Archive for October, 2011
What Nick’s been playing
Oct 30th
I’m in a bit of a difficult situation here as a writer. Here’s why: I’ve been playing so many games lately but haven’t had more than a couple hours to myself every day for the last couple weeks. I’d love to be writing about a lot of them, and it’d be great to put out a few full-fledged reviews while I’m at it, but time and energy haven’t permitted.
By way of compromise, here’s my pitch: I’ll write a paragraph about every game I’ve been playing lately, and you can let me know which game(s) you’re eager to hear more about. We’ll take it from there. Sound good?
Shantae: Risky’s Revenge (iOS)
This is my first WayForward game, a small studio renowned for its excellent, classically rooted platform games, and I’m having a blast with it. Originally released as a Nintendo DSi downloadable game, it was just recently ported to iOS as a universal app. The full game can be unlocked for a paltry $2.99, which I didn’t hesitate to pay. Shantae features tight, responsive controls (a pleasant surprise on a touch-only device,) expressive animations and a clever, distinct game world. I can’t wait to dive deeper and see everything it’s got to offer, but if you’re looking for a great iOS platformer (maybe the first yet?) I’d suggest giving Shantae a try.
Dead Island (Xbox 360)
It opens with what’s unquestionably the dumbest intro video of this console generation. Disgustingly overwrought ethnic stereotypes curse up and down while a zombie outbreak casually takes place before your intoxicated eyes. You don’t give a shit because you’re hammered and popping pills. There’s nothing wrong with building a world where every character is despicable, but it just doesn’t fit Dead Island. If you don’t empathize with the human characters in a survival-driven game, what’s the allure? Despite its frustrating scenario, Dead Island features a surprisingly deep and addictive drop-in/drop-out cooperative experience that combines an addictive melee-combat system with Borderlands-style collaborative questing. It’s an odd game, and it’s certainly not for everyone, but I can already tell I’m gonna be spending a lot of quality time with Dead Island.
Batman: Arkham City (Xbox 360)
Absolute brilliance. I shouldn’t have expected anything less from the sequel to our 2009 Game of the Year, but Rocksteady delivered a superb sequel with Arkham City. Play this game.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (PC)
I’m about ten hours in at this point, and Human Revolution is proving itself time and again to be a true sequel to the original Deus Ex. It’s a good and bad thing, though, as the gameplay mechanics and relatively empty decisions you make feel pretty antiquated by today’s standards. Still, the world is engrossing enough and the combat satisfying in its own way that I’m looking forward to seeing everything this game’s got to offer.
Jetpack Joyride (iOS)
Halfbrick, makers of iPhone classics like Fruit Ninja and Monster Dash, served up a pretty fantastic $.99 game with Jetpack Joyride. I don’t know that I’ve played a more addictive iOS game all year. Few games do one-button controls this well, nor are they packed with so much personality. Check it out.
The Gunstringer (Xbox 360 Kinect)
Yeah, I got a Kinect. And it was good timing, too, because Twisted Pixel’s first retail release, The Gunstringer, had just come out. Dan Teasdale, designer of the Rock Band series and renowned Australian, has been working on this game since he came to Twisted Pixel about a year ago. The result is not just the most fun Kinect game I’ve seen since Dance Central but also Twisted Pixel’s most polished game yet. Sure, retail packaging and a $40 price tag probably warrant a little more QA work, but it’s nice to see that the TP team can deliver a seriously hysterical and memorable experience that’s also admirably polished. I haven’t unlocked The Wavy Tube Man Chronicles, but the notion of a free FMV shooter in the style of Mad Dog McCree is just…I don’t know. The best thing ever? Yeah, let’s go with that.
Dance Central (Xbox 360 Kinect)
It’s a little awkward playing Dance Central by yourself, but it’s also the best way to learn how to play it well. The game’s Break It Down mode is an excellent tutorial system that scales to your performance by intelligently either assigning additional repetitions of a move if you’re sucking at it or letting you skip over it entirely if you nail it the first time. That, coupled with a pretty impressive variety of dance songs, makes for what’s still the showpiece standout of the Kinect platform.
Demon’s Souls (PlayStation 3)
Masochism, thy name is Demon’s Souls. I can’t say I’ve ever been so addicted to punishment, but this game is just so hard to put down that even an agonizing death is quickly reassembled by my brain into a memorable learning experience. Sure, it’s tough and unforgiving, but it’s rare that you’ll ever take damage or die and not feel like you’re to blame for it. It’s one of the most rewarding experiences to be had in gaming this generation, and if you’re looking for a good challenge you won’t be disappointed.
Shadows of the Damned: A new way for Japan?
Oct 24th
Within ten minutes of beginning Shadows of the Damned, you’ve been subjected to a litany of dick jokes, seen a woman burst at the seams (literally), and have been introduced to a protagonist who’s chosen middle name is “Fucking.” Before bringing in the late title card, the main character and his gun/sidekick have a quick discussion about this trip into the underworld is going to be “our own road movie,” setting the scene for what follows.
It’s really easy to discredit Shadows of the Damned as potty humor, old gameplay mechanics, and JAPAN. I know, because for a while this summer, I did. However, after playing Grasshopper’s latest, I’m convinced that not only is this bound to be a cult classic of a video game, but could be a model for the Japanese developer community going forward.
So Long, Sera
Oct 23rd
I didn’t really want an Xbox 360 at first. Or at least, that’s the story I used to tell myself.
I’m one of the idiots who actually made a point of tuning in to MTV’s sophomoric unveiling of Microsoft’s sophomore console in the fall of 2004, and the embarrassing spectacle left a pretty sour taste in my mouth. And to be clear, at that point my Xbox was my primary gaming machine. I kept my Gamecube and PlayStation 2 at the ready for the few wonderful games that were still trickling in (GTA: San Andreas, Resident Evil 4 and Shadow of the Colossus…what a great period for gaming) but with Halo 2 burning up the University Housing intranet, nothing in my dorm room got more play than my Xbox.*
But with a weak launch lineup and a massive price tag, the Xbox 360 didn’t sway me right away. No surprises there. I held off until 2003 to get an original Xbox, after all. But the Xbox 360? No thanks – I’ll stick to my standard-def consoles for now.
That was my mandate, and it served me well. Then it was late 2006, and my buddy Dan invited me over to play Gears of War.
The next day, I bought an Xbox 360.
Visiting the Fantastic Fest Arcade
Oct 22nd
I almost stumbled upon Fantastic Fest completely by accident. Even though I’m on the fabled Alamo Drafthouse newsletter, I somehow missed the fact that there was a big, dorky exhibition going on just down the street from me in late September. At first I assumed it was only a film festival, but then I heard about the Fantastic Fest Arcade: a small, free exhibition of indie games.
These weren’t just obscure tech demos or proof-of-concept exhibits, although those would’ve been cool too. There were some big-name games and developers on-site, including Polytron’s upcoming 3D-meets-2D platformer, Fez, and thatgamecompany’s (Flow, Flower) upcoming experimental cooperative game, Journey. And a game called Octodad about a “loving father, devoted husband, [and] secret octopus.”
So of course I had to go.
The Long Break, or Doug’s hiatus from console gaming
Oct 8th
Welcome to the Japanese countryside! There are video games here, you just have to squint really hard to find them.
Whenever I’ve moved, one of the last things to get packed up has been my gaming console. Of course, my console has also often been the first thing unpacked once I’ve gotten moved in. Funny how that works. But this time, after moving to Japan in early August, all I’ve played since are iPhone games – until last weekend, I hadn’t picked up a real controller since arriving in the land of Nintendo and Sony.
What the hell happened? Well, a perfect storm of things for me, at least.
First: I didn’t want to bring my Xbox 360 with me to Japan. It’s old, is bound to break (again), and is region-locked. Most importantly, though, I would either have to pack it into my slim luggage allowance or ship it over separately, and neither are worth the trouble. Sometimes you have to be an adult and bring clothing, especially when there’s little chance to buy new threads. Okay, I did bring my Nintendo DS, but it’s now gathering Japanese dust instead of gathering American dust. I’ve got the itch to play games; what to do?
But I can wait. Maybe. I’ve gone two months without playing a game – and longer without playing anything new, frankly – and can afford to wait because real life and the gaming release schedule have allowed me to. I’m too busy getting out of the house and visiting my new friends to spend too much time playing games at the moment, which is good, because there haven’t been a ton of AAA titles coming out this summer. I bemoaned the lack of a year-round release schedule earlier in the year, but I’m quite glad for the break at the moment.
Soon the weather will turn nasty and, as a friend here in Japan said, people will begin to “hide under their kotatsu.” Unlike the U.S., most places in Japan aren’t centrally heated and have very poor insulation, which means you wear lots of sweaters indoors and a kotatsu, a table with a heated blanket. In short, people don’t want to head out and be social; perfect time to catch up on video games, then!
Postscript to the story? Last weekend was my birthday. With enough money and free time on the weekend to go buy a PS3, I broke down and picked one up — a 320 gb model, which now sits happily next to my TV and wireless router. It’s now set up to stream media from my computer, access my U.S. Netflix account, and make use of the Silicon Sasquatch staff PSN share. And I bought a pretty kick-ass game to go along with the system, too, one that I’m excited to write about soon.
After the long break, it’s good to be back.
Silicon Sasquatch’s 300th post
Oct 7th
It’s hard to think of a great way to start this post, but here goes: This is the 300th published post on Silicon Sasquatch. It’s not a gigantic milestone but I feel writing that much is at least noteworthy, if not praiseworthy. So, thank you. Silicon Sasquatch has been a labor of love for a long time — going on three full years now. It hasn’t been a regular endeavor, but between the web site, podcasts, and the book last year, I think I speak for everyone involved when I say it’s been enjoyable. Thank you for reading, commenting, and taking time to pay attention to our little video games-related soap box.
If you’re reading this wondering where the hell we’ve been the past few months, well, Nick did a pretty good job summarizing the key points in late July. In short: real life gets in the way sometimes. If you’re reading this wondering if this will now become the only post on the site for a month? Well, there’s little reason to worry about that. Famous last words, yes, but myself, Nick, and one of our longest-serving contributors, Tyler, are all working on pieces right now. Maybe they’ll be the only thing we publish for months on end, but at least it’s a good start. And though I can’t speak for the others, I know I want to start writing more again — my life has settled down and I can play games and write about them more regularly.
So thank you for reading for these 300 posts. Hopefully the next 300 won’t take three years.
-Doug, on behalf of the Silicon Sasquatch staff