrastination, GO!), I will simply leave it at a recommendation. If you can't afford the $14.95, the demo at least is worth a playthrough.
Try it here
Do the right thing and all that. I'M A LIBERAL! (Cue maniacal laughter) "tax and spend, tax and spend..."
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Closure
Tackling a big one this time. Closure got a lot of good press being selected for the PAX 10 this year. Hundreds of games are submitted to be members of this elite group; the best of the indie game best. Closure made an impression by being the first and only online flash game to make the cut. There's a good reason for that. This game is frankly spectacular. The tone is dark and brooding, and the pacing, though somewhat plodding, is a good fit for the game.
There's something creepy about this light-and-dark puzzle. The art is simplistic and utilitarian, yet beautiful in an eerie sort of way. Black and white figures lend a claustrophobic air, which fits naturally with the game's concept. Matter is only solid when light shines on it, which is a problem in this world of total darkness. There's no story backing this premise, which is a shame, since the concept begs for greater depth. The protagonist is a white outline, a silhouette apparently trying to escape this world through a series of doors, the way to which can only be found with the help of many orbs of light. Light, as you find, is the key to all the puzzles leading to your way out.
Gameplay is interesting and original. The ability to walk through walls (given your light source is low enough to the ground) is always appreciated. The inability to hold more than one item, however, is not. Having to pick up a key and then drop it at the edge of the light, then go back, pick up the light, dropping it with the key at the edge and repeating ad nauseum gets old fairly quickly. Another complaint (oddly enough) is the length of the game. Again, this is a very original, interesting, etc. concept, but at level 20, it loses it's spark, falling into a pit of sameyness. It's good for a couple of hours, but after that, I lost motivation to continue. 15 levels would have been a perfect length with the amount of content possible. The tutorial spans several levels, dragging it on a bit too long. If they had condensed it to one or two levels, the game would have gained some extra playability.
Trying to keep it short, I definitely recommend Closure. Even with the complaints I have, it's obvious to me why it made the PAX 10. Spend some time with it. It is another shining light (ironically) of flash gaming. Do the right thing, people. Play indie games. Eat the rich.
There's something creepy about this light-and-dark puzzle. The art is simplistic and utilitarian, yet beautiful in an eerie sort of way. Black and white figures lend a claustrophobic air, which fits naturally with the game's concept. Matter is only solid when light shines on it, which is a problem in this world of total darkness. There's no story backing this premise, which is a shame, since the concept begs for greater depth. The protagonist is a white outline, a silhouette apparently trying to escape this world through a series of doors, the way to which can only be found with the help of many orbs of light. Light, as you find, is the key to all the puzzles leading to your way out.
Gameplay is interesting and original. The ability to walk through walls (given your light source is low enough to the ground) is always appreciated. The inability to hold more than one item, however, is not. Having to pick up a key and then drop it at the edge of the light, then go back, pick up the light, dropping it with the key at the edge and repeating ad nauseum gets old fairly quickly. Another complaint (oddly enough) is the length of the game. Again, this is a very original, interesting, etc. concept, but at level 20, it loses it's spark, falling into a pit of sameyness. It's good for a couple of hours, but after that, I lost motivation to continue. 15 levels would have been a perfect length with the amount of content possible. The tutorial spans several levels, dragging it on a bit too long. If they had condensed it to one or two levels, the game would have gained some extra playability.
Trying to keep it short, I definitely recommend Closure. Even with the complaints I have, it's obvious to me why it made the PAX 10. Spend some time with it. It is another shining light (ironically) of flash gaming. Do the right thing, people. Play indie games. Eat the rich.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Syobon Action: The Game of Pure Evil
So I've decided to make a change after trying this out for a while. Since most of the games I review here are pretty short and, well, let's face it, I only get viewers when I've got new stuff, I'm going to start putting the reviews out more often. Tuesdays and Fridays, to be exact. I hope you all enjoy what I'm doing here, because I hope to be doing this for a long time. Anyway, On to Syobon Action!
I will not lie to you. This game is evil. Prepare for that when you, the poor curious soul you are, eventually download this amalgamation of unmitigated torment. Black demons from the depths forged this game from the screaming souls of the damned, and it's very code is written with the pen used for infernal pacts with the unholy Fiend himself. I've taken to calling it "Ragequit: the Game" when I whisper of it to my wife, hidden beneath the blankets in fear of such villainy being heard by other mortal ears. It's true name shall not be uttered lest the speaker should unwittingly summon the unending death known by that dark tongue. Behold its treachery:
Having gotten that all out of the way, the game is surprisingly fun. The first impression I got of the game was a start screen politely demanding that I "Prece Enter Key." The rest of the text is in Japanese, which adds to the frustration, since I cannot read Japanese. There are helpful hints scattered throughout the game in little boxes with some sort of fruit on them, and by level 3, I had convinced myself that those unintelligible tomes held step-by-step instructions to the successful accomplishment of the game and maybe even life itself. 4-button d-pad controls simplify even the Super Mario Bros. format it emulates, but there is nothing simple about this game. Infuriating traps, pitfalls and unkillable enemies await within the four diabolical levels modeled after world 1 of the NES classic. There are infinite lives, but it counts down from 2 until hours later you find yourself well into the negative hundreds. That's right. It counts your lives into the negatives to mock you. The puzzles are well thought out and flexible, and I found myself thinking in new ways, which ingratiated the game with me. The fact that I continued to play the game well after my rage threw me into purple-faced seizures, denying my normally calm character, is a testament to the game's addictive playability. I was a man crazed, overcome by pride, loathing the very thought that this game would beat me.
In conclusion, I plead with you, dear readers; do not play this game. For the sake of your soul, for the sake of your sanity, for the sake of the very fabric of the universe, do not enter into communion with this brightly colored 16-bit demon. I write to you, a battered and broken husk of a man, warning you not to cross over into this realm, the horrors of which will reduce you to the aforementioned husk state. Avoid it unless you want an entertaining game full of tricks, puzzles and unending laughs at the expense of your friends.
http://www.acid-play.com/download/syobon-action/
Do the right thing, people. Play indie games. Raise awareness of inadequate health-care among the lower class.
I will not lie to you. This game is evil. Prepare for that when you, the poor curious soul you are, eventually download this amalgamation of unmitigated torment. Black demons from the depths forged this game from the screaming souls of the damned, and it's very code is written with the pen used for infernal pacts with the unholy Fiend himself. I've taken to calling it "Ragequit: the Game" when I whisper of it to my wife, hidden beneath the blankets in fear of such villainy being heard by other mortal ears. It's true name shall not be uttered lest the speaker should unwittingly summon the unending death known by that dark tongue. Behold its treachery:
Having gotten that all out of the way, the game is surprisingly fun. The first impression I got of the game was a start screen politely demanding that I "Prece Enter Key." The rest of the text is in Japanese, which adds to the frustration, since I cannot read Japanese. There are helpful hints scattered throughout the game in little boxes with some sort of fruit on them, and by level 3, I had convinced myself that those unintelligible tomes held step-by-step instructions to the successful accomplishment of the game and maybe even life itself. 4-button d-pad controls simplify even the Super Mario Bros. format it emulates, but there is nothing simple about this game. Infuriating traps, pitfalls and unkillable enemies await within the four diabolical levels modeled after world 1 of the NES classic. There are infinite lives, but it counts down from 2 until hours later you find yourself well into the negative hundreds. That's right. It counts your lives into the negatives to mock you. The puzzles are well thought out and flexible, and I found myself thinking in new ways, which ingratiated the game with me. The fact that I continued to play the game well after my rage threw me into purple-faced seizures, denying my normally calm character, is a testament to the game's addictive playability. I was a man crazed, overcome by pride, loathing the very thought that this game would beat me.
In conclusion, I plead with you, dear readers; do not play this game. For the sake of your soul, for the sake of your sanity, for the sake of the very fabric of the universe, do not enter into communion with this brightly colored 16-bit demon. I write to you, a battered and broken husk of a man, warning you not to cross over into this realm, the horrors of which will reduce you to the aforementioned husk state. Avoid it unless you want an entertaining game full of tricks, puzzles and unending laughs at the expense of your friends.
http://www.acid-play.com/download/syobon-action/
Do the right thing, people. Play indie games. Raise awareness of inadequate health-care among the lower class.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Dungeon Fighter Online
I said in my last review that MMOs aren't my style, and I stand by that statement. Playing MMOs for me is like riding the bus. For the most part people leave you alone, but you're always on the lookout for that one jackass who's going to try to mug you. It's an entirely unpleasant endeavor trying to party up with complete strangers and try to get something done. It's not so much the grinding or any of the gameplay elements that turn me off. It's the simple fact that they are online and multiplayer games. A couple rounds of Halo on XBL should be enough to prove my point. So why would I jump straight off and review Nexon's newest MMO experiment?
When I was looking for a game, one of my friends referred me to Nexon's Combat Arms, a first-person shooter MMO, which to me seemed like another game company's attempt to edge in on the counterstrike market, and I wasn't entirely enthused about having to deal with all the screeching and general prepubescent hoopla that comes with the internet cafe crowd. I was having trouble finding something, however, so I cruised over and had a look.
I was surprised to see Maple Story, a game which got played to death a while ago. So on that endorsement I looked at Combat arms, and it seemed decent, but the ads for DFO (Dungeon Fighter Online) on the sidebar held a strange feeling of familiarity. Then I realized that I saw an ad for it at PAX this year (and it was, in fact, on the swag bags), which cinched it for me. I hit the download button before I was done reading the preview.
What came next was a thing of dark legend. I will tell of it to my children to keep them from getting out of bed at night. Have you ever been on hold for more than an hour? Two? the full game was 1.09 Gb, but it took nearly four HOURS to download. I hear the typical hardware one-upmanship beginning and the zippers coming down, so let me stop you. It was going at an average 300 kbps. First I had to download the special DFO download client, THEN the downloader. I had a nice chuckle about the irony of having to download the downloader. After Vista was done having a hissyfit about a third-party download client existing on the hard drive and very graciously gave me permission to continue, the fact that I had already sunk two hours of concerted effort into the task was the only thing keeping me from quitting. I had no idea of the trials to come. Oh, what a fool I was.
Two hours of downloading later, the setup process was what I can only describe as a black magic ritual. The strange and unnatural requirement to navigate both internet browser and install wizard left me feeling as though my computer would be demanding a lock of my hair. It requires a MCSE certification and the ownership of a penguin t-shirt to set up the program with any success. After somehow muddling my way through, the install/setup process was half-way complete, and the program crashed. I had hoped that there would be some sort of autosave function, sparing me from making that infernal contract with the wizard of install a second time, but my prayers went unanswered. Fortunately, the trail-and-error stumbling I did in my previous iteration left me with a loose semblance of guidance through that ominous wilderness. The second time, the program crashed after hitting the 99% mark. Clothes were torn, and cursing the gods, I shouted to the heavens in despair. After a cigarette, I watched with baited breath as the program finally, after 6 hours of battle, successfully launched. Then it crashed and I went to bed a broken man.
When I rose the next morning to join battle once again, I found a cooperative, perhaps even submissive program laying on my desktop like a cat who just the night before vomited on my pillow. After a somewhat lengthy, but manageable boot-up time, I found a delightful tryst to nostalgia waiting within. I was taken back to the arcade near my parents' house in California, where I spent hours and many quarters playing Street Fighter 2 and Double Dragon in plywood cabinets with sticky buttons. Such was the rush of fond memories, I instantly forgot my despise for the game or the nefarious fiends who designed it.
I am straying, however. The controls are simple and intuitive, and the gameplay is actually pretty fun. Side-scrollers have made a soft spot for themselves in my heart (or head, depending on your views), and this game doesn't fail to deliver the elements that make those games great. Unlike the six-axis, 3D extravaganzas out there, DFO holds no pretenses on what it is, and I appreciate games that don't take themselves too seriously. The dev team took what works and put it into their game. The quest dialogues and HUD look like they were ripped straight out of WOW and put through an 8-bit filter, and the inventory system is a close clone of the one from Diablo 2. Gameplay feels like a fun mix between Street Fighter 2 and Double Dragon. Character creation happens in a flash, with only the name and class being player-chosen. The lack of character customization is a double-edged sword, but we'll get into that later. Every character starts with a fun little comic-book sequence to set up his or her backstory, which ranges from being an escaped convict to wandering the post-apocalyptic ruins of New York City. The classes are simple and straight-forward with roles designed into each and various tech trees to explore.
The classes are; slayer (up-close DPS with a demonic twist), gunner (ranged DPS/crowd control with lots of fun toys), fighter (standard hot-chick-who-kicks-ass), mage (some crazy little 10-year-old anime girl in an uncomfortably erotic outfit, crowd control) and priest (enormous man in a black spandex suit with a white cross on the chest, healer). Each has it's benefits and drawbacks as in any game of the genre, but the ones that made themselves known to me were a little more ambiguous and confusing than the obvious combat party mechanics. The way the mage prances around the screen makes me wonder if there isn't someone on the dev team who should have his hard drive inspected, and it took me more than a minute to notice that the fighter wears a tank top with two watermelons shoved into the front of it and is otherwise clad in naught but white cotton panties and chaps. When the gunner runs, he inexplicably covers his face with his hand, which makes me wonder if he's trying to keep out dust (as his strange spaghetti western/ronin attire would suggest), or if he's running towards something really shocking. Either way, he has a bandana covering the lower part of his face, so the act seems out-of-place at best. The priest fights with an over sized cross with a handle attached to it, which is inordinately cool when he gets around to using it, but it stays on his back most of the time until you use one of his powers or make a combo attack. It makes me wonder why he even has the thing if he doesn't use it very often. I chalk all this up to the artists' anime stylings and don't go any further into it than that, but I'm telling you right now, if tentacles get involved at any point of the game, I'm quitting.
Which brings us full circle to the bad stuff. I mentioned earlier that there is no character customization which, when quick-starting, is all well and good until you get to the first city, which is crawling with new players who haven't earned enough in-game money to buy new outfits and therefor looks just like you. About five minutes into my adventure, I was squinting six inches from the screen, thanking God for auto-center and wondering where the hell I was. It's like that last page of a "Where's Waldo" book, when you have to find Waldo in the midst of a crowd of Waldo clones. It's a great motivator to keep playing so you can afford to customize, but until you get the money, it's just really annoying.
On a gameplay-related note, I know collision detection is an issue for any game with this sort of 3-axis platform (left, right, up down and jump), but with DFO's multiple enemy encounters, it gets very finicky on what hits and what doesn't. I was playing my gunner, Trebuchet, and I was shooting at a level 1 goblin for about thirty seconds, wondering why he wouldn't die as he slowly chipped away at my life, until I realized I was a couple of steps off on the down axis, so I readjusted and killed him quickly. It's a small complaint which goes away with practice, but the more there is going on on the screen, the more likely you are to make the mistake.
In the end, though, these are my only complaints. It's a bright, colorful, inventive world in there, with a very original concept, and I honestly had fun playing it. Even the part of MMO's I despise most, LFG, was easy and welcoming. The lack of non-arena PvP may strike some as the sign of a weak game, but I like it. We have enough stress in our lives as it is, and having to constantly look over our shoulders for the ass-hat who's going to gank us doesn't help. This is an honest, fun game, and that's really all I can ask for. I wouldn't do the set-up again if you paid me, but the reward was an imperfect game with lots of potential. With a few patches, Nexon may have something truly wonderful on their hands. Do the right thing, people. Play indie games. Save the whales.
When I was looking for a game, one of my friends referred me to Nexon's Combat Arms, a first-person shooter MMO, which to me seemed like another game company's attempt to edge in on the counterstrike market, and I wasn't entirely enthused about having to deal with all the screeching and general prepubescent hoopla that comes with the internet cafe crowd. I was having trouble finding something, however, so I cruised over and had a look.
I was surprised to see Maple Story, a game which got played to death a while ago. So on that endorsement I looked at Combat arms, and it seemed decent, but the ads for DFO (Dungeon Fighter Online) on the sidebar held a strange feeling of familiarity. Then I realized that I saw an ad for it at PAX this year (and it was, in fact, on the swag bags), which cinched it for me. I hit the download button before I was done reading the preview.
What came next was a thing of dark legend. I will tell of it to my children to keep them from getting out of bed at night. Have you ever been on hold for more than an hour? Two? the full game was 1.09 Gb, but it took nearly four HOURS to download. I hear the typical hardware one-upmanship beginning and the zippers coming down, so let me stop you. It was going at an average 300 kbps. First I had to download the special DFO download client, THEN the downloader. I had a nice chuckle about the irony of having to download the downloader. After Vista was done having a hissyfit about a third-party download client existing on the hard drive and very graciously gave me permission to continue, the fact that I had already sunk two hours of concerted effort into the task was the only thing keeping me from quitting. I had no idea of the trials to come. Oh, what a fool I was.
Two hours of downloading later, the setup process was what I can only describe as a black magic ritual. The strange and unnatural requirement to navigate both internet browser and install wizard left me feeling as though my computer would be demanding a lock of my hair. It requires a MCSE certification and the ownership of a penguin t-shirt to set up the program with any success. After somehow muddling my way through, the install/setup process was half-way complete, and the program crashed. I had hoped that there would be some sort of autosave function, sparing me from making that infernal contract with the wizard of install a second time, but my prayers went unanswered. Fortunately, the trail-and-error stumbling I did in my previous iteration left me with a loose semblance of guidance through that ominous wilderness. The second time, the program crashed after hitting the 99% mark. Clothes were torn, and cursing the gods, I shouted to the heavens in despair. After a cigarette, I watched with baited breath as the program finally, after 6 hours of battle, successfully launched. Then it crashed and I went to bed a broken man.
When I rose the next morning to join battle once again, I found a cooperative, perhaps even submissive program laying on my desktop like a cat who just the night before vomited on my pillow. After a somewhat lengthy, but manageable boot-up time, I found a delightful tryst to nostalgia waiting within. I was taken back to the arcade near my parents' house in California, where I spent hours and many quarters playing Street Fighter 2 and Double Dragon in plywood cabinets with sticky buttons. Such was the rush of fond memories, I instantly forgot my despise for the game or the nefarious fiends who designed it.
I am straying, however. The controls are simple and intuitive, and the gameplay is actually pretty fun. Side-scrollers have made a soft spot for themselves in my heart (or head, depending on your views), and this game doesn't fail to deliver the elements that make those games great. Unlike the six-axis, 3D extravaganzas out there, DFO holds no pretenses on what it is, and I appreciate games that don't take themselves too seriously. The dev team took what works and put it into their game. The quest dialogues and HUD look like they were ripped straight out of WOW and put through an 8-bit filter, and the inventory system is a close clone of the one from Diablo 2. Gameplay feels like a fun mix between Street Fighter 2 and Double Dragon. Character creation happens in a flash, with only the name and class being player-chosen. The lack of character customization is a double-edged sword, but we'll get into that later. Every character starts with a fun little comic-book sequence to set up his or her backstory, which ranges from being an escaped convict to wandering the post-apocalyptic ruins of New York City. The classes are simple and straight-forward with roles designed into each and various tech trees to explore.
The classes are; slayer (up-close DPS with a demonic twist), gunner (ranged DPS/crowd control with lots of fun toys), fighter (standard hot-chick-who-kicks-ass), mage (some crazy little 10-year-old anime girl in an uncomfortably erotic outfit, crowd control) and priest (enormous man in a black spandex suit with a white cross on the chest, healer). Each has it's benefits and drawbacks as in any game of the genre, but the ones that made themselves known to me were a little more ambiguous and confusing than the obvious combat party mechanics. The way the mage prances around the screen makes me wonder if there isn't someone on the dev team who should have his hard drive inspected, and it took me more than a minute to notice that the fighter wears a tank top with two watermelons shoved into the front of it and is otherwise clad in naught but white cotton panties and chaps. When the gunner runs, he inexplicably covers his face with his hand, which makes me wonder if he's trying to keep out dust (as his strange spaghetti western/ronin attire would suggest), or if he's running towards something really shocking. Either way, he has a bandana covering the lower part of his face, so the act seems out-of-place at best. The priest fights with an over sized cross with a handle attached to it, which is inordinately cool when he gets around to using it, but it stays on his back most of the time until you use one of his powers or make a combo attack. It makes me wonder why he even has the thing if he doesn't use it very often. I chalk all this up to the artists' anime stylings and don't go any further into it than that, but I'm telling you right now, if tentacles get involved at any point of the game, I'm quitting.
Which brings us full circle to the bad stuff. I mentioned earlier that there is no character customization which, when quick-starting, is all well and good until you get to the first city, which is crawling with new players who haven't earned enough in-game money to buy new outfits and therefor looks just like you. About five minutes into my adventure, I was squinting six inches from the screen, thanking God for auto-center and wondering where the hell I was. It's like that last page of a "Where's Waldo" book, when you have to find Waldo in the midst of a crowd of Waldo clones. It's a great motivator to keep playing so you can afford to customize, but until you get the money, it's just really annoying.
On a gameplay-related note, I know collision detection is an issue for any game with this sort of 3-axis platform (left, right, up down and jump), but with DFO's multiple enemy encounters, it gets very finicky on what hits and what doesn't. I was playing my gunner, Trebuchet, and I was shooting at a level 1 goblin for about thirty seconds, wondering why he wouldn't die as he slowly chipped away at my life, until I realized I was a couple of steps off on the down axis, so I readjusted and killed him quickly. It's a small complaint which goes away with practice, but the more there is going on on the screen, the more likely you are to make the mistake.
In the end, though, these are my only complaints. It's a bright, colorful, inventive world in there, with a very original concept, and I honestly had fun playing it. Even the part of MMO's I despise most, LFG, was easy and welcoming. The lack of non-arena PvP may strike some as the sign of a weak game, but I like it. We have enough stress in our lives as it is, and having to constantly look over our shoulders for the ass-hat who's going to gank us doesn't help. This is an honest, fun game, and that's really all I can ask for. I wouldn't do the set-up again if you paid me, but the reward was an imperfect game with lots of potential. With a few patches, Nexon may have something truly wonderful on their hands. Do the right thing, people. Play indie games. Save the whales.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Flash games: Boiling Down
It's time we gamers faced facts as a community. Our genre has expanded to a point of near-critical mass, and the sheer number of games available on a constant basis is staggering. Discounting the traditional platforms (basically anything you can buy at GameStop), anyone with an internet connection can game for countless hours, fulfilling whatever base genre desires your little heart has. Google "flash games" sometime for kicks. Try to find one single game that can capture your attention for more than fifteen minutes. The search itself renders more than 173,000,000 hits. It could send a Zen master into an ADD tizzy.
The problem here is that, upon my initial research, almost 50% of these hits are flash game hosting sites, and even with larger game hosting sites such as armorgames.com, only maybe 70% of their content is original (I'm being generous in my estimation). The others are linked from sites such as Kongregate and addictinggames, etc. and vice-versa. Another problem is that we only have maybe 30 game concepts floating around for the vast majority of the games out there. What I'm getting at is that there are very, very few original games available on a flash platform. So where do we find good games in this veritable sea of mediocrity? Even the casual flash gamer with only a few minutes to spend deserves good games.
What I propose is a list of games that I, as a flash gamer, enjoy. This is a purely subjective list. I am subject to whims of my own fancy, and to the bonds of some loose genre loyalty, so if you don't like RTS or tower defence games, some of the games on the list may seem somewhat undeserved. That being said, here are the games, and a short synopsis/review of each, starting from 10;
10. Seed This game lives up to it's host site's title. It's a fun and addictive little DNA/evolution sim dealing with flowers. Mainly attracting players who like Spore, the number of variations available is pretty impressive, given the game's format. There isn't much diversity to the gameplay itself, but it serves the concept well. Simple, easy to play, and time-altering. Don't play this if you have something to do in the next hour.
9. This Is the Only Level The name says it all. You are a poor little immortal elephant, forced to replay the same level over and over again. Though it sounds repetitive (and in some ways it is), the level evolves with each new iteration to produce an addictive and sometimes infuriating jumping platform game. Mario-esque fun in a challenging, if not somewhat samey box. Easy to learn, impossible to master.
8. Learn to Fly Cute factor is high in this side-scrolling physics game. You are a penguin who has taken it upon himself to break free of his flightless anatomy. Fun upgrades and a very intuitive set of controls makes for a great setting, and by the end I was really becoming invested in the adorable protagonist.
7. Warzone This game is getting huge. Between Facebook and the various tower defence sites pimping it out, mad cow interactive is making a lot of noise with this tight, well polished tower defence strategy game. Not overly creative, but a great way to waste an hour or two.
6. Hedgehog Launch Another cute physics game, there are a few more complexities to this game than Learn to Fly. You are ordered by your government to launch the nation's mascot, a hedgehog, into space to spearhead the nation's space program. The fun in this game is the play. It is genuinely enjoyable to launch that little guy into space, and the ending, though darkly adorable, is tinged with regret that it's over already. The good news: the sequel retained the basic charm. Another game to avoid if you have pressing commitments.
5. The Space Game Not strictly a tower defence game, The Space Game is more of a defence-based RTS. This is a challenging game with many layers of strategic complexity, requiring a high level of tactical improvisation. The story mode's plot is a little thin, but a decent attempt. It would have done just as well without the pretext. Overall, I would recommend this game to fans of management RTSs or turn-based strategy.
4. Dark Orbit Generally, I am not a fan of MMOs or their soul-sucking flash spawnlings, but Dark Orbit managed to suck me in anyway. I credit this to my love for sci-fi and the total lack of necessity to make friends or talk to people in-game. I understand that party building is half the fun in MMOs, and you have the option to do so in Dark Orbit, but I appreciate the game not ramming it down my throat.
3. Effing Hail Catharsis embodied, this game requires you destroy everything you encounter with gusts of wind propelling bits of hail skyward, keeping them aloft as they grow in size until they crash down upon the hapless inhabitants of the tiny world you are tasked to destroy. Definitely worth the time, especially on a bad day.
2. Epic War 2 This game is impressive. Side-scrolling RTS with massive armies, a neat story, and one of the few flash games that gave me a sense of accomplishment when I achieved victory by drowning my foes with waves and waves of expendable troops. There are three unique races to choose from, and great upgrades to quash your enemies. Having to buy the upgrades again every level is a little irritating, but it adds a sense of urgency to what would otherwise be a rather mild difficulty curve. Highly recommend for Warcraft 3 junkies and Tolkien fans.
1. Toss the Turtle This game's major selling point is the artwork, and sell it does. The object of this dark side-scroller is to shoot the turtle out of a cannon as far as you can. The poor little guy takes a lot of damage on the way, eliciting some morbid chuckles. The power-ups at the shop are designed to inflict even more damage on what must be the most masochistic turtle to exist. The artwork, done by Gonzo, is bright, colorful and would make Jhonen Vasquez proud. I highly recommend this game if you have a few minutes, or if you need a way to stay awake all night so the clown under your bed doesn't eat you.
So there you have it; my top 10 flash games currently on the net. No, they aren't the most influential or even consequential, games, but they are fun and provide a doorway to new game artists looking to break in with the industry. Do the right thing, people. Play indie games. Save America.
The problem here is that, upon my initial research, almost 50% of these hits are flash game hosting sites, and even with larger game hosting sites such as armorgames.com, only maybe 70% of their content is original (I'm being generous in my estimation). The others are linked from sites such as Kongregate and addictinggames, etc. and vice-versa. Another problem is that we only have maybe 30 game concepts floating around for the vast majority of the games out there. What I'm getting at is that there are very, very few original games available on a flash platform. So where do we find good games in this veritable sea of mediocrity? Even the casual flash gamer with only a few minutes to spend deserves good games.
What I propose is a list of games that I, as a flash gamer, enjoy. This is a purely subjective list. I am subject to whims of my own fancy, and to the bonds of some loose genre loyalty, so if you don't like RTS or tower defence games, some of the games on the list may seem somewhat undeserved. That being said, here are the games, and a short synopsis/review of each, starting from 10;
10. Seed This game lives up to it's host site's title. It's a fun and addictive little DNA/evolution sim dealing with flowers. Mainly attracting players who like Spore, the number of variations available is pretty impressive, given the game's format. There isn't much diversity to the gameplay itself, but it serves the concept well. Simple, easy to play, and time-altering. Don't play this if you have something to do in the next hour.
9. This Is the Only Level The name says it all. You are a poor little immortal elephant, forced to replay the same level over and over again. Though it sounds repetitive (and in some ways it is), the level evolves with each new iteration to produce an addictive and sometimes infuriating jumping platform game. Mario-esque fun in a challenging, if not somewhat samey box. Easy to learn, impossible to master.
8. Learn to Fly Cute factor is high in this side-scrolling physics game. You are a penguin who has taken it upon himself to break free of his flightless anatomy. Fun upgrades and a very intuitive set of controls makes for a great setting, and by the end I was really becoming invested in the adorable protagonist.
7. Warzone This game is getting huge. Between Facebook and the various tower defence sites pimping it out, mad cow interactive is making a lot of noise with this tight, well polished tower defence strategy game. Not overly creative, but a great way to waste an hour or two.
6. Hedgehog Launch Another cute physics game, there are a few more complexities to this game than Learn to Fly. You are ordered by your government to launch the nation's mascot, a hedgehog, into space to spearhead the nation's space program. The fun in this game is the play. It is genuinely enjoyable to launch that little guy into space, and the ending, though darkly adorable, is tinged with regret that it's over already. The good news: the sequel retained the basic charm. Another game to avoid if you have pressing commitments.
5. The Space Game Not strictly a tower defence game, The Space Game is more of a defence-based RTS. This is a challenging game with many layers of strategic complexity, requiring a high level of tactical improvisation. The story mode's plot is a little thin, but a decent attempt. It would have done just as well without the pretext. Overall, I would recommend this game to fans of management RTSs or turn-based strategy.
4. Dark Orbit Generally, I am not a fan of MMOs or their soul-sucking flash spawnlings, but Dark Orbit managed to suck me in anyway. I credit this to my love for sci-fi and the total lack of necessity to make friends or talk to people in-game. I understand that party building is half the fun in MMOs, and you have the option to do so in Dark Orbit, but I appreciate the game not ramming it down my throat.
3. Effing Hail Catharsis embodied, this game requires you destroy everything you encounter with gusts of wind propelling bits of hail skyward, keeping them aloft as they grow in size until they crash down upon the hapless inhabitants of the tiny world you are tasked to destroy. Definitely worth the time, especially on a bad day.
2. Epic War 2 This game is impressive. Side-scrolling RTS with massive armies, a neat story, and one of the few flash games that gave me a sense of accomplishment when I achieved victory by drowning my foes with waves and waves of expendable troops. There are three unique races to choose from, and great upgrades to quash your enemies. Having to buy the upgrades again every level is a little irritating, but it adds a sense of urgency to what would otherwise be a rather mild difficulty curve. Highly recommend for Warcraft 3 junkies and Tolkien fans.
1. Toss the Turtle This game's major selling point is the artwork, and sell it does. The object of this dark side-scroller is to shoot the turtle out of a cannon as far as you can. The poor little guy takes a lot of damage on the way, eliciting some morbid chuckles. The power-ups at the shop are designed to inflict even more damage on what must be the most masochistic turtle to exist. The artwork, done by Gonzo, is bright, colorful and would make Jhonen Vasquez proud. I highly recommend this game if you have a few minutes, or if you need a way to stay awake all night so the clown under your bed doesn't eat you.
So there you have it; my top 10 flash games currently on the net. No, they aren't the most influential or even consequential, games, but they are fun and provide a doorway to new game artists looking to break in with the industry. Do the right thing, people. Play indie games. Save America.
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