I was going to move on to the next game review, but with how things how been going ugly, we have to chew though this subjects.
Caution: Longest Blogg Post yet!
Just recently, The gaming industry has been loosing A LOT of money: Nintendo lost TWENTY FIVE percent since of the year delay of good games for the Wii U; Microsoft lost a decent percent because off the Window's 8 Micro interface, the failed mobile systems, and Bing; and Sony lost A BILLON, but not only that, but around FIVE THOUSAND in the game industry.
Because how bad this generation of gaming, more jobs will be lost, especially since Irrational Games shut down because the main developer wanted to step away from shooters to work on more story-based games. Sure, some of the developers will be hired by 2K, but everyone and their mother knows that some will be lost because the industry wants to cut down just to save money so they can use it to make games.
The problem is that there are cancerous things the industry that are causing everything within from slumping over. In short, the gaming industry needs chemotherapy. Here are some ideas....
Free-To-Play games need balancing! The Free-to-play can be a fun experience, but power can be bought to where the term "pay-to-win" where buying the items for real world cash can be unfair to players that either want to play for free or just try the game. I guess that should also keyed the term "free-to-try," especially when Warcraft has a level cap for the "free-to-play" parts of the game.
What makes things worst for FTP can either make or break a game. Team Fortress 2 was a big example as the balance of power was unfair, and when Super MNC switched to the system, they lost more than what it was worth. Power can either make or break, no matter whatever the situation.
The recent, best example of power-balance is Loadout, as you gain the points to make your custom weapons and the only thing you can buy is cosmetics -- costume and other appeal items. Here, the power is balanced without worrying about power can be bought and sold.
Think outside the box and make new I.P.s! Yea, sure some reboots or sequels are O.K. at best, but I personally feel that ideas like this is better left twords indie-developers. But some games like Metroid, Kirby, Silent Hill, and other licenses has been scared because the industry cannot grow up and go out of their comfort zone. No matter the excuse for some people, as they are trying to defend their persona, these games have ideas that they should be on their own.
The biggest example are the rebooted series, as they might look good to some people, they DO NOT sell as much as the original, and are considered to bastercize to the orignal fans, causing a war between the fan-base to fight between each other like the Sonic Fan-base. While sequels can wear themselfs out like Silent Hill and resident evil, some ideas from the series could have been something brand flipping new!
The main issue with this trend is that it is it's a waste of potential and to the gaming industry,
this will burn a lot of profit, a main reason companies have to downsize and leave people out of a job. Companies like Capcom, Nintendo, and Sega tends to make this mistake the most. They still fallow a business model that is outdated in the last few generations.
They fear of leaving things behind, even if it hurts them financially. In the past, the gaming industry boomed withing the 90's as the gaming industry compete with each other, especially how Sega and Nintendo purposely started the counsel wars just to help bring the bucks home. Now, however, the world's economy has changed and people have grown in wisdom and intelligence in today's time. Sadly, they have to look ahead and move on.
Remaster, Remake, and Remix Wisely. While it's great that Double Dragon got a reboot, people have a responsible dislike to some reboots because sometimes. While reboots like Ducktales Remastered was OK at best, the game dose try too hard to marry both the game fans and the animation fans together. Many people who has not seen the show on Disney may feel awkward twords the Remastered game. If you don't want to burn out the "gamer" part of the fans, at least leave an option to auto-skip cut-seances instead of going into the pause.
Also, it's best not to add odd changes in games if it takes away from the original. An example of this would be Conker: Live & Reloaded, as it's just a remake of Conker: Bad Fur Day. While I do agree that the graphics are nice for the time and that it stands the test of time, the game did have unnecessary censorship. Most notably is The Great Mighty Poo, as a singing poop monster is the most musical boss in gaming history. While he dose look nice, it's sad that most of his son is censored. But I do understand WHY change in some remakes are nice, but in Banjo-Kazooie and Tooie felt that they didn't make enough change. That, and requires N&B for the bonus material.
Speaking of Rare, The biggest example of a flop remake is the Halo game, as it dosn't hold up as much as the original PC and XBOX version. While the devs at Rare DID do as much as they could since most of the team moved on since the Mycrosoft buy-out; This was considered the biggest mistake Rareware has ever done as it threw them back for two generations. But back on subject -- this shows that remakes arn't everything MOST of the time, just SOME of the time.
Exspectations must be lowered! As games like Sleeping Dogs felt to be underrated because the developers want almost a billion in money from sales. While I don't agree with some games not getting enough sales, games like Sleeping dogs personally did well. Another is the Wii U, as Nintendo was expecting to sell nine million while they only made three million during last year. This is part of the issue is similar with thinking outside the box, just more with sales.
The industry must accept to only received at least Twenty five to fifty of their normal expectation as this is the least dissapointment woudn't be as bad as it is today. Part of this is linked to the times, as the better the economy, the better the business that could be executed. Right now, the world is not as people would want and need it to be. This doesn't just effect your country as it effect the world as a whole as well.
The only way for the industry to survive is to adjust to with the times, but the gaming industry and companies of foren places like Japan are suffering because they refuse to adjust because of just simple pride. Companies like Sega, Nintendo, Capcom, and others has been effected as well because how they the impacts of events like how the tsunami caused the delay of the Wii U's games as company damages prevented them from mass producing. Things that happen outside do come back inside, as a cause will always have an effect.
Finally, Be nice to your fan-base, but ignore the trolls. They are the ones that spend the most of their time, money, and livelihood just to support the companies like Son Microsoft, uncle Sony, and great-grandpa Nintendo. They get hyped for upcoming games like Smash Bros., the next Halo, or even the next...Sony game. However, the hype train can be abused to bring in the "slaves" of the gaming industry.
The biggest criminal for abusing their fans have to be EA and Sega, as their current licenses like Dungeon Keeper and Most Sonic games can be abused. While Sega did get a few hits like Sonic Colors and Sonic Generations, the bombed Sonic with games like The Black Knight to even Sonic Lost World. While back to EA, They recently made Dungeon Kepper into a Pay-to-win game on the app-store. The heart and soul of Dungeon Keeper (and Original voice-actor) is gone...Unless you bought War for the Overworld, which I recommend to back.
While there are Let's Plays of games on Youtube, Game reviews, parodies, and so forth, most of these are out of love for the game and are more involved with the experience of the player. Sadly, The industy sees them as a block to profit, especially if the game is, in fact terrible like Garry's incident. The party then issue copyright strikes and take-downs on the channel they dislike the most, causing censorship on issues. These people are the ones the industry should apologize, as some abuse them by taking revenue as free advertizement or just purely attacking their business. While copyright law is very gray, this is static at best and NO ONE can copyright this nature, as like rain drops heard outside, it belongs to everyone!
We can only hope things go well within the industry, things seem to get worse later on the line. If The industry wants to prevent a crash, SOMEONE has to stand up like Nintendo did in the 80's. I believe that Inde-games could help bring the attention back to gaming, as games like Doom actually sparked the Shooting gen of games. The problem is the main solution for gaming is not clear enough, but at least the industry has something to look for...
UNTIL THE END OF US ALL!
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Free-to-play
In this economy, people cannot spend as they used to when that money has to go to other things such as family, pets, their girlfriend/boyfriend, hair, rent, water, and so much other needs and wants that can eat up one's lifetime. Because of this, the game industry has decided to run a new try system know as Free-to-play (FTP.) Which is an ironic term since only few can run the system fairly.
While it is good designed FTP games, there are games that are keyed "Pay-to-win" because of the total corporal ways to milk money from the players.
One way is Pay-walls, which force the player to buy the power they need just to move on to the next stage or to remove a cap that prevents players from moving on. Not only that it's unethical, this can sap a lot of money from anyone stupid enough to pay for this system. The most resent is EA's Dungeon Keeper App for iPhone and android. As you have to pay just for the jems to even minions, as getting new parts of your own dungeon. Another bad FTP game that fallows this evilness is Star Trek: Texels, because it fallows the same tactics. To sum it up, as Angry Joe puts it, Greed-over-game-play. (This is why I had no choice but to boycott EA and Capcom because how they premote bad practice)
The way to prevent this issue is to allow players to find or unlock power without leaving caps or pay-walls, nor timers. I did mention that in Phantasy Star Online 2 where you can find most your rares, but the most recent example is Payload, as you can get most clothes by dailies and winning matches to get points to help adjust and make weapons. Paying for the starter kit dose help pay the developers for the cost of their art and graphic design, but that seems to be optional thanks to how their FTP game is built.
Another issue is Area-lock, which only selected countries can play the game. The biggest example is DragonBall Online. One of the world's biggest animes in the world has an online game...Only for asia. However, they did allow an English patch later on as it bough tons of new fans. While it dose have it's "trolls," as most communities do, they can easily be hunted down with a huge Ban-hammer. That is not a huge issue. While, yes, some English patches can be discouraged, Some can actually be promoted and even help moderators find jobs! this is why the modding community is a major plus for the gaming industry, as we would never get games like Day Z nor The Stanly Parable...But that's for another topic.
Even though the solution for games like that seem to be third-party help-outs, that is not always the case. One example is Play-Asia, as they botched most of their online-ports. Their biggest flop has to be DC Universe online, as they took the best part of the game has been taunted by delays, bugs and glitches that weren't in the original port, and unneeded censors, even when sometimes it works. The sad thing is Japan and other foren companies are aware of this because they fallow their own rules, and because the industry is constantly changing in other countries, companies are taking economical and financial damages because they are refusing to adjust to the changes.
The last thing I have to say is that it's up to people to make the wise decision to what they play and what they spend their money for, but even that's a stretch since adults would even let children play on their tablets while not paying attention to the consequences. That brings up the news stories of how kids managed to spend thousands of dollars on Free-to-play games. That money could have been used for needs like clothing, food, supplies, or your needs like better games made from people who actually put their hearts into their games, instead of cloning from others heartlessly just to make a fast buck!
The gaming industry really needs a drastic surgery to clear and remove this cancer part of Free-to-play and burn off the fatty parts of the industry, or an industry crash will occur, as it seems to slowly creep among us. Luckily, I have managed to prepare with used games and food supplies because soon the soul-less casual gamers will roam and eat our brains. Good-luck on your end, because you'll need it.
While it is good designed FTP games, there are games that are keyed "Pay-to-win" because of the total corporal ways to milk money from the players.
One way is Pay-walls, which force the player to buy the power they need just to move on to the next stage or to remove a cap that prevents players from moving on. Not only that it's unethical, this can sap a lot of money from anyone stupid enough to pay for this system. The most resent is EA's Dungeon Keeper App for iPhone and android. As you have to pay just for the jems to even minions, as getting new parts of your own dungeon. Another bad FTP game that fallows this evilness is Star Trek: Texels, because it fallows the same tactics. To sum it up, as Angry Joe puts it, Greed-over-game-play. (This is why I had no choice but to boycott EA and Capcom because how they premote bad practice)
The way to prevent this issue is to allow players to find or unlock power without leaving caps or pay-walls, nor timers. I did mention that in Phantasy Star Online 2 where you can find most your rares, but the most recent example is Payload, as you can get most clothes by dailies and winning matches to get points to help adjust and make weapons. Paying for the starter kit dose help pay the developers for the cost of their art and graphic design, but that seems to be optional thanks to how their FTP game is built.
Another issue is Area-lock, which only selected countries can play the game. The biggest example is DragonBall Online. One of the world's biggest animes in the world has an online game...Only for asia. However, they did allow an English patch later on as it bough tons of new fans. While it dose have it's "trolls," as most communities do, they can easily be hunted down with a huge Ban-hammer. That is not a huge issue. While, yes, some English patches can be discouraged, Some can actually be promoted and even help moderators find jobs! this is why the modding community is a major plus for the gaming industry, as we would never get games like Day Z nor The Stanly Parable...But that's for another topic.
Even though the solution for games like that seem to be third-party help-outs, that is not always the case. One example is Play-Asia, as they botched most of their online-ports. Their biggest flop has to be DC Universe online, as they took the best part of the game has been taunted by delays, bugs and glitches that weren't in the original port, and unneeded censors, even when sometimes it works. The sad thing is Japan and other foren companies are aware of this because they fallow their own rules, and because the industry is constantly changing in other countries, companies are taking economical and financial damages because they are refusing to adjust to the changes.
The last thing I have to say is that it's up to people to make the wise decision to what they play and what they spend their money for, but even that's a stretch since adults would even let children play on their tablets while not paying attention to the consequences. That brings up the news stories of how kids managed to spend thousands of dollars on Free-to-play games. That money could have been used for needs like clothing, food, supplies, or your needs like better games made from people who actually put their hearts into their games, instead of cloning from others heartlessly just to make a fast buck!
The gaming industry really needs a drastic surgery to clear and remove this cancer part of Free-to-play and burn off the fatty parts of the industry, or an industry crash will occur, as it seems to slowly creep among us. Luckily, I have managed to prepare with used games and food supplies because soon the soul-less casual gamers will roam and eat our brains. Good-luck on your end, because you'll need it.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Early Access and Kick-Starter
Well, this is a serious subject that recently came up by many critics: The pledge of Early Access that has came withing the last year. While that the games that features early access are cheaper and are less risky as most donation sites like Paypal with, or without, Kick-Starter, the games aren't exactly complete, has ton of bugs, and on rare occasions, been abandoned by the developers.
Part of it is the confusion between what goes on within these systems.
While there are games that where successful on kick-starters like Skull-Girls and River City: Underground, Games like Garry's Incident are a big example of it's failure. When the developers couldn't get enough money, they tried to make the game on their small budget, and they failed. It was one of last year's worst games. They did try to claim the videos and even written false reviews, in bad English, as well.
A misnomer is that some people believe once they give their amount to the developers though donations, they have a small amount of control. Well, wake up: If one takes control away from the developers, that would only complicate things because they cannot have creative control. It's getting to the point where people should at least make their own games, not just to plagiarize the game by making into something else. Not all games can have a customization as Saints Row, the WWE games, or like most avatar games, because it's egotistic. It shows that no one has faith twords the developers to make their own game. What an issue.
What both donation systems have issues with is that both require you to gamble and trust on the developers. While there are good developers with unique projects, there are some that are just trying to cash in on the certain fad.
For example, Wolf Among us help spawned the Werewolf games last year. While the Fable's spin-off is an awesome storytelling game, others werewolf games are knock-offs like modern movie spin-offs. While some are very average, Guise of the Wolf is terrible because they wanted to fallow a trend than just make a good game. The game is full of bugs, has terrible programing, dosn't give any hints of the mechanics, and is a horrible game all-around...
So all and all, The gaming industry is a huge gamble. Even the same old plans from the past cannot help, even though it did work in the past. If there is one hint that I would have to give is know what one is getting into. Getting information of the devs is a major, as the past often reflect on their performance. If they're an inde dev, it all depend on how things look and how people talk about the project. In the most of all, wait until the game is released and wait for the critics and reviews get their hands upon the games and then work it out from there.
Until then, roll that hot pair of dice! Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!~
Part of it is the confusion between what goes on within these systems.
While there are games that where successful on kick-starters like Skull-Girls and River City: Underground, Games like Garry's Incident are a big example of it's failure. When the developers couldn't get enough money, they tried to make the game on their small budget, and they failed. It was one of last year's worst games. They did try to claim the videos and even written false reviews, in bad English, as well.
A misnomer is that some people believe once they give their amount to the developers though donations, they have a small amount of control. Well, wake up: If one takes control away from the developers, that would only complicate things because they cannot have creative control. It's getting to the point where people should at least make their own games, not just to plagiarize the game by making into something else. Not all games can have a customization as Saints Row, the WWE games, or like most avatar games, because it's egotistic. It shows that no one has faith twords the developers to make their own game. What an issue.
What both donation systems have issues with is that both require you to gamble and trust on the developers. While there are good developers with unique projects, there are some that are just trying to cash in on the certain fad.
For example, Wolf Among us help spawned the Werewolf games last year. While the Fable's spin-off is an awesome storytelling game, others werewolf games are knock-offs like modern movie spin-offs. While some are very average, Guise of the Wolf is terrible because they wanted to fallow a trend than just make a good game. The game is full of bugs, has terrible programing, dosn't give any hints of the mechanics, and is a horrible game all-around...
So all and all, The gaming industry is a huge gamble. Even the same old plans from the past cannot help, even though it did work in the past. If there is one hint that I would have to give is know what one is getting into. Getting information of the devs is a major, as the past often reflect on their performance. If they're an inde dev, it all depend on how things look and how people talk about the project. In the most of all, wait until the game is released and wait for the critics and reviews get their hands upon the games and then work it out from there.
Until then, roll that hot pair of dice! Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!~
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Anodyne (PC)
I WAS going to review another game that I had in mind, but I was suddenly gifted a review copy of Anodyne and though "why not?" So instead of a game that everyone has heard on, might as well review a game inspired my the Zelda series, but remarkably, mixed the dark storytelling of the silent hill series before silent hill sold their soul to the devil that is commercialism. So Shadow The Hedgehog might as well relax until I finish bashing the hell out of this game-- metaphorically, after all.
Picture this: You are a player named Young Ying, and you are in a subconscious within someone's mind trying to restore balance within itself and must find your inner brother, Baird Yang.
Within the game, you travel to dark lands and eery places, while there's not really any jump scares like in most horror games, the atmosphere can be somewhat spooky. Like Zelda you start off with nothing until you find your weapon...A...broom... Then you move on to dungeons and reach the end of the game. Along the way, you also have to collect card to open doors to complete the game.
While being a Zelda clone might be a great idea, that also means the game has the similar issues as past Zelda games. For one, the game becomes liner as the Link to the past and you get lost and there's little-to-no-clues to where to go. While this dose help exploration and you can find Blood Fairies that can extend your life, you have to use a guide to just to figure out where to go.
Another issue that players would face would be the level design, while can be fair at sometimes, it can still push back and slap players in the face. For example, you will run across a maze near the end of the game, but to get everything, you have to come back after you beat the game and complete an outrageous challenge just to get ONE card.
While there are some silly, hidden cards in post-game, it feels that they're just in just for spits-and-giggles. There's only so little replayiblity in the game besides the achievements in the steam version of the game. In my opinion, the achievements are not worth it. While it is not easy to get that one achievement, the game has only few achievements in the first place.
If you played the devilish ROM-hacks of the Zelda NES, you would probably get a kick out of this game. If you're a newcomer to Zelda-Hill'ish game-types, I recommenced you to play the Zelda Gameboy series, as they are well implemented, as well as Wind Waker HD . Anodyne isn't a bad game at all, it's just it had ideas that it didn't execute very well because of it's identity crisis. I felt that if there was better programing, it would have run smoothly. Maybe if it stuck out as it's own game instead of feeling like a Zelda ROM hack, it would have been a great game.
Well, that review was short than expected. the game was short, so there was so little to say. now if you excuse me, I have to take cover since the horse-headed people have invaded planet earth and I'm ore than scared by these co-called people. It won't be long until I kill them and sell their corpses for glue, but too bad I just offended the furies of this world....
Picture this: You are a player named Young Ying, and you are in a subconscious within someone's mind trying to restore balance within itself and must find your inner brother, Baird Yang.
Within the game, you travel to dark lands and eery places, while there's not really any jump scares like in most horror games, the atmosphere can be somewhat spooky. Like Zelda you start off with nothing until you find your weapon...A...broom... Then you move on to dungeons and reach the end of the game. Along the way, you also have to collect card to open doors to complete the game.
While being a Zelda clone might be a great idea, that also means the game has the similar issues as past Zelda games. For one, the game becomes liner as the Link to the past and you get lost and there's little-to-no-clues to where to go. While this dose help exploration and you can find Blood Fairies that can extend your life, you have to use a guide to just to figure out where to go.
Another issue that players would face would be the level design, while can be fair at sometimes, it can still push back and slap players in the face. For example, you will run across a maze near the end of the game, but to get everything, you have to come back after you beat the game and complete an outrageous challenge just to get ONE card.
While there are some silly, hidden cards in post-game, it feels that they're just in just for spits-and-giggles. There's only so little replayiblity in the game besides the achievements in the steam version of the game. In my opinion, the achievements are not worth it. While it is not easy to get that one achievement, the game has only few achievements in the first place.
If you played the devilish ROM-hacks of the Zelda NES, you would probably get a kick out of this game. If you're a newcomer to Zelda-Hill'ish game-types, I recommenced you to play the Zelda Gameboy series, as they are well implemented, as well as Wind Waker HD . Anodyne isn't a bad game at all, it's just it had ideas that it didn't execute very well because of it's identity crisis. I felt that if there was better programing, it would have run smoothly. Maybe if it stuck out as it's own game instead of feeling like a Zelda ROM hack, it would have been a great game.
Well, that review was short than expected. the game was short, so there was so little to say. now if you excuse me, I have to take cover since the horse-headed people have invaded planet earth and I'm ore than scared by these co-called people. It won't be long until I kill them and sell their corpses for glue, but too bad I just offended the furies of this world....
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Spelunky (360/ PC)
Like some people having a problem with judging a game for what it is Good, bad, or disappointing, I'm having a hard time to judge Spelunky since the game itself is a heavily luck-based rouge-like game.
The point of the game is that you are one of the many treasure hunters, sending him or herself into the mines to hunt down the legendary treasure of Kali. On your way, you discovered that a wise man has discovered that the mines change at random and that death, itself, is lost as death only ends up forcing you to restart from the start and that you're tuck in your own personal hell. Speaking of which, there are hidden levels LIKE HELL, that you have to get into for the true ending. Yes, like most castlevania games, it has a false ending, so to get the best ending and score, you have to rely on luck and good-luck with that.
While some to most of the deaths are partially on the player itself, the problem is part of it is how the game's random map spawns. For example, I found the game like to spawn the traps and bombs close to the sacrificial alters, or worse, when you set the traps off, they tend to hit the shopkeepers. When shopkeepers are set off, even by accident, they will hunt you down; Even if it means killing the damsels, other shopkeepers or other fiends that stay in your way.
Speaking of the damsels, you can set them as a the dumb, female bimbo; a creepy cross dresser who is gender-confused; and a stupid dog named Rufus, who acts like a doofus. I find them to be somewhat offensive characters, but from the look of things, they made them that way so sacrificing them wouldn't add any emotional weight and that's the problem. The game has a devalue character issue that lower all characters as cartoon-like, unlikable characteristics, which death less painful on purpose. Apparently, this game wants you to commit suicides just to count the death-meter.
However, this game is fun, but it is not exactly fair as other rouge-like games. Unlike games like Rouge Legacy, for example, the game dosn't get easier as you go. While you do unlock new character, they do not attribute since they do NOT have special abilities and there isn't a counter-measurements for unfair spawns. While tools like jet-packs, climbing gloves, and ropes can help you make it to the end, it depends if the game will have mercy and provide the items that you will need via shops and boxes.
In short, the game would have been better and easier to handle if it was an online game, as the multiplayer is only local co-op. Even though there are some advantages with local multiplayer, the game suffers from a lazy port, as it was originally for the Xbox 360 and then the steam release happened a year later. While the game dose support mods, it just lacks any change from the 360 version. The game suffers from what makes other Rouge-like games acceptable because it fears to let the player have an experience with itself.
I have to cautiously recommend this game, as if one plays Mario ROM hacks, this game makes the same mistakes as most game mod-ers that make the game too frustrating for those who do not know for what's coming for them. This is not a game for those with short tempers. Thankfully, I knew what I was getting into, unlike my friends who want to strangle a puppy.
The point of the game is that you are one of the many treasure hunters, sending him or herself into the mines to hunt down the legendary treasure of Kali. On your way, you discovered that a wise man has discovered that the mines change at random and that death, itself, is lost as death only ends up forcing you to restart from the start and that you're tuck in your own personal hell. Speaking of which, there are hidden levels LIKE HELL, that you have to get into for the true ending. Yes, like most castlevania games, it has a false ending, so to get the best ending and score, you have to rely on luck and good-luck with that.
While some to most of the deaths are partially on the player itself, the problem is part of it is how the game's random map spawns. For example, I found the game like to spawn the traps and bombs close to the sacrificial alters, or worse, when you set the traps off, they tend to hit the shopkeepers. When shopkeepers are set off, even by accident, they will hunt you down; Even if it means killing the damsels, other shopkeepers or other fiends that stay in your way.
Speaking of the damsels, you can set them as a the dumb, female bimbo; a creepy cross dresser who is gender-confused; and a stupid dog named Rufus, who acts like a doofus. I find them to be somewhat offensive characters, but from the look of things, they made them that way so sacrificing them wouldn't add any emotional weight and that's the problem. The game has a devalue character issue that lower all characters as cartoon-like, unlikable characteristics, which death less painful on purpose. Apparently, this game wants you to commit suicides just to count the death-meter.
However, this game is fun, but it is not exactly fair as other rouge-like games. Unlike games like Rouge Legacy, for example, the game dosn't get easier as you go. While you do unlock new character, they do not attribute since they do NOT have special abilities and there isn't a counter-measurements for unfair spawns. While tools like jet-packs, climbing gloves, and ropes can help you make it to the end, it depends if the game will have mercy and provide the items that you will need via shops and boxes.
In short, the game would have been better and easier to handle if it was an online game, as the multiplayer is only local co-op. Even though there are some advantages with local multiplayer, the game suffers from a lazy port, as it was originally for the Xbox 360 and then the steam release happened a year later. While the game dose support mods, it just lacks any change from the 360 version. The game suffers from what makes other Rouge-like games acceptable because it fears to let the player have an experience with itself.
I have to cautiously recommend this game, as if one plays Mario ROM hacks, this game makes the same mistakes as most game mod-ers that make the game too frustrating for those who do not know for what's coming for them. This is not a game for those with short tempers. Thankfully, I knew what I was getting into, unlike my friends who want to strangle a puppy.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Games of the (last) Year!
Thank god, it's 2014, as the last year wasn't very eventful. Sure, there where some good games at the start of the year, but the dry summer of gaming where ever so dull. That, and personally, it felt that fortune was not all on my side though that year. However, there where some games that stood out for better...and for worse.
Games of 2013
Disappointing Game of 2013: Dead Rising 3
- Dispute making improvements, the series has lost it's identity as the game looks extremely muddy, the pathways are just annoying fillers just to pad out the game, and the zombie killing tends to be a pointless level grind. Yes, the zombie killing is fun as you can craft anywhere at anytime, but as a sequel, It's a sequel like Home Alone 3 is to the last Home Alone movies as the humor and psychopaths felt last-minute and the story is farfetched. Now you know how the fans felt how disappointing Saints Row the 3rd was. *Angry yells in the background*
Most Surprising Game of 2013: Wonderful 101
- When the game was announced to be very short, we all had our concerns that this game might not review well. That was not the case. Why? Remember the makers of Okami, Viewiful Joe, and God Hand? Platinum Studios developers did past works on the games and honed their skills to make this game. Dispute the game being very hard and has it's small quirks, This is a Wii U game for the Hardcore gamer.
Worst Game of 2013: Ride to Hell: Retribution - 1%
- While I am tempted to list Garry's Incident as the worst game of the year, as the company did attack critics and, as well, written false reviews on Meta-Critic in bad English, Ride to Hell takes first place for ACTUALLY takes gamers to hell. The game functions, but the game is nothing but bugs, bad textures, bad voice actors, and that leads up to one bad experience for anyone. The sad thing that IT WAS an alpha and they forced it out the door...and Let's not mention the "sex" in this game, because it's lazy, it's sexist, and mostly of all, abysmal....
Best Soundtrack of 2013: Saints Row 4
- Yes, Even though the game might not be as big as GTA5, at least the soundtrack doesn't have old, thrown out stars like Britney Spears. While the game's soundtrack dose have old, licensed songs, famous from movies, It felt that it held up twords other sandbox games, especially GTA5 that uses pop-culture songs that anyone would grow sick of. Saints Row 4 might be a better version of Crack Down, but the soundtrack of the game makes you feel like a total bad-ass!
Best Story of 2013: A Wolf Among Us
- This is a dark, deep story based on the Fables comic series. Enter Ex-villein Bigbe Wolf. Now as a detective, Bigbe often makes hard decisions within his job, everyone knows that things are going to get real when a cereal-killer starts killing every fairy-tale character in sight. While, yes, your decisions might not determine the story as in past Telltale game , The Walking Dead (except in the Add-on, which will determine season 2! Just a heads up), The story will only get better later on.
Best Portable of 2013: Pokemon X/Y
- Was there any doubt? This game brings back what made pokemon the best portable series as well as bring a new fairy-type to counter the dragon-type. Pokemon X/Y has a simpler trade system, including wounder-trade, brings back the linear story path in pokemon, which critics missed, and introduced new pokemon, despite Pokemon getting stale over time. What can you say about pokemon?
Best Seller of 2013: GTA 5
- Well, we all saw this one coming, but the game is not known for the stupid story line, nor the abysmal soundtrack, but rather it's game-play and it's sales. While it dose continue that carp-tacular storyline since GTA4 and has a disappointing multi-player launch, the game is huge, has underwater exploration, parities this satire of the world that we live in today, and is the preferred "realistic" game to go into rampages. Personally, I feel that this game is over-rated and shows a point about "gaming" media of today, but that's a subject for later....
Now that the personal Games of that year, I can finally make an announcement: I have gotten over 300 views! Congratulations on helping me on this, and as a reward, I will be streaming on twitch! I also made an optional donation site though the new Patreon system. It's paypal...without PayPal, if that ever make sense. Instead of Indes, it works well for people who make content on Youtube, twitch, and other web sites as a giant tip jar. It IS optional, but your donations do help.
Games of 2013
Disappointing Game of 2013: Dead Rising 3
- Dispute making improvements, the series has lost it's identity as the game looks extremely muddy, the pathways are just annoying fillers just to pad out the game, and the zombie killing tends to be a pointless level grind. Yes, the zombie killing is fun as you can craft anywhere at anytime, but as a sequel, It's a sequel like Home Alone 3 is to the last Home Alone movies as the humor and psychopaths felt last-minute and the story is farfetched. Now you know how the fans felt how disappointing Saints Row the 3rd was. *Angry yells in the background*
Most Surprising Game of 2013: Wonderful 101
- When the game was announced to be very short, we all had our concerns that this game might not review well. That was not the case. Why? Remember the makers of Okami, Viewiful Joe, and God Hand? Platinum Studios developers did past works on the games and honed their skills to make this game. Dispute the game being very hard and has it's small quirks, This is a Wii U game for the Hardcore gamer.
Worst Game of 2013: Ride to Hell: Retribution - 1%
- While I am tempted to list Garry's Incident as the worst game of the year, as the company did attack critics and, as well, written false reviews on Meta-Critic in bad English, Ride to Hell takes first place for ACTUALLY takes gamers to hell. The game functions, but the game is nothing but bugs, bad textures, bad voice actors, and that leads up to one bad experience for anyone. The sad thing that IT WAS an alpha and they forced it out the door...and Let's not mention the "sex" in this game, because it's lazy, it's sexist, and mostly of all, abysmal....
Best Soundtrack of 2013: Saints Row 4
- Yes, Even though the game might not be as big as GTA5, at least the soundtrack doesn't have old, thrown out stars like Britney Spears. While the game's soundtrack dose have old, licensed songs, famous from movies, It felt that it held up twords other sandbox games, especially GTA5 that uses pop-culture songs that anyone would grow sick of. Saints Row 4 might be a better version of Crack Down, but the soundtrack of the game makes you feel like a total bad-ass!
Best Story of 2013: A Wolf Among Us
- This is a dark, deep story based on the Fables comic series. Enter Ex-villein Bigbe Wolf. Now as a detective, Bigbe often makes hard decisions within his job, everyone knows that things are going to get real when a cereal-killer starts killing every fairy-tale character in sight. While, yes, your decisions might not determine the story as in past Telltale game , The Walking Dead (except in the Add-on, which will determine season 2! Just a heads up), The story will only get better later on.
Best Portable of 2013: Pokemon X/Y
- Was there any doubt? This game brings back what made pokemon the best portable series as well as bring a new fairy-type to counter the dragon-type. Pokemon X/Y has a simpler trade system, including wounder-trade, brings back the linear story path in pokemon, which critics missed, and introduced new pokemon, despite Pokemon getting stale over time. What can you say about pokemon?
Best Seller of 2013: GTA 5
- Well, we all saw this one coming, but the game is not known for the stupid story line, nor the abysmal soundtrack, but rather it's game-play and it's sales. While it dose continue that carp-tacular storyline since GTA4 and has a disappointing multi-player launch, the game is huge, has underwater exploration, parities this satire of the world that we live in today, and is the preferred "realistic" game to go into rampages. Personally, I feel that this game is over-rated and shows a point about "gaming" media of today, but that's a subject for later....
Now that the personal Games of that year, I can finally make an announcement: I have gotten over 300 views! Congratulations on helping me on this, and as a reward, I will be streaming on twitch! I also made an optional donation site though the new Patreon system. It's paypal...without PayPal, if that ever make sense. Instead of Indes, it works well for people who make content on Youtube, twitch, and other web sites as a giant tip jar. It IS optional, but your donations do help.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Super Mario 3D World Vs. Sonic Lost World
If you expected me to review a Sonic game, I can't. Sadly, since the gaming split it's community apart, any observation would be pushed aside by hypocrites, as fans and critics often fight and clash because game sequels or new games just are too much of a step-back that they try to survive on nostalgia alone. However, we all know that Sonic was made based off Speed-Runs of the original Super Mario Bros., as admitted by Sonic's creator, Naoto Oshima. This means the best way to make a review for a Sonic game is to actually compare it to the newer Mario game.
Introducing Super Mario 3D World, a sequel to the acclaimed Super Mario 3D land with elements to the ROM-hack Super Mario 2 USA, Mario Bros. 3, and other past Mario games. While sonic just try to force the color mechanics with-in Sonic lost world with awkward controls, Mario 3D World blends the elements into a nice alcoholic drink which leaves a nice after-taste instead of bitterness.
The story starts as Mario and team find a new, clear pipe and fix it, finding a pixie queen which enplanes that Bowser is kidnapping them so he could use their power to rule their kingdom. So Mario, Peach, Toad, and our best friend, Luigi, must go out and stop Bowser. This game actually breaks the traditions of the "New" Super Mario Bro. by instead handing out levels like different cakes that would be found at a buffet...Just without the germs or bugs like in Sonic games, which also faced the linearity of Mario games. I think yatzee made a techno remix about it...
To progress in the game, not only that most of the levels need to be cleared, but you must also collect green stars to be able to go into Boss-forts, defeat the boss, and move on to the next world. The map is actually free-roam somewhat more than the illusion in Lost World. The new cat-power is a nice addition, even though it was made to cash-in from the cat-based Mem' on the internet.It helps reach new areas and even help collect hidden coins and Green Stars. Sonic DOSE have cut-scenes, but Lost World's mechanics was not well grounded and was only added in because of popularity.
However, even Mario games have small flaws, dispute the game was made by the same developers of the galaxy series. The camera controls where pointless, as those who played Mario games before often knew where to take leaps-of-faiths and when not to from experience. Another issue was the forced integration of the touch-pad, which can trow off the flow of the game at times. Not as bad as in Lost World, but the issue is still there. Hopefully, we can just play with the pro-controller after a patch is released from Nintendo, whenever they like to or not.
In the long run, even when Sonic might have the advantage in personality, he sadly has the disadvantage to gameplay, as Mario 3D World takes that advantage. Dispute how fun both Mario and Sonic games are in the past, I found Mario 3D World taking the advantage, and sales, over Sonic Lost World. It's nothing personal over the once popular Blue-Blur; like most 90's action heroes: time was NOT on his side. It's because people move on to bigger and better things! For example, a comic fan might like Spider-man as a child, but grow-up loving Batman since of either his One Percent personality from The Animated Series to his edgy side from the comic-book series.
Sorry that it took sometime because, even though I'm a critic, I'm also a human being too. I'm not as robotic as most fan-boys who just eat out of their parent's wallets. Even though that was a bit harsh, I wish you all a Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas, thanksgiving, and so on....and so on...
Introducing Super Mario 3D World, a sequel to the acclaimed Super Mario 3D land with elements to the ROM-hack Super Mario 2 USA, Mario Bros. 3, and other past Mario games. While sonic just try to force the color mechanics with-in Sonic lost world with awkward controls, Mario 3D World blends the elements into a nice alcoholic drink which leaves a nice after-taste instead of bitterness.
The story starts as Mario and team find a new, clear pipe and fix it, finding a pixie queen which enplanes that Bowser is kidnapping them so he could use their power to rule their kingdom. So Mario, Peach, Toad, and our best friend, Luigi, must go out and stop Bowser. This game actually breaks the traditions of the "New" Super Mario Bro. by instead handing out levels like different cakes that would be found at a buffet...Just without the germs or bugs like in Sonic games, which also faced the linearity of Mario games. I think yatzee made a techno remix about it...
To progress in the game, not only that most of the levels need to be cleared, but you must also collect green stars to be able to go into Boss-forts, defeat the boss, and move on to the next world. The map is actually free-roam somewhat more than the illusion in Lost World. The new cat-power is a nice addition, even though it was made to cash-in from the cat-based Mem' on the internet.It helps reach new areas and even help collect hidden coins and Green Stars. Sonic DOSE have cut-scenes, but Lost World's mechanics was not well grounded and was only added in because of popularity.
However, even Mario games have small flaws, dispute the game was made by the same developers of the galaxy series. The camera controls where pointless, as those who played Mario games before often knew where to take leaps-of-faiths and when not to from experience. Another issue was the forced integration of the touch-pad, which can trow off the flow of the game at times. Not as bad as in Lost World, but the issue is still there. Hopefully, we can just play with the pro-controller after a patch is released from Nintendo, whenever they like to or not.
In the long run, even when Sonic might have the advantage in personality, he sadly has the disadvantage to gameplay, as Mario 3D World takes that advantage. Dispute how fun both Mario and Sonic games are in the past, I found Mario 3D World taking the advantage, and sales, over Sonic Lost World. It's nothing personal over the once popular Blue-Blur; like most 90's action heroes: time was NOT on his side. It's because people move on to bigger and better things! For example, a comic fan might like Spider-man as a child, but grow-up loving Batman since of either his One Percent personality from The Animated Series to his edgy side from the comic-book series.
Sorry that it took sometime because, even though I'm a critic, I'm also a human being too. I'm not as robotic as most fan-boys who just eat out of their parent's wallets. Even though that was a bit harsh, I wish you all a Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas, thanksgiving, and so on....and so on...
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