Apologies for the lack of retro-gaming activity lately. Having got myself a shiny widescreen monitor I felt the need for something more modern and grabbed myself Grand Theft Auto IV in a steam sale. So far I'm mostly loving it, with two caveats. One is, I can't race for shit so I'm hoping you don't have to beat that last Brucie mission to complete the core story.
The other is tough missions that involve lengthy driving before, say, a shootout. After the fourth failure I find having to drive there AGAIN is kind of a pain. I know you can instantly jump to the mission start upon failing, but the problem is when there's a load of driving between that and where the actual action begins.
For example that Jimmy P mission ("catch the wave") where you have to clear a load of Russian mobsters out of a warehouse. Jimmy accompanies you and if he dies, the mission fails. Yup it's that bane of gaming, "protect the hapless computer-controlled ally". His well-reaonsed tactic: a suicidal charge right through the front door. Once you've failed, you have a slooow 7-minute drive across town in a truck. God dammit!
Bitching aside though, I'm mostly loving it. Having a city to romp across is as great as ever. I'm more an open-spaces kind of guy, and I'm hoping a future installment will go cross country San Andreas style, but this is an amazingly convincing faux-New-York we have here. With plenty of opportunities for exploration or random mayhem. I'm not the kind to get off on murdering sprees these days, but I did greatly enjoy parking a helicopter in the middle of a busy road in Manhattan then casually strolling off as if all was perfectly normal.
Story-wise it manages to balance Nico's status as hired thug with keeping him a sympathetic character. It's all a bit less over-the-top than previous outings but there are still moments of humour and some colourful characters. Cousin Roman is whiny but I couldn't help liking him and the rasta guy has some great moments. Also I think the moral guardians should note that crime is hardly glamourised here; pretty much everyone is miserable, paranoid and has a drug problem. And when you finally meet someone at the top of the criminal brotherhood he's an old man dying in a hospital.
In terms of features I kind of miss the property-buying options, but between missions and random goofing I feel there's plenty enough to be doing. The "friendship" system can bug me sometimes (ROMAN I'M BUSY DAMMIT) but I think helps you to engage more with the key characters and the rewards are useful. That said I mostly skipped the girlfriends. Not sure Nico's attempts to get into various girls pants is something I need happening on my screen.
So, yeah, 9/10 so far. Also reminds me that the GTA3 generation is definitely viable material for coverage on this site.
(tip for that mission: Jimmy charges once all enemies immediately in front of him are dead. So leave one alive, and run around the back of the warehouse. The mobsters will mostly have their backs turned, still waiting for Jimmy, so are easier targets).
tags: gta, grand, theft, auto
The other is tough missions that involve lengthy driving before, say, a shootout. After the fourth failure I find having to drive there AGAIN is kind of a pain. I know you can instantly jump to the mission start upon failing, but the problem is when there's a load of driving between that and where the actual action begins.
For example that Jimmy P mission ("catch the wave") where you have to clear a load of Russian mobsters out of a warehouse. Jimmy accompanies you and if he dies, the mission fails. Yup it's that bane of gaming, "protect the hapless computer-controlled ally". His well-reaonsed tactic: a suicidal charge right through the front door. Once you've failed, you have a slooow 7-minute drive across town in a truck. God dammit!
Bitching aside though, I'm mostly loving it. Having a city to romp across is as great as ever. I'm more an open-spaces kind of guy, and I'm hoping a future installment will go cross country San Andreas style, but this is an amazingly convincing faux-New-York we have here. With plenty of opportunities for exploration or random mayhem. I'm not the kind to get off on murdering sprees these days, but I did greatly enjoy parking a helicopter in the middle of a busy road in Manhattan then casually strolling off as if all was perfectly normal.
Story-wise it manages to balance Nico's status as hired thug with keeping him a sympathetic character. It's all a bit less over-the-top than previous outings but there are still moments of humour and some colourful characters. Cousin Roman is whiny but I couldn't help liking him and the rasta guy has some great moments. Also I think the moral guardians should note that crime is hardly glamourised here; pretty much everyone is miserable, paranoid and has a drug problem. And when you finally meet someone at the top of the criminal brotherhood he's an old man dying in a hospital.
In terms of features I kind of miss the property-buying options, but between missions and random goofing I feel there's plenty enough to be doing. The "friendship" system can bug me sometimes (ROMAN I'M BUSY DAMMIT) but I think helps you to engage more with the key characters and the rewards are useful. That said I mostly skipped the girlfriends. Not sure Nico's attempts to get into various girls pants is something I need happening on my screen.
So, yeah, 9/10 so far. Also reminds me that the GTA3 generation is definitely viable material for coverage on this site.
(tip for that mission: Jimmy charges once all enemies immediately in front of him are dead. So leave one alive, and run around the back of the warehouse. The mobsters will mostly have their backs turned, still waiting for Jimmy, so are easier targets).
tags: gta, grand, theft, auto
27/07: ghosts of the past
So Starcraft 2 is out. From what I've heard it's not all that different to the first one - perhaps a disappointment to some in these days when RTS games try to be a bit more detailed, with features like morale and cover. Others will probably love having their old favourite return with a shiny facelift and new units.
Me? Blizzard owns enough of my soul already so I'm in no hurry.
tags: starcraft
Me? Blizzard owns enough of my soul already so I'm in no hurry.
tags: starcraft
25/03: return to babylon
So there's another Prince of Persia game on the way, The Forgotten Sands. Not apparently a game adapation of the upcoming movie (if it was, it would be a game of a movie of a game which is a rather amusing concept), but certainly timed to coincide with it. It's a return to the Sands of Time trilogy, an approach which feels rather dismissive of the 2008 game, but isn't unwelcome.
Currently we don't have coverage of anything PoP, which is a situation I believe needs fixing given that the franchise goes back to 1989. That said if I attempt the original it will probably just lead to falling in pits and dying a lot. Let's put it in the "get around to it... sometime" pile of revered oldies.
I definitely do wish to cover the Sands of Time itself, though, as that one's still a greatly enjoyable classic. Apart from the slick acrobatics I loved the enchanting Arabian-Nights feel, so much more atmospheric than the angst and nu-metal of the sequel.
Later games are too new to fall on our radar for now, but there was also a lesser-known first attempt at 3D in between the original platformers and Sands of Time. That wasn't particularly well-received but might be fun to take a look at.
tags: prince, of, persia
Currently we don't have coverage of anything PoP, which is a situation I believe needs fixing given that the franchise goes back to 1989. That said if I attempt the original it will probably just lead to falling in pits and dying a lot. Let's put it in the "get around to it... sometime" pile of revered oldies.
I definitely do wish to cover the Sands of Time itself, though, as that one's still a greatly enjoyable classic. Apart from the slick acrobatics I loved the enchanting Arabian-Nights feel, so much more atmospheric than the angst and nu-metal of the sequel.
Later games are too new to fall on our radar for now, but there was also a lesser-known first attempt at 3D in between the original platformers and Sands of Time. That wasn't particularly well-received but might be fun to take a look at.
tags: prince, of, persia
So, the new Pro Evolution Soccer is out, and the general consensus seems to be that the series is on the wane.
Apparently, the decline started a couple of years ago with PES 2008, which is odd as it's the latest one I bought and I'm still playing it now. It's got one or two problems, and the speed of play is perhaps a bit quicker than I might like, but to me it's the same solid and enjoyable PES that I've come to love over the years.
Of course, if I were to express such an opinion in an internet forum, I would no doubt be accused of being a PES 'fanboy', which would in itself provoke frenzied debate as to the relative merits of Konami's series and close rival FIFA.
Looking at some of the reviews doing the rounds, it appears FIFA now has the edge. Frankly, I find it hard to believe. If that makes me a fanboy, so be it, but I certainly hope I'd be open-minded enough to admit EA's superiority once I'd played their latest effort.
It's something that's not going to happen though, because I play my games on PC these days, and EA doesn't bother to release their shiny new next-gen FIFA on PC, instead spewing forth a barely-polished port of the PS2 version, which has remained largely the same since 2006.
As if they didn't give you enough reasons to hate them already. F*ck you EA, I'm keeping my head in the sand and buying the new PES (which, incidentally, is exactly the same on PC as on the consoles).
Apparently, the decline started a couple of years ago with PES 2008, which is odd as it's the latest one I bought and I'm still playing it now. It's got one or two problems, and the speed of play is perhaps a bit quicker than I might like, but to me it's the same solid and enjoyable PES that I've come to love over the years.
Of course, if I were to express such an opinion in an internet forum, I would no doubt be accused of being a PES 'fanboy', which would in itself provoke frenzied debate as to the relative merits of Konami's series and close rival FIFA.
Looking at some of the reviews doing the rounds, it appears FIFA now has the edge. Frankly, I find it hard to believe. If that makes me a fanboy, so be it, but I certainly hope I'd be open-minded enough to admit EA's superiority once I'd played their latest effort.
It's something that's not going to happen though, because I play my games on PC these days, and EA doesn't bother to release their shiny new next-gen FIFA on PC, instead spewing forth a barely-polished port of the PS2 version, which has remained largely the same since 2006.
As if they didn't give you enough reasons to hate them already. F*ck you EA, I'm keeping my head in the sand and buying the new PES (which, incidentally, is exactly the same on PC as on the consoles).
13/10: Rise of the Triad
I've enjoyed a few games on DS, but few have been as good as GTA: Chinatown Wars.
I have to admit, when it was first announced I wasn't sure whether the DS was the right platform for GTA, and part of me dismissed it as a half-hearted knock-off of the early PC efforts.
I was wrong, wrong, wrong. It's pretty bloody brilliant actually, and the first GTA game I've finished, er, ever. They've really put some effort into making it a great, original, title for DS and I particularly like the way they've integrated the stylus/touch screen into the game, which can often seem contrived.
In a word: awesome! If the pro reviews haven't convinced you, allow me to add my recommendation...
I have to admit, when it was first announced I wasn't sure whether the DS was the right platform for GTA, and part of me dismissed it as a half-hearted knock-off of the early PC efforts.
I was wrong, wrong, wrong. It's pretty bloody brilliant actually, and the first GTA game I've finished, er, ever. They've really put some effort into making it a great, original, title for DS and I particularly like the way they've integrated the stylus/touch screen into the game, which can often seem contrived.
In a word: awesome! If the pro reviews haven't convinced you, allow me to add my recommendation...
As a cheapskate with an interest in older games and a massive pile of untried titles sitting in a cupboard under the stairs, I don't tend to buy too many new releases these days.
Sports games are an exception, however. More specifically, a new cricket game will more or less represent an essential purchase on the day of release.
Unlike football fans, who can count on a new FIFA and Pro Evo per year, followers of cricket normally have to wait a couple of years for a new title. Which means that almost as soon as a new title is announced, a dedicated hardcore of fans begin speculating what the game might be like, and as details start to trickle through, speculation begins to grow about whether this one might turn out to be quite decent.
By the time the game is released, there's feverish excitement and a great clamour for a verdict on whether this game is indeed 'the one'. Cricket games aren't really a priority for 'the professionals' and magazine reviews are normally brief and ill-informed, so you're left with a choice of either finding out for yourself or trusting the word of forum dwellers.
So, Ashes Cricket 2009 is the latest, released tomorrow. Already people are on Planet Cricket sharing initial thoughts based on relatively little gameplay time.
I'll wait until I've played it myself, but it already sounds like it'll be the usual mixed bag of half-decent ideas on the one hand, and bugs and oversights on the other. (Sigh).
tags: cricket, ashes
Sports games are an exception, however. More specifically, a new cricket game will more or less represent an essential purchase on the day of release.
Unlike football fans, who can count on a new FIFA and Pro Evo per year, followers of cricket normally have to wait a couple of years for a new title. Which means that almost as soon as a new title is announced, a dedicated hardcore of fans begin speculating what the game might be like, and as details start to trickle through, speculation begins to grow about whether this one might turn out to be quite decent.
By the time the game is released, there's feverish excitement and a great clamour for a verdict on whether this game is indeed 'the one'. Cricket games aren't really a priority for 'the professionals' and magazine reviews are normally brief and ill-informed, so you're left with a choice of either finding out for yourself or trusting the word of forum dwellers.
So, Ashes Cricket 2009 is the latest, released tomorrow. Already people are on Planet Cricket sharing initial thoughts based on relatively little gameplay time.
I'll wait until I've played it myself, but it already sounds like it'll be the usual mixed bag of half-decent ideas on the one hand, and bugs and oversights on the other. (Sigh).
tags: cricket, ashes
So Rockstar are working on a new Max Payne game. Not to doubt their pedigree, but I'm slightly troubled by some of the tidbits of news about the game that have emerged so far. There's a picture of Max that makes him look like a Ukrainian boxer, which is troubling enough, but now they've announced that they've ditched James McCaffrey as the voice of Max.
I'm sure he's not the only actor who can do a gravelly voice, but he really did a good job on the first two games, and it seems a little odd to replace him.
Still, as long as it's not Marky Mark...
I'm sure he's not the only actor who can do a gravelly voice, but he really did a good job on the first two games, and it seems a little odd to replace him.
Still, as long as it's not Marky Mark...
So, just finished Fahrenheit. It was good stuff, actually - flawed, yes - but still very, very good. I didn't even mind the sub-Nickelback "rawk" that played over the end credits.
I'm tempted to say that it's unlike any game I've played, although a couple of things tell me stop short of making such a claim:
Firstly, for a game that's mainly about storytelling and dialogue, it's actually fairly restrictive in terms of the choices you can make and how you can take the story down different paths. You can say and do things you regret (or which are clearly 'wrong') but still come out of it okay in terms of driving the story forward. At several points it did strike me that, save for the fact that the technology has all moved on and there's polygons where the grainy video used to be, the game isn't really that much different from the dreaded 'interactive movie' that plagued gaming (particularly on PC) during the early-mid 1990s.
Secondly, your progress in the more action-oriented sequences is normally determined by your ability to either hammer a couple of buttons quite quickly or move the analogue sticks on your joypad according to a sequence displayed on the screen. Your character may be moving about, fighting monsters or doing a backflip, but you're playing an altogether different game, focusing on moving your thumb in the right direction. While it's certainly better executed, the general concept reminded me of the much derided non-interactive Don Bluth cartoon/games that appeared on Amiga and ST such as Space Ace and Dragon's Lair. They looked good, but they were bum - and widely derided as such (although possibly not by using the word 'bum').
Both of the parallels I've drawn are with genres that are probably better best forgotten, yet I still really enjoyed the game. Still, since it's a little too new for a full review, I won't worry too much about breaking down the reasons why - I'll just recommend that you check it out if you haven't already.
tags: fahrenheit
I'm tempted to say that it's unlike any game I've played, although a couple of things tell me stop short of making such a claim:
Firstly, for a game that's mainly about storytelling and dialogue, it's actually fairly restrictive in terms of the choices you can make and how you can take the story down different paths. You can say and do things you regret (or which are clearly 'wrong') but still come out of it okay in terms of driving the story forward. At several points it did strike me that, save for the fact that the technology has all moved on and there's polygons where the grainy video used to be, the game isn't really that much different from the dreaded 'interactive movie' that plagued gaming (particularly on PC) during the early-mid 1990s.
Secondly, your progress in the more action-oriented sequences is normally determined by your ability to either hammer a couple of buttons quite quickly or move the analogue sticks on your joypad according to a sequence displayed on the screen. Your character may be moving about, fighting monsters or doing a backflip, but you're playing an altogether different game, focusing on moving your thumb in the right direction. While it's certainly better executed, the general concept reminded me of the much derided non-interactive Don Bluth cartoon/games that appeared on Amiga and ST such as Space Ace and Dragon's Lair. They looked good, but they were bum - and widely derided as such (although possibly not by using the word 'bum').
Both of the parallels I've drawn are with genres that are probably better best forgotten, yet I still really enjoyed the game. Still, since it's a little too new for a full review, I won't worry too much about breaking down the reasons why - I'll just recommend that you check it out if you haven't already.
tags: fahrenheit
19/12: they all deserve to die
In the interest of, erm, not getting any retro gaming done for days I went ahead and got F.E.A.R. On the downside, it's one of those games where so far the pallette consists solely of brown and grey; i hope it's not all dingy warehouses and industrial settings. However, it is seriously atmospheric. Enemies aren't thrown at you constantly; there are lots of quiet bits to build up tension between encounters. Also various creepy visions and ghosts pop up to taunt you, and i've definitely jumped and uselessly emptied a clip into one or two of them.
I have some other christmas gaming plans which may or may not result in site content... oh and I played a bit of Baldur's Gate the other day. The review of which has become more or less our version of Duke Nukem Forever.
tags: fear,, shooters
I have some other christmas gaming plans which may or may not result in site content... oh and I played a bit of Baldur's Gate the other day. The review of which has become more or less our version of Duke Nukem Forever.
tags: fear,, shooters
26/11: you're lost, aren't you
As I may have mentioned here and there, I'm not particularly good at racing games. Or at least, I lack the motivation to play them enough to become more skilled, usually just dicking around for a bit, completing an easy couple of races and then crashing into something. That's why my only contributions to our racing reviews are Big Red Racing (which Rik hated) and Car and Driver, (which i jumped on solely for the sake of covering as much as we can of the works of Looking Glass studios, better known for amazing first-person action titles like Thief and System Shock).
That said, I do still get tempted by games on the 2-for-£15 range. And I think to myself "ah-ha! I'll actually make some progress this time and won't just shove it in a draw". So I spotted Test Drive Unlimited, which had one key appeal: a huge continuous piece of countryside (an island of Hawaii) that you can explore freely. You can do races, or just goof about. Open spaces and freedom are big plus points in my book, so I had a go.
And, er, wasn't very good at it. And now it's shoved in a draw for the time being. I did attempt some races but sooner or later realised i was having more fun doing this:
I think the town i was looking for was at the bottom of that hill. Maybe.
Oh also the game lets you design your own in-game driver - and there's only really two worthwile options point. You either create a hot scantily clad chick, or attempt to replicate Jeremy Clarkson.
Oh well, I'll have another go over christmas.
tags: racing,
That said, I do still get tempted by games on the 2-for-£15 range. And I think to myself "ah-ha! I'll actually make some progress this time and won't just shove it in a draw". So I spotted Test Drive Unlimited, which had one key appeal: a huge continuous piece of countryside (an island of Hawaii) that you can explore freely. You can do races, or just goof about. Open spaces and freedom are big plus points in my book, so I had a go.
And, er, wasn't very good at it. And now it's shoved in a draw for the time being. I did attempt some races but sooner or later realised i was having more fun doing this:
I think the town i was looking for was at the bottom of that hill. Maybe.
Oh also the game lets you design your own in-game driver - and there's only really two worthwile options point. You either create a hot scantily clad chick, or attempt to replicate Jeremy Clarkson.
Oh well, I'll have another go over christmas.
tags: racing,
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