Shmee.Me

September 19, 2016September 19, 2016

Dear Developers, Don’ Use ‘Retro’ Save Systems!

Thanks to Games with Gold I recently acquired Earthlock: Festival of Magic by Snowcastle Games, and while I was never a big JRPG fan there was something about the old school presentation of Earthlock that perfectly triggered my nostalgia nerve center. Well it did until I ran in to a boss that I wasn’t ready for, and since I hadn’t seen a green save frog in a long time it wiped out an hour’s worth of play time. I returned the favor by wiping it off my Xbox One’s hard drive.

To all the developers out there please use modern saving schemes. I understand that Earthlock was trying to harken back to a simpler time, but the reason saving was terrible back then was because they didn’t know any better, or there was a limitation with their software. No one pines for the days when they would have to play the same hard area over and over again because they were stuck between save points. No, our brains forget those play sessions so we don’t turn in to uncontrollable rage monsters. At the very minimum include a retry button so that we can get through the boss and get to a save point.

Oh well, other then the save game deal I have nothing else to write about Earthlock: Festival of Magic since I didn’t play it enough to properly review it because I literally uninstalled it. I have a lot of other games to play, and they respect my time enough to save my game at regular intervals.

September 16, 2016September 16, 2016

Dead Rising, The Game I Should Love…

Dead Rising turns 10 this year, and to celebrate Capcom is re-releasing the old games and the new Dead Rising 4. When the original Dead Rising was announced for the for the Xbox 360 I was supper excited. It was like they reached inside my brain and then created a game just for me. I mean it was a game where you could use just about anything for a weapon while roaming around a large open mall that was infested with the undead, and the game delivered on that promise. However, it also delivered a constantly ticking clock so that you could not take your time to enjoy all the free form zombie killing action, a terrible save system, and bosses that were next to impossible to defeat. I don’t think I have ever been more disappointed in a game.

It turns out I am not the only one who felt this way, so they had to make drastic changes to the next Dead Rising games. Because of that I hear that things got better in the second and third games, and that they are completely getting rid of the countdown clock in the upcoming Dead Rising 4, but after the way the first game let me down it is hard to get excited about the franchise again. Who knows maybe Dead Rising 4 will be the zombie game that gets everything right, but unless I get the game as a gift I won’t find out. It is hard to trust something that has broken your heart.

September 13, 2016September 13, 2016

47 Is Up To His Old Tricks In Bangkok!

After taking a step backwards in Marrakesh, Hitman is back firing on all cylinders in Bangkok. While not everything about Episode 4 was perfect, it did go a long way to alleviate my fears that this murderous episodic journey was headed down the wrong path. Marrakesh seems to have been more of a stumble than a change of direction.

In Hitman: Episode 4, Bangkok, 47 is tasked with delivering justice to a rich daddy’s boy musician that literally got away with murder, and the lawyer that circumvented the law to keep this rich brat out of jail. Doing so will not be easy since they are both in an exclusive hotel with tight security, but as always 47 is more than up to the task.

What makes this episode work so well is that it uses the Bangkok map so effectively. You have to use all the areas available to get to your targets. Not to mention the Hotel must have been laid out by a crazy person. The poor guests must always be getting lost, but the non-linear design forces 47 to stay on his toes and always be looking for his next route. It also seems like they tweaked the opportunity system, so that it kind of clues you in to what you can do, but without completely spelling it out for you. The security in this Hitman episode is really on the ball as well, so just because you are in disguise don’t think you can just go anywhere you want. You will still have to stay out of sight and plan out your hits.

This bump in difficulty is appreciated. The other maps have all been fun, but for the seasoned Hitman player they have all kind of been on the easy side. That is not to say Hitman: Bangkok is hard, but just that it is not the relative breeze the other mission have been. It is good that they are making the player get better at taking out targets. All of this to say that Hitman: Episode 4, Bangkok, was a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to visit Colorado later this month.

September 9, 2016September 9, 2016

I Am The Knight! With Batman: The Telltale Series!

While cinematically Batman has been having a rough time lately, in the world of video games he has been doing quite well thanks to Rocksteady Studios’ Arkham series. It looks the Dark Knight’s excellent gaming run is going to continue with Batman: The Telltale Series. I played the first episode and witnessed the second during the PAX West group play and it is amazing! While the Arkham series was all about giving you the moves to feel like you were Batman doling out justice, Telltale Batman is all about getting in to the mind of Batman. What it is like to be Bruce Wayne making hard choices.

Gameplay wise Telltale Batman doesn’t differ that much from other Telltale games. It is still a choose your own adventure title with Quick Time Events (QTEs) for the ‘action’. While at first it seems odd to take the action out of a Batman story, this is the first game to really get in the head of Batman and let you pick how he deals with the threats against Gotham, or even better whether Batman is Bruce Wayne’s alter ego or the other way around. It is like the ultimate motion comic.

Stylistically Batman: The Telltale Series looks a lot like Telltale’s other comic book to game outings with a heavy cell shaded look. Though much like The Wolf Among Us this just adds to the game’s living comic book feel. It looks like one of Batman’s on page adventures. Which is to say pretty great.

I guess how much you like Batman: The Telltale Series will depend on how much you like Batman. If the Dark Knight is not your thing, playing a game where you get behind his eyes isn’t going to do much for you. If you are like me on the other hand, and love Batman, Batman: The Telltale Series is a must play. It is another impressive game from Telltale. At this point after Batman and The Wolf Among Us, DC should just give Telltale license to do all their characters.

September 8, 2016

The Paladin’s PAX Wrap Up

Like Shmee I also attended PAX West, formerly Prime, and like him I came away with a few games to recommend. While there really wasn’t a game of show for me in either the Board Game or Video Game categories, there were some interesting and fun games you should check out for yourself.

911 Operator by Jutsu Games out of Poland made me upset, not because it was difficult or controversial. No, I was upset because I was on the phone with a guy who had cut off his leg, begging me to tell his wife he loved her, while the stupid ambulance driver took his sweet time navigating Seattle’s streets probably trying to find a Starbucks first. 911 Operator felt frantic, but meaningful and I was proud at the end of the demo that no one died on my watch – not even one-leg guy.

Lightspeed Frontier was a fun little game in the IndieMEGABOOTH by Crowdwork Studios. I had fun flying around in this procedurally generated, rouge-like game (Shmee’s favorite genre right now). Plus I rammed another ship, killed it, and impressed the devs who were cool guys. You can download the demo now, so give it a try.

The final game I’ll talk about is Identeco a Cyberpunk RPG that is now in Beta by Humanoid Games. We played this and it was a lot of fun. Thematically its similar to the RPG Shadowrun, just less grim and without the fantasy elements of Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, or Magic. Mechanically it felt a little more like D&D with a little more meat to it. I enjoyed our playtest and was impressed with the system. I suggest you download their Beta and give it a try yourself.

Some honorable mentions would be Cowbots and Aliens (which Shmee talks about in his post) and Ice Cool, a fun dexterity game with penguins.

Course there is so much more that goes on at PAX; panels, events, swag, and just being with friends, bro. Most of it would be hard to explain without context or not being in a sleepless state kept awake by energy drinks. Still, I plan to go back next year to plumb the depths and come back with more great games to try.