I need lives. I need lives for the master!

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned an “upcoming title” called Dracula: Origin. A point-and-click (P&C) adventure game that was to be released in August. So lo and behold, August has arrived and with it, the sinister Count.

I was in two minds when I considered buying the game. The hardcore adventurer in me screamed out to immediately purchase it, lock myself in my room and play and play and play. But the sensible part of me (the part that actually learns from prior experiences) was shrugging away from it thinking “ugh, not another one of those adventure ‘attempts’”. The recent adventure games I’ve played consisted of some good ones and then some that’s left a bad taste in my mouth (probably a result of eating the game cover out of frustration). So I was skeptical as to what this game could offer. But my adventure side won me over. Even if it’s just purely to be complete and give the developers the chance they deserve.

But I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised!! Firing up the game presented me with an interesting, yet simple main menu. Something that served as an initial annoyance, was the fact that the game does not support widescreen format. I have two thick, black bars running down the sides of the screen. But almost immediately, I thought “Hmmm, how retro. How……old-school“. And just from that, I already had a positive feel for the game. This tiny fact showed me that the developers do not care about fancy thingies. They’re not influenced by what people think. They’re here to make a game.

Starting a new game, I watch the intro video with joy. It’s got the typical adventure-game feel to it that’s been lost for so long. And for the first time in quite a while, the voice-acting wasn’t a burden to listen to.

The interface for everything in the game, is simple yet effective. It’s never a chore to do anything and you’re never left feeling “but that’s dumb”. Playing the game for a few short minutes, the interface starts to feel completely natural and you’re left to enjoy the game as the story unfolds. On then to my second greatest fear. The puzzles.

And long has it been since I felt what I feel when completing a puzzle in Dracula: Origin. Completing a puzzle leaves you looking around and thinking “damn…..I wish there was somebody here who could have seen me figure that out!”. None of the puzzles are unfair, unoriginal or any number of words starting with “un”. Nor are any of the puzzles illogical or weird as is the case with most new generation of P&C games. The subtle hints the player receives gradually introduces them to every scenario and it starts to snowball until the player understands exactly what is expected of them and they’re left to figure it out. Never do you feel burdened by the puzzles or lost when you accidentally find a solution by attempting to combine all items in your inventory with every other item. All the puzzles play out in such an elegant manner that most of the time you feel like you’re progressing much too fast.

Although I haven’t quite finished the game yet, I’m already happy with the length so far. There’s enough new locations to keep one interested and enough brain-racking to make you come back for more.

Dracula: Origin then, is the adventure game I’ve been waiting for. A new generation game with all the ingredients of the past. It’s really a joy to play if you’re an avid P&C gamer, and a nice pastime for the gamer who just wants something to play. I’m not sure how true to Bram Stoker’s novel the game story keeps, but from the bits and pieces I’ve read and know of, it seems it’s quite close. So a game for any Dracula fans then as well.

Dracula: Origin really is a must-have for adventure game enthusiasts. I don’t think anybody will be disappointed with this buy.

Here’s hoping Frogwares delves deep into their pool of talent and starts producing more adventure games for us to slurp up. I for one, am definitely going to look into their Sherlock Holmes series of games. For now I’m just happy that a developer has arrived to give me my fix ;P

Games Galore

In a turn of events that totally surprised me i bought a total of 11 games in the past week. This is split into the following categories , 4 XBLA Games and 7 normal games. While i never buy this many games at one time , this time i had to make a exception because i was really falling behind with Xbox gaming recently.Also the 7 normal Xbox games I bought were not for me but for my brother who I have been trying to get a bit more involved in gaming.

Ok so time for a quick run through the XBLA games that I have played so far and what I have enjoyed or not enjoyed. As soon as i get a chance to play the normal xbox games I will hit the blog with another post.

XBLA Games

Braid

This game really caught me off guard ,what MS usually does is when a new or heavy hitting game comes out its basically advertised all over the dashboard. While this is a nice way to advertise it usually annoys me because the games are usually not that good. When I saw that ad for braid I definitely did not want to download it.

After googling a bit more info for the game I decided to at least get the demo and see how it looks. This is where the game surprised me for the second time at +-140mb for a demo I was a hoping that the game might at least be above average. After finally downloading the game and playing the demo all I can say is wow.

Each level is beautifully painted and every puzzle is unique , while this is a bold claim after the purchasing the game i can definitely say that this is true. On top of that if you enjoy a platform puzzler then you will really enjoy these puzzles as they require a bit of thought on the players side. A very innovative thing i saw in the game was the use of paintings, these paintings are created by the player after picking up pieces of the painting through the stage. Once completed or even partially completed the player can actually use the paintings canvas and painting it self as part of the environment.

The picture above is an exapmle of how the story is told , in between each level the player find these books which explains abit more of the story as you progress. Sharp eyed players will notice that this is not the only way the story is told , the other means is through the paintings that the player collects and build.

It also pretty obvious that the roots of this game stem from the original mario games. While the creators have tried to not make it too obvious the little mario ‘gems’ found around the world complement the game to make it perfect and add a little humor to the game as well.

The image below taken from the official site describes perfectly some of the mechanics used in the game.

Also if by now you still have not bought the game , make sure that you go and get it , its worth every MS point .

Geometory Wars 2

This is the second game that i bought and without a doubt one of the better games available on the XBLA.

Based on the original Geometry Wars with a whole lot of extra oomph added to give it that extra kick needed to make it survive in this competitive market.

The number of features and improvements added to the game are tremendous and it really show. For starters the game is now fully HD compliant , so when playing it at higher resolutions the graphics are not distorted at all. Quite a few new enemy ships have been added and the original enemy ship designs have been redone to complete the new look to the game.

By far the biggest change to the game is the addition of the new game modes. With 5 new modes + co-op play (versuses or co-op) there is a ton of fun to be had with this game.

Modes Include :

• Deadline : Get as much score as possible before the timer runs out.
• King : Stay in the circle to shoot the enemies and gain points.
• Pacifism : No weapons kill enemies using the new bonus bars.
  
• Waves : Waves of increasing number of ships attack survive as long as possible.
• Sequences : Enemies spawn in the same sequence’s , see how many sequences you can survive.

If you are looking for a great co-op game this is definitely it , just keep in mind this is a game for the persistent and challengers. If you give up easily you will really not enjoy this game as the difficulty at times can be quite steep. But if i could convince my siblings who hated the first geometry wars with a passion to play this version then i don’t think many people will have a problem getting hooked to this game.

If ever you are online and want to hit a game of GW2 send me a message and we can get some gaming on.

~stalkerh

For in the darkness, no one can hear you scream…

…in frustration. Or in fear. Or surprise. What am I on about ? The new Alone in the Dark (AITD) game.

I was (and still am) a huge fan of the first AITD game back in 1992. The game was a breakthrough for it’s time (the first 3D survival horror game ever). The atmosphere and sense of dread you felt while walking through the spooky mansion on creaking floorboards, through rooms emitting funny sounds and passages and caves that left you feeling cold was absolutely incredible. This wasn’t a game. It was an experience. The way your heart beat wildly as you prepare to enter a new room not knowing what’s waiting inside. How your body tensed up if your character was in a tight spot and you had to get him out or die unceremoniously. And the fact that the sound was done to perfection, even allowing it to be played on a PC speaker, all contributed to the game being one of the best for it’s time, and all time for that matter. Playing the game today your first impression might be to throw up when looking at the graphics, but underneath all those polygons, lies a game that will draw you in.

1994 and 1995 saw the release of two more sequels to the game. Alone in the Dark 2 and Alone in the Dark 3 respectively. Both of which carried on the same flourish of atmosphere, game play and sense of anticipation. I added these to my collection and love replaying them from time to time when I’m feeling a bit nostalgic. Then, in 2001 AITD made the move to a new engine. Utilizing a mixture of 3D and 2D techniques that allowed the game to successfully imagine the use of a flashlight in it’s dark scenes. But I was left wanting when I played it. Gone was the atmosphere drenched environments I became so familiar with. In it’s place, was a Resident Evil-ish game. Not to say that it was a bad game, it just didn’t feel like Alone in the Dark. And taking the environments into consideration, the game could just have been called “Dark”.

Approaching 2008 then, I wasn’t too enthusiastic upon hearing of a new AITD game. If the last was anything to go by, we’d be moving still further away from the core of what made AITD stand out on it’s own. And after playing the new game, I’m left with mixed feelings.

The very first thing I noticed, was the graphics are pretty damn good. Most of the current generation bells and whistles are included in the engine and it runs very smooth. One up for the win column then. And then you’re introduced to a new mechanic. One that has never been used before (that I’m aware of and I could be wrong). When in first person mode, you can blink the character’s eyes. Holding down the button, will of course present you with a black screen. At the start of the game, your character is groggy for some reason, with blurry vision. Blinking his eyes, will clear his vision. “Hey, that’s neat”, I thought. But then it went ape. Having to blink the character’s eyes every two steps, it became a chore rather than a mechanic extremely fast. Some tip-ex here and there, and it’s been moved to the lose column. I would have felt much more comfortable if the player blinked his own eyes in a situation where his vision blurs the entire time. This would have brought across the feeling of helplessness you’re supposed to feel in this game. The feeling of “C’mon man, open your eyes!!!! I can’t see wtf I’m doing! There’s something making funny noises in your pants!”. Thank goodness that blinking only lasts for the first few minutes, although I don’t know if it’s going to make a return later in the game. Here’s hoping it won’t.

After the initial “intro” sequence when the player starts to get into the game, one would think that it becomes easier to play. Well the unfortunate truth is, the annoyances just keep popping up. One of the major gripes I’ve had with the game so far (one which has cost a lot of love to be lost between me and the game), is the viewing system. You can alternate between first person view (FPV) or an outside view (OSV – the camera is fixed at a certain point in the room / area you’re in and you see your character from a distance). I have no problem with either of the two views, but I do have a problem with the game deciding which I should use. Frequently I’d switch to FPV to move about more accurately and view my surroundings properly. When all of a sudden the game would switch me back to OSV. Switching back to FPV would result in the same happening again. Walking around a bit and switching will allow me to stay in FPV for a while, until the engine deems it better to be in OSV again. A NOOOI YING! Isn’t this supposed to be the player’s choice ?

Focusing on something other than the camera then, let’s look at the inventory system. Quite innovative I have to admit. Accessing your inventory sees your character opening his jacket and looking down, with everything he’s picked up positioned inside the pockets of his jacket, pants and in holsters on his belt. Add to that the fact that you can combine most items as you see fit, the recipe for something special starts to form. Combine duct-tape with an explosive bottle of liquid and throw the resulting object towards an enemy. It will stick and now you can have your fun trying to hit the bottle to make him go up in flames. Add the double-sided duct-tape to a glow-stick and throw it against the ceiling to illuminate an area. Lighter and mosquito spray anybody ? Duct-tape + flashlight + two-handed weapon ? It all makes for some interesting game play, but of course there has to be something wrong with such an idea. And in this case it would be the control of it all.

Clumsy is the only way I can describe it. I felt like a fumbling fool trying to combine items, attempting to make him release a certain item and use another or just to actually make him use the one I want. I’m not sure how this compares to the XBOX version. Once I’ve played through the game, I will most definitely play it through again with my own XBOX controller. Just so I can get a complete view of what the game is like and give it a fair summary. And to maybe better understand some of the design decisions.

Also, similar to the previous game, the freedom you had in the first three games are non-existent. Sure, you can proceed in any way you want. Locked door in the way ? Burn it. Or shoot out the lock. Or bash it with a fire extinguisher. You have freedom in that way, but not to go where you want and re-visit areas. I suppose they did it because you don’t need to re-visit areas and the game is supposed to feel cinematic. Like you’re playing a movie. But it would have been nice to feel a bit more like you’re not just following a deliberate path.

So all I’ve said so far is pretty negative. Does the game have any positives you might wonder. Yes is the short answer. But they are unfortunately outweighed by the bad.

Fire is basically at the core of the game. Enemies need to be burned in order for them to stay defeated. Also, fire spreads as it would in real life. Along the walls, ceiling, rugs start burning, furniture and it’s quite disconcerting if you’re caught in the middle of it. Some pieces of furniture you can pick up (small chairs for example) and hold it close to a flame to ignite it. It then serves you as a source of light for darker areas. It makes for a nice change in game play from most games.

The cinematic feel of the game also had quite a bit of work put into it, it would seem. Climbing on the outside of a torn apart building with explosions launching debris at you from below, more debris falling at you from the top all promising to knock you off your carefully chosen perch. It adds that heart-stopping feeling to the game. And the game is quite forgiving if you die as well. You don’t need to replay loads of game time. The game is divided into nice sized chunks of game play and you’ll start at the beginning of the one you’re busy with. In a word, it’s pleasant.

For anybody who’s not a hardcore fan of the series, I’d advise caution when considering buying this title. My forever continuing obsession with tea leaves tells me this isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. It does provide survival horror fans with enough of a game to keep them hooked and interested, but the controls and the engine deciding what view for you to use will probably make the game unpopular with most. But still, if the developers release a patch here and there to address these issues or somehow smooth them out, this game should be in every gamer’s collection. It’s really not a bad game at all. I suppose for most it’s just not a good game…. yet =)

To click or not to click, that is the action

Being one of the few people who’s still a good ‘ol point-and-click adventure game fan, a lot of people will probably skip this post. But my fellow clickey adventurers, hear me out. And possibly provide me with the answers I’m in dire need of!

I vividly remember the days spent infront of my 386 with it’s VGA screen, pondering on a puzzle or two in some of the classic adventure games of “back in the day”. Games like the Monkey Island series, Grim Fandango, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Day of the Tentacle and not to forget the popular Space Quest, King’s Quest and Leisure Suit Larry series’. Going back even further, we see games like Hugo’s House of Horrors making the rounds.

What made these games special, was the sheer attention to story and the way it was presented to the player. In short, they had Charm. Which is more than one can say for the current generation of offerings. The current generation of point-and-click (P&C) Adventure games feel more like projects that somebody simply flung together to get through a story as quickly as possible. They don’t feel like a game made to be enjoyed at all.

But a few gems do shine through the rough around it though. The recent introduction of two new series of Sam and Max adventures did the older games justice. The humour and adventuring, although bland in a few places, was carried over from the past and the heart of the game remains true. But what we want, is another Full Throttle level of greatness. Another The Dig! And games like Fahrenheit / Indigo Prophecy and Still Life have certainly delivered the goods. We don’t want some rehashes and meagre offerings. Which brings me to the latest Simon the Sorcerer game.

I was a humongous fan of the original Simon the Sorcerer games in the 1990’s. So when I heard a fourth installment was on it’s way, I sat tapping my feet impatiently waiting for it’s release. And a few days ago, the time had finally arrived for the game to be ripped open, and installed on my PC. But first things first. I believe there are two stages that are important when looking at a game. Initial feeling of the game (the first 10 minutes you spend with it) and nearly finished feeling. Of which my first stage feeling is quite grim.

What my ears had to endure in the first 10 minutes of the game, was atrocious. I could easily play that pyramid game with words when I think about it: Horrific……..Excruciating. The voice acting hurts the game in a big way. The voices are juggled between voice actors who are audibly trying to be funny to those who have no emotion whatsoever in their voices. It really is a big disappointment and it set the expectation for the rest of the game pretty low. But true to it’s adventure game roots, the option to turn the voices off was included in the game. Which is what I did within the first 5 minutes of gameplay.

And thank goodness for that. The familiar charm of the game was slowly but surely returning to the game. Kind of like the colour returning to somebody’s face after you’ve been strangling them. The initial grimness I felt is starting to melt and I’m starting to enjoy the game more and more. The developers did an excellent job with the graphics. There’s that certain “charminess” that has been absent in so many of the latest P&C offerings. Which is a big relief. Maybe this will be the turning point and the adventure genre might return in full force.

Another recent game in the genre that was poorly received, is Dead Reefs. It doesn’t quite fall into the category of point and click, but it is an adventure game. But yet again, voice acting was the biggest thorn in it’s side.

Nevertheless, if you’re one of the few hardcore adventure game fans still around (alive? ;P), I would most certainly recommend taking a look at the latest Simon the Sorcerer game. Also, if you haven’t played them, Still Life, Fahrenheit, Dead Reefs and Sam and Max season 1 & 2 are all worth having a look at. Also, keep an eye out for the upcoming Dracula Origin. I still intend on playing Overclocked: A History of Violence as well, so maybe check back in the future for some thoughts on that.

Happy clicking!