Here it is guys! The podcast you have all been waiting for. We will post up something soon about the delay but as for now listen in and enjoy. PS: Quality will improve on the next one!
FROM JACK:
So here it is, our first podcast...nearly a week after we recorded it. I'll talk about that in a second but first off, a big thanks to Tyler for taking the time to edit this and post it. It was something we hadn't really planned on and he took the brunt of it so thanks for that.
As for how long it took for us to post this, Tyler could probably explain this better but I'll give the short of it. We really shouldn't have had to edit it, but just post it on here. Unfortunately there was a problem with the audio file that split it up into three parts. (If this is wrong, Tyler can edit my statement). Because of this we (and by we, I mean Tyler) had to edit it before we could put it on the site as one file. Hopefully this won't happen again and we'll be able to post it much more quickly from here on out.
Also a quick clarification on a statement I made. Bethesda did not say that they would not worry about bugs if the game was good, but they would ignore the bugs if they were amusing. Kind of like what Rockstar did with Red Dead Redemption. So my apologies on that and we hope you enjoyed listening.
Also, note to self: cut back on "outstanding" :)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Review
When the original Deus Ex was released in 2000, it was a landmark title in the industry. While it technically followed on the footsteps of the System Shock games, particularly System Shock 2 (which I still have a preference for), it still had a unique feel to it that made it a legendary FPS. Also, unlike System Shock 2, it was a commercial success.
It was followed by Deus Ex: Invisible War which many consider a widely inferior sequel that, while good, was unworthy of the Deus Ex name. It simplified things to an enormous degree, many in areas that didn't need to be simplified. It's become a textbook example of the potential negatives of streamlining an experience.
Due to this, when Deus Ex: Human Revolution was announced a few years ago, many players thought it would meet the same fate if not worse. However, those who were and still are worried have no reason to be, as Deus Ex: Human Revolution is an amazing game that is definitely worthy of the name Deus Ex. While it may not outdo it, it will never be forced to be compared negatively to it, nor should it be.
STORY
One of the things that made the original Deus Ex such a brilliant game was its complex, in-depth, and remarkably well-written conspiracy storyline. On this front, Human Revolution more than delivers with an intriguing story full of corruption, moral ambiguities, political and religious analogies and real world relevance. It also serves as an excellent prequel to the original game while still being a great standalone game. If you haven't played the original, you can still love the story in Human Revolution.
The story stars Adam Jensen, the head of security at Sarif Industries which is in the field of transhuman augmentations through machinery. It's a controversial field as many people feel that getting yourself mechanically augmented takes away from your humanity and it also leads to mandatory and expensive drug usage. If the drugs are not taken, the body will begin to reject the augmentations causing many negative side effects and possibly death.
Right before Adam's ex-girlfriend, Dr. Megan Reed who is the head researcher at Sarif, is set to present a massive breakthrough to Washington D.C. to make augmentations more widely available, terrorists attack the facility. In the process, Megan is apparently killed and Adam is mortally wounded forcing the company to augment him to save his life. He then begins a quest for the company to find out who was responsible for the attacks.
Obviously, being a Deus Ex game, conspiracies are everywhere and nothing is what it seems at first. The game is also full with many great characters which help drive these conspiracies and Adam Jensen is one of them as he struggles to come to terms with his augmentations.
What sets this story apart from most games is its brilliant moral ambiguity. Not necessarily in the decisions (at least not until later) but within the context of the story. All of the game's key players are people who are perfectly willing to do morally questionable and sometimes even outright immoral actions all for what they perceive to be beneficial for all of mankind, whether that be advancing human evolution through augmentations, or removing them to allow people to keep what could be perceived as their humanity.
The story brings into question humanity's grasp of technology and whether we are really capable of using it, whether we're biting off more than we can chew and it does this through a brilliant analysis that raises the questions but does not just give us the answers, allowing us to make our own conclusions and decide whether the ends justify the means.
The game is also very socially aware with excellent analogies to real-world politics and social commentary backed up by a plethora of newspapers like the original game that serve to give more context and background to the world as it is in 2027. Mix this in with mostly fantastic dialogue (a few rare stumbles every now and then) and you've got a formula for excellence...one racist stereotype aside.
The game's lead writer, Mary DeMarle, has written one of the finest tales ever told in this industry. It stands up there with titles like the original Deus Ex, Mass Effect series, Planetscape Torment, etc. as one of the hallmarks of excellent storytelling in this medium. I'll be keeping an eye on anything she writes from this point on because if they're anywhere near the quality of what she wrote here, they're going to be great.
GAMEPLAY AND DESIGN
The original Deus Ex received a great deal of acclaim for it's combination of FPS and RPG gameplay along with a design that offered a great deal of latitude to the the player. Human Revolution may not have quite the depth of the original, but there's still quite a bit of depth here and it does allow for a lot of latitude for almost any objective.
The game offers four main gameplay types. First, there's combat. The combat here is functional with a first-person point of view (obviously) that goes into third-person when you go into cover. It's well-balanced in that you really can't take many hits before you die. You really need to think tactically if you're going to survive. There are a few augmentations that help with combat such aim stabilization and tougher armor.
Second, there's stealth. Getting through an area unseen and undetected can be very rewarding both in the satisfaction that you get plus a fat wad of XP points that will go to upgrading your augmentations. Stealth requires a lot of exploration to find ways around the enemy or to get the jump on them to take them out quietly. These are done through stealth takedowns which can be lethal or non-lethal though non-lethal is quieter and gives more XP. Cover is also important here, allowing you both to remain unseen and to survey the area.
Third, there's hacking. While the game's director said that hacking is not necessary, not putting points into hacking might make your life a living hell. You miss out on a lot more supplies and will have to deal with a lot more cameras and turrets and also lose out on a lot of access codes and XP points which really add up.
Finally, there's social. This is probably the most limited of the gameplay elements but it makes for some of the cooler and more tense moments of the game when it's utilized. Whether it be trying to convince a well-meaning terrorist to let a hostage go, or to win an argument against a well-meaning business owner conducting very morally questionable actions.
The game allows you to pick one of these or go for a combination. I personally did a combination of stealth and hacking and didn't kill anyone except for bosses, knocking everyone out for maximum XP. The game offered so much latitude and ways to complete each objective which is what fans of the original wanted out of this game. It worked great and you will be pleased.
Augmentations and upgrades are acquired through things known as Praxis kits, which you can either earn by gaining 5000 XP points, purchase, or find through exploration. There's quite a bit to upgrade here and it pays to always have a few Praxis kits on hand in case you get to a situation and you can't handle it the way you want due to not having an augmentation. Spend the kit to purchase that augmentation and you're on your way. If you need to hack a level 5 security system but only have the augmentations to hack a level 4 security system, upgrade it to that with a praxis kit. It's a fun system of choice.
Speaking of hacking, the designers managed to pull off the impossible: making a hacking game that was actually fun. Hacking mini-games are usually either boring or lacking any kind of tension, or both. This is neither as it has cool system to it where you capture different nodes to reach an I/O port. Every node you capture risks detection by the computer system. If you are detected you have to move quickly to capture the I/O port before your point of entry is traced. If it is you're booted out and an alarm will sound. To help you hack you have "Stop Worms" which halt traces for a few seconds, and nuke viruses which allow you to penetrate nodes undetected.
There are some things wrong with the design and gameplay, primarily the bosses. The bosses in Human Revolution really take away a lot of the feel from the game. While they were there in the original game, there were a few different ways to combat them rather than just using...well, combat. Also, if you have the right augmentations, it takes away any feeling of real challenge to them.
Another problem comes in the form of the melee takedowns. While they are definitely badass and great for XP, there are still some flaws. First off, the screen goes black for a split second before you perform them which can ruin the immersion. Secondly, they can kind of become a game breaker when used effectively. Finally there are only like four to five animations for each kind of takedown. I understand that they couldn't have made hundreds of them but for something that is probably going to be used so much, it feels like to little.
The last problem is concerning the AI. The AI is decent but not amazing and this can really hurt the feeling of challenge that can come with the game. Sometimes this leads to situations where you wonder, "What the hell are they doing?", or can make them seem either blind or deaf. Lots of games have those but I was hoping for more with this one from what they had advertised.
On the plus side, the game will last quite a while especially with the side missions which have very meaty stories of their own. I took around 30 hours to beat the game, and there was some ending fatigue, it was a very fun 30 hours. The game also begs for extra playthroughs with different playstyles and higher difficulties.
At the end of the day, the gameplay and design doesn't reinvent the wheel and pretty much sticks to the original. That isn't a bad thing though and what it results in is a thoroughly satisfying gameplay experience.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND
In terms of technology, Deus Ex: Human Revolution does not look all that special. It looks alright but not anything that's going to win awards. Character models sometimes look good, sometimes look sloppy. Textures are the same way and so is almost everything else. It's hit and miss.
However, in terms of the art style, the game delivers. The game was aiming for a cyberpunk feel and hits it right on the money with architecture, vistas, and lighting that will remind people of films like Blade Runner. It really is quite stunning when judged by that rather than how smooth everything looks texture-wise.
Voice acting has definitely been improved from the original game but it's still not on the upper echelons of video game voice acting. Some voice actors are good and some are passable but not much more. Adam Jensen is well-voiced but kind of lacks emotion. However, it doesn't really detract from his character too much, strangely. The guy who's voicing him doesn't sound bored unlike Other M which had the same thing. The reason is that you can kind of hear some emotion underneath his growl kind of like when you hear David Hayter voice Snake, though maybe not quite to that extent.
The music is excellent and again drives that cyberpunk and Blade Runner vibe that they were aiming for. It adds to the immersion of the entire game and is a great addition to it. Many pieces from the soundtrack are still stuck in my head.
CONCLUSION
Deus Ex was a landmark game and while Human Revolution may not quite hit that mark, it's still an important release that makes up for the disappointment that was Invisible War. With an incredible storyline, excellent gameplay and design, beautiful art style and immersive soundtrack, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is going to be a strong candidate for Game of the Year come December.
If you have played the original, fear not as this game lives up to the name. If you have not played the original, you may not get all of the references but it's still a great achievement that needs to be experienced. Pick this game up as soon as you can.
It was followed by Deus Ex: Invisible War which many consider a widely inferior sequel that, while good, was unworthy of the Deus Ex name. It simplified things to an enormous degree, many in areas that didn't need to be simplified. It's become a textbook example of the potential negatives of streamlining an experience.
Due to this, when Deus Ex: Human Revolution was announced a few years ago, many players thought it would meet the same fate if not worse. However, those who were and still are worried have no reason to be, as Deus Ex: Human Revolution is an amazing game that is definitely worthy of the name Deus Ex. While it may not outdo it, it will never be forced to be compared negatively to it, nor should it be.
STORY
One of the things that made the original Deus Ex such a brilliant game was its complex, in-depth, and remarkably well-written conspiracy storyline. On this front, Human Revolution more than delivers with an intriguing story full of corruption, moral ambiguities, political and religious analogies and real world relevance. It also serves as an excellent prequel to the original game while still being a great standalone game. If you haven't played the original, you can still love the story in Human Revolution.
The story stars Adam Jensen, the head of security at Sarif Industries which is in the field of transhuman augmentations through machinery. It's a controversial field as many people feel that getting yourself mechanically augmented takes away from your humanity and it also leads to mandatory and expensive drug usage. If the drugs are not taken, the body will begin to reject the augmentations causing many negative side effects and possibly death.
Right before Adam's ex-girlfriend, Dr. Megan Reed who is the head researcher at Sarif, is set to present a massive breakthrough to Washington D.C. to make augmentations more widely available, terrorists attack the facility. In the process, Megan is apparently killed and Adam is mortally wounded forcing the company to augment him to save his life. He then begins a quest for the company to find out who was responsible for the attacks.
Obviously, being a Deus Ex game, conspiracies are everywhere and nothing is what it seems at first. The game is also full with many great characters which help drive these conspiracies and Adam Jensen is one of them as he struggles to come to terms with his augmentations.
What sets this story apart from most games is its brilliant moral ambiguity. Not necessarily in the decisions (at least not until later) but within the context of the story. All of the game's key players are people who are perfectly willing to do morally questionable and sometimes even outright immoral actions all for what they perceive to be beneficial for all of mankind, whether that be advancing human evolution through augmentations, or removing them to allow people to keep what could be perceived as their humanity.
The story brings into question humanity's grasp of technology and whether we are really capable of using it, whether we're biting off more than we can chew and it does this through a brilliant analysis that raises the questions but does not just give us the answers, allowing us to make our own conclusions and decide whether the ends justify the means.
The game is also very socially aware with excellent analogies to real-world politics and social commentary backed up by a plethora of newspapers like the original game that serve to give more context and background to the world as it is in 2027. Mix this in with mostly fantastic dialogue (a few rare stumbles every now and then) and you've got a formula for excellence...one racist stereotype aside.
The game's lead writer, Mary DeMarle, has written one of the finest tales ever told in this industry. It stands up there with titles like the original Deus Ex, Mass Effect series, Planetscape Torment, etc. as one of the hallmarks of excellent storytelling in this medium. I'll be keeping an eye on anything she writes from this point on because if they're anywhere near the quality of what she wrote here, they're going to be great.
GAMEPLAY AND DESIGN
The original Deus Ex received a great deal of acclaim for it's combination of FPS and RPG gameplay along with a design that offered a great deal of latitude to the the player. Human Revolution may not have quite the depth of the original, but there's still quite a bit of depth here and it does allow for a lot of latitude for almost any objective.
The game offers four main gameplay types. First, there's combat. The combat here is functional with a first-person point of view (obviously) that goes into third-person when you go into cover. It's well-balanced in that you really can't take many hits before you die. You really need to think tactically if you're going to survive. There are a few augmentations that help with combat such aim stabilization and tougher armor.
 |
| Combat is fun and balanced. |
 |
| Stealth is a very rewarding and enjoyable playstyle that requires smart and out-of-the-box thinking. |
Finally, there's social. This is probably the most limited of the gameplay elements but it makes for some of the cooler and more tense moments of the game when it's utilized. Whether it be trying to convince a well-meaning terrorist to let a hostage go, or to win an argument against a well-meaning business owner conducting very morally questionable actions.
The game allows you to pick one of these or go for a combination. I personally did a combination of stealth and hacking and didn't kill anyone except for bosses, knocking everyone out for maximum XP. The game offered so much latitude and ways to complete each objective which is what fans of the original wanted out of this game. It worked great and you will be pleased.
Augmentations and upgrades are acquired through things known as Praxis kits, which you can either earn by gaining 5000 XP points, purchase, or find through exploration. There's quite a bit to upgrade here and it pays to always have a few Praxis kits on hand in case you get to a situation and you can't handle it the way you want due to not having an augmentation. Spend the kit to purchase that augmentation and you're on your way. If you need to hack a level 5 security system but only have the augmentations to hack a level 4 security system, upgrade it to that with a praxis kit. It's a fun system of choice.
 |
| Lots of augmentations provide a great amount of choice in how you play the game. |
 |
| The hacking mini-game in Human Revolution is surprisingly fun and tense. |
Another problem comes in the form of the melee takedowns. While they are definitely badass and great for XP, there are still some flaws. First off, the screen goes black for a split second before you perform them which can ruin the immersion. Secondly, they can kind of become a game breaker when used effectively. Finally there are only like four to five animations for each kind of takedown. I understand that they couldn't have made hundreds of them but for something that is probably going to be used so much, it feels like to little.
 |
| Melee takedowns are cool and GREAT for XP (especially non-lethal ones) but still have quite a few flaws. |
On the plus side, the game will last quite a while especially with the side missions which have very meaty stories of their own. I took around 30 hours to beat the game, and there was some ending fatigue, it was a very fun 30 hours. The game also begs for extra playthroughs with different playstyles and higher difficulties.
At the end of the day, the gameplay and design doesn't reinvent the wheel and pretty much sticks to the original. That isn't a bad thing though and what it results in is a thoroughly satisfying gameplay experience.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND
In terms of technology, Deus Ex: Human Revolution does not look all that special. It looks alright but not anything that's going to win awards. Character models sometimes look good, sometimes look sloppy. Textures are the same way and so is almost everything else. It's hit and miss.
However, in terms of the art style, the game delivers. The game was aiming for a cyberpunk feel and hits it right on the money with architecture, vistas, and lighting that will remind people of films like Blade Runner. It really is quite stunning when judged by that rather than how smooth everything looks texture-wise.
 |
| Human Revolution isn't the most technically proficient game on the market, but it has a beautiful art style that reeks of Blade Runner. |
The music is excellent and again drives that cyberpunk and Blade Runner vibe that they were aiming for. It adds to the immersion of the entire game and is a great addition to it. Many pieces from the soundtrack are still stuck in my head.
CONCLUSION
Deus Ex was a landmark game and while Human Revolution may not quite hit that mark, it's still an important release that makes up for the disappointment that was Invisible War. With an incredible storyline, excellent gameplay and design, beautiful art style and immersive soundtrack, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is going to be a strong candidate for Game of the Year come December.
If you have played the original, fear not as this game lives up to the name. If you have not played the original, you may not get all of the references but it's still a great achievement that needs to be experienced. Pick this game up as soon as you can.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
My Pick of September
Sorry about this people, but I will not be giving a list of releases for this month. This is due to the fact that I found an ENORMOUS amount of inaccuracies in a source that I thought I could trust. The source had the well-publicized releases down right but as I checked for back-up confirmation on some of the lesser-known titles, the results were pretty bad. So I'm just going to go to my pick of the month
My Pick
This month seems to be the calm before the storm that is October and November, however this month has two big releases. One in the form of the capper of a trilogy and one in the form of a compilation HD re-release. One is Gears of War 3. The other is The Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection.
So, what's my pick? Well, while I like Gears of War, I've never been a huge fan of the series and for me, it's not necessarily a Day 1 purchase. So I'm going to have to go with The Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection.
While neither of these games sold all that well, they're considered to be among the finest games from last gen. Unique, visually beautiful, solid gameplay and design, and in the case of Shadow of the Colossus, HUGE bosses. The thought of seeing this with current-gen PS3 graphics has me salivating. I've played them before but I still really want to see them updated.
So if you haven't played these two games before and have a PS3, or want to see them with updated graphics, this is the one I would pick up. If you're not any of the above, Gears of War 3 still promises to be a great purchase.
Monday, August 29, 2011
IMPORTANT READ: BLOG URL AND TITLE CHANGE
Okay, for all of those following, you may have seen me talk about some changes to this blog and one of those was the URL and title change.
Tyler and I have decided on a URL and title for the blog and I wanted to post it here a few days in advance so that none of you will just get lost looking for it. I'll also be posting the new URL on my Facebook page and Twitter account.
The new URL of the blog will be:
www.compsoles.blogspot.com
So, if in a few days you try to come to the blog and the URL doesn't work, input the new URL and it should probably get you here.
Tyler and I have decided on a URL and title for the blog and I wanted to post it here a few days in advance so that none of you will just get lost looking for it. I'll also be posting the new URL on my Facebook page and Twitter account.
The new URL of the blog will be:
www.compsoles.blogspot.com
So, if in a few days you try to come to the blog and the URL doesn't work, input the new URL and it should probably get you here.
Awesome Aliens: Colonial Marine Trailer, Quantum Conundrum Debut Trailer, Warp Trailer, and FemShep Decided
PAX is here and there are some great trailers and a few announcements. Let's start with the trailers and specifically, the awesome Aliens: Colonial Marines trailer.
It's quite baffling that we have yet to see a truly great Alien game that doesn't have a Predator and ins't in the arcade. It's even more baffling considering how action-oriented Aliens was and how much ass it kicked. So far, it looks like Gearbox may finally change this as Aliens: Colonial Marines has been looking great.
The new trailer released at PAX looks atmospheric, intense, and action-packed. In other words, it looks just like what a game adapted from Aliens should look like. Whether that translates to the actual game has yet to be seen but I like what I've seen so far. So here's the trailer.
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Obviously based on Portal, a new game titled Quantum Condundrum got its debut trailer at PAX.
It looks like it has some nice innovations that separate it from Portal and that's what I like to see. The environments like similar but if the gameplay is innovative, I can forgive that and it looks like it could be a fun puzzle game so far.
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Another game that has an environment that looks similar to Portal is Warp. It's gameplay also looks a little similar but there's one big difference. It appears that you're playing as a demonic hellspawn in this game, going into machinery and peoples' bodies and blowing them up. Yeah it looks bloody but it looks hilarious at the same time.
This is going to be a downloadable title and it looks like it might be another puzzle game to look forward to. Portal has had a big impact when we have two similar looking games both showing up at PAX.
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Finally, you know my thoughts on Commander Shepard in Mass Effect. Despite the marketing, Commander Shepard is a woman and I will always hold that thought and one of the main reasons is because of her voice actress, Jennifer Hale, who recently even got profiled by the New Yorker of all publications, where she was essentially called the Meryl Streep of video games.
Fan devotion to FemShep has also been strong, as shown by the enormous support for her to get more marketing presence. Voting has been going as to what the FemShep who will appear in trailers and on the box art for the Collector's Edition has been ongoing and we finally have a Shepard.
She will have default red-hair which I won't talk about too much as mine has always had black hair. What I do want to talk about is the art they made for her.
I don't know about you, but I LOVE this artwork. This to me is what the boxart for Mass Effect 3 should look like and it's part of what I love about Jennifer Hale's voice acting, if you were to put it in image form. She gives a feeling a vulnerability and great struggle along with sheer badassery. That's exactly what I get from this art.
It shows FemShep really struggling greatly, which is to be expected given what she's fighting, but also shows her soldiering on like the badass she is. I love it and I can't wait to see the trailer for FemShep when it finally comes.
It's quite baffling that we have yet to see a truly great Alien game that doesn't have a Predator and ins't in the arcade. It's even more baffling considering how action-oriented Aliens was and how much ass it kicked. So far, it looks like Gearbox may finally change this as Aliens: Colonial Marines has been looking great.
The new trailer released at PAX looks atmospheric, intense, and action-packed. In other words, it looks just like what a game adapted from Aliens should look like. Whether that translates to the actual game has yet to be seen but I like what I've seen so far. So here's the trailer.
__________________________________________________________________
Obviously based on Portal, a new game titled Quantum Condundrum got its debut trailer at PAX.
It looks like it has some nice innovations that separate it from Portal and that's what I like to see. The environments like similar but if the gameplay is innovative, I can forgive that and it looks like it could be a fun puzzle game so far.
__________________________________________________________________
Another game that has an environment that looks similar to Portal is Warp. It's gameplay also looks a little similar but there's one big difference. It appears that you're playing as a demonic hellspawn in this game, going into machinery and peoples' bodies and blowing them up. Yeah it looks bloody but it looks hilarious at the same time.
This is going to be a downloadable title and it looks like it might be another puzzle game to look forward to. Portal has had a big impact when we have two similar looking games both showing up at PAX.
__________________________________________________________________
Finally, you know my thoughts on Commander Shepard in Mass Effect. Despite the marketing, Commander Shepard is a woman and I will always hold that thought and one of the main reasons is because of her voice actress, Jennifer Hale, who recently even got profiled by the New Yorker of all publications, where she was essentially called the Meryl Streep of video games.
Fan devotion to FemShep has also been strong, as shown by the enormous support for her to get more marketing presence. Voting has been going as to what the FemShep who will appear in trailers and on the box art for the Collector's Edition has been ongoing and we finally have a Shepard.
She will have default red-hair which I won't talk about too much as mine has always had black hair. What I do want to talk about is the art they made for her.
I don't know about you, but I LOVE this artwork. This to me is what the boxart for Mass Effect 3 should look like and it's part of what I love about Jennifer Hale's voice acting, if you were to put it in image form. She gives a feeling a vulnerability and great struggle along with sheer badassery. That's exactly what I get from this art.
It shows FemShep really struggling greatly, which is to be expected given what she's fighting, but also shows her soldiering on like the badass she is. I love it and I can't wait to see the trailer for FemShep when it finally comes.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Bayonetta 2 Rumors, Skyward Sword Release Date, Sonic CD on XBLA, Microsoft Refuses PSN Games
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| Let the rumor be true! |
I rarely report on rumors but this is a big exception. For those of you who don't know, Bayonetta was an incredible game, quite possibly the greatest 3D hack-n-slash ever made. Hell, I named it the 3rd best game of 2010, outdoing Red Dead Redemption and Starcraft II and only being outdone by Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Mass Effect 2. It was also a shock for me, as I thought the game was going to be mediocre at best.
Anyway, many rumors have been swirling about potential announcements at this year's TGS (or Tokyo Game Show), one of them being the sequel to Hideki Kamiya's 2010 masterpiece. I know not to get my hopes up on rumors but I can't help it this time, and I'm so excited to hear about a potential sequel to one of my favorite games of this generation. So in response to this rumor, here's a picture of a squirrel with a nut.
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Well, Skyward Sword finally has a set release date. The new game in the Legend of Zelda series is set to be released on November 20th in the states and November 18th in Europe. The game is set to be part of the year celebration of the series 25th anniversary.
Well damn, that makes ANOTHER game in November to watch for. I kind of wished they had released it in December because I may be too into Skyrim at that moment. Still, it's good to know it's coming and I am looking forward to it.
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The Sega CD is rightly remembered as being a crappy and mostly unnecessary add-on to the Sega Genesis. It had a bunch of crappy games, like Night Trap and Corpse Killer that nowadays are remembered for being just absolute crap, and enjoyed for all the wrong reasons.
There were a few exceptions like the surprisingly competent Terminator game and a port of Kojima's brilliant Snatcher. Probably the biggest exception though was Sonic CD, which even nowadays is considered by those who have played it to be quite possibly the great Sonic game in history.
Sonic CD was a game that really did everything that we expect from Sonic, with excellent and thoughtful stages, great platforming and, of course, awesome speed. It's a game that many people, even big Sonic fans, have never played since it was on an unsuccessful add-on to the Genesis. It's great to see that many are going to get to play this undeniable class and shining beacon on the crap that was the Sega CD.
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Just a quick note, if you don't have a PS3 and want to play a game that's currently only on PSN and are waiting for it to come to XBLA, you might want to save up for a PS3 as Microsoft has come out and said that they will never allow a game that was originally only available on the PSN onto Xbox Live.
I really have no idea how Microsoft is going to spin this positively especially when you look at Limbo which was originally on XBLA but is now on PSN as well. It just seems like a really childish and kind of stupid thing to do. You could be making quite a bit of money off of those games if you let them onto your console. But I guess they don't care.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Deus Ex: Human Revolution First Impressions
Well since I picked it up yesterday, I've played quite a few solid hours of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the prequel to 2000's landmark FPS Deus Ex. In that time, what have I surmised? That if this game continues being as excellent as it has been for the first few hours, this has a very good chance of being the best game so far this year and will be a major Game of the Year contender come December.
STORY
While I obviously haven't experienced all the plot twists or nuances of the story yet, I've really liked what I've seen so far. You play as Adam Jensen, head of security for Sarif Industries which is the leading company in transhuman augmentations, which is basically the use of mechanical parts to bring evolution to humans themselves rather than naturally. As they call it, "controlled evolution." This has caused a massive amount of protests and controversy from those who see it as ethically and morally wrong to manipulate the body and force evolution like that.
This has also led to terrorist attacks and right before Adam's company is going to present research before Washington DC, the company is attacked and Adam is mortally wounded. However, augmentations are used to save his life and therefore, Sarif now essentially has a super-soldier on their hands.
Mary DeMarle should really be commended for writing an excellent set-up so far for the main story while also keeping it well within the Deus Ex universe. She's also really done her research into how mechanical augmentations would work to give more credence to the protesters and has made excellent allegories and parallels to current issues. The abortion issue is a perfect example, with extremist attacks on facilities providing the services and of course the morally questionable action of forced evolution.
With luck, the story will continue to be as intriguing as it has been and add more to the conspiracy of the Deus Ex universe. One final note, given that this is the prequel to freaking Deus Ex, one of the most crapsack worlds imaginable (seriously, it's just a few steps down from 1984), I'm not really expecting a happy ending here. If I even get a bittersweet ending, I'll be very surprised.
GAMEPLAY AND DESIGN
So far the gameplay has been excellent. I haven't even gotten into the augmentations yet but that itself is also a plus as they're being very stingy with XP rewards, giving the game a balance so that you won't just become a superman.
The level design offers an incredible amount of latitude that was lacking from Invisible War. The gameplay videos have been telling the truth. There are pretty much four ways to get through situations: combat, stealth, hacking, and social. I'm primarily working with stealth and hacking, mixed with non-lethal melee takedowns.
Even the melee takedowns are pretty balanced. These could really be gamebreakers but they are reliant on energy, like the augmentations, which you have a limited amount of. At the beginning you have two energy cells, and once you use a melee takedown, one cell will be depleted. Only the first cell will regenerate whereas the others take consumables to replenish.
If there's one problem I have with the melee takedowns, it's that there's a pause as it cuts to Jensen beating the crap out of the target. In other words, you activate the takedown, the screen goes black for a second, and then the takedown is performed. It's a minor complaint but it really takes me out of the setting.
Anyway, back to the styles of play, combat has been something that I've been very careful to avoid and even if you get into it, you'll go down in about two seconds flat if you're not tactful and cautious in combat. There's a cover-system in place but the AI, while it has problems, will not just let you sit in the same piece of cover over and over.
Stealth and hacking are excellent styles to combine if you're careful. Getting through an area, either by taking down everyone silently and non-lethally or without any takedowns at all, is very satisfying. Hacking takes place in the form of a minigame which is actually really fun and intense. Surprising I know but it works as you have to capture files to get to an I/O port without being detected. If you are detected you have to move quickly before the detection traces your point of entry into the system which will sound the alarm and boot you out.
Hacking allows you to open doors without keycodes, turn off cameras, get restricted e-mails, take control of turrets (which I'm not doing because I'm going non-lethal), and just makes the game easier. It also gives XP. If you're going to use stealth, you also need to look for hidden areas or you're going to have a very hard time. I'm talking vents, hidden paths and entrances, etc.
Finally, there's social which I've only gotten into a little bit but it has an LA Noire type feel only without the revolutionary facial capture but it still works well. You need to figure out the right speech path to go with in order to convince a character to see things your way and help you out.
I still have a lot to go and a lot of augmentations to experiment with and I can't wait to delve further in.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND
Graphically, the game is not really cutting edge. Textures often don't look right and character models are nowhere near the excellent quality of say LA Noire. However, the art style is generally pretty good in terms of environments. People have complained about the overuse of yellow but it does make the world feel more alive and vibrant but also gives off a slight dystopian feeling. So far, it's worked well.
If there's one area where Human Revolution definitely improves on the original, it's the voice acting. Though it's still not incredibly consistent. Some actors are noticeably better than others and while Elias Toufexis does a good job so far as Adam Jensen, as of now, I wouldn't place it as one of the year's best performances.
In the end, while competent and not detracting from the story, the voice acting doesn't quite hit the quality that we hear in Mass Effect or Uncharted.
The music is excellent however and, as Machinima said, often gives a very Blade Runner vibe which is very appropriate considering the type of world it's in as well as the subject matter of the story. It really fits the situation and allows you to further immerse yourself in the world of Deus Ex.
CONCLUSION
I've played a few hours of Deus Ex, and so far it's been brilliant. I'll be coming back with my full review soon but, for now, know that if this game continues this excellent quality, it could topple Portal 2 as my favorite game so far this year.
STORY
While I obviously haven't experienced all the plot twists or nuances of the story yet, I've really liked what I've seen so far. You play as Adam Jensen, head of security for Sarif Industries which is the leading company in transhuman augmentations, which is basically the use of mechanical parts to bring evolution to humans themselves rather than naturally. As they call it, "controlled evolution." This has caused a massive amount of protests and controversy from those who see it as ethically and morally wrong to manipulate the body and force evolution like that.
This has also led to terrorist attacks and right before Adam's company is going to present research before Washington DC, the company is attacked and Adam is mortally wounded. However, augmentations are used to save his life and therefore, Sarif now essentially has a super-soldier on their hands.
Mary DeMarle should really be commended for writing an excellent set-up so far for the main story while also keeping it well within the Deus Ex universe. She's also really done her research into how mechanical augmentations would work to give more credence to the protesters and has made excellent allegories and parallels to current issues. The abortion issue is a perfect example, with extremist attacks on facilities providing the services and of course the morally questionable action of forced evolution.
With luck, the story will continue to be as intriguing as it has been and add more to the conspiracy of the Deus Ex universe. One final note, given that this is the prequel to freaking Deus Ex, one of the most crapsack worlds imaginable (seriously, it's just a few steps down from 1984), I'm not really expecting a happy ending here. If I even get a bittersweet ending, I'll be very surprised.
GAMEPLAY AND DESIGN
So far the gameplay has been excellent. I haven't even gotten into the augmentations yet but that itself is also a plus as they're being very stingy with XP rewards, giving the game a balance so that you won't just become a superman.
The level design offers an incredible amount of latitude that was lacking from Invisible War. The gameplay videos have been telling the truth. There are pretty much four ways to get through situations: combat, stealth, hacking, and social. I'm primarily working with stealth and hacking, mixed with non-lethal melee takedowns.
Even the melee takedowns are pretty balanced. These could really be gamebreakers but they are reliant on energy, like the augmentations, which you have a limited amount of. At the beginning you have two energy cells, and once you use a melee takedown, one cell will be depleted. Only the first cell will regenerate whereas the others take consumables to replenish.
If there's one problem I have with the melee takedowns, it's that there's a pause as it cuts to Jensen beating the crap out of the target. In other words, you activate the takedown, the screen goes black for a second, and then the takedown is performed. It's a minor complaint but it really takes me out of the setting.
Anyway, back to the styles of play, combat has been something that I've been very careful to avoid and even if you get into it, you'll go down in about two seconds flat if you're not tactful and cautious in combat. There's a cover-system in place but the AI, while it has problems, will not just let you sit in the same piece of cover over and over.
Stealth and hacking are excellent styles to combine if you're careful. Getting through an area, either by taking down everyone silently and non-lethally or without any takedowns at all, is very satisfying. Hacking takes place in the form of a minigame which is actually really fun and intense. Surprising I know but it works as you have to capture files to get to an I/O port without being detected. If you are detected you have to move quickly before the detection traces your point of entry into the system which will sound the alarm and boot you out.
Hacking allows you to open doors without keycodes, turn off cameras, get restricted e-mails, take control of turrets (which I'm not doing because I'm going non-lethal), and just makes the game easier. It also gives XP. If you're going to use stealth, you also need to look for hidden areas or you're going to have a very hard time. I'm talking vents, hidden paths and entrances, etc.
Finally, there's social which I've only gotten into a little bit but it has an LA Noire type feel only without the revolutionary facial capture but it still works well. You need to figure out the right speech path to go with in order to convince a character to see things your way and help you out.
I still have a lot to go and a lot of augmentations to experiment with and I can't wait to delve further in.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND
Graphically, the game is not really cutting edge. Textures often don't look right and character models are nowhere near the excellent quality of say LA Noire. However, the art style is generally pretty good in terms of environments. People have complained about the overuse of yellow but it does make the world feel more alive and vibrant but also gives off a slight dystopian feeling. So far, it's worked well.
If there's one area where Human Revolution definitely improves on the original, it's the voice acting. Though it's still not incredibly consistent. Some actors are noticeably better than others and while Elias Toufexis does a good job so far as Adam Jensen, as of now, I wouldn't place it as one of the year's best performances.
In the end, while competent and not detracting from the story, the voice acting doesn't quite hit the quality that we hear in Mass Effect or Uncharted.
The music is excellent however and, as Machinima said, often gives a very Blade Runner vibe which is very appropriate considering the type of world it's in as well as the subject matter of the story. It really fits the situation and allows you to further immerse yourself in the world of Deus Ex.
CONCLUSION
I've played a few hours of Deus Ex, and so far it's been brilliant. I'll be coming back with my full review soon but, for now, know that if this game continues this excellent quality, it could topple Portal 2 as my favorite game so far this year.
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