Yea, I know it's late in coming, but here it is: my fallout 3 review.
First off, let me explain why it took so long to come up with a comprehensive review. This game is absolutely massive. Also, with the fact that there are expansions now, it seems like a good thing that I had a chance to experience them as well. It also helps that patches were released that made the game more stable, as the initial release was prone to crash easily, and repetitively in some cases.
With that out of the way, let's dig into this game shall we?
If you haven't played Fallout 3 yet, You are missing something special. Forget all the nay-sayers who preach on about how this game betrays certain things in the fallout universe, this game is a technical achievement in video games whose scope hasn't been seen since games like morrowind and oblivion.
Let's start with that, Fallout 3 runs on a modified version of the same engine that powered oblivion. Due to this, there are striking similarities between the two games. Missions, character interactions, combat (outside of VATS), zone loading, and much of the graphics are handled the same way. The game looks like oblivion was just nuked all to hell at some point. This threw me off at first, because the game FEELS almost exactly like oblivion, but what they've done with the graphics engine is absolutely stunning.
Fallout 3's graphics are essentially powered by shaders. Everything in the game uses them to render what you see. The pip boy itself is all shaders, including the display. To this end, however, FO3 can be pretty brutal on hardware. I noticed that leaving HDR on would cause crashing to happen more often, for example. Even with HDR off, it's a sight to behold. Nuka cola quantums won't glow anymore, but it's almost negligible when you are looking at the world as a whole.
This is one of those games that begs you to explore. If you stick to the story of the game, it's easy to complete the game in 6 hours, but the game world is considerably massive in comparison. Even after a year of playing this game, I'm still yet to uncover everything in this game.
Then there's the expansion packs. In a lot of games, expansions amount to little more then a new dungeon and some new booty, but packs like 'The Pitt' and 'Pointlookout' are expansive worlds in their own rite.
This game can easily suck away hundreds of hours if you let it. On top of that there are seemingly limitless items to collect, trade, and repair. You can even make a few from random junk you find littering the world.
The game also allows you to build your character any way you see fit. You can dump skill points into lockpicking and stealth if you with to go that route, or you can push for a brute, and dump everything into weapons abilities and damage reduction. And through the karma system, how you treat the world has real consequences. The hardest way I've found to play is to go for a completely neutral character based around bartering, but this too can be accomplished.
All in all, this was the best game of the year last year, and it still brings me back every day for at least an hour, to explore this dreamlike world of ruin.
Technical score - 90%
Game play score - 95%
Monday, December 28, 2009
UStream channel
Game.Hack on Youtube
Wow, I completely forgot about this blog for a year! Anyway, we've started 2 new shows on youtube that can be found HERE.
Game.Hack is all about repairing old consoles and finding glitches in video games that are useful. We are actually into the second season now. New episodes are in the works, but with our filming time reduced to nill at the moment, we have to try other things.
We've Never Played this is another new show where, as the title states, we play a game we've never played before. Episode 1 is on the lightgun game 'gumshoe'.
Other projects in the works are:
We are restarting the 'Independent Airsoft League' series (episode 1 can be found on google video).
'The Island of Dr. Reddman' is a science show inspired by the likes of mr. wizard and bill nye the science guy. Though we will inject a bit more madness into our science, and cover topics that lend themselves to dramatic physics demonstrations.
All in all, the most I've been doing lately video-wise is planning and writing out ideas. Once we get some serious footage, I can sit down and work on the actual meat and potatoes of the matter.
-=Reddman=-
Game.Hack is all about repairing old consoles and finding glitches in video games that are useful. We are actually into the second season now. New episodes are in the works, but with our filming time reduced to nill at the moment, we have to try other things.
We've Never Played this is another new show where, as the title states, we play a game we've never played before. Episode 1 is on the lightgun game 'gumshoe'.
Other projects in the works are:
We are restarting the 'Independent Airsoft League' series (episode 1 can be found on google video).
'The Island of Dr. Reddman' is a science show inspired by the likes of mr. wizard and bill nye the science guy. Though we will inject a bit more madness into our science, and cover topics that lend themselves to dramatic physics demonstrations.
All in all, the most I've been doing lately video-wise is planning and writing out ideas. Once we get some serious footage, I can sit down and work on the actual meat and potatoes of the matter.
-=Reddman=-
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Game Reviews - Dead Space
I'll start out by saying this: I'm not much of a survival horror fan. That out of the way, I was presented with Dead Space this week; a survival horror game set in outer space. Now this sort of gave me a strange feeling as the horror genre always seems to end up in space when they have run out of ideas. A perfect example of this is one of the later Friday the 13'th movies where Jason Voorhees (the main big bad of the series) goes to space. It's sort of like when Earnest went to camp... with lots of gore and death.
In Dead Space, you play as the guy wearing the mask and using various cutting tools for combat. You play as Isaac Clarke (science fiction reference obviously intended) some sort of space engineer working on a repair vessel that is about to dock with a gigantic 'planet cracker' type mining vessel. And when I say 'gigantic' I mean that it's obvious that the ship is far to large for whatever power systems its using, because there either seems to be far to few lights that are dim at best, or the guy that built it was some sort of blind cave insect. But, that's all par for the course right?
This is the first survival horror game I've played since Resident Evil 4 released on the Gamecube. I have been a PC gamer for most of my life and I have never gotten used to using joystick nubs to aim in over the shoulder games. Without a mouse and keys, I feel like my character has lost all concept of manual dexterity. So, when I got Dead Space for the PC, it was really my first time playing this sort of game seriously.
Since I'm not one for storyline, I'll get this out of the way fast. You are an engineer, trying to fix a busted up really really big vessel full of monsters and your ex girlfriend and some crew mates fit into the equation somehow. The bottom line is, there's not much storyline here, just enough to keep the pace going.
Now with that done, lets dig into the real meat and potatoes of this game. I'll start with the controls. Honestly, this is about the only low point in this game technically. The mouse always feels like it's lagging; however, as soon as you hit the button to ready and aim the weapon, the mouse seems to become much more precise. I sort of took this as an intentional design decision to recreate that feeling in a dream when it feels like you are trying to run through some sort of ether. Honestly, it's not that bad and doesn't really distract from the experience too much. It just feels sort of console-ish because of it. Running, strafing, using, picking up... all works just fine, standard fare. Using the weapons, on the other hand, is a new ballgame. This game has what they call 'strategic dismemberment. To understand why that's important, you must first understand that the enemies are basically aliens infecting the dead and taking control of them. A few well placed shots to the head will just make it angrier; however, if you specifically target limbs and blow them off, you can slow them down, and make them essentially ineffective and then they just sort of die off. To do this you acquire various engineering and mining tools like the plasma cutter, or the ripper which is essentially a remote controlled circular saw blade. The weapons and the ways you use them is absolutely a blast to experience, but you aren't limited to just weapons, oh no, you also have telekinetic powers (think: gravity gun from HL2 series) and the ability to slow time. The former can be used to pick up various items like boxes, explosive canisters, or even enemies and their body parts and fire them at enemies that were unlucky enough to still be alive, and the later can be used to freeze enemies or objects in the game to get a more strategic position on them.
I've only scratched the surface of Dead Space, so on to graphics. This game is stunning to look at. The PC version runs brilliantly in high graphical detail on an 8000 series Nvidia card and a single core CPU without a problem. Every little detail is there, from the bumpiness on Isaac's suit to the text readout on his chest plate under his chin that you can actually read if you get close enough... the texturing and graphics on display here are incredible. The lighting engine is also one of the best I have seen this year. It's not Bioshock, but it certainly achieves what it sets out to do. Animations and physics are good. In zero gravity, blood flows out naturally, it's all very believable. Isaac feels just right when he's moving about, as if his suit really has a good bit of weight to it. Enemies are properly gruesome and slicing them apart is duly satisfying. The camera controls are more for cinematic effect then anything, and sometimes it can be a fight all of its own to get just the right prospective on something, especially in zero gravity areas. The last, and certainly not least aspect of graphics is how this game handles the heads up displays and in game menu screens. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING you need to know is naturally integrated into the game itself. There is absolutely no heads up display as we know it. Health, and stasis levels are shown as a tube along Isaac's spine and a small semicircle to the right of that respectively. Air supply (not the band!) is shown as a small screen that projects out of Isaac's suit in the back near the neck when needed. Ammunition is shown when the weapon is brought to the ready position as another small projected screen coming off the weapon. Maps, inventory, communications, and logs are show as screens projected in front of Isaac so he can easily see them. Even save spots, work benches, and stores are completely integrated in this way. This factor is what makes Dead Space just that much more immersive.
Next I'll poke at the game play gnomes. The game plays well, but it is soon apparent that Dead Space is a mash up of other popular games. the kinesis ability is straight out of Half Life 2, and stasis is from... well... just about every other game. the 'over the shoulder' combat and inventory system is VERY Resident Evil 4. And zero gravity/manipulating gravity is reminiscent of Prey. These are not bad points, however, as Dead Space pulls each one off in it's own way. The only game play gripe I really have with this game is that I thought it was supposed to be horror. Sure, there are a few jump out scares, but once you get the ripper and learn to use it compounded with Isaac's superhuman kinesis and stasis abilities... the gruesome enemies just don't seem to pose that much of a threat. There are quick time events, however they are very simple and well integrated. If an enemy gets close enough to grapple with you, you basically have to mash the 'use' key until Issac fends them off. With the special abilities, strategic dismemberment mechanics, integrated information displays, and radical gravitational situations, game play is handled quite competently.
It all really boils down to is even while this game takes a cue from some games and blatantly rips off others it still manages to create something new and fresh. It is at the same time like many things you have played, and like nothing you have played before. It may not be the best game of the year, but it's definitely something you'll want to play this year.
Technical score: 85%
Game Play Score: 80%
Disclaimer: All IP's are properties of their respective owners. All names used under 'Fair Use'. Reddman is NOT affiliated with any of these people outside of playing and commenting on their games.
In Dead Space, you play as the guy wearing the mask and using various cutting tools for combat. You play as Isaac Clarke (science fiction reference obviously intended) some sort of space engineer working on a repair vessel that is about to dock with a gigantic 'planet cracker' type mining vessel. And when I say 'gigantic' I mean that it's obvious that the ship is far to large for whatever power systems its using, because there either seems to be far to few lights that are dim at best, or the guy that built it was some sort of blind cave insect. But, that's all par for the course right?
This is the first survival horror game I've played since Resident Evil 4 released on the Gamecube. I have been a PC gamer for most of my life and I have never gotten used to using joystick nubs to aim in over the shoulder games. Without a mouse and keys, I feel like my character has lost all concept of manual dexterity. So, when I got Dead Space for the PC, it was really my first time playing this sort of game seriously.
Since I'm not one for storyline, I'll get this out of the way fast. You are an engineer, trying to fix a busted up really really big vessel full of monsters and your ex girlfriend and some crew mates fit into the equation somehow. The bottom line is, there's not much storyline here, just enough to keep the pace going.
Now with that done, lets dig into the real meat and potatoes of this game. I'll start with the controls. Honestly, this is about the only low point in this game technically. The mouse always feels like it's lagging; however, as soon as you hit the button to ready and aim the weapon, the mouse seems to become much more precise. I sort of took this as an intentional design decision to recreate that feeling in a dream when it feels like you are trying to run through some sort of ether. Honestly, it's not that bad and doesn't really distract from the experience too much. It just feels sort of console-ish because of it. Running, strafing, using, picking up... all works just fine, standard fare. Using the weapons, on the other hand, is a new ballgame. This game has what they call 'strategic dismemberment. To understand why that's important, you must first understand that the enemies are basically aliens infecting the dead and taking control of them. A few well placed shots to the head will just make it angrier; however, if you specifically target limbs and blow them off, you can slow them down, and make them essentially ineffective and then they just sort of die off. To do this you acquire various engineering and mining tools like the plasma cutter, or the ripper which is essentially a remote controlled circular saw blade. The weapons and the ways you use them is absolutely a blast to experience, but you aren't limited to just weapons, oh no, you also have telekinetic powers (think: gravity gun from HL2 series) and the ability to slow time. The former can be used to pick up various items like boxes, explosive canisters, or even enemies and their body parts and fire them at enemies that were unlucky enough to still be alive, and the later can be used to freeze enemies or objects in the game to get a more strategic position on them.
I've only scratched the surface of Dead Space, so on to graphics. This game is stunning to look at. The PC version runs brilliantly in high graphical detail on an 8000 series Nvidia card and a single core CPU without a problem. Every little detail is there, from the bumpiness on Isaac's suit to the text readout on his chest plate under his chin that you can actually read if you get close enough... the texturing and graphics on display here are incredible. The lighting engine is also one of the best I have seen this year. It's not Bioshock, but it certainly achieves what it sets out to do. Animations and physics are good. In zero gravity, blood flows out naturally, it's all very believable. Isaac feels just right when he's moving about, as if his suit really has a good bit of weight to it. Enemies are properly gruesome and slicing them apart is duly satisfying. The camera controls are more for cinematic effect then anything, and sometimes it can be a fight all of its own to get just the right prospective on something, especially in zero gravity areas. The last, and certainly not least aspect of graphics is how this game handles the heads up displays and in game menu screens. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING you need to know is naturally integrated into the game itself. There is absolutely no heads up display as we know it. Health, and stasis levels are shown as a tube along Isaac's spine and a small semicircle to the right of that respectively. Air supply (not the band!) is shown as a small screen that projects out of Isaac's suit in the back near the neck when needed. Ammunition is shown when the weapon is brought to the ready position as another small projected screen coming off the weapon. Maps, inventory, communications, and logs are show as screens projected in front of Isaac so he can easily see them. Even save spots, work benches, and stores are completely integrated in this way. This factor is what makes Dead Space just that much more immersive.
Next I'll poke at the game play gnomes. The game plays well, but it is soon apparent that Dead Space is a mash up of other popular games. the kinesis ability is straight out of Half Life 2, and stasis is from... well... just about every other game. the 'over the shoulder' combat and inventory system is VERY Resident Evil 4. And zero gravity/manipulating gravity is reminiscent of Prey. These are not bad points, however, as Dead Space pulls each one off in it's own way. The only game play gripe I really have with this game is that I thought it was supposed to be horror. Sure, there are a few jump out scares, but once you get the ripper and learn to use it compounded with Isaac's superhuman kinesis and stasis abilities... the gruesome enemies just don't seem to pose that much of a threat. There are quick time events, however they are very simple and well integrated. If an enemy gets close enough to grapple with you, you basically have to mash the 'use' key until Issac fends them off. With the special abilities, strategic dismemberment mechanics, integrated information displays, and radical gravitational situations, game play is handled quite competently.
It all really boils down to is even while this game takes a cue from some games and blatantly rips off others it still manages to create something new and fresh. It is at the same time like many things you have played, and like nothing you have played before. It may not be the best game of the year, but it's definitely something you'll want to play this year.
Technical score: 85%
Game Play Score: 80%
Disclaimer: All IP's are properties of their respective owners. All names used under 'Fair Use'. Reddman is NOT affiliated with any of these people outside of playing and commenting on their games.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Game Reviews - Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
I've been playing Konami games since the very beginning. Ever since the original Nintendo Entertainment System was graced with Castlevania, a mark was set by Konami. The game featured tight controls, fearsome enemies, and was decently long for all the content in that cartridge. The original NES Castlevania was also difficult; the best way to quantify this difficulty is in the pile of broken controllers I used to have.
Over the years the games have seemed to get progressively easier over time. By the time Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow was released on the DS, the game was essentially a cakewalk.
Then came Portrait of Ruin. This game brought back that sort of classic difficulty only a Castlevania game could bring, while keeping the free roaming game play of the recent entries.
Now Order of Ecclesia graces my DS screen. This game is HARD. REALLY hard. It's been a long time in a Castlevania game since I've been completely nuked by the first boss (mainly due to my speed running play style). This is definitely not a game to take lightly at all. While this experience was humbling, it brought a wry grin to my face. It's been quite a while since I've seen a game so merciless that it pushed me to keep playing through frustrating defeats.
It's not like the game takes cheap shots either. When you die, you know exactly what you did wrong, and what to try to avoid the next time through. The game is a monumental challenge and can be frustrating especially in the early stages of the game, but after a few hours of game play it becomes second nature. Of course, if all else fails, the RPG elements in the game allow you to grind away until you are at a level that you can handle the enemies at.
For what amounts to about the first half of the game, all the areas are broken up into areas on a map, it's not too much of a change, but don't expect to many gigantic stages as in Portrait of Ruin. Of course, this all changes once you reach Dracula's castle, which is absolutely enormous. I won't let any spoilers go, but this stage alone comprises about 50% of the game and is well worth the grind to get to.
You may have noticed I've stayed away from the story until now, This is because I can't stress enough the incredible challenge of a game presented here. The story revolves around new characters from a new group called the 'Order of Ecclesia'. You play as a female mage of some sort, and... wait a minute... What ever happened to the Belmont clan? Seriously... the last time a Belmont was in Castlevania was when Bloodlines was remade for the PSP. We've gone from the late 1800's to the 21st century in the last few games (honestly I'm getting as confused about the Castlevania time line as I am about the Zelda time line, but that's another subject) But we've barely seen anything of the Belmonts outside of bonus characters. Sure, Johnathan Morris is RELATED to the Belmonts, but that's about as close as we get.
Anyway, you are some chick from the Order of Ecclesia, your job is to deftly loose your memory within the first cut scene, and start beating the crap of the demons of wherever the hell this is. That's about all i got from the story. I could care less about storyline mostly, but if you DO enjoy storyline, there is certainly enough here to keep one interested.
No, what I care about is two main things in a game. Technical prowess , and game play. Technical Prowess doesn't necessarily mean a game has the best graphics, but in the case of Order of Ecclesia, it really takes advantage of the 2D processing in the DS. You'd be hard pressed to find any 2D sprite based game to have this level of animation. Also, the 3D effects, though subtle, work extremely well and seem to be organic to the game environment. One level has waves moving up and down, crashing over platforms as you cross, and in the background sits a fully rendered pirate ship of some sort being thrown around in the heavy seas. Scenes like this give an extremely foreboding feeling, like your character has no business in these situations. It really makes the game feel that much more imposing.
As for game play, two of the face buttons are mapped to weapons, one for each hand. You can continually fling attacks by alternating button presses, or perform powerful glyph unions. Hearts are still here, used for performing unions, and the magic meter is back, though it's used for attacking with various weapons and magic spells that you collect through the course of the game by absorbing them in your back. While that sounds bad at first, the MP meter fills extremely rapidly after you cease your attack for a moment. This makes the game a balance of throwing attacks, conserving hearts for when you really need to hit something hard, and backing off for a moment to regain magic power and the ability to continue your attack. It feels really tight and balanced and only adds to the already challenging enemies. Personally I like it, but keeping track of so many things may be a turn off for some.
The bottom line is that this game is certainly not for everyone. It's a throwback to when games were truly challenging. There is story here if you care, there are graphics that will put a tear in your eye, and possibly a load in your pants, and it has the same tight 2D gameplay we've come to expect on hand held Castlevania games.
Technical score: 90%
Game play score: 90%
DISCLAIMER: The Castlevania series, Konami, Nintendo and all of their various products are property of their respective companies. The names have been used under 'fair use' as they were necessary to this review. I am neither employed by, or affiliated with any of these companies or their respective products.
Over the years the games have seemed to get progressively easier over time. By the time Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow was released on the DS, the game was essentially a cakewalk.
Then came Portrait of Ruin. This game brought back that sort of classic difficulty only a Castlevania game could bring, while keeping the free roaming game play of the recent entries.
Now Order of Ecclesia graces my DS screen. This game is HARD. REALLY hard. It's been a long time in a Castlevania game since I've been completely nuked by the first boss (mainly due to my speed running play style). This is definitely not a game to take lightly at all. While this experience was humbling, it brought a wry grin to my face. It's been quite a while since I've seen a game so merciless that it pushed me to keep playing through frustrating defeats.
It's not like the game takes cheap shots either. When you die, you know exactly what you did wrong, and what to try to avoid the next time through. The game is a monumental challenge and can be frustrating especially in the early stages of the game, but after a few hours of game play it becomes second nature. Of course, if all else fails, the RPG elements in the game allow you to grind away until you are at a level that you can handle the enemies at.
For what amounts to about the first half of the game, all the areas are broken up into areas on a map, it's not too much of a change, but don't expect to many gigantic stages as in Portrait of Ruin. Of course, this all changes once you reach Dracula's castle, which is absolutely enormous. I won't let any spoilers go, but this stage alone comprises about 50% of the game and is well worth the grind to get to.
You may have noticed I've stayed away from the story until now, This is because I can't stress enough the incredible challenge of a game presented here. The story revolves around new characters from a new group called the 'Order of Ecclesia'. You play as a female mage of some sort, and... wait a minute... What ever happened to the Belmont clan? Seriously... the last time a Belmont was in Castlevania was when Bloodlines was remade for the PSP. We've gone from the late 1800's to the 21st century in the last few games (honestly I'm getting as confused about the Castlevania time line as I am about the Zelda time line, but that's another subject) But we've barely seen anything of the Belmonts outside of bonus characters. Sure, Johnathan Morris is RELATED to the Belmonts, but that's about as close as we get.
Anyway, you are some chick from the Order of Ecclesia, your job is to deftly loose your memory within the first cut scene, and start beating the crap of the demons of wherever the hell this is. That's about all i got from the story. I could care less about storyline mostly, but if you DO enjoy storyline, there is certainly enough here to keep one interested.
No, what I care about is two main things in a game. Technical prowess , and game play. Technical Prowess doesn't necessarily mean a game has the best graphics, but in the case of Order of Ecclesia, it really takes advantage of the 2D processing in the DS. You'd be hard pressed to find any 2D sprite based game to have this level of animation. Also, the 3D effects, though subtle, work extremely well and seem to be organic to the game environment. One level has waves moving up and down, crashing over platforms as you cross, and in the background sits a fully rendered pirate ship of some sort being thrown around in the heavy seas. Scenes like this give an extremely foreboding feeling, like your character has no business in these situations. It really makes the game feel that much more imposing.
As for game play, two of the face buttons are mapped to weapons, one for each hand. You can continually fling attacks by alternating button presses, or perform powerful glyph unions. Hearts are still here, used for performing unions, and the magic meter is back, though it's used for attacking with various weapons and magic spells that you collect through the course of the game by absorbing them in your back. While that sounds bad at first, the MP meter fills extremely rapidly after you cease your attack for a moment. This makes the game a balance of throwing attacks, conserving hearts for when you really need to hit something hard, and backing off for a moment to regain magic power and the ability to continue your attack. It feels really tight and balanced and only adds to the already challenging enemies. Personally I like it, but keeping track of so many things may be a turn off for some.
The bottom line is that this game is certainly not for everyone. It's a throwback to when games were truly challenging. There is story here if you care, there are graphics that will put a tear in your eye, and possibly a load in your pants, and it has the same tight 2D gameplay we've come to expect on hand held Castlevania games.
Technical score: 90%
Game play score: 90%
DISCLAIMER: The Castlevania series, Konami, Nintendo and all of their various products are property of their respective companies. The names have been used under 'fair use' as they were necessary to this review. I am neither employed by, or affiliated with any of these companies or their respective products.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Prognosis Fatal - First Songs Released!
Prognosis Fatal (the progressive rock band I play keyboards for) is well on its way to releasing our first CD. Midnight Murder Ballads (working title) will most likely be 10-12 songs when finished, but for now here are links to the first 5 songs that are complete or nearing completion:
More will be posted as we finish them.
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