Earthbound and Dune 18.11.17

Once again I'm making excuses for not writing this in a while but in my defence I've managed to start recording a lot more footage of me playing games, which has been a steep learning curve in hooking up old consoles and finding interesting things to say about games, which I've found much harder than I thought it would be. Check out our youtube channel if you've got the time

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk4B6QFpf3RAYnCbU7Fo0iA

Anyway I have played a ton of Super Mario Odyssey (Switch) since its release and I absolutely love it. I've completed it in the conventional sense, and have the option to buy every costume to dress Mario up in so I'm now at the point where i'm getting moons (the games main collectable) just for the fun of it while also getting precious coins to buy the last couple of bits to make Mario look different. Its not done to Mario what Breath of the Wild did for Zelda, in that its not really reinvented that much rather build and refine on Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 64. It turns out though that thats all thats needed to make a fantastic game, the hat capturing mechanic which has been added replaces power ups from previous games and isn't as revolutionary as it at first looks, instead of a penguin suit or a propeller hat Mario now inhabits creatures which give him similar powers. What this leads to is some fantastic level design, whole areas of the kingdoms visited are designed around using a certain creature and its here that the game can feel completely different from a traditional Mario game, or any platformer i've played. Weird jumping plants, fantastical caterpillars and little woodpeckers all get significant use in really inventive ways. The game also follows previous Mario games by introducing truly brilliant ideas and not overusing them, they appear later when the game opens up to a whole new scale but never feel repetitive. I've found the game refined to the the point of almost perfection, every little space in ever level is there for a reason and will offer up something unique, charming or useful. 

By using a range of art styles throughout the game, from realism which hasn't been touched on to more cartoony looks (which in one area looks heavily influenced by Grow Home) it makes the journey seem even more unique and every level I got to felt completely different. On top of this there are 8bit sections thrown in throughout which are stylish and offer a different challenge. The story itself isn't too much of a diversion from the usual Mario stuff although near the end it offers a variation of the Peach as a damsel in distress plot which had become a little bit dated. Two events as it led toward the games first conclusion had me beaming with joy. There is, like Super Mario 3D World a platforming challenge which is a culmination of everything learned in the game. It's completely optional, but I felt impulsed to complete it and after hours of failed jumps I got through it, it wasn't hard for hards sake and while seemingly impossible at first is totally doable which practice and a bit of luck. The game also offers no barriers to ability, from what I understand infinite Moons can be purchased from shops in the world (for the coins Mario collects all the time), its refreshing to see in a world of achievements and micro transactions. 

The only (and this is really slight) thing I don't love about the game is the foot races against Koopa's, they are a bit too tricky for me and I don't see myself going through the process of completing them all. Thats completely my taste though and i'm sure plenty of people enjoy them. 

In complete contrast to the above game I played and finished Sonic Forces (Nintendo Switch) in no time at all. Infuriating at times, for all the wrong reasons, jumps are hard to make and targeting enemies seems like a dice roll. Levels are at times really bland and while there is a lot of them areas seem to be reused all the time. It looks alright and some of the music was okay. The story is self serious to the point of being the one reason I didn't hate the game, it goes through an extensive catalogue of Sonic characters and gives them all a bit of screen time. The character creator is alright too. Nothing else really grabbed me. The final boss was a pain in the ass but then thats par for the course of a 3D sonic title for me.

Earthbound and Dune 23.10.17

With a little bit of spare time over the past week I played some Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4), I was dubious about starting another long, open world game and initially glad I'd had a decent break between Breath of the Wild and this game. It starts out very traditionally, given a limited area to play in with not many tools it provides an environment to learn the basics, explain why the main character inherits a bluetooth headset and show of how beautiful the game looks. At the same time I was really impressed with the character work, straight away I felt invested in the main character and her father figure. Things moved along pretty briskly over the first four hours or so, introducing robot dinosaurs, at the moment the game hasn't really explained them beyond they look cool, I'm looking forward to reasoning behind the grazing forms of these machines. The plot aimed toward a proving, or test for my character and once that had happened things got a lot more serious. I'm in two minds about how the game actually plays, combat is good, a lot of use of a bow and the melee attack takes some getting used too. Running about is good and its fun once I gained the ability to ride about on robot dinosaurs. Climbings a massive pain in the ass, especially as Breath of the Wild (Its slightly unfair to use such a fantastic game as a comparison) was so strong on the go anywhere/climb anything philosophy. In Horizon its not really clear what can be climbed, so I spend a lot of time awkwardly jumping up the sides of rock faces, it just looks odd. I say its not clear, but then it is in places, some rock faces and structures have been coloured yellow and these are signs that I can jump up. This leads to my main issue with the game so far, its giving the illusion of being an open world game in the vein of Metal Gear Solid V (another amazing game) but actually so far its been restricting what I can do and where I can go. I'll preserver for now, I'm about 6 hours in, but I'm still awaiting the game really clicking for me. That I'm accepting of spending a good chunk of time with a game to really start enjoying it isn't a great thing. 

The other main issue I have with this game is the menus on top of menus, upgrades and perks are continually being offered to me and thats cool, but it all got overly complex. I've mentioned another game which was quite restrictive on how much you can carry but Horizon takes it to a whole new level by requiring crafting of individual pouches for medicines, ammo, perks and materials. I found it all quite overwhelming and not that intuitive. I'm going to carry on with it because the game looks beautiful, the characters are interesting and there has been a few moments that in action the game plays really well, especially an early assault on an enemy camp. It's a game thats got a lot going for it but i'm not sure how much of thats for me.

I finished Golf Story (Switch) in quite a hefty seventeen hours. This came as quite a shock to me as I don't really know where the time went, it was a joyous experience throughout full of funny moments and different ways of interpreting the actions of a golf game into an RPG. It got glitchy in places, I froze up in conversations a few times and had Birdie Chance burnt into the screen for a section of the game strangely. Nothing game breaking but rather annoying. The final "boss" of the game was much harder than anything I'd played leading up to it and took me a number of attempts, at first I couldn't imagine completing it but then with a little bit of strategy, the wind in my favour and a glorious Eagle at the last I did it and the game wrapped up. It was strange that two of the main early story beats weren't really mentioned, one I thought would have been addressed (unless I missed some side quest). On the whole I really enjoyed the game, it was engaging and well written throughout. Well worth the price for entry. 

Earthbound and Dune 10.10.17

Where to start? After a long break from writing any kind of update, for no particular reason either.

The summer has been spent playing some great games, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, Sonic Mania and Mario X  Rabbids: Kingdom Rush to name a few. Whereas the summer tends to be a wasteland for decent things to play and more to catch up on earlier in the year. This year it’s really felt like the quality of games over the has improved and made a year when personally I’ve been struggling to be inspired to play a lot of video games seem a lot better. Sonic Mania was an absolute joy to play, apart from the last two levels. The first chapter of the new Life is Strange was a fantastic story and one I wasn’t expecting to like as much as I did, and real surprise! Finally in terms of surprises Mario X Rabbids is a wonderfully addictive strategy game where the biggest surprise is how some of the Rabbid humour has stuck and actually made me laugh.

So onto what I’ve actually been playing recently and the last week or so I’ve played a ton of Golf Story (Switch). An RPG which is built around a more traditional three click way of playing golf, neither the depth of the golf or the RPG is enough to make a great game but by combining the two it finds a sweet spot where the game is funny, charming and addictive. The writing is very amusing, the sense of humour is very self depreciating both to the sport of golf and the characters. Every achievement made in the game is downplayed by the supporting cast, from your drive being too short to when you finally win a tournament. The early hours of the game are all perfectly fine but the game really hits its stride when it builds a relationship between the character being played, the coach, your rival and her coach. There is a particularly memorable dinner scene between the four. 

The game itself beyond the story isn’t as much golf as I was expecting, playing a few rounds here and there, interspersed with less traditional tasks like hunting for treasure and hitting targets. That being said the golf in the game is perfectly serviceable and when I was playing rounds in tournaments and against other characters it was exciting and fun, more so because the sport is used so sparingly. It also introduces disk golf, which was at first infuriating as the game has a whole new system of mechanics for it. Once I picked it up though it was a nice respite from other tasks. 

The game is nothing special to look at, suffering slightly from an oversaturated market on 16bit style games, but still has a certain charm. The courses themselves have a nice variety on traditional grass courses. The music is the worst part of an otherwise great game, the looping of the music on some levels can sound a bit like a child practicing an instrument. Sound effects are great though and the HD rumble is used to great effect!

By the looks of it I’d say at around 6 hours in Im half way through the game and it’s only getting better as I go. 

Posted by Pip

Earthbound and Dune 10.07.17

Snuck in a bit of time with Until Dawn (PS4) this week. Taking cues from a classic teen horror setup it placed me in control of various characters as the holidayed on a imposing mountain. In the prologue to the main game while introducing the controls it also introduces the core concept of the game, choice is a massive part of it. Do I wake one sleeping party goer when I see something freaky outside the window or warn everyone else at the party? (that one seemed quite simple). It also throws in the choice of path, go the quick route or the safe, the quick tended to be, so far, a sequence of quick time events while the safe was wrapped in more tension. The opening to the game ends in a choice that I can only assume has to end one way, it seemed quite important to what comes next. That didn't take much away from the devastating consequences of my choice. Once in the main game it continues down the same path a lot of choices while being introduced to a divisive cast. I could tell instantly I was going to like certain characters more than others and as I get further into the game and the fate of the characters rests in my choices it will be interesting to see where it goes. Running parallel to the main story is a psychiatrist’s evaluation of an unknown (at the moment) patient I liked this a lot, again your given the choice between different scenarios as it builds a picture of the character your playing, its a cool respite from the tension on the mountain as well as one of better integrations of the touch pad on a PS4 controller. My only complaint so far is that its another game which talks me through the butterfly effect for way too long, surely a concept everyone has a grasp of from years of it being used in film, television and video games.

 

I happened upon a copy of Tin Tin in Tibet (Megadrive) in a second hand store and picked it up on a whim. It’s a pretty decent looking late Megadrive game, looking close to a video game form of the books. It uses a neat mechanic where Tin Tin can run toward the camera to avoid things like children running with suitcases on they're heads. It’s a cool use of perspective in the game and makes the platforming, which has been basic early on, a little more interesting. Haven't got too far in it, ended up banging my head again what is probably a fairly simple puzzle but its an interesting game and worth checking out.

 

I was really excited about the announcement of Micro Machines World Series (PS4) I love the original game and its 16bit sequels but with the transition to 3D I felt the series lost its way quite a bit. My main problem with where it went was the more weapon heavy driving that was introduced which distanced itself from the original games and there focus on driving skill and remembering the numerous courses. I should have reserved some of my excitement for this latest entry it turns out, it again is focused heavily on combat, with missiles and mines being an option I couldn't turn off. There isn't a huge amount of courses on offer either, which is a shame and more predictably the machine used on each course is no longer limited, so there is the option to pit tanks against fire trucks etc. I couldn't stand my first few races, the first issue I had was that I was thrown into online play, with little knowledge that was what I was doing, even more confusingly I could pause the game so I stopped to check the controls and found myself being obviously lapped. The controls in trying to feel like the original series felt way too squirrelly, or at least for an analogue stick. I noticed after a couple of online games that everyone was tending to use the tanks so I gave that a go instead and found the driving a lot easier and they weren't significantly slower. I also found the meagre single player offering in the game (one off races against AI) which gave me the chance to practice a little but without any real purpose. There’s loot crates in the game, because this is 2017 and these unlock things that also cost a currency which I can't really work out how to earn? like new voice lines, skins and colours. The mode which most resembles the older games is the elimination racing, which the aim is to squeeze other racers off the screen. This was more fun, especially online, and tends to be where I gravitate to when I play the game now. I hate to add another annoyance to a list but I've not found a way of continuing to play with a group of racers I'm racing with either, so the game boots me back to searching for a match every time I finish a race. Its all a bit of a shame, because I feel the original games had something unique about them which could really work now.

 

 

 

Earthbound and Dune 24.06.17

So, once again I've not done this in a long while, the mixture of blazing heat and too much work hasn't deterred me from video games though. 

ARMs (Switch) was something that I'd made a pact with myself not to buy or play long ago, something about the connection with waggling Wii controllers in my mind didn't feel right. Nintendo made the wise decision to run a live demo over the weekends before release though and a few bouts in this arcady fighter and I was preordering to confirm my hypocrisy. Now its been out for a week or so I'm totally in love with its brand of accessible fighting. The caveat to this is that I jumped off of the motion controls pretty much instantly. Its a game which success relies heavily on the movement of the characters, don't be confused by the titular body part this game rewards the use of the legs. Each character has a double jump of sorts, theres a risk reward to jumping a lot as it leaves the fighter open to the opponents often devastating special, a meter builds up during the fight and with a button tap can unleash a flurry of blows to and unguarded fighter. The rock, paper, scissors mechanics are running throughout the game beyond this, punches can be blocked, blocks can be thrown and throws can be punched (if that makes any sense). The content seemed a little threadbare, theres a traditional arcade mode, a succession of fights & mini games leading to a boss battle, which gets ramped up beyond level 4 difficulty. Along with standard one on one fights, selecting a couple of mini games and a robust online offering. Mostly I've stuck with the arcade mode for now as its been my commuting game of choice and I've found a lot of depth in it. Reading the characters and there strengths is a big part of it, heavier opponents can destroy characters at close range so keeping distance is crucial whilst at the same time weighing up the risk of going in close for a flurry of blows to knock off the last remnants of health. This is where the game leaps above other fighting games in my opinion, fights never seem pointless or overwhelming theres always a chance to win (and the special meter carries across rounds so even when being destroyed I'm earning a currency to take into the next) and at the same time there is very little certainty of of a victory. In a good way i've found myself running away in a fight only to be pegged back and beaten because I'd got cocky or lazy in my attempts to whittle away the last snippet of health. 

It almost certainly won't be a game for everyone, the value proposition is a valid point i've seen raised (but with free DLC on the way that might be less of an issue), but I'm really liking the game. The character design has oodles of Nintendo charm, Byte and Bark is an Amiibo in waiting surely and the music is some of the most catchy stuff produced in a while. In a year where I'm already trying to quantify some of the best games I've played in a long time this game has thrown itself into the ring and is punching well above its weight.

Oh... Sir! Insult Simulator First 15 minutes.

Insults fly thick and fast as we learn to love 'Oh... Sir! Insult Simulator' in its first 15 minutes. 

First Learning to Love Games Stream, This one is done to celebrate the release of Friday the 13th:The Game