The island has vast tracts of forest, corners of desert, tiny islands, and a huge volcano. There are floating rocks, mushroom cities, buildings made of beetle carapaces. A cross-island journey is one across a vast collection of environments, sceneries and enemy types. 9 years later, you ride across tundra, snow, tundra, a forest and more tundra. With snow. Always snow.

A good friend of mine is a huge Morrowind fanboy, and raises the same complaint with both Oblivion and Skyrim. The two later games, especially (he says) Oblivion, just don’t match up to the variety of locations and scenery in Morrowind. I haven’t really played Morrowind (shock horror!), but from what I can see from screenshots, I have to agree. The cities are all vastly different from one another, and there definitely is a large amount of variety throughout the Morrowind province in terms of ecology.

But I think to limit a game to simply its landscape is to cut out the heart of some of the best games, and Skyrim is included here. In fact, it’ll be my example. Yes, it is predominantly snowy tundra. Have you seen Denmark? Any game set up north near the poles is going to be dominated by an overwhelming sense of white and icicles on your nose.

What makes this sin of similarity forgiveable is the aesthetic and atmosphere of Skyrim. The creators have been incredibly faithful to the idea that inspired the Nords — the Viking style. The names are best said a Swedish accent. Arcane monolyths and henges (as in stone-) dot the landscape. The country feels hostile, defiant and resistant to civilization. As are the people who live there. The place feels steeped in history, with ruins and worn-away roads. Even the taverns have odd stories for how they got their names — many involving Nord mead and hunting trips. And the mythic and folkloric feel to the storyline are fantastically in-tune with Norse myth — it practically feels like it comes out of one of the Eddas.

We gamers are a very visual group of people. Most reviews will spend a good paragraph or three on the graphics of a game. It’s one of the first things gamers will complain about. I know it’s what has prevented me from going back to some older games like Morrowind. And hell, that’s shallow of me. What we need is the gaming equivalent of the blind-date preparation line: “well, they have a great personality.”

I’d like to see gamers openly appreciate the deeper aestheticism of games. The immersive worlds that some can create are unparalleled. The open-world nature of games allows for a kind of depth that most books, TV shows and movies can never achieve, maybe with the exception of Middle Earth. You can take the time out to explore each ruin, from the collapsed Imperial watchtowers to the creepily deserted Dwemer ruins, to the infested mines. You can discover the back-story to taverns, and you can feel the impacts the climate and surroundings have on the fiercely independent people who live there.

Take in the atmosphere along with the scenery.

I’m not sure about you but my gaming backlog is a mile long and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. More than that, and as I continue to discover gaming specials, budget bin prices and those Steam specials that seem to forsake me to a library of games –growing quicker than I can manage to play- well it’s fast spiralling out of control. But in that spirit of gaming, in the eternal bliss that is an unforeseeable end to gaming, I thought to reinvigorate some of the older games not getting the playtime they once commanded. It’s a shame really because thanks to a few truly spectacular ‘total conversion’ mods, many of these have a new set of legs. Now I realise there is a potential to add to the issue of too many games, too little time, but I’m hoping that seeing –and potentially trying these mods out- will allow gamers to see that you don’t always need a new game in order to enjoy something new. As for what classifies a total conversion, well as long as it changes enough of the gameplay dynamics (or structure) that is in fact a different game, well then it’ll be good enough for me.

Nehrim: At Fate’s Edge, is a total conversion for Oblivion and trust me when I say it’s good enough to justify a replay despite all the mods being added to Skyrim’s Steam Workshop. Having been in development for over 4 years there is a lot to this game and there are many moments when the mod feels far superior to the game it’s built on.

With about 50 hours and more than 60 story-driven-quests worth of content, as well as synchronised voice acting, new equipment, spells, creatures, races and video sequences; well it’s not hard to see what there is to offer. But the magic isn’t just in what’s added, it’s how you experience the game. It’s more linear than Oblivion, granted, but it also has so much narrative attached to and driving each quest, with many more highly scripted events and little tweaks that make the game enjoyable and somewhat more challenging than vanilla Oblivion. Just watch the video and see what I mean, this is so much more than a simple skin and mechanic tweak.

Link: Nehrim

It all apparently began with a blaster-model and the idea to create a non-commerical Star Wars themed FPS game. And Galactic Warfare does just that, it’s a great amalgamation between the Modern Warfare gameplay mechanics and Star Wars, with plenty of love lathered all over.

With all your favourite Star Wars areas, characters and the recognisable weapons Star Wars is known for, that in combination with the fantastic gameplay behind COD4 and you’ve got a fantastic idea for a mod and an overall excellent mod. So pick your favourite between the Rebel Alliance and Imperial Forces and may the force be with you.

Link: Galactic Warfare

As much as I’d like to, I can’t put it much better than the description given for the game in ModDB itself.

“The Stanley Parable is an experimental narrative-driven first person game. It is an exploration of choice, freedom, storytelling and reality, all examined through the lens of what it means to play a video game.

You will make a choice that does not matter

You will follow a story that has no end

You will play a game you cannot win

…it’s actually best if you don’t know anything about it before you play it :D”

Link: The Stanley Parable

Looking at the image and video it’s easy to tell this is a mod of game; what’s not so easy to figure is that it’s a mod for Crysis Wars. That is until you play it and see the gorgeous visuals and extremely detailed mech paradise this total conversion mod manages. I’m not sure about you but I remember the MechWarrior franchise and with all the art and animation slathered into this mod, well it reminds me so dearly of the things I miss as a child. What makes this most intriguing is the blend between FPS and Simulation genres in a unique massively multiplayer type of experience. Take all of that; throw in a variety of vehicles, weapons, game modes and a ‘Battlefield’ feel and you’ve got quite an awesome little recipe going. Watch the video and then just try and tell me you didn’t immediately break out and reinstall Crysis Wars.

Link: Mechwarrior

“The year is now 2019. The Tiberian World now stands with a very uncertain fate. The two most powerful and influential forces on the planet are trapped in a never ending dead lock of war and combat.”

Sounds like every other Tiberian flavoured Command & Conquer game right? Well it kind of is; Twisted Insurrection is a stand alone, total conversion, based on Tiberian Sun. The great thing is it adds a lot to the tried and trusted formula; like new units, structures and environments that perfectly suit what made Tiberian Sun so great. The music and look is spot on; there are an absurd amount of improvements and changes made to each patch and the gameplay is extremely enjoyable and if anything, quite challenging. If you’re a fan of the old-school RTS or just never had the chance but enjoy the genre; well this is for you.

Link: Twisted Insurrection

In Conclusion:

So that’s it for now, and wow this feature is being posted late, better late than never I always say; just don’t tell Dean ok XD Besides, I really think these mods are worth looking into and having tested them all I would happily vouch for every single one of them. F.Y.I. and if you’re interested in finding more mods of this type, check out ModDB.
 

Resistance: Burning Skies will take the first person shooting action from the Resistance series and put itself literally into your hands. Prepare for kicking some Chimera ass on your PlayStation Vita.

Name: Resistance: Burning Skies
Genre: First Person Shooter
Players: 1
Multiplayer: Yes (4-8 players over WiFi)
Platforms: PlayStation Vita
Developers: Nihilistic Software
Publishers: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: 29 May 2012

As New Jersey fire fighter and National Guardsman Tom Riley, you’re about to come face to face with the brutal Chimeran invasion force in this blistering shooter built from the ground up for PlayStation Vita. The latest installment in the hugely successful franchise focuses on a new mission that parallels and complements the existing Resistance storyline.

First person games doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to handheld platforms, mostly due to the lack of a second analog stick. However this will hopefully give Resistance: Burning Skies a big boost due to the fact that the PlayStation Vita will allow smooth first person shooting action functionality with the help of a second analog stick. This is one big bonus the handheld folks have been waiting for. Burning Skies makes use of the touch-screen controls, due to the lack of analog sticks that can be clicked and the missing L2 and R2 buttons.

The touch-screen can be tapped for an alternate fire mode and an icon in the lower right corner can be used for a melee attack. The grenade cooking also makes for some unique and innovative touch screen-mechanics. You can cook your grenade by aiming and moving your finger slowly over the screen. It promises to utilize the controls fully and in a unique way.

On the multiplayer side of things, you can play 4-8 player matches, providing you with 4 vs. 4 team modes, as well as 2 vs. 2 multiplayer matches. XP is earned through kills and performing killstreaks, allowing you to unlock upgrades for your weapons. The game provides players with 3 different multiplayer game modes: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Survival. These modes will be playable with friends using the PlayStaion Vita’s WiFi connection, but it won’t be playable online. The built-in microphone and Bluetooth headset can be used to communicate with your amigos.

Let’s hope that Resistance: Burning Skies makes portable first person shooting a truckload of fun.

Today is a glorious day because after much consideration, thinking, procrastination, Diablo III, Torchlight II and trolling random strangers on Facebook; I decided to take this column in a wholly different direction. I felt that the previous series of columns were lacking direction, and so I’ve decided to change this space up a bit. From now on, the column will be dedicated to ramblings about all things indie. I hope you enjoy your stay in Adam’s Indie Corner. You may not leave alive. That was a joke, just kidding (maybe not…).

So let’s talk ‘indie’. I’ve been playing Torchlight II lately with Timothy, the uber ‘terminator-interdimensional-thingamajig’, and yes I just combined three words with hyphenation. Besides the comparisons to Diablo III which are quite garish in my opinion. I’m learning much more from playing the game which has a more stringent focus on the impact of skill trees, stat choices than Blizzard’s latest release. Which in all honesty, offers more freedom in your character builds without the implications of actually having to pay for making bad stat and skill selections later on in the game; yet, in this respect Torchlight II on the surface has more stringent build directives when it comes down to the gritty.

Many people probably throw around the odd word or two that Torchlight II is a straight-up Diablo clone. However, it takes a totally different direction and offers a variety of altered improvements to the established Diablo formula (which many games copy) and has forged an identity for itself, which can be read about here. The game has evolved to become something greater than a mere clone.

But what is cloning exactly? Cloning is the act of copying a game in both aesthetics and gameplay, without due credit to the original creator, publishing and selling said copy for a profit. Cloning is a prevalent practice in the indie dev community and is the dark side of online stores, like the Apple store and even Android releases are guilty of this to some extent. You just have to look at the devs behind GameLoft who outright clone popular games for maximum profit. Or the myriad of clones building on the gameplay mechanics established by Angry Birds, with slight visual differences and few varied soundtrack choices by the devs.

Cloning as with everything else is a prime example of showing how trends in game design work. This especially runs rampant in the indie scene because of a lack of funding to hire lawyers to defend indie dev studios from copyright infringement in regards to intellectual property rights. Intellectual property law is its own kettle of fish, and is complex and would mean high costs for a struggling indie dev studio. This is because they don’t have the backing of a huge publisher like EA and Activision who would sue the pants off a development studio whom cloned one of their games.

A way many of the indie studios combat the allure of inferior clones of their games is to offer sales of their games on download services like Steam. Most notably, in the special indie bundles at ridiculously low prices, and other download services like PSN and Xbox Live have started to offer indie titles at competitive prices. But the scourge of cloning is still ever present like some omnipotent goblin with the creative skill of a monkey and the morals of a dictator. That might be a bit harsh. But you get the picture, and this is the struggle for many up and coming indie developers.

As a GamerScore Whore (GSW) I detest collectibles. Most of the time collectibles prevent me from getting 1000G, because I just can’t be bothered to sit with a guide for hours collecting 400 flags for one puny achievement. It’s a thorn in the side for most completionist as well, because to complete the game 100%, one needs to collect 2000 mysterious seashells which are lying around. Sometimes, collectibles can be seen as completely unnecessary, almost as if they were thrown in either for the lulz or to pad up the game.

When a game features collectibles in a good way, it’s magic. When done right, collectibles can be the most fun you can have in a game. They can give you valuable information, or be a treat to hunt down. That’s how it’s done right. Throwing a bunch of random crap into corners and hoping people will give a damn is not doing it right. You have to give players sufficient incentive to run around looking for stuff.

The following games feature awesome collectibles. These are done right.

10. Mario Bros. 1-UP Mushroom

Let’s start off in classic fashion. The 1-UP mushroom in Mario Bros. isn’t a collectible in itself, but many gamers of old wanted to collect. It’s a strange sort of excitement when you bash your fist into a brick wall to see that green mushroomy bastard pop out. We all sought for him as we all wanted just one more life, in case Super Turtle Ultimate Extreme decided to go all Kamikaze on our ass. He is one of the first collectibles in games, that gamers actually wanted to collect, and for that, I commend the little guy.

9. Skulls In Halo 3

While not being that innovative, the skulls in Halo 3 were a strange kind of collectible. They required super-eyesight to see it, and some pretty shifty techniques to actually reach it. They were a pain in the ass to collect, but the stuff you had to do to get to them was actually fun. Bungie didn’t place the skulls in obvious locations, nor did they make thousands of them, no, they gave gamers a challenge. A challenge to exploit some of the game’s mechanics and to use some unorthodox means. They felt worthwhile to collect, and they inspired all sorts of creativity from players. That’s doing it right in my books.

8.  Fallout 3 Bobbleheads

Not only were the bobbleheads fun to collect because you had to go out of your way to obtain them and discover new and interesting locations, but they gave you valuable increases to your stats. That’s how a collectible should be done. Not give you random concept art for every 100th bird you kill, but give you actual useful skills to use in your game. Also, you can display them in your house, and I’m sure some of the more budding real-life collectors of bobbleheads and figurines were quite happy with that addition. Each bobblehead had its own charm and pose to make it all the more interesting.

7. Crackdown Agility Orbs

Collectibles should be fun to collect, and Crackdown pulled that off beautifully. While being a nightmare to collect all the orbs, they did provide a nice incentive to hop around like a crackhead bunny. It was immense fun to sprint down a rooftop, grabbing all the agility orbs you could. Not only that, but you were required to collect them to build your Agility skill. So the more you manage to collect, the more you can jump around like a madman. That gave players real motivation to actually collect them in the first place.

6. Skyrim Daedric Weapons

Oh the wonderful world of dragons and mages. When you’re not in Dragonsreach discussing the ongoing hostilities like the rest of the great warriors, or taking numerous arrows in the knee, you can explore the ever expansive world, where you will sometimes stumble onto what seems like Daedric altars. Each of them have their own unique quest that involve difficult choices and otherwise nefarious deeds to complete. When you finish the quest you will be awarded by the Daedric entities, with extremely powerful artifacts and weapons that change the entire game.

These range from powerful armor pieces to sweet looking daggers. Whether you choose to keep them on you, or display them in your house, they all seem pretty worth it. Even if you have to eat someone, or get sent into an Alice in Wonderland themed nightmare. They were all extremely exciting to obtain and that’s brilliant.

5. Assassin’s Creed Revelations Animus Fragments

This is one very important entry for me because Revelations pulled off, what I think is, the most brilliant sort of collectible system I’ve ever seen. The worst part of any collectible system in games is the one that got away. We all know that one. The one collectible you need in order to complete your entire collection, which is nowhere to be found — and you’ve looked pretty much everywhere. You refuse to use a guide, and you have absolutely no idea where the collectible could be. Revelations got rid of that completely.

Not only did you get valuable pieces of memory from Desmond, whenever you got a certain amount, but you also unlocked all the locations of the other fragments when you complete the memory sequences. That’s brilliant. You can still enjoy collecting the fragments yourself, but you don’t have to brush through a certain district, meticulously searching as you’re scared that you might have missed one. It gives players freedom to explore, and to collect at their own will. It doesn’t force them to do stupid things, like consult a guide or sit through endless walkthroughs for closure and achievements.

4. BioShock Audio Logs

BioShock’s audio logs did something extremely great when it came to storytelling. They offered valuable insight into the story of Rapture, as well as providing a brilliant background to the characters in the game. An audio log can range from an innocent citizen talking, to scientists explaining their experiments. The beautiful thing about audio logs is that the housewife talking about her New Year’s party is now some fucked up mutilated monster coming for you with a bloody pipe. It makes you somewhat sympathetic to the people you’re killing.

That’s how collectibles should be: an integral part in the storyline, where it enhances the overall atmosphere of the game. It’s not something you might collect for the lulz.

3. Alan Wake Manuscripts 

Following the theme of BioShock’s story-filling collectibles are the manuscripts in Alan Wake. The main theme of the game is a writer’s story coming to life. He wrote the story himself, where strewn across the game world are actual pieces of this story. You can pick them up, read them, and anticipate a future event that’s going to happen. To weave a collectible into a game’s story progression is a work of absolute genius. A collectible that is essential to your game is pure brilliance.

Not to mention, they provide quite the reading material.

2. Batman Arkham City Riddler Trophies

Everyone loved them. Whenever I asked someone what their favorite collectible was, this was the one that popped up the most. From the above mentions of what collectibles should do right, Batman Arkham City’s Riddler trophies did almost everything to perfection. They provided a challenge to obtain, in the form of various puzzles and ways to get. They provided story progression where you got missions when you collected a certain amount. They gave you valuable reading material about the characters in the game, if you collect them. They even come up on your map if you interrogate a soldier working for the Riddler himself.

Not only did they provide incentive to actually get, but they were fun and challenging to obtain. Not something you see in games very often.

1. Mafia II Playboy Magazines

Oh yeah. Ohhh yeah. Now these collectibles are actually worth collecting, if you’re in any shape or form a heterosexual male with his mind in his pants. It’s purely on this list because the magazines featured a whole host of charming and fun-loving ladies for your eyes to indulge in. This is one of the few collectibles in games that were so amazing that you just kept looking and looking to find, just to see what the next foxy female would look like.

Not only did the magazine have a sufficient amount of eye candy, but they were fitting to the game. A 1950′s mafia game where strip clubs were the resident playpens and handsome men wore suits and hats. There just had to be some form of female charm thrown into it. For the record, I loved the pictures of the ladies because their eyes were so enchanting. Don’t you like eyes?

And On That Bombshell 

I’ve pretty much explained everything that a collectible has to do right. They must prove a challenge, be creative, fit in with the story, be a required piece of gameplay, be fun to collect, don’t discourage people with having to use guides and last, but certainly not least, be worth it. If game developers could get this basic formula right and not force people to collect random crap thrown across the game world, then games can be even more fun than they already are.

Why do we need a villain? What is their purpose? Do we so desperately crave the need for a hero? A hero that will fight the damnable hordes of heinous and blood thirsty enemies? Is it perhaps our own subconscious that clings to the the unearthed idea of the damned that shall rise and devour everyone and everything is its path? We need good guys in our lives, in our movies and in our games. What is the point if there is no one to conserve the peace? And also no one to challenge our lionhearted hero?

Both of them are needed. Both hero and villain are needed to keep the masses happy. Think about it. We all have a favorite movie, game or book where the chivalrous hero defeats the malodorous bad guy. The larger percentage of the audience will cheer for the good guy while the few stragglers here and there, will cheer for the bad guy.

If you want to keep the audience on their toes, don’t let them know who the villain is, keep them questioning themselves at every turn the plot makes. Decide to manipulate and deceive them. It will make them uncertain of the one they are cheering for. I’ll go out on a limb here and use BioShock as an example, yet again. Yes, I like BioShock… a LOT! During my first playthrough of BioShock I was questioning myself more so than in any other game. I was not sure who to trust, who to listen to and if I were being a horrible person for killing the Big Daddies just to get the necessary ADAM and then continuing my journey through the city of Rapture that was once a utopian symbol of independence, free of any shackles that were to be found on the surface of the Earth.

With quite a few voices explaining to me the situation that was currently at hand, and wanting me to lend my ear rather to them, than the other babbling individuals, I was second guessing my every second move because I was experiencing major trust issues. I mean, really, I was just doing what you told me to, but I’m still being hunted by the ravenous Splicers from earlier. I thought I could trust you?

That’s exactly what I want to experience when playing a game. I want to be unsure of my current situation and be on my toes, not only when it comes to gameplay, but to story as well. I think another game that portrays this also rather well is the Uncharted series. I just helped a guy I know from long ago to steal something for his “client” and now you’re leaving me here to take the heat that comes in the form of a major whoop-ass and then be sitting behind arctic cold prison bars. I thought I could really trust you?

Don’t get me wrong, I love a game filled to the brim with mindless violence without any genuine motivation, and I’m not expecting every game out there to be the pinnacle of story telling. Think about it. Let’s say we all love our games with major twists and suspicion filled narrative, but there could be serious disadvantages. You could begin to enroot major trust issues and not be able to trust anyone. Obviously, you can’t trust everyone, but I’m beginning to talk in a circular-like pattern.

I think that games with creative and clever narratives are much appreciated in the world of gaming. Not every game should be like that, because you don’t want to turn into the twitchy, desolate husk that jumps when someone coughs or sneezes somewhere near you.  Being on your toes is good, but only to a certain degree. We don’t have any room for people kicking a bag full of cuddly animals, just because they looked suspicious…

Remember the days when vehicular combat games were king and there was always a release to look forward to every year. This year this gem of a genre has returned in the form and shape of Twisted Metal, which despite a few online issues, has been a great revival of the carnage, destruction and arcade roots of the previous generation of such games. There is a vestige of older and even some recent games that hold a place in many fans hearts as an epitome of what this genre of games is all about.

The truth about why we enjoy these games so much is because we have fond memories of the total destruction we brought upon friends in warring vehicular combat. You may disagree with some of these games, and argue that they don’t fit into the genre specifics of vehicular combat. However, everything comes down to a matter of opinion. In this case, the list will include some racing games with vehicular combat elements.

1 — Crash Team Racing

Many summer holidays were spent playing this game like your favourite pair of worn out shoes with destructive missiles, awesome power-ups and of course Crash, from the Crash Bandicoot series. This game was released in the PlayStation 1 (PS1) era and took the established Mario Kart formula, improved it, added Crash Bandicoot characters into the mix and offered 3D racing arena the likes of which hadn’t been seen on the PS1. Naughty Dog displayed a retrospective nod to the three prior Crash Bandicoot games and gave us a game which was funny, memorable and showed exactly how to make a quality game.

2 — Twisted Metal

Twisted Metal is a franchise which has been with us from the PS1 era right through to the PS3 with the release of the self-titled Twisted Metal game, with the return of David Jaffe at the helm. This game embraces a lineage stretching from the PS1 iterations of the game, sharing a past with games like Carmageddon. It has a zany cast of characters. In the latest update to the franchise Sweet Tooth once again returns as one of the main characters of the game and the tournament is again taking place. The game efficiently and memorably combines a dark and macabre story, black humour and over-the-top gameplay.

3 — Wipeout

Wipeout was original during its PS1 era birth and is still going strong and is a unique franchise among its peers. Wipeout games are fast paced futuristic races where racing with anti-gravity vehicles is common place. With a host of power-ups like shields, turbo boots, mines, shockwaves, rockets and missiles found on pads throughout the deadly descents of the Wipeout, the game never became boring. The series has also become renowned for using great electronica and electronic dance music in their soundtracks for each of their games. There’s nothing else like Wipeout. With the newest game out on the Playstation Vita the series is still going strong.

4 — Burnout Revenge

Whilst some of the previous entries may have encompassed a certain video game franchise Burnouut Revenge sticks out for many gamers as being a truly entertaining and well received experience, even for critics. The game was released on the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Xbox 360. The great thing about Burnout Revenge was the modes that the game offered which all took place in rush hour traffic. This meant that the destruction of vehicles was inevitable and so the game was essentially a destruction derby of epic proportions. You could accumulate points by crashing into cars and propelling cars as far as possible in one mode. Burnout Revenge is a great game that will be truly remembered.

5 — Mario Kart

Mario Kart first arrived on to the scene in 1992 with Super Mario Kart on the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System). It featured a roster of memorable Nintendo characters including, and of course, Mario, Princess Peach, Luigi and Bowser to name a few. It popularised a movement towards go-kart racing games where you could powerslide and hop, use power-ups and use various attacks against other players on the track. If it wasn’t for Mario Kart, there wouldn’t be Crash Team Racing. The original game and those that have followed are a testament to the endurance of this game, and Nintendo’s lack of creativity.

In Conclusion

There are other games I could have included in the list, but then we’d be sitting here for hours discussing the semantics of what constitutes a valid entry. It’s interesting to note how some of these series are still going, and how other game series have fallen into obscurity as remnants of the past. I have such nostalgic memories of these games and going back to play them, such as Crash Team Racing, the games still hold up to today’s standards. Good game design never fades away.

An Assessment Of Piracy And DRM Through The Use Of Pornography.

I know you’re here for the porn. But now that I have you I’m going to present one idea about piracy first. Misleading you with promises of sexy fap-time and then forcing you to listen to my nonsense. In the real world it’s lying. On the internet, it’s good advertising.

Recently there have been a few cases of games releasing only to have launch day DRM problems. I’m not going to name names, that’s childish. Very childish. Not as childish as Diablo III though, he’s the mostest childishest. Since presumably 300% of my readers will be playing Diablo while half-reading this, ignore the next paragraph if you are familiar with Diablo’s first time jitters. No wait, actually don’t skip it. To make it fun, I’m going to hide one misspelled word in the next paragraph. See if you can find it.

Diablo 3 released after 500 years of waiting and everyone was so excited that special medication was bundled with the game for people who have erections the entire time they play. Release time came… and went. One of the most controversial exclusions from the game is an offline mode. It is all online, all the time. Even StarCraft 2 came with an offline mode, sure it limited you severely but at least it was still there in case a squirrel decided to mate with your local internet exchange creating an explosion in both the exchange and the squirrel’s pants. It was a token gesture on Blizzard’s part but at least it existed. Not the case with Diablo 3, if you ever want to play you better be running a stable and fairly quick internet line. On release day, servers crashed, the infamous Error 37 got shown, tables were flipped, forums exploded with creative exaggerations of suffering and generally we showed the world why gaming is still occasionally mocked as an immature hobby.

Are you still looking for the misspelled word? It isn’t there. I lied. It feels shitty right, to be lied to so blatantly and obviously to make you read more of my article. You feel used, like just a piece of meat. Congratulations, you now feel like every hot girl after a one-night-stand. Looking back, all the signs were there. All the clues look like pimples on the tip of your nose they’re so obvious. You swear, like we all have, that we won’t be taken in again.

This is before we’ve even gotten to playing the game, we are already annoyed and frustrated. Not a mindset most developers are aiming at. Gaming is about fun, and always will be. The primary directive of any developer, general as it may sound, is to make its customers happy. In some way.

If there is some kind of dissatisfaction stemming from the purchase of a game, we won’t buy it. That’s what five years of Economics education has taught me. The same thing a five-year old understands intuitively.

This brings me to my epiphany. Piracy happens when developers go against the force of demand. Demand is simple; we want the best product for the lowest price. In a DRM-free world, piracy offers the same product but for free. The cost is that it is illegal and wrong. Companies believe appealing to consumers to “do the right thing” or to understand that what they’re doing is functionally no different from stealing is the way to curb piracy.

No. There are underlying issues here. The first problem is the idea that piracy can be stamped out. There will always be pirates. Many people claim they would NEVER buy the game if they didn’t pirate it. This is largely crap. Most would eventually buy it. However, there are a select few, a tiny subsection of this group who actually mean it. If they have to pay, they won’t play. Companies are infuriated by this. This is where the growing up needs to happen.

Companies have tantrums. Executives watch with bulging eyes and slobbering terror as their game is taken and all they see with their greedy, beady, little pig-eyes is lost profit. The sooner they understand that this group, the small group of what I have affectionately called fish, are not customers. They will never be. They are denizens of the pirate sea. They do not exist on dry land. All that they can be used for is free marketing, a loyal fanbase and some modding. That’s it.

Then we move onto the second issue. Looking back at the idea of demand, people can only be swayed away from piracy if in their minds, the product they are pirating is the SAME product as the legitimate version.

Piracy happens because this isn’t the case. Do you want the best experience of Mass Effect 3? Pirate it. No Origin service to worry about. All the pre-order content and Collector’s Edition exclusives are included and it never needs the internet to authenticate. It is a superior product. I have the Collector’s Edition staring down at me from my shelf, yet I’ve cracked my game. This is ludicrous. Buying a game is already scary, it’s a lot of money. It doesn’t help if developers keep locking their beautiful, virgin creations behind a chastity belt. Especially when the internet is still 90% free porn.

It is a hard enough sell to ask consumers to pay for something they can get for free without leaving their homes. It is near impossible to tell people to do the same thing, but for a worse product. This will never change.

When I buy a game and watch as the great pirates of yonder ocean have a better experience than me, it can only mean I regret my purchase. When companies realise that locking away game content behind DRM only makes piracy an easier choice for most, we might see some progress. Otherwise companies can continue to scream at the heavens, never understanding why good, honest people elect to follow the laws of demand.

I lied about the pornography, you should have guessed this by now. I know you feel betrayed and hurt. If this were the real world not only would we not be friends but you wouldn’t even say excuse me if you farted in front of me. In fact you might designate my personal living space and breathing air as the perfect place to fire your bum-cannon.

It’s okay. Be angry with me for lying about using porn, but that doesn’t give you the right to steal the porn I AM actually selling to you for a small additional fee.

I’ve treated you badly today. I know this. Come back in two weeks anyway.

Complaints and berating aside, having (strike: tried to) played Diablo 3, I must concede it’s undoubtedly an awesome game that easily does more good than it does wrong. Having said that, and in an attempt to appease the anger many must be feeling over Diablo 3’s gameplay changes or networking infidelity, I offer up Torchlight 2 as the next best thing. Actually, it’s the best thing since Diablo 2… scratch that, it’s better than Diablo 2. Don’t believe me, well here’s why.

I’m assuming of course that you haven’t been convinced by the beta gameplay video I posted, and if not, why not?!

Title: Torchlight 2
Developers: Runic Games
Publishers: Runic Games
Players: 1-4
Platforms: PC
Expected Price: R160 (It’s a Steal)
Release Date: ‘Apparently’ One Month After Diablo 3′s Release

Torchlight was an awesome little RPG, it had everything you wanted and more; like pets, fishing, side dungeons and stupid amounts of loot, that being said, it had its own little foibles to address. Chiefly among the things on the list of features missing was co-op multiplayer, I know, it’s a biggie, but despite that however, Torchlight was a critical success and a firm fan favourite. So what is Torchlight 2 adding to that formula? I think the more accurate question would be along the lines of what isn’t Torchlight 2 adding? Four new and thoroughly unique classes; eight (and counting) differing pets; a much larger and more dynamic (it’s randomised world gives a lot of variation) overworld that links to an absurd amount of extra paths and dugeons; unique attack animations for each and every weapon and ability; a larger, more varied skill tree; new abilities and options for your pets; and MULTIPLAYER! Anyone who reads that impressive list of additions and still isn’t interested has no soul and I pity you.

So, those classes then, what are they?

  Engineer: “The workhorse of the Empire, the modern Engineer’s strength lies in his Ember-fueled, steam-driven armor—a technological marvel devised by top scientists at the Industrium (the Empire’s academy of science and technology), and crafted personally by the Engineer as his journeyman project.” The engineer seems to serve as a ‘sort of’ tank, semi-support unit, by means of constructing various support machines, with extremely hard hitting abilities to make him/her, when alone, more than a match for the adversiaries you’re sure to encounter.

  Beserker: “Driven by a lust for adventure and a savage determination to win fame, fortune, and glory, Berserkers wander the wild places of the world in search of formidable foes, fabulous treasures, and the sheer joy of a worthy challenge.” If you imagine the Barbarian from Diablo 2 and 3, well then you sort of have an idea of the Beserker. The difference is the Berserker is not as much of a tank, having lower health and armour than the engineer, and more a pure damage ruffian that uses totem-like forces to increaser that.

  Embermage: “At the forefront of the Empire’s colonization of Vilderan are the Embermages—highly-trained spellcasters renowned for their skill, dedication, and arcane power. No Imperial army is complete without these fierce warrior-wizards in the vanguard.” Embermages are exactly what it says on the tin, nukers who make use of the varying elements and hard hitting spells to pummel the enemy into submission.

  Outlander: “Born to roam, Outlanders are the vagabond adventurers of the world. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, and even races—but all share a lust for travel and excitement, an appreciation of eldritch lore, and an appetite for danger.” Think of the Outlander as a Diablo 3 Demon Hunter, making use of magic and ranged weaponry, but that uses less dark forces and more martial arts as well as the occasional relic.

As far as class building and their skill trees are concerned, well it’s all very Diablo 2. There is plenty of choice and lots to wrack your brain over. As you’d expect, each class maintains 3 unique skill tabs, complete with the appropriate skills, both active and passive. Each skill tree adds a lot of diversity to its class and the skills give you all the needed stats and info needed to make an informed choice. Best of all, they are primarily affected by the attribute your class most ascribes to, as well as your weapon or magic DPS, which means that no class should fall by the wayside as their abilities will continue to improve rather than remain stale.

Loot wise, well you carry all the equipment you’d expect, though there are some awesome tweaks that just make so much sense. The most obvious example would be the requirements to equip items to your character. In previous games of the genre there was always a worry that favouring specific attributes (like magic for example) on say, your mage, would mean any really good equipment that required even a modest amount of strength would be lost to you. In Torchlight 2 however, each piece of equipment comes with an attribute requirement and a level requirement, and they’re mutually exclusive of one another. By that I mean, if you meet the level requirement then you don’t need to meet the required attribute; so an item you’d not be able to wear due to your dexterity being too low can now be worn by your embermage when he eventually reaches the required level, that is assuming the attribute required is harder to reach than the level. It’s all very well thought out and everything works so well together that you’re never really left wanting more from the system.

There’s still a lot to learn from playing the beta but so far I can say that there is a lot to do in the game. The dynamic nature of the maps allows for a good amount of variation and there are so many awesome areas to travel to and discover. More than that, the game just spits and shouts of polish, running as smooth as silk and portraying so many little animations and particle effects you’d never notice but are there because Runic Games took the time and love to put them there. Characters are affected by the armour you equip them with, giving awesome little detail tweaks to your character, as well as your pet being able to not only return to town to sell your loot as before, but can be tasked with bringing back certain consumables like potions and scrolls. Beyond that there is still the fishing game which allows you to use fish as unique consumables for your pet, each giving varying stat boosts and temporary transformations into creatures and beasts you’ve encountered in your travels. And let’s not forget that you can pick up scrolls of spells, which aren’t part of your skill tree, each allowing you to add yet more abilities to your character or pet; it’s a great idea and allows for more range and diverse builds.

For now that’s all I have to say, well except for the fact that I really love Torchlight 2 and it’s shaping up to be the best game of its type… ever. The only thing that trumps it is that if you pre-order it on Steam you get the original Torchlight for free; now is that a deal of a life time or what. And as for those of you who are loving Diablo 3, as I am, I know you’ll love Torchlight 2 as well; don’t not get it because you want to be stubbornly loyal to a single franchise.

Name: DiRT: Showdown
Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Genre: Racing
Developer: Codemasters Southam
Publisher: Codemasters Racing
Worldwide Release Date: 25-29 May 2012
Local (SA) Release Date: 25 May 2012 (expected)
Expected Prices: PC – R361, PS3 – R499, 360 – R499

Slip, slide, bash, drift, ref, and doughnuts. Welcome to the world of the DiRT franchise. It’s all about rally cars covered in everything that’s an energy drink symbol and names of shoes. Adrenaline is always pumping through your veins as you drift around a corner that’s right next to a steep mountain with nothing in the way. Bring on DiRT: Showdown, the next instalment of the successful arcade rally games made by Codemasters.

The DiRT series has always been known for its style and Showdown will be no different. You can compete in various new modes that aim to emphasise the game’s no-holds-barred style of play. All-new to the series is Demolition mode where you get thrown into an arena to bash and destroy your opponent’s cars in the most stylish and brutal ways imaginable, all in the hopes of being the best and achieving that rush of adrenaline. Demolition will truly push Codemaster’s damage engine to its limit.

Players can also expect to race against numerous opponents in new courses filled with shortcuts, ramps and various forms of obstacles that they can blast through using nitrous and skill. Expect to fly and drift through many famous locations such as Tokyo, London, Miami, San Francisco and more.

Hooligan events are a new way of showing off your stylish prowess by driving in massive stunt parks filled with ramps, trick locations and lots and lots of dirt to spin around in all in the name of pleasing the crowd and becoming a legend amongst racers. All of these modes help you to reach the coveted Showdown finals in which you race against your rivals in a vibrant and colourful festival atmosphere.

There are 50 events available across 4 championships. Each event has its own challenges and even weather. Players will slip and slide in snow, ice, rain, sun and night that are all beautifully crafted by the game’s engine and will react in their own unique way. Snow will be slippery and floodlights will light up the competition when it’s night time. All coming together to make a unique and thrilling experience.

Showdown will have a huge focus on multiplayer. From 8-player online matches to local splitscreen races it will cater to your every social need. Also integrated is a YouTube feature where you can upload your replays straight to YouTube within the game itself. There also Showdown Challenges available where you can battle your online and offline friends.

Expect a huge host of licensed and bespoke cars that will make full use of the EGO game engine to deliver spectacular driving stunts and beautiful damage physics. Strap in and enjoy the ride with DiRT Showdown.

There’s a reason why game developers let us in on as little information as possible, at a time.

There’s also a reason why they don’t always look to their community for advice and suggestions as to how they go about developing their games.

Most of us just don’t have a clue what we want.

This particular column follows on from Marko’s column entitled Passionate Hatred which published a few weeks ago and received a pretty decent response in the comments; really long-winded retorts that served either to support the man’s points, debate the finer details of those points, or refute his claims entirely. It is considered required reading. So go, read it. Comment if you must, then return. I’ll wait…

Okay, so. This past weekend Dean and I engaged in one of our famous Google Chat sessions that involved debating the hot topic of the week — which basically translates into the last article that Dean managed to read through in his leisure. Aforementioned column happened to be the lucky subject of conversation.

You see, I am of the standpoint that a lot of haters are exactly what this industry doesn’t need. It’s so common that enjoyable games are criticised for this, that or the other reason that most others don’t even see. And this select group of ‘haters’ choose to tear into that game as much as they possibly can, before moving on to hating the next big thing. Some stay behind to hate on a game for many months after everyone else has moved on. Dragon Age 2. Enough said?

Dean on the other hand categorises most gamers in the world under five distinct categories, though he claims there could be further categorisation as we go in deeper, Inception jokes aside. Basically, when it comes to games, gamers either:

1. Love a game with justifiable reasons.
2. Love a game without any real reason.
3. Are indifferent about a game but bitch about everyone else.
4. Hate on a game without any real reason.
5. Hate on a game with justifiable reasons.

I’m inclined to agree with these categories, and let’s use our very own team as examples.

On the one side we have the quintessential nice guy, the Good Guy Greg of eGamer, the guy who will love all things and love all things; me. On the other side we have the ultimate anti-hero, the vigilante who preys on the guilty and is feared by all, the Scumbag Steve of eGamer if you will; Azhar.

Too much?

Okay well basically I fall into that first category of loving a game with justifiable reasons in most cases, whereas Azhar would fall into the final category of hating a game with justifiable reasons. Dean and I were obviously discussing games I enjoyed, so for argument’s sake let’s say Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect 3. Or reverse the roles and say Batman: Arkham City, because let’s face it, Batman’s a fag. I’m being a Joker guys. And again.

I’m one of those people who will play a game, enjoy it or dislike it, and be able to state exactly why. Azhar is very much the same. It’s just that we differ wholeheartedly on most games. Like opposite sides of a coin, or a bi-polar female.

However this isn’t the case with most gamers, at least from experience. A good number will criticise a game and when called out on their hate, opt to attack you personally or point to what I’m going to call ‘bandwagon excuses’ that are basically reasons derived from observing the critical responses from others. So basically someone raves about how Mass Effect 3 had a broken cover system and all of a sudden forty two other gamers will go on about the same broken cover system, having read the initial criticism and decided that it’s something they also dislike.

I am of the opinion that gamers don’t quite know what they want, in this respect.

For the purposes of expressing my point, I’m going to outright state that most gamers don’t play all games. The great majority of us try to play as much as we possibly can, sure, but how many of us actually manage to play everything? Eventually, perhaps. But you’d have to be rolling in crazy amounts of ‘monies’ in order to afford that many games, disregarding the time required to play them. Sure this is a good reason to want the best out of the games you play, but let’s consider every game was of the same great quality; no bad games at all. What would constitute a good game, then? The average?

We need bad games, because they highlight what are effectively good games. Just like we need bad experiences to appreciate the really great experiences. It’s not fair, sure. You spend your hard-earned money on a game and then get something that is the gamer equivalent of Halo– oh wait. But then we go onto various internet websites and forums and complain about the games, citing our criticisms and calling for something better in future.

Great.

Do that.

“The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people!”

The ability to identify something that’s good from something that’s bad is important, and it will help us all to improve if we can state the reasons as to why something is either good or bad, but specifically the latter in terms of improvement. Even more so if we can look at the good and see ways in which it could have been even better.

But this is unfortunately an ideal scenario and in practice gamers simply criticise random aspects of a game that they might well have not always disliked, mostly because they suddenly realise that it’s something that goads them. Truth is, when the game in question was announced, they were clamouring for exactly those changes that ended up being hated on. Or worse, they were looking forward to it.

In Modern Warfare 3 for example, we all knew what we were getting from the very first trailer. Did anybody criticise it then? No, we opted to wait for the full release as if anything would change and when we got exactly what should have been expected, suddenly the floodgates opened and everyone wanted blood. Not Makarov’s, particularly. But blood nonetheless.

I believe our biggest issue is that we are incapable of identifying exactly what we want. Dean detailed it very nicely in our chat by stating that a gamer would call for a change that amounted to a two-percent difference from the original game resulting in a developer going: “Oh, but we implemented the changes you asked for, in our game. Problem?” This would not be the case if we were capable of stating exactly what we wanted, but since when have we even known what that is?

Sometimes yes it’s more clear-cut, as in the case with Half-Life 3 — Gordon Freeman willing — where we would expect our protagonist to not speak, and to not actually show his face ever. But further than that, what other things would we expect of the title?

We need look no further than current democracies in the world. Somebody sure voted George W. Bush into power, those years ago. Somebody. I’m not saying who. But somebody.

It’s for this very reason that developers don’t let us in on their entire development plans nor tell us what is going until very late into a game’s development cycle, where it’s beyond the point of change and all that’s left is to show the world what their game is capable of in order to promote it before release. We simply do not know what we want, and when we try to ask for what we want, we get the bare minimum and not much else.

It’s for this reason then that the world needs that fifth category of ‘hater’ in order for gaming to progress as a medium.

We don’t benefit at all when gamers complain about random aspects of a game without substantiating nor being able to provide fixes or workarounds that would negate the bad and introduce more good. But we do benefit from gamers who can sit down and say: “Yo developers, this is what’s wrong with the game and here’s why. Perhaps you’d like to do X, Y and Z differently using A, B and C. Peace.” We need the passionate haters who are capable of criticising a game for reasons that are deserved.

Unfortunately as I’ve already stated, gamers don’t know what they want. So this ideal situation is currently a pipe dream.

Fortunately however, we can all strive to be better. If you feel a game is bad for whatever reason, consider whether it can be improved. Sure not every game can be; I mean I’m not expecting Kinect Star Wars to suddenly be cool. But consider the game’s target market, consider if the game appeases that crowd and if not, consider why and what could be done differently. Don’t just hate on the game because lol and aids.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, the world really does need haters… we just need haters who hate for the right reasons.

In my last column I talked about the problems with gaming tutorials, and today I’m going to rant about difficulty settings, because I feel that they are another area that is seriously lacking in today’s games. Of course because there are so many genres and different types of games, I can’t exactly cover everything and all forms of difficulty in general, but I will be focusing mainly on games such as shooters and RPGs and action adventure games, because the problem is most common in these genres. I began thinking about this after games I played recently made me drop down to normal from hard simply because there was no point to upping the difficulty other than to experience frustration.

The reason is because the games in question did what many games of today do when it comes to the implementation of difficulty settings, and I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you guessed a mixture of lowering player health and increasing enemy damage, or simply upping the enemy count, then you’d have guessed right. This approach to difficulty settings is something I consider to be lazy and not that fun, as it often turns the experience frustrating and seriously screws up the game’s natural difficulty curve. As you may have experienced, increasing the difficulty settings for many games these days can result in obscure, inconsistent and unpredictable difficulty curves, and can result in turning the challenge into an exercise of both endurance, luck and frustration, rather than skill.

I will be giving a number of examples to illustrate this in practice as well as talk about what I consider to be bad execution of difficulty settings. Then I’ll go on to talk about how difficulty settings can be improved. All in this reasonably short column. Alright scratch that you know it’s not going to be so short.

Before talking about how difficulty settings can be improved, we naturally need to talk about the problems that currently exist. To use the games I was playing recently as examples, let’s take Sniper Elite V2 first. It’s a third person shooter with a strong emphasis on sniping as the title suggests, but you don’t really need to know anything about the game for me to make this point. I first chose to play the game on normal, but after a while I felt myself wanting more of a challenge, so I raised the difficulty to hard. This proved to be a mistake. All that happened was either my health became less or enemies did more damage, which amounts to the same thing really, and the game changed for the worse. Simply being exposed for a few seconds and taking like two hits got me to critical health and forced me to wait questionably long to recover, and suddenly the game wasn’t about executing badass headshots anymore but about raging at cheap deaths and trying not to die whenever I poked my head out of cover. It took a lot of the fun out of the game, and I soon got over it. I could still get through the levels without breaking too much of a sweat, but my point is that it did not provide me with a thrilling, new or interesting challenge, but rather with a badly executed test of frustration and trial and error.

I like to use Call of Duty as an example, but it wasn’t always that way. The recent Call of Duty games I’ve played, since World at War, have taken the fun out of Veteran difficulty for me, which is the highest setting. The reason is because the game becomes significantly less immersive for me, but much more frustrating. This happens because suppressing heavy fire and gunning down every living organism becomes an exercise in dodging hundreds of grenades that all land on top of you in a second, forcing you to expose yourself and die, and of course, infamously waiting to heal every time a potato crumb clips your eyebrow. It also results in certain sections of the game being insanely hard while others are strangely cakewalk. Lots of games do this. I could point to the Uncharted series, where putting up the difficulty setting to the highest levels basically means you’ll be spending every fight in critical health with a grey screen, and trying to push your luck as far as possible with all your trial and error approaches.

I’ll probably get flamed for this, but as much as I loved The Witcher 2, I wasn’t too fond of its difficulty settings. The gist of it was you dealing less damage and enemies dealing more as you increased difficulty, with the only interesting change for me being that items become harder to acquire. But the reason I didn’t like The Witcher 2′s difficulty settings was because the game originally has a negative difficulty curve, in that it starts out pretty damn tough but becomes a lot easier later on as you level up, upgrade your skills and acquire better equipment. Increasing the difficulty setting by too much results in this becoming utterly bonkers. Normal was the perfect choice for me in that game.

Now, the games I’ve mentioned above are random examples, but they all demonstrate the same pattern of what I believe aren’t good uses of difficulty settings. The reason is because in the games mentioned above, increasing the difficulty does not create a new experience, challenge players in new ways, or make them play and think differently. Aside from maybe The Witcher 2 in many respects. But for the most part it simply results in playing the game the same way but with frustration replacing fun, and luck and trial and error replacing skill. It just forces players to struggle a lot more despite not being fully tested on ability and actual mastery of the game and its mechanics. There are countless games that artificially make things more difficult rather than change the game through careful manipulation of its mechanics and challenges to players. I think this is the core problem which games need to address.

Of course the first thing we must understand is that difficulty settings often revolve around context. Each and every game is made more challenging in different ways depending on the game itself and its mechanics. With that said, I feel that difficulty settings need to be given some thought by developers so that they change the player experience and enable gamers to play the same game but with a very different approach. The game should treat players differently and force them to treat it differently. The various difficulty levels should feel new and inventive. For some examples, players should be given less resources, handicaps and extra assistance should be removed and enemies should display new behaviours that they wouldn’t otherwise demonstrate in the lower difficulties. Perhaps more difficult or different types of enemies should be introduced earlier on in the game. Maybe the environment should become more dangerous, such as by increasing the amount of hazards or reducing the strength of cover. Enemy and item locations and spawn points should be changed so that the player isn’t fully prepared for everything after playing the game once. I’m not saying that all games should do this, as it is quite a lot of work, but these are just some examples, many of which don’t require a lot of effort, that can make the experience on harder difficulties more meaningful and challenging in the good ways.

As always a point is made better with some examples. When I think of games with good uses of difficulty settings, I often think about Hitman: Blood Money, one of my favourite games of all time. As you increase the difficulty setting, enemies become smarter, you get less health, extra assistance is significantly reduced, evidence left behind damages your rating and, most importantly of all, players get a reduced limit to the amount of times they can save their game during a level, where the highest difficulty rating doesn’t allow saves at all. As I said, it’s all about context, and for a game that revolves around strategy, stealth, planning and careful execution, these changes significantly enhance the challenge and force players to think long and hard before making moves or taking risks, as well as makes the experience much more authentic if players are opting to get the highest ratings. You’ll be forced to change the way you think, constantly keep track of what you’ve done and what evidence you may have left behind earlier on in the level, and carefully go about your work as though its an art and you’re a perfectionist. In this way Blood Money really is one of the most awesome experiences for me.

Another game with excellent use of its difficulty settings is the RPG Dragon Age: Origins. Yes, yes, I may utterly despise Dragon Age 2 but I love the original game. Origins does it great because the game is already challenging on its own, but increasing the difficulty results in enemies becoming smarter and becoming harder to beat, traps doing more damage, players forced to carry less potions and, best of all, friendly fire becoming enabled. This means that you and your allies are able to harm each other with things like area of effect spells. This may seem small, but friendly fire being on dramatically changes the entire game and forces players to play so much more carefully, constantly be aware of ally positions and employ a lot more strategy in battles because things like using your area of effect spells can cause your party to separate and make you all vulnerable. It’s a perfect example of how one small change can create a much tougher and different experience for players. It’s so much more meaningful and challenging than simply weakening the player and strengthening the enemy.

For some final examples, I’ll point to the original Crysis. It may not be a grand example of using difficulty settings effectively, but it implements some nice tweaks that spice the game up. As you increase the difficulty, most forms of player assistance such as enemies being highlighted in the environment and grenade indicators fall away, but on the hardest difficulty, the Korean enemies you face stop speaking English and start speaking purely in Korean. It may not seem like it has that much of an impact on gameplay, but it’s a cool touch because firstly it makes the experience more authentic and secondly you won’t be able to pick up on enemy tactics unless you speak Korean, so you’ll need to become somewhat more adaptive. I remember always liking the difficulty options for the PS3′s Resistance 2, as the higher difficulties replaced weak enemies with stronger ones with more powerful weapons, changed the enemy count and spawn points and increased the strength of enemies.

And should I go into Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls? Should I? Maybe not. But I love them.

In conclusion, I could have made the point in a lot fewer words with a lot less examples, but I suppose I was in a ranting mood, especially at this moment in time where every word I type is further procrastination to studying for exams. However, this topic is so vast because it differs for each and every genre, and that’s why I chose to mainly focus on shooters, RPGs and action games because I find them to be most guilty of bad execution of difficulty settings. My main point is that difficulty settings need to be a lot more creative than simply weakening the player, upping the enemy count or increasing enemy damage. They need to be game changers. Naturally the context of the game is critical to determining how it can be manipulated with its difficulty, but I think it’s very important in design that the higher difficulties should strive to change the way gamers think about and play the game, and they should offer a different and more sophisticated experience. Let’s face it, when difficulty settings are implemented correctly, games can really shine in offering a rewarding challenge and completely changing the way the game is played and experienced, mostly for the better.

And what can I say, I do like a good challenge at the end of the day. That rhymed, it was unintentional.

Welcome back to another exciting edition of Duncan’s Debates, where we aim to argue about anything and everything related to games and their industry. In the last installment we looked at the somewhat controversial issue of sex in video games. This week, we’re going to be looking at an issue more related to video game semantics, namely whether or not competitive games should be considered sports.

The video game world certainly isn’t short of high-quality competitive titles — DotA, StarCraft 2 and Call of Duty (to name but a few) all bring mean and highly popular packages to the table, being represented in numerous international competitions in both the Eastern and Western world. Many bodies attempting to regulate competitive gaming have sprung up, almost all with laughable degrees of effectiveness. Top players in the various disciplines enjoy superstar status (one need only mention the name ‘MVP’ around a StarCraft fan to arouse them more than just a bit, for example), most of whom are sponsored by numerous different brands and belong to one clan or another, which in turn will also have a number of sponsors. Competitive gaming (termed ‘eSports’) enjoyed an enormous boom last year, and it looks set to keep on growing as we head further on into 2012.

Presented with such a growth, we have no option but to cry with the awesomeness of how far gaming has come. Once we’ve exhausted our tear ducts and run our Man Points dangerously low, though, we find ourselves forced to confront the issue of exactly how literally the term ‘eSports’ should be taken.

It is a question which forces us to examine exactly where we draw the line in terms of what we consider a sport to be. Is a sport defined just by having to exercise while you do it? If that’s the case, though, what of the mental and strategic aspects which exist in most sports?

What if a sport is in fact defined by its competitive nature and its scene (sponsorships, organisations, fan base, etc), and features both mental and athletic components, just to varying degrees? Could video games not then be considered a sport, just a more mentally focused and less physically focused one. If that is the case, then are eSports not just another type of sport (like watersports, for example).

Certainly we also want to associate eSports with conventional sports, so that they’re taken more seriously by the non-gaming community? After all, given how much time and effort professional eSportsmen put into plying their trade, and the enormous level at which they perform, we want them to have as respected and taken as seriously as possible – not just for their sake, but so that the scene can grow, to encourage more sponsorships and so on and so forth.

So, can eSports be considered sports? Ultimately, it is only for you, the faithful and opinionated readers of eGamer to say. Let us know in the comments below!

Addictions are a bad thing kids. They can ruin your life and make everyone miserable. If you smoke one cigarette, you will die (Mean Girls reference, and I’m NOT gay). Gaming is also considered an addiction, I should know, but it can stop all kinds of other more harmful addictions as well! Let’s look at the evidence shall we.

5. Cocaine

We all know the magic white powder is worth a busload of money. So much money that junkies sell their TVs and their bodies just to get their next fix. That shit won’t happen to a gamer, AT ALL. I mean seriously, first of all a gamer is generally very poor and can only just afford their favorite games in the first place. If they want to buy the Collector’s Editions or upgrade their PC, there won’t be any money left in the bank to buy the snowy nose powder at all. And sell their TVs and Batman figurines? Forget about it.

4. Smoking

I’m addicted to cigarettes myself and even I noticed a decline in my smoking if I’m gaming. If you’re playing Guitar Hero and trying to get 5 stars for Through the Fire and the Flames on Expert then the last thing you think about is having that smoke. There is the victorious smoke afterwards, which is glorious, but in that whole session you won’t smoke a single cigarette. Boom, you start saving money by buying less cigarettes and therefore have more money to buy more games. Perfect.

3. Gambling

Have a gambling addiction? Well, try out gaming! When you’re feeling the urge to dump your money in some evil cesspit of suits then just fire up a game of Red Dead Redemption poker and gamble your heart out. Unlike real life, if you lose everything you can just shoot a few wolves and sell their skin to make more money to put on the table. Actually, you can do that in real life, but then you must be a certified badass that lives in isolation with an epic beard. And then who needs gaming after that? That’s the dream.

You can get the same satisfaction from gambling in games like you do in real life because you’re gambling for something as well. If you’re just a few thousand gold short of the Master Sword of Pwn then you have something to work towards while gambling your imaginary currency away. Win-win.

2. Drinking

Seriously, who drinks alone? Your Uncle Recardo that is a known paedophile? Oh, sorry about that then. But seriously, people only drink while they are in company and do gamers have that? Rarely. In LANs and online matches you need to have your wits about you at all times and you would just spoil it all if you get completely dog buggered. It’s still extremely funny to see your friend sprint off a cliff and shouting “MY PENIS GREW WINGS” when he has had a *little* too much tequila for the night, but still it’s much better to play with guys that can say the words “Look out behind you” than a guy saying “I think my pants hate me. I love you guys!” when he’s the last man standing and has to defuse a bomb.

1. Pain

Oh yeah I’m talking to you masochists out there. Feel the need to get your balls punched up to your throat or a warm candle dripping on your butt? (I’m NOT gay) Why not start up a new game of Dark Souls and get another type of pain. The pain you get from being virtually ass-raped without lotion, not even spit. There are hundreds of games for you to play. Doom on Nightmare, The Witcher 2 on Dark, Call of Duty Black Ops on Veteran. I promise you that you won’t want to feel any sort of pain for years to come.

Gaming is excellent. It can do all these things for you without even trying! Aren’t you glad to be a gamer right now?

I take a moment to gather my thoughts. I put the gramophone on, and the voice of Bobby Darin fills the old saloon. My heart rate finally drops again. I know that, for a moment, I am safe. I check my supplies. I have a bad feeling about the next chamber. Sure enough, as I leave the relaxing strains behind me, I hear the heavy movement of a Big Daddy. And suddenly the jazzy strains are eerie, faintly echoing from the previous room. Ahead is silence. Silence and a very big, very angry thing.

One of the things I loved most about Bioshock was the soundtrack. The old-timey music lent such a strange atmosphere to the game. The whole look of Rapture is a bit anachronistic, and the music was perfect for this feeling. In fact, I’d say that maybe the music was even central to creating this odd mixture of underwater technology and old-fashioned gramaphones, décor and setting.

There aren’t many games I’d get the soundtrack to. I have a short list of those I’d listen to over and over again. Bastion, Portal (and not just for ‘Still Alive’), maybe a couple of others. It got me thinking about soundtracks in games, and why some stick and others just don’t.

Patterns

Skyrim has a highly practical soundtrack. You get echo-ey bits for caves, muted music to give a sense of desolation in the snowy tundra. You get lighter music for day time. And, of course, you get “oh shit it’s a dragon” music. It’s pretty unmistakeable. But maybe this is part of the problem.

The music isn’t really for atmosphere, but for information. It’s to tell you what time it is, where you are, if you’re in danger. It is part of the atmosphere, but only in the same way as the sound effects of the weather are. It’s part of the patterns put in to help the player along.

This isn’t always the case, but at least part of the time it’s informing the soundtrack.

Focus

At the end of the day, soundtrack probably isn’t the central focus for the game designers. Sad but true. Games like Bastion stand out because a specific focus was given to the soundtrack as music, rather than just backing. Portal also stands out because the music feels specifically crafted to sound perfect for the action.

Here’s the catch: both of these games are very linear. The soundtrack can be carefully crafted because the pathways are highly defined. A game like Skyrim has a massive scope for possibilities, and so the music can’t be made specific to the actions, otherwise they’d need about 200 hours of soundtrack, most of which each player would miss out on.

Pardon my subjectivity

Music is as subjective as gaming. What makes a soundtrack for a game work is pretty context specific. There’s no easy answer for what makes an excellent soundtrack. The things I’ve mentioned are part of what will make one soundtrack stand out and another fade into the background for each gamer; there’s a ton of criteria or factors that will have just as much bearing on the effectiveness of the soundtrack. What I haven’t mentioned is that sometimes a soundtrack you don’t notice usually, like Bioshock, can be brilliant in the moments where you pause, take a moment, and listen.

Can you actually believe it? Diablo III is set to release in less than a week, ending a nearly 12 year long wait for one of the most anticipated RPG titles ever. Blizzard certainly knows how to build up hype, and hopefully fans get what they are expecting come May the 15th. We’ve already fed you a hands-on during the Diablo III beta, so you might be wondering why we’re doing yet another preview. Well, that type of question would be justified, but Diablo III is really the only thing on most PC gamers’ minds right now, so a quick refresher couldn’t hurt right? In this preview, we’ll discuss what you can expect from the story, the constant internet requirement, classes, auction house and more. Just no gameplay. We’ve extensively covered that already, and don’t want to bore you, so if you’re still not caught up on that front look no further than this link.

Okay, down to business.

Title: Diablo III
Developers: Blizzard Entertainment
Publishers: Blizzard Entertainment
Players: 1-4, Online PvP
Platforms: PC
Expected Price: R449.95
Release Date: May 15

Diablo III once again takes place in the dark fantasy world of Sanctuary, the setting for the previous two titles as well. Well, I’m hesitant to call it dark, but I’m sure you’ve heard tons on how Blizzard have shed some gothic aesthetics for a more “friendly” setting. Twenty years ago, this land was saved by you and some other nameless heroes in Diablo II and as a reward for your efforts against the Burning Hells you’ve been granted a lifelong holiday. So Sanctuary is ready for a new group of heroes to step up to the plate and once again brave the evils that seem to never stop terrorizing this poor world. Don’t plan a holiday here folks.

The plot is set to revolve around two of the Lesser Evils, Azmodan and Belial, and an artifact known as the Black Soulstone. What about Diablo you say? Well I’m sure he’ll make more than a small appearance, but Blizzard don’t really want to dive into any details regarding this. Instead, for once, it’ll actually be a surprise to see what Diablo has got ready for the new heroes of Tristam as they traverse a land forever transformed by the destruction of the Worldstone in Diablo II.

Diablo III will feature five very different classes for players to choose from, all with their own special abilities and perks. As an added bonus, all classes can be played as either a male or female, which really seems to be a big issue in some gamers’ lives.

• Witch Doctor: Raising the dead is the name of the game here, but apparently the Witch Doctor is very different from Diablo II’s Necromancer. Using a combination of shamanism and voodoo culture, the Witch Doctor is able to control the dead, cast curses, harvest souls and even poison foes, fancy that. Blizzard have said that a Necromancer should become available at a later stage, dispelling any similarities between it and the Witch Doctor.
• Barbarian: This is basically Diablo III’s “heavy muscle” class. There’s always one in an RPG, and although they may seem like useless broody brutes, they do serve a purpose. Using massive amounts of physical strength, the Barbarian is able to do tons of damage to multiple foes, which in turn builds up Fury. Fury is like Mana to the Barbarian, and powers all of his/her abilities.
• Wizard: Or Mage if you really want to get technical. Lightning bolts, walls of ice, balls of fire, it’s all here really. Everything you’d expect from a Mage is condensed in Wizard form, with fast regenerating Arcane Power allowing you to keep casting all the time nearly.
• Demon Hunter: By far one of the most interesting classes, the Demon Hunter is Diablo III’s “Archer”. Demon Hunters mainly use crossbow, and are even able to dual wield two of this incredible weapons, opening up some really interesting combination possibilities. The Demon Hunter makes use of Hatred and Discipline, with Hatred fuelling offensive abilities and Discipline fueling defensive. Also, a female Demon Hunter looks beyond awesome. Just saying.
• Monk: The monk isn’t really what you’d expect it to be, I think. When you say monk, people usually picture a calm bald guy wearing orange. Blizzard did not get this memo apparently. The Monk is a fast attacking melee character, and when I say fast, I really mean it. Monk’s make use of Spirit to fuel their abilities, with attacks generating more and more Spirit.

As you can see, and probably were expecting, the classes are extremely diverse but similar to previous classes as well. Anyone with some Mage experience should feel at home with the Wizard, but each class does carry some strategic advantages to them, as many Diablo player’s will reiterate.

Hardcore characters will also be available, giving players a chance to risk their entire character for a more compelling adventure. Hardcore characters are the same as normal characters in terms of abilities, stats and items, but if a hardcore character dies, they die. You won’t be able to play with that character again, so you really have to be careful. Couple this with Diablo III’s Inferno difficulty and you’ve got a truly punishing experience that veterans are sure to love.

PvP has also been a major talking point for Diablo III, but unfortunately this feature will not be available come launch day. Blizzard opted to drop the feature momentarily to push forward the release date, but PvP fans can hopefully look forward to it in the coming months. Players will use characters from the campaign in PvP, carrying over all abilities and gear as well. PvP will come in both ranked and unranked variations, with ranked matches allowing players to advance and unlock more gear, titles and other multiplayer rewards. When PvP does release it will boast various locations taken from the campaign, but aside from that details are scarce.

Diablo III will also be shipping with its own form of DRM, similar to the system used for StarCraft 2. Diablo III will require a constant internet connection when playing at all times. This includes normal single-player campaigns. No internet, no hack and slash action. This has been known for a while, though I don’t remember people being too worried about it. If DRM is such an issue with nearly every other title that implements it, why is that not so for Diablo III? This also rules out the possibility of offline LAN support, as you’ll only be able to dungeon crawl with your friends if you all have a stable internet connection.

Other than that, that’s all you really need to know about Diablo III before its release next week Tuesday. If you’re looking for gameplay, hit up our hands-on and get a quick rundown of what to expect when you log on for the first time next week. Am I the only one that is going to miss the “Waiting for Diablo III” memes come next week? Diablo III will release for PC on May 15th. Be ready.

The world is filled with bad-asses. There is no two-ways about it. Bad-asses. There you have it, folks. Welcome to tonight’s show, grab a flask of mysterious and harmful liquid and join the words.

Everyone has a favorite gaming character. Your grandma secretly loves Mario, Pac-Man or Sonic The Hedgehog. Scientifically proven. More often than not, gaming characters are bad-asses. Keep in mind that this is meant to be a good thing. The term “bad” is used as a “good” term, therefore “well”-behaved, doesn’t necessarily qualify as “good”, and we want the “good” feeling we get from being a “bad”-ass or witnessing a “bad”-ass to be “good”. I have a headache now, anyone else getting one?

If you look at this analysis closely, you will notice that it is merely two words put together to create a term that is common among gamers and elderly people alike. The word “ass” is defined as: “a long-eared, slow, patient, sure-footed domesticated mammal” or “a stupid, foolish, or stubborn person.” The term “bad” however is more acute to be defined as: “not good in any manner or degree” or “inaccurate, incorrect, or faulty.” This is starting to feel like a lesson. Do not fear, the professor will leave shortly. ”My grandson that likes games is a bad-ass.” See? It works.

Let’s get started with our very own long-eared, domesticated, inaccurate and stupid mammal list:

#7: Marcus Fenix

Our beloved protagonist of the Gears of War series makes his way into this list by being stupifyingly awesome. He’s an ill-tempered, hopping mad, tough son of a gun. He’s come a long way and has lived through many impractical scenarios. This guy deserves a medal merely for cussing when his trusty Lancer jams, never mind him and his whole bravado living through these situations. Well, not everyone survives, but that’s not the point here. The fact of the matter implies him being a bad-ass and worthy of a bad-ass crown. Strap on your Delta Squad Bandanna’s and let’s go chainsaw some Locust.

Bad-ass rating: Approved.

#6: Leon S. Kennedy

This guy is not as flashy as the rest of our heroes mentioned on the list, but do not be fooled by his casual, calm and “blonde crest hanging in front of his eyes” agenda. He is capable of handling a numerous amount of foes thrown at him in Resident Evil 4. He usually stays calm, even when two giants with miniguns strapped to their arms makes their way towards him. I mean, seriously, who would run in a situation such as this? It’s not as if it’s life-threatening in any way, especially when a bunch of normal foes forces you out of cover. No big deal, right? Personally, I’ll run like hell. The president’s daughter can be zombie chow. Or “Los Ganados”-chow. I prefer the term, “Las Plagas”-chow, but that is merely the name of the parasites infesting the enemies. Whichever one you prefer. Shoot off a guy’s head with your trusty pistol or your deadly accurate sniper rifle, and the Las Plagas parasite will emerge, and I’ll be freaked out beyond belief. I would run like hell, and leave the president’s daughter behind, yet again. Not this guy.

Bad-ass rating: Approved.

#5 Nathan Drake

Ah, yes. Our beloved, suicidal and lethal treasure hunter makes his way over here. Perhaps there is something shiny here he wants to snatch. Hide all jewelry and shiny objects until the mental patient leaves. The beloved Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series is probably one of the most luckiest of all gaming characters. He has lived through some of the most butt-clenching scenarios to have ever grace our screens. Fall out of a cargo plane with nothing but the clothes on your back? That is mere child’s play to this foolhardy lunatic. Single-handedly survive a shootout against twenty to thirty enemies while in a desert storm? It’s probably something he does for a hobby. We don’t know what happens after the credits start rolling. All kidding aside, this guy is a character with a witty personality and interesting back story. Load your favorite gun and look for something shiny.

Bad-ass rating: Approved. (Although patient seems stable, he has the capacity to instinctively jump off a cliff in search of a broach.)

#4: Manny Calavera

Is there anyone here that hasn’t played Grim Fandango? Yes? Please remove yourself from my presence. If you really want to stay, get your paws on this jewel of gaming history very quickly. Sure, I know it’s not easy to find, but play this game even if it’s the last thing you do. Yes, I adored my time with this game. When I was younger and no one was at the PC, I played Grim Fandango. My brother was in tears when he came into the room and saw me playing Grim Fandango, yet again. Manny Calavera is the game’s protagonist and not easily describable in just a few words. He is a witty and charming skeleton, and one of my all time favorites — if I may add. This poorly appointed salesman in the Land of the Dead has a tough, but oh, so wonderful road ahead. The humor in Grim Fandango is great and Manny is super likeable. Puzzle solving has never been this great in the Land of the Dead. Would someone please re-release this game right now, so that all of the gaming folk can savor the humour of this puzzling pièce de résistance?

Bad-ass rating: Approved. (Aforementioned person doesn’t have any skin, but I’m being told that the kids prefer this kind of thing nowadays.)

#3: Agent 47

Agent 47 graces us with his bald-like presence and stares at us with a cold smirk while sniffing for his next appointed target. This stone-hearted killer has a job, and it needs finishing. The one thing that sets this imperturbable character aside from the rest of our fellow bad-asses is the fact that you can decide what type of bad-ass he should be. I might prefer a guns blazing approach whereas you might try a sneakier and cleaner approach. Players will decide their play style and fill the shoes of Agent 47. We should all shave our hair off, tattoo a barcode on the back of our head, put on a snazzy suit with a red tie, and run around the streets with two .45 caliber pistols and a fiber-wire in hand, just in case. (Please note that all advice given here is not recommended. Results may vary.)

Bad-ass rating: Approved.

#2: BioShock’s Big Daddies

You make your way through the underwater city of Rapture and hear a terrible, dreary and appalling moan. You stop, dead in your tracks and listen carefully. The horrendous sound makes your ears hurt. It’s getting closer. The unnerving thumping in your chest starts to grow out of control. You load your shotgun and have a spark ready in your other hand just in case. Up ahead, around the corner, the beast appears. Wait. It’s not after you. It’s only protecting the little one. You all know who I’m talking about. The Big Daddy. This beast is a cipher without any real answer. They have an interesting and rather atrocious history. The Big-Daddies in BioShock is a one-of-a-kind creature filled with mystery. It might look like an overgrown guy in a diving suit, but heed my warning. Do not get in his way!

Bad-ass rating: Approved.

#1 GLaDOS

The hero in the Portal games are, in my opinion, the villain. The one and only GLaDOS is a fiendish AI without equal. The character of GLaDOS isn’t your average everyday bad guy. It’s a lovable AI that is filled to the brim with dark humor. She does her best to make the world a living hell for our silent playable character, Chell, and she succeeds with aces all around. She even makes life difficult for you and your co-op buddy in Portal 2′s cooperative mode. If you have not played a Portal game, steal someone’s money and go buy both of them. It’s a game where you can literally feel the amount love that has been put into it. Puzzling and laughing has never been this good.

Bas-ass rating: Approved, without a doubt.

There you have it. What’s your favorite bad-ass characters?

I’m what you would call a modern gamer. I did, in fact, grow up playing NES games on one of those old shameless rip-off Golden China consoles and I somehow had a Sega Megadrive. I was playing Sonic the Hedgehog for months at a time (Hey, you probably sucked too when you were 6 years old) and the ridiculously difficult Comix Zone that I thought was impossible to beat. But I did. And man did it feel good. Since early on in my life I was hooked on gaming, from the moment I was introduced to it. I would never have imagined it would grow as vastly as it did.

We, as gamers, all have our own forms of gaming passion. Be it playing a single game’s multiplayer for months on end and taking part in tournaments to see who is the best or the RPG player who plays a game for hundreds of hours just to unlock all the secrets or explore everything. I’m one of the latter. If a single-player game has me engrossed then I stay that way until I fully complete it. I get copious amounts of satisfaction if I complete a game on its hardest difficulty or doing things many people would never imagine doing in their lives.

I feel now that I have to discuss something that has been eating at me for weeks. Haters. As we all know they are everywhere. Mention a single thing good about a game and they would come at you like the fucking plague and not stop until you have submitted to their will. What happened to their passion of games that they feel the need to blatantly express how they dislike the game and damn you if you think otherwise. Sometimes everything backfires and they get called out for being nit-picky or don’t really have that much knowledge about the game in the first place. Their reply would always be: “I was just expressing my opinion.” Which brings me to my next point.

Having an opinion about a game is all well and good, but sometimes you just have to question the validity of that opinion. Let’s look at an example. If you say: “Kingdoms of Amalur was a great game, but I think the story was a bit bland for my tastes,” then that’s a perfectly valid opinion, but if you say: “The Witcher 2 is too difficult for me even on Easy difficulty, I’m going to trade it in first thing in the morning. My (iron) sword doesn’t do anything against the monsters and I’m pissed off. This game sucks!”, then you seriously need to question yourself.

They will still say: “Well everyone has an opinion why can’t I?”, but if I say: “Oh, in my opinion I think that Hitler was right and we should kill all the Jews,” wouldn’t I be lynched for that? These haters become so engaged into looking for every single minute fault in a game that I think that they have missed the whole point of it. To have fun. What would happen to me if I logged on every morning to various forums and my only objective for the day would be to spread my discord for a game? I would start to lose touch with the things that make gaming great.

These people need to wake up and smell the daisies. Just play a game and at least try and enjoy it. That quote I gave about The Witcher 2 is an actual quote I saw on a forum. Now that person is missing out on one massive experience filled with adventure just because they were too stupid or impatient to craft a silver sword. It’s sad and pitiful.

These haters are the cancer of the gaming industry. A multitude of gamers would read something, agree with what was said and leave. Haters would keep coming back to voice their opinion and try their damn hardest to change someone’s mind about it. If someone enjoyed the game then they enjoyed it. End of story. No multitude of 1,000-word comments and “expertly crafted” renditions about story points would change a person’s mind, but why do they insist on going on and on for hours? I seriously don’t know.

Recently it was made abundantly clear to me that sometimes you have to be upset with something in order to change it. That’s true, but you shouldn’t let it spoil everything for you. If you allow a 5 minute scene to spoil your 40 hour experience where you specifically said you like it, then you’re only hurting yourself. Voice your opinion, sure, but don’t say a game is suddenly complete shit because you’re so focused on being unhappy about something.

Haters need to come back to the world of gaming where we actually want to have fun. Not meaninglessly rant on for hours about a gun that wasn’t invented in a game’s timeline or a trailer where a white dude was killing black zombies and call it racist for DAYS. I make it abundantly clear that I am passionate about gaming and I would love that these sour apples be picked off from this ever expanding tree.

To the lovers of gaming, keep on keeping on. Don’t let anyone spoil your fun.

To the haters. Stop for a few seconds and look at what you’re doing. You’re essentially killing gaming yourself. Help us all out and just stop. Go play one of the 3 games you actually like and just get in touch with your inner gamer. It would only benefit everyone.

I’ve been feeling nostalgic of late. Maybe it’s the cold, wet weather of contemplation or perhaps it’s the long lonely, music filled bus rides of late or perhaps it’s my impending 21^st birthday but for some reason I find myself being all wistful about my past. Suddenly everything reminds me of something else. The cold misty rain and my near constant listening to music have given things a vaguely ethereal quality.

Some people might say I’m too young to be nostalgic. Go out, get drunk, mack a girl, fight a douche, live a little. To those people I say this:

People were never so rude back in my day.

My weirdness aside, this recent plunge into the nostalgic got me thinking about the times I used to share a room with my younger brother. Close as we are, we discussed every possible topic imaginable – well beyond our given bed time, beyond our needed bedtime and once beyond possible bed time.

Naturally gaming was a dominant topic of this chubby-cheeked, red-faced, enthusiastic, prepubescent, escapade of psychological gold. I remember early 2008 most clearly.

Riding on the back of a ridiculous 2007, we seemed to discuss Modern Warfare most frequently. Thinking back now I still believe it was the herald of the singleplayer, linear, explosion-filled jizzfest that ultimately moulded the styles and expectations of most modern greats.

It was the first time, for me anyway, that I truly felt at the center of a massive adventure; non-stop, larger than life, beyond gargantuan action. What’s more it introduced us to near perfect pacing. Just enough quiet and calm to make the climax that much more poignant. For every epic battle, every explosion, there was a moment of calm awe, a chance for us to marvel – something later games have lost. Even watching the electrical tower fall into the ravine after blowing it up – it was actually a calm moment. There was no chase, no screaming, just the falling of a tower. Or even the harrowing but action-free opening. It gave me chills.

Then of course we have the ghillie suit mission that basically became the yard stick by which all stealth sections in action games are measured. Then finally the infamous nuclear blast, a moment I will never forget. An experience once again made frighteningly epic by our struggle to stop its launch, by our calm moment of defeat watching the missile climb slowly into the sky and then our eventual horror at being inside the head of a dying man.

I have made no secret of my status as a singeplayer gamer – I know that the COD series is mostly multiplayer based but what I’m speaking of here is what makes people love the game. Balance is an issue, sure, but more than balance is the feel of the game – one of the biggest factors in Modern Warfare’s monstrous success – its right there in the name. Modern Warfare was the first Call of Duty to leave the past behind and bring us to the present. There was something exciting about it, something magical about using modern weaponry, using the very best technology. It made it real and dangerous.

For a very long time, Infinity Ward, the makers of the Modern Warfare series, were the premium developers. Treyarch and their games were the filler between Infinity Ward games. Then Modern Warfare 2 came out and what we got was, to quote a magnificent writer, the conspiracy ravings of a homeless man wearing a tinfoil hat who blinks his eyes independently. It was bad. Plain and simple.

So we turned our gaze to Treyarch, albeit a skeptical, reluctant and disapproving gaze. We got Black Ops, my favourite Call of Duty since the original Modern Warfare. Not perfect by any means but still one hell of a good time. Sure it was still a little too focused on wars no one cares about anymore (especially outside of the US) and yes it did stick uncomfortably close to an almost stereotypical “twist ending” type of story but it sucked me in and I had a good time.

Then there was Modern Warfare 3, set to take back the throne of COD. The almighty, beer soaked, 11-year-old boy populated land of almighty “noobs”, “fags” and people who exclusively sleep with each other’s mothers….

…..aaaaannnnnndddddd no. It didn’t. Modern Warfare 3 was better than its predecessor but actually worse than Black Ops.

This brings me to today, and Black Ops 2 – the stage is set and the audience primed. Infinity Ward have all but disbanded, the head honchos moving off into the sunset amidst legal battles with parent publisher Activision Hitler (creative license may have been employed with publisher names, maybe) leaving Treyarch with one shot, one opportunity, they better not blow it, they need to own it, the moment, this opportunity comes once in a lifetime…

What made Modern Warfare so compelling was its freshness, in a franchise as stale as COD, freshness was like, well, a breath of fresh air. Ba Dum Tss.

That was 5 years ago, 5 games ago, 5 horse beatings ago – they now have the chance to do something COD needs: something new.

If Treyarch play their cards right, they could make me and a whole host of bored, jaded COD players care again. The ball is in your court, call has been made, will you answer?

Hello there readers. Now to be honest with you, I really couldn’t think of anything to write on this week, and I’m quite vehemently opposed to churning out mindless ranting and slapping a clever title on it, so instead I’ve opted to draw on some of my personal experiences I’ve had in the game developing arena. I promise, of course, that this column contains at least some value to any aspiring game developers out there. I’ll be trying my best to impart some of the knowledge that I’ve learnt along the way.

“Professional”
Now I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I’m a professional game developer. Well I am a professional game developer in the sense that in the past I have been paid money to create games, however I feel the term professional would be much too generous for my rather brief résumé in the field. It is one of my passions and when we do consulting work at my job, it’s indeed a lot more fun to develop games for money than it is to develop boring business related software. But as of late I haven’t been involved with too much game development. Now I think it would be quite appropriate to start with a short little history of what I’ve done. So here it goes.

An Almost Brief History
I studied Computer Science at the University of Cape Town. Halfway through my degree a new set of courses on computer game design were offered. I instantly changed my course choices so that I could take up these courses which were probably the most fun out of all the courses I did. They certainly taught more advanced and interesting aspects of computer science than the regular vanilla computer science courses at UCT. During my institution time, I probably produced about 3 small gaming projects which were great fun to work on. None of them are really worth mentioning in more detail but they were all great learning opportunities.

The next time I developed a game was a few years later when I got a job at a small software development company. This first real games project can only be described as a “Massively Multiplayer Text and Turn Based Online Role Playing Game.” Borrowing the game concept from an existing browser based game of the same genre we basically created a MXit game where players could do a certain number of asynchronous movements/actions a day based on their action points and interact with other players who persisted inside the game world even when they weren’t online. To this day it’s probably one of my favourite projects since it was definitely the most fun to play with some real complex character development opportunities. Unfortunately MXit had released its gaming API just as it began to decline so even though we saw decent micropayment conversion ratios when it came to buying premium items, the top numbers coming into the game just really weren’t there. Nevertheless we got contracted to do the job so we got paid regardless. But it would have been fun to keep it maintained for the client if it had generated some real revenue.

The next project I worked on was definitely aimed at the right platform. Unfortunately this time it was the wrong game. We repurposed the first gaming project into a Facebook game. However because this was essentially consulting work, we weren’t the people making the final decisions on crucial aspects of the game. Eventually what started out as a really fun text based game on MXit, ended up as a pretty shit adaptation to facebook with a graphical front end. In the end the game failed to launch as the people paying us to develop it scrapped all their game projects. We still got paid of course but again it’s unfortunate that we ended up with a committee designing a camel that got shelved, instead of a horse that got to ride.

So after that not so brief account of my brief game development history, what have I learnt?

1. Never Reinvent the Wheel
This is the big one so I’ve put it first. When making a game, you’re going to inevitably be doing something that someone has done before. If you’re planning on developing a game, you’re never going to start from scratch and develop, for example, a physics engine for your game. First of all, your knowledge of Newtonian physics needs to be pretty amazing to do so, AND it’s also going to take you a few years to do it before you can continue with actually making the game. In our case, we didn’t write socket networking code and create new ways of serialising and parsing game data to and from our game server. Instead we used existing technologies and standards such as REST with JSON to accomplishing our networking needs. Similarly, we didn’t invent new data storage mechanisms. We stored our data in a tried and tested database that was suitable for high scalability needs and we made use of an existing driver to talk to this database.

2. You Need The Bible
No I’m not trying to force my religion on you. What I mean here is you need your game bible. You need to write down every tiniest aspect of your game, how it works, what the characters are going to say to each other, what each level will look like etc. You need all of it written down on paper before you even think of starting development. You need to be sure that when anyone on your team asks you a question about an aspect of your game, you can whip out that game design document and give them a page number. Granted if you are truly the only person on your game development project, which might be quite likely, this bible can just exist in your head. But if you need to work with someone, and you’ll inevitably need to (see my next point), a game design document will be essential.

3. Assets are Hard
This might just be the most frustrating part of making games. As someone whose forte is programming, this is really the bane of my existence when it comes to actualising a game idea. If you’re really ambitious enough to do anything that’s going to have 3D graphics, you’ll obviously follow point 1 and use an existing rendering engine such as Ogre. But you’ll also need 3D models. Now you can find free ones, but lets be honest, if you really want your idea to take flight, it’s going to need some real creative input and hard work from someone creative like a 3D Animator. Similarly if you choose the less ambitious route of 2D you’re going to need a graphic designer. Sounds are usually a secondary thing when one thinks about games, however they are still important. If you want proper voice acting you’re going to run into problems, but for a few effects you’ll probably be able to get some usable free samples, so it’s not too much of a problem.

4. Narrative Content is Just as Hard
If you’re developing a game with set content, you’ll soon find another huge problem is the idea of quests. Creating enough quest or story content to satisfy your player can be just as challenging as the creation of graphical assets for a game. One can almost equate this to the task of writing a novel. Once again you’re either going to need some amazing writing skills, or you’re going to have to inevitably find someone to do this for you. The next nightmare you’ll inevitably face once you realize you have all these story elements or quests, is that you’ll need a huge complex quest logic engine to handle how a player’s actions in a game can interact with all this set content (One almost wonders how games like Skyrim are even possible).

The alternative to this is a rather sneaky cop out. Instead of making your game content rich, you can design the gameplay to be equally as satisfying with randomly generated levels or content that gets progressively more difficult in a set way. A very simple example of this would be a game where you’re maybe dodging oncoming traffic with a frog (I believe this game is called Frogger). Instead of the next level being different it’s instead the same, but just with faster or more traffic.

Closing Statement
Anyway, I hope this (by my standards) lengthy column has been of some use or interest to you. If you’re a budding game developer and don’t have much experience with software developement, never fear there is a framework for everyone at any level of skill to get into game development.

In other news you’ll notice my column has officially been named “Fringe Division”, since it seems like my topics seem to reside on the fringe of electronic gaming. I’m quite happy with this title since recent episodes of Fringe have led me to believe that it might have just become the best show on television. #Fightthefuture

When The Witcher 2 first released, it fell into a niche that was at the time rather unfilled, except perhaps by Demon Souls for PS3. It was a game that was not only pure in its RPG elements but brutal in its difficulty, refusing to hold your hand and at times even throwing you straight into the deep end while watching you hopelessly attempt to keep from drowning until you inevitably do, then reload your game with superior knowledge so that next time you might fare better.

It was a game that held nothing back and right from the get-go, would either make or break the player, setting them up for the challenges ahead and showing them what real RPGs can do, or watching them walk away with their tails between their legs.

Fast forward a year and The Witcher 2 is still highly rated as an RPG, having won many awards for both its amazing graphics on PC and its pure RPG structure. But the plan was never to stop simply at a PC exclusive and as such, CD Projekt RED have now released what they’re calling the Enhanced Edition, packed with all the free DLC packs and other additions that were released over the past year to PC gamers, as well as various new additions and changes, for Xbox 360. PC gamers rejoice, for if you already own The Witcher 2, you may download an Enhanced Edition patch (it’s 11GBs) to acquire all of these new additions and changes for yourself, free of charge. Bless CD Projekt RED, those Polish beauties.

The only remaining question then, is does The Witcher 2 on Xbox 360 do the job that the former PC exclusive did, just about a year ago?

But first, let’s talk about the various aspects of the game. After all, we didn’t exactly do a review on The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings when it released on PC last year, so there might well be a few who are a bit shaky on the details. Good thing you all have me to tell you about it.

The first and most obvious feature of The Witcher 2 is that it contains probably the most mature and adult-oriented storyline of any game, ever. No, we’re not joking around here. It’s got political intrigue, racial tension and sexual encounters all over the place and apart from the latter with regards to horny teenagers and tissues, most of these would fly right over the heads of those not abundantly prepared for it.

The story revolves primarily around Geralt of Rivia, a witcher living in Temeria who has suffered memory loss after quite literally dying and being brought back to life. A witcher is a mutant, in the canon, a human usually, who has trained their body to the extremes and dabbled in various toxic potions and magic such that their bodies become mutated, giving them cat-eyes and removing the pigment from their hair, but granting them extra strength, intelligence and agility in order for them to fight the beasts that other races cannot. It’s for this reason that the last few remaining witchers ply their trade as bounty hunters, killing monsters for orens — the game’s gold-coin-based currency.

Geralt himself starts off the game in the employ of his majesty King Foltest, along with Geralt’s girlfriend Triss Merigold who serves as royal advisor, but is also a kick-ass mage who is your companion (and fuck-buddy) throughout the game, or at least those parts where she’s actually useful (with clothes on). Foltest seeks to quell a rebellion and retrieve his illegitimate children (they call them bastards) and with the help of Geralt and the Temerian army, successfully does so before taking a knife to the neck at the hands of an assassin, another witcher to whom Geralt was once acquainted but since losing his memory, cannot remember.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately depending on who you are and how much of the game you want to play, Geralt is framed for the murder and held for regicide by Vernon Roche, leader of the Blue Stripes; basically the king’s secret service of agents. Eventually however, with a combination of Geralt’s recollection of the events leading up to Foltest’s murder and his mentioning of Iorveth, of the Scoia’tel — literally ‘Squirrels’, a radical group of elves dedicated to fighting humans, in order to stop oppression — whom Roche particularly detests, the duo spring a daring escape from prison and Geralt sets out with Triss and Roche in tow, to clear his name and bring the real killer to justice.

What follows is an amazing tale of discovery, adventure (of the carnal kind, as well) and inevitably justice. Perhaps even some vengeance or redemption depending on how you play out the story.

It’s important to note that as an RPG, The Witcher 2 does exactly that: it places you in the role of Geralt of Rivia and lets you play the game. To that extent, you will make decisions, complete quests and build your character exactly the way you feel you should and the game does nothing to promote a particular style or direction. If you want to ignore a burning orphanage with children still inside while helping an old lady to cross the street, that’s your prerogative. While there are ‘moral choices’ of some sort, there is no ‘morality scale’ that measures how evil or good you are, allowing you to pick and choose as you desire. It’s quite an interesting way of allowing a player to discover who they truly are, without any sort of meter to measure how much of a nice guy they are, or what have you. The only incentive to making a certain decision would of course be the loot you could acquire by making it, and that decision could be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or somewhere in between.

As an example of this, you could opt to bait two soldiers who tortured the patients at an insane asylum by leading them to a ghost who seeks to kill them in order to find peace, or you could warn the soldiers of the ghost’s intentions and head in and kill the ghost yourself. Which is ‘good’ choice again?

The quests in The Witcher 2 all deserve some acclaim for this as even the lowest-level fetch-quest turns into a learning experience, an engrossing adventure that has you spending far more time on it than you would in other RPGs. Exploration is encouraged as a result, where you find yourself exploring and re-exploring areas of the game world, just in case you missed something the first, second, third or fourth time. And it never gets old.

Each chapter in the game then changes the game-world, mixing things up for the player even further. What’s really interesting in The Witcher 2 is that depending on your choices in the first chapter, the next two play out entirely differently. And by entirely, I mean the second chapter will be based in a whole new side of an area depending on your choices in the first chapter. Instant replayability? Check.

The Witcher 2 was always a beautiful game on PC and it delights me to no extent that even on console, somehow, the game still looks gorgeous. One might easily call it the Xbox 360′s new most graphically superior game. And it really is. Compelling proof that a game can be both beautiful and engaging. The engine that CD Projekt RED are using is something for the history books.

It really helps the atmosphere of the game when you can place a player in a forest teaming with undergrowth, flora, fauna, and make it so believable that they forget they’re actually in a game and this forest doesn’t really exist. At least, until something attacks them and kills them forcing a reload. Engrossing is an understatement, in this game. Even on console, I find myself walking through areas with wide-eyed-wonder at the graphical splendour on show.

The greatest irony then, and perhaps even more of a plus based on what I’ve already said, is that you will actually find yourself spending half your play-time in the menus.

Remember, this is an RPG and as such there is typically an inventory of items that you’ve collected, either through looting, purchasing, crafting (through the use of diagrams) or as rewards for quest completion, so you’re always managing that inventory and making sure you don’t become over-encumbered, which would severely limit your combat capability. The usual map screen also features, showing you important quests and the area you are currently in, although for the life of me I could never quite read it correctly.

Furthermore, there’s the obligatory character screen which contains various sub-menus but most notably your skill trees, of which there are three major variants (salute), namely Mutant, Combat and Magic. With Mutant, you acquire skills that involve the creation and use of bombs, traps and most notably potions. Potions in The Witcher 2 cannot be consumed in combat and must therefore be consumed, typically before combat begins, which adds to the preemptive nature of most combat scenarios. Each consumed potion adds to your toxicity level, meaning too many will kill you. However, if you take a potion and become ‘poisoned’ meaning your toxicity level is above zero, you could gain certain bonuses to your character’s abilities. The Combat skill tree provides bonuses to your combat abilities, as if that needs saying, while the Magic skill tree provides bonuses to your Signs, which are basically spells in the game. More on this in a bit. The final skill on each tree is, let’s call it a super skill, each unlocking a special ability that effectively rewards you for investing many points into that particular tree. The way the game is structured, at best you can max out one skill tree and have a few points in the others. Further replayability. Check.

Probably the biggest addition to the game’s typical RPG menus is that of the Journal, which you will spend hours and hours reading through. Trust me, even the most illiterate action-nut — who saw the box and thought “hurr durr new God of War game lol” or something — is going to find themselves paging through the journal as not only is it intriguing as fuck, but it’s also entirely necessary in order for you to progress with certain quests. Seriously. It’s not about being babied around, or not being smart enough to figure things out on your own. You need to read the fucking journal. There is simply no other way for you to progress with certain quests. A huge boon then that it’s as interesting as it is. The quests themselves contain notes and text in a style of narration, as if told many years later by a character you will familiarise yourself with over the course of the game.

There are various sections to the journal apart from the list of quests, most notably the locations and characters menus. There is also one for the monsters you will encounter in battle throughout the game. As you play, you will come across various books with information on monsters as well as characters, locations and a whole load of other things. It is in your best interest to read these books as the ones with monster information in particular, are essential to your ability to kill those monsters. For each monster, your knowledge level determines how much of damage you do against them, how much of damage they do to you, and most importantly; how exactly you can kill them. Because some monsters are not straight-forward slice-and-dice variants. Some have ridiculous weaknesses that could turn a twenty-minute fight into a thirty-second lol-fest. Others are completely immune to certain things. Reading your journal is key.

Coming back to that preemptive nature of the game’s combat, most battles are handled best through preparation. If you are attempting to complete a certain quest that requires combat, let’s say defending an NPC from an army of attacking wraiths, it is in your best interest to first read up on wraiths and discover their weaknesses, prepare traps and bombs that wraiths are weak to, lay those traps and equip the necessary bombs, coat your weapons in something that does extra damage to wraiths, consume potions that will enhance your abilities and finally, save your game just in case you fail and have to do all of that again. This is why preparation is essential; because if you don’t prepare for a battle, you make the game exponentially more difficult for yourself and at times borderline impossible. No, Dark Souls players, do not go “Challenge Accepted!” because trust me, you know nothing of difficulty compared to this game on the aptly named Dark difficulty. These monsters will laugh at you. Prepare for fights and suddenly you have a fighting chance. See what I did there?

Combat in the game is handled in a far more streamlined manner to the first Witcher title, which contained three combat styles that required manually switching between them in order to effectively fight. Cumbersome and tedious, so this time they’ve allowed for just two styles, each mapped to a separate button. Basically the light and heavy attack you know from most other games, Geralt has a speed style and a power style. Some enemies completely shrug off one of those styles, forcing you to attack with the other… you would know this if you read the fucking journal.

To go with this, Geralt has two sword slots; one for a regular sword for attacking humans and one for a silver sword (usually called a Witcher’s sword) for attacking monsters. Each sword could in theory attack anything, but you would do reduced damage if you used the incorrect sword. I try not to question the logic there. Some of these weapons — as well as armour — contain upgrade slots which you can fill with runes that provide minor upgrades such as a slight vitality (health) increase or a bonus to damage.

Spells are another huge point of the game. Whereas in the first game you had to learn each spell as you progressed, in The Witcher 2 you start out with all but one of your spells unlocked. Actually, they’re called Signs here, so let’s get that right. See, this is basically CD Projekt RED throwing you a bone, since the effective use of Signs drastically increases your chances of survival. The final Sign is unlocked upon acquiring the final skill in the Magic tree. Each Sign has a different use; one is basically a force-push — Fus Ro Dah before it was a thing — while another sets traps on the ground and another creates a protective sheathe to block damage. Each Sign can be upgraded for even more devastating effects.

Casting Signs uses up Vigour, which is kind of a mix-up of Stamina and Mana from most other games. You also use Vigour when you block and counter-attack, the latter of which must first be unlocked. Vigour, of course, regenerates over time, assuming no Signs are currently active. You can increase your Vigour by investing points into the relevant skills in whatever skill tree you opt to pursue. You can also increase your Vitality (health) in this way.

One thing I really liked about the combat in The Witcher 2 is that unlike many other RPGs where there’s a certain stigma around the combat system, either it’s clumsy and nonsensical or just doesn’t work, or on the other end of the scale it’s too action-y and therefore loses the entire point of RPG gameplay (I’m sure in your head you’re already thinking up examples of each), The Witcher 2 gets it so right. The action is frantic and fun, but in order to survive you still have to prepare, bringing the RPG elements right into the core and nailing it home nicely. It’s a game where you can have fun battling things, if you put in the necessary work before-hand. Rewarding? Check.

Now, I understand that in the crossover from PC exclusive to console iteration, there will be certain differences that arise as a result of the ridiculous gap between the technology of modern PCs and the Xbox 360, but I still feel it necessary to dedicate a bit of this review to noting the differences between the versions because, quite honestly, the differences I found are just… weird. If you don’t care for these differences then by all means, skip ahead.

The first difference that would probably be on everyone’s mind is that of the game’s graphics. They’re actually surprisingly on par, in most places, however you ought not to expect the crisp texture clarity or post-processing available on modern-day PCs and that sexy Ubersampling feature is all but a myth on the Xbox 360 version. I’d still rate this game as easily the best-looking I’ve ever seen on console.

The next difference is that of the menus. For whatever reason, there is no seamless transition between them as with pretty much any other game ever. Instead, changing from one menu to another fades the screen to black for a second. Why is this a thing? It’s annoying to say the least, especially considering how much of time you actually spend in the menus.

For no apparent reason whatsoever, the control scheme has been changed up. See, I played The Witcher 2 on PC with a controller, for the most part — the keyboard controls were kinda clumsy — and as an example, the speed style (or light attack) was assigned to X, however on the Xbox 360 version it’s assigned to A. It’s a somewhat jaunting experience, having to re-accustom yourself with controls you were once all too familiar with. Imagine reloading your weapon in Gears of War 3 with LB instead of RB? It’s just… wrong.

There are more loading screens now, an obvious difference I guess, based on extremely inferior console technology. That the game manages to still be somewhat seamless is truly a feat. However it still manages to distort some audio and I noticed some terrible normalisation in places, where Geralt and everything around him would be a certain volume and a specific NPC he interacts with would be double that volume, and of rather horrendous quality. Thankfully this isn’t a constant appearance but during long story segments it can rear its ugly head a few too many times.

Finally, again for reasons I cannot fathom, the difficulty has been scaled for the console version, such that playing on Normal is the equivalent of playing most games on normal, more or less. Gone is the tough-as-steel-nails, you won’t survive, sort of structure to things on even the easiest difficulty. This time around, Casual really is for casuals. I’m not sure if it’s across both platforms that this change has occurred or whether CD Projekt RED thinks console players not worthy enough for the PC’s version of Normal difficulty. Hell, even Dark difficulty seems easier than it did on PC, but not by too much. It’s still going to pwn you, but this time it at least gives you some breathing space and some ice for your battered head, instead of leaving you for dead.

In all these changes are non-consequential for most but could still affect the experience, even if you haven’t actually played the PC version before, especially that egregious fade-to-black that the menus do. Some other issues I found with the game involved the usual RPG story of glitchy characters whose hair would fade into their faces while limbs faded into their surroundings, or who would move about erratically while requiring you to follow them. Then there’s the confusing mini-map which contains various icons I still don’t quite understand.

Protip: Play this game with your manual out. You’ll probably need it at some point.

That’s about it, really. I didn’t have any other issues with the game and found it to be quite the unforgettable experience, both on PC and Xbox 360. If these issues I’ve mentioned are enough of a bother for you then by all means, use the rating I’ve given the game but if you don’t care for them and consider an RPG something to be judged purely on its story, characters and combat then go right ahead and bump that rating up to Perfect.

The Witcher 2 is, once again, an RPG experience like no other — except for itself — and in a year that contains such games as Mass Effect 3, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Skyrim (okay it’s a fiscal year or something), it stands right up there and holds its own. If you want a sci-fi experience then without doubt you’re going to try that BioWare game but if you’re up for something more fantastical, more Tolkien-esque, then you can do no better than The Witcher 2.

If you don’t buy it because of what an amazing game it is, what an engrossing story it has, what interesting characters it boasts and what fulfilling combat is features, then by all means; buy it for the gratuitous amounts of sex it throws at you.

Silly headline, isn’t it? Initially, you’d think so. Instead, let’s stay open-minded and run through what actually happened in April.

April is a somewhat quiet month, especially after the carnage from March — the month of Mass Effect 3 and all the gamer outrage. April was always expected to be quiet, apart from two releases which were quite exciting, and somewhat overlooked.

Anticipation for April was little, a few players were excited for Prototype 2, where others wanted The Witcher 2 on Xbox 360. That was about it. Megarom offered us a campaign for a collector’s edition of Prototype 2, where they also gave 2upGamers the chance to host a launch event for the game. It was a quiet launch event, however, it was fun. Socialising with fellow gamers and the other eGamer staff is always enjoyable. Especially when Azhar, AG and Nqaba continuously go on about how they want KFC. All the damn time.

Unfortunately there was no launch event for The Witcher 2, and that’s because it’s a game which only a few players would enjoy. Caveshen is busy with the review of the title, and we’re excited to see what he’s going to say. Here’s a warning though, it’s probably going to be quite a long review.

That wraps up the anticipation for April.

However, anticipation aside, a lot did happen in April.

Kickstarter had a campaign for a brand new Leisure Suit Larry game. Al Lowe and Replay Games funded over $500,000 for a remake of Leisure Suit Larry 1. With the money they make from sales, they’ll continue to remake all of the titles and probably include a few new ones. Kickstarter is proving to be a great asset to the start-up industry, and without the need for a single venture capitalist — great things could be coming our way more often.

Electronic Arts was voted the worst company in the United States of America. This seems to be quite controversial, as the whole Mass Effect 3 issue caused this to happen. Apparently Electronic Arts is more devilish than the Bank of America who launched us into a double-dip recession. I guess people prefer games over anything else in the world? Or, to deal with the depression of the recession, they relied on EA who screwed them. Never fear though, there’s new DLC for a better Mass Effect ending, for the whiny bastards who cried.

April then turned slightly more interesting, really quickly. We saw an image and a trailer for Crysis 3, as well as new information Lost Planet 3 and Halo 4. We also learnt a bit about Halo 4, and that it will offer new multiplayer modes. Then again, not that any of you care about Halo 4, as South Africans prefer to overlook the title.

Crysis 3, then. This title is set in New York with a lot of Nano-technology. It seems to feature a crossbow as the weapon of choice, which is strange, as many games are using the crossbow as the front-running weapon lately. We’re not sure what this move is about, but I’m sure that Hawkeye feels a bit better about himself. He was always looked down upon.

News-wise, April was intensive. It showed us what to look forward to and what we could expect later this year and next year. But it was never anticipated, it just happened. We didn’t know that there would be leaks and reveals for the aforementioned games. This is the only reason as to why April was interesting to talk about.

Formal news and industry information aside, we had a few great discussions on eGamer as well. Charl posed the question: are game reviews simply just another sales pitch? He touched on the issue that game reviewers have lost their objectivity, where games are only good for certain reasons. And whenever a game isn’t good, it will be bashed to hell and back. Game reviewers seem to exploit the technical errors in smaller games, and not the larger games.

This leads me onto Silent Hill: Downpour. This game scored strange scores on all publications. Many believed that it was plagued by a horrible combat system which killed the story and the game completely. Others overlooked this, and used the ability to dodge fighting as much as possible to achieve their goal. It scored between 4 to 7 out of 10 on various publications. Those who scored it 7 acknowledged the limited combat system, whereas those who scored it 4 simply bashed the system. It’s ironic, though, because Downpour is a story-driven game. It seems that the industry has moved from story games to combat games, as Call of Duty with a bad story and a great combat system can score 9 out of 10 whereas a game with a great story and shoddy combat system can only score a questionable 4 out of 10. What do we rate games on: combat or story? How does this work? What are we aiming for? Whose fault is it that Call of Duty is copy and pasted every year?

The discussion regarding reviewers being out of touch is interesting, and there’s a lot of evidence showing that many reviewers either do as their paycheck says, or they simply tell bad lies to get the job down — as quick as possible.

Following that, we discovered that next-generation consoles might contain measures to stop secondhand game sales. This is truly horrible, I think. Used games don’t hurt developers as much as they claim. If anything, the money is recycled into the industry to keep games being bought. For example, you sell your game to buy a new game, the cash is recycled. It feels as if the gaming industry simply wants all the money, and none of it to be recycled. I think that the outcome of such a measure will only lead to disappointment. To achieve a nonexistent secondhand market, developers and publishers are pushing for an always-on internet connection to verify the game and if it is being reused. Once that happens, people won’t be able to play singleplayer games once the internet is down, and people without internet won’t be able to play at all. What happens then? Someone is going to hack the system to allow offline play, which in turn, allows for pirated and secondhand games to be used as well. Why will anyone even buy games anymore? It will be easier and cheaper to pirate them. The industry would take a really hard knock.

Sure, there might be a few lawsuits, but, ultimately, the gamers will win. They always do. Something will be overlooked, and there will be a new class action against the publishers and developers, leaving the market with an opportunity for piracy.

It just doesn’t seem viable that an always-on internet connection should be needed to play games. We pay enough as it is. We should get money back whenever we sell games. If we paid half the current price without the ability to resell, that might be better as we usually get around half the money back for the secondhand sale. PC games are cheaper, and piracy for PC is far greater — publishers always complain. How does that work? Will pricing change if the secondhand market is removed?

Of course, this is a simple discussion which we faced in our podcast as well as on the site. We’ll talk about what’s happening, and let your voice, alongside ours, be heard.

To end off, we had a few cool features which were lighthearted and also interesting. We had the opportunity to have a hands-on look at Sleeping Dogs, which Alessandro said looks great. It’s going to be an exciting title. And, we also had the chance to interview Matt Armstrong, who was involved with Prototype 2. He gave us a pretty neat tongue-twister with Heller’s name.

April. Unanticipated but really interesting in the end. Let this be a lesson, things will happen — even if you’re not excited. The article title isn’t that silly after all, is it?

Want to know more about eGamer? Read the previous entries.

April was a great gaming month with many fantastic highlights, including games like Angry Birds Space, FEZ, Journey, Silent Hill: Downpour, Catherine and Twisted Metal. The only game we’re missing a review of is Prototype 2, but hopefully that will be out soon. Well, it’s May now and new games await, so you know what to do! Check out the list down below and plan your gaming budget.

Note: The games listed here are not all games being released in May, but rather the more noticeable ones.

May 2012’s Game List

Index

• Diablo III
• DiRT: Showdown
• Dragon’s Dogma
• Game of Thrones
• Max Payne 3
• Mortal Kombat (Vita)
• Resistance: Burning Skies
• Sniper Elite V2
• Sorcery
• Starhawk
• Street Fighter X Tekken (PC Version)
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

Browse through the pages below to see all of the games and their information in detail, or simply click the name of the game above to be taken straight to that specific game’s page.

Do you need a little break from all the awesome AAA titles released this year so far? No, well are you tired of playing the same awesome free-to-play games like Team Fortress 2 or League of Legends every day? No again huh… hmmm, well I have a proposition for you nonetheless. I know every gamer likes to try new things but buying games for the sake of something new has inherent risks, I mean, we’re not all made of money. Ok, so I admit, we’ve all got big gaming backlogs and what I’m proposing is you avoid that backlog even further. But still, these games are free-to-play, interesting and should provide you with something a little different at least. Now I’m not promising they’re great, or even good, but they’re different and that’s all you need sometimes. That said, they are MMO’s, so a little time investment is required before you know whether you like them or not. The reason I chose MMO’s over the countless free indie games is it’s easy to Google the best indie games, make a list and give them a try. MMO’s are a different story and you have to rely on some rather poor sources and/or very so-so sources like forums in order to decide what’s best. That being the case, I made this little list so that your task is that much easier.

Keep in mind that they are not necessarily going to be good for everyone so rather than rattle off facts that I think will make them appeal to you; I’m going to tell you what makes them different and let you decide. What’s the worst that could happen, you waist a little time testing and deleting the ones you don’t like? So that said, let’s get on with it:

The original Monday Night Combat is a relatively successful 3rd person shooter that took elements from the ever-so-popular DotA and created a relatively enjoyable and uniquely blended gaming experience. Super MNC does the same thing but introduces more depth, balances and attempts to make itself even more unique an experience than the last. Just imagine waves of creeps spawning, enemy goals to destroy and class based heroes to use; sounds like DotA right, well that’s because it is quite similar in many ways. Chiefly among which is it’s free-to-play and available on Steam right now. I’ve given it a try and being able to play as the hero from a 3rd person perspective, add guns and some comical relief, makes this DotA-like experience worth the penny… oh wait, you don’t pay anything.

A free-to-play 2D side scrolling, Streets of Rage styled MMO with quite a few varying heroes, multiple paths of advancement for each and some nifty visuals; what’s not to like. You really don’t need to play long before you’ll know exactly whether you like this one or not. Best of all is that you can finish the entire game without paying a single cent, though you will need more patience and (perhaps) ability than the average paying player. This is because you get less chances of recovering mid-stage and will more often than not go back to a checkpoint if you don’t want to cash out for things like extra lives and such. Despite this, it’s an enjoyable game and worthy of at least a couple hours of your time.

Ok so its 3rd person ground combat isn’t that great and there are still a couple of odd tweaks needed here and there. But for a totally free game that allows you to come close to matching the paid players with a little extra time investment and an awesome space combat system that makes the time invested worth it; well why not give it a try, especially if you’re a fan of the series or Sci-fi games for that matter. More than that though, there’s a whole lot of content, plenty space battling to do, mechanics and features to enjoy and a bunch most would happily pay for and again, you don’t have to do anything for any of it. Ok so I rattled of some likable facts this time, but hey, I’m not perfect.

On the surface Rusty Hearts isn’t that different from the multitudes of Eastern inspired and designed cel-shaded MMO’s. Look a little deeper and you find an epic little brawler with plenty of colour, pizzazz and depth to make most other free-to-play MMO’s of the genre to seem quite spartan. It offers crafting, side missions and everything you’d expect from a bigger open world MMO but packages it into a faster paced and real time brawler. For all those gamers who like the idea of an MMO but can’t be bothered to deal with the monotony of click-action-wait-click-action-wait.

Well this is less interesting and more awesome, that is if your interwebs connection can handle the current lack of South African servers. Tribes Ascend is throwing away the common FPS practice of corridors, realism and assault rifles and replaces it with the tried and true Quake, Unreal Tournament and well Tribes formula. With an awesome, and continually growing, community as well as a slightly different take on class based mechanics that makes use of weight above all else, with much larger open areas than your used to in games like Quake or even UT; well let’s just say there’s a reason so many in South Africa are pleading Hi-Rez Studios to allow for some South African servers. If you want something different from your shooter but can’t be bothered to fork out any cash, well Tribes Ascend is for you.

In Conclusion:

I know there are others; in fact there are a whole lot more games I added to this list. These are the games that require an investment of time to come to terms with and perhaps, Freeman willing, to enjoy. Should you guys have any other games to add to this list, lay them out in the comments so I can give them a bash and perhaps write up a review or two. I love League of Legends, Team Fortress 2 and have tried DotA 2, Lotro and so many more free-to-play games; all of them have something going for them and you could spend all your time playing each and every one, never spending a single Rand again. I just thought these get a chance as well. Super MNC and Tribes Ascend are my current top choices among these, what do you think?

Complexity and difficulty.

Two huge aspects of gaming that many have argued, no longer exist in gaming.

Everything’s simplified now, easier, more accessible. A first-time gamer could pick up and play most games, and not have much trouble in doing so. A far cry from previous times when even those who’ve played a game for hours on end still had a lot to learn. When you had to endure hours of frustration before you could rightly call yourself a game’s master.

Or so the common consensus goes…

Allow me to let you in on a little secret: Games are still complex and difficult, they’re just complex and difficult in a different way.

The topic for today’s column came about first in a discussion with friends about the Pokémon games, and then while playing The Witcher 2 — for which a review should be out shortly, I promise. Sorry it’s so delayed.

On the Pokémon side, we discussed the existence of what’s called “Effort Values” or EVs for short (not to be confused with the evolution Pokémon Eevee), which basically took the otherwise seemingly child-like Pokémon games and turned them into something truly complex and challenging, when you factored in such things as EVs and breeding techniques. At face value, a Pokémon has a certain moves-set, stats and nature. However if you’re inclined to doing so, usually for the sake of having not just all Pokémon but the perfect versions of each, through breeding you could teach certain Pokémon moves that they would otherwise be entirely unable to learn (such as a Charizard with Thunderbolt) and furthermore, you could boost its stats to the point that it becomes the super-saiyan equivalent of its usual version.

Explaining EVs and breeding techniques isn’t really the point of this column so if you’d like to find out more, by all means check out the links. The point with the Pokémon games is that at face value it seems like the simplest thing on Earth, or whatever region your game is based (Kanto ftw?), in that you simply set out on an adventure, defy all common sense and as a youth, somehow make your way across the land collecting Pokémon and winning battles until you’re strong enough to become the area’s champion, then you proceed to collect all the other Pokémon you’ve missed on your way to the top. That’s the premise, more or less. But the real complexity lies in training your Pokémon and having the best, something that takes the complexity level of the game and shoots it through the roof.

I can’t even explain how much of calculation and forward thinking is required in order to have the perfect Pokémon.

On that note, let’s take another example of a game many call “easy” because it pretty much is. Except it isn’t.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn is a game that Jim Sterling himself defended in a Jimquisition episode a while back, stating that while it is easy to navigate and complete in terms of level structure, it is one of the most difficult games to exist in terms of acquiring all the stars in each level and effectively achieving high scores throughout the game.

That actually reminded me of the Guitar Hero games where it’s pretty easy to get into and you could play every song on Easy and enjoy yourself, living in a bubble of comfort where a missed note means nothing. Or you could challenge yourself by bumping up the difficulty, playing a more edgy version of a song you’ve already played on a lower difficulty, finding out what you’re capable of and then doing it again until you finally hit the Expert difficulty and it suddenly becomes not a story of song completion and survival, but of five-starring every song and setting high scores on leaderboards, because survival is no longer an issue any more.

The second game I mentioned was The Witcher 2, or The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings: Enhanced Edition as it is officially known, with the Xbox 360 release. Geez, imagine filling that out on a block-celled form… No, I don’t know why one would. Perhaps they tried to marry it because of what an awesome game it is?

The Witcher 2 is all about complexity and difficulty, in the more classical way at times but also in a more modern style as well. To begin with, the game is brutally difficult — or at least it was on PC, as I recall — and forced you to think before rushing into battles. Every battle required preparation and the game refused to allow you to drink potions on-the-fly, forcing you to quite literally take a moment to drink the potions when you were otherwise able, meaning not while some enemy is pointing the sharp end of their weapon at your face. Not a sexual reference.

The game also had an inventory, journal and character screen that quite honestly, took forever to get used to because of how seemingly cluttered and all-over-the-place it was, at least, until you figured all of it out and realised that it was actually done very nicely. To the point that you miss that level of complexity in other games.

What’s become extremely apparent to me is that in recent years, game design has moved away from being explicitly difficult and complex, rather offering a more implicit means of conveying said difficulty and complexity.

Consider higher difficulties in games. Sure it was difficult playing Castlevania on the normal difficulty, but have you tried Castlevania: Lords of Shadow on the hardest difficulty setting? It’s rather formidable as well. Other games, granted, not so much; I finished Darksiders the first time out on the hardest difficulty without breaking a sweat, however that game had more tools and weapons than trees have branches so there you go, some complexity.

Look at the recent Batman games and the amount of gadgets the dark knight carries around, while trying his hardest not to break into tears at the thought of his lost parents. Again, complexity. The game isn’t hard by any means, but you try getting all three medals in all of those combat or predator challenges. Spoiler alert: I did it.

Look at the things you were made to do in Portal 2, a game I hold dear to my heart. Were some of those puzzles not frustratingly difficult? Did you not also wonder what on Earth you were meant to do with a certain puzzle involving three turrets blocked by a screen, with a blue goo dispenser nearby? A year later and I still remember that. It wasn’t difficult in your typical sense; no enemies were insta-pwning you, you only ever had your portal gun to defend yourself in any case. Yet there was difficulty present in solving the puzzles that were thrown at you.

Yes, there are explicit examples of difficulty and complexity as well; one needs look no further than the Demon Souls and Dark Souls games for examples of pure difficulty where you get hit and die and reload and repeat, for hours. No doubt, that’s still around.

The point however, is that games have evolved. They’ve changed. And yes, we love to resist change because we’re either afraid of it or apprehensive but change, unfortunately, is inevitable and eventually when we’re accustomed to it, as is human nature, we will resist the next bout of change as well.

The implicit nature of complexity and difficulty in games today betrays the explicit portrayals of previous years in that they’re no longer entirely visible at face value. Kind of the point of calling it implicit, but also referring to the fact that games just don’t throw those aspects at you. Is this a good thing?

Yes.

Very much so.

You see, and again we factor in this current hot-topic of newcomers to gaming, the games we play today are easy enough that you could simply play them and enjoy them. Yes, there are exceptions to this, such as Dark Souls and The Witcher 2, but for the most part you get games that seem easy enough and can be completed with minimal hassle. The challenge of the game is then left on the player. The onus is on you gamers then, to derive your difficulty.

Why simply tap the combo buttons in Batman, when you could throw in a gadget or two for extra score in challenge maps? Why simply play on Easy when you could try out Medium, then Hard, then Expert in Guitar Hero? Why simply Why simply collect Pokémon when you can train them to be the best (like no one ever was)? Why simply walk to the nearby mall when you can try Mordor?

One does not simply play difficult games any more.

Gaming in the current generation is complicated. It’s time to get with it and rather than complaining that it’s no longer the brutally difficult experience you remember from way back when, find the challenge and difficulty for yourself.

Unlock Achievements. Increment your GamerScore.

Challenge yourself.

Spoon-fed difficulty is so last decade.

After attending the Cape Town Prototype 2 launch event this past Thursday night, and getting to play the game, I stumbled once again upon one of the things that I can’t stand in modern gaming. Tutorials. Now, I had a great deal of fun playing Prototype 2, but that was only after the first twenty or so minutes when the game finally stopped with the introductory tutorials. But this isn’t about Prototype 2, it’s about games in general because almost all of them are guilty of this evil which threatens to destroy the IQ of the entire universe. No really, I’m quite serious. Tutorials are the reason I’m bored at the beginning of a lot of games rather than excited, they’re the reason I can’t enjoy the freedom to experiment and learn the game in the beginning, they’re the reason why certain interesting mechanics become redundant at the start of a game, and they’re probably the reason why KFC cancelled the Double Crunch.

I’m deadly serious, so let me head into this column and discuss why tutorials need to be destroyed.

In today’s gaming, one of the things that annoys me the most is how serious developers take the idea of “making things accessible to newcomers”, so much so that I feel certain games actually undermine my intelligence, and in many ways their own logic. The worst of it occurs in sequels. Let’s take Prototype 2 for example. Chances are that you would be playing it since you’re a fan of the original game. So why then, does the game open with a twenty minute introduction teaching you the very same mechanics you spent the entirety of the first game using? Let’s look at Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, since the screenshot above is from that game. It’s the fourth game in the series, but it opens by showing you how to move, use the camera and climb walls, and how to perform basic combat. Really now, if you haven’t played the first three games in the series, what on earth would you be doing playing Revelations? I’m completely fine with in-game help and the option to take tutorials, but I hate it when they’re forced onto players who are completely familiar with the game they’re playing.

The idea of these compulsory tutorials is completely contradictory to getting fans hooked onto a game, and selling a game to you. What exactly am I talking about? Well, in today’s world, games go to such incredible lengths to market themselves to gamers, yet it makes no sense to me why those same games do not try and sell themselves to gamers during the early hours of the game. There’s an almost obsessive tendency for sequels to start right at square one, which may work nicely for newcomers, but it doesn’t help people like me who want to get immersed straight away and immediately discover, or rediscover, why we’re playing the game in the first place. For example, the ideal and best way to start a sequel for me would be the way God of War III began, where the game basically said, “Right bitch, you’ve played the first two, and you know what it has been building up to. So man up and go kill this giant water God.” I was completely sold in the opening sequence, and my excitement levels were sky high as the game incredibly set the stage for an epic scale boss fight as your first welcome to the game. Now that’s awesome. However, regarding any game, that is not a sequel, an example of what I consider a great start is incidentally the opening sequence of the original Prototype. You were thrown straight into a massive battle between the military and the infected monsters, your character was powered up and you were free to raise hell and enjoy what the game did best for a short while.

Let me give you the following analogy to illustrate my main point. Take a look at the immensely popular and incredibly awesome movies, Batman Begins and its sequel The Dark Knight. The former slowly introduced you to the character of Bruce Wayne, took you right to Batman’s origins, showed you how he grew up to become the caped crusader, and painted a clear picture of what motivated and drove the character. And that’s all great, and thoroughly entertaining and immersive the first time around. But then The Dark Knight came along, and rightfully took for granted that you had watched the first one, so it threw you straight into the mix, assuming that you were fully equipped with the necessary knowledge to go into the movie, and it immersed you straight away into the new world, fully taking advantage of its new toys and creative freedom. Now, let’s take a look at the flip side. Imagine that The Dark Knight had started out with twenty minutes of recapping, showing flashbacks of the first movie to enlighten you on what’s going on. I can’t say I would have enjoyed that, personally. I think my excitement levels would have plunged down to a level of mellow or even below. Look, I know games and movies are very different ball games, but it’s the principle of the idea of “slow-walking” that I’m trying to make clear.

That’s about the gist of what was on my mind since the Prototype 2 launch event. I really dream of a world where tutorials aren’t compulsory monsters that slow-walk you through the opening sequences of games, exhausting cool mechanics you’d much rather want to experiment with for yourself and making you perform boring, lifeless tasks multiple times as though you’re incompetent. I think most gamers would much rather have their game start off with a bang, or have the tutorial feature as either an optional thing on the side that is integrated into the game seamlessly. A great example of this, off the top of my head, was in last year’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution, where tutorials were entirely optional and popped up on the screen at set points in the game, prompting you whether or not you’d like to view a short video tutorial to explain one of the game’s mechanics. They didn’t interrupt gameplay, as they rather nicely chose to appear in the corner of the screen, and you could either ignore them completely, or view them, and that’s what I loved about the game. It didn’t assume you were a child incapable of figuring things out on your own. It allowed you the freedom to play the game and learn for yourself.

That’s what I would like to see more of. It may seem like a minor issue to many, but for me mundane and compulsory tutorials take away a lot of the initial excitement I have for a game. A lot of the initial magic for me in a game is in figuring out how things work and learning for myself how to play, and what I can and can’t do. I love that aspect – the freedom to explore the game’s mechanics and test them for myself. But compulsory tutorials take that element away, forcing me to do things in one way and one way only, reducing the magic, treating me like I’m incompetent and taking me out of the experience. When I play a game, I want to be sold within the first hour or two at most. I want to know that I’m playing this for a good reason. And when I head into any sequel, I should be made to feel as though I’m already prepared to jump in and take on a new experience in a familiar world. That’s what I want.

That doesn’t mean that I always want to be thrown into the deep end. It just means that I don’t want to feel so restricted at the beginning of a game, and I want to have my own experience.

It just means that I want compulsory, boring tutorials to die. Painfully.

Welcome to the fifth entry in our Hall of Fame feature, where we’ll be revisiting arguably what is one of video game history’s greatest ever adaptions of Star Wars, and one of the best examples of a proper licensed game. In actual fact, many gamers would even consider this to be one of the best role-playing games ever made. It was a BioWare production, interestingly enough, back in the days where they made extremely awesome role-playing games and weren’t finding themselves at the centre of massive controversy. But let’s not talk about that. We’re here for a game that many will fondly remember for being one of the best reasons to love Star Wars back in the day. And that’s no exaggeration.

That’s right. We’re bringing the nostalgia, along with history’s greatest gaming legends.

Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic

Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic: one of the greatest adaptions of Star Wars in video game history

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing game that was released on Xbox on September 12, 2003 and on PC on December 5 in the same year. Developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts, it was designed to be a breath of fresh air for the Star Wars universe, one that wasn’t directly involved with the movies. But the game had a rather interesting journey leading up to its release. The title was first announced in July 2000, where BioWare revealed that they were working together with LucasArts in order to create a Star Wars RPG for the PC and next-generation consoles. At the time, joint BioWare CEO and co-founder Greg Zeschuk described their excitement about the game, saying “The opportunity to create a richly detailed new chapter in the Star Wars universe is incredibly exciting for us. We are honored to be working with the extremely talented folks at Lucas Arts, developing a role-playing game based upon one of the most high-profile licenses in the world.”

However it wasn’t until E3 in 2001 that the game was officially revealed as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and it was discovered that the game had been in development for around six months. LucasArts’ Mike Gallo commented on the game’s development, saying “Preproduction started in 2000, but the discussions started back in 1999. The first actual e-mails were in October or November of ’99. That’s when we first started talking to BioWare. But some really serious work finally started at the beginning of 2000.” One of the most interesting aspects about the project was from early details released on the game which revealed that it was to be set four thousand years before the events of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, which at the time boosted the revival of the Star Wars franchise as it had returned to the big screen to widespread audience success, and a sequel to the movie was already in the works. According to BioWare CEO Raymond Muzyka, LucasArts gave them a choice of possible settings for the game. “LucasArts came to us and said that we could do an Episode II game,” Muzyka said. “Or LucasArts said we could go 4,000 years back, which is a period that’s hardly been covered before.” In the end, BioWare chose the latter, to set the game before the movies so as to have a greater amount of creative freedom. BioWare wanted to create something fans of the movies could feel at home with, but ensure that it was different enough to effectively fit in before the movies.

It was soon confirmed that the game was in development for PC and Xbox, with the latter being chosen over other consoles due to BioWare’s familiarity with it, especially in the role-playing department. However, Hudson spoke of the challenges that came about during development, such as the decision on how much graphical detail needed to be put in. He commented, “Since our games generally have a lot of AI and scripting, numerous character models, and huge environments, we stress the hardware in a very different way than most games. This made it difficult to predict how well the game would run.” The game used the Odyssey Engine, which was based on the Aurora Engine (used in Neverwinter Nights) but redesigned for Knights of the Old Republic. The game was graphically impressive for its time, and highly detailed. Hudson spoke about the modifications to the graphics that needed to be made for the PC and Xbox. “You typically play console games on a TV across the room while PC games are played on a monitor only inches away.” As such, console games focus more on close-up action and overall render quality, while PC games are more for high resolutions and sharper textures.

BioWare developed the main game, its engine and the story, while LucasArt handled the audio. To illustrate how big the project was, it was confirmed that the game had three hundred different characters and fifteen thousand lines of dialogue. And at the time, it really showed, because when the game released players found that its story was extremely compelling, and packed with characters to interact and have lengthy, multi-layered conversations with. The game allowed players to decide, progressively with all minor and major choices, whether they wished to walk the path of the light, stay neutral or give in to the dark side. Depending which side you went, your character’s appearance and move set would be totally different. What may now seem relatively simple in today’s times, was a gem all those years ago, adding a lot more depth to the experience. As was previously mentioned, the game takes place 4000 years before the first movie, where Darth Malak, a Sith lord and former apprentice of the legendary Darth Revan, has launched a full-scale Sith attack against the Republic. The Jedi are scattered and vulnerable, and many have turned to the dark side or fell. Your character, of which you can be male or female, wakes up onboard a Republic ship that is under attack by Malak’s army, having no memory of his or her past. With some help, you manage to escape, but it’s only the beginning as you’ll need to recover your past and rise to power in order to return order to the galaxy.

The gameplay was a lot deeper than one would have expected for a Star Wars game. In the beginning you chose one of three classes during the character customisation process. Later on you get to choose Jedi subclasses. But it’s up to you to dress your character up by building your stats, tiered feats (much like perks) and abilities, and later on tiered Force powers, either light or dark. As you levelled up, you gained skill points to spend on stats, and got to choose new feats. The combat system worked in real time, but with a bunch of twists that made it both deep and tactical. However, despite its complexity, players could get to grips with it fairly easily, but being effective in building your character took a bit of learning. Typically, you used either swords or blaster rifles in combat, with lightsabers only usable by Jedi’s and coming in later in the story. You could fight one-handed, duel wield or use a double-edged blade, all with their own advantages and disadvantages. If you want a more modern example of how combat played out, relations can be drawn to Dragon Age: Origins. Players moved in real-time, strategically planning usage of attacks, skills and items, and were able to pause the game at any time during combat to get sorted out. It was an awesome system that was both challenging and rewarding, with the force powers being used in fantastic ways, and with there being a clear differentiation between light and dark. For example, dark side players could use force powers like lightning and drain life, while Jedi could heal and safeguard themselves and their allies against threats.

But one of the best and most valuable features of the game was the party system. For most of the game, you could take two companions with you when exploring the vast planets you were freely allowed to visit, leaving the rest behind in your ship. Players could manually control party members at any time, simply switching to them if their abilities are needed, or if a change is wanted. Party members actively engaged in conversation with each other or the player, and sometimes participated in conversations with NPCs, or reacted to a decision you made, whether they’re for or against it. However, the best thing about the party characters in the game was that you, as the player, were able to shape them. You were able to greatly change them over the course of the story, shifting them between dark and light depending on your influence and your actions, and some relationships could end in joy or misery depending on how far you go. The game had a bright and intriguing cast of characters who really got you invested into the experience, and this, coupled together with the choice between dark and light and your playstyle, gave the game a great sense of re-playability, especially with regards to story. And the story was incredible, especially that insane plot twist towards the end that I won’t divulge.

Knights of the Old Republic was just a phenomenal experience. It used the Star Wars universe in a fantastic and unique way, provided players with deep and challenging combat, and delivered a compelling narrative with powerful characters. The game rightfully picked up many awards after its release, including achieving Best PC Game, Best Story and overall Game of the Year awards, among many others, from many different sources such as IGN and PC Gamer. It also received universal critical acclaim, scoring 93 percent on Metacritic with a user score of 8.9, which is a staggering achievement. It’s still widely considered today to be one of the greatest Star Wars projects of all time, and one of the best role-playing games around. I would certainly agree with that, because if I didn’t play it about five times after its release I probably would go back and play it again today without hesitation.

Naturally its staggering success meant that a sequel was on the cards, and that’s exactly what we got, with a few catches. But please, if you haven’t played this game yet, there’s no excuse as it was released on Steam in 2009, and the Mac App store in 2011, so get it and play it as soon as you can. You really don’t need to be a Star Wars fanatic to love this – just a fan of great RPGs.

Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic II:

The Sith Lords

Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic II: The Sith Lords took a few stumbles, but it was a brilliant game.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords was definitely a game that everyone who loved the first wanted to see, but it didn’t come without its own share of controversy. The first was its short and rushed development cycle. While the original game was three years in the making, and saw release towards the end of 2003, KOTOR II was released in February of 2005, which meant that it just about enjoyed a year of development. Clearly a year is worrying for the sequel to a game of KOTOR’s massive success. And on top of that, the warning bells were sounding when it was revealed that BioWare would not be developing the game, but rather Obsidian Entertainment. This was because the chaps at BioWare were off developing Jade Empire at the time, and had begun focusing on their own intellectual properties, so they suggested Obsidian due to being familiar with their past work.

However, despite the issues surrounding the game, fans were hoping for the best and undoubtedly ready to go for round two after the success of the original game. KOTOR II was set five years after the events of the original, where the Jedi have almost been completely eradicated by the Sith. Once again the player had a choice between creating a male or female character, but either way the player was a former Jedi Knight exiled from the Order. When awakened on a ship by a mysterious woman called Kreia, who serves as your mentor in the game, the player is thrust back into the conflict in which he or she must restore a connection to the Force and take the fight back to the Sith. Players were again allowed to choose between the light or dark side of the Force, through their actions in the game, and travelled from planet to planet in search of help and to either aid or damage the Republic’s mission to restore peace and stability to the galaxy. Characterisation and story were once again massively important elements and fortunately the game was so great in these aspects that even though it didn’t undergo dramatic change compared to the original and suffered technically, it was still a fantastic experience that did more than enough to justify playing it. Fans weren’t going to miss out in any case.

It was a shame that such a black cloud hung over the game, because despite all odds it still turned out amazing. It wasn’t perfect, mind you, and it may not have reached the heights of its predecessor, but it was still an awesome and compelling experience nonetheless. Its main drawbacks weren’t from the core experience, which was great, but rather from its unfortunate bugs and unpolished areas, which strongly gave the impression that it was incomplete. The game was created using an updated version of the Odyssey engine that powered the first game, and BioWare gave technical assistance to Obsidian during KOTOR II’s development, but naturally the development period was too short to make it perfect or all that it could have been. The effects of the unfortunate development time were confirmed by the game’s producer, Chris Avellone, in an interview after its launch, in which he stated that he wished “there had been more time” to make the game, because the rush had resulted in a large amount of content being cut from the game, such as a droid factory, a whole planet and various other locations. Thankfully, the game received four patches to improve its quality and fix gameplay issues. And still, it was really well received by fans and critics, achieving a rating of 85 on Metacritic and getting praise for its story and characters. It didn’t quite outdo its predecessor, but it definitely was a worthy sequel.

However, did its success mean that there would be a third entry in the series? Fans definitely wouldn’t have minded that after the first two games, and the team behind the game were quite keen for another. And that’s what we ended up getting. Just in a way that no one would have expected at the time. And the path leading to it was one filled with tragedy for fans. I’m quite serious, so let’s take a look.

Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic III

It's funny how things turn out sometimes...

Before you have a panic attack, yes I’m well aware that there was never a Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic III, but there was a rather tragic story behind it. Interestingly enough it did eventually turn into something though. But it all started in 2003 when LucasArts cancelled their console MMOG project, Proteus, during its early design phase. After its cancellation, the project’s team went on to develop KOTOR 3, bringing some elements of Proteus’ designs to the third installment of the highly successful series. However, in what came as terrible news to fans, KOTOR 3 ended up being cancelled because of cuts beginning in 2004 that were made to position LucasArts for future success. What made the news so much more difficult to take was that, according to game designer John Stafford, the development team had “wrote a story, designed most of the environments/worlds, and many of the quests, characters, and items” for KOTOR 3 before its cancellation. In the end all we got to see of it was concept art that was published in the 2008 book Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts.

Can you guess what KOTOR 3 eventually turned into? Well, if you guessed Star Wars: The Old Republic, the 2012 MMORPG, then you’d have been right. But how did that happen? Well, all the way back in July of 2008, during the year’s E3 press conference, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello confirmed that a Knights of the Old Republic MMORPG was in the works. But in October in that same year, LucasArts and BioWare invited the press to the official unveiling of their next game, saying “BioWare and LucasArts invite you to attend the official unveiling of the game that has been rumored about for years.” This naturally prompted widespread rumours that it was either to do with KOTOR III or the rumoured Old Republic MMO, but towards the end of the month, at the invitation-only press event, BioWare and LucasArts confirmed that their next project was the MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic, which would be set 300 years after the first two games in the series, depicting new rising conflicts between the Jedi and Sith. As for the rest, that’s all in the present, so there’s nothing more to say.

But in the end all that really matters here is that the original two entries in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series were incredible role-playing games that deserve to still be remembered today. They were just amazing experiences, and any Star Wars fan who loved them would be unlikely to ever forget them. I know I won’t. Both games together undoubtedly deserve a spot on our Hall of Fame.

Keep an eye out for the next entry in our Hall of Fame then, meatbags. Sorry, inside joke.

There may never have been a third game, but the first two were legendary enough.

It sounds like an old dial-up modem. When last did I even hear one? The beeping has ripped through that familiar little jazzy number that was playing on the radio, discord not unlike the insane scrawlings on the walls. I smile to myself. Even though I don’t have the software to decode the sound into an image, and even though I am playing on the pc, hence without the satisfying pop-up of “achievement unlocked”, I smile. I have done it. I have found the Rat Man’s final transmission. Cross it off the list of Portal 2′s Easter Eggs to find.

Games are great for completionists. You get long lists of things to do. The whole damn world waits for you to waltz into town and solve problems. The fee Civil wars in Nordic countries will wait for you to come back from spelunking your way to ancient swords, tons of gold coins and some monosyllabic words of power. And sometimes you can be daring and leave a quest unfinished. You devil, you. You can go back again and play the whole game again making the opposite choices to what you made the first time, so you don’t miss out on anything. Missing out: my childlike fear. I’m probably not alone here in my desire to experience every single aspect of a game (I’ll take the whole year to finish Skyrim).

For those who don’t know, a couple of weekends ago people got together for MolyJam, one of the wackiest events in gaming. Peter Molydeux, the Twitter account parodying innovative (dare I say avant-garde) game designer Peter Molyneux, has been going for quite some time now. His tweets are some hilarious, out-there, yet somehow perhaps just possible game ideas. A game where the pause button is a weapon. A game where you protest the rules that make up the game world. A game where you play as a full stop and interrupt the opponent’s sentence. I can’t even imagine how that would w. Ork.

I played a number of really great games, but the one that stuck with me the most is unfinished. It’s called “To destroy the beast we must hold a mirror to his thoughts.” It uses hypertext to create something akin to Alice in game-designer land. The game itself is unplayable in chronological order, but rather offers magic portals into four (relatively) finished parts of the story, allowing you a glimpse into what may have happened if you met Peter Molyneux, Ken Levine and Tim Schafer. You can go backwards at any point as you explore every hypertext in what is finished, which Mr. Completion did of course. But you can never properly see where most parts go, especially the amazing and amazingly short Ken Levine section. This is like being told “your princess is in another castle”, without any more castles for you to clear.

The Atlas Slave

It made me think of one particular work of art. Well, four, but one really stands out. BA cred inbound: Michaelangelo’s Atlas Slave. The unfinished carving is, along with Awakening Slave, Young Slave and Bearded Slave, an unfinished work. I find these to be highly evocative pieces of sculpture.

Perhaps even more so because they are unfinished. Like a song cut off halfway through, it sticks in your head. Maybe it teases the completionist cortex of our brains that demands the closure of the finished.

“To destroy…” is like that. The rich description, the surrealism, the endless references to games and gaming culture as well as art and poetry are captivating. Especially the illusion of making choices. It’s unfinished, offering you choices that lead nowhere, or even a fragment of code that indicates a choice would have been there. It is just like the rough stone surrounding where Atlas Slave‘s face would be. All we have are eyes, looking at us through the rock our imaginations have to carve away.

Unfinished? Yes. Unimportant? Never.

A Song of Ice and Fire, a best selling novel which has recently become more popular than ever. Written by George R.R. Martin, the fantasy novel was already a great read, however since its inception into a TV series, things have never been the same. Meet the Game of Thrones role-playing game.

The series is either loved or hated. Many love it, however there are a few who feel that it doesn’t deserve any attention, as it ruins a great book. Which category you fall into, is up to you.

To compare the novel to the game would be a sin. It’s nearly impossible to compare movies to games, so let’s not try compare books to games. With that in mind, a brief look at the novel is necessary, to offer a brief overview of the story.

A Song of Ice and Fire sees a fantasy story set in Westeros, where eight large families are fighting over the Iron Throne — the ultimate seat of power, and a symbol of domination. The series is expected to have seven books in total, where the fifth issue was only released last July. The Game of Thrones videogame will base itself on the first book only, and with this, players will cross paths with characters such as Jeor Mormont, Varys the Spider or Cersei Lannister. With the game only being based on one book, it’s easy to see that there’s space for growth if it does eventually become popular.

Title: Game of Thrones
Developer: Cyanide Studio
Publisher: Focus Interactive
Players: 1
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Expected Price: R452
Release Date: May 18

The initial story takes place at the time when Jon Arryn, the Hand of King Robert Baratheon, is found dead at King’s Landing. This is somewhat early in the book and TV series. The game will attempt to educate us on what happened without touching on the current story.

Game of Thrones will offer two great quests, as the player will follow two different characters: Mors Westford and Alester Sarwyck. The story for these two characters is said to be totally unique, where George R.R. Martin canonised these characters to run alongside the original story. Therefore, the game is not a mere acting out of the book, but rather uses facts from what happened to offer a greater, more detailed experience. Despite not being the same as the book, the game will offer many references to the book, characters and locations. Whenever one is lost, it’s possible to consult a Westeros Encyclopedia.

Each story for the two characters will be told simultaneously, on a chapter basis. Therefore, each character will share the role of ‘main character’, until they cross paths in a common quest. Something unique for a role-playing game.

Player choice in Game of Thrones is said create consequences on the rest of the game. And with over 30 hours of gameplay, there will undoubtedly be a lot of decisions to make.

The first character, Mors Westford, comes from a bloodline of knights, where he is also the last surviving member of House Westford. The Westford family has been in service to House Lannister for generations. However, that’s not true for Mors. Around 15 years ago Mors was forced to abandon his family when he joined the Night’s Watch, and because of this, he is one of the best rangers of his order. Mors has an aggressive fighting style, thus earning the nickname “the Butcher”. Both feared and respected, gruff and direct, Mors has enough battle experience to keep himself alive. Mors is a fighter and not a talker, and with this, he would sacrifice his own life to defend his beliefs.

Alongside his fighting skills, Mors is also a “skinchanger”. Skinchangers are able to enter the mind of living creatures, therefore Mors can take control of his canine companion who will help him on his quest. Mors’ dog will help track enemies, as it has a hyper developed olfactory sense — for smelling.

Alester Sarwyck is the second playable character. Alester is the eldest son of House Sarwyck, a noble family connected to the Lannisters. However, Alester was different to everyone else. Like Mors, 15 years ago Alester abandoned his family to settle in the Free Cities of the east, across the Narrow Sea. Whilst in the Free Cities, he entered the orders of the Clergy of R’hllor, which lead to him becoming a red priest. Alester has devoted his life and his faith to his god. Alestar is somewhat opposite to that of Mors, as he is calm and loyal. He will be diplomatic, and think before he acts.

Although red priests are represented in the Free Cities, they aren’t very well known in Westeros. Despite that, red priests have useful powers and skills which can be utilised. For example, Alester can call upon his deity to use fire to flush out objects or hidden doors in the environment. Of course, this calling for fire will help with combat too.

From the player’s perspective, one will be able to choose their own character class and style of combat. Weapons, armour and skills will be upgradable as well. It is, however, important to remember that each player has unique skills, and one should play to his character’s style.

Although Mors is more of a fighter than Alester, the game caters for this. One can earn experience points by merely talking his way out of a fight, therefore, political talent and know-how is just as important as a sword.

The combat system for Game of Thrones allows one to equip complementary weapons, such as a sword and shield for close combat and a bow for long range combat. Naturally, it’s up to you to choose which you’d like to use and when.

Following that, the combat system has the ability to slow everything down, to analyse and anticipate the best way to continue attacking. How you feel about this, is purely subjective — as others may enjoy it.

Both Mors and Alester have great skill trees, so each character will be your own.

There are five different environments, or areas, in the game: The Wall, Castle Black, Riverspring, Castlewood, and King’s Landing.

The Wall is a massive wall of ice which is stretched across the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms. It will separate the wild land from the civilised land.

Castle Black is the fortress of the wall. It is the seat of command which is run by Lord Commander Jeor Mormont. About 600 men are currently stationed at Castle Black.

Riverspring is situated in the Westerlands. It is at the source of river Blackwater. This is the stronghold of House Sarwyck, where it was run by Lord Raynald Sarwyck prior to his passing. The estate is troubled, as there has been many murders.

Castlewood is situated in the Riverlands, on the banks of river Blackwater. House Harlton is situated in Castlewood, where there is a long political and somewhat interesting history. The head of the House is Arwood Harlton, who swore allegiance to King Robert Baratheon.

King’s Landing is the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. It was built three hundred years ago, on the exact spot where the first Targaryen king landed on Westeros. It is the kingdom’s heart of power, and where the Iron Throne is situated. King’s Landing is protected by City Watch, an army with two thousand men.

Game of Thrones has been developed using Unreal Engine 3, where it will offer all the standard effects, textures and environments available in other titles. To keep the game up to standard, there will be lip-synching and character voice-overs. At times there will be multiple responses available, which will lead to different scenarios acting out. Each character will respond based on their personality, leaving you with the choice of how to go about combat.

It will be available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Last week Friday, I had the awesome opportunity to get my hands on Sleeping Dogs, a game that started out as a sequel to the famed but flawed True Crime series. Thankfully Sleeping Dogs is not another True Crime game, a fact that was repeated numerous times, but something I only believed after getting my hands on this title. Sleeping Dogs is not another True Crime; In fact, it’s looking a lot better than most sandbox games being released lately. With a new unique setting, some really brutal fighting, a story with homage to classic Hong Kong crime stories and more, Sleeping Dogs quite took my attention and grabbed it hard.

Let’s get the formalities out of the way first. Sleeping Dogs is centered on undercover cop Wei Shen, who has infiltrated the deadly Triads in Hong Kong in order to try and bring them down from the inside. If you’ve ever seen a Police Cop drama and a Kung Fu film and wondered what they’d be like together, you’d get Sleeping Dogs. The story looks like it’s dripping with a Chinese “Departed” type plot, which is not really a bad thing when you think about it. The game is set in a highly detailed, living, breathing realization of modern day Hong Kong, giving New York a rest for the time being. The result is a game that looks and feels a lot like GTA in a Chinese setting, but Sleeping Dogs borrows more than a few elements from other massive titles, and blends them together in interesting ways. Fighting from Arkham City, driving from Need for Speed, over the top antics from Just Cause and the general structure from GTA means that Sleeping Dogs is almost immediately recognizable, just in different colours.

The demo began with a enjoyable chase scene through the alleyways that litter the streets of Hong Kong. It’s amazing just how alive the entire city feels, with citizens going about their daily duties while you walk through the crowded markets. I even had one NPC offer my character some cheap goods. Having just visited Hong Kong recently, I could easily see the amount of work that was put in to give this setting an authentic feeling. I began chasing down my target through the crowds; hopping over fences, climbing vending machines and occasionally bringing down some poor bystanders with a flying kick to the head. Hey, you’re a cop, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Eventually you reach a conveniently placed group of baddies, all ready to beat your face in. It’s a good thing then that Wei Shen seems to have spent a few years with Bruce Wayne, learning how to fight like Batman; those poor henchmen didn’t stand a chance. Sleeping Dogs’ fighting system borrows its elements from one of the most robust systems out there, namely the “Freeflow” combat mechanic from Batman: Arkham Asylum/City. You use one button to attack, another to block and a third to grab. The action is not quite as fluent as in the Batman titles, but counters and blocks are just as easy to pull off. Grab an enemy and you can sprint with him towards any glowing objects around you, initiating some brutally violent finishing moves. It’s all sorts of bloody fun, without the cape but with a lot more blood.

Sleeping Dogs is brutal. From devastatingly violent finishing moves, such as smashing heads into fan blades, burning them on stoves or shoving them in between a car door, blood is everywhere. The narrative seems to carry on this violent nature, with a cutscene from near the end of the narrative showing Wei Shen being tortured by other Triad members. Being hit in the face with a hammer, followed by a power drill to the knee (yes, I know), just goes to show that you shouldn’t mess with the Triads. However, where the brutality in the fighting sequences may seem a bit out of place, the violent nature fits right in. It’s a story about gangsters with a lot of money; people who would do anything to protect their business ventures. This type of stuff happens in the dark corners of our society, so it’s quite interesting to see it so graphically portrayed in this title. It feels real and gritty, and I loved every second of it.

Since this is a sandbox title, a lot of attention must go to vehicles. Sleeping Dogs boasts around 80 different vehicles, all taking cues from real-life cars and brands. Just like with the Grand Theft Auto franchise, vehicles aren’t licensed, but you can almost tell what each vehicle was designed after. However, unlike GTA, driving is being handled by some real professionals in Sleeping Dogs. Developers who have previously worked on Need for Speed titles were given the reigns when dealing with driving, and having done my fair share in game, I can honestly say you can feel it. Cars handle and react extremely well to your inputs, aside from a few hilarious bugs that cropped up in the beta code. A lot of care was taken with driving in this title, and it’s nice to see that it wasn’t sloppily handled. Vehicular combat also makes a strong appearance, differing from most when it comes down to the execution. Instead of just trying to line up shots while going at 120 on a motorcycle, Sleeping Dogs puts you into “slow motion” when you want to take out other enemy vehicles. Shoot out tires, take out the driver, or jump straight on the boot of an enemy vehicle. It’s over the top, unrealistic fun, much like everything in Just Cause.

Borrowing a bit from Max Payne, but staying true to some old True Crime mechanics, Sleeping Dogs does have its fair share of slow motion moments when it comes to gunplay. However, even this feature has its own rules attached to it. Instead of having a dedicated “focus” meter, Sleeping Dogs initiates the mode when it thinks you need it. Vaulting over cover or switching from cover to cover while shooting will initiate some slow motion, allowing you to pop some heads in spectacular fashion. There weren’t many guns on show, and gunplay as a whole didn’t really stand out. It functions the way it should, but that’s about it.

Other than that, Sleeping Dogs offers side missions, as every sandbox game should, but we weren’t really allowed to dive into those fully. Visuals have a bit of a unique flair to them, but there was nothing really special or outstanding to note. This is still beta code, so a lot can be improved from now until release. Counters need to be a touch more responsive, melee fighting could be tweaked to feel smoother, and those odd visual slowdowns will probably be mended. Sleeping Dogs isn’t looking to be ground breaking, or a spiritual successor to the failed True Crime franchise. Instead, it looks to me as if this title is the first step in the right direction for a franchise that could really build into something special. Taking features from other games isn’t hard, but making them fit into a completely new setting does take a lot of dedication. I’m happy to say that I was previously wrong about Sleeping Dogs, and after getting to spend some time with it, I was left pleasantly surprised. If you’re a fan of anything to do with sandbox titles, or if you haven’t had a good dose of GTA style fun lately, then keep your eyes on Sleeping Dogs.

Thanks to Megarom for the invitation, as well as Samsung, Tritton and Xbox South Africa for supplying all the awesome hardware.

Gamers are gamers. They will always find any minuscule reason to whine and bitch about a little annoyance in a game that is so insignificant that it’s hardly noteworthy. In some cases these little annoyances or discrepancies blow up into one giant miasma of idiocy and mass hysteria. Exhibit A: Mass Effect 3 ending. But we will get to that later. These complaints often don’t do the game in question any justice and distracts people from the big picture. Often a game is glorious and thought-provoking and gets overshadowed by negative influences from so-called “die-hard gamers”.

Let’s look at some of the games that received negative reactions that were totally not deserved at all.

6 — FEZ

Racism is a very touchy subject. So touchy in fact that you can’t say a single thing wrong about another race group without being totally massacred by the media, racial groups and just trolls in general. Phil Fish, the lead developer of FEZ, mentioned in a GDC panel that Japanese games suck. This got misinterpreted as racist against Japanese people when in actual fact he just stated his opinion that modern Japanese games suck to him. What is the fallout of this action? Internet “elites” calling him a racist with a plethora of like-minded idiots  just jumping on the bandwagon despite the fact that most people on forums say what he has said every day almost. Now FEZ is a good game , no doubt about that, but people are flat-out refusing to buy the game based on one simple statement made by one man.

I’m sorry, but is just fucking stupid to me. It wasn’t just Phil Fish designing the game, no, it was a group of people working their fingers to the bone to produce a game worthy of significant praise. Now all their effort gets wasted because one guy made a mistake? What are we, animals?

5 — L.A. Noire

This is a prime example of my personally coined phrase “gamer amnesia”. I was lucky enough to receive this game on release (for which I spent a shitload of money because I’m a fan of Rockstar‘s games) and was totally hooked by it. Detective games weren’t a new thing, but this was so well done that it became unique in its own sense. The facial expressions were beautifully crafted and designed to pull you into the game. I was filled with immersion and even found myself questioning my relatives and friends while reading their facial expressions. I was seeing praise left and right. From people on Twitter, various reviews and the amount of people that were playing it on my friends list. A few months passed and whenever the topic of L.A. Noire came up in social media or whatever, gamers were suddenly bashing it mercilessly.

Why? BECAUSE LOL. Actually it was always something idiotic like “Oh, the facial animations weren’t that great” or “The story actually sucked now that I think about it” and so an and so forth. I was literally shocked at the negativity that was given off because I loved the game and still loved it even after getting a 1000 G for it (GSW Alert). What happened? I’ll tell you what happened. Gamers completely forgot about the amazing experience they had and started agreeing with a bunch of idiots that said the game was bad for some fucked up convoluted reason. This doesn’t paint the game well for people that have yet to play it and in turn they miss out on one hell of an experience.

Sad. Sad indeed.

4 — Dragon Age 2

We all love him and we all would marry his face. The favorite game of our infamous space pirate Caveshen. He has been defending Dragon Age 2 since it came out and with good reason. Gamers have went so far as calling it the worst game they have ever played, but with as much evidence as a homeless guy’s hygiene. In my honest opinion you can only ever truly scrutinize a game if you have completely finished it.

This became apparent to me when I played a little under the radar JRPG called Tales of Vesperia. At first I didn’t like the game at all and only ever enjoyed the combat. I played off and on for weeks with only an hour or so of play time. As I progressed, it started to draw me into its storyline and characters in a way I never expected. From thinking the game was kinda shit to being close to addicted to it is evidence enough that you can’t undermine a game before you truly played it.

This is exactly what happened to Dragon Age 2. People didn’t play as far as the prologue and then subsequently called it a load of rancid piss. That’s not fair now is it? I played the game twice and while it not being my favorite BioWare game of all time, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Character interactions and relationships had me so sucked in that I frankly didn’t give a fuck about recycled dungeons and the fact that the game is only based in one city.

It’s obvious that Dragon age 2 is hated by many, but almost 90% of the supposed haters can’t even justify their hatred towards the game because they couldn’t even be arsed to play the damn game in its entirety.

3 — Bulletstorm

This is from another phenomenon that I’ve subsequently called the “Too Damn High Expectation Phenomena”. The game was developed by Epic and when gamers thing Epic they instantly think of my Epic Guitar Hero skills. And Gears of War I guess. When Bulletstorm was announced people looked forward to the same type of quality they usually get from an Epic game. This was not the case with Bulletstorm, but, – and this is a huge but –  it did things right in other departments. Bulletstorm is a vulgar, humourous First Person Shooter with interesting scoring mechanics thrown into the fray.

That’s all it was. Not a spiritual predecessor to Gears of War where Grayson Hunt is secretly Marcus Fenix’s long lost brother or whatever. Bulletstorm did its own thing and did it well at that. It was a sad day when I saw internet discussions pop up that portrayed Bulletstorm as a shit game full of “gimmicks” and “clichés”. No, it wasn’t. It had its own universe, own style of humour and completely different ideas of where it was going. Gamers were just not pleased with anything other than the majesty that was Gears of War.

Bulletstorm was hell of a lot of fun and something completely different to what I was used to. I’d much prefer playing something like this to the tried-and-tested likes of Call of Duty or Medal of Honor.

But I guess that just wasn’t enough for “hardcore” gamers.

2 — Mass Effect 3

Sigh. I really am over this whole debacle with regards to the ending. Weeks and weeks of angry forum posts and heated arguments over a 10 minute sequence of actions and cutscenes was enough to drive me completely bonkers. To be completely fair, Mass Effect 3 did not deserve all this negativity at all.

It all started with the whole Day 1 DLC deal. People were outraged at the idea and decided that they “HAD ENOUGH” and proceeded to boycott the game (Which they didn’t) and attacked the game on sites such as Metacritic, giving it absolutely abysmal scores. To be fair it was a bit of a low-blow to us as gamers, but nothing so drastic that it deserved total scrutinization and hatred. Many games have done it before and just because it was Mass Effect, suddenly it’s stepping over the line.

Then there was the ending. Entire sites dedicated to it? Petition signings? Facebook groups laughably called “Retake Mass Effect”? Really guys?  Was this really necessary now? Also, it seems that the so-called “fans” of Mass Effect suddenly just dropped the entire experience they had throughout the entire 40+ hour game and only focused on the final scene. This doesn’t do the game justice at all. There were some amazing set-pieces and brilliantly told stories left right and centre. What happened to that? On ALL the opinion pieces and 10 000 word essays I’ve read concerning the ending I never saw a mention given to how amazing the game in itself was.

Just a load of whiny bitchy gamers.

1 — Deadly Premonition

I’ve ranted significantly in this article and I’d like to cool things down a bit with a game that I think everyone should play. I bought this game for R100 on the  Games on Demand store on Xbox LIVE and got my mind blown to pieces. The game is bad. Horrible even. The graphics are that of the PS2 era, controls are one big mess (for example you reverse your car with the RIGHT TRIGGER. How the… I don’t even), character animations are laughable, stupid things happen to the geometry, combat is unsatisfying and retarded.

But you know what? This game has attitude and spark. Throughout the time I’ve played it, I was treated with humorous dialogue at almost every conversation. The characters were bursting with uniqueness and personality, like a transvestite deputy sheriff and a rich guy with a gas mask speaking in rhymes and eating turkey cereal sandwiches . There were pop culture reverences made that shocked me, like the lead character talking about the movie Rise of the Killer Tomatoes and Tom and Jerry. Everything is quirky as hell and that made the experience totally worth every minute I spent it on.

You know what could have prevented me from not having that experience? Just giving up at the prologue because of the faults I’ve mentioned and that’s what most gamers do. They just give up. Not interested in discovering something new and exciting because they have grown used to just being handed something on a silver plater. That’s why Call of Duty is so popular. It’s simple, quick to pick up and fun. The gamer who looks for challenging experiences or new worlds outside their comfort zone are dying out

And I don’t like that.

In Conclusion

I’ve started this article because I was downright pissed off at gamers just moaning and bitching the whole time. It would be justified if a game is truly crap and shallow without any hint of creativity. That kind of bitching I understand because it makes sense to do so. Not undermining a game based on foggy evidence or mass hysteria. We need to shut that out of this industry and truly appreciate the great games that are seldom given to us.

Sometimes it’s good to be up in arms about an issue you have in a game, but it needs to be justified and from personal experience. Not just jumping on a bandwagon with a bunch of trolls and idiots.

I don’t know if I just have a soft spot for games and tend to go easy on them, but I will say this:

I’m a gamer and I’m passionate about my chosen entertainment.

Give games a decent chance and you might find yourself surprised or even hooked.

Feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders, gasping for redemption in the form of precious air, with so much at stake. Should I continue with my current path and watch the world crumble before my sore and bloodshot eyes? Do I betray the one dearest to me and set things right, so that my fellow comrades and townsfolk live a peaceful and prosperous life?

With games pushing the boundaries ever so often, one can’t help but wonder, where is all this going?

Game developers can create a wondrous and phantasmagorical landscape full of lush beauty with characters that you genuinely care about all propelled by a riveting story that encourage us to grab at the nearest source of tissues. Immersion being the first one in line to report for duty. Is this a good thing? Let’s see.

These realities enter our lives by means that isn’t so magical by itself. Via a signal or cable or disc. Take a moment and think how crowded it is on a disc. All those wonderful characters, their dialogue and all those miscellaneous odds and ends. Claustrophobia-hell, anyone?

Squeezing all those textures and sounds of ambiance through a cable from the other side of the world to your console, PC or mysterious apparatus just for your enjoyment. That’s wonderful and somewhat awkward.

We have seen the most amazingly artistic landscapes in games. Red Dead Redemption’s dry and abandoned landscape teeming with wildlife that wants your face on a silver platter. Bulletstorm’s murderous and lush vistas. The Witcher 2′s living and breathing forest. Prime examples of creativity and the wits of a talented development team. Areas such as these not only look good, but they “feel” alive. Areas that are populated correctly, have just the right ambiance and background music can be a thing of wonders. You will get the chance to connect with the characters and feel at home inside another realm.

When it comes to personal experience, there were certain situations where I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay with the characters, I wanted my protagonist’s abilities and, yes, even his rockin’ bod. Why not? This feeling crept into my thoughts more than once whether it was a game or a movie. Who wouldn’t want a super agile body filled with all types of awesome?

Scenarios and situations where you want to be can be so tempting, you’ll sell your grandmother with all her dolls that have the capability to creep the hell out of certain people. (Certain people being me.) Seriously, what is up with those dolls? Their eyes alone can be used in a horror movie. Those eyes and math are equally terrifying and cause serious mind-like catastrophes. And now I have also offended all the doll enthusiasts.

Speaking of horror. Dead Space, in my case, can be seen as a one way ticket to “masochism on a disc”. I like playing scary games that will have you jumping in and around your seat. Knowing all of the spine-tingling horrors that await me, I brought home the package containing the experience and scenarios to have me squeal like a little girl. Think about it. I brought home a bunch of scares on a 1.2mm flat surface filled with all types of code and numbers. Call me gullible, but that’s awesome.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution really made me feel like I was in another time period. Everyone’s life is being influenced by augmentations and all types of robotic craziness. The art-style, wonderful soundtrack and story really placed me in another reality without me really having to use the top secret “Time Manipulation Capsule” down at NASA’s research base in….. Or we can talk about soup.

When talking to people I know about games, I sometimes get the strange face saying: “How can a game be an experience? It’s just a silly source of entertainment.” How wrong that is. Games are entertainment, yes, but they are so much more than that. It’s living breathing worlds filled with a story and opportunities to be explored and appreciated. You did not read anything about NASA, OK?

Us gamers are getting really spoiled from surprising places lately. I can’t remember a time where so many awesome Arcade and Indie games were released so close to each other, giving us new and interesting things to keep us entertained in this dry AAA spell. Journey is a prime example, showing that if you shun indie titles in light of AAA titles constantly, you’re missing out on something truly special. FEZ, in many regards, is another one of these examples. A game that starts out looking like a one trick pony, FEZ quickly turns into one of the most engrossing, difficult and entertaining puzzle platformers around today. Combine fantastically implemented elements and extremely well thought out puzzles with some undeniable 8-bit charm and you’ve got one of the best Indie titles you could possibly pick up. Several technical issues and high levels of difficulty may scare you off, but FEZ is certainly a journey that you’ll want to see to the end, just to start it all over again.

People have been waiting for FEZ for a very long time. It would even be easy to say that FEZ was one of the most anticipated Indie titles ever, with the announcement coming nearly 5 years ago already. Designer and Creator Phil Fish has become a household name to gamers around the world, mostly because of this title and his appearance in Indie Game: The Movie. Or maybe it’s because he said Japanese games suck? Forget all of that though, because FEZ is here, it’s great, and it has really been worth the wait.

FEZ doesn’t follow the story of a character named Fez, despite many people still thinking that. Instead, you take control of Gomez, an adorable white fluffy looking being in a world of other 2D fluffy white beings and animals. You see, Gomez lives in a reality that only knows 2D, where small children make remakes about how flat you are looking, teachers discuss evil 3D cubes and elders talk about “the other dimension”. It’s not long before you meet another important white being, that then reveals that “it’s time for your destiny to begin”, or something along those lines. Cue the appearance of a giant 3D cube, a massive explosion and the crumbling of Gomez’s world. However, in the process, a magical Fez is bestowed upon Gomez, allowing him to finally explore the magical third dimension. The universe simply can’t take all of this, and begins falling down around you, prompting Gomez to begin a journey that will restore stability to his beloved world. This is what FEZ makes you think it’s about, but that’s only scratching the surface, with a toothpick, the size of a hair.

You see, FEZ is more than a game with one gimmick. Sure, the feature of perspective changing is not new, but the way FEZ implements it is truly remarkable. With the simple hit of the left or right triggers, you shift Gomez’s world into a whole new dimension, allowing you to explore areas that were once non-existent for the first five minutes of the title. For a while this is your only really tool in FEZ, and coming to terms with how shift dimensions affects your position on the terrain doesn’t take long to get used to. Instead of “thinking with portals” you’re now “thinking with a Fez”, and soon you’ll be zipping through levels and mastering platforming by using your dimension shifting Fez to cut corners and connect platforms that were once far apart. That’s not to say that you’ll soon be bored of the platforming, as later levels will require some thinking on your part, as well as quick timing as time switches count down and change the world around you.

But even this is not entirely what FEZ is all about, which may come as a surprise to most people who have been following the game’s development. FEZ is essentially a puzzle platformer, but at its core it’s an intuitive and often highly challenging series of puzzles. Puzzles are littered throughout every area of the game. While simple platforming and exploration will reward you with gold cube shards (needed to complete and progress through the game), it’s the anti-cubes, artifacts and treasure maps that will keep you coming back to FEZ for hours on end, and a New Game+ option ensures its longevity. It’s what makes this simple title to unique and engrossing, but it could also lead to some players abandoning it all together.

FEZ’s puzzles aren’t always fair. Sure, most of them have enough clues, subtle at most, for you to figure them out and even riddles that take you an hour to unravel are still enjoyable and rewarding at the same time. However, there are some that simply expect you, as a player, to see things most wouldn’t. I’m treading lightly on this subject, purely because even just giving examples of some puzzles diminishes the surprise of travelling through FEZ, but you should be warned that this is not an entirely easy game if you’re going for more than simple completion. Puzzles will force you to see the world from different angles, interpret 8-bit diagrams, decipher a completely functioning language, figure out how numbers work in Gomez’s world and more. Puzzles aren’t always solvable from the moment you encounter them, but the game also does a poor job of communicating this to you. Some may see this as an addition to the challenge, but a little hint that suggests further exploration could’ve saved me a lot of wasted hours.

Thankfully, FEZ is so chopped full of content for you to explore that you’ll never really feel that one left puzzle hinders your entire experience. FEZ is made up of several hubs. Wait, make that tons of hub worlds, all connected and interlinked to one another. Some act as major hubs that offer multiple doorways to smaller, more focused pieces of land. It’s hard to become completely lost in this world, as telling yourself that you’ll eventually back track becomes a bit hard when you’ve teleported to five different hubs in the space of ten minutes. Thankfully, a highly detailed map that shows all the hub connections ensures that you never get too lost, and hints at other unexplored areas. Back tracking will happen more than once, but FEZ’s worlds are so varied and well-designed that you’ll never feel as though it’s a chore.

It’s just utterly incredible how much environmental variety there is in this gorgeous 8-bit game. Yes, it’s all 8-bit and absolutely stunning. One minute you could be on a small island with a lighthouse, hearing seagulls chirp in some monotone beeps and listening to the ebb and flow of water, and a few doors later you could be in a graveyard world, dominated by sounds of thunder and populated by some cute little ghosts. Each section builds onto the hub it originates from, with subtle differences bringing change in a gradual way. Level design is superb; you should rarely ever get lost or confused as to how to progress in a given area, regardless of the fact that you can only see one side of each area at a time. Some inspiring 8-bit visuals that complement the game style and an incredible soundtrack keep you completely immersed in this stunning world, you’ll soon come to love Gomez’s world like no other in gaming.

There are, however, more than a few things that strive to break your immersion in this stunning world. FEZ is not without its technical problems, which is bizarre considering it has been in development longer than most AAA title nowadays. Crashes, and some really violent hard crashes, do occur. Your game may simply freeze, or throw code at you and completely lock out. Polytron are at work on fixes for this, but right now it could happen nearly once every hour if you’re unlucky. It breaks the illusion that the game puts on you, which is sad considering it’s such a happy and engrossing universe. On top of that, controls can sometimes not respond in the way you want them to, and some odd visual glitches and slowdown when transferring from one environment to another do a good job of reminding you that this is just a game. It’s disappointing to see, but thankfully it’s nothing really game breaking.

Other than those few niggles, there is really no excuse for you not to take notice of FEZ, if you haven’t already. I could honestly tell you a lot more about the world that has spawned out of Phil Fish’s brain, and how the team at Polytron has done such a fantastic job with this Indie title. However, FEZ is about exploration, discovery and surprise. Polytron hasn’t delivered what they have been teasing and promising for the past five years. Instead, they’ve gone leaps and bounds ahead of what most expected from them, creating a game that is destined to become an instant classic, and a game that will certainly go down in gaming history. FEZ is not a game you should consider, but rather a game you shouldn’t think twice about downloading. Wake up Gomez, we have lots of exploring to do.

Ever wondered about the Tendrils on our logo? Did you know that it related to Prototype 2? Well, now you do.

To support, and celebrate, the release of Prototype 2, we’ve previewed it as well as interviewed a key member of the design team. However, alongside both of that, we’re not done just yet.

Thanks to Megarom, we’re giving away a Prototype 2 Collector’s Edition, for PlayStation 3, to one lucky person.
The Collector’s Edition Includes:

• PROTOTYPE 2 RADNET Edition Content
• Free PROTOTYPE 2 DLC Pack #1 – Colossal Mayhem
• Official PROTOTYPE 2 Soundtrack CD
• Exclusive PROTOTYPE 2 Hardbound Art Book
• Dark Horse Digital Comic “PROTOTYPE: The Labrinth”
• 20% Discount Voucher at PROTOTYPE Merchandise Store

It’s something you’d really want.

To enter, all you need to do is fill in the form below. Winners will be announced on Friday 27 April, 2012.

Competition is closed!

Things to remember:

• Terms and Conditions apply.
• Competition closes Thursday 26 April, 2012 at 23:59.
• Winners will be announced on Friday 27 April, 2012.
• To select a winner, we will randomize all entries.
• Your email address needs to be 100% correct.
• Only one entry per person.
• Competition is sponsored by Megarom.

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My new column, NOW WITH WORDS!

Immersion is an odd thing. Developers toss and overwork the word as if each use directly correlates to another sold copy of their game.

As a child I believed it. As an angsty teen everything was a lie. Now as an adult, the world is the appropriate shade of murky grey. Some things are lies and other things are near truths.

What amazes me is that there seems to be almost no correlation between what marketing teams say and what the game actually is. I know that there is some logic behind this, no marketing douche is going to admit the faults of the crap he’s peddling, I understand that, respect it even. Marketing departments and companies make their living finding the best in what they sell. At least that’s the most romantic way I can think to put it. They emphasize the good and hide the bad. Welcome to the real world.

What I don’t understand is when they just lie. I get that exaggeration plays a part in any bit of advertising; it’s understood by all and accepted as fair play. When we pick up a product and its features are a little less shiny than the Stepford-esque zombies flogging it would have you believe, we aren’t too surprised. At least we shouldn’t be.

The idea, I’ve always assumed, is to take a nugget of truth and to expand and embellish it. What I don’t understand is when a company prances the marketing dance, but without even that nugget of truth to hang its web of silky fabrications on.

It seems to me that marketers would be better suited emphasizing and selling the good aspects of a product rather than trying to make it compete in categories where it is obviously and laughably inferior.

Let’s take one of the most stalwart buzz words of our time: immersion.

The routine is always the same;

“We’re cranking up the immersion.”

“We have many immersive elements.”

“Immersion is a key feature\priority\design philosophy\aspect of our game.”

Not every game can be and have everything and I don’t understand why marketing monsters try to make us believe otherwise. Does it actually work?

Does this actually convince anyone? Is my understanding of the collective minimum intellect of our fair ape-race so off base that this is actually an effective way to part man from his money? I have gotten to the point where I barely even hear this kind of drivel. I base my purchasing decisions entirely on gameplay footage, trailers, and hard facts about features.

Don’t misunderstand, if a company tells me they’re going for immersion by creating or using a core, large new feature – awesome. Show me some gameplay and I might be convinced. When I hear that a game now comes with “amazing, cutting-edge, artistically beautiful graphics to help immerse players” all I think is are there so few actually impressive features with your game that this is what you have to resort to?

To the ladies out there, if a man approached you and said he had an impressive two hands with a matching pair of feet would you be impressed or would you wonder what the hell was wrong with his brain?

The sad part is that I know where this trend of over marketing comes from – the blinding harsh reality of game development. We might expect a series of impressive, standard features to accompany any game and for the AAA titles out there, they generally do. For the smaller companies, the indie darlings and the garage start-ups out there, this makes breaking into the industry all the more difficult.

For the penniless developer, every single little feature represents a good portion of their budget and considerably more risk than even an entire game for a huge publisher. This makes it very tempting to suddenly start advertising every little thing they’ve ever done.

All I can say is that I hope they don’t. Even when they mean well, they just come across as tacky. Maintain some dignity and make it look easy. I understand struggling and fighting to be one of the big boys. We’ve all had that feeling. Some people out there seem to make it look so easy, seem so effortless, and they have so much.

Even when you’re a part of the group, one of the blokes, and happily one of the cool kids, there is always going to be that insecurity. What if I’m not good enough?

This extended high school metaphor is no different for game developers, big and small. Games are immensely difficult, expensive and time consuming to make. It requires a level of passion, dedication and sheer balls than most things to go out there and create an experience for the entire, nasty world to judge.

You know what? Have faith. Nothing makes a game look cooler than when its developers clearly love and are genuinely proud of it. You want a great marketing campaign? Give me a 5 minute video with random artist drone #47 and show me the level of passion and care that has gone into making a weapon look cool, or a character animate properly, or a shoe lace flutter just right.

You want to make me appreciate your game? Show me what goes into it and then show me the best of its features. Shame creates shame, when a gamer smells a cover up, we become like blood hounds. The same is true for love.

Show me the love and I’ll show you the money.

So I’m sure most of you have heard of Instagram and its recent sale to Facebook. Now if you’ve actually used Instagram, you’d know that on the face of it the technology behind it isn’t exactly ground breaking. One could essentially summarize it as a picture version of twitter with a collection of hipster photo filters. Some of you might be thinking “Damn why can’t I get Zucky to hand over a cool billion”. Well I don’t want to dash anyone’s dreams (you never know, you might just make it), but here’s why you probably won’t.

First to Market
If you did it first, chances are you’re probably going to get the bigger customer base and have more success. Granted this isn’t always the case. Google ousted Yahoo and Facebook did the same with MySpace, but in general arriving to the market second is a huge disadvantage. Especially when it comes to apps or websites that have a social network aspect, a critical mass is needed to make the experience what it is  and if a user is guaranteed that experience elsewhere, there’s no need for them to use your product. A classic example of this is Google+ . I’m afraid it was just too late to an already overly saturated market and it just never really reached an acceptable critical mass to really go anywhere.

App Stores are Hard
People are tighter than Ebenezer Scrooge when it comes to opening their purse strings or even trying something free when it comes to mobile application stores. No one wants to try an un-tried and tested application, let alone pay money for it. In general if you don’t see at least 20-30 ratings and 1000+ downloads on an App you don’t give it the chance of an install. So once again a critical mass is needed here.

Now I’m quite saddened to report that this phenomenon is worse on Android than iPhone. We’ve released identical applications in price and function on Google Play and on the App Store at my place of work and every time, we see the free and paid versions being installed at a much higher rate (5x-10x) on the App Store than on Google Play. This might simply be because of volumes of users, but based on the reported handset numbers, the real reason is probably demographic related, ie. Apple users are probably a bit more app crazed than android users who probably just use the phone for its more basic functions.

It’s a Long Hard Road to Revenue
Many people are probably wondering why is Instagram worth 1 Billion. Well the short answer to that question is it probably isn’t. The manner in which technology companies work might actually surprise many of you. Most technology startups don’t make money. If anything they burn through it faster than a wildfire in the bushveld. Where do they get all of this extra cash? Well quite simply they get investment from venture capitalists. A venture capitalist is a rich person who basically throws a lot of their money away to try and make more money. They put in the cash and get out shares in private startups. If the startup flops, their money is gone. If the startup succeeds they’ll make their money back and probably make a LOT more on-top of that. But for the first few years of a tech company’s life they make no money, they just pay out huge salaries. Eventually they go to market with a product. In the case of Instagram, not a single US Dollar has most likely been made … yet. But they have a huge user base and that’s what scared Facebook into buying them. This is actually the dream right here, they basically never had to even figure out how to monetize Instagram, they just needed to build it with the idea of it being valued at more than the money that got put into it and subsequently get bought at that value. How Facebook plans to monetize Instagram without crippling it is a mystery to me. At the end of the day one either gets users to pay or you use your users as a product to sell to companies (eg. advertising revenues). Both of these avenues affect user experience and will most likely curtail use.

That’s about all I have to say on the matter. If you really do think you have a good startup idea you can always try and get some ad-hoc venture capital funding on Kickstarter. You never know, you might be the next Facebook acquisition.

I’ve recently gotten my hands on a PlayStation Vita, much to my happiness, and if you’ve seen our review of it then you’d know that we’re really excited about the future of the device. As of now, I’ve only been playing FIFA on the Vita like a crack addict, but it’s given me lots of time to think about what I want to see in the future for my promising handheld. I’ve also recently been thinking about where Sony’s original PSP landed up, and what the Vita needs to do in order to make it a revolution for the handheld gaming market, because I feel that it’s certainly capable of that in many promising ways. However, I’m really only going to be focusing on what I want from it as an enthusiastic owner of it, and I won’t be getting eyeball-explodingly technical with the device in terms of its software, apps and the like.

That’s why I’d like to stress the importance of the fact that gaming on the platform is my main concern, so I won’t be talking about anything other than pure gaming on this matter, because to most that’s what sells the device and keeps it alive. Oh and I do apologise for being all nice in this column. Don’t worry, I’ll be back to my normal evil and overly critical self in the next one. So I won’t rant on for too long, like I usually do. Trust me. I’m the most innocent, humble and respectable Tody on the planet. So with that said, what exactly does the Vita need to do to make sure it doesn’t repeat the mistakes of the past?

Before focusing mainly on the PlayStation Vita, it must first be understood why the original PSP ran out of steam. I believe it did its job for the most part and was actually a good learning experience for Sony in the handheld market, but the main reason, besides piracy, as to why I believe the device died out was because of its approach to gaming, and the way developers made games for it. I never got the feeling that the device lacked raw power, especially after it could gloriously deliver the likes of WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2006, Tekken 5, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow, Grand Theft Auto, God of War and many others. As I said, I feel the main problem was in the PSP’s approach with its games. As time went by and once the novelty wore off, one thing became painfully clear to me. The heavy hitter franchises, despite making appearances on the PSP, were too busy trying to sell themselves based on the success of their older brothers on the main PlayStation console, but all this ended up doing to the PSP was taking away its originality, creativity and individual flare.

Now, of course to be Captain Obvious, the point of a handheld is to be able to play your favourite games on the go. But where I believe the PSP seriously lost the plot a bit was that instead of delivering unique or quality games specifically for the PSP itself, developers often resorted, and eventually only resorted, to creating watered down or light versions of big games. Two great examples I can use are Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines and God of War: Ghost of Sparta. If you played their older siblings on the main consoles, then these games had absolutely nothing special about them on the PSP, and they felt really limited and primitive. Of course one can argue that the PSP obviously doesn’t have the power of the main consoles, and that developers would be reluctant to add core new features to their franchise onto a platform that is not accessible to everyone, but these handhelds should not try and compete with them. It should play to its own strengths, and invoke the freedom to use its heavy hitters in new ways. If the experience cannot be replicated to match its console counterpart on the handheld, then it should be newly crafted for the PSP without holding any attachments to main console franchises.

Due to this continuous production of watered down games, to someone like me the PSP just eventually became redundant, because it was obvious that it could not compete with the main consoles, and I wasn’t getting new or creative experiences on it and neither was I seeing my favourite franchises getting quality treatment. A great example regarding what the PSP should have done more of, aside from unique games, would be Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. The simple reason is because both games, in addition to capturing the spirit of their older siblings, were designed entirely for the PSP and were completely new experiences in the Metal Gear Solid franchise. These two Metal Gear Solid games also proved that despite being set in the same story as the main console games, they were not limited in scope due to being new experiences to treat PSP gamers with. If we’re not talking strictly unique experiences, then the PSP definitely could have done more of games like Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, as it admirably stood up to its PlayStation 2 counterpart and was packed with enough content and flare to make it an incredible portable experience.

On this note, and moving on to the new Vita, after seeing how it has been doing with its launch, I’m happy to see that it has already proved that it is more than capable of producing the likes of Rayman: Origins, Uncharted and FIFA to match their larger counterparts. However, what has given me great hope for the device is that firstly it has unique features like the touch screen and touch-sensitive backpad that differentiate it and its gameplay experiences and scope from its older brother, the PS3, and secondly there are heavy-hitter franchises already in the making that will not hold attachments to their main console counterparts, as well as completely new IPs like Gravity Rush. In other words, these big name games are being specifically designed for the Vita, which is exactly what the device needs. A fantastic example would be Resistance: Burning Skies, because it’s a separate game to the main Resistance series and provides a new and unique experience for Vita players. Another game that could turn out really good for the device is the in-development Assassin’s Creed game, which hasn’t been revealed yet, but has been described to contain an “all-new storyline and characters”

The Vita also needs to do what the PSP could not due to its limitations, and that would be to enthusiastically explore genres it had trouble with before, such as role-playing on a larger scale (think about the Vita replicating Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, or The Elder Scrolls series), survival horror, first person shooters and maybe even open world games. Even strategy could be a viable and very interesting option, especially with the device’s touch screen and touch-sensitive backpad. Now, of course one can argue that the Vita faces trouble in that it’s not a huge market for developers to go into, but I feel that it presents a strong opportunity for certain developers looking to create new IPs that perhaps wouldn’t make the cut on the PS3 or would do better with touch screen functionality. It also is an excellent way for PS3 exclusive games to be expanded and be used in new and creative ways.

To wrap this up, I believe that this is exactly what the PlayStation Vita needs to pave the way for success. It’s a powerful handheld, and I as a proud owner of it would very much love to be able to brag about it. But I won’t exactly be able to do that if I’m off playing God of War light edition or being unable to boast a unique library of games now will I? Aside from games like FIFA and Vita games that will work hand-in-hand with the PS3, I think the device will become successful if it not only produces exciting new IPs, but also if it takes our favourite franchises and does something creative and new with them, and does not limit itself in terms of scope, mechanics and story. The Vita should not be used as a platform to rinse and repeat dumbed down versions of big games, but should be used to uniquely and creatively expand them. It’s still very early days, and it goes without saying that the Vita will need some time to kick into first gear, but right now its future looks promising, and if it can pull it off then it may just be grow to be the most awesome handheld we’ve seen yet. I’m crossing my fingers that E3 shows us more.

I know that I kept things rather straightforward and simple, but I’m really only speaking from the perspective of a gamer who wants his Vita to deliver the goods. My main concern is with the device’s games, and in all honesty I can’t wait to see what it’s capable of. Let’s hope that it proves itself.

It’s been a few years since we last saw Max Payne and since then a lot has happened in his life, not least of which was a terrible movie and a portrayal by Mark Wahlberg who will go down as the only action hero who favours a side-parting. Besides that, our mentally tormented hero has left New York and taken to the warmer climes of Sao Paulo where he works private security. When me first meet Max in the new game, he’s protecting a wealthy family and as luck would have it, they’re being attacked by a gang just as the game opens, don’t you hate it when that happens?

Title: Max Payne 3
Developer: Rockstar Vancouver
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Players: 1 – 16
Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Expected Price: R605 (PS3, Xbox 360), R325 (PC)
Release Date: May 18 (PS3, Xbox 360), June 1 (PC)

It’s been 9 years since we last saw our favourite pill-popping hero with psychological issues and I’m not talking about Gregory House, I’m speaking of course about Max Payne. The guy who hurts so much, he’s made it his last name. Max Payne 3 will follow on in much the same vein as the previous 2 with Max on a mission of sorts as he deals with his own issues and demons while popping pills, delivering intelligent dialogue and jumping through the air in slow-mo a lot. What won’t be the same is the developer, old developer Remedy is out in favour of Rockstar Vancouver. Presumably because Remedy is so in love with all things Alan Wake right now.

Anyway, it’s not like there are any hard feelings between the two and Remedy has actually been keeping tabs on the game’s progress with their latest statement giving Max Payne 3 a resounding thumbs up. Remedy CEO, Matias Myllyrinne had this to say:

“It’s f***ing brilliant. I’ve had a chance to play it and we’ve worked with Rockstar a little bit – obviously, they’re doing the heavy lifting. They’re doing the development. But they wanted our input on a couple of occasions and we’ve had loads of our people, our core group, who worked on the first two games, give input and it’s awesome.”

However, fear not because Rockstar has kept the formula pretty much stock albeit with a bit of modernisation and interim character development. What they’ve done is age Max Payne the way you would a cow’s ass to get prime-grade lazy aged steak. He’s older, rougher, podgier and balder. There’s also a beard that totally makes him look like Walt from Breaking Bad. Max has also become somewhat consumed by his own demons and seems to have taken up alcoholism which should go great with his pre-existing addiction to pain pills (Panado or Myprodol, depending on how hardcore you are). Expect this internal struggle to be a feature of the game’s narrative as with the previous two games.

All the gameplay that you’ll remember is returning including the series’ hallowed and treasured bullet-time. Max Payne 3 is best described as a cover-based third-person shooter and will have a variety of guns on offer so you know what to expect there. Fully destructible environments will also be a new feature that is, in part, thanks to the new and improved Euphoria engine which when combined with full motion capture of the characters allows for more realistic interactions with the environment as well as other characters.

As you will see from some of the screenshots down below, Max hasn’t left NYC behind entirely in this new game. What you’ll also notice is that he’s slimmer, has a full head of hair and is clean shaven in the New York shots so it’s safe to assume that we’ll play through the streets of NY during flashbacks as Max tries to reconcile his past or simply bury it and the fact that he’s loaded up on booze and meds can’t possibly lessen the chances of hallucination-type daydreams.

The signature comic-style panels will make a return albeit with a bit of a facelift but the game will also have what it claims to be seamless blending between cutscenes and gameplay as demonstrated in the video below. Judge for yourself but I think it looks pretty good and flows nicely.

What might not please series fans is the fact that MP3 has lost that noir atmosphere that the old games had, opting more for a more typically Rockstar third-person action title with some fancy mechanics and a solid narrative. It surely won’t be bad but don’t expect it to feel like your old Max Payne games. It still use many of the same gameplay elements and structures and remains linear but it won’t be quite the same.

Rockstar has gone to great lengths to recreate not necessarily the city of Sao Paulo but rather the atmosphere and feel of the city. Specifically the way its law enforcement and criminals operate. A team from Rockstar actually went down to the Brazilian city to pound the pavement with local cops and local gang members/criminals. The city will also have a number of varied and diverse sections which you play through from the squalor of the favelas to more traditional slums and ghettos, the urban city centre etc.

Big news though is the addition of some real online multiplayer because what’s better than getting a headshot in awesomely slow-mo bullet-time? It will come in two flavours, namely Gang wars and Payne Killer.

In Gang Wars players will find themselves as part of one of the factions from the main campaign  facing off against a warring faction. They are essentially story-based team deathmatches with branching storylines which depend on the outcome of each match.

Payne Killer may sound like the title one of the most fun games you can ever play but it is in fact Max Payne 3′s co-op mode featuring our hero Max and his compadre Raul Passos. To make it through co-op, Rockstar claims players will need a mixture of teamwork, good use of bullet-time, a combination of the two players signature weapons and lots and lotsa pills, or at least that’s what Max needs to get through anything.

You can also create a crew (aka clan) which opens you up to a slightly different multiplayer experience and thanks to Rockstar Social Club, you can use this clan in any Rockstar game post-Max Payne 3. The way it works is that in addition to your normal multiplayer bits and pieces, you now get PvP vendettas and crew feuds. A PvP vendetta is initiated when someone kills you more than twice after which they will appear on the map as a black cross and you will be awarded bonus XP for dropping them in cold blood. Crew feuds are a little more spontaneous. If you see two or more members of a feuding crew, the game will enter ‘skirmish’ mode where the first team/crew/clan to 10 kills walks away the winner.

It’s one of those systems that sounds like it has great potential but really needs to be put in practise before we can see how it fares and that certainly won’t happen with the lack of a Max Payne 3 demo. On a related note, the new crew system is rather cool because while you can’t carry XP over between games, feuds do carry over so you can have cross-title feuds or inter-dimensional gang warfare as I like to call it.

So, to recap. New developer, new setting but with bits of the old in there too. Podgier, balder, more bearded protagonist who still loves his meds but loves the bottle just as much these days. Lots of shooting, lots of slow-motion flying through the air, a Brazilian partner and there’s now multiplayer with cross-title clans. Did I mention Max Payne is losing it a little and is a little unhinged?

Max Payne 3 may not be the exact threequel fans have been looking for but it certainly doesn’t look like a slouch and Rockstar rarely puts a foot wrong, they even made table-tennis an enjoyable gaming experience and on the Wii no less. The game still retains the series’ signature characteristics just with a slightly different filter over it all. Here’s hoping Max Payne 3 isn’t one we’ll want to forget with the help of prescription drugs.

There is a very basic reason behind the 3DS’s current lead over the PS Vita, and the DS’s lead over the PSP for that matter, a superior gaming library. That’s not to say that will remain the fact and if last week’s article on upcoming PS Vita games has anything to say, winds of change might just blow on through. For now though, I thought I’d make all those 3DS owners wishing they owned a PSP Vita or those considering (as well as already owning) a PS Vita reconsider those thoughts. There are some definite hits from 2011 but what I’ve done is list 2 currently released and 3 potentially upcoming titles for 2012 that are almost sure fire ways to kick the PS Vita in its superior technology nether regions.

Released:

Despite a couple minor foibles that come associated with needing the Circle Pad Pro in order to be at its best and a couple narrative hiccups; Resident Evil: Revelations is a brilliant iteration to the series. Its reviewer scores match the general fan consensus, that the re-introduction of the exploration, puzzle and survival-horror elements many felt missing from RE4 and RE5 is a simple but awesome move by Capcom. When you consider you get all of that, a well paced and brooding atmosphere, some of the 3DS’s best visuals and an awesome little story that takes place between RE4 and RE5; all on the convenience of a portable handheld console, why wouldn’t you want this game?

With fans, critics and newcomers to the series all (but a few) thoroughly enjoying Kid Icarus: Uprising’s welcome return; I thought it appropriate to preach this game to you. It’s not perfect by any means; there is the occasional frame rate drop, it can be uncomfortable to play for long periods of time, gets a bit long winded at times and there are a couple other niggles. Even then, this game is choked full of character and dialogue that is witty more often than not; awesome Star Fox styled sections of play; an interesting and enjoyable multiplayer; plenty of weapons, items and play styles to try; among many other things. The strengths far outweigh the weaknesses and it’s a total blast.

To Be Released:

One of the better looking Kingdom Hearts adventures with all new lore, stories, characters and a refined battle mechanic promises an awesome experience to any fan of the series or genre. It’s a great series that interweaves Disney and Final Fantasy so seamlessly and perfectly that you can’t believe someone wrote this stuff down. That plus the portable package, technology behind the 3DS and a lengthy campaign into our childhood promises a game to remember.

The greatest multiplayer game to grace the Wii, Monster Hunter Tri, an altogether excellent RPG styled action game that inspires mass scale addiction and ridiculous sales numbers is coming to the 3DS. It’s promising plenty of content, free-roaming and stupid plenty of monsters to beat down, how could you say no?

Elite Beat Angel meets Rhythm Heaven, with an awesome anime aesthetic and catchier than the flu tunes. If you’re a fan of thoroughly addictive rhythm games, you’ll love this game. If not, well, play Elite Beat Angel and trust me when I say you will be soon enough.

In Conclusion:

Love it or hate it, and with this year’s library of releases, the 3DS is going to sell like a lot better than last year. If you’re a fan or already own a 3DS, I doth my hat to you. If not, well you’ll come around sooner or later. Just make sure to weigh up future releases when deciding between the two current-gen portable consoles.

We were recently offered the opportunity to ask Matt Armstrong, design director at Radical Entertainment, a few questions on Prototype 2. Matt Armstrong not only answered our questions, but also humoured us with a tongue-twister at the end.

From the interview, it’s evident that Prototype 2 is going to be a great game. It’s said to be a straight-forward revenge story with a bit of conspiracy. There will be an open-world campaign, however we’re not sure how long it will be. Prototype 2 is said to be a larger game than its predecessor.

Following that, there’s DLC which offers players seven weeks of challenges. If you purchase the game on the first day, you’ll get these for free. And on that note, you can pre-order Prototype 2 here.

Read all of our questions along with Matt Armstrong’s answers below. If you’re looking for more details on Prototype 2, we’ve published a preview as well as other information on the game. Remember to come back for our Prototype 2 review later this month.

 
eGamer: What kind of story are you trying to tell in PROTOTYPE 2?

MA: The story we’re telling in PROTOTYPE 2 is a very straight revenge story. We realized very early on that the power of the story came from Sgt. James Heller’s sense of loss after the death of his wife and daughter, so focusing the story around this driving motivation and Heller’s hatred of Alex Mercer (the man he holds responsible) made a lot of sense.

 
eGamer: One of the main issues with the original game was that the narrative got a bit tricky to follow towards the end. How are you handling it this time around?

MA: The key thing that we’ve done in PROTOTYPE 2 is to keep the central story very simple, straightforward and epic. We’ve retained the strong sense of conspiracy that underpinned the first game, but we’ve expressed it through the various side stories and sub-plots of the sequel so that the main story always remains clear and easy to follow.

 
eGamer: How long is PROTOTYPE 2′s campaign (compared to the original)?

MA: One of the big improvements that we’ve made in PROTOTYPE 2 has been tying our open-world gameplay much more closely into the main campaign. All of the game’s side missions and collectibles are critical to upgrading Heller’s powers and abilities and we’ve done a much better job of integrating them into our world and story. As a result, it’s a little difficult to say just how the experience will be for each player compared to the original. It’s certainly a much larger game than its predecessor, though.

 
eGamer: How has Blackwatch evolved or changed from the first game? In the original they didn’t exactly give Alex Mercer a run for his money, but how will Heller fair against them?

MA: Blackwatch have had time to bed in and establish themselves since being caught on the back foot by the events of the first game. This has resulted in them having a much greater presence across all areas of the New York Zero theatre of operations. As an opposing faction, they’re certainly a force for Heller to take notice of.

 
eGamer: It’s quite bold to make players kill the protagonist from the original. How will Alex Mercer be portrayed in the story, and will he have a constant presence in the game?

MA: Mercer’s role in the story of PROTOTYPE 2 is pivotal, so he turns up on at a number of key points throughout the game. His presence within the story is strong enough that you’re constantly finding out more about him and his plans even when he’s not physically present in the scene. In terms of how he’s portrayed in the story, you’re just going to have to play it to find out…

 
eGamer: Will PROTOTYPE 2 have a New Game+ feature? Or will it continue after the game has ended?

MA: Happily, the answer is “both”. New Game+ is unlocked as soon as the player has completed the main story, but the option to simply continue exploring the world in search of uncompleted side mission and collectibles is still available.

 
eGamer: What was your main goal for PROTOTYPE 2′s combat? How do Heller’s fighting capabilities differ to that of Alex Mercer?

MA: The main goal for the combat in PROTOTYPE 2 was to put the player in greater control of the experience. We gave the player some fantastic powers in the first game, but the fun of using them was diminished because the whole experience was so chaotic and hard to read. The big goal for PROTOTYPE 2 has been to put the player in charge of every single battle without reducing the sense of epic chaos and carnage that is so unique to the world of PROTOTYPE.

In terms of Heller’s capabilities and how they differ from Mercer, the addition of powerful new abilities such as the Tendrils, Bio-Bomb and Pack Leader are the obvious things to call out. It’s also worth pointing out that even iconic favorites such as the Blades and Claws from the first game have been completely rebuilt, re-scripted, re-tuned and re-animated in order to match Heller’s more militaristic fighting style and deliver the more “in control” combat experience I mentioned earlier.

 
eGamer: How does PROTOTYPE 2 treat the open-world aspect – what is new?

MA: The biggest change here – and one of the things that I’m happiest about in PROTOTYPE 2 – is the way in which we’ve made sure that all of open-world elements tie into the fiction. This has really helped us to tell a more interesting story and deliver a more varied, interesting and unique world for players to explore.

The single biggest feature is something we call Black.Net, which is Blackwatch’s secure, encrypted communications network. As players explore the three zones of New York Zero, they’ll find Black.Net trucks that they can hack into in order to find out about Blackwatch’s various sinister military and scientific operations. Armed with this information, players can use PROTOTYPE 2’s brand new Hunting ability to track down the key personnel involved with these operations and then consume them for memories that unlock brand new missions.

 
eGamer: Does the series end with PROTOTYPE 2? Plans for the future? Anything regarding multiplayer?

MA: We have no intention of ending the series with PROTOTYPE 2. We have plenty of ideas for where to take the series from here. As for multiplayer, it would certainly be nice, but no promises.

 
eGamer: What kind of downloadable content will the game have?

MA: We have big DLC plans for PROTOTYPE 2. The heart of this plan is something we call RADNET Edition content, which is seven weeks of totally free challenges, events and rewards for players that buy the game on the first day. As players engage with and complete these challenges and events, they unlock rewards in the form of developer videos, in-game Mutations and – when they’ve completed all seven weeks of content – all the pieces of an in-game Alex Mercer skin.

 
eGamer: What excites you most about the new game?

MA: The fact that it’s finally finished! Seriously, though, I think the thing that I’m most excited about is the fact that it’s only a matter of a few short weeks before our fans finally get their hands on the game.

 
eGamer: Can you think up a good tongue-twister using Heller’s name?

MA: Hugely horrors hurry home to Heller’s heinously hellacious haircut.

(sighs…) I’ll go get my coat…

Thanks a lot to Megarom for the opportunity, and to Matt Armstrong for taking the time to answer the questions.

Coming out of a manic March of Mass Effect 3 and not much else, I have to admit that when I haven’t been playing the ridiculously inexplicably addictive multiplayer, I’ve been living in 2008. With the exception of Red Dead Redemption, which is a 2010 title, I’ve been playing such games as Rock Band 2, Gears of War 2 and a certain other game by Remedy, pictured above.

I have been very late to the show, as far as Alan Wake goes, but oh how glad I am that I finally managed to get around to it. Yes, we already have not one but two reviews for the game but I thought I’d use a paragraph to explain my feelings regarding the title.

I love it. I love it, love it, love it. Everything just fit right and it was an experience I will not soon forget. I remember completing it after an intense weekend of dedicated playing, then just sitting back and smiling to myself — it was akin to that “I just had sex” feeling, but you know, for gaming. Not since Portal 2 have I felt such euphoria upon completion of a game and this time the game didn’t even sing to me as Portal 2 did, and Mirror’s Edge before it. The game was perfect, as far as I was concerned. A true masterpiece and a testament to what the gaming world is capable of. So the story started out different to how it ended, so there were huge odes to Stephen King novels littered throughout the game, so the ending is open to interpretation. The game introduced various plot elements in an episodic style and nailed home most of them with aplomb, and the torch-weapon combinations simply worked well enough that it still felt as if you had some amount of say in your survival chances.

To put things into perspective: It’s been over a week and I’m still dreaming of fighting ‘the darkness’ with my torch.

For those who’ve not yet played Alan Wake or need reminding, the game basically puts you in the shoes of a (crime story) writer with writer’s block, who visits a typical American backwater town near a lake; the perfect setting for most horror stories. However soon after arriving, he manages to black out a week of his life and awakens to discover that he wrote a (horror) story that is coming true, and his wife is missing. The game then shows you glimpses of what is ahead and what you are currently up to by revealing pages of the (as yet incomplete) manuscript Alan concocted, as you progress through the game. Brilliant.

In fact, I almost find it tongue in cheek since Remedy are the guys behind the Max Payne games, a series known for its ‘crime noir’ storyline and equally interesting and complex protagonist. And there were a lot of ties to that series as well, in Alan Wake. Writer’s block indeed.

My reason for bringing up Alan Wake is that it is my belief that the tie-in to literature is a huge part of why the game was so amazingly good in the first place. At times during the game, you couldn’t help but stop and take in all that was presented to you, which included constantly taking a break to read through the various manuscript pages that were revealed to you as you progressed through the game, revealing yet more insight into the backstory of the backwater town of Bright Falls as well as the various characters of interest, and of course Alan Wake himself.

Now I realise that Alan Wake is a game built of an idea but let’s take a step backwards here and look at it from a slightly different perspective; Alan Wake could quite easily have been a Stephen King novel or something similar and it wouldn’t have garnered nearly as much acclaim, nor been done nearly as much justice. Yes books are great since they allow you to create your own worlds using your imagination within the confines of the author’s descriptions but here is a fully fleshed out actual imagining of what could easily have been a character from a book, albeit one remarkably well-written considering it’s a horror story. I mean really how many well-written horror stories have you come across?

Take this same sort of mindset and let’s apply it to certain other series of books. Let’s stick to the popular ones since everybody knows those. Harry Potter, anyone? How about A Song of Fire and Ice? Or even the inspiration for my column title as well as various other aspects of my life; The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy?

I’m going to assume nobody’s considering this but if anyone is, no, the Harry Potter games that have released were license-games tied to the movies that covered very little of the extra omitted content and basically served only to cash in on the success of the blockbuster releases. They attempted to cover the events of the movie and not much else, which I mentioned in one of my earliest column pieces as being a huge waste of potential. Remember that?

It’s become remarkably apparent of late that Hollywood has run out of ideas, since they’re now basically taking old movies and remaking them, or looking to books instead. The world of written word and eReaders has the potential for some amazing stories, not yet actualised on screen and Hollywood, now suffering movie-writer’s block, has understood this, realised this, and is taking advantage of this. Not to discredit gaming writers because let’s be honest, there will never be a mindfuck quite like that one in BioShock, or indeed in Red Dead Redemption, or the Mass Effect 3 ending — had to — but wouldn’t it be cool if the gaming industry also looked to books for inspiration? I’m not saying become dependent on them as Hollywood has, but simply take a really good book and make it a really awesome game, because it has the potential for such a thing.

Let’s look at the recent buzz-book, that of The Hunger Games. No, not all of you have read it but I’ll wager a fair few more have watched the movie regardless. Now I’m not going to criticise you on that, I’m guilty of the same myself. But for those who have watched or read it, or at least know the story, do you not agree that it would make an amazing game? Certainly a better game than a movie if the game takes inspiration from the book rather than the movie tie-in.

How is this not a thing?!

The thing about games that makes them similar to books, more so than movies and music certainly, is that the potential for creation is seemingly limitless. And this is why a really good book could quite easily be turned into a really good game. Huge, throbbing potential.

Games combine the aural stimulation of music with the visual stimulation of movies, but also allow for re-imaginings of author descriptions a la books, with the added extra of interaction. It’s a “choose your own adventure” of sorts, if you have to speak in terms book-worms (closest “gamer” equivalent for those who read books?) can relate to.

Tell me you wouldn’t enjoy being Arthur Dent, escaping Earth just before its destruction and then exploring such wonders as Magrathea and the vicinity of Betelguese with your best friend, Ford. Tell me you wouldn’t insta-orgasm upon finding Deep Thought in such a game, who then presents you with The Answer.

Again, tell me you wouldn’t enjoy delving even deeper into the mysteries of Hogwarts as Harry, or perhaps some other character in the Potter-centric series. Exploring areas not even featured in the movies, uncovering secrets and getting caught having sex with a hufflepuff senior because you’re just that awesome with your wand, or something.

Movies don’t do books justice all the time, this much has been established. The Lord of the Rings trilogy aside, it’s usually a common complaint of any who’ve read the books that the movies that followed never quite hit that spot. Yes it’s partially because what you imagined isn’t what was actualised and that would be the same in a game, but I’d wager you would still appreciate it more than you would, something that only told what you knew to be criminally little of the actual story.

Exploring the worlds that books have already created would be a lot better than having to craft entirely new stories, possibly providing game developers with more time to really focus on such elements on gameplay and immersion while remaining true to the story they are taking inspiration from.

It would truly be inspired gaming.

The theory goes that everyone is crazy on some level. Everybody has some psychological issues but only the really messed up ones aren’t considered sound of mind. Then you get the ridiculously disturbed people who kill in the name of Pikachu or the Great Flying Spaghetti. Well, video game characters are people too, or at least that’s what the voices in my head convinced me of after a lengthy and laborious debate that left me with a really bad headache. So surely they’re no different from the rest of us when it comes to being a bit batty.

Because it takes one to know one, we at eGamer have put together a list of video game characters that do such a good job of hiding their illnesses, you’d think they were pathological or something. We’re not talking about characters that are obviously disturbed here, no we’re talking about the ones that appear pretty normal on the outside. So let’s take a look at some of those killers next-door, the psychopaths in disguise, the Azhar’s if you will.

Let’s roll, not literally though because we’re not rocks unless you believe you are in which case that’s just fine.

Nathan Drake (Uncharted)

Uncharted will probably go down as one the best series’ the PS3 ever had, such great gameplay, phenomenally well-crafted narrative experiences which defined the term ‘cinematic gameplay experience’ and kick-ass visuals to boot. The games were polished to such a high shine that you could see your reflection but pick away at that glossy veneer and protagonist Nathan Drake is quite cracked up.

The Diagnosis: Patient constantly finds himself in life-threatening situations while on globe-trekking escapades to find some elusive and hidden treasure. This is evident of the sort of reckless abandon associated with suicidal individuals, however Mr Drake is somewhat different. He appears to have the need to go out as a hero thus his obsession with embarking on impossible missions (not to be confused with Tom Cruise and his missions which are impossible). The patient also displays abandonment issues which explains his need to take up the companionship of an older gentleman by the name of Victor Sullivan, either that or he’s holding in a great amount of repressed homosexuality.

It gets a bit worse though when one considers the fact that Mr Drake finds himself being attacked by a multicultural group of people from many races, religions and ethnicities (oh wait, that’s Ubisoft’s schtick but no matter) all of whom are never American somehow. This clearly points to a perversely bigoted xenophobia exhibited by the patient. He appears to feel the need to defend the Fatherland against any and all who do not fit his image of what it is to be American i.e. Caucasian.

The Prince (Prince of Persia)

Prince of Persia is arguably the greatest trilogy of games to ever exist and part of this is that each game focused on a different facet whether it be combat or storytelling or platforming. That said, this diversity also brought about a few varied iterations of the nameless Prince for whom the games are named (I’m not going to point out what I did there but I will draw your attention to it). Diagnosing him isn’t any easier though.

The Diagnosis: The patient seems to be constantly stuck in the past, unable to move on with his life. This often presents itself in middle-aged men, often retired sportsmen, who simply cannot accept the fact that they are aging and that their glory days are behind them. ‘The Prince’ is always obsessing over his events of the past and mulling over the mistakes he’s made. He propagates fantastically grand delusions in which he is the hero fighting off hoards of creatures in order to fuel his need for acceptance from his father. Part of his delusion is a fixation with water, which he believes to be a powerful elixir capable of healing any injury. We also believe that he suffers from dissociative multiple personality disorder whereby he has several, broadly similar personas but each has a very different personality. We have only observed three of them thus far and while the first appears normal, the second is best described as a darker, more violent version of the first albeit far more angry thus his favouring of heavy rock music. The third is even stranger as it displays multiple personalities within one of the personalities of someone suffering from a multiple personality disorder.

After much coaxing and piecing together bits of information that were corroborated by all of ‘the Prince’s’ personas, we were able to determine his true identity and we believe that Mr Gyllenhaal, that’s his real name, suffered a mental trauma some years ago which resulted in him receding into personas which gave him not only a sense of security but also a sense of purpose. We tracked down Mr Gyllenhaal’s medical records and found that as a teenager he underwent psychiatric treatment after suffering from delusional episodes of paranoia in which he thought he was being coerced into doing vandalous acts by a large rabbit.

Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy)

Cloud Strife is not only one of the best loved Final Fantasy characters but also the name which one of our regular commentors goes by, don’t confuse them though because shit is about to get so real you’ll smell it. Cloud first appeared in the Final Fantasy VII and raised the bar for RPG heroes with his depth of character. At this point, anyone familiar with the character will be wanting to raise a very valid point against his inclusion on the list and that’s the fact that Cloud Strife is reputed for being one of the first ‘unreliable narrators’ due to his grandiose delusions and overall psychological issues.

Why include him on a list of closet crazies when everybody knows he’s loony? Well, because this list needed a bit more diversity of the Jap variety and despite his well-documented psychosis, there are a few issues which have remarkably been overlooked for the past 15 years.

The Diagnosis: Mr Strife is clearly suffering from a severe  inferiority complex thus his obsession with carrying a ludicrously oversized blade which he of course uses as a proxy for his inadequate penis. The patient also exhibits classic signs of what the field experts refer to as a ‘needy attention-seeker’. His overdone hair, and eye-catching name have been part of his persona in an attempt to not only be accepted by people but also to be loved. This stems from possibly being neglected as a child or ostracised by his peers as a boy. It’s difficult to tell really since he remembers so little about his past but perhaps this points to a drinking problem brought on by his inability to fit into society.

Gordon Freeman (Half-Life)

Gordon Freeman is the star of Half Life and it’s unlikely you’ll be seeing him in a new game anytime soon; let’s just throw that delusion out of the window right now. He’s best known for brandishing a crowbar and being utterly mute which is perhaps an outward manifestation of just how deep his mental troubles run. The Half-Life series is regarded as both one of the best to ever exist as well as one of the greatest fodder for trolling gamers to the point of foamy rage.

The Diagnosis: Gordon appears very intelligent and should considering his degree in Theoretical Physics. His speechlessness suggests a variety of autism akin to the infamous Rainman. This theory is further purported by his acceptance of repeatedly doing what effectively constitutes manual labour despite his significantly superior intellect. While it is difficult to infer much from Gordon without him actually speaking, he does communicate with hand gestures and head movements and from this interaction it was possible to deduce that Gordon is aware of the sexual relationship that exists but is not self-aware enough to realise that he is capable of being a part of this and we can thus conclude that Mr Freeman is asexual although this is not by choice as with some inhuman robots but rather a product of his affliction.

It is unclear what has happened to Gordon since his last assessment but rumours suggest that he believes himself to be an African-American actor and that he has learnt to speak with a magnificent voice. Other rumours would have us believe that Mr Freeman believes himself to be God. It is unlikely that any of the rumours are true but our prayers are with Gordon, he is such an innocent soul, and we do hope to hear from him soon.

Kirby (Kirby)

Kirby is one of Nintendo’s best loved characters and like many of them, has endured since the Gameboy days. He is an energetic, pink ball of cutesy happiness but beneath lies perhaps the most twisted sociopath on this list.

The Diagnosis: Kirby is always full of smiles and generally brightens up any room with his presence, until his disease kicks in that is. Clearly apparent is an eating disorder (not necessarily cannibalism) whereby he consumes random passers-by that he comes into contact with and the only reason they might attack him in the first place is that he is infamous throughout the land for his compulsive consumption and pathological demeanour. He will occasionally regurgitate these innocents and injure others in doing so which not only points to a disregard for life but also a complete lack of empathy or feeling towards others. Most of the time though, he will devour them in one go which not only points to some primal instinct for survival but also a severe depression which manifests in his need to eat furiously and in great volumes. After consuming his poor victims, Kirby takes on their persona and traits; obviously indicative of an identity crisis and his burning desire to define himself but also provide meaning to his life.

Kirby regularly goes on killing sprees, prompted only by his psychotic hallucinations and often even just the stuff of his dreams. He’ll use whatever he has at his disposal whether it be spikes, a boomerang, a sword, lightning, fire anything really to inflict havoc and death upon the land, all with a happy-go-lucky smile upon his face. Kirby is the textbook definition of a sociopath. Someone who is ill at ease in society but who tries so hard to fit in that you wouldn’t even notice his insanity behind the too-nice/eager to please attitude until he’s looking at you with murder in his eyes. In short, this is one psychotic motherfucker. No literally, give that cutesy cream-puff a chance and he will rape your mother after killing you and the rest of your family.

In Conclusion

These are just some of the sincerely disturbed video game characters out there and there many more lurking in your pile of games but some of them hide it extremely well. Think carefully the next you say that you wish you were this character or that character because they might be more unbalanced than you might like.

I’m not suggesting you go all Caveshen and overthink everything but take this as a warning that you never know who might be a serial killer in disguise or a perverted sociopath. Then again, perhaps I’m making you all a bit paranoid. On second thought, I shouldn’t listen to that other voice in my head and second-guess myself. Alright, I’ve got it. In conclusion just remember that nothing is true and everything is permitted. Wait, aww screw it that’s a decent enough way to wrap this sideshow up.

My girlfriend is slowly becoming a gamer. She can use a PlayStation control now. She has more than one favourite game. Her current favourite allows her to run around, picking flowers and catching butterflies. She can cook food. She has a horse and a pet dog. She can make friends with lots of people by helping them out. There are caves and mountains and pretty vistas to explore and take in. There are pretty stones to find.

And this:

Dragons to slay, bandits to slaughter, assassinations to carry out. You know, the usual.

The sad truth is that there are many who would like to have the catch-all genre of “girl games”, condescendingly applied to anything with lots of soft pink and ponies. Ponies are a dead give-away. It’s not far from the slightly snobbish distinction between games and “casual games”. And there is another issue tied up to this. Sexism is the elephant in the room at the LAN. The fact is I am expecting one of the first comments on this column to contain the words “kitchen” and “sandwich”.

After reading what Caveshen had to say on EA and LGBT content in games, I’ve been thinking about the possibility games have to break through barriers. I really think that gaming has a lot of potential for pushing through boundaries and creating new ways to explore subjective experiences, if we are willing to allow it.

Vicariousness is something games do best. Better than any other sort of media experience, games can put you into the shoes of whoever you control. This is why we don’t say Gordon Freeman shot that alien awesomely, but “I shot that alien awesomely”. And while most games have male protagonists, we are at least seeing a move towards having the choice between Shepherd and FemShep. What’s sadly telling is that we make up a name for FemShep, as if she’s a knock-off of the ‘real’ Commander Shepherd.

It is upsetting, because if gaming wants to gain legitimacy as a form of art, or at least midbrow entertainment, it needs to be willing to tackle issues such as gender, racism and LGBT rights. What makes me very happy is that companies like EA are sticking to their guns on these sorts of issues. I also love Valve for doing something similar with the Portal series. If there are any games that seem to sit in their own space of gender, Valve’s two classic games are the ones. They take one of the most masculinised genres — the FPS — and play around with it. Instead of firing bullets, the player’s “weapon” (for wont of a better word) is only able to move things around. We only realize that we are actually a woman when we lay eyes on ourselves through our own portals. And then, it isn’t the typical scantily-clad sex goddess fit for ogling. Chell wears a nondescript orange jumpsuit, and in the sequel a not-skintight vest underneath. It also is from Chell’s perspective.

This ability to stick the player in Chell’s body is brilliant. It means that GLADoS’s gibes about Chell’s weight are gibes about our weight. Whenever the homicidal mother-figure of the giant robot verbally assaults the player, he or she gets to react for Chell. A similar approach is achieved in games like Skyrim, where there is no real difference between the reactions of NPC’s for male or female players. This gives us a place to begin imagining a world where you are identified not purely through what genitalia you have and how you match up to expectations of how that should affect your behaviour.

I’d like to say that there is hope in non-gendered stories in Skyrim, or the absolute non-existence of sexuality binaries in Dragon Age 2, where any character, regardless of sex, is available for… well, sex. But these sorts of experiments in challenging the established monotony of chauvinist games are too few and far between. If the lingering negative stereotype of ‘gaming culture’ is to be broken, people who claim sexism is excused in it should not be allowed to speak for us as gamers.

Let me put one thing straight. I’m not saying “Censor ALL the comments” and I certainly have no illusions about the fact we all are at least a bit prejudiced. What I am saying, however, is that we shouldn’t keep quiet on these sorts of issues. Cavie is right, we need to talk seriously about things like LGBT representations in gaming, as well as how games and gamers view issues around gender. And, as Cavie pointed out, we know some of you will troll, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask the questions.

I’m not saying we need to charge into androgynous gaming. The interplay between male and female characters is fantastic in many games. Also, realistically sex sells and even a load of pixels can achieve this, and while this is also far from ideal it is something that can’t be magicked away overnight. I wish that I could draft a quick fix solution to move towards a gaming culture that embraces diversity and breaking through boundaries of genre and social norms.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations is the third entry in the next-gen series, boasting the largest character roster for the franchise to date. It includes all of the characters from the previous two games, as well as some new ones to make a total of 72 playable characters. It’s a large number, that’s for sure, but considering that we’ve played this game twice before and experienced most of these characters and story arcs, Generations definitely had its work cut out for it to make it worth the time once again. While an obvious eyebrow-raiser would be the game’s price, which is a bit more than expected, the game did have a fair amount of ambition, and if there’s one thing that’s clear it’s that Cyberconnect2 really knows how to dish out fan service in style, and in large amounts. Of course the question that needs to be answered now would be whether or not this series still had some life left in it.

For better or worse though, aside from the large character roster, Generations is more or less the same package as its predecessor, including a new story mode and the obligatory Free Battle and Online modes. There’s also Survival, where players are given one health bar and need to beat as many opponents as they can with it, Tournament mode, which sets up a bout with a number of characters, and Training, which is self-explanatory. There’s also the Shop, where you can buy a whole lot of little extras, but it isn’t anything be excited about because aside from the extra Substitution models, there’s nothing to buy that adds to gameplay. It’s pretty standard for the series though. The one major plus is that the game comes packaged with all of the fighting arenas from the first two games as well as a number of new ones, which is excellent. However, to focus on one of the most controversial aspects of the game, the story mode has undergone a massive change, and while in some ways it’s for the better, for the most part it feels disappointing and lackluster, and a rather lifeless experience.

The story mode in Generations offers a number of scenarios following the stories of various characters from the show. It’s a nice touch that the story is told through images from the anime, voice-overs, text summaries and actual anime content in the form of cutscenes, but the problem is that the story mode has basically become a glorified arcade mode without much substance. The good part to this is that unlocking characters takes really quick, and you can get them all in hardly a day’s work, but the real letdown is that there’s no more exploring the Naruto universe and no epic boss battles whatsoever. The former could easily be forgiven for me if some of the big story battles had been recreated in gloriously epic style that the series is known for because of the last two games, but it’s all been reduced to straight up fights, one after the other with nothing else to add variety. Hell, I wouldn’t have minded if Generations had rehashed all of the boss battles from the last two games and just added some new ones. That would have been great, but as it stands the story mode is a very shallow and dry affair that you’ll just want to get done with to get all of the characters. It really doesn’t capture the sense of epic we’ve come to expect from this series, and it seriously damages the single-player experience.

The gameplay in Generations is almost identical to its predecessor, with the developers only really aiming for minor refinement to the core mechanics rather than changing anything significantly. However, the main change is with the Substitution technique, which previously allowed you to evade your opponent’s attacks with the right timing and by depleting your Chakra bar. Now, the timing has become extremely generous, but you’re only given a limited number of uses governed by a yellow bar divided into four blocks that is located under your Chakra bar. The yellow bar is recharged during combat, but it has a noticeable delay so if you use up all of your Substitutions you’ll become susceptible to extremely damaging attacks from your opponent if they manage to break your guard. This makes combat more about resource management, and it also makes the system a bit more approachable to less skilled players. Fortunately it works pretty well, putting a greater emphasis on landing combos on your opponent and trying to do the most damage during these short windows of vulnerability.

The great part is that battles still feel as fun and fluid as ever. It’s even easier than before for fans to jump in and have an awesome time challenging friends, and the amount of characters on offer will definitely help keep things fresh and exciting. However, the one problem with the roster is that the younger versions of the characters can feel pretty redundant compared to their older, more varied counterparts. Not just that, but their techniques are naturally more primitive as well, so most fans would probably just go for the newer and more awesome versions of the characters. Sure they’re still fun to play, and provide a good sense of nostalgia, but chances are that they won’t really be used much. Still, there’s not a whole lot to complain about with regards to having so many options, and it is really pleasing to have all of the characters available on one disc. Furthermore, the new characters are most definitely welcome, and it’s good to see the likes of Haku and Zabuza be included, since both of them were strangely left out of the first game. It’s really fantastic to experience all of the game’s characters and to just enjoy the ease of play and frantically exciting gameplay, which is rewarding for fans.

Perhaps the main concern with Generations is that you’d think that because most of the content has been rehashed from the previous two games, with specific reference to the characters and gameplay, the developers would have taken the time to balance things out or perhaps add more jutsus and special moves to certain characters. Sadly, this isn’t the case, and in many ways the game can still feel very unbalanced, especially when it comes to characters’ Awakening modes, because some are still dramatically overpowered while others are just plain useless. I understand that the game is simply meant for fun and to be enjoyed by its fans, but it does hurt the competitive factor when it comes to online play, and you discover the many cheap ways in which you can be completely destroyed. Fortunately the online mode is good, and it’s easily accessible and also features Replay support, which allows you to watch and download replays of matches between other players, and Spectator mode, which lets you view matches online to learn new things or if you don’t feel like playing yourself.

At the end of the day, Generations succeeds at being highly entertaining. The price tag could put you off when considering that there is hardly any substance for those who were looking forward to another great single-player experience, and the only really big selling point is the gameplay, and getting to have all of the characters and stages, plus what’s new, on a single disc. If that’s enough to sell you on this, then you definitely won’t regret making this purchase, especially if you have a lot of eager friends willing to play this with you, because it feels more refined than its predecessor and is still a hell of a lot of fun to pick up and play. There’s a lot on offer here to satisfy fans, but it’s undeniable that more could have been done here, most of all with regards to the single-player experience, which is a serious letdown. Generations isn’t really a major step up, but it’s worth it if you’re not planning on playing it alone.

The game’s visuals are still jaw-dropping, even if it is the third time we’re seeing it. Generations just looks incredible in motion, and still manages to impress despite not improving over its predecessor by a large margin. The animation is fast and fluid, and fights are a vibrant, colourful and brilliant sight to behold. The new stages look great, and are very well detailed, and definitely not as bland as the ones from the first game, so there’s plenty of variety to enjoy in this regard. The anime cutscenes certainly look great in high definition, but some fans may be upset at the fact that they’ve been dumbed down when it comes to blood and intensity. As always the music is fantastic, and it’s a soundtrack perfectly fitting for this game. Technically the game is more or less flawless, and one of the most pleasing things about Generations is that the loading times everywhere have been reduced significantly when compared to its predecessors. This greatly improves the player experience, and it makes progressing through the main story mode a bit less of a chore, and moving from fight to fight quite seamless.

In the end Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations gets by as a minor refinement over its predecessor, even if it is seriously lacking in terms of its story mode and single player experience. The good part is that fights still feel and look as amazing as ever, and it’s still great fun to play. It’s definitely a game that knows how to give its fans an awesome time, and you certainly won’t regret buying it if you have friends to play it with, but it feels like a bit more could have been done with this game overall.

Though slower than many predicted, the PSP Vita is gaining in popularity. Until the inevitable price drop, coinciding with this year’s apocalypse (it is 2012 after all), there won’t really be enough of a user base to justify a mass catalogue of games. However, and until then, for those of you unable to decide whether to finally take the plunge, break the bank and buy a Vita, I made this little list of five games that might sway your decision into getting one. Some are more known than others, but all are more than capable of convincing me to get one.

Resistance: Burning Skies

Despite Insomniac Games having closed their chapter on Resistance, the resistance will continue on with Resistance: Burning Skies by Nihilistic Software. Taking place in August 1951, the date the Chimera invaded the eastern coast of America, you play as Tom Riley, a fire-fighter now protagonist determined to do what it takes to survive; though a bit of heroic shaping and character building is almost certainly part of the process. Planning to make full use of the Vita’s dual analog sticks, other touch features and online support; Resistance: Burning Skies looks to be a pretty epic little shooter, especially if it’s as good or better than Resistance: Retribution.

Gravity Rush

Think of Gravity Rush as a cross between Devil May Cry with gravity altering features akin to Inversion, only more open to manipulation. Your heroine character is set out to save her future in a world collapsing around her. A plot I know we’ve all heard before but when you introduce a great art style that really makes great use of the tech behind the Vita; gravity manipulation mechanics that allow for shifting from the walls of buildings to ceilings and back to good old dirt; and some solid fighting mechanics plus a bunch of Vita functionality tucked in for good measure, well you’ve got one hell of a game. The video I provided is a little slow in the beginning and is in Japanese for the most part, but I promise it’ll win many a Vita fan over.

Mortal Kombat

Do I really need to explain this? Mortal Kombat for the Vita will support all of its bigger brother’s features as well as all the downloadable content that was made available subsequent to its release, at no extra cost. This, in addition to the little Vita touch features like wiping the blood off of the screen with your finger, makes for a unique situation where the portable version of a fighter is superior to its home console counterpart. So I reiterate, need I say more?

Grand Knights History

Produced by Vanillaware and promising to deliver an aesthetically pleasing and thoroughly enjoyable JRPG to Sony’s little console that could, Grand Knights History looks to be another great Vita seller. Controlling 4 players of one of 3 classes, each with unique customisation routes of look, weapon, the potential for differing abilities and fighting formations makes Grand Knights History a nifty little game. Its story is slightly generic and involves the usual warring 3 (or so) states but also allows for one more interesting little feature. Multiplayer allows for groups of players to each represent one of the warring kingdoms and so compete against each other online. All-in-all, and if Japanese critics are anything to go buy, Grand Knights History is one fairly decent JRPG package.

Sound Shapes

It’s hard to describe Sound Shapes. With nothing more than the image provided you might pass it off as another aesthetically simple indie game for a portable console; though it would be a reasonable assumption. However, and this is why you need to pay attention, Sound Shapes is a fantastic idea that makes use of music and sound and uses it, in collaboration with the Vita’s many touch features, as the mechanic for creating some brilliant puzzle gameplay. Watch the trailer and you’ll see what I mean. Despite not having an absolute release date, and composing of only a limited colour palette, Sound Shapes has created quite the little hype storm.

The Conclusion

This is a mere taste of the variety and quality of some of the games you can expect. While games like Little Big Planet, Super Monkey Ball and a couple others were ignored, these 5 should do just fine in persuading those on the verge to make the leap. Alternatively, wait for a price drop and enjoy the many million triple A games planned for the bigger consoles. I know what I’m doing, see you on the other side.

The relative difficulty of typing something on the page of a blank screen with a blinking cursor as a guide may be a daunting task, as Timothy exemplified in his latest column. I think what I’ve learnt from the past week and reading some of the columns, articles and understanding recent events, is that I think we are now at a stage in gaming where the medium is peaking. With gaming at a zenith of sorts.

We can talk about the immersion of videogames, the fan culture that is both negative and positive surrounding the medium, and the beautiful games coming from indie developers. But I feel that we should take notice that we are now at the point where we can truly think about video games as an art form, as a medium which has reached a status occupied by film, television, literature and art. However, for the moment, I don’t really want to get into that argument, and have a million people on my back about it.

For now, I think it’s important to talk about how videogames have changed. One has to firstly understand that in the early days of videogames such as Space Invaders (1978), Asteroids (1980) and Pacman (1981) the rules for videogames were much simpler, and games required repetitive playing until you understood the logic of the game’s design. It was all about understanding the boundaries of the rules at the centre of the gameplay experience and design.

Games have now shifted interests to bigger concerns of realistic graphics, animation, sound and interactivity than the previous generation of games. With that, the rules that govern games have become more complicated and less accessible to gamers who play.

Sherry Turkle (1996), a researcher in the field, noted this shift from “calculation and rules” to “simulation, navigation, and interaction”. I think this quote from Turkle exemplifies the change in game design as she says:

When video games were very new, I found that the holding power of their screens often went along with a fantasy of a meeting of minds between the player and program behind the game. Today, the program has disappeared; one enters the screen world as Alice stepped through the looking glass (1996, p.1).

With this evolution of the medium; we’ve seen the rise of different gaming communities. As such, contemporary videogames bring with them a slew of average, or casual, gamers that before the movement towards the new design philosophy were not necessarily interested in all that videogames had to offer. On the other hand, you have the more hardcore crowd who have had a hobbyist passion for the medium since its infancy, and more diverse groupings have arisen in the wake of the rise of gaming.

What I find intriguing is that whilst videogames have changed as predicted by many. Of course, mediums change over time this is inevitable and understandable. Videogames still maintain ties with their roots, as does film, music and literature.

Indications of this can be seen in indie game development which is focussed on returning to the simplicity of earlier times where games had more obvious rules. But with indie games they simultaneously offer depth in other areas. Be it visually, with audio design, storytelling techniques and quirky gameplay design deviations from the tradition of rule-based games that preceded it. I feel that we can now truly talk about videogames as ‘art’. But that’s a column for another time when I’ve had plenty to drink.

We gamers are a whiny bunch. It’s true. We don’t want to play games with the same mechanics over and over. We like variety. We can be mesmerized out of our socks when it comes to something different. Seeing a trailer that unveils something new or spectacular gets us all excited and our voices drop in bass and increases with “squee”. It is important for the industry to bring new ideas to the table and amaze the ol’ folk who buy their ware. Ware being games. Not Tupperware. Although a Tupperware bowl that shoots aliens in the behind would be spectacular and we would all sleep sound, feeling safe with our Tupperware puppy in the vicinity.

Getting sidetracked: check. It’s important for the industry to keep growing and innovating. We can always be happy with our purchase when we play something that feels new and fresh. Taking this into account, I present to you, my very own list of games that made me all bug-eyed and happy with joyous goodness.

5 — Singularity

It may not have the production values of something like Uncharted, but it is certainly a fun shooter with interesting gameplay mechanics. Early on in the game you will be handed the very crown jewel of the game, the Time Manipulation Device or TMD for short. It uses a rare element called E99 only found on the island of Katorga 12, the very same island you landed on. This isn’t your run of the mill, peaceful island. It’s infested by all kinds of hungry things that want you to stop breathing. The point I want to get to before I get carried away again is the TMD. This nifty device is a huge addition to the game, and no matter what you say, it’s awesome. You can use this device to make old things, new and new things, old. That’s right, you guessed it, even enemies. You can turn a soldier into dust just by using this totally awesome device. As the game progresses you will find upgrades for the TMD, that makes this totally awesome device  even more bad-ass. Create a bubble that slows down everything inside of it? No problem. Pick something up without even touching it and throw it against the poor fellow in your way? No problem. Stand in front of a poorly aged barrel and continue making it old and new over and over again? No problem. It’s a great gameplay mechanic to a highly underrated game.

4 — LA Noire

A game developed by Rockstar where you are actually in the shoes of the good guy catching criminals and making their lives horrible? Yes, it exists. Actually Team Bondi is also in the picture so it makes sense that you’re not a psychopath on a rampage to kill everyone over someone else’s cocaine. LA Noire is a game that takes the open world idea and turns it into something else entirely. Yeah, there isn’t as much to do, open world-wise, as suppose to a Grand Theft Auto title, but you have to hand it to this game for being good and still be an open world game. Yes, the game focuses more on narrative than on the whole action massacre, and there is nothing wrong with that. Innovation is here in full swing. Interrogate suspects, stop street crimes, chase criminals, bust people for being mean to fluffy animals and still enjoy the occasional shoot-out. It’s more fun than it sounds, really it is. Being the good guy in a game doesn’t mean you have you can’t have fun. The interrogations and story sections benefit greatly from the superb facial animations, and also adds another layer to the innovation side of things. It’s something different, play it if you haven’t played it yet.

3 — Crysis and Crysis 2

Whether you’re in New York or a Cambodian jungle, being the guy in the awesome and bad-ass Nanosuit is a thing of dreams. The thing with Crysis and innovation is not only the fact that it is powered by advanced tech that makes the surroundings look insanely pretty, it’s also your Nanosuit and its abilities that makes things… wait for it… awesome. You have the ability to pick up a car and throw it at the nearest Korean soldier or alien. What’s not to love about that? You like being sneaky? You can become invisible and steal everyone money before killing them. (The whole money stealing thing is not actually in the game, although it would cause your awesome meter to rise.) Go out guns blazing, you betcha! Just don’t expect to be the bullet sponge to 20 guys’ guns and expect to make it out alive. You can take a fair amount of damage, yes, but that is only when your suit is charged and ready. Crysis 2 took all these gameplay mechanics and made it all the more fluid and accessible. You’re not in the jungle anymore, but New York can also be a dangerous jungle in it’s own way, especially with suicidal aliens running around. It adds another layer to your first person shooter that makes it super fun.

2 — Bulletstorm

Mix the people from Gears of War and Unreal Tournament with the people from Painkiller and you have one crazy end-result. Bulletstorm may appear as a mindless and vulgar shooter with too much gore, but that isn’t true. Yes, it’s crude, gory, and may not appeal to everyone. The thing that sets it apart from other shooters is your abilities to slide, kick and leash everything in your way. Kicking a virtual nutcase into one of various cacti is a thing of dreams. Slide into someone and shoot him point-blank with a four-barrel shotgun. And the crème de la crème being the energy leash. Yank the closest ruffian to your location and perform plethora of moves to make him no more. The game makes use of a skillshot system that encourages you to get creative with your killing. I’m pretty sure the old lady reading this will start crying, unless she is really cool. Each skillshot has it’s own name and recipe to pull off. It forces you to think of your surrounding and find creative ways to off your crazy enemies. It’s unique and loads of fun.

1 — BioShock

Innovation is the name of the game with this ADAM-infused beast. BioShock ups the ante in almost every category. The story is intellectual. The enemies are one of a kind. The moral choices offer different endings and quite frankly, the whole experience is one without equal. You are in the underwater utopia of Rapture and I think it’s important to note that utopia must be used in past tense here. All hell broke loose at the New Year’s eve of 1958, and everything has been one chaotic nightmare since. Your character has a dark history, you gain the power of shocking splicers with electricity and end their breathing with a quick arrow to the temple, Big Daddies and Little Sisters walk around not meaning to you harm you, unless you harm them. Having a weapon in one hand and powers in the other gives you a unique and powerful feeling. When it comes to unique experiences, BioShock is at the top of the list.

The Conclusion

These are but five examples of interesting and innovative games. The gaming world is filled with jewels. What other innovative games made you fall instantly in love with them?

It’s one thing to just have fun with a game by shooting random zombies or doing shweet trix off a mountain with an indestructible snowboard, but it’s another thing to be completely immersed in an experience that it becomes a part of you. Many gamers have experienced complete immersion to the degree that it becomes part of their lives. Just look at Alessandro’s review of Journey. A fitting example of how powerful immersion can be. A simple game that has touched a person emotionally in a big way. Gaming magic.

My first instance of complete immersion was from a little game called The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. This was still in my early years when my mullet was just starting to grow into full maturity. Gaming was still a past time for me. Just something to do when I was bored. This all changed when I played Oblivion and realized that I was so immersed in the game that I couldn’t put it down. I was hunting Mud Crabs on top of a cliff with a bow and arrow, explored dungeons, decorated my home with all types of trinkets, collected all the variants of a weapon and so on and so on. 400 hours went by as fast as the Flash on speed and it felt like I was truly getting in touch with my gaming self. I started developing a passion. My own personal love for a medium in which I didn’t have much care for before.

I’m going to harp on an old buried cow and give mention to the whole Mass Effect 3 ending debacle, or as I like to call it, The Saga Of Marauder Shields . Some players were so immersed into the Mass Effect universe that the ending felt like a betrayal to them. A betrayal people. What sort of thing has the potential to create such a stir and controversy? Certainly not a game where you shoot people because of LOL. The story had players so engaged and involved that they felt betrayed by an ending that didn’t fit the universe they have created. That to me is just amazing.

There is a fundamental difference between immersion and addiction however. Immersion is when you are so enclosed into a gaming world that you start to care for the things in it. The duration of this immersion can be from just a few hours to weeks whereas addiction is just doing the same thing over and over because it has some sort of fulfilment to you as a player. When you are completely immersed, you start to develop emotional bonds to characters and locations. Something like a tragedy or a sudden change can drive you to tears or a vivid WTF expression. The type of expression when you discover that your mom is a dominatrix by walking into your parent’s bedroom. Yeah, that expression.

Music can also play a valuable part in sucking you into a game world. All it takes is some atmospheric tones and epic orchestral compositions to put you right into the moment. Even that sweet guitar riff while you’re slaying a legion of demons just makes you feel like the ultimate badass and nobody could touch you. Soundtracks to games you play for hours can become rather familiar to you as well. For me that is GTA San Andreas. Whenever I hear Alice in Chains’ Them Bones, the only thing I can think of is flying a Boeing into a busy highway because that was the song I listened to while I did that in the game.

In rare instances you can become so positively immersed that you start to act the same from a game into that weird thing people call Real Life. Not the Manhunt-going-on-a-killing-spree-and-raping-people-with-a-baseball-bat kind of way, naturally. But the kind where you just finished playing a marathon session of Assassin’s Creed and you actually have to resist jumping on pipes and doing parkour in McDonalds. Or trying to look at your visibility gauge while walking at night. Walking like a cowboy and accidentally saying howdy partner to your friend after 8 hours of Red Dead Redemption. Pure brilliance.

For this reason, I have always preferred more story-centric games and stayed away from just playing multiplayer all day. Singleplayer is the way for me. That’s why I’ve developed a love for open-world games like Fallout 3 and Skyrim because I can create my own story in a world rich with possibilities. There are fixed storylines, sure, but between them I can do what I want. I can be Mongo the Scavenger of Gas Stations if I feel like it. There is just so much that I can accomplish if I set my mind to it and create an experience worthy of lore.

You do get a feeling of pure happiness when a game grabs you by the balls and takes you for a ride. Did I just write that? I digress and apologise. When I was on a long holiday two years ago with all of my friends gone away for a vacation, I was pretty lonely and bored. Then I got Fallout New Vegas from somebody and noticed that I was becoming happy again. I was staying up late completing quests and exploring the Wastes. I got comfort from those kind natured Face-Fuckup Gouls and had some great laughs at some random events. Gaming has always made me happy, but it goes a long way when you start feeling absolute joy and prosperity.

If it wasn’t for gaming I would be a total wreck of a human being. That does sound rather dramatic, but if it wasn’t for games I would just be miserable and destitute. Without some sort of stimulus I would have gone insane and gaming has filled that void. And that is true immersion.

What games have had you completely immersed?

Wikipedia loves to classify the Twisted Metal franchise as something which is purely of the vehicular combat genre, which it is for the most part. However, this iteration of the game leans towards a serious attempt at qualifying the motivations of characters for entering the Twisted Metal Tournament, and the background of their lives and wishes to be granted by Calypso, the demonic organiser of the event. The game this time around focuses on three contestants stories: Sweet Tooth, the deranged psychopathic clown, Mr. Grimm, an enraged mass murdering stuntman, and Krista Sparks, known as ‘Dollface’, a former supermodel defaced with a cursed doll mask.

Twisted Metal is divided into three playable sections with each of the three characters telling a different story, with live action sequences inter-spliced between the actual death matches you partake in. From the start, Twisted Metal already offers you three different characters to experience the game as, each with a different vehicle which changes how you experience the combat and driving mayhem of Twisted Metal. I will use Sweet Tooth as an example with which to explain the gameplay.

In Twisted Metal, Sweet Tooth drives an ice cream truck which has the special ability to either shoot a clown-faced missile at enemies, or transform into a giant clown robot. Each special attack has a cool-down period following their use, which means that you can’t rely on continually using that special attack within many of the death matches. This is due to fact that the game requires more than just spanning special attacks. Twisted Metal offers you a variety of different death matches with conditions such as zoned areas where combat can take place, time constraints and special enemies which come at you in the middle of one of the many destruction derbies. These restrictions mean that you have to think on your feet and in Twisted Metal quick reflexes are necessary because everyone else is out go get you.

You have many weapons such as rockets, missiles, freeze rays, exploding remote controlled cars, explosives, shotguns, machine guns and other armaments to take out other players with. The other characters that make up the rest of the tournament drive many different vehicles from standard muscle cars, to trucks, a police car and even a motorbike. All of them have their own special attacks and with the wacky maps you play through you have to take full advantage of the controls and the car at your disposal. What I like about the vehicle selection in particular is that you aren’t stuck driving just Sweet Tooth’s ice cream truck.

You can select other faster vehicles and the game provides a car garage in the death matches for you to change out cars when you’re low on health. You can pick up extra health from health trucks driving around. But getting to these trucks becomes a bit tricky because of the nature of most of the maps. The maps can become a maze of streets, debris, tunnels, bridges and in one stage parts of the level start elevating up and down throughout your run. The combat itself is frenetic, explosive and destruction is around every corner. At one moment, you could be gunning down some poor ‘sod’ on a motorbike before you are catapulted by a truck halfway across the map. The bosses in the game are deceptively simple at first, but turn into challenging beasts because the A.I. in Twisted Metal is unrelenting when it comes to boss challenges. Yet I didn’t find the normal difficulty to be that ‘hectic’ in the slightest.

What I particularly like about the game and this can be noted quite clearly in Sweet Tooth’s story arc, was the utilisation of live action footage to bring to life the background story of the character. These montages were serious in tone and I felt them to be a nice break from the cartoony goriness of the combat in the death matches. Many critics and reviewers argued that this broke the flow of the game and gave the game a schizophrenic identity by trying to be a serious game in cut-scenes, and a cartoonish gory romp in the rest of its parts. I, on the other hand, was delighted by the interesting story developments that brought to light the deeper motivations and ambitions of the playable characters in the game. For most people, the focus of Twisted Metal’s appeal is the multiplayer component which is great fun, with different factions and a variety of different modes. Yet in the multiplayer modes it become apparent that the controls for first time players could be perceived as ‘difficult’ and require some getting used to. However, this game offers some serious value. But with many great games there are some negative aspects that need to be brought to light.

In Twisted Metal’s case, I found the online pass implementation to be a bit buggy with the game freezing. This occurred following a boot up of the game whilst attempting to redeem my online pass code from within the game. This was remedied by redeeming the code from within the PSN store. After that, the game seemed to be solidly working and I tried it out by attempting to join some online servers. But I was greeted with ‘connect to server’ errors and the only mode which I could gain access to was the ‘Instant Online Action’ mode. Many players have reported similar problems, especially with older PS3 models and many Slim owners have posted about the online pass issue. A patch has been released to rectify this. Alessandro had pointed out that he had no problems. So this could be an issue that comes down to people with slow internet, or just a ‘luck of the draw’ thing. Nonetheless, many gamers are having freezing problems and crashes with the game.

Otherwise, when playing the game through the instant mode the combat is great and vehicle combat is fun online. Also in the online modes it becomes pretty apparent that the control scheme for some of the vehicles becomes difficult to use because of the nature of the keymapping for controls in the game. This takes some time to get used to to. But I don’t feel that it’s game-breaking. It’s just a pity that these already ‘recognised’ online problems have not been sorted out by Jaffe and his team. It dampens the overall experience of Twisted Metal which has a solid singleplayer experience.

On a more positive note, the game has some of best metal tracks out at the moment and the soundtrack is a metalhead’s wet dream. The voice acting is great for characters like Sweet Tooth. But I found Calypso’s narration from within the game to be a bit irritating. Overall, the audio design is pretty good in Twisted Metal. The visuals are nicely updated from the previous games with greater emphasis on vehicle combat than an actual focus on producing ‘pretty’ character models and textures. Twisted Metal is firstly a game which is focussed on gameplay, and I found this to be refreshing in an era where gameplay design is an oft forgotten area for some developers. With that said, the game has darker visuals than predecessors in the franchise.

A couple horrible weeks later and I still have nothing to write, nor the motivation to express any idea that did come to mind. But this column is fast approaching its schedule and the best I can do is be arbitrary and nonsensical, a bit like Caveshen has done in previous columns, it’s actually quite effective at hiding your lack of ideas; note to self, it only works when you don’t tell people that’s what you’re doing. So, a couple ideas that in some way relate to gaming, I can do that.

Firstly, and for the large majority of the (upset-prepubescent) gamers who stomped and yelled enough to get BioWare to finally do something about it; just remember, you didn’t actually get BioWare to do anything. Who did was the dedicated fan, those who offered criticism and constructive advice rather than spite and contention. Your prize instead is a facepalm and me telling you that while you may be excitedly expecting a better ‘extended’ ending from Mass Effect 3, I ask you to keep expectations to a minimum. I have no doubts the extended ending will improve things, not that I hated the original endings, but if it makes things worse, oh god I hope it doesn’t; but should it, let’s just say we at eGamer cannot handle another couple weeks of anger and moaning, Azhar is more than enough. The rest of you should go find your zen and play a game that encourages a calmer spirit, like the recently reviewed Journey, or look at this kitty pile, it’ll help, I promise.

Next on my agenda, and having finally set a whole lot of time aside to properly enjoy a few games, I’ve got some suggestions that you might find helpful. These are the games I’ve recently started playing seriously and I recommend them to anyone with appropriate platform. First on the list, Killzone 3; let me start by saying that while we all know the singleplayer is awesome, I found the multiplayer component to be an absolute gem online and with the multiplayer component currently free, though somewhat limited when compared to the paid for version, I suggest anyone with a PS3 to download it and give it a bash. It’s got some seriously enjoyable modes and the gameplay is unique enough to distance itself from Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3 and all the other current juggernauts. The best thing is the community are actually a great set of gamers from what I’ve seen so far and because of the current inflow of noobs to the game, thanks to its free-to-play nature; you won’t be totally outclassed by veteran players. So there’s plenty of space to improve and dominate those less fortunate than yourself.

Next up, and to give Mass Effect 3 some positive press, Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer component is scary addictive and an illegal amount of fun. I’ve played Gears of War’s horde mode and Halo’s fire fight enough to know that whatever Mass Effect 3 stumbled upon must be the nerd equivalent of pure cocaine. It’s so good Caveshen and I can be found playing it almost every night and I predict that the new multiplayer DLC, marked for release some time soon, will cause us to seclude ourselves from society, become hermits and die alone, but happy nerds.

With the recent release of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations, and having Azhar give me an absolute earful about the original in the series, I decided to pick up Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm. A dozen hours of play later, and while it doesn’t have nearly as many fighters or as much content as its more recent iterations, the game is another gem. It’s a great fighter with some with some enjoyable quirks, will cater to both the fans and newcomers to the series equally and for those who couldn’t give a damn about Naruto, it’s an epic party game. It’s very rare these days but that’s because no one dares return it, there’s always a reason to break it out, invite over the mates and kick some tail.

So that’s it for my obtuse and final Friday column. I’m moving to a Monday feature slot from now on, and reading this column I suspect I know the reasons; though you can look out for some hopefully epic features in the near future. I think I need to find my own zen before I return to writing columns… or maybe I just need the right idea.