(Board game; Ages 10+; 3-6; $49.99 - currently out of print; www.zmangames.com)
(five stars)
I stumbled across this game while on www.boardgamegeek.com. Though the game is out of print and without a reprint date, I managed to find a copy and expose my friends to a level of backstabbing and bargaining that we had not yet experienced in our gaming adventures. The good thing about “Lifeboats” is that, even out of print, the rules are simple enough that a home-made version of the game can be made without much hassle. All you’ll be missing out on are the bits that come with the game.
The goal of the game is simple: lifeboats containing your and your opponents’ pawns are attempting to make their way to shore. Each round, one boat advances, one boat springs a leak, and one member of each boat gets thrown overboard. Those who are overboard then attempt to find an open spot on another boat to get back in. Those who can’t find a spot are shark-food; boats that spring too many leaks, sink. The survivors of those boats that make it to shore are counted, points are assigned and a winner is declared.
Determining which boat advances, which one springs a leak, etc. is all done by simultaneous voting. Each player reveals a card with the color of the boat or player they want to be affected. Typically, majority rules unless a player uses one of his “Captain cards” which effectively trumps the vote; unless, of course, there is more than one Captain card played.
The fun of the game comes from the discussions, bargaining, and downright pleading that takes place before a vote. The rules encourage discussion between players about how they are intending to vote and whether any deals should be made. Because of this, hilarious deals are struck, alliances are formed and broken, and backstabbing happens all in the name of getting ahead. At one point, a strong alliance between myself and a friend gave a third player an option: either vote with us, or we will make it our priority to see that you are destroyed - he didn’t, and we did.
Mercilous? Yes. Hilarious. Absolutely.
It probably doesn’t need to be said, but “Lifeboats” is the type of game that you can only play with good friends who have thick skins and good senses of humor. Trucking this title out during your sweet couples’ gaming night with those who find “Trivial Pursuit” too competitive, will likely leave you with broken friendships.
But with six close friends and a no-hard-feelings caveat, “Lifeboats” is perfect for a night of social gaming. Unlike more complex games of backstabbery, like the classic “Diplomacy,” “Lifeboats” is simple to learn, requires no more strategy than knowing the personalities at the table, and can be played quickly. It’s a game that feels like it’s just meant to be played in a pub.
I’m a sucker for attractive boards and bits when it comes to board games. The nicer the presentation, the more likely I am to want to own a game. “Lifeboats” bits are all wooden and well-crafted: from the boats, to the pawns, to the blue discs that represent water, and the colorful board, everything about the game makes me want to keep and preserve this game in as good a shape as possible. Though it’s easy to home-make this game, I’m thankful I have the quality of the real thing.
If you ever have the fortune of stumbling across this gem, pick it up. Even if you don’t have any idea when you’ll play it, at the time the moment and crowd is right, you’ll be glad you did.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Singularity Review
(Xbox, PS3; $59.99; Rated M for Blood and Gore/Intense Violence/Strong Language; www.singularity-game.com)
(four stars)
“Singularity” really needs to send a thank-you note to “Bioshock” and perhaps offer to buy that game a nice steak dinner. Were it not for the success of “Bioshock” I believe “Singularity” might never have been made... at least not in its current state.
The similarities in style and game mechanics are nearly identical. So much so, that I would not have been surprised if this had been released as “Bioshock 2: Singularity.” I actually might have enjoyed it more than the actual “Bioshock 2’s” and its more-of-the-same approach to sequalization.
Taking place on a mysterious island off the coast of the former Soviet Union, “Singularity” begins - similarly to “Bioshock” - with a sweeping introduction to the island that has been dormant since 1955 due to an explosion that occurred during the course of Soviet-experimentation with a mysterious element - E99. American Black-Ops are sent to the island in the present day to investigate abnormal radiation emissions, but crash land on the island and are separated.
As is to be expected, things are not as they seem and the island is teaming with mutants who are the former inhabitants of the island and have been affected by the blast and E-99 - sort of like “Bioshock.”
Early in the game, the generic protagonist, Nate Renko, slips through a rift in time, taking him back to 1955 when all heck is breaking loose, and rescues a scientist from death - altering history. Once returning to the present, Renko discovers the “TMD,” or “Time Manipulation Device,” which fits nicely onto his wrist and allows for fantastic powers... similar to the plasmids in “Bioshock.”
The TMD allows players to manipulate certain objects in the environment to age or restore their properties in order to navigate environmental puzzles and battle enemies. See an old, broken staircase that leads to a door that you need to get to? Restore the staircase back to its original state to access the doorway. See the erased writing of a clue on a chalkboard? Restore the writing. See an enemy charging towards you? Age them until they turn to dust.
It is unfortunate that instead of aging, you can’t “youth-enize” (a term I geniously just coined) them and turn them into babies - which would be awesome. Instead, it just turns them into monsters, because... well... I have no idea why.
Along the way, players will pick up audio logs and be exposed to the cartoony propaganda to uncover more about the history of the island and the experiments performed there, just like... you guessed it, “Bioshock.” Additionally, players will slip in and out of the past to fight Soviets, mutants, and other nasties as they uncover nefarious plot after nefarious plot.
Developer, Raven Software has a history of developing solid B-level video games - the type of game that people take a break from the “Halos” or the “Call of Duties” or the “Red Dead Revolvers” to play for variety, and then quickly forget about.
The same can be said for “Singularity.” It all feels vaguely familiar and by-the-numbers, but its still as enjoyable as any popcorn-fueled adventure should feel. I don’t know if its worth the $60 price tag, but its definitely worth a weekend rental.
(four stars)
“Singularity” really needs to send a thank-you note to “Bioshock” and perhaps offer to buy that game a nice steak dinner. Were it not for the success of “Bioshock” I believe “Singularity” might never have been made... at least not in its current state.
The similarities in style and game mechanics are nearly identical. So much so, that I would not have been surprised if this had been released as “Bioshock 2: Singularity.” I actually might have enjoyed it more than the actual “Bioshock 2’s” and its more-of-the-same approach to sequalization.
Taking place on a mysterious island off the coast of the former Soviet Union, “Singularity” begins - similarly to “Bioshock” - with a sweeping introduction to the island that has been dormant since 1955 due to an explosion that occurred during the course of Soviet-experimentation with a mysterious element - E99. American Black-Ops are sent to the island in the present day to investigate abnormal radiation emissions, but crash land on the island and are separated.
As is to be expected, things are not as they seem and the island is teaming with mutants who are the former inhabitants of the island and have been affected by the blast and E-99 - sort of like “Bioshock.”
Early in the game, the generic protagonist, Nate Renko, slips through a rift in time, taking him back to 1955 when all heck is breaking loose, and rescues a scientist from death - altering history. Once returning to the present, Renko discovers the “TMD,” or “Time Manipulation Device,” which fits nicely onto his wrist and allows for fantastic powers... similar to the plasmids in “Bioshock.”
The TMD allows players to manipulate certain objects in the environment to age or restore their properties in order to navigate environmental puzzles and battle enemies. See an old, broken staircase that leads to a door that you need to get to? Restore the staircase back to its original state to access the doorway. See the erased writing of a clue on a chalkboard? Restore the writing. See an enemy charging towards you? Age them until they turn to dust.
It is unfortunate that instead of aging, you can’t “youth-enize” (a term I geniously just coined) them and turn them into babies - which would be awesome. Instead, it just turns them into monsters, because... well... I have no idea why.
Along the way, players will pick up audio logs and be exposed to the cartoony propaganda to uncover more about the history of the island and the experiments performed there, just like... you guessed it, “Bioshock.” Additionally, players will slip in and out of the past to fight Soviets, mutants, and other nasties as they uncover nefarious plot after nefarious plot.
Developer, Raven Software has a history of developing solid B-level video games - the type of game that people take a break from the “Halos” or the “Call of Duties” or the “Red Dead Revolvers” to play for variety, and then quickly forget about.
The same can be said for “Singularity.” It all feels vaguely familiar and by-the-numbers, but its still as enjoyable as any popcorn-fueled adventure should feel. I don’t know if its worth the $60 price tag, but its definitely worth a weekend rental.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation Review
(board game; $24.99; 2-Players; Ages 10+; 15-20 minutes)
(five stars)
As someone who continues to explore the niche hobby of specialty board games, there is one name that constantly comes up - Kinizia, Kinizia, Kinizia. Apparently, Dr. Reiner Kinizia is one of the most prolific and successful board game designers ever, having one multiple "Game of the Year" awards.
Kinizia took on the "Lord of the Rings" license in 2000 and put out several games with great acclaim. "Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation" is a take on the two-player, deduction strategy games as seen in the classic "Stratego." Playing as either the characters from the Fellowship of the Ring, or the minons of Mordor, players attempt to either infiltrate the other player's "base" - here, either the Shire or Mordor; or try to destroy/defend Frodo.
Each character has a special offensive or defensive ability, combined with a level of attack, and special modifier cards that allows for a surprising amount of strategy in a game that's footprint takes up such a tiny amount of space. Trying to deduce which enemy pawn is which in order to maneuver your side to the swiftest victory is both addictive and deep enough to make this a mid-level thinker that can be played in less than a half hour.
The "Deluxe Version" of this game is more widely available than the smaller, original version and adds more characters from the books for a variety of play. But even with the original version, the replayability for such an affordable and travel-friendly game makes it a must-have two-player experience.
(five stars)
As someone who continues to explore the niche hobby of specialty board games, there is one name that constantly comes up - Kinizia, Kinizia, Kinizia. Apparently, Dr. Reiner Kinizia is one of the most prolific and successful board game designers ever, having one multiple "Game of the Year" awards.
Kinizia took on the "Lord of the Rings" license in 2000 and put out several games with great acclaim. "Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation" is a take on the two-player, deduction strategy games as seen in the classic "Stratego." Playing as either the characters from the Fellowship of the Ring, or the minons of Mordor, players attempt to either infiltrate the other player's "base" - here, either the Shire or Mordor; or try to destroy/defend Frodo.
Each character has a special offensive or defensive ability, combined with a level of attack, and special modifier cards that allows for a surprising amount of strategy in a game that's footprint takes up such a tiny amount of space. Trying to deduce which enemy pawn is which in order to maneuver your side to the swiftest victory is both addictive and deep enough to make this a mid-level thinker that can be played in less than a half hour.
The "Deluxe Version" of this game is more widely available than the smaller, original version and adds more characters from the books for a variety of play. But even with the original version, the replayability for such an affordable and travel-friendly game makes it a must-have two-player experience.
ModNation Racers Review
(PS3; $59.99; Rated E for Comic Violence/Mischief; www.modnation.com)
(four stars)
Continuing the line of games under PlayStation's "Play. Build. Share." branding ushered in by the undeniably adorable "Little Big Planet" comes "ModNation Racers," a game steeped in the tradition of kart-racers like "Mario Kart," but with customization built for a generation of gamers raised on YouTube.
Whereas "Little Big Planet" gave users endlessly cute tools to make whatever platformer their minds and time could muster, "ModNation" provides similar tools to make whatever racetracks, cars, and drivers a copyright-infringing user could imagine and share with the rest of the "ModNation" population online.
In fact, why Sony didn't decide to capitalize on the brand and re-name this game "Little Big Racer" is beyond me. The two games' psychology is virtually identical.
Within days of ModNation going online, I managed to download exact replicas of classic "Mario Kart" levels; karts that looked like the Mystery Machine, A-Team Van, Batmobile, and the General Lee; and drivers like Spider-Man, Optimus Prime, Mario & Luigi, "Halo's" Master Chief, and Ronald McDonald.
Who knows how long Sony can allow the servers housing such infringing material to exist is anyone's guess, but while it's there- it rivals Hanna Barbera's "Wacky Races" in terms of cross-pollinating pop culture characters.
Thankfully, the fun that can be had online and off is as solid as the litmus by which all other kart-racers are judged - "Mario Kart." Powersliding turns, driving through power pick-ups, and using those pick-ups to aggressively move your way to 1st place and defensively keep you there is the name of the game. The physics feel right, the karts are appropriately zippy, and the pick-ups are familiar.
Which is just what a modern kart-racer should feel like. As much fun as "Mario Kart" can be, with four players racing together on the same couch, it lacks the level of surprise that can be gained by playing a track that no one has ever seen before because some guy across the world just created it.
"ModNation" is, unfortunately, hampered by the completely unforgivable load times between races and while entering into the different editing submenus - as well as general PlayStation software annoyance. Between having to download and update my PlayStation's firmware, yet again, only to then download and update the PlayStation Network Store, I then had to wait 10-15 minutes for "ModNation" to install to my hard drive.
Normally, I wouldn't mind a long install up-front in order to have a smooth-running game on the back end, but despite almost 30+ minutes before getting to my first race, I still have to wait five-minute loading screens between events and options. "ModNation" developers promise an update to streamline the entire process, but without faster access throughout the whole of the game, "ModNation" stalls out temporarily at the starting line.
For those who have the patience for those types of issues, though, "ModNation's" charm and family-friendly fun is a delight.
(four stars)
Continuing the line of games under PlayStation's "Play. Build. Share." branding ushered in by the undeniably adorable "Little Big Planet" comes "ModNation Racers," a game steeped in the tradition of kart-racers like "Mario Kart," but with customization built for a generation of gamers raised on YouTube.
Whereas "Little Big Planet" gave users endlessly cute tools to make whatever platformer their minds and time could muster, "ModNation" provides similar tools to make whatever racetracks, cars, and drivers a copyright-infringing user could imagine and share with the rest of the "ModNation" population online.
In fact, why Sony didn't decide to capitalize on the brand and re-name this game "Little Big Racer" is beyond me. The two games' psychology is virtually identical.
Within days of ModNation going online, I managed to download exact replicas of classic "Mario Kart" levels; karts that looked like the Mystery Machine, A-Team Van, Batmobile, and the General Lee; and drivers like Spider-Man, Optimus Prime, Mario & Luigi, "Halo's" Master Chief, and Ronald McDonald.
Who knows how long Sony can allow the servers housing such infringing material to exist is anyone's guess, but while it's there- it rivals Hanna Barbera's "Wacky Races" in terms of cross-pollinating pop culture characters.
Thankfully, the fun that can be had online and off is as solid as the litmus by which all other kart-racers are judged - "Mario Kart." Powersliding turns, driving through power pick-ups, and using those pick-ups to aggressively move your way to 1st place and defensively keep you there is the name of the game. The physics feel right, the karts are appropriately zippy, and the pick-ups are familiar.
Which is just what a modern kart-racer should feel like. As much fun as "Mario Kart" can be, with four players racing together on the same couch, it lacks the level of surprise that can be gained by playing a track that no one has ever seen before because some guy across the world just created it.
"ModNation" is, unfortunately, hampered by the completely unforgivable load times between races and while entering into the different editing submenus - as well as general PlayStation software annoyance. Between having to download and update my PlayStation's firmware, yet again, only to then download and update the PlayStation Network Store, I then had to wait 10-15 minutes for "ModNation" to install to my hard drive.
Normally, I wouldn't mind a long install up-front in order to have a smooth-running game on the back end, but despite almost 30+ minutes before getting to my first race, I still have to wait five-minute loading screens between events and options. "ModNation" developers promise an update to streamline the entire process, but without faster access throughout the whole of the game, "ModNation" stalls out temporarily at the starting line.
For those who have the patience for those types of issues, though, "ModNation's" charm and family-friendly fun is a delight.
Transformers: War for Cybertron Review
(Xbox, PS3, Wii; $59.99; Rated T for Violence; transformersgame.com)
(two and a half stars)
Here are things that are awesome:
Robots.
Vehicles.
Things that become other things.
Combining all three things that are awesome - Robots that become Vehicles - would make for a triple-threat of awesomeness. And the mythology of the Transformers - the evil Decepticons, lead by the Kim Jong Il of robots Megatron, fight to destroy the noble Autobots, lead by the fearless Optimus Prime - make for a can't lose Circle of Cool.
So how is it that everything bearing the "Transformers" name since 1985, when the real "Transformers: the movie" was released, is just so... meh?
I'd say it's because I'm no longer a 10 year-old boy, but my re-watching of the classic '85 flick proves me wrong. That movie holds up and is awesome (plus, fun fact: Orson Well's last movie). Clearly, "Transformers" is timeless, but only in the right hands.
Developers, High Moon Studios, recognize that and try to do the mythos justice with "Transformers: War for Cybertron," but come up short by creating a by-the-numbers third-person shooter that feels it was made about five years ago. No innovation in gameplay is here, nothing unique to take note of, and nothing that warrants more than a weekend rental. By no means is this a bad game, just wholly mediocre.
Taking place before the events that lead to the Autobots crash-landing on Earth, "War for Cybertron" focuses on the beginning of civil war between Autobot and Decepticon. For those geeked out about "Transformers," "War for Cybertron" is canonical and signed off as the way it all went down by license-holder, Hasbro.
Players begin on the Decepticon side of the war, with Megatron and two other Decepticons pursuing 'Dark Energon' which will be the key to augmenting Megatron's power and taking Cybertron for himself. Play involves a three-bot squad moving through environments that are long enough to take advantage of the ability to transform into vehicle mode, but beyond getting from point-A to point-B quicker, Vehicle Mode is fairly useless. This is especially a shame for the portions of the game played as a fighter jet, where a great use of dog-fighting and stationary sniping should have really be explored; or for unique car chases.
The art style of the game is good, if it didn't look all so blended in together. Each classic Transformer is envisioned as a good mix between the "G1" Transformers from the 80s and the Michael Bay awfulness of the recent movies. Unfortunately, in going for an edgier look to the characters and Cybertron as a whole, High Moon Studios makes everything look washed out - chocking the environments so full of metal makes distinguishing the enemies from the backgrounds a challenge in itself.
Online multiplayer shows some promise, using the squad-based, experience-leveling mechanic of "Call of Duty" to unlock new weapons and perks. But the lack of an actual cover mechanic, makes this third-person shooter more chaotic than enjoyable.
For those who can't get enough of those Robots in Disguise, "War for Cybertron" is worth a look for some of the cleverness in the mythos; but perhaps only after the pice is slashed by $30.
(two and a half stars)
Here are things that are awesome:
Robots.
Vehicles.
Things that become other things.
Combining all three things that are awesome - Robots that become Vehicles - would make for a triple-threat of awesomeness. And the mythology of the Transformers - the evil Decepticons, lead by the Kim Jong Il of robots Megatron, fight to destroy the noble Autobots, lead by the fearless Optimus Prime - make for a can't lose Circle of Cool.
So how is it that everything bearing the "Transformers" name since 1985, when the real "Transformers: the movie" was released, is just so... meh?
I'd say it's because I'm no longer a 10 year-old boy, but my re-watching of the classic '85 flick proves me wrong. That movie holds up and is awesome (plus, fun fact: Orson Well's last movie). Clearly, "Transformers" is timeless, but only in the right hands.
Developers, High Moon Studios, recognize that and try to do the mythos justice with "Transformers: War for Cybertron," but come up short by creating a by-the-numbers third-person shooter that feels it was made about five years ago. No innovation in gameplay is here, nothing unique to take note of, and nothing that warrants more than a weekend rental. By no means is this a bad game, just wholly mediocre.
Taking place before the events that lead to the Autobots crash-landing on Earth, "War for Cybertron" focuses on the beginning of civil war between Autobot and Decepticon. For those geeked out about "Transformers," "War for Cybertron" is canonical and signed off as the way it all went down by license-holder, Hasbro.
Players begin on the Decepticon side of the war, with Megatron and two other Decepticons pursuing 'Dark Energon' which will be the key to augmenting Megatron's power and taking Cybertron for himself. Play involves a three-bot squad moving through environments that are long enough to take advantage of the ability to transform into vehicle mode, but beyond getting from point-A to point-B quicker, Vehicle Mode is fairly useless. This is especially a shame for the portions of the game played as a fighter jet, where a great use of dog-fighting and stationary sniping should have really be explored; or for unique car chases.
The art style of the game is good, if it didn't look all so blended in together. Each classic Transformer is envisioned as a good mix between the "G1" Transformers from the 80s and the Michael Bay awfulness of the recent movies. Unfortunately, in going for an edgier look to the characters and Cybertron as a whole, High Moon Studios makes everything look washed out - chocking the environments so full of metal makes distinguishing the enemies from the backgrounds a challenge in itself.
Online multiplayer shows some promise, using the squad-based, experience-leveling mechanic of "Call of Duty" to unlock new weapons and perks. But the lack of an actual cover mechanic, makes this third-person shooter more chaotic than enjoyable.
For those who can't get enough of those Robots in Disguise, "War for Cybertron" is worth a look for some of the cleverness in the mythos; but perhaps only after the pice is slashed by $30.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Blur Review
(Xbox, PS3; $59.99; Rated E10+ for Mild Violence; www.blurgame.com)
(four and a half stars)
One of the kings of driving games developers, Bizarre Creations, combines the speed of a licensed-car arcade racer, with the power-up weapons of a console-based kart racer for a game that aims to be as fun as it is cool. Visuals, power-ups, and presentation all work very well and look like the perfect union of skills for the company that created both the drive-with-style "Project Gotham Racing" and the neon-infused "Geometry Wars."
"Blur" is meant for multiplayer, and through online is present, it's almost designed for a split-screen experience - which, thankfully, it has. Kart-racers are one of those games that almost require elbow-jabbing your friend in the side as he strikes you down with a lightning bolt on-screen, "Blur" is no different.
The single-player, however, feels a little by-the-numbers and the ridiculous difficulty and precision of the computer-controlled opponents can really take the fun out of the game after losing to them in a head-to-head race for the 13th time. But again, as far as competitive fun goes, "Blur" fills a hole in the racing genre nicely.
(four and a half stars)
One of the kings of driving games developers, Bizarre Creations, combines the speed of a licensed-car arcade racer, with the power-up weapons of a console-based kart racer for a game that aims to be as fun as it is cool. Visuals, power-ups, and presentation all work very well and look like the perfect union of skills for the company that created both the drive-with-style "Project Gotham Racing" and the neon-infused "Geometry Wars."
"Blur" is meant for multiplayer, and through online is present, it's almost designed for a split-screen experience - which, thankfully, it has. Kart-racers are one of those games that almost require elbow-jabbing your friend in the side as he strikes you down with a lightning bolt on-screen, "Blur" is no different.
The single-player, however, feels a little by-the-numbers and the ridiculous difficulty and precision of the computer-controlled opponents can really take the fun out of the game after losing to them in a head-to-head race for the 13th time. But again, as far as competitive fun goes, "Blur" fills a hole in the racing genre nicely.
Alan Wake Review
(Xbox; $59.99; Rated T for Blood/Language/Use of Alcohol and Tobacco/Violence; www.xbox.com)
(four and a half stars)
What a long, strange trip it's been.
That's what both gamers and the titular protagonist of "Alan Wake" are saying, considering the game was announced almost five years ago and finally (finally!) released last month.
Though gameplay-wise, "Alan Wake" is a fairly by-the-numbers third-person shooter, and even employs a few passe gameplay mechanics which show just how long the title was in development, the gameplay is really just the vehicle to be pulled into the story. Though a third-person shooter, this is not on the same level as a "Gears of War." "Alan Wake" is clearly a psychological-thriller, first; an action game, second.
Heavily drawing from influences like "Twin Peaks" and Stephen King novels, "Alan Wake" is a story about a famous horror novelist suffering a severe case of writer's block. In order to clear his head, he and his wife take a vacation in a sleepy, Northern-Pacific/Atlantic, lakeside town of Bright Falls. As it goes in stories such as these, Bright Falls is not all that it seems, and from the moment Alan steps onto the docks of their idyllic vacation getaway the nightmares of a shadowy, axe-wielding madman that haunts him begin to appear while he is awake.
Without giving too many spoilers away, Alan's wife goes missing and Alan loses a week of consciousness. As he continues to search for her he begins finding pages of a manuscript from a book of his that he has never written. The pages describe events that have already happened, those that are happening, and some which may or may not foretell the future. All the while, the Darkness continues to pursue him.
All of the action in "Alan Wake" takes place at night when the boogeymen come out, so the isolation and dread of the darkness that surrounds Alan really plays up the nightmarish situation in which the character finds himself. The shadowy figures that attack Alan seem to come from nowhere and from all directions. Though Alan can dodge out of the way of their attacks, he is virtually unable to outrun them and attempting to do so will result in the classic nightmare troupe of moving in slow-motion as the creatures pursue.
Alan's ability to fend off the Darkness is to use light to his advantage- pointing a flashlight at the Darkness to wear it down before filling it full of lead, jumping under lightposts as a temporary force-field from the dangers in the shadows, and throwing down flares to keep the Darkness from sneaking up behind. At all times during the game, players will feel on-edge about what's around the corner, and what will be sure to outnumber them.
Visually, "Alan Wake" looks great in-game. Given that the tech of this game began way before 2005, the polish put on the game, especially the creepiness of a moonlit night, is pretty impressive.
Visuals, however, do not hold up so well in the cutscenes with character models have a marionette mouths when they speak, and the dated technology more apparent. No great shake, but when this game was originally pitted against Sony's "Heavy Rain" in terms of visual appeal, "Alan Wake" ends up looking and playing like a game from five years ago, and "Heavy Rain" feels current.
Probably the best thing "Alan Wake" has going for it, is its overall presentation as a "season" of story episodes. The pacing of the game is superb, with the tension of each episode drawing players into the story. Then, like every great psychological TV show, each episode ends with a cliffhanger, followed by the "Alan Wake" logo (think: "Lost"). At which point, players can press on to the next episode, or feel that they've reached a satisfactory end point for that evening's playtime. The next time the player starts the game, a "Previously on, 'Alan Wake..." summary starts the next episode.
This implementation is perfect and needs to be implemented more for games where particular attention needs to be paid to the story, and for gamers who can only play for an hour at a time. For the intended audience of "Alan Wake," they couldn't have done this any better...
Not to mention, I can't wait to see what Season 2 holds for our hero.
(four and a half stars)
What a long, strange trip it's been.
That's what both gamers and the titular protagonist of "Alan Wake" are saying, considering the game was announced almost five years ago and finally (finally!) released last month.
Though gameplay-wise, "Alan Wake" is a fairly by-the-numbers third-person shooter, and even employs a few passe gameplay mechanics which show just how long the title was in development, the gameplay is really just the vehicle to be pulled into the story. Though a third-person shooter, this is not on the same level as a "Gears of War." "Alan Wake" is clearly a psychological-thriller, first; an action game, second.
Heavily drawing from influences like "Twin Peaks" and Stephen King novels, "Alan Wake" is a story about a famous horror novelist suffering a severe case of writer's block. In order to clear his head, he and his wife take a vacation in a sleepy, Northern-Pacific/Atlantic, lakeside town of Bright Falls. As it goes in stories such as these, Bright Falls is not all that it seems, and from the moment Alan steps onto the docks of their idyllic vacation getaway the nightmares of a shadowy, axe-wielding madman that haunts him begin to appear while he is awake.
Without giving too many spoilers away, Alan's wife goes missing and Alan loses a week of consciousness. As he continues to search for her he begins finding pages of a manuscript from a book of his that he has never written. The pages describe events that have already happened, those that are happening, and some which may or may not foretell the future. All the while, the Darkness continues to pursue him.
All of the action in "Alan Wake" takes place at night when the boogeymen come out, so the isolation and dread of the darkness that surrounds Alan really plays up the nightmarish situation in which the character finds himself. The shadowy figures that attack Alan seem to come from nowhere and from all directions. Though Alan can dodge out of the way of their attacks, he is virtually unable to outrun them and attempting to do so will result in the classic nightmare troupe of moving in slow-motion as the creatures pursue.
Alan's ability to fend off the Darkness is to use light to his advantage- pointing a flashlight at the Darkness to wear it down before filling it full of lead, jumping under lightposts as a temporary force-field from the dangers in the shadows, and throwing down flares to keep the Darkness from sneaking up behind. At all times during the game, players will feel on-edge about what's around the corner, and what will be sure to outnumber them.
Visually, "Alan Wake" looks great in-game. Given that the tech of this game began way before 2005, the polish put on the game, especially the creepiness of a moonlit night, is pretty impressive.
Visuals, however, do not hold up so well in the cutscenes with character models have a marionette mouths when they speak, and the dated technology more apparent. No great shake, but when this game was originally pitted against Sony's "Heavy Rain" in terms of visual appeal, "Alan Wake" ends up looking and playing like a game from five years ago, and "Heavy Rain" feels current.
Probably the best thing "Alan Wake" has going for it, is its overall presentation as a "season" of story episodes. The pacing of the game is superb, with the tension of each episode drawing players into the story. Then, like every great psychological TV show, each episode ends with a cliffhanger, followed by the "Alan Wake" logo (think: "Lost"). At which point, players can press on to the next episode, or feel that they've reached a satisfactory end point for that evening's playtime. The next time the player starts the game, a "Previously on, 'Alan Wake..." summary starts the next episode.
This implementation is perfect and needs to be implemented more for games where particular attention needs to be paid to the story, and for gamers who can only play for an hour at a time. For the intended audience of "Alan Wake," they couldn't have done this any better...
Not to mention, I can't wait to see what Season 2 holds for our hero.
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