|
A war of all against all.
[img width=246 height=352]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Romebox.jpg[/img]
A new era was beginning. Finally, average PCs were becoming strong enough to allow hundreds of 3D models to be displayed on a single screen. They may not be as high resolution as a game that only displays a few dozen, but it was possible to do without much lag. The Creative Assembly took advantage of this and created a brand new engine to power its newest and most ambitious game in their flagship Total War series. This new game turned back the clock from Medieval, but kept the geography in Europe.
Mille viae ducunt homines per saecula Romam. A thousand roads lead men forever to Rome. This was especially true of the third game in the Total War franchise: Rome: Total War which released in September of 2004.
Rome is a seminal game not only in the series, but for the entire umbrella genre of strategy games, changing the entire dynamic of future games to be less of advancements from Shogun or Medieval, to using Rome as its benchmark.
Everything is in 3D, gone is the flat 2D styled campaign map, and in comes a fully 3D realized map with mountains, rivers, fords, plains, forests, roads, hills, beaches, ports, cliffs, deserts, and more.
The unit roster is much larger, and most factions are truly unique. There are 3 Roman factions that are all identical with technology, but many other factions exist that are unlockable. Some notable units include Carthaginian, Seleucid, and Parthian elephants. Some factions also include chariots, such as Pontus, The Seleucid Empire, Ptolomaic Egypt, and the Britons.
Overall there is just a much larger unit variety, and maps are much larger to allow for even bigger armies than the first two games could possibly allow!
The Pope is essentially replaced by Senatus Populusque Romanus, SPQR, the Senate and People of Rome. Many Total War fans just know them as Scumbag Senate. The focus on religion is completely gone from this game, which is rather sensible in comparison with Medieval, where Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Islam all collided to form easy excuses to go to war and ostracize an unruly king. This allows the game to focus more fully on war!
[img width=480 height=421]http://i.imgur.com/XKkl9Bd.png[/img]
Agents have been fairly simplified for this game. There are only 3 available to all factions, spies, diplomats, and assassins. Diplomats have had the most additions though, with many new options to give diplomacy a much larger role in the game. However, AI factions tend to be pretty dumb when it comes to handling diplomacy.
Trade agreements are the most lucrative, as you can make money off of them, they're most useful with your surrounding neighbors, as overseas trade is a long process to get running.
Fog of war becomes a big factor in the game too, with provinces being large and the player no longer able to just magically see not only their entire province, but have information on the surrounding ones, it helps to build some infrastructure like watchtowers and forts to see and block choke points.
[img width=700 height=525]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/2004/screen0/589390_20040930_screen001.jpg[/img]
If its not apparent this game is seen as one of the greatest strategy games of all time not just because of its options, but its growth compared to its predecessors. Rome: Total War is what all sequels strive to be, and few attain, great advancement and growth in comparison to its preceding games.
Rome: Total War was not the first to receive support from the modding community, but its legacy is so long lasting that mods still trickle out for this game nearly a decade after its initial release. Some of the most beloved ones include Europa Barbarorum, Rome: Total Realism (not really realistic), and DarthMod.
Rome: Total War received not one, but two expansions. The first one, Barbarian Invasion, continues the tradition of some random place being invaded by outside forces. This takes place after the Roman Empire had been split into an Eastern and Western Empire. The player can choose to try and keep their empire intact while holding off the invasions of the 5th Century and look to expand their lands once they've been dealt with! Or you can play as some of the various invaders, such as the Franks, Goths, Huns, and others vying to expand their lands and place their foothold into the rich Roman world.
The 2nd expansion; Rome: Total War Alexander, is a recreation of the conquests of the legendary Macedonian king Alexander III. You get to control the living myth while he marches into Asia Minor and onto Achaemenid Persia to found many cities in his name and create the greatest empire in history to that point in time. It is a short campaign meant to challenge the player in a sort of blitzkreig of antiquity. How much can you conquer between Greece and India in 100 turns?
Medieval II: Total War
[img width=396 height=550]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-016/bf/U-016-S-10480-A.jpg[/img]
Medieval II marked the first time that a setting had been revisted with an updated engine. The base of the game is built on the code of Rome, and the map is nearly identical, focusing on the later Christian and Muslim Kingdoms of Europe.
Crusades return and are just as annoying as in the first one. The Pope will always declare one when you're too small and poor to do anything about it. Scumbag Pope. Unlike the first Medieval this one goes late enough to allow for the discovery of the New World, and some weird movements by the AI have even lead to things such as the Aztecs colonizing Ireland.
As with the first Medieval there is a large emphasis on religion, with the vanilla game giving a few major religions to influence and change each faction's overall strategy. There are Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim factions, but there are still pockets of paganism in parts of Eastern Europe around the Baltic and Prussia at this point in time.
A few graphical changes allowed Medieval II to be the most cinematic in the series upon its release. Individual troops in the same unit will have different colored clothes, different designs on their shields, some might have beards while others do not, etc. Jeff van Dyck returns to lead the musical efforts of both Rome and Medieval II.
A couple of agents have been added from Rome, the only brand new one being the merchant. The merchant is able to post himself on a trade resource and generate money, he's also able to buy out other merchants but could be bought out himself. The Princess returns from the first Medieval, and can be used to broker an alliance or as a free diplomat in the early game. Priests and Imams convert a province to their respective religion, and can level up by prosecuting heretics who pop up in provinces with heretical thinking.
Medieval received one expansion, and it was a big one! Four smaller campaigns were added in Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms, these smaller campaigns are the British Isles in the 13th century, the Crusades during 12th century, the Teutonic crusades in the 13th century, and the Spanish conquest of central America and the southern United States in the 15th century.
[img width=700 height=548]http://0.tqn.com/d/compactiongames/1/0/z/1/1/medieval2tw022.jpg[/img]
As a result of all the changes and the stability of the game after Kingdoms released, Medieval II has become the golden child of mods for the entire series still to this date. Some of the most notable ones include the direct Middle Earth conversion Third Age: Total War, the historical fiction of The Last Kingdom, Stainless Steel, the ever popular DarthMod, and Roma Surrectum, a remake of Rome: Total War using Medieval II's changes.
Next time: We colonize the Americas and India!
Have you ever bought something knowingly or not to discover it was too dirty, smelly, didn't work or something and after all your attempts you wrote it off as a total loss? An expensive lesson in what not to do in the world of gaming?
Please share your story below or as a video response on my channel.
Season's Greetings from Terra, fellow RF Gentlemen!
I am announcing the end of this year's Not-So-Secret Santa give-away.
A big thanks to the participants-- I wish you all the best for the holiday season and the new year.
Catch you on the boards...
'Late
Black Friday.
Some may say it is a real-life MMO with little to no loot worth the exhaustive, sometimes violent effort it requires. YouTube is rife with videos of stores full of belligerent behavior on display, from pushing to outright fistfights over simple material items. Stories of injuries from trampling up to and including death proliferate the media, and this year the deals ratcheted back even further until Thanksgiving dinnertime itself is no longer safe. It's no exaggeration to say more civility has been seen over life-saving yet inadequate supply drops to the hurricane-devastated Philippines than the riot-like behavior Black Friday can cause over mostly-luxury items.
Aside from online sales that disappear in seconds, many gamers don't dare brave the masses during the biggest consumer holiday. And pretty much no one I talk to wants to actually work in the midst of this retail nightmare. In fact, in the fifteen years or so I've worked in various sections of retail, I don't recall anyone else who looked forward to working that fateful day every year.
But let's put that thought on hold for a moment and take our thoughts into a decidedly different territory.
Say you're working at a Mom-and-Pop retro video game store. An elderly lady walks in, and the I-hope-I-don't-accidently-buy-another-Edsel look on her face is evident. (To you whippersnappers, replace 'Edsel" with 'Tiger Game.com'.) Before you even approach her, she eyes you with an almost helpless expression. Twenty minutes later she's walking out with an NES and a stack of games for her seven year old grandson, a PS3 and Madden for her Steelers-nut son-in-law, and a DS Lite and Brain Age for herself so she can learn new curses over the word 'blue'.
Next is that forty-something role-playing game lady who only shows up every two or three weeks and picks your brain about another game she can 100%. She's scared she's going to relapse into WoW again and desperately needs your help finding a game she hasn't played through twice already, and every Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Suikoden, and even Wild Arms are crossed off her list. So the next fifteen minutes are spent scanning every shelf in the store to a bunch of 'beat that already' and 'hated the battle system'. Then comes the inevitable half-hour conversation about how Final Fantasy VI was better than VII and how IV was so great until it was redone to death. You finally convince her to splurge on a Genesis and Phantasy Star II, II, and IV, knowing she'll be back next month extolling the virtues of Phantasy Star IV while griping about slogging through III, which she of course finished anyway. You know next she'll want help tracking down a Master System and the first game in the series.
These type of scenarios are why many of us dream of working or even owning (go Crabby!) a video game store. If we have to work, and most all of us do, wouldn't it be great spending that time sharing our passion about gaming?
Even Gamestop, known for its pawn-shop attitudes and corporate shenanigans, is the source of many conversations about which is the best Bioshock game (bonus points if you said System Shock 2) or how anyone that says the Wii is a worthless console never played Muramasa and Boom Blox.
Working in gaming retail on Black Friday is the equivalent of speed-running these scenarios back to back. It's quite the rush; a non-stop barrage of folks with gaming and gifting desires. Despite not having the time to address every situation as I'd like, there are few opportunities to help so many gaming-minded folks in such a short time. Going in with a mind-frame to help out makes all the difference when the stress kicks in. An amazing amount of negativity can be dispelled in these powder-keg environments with a little humor and genuine thoughtfulness, for both consumer and fellow staff. Some problems can and will arise, but that's yet another opportunity to defuse the tension before it gets worse. Most of the problems tend to arise from the thoughtless, mob-like behavior that a few friendly conversations often dissolve. If all else fails, simply taking a step back and internally laughing at the absurdity of it all can greatly assist in re-approaching everything without getting dragged down. No matter how crazy it all gets, being vigilant on one's mental state going in is the key to not just surviving, but being in control and even enjoying such times.
If you're working in retail on any Black Friday, I recommend setting aside a good hour beforehand for buying a huge bag of clearance Halloween candy and your caffeine of preference, playing a few rounds of Katamari Damacy or your preferred peppy and upbeat mood-lightener, and pick a favorite gaming experience your store sells that becomes your mission to recommend to as many people as possible. When Shadow of the Colossus was largely unknown, I made it my personal quest that year to hock it to everyone. ("Here's your Gamecube. Great system that would be better if it could play Shadow of the Colossus. What? You've never heard of it? It's this beautiful game where...")
If you don't work in retail and are a gamer braving the chaos of doorbusters and midnight openings, please consider the same suggestions. We gamers still find ourselves fighting against stereotypes and stigmas of being antisocial, basement-dwelling, entitled losers who are the exact personalities that make Black Friday a byword. In the same way the charity of Child's Play gives a legitimacy to philanthropic video game players, in Black Friday we have a perfect chance to give gamers and gaming culture a much needed positive face. There is perhaps no greater opportunity in the year to prove the naysayers wrong and make a good name for ourselves and gamers in general. 
 |
Posted on Nov 24th 2013 at 03:04:35 AM by ( SirPsycho) Posted under Total War, shogun total war, medieval total war, total war, shogun, medieval, sengoku jidai, sengoku, middle ages, picts, kilts, aw |
Part 1: The Board Games
Shogun: Total War
[img width=256 height=309]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/71/Shogun_Total_War.jpg[/img]
Have you ever wanted to play something that was a unique creation based on turn based strategy ideas pioneered by series like Civilization, Master of Orion, Fire Emblem, Liberty or Death, and countless other classics? What if it had a system to allow real time strategy fans to enjoy like Age of Empires on an even more epic scale?
Well my friends, you need some Total War in your life.
The first game in the series was developed by The Creative Assembly and published by Electronic Arts. Prior to this endeavor The Creative Assembly was known for porting sports games to various PC systems, such as porting Amiga games to DOS. Their history with EA goes back to the early 1990's, where they began porting FIFA games to DOS systems. EA allowed them to expand their porting efforts into full blown developed titles such as a couple of Rugby World Cup games, 1999's Cricket World Cup, and Australian Football League games.
In the late 90's work began on an entirely different project, this one being a mishmash of turn based and real time strategy set in Japan in the middle of the 16th century.
Shogun: Total War released for PC in June 2000 to critical acclaim. The game allows battles where over 1,000 sprites appear onscreen at one time. Many people in the PC market had been moving to 3D Accelerated cards by this time, but the sheer number of objects onscreen was a technical achievement for the day.
On top of the battles involving the real armies the game offered a plethora of other options to deal with opposing forces. You could use a spy to gather information on them, an emissary can forge alliances and create ciesefires, Portuguese Jesuits act as emissaries while also converting populations from Buddhism to Catholicism, ninja act as basic assassins, and shinobi are more powerful spies, geisha are legendary assassins who rarely fail.
The battles declare that proper tactics and deployments are used to inflict maximum damage on your enemies. Sun Tzu's philosophy in The Art of War was highly integral to Japanese tactics, and knowing the basics will help you win. Or you can just outmuscle with numbers, but you can take heavy losses and win a Phyrric victory, or lose and bring dishonor to your clan. Will you commit seppuku to regain your honor?
[img width=640 height=480]http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g436/gpro83/Shogunbridgebattle_zpsc1f69667.png[/img]
The campaign map is set up much like a game of Risk mixed with Diplomacy. Armies can move from one province to another no matter how large their first province is. At the start of each game the player can pick a time period to begin, with the earlier ones having the major clans holding fewer lands, and the later ones starting with larger holdings.
Shogun received an expansion pack based on the Mongol invasions of Kublai Khan. The game doesn't change much but just adds another campaign to play. However, the Mongol invasions occurred about 300 years before the main campaign, and the technology and units are mostly the same. Despite being budgeted and treated as a B-Title Shogun: Total War sold rather well, enough to warrant a sequel at least.
Medieval: Total War
[img width=256 height=339]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8d/Medieval_Total_War.jpg/256px-Medieval_Total_War.jpg[/img]
The sequel to Shogun is much larger in scale, has many more factions each with unique units instead of bonuses to units everybody can get, and focuses so much more on the religious politics that it is a much more satisfying gaming experience than Shogun. That said, the gameplay engine is largely the same. Battle graphics and UI is unchanged, the campaign map is in the same board game style. Medieval was the first game to include seige battles, something that would become a mainstay for the entire series. There's just so much more to the game that it makes for a breathtaking advancement, the proper evolution of a sequel! It released in August of 2002 to even more critical fanfare and higher sales than Shogun. The Creative Assembly had moved away from Electronic Arts and as a result, Medieval: Total War was published by Activision (nowadays that's like courting the axis of evil, wait until Sega enters the ring!)
This game did start a meme among the fans of the series though, and that meme is the rule that the Pope is a massive dillhole. He'll excommunicate you for some stupid reason and then forget about it if you just give him some money, wait for your king to die, or kill him. Being excommunicated was the best time for expanding, because who cares about the Pope?
Medieval also gives some more immersive and strategic choices. You get the ability to assign a governor to your newly conquered province, if you're interested I have a few hints. In highly economic provinces use a guy with high acumen, in a province with naturally low public order or with a different majority religion, use a guy with high dread, and always use somebody with high loyalty. These random provincial governors never die though. You could be 200 years into the campaign, with the Mongols invading, and that guy you made governor in turn two is still alive. It was nice for something to do, but it wasn't fully realized.
Medieval continued the tradition of having an expansion that was based on an invasion. This time it was the Viking Invasion, as the Mongol invasion was included as part of the base game. The Viking Invasion takes place during the petty kingdoms period of the history of the British Isles, even letting you control a personal favorite of mine, the Picts! Those sneaky bastards resisted the Romans and invented the kilt! Many modern differences between the Gaels of Ireland and Scots can be traced to the independently minded Picts.
[img width=700 height=525]http://news.softpedia.com/images/reviews/large/MTWVI_001-large.jpg[/img]
I personally believe that the music in Medieval is the most immersive and beautiful of the series. It really feels like it belongs to the period in question, and is completely non-intrusive, using sound effects such as the chirping of birds to break up the songs so they do not feel monotonous. The Muslim factions even have a different overall score than the Christian ones. Jeff van Dyck was the composer of the soundtracks for both of The Board Games.
Next time we see Total War make the jump to full 3D!
I came across this cool item today and wanted to share it with everyone here. After 38 yrs, most everything works on it. The light works ( the puck lights up ), the gears for the controls and scoring work, No chips cracks missing pieces of plastic on the field. Does have a missing batt cover but thats to be expected on something this old at a flea market.
Heres a little back round on this cool little unit ( from: http://www.grandoldtoys.com )
By 1974 the Marx Company was on its way out. It had been purchased two years earlier by Quaker Oats and in two years following it would be sold off in bankruptcy to a holding company. The same year was a turning point for the toy industry because it marked the beginning of the revolutionary home video market with the introduction of PONG.
To capitalize on this quickly growing market, Marx produced their own version of the super selling PONG....well, soft of. For a number of reasons, mostly financial, the Marx version of PONG did not use any digital technology. Contradictory to the current trend it was completely analog. In other words it was a battery operated mechanical PONG with gears and lights. It also was completely styrene plastic.
Since the toy was not a digital system which connected to a TV, Marx built their toy to resemble an entire television set complete with tube, screen and housing. It had no electronic components except for a motor and a light bulb. It used a delicately balanced cantilevered plastic lever tipped with a glowing light bulb. The bulb represented the tennis ball. A small battery powered motor moved plastic gears which, in turn, moved the position of the lever and the light bulb.
As the motor changed the position of the "ball", players controlling the paddle's would hit the bulb when it approached their side. The bulb would bounce off the paddle and return it in the opposite direction. If the lever made it past the paddle it would physically strike a bell signaling a goal. Score was kept manually with a rotating wheel on the top of the set. It couldn't have been more simple. It was also big, bulky, and difficult to move without breaking unless you reinserted the shipping bolt which locks in the cantilever mechanism. The bolt was the first thing to remove when it was unpacked for the first time and was probably the first thing thrown away.
The box for this toy looks very spectacular with staged color photography and caricature illustrations drawn by Mad Magazine's Jack Davis. It gave the toy a more polished appearance, but the problem was that inside the box was still an analog system. No wiring (except for the batteries), no electronic boards, no chips, no technology. A couple of gears and a well engineered system was all it took to make it possible, but it was not PONG.
[img width=700 height=525]http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r221/atari83/MarxPong1_zps539853e6.jpg[/img]
[img width=700 height=525]http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r221/atari83/MarxPong4_zpsd537b2f4.jpg[/img]
[img width=700 height=525]http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r221/atari83/MarxPong5_zpsfde4a2db.jpg[/img]
[img width=700 height=933]http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r221/atari83/MarxPong6_zpsabcfca5a.jpg[/img]
[img width=700 height=525]http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r221/atari83/MarxPong7_zps7cb9f7ca.jpg[/img]
[img width=700 height=525]http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r221/atari83/MarxPong8_zps1af6efb5.jpg[/img]
The new console generation is among us.
How are the new consoles holding up so far and with new systems what problems might arise. Lets break it down and see what is going on so far.
PS4 - So last week the PS4 released and within 24 hours sold over 1 million units world wide. But with the new system hitting the market, we have seen plenty of videos of the dreaded blue light of death as well as a lot of systems having HDMI port problems. But despite these issues how do you think the PS4 will hold up in the months or years ahead. Microsoft had some of the worse marketing in recent years with the announcement of the Xbox one and its shady business practices. Sony saw this and delivered some of the best marketing to launch there system in the right direction. They portrayed them self as for the gamer while Microsoft looked like they could care less about the Gamer and just wanted your money. Sony is off to fantastic start and for the most part there marketing has been on point for the most part.
So how is the Xbox One holding up?
Xbox One - Just like the PS4 the Xbox one has sold over a million units within the first 24 hours surpassing it's Xbox 360 counter part, despite the $500 dollar price tag. That is $500 million dollars in profit in 24 hours which is nuts. But with the release it has also had its share of problems. We are already seeing videos of disc drive problems or systems scratching disc. There has also been a lot of faulty power supplies. But despite these problems how do you think it will hold out with that extra $100 dollar price point over PlayStation?
Do you think some of the moves they made in marketing earlier in the year will affect them now that they have changed most of those policies such as the online requirement and the restrictions on used games and such. I still have people asking me if they have alot of those policies despite them changing that stuff back in June or July. With that said they have changed a lot since E3 and one of the things they changed was Microsoft's original requirement for the kinect sensor to always be hooked up to your console in order for it to work. It almost sounded ridiculous that it would be a requirement for it to work, but why would they change it and let us use the console without it? To narrow down that answer it pretty much comes down to Sony. If Sony takes off in sales in the months to come you can easily see Microsoft dropping the kinect bundle and dropping the price to $400 dollars. The Kinect is what is driving that $100 dollar increase and in the long run would of hurt Microsoft if they tried to make such large price drops to compete with Sony while still having it bundled.
So where is the Wii U in all of this?
Wii U - They Wii U also had reports of messed up HDMI ports as well as internet connectivity issues when it launched last year. But where is it today? How does it hold up with the other two consoles? Nintendo had a full year head start on its competition, did it manage to grab the consumer?
Sales on the Wii U have been very slow, the system as far as I know has still yet to sell over 4 million units within the one year it has been available. With the PS4 and Xbox One shifting 1 million units each within the first 24 hours, can we safely assume the Wii U might be looked at as a secondary console? We can only hope things change for the Wii U soon. One system that started off in a similar fashion as the Wii U was the 3DS. The 3DS was a huge burden on Nintendo when it launched do to sluggish sales and even helped caused a huge profit loss in 2011. Nintendo took action and with a price drop and some more desirable games releasing sales took off and the 3DS is now a big money maker for Nintendo. I can see the sales of the Wii U heading in the right direction once we see some more desirable titles like Super Smash Bros. This year we will see the new Mario game, Donkey Kong and games like Pikman 3 that has already released that might help boost sales for the system.
So as we can see there is a lot of unanswered questions but things will change. Sony has already reported that less then 1% of the consoles that were shipped out has been reported as faulty and with the new Xbox One we won't know how big of a burden the disc drive error will be til a little way down the road.. The Wii U I think has a bright future despite poor sales and overall I think this is going to be a interesting console war. I know everyone has there favorites but I am a adopter of them all because in the long run they all will have there Pros and Cons.
Here is a strange import game I picked up recently from Square. This one is a little controversial...
Have any of you guys played this one?
By the time this is posted, the Xbox One will be out and the launch games will be available for the general public. While I do not intend on picking up a system until something exclusive I want is out (Halo, Gears of War, Panzer Dragoon Saga HD, Phantom Brave Zero, Journey to Silius II: Judgment Day, etc.) I still enjoy reading all about the new system and launch games.
So far, while I'm sure I'd play Killer Instinct and Panzer Drago-... um, Crimson Dragon, no exclusives have me regretting my initial PS4 preference. Although in fairness, Resogun is the only Sony exclusive I'm sold on for now or the announced future. The launch lineup for both systems seem to hold few surprises in terms of releases or review scores. However, after reading a few write-ups on Ryse: Son of Rome I was immediately inspired to write about the relationship between what a game provides, what it is expected to provide, and how it is reviewed in our modern era.
I'd first like to note that after seeing the gameplay of Ryse demoed, I had little desire to play it. It wasn't about graphics, setting, or motion controls. As I watched, I could appreciate what this game was offering, and I simply had no interest in it. I've enjoyed melee combat games, historical narrative games, and even 'quick time event' gameplay. But watching Ryse, I just didn't think the game was for me, no matter how well designed or produced. I've felt the same way about the majority of sports titles, realistic racing games like Forza and Gran Turismo, and even critical successes like Grand Auto IV and V. Are they good games? I'm sure they mostly are, even if they are not for me. In fact I still pick many of them up, just to tinker and give them a chance, or more likely to let friends and family play them.
It was Kotaku's review that got me thinking.
http://kotaku.com/ryse-so...-kotaku-review-1468780085
Every other review I read commented on how nice the game looks and how well it runs, and yet how shallow, boring, short, and repetitive the game is. Kotaku's Stephen Totilo wrote something different; he genuinely enjoyed the experience. Interestingly, he didn't argue with the critique leveled against it. But in a true display of the subjective nature of boredom and entertainment, Totilo not only had fun with the game (while admitting the gruesome in-game actions were disturbing), but he referenced it as an example of how the new generation of hardware could be used to heighten current gameplay experiences. His last statement in the review sums up his thoughts:
"I'd like to think that Ryse is an example of the kind of fresh re-thinking we'll experience on the new generation of consoles. Why not move the camera in? Why not set the game in ancient Rome? Why not let players yell at archers to lob in some support? Actually, no, never do that last one again. Ryse arrives with low expectations and demonstrates that looks can make a difference in gameplay. That's a next-gen upgrade I can enjoy."
Totilo didn't argue about the game's length. He didn't counter that the game was more complicated than other reviewers gave it credit for. He didn't ignore what other critics faulted. He simply seemed to take it for what it was and enjoy the experience.
I thought about this while playing one of the best reviewed games on the two new systems, Need For Speed: Rivals. Other than Resogun, it's what I've enjoyed playing the most. Yet one of the reasons I like playing it so much is that it knows what it is and what to focus upon; cops and high-speed getaways, with a heavy dose of Criterion's 'Battle Racing.' Oh, there's time trials and point-to-point standard racing, but the Alldrive connectivity and entire game design wraps around the concept that a cops vs. racers chase can, and does, spontaneously happen at any moment. It's pretty much all there is to the game.
No extra modes. No Rally racing, drifting mini-games, or a little guy jumping out and running around. In fact, the biggest criticism I've read about it is that it does pretty much the one thing, and that's mostly it, and so it will get repetitive.
And I just have a blast with it! Here's a game that knows what it is, and refines it to the expense of everything else. It knows what it is, what it does, and it does it best. It matches my current interest and I have so much fun with it. It is to me, at the moment, what it sounds like Ryse is to Totilo. Both of us will get our fill and move on to other games, and that's fine. No problem there.
Let's use the 'way-back-when' machine for a different example. I played an uncomfortable amount of Hunt for Red October on the NES back in my youth. I didn't think it was a great game even then, but I enjoyed it and was determined to master that side-scrolling, pseudo-shooter submarine game. I practiced and practiced. I succeeded in memorizing level after level of enemy placement and weapon usage, dodging the many obstacles of enemy and landscape with that clunky grey tube sprite, until reaching the last level. And then out of nowhere, for the very last part of the game, it bizarrely changed into a run-and-gun platformer taking place inside the sub. With completely different play control, a little bearded guy had to shoot many, many more cooks than appeared in the movie while jumping to platforms and diffusing bomb after bomb after bomb after bomb. Nothing in the hours of mastering a completely different game prepared the player for the very last chapter, which forced the player to literally play a completely different game to complete it.
And it's not the only game to pull such a last minute out-of-character bait and switch. Lost Planet is a modern example. Sometimes such out-of-the-blue forced changes are peppered throughout a game, arguably for better (Halo: Reach's random Space Flight) or worse (Castle Crasher's random Volleyball and Alien Hominid's 'Simon' minigames.) When implemented as interesting, optional stuff to do (SNES's Legend of the Mystical Ninja had tons of random, fun diversions) that are not required for continued progression, such diversions can liven up a game and make it's universe feel more complete. And some games, such as the classics Rocket Knight Adventures and Mr. Bones, are more akin to a gaming potpourri of varied gameplay challenges instead of a singular gameplay experience. Most recently, the (IMHO) excellent Beyond: Two Souls wrapped it's entire game design around unpredictable gameplay experiences.
In other words, I'm not knocking variety and spicing up gameplay. But if a game is going to jettison the skillset a player has invested for progression, the transition should be necessary, smooth if narratively possible, and not a brick wall that easily makes a player lose interest. I never did finish Hunt for Red October. That last stage left a bad taste and I just didn't have a desire to play anymore. If the game was going to toss a surprise ending (which is fine) there should be some method of keeping the gameplay transition from being so jarring. I put so much time into it because I knew what I was playing, and the game (until the end) rewarded my investment. Ideally a gamer looks at a game, develops an idea on whether or not that game looks fun to them, and then accepts or turns down what the game is selling as an experience.
So, that brings us back to Ryse. I hope that every gamer that looks at the gameplay and thinks it would be fun does not get discouraged by bad reviews and folks telling them it's not worth it. It may not be the game for me, and many others from what I gather, but then the games I like can bore some folks to tears. (It's an unspoken house rule that I will not subject my Beloved to any more hours of staring at Final Fantasy Tactics.) I have no doubt that there are other gamers like Totilo who will play and enjoy Ryse, and I'm happy for them. If I tried to change everything that would make Ryse a 'fun' game for me, it very likely would no longer be what those individuals are looking for, and it wouldn't be an 'improved' game for it.
I like that Need For Speed Rivals doesn't bloat itself with gameplay that takes me out of what I want to play. If I want rally, I'll play the Dirt or RalliSport Challenge series. If I want a sim I'm play Gran Turismo or just fall asleep. (Kidding. I used to play them. 4 was my favorite.) If I want something less grounded, I'll play Wipeout XL/3/HD. I don't want a game that tries to stuff them all into one at the expense of some, but then I won't knock it if that game is fun for someone else.
In the end, as always, don't be bullied into another's opinions. If it looks fun, give it a shot. If not, let the next person make their own decision. There are too many games for too many different types of people to make silly assumptions about what will be fun for anyone, much less everyone.
[img width=640 height=637]http://image.gamespotcdn.net/gamespot/images/box/7/6/0/575760_71138_front.jpg[/img]
Let's get one thing straight right now: The title of this entry is NOT a question. It's the actual name of the Demo Disc that I'm talking about today.
Now then...
What's Shenmue is essentially the Japanese Demo Disc of Shenmue for the Dreamcast. It allows you to walk around a portion of Dobuita (The main game's central hub area of sorts), but it actually has you following a goal: You have to find the Head Managing Director of Sega, Hidekazu Yukawa, and ask him what Shenmue is.
To track him down, you need to ask the people around town about him. Most people are clueless, or just don't have time to talk to you. That being said, you'll eventually hit a QTE (Quick Time Event, which is a series of timed button presses) that leads you to the local Arcade. Once you go there, you'll receive Yukawa's Business Card from the Arcade's Manager, which conveniently has the time and place that Yukawa will be written on the back of it.
Once the In-Game Clock rolls around to 4 PM, you have to go to one of the two travel agencies in town to find him. As you enter the building, Yukawa is leaving. He will freak out and run away from you, leading you into another, much longer, QTE. Once you finally catch up to him, he will explain just what Shenmue is. You are then treated to a Cutscene, which reveals that the whole thing was just a dream that Yukawa was having.
Despite being short (It's a Demo, damn it!), it features some NPCs and a few elements that didn't make it to the final game, which is pretty neat. The disc itself also comes with a card advertising a song that doesn't appear to be in the final product.
If you feel like trying something different, and getting a little more out of the small Shenmue Series, I recommend this. I also recommend a Walkthrough if you can't read Japanese, which can be found on GameFAQs.
[img width=700 height=437]http://imageshack.us/a/img51/9200/7q05.png[/img]
Long ago the land was conquered by the Drakkhen, which are large and slightly anthropomorphic draconian beings. Now their age is at an end, with the last being slain by a wayward knight. Or has it? A mysterious island is discovered containing a final holdout for Drakkhen princes and princesses, whom are rapidly raising armies to re-conquer the world. Naturally, the best thing to do is to send four mysterious neophyte adventurers to the island, which is laid over with hostile creatures and beasts (not counting the Drakkhen soldiers), with the hopes that war can be averted and the land brought back to peace.
Or rather, that is the best that I can ascertain from the short story in the manual of the PC version, which is full of what looks suspiciously like translation errors (which makes sense if you take into account the French origins of the game).
Drakkhen was always a bit of an oddity on the SNES. While it was marketed as an RPG, it clearly had more in common with what was happening on the 16-bit computers than the burgeoning 16-bit console market. With a mix of first-person, third-person, and some classic PC adventure elements, it was no doubt a turn-off to many would-be purchasers (despite having a photo on the illustrious SNES porn-like photo spread in issue 26 of Nintendo Power). While it's origins are on the Western 16-bit computers (Amiga and Atari ST, and later the DOS), something about the game really grabbed onto the Japanese imagination, where it was ported to no less than three different computers and one console: the FM Towns, x68000, PC-98, and finally the SNES (respectively). Surprisingly, the game play was largely untouched in the Japanese ports (save a few much needed refinements), though a great deal of (for the most part) excellent music was added, which really adds a sense of wonder and atmosphere to the Western originals. So after a great deal of research (even for me) I think I can identify the definitive versions of Drakkhen: the DOS port (best graphics) and the SNES port (for music and controls). Also, it just so happens that I now have both of those games...
[img width=700 height=437]http://imageshack.us/a/img818/6105/jir3.png[/img]
Like many of you, I was ultimately only familiar with the SNES version, and although I've never shied away from indulging occasionally in abadonware, through some strange coincidence I've never played the DOS version until now (although I've dipped into the CRPG Addict's playthrough). This will be my first actual playthrough. Thanks again, slackur! I didn't really intend this to be a versus, but since this my first real exposure to the DOS port (and likely most of yours), I'd like to point out some of the differences.
(Before we start, I'd like to apologize for the audio. I'm forced to use a desktop video capture until I can recover my FRAPs key. Sorry again!)
The first things I noticed were the graphics and the music. Research showed that most of the DOS versions are actually 16 color CGA, while through some quirk the version gifted to me by slackur was the 256 color VGA. Oddly enough the CGA port is the most colorful, while the VGA has a great amount of detail. Still, I wasn't ready for how detailed the DOS port was as compared to the SNES, especially considering the length of time between the DOS port and the SNES one (1989 for the DOS port and 1992 for the SNES one).
The sound is a different matter altogether. Where the SNES varies between bass-slapping synth-funk (character selection) and single keyboard dreamy compositions (pretty much everything else), the DOS version features more atmospheric music that is more typical of music found in DOS games during the early 90's. So, pretty much on the level in 1989 but not nearly as good as what would happen on the SNES.
Now for game play, where the biggest variance is. In both versions you roam the overworld in first-person, switching to a third-person mode when encountering either a random battle or a structure to enter. Once inside a structure or dungeon you can only move one of your party at a time, but you can choose whether this will move the one character from room to room or the whole party. It's a little awkward at first, but you get used to it quickly. Or you'll quit.
In the SNES version things run fairly smooth. Controlling with the SNES pad is easy with only a bit of awkwardness. Through use of clues gained from conversation and the in-game map and compass finding your next destination is pretty much a snap. In fact, once you've got the controls down and gotten a few levels under your belt (and learned how to run from battles), the game is pretty easy, and shouldn't take more than 5-10 hours.
The DOS version in comparison is incredibly brutal. No map, no compass. Basic directions are given and the player navigates directions by using the sun. In fact, the game pretty much tells you how things will be during the first few minutes, for if you head towards a structure in the distance after rolling your characters you notice a castle and drawbridge surrounded by a moat. Circling the castle in the moat is a shark. You will likely end up with a dead party at least two times until you get the timing of the shark down. In fact, even if you make it past the shark you will end up with a dead party multiple times before getting more than a few rooms into the castle! However despite all that, I keep booting the DOS version back up. There is just something about the game that keeps bringing me back, making me try different tactics to progress into new areas.
So in conclusion I hope I might have turned a few heads. Both versions of the game are pretty affordable, with the SNES version being the cheapest. Ebay prices seem to be around $6 or $7 (with shipping) with a complete version costing an additional $10. The DOS version is a little bit more, with copies either being in 5.25" or 3.5" disks, or CD-ROM (usually in part of a collection). Prices tend to be around $20 - $30. The best version is the VGA version, which is either on CD-ROM or 3.5" disk (I think), so go for that one if you can.
Now for some legal-ese. For all intents and purposes the DOS version of Drakkhen is abandonware, which if you are not familiar is just a blanket term for certain games that have either been forgotten by the copyright owners or just negligent towards enforcement. It's a little hard to tell, but it looks like Infogrames is still the rights holder for Drakkhen. I don't imagine this will end up on GoG any time soon, as the SNES port was really the darling version for most Western gamers. Still, if you download this game from an abandonware site be forewarned: Pretty much every version that these sites have is the EGA/CGA version, which I'm pretty sure is a rip of the of the 5.25" version of the game. It's still the game (and watercolored in CGA), but the detail and animation in the VGA are worth getting a copy if you really want to play it instead of taking it for a test drive.
Well, there it is. I've been procrastinating on doing this game for years now, and it I think it finally took slackur's gift to finally nudge me forward.
The midnight launch was great! Everything went very smooth, and everyone seemed to have fun.
After getting home late, I plugged our shiny new box into our prepared space on the ol' entertainment center, and it started right up. The update was speedy and I tinkered a bit before crashing for the night/day.
So, here's your local Slackur's initial PS4 impressions:
-It's purdy.
-Speedy too, compared to the PS3's notoriously slow network downloading. So far everything seems to be as fast as the 360's downloads, so much improvement there.
-I wasn't originally sold on the install-as-you-play feature, as it felt gimmicky. But in reality it works so well that games were playable more quickly than most PS3 games; I'm officially a believer.
-I really like the UI, better than any Sony product thus far and leagues better than the 360's Metro.
-The controller also feels more natural and comfortable for me than any other Sony product thus far. Not quite as made-for-my-hands natural as the 360, but far and away more natural than any DualShock, PSP or Vita.
-Compared to the jetliner engine sounds of the 360 and PS3, this thing makes me forget it's even on.
-One of the niftiest features happened when we plugged in some decent headphones into the controller and suddenly the main sound system went mute. A quick adjustment allowed all the sound output through the headphone jack, and it sounded great!
-Another thing I assumed was too gimmicky to be useful was the remote play. Sure, the framerate suffered a little and the control responsiveness was off just a touch, but I was able to successfully play Battlefield 4 with the TV off and the kids in the same room, so it will likely come in handy more than I thought. And it makes the PS3/PSP remote play look positively broken.
Speaking of broken, much to no-one's surprise the PSNetwork has gone up and down with maintenance issues. I was able to update the system and grab Resogun without problems, but I had to wait awhile before I could grab the other online updates and games. Thankfully, with the improved download speeds I was able to get everything the next day without issue.
So, overall I have a pleasant report on the machine proper, but of course more importantly, how are the games?
Battlefield 4
Much improved graphically over the previous generation versions, it's the Battlefield I know and enjoy. Unfortunately the mode I bought it for, 64 player conquest, is the only feature that doesn't work. A quick Google proved it to be a universal problem, so hopefully it will be resolved very soon. In the meantime everything else about it is as good as I hoped.
Contrast
This one is quite nifty. The controls are too loose and fidgety, but the concept, art design and music really make it something interesting and worthwhile thus far. My Beloved has only played it a little (she likes Resogun better) but I'm looking forward to playing through it. I'm
particularly happy to see some nifty, more experimental games like this one considering how shooter-heavy the launch line up is.
DC Universe Online
I spent some time with the PS3 release years ago, and its come a long way since then. Another game I'm glad to see at launch, if just for variety and you can't beat the price. Probably won't put much time into it again but its very nice to see it as a free launch game.
Backlight Retribution
This one just plain has not worked since launch until over two days later. It looks to me like an average arena FPS. Can't say for sure since the developers apparently hate left-handed people and gave two entire pages of control customization but no southpaw thumb swap. So it'll likely end up in the digital dumpster.
Warframe
This one was released as a PC freemium also, and made it to the PS4 launch. Southpaw support means I got to spend some time in it. So far it's decent fun; a third person, four-player shooter/stabby randomized dungeon loot/level grinder. Less punch and panache than BF4 so I'll likely spend my time there, but this is definitely a type of game I can have fun with. Worth checking out more later.
Need For Speed: Rivals
A direct combination of Burnout Paradise and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. Paradise proved that while I thoroughly enjoyed every Burnout game through Revenge, even the Burnout formula didn't stave off the boring pace of open-world racers for me. Hot Pursuit on the other hand, was great fun and only fell out of rotation due to the complete lack of local LAN support. So Rivals is appropriately somewhere in between. It looks great, controls very well, and the weather effects are superb. Unfortunately it only runs at 30fps, a developer-noted compromise to achieve the 'Alldrive' constant online 'jump in/jump out MP' scalability. I'd much rather have had the better frame rate, but it still looks and plays very well. It's growing on me, but time will tell if it has more staying power than Paradise for my tastes.
Resogun
Ah, here it is. By far my favorite offering in the launch lineup, and even my Beloved enjoys playing it. A true spiritual successor to the Defender throne, Resogun has tight controls, a lucid yet rapid pace, refined but sophisticated game play balance, a nifty art design and style, and best of all it's a blast to pick up and play. Fun for a quick fix or for a several hour score challenge, Resogun is much like Geometry Wars and Tempest 2000 in that it can't quite sell a system itself, but fans of the genre are missing out on something special if they don't get a chance to play.
Overall I'm very happy with everything we picked up thus far. With all of the free and PS Plus content (free month trial and $10 PSN included!) not to mention our BF4 and NfS: Rivals pickups, I'd be set for gaming a very long time even if I didn't have a stupidly huge backlog.
I think it's worth noting that between online and disc based offerings, there are two dozen games at launch for the PS4. For all the criticism leveled at the games available, I have to say its not bad at all. If someone started out with a PS4 and PlayStation Plus, games like DCUO, Resogun, Contrast, and Warframe offer plenty of game play right out of the gate.
Considering Resogun was good enough to have folks waiting for the controller to get passed down, I'd say so far I'm pretty satisfied.
|
|
|
|
Blog Navigation
Browse Bloggers | My Blog
|
We are a community of collectors, gamers and the likes, and some of us enjoy to let the world know what is on our mind. For those members, we have the community blogs, a place where they can publish their thoughts and feelings regarding life, universe, and everything. Some of those members might even choose to write about gaming and collecting! Whatever they write about, you can find it on their blog. You can either see the latest community blog entries in the feed you see to the left, or you can browse for your favorite blog using the menu above. Interested in having your own blog hosted on RF Generation? It's rather simple, first be a registered member, and then click the "My Blog" link that you see in the navigation above. Following those two steps will certainly get you on your way to blogging.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy our entries, rantings, and completely unrelated series of thoughts. We write for you to read, so we certainly hope that you enjoy our material.
|
|
Hot Community Entries
|
|
Hot RFG Blog Entries
| |
|
