General Update and Game Reviews
Mar. 8th, 2006 04:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
same_differenceThe weekend was nice and relaxing, it's interesting how much longer a weekend feels when you don't go larping. I got various things done; some cleaning, some sorting, made a cake, and played games. My brother was also down from Reading this weekend, and time was spent with him listening to him playing the piano (he's just started getting himself lessons), and finding out about the various creative projects he's currently got on at the moment (1 novel, 1 screenplay adaptation of a play he's written, 1 half hour play to be entered into the next short play production of the society he joined and another 30-100 page play he's working on for something else I forget). Speaking as someone who was always asked to read his various efforts from the past few years (beginning from memory with teenage angst ridden poetry) it's been interesting to see both the quality and breadth of his writing improve. He was always the least academic on the three of us, but he's certainly turned out to be very good with his words. It'll be interesting to read the first 10,000 words of his novel, when he sends it to me, it's only taken him a few days to write apparently so I'm curious to see what he's produced.
My time has been spent less productively on games, the reviews of which I've cut here:
Shadow of the Colossus - is very good and not like anything you'll have played before. It is effectively 16 boss battles, which aren't really that difficult, with nothing else but short journeys in between. However the design and feel of the game is amazing, the share scale of the colossi and the world is breath taking. There is nothing quite like grabbing on to the furry head of a colossus trying to stab at its weak point, while it tries to shake you off so you fall 400ft to the ground below. It reminds me most of Zelda boss battles where you have to work out how to defeat the boss, but without having to use the item you just got, or repeat the same sequence of moves over and over again. As long as you know what you’re getting you shouldn't be disappointed and I can't help wondering what the harder unlockable difficulty level will add to the battles. The only thing is the game is very good at making you feel so guilty when you kill the colossi. I almost don’t want to finish them off.
Ico - is an action-puzzle game set in this huge foreboding castle. It's regarded as quite simply one of the best games on the PS2. Having said that it's a shame that the little girl your character has to lead safely through the castle is so retarded at times, though this isn't too much of a problem if you’re prepared to lead her everywhere by the hand. The design of the puzzles is good though, and feels very organic - they fit into the world, rather than seeming out of place. Apparently the ending is immensely moving, and I look forward to finding out more of the story and seeing how they develop your relationship with the characters.
Black - Well the BBC Website quotes the developers as describing it as 'Gun Porn' and that is an accurate description. It looks amazing to quote a games mag I trust 'It looks more next gen than the real next gen titles'. It really is pure action packed eye candy. It's just like playing an action movie; almost everything explodes, people fly through the air or fall from balconies like stunt men, the body count is enormous and there's no blood. You know that scene from Commando when they arrive at the island, and Arnie had all the guns, it's like that just longer. Importantly for a console fps the controls are very tight allowing precise movement and aiming, pixel perfect head shots on tiny figures are definitely doable. This comes at a cost of the speed of movement, so no lightening movement to adjust to new threats. I suspect this is in part to maintain a consistent frame rate and it's not a problem once you’re used to it. Control also appears to be fairly customisable which is good for those with different game backgrounds.
They have gone the Halo inspired can only carry two weapon route, which makes for some difficult decisions (like wanting the RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade), sniper rifle and an automatic weapon at the same time). They've added an interesting touch to reloading: the screen blurs while you reload and focuses only on your gun - this may annoy depending on your personality, and can be a little tiring on the eyes, but adds extra tension to reloading. The game is also very flat, not in terms of the landscape, but the movement, you can't jump or climb small steps up. This means larger levels contain points of no return, which occasionally bugs when you've left a weapon you wanted/needed behind it. This is clearly to allow them to load up the next area into memory, but considering the levels are huge (can take over an hour to complete) it's an acceptable trade off. The game isn't long though, with only 8 levels, and they've clearly decided to not have mid-level saves, and make the check points spread out in order to extend the game's lifespan.
We Love Katamari - This is the most bizarre, random, insane and truly fun game you will ever roll your eyes over. It makes Biscuit (the larp character) look like an Auditor (from Discworld). There is absolutely no way to describe the insanity; the box art is even done in crayon! However, it really is unbelievably fun. It's a good puzzle game, requiring enough strategy to make it challenging, but simple enough to make it accessible to everyone, and like all good puzzle games is as addictive as chocolate coated heroin. Basically you roll stuff* up trying to get as big as possible in a set time (or to achieve another similar goal). The bigger you get the larger the objects you can roll up, and it's so satisfying when you’re finally get large enough to roll up the person who was kicking you when you were collecting the batteries around his feet. Everyone has to play it at least once. You know a game has you hooked when you start relating the world to the game mechanics, and before long you'll all be fighting the urge to work out how you could roll up Bath.
*Pencils, people, cars, skyscrapers, chocolate, toilet paper, chickens, origami cranes, chairs, crabs, etc.
Summary for those who know I'll have waffled above. All of them good, all worth playing and all, expect We Love Katamari, have their flaws. Oh yes and everyone will play 'We Love Katamari'. You have no choice. There is no escape.
In injury related new my leg continues to heal which is good. Though it aches if I walk too fast, and I'm struggling at the moment to remember to rein in my walking pace.
My time has been spent less productively on games, the reviews of which I've cut here:
Shadow of the Colossus - is very good and not like anything you'll have played before. It is effectively 16 boss battles, which aren't really that difficult, with nothing else but short journeys in between. However the design and feel of the game is amazing, the share scale of the colossi and the world is breath taking. There is nothing quite like grabbing on to the furry head of a colossus trying to stab at its weak point, while it tries to shake you off so you fall 400ft to the ground below. It reminds me most of Zelda boss battles where you have to work out how to defeat the boss, but without having to use the item you just got, or repeat the same sequence of moves over and over again. As long as you know what you’re getting you shouldn't be disappointed and I can't help wondering what the harder unlockable difficulty level will add to the battles. The only thing is the game is very good at making you feel so guilty when you kill the colossi. I almost don’t want to finish them off.
Ico - is an action-puzzle game set in this huge foreboding castle. It's regarded as quite simply one of the best games on the PS2. Having said that it's a shame that the little girl your character has to lead safely through the castle is so retarded at times, though this isn't too much of a problem if you’re prepared to lead her everywhere by the hand. The design of the puzzles is good though, and feels very organic - they fit into the world, rather than seeming out of place. Apparently the ending is immensely moving, and I look forward to finding out more of the story and seeing how they develop your relationship with the characters.
Black - Well the BBC Website quotes the developers as describing it as 'Gun Porn' and that is an accurate description. It looks amazing to quote a games mag I trust 'It looks more next gen than the real next gen titles'. It really is pure action packed eye candy. It's just like playing an action movie; almost everything explodes, people fly through the air or fall from balconies like stunt men, the body count is enormous and there's no blood. You know that scene from Commando when they arrive at the island, and Arnie had all the guns, it's like that just longer. Importantly for a console fps the controls are very tight allowing precise movement and aiming, pixel perfect head shots on tiny figures are definitely doable. This comes at a cost of the speed of movement, so no lightening movement to adjust to new threats. I suspect this is in part to maintain a consistent frame rate and it's not a problem once you’re used to it. Control also appears to be fairly customisable which is good for those with different game backgrounds.
They have gone the Halo inspired can only carry two weapon route, which makes for some difficult decisions (like wanting the RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade), sniper rifle and an automatic weapon at the same time). They've added an interesting touch to reloading: the screen blurs while you reload and focuses only on your gun - this may annoy depending on your personality, and can be a little tiring on the eyes, but adds extra tension to reloading. The game is also very flat, not in terms of the landscape, but the movement, you can't jump or climb small steps up. This means larger levels contain points of no return, which occasionally bugs when you've left a weapon you wanted/needed behind it. This is clearly to allow them to load up the next area into memory, but considering the levels are huge (can take over an hour to complete) it's an acceptable trade off. The game isn't long though, with only 8 levels, and they've clearly decided to not have mid-level saves, and make the check points spread out in order to extend the game's lifespan.
We Love Katamari - This is the most bizarre, random, insane and truly fun game you will ever roll your eyes over. It makes Biscuit (the larp character) look like an Auditor (from Discworld). There is absolutely no way to describe the insanity; the box art is even done in crayon! However, it really is unbelievably fun. It's a good puzzle game, requiring enough strategy to make it challenging, but simple enough to make it accessible to everyone, and like all good puzzle games is as addictive as chocolate coated heroin. Basically you roll stuff* up trying to get as big as possible in a set time (or to achieve another similar goal). The bigger you get the larger the objects you can roll up, and it's so satisfying when you’re finally get large enough to roll up the person who was kicking you when you were collecting the batteries around his feet. Everyone has to play it at least once. You know a game has you hooked when you start relating the world to the game mechanics, and before long you'll all be fighting the urge to work out how you could roll up Bath.
*Pencils, people, cars, skyscrapers, chocolate, toilet paper, chickens, origami cranes, chairs, crabs, etc.
Summary for those who know I'll have waffled above. All of them good, all worth playing and all, expect We Love Katamari, have their flaws. Oh yes and everyone will play 'We Love Katamari'. You have no choice. There is no escape.
In injury related new my leg continues to heal which is good. Though it aches if I walk too fast, and I'm struggling at the moment to remember to rein in my walking pace.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-03-08 02:32 pm (UTC)x
Does this make any sense to you?
Date: 2006-03-13 02:55 pm (UTC)http://katamaridamacy.jp/qa_data/katamari.html
Paul
Re: Does this make any sense to you?
Date: 2006-03-14 01:00 am (UTC)Look here: http://katamari.namco.com/
no subject
Date: 2006-05-02 11:49 am (UTC)*trundle trundle mash*
just finished SotC, going through again so we can climb the castle. Whee!
no subject
Date: 2006-05-02 12:08 pm (UTC)I'm regoing through SotC too. Trying the time trial battles, some of which are quite hard. I'm really not looking forward to trying to do the last one quickly.
Oh and hi, friend of my sister.