dp-challenge

#74 BioShock 2

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:44:52 +0100

BioShock 2

Game Info

Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: 2K Marin - 2K Australia - Digital Extremes
Genre(s): First-Person Shooter
Platform: PS3
Players: 8
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: February 9, 2010

Intro:
BioShock 2 is a big install, requiring 5011 MB of hard drive space. It took a half hour to make room on my hard drive and another 10 minutes to install it. Even with this huge install, the load screens are very long, but there are relatively few of them. Once you finally get into the game intro, we find ourselves in Rapture in 1958. The world is already destroyed and we have a first person view as a Big Daddy with a Little Sister. We see a little bit of what Big Daddy is capable of and what happens with mind control. Waking up 10 years later, BioShock 2 finally gets going.

Getting Going:
The tools and controls will be familiar to BioShock players, except now, they are bigger and have the addition of the drill. For a Big Daddy, “Delta” is very human, with the subsequent hand agility. Delta is too heavy to jump up on things, but Jack, the protagonist in BioShock, couldn’t really do it, either.

Fun:
BioShock 2 is immediately shocking and immersive. Once again we find ourselves surrounded by a rich foreign environment that begs to be explored like a museum or amusement park while fending off splicers and enduring the taunts of antagonists who have a story to tell.

Visuals:
Most of the time the player will be unaware that they are a Big Daddy from the first person viewpoint alone. While most of the splicers seemed to leave the Big Daddy and Little Sisters alone in BioShock, they come out of the woodwork to attack when you have a Little Sister in BioShock 2. One of the things that makes BioShock 2 so amazing are the visuals. Everything in the environment works together to tell the story. Actually, all of the elements of the game work in tandem to create the rich environment. Water pours in from the ceiling. Ice builds up in some areas. Corpses float in the water. Sharks swim by outside the windows. The plant life floats with the currents. Splicers reel and fall against attacks. Spears hit their targets and anchor the splicer into the nearest wall. Players can also get a feel for Delta’s weight as they drop down from small heights; the controller, and the scene, vibrate.

Sound:
2K has been careful to include everything here. As was the case with BioShock, BioShock 2 makes full use of the surround sound. While playing through a room, you can get a bearing on where some of the enemies are. Water pours down to your left while footsteps approach on the right. Your plasmids crackle in your hand in front of you. The voice acting on the communicator is clear and succinct. You can listen to tapes left around the environment and those tapes continue to play while you do other things, including searching your menus. They can also be re-played. My only complaint with the sound is the variations in levels. If you are playing at midnight it is extremely noticeable. Battle sounds are incredibly loud while the voice acting is very quiet by comparison. I found myself keeping the sound remote in my lap and continually having to adjust the sound during play.

Intelligence:
It would be almost impossible to avoid a fight with a nearby splicer. They are very aware of your presence. In fact, if you have a Little Sister, the splicers seem to come out of no where. If you’re collecting Adam, they do come from everywhere. In fact, they come from places you didn’t know they could come from, getting behind you when you think you’re semi-protected. Things in the environment can be used very effectively to your advantage. For instance, turrets and spy cameras, once hacked, will attack every splicer that comes your way. Setting yourself up by a pool of water allows you to electrocute several at once. Splicers are intelligent enough, however, to take cover or to avoid that pool of water when they see others electrocuted. Some things do require some suspension of disbelief. Are there currents that deep in the ocean? If there is so much water pouring in, where does it go? Why isn’t the whole place flooded? Why does Rapture have the ability to flood an entire area and then drain it? What could that possibly be used for? How does Big Daddy shoot a shot gun or use a hacking device with those huge hands? BioShock 2 is so engaging, however, that the answers to those questions seem unimportant.

Rewards and Punishments:
Death is not permanent and doesn’t cause any noticeable loss. Delta is returned to the nearest VitaChamber. If he had a Little Sister with him, she is waiting for him outside of it. If he was fighting a Big Daddy or Big Sister, they are still waiting for him, with the same amount of health they had when Delta died. In other words, if you had Big Sister one hit shy of death, she will still be only one hit shy of death when you get out of the VitaChamber. There are plenty of shiny objects in the environment to pick up. The story unfolds in tapes left around the environment, the conversations on the communicator, and the items left on the walls. It is up to the player to control how rewarding and informative their time in Rapture is. Hacking can be both rewarding and punishing. If you are good at it, hacked machines save you money and ammo. They take care of splicers for you. If you are bad, however, you lose health. Of course, there are many trophies to be obtained, as well.

Cameras:
There were times when Delta didn’t seem to swing around as quickly as I would have liked. An on-screen prompt shows you that you are being attacked from the right, but you can’t seem to find your attacker. For the most part, however, the cameras and first person view work very well together to immerse the player in the environment as Delta.

Controls:
The controls will be completely familiar to BioShock players, but are easily learned by new players. Plasmids are on your left, weapons are on your right. Since this matches your onscreen view of your hands, this is easy to remember. The game can be saved in the Start menu, which is important to remember. Failure to save the game before exiting will take you back to the beginning of the level during your next play session. Many games now save automatically, so this can be easy to forget. BioShock 2 does auto save, but only at the beginning of levels.

Ideas:
I can’t say I took anything new from BioShock 2. I believe the BioShock franchise is one of the top examples of truly immersive gaming because of it’s use of environment and the way it uses the antagonists to tell the story. If anything, I guess I’ve learned that players want to be able to explore an environment like that. There are no limits to the kind of virtual experiences that we can offer players if we give them a first person viewpoint and a truly involved environment.

Memory:
I loved BioShock. It’s one of my favorite games. But, BioShock 2 upped the difficulty suddenly about half way through the game. Machines became harder to hack. There were many more machines that required hacking. Splicers destroyed the health stations instead of using them. There wasn’t enough money, ammo, or health in the environment to sustain play. With resources suddenly so scarce, I opted to quit the game, never to return.

#43 Assassin's Creed II

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:21:35 +0100

Assassin's Creed II

Game Info

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Genre(s): Action, Adventure
Platform: PS3
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: November 17, 2009

Intro:
The beginning CG and walk about gives the player a refresher course regarding the previous game’s story and the character of Desmond. Players are able to briefly take control of Desmond and it becomes obvious that Desmond might actually play a bigger role in the story of Assassin’s Creed II and in actual gameplay.

Getting Going:
As players take control of Desmond, we find that he is able to do a few more things now, such as fight. Beginning controls are taught through in-game tutorials that let the player learn the controls while taking the reigns in actual gameplay.

Fun:
It’s exciting to put the player characters through their paces again and pick up on hints about what may be new and improved in this sequel. A race early on, while still learning the controls, does provide a bit of player frustration and trepidation about the rest of the game, however.

Visuals:
For a PS3 game, the visuals are horrendous. Eyes go cross-eyed during conversations in both player characters and non-player characters or they seem to stare off into space. Mouth animations are completely lacking in synchronization. Desmond’s movements are wooden. He walks with his hands and arms out, but barely moving. Even when he is escaping and following someone, he can’t run. The environmental art and architecture, on the other hand, is stunning and well-detailed, as is the period clothing. Treasures are well-lit. There is a lot to see and do here. Everything is perfectly themed and seems to fit the period and the needs of the game.

Sound:
There is nothing wholly remarkable, or unremarkable, about the sound. The voice-acting is precise and easy to understand. You can hear the sounds of the city around you, as well as the hawks above you. When you are being chased, you can hear your pursuers.

Intelligence:
Everyone seems to be on high alert. It would seem that the city is very small, although it doesn’t seem to be. Ezio is a familiar face in a small town. And, when he dons the assassin’s attire, he becomes a suspicious stranger in the same small town. Either way, Ezio is a wanted man and, if he doesn’t stick to the rooftops, he’s likely to get noticed and chased. Beyond that, there is plenty to do in Assassin’s Creed II. Ezio can now choose to shop or visit with courtiers.   In essence, Assassin’s Creed II has become more of a sandbox game than Assassin’s Creed was.

Immersion:
During the heat of the chase, Ezio just doesn’t seem to do what you want him to do. Once again, as I had for Altair before him, I found myself yelling at Ezio to “Get on the roof! Go Up!” Some of this is probably the player and adrenaline, but for some reason, the player character just doesn’t seem to control as well when being chased. The frustration of this, as well as the odd character animations and high alert levels make immersive play rather elusive.

Rewards and Punishments:
If Ezio is spotted by a suspicious guard, and it seems that all of them are suspicious, an alarm is raised and Ezio must run for his life. If the archers or guards take him down, it is called a desynchronization and the player is taken out of the memory and back to Desmond to try again. There are plenty of shiny objects to find in the environment and many collectibles. The story is more integrated into play, allowing the player more choices regarding which side missions to complete and when.

Cameras:
Players have full control of the camera and angles never really seem to be a problem when moving about in the game.

Controls:
As stated in “Immersion”, during the heat of the chase, it seems as if the player loses a bit of control over Ezio. There are times when he bounces off of a building instead of climbing it. He doesn’t seem to move upwards, preferring to jump sideways. Most of the time he just doesn’t seem to go where you’re steering him. The controls, themselves, are easy enough to learn and use, however.

Ideas:
Assassin’s Creed II steps up the concept of Assassin’s Creed by creating characters with more depth and giving the entire game a more integrated story. Desmond is no longer a prisoner and victim, but has a richer role in Assassin’s Creed II. Ezio has a story of his own; he’s not merely a “gun-for-hire”. The player has also received a status upgrade. No longer afraid of water and able to take part in the story rather than completing the same missions in every town, the player becomes more vested in the character of Ezio.

Memory:
Ubisoft created a more integrated story and there is no doubt that Assassin’s Creed has some of the best play mechanics I’ve ever experienced in a game. The high alert status did put me off of this one, however. Most tasks require Ezio to come down from the rooftops and be seen by a nearby guard. The guards are plentiful enough that they are hard to avoid.

#41 Killzone 2

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:52:02 +0100

Killzone 2

Game Info

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Guerrilla
Genre(s): First-Person Shooter
Platform: PS3
Players: 32
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: February 27, 2009

Intro:
Providing a bit of backstory and throwing down the gauntlet, the intro to Killzone 2 is so graphically intense that you can literally see the pores and wrinkles on the faces of the characters. Right away, the futuristic space army theme is set. Facial animations and recognizable mannerisms make the game even more human and movie-like. The lighting is exquisite. By graphics alone, the game draws the player in immediately.

Getting Going:
Players have a choice of several modes: Campaign, the story mode of Killzone 2; War Zone, online play; and Skirmish, in which players can fight against bots in any multiplayer setting. Making full use of the SIXAXIS controller, even load screens appear to be 3D and move along with the controller, altering the view. However, the first thing your character is told to do is to follow Garza through the ship. The player is taught to use simple controls through onscreen prompts as they move. You stop to hear the briefing between the leaders and then....I didn’t know what to do. The mission reminder said, follow ‘Garza through the ship.’ I thought that was Garza I was looking at and he wasn’t moving. Finally, I found the button to show me which way to go and followed it. But, before that, I was wandering aimlessly.

Fun:
Killzone 2 offers a fantastic play experience in the form of real-looking environments and frenetic play. Players get to dash into the fray in the name of changing mankind. But, players are still just playing follow-the-leader. There is no real decision-making here. And, I got lost five minutes in. To me, that’s not fun.

Visuals:
Hands down, the visuals are crazy, amazing, stunning and any other words one can think of to say “Wow!” Every detail has been attended to including the holes and texturing of the vents in the ceiling and your shadow on the floor in front of you. Lighting even includes the solar spots that are seen on camera as the sun rises or sets. Bullets create crags in the stone walls. The places to hide and shoot from are all perfectly themed so that nothing seems out of place and many places are useful for cover.

Sound:
Frenetic, chaotic war sounds abound, but the voice-acting simply falls short. While subtitles note what is being said, it can be difficult to hear or understand at times. And, in the middle of the fray, it can be difficult to read, as well. The enemies often have something to say, but they all sound the same. This wouldn’t be a problem, except that they all sound like the arch enemy, so it makes you think you’re not far from the big boss. The voices don’t always seem to project from the right place, as in from the person who is talking. And, while the player character, Sev, is spoken to often, he doesn’t actually seem to speak. I realize this is a first-person shooter and part of any first person game is allowing the player to take that role. But, it’s kind of creepy to be the silent one with the gun.

Intelligence:
Your brother in arms recognizes your shooting ability. If you are doing well, he tells you to leave some for him. If you are doing poorly, he asks when you’re going to shoot. If you’re getting killed, he prompts you to take cover. And, when you need to do something, he tells you what to do. The rest of the army fights, as well, so you don’t feel that you are a one man army in a sea of comrades. The enemies make decisions, come up on you, move to better cover and move to take a better shot. The AI in Killzone 2 is impressive and very well-done.

Immersion:
Some elements, such as the inability to understand what’s being said or the way the voices seem to come from the wrong places, take the player out of the moment. However, a game this graphically spectacular, does a great deal to create an immersive environment. The battle sounds all around certainly add to the ambiance and the camaraderie of the crew makes you care about your team. This does begin to work against you over time, however. As your crew gets pinned down, they don’t get killed off. There is a bond that is forged in the beginning and, of course, with your main helper, but there is no feeling of loss because of that bond.

Win/Lose States:
If you die in battle, you are revived where you died. There is little or no loss. Guns and ammo can be picked up throughout the environment. Trophies are earned for various tasks. There are optional tasks and collectibles in the environment for other prizes.

Cameras:
The camera offers a full 360 degree view as well as overhead views. If you look down, you can see your shadow, but not your feet. The camera swings easily, but not overly so. In the time that I played, I never ran into a camera glitch such as looking through a wall or being blocked by a nearby object.

Controls:
The controls are not as intuitive as some games. A few FPS’s that I’ve played have used R2 as the trigger, so I kept using R2 accidentally, which throws the grenades. The Up arrow guides your way if you don’t know which way to turn and the Triangle switches weapons. The learning curve is simply a little longer for players of other, similar, games simply because you have to re-learn the configuration.

Ideas:
The graphics are phenomenal, movement is smooth, aiming is perfection. Players have decisions in the form of picking up weapons and ammo and searching an area, but not much else. I could find nothing that indicated a lack of design or detail. But, I also didn’t find anything really new. The one thing on my wish list is that I wished, with all of the camaraderie, that some of your squadron would die and there would be a sense of loss. The game was realistic in all other ways, so this would make sense.

Memory:
If war games were my kind of game, I’m sure I’d be glued to Killzone 2. It’s an outstanding game.

#19 God of War III

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 20:02:53 +0100

#19 God of War III

Game Info

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: SCE Studios Santa Monica
Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure
Platform: PS3
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: March 16, 2010

Intro:
Silhouettes in gold and red or shadows in black against a gold and red background highlight this stylish introduction to God of War III. The opening soundtrack is epic, leading into the now well-known Kratos fight song.

Getting Going:
The opening cinematic graphics are so intense that it plays like a movie opening, rather than a created graphic. The controls will be familiar to God of War players, but an onscreen tutorial refreshes the memory and allows new players to jump right in.

Fun:
God of War III gets the player immediately into the action and into the story. Once again, the game just draws players through it with non-stop action and special moves.

Visuals:
The graphics are stunning in their realism and attention to detail. On-screen symbols do remind you that you’re playing a game, but make the game easier to play and allow the use of graphically amazing special moves. Some of the visuals are so perfect it seems as if you can see the pores in Kratos’ skin!

Sound:
The soundtrack repeats itself often, as does Kratos. God of War III is fully voice-acted; the actors well-chosen. The heartbeat of fight sounds plays heavily against the epic background fight music, carrying the player through battle with fantastic pacing.

Intelligence:
The God of War franchise kind of draws the player through and uses a sort of “simon says” method of performing special kills. While this takes away a bit from the intelligence of the player and completely destroys decision-making, it does generate an outstanding visual reward. Other enemies are very aware of the presence of Kratos and come after him. Light puzzle-solving keeps the player thinking throughout gameplay.

Immersion:
There are plenty of visual reminders that the player is playing a game and these reminders completely remove decision-making or the ability to just get into a zone and play. Technically, God of War III is not an immersive game. And yet, the non-stop action, incredible graphics and outstanding story make this game difficult to put down.

Win/Lose States:
If Kratos dies, the player is returned to the last checkpoint, which is usually the beginning of the fight or just before he fell to his death. Here again, we have the red orbs for currency/power-ups, blue for magic and green for health. There are things to find and weapons can be upgraded using the red orbs collected during battle and from smashing objects in the environment. Players can obtain trophies for various achievements throughout gameplay.

Cameras:
The player has no camera control. Occasionally, this is a problem. There are times during battle, for instance, when the ability to look around would be optimal. There are also times when you’re trying to navigate a ceiling climb and the ability to see where you are going, or need to go, would be very helpful.

Controls:
The controls are easy to learn and intuitive enough to use easily. Special moves have been created for bosses and mini-bosses which requires a follow-the-leader-type mini-game. The controls are smooth, getting Kratos where he needs to be, while some physics have been placed in battles and other areas of play to slow Kratos up or guide him in other ways. For instance, when he inevitably become human once again, he is exhausted and slowed. His forward movement becomes sluggish. One control issue always present in the God of War franchise is the amount of button mashing. For some enemies, spamming the circle button is the only way to succeed. Beyond the special moves, Kratos only has light and heavy attacks. This limits the player’s ability to make decisions or perform significant combo attacks.

Ideas:
I think a great deal about what makes a game immersive and it seems that a well-paced game produces that quality almost easier than a game that immerses you in the environment or puts the player in a zone. God of War III strikes me differently because it’s a great game despite the fact that it might not be considered great game design. It lacks camera angles and camera control. Onscreen control prompts keep the player well-aware that this is a game. Players are completely limited in choices and control. In short, it does very little to empower the player. And yet, God of War III is a blast to play. The graphics are phenomenal. The story is outstanding and each game in the franchise builds on the character of Kratos. The music is unforgettable. In short, what it might lack in design elements is made up for in player experience.

Memory:
Buy it for the graphics alone, if nothing else. Buy it because it’s fun. I will buy it because, for me, it’s the best of the series.

#7 Red Dead Redemption

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:33:14 +0100

#7 Red Dead Redemption

Game Info

Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar San Diego
Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Shooter
Platform: PS3
Players: 16
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: May 18, 2010

Intro:
A scarred gunslinger walks on the docks between two important-looking men. It is unclear whether he is under arrest, to be hanged, or to help. None of the men say anything. He carries all of his weapons with him and is un-detained in any way, so it would seem apparent that he’s not a wanted man, but he looks out of place with these gentlemen. He gets on a train at the station and finds himself seated in front of two uppity “classy” women and behind a reverend and a young girl. The pair in front seem bound for missionary work while the pair behind merely seem judgemental. Either way, it becomes apparent that bringing civilization, and God, to the savages is very important to the people of this western culture. “Class” is also highly important. A car being moved off of a boat, coupled with comments early in the game effectively set the time at the turn of the 20th Century.

Getting Going:
Off the train, John Marston walks to the saloon, meets up with his arranged guide, Jake, and heads out on horseback to a heavily-damaged Fort Mercer. Apparently, John is trying to “save” an old friend. As John gets on horseback, the player gets a mini-tutorial in gameplay while furthering the story and obtaining a backstory. The majority of this is conveyed through play and the tutorial doesn’t disrupt the action.

Fun:
Red Dead Redemption offers a western theme unseen in gaming, for the most part. It’s a sandbox game that gives a player an immersive historical experience. To that end, it is very engaging.

Visuals:
The cut scenes are brief and appropriate. The night sky is stunning. John’s character animations are very life-like and human. For example, when he is injured, he holds his side and grows more fatigued after activity. When he’s idle, he swats at bugs near his head or shows fatigue. There are moving windmills, tumbling tumbleweeds and all manner of wild animals including skunks and armadillos. There are even timely black and white movies to be watched. Small black X’s on the map show dead enemies and animals to be looted or skinned respectively. Footsteps in the sand behind you even let you see where you’ve just been. This is helpful if you wish to backtrack or if you are just trying to quickly get your bearings. Places can be noted on the map for easy travel, as well. Weather and time of day are also presented well throughout play.

Sound:
This game is huge and very carefully considered which becomes even more evident in the sound. Night sounds include crickets and background music enjoys a whistling music reminiscent of The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. There are times when spoken directions were difficult to hear over the action, but a briefing option in the game menu gives a perfect reminder.

Intelligence:
Some enemies are gunning for you, so they are aware of your presence. Enemies take cover and aren’t exceedingly predictable. Some animals seem to follow a certain track for a time and then change directions. Gunshots scare off animals, as do approaching horses. Animals are found in fitting environments and move with appropriate animations and speed. The environment is completely geographical, meaning that, not only are hills and valleys apparent, but horses and carts can fall down them. And, at one point, I shot a deer another rider was tracking. I didn’t get to skin the deer and it didn’t count toward my challenge ranking, but I was fascinated by that level of interaction with NPC’s in the game.

Immersion:
As a sandbox game, there is no limit to what the player can do. There are many challenges that can be completed, and pop-ups announce when one has been completed. This is a little disruptive to play, but overall, the sheer volume of decision-making available to the player should keep even casual players involved.

Rewards and Punishments:
I did receive a trophy for getting through the first level, which is basically just background and learning to move around. This has long been a personal grievance. Poorly timed trophies disrupt gameplay, but “thanks for playing” trophies are just insulting. Beyond that, however, players have many opportunities to find rewards. Challenges allow players to rank up for hunting and skinning certain animals. Hunting allows players opportunities to earn money. Fallen enemies, and animals, can be looted for valuables that can be sold in shops. Rooms can be rented in various cities. Honor levels affect communication with NPC’s whether they are friend or foe. A low honor rating, for instance, will allow you to get more out of a villain, while a high ranking will garner trust and help from town locals. Rented rooms also offer save points and trunks with extra ammo.

Cameras:
There is a 360 degree view and the ability to search the sky and ground. An R3 option allows you to slow down the action to get a better shot. There were times when I was aiming for a bird only to find my vision blocked by my horse’s head. And there are times when you can only look up and aim so far. The latter seemed to be proper physics rather than a game glitch, however.

Controls:
John can run, walk, leap over objects, crouch down, shoot, ride horseback, and shoot while driving a carriage. The controls were smooth and easy to learn with a relatively low learning curve. Reminders in the briefing keeps control at the players fingertips and the player in-game.

Ideas:
The biggest thing I’ve taken from Red Dead Redemption is the ability to take a foreign environment and create an immersive interactive experience for the player. Westerns are, of course, familiar to most players through movies. Many players playing war games have never been to war. Fantasy games immerse players in completely foreign environments.   It’s not a new concept in gaming. Red Dead Redemption, however, pushes the envelope more by creating a sandbox game that allows the player to explore. I think that, by taking the concept of a fantasy sandbox environment and merging it with a first person view in which the environment tells the story, similar to Bioshock, we can take immersive play to an entirely new level.

Memory:
I bought Red Dead Redemption new and will put many hours into it. If I had to advise a friend I’d say “Buy it because it takes gaming to a new level by providing a really well-done action Western environment with a bit of a story and a lot of player control.”

#15 God of War Collection

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:56:00 +0100

#15 God of War Collection

Game Info

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Bluepoint Games - SCE Santa Monica

Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure, Compilation

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: November 17, 2009

The God of War Collection is God of War and God of War II, re-mastered. The graphics have been given a complete overhaul, including improved lighting and texturing. Trophies have been added to gameplay, as well. Bonus features that were available from download or a second disc are available directly on this BluRay disc.

The graphics are astounding. There is no doubt about that. What made the God of War Collection really outstanding to me, however, was the placement of trophies. Trophies have been the bane of my gaming existence for a few reasons. More than once, I've earned a trophy without any effort at all. At least twice, I earned one for watching the game opening! That's ridiculous. I've also found that trophy announcements shock the player out of an already fragile immersive state. They are a startling reminder that you are playing a game. In the God of War Collection, however, the trophy is announced at the end of the level. While this still divides the game into parts, it is part of a culmination and doesn't feel quite as unexpected there.

#33 God of War II

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 19:31:31 +0100

God of War II

Game Info

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America

Developer: SCE Santa Monica
Genre(s): Third-Person Action, Adventure
Platform: PS2
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: March 13, 2007

Intro:
The intro is very brief, telling the backstory of Kratos, whose bitterness towards the gods of Olympus has grown. Kratos, is himself, a god now and the Spartans fight for him. But, Athena begs him to stop his wars on Earth, for he is angering the gods of Olympus, as well. When he turns a deaf ear to her, Kratos is attacked and shrunk to human size. He must now fight his way through human soldiers and battle against the Colossus that is attacking him and the city.

Getting Going:
Some of the controls have changed slightly since God of War, but the differences are not enough to cause difficulty. Gates are now opened with the circle button instead of R2, for instance. There appears to be less blood, but the blade graphics are infinitely more spectacular. Athena’s Blades are already maxed out at Level 5 and Poseidon’s Rage, a lightning attack, is also maxed at Level 3. Although the player has complete control of Kratos now, the entire first level is the tutorial phase of God of War II. Pop-ups reminding players of how to perform certain moves and magic or what the orbs do can be turned off, but effectively teach the player to play while allowing them to play.

Fun:
SCE spent a lot more time on amazing graphics and mechanics and less time on purposely frustrating the player. This is evident during play. Since it is immediately noticeable and the game is so graphically amazing, it would be difficult not to be “wowed” by God of War II as you move through it. The pacing is steady and action-packed. There is a great balance of challenge and simple hordes. God of War II immediately draws you in and makes you want to keep moving.

Visuals:
This is one of the places where God of War II really shines. Athena’s Blades are glorious as they cut through the armies of enemies. A shower of red orbs replaces the buckets of blood found in God of War and this is a little disappointing. While games do attempt to appeal to a wider audience and game violence is always a concern, the amount of blood in God of War was actually part of the attraction for me. The shower of red orbs was always present; it just seems to overtake the blood in this instance. Also, the flaming arrows from the archers appear to be more like red lasers as they fly at Kratos, even appearing to be a laser as the archers aim. This was an odd sight. Overall, however, the graphics are absolutely stunning. There are no odd asset placements to block Kratos’ passage. Everything is well-themed, nicely lit, and wonderfully textured. The fights are not limited to Earth and mortals, either. The variety of enemies is wonderfully exciting, while animations are smooth and rewarding.

Sound:
God of War II has a lot of bass. Like a heartbeat, the game draws you in and makes you a part of it. There were a few times when the gods were speaking to Kratos when I wished I had subtitles. There is a lot of voice-acting here, but some, such as Zeus, are a little muffled. The ambient sounds include the cries of humans in battle, grunts and catch-phrases, and battle sounds. There wasn’t much in the way of movement sounds, however.

Intelligence:
God of War II is rather linear even though, much of the time, this isn’t apparent. Kratos often gets locked in rooms with enemies until they are gone. Archers focus on Kratos with a vengeance and are extremely aware of his presence. But, it seems as if Kratos is also able to get a jump on the archers, at times, without a single fired arrow.

Immersion:
God of War II is so well-paced that the game progresses without much notice. There is a nice variety of action. While trophies are present in the game, they pop up at appropriate times which keeps the player immersed in gameplay and rewards the player for a level well-fought. Cinematics are brief and relevant to play.

Rewards and Punishments:
Blue orbs fuel Kratos’ magic; green orbs fill his health and red orbs are the currency of God of War II, allowing Kratos to power up his weapons and magic. Orbs can be obtained during battle or by opening crates and breaking objects. Special items, such as the Gorgon Eye, can be found in hidden crates in the environment. The Gorgon Eye is a collectible that allows Kratos to gain more HP. Some parts of gameplay will end up being both a reward and a punishment. To gain an object that is a required part of gameplay, Kratos loses some stats, for instance. Trophies (available in God of War Collection on PS3) are awarded at the end of a level, not in the midst of battle. Death during gameplay finds Kratos back at his last checkpoint. This is not overly punishing, since that checkpoint is usually the beginning of a battle or the most recent area Kratos was in rather than the last save point.

Cameras:
There is no map and no camera control. This makes if very difficult to see hidden objects. The player must also pay careful attention to landmarks to find their way around since the inability to swing around and look can make it otherwise impossible to find your bearings. Players must also be attentive to edges. Sometimes the way is blocked by an invisible wall. But, sometimes, Kratos simply plunges to his death.

Controls:
The controls are similar to God of War, although there have been some changes. Even so, the controls are relatively intuitive and easy to use. They are also repeated often enough in play to provide some degree of muscle memory. Most of the time, though, it is easy to see where Kratos has to go and to get him there. The physics are nearly perfect at every turn.

Ideas:
Although God of War II actually came in lower in ratings than God of War, it seems clear that SCE took what was great about the franchise and stepped it up a notch. I played God of War II from the God of War Collection, on PS3. The trophies were an addition and the graphics were improved in the PS3 version, but the core gameplay remained the same. Core gameplay in PS2 games seemed to be more about challenging the player, whereas gameplay mechanics now focus more on decision-making and innovative physics. God of War II makes great strides toward the more innovative physics and well-themed puzzles instead of challenging player skills. This, of course, allows games to appeal to a wider audience.

Memory:
I always liked the look of the God of War franchise. It’s a beat ‘em up with light puzzle-solving, a great story and light decision-making. God of War frustrated me to the point of quitting about half way through the game, however. While I miss the buckets of blood in God of War II, it remains a game that will be added to my collection and played through because of the effort made in improving play mechanics over player challenge.

#21 Devil May Cry

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:36:31 +0100

Devil May Cry

Game Info

Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Platform: PS2
Genre(s): Action
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Release Date: October 17, 2001

Intro:
Figures of flame move against a solid dark background, sometimes brandishing a sword, and sometimes, dual pistols. As the story begins, a mysterious woman jumps down from a building top. She looks down the street to a neon sign that says “Devil May Cry” in stylish lettering. The scene shifts to Dante sitting at his desk when the mysterious woman breaks down the wall using a red motorcycle. The opening effectively sets the scene for the story, but leaves a lot of unanswered questions. One assumes they’ll be answered by the time the game is completed, so it effectively draws you into play.

Getting Going:
Right away, grammatical errors in the subtitle text takes you out of the experience. Even though I’m a writer, I don’t usually feel the need to nitpick the writing of others, but in a polished game, errors like these stand out. Beyond this small faux pas, however, the game gets going fairly quickly. Dante finds himself on a path with only one way to go and the fighting is underway.

Fun:
For the purposes of the Challenge, fun is entertainment and engagement. Devil May Cry is both engaging and entertaining. The mechanics were fairly innovative for it’s time. Dante has the ability to launch his enemies into the air and then do air raid attacks, slice them up while airborne, or shoot them from below. He has Devil Trigger attacks which are specialty moves. In short, the player has been given a multitude of options and has decisions to make. This is most definitely not a simple button-mashing game.

Visuals:
Black outlines around characters make them look pasted onto the background. Beyond that, however, some of the enemies are absolutely stunning. The environments are creatively designed and wonderfully textured. Fight scenes contain dazzling and explosive visuals and enemies have been honored with pleasing death scenes. Treasures are well-lit and easy to spot.

Sound:
There is not a whole lot of voice-acting in Devil May Cry. One of the first things the player will notice, then, is that enemy sounds often continue after the fight song is over and all enemies are dead. This can be troublesome if the player finds himself looking around for leftover enemies. The music is haunting and adds wonderful pacing to the game, especially during fights. Enemies all have a unique “voice” whether it’s maniacal laughter or the sound of the clattering wood limbs of puppet enemies. The Alastor makes a satisfying crackle sound as would be expected of any lightning-enchanted sword. Dante’s dual pistols produce a loud and gratifying report. Dante’s footsteps sound against the stone walkways as he travels the halls. Dante, himself, delivers expected grunts and groans during fight scenes, demonstrating effort and drawing players into the character.

Intelligence:
Enemies, such as Nelo, wait for Dante and even bait him. But, most enemy attacks, while not particularly easy, are at least a bit predictable. Enemies respawn, which indicate that they know Dante has left and come back, but also offer opportunities for Dante to level up a great deal on easier enemies. Enemies can’t really be avoided, but, except in the case of bosses and mini-bosses, they tend to be mindless hordes for Dante to pass through.

Immersion:
Devil May Cry is a well-paced game that draws the player through the various levels with story-driven tasks to complete. Occasionally, it is annoying. Dante doesn’t always jump in the way you’d like him to and timing can be an issue. As a matter of fact, timing is absolutely the issue to complete some challenges. The map is a little hard to understand, making it difficult at times to find the right exit. When timing is also involved, the stress can push the player out of an immersive state quite easily. In other words, while Devil May Cry is fun to play, it’s difficult to forget that you are, in fact, playing a game with all of the required skills.

Rewards and Punishments:
Enemies drop red orbs and, sometimes green orbs. Green orbs are used instantly as health. Red orbs are the currency of Devil May Cry. The more Dante earns, the faster he can buy more skills. Some items can be broken and release blue orb fragments. They are usually a quarter of a blue orb. Once all four fragments are found, Dante’s vitality increases. If Dante dies in battle, yellow orbs can be used to revitalize him, allowing Dante to try again. Once all yellow orbs are utilized, however, Dante remains dead and the game is over. Play will restart at the last save, which should be the beginning of the mission, so players will simply have to replay the mission.

Cameras:
The cameras are the one place where Devil May Cry fails miserably. Players have no control over the camera which is sometimes behind Dante, sometimes to the side of him, and sometimes in front of him. One second, the player is pushing the joystick forward to encourage forward motion, and the next it is switched because the camera angle has changed. Sometimes it is unclear where Dante is going because the camera is in front of him, blocking the view. Occasionally, though, it would just be nice to be able to look around for treasure or to run directly where you intended to. At times, the changing angle of the camera also makes it difficult to get your bearings.

Controls:
Because of the difficulty with the cameras, mentioned above, Devil May Cry is not always easy to control. This occurs mostly during regular gameplay, not during fight scenes, however. Fight scenes are well-orchestrated and the mechanics flow smoothly. Button-mashing is actually discouraged by a fight grading system which grades the player’s choices from Dull to Stylish! For the most part, Dante jumps when and where you want him to jump, shoots when you call for it, and performs the attacks you wish him to. He is easily steered through obstacles smoothly.

Ideas:
Devil May Cry does an excellent job of telling a story without long cut scenes. Players are drawn through the story and gameplay by completing missions that involve discovery and very light puzzle-solving. There is very little decision-making involved in exploration, but this is made up for during battles which offer a variety of combo options and resulting play mechanics. Some of those mechanics remain completely ingenious to this day .

Memory:
While I can see why Devil May Cry makes the grade, the timing and occasional frustration level involved in play eventually made me quit. There is also one fight early on with the Phantom which can be impossible to win without the right power-ups. The player is never made aware of how tough it is to win, especially given the fact that they’d just defeated this opponent. Players should not have to seek a walkthrough for this kind of information as it takes them out of gameplay. All information should be at their fingertips. Indeed, players should have the ability either through menus or found items to see enemy stats. This gives the player more feedback than progress in the current fight. A failed fight might demonstrate improved progress during the retry. A win feels more victorious when progress is clearly shown, especially if the battle was a difficult one.

#23 Madden NFL 2004

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:21:36 +0100

Madden NFL 2004

Game Info

Publisher: EA Sports

Developer: Electronic Arts - Tiburon

Platform: PS2

Genre(s): Sports, Football

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: August 11, 2003

As has become my usual with franchise games, I will not write a complete dissection of Madden NFL 2004. It is similar to Madden NFL 2003 in too many ways. The intro begins the same as in 2003 and leads directly into the main menu, where players will immediately choose a team. After the game saves and the main menu comes up, we begin to see what's new in 2004. There are new features in the Online Play and in the Franchise menu. The Franchise mode now has an Owner's Mode. Training Camp is also new. Training Camp is similar to Mini-Camp except now the player can level up the stats of certain players doing player-specific drills. The Features menu also features a new Create-A-Team mode and Historic Teams.

In actual play, we find greatly improved graphics including close-up views of coaches on the field as well as load screen pictures of actual players. For enthusiasts, this game now offers even more control over the coaching and franchise experience with the Owners Mode, Create-A-Player and Training Camp. Player animations are improved, giving a better feel for actual control in gameplay. Flashing colors over the receiver icons let the QB know who's open at a glance.

Sound has lost some of it's luster in this version, however. A challenge on a play found my referee so quieted that he was difficult to hear. Overall, however, Madden NFL 2004 delivers a sound football experience for those who like these games.

Ideas:

I don't know if I've mentioned this in another dissertation, but EA's assets are easy to spot in a multitude of EA Sports games. Although the games in the Burnout franchise are developed by Criterion Games, Madden's kicking gauge duplicates the engine rev gauge in one of the Burnout games exactly. Burnout and SSX feature identical arrow markers to guide player movement. This creates player familiarity and an intuitive user interface while ostensibly saving the company time and money.

#13 Madden NFL 2003

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:19:36 +0100

Madden NFL 2003

Game Info

Publisher: EA Sports

Developer: Electronic Arts - Tiburon

Platform: PS2

Genre(s): Sports, Football

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: August 13, 2002

Intro:

There is no real intro to Madden NFL 2003 at all. The EA Sports logo pops up with a voice-over that says "EA Sports. It's in the game.", followed by a virtual football player who says the same thing. The main menu then comes up, overlayed by a save message. It's an effective beginning which keeps the player in mind. The player wants to play football, not watch it. EA gets them directly into the game.

Getting Going:

The main menu features all of the various playing modes:

Play Now

Game Modes
Features
Settings
Inside EA Sports

In 'Play Now', the player will choose his teams, the logos he'd like use, and then the game begins. Load screens feature the controls menu for ease of use. The Game Modes screen brings up a new menu:

Mini-Camp
Online
Franchise
Tournament
2-Minute Drill
Football 101
Practice
Situations

In Mini-Camp, players will get on Madden's bus and travel to various locations to perform drills and game situations for trophies and a number score. Doing well in Mini-camp will give players extra skills during the game and the opportunity to earn rewards makes these mini-games feel more like play than practice. Franchise mode is the "story mode" of Madden NFL 2003. Here, players can select their roster, build a playbook and draft players with the help of their scouts. They can play through 30 years of their franchise, building it as they go. Football 101 teaches novice players about plays and what to watch for.

Fun:
Although I'm not a sports game fan in general, I've run into many gamers whose only interest is in sports games such as the Madden NFL franchise. For them, the game is fun. For me, it's not. If fun is defined, for the purposes of the challenge, as a game that gets players emotionally involved, then I imagine that hardcore sports fans feel very emotionally involved with Madden NFL. It's a natural extention of the season and a great opportunity to get in on the action.

Visuals:
The crowd is a distant sea of movement; more shapes in the distance, than form. The field, however, is well-defined and the players vaguely recognizeable. You won't be able to pick out the face of a favorite player, but the familiar numbers and names on the jerseys can be easily read. Play animations don't look too canned and care has been given to make this feel like a Monday Night Football game. The weather is listed before the game begins and stats are put up on-screen for easy reference. Plays are marked well, as are the receivers during a play.

Sound:
All of the games are announced by the dream team of Madden and Michaels. Perspective of the game seems to be one of a coach who is calling plays and watching the game play out. Commentary of play choices and the results are given clearly by Madden and Michaels throughout play, in keeping with a live football broadcast. The only thing missing is names. While a name is occasionally used for a player; more often, the player's number is merely announced, instead. The name is on the screen during a play, however. Load screens carry with them a rocking musical soundtrack with all songs receiving credit for song and artist.

Intelligence:
Nothing about Madden NFL 2003 is given to the player. Players choose plays whether they are receiving or defending. A slot of time is allotted for play choices so the player can't wait all day. If the Quarterback holds the ball, he gets sacked. If the ball is thrown too soon, it might be intercepted or fumbled. What the game may lack in graphics compared to more recent games, it makes up for in game design that sticks to the theme and the apparent goal of making the player part of the game.

Immersion:
The theming and pacing of Madden NFL 2003 effectively draws players into the football world and makes them part of the game. It doesn't make them feel the pain. It doesn't give the player an authentic football player experience. What it does do, is use the sound of the crowd and the commentary alongside real game events such as penalties and flags to put the player in a familiar setting while making them a part of the action. In doing so, Madden NFL 2003 uses symbols above the recievers which makes it easier to play, but slightly less immersive. I didn't feel this could be avoided, however. There really isn't another way, in the heat of action, to intuitively know which button to push to reach a given reciever.

Cameras:
The camera moves with the action, with very little control from the player. However, it manages to give that angled overhead third person view that lets the player feel like they are watching their favorite team play, while still being a part of the play action.

Controls:
The controls are simple and fairly intuitive. Menu buttons are displayed over receivers for easy decision-making at crucial moments. Load screens display the controller menu for quick updates, as well. The game plays smoothly and never feels as if it fails to do what the player intended, even if the play doesn't succeed.

Ideas:
I didn't really have any until I wrote the immersion section. What if the player could experience football from the point of view of a real player? What is it like to be Brett Favre? To hear the roar of the crowd or the fight song? What is it like to do the Lambeau Leap? What's going on in a player's head during a game and what does it sound like on the field? What does it look like during the rush? The sheer volume of players on 32 teams would make pleasing the player somewhat difficult. How would one choose which players to include? But, a first person football game, perhaps with the sound of the real football player "talking to himself" in your ear, would add a new dimension to the Madden football franchise.

Memory:
I'm not going to become a Madden franchise fan just because a game is richly designed, but I do find it's becoming easier to recognize design choices and good design in games as I play through the ones I don't like. Madden NFL 2003 is richly themed and well attended to. It brings to mind the constant failure of movie-based games. After all, a football game is as familiar, if not more, to fans as any movie. Yet, EA manages to find every important element of the game's experience and include that in the game and the player's experience. If, as John Romero says, "Design is Law", then player experience is key. It seems movie-based games could learn from games such as Madden NFL.