Some mini reviews of 2011 releases so far

Dead Space 2

Dead Space pretty much took the survival horror crown away from Resident Evil. While Resi has moved more towards Action, Dead Space remembered that Survival Horror should be tense, nervy, and challenge your survival skills. It was a welcome addition to anyone’s collection.

Dead Space 2 should be more of the same but it’s not. The very linear path removes any element of exploration in favour of constant progression. This may lead to a better flowing story, which works well for showing how Isaac is constantly battling with his growing Insanity, but it kills any feeling of being trapped in a twisted place. You should be able to freely explore areas but instead you feel stuck to a rail.

Another thing I didn’t like was the end. After Chapter 10 (which was pretty cool by the way, those that played both games should know what I’m on about) the game floods you with enemies, it just never stops to build up tension. So instead of wondering what’s around the next corner you know it’s going to be more Necromorphs. This drops the scare factor and ultimately leads to a frustrating rather than fun game.

Still worth playing, I just hope Visceral take a good hard look at the game and the genre, realise their strengths, and produce something more on par with the first game for Dead Space 3.

7/10

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of two Worlds

If Street Fighter is the Parent, with many years experience and an aspiring role model to the rest of the genre, and Blazblue is the rebellious teenager, learned a lot from its parents but ultimately wants to do it’s own thing; Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the hyperactive child, who is fun to be around but still has a lot to learn.

There’s no denying that the pace of MvC3 is so fast and frantic that that alone leads to a fun game, it just don’t feel as balanced as it needs to be. Bigger characters like Hulk and Sentinel win as they are still quite fast, do a lot of damage and fill the screen with pretty much every attack.

With so many tactics that just feel cheap and a fairly pathetic online multiplayer (no spectator mode in endless lobbies, no replay function, what the fuck?) this game manages to be more fun in single player than in multiplayer. That is not a good thing when you are a 2D arcade fighter.

Don’t bother with Vanilla MvC3, go for Ultimate. If it’s anything like Super Street Fighter 4 was for Street Fighter 4, Ultimate MvC3 should fix many of the game’s problems. Maybe for the next 2D fighter series Capcom release I’ll just wait for the superior second version.

6/10

Ms Splosion Man

Twisted Pixel are fast becoming one of my favourite smaller game developers. Splosion Man and The Maw were fantastic little games brimming with originality. Splosion Man in particular adopted a very simple philosophy that’s reminiscent of what Naka had in mind with Sonic. That is a game entirely played using a single button. It worked really well.

The sequel Ms Splosion Man is more of the same only with a better framerate and even more devious traps. You better get used to dying because you’re going to, a lot. It’s a decent length though instead of having 3 worlds of 16, they should have 6 worlds of 8.

It’s hard to fault the game. It doesn’t do anything wrong but not all that much brilliantly. It’s more Splosion man, weird, wacky, challenging and fun, which is all it needs to be really.

8/10

Shadows of the Damned

When one of the craziest twisted motherfuckers on the planet SUDA 51 teams up with one of the biggest names in games development, Shinji Mikami you know you’re in for something special. Except in this case you aren’t.

SotD is a fine game nothing more. Stripped to its bare bones it’s nothing more than a generic third person shooter. You are a demon hunter, shoot demons. Really do you need anything more than that?

Well tighter controls would’ve been nice. Not having quick turn and Dodge being on the same button and not losing your aim when you get hit (despite still holding onto the Aim button), for example. Also unskippable cut scenes in this day and age is unforgivable.

Still it’s impossible to play SotD without a great big smile on your face. The Humour throughout hits all the right immature notes and it mostly flows nicely without feeling too easy.

Worth it at a budget price.

7/10

Child of Eden

I’ve already reviewed CoE this year. It’s fantastic and a definite nominee for Game of the Year.

9/10

Ocarina of Time 3D

I’ve also reviewed this too. The greatest game ever is remade in glorious 3D and on a handheld. Would be game of the year if it wasn’t already game of all existence (and originally released in 1998)

10/10

Portal 2

What makes a brilliant game? Solid Gameplay? Check! Unique style? Check (Well besides the first Portal) Brilliant Setting? Check! Awesome visuals and sound? Check! Fantastic humour, storytelling and voice acting? Check, Check and Check!

Well you see where I’m going with this. Portal 2 hits all the right buttons. Absolutely Flawless from start to finish and an absolute joy to play. Best of all it has a co-op mode that is as equally awesome and well made. Unlike other Co-op games Portal 2 hasn’t been centred around Co-op, so it has no effect on the sublime Single Player Campaign. It’s pretty much two very good games for the price of one.

Strong contender for Game of the Year 2011. Seriously get this game if you haven’t already.

10/10

Beyond Good and Evil HD

I had forgotten about this gem. One of the more unique titles of last generation and criminally overlooked. Brilliantly blending the best of Zelda style dungeon crawling with Metal Gear Solid style stealth it really did deserve more attention that it got.

This remake has made me glad to relive it again but angry that it still hasn’t got a sequel after so many years. The characters are likable, the story is nicely paced and the Gameplay is pretty well polished.

Definitely worth playing through again and essential if you haven’t played it already.

8/10

The next generation of Gaming - My Predictions

It’s hard to believe this generation of consoles started over 5 years ago. Previously generations tended to only last 5 years and yet not even a hint of the next generation outside of Nintendo’s WiiU.

Microsoft and Sony seem to have a lot of faith in their machines but it can’t be long now before they both reveal their next console. Here are some of the things I’d like to see, think we’ll see and general thoughts on what we’ll see from Gaming with the next generation.

Gaming is more competitive than ever and while most gamers aren’t going to chose formats like the iPad over the 360, it cannot be denied that Apple’s machines are having an effect on the market. Many believe that the rise of Smartphones has had an effect on handheld gaming.

Recently Nintendo dropped the price of its 3DS by a fairly large amount. This isn’t the first time a new console has had a drastic price cut within the first few months of its life. The original Xbox dropped by £100. However at the time Microsoft were new to the market, this is a new Nintendo Handheld we’re talking about. Nintendo have generally dominated the handheld market, raping every competitor that dared tried to compete with it. This was a shock.

But back to the point. Products like Smartphones and iPhones/iPads have one feature that I reckon will be big in the next generation, Apps.

This generation has brought with it a lot of Downloadable content, pioneered through the Xbox Live Marketplace and validated through Playstation Network, Virtual Console, Wiiware and DSiware. This is definitely going to explode as gaming evolves.

It’s very rare to see a 360/PS3 release that does not have DLC available/planned. This has come to the point where gamers even speculate on DLC for games still in development where there has been no hint of additional DLC (e.g. Sonic Generations – the Pre-order bonus doesn’t count). Even downloadable games have downloadable content.

Consoles themselves already have built in non game related apps. The 360 has Facebook as part of its dashboard for example. But this wasn’t really a choice as it came with a mandatory update. Fortunately it was Free but it’s only a matter of time before the idea expands and apps become paid optional Downloads.

Expect to see an App marketplace in the next generation, the feature has helped mobiles immensely; it would seem foolish for Microsoft/Sony/Nintendo not to embrace them with their next consoles. We’re already seeing signs of it with the 3DS’ Video channel and Pokedex 3D. Free, for now.

I would really like to see an App that allows you to access other system’s friend list, i.e. seeing and interacting with your 360 friend list while playing on your PS3. I’d pay a small amount of money to download that feature and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

The only issue with Apps is that it could backfire much like it has with with Android. For it to work it would have to be heavily regulated meaning expensive. However I’d expect issues like these to be ironed out by the time the next generation is here.

Continuing on with Downloadable content I can see the next generation being one of download only games. As much as I’d hate to see the death of the physical format it does seem inevitable. Personally I don’t think the technology is as widely available as people seem to think, which is why the PSPGo fell on its arse.

Truth is only the big cities have the speeds to make this a viable option. Taking in account file sizes getting much bigger as the technology gets more advanced, only the fastest broadband will allow new game download in a decent timeframe. For the rest of us, expect 20 hour waits to download a new game. I don’t fancy leaving my console, router and all associated equipment on for that length of time.

Furthermore digital distribution already has problems with Piracy. I rarely play games on my PC but I’m well aware of Steam and the benefits it has brought. However the PC is the most pirated format and developers are already losing interest. SEGA decided not to give Sonic and Sega All-Star Racing an Online option in the PC version, Capcom decided to lock half the characters in Super Street Fighter 4 unless you played online continuously. PC versions generally seem to be the afterthought with multiplatform releases and only really Valve push the format.

On the other hand digital distribution without piracy helps developers immensely. Developers and more weary of second hand sales and generally make a point that they don’t like it. EA for example give codes to activate online play. Whoever buys the game first uses the code to get online; the next person can’t use the same code and so can’t get online. You can’t sell on a digitally distributed game, but you can copy one, easier than with a game on a disc anyway.

If developers can find a way of offering digital only games that cannot be copied they will be laughing and the death of the physical format ensured. Of course that’s a big ‘if’ and I don’t think they will ever prevent digital copying, but heaven knows they will try, leading to more annoying DRM (Digital Rights Management, features in place within the game to disable play unless the game is validated continuously. Good for developers but not good for consumers).

Moving away from apps and downloading content the next feature I think that will be big in the next generation is one of this generations most useful new features, Gamertags and Friend Lists.

These days it’s rare to find anyone without some kind of online identity and many want that identity to be a handle or screen name to protect their real name. Google recently came under Flak for restricting those using the new Google+ Social Networking site to real names only

Gamertags have given each player a unique identity when they play games online. Master hunter and Joz Labatte are as much a part of me as Joseph Rafferty, hell this isn’t Joseph Rafferty’s Blog this is Master hunter’s Blog. Websites and Message boards have had Screen names since the beginning and with Gaming adopting them I find myself referring to people by their tags over their real names.

By making it so that every tag is unique (with Nintendo this is now with System friend codes rather than tags but they idea is the same), it is much easier to build up online communities and build up your Friend list. This has become such a large part of gaming it’s here to stay.

As the new generations some in the ways you can interact with your friends list is bound to increase. Currently you can create a party of 8 people and talk to them regardless of what you are doing with your system, you don’t even have to be playing the same game (this is all 360, but I would expect the other two to embrace this later). You can invite people to join your game and join others at the touch of a button. You can compare your achievements with those of your friends and check out each other profiles. You can also ban people from communicating with you and report people to the powers that be really easily.

All of this was just a dream when SEGA introduced the concept into the mainstream, and you’d expect it to get bigger and more in-depth with future generations.

One thing I would really like to see but I don’t think will ever happen, is a unified gaming identity. What I mean is one identity for all formats rather than a tag for each. It probably won’t happen since Microsoft charge for online play and Sony do not, the latter being the primary reason people choose the PS3 over the 360. Someone would have to give, would Microsoft make Live free or would Sony lose one of its biggest selling points. On top of that you have Nintendo to consider who seem to be fixed on codes rather than tags.

Going back to achievements I don’t see these going away anytime soon either. Microsoft will no doubt allow you to continue your tag onto the next generation and keep unlocking achievements for your profile. Sony may want to think about resetting trophies, making them a key part of the gaming experience from day one (rather than a year or so down the line). Nintendo should also come up with a system. Not sure how these play coins work on the 3DS but if games could unlock them they could have a nice system set up already.

Another feature I’d like to see if having the chat integrated with Social Networking sites or even Skype. The number of people using Skype continues to grow; most mobile phones feature Skype in some way and if properly utilized we could see an age where you can chat to someone over the phone while playing a videogame.

In some ways we have this already. The 360 got upgraded to allow you to chat via MSN messenger and to be fair it wasn’t very successful. But that was text messaging only; imagine if Voice chat was used this way. Friend not online, call their mobile using Skype and invite them to the Party. They can then chat to the party using their phone with no need to turn on their console. All of this done through the consoles headset to provide little interference when playing a game.

Already the Windows Phone has Xbox Live integration. How long before all phones do? How long before the PSN and Nintendo WiFi join in? Will it take another generation of consoles?

With the growing number of theatre modes in games and capture cards being fairly cheap there are a number of gamers uploaded clips of games onto YouTube. Some games, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops and Dirt 3 even have YouTube integration, allowing you to upload your clips directly onto YouTube.

I expect this to really take off by the next generation to the point where it’s a standard feature within the system. Record anytime and upload to YouTube, no matter what you are playing and how you are playing it. Finally managed that perfect run, upload it and share with everyone. Instead of only certain games having this feature, all will.

Recently apple announced its iCloud service. This allows you to upload files to a server and use them on any device. I believe Sony have a similar system that is only available to Playstation Plus users to allow gamers to back up save files elsewhere. I would like to see this generally available next generation, particularly when it comes to irreplaceable save files.

Currently I’m weary of playing Playstation 3 games as I’ve had two Yellow Lights of Death, each time erasing my save data completely. Hours of play on games like Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid 4, Little Big Planet and Heavy Rain completely lost with no way of recovery. If a cloud based backup system was in place I wouldn’t have lost these files as I could just download them again.

The only issue with this is millions of gamers, all needing space on a server with a couple of back up servers too, this could get quite expensive. It would need to be for save files only and not general DLC (which can be re-downloaded anyway) and may come with a small charge. Depending on its price though I’d be willing to pay.

But what about the games themselves, what do I see for the next generation. Well to be honest gaming hasn’t changed that much, there’s just a lot more of it. More good, but more bad. The only real change has been the rise of gimmicky games, the type that exist purely to abuse a motion control peripheral and feature little to no substance. You’re probably going to see less of them as developers realise you don’t need big gestures when using them.

Microsoft should stop pushing Kinect as a replacement for a controller and see it as more of an addition. The best game to use Kinect so far has a controller mode, what does that tell you? In all fairness developers have started seeing this and are offering Kinect games you can play while sitting down with a pad in your hand. Such as the new Forza Motorsport which uses Kinect to allow you to look around your vehicle for a better view of the road ahead. Or Mass Effect 3 which is said to use voice commands. This is the way forward for Kinect I feel.

I don’t recall Move being mentioned at all at E3 and Nintendo’s big feature was a console with a tablet for a controller. It will be interesting to see where to go with that and I hope this time it’s somewhere good.

My general fear is that all games will try to be the next Call of Duty, i.e. super serious, grey, highly militarised first person shooters. Now this isn’t bad in small doses but these types of games seem to be everywhere. Pretty much ever lead character now is some kind of Soldier and I’d like to seem some diversity in personality.

Gaming is definitely a more fierce and active industry than it’s ever been. Already we’re seeing new technology outside of gaming that could be adapted to evolve gaming even further. It won’t be long now before the first signs of the next generations begin to appear, perhaps at next years E3 (though I’ve been saying that for the last couple of years now).

Word is telling me this is 5 pages on A4 so here’s the TL:DR Summary

I think these features will be big/becoming a bigger part of gaming in the next generation.

- Apps: Custom iPhone/iPad/Android Style apps through an Apps Marketplace.

- Download only: Rise of Downloadable content and the high possibility of Gaming becoming download only.

- Gamer Identity: Advancement or at least Continuation of Gamertags, perhaps having one tag for all systems.

- Achievements: Continuation of Achievement/Trophy systems.

- Skype Integration: Expanding on Xbox Live’s party system to include mobile device to Xbox voice communication and making it a standard on all systems.

- Video record and upload: YouTube integration allowing straight upload of videos recorded through game/console features (i.e. Theatre Modes as standard)

- Cloud saves: Separate servers being used to back up save files in case of machine breakdown.

- Less Motion Control: Devices like Kinect, Move and Wiimote motion control being used less often and more subtle ways.

Child of Eden Review

Towards the end of the Dreamcast’s life, SEGA released a game designed to blend shooting with music. This was Rez, a critically acclaimed third person on-rails shooter set within a computer network.

Now I didn’t think much of Rez, I thought it was a restrictive overrated and very gimmicky shooter. Considering the excellent Panzer Dragoon series was in this genre, I couldn’t overlook how much more basic it was. What I mean is that while they are both on rails you could look around in full 360 in Panzer; Rez restricted you to the area ahead of you. A big step back.

A game should compete with others in its genre, especially one released several years before. Rez did not and focused on gimmicks such as wireframe graphics and making pretty noises whenever you hit something. An Average shooter hiding behind gimmicky features that did nothing for its gameplay.

Now, ten years later we get a sequel or more of a spiritual successor in the form of Child of Eden. Now to be honest this game didn’t interest me, I didn’t even realise it was a shooter. But I heard good things about it and when I saw it for under £20 (shopto.net if you’re interested) I decided to go for it. I am very happy I did because in short Child of Eden is the game Rez wanted to be.

Gone are the wireframe graphics and instead we get beautiful, colourful levels that are very trippy. The developers must have been smoking some pretty strong stuff to come up with what they did. The overall effect is a stylish, unique and simply gorgeous visual experience which very few games can offer.

But it’s more that just amazing visuals. Gameplay wise is a huge improvement. This may seem like a strange comment but moving from third person to first makes it feel less restrictive than Rez. It feels more like a lightgun game, and comparing this to them you do have more freedom in where you can look. What I mean is the edges expand giving a bigger screen.

Unlike Lightgun games this is not about quick reflexes, well not at first, or hitting secret small targets in the background. It is what Rez wanted it to be, a blend of shooting and music, perfectly summarised through the perfect octo-lock system.

Unlike Rez, Child of Eden actually uses the music, the beat of it that is, to create a good gameplay mechanic. After locking onto 8 targets if you release in perfect timing to the beat of the music you will perform a perfect octo-lock. These increase your score multiplier and are the key to the higher ranks.

This Bemani element actually gives the “Synesthesia” element a purpose, unlike Rez where it was just hit something, make pretty music (which is still in Child of Eden).

Also added to Child of Eden is a second “tracer” weapon, a free shooting but less accurate weapon that doesn’t lock on. This is more of a defensive weapon used to shoot down projectiles before they hit you. So you generally use your lock on to shoot down enemies, while the tracer protects you from projectiles. Balancing the two is the key to getting through the later stages, particularly in the unlockable hard mode.

Music was one of Rez’s strong points and Child of Eden continues this through the “series”. The soundtrack is infectious and you’ll be playing it back in your head long after you stop playing.

Plot wise it’s pretty much the same. There’s a girl personality trapped behind a security network and you have to shoot down the firewalls that are keeping her imprisoned. You really don’t need anymore so isn’t really an issue.

Overall the game has a very arcade feel to it. Like most arcade games there isn’t many levels, each of the five levels are meant to be replayed until you master them. There’s a good set of Achievements that will prolong Child of Eden’s life, ranging from the simple to the very tough.

A when I say tough I mean it. Getting the highest rank isn’t easy and requires almost perfect play. That means not only shooting down everything, but in do so achieving perfect octo-locks constantly. The window for these is very tight and I find myself counting to the beats to hit them. Even after shooting everything down, collecting every support item and achieving a fair number of perfect octo-locks the best I’ve managed so far is only four stars (out of five, I hope).

If you enjoy mastering a game to perfection Child of Eden offers a lot for you, but others may just find it frustrating (especially since it lacks a restart level option).

Like I said earlier Child of Eden is the game Rez wanted to be. Perfectly combining shooting and music in a unique way and presented in a beautifully trippy way. Easy to get into, difficult to master but with plenty of replay value, Child of Eden is a fantastic game. More than worth the £20 it is right now.

8/10