(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.
Red Dead Redemption Review
(Xbox, PS3; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Intense Violence/Nudity/Strong Language/Sexual Content/Use of Drugs; www.rockstargames.com)
(five stars)
For whatever reason, despite the ubiquitous amount of bullets, blood, explosions, action, and adventure that permeates video game consoles these days, one period of history that has seen very little screen time in games is the Wild West. The amount of games taking place in the dusty, big-sky setting have been few and far between and only a few have had the quality to warrant more than a passing glance. In terms of capturing the feel of Cowboyism, no game has really been a showpiece...
Until now.
Leave it to Rockstar Games, the infamous developer/publisher of the "Grand Theft Auto" series, to bring their strength at creating huge, realistic, violent, open-world games to the home where the Buffalo roam and the skies are not cloudy all day. "Red Dead Redemption" is pretty much all that I would hope a Cowboy game would be - a story of a reformed criminal-turned-lone-gunman who reluctantly has to hunt down the gang he used to run with in order to finally free himself and his family from the life he wants to leave behind.
If that sounds cliche, it's likely because "Red Dead Redemption" draws on just about every iconic Western troupe in all it's forms: from Spaghetti Westerns to pulp stories to comics to HBO's "Deadwood." If it has been done successfully somewhere else, it has influenced the direction of "Redemption." And it is all here too: shoot-outs, posses, prospecting, rough-riding, bear hunting, hold-ups, lassoing, locomotive rooftop chases, and the Wilhelm Scream.
Like all open-world games that were pioneered by Rockstar, "Redemption" follows a series of missions that propel the overall story, while giving the player the freedom to complete side missions for more money or respect, explore the vast expanse of the West to collect items or hunt animals, or to just lose oneself in a back-room game of poker. Whether a player wants to truly play the role of the reformed criminal, or be the most rootinist, tootinist hombre this side of the Missisip', "Redemption" gives the playground to be either Wyatt Earp, or Billy the Kid.
And it does so in majestic beauty: whereas "Grand Theft Auto IV" focused on urban density and the hard-angled architecture of a bustling metropolis, "Redemption" features the picturesque expanse of the Great West, and the colors that Mother Nature used to paint it. Full day/night cycles occur in "Redemption" and watching the sunset over an orange-rocked canyon is a technical beauty.
Crossing the prairie or wilderness by horse really gives the sense of expanse in "Redemption's" world, and the solitude that pioneers must have felt when in between towns with nothing but the wolves or the bandits to keep them company.
Mechanically, "Redemption" controls and handles similarly to "GTAIV," which is to say that the gun-fighting and cover-system is satisfactory enough, but really should be overhauled to become more in line with the top third-person action games of the day.
Thankfully, the "Dead Eye" slow-motion effect from the original, related-in-name-only "Red Dead Revolver," carries over to "Redemption," which allows the player more time and precision when trying to make a finesse shot - like shooting the rope of an innocent man who just got "strung up," or taking the knee out of a wanted bandit to collect the "Alive" portion of a "Dead or Alive" reward.
I am also glad that the satire and juvenile humor that features so prevalently in the "Grand Theft Auto" series takes a back-seat in "Redemption." That isn't to say that lewd or adult humor and sexual situations aren't present in "Redemption," after all this is the Wild West and brothels are a way of life, but it is to say that those things aren't the type of things that the protagonist is concerned with and so the player doesn't have to be, either.
Consequently, given the setting, the story, the action, and a multiplayer that is worlds better than anything Rockstar has done before, I'd take "Red Dead Redemption" to "Grand Theft Auto IV" any day.
(five stars)
For whatever reason, despite the ubiquitous amount of bullets, blood, explosions, action, and adventure that permeates video game consoles these days, one period of history that has seen very little screen time in games is the Wild West. The amount of games taking place in the dusty, big-sky setting have been few and far between and only a few have had the quality to warrant more than a passing glance. In terms of capturing the feel of Cowboyism, no game has really been a showpiece...
Until now.
Leave it to Rockstar Games, the infamous developer/publisher of the "Grand Theft Auto" series, to bring their strength at creating huge, realistic, violent, open-world games to the home where the Buffalo roam and the skies are not cloudy all day. "Red Dead Redemption" is pretty much all that I would hope a Cowboy game would be - a story of a reformed criminal-turned-lone-gunman who reluctantly has to hunt down the gang he used to run with in order to finally free himself and his family from the life he wants to leave behind.
If that sounds cliche, it's likely because "Red Dead Redemption" draws on just about every iconic Western troupe in all it's forms: from Spaghetti Westerns to pulp stories to comics to HBO's "Deadwood." If it has been done successfully somewhere else, it has influenced the direction of "Redemption." And it is all here too: shoot-outs, posses, prospecting, rough-riding, bear hunting, hold-ups, lassoing, locomotive rooftop chases, and the Wilhelm Scream.
Like all open-world games that were pioneered by Rockstar, "Redemption" follows a series of missions that propel the overall story, while giving the player the freedom to complete side missions for more money or respect, explore the vast expanse of the West to collect items or hunt animals, or to just lose oneself in a back-room game of poker. Whether a player wants to truly play the role of the reformed criminal, or be the most rootinist, tootinist hombre this side of the Missisip', "Redemption" gives the playground to be either Wyatt Earp, or Billy the Kid.
And it does so in majestic beauty: whereas "Grand Theft Auto IV" focused on urban density and the hard-angled architecture of a bustling metropolis, "Redemption" features the picturesque expanse of the Great West, and the colors that Mother Nature used to paint it. Full day/night cycles occur in "Redemption" and watching the sunset over an orange-rocked canyon is a technical beauty.
Crossing the prairie or wilderness by horse really gives the sense of expanse in "Redemption's" world, and the solitude that pioneers must have felt when in between towns with nothing but the wolves or the bandits to keep them company.
Mechanically, "Redemption" controls and handles similarly to "GTAIV," which is to say that the gun-fighting and cover-system is satisfactory enough, but really should be overhauled to become more in line with the top third-person action games of the day.
Thankfully, the "Dead Eye" slow-motion effect from the original, related-in-name-only "Red Dead Revolver," carries over to "Redemption," which allows the player more time and precision when trying to make a finesse shot - like shooting the rope of an innocent man who just got "strung up," or taking the knee out of a wanted bandit to collect the "Alive" portion of a "Dead or Alive" reward.
I am also glad that the satire and juvenile humor that features so prevalently in the "Grand Theft Auto" series takes a back-seat in "Redemption." That isn't to say that lewd or adult humor and sexual situations aren't present in "Redemption," after all this is the Wild West and brothels are a way of life, but it is to say that those things aren't the type of things that the protagonist is concerned with and so the player doesn't have to be, either.
Consequently, given the setting, the story, the action, and a multiplayer that is worlds better than anything Rockstar has done before, I'd take "Red Dead Redemption" to "Grand Theft Auto IV" any day.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Pandemic Review
(boardgame; $34.99; 2-4 players; Ages 10+; www.zmangames.com)
(five stars)
Speaking of games that require cooperation, "Pandemic" was a game that held very little appeal for me from reading the back of the box, until I got it home and gave it a whirl. Like most people, the idea of board games means competition - I win so that you lose - and although I have played many video games where players cooperate to beat the computer, I had never heard of such a concept being applied to a board game. And how could playing against a board be any fun?
"Pandemic" involves the spread of four diseases (represented by different-colored cubes) into major cities across the globe. Players take on the roles of specialists from the CDC in Atlanta, each with their own special ability, to travel the world curing diseases in an attempt to come up with a cure for the four diseases before a catastrophic outbreak occurs.
The goal is simple- get five of the same-colored cards and trade them in at a research station such as Atlanta to cure that disease. Cure all four diseases and the game is won. On each player's turn, players can charter flights across the map to treat diseases in cities that are teetering on the brink of an outbreak, meet up with other players in cities to give or receive cards, build research stations, or play special event cards. Information about what cards players are holding can and should be shared with the other players and players really need to use teamwork and cooperation to reduce the spread of disease as quickly as possible while trying to amass enough cards to cure a disease. It's also helpful once a disease has been cured, to eradicate it - a complicated step - in order to contain it an stop it completely from spreading about the board.
The challenge comes from how quickly the spread of disease begins to overtake the board. At the end of each player's turn, cards are drawn from the "Infection Deck" that reveals which cities diseases have occurred. Also, players run the risk of drawing an "Epidemic" card from their pile which causes all of the Infection cards to be shuffled and placed back on top of the deck, guaranteeing another infection in the city and increasing the chance of an outbreak to adjacent cities which occurs when a city is infected with more than three of the same-color infection cubes. Cities can outbreak to other cities, thus causing chain reactions that can escalate how quickly the game can overtake, and defeat, the players.
"Pandemic" is a fantastic game that scales well with two to four players. In fact, the more people playing the game, the more difficult it becomes as each player starts with less cards in their hand and there are greater opportunities for diseases to spread. Additionally, the game has three difficulty settings, so if the "Beginner" setting is too easy for your game group to beat, you can always throw in another Epidemic card to spice it up.
Thankfully too, the game is expanded with the "On the Brink" expansion set that incorporates a whole lot of new play mechanics, character roles, and even the ability for one player to play as a Bio-terrorist, actually causing the chaos that the other players have to try and stop.
What I thought would be a boring play mechanic turned out to be one of the most intense games I have ever had the pleasure of playing. Each time a card was overturned, more tension built as I was sure the game would beat us.
Often it did... But we kept coming back for more.
Highly, highly recommended.
(five stars)
Speaking of games that require cooperation, "Pandemic" was a game that held very little appeal for me from reading the back of the box, until I got it home and gave it a whirl. Like most people, the idea of board games means competition - I win so that you lose - and although I have played many video games where players cooperate to beat the computer, I had never heard of such a concept being applied to a board game. And how could playing against a board be any fun?
"Pandemic" involves the spread of four diseases (represented by different-colored cubes) into major cities across the globe. Players take on the roles of specialists from the CDC in Atlanta, each with their own special ability, to travel the world curing diseases in an attempt to come up with a cure for the four diseases before a catastrophic outbreak occurs.
The goal is simple- get five of the same-colored cards and trade them in at a research station such as Atlanta to cure that disease. Cure all four diseases and the game is won. On each player's turn, players can charter flights across the map to treat diseases in cities that are teetering on the brink of an outbreak, meet up with other players in cities to give or receive cards, build research stations, or play special event cards. Information about what cards players are holding can and should be shared with the other players and players really need to use teamwork and cooperation to reduce the spread of disease as quickly as possible while trying to amass enough cards to cure a disease. It's also helpful once a disease has been cured, to eradicate it - a complicated step - in order to contain it an stop it completely from spreading about the board.
The challenge comes from how quickly the spread of disease begins to overtake the board. At the end of each player's turn, cards are drawn from the "Infection Deck" that reveals which cities diseases have occurred. Also, players run the risk of drawing an "Epidemic" card from their pile which causes all of the Infection cards to be shuffled and placed back on top of the deck, guaranteeing another infection in the city and increasing the chance of an outbreak to adjacent cities which occurs when a city is infected with more than three of the same-color infection cubes. Cities can outbreak to other cities, thus causing chain reactions that can escalate how quickly the game can overtake, and defeat, the players.
"Pandemic" is a fantastic game that scales well with two to four players. In fact, the more people playing the game, the more difficult it becomes as each player starts with less cards in their hand and there are greater opportunities for diseases to spread. Additionally, the game has three difficulty settings, so if the "Beginner" setting is too easy for your game group to beat, you can always throw in another Epidemic card to spice it up.
Thankfully too, the game is expanded with the "On the Brink" expansion set that incorporates a whole lot of new play mechanics, character roles, and even the ability for one player to play as a Bio-terrorist, actually causing the chaos that the other players have to try and stop.
What I thought would be a boring play mechanic turned out to be one of the most intense games I have ever had the pleasure of playing. Each time a card was overturned, more tension built as I was sure the game would beat us.
Often it did... But we kept coming back for more.
Highly, highly recommended.
Splinter Cell: Conviction Review
(Xbox 360; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Drug Reference/Intense Violence/Sexual Themes/Strong Language; www.splintercell.com)
(three and a half stars)
The Tom Clancy-branded "Splinter Cell" series has held a dear place in my heart since its debut on the original Xbox console. It refined and normalized the "stealth-action genre" that had been dominated by the "Metal Gear" franchise on the PlayStation. Instead of awkward, Japanese-inspired camera work and controls, "Splinter Cell" stood out as being easier to navigate and quicker to get out of a tense situation. It was, by no means, an easy game to get into though; even with its refined controls, "Splinter Cell" was definitely a hardcore gamer's game of hide-and-sneak. It took patience and planning to make it through the levels with minimal amounts of detection and using shadows and distractions to your advantage. It also had its fair share of frustrations in levels that would automatically end and force a restart if detected.
But that was part of its charm- it required the player to be methodical, which was such a nice change from the twitchy action games that dominate the consoles.
"Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow," the second game in the series, introduced a multiplayer mode that was refined in the third title "Chaos Theory," and completely overhauled in the fourth game "Double Agent." The multiplayer featured 2-on-2 (or 3-on-3 in "Double Agent") matches pitting Spies versus Mercenaries in high-tech game of cat-and-mouse. Simply: the spies would try to hack terminals for points and the mercenaries would try to stop them. It remains one of the most original and well-implemented forms of multiplayer to this day, though the steep learning curve and real need for teamwork is what probably caused the masses to go back to multiplayer games where you can shoot up guys real good-like.
"Splinter Cell: Conviction," the most recent release in the franchise, has been a hotly anticipated title since Ubisoft showed off its original incarnation in 2007. Back then Sam Fisher, the game's protagonist, looked more like a shaggy-haired, brooding emo-kid than the cold, calculating super-spy that he is. The 2007 version of "Conviction" also showed a lot of mechanics in gameplay, like hiding in crowds and hand-to-hand combat, that would later show up in Ubisoft's "Assassin's Creed." For a while "Conviction," like its hero, went off-the-grid, and no one heard about it for a year. At E3 in 2009, Sam was back and his game was completely revamped to look and feel more like something out of the "Bourne" movies.
Sam, who used to only be truly safe in the shadows, now has the firepower to pop out of the darkness and engage in straight-up, cover-based shoot outs. Though the firefights aren't as prolific and eggregious as the would be in a game like "Gears of War," to see Sam do it is a little bizzare and definitely emphasizes the "Action" part of the "Stealth-Action" genre.
In fact, though stealth is still used in the game, and even smartly in some ways, players have to really want to be stealthy and avoid detection instead of being outgunned and forced to do so. In past games, levels were designed in such a way that players felt the freedom to climb in, on, over, or around just about everything to approach the levels from different angles to avoid detection.
Here in "Conviction," there is generally only one way of getting through a situation, and often times stealth will only take you so far and players will be forced to engage in firefights. Certainly at points in the game, the only way through the level is to start shooting, and this really takes away the fun in being sneaky.
Sure, you can use the "Last Known Position" trick where enemies get a bead on where they last saw you and converge on that position, giving you ample time to sneak around them and take them out in creative ways, but when your default weapon is so powerful that a well-placed head shot will drop most enemies with one pull of the trigger, you can pretty much stand your ground.
I would like to be able to play the game in such a way to not take down a single enemy, I do not believe it's possible to do so in "Conviction." Maybe it never was in the "Splinter Cell" franchise, but it should at least feel like it.
Another gripe about "Conviction" is the total removal of the Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer. It is replaced by a full cooperative campaign that can be played with two players which act as a prologue to the events of "Conviction." Working together as a team to take down enemies can be fun, especially when working with a good "You set 'em up, I'll knock 'em down" strategy; but there is nothing in the levels themselves that really require a second player, as evidenced by the fact that a single player can play through the entire co-op campaign alone. The same problems in the single-player campaign make themselves apparent in the multiplayer: you have to want to be stealthy, but now you also have to want to cooperate.
Nevertheless, "Conviction" remains a solid game, and certainly the easier learning curve makes it a good introduction to those unfamiliar with the series, but its refinement in controls and mechanics come at the cost of dumbing down the gameplay too much for me, and the lack of a real competative multiplayer is disappointing.
Ubisoft, I'm telling you: if you design a Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer game for download, you may not have the massess jumping into it over "Call of Duty," but you will have a loyal fanbase that will be thanking you- the same fanbase that supported you to get to the fifth game in the "Splinter Cell" series.
(three and a half stars)
The Tom Clancy-branded "Splinter Cell" series has held a dear place in my heart since its debut on the original Xbox console. It refined and normalized the "stealth-action genre" that had been dominated by the "Metal Gear" franchise on the PlayStation. Instead of awkward, Japanese-inspired camera work and controls, "Splinter Cell" stood out as being easier to navigate and quicker to get out of a tense situation. It was, by no means, an easy game to get into though; even with its refined controls, "Splinter Cell" was definitely a hardcore gamer's game of hide-and-sneak. It took patience and planning to make it through the levels with minimal amounts of detection and using shadows and distractions to your advantage. It also had its fair share of frustrations in levels that would automatically end and force a restart if detected.
But that was part of its charm- it required the player to be methodical, which was such a nice change from the twitchy action games that dominate the consoles.
"Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow," the second game in the series, introduced a multiplayer mode that was refined in the third title "Chaos Theory," and completely overhauled in the fourth game "Double Agent." The multiplayer featured 2-on-2 (or 3-on-3 in "Double Agent") matches pitting Spies versus Mercenaries in high-tech game of cat-and-mouse. Simply: the spies would try to hack terminals for points and the mercenaries would try to stop them. It remains one of the most original and well-implemented forms of multiplayer to this day, though the steep learning curve and real need for teamwork is what probably caused the masses to go back to multiplayer games where you can shoot up guys real good-like.
"Splinter Cell: Conviction," the most recent release in the franchise, has been a hotly anticipated title since Ubisoft showed off its original incarnation in 2007. Back then Sam Fisher, the game's protagonist, looked more like a shaggy-haired, brooding emo-kid than the cold, calculating super-spy that he is. The 2007 version of "Conviction" also showed a lot of mechanics in gameplay, like hiding in crowds and hand-to-hand combat, that would later show up in Ubisoft's "Assassin's Creed." For a while "Conviction," like its hero, went off-the-grid, and no one heard about it for a year. At E3 in 2009, Sam was back and his game was completely revamped to look and feel more like something out of the "Bourne" movies.
Sam, who used to only be truly safe in the shadows, now has the firepower to pop out of the darkness and engage in straight-up, cover-based shoot outs. Though the firefights aren't as prolific and eggregious as the would be in a game like "Gears of War," to see Sam do it is a little bizzare and definitely emphasizes the "Action" part of the "Stealth-Action" genre.
In fact, though stealth is still used in the game, and even smartly in some ways, players have to really want to be stealthy and avoid detection instead of being outgunned and forced to do so. In past games, levels were designed in such a way that players felt the freedom to climb in, on, over, or around just about everything to approach the levels from different angles to avoid detection.
Here in "Conviction," there is generally only one way of getting through a situation, and often times stealth will only take you so far and players will be forced to engage in firefights. Certainly at points in the game, the only way through the level is to start shooting, and this really takes away the fun in being sneaky.
Sure, you can use the "Last Known Position" trick where enemies get a bead on where they last saw you and converge on that position, giving you ample time to sneak around them and take them out in creative ways, but when your default weapon is so powerful that a well-placed head shot will drop most enemies with one pull of the trigger, you can pretty much stand your ground.
I would like to be able to play the game in such a way to not take down a single enemy, I do not believe it's possible to do so in "Conviction." Maybe it never was in the "Splinter Cell" franchise, but it should at least feel like it.
Another gripe about "Conviction" is the total removal of the Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer. It is replaced by a full cooperative campaign that can be played with two players which act as a prologue to the events of "Conviction." Working together as a team to take down enemies can be fun, especially when working with a good "You set 'em up, I'll knock 'em down" strategy; but there is nothing in the levels themselves that really require a second player, as evidenced by the fact that a single player can play through the entire co-op campaign alone. The same problems in the single-player campaign make themselves apparent in the multiplayer: you have to want to be stealthy, but now you also have to want to cooperate.
Nevertheless, "Conviction" remains a solid game, and certainly the easier learning curve makes it a good introduction to those unfamiliar with the series, but its refinement in controls and mechanics come at the cost of dumbing down the gameplay too much for me, and the lack of a real competative multiplayer is disappointing.
Ubisoft, I'm telling you: if you design a Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer game for download, you may not have the massess jumping into it over "Call of Duty," but you will have a loyal fanbase that will be thanking you- the same fanbase that supported you to get to the fifth game in the "Splinter Cell" series.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Smallworld Review
(boardgame; $49.99; 2-5 players; Ages 10+; daysofwonder.com)
(five stars)
Resolving this year to branch out and play more traditional tabletop games has lead me to so many delights that could never be captured by a videogame. With all of the advances in texture modeling, 3D animation, motion capture, storytelling, etc., some types of games are just meant to be played on a flat surface... and I don't mean a plasma.
"Smallworld" from Days of Wonder is one of those types of games.
Actually a reimplementation of an older game known as "Vinci," "Smallworld" is a conquer-and-control style of game where points are awarded at the end of each round for the number of territories on a map controlled by a player. The game is played in a set number of rounds and at the end, points are added up and a winner is determined.
Translated for those who are unfamiliar with boardgame mechanics: it's similar to "Risk," but its over in an hour; and there's very little luck involved.
Unlike "Vinci's" theme which relied on European civilizations and countries, "Smallworld" is a silly send-up of all things high-fantasy. Rather than playing in any realism, "Smallworld" has 14 different races of creatures from Dwarves and Giants, to Hobbit-like Halflings and Ratmen, all battling to control as much of the small map as possible.
Each race has its own special strength and is randomly combined with 20 different special abilities. Both the race strengths and the special abilities aid the player in capturing and controlling areas of the map, or award bonus points at the end of the round. For example, a "Flying Dwarf" may capture any area of the map without needing to control an adjacent area because of the "Flying" ability, and Dwarves receive bonus points for controlling areas of the map that have mines on them. "Tritons" require less armies to conquer areas adjacent to water, and races who have the "Fortifying" special ability get to construct a castle for added defense. The random combination of races to special powers allow for a unique game every time, and strategy deciding what race a player will draft initially into the game.
Play continues with players spreading their forces in order to control as much of the map as possible. At some point, though, a player's army will be spread too thin to conquer effectively, and the player will need to strategically decide when to put that race into decline and draft a new army. Once in decline, players will continue to collect points for controlling areas of the map, but can no longer use declined races or their special abilities to conquer new areas. With the new race in place, players will have to try to conquer new areas of the map, without re-conquering areas they already control with a declined race.
Unlike "Risk," where a losing player can almost never fight their way back on top, "Smallworld's" mechanic of putting a race into decline and starting over with a new race can swing the balance of power sharply in a game. And with up to 5 people playing on a map, and with multiple races in decline, a player who's collecting a bunch of points at the end of a round because of a particularly strong race, can quickly be dominated by a newly drafted race who's forces are numerous.
The decline mechanic also prevents players from becoming too attached to their armies, and though the game naturally encourages players to gang-up on each other, knowing that you always have a race in the wings to draft when you need it, never makes "Smallworld" feel vicious. Plus the set number of rounds keeps all players in the game the entire time, as opposed to "Risk" where the first person out better have a book with them to pass the time until a winner is declared.
Two expansions have already been released for "Smallworld" with greater combinations of races and abilities for more varied play. Though the high-fantasy theme and artwork may not sit well for those who would have preferred the less colorful and more mundane look of "Vinci," "Smallworld" is a great game for hardcore and casual gamers alike.
And a highly recommended replacement for some of those more common family games out there.
(five stars)
Resolving this year to branch out and play more traditional tabletop games has lead me to so many delights that could never be captured by a videogame. With all of the advances in texture modeling, 3D animation, motion capture, storytelling, etc., some types of games are just meant to be played on a flat surface... and I don't mean a plasma.
"Smallworld" from Days of Wonder is one of those types of games.
Actually a reimplementation of an older game known as "Vinci," "Smallworld" is a conquer-and-control style of game where points are awarded at the end of each round for the number of territories on a map controlled by a player. The game is played in a set number of rounds and at the end, points are added up and a winner is determined.
Translated for those who are unfamiliar with boardgame mechanics: it's similar to "Risk," but its over in an hour; and there's very little luck involved.
Unlike "Vinci's" theme which relied on European civilizations and countries, "Smallworld" is a silly send-up of all things high-fantasy. Rather than playing in any realism, "Smallworld" has 14 different races of creatures from Dwarves and Giants, to Hobbit-like Halflings and Ratmen, all battling to control as much of the small map as possible.
Each race has its own special strength and is randomly combined with 20 different special abilities. Both the race strengths and the special abilities aid the player in capturing and controlling areas of the map, or award bonus points at the end of the round. For example, a "Flying Dwarf" may capture any area of the map without needing to control an adjacent area because of the "Flying" ability, and Dwarves receive bonus points for controlling areas of the map that have mines on them. "Tritons" require less armies to conquer areas adjacent to water, and races who have the "Fortifying" special ability get to construct a castle for added defense. The random combination of races to special powers allow for a unique game every time, and strategy deciding what race a player will draft initially into the game.
Play continues with players spreading their forces in order to control as much of the map as possible. At some point, though, a player's army will be spread too thin to conquer effectively, and the player will need to strategically decide when to put that race into decline and draft a new army. Once in decline, players will continue to collect points for controlling areas of the map, but can no longer use declined races or their special abilities to conquer new areas. With the new race in place, players will have to try to conquer new areas of the map, without re-conquering areas they already control with a declined race.
Unlike "Risk," where a losing player can almost never fight their way back on top, "Smallworld's" mechanic of putting a race into decline and starting over with a new race can swing the balance of power sharply in a game. And with up to 5 people playing on a map, and with multiple races in decline, a player who's collecting a bunch of points at the end of a round because of a particularly strong race, can quickly be dominated by a newly drafted race who's forces are numerous.
The decline mechanic also prevents players from becoming too attached to their armies, and though the game naturally encourages players to gang-up on each other, knowing that you always have a race in the wings to draft when you need it, never makes "Smallworld" feel vicious. Plus the set number of rounds keeps all players in the game the entire time, as opposed to "Risk" where the first person out better have a book with them to pass the time until a winner is declared.
Two expansions have already been released for "Smallworld" with greater combinations of races and abilities for more varied play. Though the high-fantasy theme and artwork may not sit well for those who would have preferred the less colorful and more mundane look of "Vinci," "Smallworld" is a great game for hardcore and casual gamers alike.
And a highly recommended replacement for some of those more common family games out there.
Just Cause 2 Review
(Xbox, PS3; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Drug Reference/Language/Sexual Themes/Violence; www.justcause2.com)
(four and a half stars)
The first "Just Cause" was released at an awkward time: right after the launch of the Xbox 360 and way before the release of the PS3. Though it had next-gen ambitions, it was primarily developed for the earlier Xbox and PS2 and the open-world island of destruction concept was held back by awkward controls, glitches, and lots of places to go with not much to do. Though it received an Xbox 360 version, little was done in the way of correcting the problems that hampered it by being a primarily last-gen game. It came, it went, and no one thought much of it either way.
Thankfully though, the right people thought something of it, because a sequel was green-lit. In an opportune window, it was released to retail at a time when there was a lull between huge releases. The type of window where a little game with next-gen ambitions can thrive when developers take a hard look at what went wrong the first time, and produce something that is sheer fun.
In "Just Cause 2," rough-and-tumble man-of-action Rico Rodriquez returns to liberate another war-torn island nation from a fascist dictator. Though "fighting for freedom wherever there's trouble" may be a secondary mission to Rodriquez, the primary reason he lands on the fictitious island of Panau is to track down a former mentor who has gone rogue. Here's the thing though: "Just Cause 2" is in every way a summer blockbuster type of game, so plot and story elements are fairly irrelevant since everyone is just putting down money to see how big the explosions get.
And "Just Cause 2" doesn't disappoint. With a densely-packed 400 square miles of cities, snow-peaked mountains, beaches, military bases, villages, and jungles, and with the open-world freedom to explore the whole of the island while going through the main adventure, Rico has more than enough places and environments to wreak a whole lot of havoc - and actually, the more havoc wreaked, the more missions appear to wreak continued havoc. Sure there's about 10 hours of story in the game, but with as many side distractions and a veritable playground at your disposal, staying on-task is something you'll actually have to force yourself to do.
Continuing on with the first game's larger-than-life action and stunts, "Just Cause 2" ramps Rico's physically-impossible escapades to a thoroughly enjoyable level. Armed again with a wrist-mounted grappling hook and stunt parachute, Rico can quickly traverse over the huge island landscape by zip-lining his way onto almost any surface or vehicle. If he needs a little high-ground, Rico can deploy his parachute while zip-lining to quickly launch himself into the air. This makes for amazing sequences that would make James Bond blush: in a pinch, Rico can hijack a helicopter, then grapple to an oncoming jet fighter, only to surf on its back while gunning down other enemy fighters - and that's not even the crazy stuff.
Oh, and did I mention that you can grapple an enemy to an explosive fuel tank, then shoot the fuel tank to launch it, and the enemy in tow, into the stratosphere? Yep. It's absurd, and its delightful.
Some games come along, like "Heavy Rain" or "Grand Theft Auto," and try to make games as realistic as possible; "Just Cause 2" comes along to make games as fun possible. It doesn't hide the fact it's an game, it relishes it.
You should too.
(four and a half stars)
The first "Just Cause" was released at an awkward time: right after the launch of the Xbox 360 and way before the release of the PS3. Though it had next-gen ambitions, it was primarily developed for the earlier Xbox and PS2 and the open-world island of destruction concept was held back by awkward controls, glitches, and lots of places to go with not much to do. Though it received an Xbox 360 version, little was done in the way of correcting the problems that hampered it by being a primarily last-gen game. It came, it went, and no one thought much of it either way.
Thankfully though, the right people thought something of it, because a sequel was green-lit. In an opportune window, it was released to retail at a time when there was a lull between huge releases. The type of window where a little game with next-gen ambitions can thrive when developers take a hard look at what went wrong the first time, and produce something that is sheer fun.
In "Just Cause 2," rough-and-tumble man-of-action Rico Rodriquez returns to liberate another war-torn island nation from a fascist dictator. Though "fighting for freedom wherever there's trouble" may be a secondary mission to Rodriquez, the primary reason he lands on the fictitious island of Panau is to track down a former mentor who has gone rogue. Here's the thing though: "Just Cause 2" is in every way a summer blockbuster type of game, so plot and story elements are fairly irrelevant since everyone is just putting down money to see how big the explosions get.
And "Just Cause 2" doesn't disappoint. With a densely-packed 400 square miles of cities, snow-peaked mountains, beaches, military bases, villages, and jungles, and with the open-world freedom to explore the whole of the island while going through the main adventure, Rico has more than enough places and environments to wreak a whole lot of havoc - and actually, the more havoc wreaked, the more missions appear to wreak continued havoc. Sure there's about 10 hours of story in the game, but with as many side distractions and a veritable playground at your disposal, staying on-task is something you'll actually have to force yourself to do.
Continuing on with the first game's larger-than-life action and stunts, "Just Cause 2" ramps Rico's physically-impossible escapades to a thoroughly enjoyable level. Armed again with a wrist-mounted grappling hook and stunt parachute, Rico can quickly traverse over the huge island landscape by zip-lining his way onto almost any surface or vehicle. If he needs a little high-ground, Rico can deploy his parachute while zip-lining to quickly launch himself into the air. This makes for amazing sequences that would make James Bond blush: in a pinch, Rico can hijack a helicopter, then grapple to an oncoming jet fighter, only to surf on its back while gunning down other enemy fighters - and that's not even the crazy stuff.
Oh, and did I mention that you can grapple an enemy to an explosive fuel tank, then shoot the fuel tank to launch it, and the enemy in tow, into the stratosphere? Yep. It's absurd, and its delightful.
Some games come along, like "Heavy Rain" or "Grand Theft Auto," and try to make games as realistic as possible; "Just Cause 2" comes along to make games as fun possible. It doesn't hide the fact it's an game, it relishes it.
You should too.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Mass Effect 2 Review
(Xbox; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Drug Reference/Sexual Content/Strong Language/Violence; www.masseffect.com)
(five stars)
The original "Mass Effect" was hard to love if you are a gamer like me who feels bogged down by traditional role-playing games where one can spend more time in the equipment/skills menus for the characters, than actually playing the game. Plus there was the frustration of having a game with shooter mechanics, but RPG-based hit-probabilities - even if you had an enemy dead in your sights, you could still miss a shot if your character wasn't skilled enough with the weapon - more realistic? Sure. More fun? Not at all.
But where the mechanics of the game fell flat for me, the world of "Mass Effect" was intriguing as it could get. Somehow, developer BioWare managed to fully flesh out a sci-fi universe that feels like it was licensed from a great Piers Anthony/George Lucas creation. The histories of multiple planets, solar systems, alien races, factions, and characters were so detailed and well-planned that it made "Mass Effect" a story worthy of standing next to the great sci-fi works in other mediums.
So I couldn't be happier when I heard that "Mass Effect 2" was going to take out all of the things that bogged down the play of the first game, and get players moving quicker through the sequel. This may frustrate those who wished that the "Mass Effect" series would evolve into a purer RPG experience, rather than a third-person action game with RPG elements, but clearly BioWare knows what direction they want to take the series, and it shows in "Mass Effect 2."
Plus for those fans who want a more hardcore RPG game, Bioware also managed to turn out a traditional high-fantasty game last year with "DragonAge: Origins." It's not the space opera of "Mass Effect," but sword & sorcery seem to work just as well for fans of traditional RPGs.
"Mass Effect 2" continues the storyline of Commander Shepherd and the events that follow from the conclusion of the first game. Without spoiling too much, Shepherd will again create a party of soldiers, scientists, and outcasts to explore the universe in order to gather intelligence and fight a growing threat that has resulted in planetary genocide of human colonies. Along the way, Shepherd will have the opportunity to participate in side missions to help out his squad mates and earn their trust, which goes a long way in saving his hide when the going gets tough.
And the tough certainly gets going in "Mass Effect 2." Thank goodness for the revamped cover-based shooting system which has battles playing out more like "Gears of War" than a tactical, turn-based RPG.
To give more details of the game would not only spoil the solid story, but would also be near-impossible, given that so much of the story plays out depending on the choices that Shepherd makes in his conversations with other characters, and his leadership during battle. Even more impressive is that the choices that were made by the player in the first "Mass Effect" and the Shepherd that players became in that game, including all of their actions and consequences, have an effect on how the world reacts to Shepherd in "Mass Effect 2." In an impressive feat of technical wizardry, "Mass Effect 2" analyzes a player's "Mass Effect" save file and determines how to structure the events of the sequel based on the events of the initial game.
Having said that, though, playing the first "Mass Effect" is not a prerequisite to the sequel. "Mass Effect 2" will fill in story elements on its own without an original "Mass Effect" save file. Good for those who want to experience the game without having to plod through the first release.
BioWare also promises that the choices made in "Mass Effect 2" will impact the story of "Mass Effect 3" when it is released. Theoretically then, what players chose to do in the first "Mass Effect" will shape what they will do in a game that hasn't even been developed yet. How the development team can analyze, write, and code those many story elements is beyond me.
But then again, I just write about games, I don't make them.
As much as I wish that BioWare had kept the same level of the 60s/70s sci-fi asthetic that was so strong in the original "Mass Effect," complete with film-grain, strong synth-based music, and plastic space suits, overall "Mass Effect 2" is a more approachable game in almost every way. The mechanical changes will keep a gamer like myself much more likely to play through the entire game, and wait anxiously for the follow-up; while not comprimising the story or the level of detail that makes the "Mass Effect" universe so stand-out and compelling.
(five stars)
The original "Mass Effect" was hard to love if you are a gamer like me who feels bogged down by traditional role-playing games where one can spend more time in the equipment/skills menus for the characters, than actually playing the game. Plus there was the frustration of having a game with shooter mechanics, but RPG-based hit-probabilities - even if you had an enemy dead in your sights, you could still miss a shot if your character wasn't skilled enough with the weapon - more realistic? Sure. More fun? Not at all.
But where the mechanics of the game fell flat for me, the world of "Mass Effect" was intriguing as it could get. Somehow, developer BioWare managed to fully flesh out a sci-fi universe that feels like it was licensed from a great Piers Anthony/George Lucas creation. The histories of multiple planets, solar systems, alien races, factions, and characters were so detailed and well-planned that it made "Mass Effect" a story worthy of standing next to the great sci-fi works in other mediums.
So I couldn't be happier when I heard that "Mass Effect 2" was going to take out all of the things that bogged down the play of the first game, and get players moving quicker through the sequel. This may frustrate those who wished that the "Mass Effect" series would evolve into a purer RPG experience, rather than a third-person action game with RPG elements, but clearly BioWare knows what direction they want to take the series, and it shows in "Mass Effect 2."
Plus for those fans who want a more hardcore RPG game, Bioware also managed to turn out a traditional high-fantasty game last year with "DragonAge: Origins." It's not the space opera of "Mass Effect," but sword & sorcery seem to work just as well for fans of traditional RPGs.
"Mass Effect 2" continues the storyline of Commander Shepherd and the events that follow from the conclusion of the first game. Without spoiling too much, Shepherd will again create a party of soldiers, scientists, and outcasts to explore the universe in order to gather intelligence and fight a growing threat that has resulted in planetary genocide of human colonies. Along the way, Shepherd will have the opportunity to participate in side missions to help out his squad mates and earn their trust, which goes a long way in saving his hide when the going gets tough.
And the tough certainly gets going in "Mass Effect 2." Thank goodness for the revamped cover-based shooting system which has battles playing out more like "Gears of War" than a tactical, turn-based RPG.
To give more details of the game would not only spoil the solid story, but would also be near-impossible, given that so much of the story plays out depending on the choices that Shepherd makes in his conversations with other characters, and his leadership during battle. Even more impressive is that the choices that were made by the player in the first "Mass Effect" and the Shepherd that players became in that game, including all of their actions and consequences, have an effect on how the world reacts to Shepherd in "Mass Effect 2." In an impressive feat of technical wizardry, "Mass Effect 2" analyzes a player's "Mass Effect" save file and determines how to structure the events of the sequel based on the events of the initial game.
Having said that, though, playing the first "Mass Effect" is not a prerequisite to the sequel. "Mass Effect 2" will fill in story elements on its own without an original "Mass Effect" save file. Good for those who want to experience the game without having to plod through the first release.
BioWare also promises that the choices made in "Mass Effect 2" will impact the story of "Mass Effect 3" when it is released. Theoretically then, what players chose to do in the first "Mass Effect" will shape what they will do in a game that hasn't even been developed yet. How the development team can analyze, write, and code those many story elements is beyond me.
But then again, I just write about games, I don't make them.
As much as I wish that BioWare had kept the same level of the 60s/70s sci-fi asthetic that was so strong in the original "Mass Effect," complete with film-grain, strong synth-based music, and plastic space suits, overall "Mass Effect 2" is a more approachable game in almost every way. The mechanical changes will keep a gamer like myself much more likely to play through the entire game, and wait anxiously for the follow-up; while not comprimising the story or the level of detail that makes the "Mass Effect" universe so stand-out and compelling.
Heavy Rain Review
(PS3; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Intense Violence/Nudity/Sexual Content/Strong Language/Use of Drugs; www.heavyrain.com)
(five stars)
"Heavy Rain" isn't a game for everyone, in fact most gamers who survive on the frenetic shoot-em-ups of the modern video game age will down-right hate this game; but the structure and narrative risks that the game takes will have an influence on the video game genre forever. If every game from here-on-out were to take parts of "Heavy Rain" and put it into their games, the industry as a whole would mature to a wholly unique storytelling medium.
"Heavy Rain" is a culmination of ideas that began in developer, Quantic Dreams', critically-acclaimed, but commercially-failed psychological thriller "Indigo Prophesy." "Heavy Rain," like "Indigo Prophesy," is better thought of as an "interactive story" rather than as a "game." The focus of the story, rather than the game mechanics, is the crucial defining element of the game; game mechanics like button pushes and controller manipulation are just the process by which the story progresses. Unlike most games which focus on mechanics and making a "fun game" first, "Heavy Rain's" director, David Cage, would rather you feel emotionally compelled to proceed for the sake of the game's characters, than for a player's own amusement.
The story centers on four unrelated characters and their individual desires to track down the "Origami Killer," a serial killer who makes a habit of leaving paper animals in the hands of the young boys he abducts and drowns. Players will jump in between characters from scene to scene as each try to piece their puzzles together in time to stop the Origami Killer from claiming his next victim.
The mood of "Heavy Rain" is somber, cold, and depressing. In the same way that the film "Seven" used rainfall as an oppressive element which the characters fought against, so does "Heavy Rain." In part, the art direction really sets an amazing tone for a very "film noir" game; however the coldness also comes from the "uncanny valley" of computer-generated characters who, despite looking incredibly lifelike, have no soul or emotion in their eyes. Though this is a technical limitation, the "uncanny valley" actually works to "Heavy Rain's" advantage, given the subject matter.
Players control characters in their conversations and action sequences via "quick-time events" - events that require specific button presses or controller movements. These "QTEs" determine how a character reacts and succeeds in situations, and also shape each character's personality depending on the choices the player makes for them. I personally have crafted a well-intentioned but inept father, a by-the-book and hot-headed FBI profiler, a hard-nosed private eye with a soft-spot for vulnerable women, and a whatever-it-takes journalist; however each player will craft their own, and even determine whether some live or die. Like the classic "Choose Your Own Adventure" novels, the story is shaped by player's actions.
In addition to divergent gameplay, Quantic Dreams also succeeded in making a solidly "adult" game that's tastefully executed. Though there is nudity and sexual situations that the characters can find themselves in, the game never resorts to the immature delivery of mature content that so many M-rated games do. But regardless, parents should be well aware: this is not a game intended to be played, nor should be played by children, the content is too mature for young gamers. Though given the pace of the game, I'd be surprised if any young gamers would even be interested- "Call of Duty" this is not.
Playing "Heavy Rain" isn't a "fun" game in the traditional sense; anymore than "Silence of the Lambs" is a "fun" movie to watch. Certainly the environment by which "Heavy Rain" is approached can be fun - whether it's experiencing the story together with a friend, or turning off all of the lights and allowing yourself to be spooked while playing solo. But getting through the game is by no means a "fun" experience, rather it's the intrigue, the need to know how it all plays out, that will compel players to finish...
That is, if they can get through the first hour of very methodical gameplay where all the characters and plot are introduced; and mundane tasks like showering and carrying in the groceries are performed.
"Heavy Rain" may not be a game for everyone, but everyone mature enough should at least experience it as it's unlike anything we've seen before in the medium; but likely we'll be seeing elements of it in the medium from now, on.
(five stars)
"Heavy Rain" isn't a game for everyone, in fact most gamers who survive on the frenetic shoot-em-ups of the modern video game age will down-right hate this game; but the structure and narrative risks that the game takes will have an influence on the video game genre forever. If every game from here-on-out were to take parts of "Heavy Rain" and put it into their games, the industry as a whole would mature to a wholly unique storytelling medium.
"Heavy Rain" is a culmination of ideas that began in developer, Quantic Dreams', critically-acclaimed, but commercially-failed psychological thriller "Indigo Prophesy." "Heavy Rain," like "Indigo Prophesy," is better thought of as an "interactive story" rather than as a "game." The focus of the story, rather than the game mechanics, is the crucial defining element of the game; game mechanics like button pushes and controller manipulation are just the process by which the story progresses. Unlike most games which focus on mechanics and making a "fun game" first, "Heavy Rain's" director, David Cage, would rather you feel emotionally compelled to proceed for the sake of the game's characters, than for a player's own amusement.
The story centers on four unrelated characters and their individual desires to track down the "Origami Killer," a serial killer who makes a habit of leaving paper animals in the hands of the young boys he abducts and drowns. Players will jump in between characters from scene to scene as each try to piece their puzzles together in time to stop the Origami Killer from claiming his next victim.
The mood of "Heavy Rain" is somber, cold, and depressing. In the same way that the film "Seven" used rainfall as an oppressive element which the characters fought against, so does "Heavy Rain." In part, the art direction really sets an amazing tone for a very "film noir" game; however the coldness also comes from the "uncanny valley" of computer-generated characters who, despite looking incredibly lifelike, have no soul or emotion in their eyes. Though this is a technical limitation, the "uncanny valley" actually works to "Heavy Rain's" advantage, given the subject matter.
Players control characters in their conversations and action sequences via "quick-time events" - events that require specific button presses or controller movements. These "QTEs" determine how a character reacts and succeeds in situations, and also shape each character's personality depending on the choices the player makes for them. I personally have crafted a well-intentioned but inept father, a by-the-book and hot-headed FBI profiler, a hard-nosed private eye with a soft-spot for vulnerable women, and a whatever-it-takes journalist; however each player will craft their own, and even determine whether some live or die. Like the classic "Choose Your Own Adventure" novels, the story is shaped by player's actions.
In addition to divergent gameplay, Quantic Dreams also succeeded in making a solidly "adult" game that's tastefully executed. Though there is nudity and sexual situations that the characters can find themselves in, the game never resorts to the immature delivery of mature content that so many M-rated games do. But regardless, parents should be well aware: this is not a game intended to be played, nor should be played by children, the content is too mature for young gamers. Though given the pace of the game, I'd be surprised if any young gamers would even be interested- "Call of Duty" this is not.
Playing "Heavy Rain" isn't a "fun" game in the traditional sense; anymore than "Silence of the Lambs" is a "fun" movie to watch. Certainly the environment by which "Heavy Rain" is approached can be fun - whether it's experiencing the story together with a friend, or turning off all of the lights and allowing yourself to be spooked while playing solo. But getting through the game is by no means a "fun" experience, rather it's the intrigue, the need to know how it all plays out, that will compel players to finish...
That is, if they can get through the first hour of very methodical gameplay where all the characters and plot are introduced; and mundane tasks like showering and carrying in the groceries are performed.
"Heavy Rain" may not be a game for everyone, but everyone mature enough should at least experience it as it's unlike anything we've seen before in the medium; but likely we'll be seeing elements of it in the medium from now, on.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Darksiders Review
(Xbox, PS3; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Gore/Intense Violence/Suggestive Themes; www.darksiders.com)
(four stars)
Of course one doesn't really think of love and romance when talking about the Apocalypse. Nor does an epic adventure against armies of demons and angels conjur images of rose petals and chocolate-dipped fruit.
But make no mistake about it - "Darksiders" is a love-letter.
Because it is obvious that developers, Vigil Games, love video games. Specifically, they love the "Legend of Zelda" and the "God of War" series, and have made "Darksiders" to combine the key elements from both. Some developers design a game to create brand new play mechanics, or carve out a new genre, or create something no one has ever seen before.
"Darksiders" is none of that, but it is a synthesis of the things that make "Zelda," "God of War," and another classic, "Panzer Dragoon," great. It gives players an adventuring storyline that sends them questing through far-reaching, enemy-laden lands; puts players in the shoes of an overpowered, hyper-aggressive brute - "War" (one of the horsemen of the Apocalypse); and delivers a pallet-cleanser between chapters with an on-rails shooter. All of this, "Darksiders" does with larger-than-life character design and over-the-top dialog and voice acting.
AND it has Mark Hamil in a supporting role, and that guy is one heck of a voice actor.
Is any of "Darksiders" original? Hardly a lick, but that's not a bad thing. Owners of PS3s and Xboxes will never have the opportunity to play a "Zelda" title on their home consoles without purchasing a Nintendo console. But "Darksiders" is every bit of a "Zelda" title with a darker, edgier tone - so its perfect for the gamers who want the "Zelda" experience without the kid-friendly wrapper. And never in a million years would Nintendo allow "Zelda's" protagonist, Link, to hack off enemies' limbs, or star in such a blood-soaked game; but War comes from the "God of War" school of fighting where "it's not dead unless it's insides are all over the room."
If any of this sounds good, be assured that although "Darksiders" isn't a game that you would call "romantic," it is a game made by people who love the types of games that you love- and they made this for you.
Happy Valentine's Day, from Vigil Games.
(four stars)
Of course one doesn't really think of love and romance when talking about the Apocalypse. Nor does an epic adventure against armies of demons and angels conjur images of rose petals and chocolate-dipped fruit.
But make no mistake about it - "Darksiders" is a love-letter.
Because it is obvious that developers, Vigil Games, love video games. Specifically, they love the "Legend of Zelda" and the "God of War" series, and have made "Darksiders" to combine the key elements from both. Some developers design a game to create brand new play mechanics, or carve out a new genre, or create something no one has ever seen before.
"Darksiders" is none of that, but it is a synthesis of the things that make "Zelda," "God of War," and another classic, "Panzer Dragoon," great. It gives players an adventuring storyline that sends them questing through far-reaching, enemy-laden lands; puts players in the shoes of an overpowered, hyper-aggressive brute - "War" (one of the horsemen of the Apocalypse); and delivers a pallet-cleanser between chapters with an on-rails shooter. All of this, "Darksiders" does with larger-than-life character design and over-the-top dialog and voice acting.
AND it has Mark Hamil in a supporting role, and that guy is one heck of a voice actor.
Is any of "Darksiders" original? Hardly a lick, but that's not a bad thing. Owners of PS3s and Xboxes will never have the opportunity to play a "Zelda" title on their home consoles without purchasing a Nintendo console. But "Darksiders" is every bit of a "Zelda" title with a darker, edgier tone - so its perfect for the gamers who want the "Zelda" experience without the kid-friendly wrapper. And never in a million years would Nintendo allow "Zelda's" protagonist, Link, to hack off enemies' limbs, or star in such a blood-soaked game; but War comes from the "God of War" school of fighting where "it's not dead unless it's insides are all over the room."
If any of this sounds good, be assured that although "Darksiders" isn't a game that you would call "romantic," it is a game made by people who love the types of games that you love- and they made this for you.
Happy Valentine's Day, from Vigil Games.
Hive Review
(Tabletop; $29.99; www.hivemania.com)
(five stars)
Since making my 2010 resolution to play more traditional tabletop games, Mrs. Game Guy and I have rekindled a hobby that has been dormant since the time I insisted the Backgammon set she inherited from her grandmother was haunted.
I mean, how is it possible for me to lose every single time? Haunted game board, that's how.
So in my desire to find other, non-cursed, two-player games, I discovered this delightful game from 2001 that carries the "Mensa Select" seal of approval.
"Hive" a simple, light-strategy game that's most akin to chess. Each player has 11 hex-based, domino-quality tiles that have one of five insects etched into it. Each player has only one Queen Bee tile and the goal of the game is to have your opponent's Queen completely surrounded with any combination of either your or your opponent's tiles.
Players take turns placing tiles on the table to create "The Hive." The Hive, for all intents and purposes, is the game board which must remain in-tact throughout the game. Players will eventually begin moving insect tiles around the Hive in an attempt to surround their opponent, but at no time can the Hive be divided; so if you happen to have a critical piece that you want to move, but is also keeping the hive together, you are out of luck.
Each insect has a specific movement associated with it: Queens can only move one space; Spiders can move three spaces around the outside of the Hive; Grasshoppers can leap across the Hive; Beetles can move on top of other pieces to block them from moving, or drop into closed-off spaces; and the all-powerful Ants can move any number of spaces around the outside of the Hive.
Because tiles are never removed from the game once in play, "Hive" becomes a game of out-thinking your opponent as to when to place tiles and when to move, in order to work your opponent into a corner. However as you jocky for position, your opponent is doing the same; and as the Hive constantly changes shape because of tile movement, what you thought was a sure-fire win can change quickly as your opponent slips out from a trap, or uses a well-placed tile to block you.
"Hive's" light gameplay means that a game is easily over within 15-20 minutes, and the rules are easy enough for kids or anyone who hasn't picked up a board game in a while. The tiles have a nice solid weight to them, and come with a nylon bag that almost says "Please take me with you to the coffee house or pub!"
In fact, I can't think of another game that would seem more at home being thrown into a bag, in order to be played over a pint. Highly recommended for you gaming couples out there.
(five stars)
Since making my 2010 resolution to play more traditional tabletop games, Mrs. Game Guy and I have rekindled a hobby that has been dormant since the time I insisted the Backgammon set she inherited from her grandmother was haunted.
I mean, how is it possible for me to lose every single time? Haunted game board, that's how.
So in my desire to find other, non-cursed, two-player games, I discovered this delightful game from 2001 that carries the "Mensa Select" seal of approval.
"Hive" a simple, light-strategy game that's most akin to chess. Each player has 11 hex-based, domino-quality tiles that have one of five insects etched into it. Each player has only one Queen Bee tile and the goal of the game is to have your opponent's Queen completely surrounded with any combination of either your or your opponent's tiles.
Players take turns placing tiles on the table to create "The Hive." The Hive, for all intents and purposes, is the game board which must remain in-tact throughout the game. Players will eventually begin moving insect tiles around the Hive in an attempt to surround their opponent, but at no time can the Hive be divided; so if you happen to have a critical piece that you want to move, but is also keeping the hive together, you are out of luck.
Each insect has a specific movement associated with it: Queens can only move one space; Spiders can move three spaces around the outside of the Hive; Grasshoppers can leap across the Hive; Beetles can move on top of other pieces to block them from moving, or drop into closed-off spaces; and the all-powerful Ants can move any number of spaces around the outside of the Hive.
Because tiles are never removed from the game once in play, "Hive" becomes a game of out-thinking your opponent as to when to place tiles and when to move, in order to work your opponent into a corner. However as you jocky for position, your opponent is doing the same; and as the Hive constantly changes shape because of tile movement, what you thought was a sure-fire win can change quickly as your opponent slips out from a trap, or uses a well-placed tile to block you.
"Hive's" light gameplay means that a game is easily over within 15-20 minutes, and the rules are easy enough for kids or anyone who hasn't picked up a board game in a while. The tiles have a nice solid weight to them, and come with a nylon bag that almost says "Please take me with you to the coffee house or pub!"
In fact, I can't think of another game that would seem more at home being thrown into a bag, in order to be played over a pint. Highly recommended for you gaming couples out there.
Army of Two: The 40th Day Review
(Xbox, PS3; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Gore/Violence/Language; www.armyoftwo.com)
(two stars)
Why the sub-par 2008 game, featuring so much BRO-mance between its two protagonists that it makes frat-boys uncomfortable, would get a sequel subtitled "The 40th Day" is beyond me. But I suppose the financials of the first "Army of Two" were successful enough that it warranted the continuing adventures of mercenaries, Salem and Rios - now shanghaied in... of all places... Shanghai, and their struggle to get out of the city as it falls down around them by nefarious forces.
The "Army of Two" series is built around a cooperative experience. Ideally, a friend should be playing alongside of you - either online or on the couch. Otherwise, the computer will control your partner who, although relatively competent to get you out of tight jams, pales in comparison to an actual person to coordinate strategy with you.
Like its predecessor, "40th Day" is a cover-based, third-person shooter that take the core action mechanics of the much more polished and successful "Gears of War," and attempts to add to it with its "Aggro" system. The idea is that as one player attracts more attention from the enemies with an open assault, the other player becomes less noticeable, allowing them to flank the enemies and shoot them undetected. Of course once that happens, the enemies will refocus their efforts on the now "Aggro" meter will swing the other way, allowing the first player to take cover and flank enemies from the other side.
The mechanic works, but not particularly well. Often times, players are caught in a circle of enemy fire, and so the fire-and-flank maneuvers have to be thrown out and it's every merc for himself.
Worse are terrible cover controls that make it near-impossible to tell whether a player is safely behind cover, or mearly just ducking near it. In games like "Gears of War," moving in and out of cover has a weight associated with it in the animation of the characters - you can actually feel your character slam up against walls, and the controls required to take cover are intuitive and responsive. "40th Day" has none of this. I believe the tutorial told me that I needed to click the thumbstick when near cover in order to "stick" to it, but the click of the thumbstick also controls crouching. So when I'm attempting to take cover, I sometimes just end up look like I'm doing a set of deep-knee bends because my character keeps squatting up and down instead of getting behind the darn barrier to avoid gunfire.
Then there are the times when I'm positive I'm in cover, only to be shot in the head because I'm actually just hanging out near - not in - cover. A game that's not terribly interesting to begin with, shouldn't also be so frustrating to play.
Graphically the game is solid. The destruction in-game and during cutscenes is visceral, but overall, "40th Day" has a very generic feel. This is supposed to be overcome by the larger-than-life look and personalities of Salem and Rios, who, in all respects, are easily forgettable.
"Army of Two: The 40th Day" is worth a rental for those interested in a testosterone-laden shoot-em-up; but as a lasting purchase: this game has, ironically, little bang for its buck.
(two stars)
Why the sub-par 2008 game, featuring so much BRO-mance between its two protagonists that it makes frat-boys uncomfortable, would get a sequel subtitled "The 40th Day" is beyond me. But I suppose the financials of the first "Army of Two" were successful enough that it warranted the continuing adventures of mercenaries, Salem and Rios - now shanghaied in... of all places... Shanghai, and their struggle to get out of the city as it falls down around them by nefarious forces.
The "Army of Two" series is built around a cooperative experience. Ideally, a friend should be playing alongside of you - either online or on the couch. Otherwise, the computer will control your partner who, although relatively competent to get you out of tight jams, pales in comparison to an actual person to coordinate strategy with you.
Like its predecessor, "40th Day" is a cover-based, third-person shooter that take the core action mechanics of the much more polished and successful "Gears of War," and attempts to add to it with its "Aggro" system. The idea is that as one player attracts more attention from the enemies with an open assault, the other player becomes less noticeable, allowing them to flank the enemies and shoot them undetected. Of course once that happens, the enemies will refocus their efforts on the now "Aggro" meter will swing the other way, allowing the first player to take cover and flank enemies from the other side.
The mechanic works, but not particularly well. Often times, players are caught in a circle of enemy fire, and so the fire-and-flank maneuvers have to be thrown out and it's every merc for himself.
Worse are terrible cover controls that make it near-impossible to tell whether a player is safely behind cover, or mearly just ducking near it. In games like "Gears of War," moving in and out of cover has a weight associated with it in the animation of the characters - you can actually feel your character slam up against walls, and the controls required to take cover are intuitive and responsive. "40th Day" has none of this. I believe the tutorial told me that I needed to click the thumbstick when near cover in order to "stick" to it, but the click of the thumbstick also controls crouching. So when I'm attempting to take cover, I sometimes just end up look like I'm doing a set of deep-knee bends because my character keeps squatting up and down instead of getting behind the darn barrier to avoid gunfire.
Then there are the times when I'm positive I'm in cover, only to be shot in the head because I'm actually just hanging out near - not in - cover. A game that's not terribly interesting to begin with, shouldn't also be so frustrating to play.
Graphically the game is solid. The destruction in-game and during cutscenes is visceral, but overall, "40th Day" has a very generic feel. This is supposed to be overcome by the larger-than-life look and personalities of Salem and Rios, who, in all respects, are easily forgettable.
"Army of Two: The 40th Day" is worth a rental for those interested in a testosterone-laden shoot-em-up; but as a lasting purchase: this game has, ironically, little bang for its buck.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Heroscape Overview/Review
The ornaments are put away, the stockings are boxed, the lights are halfway down, and I am still reeling from an exhausting holiday season. Despite there being less games overall in November and December than previous years, the quality of those games required a lot of playtime to fully enjoy those experiences...
"Tony Hawk: Ride," excepted, which only took about 45 minutes until I was ready to throw the $120 skateboard controller though the TV.
The upcoming months present a change in traditional release windows of videogames. What used to be dead months will see the release of hotly-anticipated titles like "Dark Void," "Mass Effect 2" and my personal must-have "Splinter Cell: Conviction."
But for the first couple of weeks in January, we are in a slack-tide of videogame releases leaving me with nothing to review. This gives me the opportunity to talk about one of my favorite tabletop board games of all time, "Heroscape;" which, coincidentally, gets its latest expansion this week in "Battle for the Underdark."
Created in 2004 by a trio of game designers at Hasbro, "Heroscape" found an instant niche in the boardgame market as being an affordable, miniature wargame that was commercially available in most major toy stores. Instead of sinking hundreds or even thousands of dollars on costly wargames like "Warhammer 40k" which require complex and voluminous rules, "Heroscape's" basic starter-set, "Rise of the Valkyrie," costs about $40 for 30 playable figures and about 80 pieces of customizable terrain that creates the game-board. With two sets of rules, basic and "master," its advanced strategy can be enjoyed by adults, but basic gameplay is designed for 8-and-up. Imagine the strategy and depth of Chess combined with the luck of Risk, deep-fry it in Fantasy-SciFi, and you've got "Heroscape."
In short, it's the perfect family game for those with young boys- the target demographic- in the home.
Described on the box as "The Battle of All Time," "Heroscape's" story involves the battle between six generals on the planet of Valhalla over the control of the Wellsprings- mystical fountains of power. As the war raged on, the generals began summoning different warriors across space and time to aid in this battle. The global storyline is irrelevant to the game mechanic, but gives a pretext for why Roman soldiers battle alongside of Men-In-Black, cowboys, and dragons- against armies of orcs, cybernetic gorillas, and giant robots.
Setup begins with a 5-10 minute map-building process. The hex-based, build-able terrain allows aspiring cartographers to create customized, three-dimensional battlefields with all manner of peaks, valleys, caves, rivers, and ruins. Additional terrain expansion packs allow for more varied landscape. For those less-inclined to be creative, each set comes with a few suggested maps and scenarios to play, and a heavily creative fanbase found at www.Heroscapers.com have pages of map designs to click through and find one that suitable to anyone's interest.
After the battlefield is in place, a scenario is chosen. Because of the customizable nature of the game, a battlefield can host a "Last-Man Standing," "King of the Hill," "Capture the Flag," or any number of more specific game objectives to accommodate players in teams, individually, or any number of combination; and another reason why "Heroscape" has such long legs.
On the same battlefield, I've enjoyed epic battles of "Destroy everyone who's not you" to "Attack the person on your left" to a football-styled "Capture the flag and bring it into your opponent's endzone." The latest release in the "Battle for the Underdark" expansion takes the core mechanics of "Heroscape" and gives it a "Dungeons & Dragons" tie-in. "Underdark" opens the possibility for the game to be a long-play adventure with smaller missions and objectives to complete while playing through an overall story. Regardless of which set or sets are owned, scenarios are as customizable as the terrain, and gameplay objectives are limited only to the imagination of its players.
Each player drafts their army based on a total point value for the army. Each figure or squad of figures has a point value associated with them; so playing with a 500-point army could mean a lot of small, weak figures that serve as cannon fodder in an attempt to overwhelm the opposition, or a couple of giant dragons that are tough to kill, but potentially devastating if lost.
Each figure or squad of figures have values for hit points, movement, range of attack, strength of attack, and defense. Under the advanced rules, each figure also has special abilities which, potentially, gives a strategic advantage. The Airborne Elite, a squad of WWII soldiers, can "drop" into the game onto virtually any space on the board, giving the player a tactical advantage for surrounding his opponent or gaining the high-ground early in the game; a giant troll named Krug gains stronger attacks every time he is wounded. Zombies create more zombies, robot rats scatter out of harm's way when attacked, knights attack stronger against giant monsters, and the amount of variety found in the types of figures and their battle statistics make for supremely entertaining games. Once the finer nuances of synergy between units are discovered- picking an army isn't just about making your army stronger, but countering-balancing the army of your opponents.
If this all sounds too overwhelming, remember: this game is made to be understood by an 8-year-old. The basic rules leave most of the strategic complexities behind in favor of a simple mechanic that whoever has the higher dice-roll, wins. But like all things with "Heroscape," the game is what you make of it.
I got the game because box looked interesting; when I found out I could team up a squad of Colonial militia with a pack of werewolves- I was pretty much in for the long haul.
And a long haul it has been. Since 2004, "Heroscape's" battle has grown with 40 expansion packs of figures; terrain expansions that include jungles, castles, and glaciers; a set of licensed Marvel superheroes; and now, three starter sets to give newcomers a taste of the game. All of which stay in the range of $10-$40, and most for under $25.
But a game as phenomenal as "Heroscape" is not without its caveats, few as they may be:
First of all, if the theme doesn't grab you- crazy mashups of fanciful and historical figures over a three-dimensional board- you'll never get into it. Despite the mechanics and strategy of this game, some won't be able to overcome the "playing with action figures" feel. Despite my down-right groveling, my wife will never play this game with me as its theme has no interest to her. Thankfully, I have won over the majority of geeks that I roll with, and they absolutely love it. It's one of the geekiest things you could ever be caught playing, but if geeky things are your cup of tea- you'll be right at home.
The buildable terrain is a blessing and a curse: Building maps together is a great activity for families who play together as the creation of a map can be a bonding experience in itself. Customizable maps are also great for anyone that has the imagination to create stunning battlefields and the room to leave those maps up for several games. But for those with a small house where table and floor space is at a premium, a required build-up and tear-down each time a game is played means that "Heroscape" is only coming out when the time allows.
Storage of the game, in it of itself, may become an issue. Sure a single starter set doesn't take up much closet space, and even a few expansions don't add much more bulk; but if the obsession hits you- be prepared to find a place to stack all of the expansions, additional squads, and boxes of terrain you'll end up getting. I've taken up three bookcase shelves full of space for my collection, whose growth has, thankfully, begun to slow.
With the growing collection also comes the cost of collection. The $40 starter set, $25 at a lot of web-retailers, is a drop in the bucket for the amount of game the box, but the real fun and strategy comes from the varied armies that can be built with additional expansions and finding synergy with what's available. Though the costs of all these expansions are relatively affordable, and certainly cheaper than any other game similar to "Heroscape," really getting into the game's variety can result in a money-suck.
But for under $100, and cheaper online, fans can get a "Rise of the Valkyrie" or "Swarm of the Marro" starter set, the Marvel Superheroes or new "Battle for the Underdark" expansion, the castle terrain pack, and have an incredible amount of variety to never tire of the game.
For the harder-to-find items that have not been re-printed, the grey-market of eBay fetches a much higher price for some of those pieces that haven't been seen on a store shelf for years. Thankfully though, because "Heroscape" was never intended to be a rarity-based collectible game, Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro, who publish the game, are committed to reprinting those figures that are in high demand and low availability. With Wal-Mart signed on as a big-box retailer, finding at least some "'Scape" to start shouldn't be a problem.
If hooked, finding a place to stop might be.
There are only a couple of games that I wait with great anticipation to play with my, now 15-month old, boy when he is old enough. The shelves of "Heroscape" may be played with my friends right now, but they are meant for my son.
"Tony Hawk: Ride," excepted, which only took about 45 minutes until I was ready to throw the $120 skateboard controller though the TV.
The upcoming months present a change in traditional release windows of videogames. What used to be dead months will see the release of hotly-anticipated titles like "Dark Void," "Mass Effect 2" and my personal must-have "Splinter Cell: Conviction."
But for the first couple of weeks in January, we are in a slack-tide of videogame releases leaving me with nothing to review. This gives me the opportunity to talk about one of my favorite tabletop board games of all time, "Heroscape;" which, coincidentally, gets its latest expansion this week in "Battle for the Underdark."
Created in 2004 by a trio of game designers at Hasbro, "Heroscape" found an instant niche in the boardgame market as being an affordable, miniature wargame that was commercially available in most major toy stores. Instead of sinking hundreds or even thousands of dollars on costly wargames like "Warhammer 40k" which require complex and voluminous rules, "Heroscape's" basic starter-set, "Rise of the Valkyrie," costs about $40 for 30 playable figures and about 80 pieces of customizable terrain that creates the game-board. With two sets of rules, basic and "master," its advanced strategy can be enjoyed by adults, but basic gameplay is designed for 8-and-up. Imagine the strategy and depth of Chess combined with the luck of Risk, deep-fry it in Fantasy-SciFi, and you've got "Heroscape."
In short, it's the perfect family game for those with young boys- the target demographic- in the home.
Described on the box as "The Battle of All Time," "Heroscape's" story involves the battle between six generals on the planet of Valhalla over the control of the Wellsprings- mystical fountains of power. As the war raged on, the generals began summoning different warriors across space and time to aid in this battle. The global storyline is irrelevant to the game mechanic, but gives a pretext for why Roman soldiers battle alongside of Men-In-Black, cowboys, and dragons- against armies of orcs, cybernetic gorillas, and giant robots.
Setup begins with a 5-10 minute map-building process. The hex-based, build-able terrain allows aspiring cartographers to create customized, three-dimensional battlefields with all manner of peaks, valleys, caves, rivers, and ruins. Additional terrain expansion packs allow for more varied landscape. For those less-inclined to be creative, each set comes with a few suggested maps and scenarios to play, and a heavily creative fanbase found at www.Heroscapers.com have pages of map designs to click through and find one that suitable to anyone's interest.
After the battlefield is in place, a scenario is chosen. Because of the customizable nature of the game, a battlefield can host a "Last-Man Standing," "King of the Hill," "Capture the Flag," or any number of more specific game objectives to accommodate players in teams, individually, or any number of combination; and another reason why "Heroscape" has such long legs.
On the same battlefield, I've enjoyed epic battles of "Destroy everyone who's not you" to "Attack the person on your left" to a football-styled "Capture the flag and bring it into your opponent's endzone." The latest release in the "Battle for the Underdark" expansion takes the core mechanics of "Heroscape" and gives it a "Dungeons & Dragons" tie-in. "Underdark" opens the possibility for the game to be a long-play adventure with smaller missions and objectives to complete while playing through an overall story. Regardless of which set or sets are owned, scenarios are as customizable as the terrain, and gameplay objectives are limited only to the imagination of its players.
Each player drafts their army based on a total point value for the army. Each figure or squad of figures has a point value associated with them; so playing with a 500-point army could mean a lot of small, weak figures that serve as cannon fodder in an attempt to overwhelm the opposition, or a couple of giant dragons that are tough to kill, but potentially devastating if lost.
Each figure or squad of figures have values for hit points, movement, range of attack, strength of attack, and defense. Under the advanced rules, each figure also has special abilities which, potentially, gives a strategic advantage. The Airborne Elite, a squad of WWII soldiers, can "drop" into the game onto virtually any space on the board, giving the player a tactical advantage for surrounding his opponent or gaining the high-ground early in the game; a giant troll named Krug gains stronger attacks every time he is wounded. Zombies create more zombies, robot rats scatter out of harm's way when attacked, knights attack stronger against giant monsters, and the amount of variety found in the types of figures and their battle statistics make for supremely entertaining games. Once the finer nuances of synergy between units are discovered- picking an army isn't just about making your army stronger, but countering-balancing the army of your opponents.
If this all sounds too overwhelming, remember: this game is made to be understood by an 8-year-old. The basic rules leave most of the strategic complexities behind in favor of a simple mechanic that whoever has the higher dice-roll, wins. But like all things with "Heroscape," the game is what you make of it.
I got the game because box looked interesting; when I found out I could team up a squad of Colonial militia with a pack of werewolves- I was pretty much in for the long haul.
And a long haul it has been. Since 2004, "Heroscape's" battle has grown with 40 expansion packs of figures; terrain expansions that include jungles, castles, and glaciers; a set of licensed Marvel superheroes; and now, three starter sets to give newcomers a taste of the game. All of which stay in the range of $10-$40, and most for under $25.
But a game as phenomenal as "Heroscape" is not without its caveats, few as they may be:
First of all, if the theme doesn't grab you- crazy mashups of fanciful and historical figures over a three-dimensional board- you'll never get into it. Despite the mechanics and strategy of this game, some won't be able to overcome the "playing with action figures" feel. Despite my down-right groveling, my wife will never play this game with me as its theme has no interest to her. Thankfully, I have won over the majority of geeks that I roll with, and they absolutely love it. It's one of the geekiest things you could ever be caught playing, but if geeky things are your cup of tea- you'll be right at home.
The buildable terrain is a blessing and a curse: Building maps together is a great activity for families who play together as the creation of a map can be a bonding experience in itself. Customizable maps are also great for anyone that has the imagination to create stunning battlefields and the room to leave those maps up for several games. But for those with a small house where table and floor space is at a premium, a required build-up and tear-down each time a game is played means that "Heroscape" is only coming out when the time allows.
Storage of the game, in it of itself, may become an issue. Sure a single starter set doesn't take up much closet space, and even a few expansions don't add much more bulk; but if the obsession hits you- be prepared to find a place to stack all of the expansions, additional squads, and boxes of terrain you'll end up getting. I've taken up three bookcase shelves full of space for my collection, whose growth has, thankfully, begun to slow.
With the growing collection also comes the cost of collection. The $40 starter set, $25 at a lot of web-retailers, is a drop in the bucket for the amount of game the box, but the real fun and strategy comes from the varied armies that can be built with additional expansions and finding synergy with what's available. Though the costs of all these expansions are relatively affordable, and certainly cheaper than any other game similar to "Heroscape," really getting into the game's variety can result in a money-suck.
But for under $100, and cheaper online, fans can get a "Rise of the Valkyrie" or "Swarm of the Marro" starter set, the Marvel Superheroes or new "Battle for the Underdark" expansion, the castle terrain pack, and have an incredible amount of variety to never tire of the game.
For the harder-to-find items that have not been re-printed, the grey-market of eBay fetches a much higher price for some of those pieces that haven't been seen on a store shelf for years. Thankfully though, because "Heroscape" was never intended to be a rarity-based collectible game, Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro, who publish the game, are committed to reprinting those figures that are in high demand and low availability. With Wal-Mart signed on as a big-box retailer, finding at least some "'Scape" to start shouldn't be a problem.
If hooked, finding a place to stop might be.
There are only a couple of games that I wait with great anticipation to play with my, now 15-month old, boy when he is old enough. The shelves of "Heroscape" may be played with my friends right now, but they are meant for my son.
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